Chapter 1: Two years later...

Lloyd woke up.

For a moment, he wasn't sure where he was. He recognized the ceiling of a room of the inn in Meltokio. Odd, they usually didn't stay here... He wondered where everybody was. The room seemed quiet.

Slowly, it came back to him. He wasn't traveling with Colette, Genis, Raine, Zelos, Presea, or Regal.

It had been two years since the death of Mithos, the rejoining of the world, and the sprouting of Yggdrasill the Great Tree.

And he was in bed, in the Sancta Cassius in Meltokio, and that was Sheena snoring softly in the other bed.

He sat up, and sighed heavily.

Sheena turned over in her bed. After a moment, she woke up. She almost always wakes up right after me, Lloyd noted with a faint smile.

She sat up, and smiled at him, a bit sleepily. "G'morning."

Lloyd returned the smile, despite his melancholy mood. "Morning, Sheena."

Two years in his company had made Sheena sensitive to his moods. She raised an eyebrow. "You sound depressed."

He made a face. "I am—sorta."

She rolled out of her bed, and sat down on the edge of his. "Do you want to tell me?"

He took a moment to sort out his feelings. "When I woke up, just for a moment, I thought I was with everybody—you know, when we were traveling to reunite the worlds." Sighing, he slumped a bit.

"Why's that depressing you?" she asked.

"We got so much accomplished in so short a time. It wasn't even a year from the day we got the Oracle at Iselia to the two worlds being rejoined."

"And now," Sheena guessed, "two years later, you feel like you're not getting anything done on your quest, is that it?"

Lloyd smiled crookedly. "You know me too well."

Sheena nodded her agreement, but continued her thread of thought. "You've done a lot to rid the world of Exspheres. People still talk about how you got the Papal Knights to give them up, and you got the amusement park at the Altamira shut down. All you've really got left is the Tethe'alla Bridge."

"I don't think I'll ever get those exspheres on the Bridge, though," Lloyd said morosely. "The King says he's negotiating with me over it, but he calls me up there once a week, he says he can't shut down the Bridge at this time, and then he tells me to come back next week."

"We'll find a way. We always did before. If worse comes to worst, we'll have Genis level the bridge."

Lloyd brightened up at the idea. It was a joke, but it had a certain appeal...

"Yeah, we could do that." He paused. "Have you heard anything about them lately?"

She nodded. "Somebody at the Coliseum was talking about a half-elf boy with enormous power. They said he's been winning magic duels left and right."

"That's our Genis," Lloyd grinned. "I just hope his power doesn't go to his head."

Sheena scoffed. "Genis? Nah."

Lloyd became a bit more serious. "I'm not so sure, Sheena. Genis always acted a bit superior to me. We all know he's smarter than I am."

"He wouldn't...would he?" Sheena sounded a bit less sure of herself.

"With Genis, you never know."

"True, but I think Raine and Presea will keep him from getting too big a head." She changed the subject. "What are you going to do today?"

"I dunno. I don't have an appointment with the King, so I'm kinda open today."

"Do you want to help me down in the slums?"

"Sure." Lloyd agreed. Because some of her summoning vows were to help the suffering people of the world, Sheena took charity work very seriously. She'd made those vows, so she was going to keep them, come hell or high water. Lloyd knew it made her happy when he helped her with things like this, so he aided her crusade every chance he got.

By mid-morning, Lloyd and Sheena had made a good attempt to alleviate the suffering in the slums. They'd passed out old clothes, and cooked a big pot of stew, and then asked the slum residents to line up.

The smell here was awful, but Lloyd figured it to be a small price for the grateful tears in the eyes on the slum's residents.

After the last peasant had left, Lloyd and Sheena went back to the commercial quarter.

There was a messenger waiting at the inn.

"Mr. Irving, His Majesty requests your presence at the castle," the brightly-dressed nobleman told Lloyd formally.

Lloyd sighed. "What does he want?"

The courier sniffed. "I did not presume to ask his Majesty."

"Right..." Lloyd said shortly.

Sheena put an arm around his shoulders. "There's only one way to find out."

Lloyd smiled briefly. "Right." He looked at the messenger. "Tell his Majesty we're coming."

"I have been instructed to escort you, Mr. Irving."

The double doors of the castle swung open. The nobleman went in first. "Your Majesty, I present the Eternal Swordsman and Re-uniter of the world, Lloyd Irving, and the Successor of Mizuho, Rose of Battle, Sheena Fu..." he faltered slightly, then recovered admirably, "Sheena Fujibayashi."

At the other end of the audience chamber, the King stood up. "I will gladly receive our distinguished guests."

Lloyd came forward. He had been surprised at the introduction the first time it happened, but now, after hearing it once a week for the better part of a year, he'd gone numb to it.

He stood in front of the dais. "Your Majesty wished to see me?"

The King nodded. "Yes. Let's go to the Royal Library to talk in privacy."

Lloyd raised his eyebrows, but lessons from Regal and Zelos, and a lot of practice in the court of the King, had taught him not to act too surprised. The negotiations had always taken place in the Crimson Chamber before.

As was usual, the Minister and a detachment of guards came with them. When they reached the high, book-lined room of the library, the King looked at his entourage.

"I wish to talk with Lloyd in private. You have my permission to leave us," he said.

"Your Majesty!" the Minister looked shocked.

"Leave, Cerran."

The plump minister's eyes narrowed. "...Yes, your Majesty." He left with a great show of submission.

The King looked at the sergeant of the guards slyly. "I would esteem it a service if you would leave us and make sure he stays out of earshot."

The sergeant bowed. "Yes, sir." The guards left.

The King smiled as the door shut, and held up a finger.

After a moment, there was the sound of a minor scuffle. The King's smile was benign. "I love doing that to him."

"Why do you keep that greaseball around, your Majesty?" Lloyd demanded.

"Cerran? He does have an oily quality to him, doesn't he? He's unprincipled and not above using his position for an acceptable amount of personal gain. However, he is a very efficient administrator, and I have seen evidence that he places the interests of Tethe'alla above his own, if it's him or the country."

The King settled into a chair with a slight groan. "I feel I owe you an apology, Lloyd."

Lloyd and Sheena sat down across the small table from him. "Why, your Majesty?" the swordsman said.

"I've been conspiring to keep you here at Meltokio."

Lloyd blinked. "Wha...?"

"A certain matter has been developing here in Tethe'alla," the king explained. "I would be grateful for your aid with it."

Sheena narrowed her eyes. "How grateful?"
The king smiled. "I'll gladly make concessions on the Tethe'alla Bridge if you will do a small service for me."

Lloyd leaned forward eagerly. "What do you want me to do?"

"There is a group of brigands marauding around the other two continents. My soldiers can't defeat them—these bandits appear to use Exspheres."

Lloyd's expression went solid. The King smiled. "I'd hoped you'd feel this way. My soldiers can't subdue them since you've talked me into banning Exspheres for the military service. You're probably the preeminent swordsman in the world, and your companions hold a similar status. That's why I've asked Zelos to go with you."

Lloyd was very much surprised. When had the King become this cunning? He'd kept Lloyd around, just for this event, and knew exactly what would get Lloyd to agree, and even provided extra incentive. Evidently, a political adept had awoken in the past couple of years.

Lloyd was speechless, so Sheena answered for him. "We'll be happy to, you Majesty."

"You have my thanks," the King smiled.

On the way back to the inn, Sheena was aware of Lloyd's good mood. He was grinning at nothing and had a little jig in his step. When they got back to their room, he jumped into the air, crowed with delight, caught her up in a bear hug, and even kissed her on the cheek—something he almost never did, despite their stated feelings for each other.

She smiled to herself. This would be good for him.