Author's Note: New story up! For those of you who have read it, you may notice that this story has some parallels to NovaGloriosa17's story, In Love and War, yes, I did ask her permission quite some time ago. I hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own FFXII, just my own characters
Emrys B'nargin Nabradia was a child of both Dalmasca and Nabradia. Through her mother she was a niece of King Raminas of Dalmasca, and through her father a distant cousin to the royal family of her home country. The union of her parents had been a political arrangement, made in the hopes that the two nations would have strengthened ties, and as a result it was not a marriage of romantic love, merely of close friendship by the time their only daughter was old enough to determine such relationships. As it was, it was soon after apparent that they need not have married at all, for the King and Queen of Nabradia bore a son, and only a few years later Dalmasca welcomed at long last a princess after a long line of sons. Yet they were content in their life, and loved each other in their own way. The fruit of such love was three healthy sons and a daughter, and they lived away from the court in the lush woods of Nabradia.
Emrys enjoyed a wild, carefree childhood. With several older brothers she knew the joys of running about in the mud, riding chocobos, and wrestling before she experienced the daintiness and protocol required in the courts. Her mother insisted on tutoring and lessons on being a lady, while her father allowed her free reign, and lessons in defending herself alongside her brothers, for though none yet would talk of it, trouble brewed on the horizon, the larger empires of Archadia and Rozaria threatened to break upon the countries caught in their midst, and there would come a time when defending oneself would be necessary.
It was not until she was eight years of age that Emrys discovered she had a female cousin. She had met several of the elder, living sons of King Raminas when she had been a small child, but the knowledge that she had a girl relative, only two years younger, did not reach her ears until talk of a marriage contract between the young Lord Rasler Heios Nabradia, the only son of the king, and the Princess Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca began to circulate amongst the nobles of the land.
By the time she was thirteen, Lady Emrys had acquired much prowess in the art of war, taken most with the bow, of which she was talked of by flattering prospect-seekers that she was unmatched by any Hume, a very over-blown description if one were to ask the lady, and by long knives, of which she carried two. Broadswords were too large to be wielded effectively as the lady was slight of build and relied more on speed and agility.
Not long after her sixteenth birthday, Emrys was moved from her idyllic life in the Nabradian woods to sprawling palace of her uncle in the capital city of Rabanastre, located in the Dalmascan desert. Whispers of war were spreading through the lands caught between the empires, the borders were squeezed tighter and tighter from both sides. The Nabradian lady found herself in strange, unfamiliar home, worry nagging at her mind, as an inevitable war grew closer.
The sun had risen not an hour before, and already the convoy from Nabradia was feeling the effects of the heat. Lady Emrys B'nargin Nabradia rode at the head of the column beside her eldest brother, Rhys. Her father had gifted her the chocobo she rode, one of his prized chargers, and her mother had outfitted her with the apparel that she was currently wearing. The white of the voluminous pants and short top helped to alleviate the heat, but, though not a vain person, she was thankful for the dark blue embroidery that helped to calm the brilliant color of the cloth, and for the shining light armor that covered her shoulders, chest, forearms, and legs.
Her brother rode beside her on a charger of his own, garbed in similar apparel. He would glance at her from time to time, every now and then his eyes also sliding to the oddly shaped bundles that were tied to the back of her chocobo.
"Does Mother know you brought your weapons?" His deep voice finally asked, and she wrinkled her nose at the trace of amusement she detected within it.
"Of course not, and she won't find out either, if you know what's good for you." Emrys told him, glaring when he burst into laughter.
"And what are you going to do if I tell, squirt." Rhys continued laughed and reached over to ruffle his little sister's long pale-blonde hair. She scowled and reached over to tug one of his own fair locks.
"Is that Rabanastre?"
Rhys looked at where his sister was pointing and shook his head in exasperation; her abrupt changes of mood and subject could almost give a person whiplash.
"Yes, but we're still some ways away." He told her and immediately regretted it.
As soon as the words left his lips she sent him a brilliant grin and dug her boot-clad heels into the sides of her chocobo.
"Emrys! You're supposed to ride with the caravan!" Rhys called after her before groaning and turning to the captain who had accompanied them from their father's estate in Nabradia. "Continue along the current path and meet us at the palace." The young lord then urged his own chocobo forward in an attempt to chase down his wild sister.
As soon as Lord Rhys was well away, Captain Jollsan chuckled lightly along with the rest of his men at the antics of the high-spirited lady.
Rhys couldn't help but admire his sister as he finally caught up to her and kept pace alongside her. Her face shone happily and the long lily-white tendrils of her hair whipped back and forth gaily in the wind. She moved with the bird's motion smoothly and effortlessly. Yes, she truly had grown to be a fine young woman, whether she would admit it or not. He wondered briefly if she realized that it would be a long time until she could return home, and that life in Dalmasca would be much different than life in Nabradia. Here she would be expected to be an active member of the court, and possibly a companion to the Lady Ashelia due to their close kinship. No more were the days of running freely in the Nabradian wood with her brothers. Then again, he thought with a silent chuckle, to see the Dalmascan nobility actually get Emrys to do something she didn't want to would be another matter entirely.
"Come on, slowpoke!" Emrys called back to him as she once again took the lead, the walls of Rabanastre growing ever closer at their increased speed.
"Who are you calling slow?" Rhys yelled at her, not realizing that he was being pulled into her game.
The two sped to the very gates of Rabanastre where they finally pulled up; even the hardy chocobos of their father's breeding stock breeding a bit heavily from the long, fast run.
"Who goes there?" A Dalmascan guard asked as they stood before the gates.
"The Lady Emrys B'nargin Nabradia, and her brother the Lord Rhys!" Emrys called to him, smiling cheekily at her brother who was scowling in annoyance at her doing his job for him.
"Open the gates!" The guard called, and the great gates of Rabanastre creaked open, allowing the siblings a glimpse into the bustling city.
"Shall we, my lady?" Rhys asked motioning for his sister to go ahead.
Emrys lifted her head snobbishly. "We shall, my lord." She managed to get out before losing to her fight against the giggles bubbling from her chest.
Rhys rolled his eyes and the siblings entered the city together.
Emrys stared wide-eyed at the sights around her. Rabanastre was simply bustling with people. There were markets and shops, people dancing in the streets, vendors calling out offers, children running here and there. It was full of life. She had been to Nabudis in her youth of course, that beautiful city that sat in the middle of an idyllic lake, and Nalbina, the fortress city that stood on the border of Dalmasca and Nabradia, but this was much different. The Humes here were tanned from the desert sun and their clothing could have been considered scandalous in Nabradia as it was barely existent on some people, exposing a large amount of flesh to the air, but of course this was a matter of survival for them; the more modest clothing of the Nabradians would have been disastrous for the Dalmascans.
The siblings rode higher and higher into the city, ascending the levels until they began to reach the less populated areas that housed the nobility and officers of the Dalmascan army. A sprawling cathedral could be seen near the palace, the sun glimmering off its spires.
"Are you really okay with this?" Rhys asked her as they neared the palace where several people could be seen waiting for them.
She glanced up at him, a brilliant smile on her face. "Of course! Besides, it's not as if I'll be here forever!"
He smiled back at her, wondering suddenly if she was right before shaking his head. The war wouldn't last forever. Someday, she would be able to return home.
King Raminas B'nargin Dalmasca, his daughter, and sole living heir, Ashelia, and several of his advisors and captains stood waiting as the Nabradian siblings approached. The two were talking and laughing with each other as they drew nearer. The chocobos they rode were of the highest standards as were there garb, but nothing else would have been expected of royalty. The two came to a stop before the welcoming party and gracefully dismounted. The boy was taller than his sister, though not by much as she was tall and slender. With her light blonde hair and grey eyes, the Lady Emrys clearly took more to her Nabradian heritage, whereas the Lord Rhys seemed to favor his Dalmascan side with his sandy blonde hair and blue-grey eyes.
"Welcome, my dear niece and nephew, to our humble capital of Rabanastre." Raminas said, spreading his arms.
"Greetings, Uncle." The siblings bowed together.
"Come now, don't be shy." Raminas invited with a smile. Emrys immediately laughed and ran to hug him. The aged king held her to him for a moment before releasing her to clasp her brother on the shoulder. "My, the two of you have grown so much. Tell me, how was the journey, and were you not with a convoy?" The king looked behind them, as though hoping to spy the caravan coming round the bend.
Rhys laughed dryly and sent a pointed look to his sister. "The journey was wonderful, Uncle, and yes we traveled with a convoy, Emrys just got a bit too impatient and decided to ride ahead and I was duty bound to follow her."
"You didn't have to if you didn't want to." The lady in question said, jutting her chin at her brother.
"I did, you know that there are many dangers in the desert."
"Not more than are in the Salikawood, and you know that I can take care of myself."
"Oh really?" The king interjected smoothly to prevent a full-scale squabble in the courtyard. "My sister allowed you to be trained?"
Emrys looked rather sheepish. "Actually she doesn't know about most of it, Father had me trained. She thinks my weapons are merely decoration or ceremonial or something of the like."
"And what can you wield?" Raminas asked his niece, surprised that she had been trained at all with his strict sister in the household.
The king's niece beamed up at him brilliantly, her eyes gleaming. "I use a bow and two long knives, no one would let me use a sword though." She pouted slightly at the last admittance.
"Emrys, you know perfectly well that you're not big enough to use a broadsword, you're too slender. At any rate, you're perfectly deadly with your current weapons so stop complaining." Rhys scolded her as she sulked slightly.
"Well, you certainly are a talented lady." Raminas said with a laugh.
"That she is," Rhys admitted. "And she is good as well, especially considering Mother didn't want her learning in the first place and kept her indoors as much as possible."
He pulled his sister into a hug and she squirmed against until he let her go.
"Well, we'll just have to see what she can do later." Raminas said before gently pulling his daughter forward. "I believe this is the first time you have met. Rhys, Emrys, this is my daughter, Ashelia. Ashe, these are two of your cousins, Rhys and Emrys B'nargin Nabradia."
The fourteen year-old princess observed her older cousins briefly before sinking into a perfect curtsey and greeting them. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Cousin Rhys, Cousin Emrys."
Emrys studied her cousin in return. She was of a normal height for her age, her sandy-blonde hair fell to just about chin length, and her dress was light colored and flowing, following the Dalmascan custom of have plenty of slits for air circulation.
"The same to you, Cousin Ashelia." The Nabradian siblings replied, showing her the same courtesy in bowing.
"Also, might I also introduce two of my captains?" Raminas directed their attention to two men who stood nearby. "This is Captain Vossler York Azelas and Captain Basch fon Ronsenburg."
The first was a broad-shouldered man in his early thirties with dark hair and eyes. The other was a few years younger and was tall and muscled, though his hair was longer and a golden blond and his eyes were light.
"My lady." Captain Azelas said politely as he bowed over Emry's hand before moving on to shake hands with her brother.
"My lady." The other Captain, Basch did the same, though there was a slight trace of amusement in his eyes and a smirk pulling at his lips. Emrys flushed slightly realizing that he must have seen her roll her eyes.
"Captain." She replied, nodding to him. He winked at her, a conspirator's promise, before moving on to her brother. Emrys breathed a sigh of relief knowing that the younger captain wouldn't call her out on the breach of protocal.
"Now!" Said the king. "Shall we head indoors to wait for the caravan, the two of you can't be terribly comfortable in this sun."
And with that the party retreated to the shade of the castle.
The welcoming party for the two Nabradian nobles lasted well into the night. Raminas had been generous enough to break into a few of his prized barrels of Bhujerban Madhu to commemorate the newest addition to his household, and nearly all of the guests were milling about with a pleasant buzzing in the heads, thanks to the strong liquor. The guest of honor herself had slipped away as the party had gotten underway and was currently wandering about the palace grounds. Had she been accosted by some guest or well-wisher, she would have answered that she was merely admiring her new home, however in truth, she was more than a bit lost. By some stroke of luck, Emrys happened to stumle upon a training field, perhaps for the famed Order of the Knights of Dalmasca. She wandered into the area, and, spying a door in the palace wall, immediately went to investigate. Her eyes lit up when, upon entering the room, she found that she had stumbled upon the armory. Glittering swords, shields, and armor covered the wall and benches, and she could not resist the temptation to run her fingers over the cold metal. She had always had a fascination with weapons, most likely due to growing up with a bunch of men. She found a plain looking broadsword lying on a chest and carefully picked it up, her arms straining against its weight. She brought it to full height in front of her and was holding it there when a noise startled her and nearly caused her to drop it.
"Is sneaking around a habit of yours?"
Emrys yelped guiltily and tried to conceal the sword behind her, only managing to drop the heavy weapon into the ground, her hands trembling around its hilt as it vibrated from the impact.
"Forgive me, my lady." The same deep voice drew closer and a warm pair of hands rescued the abused blade from her. "I did not mean to startle you."
Recovered from her shock, Emrys peered up at the blond captain with an arched brow. "Yet something tells me that you did." She glared at him and strode to the door of the armory.
"Might I inquire as to why you were in here, my lady?" Basch asked as he followed her.
"I was curious, and I wanted to hold a broadsword. My father and brothers have never let me, it's only always been my bow and knives." She huffed and pouted, crossing her arms in front of her, which in turn caused Basch to chuckle. "What?" She asked, turning to him once more. "You think that because I am a lady I should not know how to fight."
"Nay, my lady, I was thinking that at the moment you seemed more a spoiled brat than a young woman." He laughed again at the expression she was making. "And now you most resemble a fish."
Emrys sputtered in indignation. "I do believe you have had too much to drink, sir." She told him as she turned to walk away.
"My lady, wait!" Basch called, lengthening his stride in order to keep up with her surprisingly quick pace. "I only meant that those who wish to be instructed in weaponry should follow their instructions instead of whining about what they cannot have."
She froze and if not for his warrior's reflexives he would have knocked into her.
"Your brother has asked me if I would continue your instruction in fighting."
She turned to him, hope in her eyes. "You will allow me to use a sword?"
The captain nodded. "It will not be a broadsword however. Your father and brothers are correct in that it is much too large for your frame. Wait here a moment."
She watched as he walked back to the room they had just left.
When Basch returned he carried a sword, but it was slender and slightly curved at the end. "This will serve you much better." He told her as she took it in her hand and waved it experimentally to get a feel for the blade.
"Thank you, Captain." Emrys said quietly. "You are correct, I have acted childishly. I apologize." She kept her eyes on the ground, ashamed at her words and actions.
Her eyes darted up when she felt a pair of rough fingers on her chin. Basch gently lifted her head and smiled at her. "There is nothing to forgive, my lady." He released her when she grinned back at him and handed her the scabbard that he had brought along with the sword. "Take some time to explore the place and get adjusted, then come see me about training." He ordered.
"Yes, sir!" She replied, giving him a mock salute, which made him laugh at her once more.
"Now, I suppose you would like someone to show you how to get back to the festivities?" Basch asked, offering her his arm.
Emrys rubbed the back of her head sheepishly and accepted his offer, belting the sword to her waist before taking his arm and allowing him to lead her back inside.
Rhys and his uncle watched from a distance.
"Well, they're getting along better than I thought. I'm amazed she didn't take his head off for those comments though." The Nabradian lord commented as he sipped his wine.
"Come now, surely you jest, Rhys, she can't be all that bad." Raminas said with a quiet chuckle.
"I'm serious, Uncle, she's wild. Can't blame her of course, what with growing up with a bunch of boys, she would have had to have learned how to keep her own. But I will say good luck, because you are going to need it."
"We shall see." The Dalmascan king said as the pair before them reached the palace and entered.
"You never know," Rhys said with a shrug as he turned back to watching the cityscape, "training with him might do her some good."
"That it might." The king agreed, other machinations concerning the two just barely starting to turn in his mind. "That it might indeed."
End Note: well, there it is. I've been wanting to write this and get it up for awhile, so the ending might be a bit rushed, but I hope it's good at any rate... let me know! and thanks for reading!