Archive of Our Own

"_____, you are to escort Prince Innes to Renais."

Upon hearing him speak, you bowed your head at King Hayden, understanding that these were your orders. "Of course, your majesty," you responded. "When must we leave?"

King Hayden replied, "As soon as possible. My son is to offer a proposal to King Fado in hopes of securing our kingdoms' alliance. It would be unwise to delay. I believe that tomorrow at dawn would be best." He then summoned several servants to prepare the necessary items for your trip and dismissed you so you could do whatever you needed to do.

As you exited the halls, you were approached by several of your pegasus knights. "Commander _____, what are our orders?" one of them asked, walking beside you as you strode down the hallway.

"We're to escort the prince to Renais." That was all you said. You would leave it to them to comment or ask questions.

"Prince Innes?" another repeated. While she remained poised, you could tell that she was excited. "Goodness, I'd never thought that he would need our battalion to serve him!"

"He's a great sniper himself," someone else shared. "I hear that he can hit anything with his bow and arrows."

You rolled your eyes. "Now, now," you began. "Prince Innes may be talented, but he's far from perfect. Because he's such an important figure in Frelia, it would be dangerous if he were to travel alone."

"Oh, I'm not complaining," your newest recruit, Dafne, said. "He's so handsome! I wouldn't mind spending time with him."

You knew fully well that escorting him did not obligate him to talk to you or your battalion. As many positive comments you received from everyone else, you knew that Innes was stubborn to a fault and often snide with his comments. You were a witness of this, having worked with him in the past. He was by no means a bad person, but he certainly wasn't your favorite. "Don't get your hopes up. We leave at dawn," was all you said in response, exiting the castle to tend to your pegasus.

The next day, as you had been ordered the night before, you and your pegasus knights were up and ready even before the sun rose. Your mounts were restless, nickering playfully to one another as you tacked them up for the journey. Two others, Moulder the priest and Gilliam the armored knight, were also to go with you. Moulder was a gentle and reassuring fatherly figure, one of King Hayden's closest advisers, while Gilliam was one of Frelia's most trustworthy warriors. Both of them were friends to you, and you knew that the journey was already better because of them.

You had selected only two of your most loyal knights, figuring that they would be able to defend Innes if anything happened.

Prince Innes met the rest of you outside, Moulder and Gilliam following closely behind him. "Are you ready, Commander _____?"

"As always," you replied, glancing at Hana and Dafne. They nodded at you, holding the reins of their pegasi closely.

So you set off to Renais. You rode your pegasus, Faiga, a stallion with great patience and strength, remaining on the ground with the others, while Hana and Dafne were sent to scout ahead on their winged mounts.

You had been instructed to lead this mission carefully. There were many brigands and thieves along the way so you had to be constantly aware of your surroundings. If you even neglected to pay attention for a short time, there was the possibility of someone getting hurt, and you didn't want that.

Fortunately, with Gilliam and Moulder around, conversation flowed easily. They would talk about all sorts of things to lighten the mood and lift your mind off of things. Prince Innes talked as well -- although he was in a serious mood, he was at least open to the idea of conversation.

It would be several days until you reached Renais. While you and your pegasus knights had your own mounts, the other three had horses. You made it a point during the trip to laugh at Gilliam who seemed awkward at riding.

"I would much rather have my feet on the ground," he said as he urged the horse to slow down.

You replied jokingly, "Oh? Is this why you chose to become an armored knight as opposed to a cavalier?"

"Actually, yes."

Moulder let out a soft chuckle. "Why, I say that your fear of horses is for the better then."

"I am not afraid of horses," Gilliam refuted, eying Moulder in mock anger. "I simply would prefer to travel without them."

"If I were a poor rider, I would say that too," you commented, causing Moulder to laugh and even Prince Innes to chuckle.

Gilliam, in his good humor, also spared a smile, even though the joke was at his expense. He adjusted the spear at his side. "But for me, horses are only for transportation. I fight well on the battlefield without them."

"It's true," you replied. "I wouldn't do too well without Faiga." You leaned forward to pat the stallion's neck. He had been with you for years now, and you were glad for every moment of your time together. He was loyal and true, responding to your cues beautifully even in the heat of battle.

"Then what would you do if you were to lose your pegasus?" Moulder asked.

You turned around to look at him; you had never thought of it before. Losing Faiga would... well, it would probably kill you. He was not only a pegasus, a mount for the royal knights of Frelia -- he was your companion! You had trained with him for years and you couldn't even imagine life without him. "...I'd much rather not think about it," you finally said. "It'd be devastating. That's all I can tell you."

Innes gave you a stern glance that you could not decipher. He probably thought that your response was a weak one and that a commander of Frelia's pegasus knights should not speak in such a manner.

Of course, you ignored him. If he wasn't speaking directly at you, you figured that you were at liberty to pay no attention to the prince.

Instead, you looked to the skies, wondering how your pegasus knights were doing. They had just left so you didn't expect them to report back to you for a while. Besides, you trusted in their abilities so you weren't worried about Hana and Dafne.

Eventually, they returned, their pegasi landing a short distance away, trotting toward the rest of your party.

"Nothing," Hana reported. "We see nothing that's threatening at all. For the next few hours at least, we shouldn't have any trouble."

That was a relief to hear. It would be best if you could lead this party to Renais and back without any skirmishes. Although you were trained to fight, that didn't mean that you enjoyed violence. You simply did what you had to do.

When night approached, you told everyone that the day's journey was over. You would not travel far in darkness, especially since your mounts needed a rest. On top of that, it would be dangerous so you figured that staying somewhere would be for the best. "There's a small town up ahead. We can stay there for the night."

After arriving at the inn, you made sure that everyone had found their rooms and were comfortable. You didn't think that you would be able to rest until you knew that everyone else was situated.

The three men shared a room, while you and your pegasus knights were supposed to stay together. You, however, were more wary of your surroundings. Thinking that you had better remain with your pegasi, you crept out of the room that night after you were sure that Hana and Dafne were asleep. Pegasi were rare creatures that sold at high prices, and word probably spread that there were three of them in the stables.

You would not risk having these animals stolen, but, not wanting Hana and Dafne to worry, you'd take care of the problem yourself. It wasn't a big deal, especially since you had slept in stables before as a child, often times of your own, free will. You loved horses and pegasi, and you were just as comfortable in a stack of hay as you were in a feather bed.

With a soft sigh, you tiptoed down the wooden stairs and out the door. Once you were outside, you took a deep breath. It was slightly chilly, but you enjoyed the brisk cold. You looked to the stables, thinking that it wouldn't hurt to spend a few moments in this beautiful weather before being locked indoors for the night. You stretched your arms, looking at the distant mountains, thinking over tomorrow's scouting route.

"It's dangerous to be out here alone."

The voice startled you, and you whipped around. "Prince Innes..." you noted. "Perhaps you should follow you own advice."

"But I am no longer alone," he replied. "Not now that I'm with you." He toyed with an arrow in his hands, spinning it around skillfully. "Truth be told, I followed you to make sure that you were safe."

You raised a curious eyebrow. While you knew that Innes was arrogant and much too confident, this was a very touching thing to say. "Sir, I was appointed by King Hayden to protect you."

To your surprise, he laughed. "_____, you don't need to protect me. As the prince of Frelia, I have the duty to protect you, along with all of my people."

"I don't mean any offense, Prince," you began coolly. "But you should be resting for tomorrow. I can take care of myself."

"Without your pegasus?" Innes remarked. "You just said today that you wouldn't do well on the battlefield without him."

He had a point. You merely shrugged. "Honestly, I don't expect anything to happen tonight." You nodded in the distance, noting the star-littered sky and the misty mountains. "Not tonight."

"Then what did you expect tonight, Commander?"

You didn't know what he was referring to so you asked, "What do you mean?"

"You obviously came out here for a reason."

"I simply don't want anything to happen to the pegasi," you replied. "Horses are replaceable, but the pegasi... well, they're something special."

Innes nodded. "I would have to agree with that. There is nothing more elegant than a fleet of Frelia's pegasus knights, gliding through the air."

"Of course you'd say that," you said, laughing lightly. "I feel like, as the prince of Frelia, you're obligated to say that."

"That's not true, but I am hardly the one to say something that is entirely false."

You supposed that was true. Prince Innes might have been brash, prideful and arrogant, though he was honest. He certainly had his virtues. "Well, you'd better get some rest, Prince Innes. I'll be heading to the stables now."

"Nonsense. If you insist on staying with your pegasus, then I shall remain with you."

"Prince Innes?" You hadn't expected him to offer to stay with you. In fact, his behavior kind of confused you.

"Don't give me that look, ______," he explained. The look on his face was a serious one. "How do you expect me to rule a kingdom properly if I don't understand the labors of even the most humble servant?"

You had never seen this side of him before, at least not to this degree. You knew that he had always guided others by example, particularly in the heat of battle, and you respected him for that. Yet, he had never been so forward with his convictions. Hearing him talk like this was... well, it was different. "If that's your wish, then I won't stop you."

Innes responded with a nod. "Glad I didn't have to make that an order."

The next morning, you woke up in the stables with Frelia's prince at your side. It was strange, but he did stay with you the entire night as he had said. You were impressed; you had never thought that Prince Innes would be the one to sleep in a stack of hay simply because he felt obligated to.

The pegasi and the horses were fine, and as everyone woke up, you urged them to hurry. After a quick breakfast, you were all ready to go.

Hana and Dafne mounted their pegasi, soaring into the sky. They had received brief directions from you, ready to scout the area for any trouble. When they were out of sight, you hopped atop Faiga and indicated for the others to follow.

"So how did everyone sleep last night?" Moulder asked, easing his horse into a quick trot.

"Just fine, thank you," Gilliam replied. "I slept as soundly as ever."

The priest glanced your way. "And what about you, _____?"

"It was restful," you said, saying only the truth.

"Much the same for me," Innes added.

"My prince," Moulder began. "Perhaps I was dreaming, but last night, I could have sworn that you were not in your bed."

Innes gave him a questioning look. "Oh? You must have been dreaming then."

You smiled to yourself knowing that the others couldn't see it as you were leading the party. You were glad that Innes didn't tell everyone that he had spent the night with you in the stables, guarding everyone's mounts. They probably would have felt either awkward or guilty.

Everything was going well when you heard a cry from above. "Commander, we're under attack!"

Immediately, you scowled, guiding Raiga upwards. He spread his wings, following your cues and leaping toward the sky. With just a few, strong flaps, Raiga carried you up, neighing fiercely as he prepared for battle. "You three, take cover!" you called to the ones on the ground, not bothering to listen to any responses.

As you ascended higher, you saw Hana and Dafne avoiding arrows launched from below. Their pegasi seemed to be doing fine for now, though they were wearing out. While the archers were distracted by your pegasus knights, you flew low, eventually spotting them hidden in some shrubbery. You grasped the javelins at your side, throwing them one by one.

Thanks to your years of training, your javelins hit their mark easily. Some archers shot at you, though they were silenced quickly enough as Raiga skillfully dodged left and right.

However, you weren't fast enough to take all of them out. In the distance, Hana's voice rang out in distress. As you glanced over your shoulder, you saw a blur of white fall to the ground near where Prince Innes and the others were.

"No!" you cried, afraid for both the safety of Hana and her pegasus.

Dafne dashed forward, attacking the final archer with a spear. "Commander _____, Hana has been hit!"

The both of you rushed over frantically. Even before Faiga's hooves touched the ground, you had hopped from his back, heading toward the fallen pegasus' crumpled body.

There was blood everywhere, though upon closer inspection, you discovered that none of it had come from Hana who had been knocked unconscious. ...it was all from her pegasus, and from its head nonetheless. When Moulder dismounted hurriedly to study its wounds, he confirmed that it was too late -- the beast was already dead.

You pulled Hana away from the pegasus' body, letting her rest on the grass. "She'll be alright, Moulder?" you asked.

"Hana should be fine," he replied. "She's simply resting. There are no broken bones, nothing traumatic. She is quite lucky, seeing as she fell from so great a distance."

You felt relieved for Hana, though your heart reached out to her pegasus. It was saddening to see such a beautiful creature mangled by arrows, fallen limply on the ground. Even more so, you worried about the pegasus' rider. Hana would be heart-broken when she woke up.

And she was.

Hana burst into a fit of tears, something that was frowned upon by the royal pegasus knights of Frelia. She was showing weakness and lack of self control, everything that opposed her years of training, but you understood her pain. The party gave her a bit of time to grieve for her pegasus, gathering in a clearing in the forest so she could have peace.

"Oh, Hana," Dafne murmured. "I'm so sorry for her... she shouldn't have lost her pegasus... Ianna and I were up there as well. We could have been hit..."

"Hush," you replied. "Anything can happen in these fights. You know this. As a pegasus knight, you knew this even before we set out." As much as you wanted to comfort Hana, you were their commander. Compassion was important, but order and composure were even more vital. You had to remain strong for all of them.

Innes huffed, standing up and crossing his arms. "We can't waste any more time. We have to keep moving."

You shot him a glare, though you knew in your heart that he was right. Still, you defended your pegasus knight. "Give her just a few more minutes to collect herself. She just lost her best friend."

He quieted, seemingly satisfied with your answer, sitting back down on the stone. "Very well, but that's all that we can spare."

Moments later, you approached Hana by yourself, placing a hand on her shoulder. "That's enough," you said gently. "We have to leave him here." You referred to Hana's pegasus. "He was a good friend, faithful and strong. Don't let his death be in vain. We have a duty to finish."

She nodded tearfully. "I-I'm sorry, Commander."

You brushed her apology aside, thinking nothing of it. You didn't think there was anything to forgive. She was only being human.

As everyone mounted their animals, you glanced back at Hana. There was more to this healing process than could be done right now, but that didn't mean that you couldn't help. You took Raiga's reins and led him to Hana. "Here," you said. "Raiga's wings are stiff from disuse. I think he would enjoy flying. Why don't you ride him? I have to stay with the prince."

Hana wasn't dumb; she saw right through your ruse, but she smiled gratefully. "T-thank you, Commander."

You smiled back, watching the pair as they flew into the skies to continue scouting. Animals were wonderful with curing grief, and you knew that Raiga was something special. Being with him would certainly help Hana feel better.

"That was kind of you."

Without even looking, you knew that was Innes. "My mother, who held this commander position before myself, had always said 'What this world needs is a new kind of army -- the army of the kind.'* You can't expect the world to change unless you do, and even the small kindnesses will remain in the hearts of people."

There was a brief moment of silence before you turned and headed for the road. But as you passed the prince, he offered, "Ride with me, _____."

You looked at him curiously. "Prince Innes?"

"You heard me. It's a long way, and I can't afford you wearing yourself out. Let's go." He jerked his head behind him.

He had a point, and who were you to disobey a direct order? "Yes, sir," you replied, nimbly mounting the horse, situating yourself behind the prince. Already, you had begun to think differently of him. He never was a bad person, but you could now see beyond his arrogance, and, inside of him, you knew there was a compassionate and just prince.

Your party arrived at Renais a few days later with no problems. Hana was still numb about losing her pegasus, her long-time companion, but she was holding on. She remained loyal to Frelia, completing her duty as any good knight would have.

Even as you entered the realm of Renais, you hurried everyone toward the castle -- no one was safe until you all were under the protection of King Fado, whom Frelia trusted.

As the beautiful castle came into sight, your heart felt relieved.

"We're finally here," Gilliam said. "After days of travel, we have arrived."

"Not yet," you replied. "Not until we reach the castle." You still wanted to press onward. Only after you've stepped into Castle Renais were you and your companions safe. "Let's hurry."

It seemed like even your mounts, the horses and the pegasi, could sense that your destination was near, and they went forward eagerly. The pegasi flew down from the sky, and they began cantering toward the city. The horses then followed, breaking into a run in order to keep up with their companions.

Once in the city and in the castle, your mission was accomplished -- well, at least, half of it was. You still had to escort Innes on the journey home, but he could do what he needed to do here. The political deed would be done, and that was the goal of the mission.

You stayed there for a total of three days, resting and recuperating your strength while Innes could take care of Frelia's needs. On one of these days, you and your two subordinates took a walk outside of the castle, eager for some fresh air. As you were wandering the marketplace, you came upon someone who bred pegasi. These pegasi were probably going to be sold to Frelia. There was a treaty among the two kingdoms that any pegasi not trained and used by Renais would go to Frelia for the royal pegasus knights.

A young filly caught Hana's eye, and, immediately, you could tell that she had fallen in love with her. The animal was a healthy one, her coat as white as untainted snow and eyes as dark as coal. She was wistful as well, playful but strong. You could tell that she had already had some basic training, but the more advanced commands would be taught to her by her future rider.

Although you longed to be able to buy the filly for Hana, you couldn't afford it. Pegasi were extremely expensive, and she would be able to obtain another one once you returned to Frelia. Hana had been a knight for years now so the king would assign her another pegasus.

...but she seemed to connect with this one. Since the breeder could tell from your manner of dress that you were pegasus knights from Frelia, he was eager to make a sale, even letting Hana study the filly up close. She petted the young pegasi, and the two bonded easily.

Unknown to you, Prince Innes happened to pass this way as you, Dafne and Hana watched the pegasi, seemingly enchanted by their very presence. He didn't reveal himself, instead hiding among the crowd so that he would go unnoticed; he studied Hana's interaction with the one filly, taking careful note of the situation. After Innes confirmed his theories, he left quickly and silently.

It seemed like the breeder's patience was wearing thin so you thanked him for his time, and led your two pegasus knights away. Even as you left, Hana continued to glance back to see the filly. She seemed so hopeful, and it took all of your self-control to continue walking away.

The next morning, you headed to the stables to tend to the pegasi. As you stepped inside, you were welcomed by the gentle nickering of the mounts. "Good morning," you greeted them. "How did everyone sleep last night?" You looked around, noticing that something was different.

There was Raiga, and besides his stall was Ianna's. ...but next to Dafne's pegasus was another one, one that had not been there the last few days. You stepped closer to it, discovering that this was the filly that you had seen yesterday!

"What are you doing here?" you asked aloud, though you hardly expected an answer from the animal. Perhaps one of Renais' pegasus knights had just bought the filly.

"She's for Hana."

You blinked, turning around to see Innes. "Prince Innes, what do you mean?"

He came toward you, stopping when he stood right next you. "Hana needs a new pegasus, does she not? I passed by the breeder yesterday, only to see her fawning over this filly. They seemed to be the perfect match."

You could hardly believe what he was saying. Prince Innes had never been so compassionate, at least never so openly. It seemed that he was always engrossed in politics and the serious matters of life. "...that's very kind of you."

"What this world needs is a new kind of army -- the army of the kind," he replied, turning his gaze toward you. "I was told that by a friend..."

"A friend?" The fact that he thought of you as something more than the commander of his pegasus knights was odd. It gave you a warm feeling, but it was not something that you would have expected.

He was somewhat hesitant, but he responded, "...I'd like to think of her as something more than a friend."

Your eyes lit up at that sentence. You knew exactly what he meant, though it didn't cease to surprise you. "I... I don't know what to say." You eyes found his, and for the first time, you saw the passion in them, a conviction like never before.

"I'm not asking much," Innes began. "...just that you'll give me a chance. It seems that I've fallen in love with you." He appeared to be confident, though there was a flicker of hope in his expression.

This was... awkward. Here was the prince of Frelia, confessing his love for you in Renais' stables. Somehow, it didn't seem appropriate.

But what were your feelings on the matter? You weren't sure. Actually, to be fair, you hadn't put much thought into it. All you knew was that you had seen Innes in a new light on this journey, especially after what he did just did for Hana... He really was kind at heart, wasn't he? And what touched you the most was that he proved it by being compassionate toward someone else, not toward you -- it wasn't a false kindness to win your heart.

You found yourself smiling at him, knowing what you wanted to say. "You have your chance, Prince Innes."

He returned the smile -- you had never seen him so happy before. Innes then leaned forward, placing his hand on the farther side of your face as he kissed the opposite cheek. "As the prince of Frelia, I am honored, _____."

"And, as the commander of Frelia's pegasus knights, the honor is mine."

* a quote by Cleveland Amory