Chapter Text
It all starts when the announcement is made that the hand of Her Highness, Princess Alicia, will be won in a tournament, and that the ruler will be crowned the king of Lucretia.
Oersted hears the announcement and his heart skips a beat. Her Highness is… well, Oersted himself has only had a few interactions with her, when he and Straybow had done well in slaying a beast, or ensuring supplies were delivered to a town or village.
She always speaks well, is beautiful, and brilliant, in a way that Oersted can’t really place. Being with her feels like being with someone he knows well, despite their rare interactions.
He feels Straybow’s hand brush against his own, and glances at him. He can’t place the look on his friend’s face.
“I need to leave,” Straybow mutters, and that’s all he gives before vanishing into the crowd.
“You’re going to compete, then?” Oersted asks as they sit over a meal- Straybow had vanished shortly after the announcement, but he does often. It’s not unusual for Oersted to return to the city only to find Straybow nowhere, having disappeared in the crowd. It’s also not unusual for him to reappear without Oersted noticing, but he knows he has a tendency to focus in too much, so it’s hardly surprising.
Straybow winces, “I am, judging by the competition… are you?”
“Yes, I’ve already signed my name up,” Oersted says. There was a crowd, but the knight writing the list took one look at him and wrote his name.
“I see, then the best of luck,” Straybow replies, letting out a grin, “Though, given our skill, I doubt either of us need it.
“Though, I need to ask,” Straybow makes an expression Oersted can’t place as he narrows his eyes, “What do you think of… the reward?”
“The hand of Her Highness?” Oersted replies, and after Straybow nods, he continues, “Well, I know you haven’t met her in person much-“ Straybow chokes on his food for a moment, and Oersted gives him a concerned glance before he gives the gesture to continue, “But she’s… stunning, I think she would make a wonderful queen and partner.”
“I see.” Is all Straybow replies with, voice even in a way that Oersted hasn’t heard since the early days of when they met.
After waiting a moment, Oersted adds, “Her garden is lovely.”
At that Straybow lets out a smile, and Oersted can’t help but stare at it, “It is, isn’t it?” Straybow begins, and Oersted remembers he once saw Straybow in the gardengarden, eyeing the plants, “She’s managed to grow plants from all over Lucretia, did you know? Some of them are foreign, too. Once, I caught some of the knights trying to uproot them, and…”
Oersted listens to Straybow’s story, and wonders how often Straybow’s visited her garden. Oersted knows he has feelings towards his friend, too. Maybe he just is interested in gardeners.
That would make sense. He enjoys spending time outside the walls of the city.
The days of the tournament arrive, and Oersted realises that, even if he and Straybow were to win all their matches, they wouldn’t fight against each other until the finals.
In a way, it’s a relief. He knows he’ll make it until the final day, and even if Straybow’s never won against him before…
He glances as Straybow, who’s foe lies defeated, and has to be carried away by the guards. He’s not dead- Oersted can hear him crying- but more than that, what surprises him is the glare on Straybow’s face, the ruthlessness Straybow uses to defeat his opponents.
It’s not that Straybow’s never ruthless, or practical- Often, between the two of them, Straybow is the one who takes efficiency over honour.
Usually with tournaments, though, Straybow shows off slightly more. He makes his attacks look stunning instead of as dangerous as he knows they can be. After all, it’s a practice match, so why should he risk such a thing?
Straybow glances at Her Highness after taking down his final opponent of the day, and Oersted stands up, knowing his match is next.
He should probably aim to be efficient, too.
Too soon, the final day of the tournament arrives, and it feels like it passed in the blink of an eye. Both he and Straybow made it to the final round, and their opponents make Oersted’s lip curl in disgust.
Why would someone enter the tournament if they were already a father? Do they not realise that the princess is Straybow’s age?
As their opponents are dragged away, he and Straybow face each other, and Oersted reddies his blade. No matter the outcome…
“I’ll never forgive you if you hold back!” Straybow yells as the battle begins, and Oersted knows a challenge when he hears one, and begins charging. They’re both tired from the past few days of fighting, but Straybow is slower than usual- his rush before must have slowed him down, and Oersted manages to land enough blows to knock him down.
After a moment of the minister announcing that he’s won, Oersted goes to Straybow’s side as he sits up. Oersted doesn’t say anything in front of the crowd, but Straybow, as usual, realises the question regardless.
“It’s alright…” Straybow mumbles as closes his eyes, a small smile on his face that thins after a moment as he furrows his brow, “You’ve won.”
“Come forward, Oersted!” The minister calls, and Oersted does so, kneeling before the edge of the platform before the king and the princess.
“Well done! Well done indeed, Oersted!” The King yells, raising his hands. After a moment, the princess takes a step forward to address him.
“Oersted, was it?” Her Highness seems hesitant to speak, but does so regardless, and Oersted gives a smile that he hopes is reassuring, keeping his head low.
Oersted sits next to Her Highness at the feast. Despite his search, he can’t see Straybow in the crowd.
He doesn’t know if he’s relieved or disappointed.
“Sir Oersted,” Her Highness says, sitting beside him, her head’s only turned slightly, but he knows she’s speaking to him regardless, “Let us meet on the balcony once this feast is over. There is something I wish to speak to you about.”
“I…” Alicia seems to hesitate for a moment, before closing her eyes and nodding to herself, “I believe in you.”
She places her hands in his own, and when he says nothing, she places a kiss on his cheek.
Oersted doesn’t know what to say here. Isn’t certain about what expression to make, or how to talk to her, because now she’s not Her Highness, she’s Alicia, and Oersted has never talked to Alicia as Oersted and not the princess as a knight.
He should be probably be thinking about something else as Her Hi- Alicia joins hands with him, and they hold each other close, but all he can think is that her hands are unusually rough for a noble, let alone a princess-
Alicia stiffens and turns, letting out a yell as a demon descends and strikes. Oersted pushes her to the side as he charges at it, felling the creature.
A moment later, a second demon comes, and it grabs her while she’s clutching her waist. Oersted doesn’t dare attack it, not while it has Alicia in its grasp.
He can only watch, helpless, as it carries the woman he cares for away.
It’s only once he’s out in the woods that he hears the familiar voice. Instinctively, he relaxes as Straybow shows himself from the trees.
…Straybow looks tired, Oersted realises. He, like Oersted, probably hadn’t slept at all during the night, and Oersted can see from the way he breathes that he’s pushed himself recently.
Still, he has no desire to upset his friend and his ally, and he knows from experience that Straybow never did like it when he brought things like that up right away.
So for now, he just nods, glad that he isn’t going into the demon’s jaws alone.
The two of them head to the west after encountering the sealed door at Devil’s Peak. The mountain was still closed to them, and despite the Demon King being lose, the gateway wasn’t open to them.
So, the two of them head to the western mountain, to the place of the previous hero, Hash.
There is one thing that bothers Oersted throughout the entire journey, though. Straybow… doesn’t seem to be in a rush to reach the peak of the mountain. Of course, Oersted was fine with resting when tried, but not even their most boring quests felt this slow.
If he didn’t know better, Oersted would almost think Straybow was deliberately delaying them.
Still, Oersted could feel himself becoming more restless with each foe they slayed.
When they finally do arrive at the hermit’s cabin, after seeing the hero’s apparent grave, Straybow recognizes the man as Hash.
“Sir Hash?” Oersted begins, and the man stubbornly turns. Still, Oersted continues with the words he had carefully prepared during the journey, “Please, we’ve come to ask of your aid. Alicia, the princess of Lucretia has been taken by the Demon King- he has returned, and we need your help to open to the path to the mountain, as you and the Priest Uranus were able to climb it before.”
Straybow places his hand on Oersted’s shoulder, and Oersted knows that Hash most likely isn’t listening, but…
“Word has it that you left Lucretia after hating how people needed your help, even after you thought you killed the Demon King,” Straybow says, and Oersted turns to face his friend at the challenge in his voice. Straybow has a look on his face Oersted’s rarely seen before, “That you hated them for being weak. ”
Still, the two of them are ignored.
“I see,” Is all Straybow says, hand still firmly on Oersted’s shoulder, “So that is the kind of man you are. If so, we have no need for you on our quest. Come, Oersted, I doubt Alicia would appreciate being rescued by a man as pathetic and selfish as this.”
Straybow stalks out, and Oersted follows him- if Hash said or did anything behind them, he doesn’t know, because neither of them hesitate until their a fair distance from the cabin.
“...We still don’t know how to open Devil’s Peak…” Oersted mutters, as he looks down from the peak of the mountain- the two of them had ended up at Hash’s “grave.”
“We don’t know for certain, but the texts mention that the pathway opens for ‘demon slayers,’” Straybow says, glaring daggers at the grave, “If it’s not referring to the person, but the weapon, then there are only two places it could be- either in the man’s locked chest, or buried somewhere important to him.”
Oersted look between Straybow and the stone before he realises, taking a step back in horror, “You can’t dig up a grave!”
“You're right, I can’t dig up a grave, weak as I am.” Straybow spits, and oh, Oersted has a feeling he knows why Straybow’s so willing to ruin it, “It’s a false grave, so why don’t you help?”
Straybow’s usually not as aggressive as he is here, but Oersted knows these circumstances are dire, so he helps Straybow overturn the rubble until they find a blade that Oersted knows is the one they’re looking for.
“Perfect,” Straybow smiles as Oersted places the sword on his belt.