masked heart

He should have realized something was deeply off when blue scales peeked out from behind his collar, spreading until they covered his arms and legs. His fingernails sharpened, growing and hardening into claws that could tear through flesh with ease.

Little by little, his own humanity began to slip away until people were screaming about a monster set loose in the town.

Thank Naga that he mustered enough control over his limbs to flee from the scene, and that no one has gotten hurt because of him. Seliph would never forgive himself for it.

Get away, he tries to warn the lone wyvern rider now. All that comes out of his throat is an inhumane noise—not a bloodthirsty screech but more like a mournful wail.

Minerva holds them aloft in the skies as Gerome turns his attention back to the blue-scaled dragon. A piercing screech strikes through the sky and there is something almost mournful about it.

For a moment, Gerome is struck at the sound and can only stare helplessly at the beast. He's heard a similar cry once, long ago, when he was a mere child. When Minerva returned without his mother and she dropped at his feet a lone piece of jewelry. Her ring. The only thing that remained of his mother. And then she sat back and screeched to the skies a mournful howl of pain and loss. It was the first time he had truly understood her.

His hand tightens on his wyvern's reigns. No wonder Minerva had stopped him.

Looking now, he can see the beast is clawing at its face. Maybe something has been done to it.

"Let's get a closer look, Minerva!" This time she obeys and draws them closer. The frenzied dragon could lash out at any moment, he is risking his life by drawing this close, but Gerome trusts Minerva with his life. From closer, he can see that the dragon appears to be clawing at something on its face. He'll have to get it to remove its claws before he can get a better look.

Gerome slips out a throwing spear from his bag. Minerva screeches at him again, but Gerome quickly pulls on the reigns. "Steady, Minerva! I need to gets its hands away from its face before we can do anything to help." If they can do anything to help.

"Awww aspiring knight. That's cute~." It came out more condescending than anything. Niles starts walking towards the center of the room not bothering to look behind him for a reaction.

"I'll try the door." It's his only answer as he sweeps past him to try the large door. Unfortunately, it does not budge at his insistent pulls and pushes. He releases it.

Oh.

Oh.

Cynthia is never rendered speechless. She's always chatty - too chatty, some would argue. Her fingers are used to pop open the box, and she knows this ring. She had pointed it out and talked about it too long while they were shopping. She didn't know if Gerome was listening, and she wouldn't have minded if he didn't; Cynthia knows she talks and talks.

Here it is in her hands. It's just as pretty as she remembers - prettier, even. She doesn't need something flashy and expensive, and she never did. He could have proposed with a ribbon and she'd say yes.

A year and a half ago, she couldn't have imagined this. She couldn't even imagine that he liked her. Now he's whispering the words she's heard in her dreams since she was just a little girl.

She's staring at the ring, and it shimmers in the early morning light. When Cynthia blinks, her vision sharpens, and she notices how heavy her breaths are. "I-" Her voice is thick and croaky.

"I wanna marry you. Of course I wanna marry you, silly." Ever since she was little, when Gerome called her cool and strong and beautiful, she loved him, even if she hadn't known then what love was. She hasn't stopped feeling it since then.

She sniffles. "I wanna turn around, but-" She laughs, the sound wonky through her tears. "But I can't. I'm so gross." She tries to wipe her tears, but fresh ones replace them.

Without saying anything, he turns Cynthia around so that they face each other. It doesn't matter to him that she's crying. Snot or not, he's kissing her. His fiance. He grasps the hand that now wears her ring, his thumb pressing against the band, and leans in to kiss her.

"Forever," he affirms. "Whatever the future holds." And he pulls her to his chest.

Sometimes he thinks he's forgotten how to cry. These emotions come so easily to Cynthia, but he feels as if his are still locked in that dark room she pulled him from. He bends his head to press against the crook of her neck.

He may not be crying, but his chest is tight and his head is dizzy. He wants to hold onto these feelings.

Her thoughts stall as Gerome pulls out a small box and opens it to reveal - a ring. An absolutely stunning ring. A flush rises in her cheeks and her lips fall open in surprise, shock, a wonderment that makes her feel extremely conflicted. She thinks of Cynthia first, and then Ephraim, and she finds herself faltering. For a moment, she thinks of him saying he'll always be by her side, and she thinks, No, surely not, he can't mean-

And he doesn't. Of course he doesn't. How utterly stupid of her to think anything of the sort. He has always told her that he would be her knight, he would protect her, keep her safe. It's for the future of Ylisse, of course. Gods, how completely foolish she is, for her mind to go to such a place. Shouldn't she be beyond this by now? Isn't she? Well, obviously not if tears springing to her eyes is any indication.

"I told her I would propose months ago. I don't know why I've held off so long."

Gerome sighs and closes the box. He pulls it back into his lap. "Well, if I'm honest, she deserves better than me."

If he said something like that to Cynthia, he knows what her response would be. It's not that he doesn't believe her, that he doesn't want to try, but thinking better of himself is an uphill battle.

"Lucina, you're assisting as well?" A small, rare smile turns the corners of his mouth. The two have not had time together for awhile and their last meeting had been short. He's glad to have the time with her.

They both stand outside the hatchery and Gerome casts the door a wary glance. "Do you think my mask will frighten them?" That is partly the intended affect when wearing it, at least when he takes to the battlefield, but it is harder to justify the reason when he's within the monastery's walls. Though few ever ask him for a reason.

He would not mind removing it in Lucina's presence. The horrors they survived have forged between them a strong bond, and he has always admired her.

Gerome casts his gaze downward, an action obscured by his mask. Despite these feelings, he wishes for others to see him as stalwart and dependable. Not the weak and insecure boy he feels he is. The mask at least creates the illusion.

This brings him back. In their youth, they'd formed the Justice Cabal alongside their friends, and they had slain a great number of beasts and saved just as many helpless innocents. The heroes of their own tales, children striving to live up to the greatness of their parents in a world that teemed with fear.

Gerome lifts up a long stick and breaks off the few twigs that cling to it. Then he brandishes it as one might a sword, 'sheathes' it at his side, and kneels before Cynthia with his head lowered.

"My lady."

Safely ensconced in the privacy of his office, Laslow waits for whatever news burns underneath Gerome's skin.

An enthusiastic hello has barely left his lips before the wyvern rider speaks. Laslow blinks, the words slow to sink in, eyes widening both at the realization and the sudden sight of Gerome's maskless face.

Enthusiasm radiates from him--it's infectious. A grin spreads across Laslow's face; between one breath and the next he engulfs Gerome in a bear hug.

"Congratulations, my friend! Of course she said yes!" He squeezes Gerome once for good measure before releasing him. "Tell me everything! When did you ask? Did she like the ring?"

Yet Inigo's questions cause him to flush. "It was the other day, while we were, ah...it was in the morning." They'd been in bed but he's not saying that.

He nods. "She likes the ring, but I think she was more excited about the pegasi plush I tied it to. It was made to resemble hers. I procured it from that Forge-A-Bear shop." It was likely not a very creative plan but Cynthia was happy and that's all that mattered to him.

A monster has breached the monastery. Or it has but it fled, the reports are mixed, but Gerome is the first to hear about it and the first to act. He directs someone to let the other knights know and then takes Minerva to the skies.

It doesn't take long to find the beast. Its left a trail of destruction, starting from the market and leading away. From high above, he can see the destroyed market stalls and buildings, but no sign of anyone hurt. And at the end of the trail is a blue-scaled dragon with fangs bared and a tail that thrashes at anything within range.

Gerome unsheathes his axe and brings Minerva in closer, but as he does she reel backs and screeches.

Minerva veers away, placing the beast out of range of his axe, and Gerome steadies himself on her back. "Minerva! What are you doing!?" She screeches again and he turns to study the dragon. Something is off.

While taking in the target in its grandeur, the manor of an affluent family in Pearl Shoals. If you could call it a family, that is. As far as the intel goes, the only proprietor is one Madame Adelia Duval and not a soul more. The lady of the house was given quite a bit of hush-hush from the majority of neighbors out of not only respect but a respectable pennie as well. Infamous for her rigorous and dubiously ethical dog breeding, Lon'qu does not have it in standing that these dogs are without the monstrous traits of creatures best left untouched or slain. While he cannot pity their highly recorded aggression from the brokers account, he can mourn an existence to fight and kill for the pleasure of others.

A fate he knows well, and yet...

Never mind that. He's busy debriefing the Knight who had arrived not shortly ago, a cool and straightforward sort he can remember well enough from when Grimleal were his, as well as rivaling factions like the Plegians and their King. The gentleman was a Knight of Seiros now from what he remembers, and takes that into account along with the position they're in. Outside a hedge maze, just barely peaking inside to keep onlookers from simply peeking out their floor-length windows and spotting the duo, and with a mission to find many secrets at their target's disposal, it was appreciated. These hedges were at least good for one thing: he kept the personal comment to himself.

With that intel of a person on top of the vague map of the area outside this place, getting in was far easier than what came next. While Lon’qu has braved many climates, he will always prefer the cold and damp to what this beach town would provide in warmer seasons, so while he stands before the other in company, he holds himself without complaints or discomfort.

So far they're both rather matter-of-fact, and that can be appreciated in a time like this. He debriefs further, “Madame Adelia Duval is our suspect for today, a known dog breeder with a dubious history of ethics. With that alone, it's highly suspected to be filled with them. More likely: expect them, and probably at a high volume. I can't tell you anymore what creatures she's dealing with.”

While he's not exactly keeping it the briefest, it's all pertinent in his eyes, as he continues. “Taking on this mission to search her property, we will be breaking and entering to search for this artifact first and foremost. Anything else we find will be secondary, dealt with accordingly. Anything to share, before?”

He does not remember much of Lon'qu from their time in the Shepherds, but he remembers enough to know that he is similarly straightforward and simple. He does not remember knowing him in his timeline, but there are few he could count among that number.

Likewise, the task they've been assigned, though not one that sits well with him, is also straightforward and simple. Nobility that's gone too far in deciding to play as a god and harming those around her in an unforgivable manner, if the rumors are to be believed.

The only thing not straightforward and simple is this damn maze.

Gerome had seen it from atop Minerva before he swooped in low and dismounted several paces from the maze. It wouldn't do any good to bring Minerva into such tight quarters and risk her getting hurt where she can't easily fight back. Better to go on foot, especially as this mission requires a measure of stealth. He releases her to fly, knowing she'll come when he calls and stay out of sight otherwise.

Across the field and he finally meets up with Lon'qu. He's been made aware of the details before but he appreciates the refresher all the same. They both need to keep their goal in mind.

"There's a chance the artifact may not be here, though the church has requested we sweep the premises for it and any clues leading to it. Given Duval's inclinations, she may put us on the artifact's trail, if she's not directly involved with it herself." He refuses to give the woman any honorifics when addressing her.

That's all that he has to share. Gerome presses his hand against the tall hedges that line the maze and bar their entry. "Is this where we're entering? I can make quick work of these." It would be reckless to enter from the front, they need to take a side passage. He pulls out his axe and manages to clear them a tight path through the hedge that will grant them access.

There were was one thing Gerome knew about mochi: it was delicious. Or so the rumors went. Students around the monastery were raving about it, and the popularity had reached such heights that the dining staff were now calling for volunteers.

He saw as much when he went by in hopes of finding some for Cynthia, but instead found them sold out. Well, he wasn't opposed to a little work if it meant getting some himself.

The staff were happy to have more on hand and directed him toward someone that still needed a partner. A tall man with blue hair. Gerome doesn't think he's seen him around here before but he nods in greeting, expression unreadable behind his mask.

"I'm Gerome, one of the knights here." He greets him with a nod. "Looks like we'll be partners for this. Have you made mochi before?" If not, perhaps one of the staff will come by soon and tell them how to do this.

He follows after Forde and falls into step beside him with the wriggling Soup.

"It's almost hard to believe they'll grow up to be predators and be used in battle." They looked so innocent, so cute. He remembers feeling that way himself once. Soup releases the hold on his hand and looks up at him, tongue flopping as he pants.

But that will be their fate. Wolves of war to fight alongside knights. Just as he and Minerva did.

Salad’s fallen asleep now, and Forde gently places him in a pile of hay. “Get a solid night’s sleep, you. If you start napping all over the place, it’ll wreck your sleep schedule.” Not that he’d know. 

He waves goodbye to Gerome as he leaves the stables. “See you around, and you too Soup.” 

He should volunteer with the wolf pups more often.

In the months she's spent with Gerome (heh, it's been almost a year since they got together!), he probably knows this about her. She drools. She snores. She talks in her sleep. She takes up the whole bed, and he doesn't complain! Boy, he must really love her.

She really loves him, too. She'd wait and wait forever for him, even longer if she has to. It's why Cynthia's been patient. Six months and no ring? Well, she's not worried, she doesn't need it. She's happy. She's giving him hints about what rings she likes, but if it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. No biggie.

She slowly wakes up for the day, in their room. Their room - she'll never get used to that. It's too early, too cold, too everything. If there's one thing that makes mornings easier, it's waking up in Gerome's arms. Half asleep, she snuggles into him.

She's also snuggling something else. It's soft to the touch, and also squishy. It can't be the blanket. She blinks awake, to find something white in her arms. "Is this-?! It is!" It's a plush pegasus from that store.

Gerome presses closer to Cynthia's back and lets his hands close around hers, preventing her, for the moment, from opening the box. It's partly to steady his nerves even though he knows her answer. He's known for a long time now.

"It's for you." His voice breathes against her ear. "Neither of us knows the future, but if there is anything I am certain of, it is us."

Over a year ago and he wouldn't have been able to say that. He loves her, he's always loved her. It comes as easy as flying. Yet like this feeling that's bloomed within his chest, it has not always come easy to him. It is the woman in his arms who taught him both.

There's no saying he won't be hurt still. That something won't happen to Cynthia. Death will always have its due.

But he won't hide in the shadows anymore.

"And whatever comes, I will face it at your side. Be it our past or my demons or any challenge that awaits us."

Carefully, he moves her fingers so that they open the box together. It pops open before their eyes to reveal a gold ring inlaid with simple gems. One of the rings she had pointed out on their numerous shopping trips.