Chapter Text
Autumn
My sorrow when she's here with me,
Thinks these dark days of autumn rain
Are beautiful as days can be;
She loves the bare, the withered tree...
- Robert Frost; My November Guest
Lloyd needed this job.
He had decided to set out on his own, with his Dad’s blessing of course, but life on the road wasn’t as glamorous as he’d initially planned. Lloyd sometimes made things he could sell, small wood carvings, pieces of jewelry, but what he earned was quickly cut down by tool maintenance and renting forges from blacksmiths in town. Odd jobs were few and far between on top of all that which meant his wallet was almost always pathetically empty.
He had to settle down, at least for a while, and get a decent job that he could save up money from before he started traveling again.
It was when he made it to Meltokio that he caught wind of a good opportunity right as he was about to book a room at the inn.
“Did you hear? The Chosen One is looking for a new bodyguard.”
Lloyd had perked up and instantly asked for more information. After all, he could fight. And if he could fight, he could guard. He didn’t know who the Chosen One even was, or what they were chosen for, but they seemed important, especially if they needed a bodyguard. A job like that would probably not only pay really well, but be exciting enough to keep his attention.
The information led him to a huge mansion in the noble quadrant of the city. Lloyd had never seen such huge houses before in his short months of traveling. It was almost intimidating to walk past the elaborate gate that surrounded it and knock on the front door. It was a big door, too. The white color wasn’t painted on. It was a light colored wood, well carved and sanded. The lack of seams made Lloyd realize that the door was carved from one piece of solid wood, rather than several pieces nailed together. The whole thing was then covered with a coating of lacquer that was applied so evenly, Lloyd couldn’t figure out how they’d applied it to begin with.
The door opened, interrupting his inspection, and he was faced with an elderly looking man dressed in a fresh and crisp suit.
Lloyd learned his name was Sebastian after a short introduction where he went on to explain why he was there. After hearing him out, the butler bade him to wait and so there he was, standing right past the entrance with his two swords on his waist and all his belongings in a bag on his shoulder, waiting for Sebastian to return.
With nothing else to do, he looked around, unable to help his curiosity. The inside of the mansion was almost as lavish as the outside, but there was something about it that made Lloyd’s muscles twitch. Maybe because it had an appearance of warmth, and yet too many hard edges to imply that the space had been all that lived in. Was it overly maintained or was the entrance mostly untouched?
Lloyd’s thoughts were jolted to a halt as Sebastian returned to collect him.
“Mr. Irving, Master Zelos is available to see you. If you could please follow me…” The butler extended a hand in the direction of the door he had come from, and together, they walked deeper into the mansion.
It was hard to not get distracted taking it all in, but the trip was short. Lloyd was led into a study and once inside, he didn’t know what to be more impressed at—the grand size of the room, the incredible amount of books neatly lined up across the various shelves on the walls from top to bottom, or the striking young man that awaited him inside. His long, wavy red hair and handsome features made Lloyd stop still for a moment as he took him in.
His reaction caused the young man to smirk, amusement flickering across eyes so blue they reminded him of the open sky.
“So. You’re the guy, huh?” Even his voice made Lloyd’s brain stutter. “What did you say his name was again, Sebastian?”
“Lloyd Irving, sir.”
“And what’s your name?” Lloyd nearly blurted out.
A thin red eyebrow rose at his question. “You don’t know me?”
“I’m new in town,” Lloyd said, shaking his head.
“Even so, you must come from some backwater place if you really don’t know who I am,” the young man remarked, tilting his head curiously. “Where are you from?” he asked, giving Lloyd an evaluating look.
“I’m from my Dad’s house,” he replied. “We live nearby a village called Iselia.”
“It’s common sense to at least start with the region you’re from, don’t you think?”
The redhead’s exasperation was palpable, but he let it go with a rueful sigh. “Hmm, but Iselia, you say? That’s in Sylvarant’s territory if I recall correctly. You’re a long way from home,” the man observed, still looking somewhat intrigued, but not enough to press Lloyd any further on that topic.
“Well, in any case,” he continued flippantly, “welcome to Meltokio. The name’s Zelos Wilder. But if neither my name nor my title mean anything to you, are you really up for this job?”
The depth of Zelos’ skepticism had Lloyd squaring up his shoulders, ready to defend his qualifications, but Zelos held out a hand and put forth his rebuttal first. “I'm a pretty important person, I’ll have you know. I need someone reliable and strong, capable of dealing with any dangerous foe that may be after my life at any moment.”
“I don’t need to know how you’re important to protect you,” Lloyd said at once. “I traveled all the way here on my own so just from that, you know I’m a strong fighter. Put any enemy in front of me and they’ll fall.”
“Is that so? Overconfidence has caused the downfall of many, you know,” Zelos said lightly as his keenly blue eyes slowly roamed the length of Lloyd’s body consideringly. "But it does look like you have some skill. It's not often I meet someone that wields two swords. Tell me, how did a guy who grew up in the middle of nowhere pick up such a unique style?"
Lloyd smirked and rested a hand on the hilt of one of the swords. “Well, that’s because I taught myself. I learned swordsmanship from my Dad and decided to learn how to use two because two swords are stronger than one. It’s just math!”
His proclamation was met with a wall of silence. Zelos blinked slowly, processing that through. “That’s… why…?”
For a moment, Zelos didn't seem to know what to do with this information and he opened his mouth as if he wanted to question that further. But instead of saying something, the only sound that came out of him was a small laugh. He quickly covered it up behind one of his gloved hands, but there was no hiding the fact that he had been taken by surprise. He was reevaluating Lloyd anew and with sudden interest.
"I see, I see. That's, uh, certainly some forward thinking. In fact, it left an impression, so I've decided—you're perfect for the job." With a wide smile, he clapped Lloyd's shoulder and looked past him towards Sebastian, who had remained standing dutifully by the door.
"Sebastian, get him situated somewhere in the house. I'm sure a certain someone will be happy that I've finally chosen a replacement. Feel free to give him the happy news. Or not," he added with a small snicker. "I don't mind letting him sweat for a bit longer."
“Wait, really?!” Lloyd’s face brightened. “You won’t regret this! I promise I’ll keep you safe, Zelos!” he swore, wearing an exuberant grin as Sebastian stepped forward into the room.
“Yep, yep, I’ll be counting on you to do that,” Zelos said with a careless wave of his hand and a smirk. “As far as the details of your responsibilities, oh and your compensation, of course, I’ll have the paperwork sent to you. Review it, sign it; any concerns, you can take it up with Sebastian. And once you’ve properly committed, I’ll have someone walk you through the ropes too. Now off you go,” he said and Sebastian didn’t waste a second to take his cue to usher Lloyd out.
Lloyd looked back as the door closed behind him, catching one last glimpse of Zelos, who looked very pleased with himself.
“Please come this way, sir,” Sebastian said, recalling his attention. They began heading down the hall they had originally come from.
“Hey, so,” Lloyd glanced backwards once more before finally settling his gaze on the butler, “what kind of guy is Zelos?”
He received a polite yet elusive smile as a response.
“What sort of person do you think he is, Mr. Irving?” Sebastian inquired. “I understand it’s only been a short time for you to be acquainted, but what sort of impression have you formed of him thus far?”
“Hmm.” Lloyd thought back on the short exchange they just had and tried to put his intuition together. “Well, he seems confident. And strong. He’s definitely something special, too. I just can’t figure out how.”
“Master Zelos is most certainly exceptional, in many ways beyond his birthright at that,” Sebastian commented as they entered the mansion's foyer again. He led Lloyd up to the second floor. “He leads a busy life as his counsel is in high demand, so your services will be invaluable to keep him from those who wish him ill intentions.”
“What kind of people want to hurt him anyway?” Lloyd asked as they walked down the hall. “If he’s so important, wouldn’t people want to keep him around?”
“It is because he is so important that his life is in constant danger,” Sebastian corrected him patiently. “You see, the reason he is called the Chosen One is because he was born with the ability to convene with the World Tree,” he explained. “As such, there are those who wish to monopolize him or seek ransom to ensure his safety. On the other hand, there have also been assassination attempts from those who believe that someone with such an unnatural ability should not be allowed to exist. Or from those who believe that his power is something they could take for themselves if they manage to snuff out his life. The list is rather extensive,” Sebastian concluded with a despondent sigh.
Lloyd frowned. “That’s horrible. No one should have to live in fear like that,” he said. He thought about Sebastian’s words, about the World Tree itself. He knew the basics. The World Tree was the source of all mana and mana was what brought life to the world. He’d learned many lessons about the World Tree growing up, but never anything about a Chosen One. Perhaps in their little corner of the world, that kind of stuff didn’t matter.
It clearly mattered a lot here. It would be something he would have to take extremely seriously.
“But still, that’s amazing,” Lloyd murmured. “I didn’t know anyone could get close to the World Tree.”
“Access is highly restricted. Outside of Master Zelos, there are only a few select members that are granted permission to approach the tree. In fact, not even you as his personal bodyguard will be able to get close should you need to accompany him that far.”
“Huh.” Lloyd thought about it for but a moment before shaking his head. “Well, that doesn’t matter. I’ll protect him even if I can’t be right next to him.”
His words earned him a small smile. “It’s reassuring to hear you’re already so committed to do so,” Sebastian remarked. “If you don’t mind me asking, what brought you to seek employment with us?”
“Well, I’ve been traveling for a long time,” Lloyd said easily. “Money is tough to come by on the road, so I decided to settle down for a while. When I heard someone was looking for a bodyguard, I thought it was a perfect job.”
“I see. Well, I hope your stay with us is a sufficiently lengthy one. I am sure Master Zelos will appreciate being able to count on your support.”
Lloyd grinned. “You can count on me!” he declared.
Another smile, this one warmer. “Excellent. Now, please allow me to show you your room,” Sebastian said as they stopped at a door, which he proceeded to open, allowing Lloyd to peek in.
The room was bigger than what he was used to. And way fancier too. A large bed pressed up against the wall at its head. A couch stood off to the side along with a nice looking low table. A wardrobe and some shelves covered the nearest wall and opposite the door was an exit to a balcony.
“Whoa,” Lloyd marveled as he stepped inside. “This is mine?”
“Indeed, Mr. Irving. Feel free to move your things in. While you settle, I’ll be going to get your paperwork, so please wait for me here.”
“Paperwork?” Lloyd turned to look at him. Sebastian nodded.
“Your contract, your job description, and a few other things,” the butler explained before bowing to him to indicate his intention to leave. “I will return in a few minutes.”
Then Sebastian closed the door behind him and left him alone.
Lloyd looked around the room again and walked towards the couch. Everything in this house was high quality. He took a moment to take off his glove and run his finger over the fabric upholstery. The thread count was beyond anything he’d experienced and the embroidery was expertly sewn in. It was firm and delicate all at the same time. Lloyd let out a small breath and put on his glove again.
He placed down his bag with all his belongings on the plush cushion and couldn’t help but think that settling in probably wouldn’t take long at all, given how little he actually owned. He crossed the room to the balcony doors and opened them.
The grounds upon which the mansion sat was pretty and well-maintained. The garden beneath them was multicolored and lush; asters and chrysanthemums sat among various beds of roses, overseen by the marble statues that dotted the yard and sparkled under the sunlight. Lloyd looked around at the high metal fence surrounding the property, observing it with more attention this time. It sported sharp spikes at the top that looked both artistic and dangerous, to be admired only from afar. Another glance around and Lloyd noticed that the balcony next to his was bigger, wider.
Zelos’ room, maybe? Lloyd walked back into the room, then out into the hallway. He walked to the door beside his and cracked it open.
The room inside was much bigger, more lived in, and better decorated. A mountain of gifts covered a little table and the shelves lining the walls were filled with books. It definitely seemed like Zelos’ room. Lloyd closed the door.
As he returned to his room, he thought about the things Sebastian said. Many different kinds of people were after Zelos’ life, either for money or power. He really needed a serious bodyguard. Lloyd would have to step up to the plate.
Good thing he had every intention of taking this completely seriously. He was genuine when he told Sebastian that it was horrible for someone to have to live in fear. Lloyd thought back on his short meeting with Zelos.
The man hardly looked like he was in fear. He had exuded a confident, almost flippant attitude during their conversation. Lloyd wondered if that was just because he was home. With those high metal fences, one had to feel at least a little safe. He was suddenly curious about seeing Zelos in all sorts of situations. Would he remain as unflappable as he’d been before?
Lloyd thought more about the man as he unpacked his bag and it wasn’t long before there was a knock at the door. He put down his carving tools and walked over to the door, opening it. Sebastian stood on the other side, holding a stack of paper that was as thick as his thumb.
“Here you are, Mr. Irving,” Sebastian said, holding out the stack. “Take your time reading through this and settling in. Master Zelos would like to see you at dinnertime.”
“Oh, uh, right. Thanks!” Lloyd took the papers, his eyes slightly wide. “Are all these my contract?”
“Among other things. You’ll find some basic information about Master Zelos that you’ll need to know as well as a floorplan of the mansion and information on people important to Master Zelos’ work,” Sebastian explained. “Is there anything I can get you? A drink? Something to eat?”
“Uh—no, no I’m fine,” Lloyd said quickly.
“Then I’ll leave you to acquaint yourself. I’ll come fetch you when dinner is ready or if Master Zelos requires your attendance.”
And with that, Sebastian took his leave once more, closing the door behind him silently.
Lloyd stared at the stack of papers, already feeling a headache coming on. It was way too much to read all in one day.
But hadn’t he just told himself he needed to be a serious bodyguard? This was surely part of it.
Lloyd let out a heavy breath and sat down on the couch to begin reading.
It was hard to absorb it all. The more Lloyd read, the more the words just wouldn’t remain in his mind. There were the basic things like his job description—but they were written in wholly un-basic ways.
To ensure the physical well being of Zelos Wilder, Chosen of Mana, and prevent any life threatening injury, malady, or attack upon his person to occur.
That was just one line on one paper. It took Lloyd a while to make it through a single sheet and by the time Lloyd was two pages in, he felt his eyes glazing over the pages. He still had a lot to get through so Lloyd tried to skip to the more important parts. Even then, the sheets with information about people important to Zelos’ work were written in such a boring way that Lloyd ended up settling on the floor plan of the mansion.
Lloyd was trying to figure out what a Great Room was when there was a knock on the door. He was almost happy to put the papers down and walked briskly to the door.
When he opened it, he came face to face with a blond man dressed in a suit of armor. His sharp blue eyes were already flicking up and down before Lloyd stood still in front of him. The combination of his features made Lloyd feel a little bit nostalgic, thinking of one of his best friends back home.
But instead of the bright, cheery smile he was familiar with, the man before him wore a serious expression on his handsome face, his back pulled straight. Despite his proper stance, there was a looseness in his fingers that seemed to always stay around the area of the hilt of the sword at his side. He was a swordsman and it was clear he was not only alert, but he knew what he was doing.
“Can I help you?” Lloyd asked, his voice slowed with a bit of confusion.
“Good afternoon,” the blond man said with a polite nod. “My name is Flynn Scifo. I have been informed that Master Zelos has selected you to be his new bodyguard. For the past two years, I have been responsible for fulfilling that role as part of my duties as a member of the Imperial Knights, but I will soon be transferring to a different position. However, it is still my responsibility to assure that my replacement is sufficiently qualified to take on such an important role.”
His explanation was succinct; clear and to the point. Still, Lloyd stared at him for a second as the big words finished processing. “Oh, so you’re Zelos’ current bodyguard, huh?” He flashed him a quick smile, his posture relaxing. Maybe with Flynn there, he could get his information from him rather than the stack of papers. “Well it’s nice to meet you. My name is Lloyd Irving.”
“A pleasure.” Flynn extended out one of his hands and Lloyd shook it, matching his grip as they exchanged a firm handshake.
“I heard a bit about your circumstances from Sebastian. I apologize for causing any offense, but are you absolutely certain you understand what you are getting into? As far as compensation goes, this is an attractive position, but the consequences for allowing harm to come to the Chosen One are particularly dire. I wouldn’t recommend accepting this role with half-hearted feelings.”
“I’m not half-hearted about this.” Lloyd’s stance settled, his voice sinking into its familiar confidence. “It’s true that I kind of happened upon this job, but now that I’m here, I realize this job is pretty important. No one should have to fear for their life and I don’t plan on letting Zelos get hurt. Thanks for your concern but you don’t have to worry.”
His conviction made Flynn relax a bit. He offered Lloyd a friendlier smile as the tension in his shoulders loosened. “I’m relieved to hear that. To tell you the truth, it has been difficult to find the right person to replace me. His Grace shot down many of the qualified candidates that the Commander of the Imperial Knights suggested, so I was surprised when I heard someone had finally been hired,” he said. “Have you managed to get through the paperwork already? Are there any questions you have, or anything I can help you with?”
Lloyd winced. “Actually, about that...” He stepped aside to allow Flynn to enter. “I was trying to read the contract but I think I’d have an easier time if I could talk to someone about it. I know how to fight and protect someone well enough but the job description seems to have a lot to say. What kind of stuff did you do for Zelos?”
Flynn winced a little as he followed him in, though not so much due to the mess of papers spread across the floor; although it was a factor.
“I would advise you not to address His Grace so casually to start with,” he cautioned, but just as quickly conceded his views on the matter with a heavy sigh. “Though he’s not really the type to care about that sort of thing. Still, do keep in mind that some of the company he keeps might find it strange if you don’t conduct yourself with some modicum of respect.”
“Oh.” Lloyd frowned. “I didn’t think about that, but I guess it makes sense. I’ll keep it in mind,” he assured him with a nod.
“Good. So then, about the rest of this paperwork… Why don’t we review it from the beginning together? I’ll walk you through any questions you have as they come up,” Flynn offered amicably as he bent down to retrieve the scattered papers.
The two of them sat down and Flynn walked Lloyd through the details of the contract, answering any questions he had about the different ways he was expected to protect Zelos. From actual combat to just being aware of people who may approach him, there were a lot of details to take in, a lot of things to consider. He was thankful to have Flynn there to explain it to him.
“I think I’m starting to get it,” Lloyd said. He signed the bottom of the contract with a pen he found in one of the side tables in the room. That was it, it was official. He would be Zelos’ bodyguard. Lloyd pulled together the papers again and smiled at Flynn. “Thanks for walking me through it all.”
Flynn returned the smile easily. Lloyd could tell that behind his stiff, responsible demeanor was a kind person with a warm heart.
“It was my pleasure. After talking with you at length, I feel more assured that His Grace will be in good hands. You asked me some really good questions, so I can tell you have a good head on your shoulders. To be honest, there are days where there’s not much to the job, so the worst you’ll have to fight off is boredom, but as long as you stay otherwise vigilant, I think you’ll be just fine,” Flynn said reassuringly.
Lloyd’s smile grew into a grin. “You think so? Thanks!” He placed aside the stack of papers. “What kind of stuff did you have to deal with?”
“Meltokio is fairly safe territory. The presence of the city guard deters most people from even thinking of approaching the mansion with nefarious intentions in mind. Still, there have been some incidents involving the staff,” Flynn confessed with a heavy sigh. “Whether by bribery or threat, there have been times where they have been coerced into allowing intruders in. It’s a cowardly tactic.” Flynn’s voice took on a hard, steely tone, his lips setting into a thin line, leaving no room for doubt about how strongly he felt about this subject.
“His Grace prefers to keep the size of his staff small because of that, so I am sure you will become familiar with them all quickly. Although they have all been instructed to come forward with assurances that we will do everything we can to keep them and their families safe, it can be hard not to stray in those horrible circumstances. Please keep an eye on them too. I am sure they will appreciate knowing they can count on you.”
Lloyd nodded. He had every intention of treating the staff in the mansion with kindness already, but Flynn’s words only strengthened that desire. It seemed that even though he was Zelos’ bodyguard, he was there for more than just him. He was appreciating Flynn more and more. The blond had insights that could only come from time on a job well done.
“What about you, Flynn?” Lloyd asked, his curiosity leaning towards the man himself. “Why did you decide to stop being Zelos’ bodyguard?”
“That’s… “ Flynn’s eyes widened a bit, not having expected the question. For the first time during the course of his conversation, he seemed hesitant to answer. Lloyd felt instantly bad for putting him on the spot.
“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to!” he hurried to say.
Flynn’s expression softened and he gave him an appreciative smile. “No, it’s fine. It’s just for a selfish reason really. It was a great honor to be granted the privilege to work here. Master Zelos’ personality is a little eccentric so I didn’t always enjoy it, if I’m being honest, but it was fulfilling in a lot of ways, which is why I stuck it out for this long,” he explained. “Still, the reason I became a knight in the first place was to be able to protect those who have no means to protect themselves. There will always be someone looking after Master Zelos’ safety, so preferably, I’d like to be in a position where I can protect those who were not born with that advantage.”
Lloyd’s eyes glimmered a little with a sheen of appreciation. “That’s a cool reason!” Lloyd turned a bit in his seat to better face Flynn. “I should’ve known that a strong looking guy like you had some amazing dream!”
Flynn looked a little embarrassed to receive such enthusiastic praise, but he smiled warmly at Lloyd in response. “I’m flattered that you think so highly of me already. Although, I don’t think my ambitions are something that should be considered so out of the ordinary. Everyone should be treated with equality regardless of the circumstances of our birth. You think so too, don’t you?”
Lloyd nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah! I couldn’t have said it better myself. I’ve been traveling for a while and I’ve tried to help anyone I come across but there really are a lot of people in need out there. So I think people like you are pretty cool, working to make a difference.”
“Heh. The more I talk to you, the more I think you should join the Imperial Knights too. If you’re ever interested in joining up, I would be happy to vouch for you.”
Lloyd let out a small bubble of laughter as they continued talking. He asked Flynn more about his time in the knights and, in turn, Lloyd told Flynn a few stories about his travels.
After a while, they got up and left the room. Flynn started showing Lloyd around the mansion, taking him to all the entrances and exits and giving him extra advice. He even introduced him to the staff members they came across and Lloyd did his best to make a good impression.
“The staff seem happy,” Lloyd remarked as they walked away from the kitchens and its side entrance. “Zelos must be a good boss at least.”
Flynn shot Lloyd a look and Lloyd winced once he remembered why.
“His Grace isn’t a bad head of the house,” Flynn confirmed. “All of the staff get paid and treated well. He’s just a bit eccentric at times.”
“Eccentric?” Lloyd repeated with a confused looking frown. “What do you mean?”
It was the second time Flynn had brought it up, but now that he was being questioned about it, he looked indecisive about whether or not to dive into the subject. His lips pressed together sourly, which was telling given how much care he gave into keeping formality.
He still tried his best to remain polite as he explained.
“He’s… quite popular among women. Try to be patient whenever he’s around any. They like to flock him and he indulges their behavior far too much. He also likes to frequent the local tavern every once in a while and can get pretty rowdy there too. And also—“
“I thought I heard my ears ringing. You really couldn’t wait to start gossiping with the new guy already, huh?”
Zelos’ voice carried loudly across the hallway as he stepped out into it from one of the many rooms. His blue eyes zeroed in on them at once, though they were dancing in good humor.
“Y-Your Grace!” Flynn straightened up at once, looking flummoxed, and in the face of that expression, Zelos’ face broke out into a giant grin.
“Heheh. Looks like I was right on the money, huh? Listen, Lloyd. Don't go and take everything this guy tells you to heart. Well, I’m grateful over how many times he’s saved my neck, but he’s a bit too much of a stiff, so don’t be in a hurry to follow in his footsteps.”
Lloyd looked between Flynn and Zelos. “Well he’s already given me a bunch of pretty good advice,” he said, crossing his arms as he thought hard about the advice he’d been given. “But I’ll have to figure out some of it on my own, so I guess we’re still gonna learn about each other.”
“That’s right, that’s the way to do it!” Zelos affirmed with a cocky smirk that made Flynn’s expression grow tumultuous.
“I hope for Lloyd’s sake, that means you’re actually planning to participate in looping him into things instead of waiting for him to pick up everything on his own,” he said evenly.
Zelos scrunched his nose a little.
“Ugh, you see, this is exactly what I mean. He’s barely been here for a day and you’re already expecting way too much out of him. You really need to loosen up more!”
“I apologize if you don’t find my personality to your liking, but I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t treat your life so frivolously,” Flynn said firmly.
“Yes, yes. I’m well aware of how valued I am. Anyway, I’ll leave you two to continue to get acquainted. Don’t corrupt the new guy too much, Flynn!”
Zelos walked past them with a lazy wave and without sparing them another glance. Lloyd watched his back for a few moments.
“Don’t worry,” he called out. “I’ll do my best to take care of you, Zelos—uh… Your Grace!” The title felt awkward on his tongue and clearly, Zelos thought so too because he stopped still and turned around to give Lloyd an appalled look.
“He really has his hooks deep in already, huh? Ugh, well I guess I can tolerate it, but so long as you don’t become a huge nag, you hear?”
With those stern words lingering in the air, Zelos finished rounding the corner and left them to it.
Flynn let out a heavy sigh. “It’s as I said, like you can see,” he muttered. “He’s not the type of guy who takes things very seriously.”
“I guess not,” Lloyd murmured. “He didn’t look very happy when I called him Your Grace.” He looked at Flynn. “Are you sure I have to?”
“Everyone treats him with some level of formality, not just those of us that are part of his household. I’m certain he only made a big deal out of it to poke fun at me.” Flynn ran a hand through the short, blond strands of his hair, looking stressed. “In the end, a whole part of this job involves having a lot of patience. Still think you’re up for it?”
Lloyd nodded without any hesitation. “It’ll be no problem,” he assured him at once. He even flashed him a quick grin. “Once I get to know him, I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
“Just don’t let him bully you to his liking,” Flynn advised good-naturedly, his expression softening into a wry smile.
“I won’t, I won’t.”
The easy rapport Lloyd and Flynn had built up before Zelos’ interruption returned as they resumed their tour around the mansion. Flynn walked him through it all with the floor plan on hand to make sure Lloyd could refer to it as needed. Lloyd appreciated it. The mansion had looked big from the outside, but now that Lloyd was on the inside, it seemed like it never really ended. For the first time, Lloyd learned that there was such a thing as a breakfast room, a room solely made for breakfast. When Lloyd asked if there was a lunch room, Flynn laughed good naturedly and showed him to a different dining area that was much bigger. A long table commanded the center of the room and the walls were covered in windows and art pieces.
“His Grace usually takes his lunches and dinners in here,” Flynn explained. “In fact, dinner should be ready soon.”
“Oh, so then maybe we should call him?” Lloyd glanced back towards the doors, but paused when Flynn shook his head.
“He won’t be allowed to eat for a while.”
“Huh?” Lloyd blinked. “Why not?”
“After the cooks finished making his meal, staff hired especially for this one job will taste it for poison,” Flynn said. “They eat a small sample, wait a while to make sure no poisons take effect, and then if it’s safe, His Grace gets called down for his meal.”
Lloyd furrowed his brow. “But how long does he have to wait? Wouldn’t his food be cold by then?”
“Unfortunately.” Flynn frowned. “But it’s just the nature of it. Hot food would mean nothing if it’s poisoned. When he goes out to eat, that job falls on you. You should take a panacea with you at all times and try his food first.”
Lloyd started frowning as well. He didn’t think about something like that, but Flynn made sense. He was Zelos’ bodyguard, and that meant guarding him from poisons too.
But to lose the pleasure of a hot, home cooked meal. It was almost criminal.
Flynn took Lloyd into the kitchen as a couple poison testers gathered around a plate of food. Both of them took a bite and set aside their utensils. Lloyd watched as the staff began plating up food in smaller, less fancy looking plates, presumably for themselves. Yet still, none of them ate, all waiting for when the poison testers deemed it safe.
Every meal started off with fear.
Flynn told Lloyd of a few events when the food had actually been poisoned and the testers suffered for it. Each time, after the testers were taken care of, Flynn had taken Zelos out to eat instead of waiting for an entire new meal to be cooked.
Of course, that still didn’t mean he could eat a hot meal. Flynn tried the food first and Zelos had to wait all over again.
After about fifteen minutes when they were absolutely sure the food was safe, three plates were taken out to the dining room. Flynn and Lloyd walked out of the kitchen just as Zelos entered from the other side.
“Oh, it’s you guys again. All done with your tour? Or just taking a break to eat?” Zelos asked as he spotted them.
“All done with the tour, Your Grace," Flynn confirmed dutifully.
“It’s a pretty big house.” Lloyd glanced around the large room they were in. “I didn’t think a place like this could even exist.”
“Big change for you, huh, country boy?” Zelos remarked, amused. “My place is pretty impressive, but so are the rest of the residences in the upper district of Meltokio. And then there’s the castle itself, which is sure to knock your socks off when we get around to visiting there.”
The little annoyance at being called a country boy with such a tone was put to the side for the rest of Zelos’ comment. “You visit the castle? Where the king is?”
“Well, naturally,” Zelos answered with a smirk. “I am the divine Chosen One who can hear the voice of the World Tree. It would be irresponsible of the king to stay uninformed. And for that same reason, the monarchs of other regions have a similar interest in keeping me in their favor. Or killing me off in hopes the next Chosen is born in their territory,” he continued casually as he began to dig into the cold food that had been placed in front of him.
There had been a lot of information in the short response and Lloyd found it hard to process it all. Hear the voice of the World Tree? He didn’t even know it had a voice or was capable of communicating at all. What sort of things did it say? How did he hear it? Could he hear it now or did he have to be close to the Tree? Questions bubbled up in his chest but he found himself attracted more to the last comment.
“They won’t kill you,” Lloyd promised. “No matter how much they try.”
“Heh. I’ve made it this far in life already, so I’m not too worried. But that enthusiasm is reassuring to hear,” Zelos remarked airily.
Lloyd nodded, assured that his message had been received loud and clear. He decided to take a bite of his food and his face screwed up a little in distaste. The food was stone cold, having lost all of its heat waiting for the poison testers to confirm its safety. He glanced around. Flynn and Zelos were eating as if they were fully accustomed to it.
There had to be a way to enjoy a hot meal around here. It was something he needed to figure out for sure.
The rest of dinner went by with idle chatter between Zelos and Flynn about daily schedules. Well, it was mostly Flynn with Zelos listening with a disgruntled tone. Lloyd still made sure to listen, hoping to familiarize himself with the schedules.
Luckily, Flynn was able to help him out for one more day. He got up early and Lloyd followed Flynn as Flynn followed Zelos and he was able to watch him make a few social visits to other nobles. The whole thing took a few hours and Lloyd found himself struggling to stay still. Meanwhile, Flynn was stone-faced and standing straight, acting like an observant statue right behind where Zelos was sitting and chatting away.
The whole meeting took a few hours and they were soon back at the Wilder mansion for lunch.
Once again, lunch was cold.
Zelos decided to stay in for the rest of the day, choosing to read in his room. Flynn remained outside his bedroom for a while, listening. After a few minutes, when Lloyd was about to ask him what he was listening for, Flynn stood up straight, seemingly satisfied. He led Lloyd away from the door and explained to him that there would be times like this. Quiet hours every so often.
So the two headed out into the backyard. There, Lloyd asked Flynn to spar with him. Flynn was surprised by the request, but he gave in rather quickly with a fond, wistful sort of smile. Lloyd couldn’t help but wonder who Flynn was thinking about as the blond knight’s eyes glanced away, as if looking into a memory. Lloyd had fun during their spar. Flynn’s fighting style was strict, but there was a fluidity to it that kept Lloyd on his toes.
And he got a few moments of triumph when he happened to catch Flynn off guard every once in a while, even though it was given to him just as good.
They didn’t injure each other, but they did manage to tire each other out decently well.
By the time evening came, Lloyd walked with Flynn to the door.
“It’s time for me to leave,” Flynn said. “I have to start getting ready for my transfer and I can rest easy knowing that you’ll be here in wake of my departure.”
“I’ll take care of him,” Lloyd replied, though a bit of nervous energy was still prickling in his stomach.
“It’ll be tough,” Flynn sighed lightly. “He can be a handful at times, but you just need to outstubborn him.”
Well, being stubborn was something he was good at. That made him a bit more confident.
“Don’t worry,” Lloyd reassured him with a stronger tone. “You just go take care of what you need to take care of.”
“Leaving already?”
The voice traveled down to them from the stairs where Zelos was standing at the top, watching them talk.
“Yes, Your Grace.” Flynn nodded. “I’m sure I’m leaving you in good hands.”
Zelos gave him a quick smile and waved his fingers. “Well, then go on. No need to stick around for much longer. Thanks for all your hard work, and all that.”
Flynn let out another sigh, his eyebrows scrunched together. “Right.” He looked back at Lloyd. “You’ll be fine.”
Lloyd nodded and the two bid their goodbyes. The door closed and the click of it shutting sounded much louder in his ears than it should have.
“Well. Looks like it’s just you and me now, huh?” Zelos said lightly. “Let’s get along, mmkay?”
Lloyd flashed him a quick grin. “Yeah.”
It wouldn’t be as bad as Flynn implied, surely. It would be fine.