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“My lord, there is one last person whom I must say goodbye to.”
The Leonster trio was preparing to leave Silesse, seeking to escape before the harsh, bitter winter would envelop that land. They had just said their farewells to Lord Sigurd before Finn asked this request of his lieges. The pegasus knight Erinys had arrived, seeking her own farewell.
“Say what must be said,” Quan said, pushing Finn towards Erinys. “Even the few days I have spent separated from Ethlyn have been tough on me...I know that these coming months will be tough on you.”
Their gazes locked into each other’s eyes: Finn’s blue eyes, firm yet still empathetic, and Erin’s green eyes, already tearing up.
“Finn…”
All of their memories together flashed through Erinys’ mind: there was the time when they had met by chance in the Nordion armory, the time when Finn had saved her from the shot of a ballista, their wedding and the birth of their son. But she thought of the little things too: the days when they had vented about Lewyn and Lachesis to each other, that cold night in Agusti when Finn had given up his cape to warm her, the time on the boat to Silesse when Finn had rocked Ced to sleep when she could not.
“Erin…”
Finn thought of the same things that Erin was thinking about. It felt so strange to think that they had spent less than two years together, yet those two years had felt much longer than that. He was no longer the young lance knight who had left Leonster with no battle experience, but the duke knight who was soon to become the Knight Commander of Leonster’s Lanceritter - a lofty position for someone without holy blood.
“So this is goodbye?” Erinys said. “You are going to leave me and Ced by ourselves while you go home?”
Finn reached out to Erinys’ face, stroking the curls of her green hair that ran on the side of her cheek. “I…”
It was so difficult to say goodbye, even after having spent the night together one last time. Finn had rehearsed what he would say in his head, and yet he still feared that Erinys would hate him for leaving, even after he had explained to her (and she understood) that he had no choice but to follow Quan and Ethlyn.
“I promise that I will come back for you, Erin. I may serve my lords, but I serve you as well,” Finn shakily said. “I may be a knight, but I will never forget that I am also a husband.”
Erinys swallowed the tears that were forming in her throat. As a knight herself, she understood the requirement to follow one’s lord. And Finn was a paragon of reliability, especially in contrast to her own Prince Lewyn. And yet even in spite of this, even in spite of their mutual love, Erinys still felt dark feelings welling up within her; she felt not only sadness, but bitterness that they would have to separate so soon, jealousy towards Ethlyn and Quan as they would get to spend time with him. She even felt jealousy towards the child lying in Ethlyn’s womb as they would get to spend more time with Finn than his own son would.
“Love...Why...”
Erinys’ voice cracked as those words escaped her throat.
“I know that it is hard to accept me at my word…” Finn reached down to his belt and unhooked his treasured Brave Lance - the same one which he had received from his lord in Agustria, even before he had met Erinys. “Please take my Brave Lance. I will return for it as soon as I can...and for my wife and son. For my angels.”
“Are...are you sure? I know how important it is to you,” Erinys said. “I don’t want to split you from your most treasured possession.”
Finn began shedding tears, just as his wife already was doing. “I am already losing the two most important people in my life,” he said. “I can afford to lose one weapon as well.”
Erinys took the Brave Lance from Finn, pulling him into a hug to feel his warmth for one last time. “I love you so much, Finn.”
“I love you too, Erin. I beg you, please never f-”
Finn was interrupted by Erinys pulling him into a kiss squarely on his lips. He returned the kiss, and for what felt like an eternity the two passionately felt each other’s lips. And after they pulled away from each other, they felt a moment of bliss even though they were marooned in an ocean of uncertainty about the future.
“Farewell,” Finn said, baring his teeth to smile at his wife.
“For now,” Erinys gently reminded him.
“For now,” he replied. “Here’s to hoping that it will not be long before my return.”
Finn waved at Erinys as he ran towards his horse, his lieges becoming impatient as they waited on him. And Erinys stared at him as he rode his horse out of Sailane until he disappeared from the horizon, praying - Forseti willing - that it would not be long until she saw him again and their son would reunite with his father.
Unbeknownst to anyone, this would be the last time that they would ever feel the warmth of each other.
Such was the cruel twist of fate.