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Dawn.
Its light is slowly filling in the room, beckoning a new day.
And in that room, my son is sleeping peacefully.
I gently shook his shoulder to wake him.
“Aughhh … Dad? … what are you doing here this early?”
It was a rather simple question, I should have expected it since he has never awoken this early before.
“We are going to see my papa.”
And I can’t help but have fun with his early morning daze.
“… Papa?” He giggled, “Why are you using papa? Aren’t you too old for that?”
I chuckled, “You’re not too old to do anything, especially calling your dad papa.”
“Really? Then I should call you papa as well!” He nodded.
I am thankful Elias is the way he is, he always found a way to make something so endearing. Even when he is already past the age of childhood.
His face suddenly became alert, “Wait! Is mother and sister coming with us to see him too?”
“They have already gone ahead of us. That’s why we must leave now.”
He nodded, “Alright then! I’ll get a bath and prepare as soon as I can dad!”
Elias quickly shook off from his bedsheets and ran off to take a bath.
“Hah. He is just like me.”
As my son goes out to clean himself up, I moved towards the dress mirror on the corner of his room.
“My, I have really grown so fast.”
In front of me, I see the image of a muscular man with short and groomed auburn hair as well as a full beard covering his face. The man was wearing deep blue robes underneath his chest plate, with a leather belt was strapped around his waist and a light blue cape behind him streaked in patterns of white. The only thing that didn’t fit with his royal outfit were the military boots he was wearing and the sword of seals right next to him.
“Huh. I really do look more like Uncle Hector.”
Just as I was reminiscing on those days, someone knocked on the door.
“Who is it?”
“It’s Lance sir. Your horses are ready.”
Ah Lance, as reliable and steadfast as he always was.
“Alright, I’ll be in there in a moment.”
---
Snow.
White flakes falling down from the deep blue sky come to greet me.
Well, more like us actually.
Us being two blue-heads riding on a borrowed horse. With me in the back and my daughter at the front. Searching for flowers within the cold weather.
I mean, it shouldn’t be too hard finding the proper flowers to honor the dead. Lilies, Carnations, and Roses are found just about anywhere in the fields of Elibe. Forget-me-nots, the one we are searching for however, are only found within the snowy highlands of Ilia. And finding them has been quite a challenge, thanks to all the snow everywhere.
“Mother? Did you see any of them?”
Now where is it…?
“Mom? Are you there with me …?”
'Snap!’
“Oh! Sorry Hecate. It’s just that, my thoughts were buried under all of this snow!”
“…”
All I got from her was an unamused gaze.
“…Mom.”
“Come on Hecate, you are taking this way too seriously. I’m supposed to be worrying more about these flowers you know?”
She sighed, “I learn from my studies that I have to take control of my surroundings, so that means I have to stay alert to find what I want. Secondly, I promised myself that I would always put my best effort to honour the people I love and care. Especially when it comes to grandmother.”
“You’re the youngest child Hecate.” I put my hand on her shoulder, “Yet you think that you have to hold all these burdens yourself. You know that we are a family and can do this together, right?”
She faced forward with another sigh, “Then why did I put a lot of effort into this? Why have I learned to ride a horse for you and dad? Why am I going around in circles looking for this plant even though it might seem pointless to you? Why is that I do …”
Then she stopped, only realising now that something is off. So she turned around once more…
“… all of this for you…”
Only to see me sneaking away to a nearby field of snow covered plants.
“Mom! What are you doing?! You are going to get sick from all this snow!”
As she steered her horse around, I was simply kneeling down and putting my lantern next to me as I shook off the snow from the plants.
…
“Jackpot!”
There it was, a small bundle of Forget-Me-Nots. Ready for me to pick.
“Mother! Get back on the horse so that we may…”
She then jumps out of her horse and looks over to the Forget-Me-Nots I just found.
“… Wait, how did you find it?”
“Using my own magic of course!” I beamed.
She huffed, “I tried that first, but I barely felt anything.”
“That’s because you didn’t focus enough on searching for the flower.”
“Huh…?”
I put my hand over the flowers, “Hecate, sometimes you think these difficult tasks require incredibly thorough methods to solve. Try and experiment with more simpler ideas, you would be surprised at how effective they can be.”
“So why didn’t you stop me and tell me that earlier?”
“Because I thought you realise now that riding a horse on a hill of snow doesn’t work well in finding flowers compared to using a bit of magic.”
“… Oh, I guess you are right. But isn’t that a poor way to teach a lesson?”
“…”
“…”
Oops. Looks like I haven’t thought this ‘teach your kids important morals through your actions’ thoroughly at all.
Well, it’s a good time as any to say it.
“I’m sorry Hecate. I just want us to enjoy the time we have together. I know that you look up to your grandmother a lot, but I just want you to the time you have with me. I know that you see a lone woman who dances her blade against her foes is more enticing than waving your hand and flicking a spark of flame, but it’s disrespectful if you ignore magic and everything else that I taught for that very reason. The only reason I am being so adamant in your magic studies because I fear that your efforts of being ‘the strongest warrior’ has made you narrow minded.”
“…”
She stared at me quietly, still trying to process all the things I have said.
“Mom … I …”
“But that’s because I didn’t give your more attention, right? I guess that’s what happens when your mind becomes more vulnerable as you age…”
“No.”
My eyes widened in surprise.
“I realise that I have been selfish as of late, and that I haven’t been grateful whenever you try and get in touch with me.”
She looked down, “You gave me so much attention, but … I selfishly ignored you. All I wanted to be was a fighter who would villains shake in their boots as well as someone everyone can look up towards.” She took a deep breath, “And in the end, I focused on my self image rather than what matters to me most. For that, I am so sorry for being narrow minded.”
Hecate … I’m so happy and grateful that you still love me as your own mother.
I smiled in joy, “Thank you. I’m glad you are my daughter Hecate.”
She also grew a smile, “And I’m glad you’re an amazing sage mom. You are really a wise person.”
And with that, I plucked up the flowers as the wall between us has finally gone down.
I stretched my arms and legs, “Well, we can’t keep your father waiting. So let’s go down and meet with Shanna and Thea before their Pegasi freeze up!”
“Well alright then, mom.” She climbs back on her horse and stretches out her right hand,
“Let’s go together.”
And I took her hand.
----
As we ride our horses through the paved road, I looked behind me to check on my son.
“Are you doing well?”
He smiles, “Of course I am father! A man has to be strong like you!”
“That’s admirable. But remember to tell me anything if you need help.”
“You don’t have to worry about it dad! I am your son and apprentice knight after all!”
It reassuring to know that my son wants to follow me in my footsteps,
But I can’t help but think his cheeriness seems a bit … forced. It might just be he is excited about going on a stroll with me.
And yet, I felt that there is something bigger to this.
“Son?”
“Yes dad?”
“Are you feeling alright?”
“Oh!” He fidgeted, “Well … I guess I am nervous. Considering that I am meeting your father, the greatest knight in all of Lycia! I mean, no one that I know in Lycia has never heard of the courage the great Eliwood had!”
I entertained his question, “So you are nervous because of my father’s reputation? You know that people are just exaggerating about my father’s accomplishments right? Elias my boy, you have been reading way too many tales!”
Elias chuckled nervously, “Well yeah, but …”
He sighs, “It’s silly of me to think of it this way, but I still wonder how I could be your son.”
The moment I heard him say ‘How could I be your son’ struck me as if I was hit with Forblaze, making me pull back the reins of my horse out of shock.
“Elias! You are my son. You are my - I mean - our first child. And no circumstance would ever change that!”
He exhaled, “Yeah I know, but how can I ever measure up to you? You forced yourself into the position of a Lycian general because your father was ill. That takes so much courage that I could never have had. So I always keep asking myself, how can I be the next great Hero of Elibe if I am only half as good as my dad?”
So that’s the problem.
Everything he said sent me back to when my father was looked so reluctant and fearful for my safety. When he shouted at me for my suggestion of replacing him in a war where the strongest military nation is invading all of Elibe.
But because of his sickness, he had to agree.
As if almost seems like destiny, I saved Elibe and happily reunited with my father.
But right now, my son is being anxious to be as strong the man who saved Elibe from what was once the strongest military force in the continent and the dark dragon itself.
The only thing I could imagine was Elias carrying a tremendous weight that he never deserved.
“I was like that too once.”
His eyes were also struck by my surprising statement,
“You too dad? I thought that you always studied and trained yourself hard enough to match your father. You adored and followed him like I was with you, right?”
I nodded, “Why yes. But training and studying alone won’t make you a stronger person.”
“So there is more to becoming like you than being strong in both body and mind?”
“Yes, it’s your heart as well.”
“Heart?”
“War is not just about fighting for what’s right, but having a heart that is both kind and strong. That means showing compassion amidst the most darkest moments.” I looked into Elias’s eyes, “The ones who suffer the most from wars are the common folk. Their lands and livelihoods swept up by the skirmishes and takeovers between nations. And in these moments, they are at their worst. So it’s always important to lend them compassion to remind them that they haven’t lost everything yet.”
I pulled up my reign to signal my horse to move, Elias soon followed after,
“Don’t limit it to just normal citizens, extend kindness to all of those in need. Whether it be a fellow soldier, family member, friend or even something beyond our understanding, always treat them with as much as you can give.”
“But won’t that be difficult? How would you know who you can trust that compassion with?”
“It will always be difficult the first time. So you must set a limit whenever you are meeting a new face. Now that might sound a bit cruel, but you have to realise who you are dealing with. Only then can you decide how much help that you can extend once you have made your judgement.”
“But what if they don’t want it? What if your compassion was denied at every turn?”
“Then you have to hold on to it. Compassion is never an easy thing my boy, but it is one of the most valuable things a world like ours needs. Love is a vital component to our humanity, but we can’t have that love without enduring through the hardship for ourselves and someone else.”
When I finished, Elias stopped asking questions and is instead absorbed in his own thoughts.
“It’s alright son, take your time to ponder on these questions. I know I would...”
“No dad, I want to thank you.”
His demeanor returned to his usual self, “I realize now that being my own person isn’t based on my strengths, but how I use them to affect the world around me. It doesn’t matter whether I am brave or strong, what I do will determine if I am truly worthy or not.”
I nodded and smiled at his revelation.
“Then I have no qualms that I truly am your son.”
“Thank you…” I wistfully said.
Just as we continued down the road, we saw two Pegasi fly overhead of us.
“Elias look! It’s your mom and sister!”
“Looks like we are a bit behind, wanna take it up a notch?”
“Hmmm … alright. But this is so that your mom wouldn’t have to wait for us.”
“Alright dad, I’ll race you!”
Just like that, he whipped his reign and got his horse going.
“I accept your challenge!”
And so did I.
———
Breezing through the sky with pegasi has never been any less exciting to me!
The wind blowing in my face…
The clouds passing by like a dream…
And of course...
My daughter being here with me.
“Mom?”
“Yes Hecate?”
“What were my grandma and grandpa when you were with them?”
I’m quite surprised she took this long to ask me that question. She usually asks about the battles they have gone through or what feats they have accomplished. But seeing her actually being interested in how they were together just gives me all the fuzziest feelings!
So how could I describe their relationship?
“Well, they liked to do a lot of things together. Whether it be making decisions on running on the state, taking care of me, sparring with each other everyday to see who is stronger, arguing over why my daddy decided to scare your father when he was only twelve by staring at him menacingly even though he said it was a joke…”
“Your childhood must have been very memorable when you have parents like that.”
I smiled, “Yup. They might fight over the smallest things, but they truly love each other to the fullest.”
Her eyes widened from a sudden realization, “I wish that you can tell more about them mother.”
I nodded, “Absolutely!”
Hecate smile gre, only to end up looking more queasy.
She looked to Shanna, her flyer, “Um, excuse me, are we there yet?”
“Just a bit more!” she replied.
“I know that, but I’m starting to get sick from all this speed!”
As we glide through the skies with Shanna’s and Thea’s pegasi, Hecate starts to look a bit dizzy.
“Hey Shanna?” I asked her.
“Yeah?” she responded gleefully.
“Maybe take it a bit easy on my daughter? She can’t take high speeds for too long.”
She looked forward again in determination, “But we are so close! I can feel it!”
“But I know this place better than you and I definitely know we are not there yet ...”
“My senses can’t fail me now! I have already trained for 15 years and I just can’t sit and doubt anything anymore!”
Hecate clasped her hands in desperation, “Please mom. I feel like I’m going to *hurp!*”
Well this situation escalated quickly.
“Shanna! She is already getting really sick. Can you please let go a bit of your excitement?” Thea pleads.
“Alrighty. I’ll hold back. Sorry about that” Shanna dismayed.
And just like that, the Pegasus went from razing the skies to something more relaxed.
Hecate was relieved, “Ohh, thank you so much miss…”
“I’m really sorry. I can get carried away when I blast through the sky. It’s a thing I need to work on.”
She chuckled, “That alright, I was about as obsessed as proving myself as you are. So I know that feeling.”
“So we are okay? If I’m not rushing here...”
Hecate smiles, “I wouldn’t worry about it now.”
“Whew! That’s a huge relief. I’m sorry about your daughter Madam.” Thea dismayed.
“It’s alright Thea, let us take this as a life lesson for all of us. And just call me Lilina, we are friends remember?”
“Well I’m glad that we were with you, Lilina.”
Looking up ahead, I see intricately placed trees surrounding a field with four stones in the center of it. And right in front of them are two figures shaded with red on top of them.
“Hecate look! It’s your dad and your brother!”
---
Elias pointed up to the sky, to the two Pegasi that were overhead, “Hey look dad! We got here first.”
As they got closer to us, the Pegasi descended from the skies and onto the ground.
And on those Pegasi were four people that I knew ...
Shanna, the energetic and lively Pegasus rider. She has never aged a day, despite her new, slightly bulkier set if armor giving her a more professional vibe to it. As well as her hair being tied to a ponytail.
Thea, the older sister. Who is just as kind but more restrained than Shanna is. She had a bob cut and also wore the same set of armor Shanna has.
Hecate, my second child who only was a year younger than Elias. Aside from her tinge of purple hair, she looks almost like Lilina’s mother Lyn. She is quite serious but always has a good heart and always knows when to admit her mistakes.
And of course, my Lilina. She has a saintly and radiant figure, but with an aura of youthfulness that I admired so much ever since we first met. The braids on her blue hair and her flowing white dress are something I just noticed, only adding to her charm.
I smirked, “It has been a while.”
Lilina cocked her head to the right and smiled, “I’ve just been picking flowers you know…”
“Of course, I was just saying … Augh!”
And then I got ambushed by a slap on the back.
“I can’t believe I got to meet Roy ... I mean ... the savior of Elibe once again as a real man!”
And not to my surprise, it was Shanna.
“Well, I wouldn’t say I am a lone savior ...” I felt a twinge of flattery, “You and the people that were with us helped as well, remember?”
She gave a couple of quick, light jabs on my arm, “Of course I do! But you were the one that got us all here, so you should be given all the credit!”
My cheeks flushed a bit at that statement, “Aww no, I just simply asked for some help. It’s people like you that really…”
Suddenly, I stopped.
I felt a gaze, like I was roasting on an open fire.
Turning my attention away from Shanna, I see that Lilina was crossing her arms with a pensive
look on her face.
Then I realised it,
I was being flirted on.
All of sudden my thoughts suddenly stirred up like I had been caught committing adultery in front of my wife.
“Hey um, Shanna....”
“What’s wrong?” voiced a concerned Shanna.
Then she looked to where I was looking.
Lilina raised an eyebrow in confusion, “Wait ... what are you looking at?”
“Oh. I get it, I’m treading over restricted boundaries. So uh ... I’ll retreat right away.”
Then she went back to Thea, who was putting her hand over her face and was shaking it with disappointment.
I went over to Lilina, “Excuse me dear, I don’t want to assume … but I want to know if you were garnering any kinds of feelings when I was with Shanna?”
Lilina was surprised, “Huh? No! Of course not! I mean … I know you two were also friends. But well … I …”
Her face was quickly covered in red, her voice welled up feelings of embarrassment. She was twiddling with her fingers to try and stay calm.
Then Shanna decided to break the discomfort between us, “Wait, were you going to incinerate me just because I gave a couple of compliments that I wanted to give a long time ago?”
“U-umm … w-well … that’s, uh…”
It was at this point that Lilina became a stuttering mess.
I was also awash in a wave of embarrassment for putting my wife on the spot.
Thea smacked the palm of her hand on her head, “Dear god almighty Shanna ... Don’t you have any restraint at all?!”
Suddenly, Lilina quickly went over to Thea to apologise to her.
“No, no, no! This is all on me. I kind of let my feelings get into your sister’s conversation. I didn’t mean to stare at them both…”
Thea rubbed her palm on her forehead, “I get that. But ever since she became better and better as a pegasus knight, her confidence has gone beyond what I can handle. She says all this confidence it’s to, “Get in the proper mindset!”. That’s great for a girl like her … but I know one of the days it would cause something like this.”
Shanna’s expression turned to worry, “Sis? Have I really gone too far?”
Thea’s eyes widened, “No! You were just … being you! There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, I …”
She then took a deep breath to recompose herself, “I’m really sorry if we were causing problems on your important day. You wanted to honor your parents and we are here causing a ruckus. If Juno was with us, she would sort this out better that I could ...”
A hand was put on Thea’s shoulder, a boy with messy crimson hair was right next to her.
It was Elias.
“Hey, hey, don’t cry miss. We are supposed to be the ones doing that here.”
Thea looked to her side and was surprised, “Huh? Wait, why do you look like...”
Hecate then appeared next to Elias, “Embracing change is indeed a challenge, but they are part of life. I mean, my older brother is a walking ray of sunshine who keeps going in to my room without permission just to tell me how much he appreciates my mom, my dad, and me especially. Since I am the serious one, I should have found that annoying on how he keeps invading my private space. I kept brushing him off, but he still comes to my room everyday as if nothing happened. I only realised now that he was simply being affectionate towards me. If your sister is being confident as much as she can for the sake of becoming a better pegasus knight, then shouldn’t that be something encouraging? There might be some problems with how she does it, but she really wants to do her best to become like you and your older sister. I learned from my mom that family always do things for each other out of love and respect.”
By the gods ...
My daughter usually is the one learning these things, but I guess Lilina had worked some magic on her.
Thea was left stunned while Elias went over to Shanna to reassuring her,
“Yeah, my sister can sometimes be a bit too serious about everything. But I know that telling her that I would always be there gets her to open up to me. Love may be the most simple and hardest thing to do, but it’s a powerful force that can strengthen you. You could really learn a lot from my father as well.”
As if I couldn’t feel any more pride swelling in my heart, Elias gave Shanna something he learned as well. As if they knew the pain the sisters are going through.
“Woah. These kids are really smart! Are they your siblings too?”
“No. They are my kids.” I answered.
Shanna gaped her mouth in surprise, “Wait … your kids?!”
“You’re the father?!” Thea joined in.
I should be more surprised but I had a feeling this might have happened, “I thought you knew that already.”
Lilina thankfully returned with a motherly expression “Remember the story I was telling about my parents on the way here? I guess you were too busy flying to notice. But yes, I had two kids with him. Hehe.”
The two sisters continued to gape their mouths in surprise. But Shanna quickly recomposed herself, “I never heard of this! When did you get married?”
“Sixteen years ago.” I replied.
“Sixteen years?! But how come I never got an invitation?!”
“You were always on the move. It’s kinda hard to track you or your sister. I even announced it throughout Elibe but I had heard no replies from any of you. So we sadly had to put you off just as the wedding day nears.”
Thea then asks, “So how old are these kids?”
I held on to my chin, “Well ... we had our first child Elias nine months after our wedding. Then we had Hecate a year after. So respectively, they are fifteen and fourteen as of now.”
“So that’s why I felt a sense of familiarity when I looked at them! They are about as old as when we first met you!”
I scratched my beard and chuckled, “Yup. Time sure flies fast when you are a parent and ruler of Lycia.”
Previous feelings of sorrow were thankfully replaced with warm smiles and bits of laughter. Lilina was closing her eyes and smiled as she reminisced on past days. While Shanna pulled her sister over to talk with my kids. It was such a delightful scene, the children talking with interest to the Pegasus sisters. And while I was standing there, Lilina went over to me carrying two bundles in her arms.
“I know it’s wrong to disturb the mood, but I found them.”
She gave me a bundle of assorted flowers. The first bundle had Lilies, Carnations, and Roses. The second one was entirely of blue forget-me-nots, the ones my father and mother loved so much.
I smiled melancholically. “Thank you. These really mean so much to me. I’m sorry I wasn’t there with you when you were finding these…”
“It’s alright.” she says. “You already had much to do yesterday with this place and I didn’t want to wake you before the sun rose. But I feel like us going separately with each of our own children did something wonderful for all of us.”
“Almost like destiny.” I chuckled.
She smiles, “Yeah, funny how it is.”
We both laughed as we enjoy the moment between us. Then we looked towards the pegasus sisters as they were laughing along with our kids.
“It’s time, isn’t it?”.
“I’m sorry Roy, but you do remember why you are here?”
I looked towards an area with the four stones in it.
“Of course I do.”
---
“Are you sure the both of you will be fine?” I asked.
Shanna nodded, “Of course I am! Your family is possibly the best set of royals I ever met! Right Thea?”
Thea nodded as well “Surely. I really enjoy meeting you all again.”
“Well I’m glad,” I said. “But now is the time for us to do what we came here for. So I apologize for asking you to leave.”
Thea smiles, “Me and Shanna will be alright, we are sisters after all. You take care as well Roy. And you too Lilina.”
“Thank you! You do as well!” Lilina remarks.
And just like that, the Pegasus sisters got up in the air and flew back to Ilia. For as short as the reunion was, it was a joyous one.
“I’ll miss you all!”
And of course, Shanna had to get the last word in. But it already makes me miss everyone I knew already.
But now is not the time for that.
Because I am here at last to be with the people I miss the most…
Just as we see the Pegasi fly off into the sun, Lilina tapped on my shoulder.
“Roy?”
“Yes Lilina?”
“You never told me yet on why you wanted the resting place of our parents to be here in Khathelet?”
“Wait, have I ever told you how your dad and mine met both my mom and yours by coincidence?”
She shook her head, “Um, not really. I know my father told me a really long time ago, but I don’t remember it at all.”
“Getting old, are we?” I jested.
Elias and Hecate chuckled but Lilina elbowed my side, “Oh come on Roy! We’re not that old yet!”
I chuckled, “Oh don’t worry, just a simple jest.”
After we finish our banter, all of us walked towards the gravestones. Walking through the stone carved path with fields of grass gently blowing, as if to acknowledge our presence.
It was quite a relaxing atmosphere...
“So are you going to tell that story father?” Elias asks.
Oh yes of course! Why did I just forget it just now?
Then I heard someone muttering behind me, “Speaking of being old…”
I chose not to comment on that statement.
Instead, I cleared my throat, “So … the story begins when my father, Eliwood, went around here for his sparring match with his friend Hector. But instead of finding him, he finds a couple of brigands taking a woman with them. So my father, as morally strong as he is, decides to put some sense into these people by knocking them all out.”
Elias suddenly was in a rush of excitement, “So he took out an entire brigade?! That’s what I usually expect from the legends!”
I waved my finger, “No son. Brigands. They are common ruffians who swing their axes about as effectively as butter knife through a rock. And there were only three people there.”
“But still! Three against one sounds like a tough fight!”
“But these brigands were no match for my father’s fencing skills! He knocked the weapons right out of their hands, and they retreated! And then, she found the woman. And she had a hair of ice…”
“You mean, Lady Ninian?” Hecate answered.
I smiled in remembrance, “Right. She had fainted, so my father decided to hold onto her to keep her safe and find some help. He heard the cries of a young boy, calling out to a name. So he went over to where the voice was, carrying Ninian. There, he found a small boy named Nils who was crying out for her sister. He was relieved when he saw her in my dad’s arms. But the boy was not alone, he was accompanied by a Sacaean named Lyn and her friends.”
“My mother ...” Lilina expresses in a wistful tone.
“She was also thankful my father was there to help at the right time. And as Ninian slowly recovered, Lyn told her tale of how she wanted to take back Marquess Caelin’s throne from Lord Lundgren since she is the true heir. My father wanted to lend aid but Lyn ended up declining it since she states that this was her own state of affairs. As such, my father departed ways with her and her friends. He ended up having to explain to Hector the entire ordeal because he was waiting too long for him. And from there, they ended up together again under different circumstances a year after.”
I breathed in the air around me, “This is the place where destinies intertwined, relationships bloomed, and …”
I looked to the family I have with me,
“... The reason why me, your mother and us are here now.”
I then changed my attention to the gravestones that are now right in front of me.
——
Hector, son of Ostia, brother to Uther, husband to Lyndis, father of Lilina.
A brave general, stalwart leader, and loving father.
May he rest peacefully alongside his family.
———
Lyndis, daughter of Caelin and granddaughter of Hausen, wife to Hector, mother of Lilina.
A child of the Lorca, fearless warrior, and loving wife.
May Father Sky and Mother Earth watch over her always.
———
Ninian, dearly beloved wife to Eliwood of Pherae, mother of Roy.
A graceful dancer, a gentle soul, and a loving wife.
May her love and affection stay with us all.
———-
Eliwood, son of Elbert and Eleanora of Pherae, beloved husband of Ninian, father to Roy.
A steadfast knight, benevolent ruler, and a loving husband.
May his courage forever motivate us to become stronger.
———-
And so, we finally meet our parents after a long amount of time. Moving the caskets and the gravestones to here was a choice I was terrified of at first. I had to move the most important and beloved people out of their own homes as well as having to face the ire of the people. But by some god given miracle, they respect the decision I made. And I put as much time asking these people as finding the right area to bury our parents.
Today, all of the destruction, rebuilding, despair, hope, betrayal, bonds, soldiers, people, heroes, villains, dragons and humans that we and everyone else here had to go through has finally come to this moment.
To the place where it all started.
“This is what I had been doing, what I wanted to show you all along.”
“It all becomes poetic dad. The way everything comes full circle.” Elias remarks.
Hecate stares at graves melancholically, “I hace agree with you brother, it is definitely something beautiful to behold.”
As the children look over the writing on the stones, me and Lilina grabbed a couple of flowers from the bundle I was holding to place on each of the graves in equal amounts.
Now it was time to do one last thing.
“Alright, time to tell them what you have been up to.”
The kids looked up at me and nodded. The both of them kneel in front of the graves and began telling what they have been thinking for the past fifteen years.
Elias started first, “Hi Sir Eliwood … I mean Grandpapa.”
A smile quickly went up to my face.
“I always thought of you as some kind legend born to do all these great things. I thought I could never reach to your standards, since you are the greatest knight in all of Lycia. But my father, the little boy you raised, reassured me that my kindness and willingness to endure the hardships will make me as strong as you. Maybe even more so. So no matter what, I will keep training and gaining experience as my father’s apprentice knight until I can myself a hero.”
Next, it was Hecate, “Grandmother, I haven’t been a very good daughter. Lately I have been ignoring my family for the dream of one day becoming like you. Being the most fearless and strongest warrior on the field were once my life goals. But now, I want to spend my time protecting and caring for those close to me. I will also devout my studies towards magic again, to achieve those old dreams of becoming a Mage Knight like mom’s old teacher. I know I might not always get along well with everyone, but I won’t let what my mind says stop me from doing what I feel is right.”
The kids then stood up and quietly motioned us for our turn.
Lilina quietly stepped towards the gravestones of her parents, “Mother, Father … Are you doing alright? I hope the gods have been good to you. And you weren’t joking that ruling a nation will turn your back stiff and turn your mind duller than a rock.”
She took a quick glance at me, rubbing in the fact that being king and queen of a newly established kingdom took their toll on us.
“And … it has been hard taking care of two kids who don’t mix well with each other.”
Hecate looked down at her feet while Elias gently pats on her shoulder.
Her expression changed into a calm smile, “But I wouldn’t worry about it, because I have a wonderful husband who never gives up. No matter if it is a state affair, protecting his kingdom, or teaching his children important life lessons, he will always stay strong as it means something to him.”
And those words were all it took to remind me why Lilina is the closest you will ever get to a saint.
“The children are also like us. Stubborn but always trying to improve whenever they can. Elias is such an incredible image of chivalry that he might as well just be a second Roy, or a third Eliwood for his sheer sincerity and kindness.”
Elias blushed and twiddled his fingers just as she said that.
“And Hecate is far more devout to her studies and training than ever before. Her knowledge on fighting styles and the different magic tomes are incredibly vast. You were always such a motivating figure to her that she even learned how to ride a horse on her own.”
Hecate pensively looked towards her mother.
“But nothing like that can change her caring soul. For as many times she felt like she mistreated us, Hecate always tries to make-up whatever incident she might have caused. She cares deeply for us, something that she had gotten from both me and you. And today was the day she fully embraced it.”
Hecate’s expression then shifts to one of being grateful. Even a tear or two escaped from her soft blue eyes.
“That is all to it. From what I can say about my life until now, it has been a struggle without you both. But with everyone I know being alongside me, I can stand on my own two feet. Proud that I am carrying on your love with me.”
For a moment, Lilina closed her eyes to honour her parents.
…
…
...
And with that, Lilina steps back.
I stepped in front of my parents and kneeled, “Mom, dad … I did it.” A soft grin grew from within me, “I finally put you both back together in the very place you met. I’m really sorry that the old patch of forget-me-nots didn’t get to bloom again this season, because I know how much you loved them. But we picked them from their original place to bless this place with your love as well. I was always afraid of failing the day the both of you were taken away from this world, for there is much I have to live up to. That was also the moment that fear I had pushed me to be strong, knowing that it would only hurt more if I had never tried at all. So I say thank you for raising me. Thank you for never giving up on me, even when I wanted to give up the most.”
...
I took a deep breath to control the tears that were slowly trickling.
“The lives you lived will be forever cherished by not just me and my family. It will be all of us, the people of Pherae, the allies who went with you to save your father, the soldiers and knights you inspire, and all else who come across the both of you will forever be grateful that you are there for them. We will not remember you for your deaths, we will remember you for giving love and compassion in a time where the world needs it the most. That … is how you will be remembered.”
As I let myself get swept away by these emotions, I finally let my tears go.
And for a moment … I saw them.
“Sir Hector …?”
They didn’t look old.
“Miss Lyn …?”
In fact, they looked a lot younger.
“Mama …?”
Almost as if…
“... P-papa …”
… I finally get to see them in their prime. ..
They are also wearing different clothing from when I last remembered them. Not wearing heavy cloaks, or tight dresses, but ones that express their true character.
And they all stared at me with proud smiles on their faces. Saying only one three words,
“Roy, thank you.”
“ .... “
“ … dad…?”
“…. father ...?”
“…. dear ...?”
“... Roy ...?”
I opened my eyes,
“Roy, Are you all right?”
“Huh…?”
I only realised then that I had been crying in front of my family. Lilina, Elias and Hecate all expressing worry over my state of being.
“Dad, do you need any help?” Elias asks.
“I was just …”
Hecate crossed her arms, “If you have anything weighing please tell us. We are family after all.”
“I saw … “
Lilina kneeled right next to me, “You saw both of our parents, right?”
I mouth quivered a bit, “How did you … know?”
“When I was closing my eyes to honour them in memory, I saw them appear right in front of me. All of them looking younger than I remembered, and wearing different outfits. They were all smiling at me and said ‘thank you’. And when I opened my eyes, I was back here.”
“So was it … a dream?
“It felt more like they were watching us…”
They are watching us from the great beyond....
I knew they never left us at all...
Finally, I regained my composure, “Then it’s a miracle we got to see them once again, as if they were alive.”
Lilina nodded, “We are truly blessed…”
That was it then.
We finally got to pay our respects.
Our children finally got to see who our parents are.
And ... an atmosphere of peace has been given to this place.
I slowly got up and looked at Elias and Hecate, “Looks like it was finally time for us to go back.”
Elias nodded, “Alright dad. Looks like all of us are going together now.”
Elias then approached Hecate, “Hey, do you want to show me your horse riding skills? I’ll just be in the back and enjoy the scenery passing by me since I know you get bothered by me making commentary during your tasks.”
Hecate smiled, “Alright, I’ll show you. But you better keep that mouth talking, it would simply get boring.”
Elias chuckled, “Really sis? You want me to provide you with entertainment? Augh, fine … but you better not be frisky with my horse!”
Hecate starts heading back, “But we shared the same horse ever since we were young Elias!”
Elias followed suit, “Well I think he likes me more than you Hecate!”
And Hecate comes back at him, “But I will make him like me more than you ever will brother!”
They quickly walked back to the entrance, laughing as they go.
Lilina put her hand on mine,
“So dear, do you want to take me back home?”
And I took Lilina’s hand in mine.
“Of course I do.” I smiled.
At last, we are finally going back home.
Spending time with the family I hold near and dear to me.
It must have been hard to raise a son.
It must have been hard to raise a daughter.
But to our Mothers and our Fathers…
Thank you for never giving up on us.
Just as we will never give up raising our own sons and daughters.
Fin.