#sethrika

He was her knight.

Nothing more.

He was the general of the Knights of Renais. He vowed to protect the kingdom, swore unwavering loyalty to the late king of Renais, and assisted the young royals in taking back the throne. Now it was the time to decide who would sit on it, and he trusted that the twins would make the best decision for the future of the kingdom.

Ephraim, despite being the Crown Prince of Renais, longed for the life of a mercenary, full of adventure and new places and faces everyday. It would be hard for him to settle down, but despite his audacious and a tad reckless nature, he took his responsibilities seriously and would become a fine king if so required.

Now Eirika, she was dutiful and kindhearted. Some would mistake her as unfit to rule due to her gentle nature, but Seth knew that being an agressive ruler seldom wins the favor of the people or the neighbouring nations.

The Princess could handle herself just fine, be it in court or in the battlefield. She would often sneak out to the training fields to meet her twin brother and practice swordplay in secret. Seth knew about this, of course, for he helped both in training and in covering for her absence in class.

Ephraim himself would poke fun at her during their sparrings and tell her how unbecoming of a lady it was to hang out with two men unattanded, let alone learn how to wield a sword, which in turn would get her angry and fuel her energy for another round just as the mischievous twin hoped. She was not as skilled as him, but she made up for it with diligence and an unbreakable spirit that inspired those who would listen to her.

Ideally, Seth hoped that they would rule in coregency. Each one of them could step in where the other faltered, and their joined strengths could bring prosperity and development like Renais has never seen.

Of course, that would make things harder in the future once the question of heirs to the throne arose. And heirs meant royal weddings. Spouses. Would they do an arranged marriage, perhaps to the royal siblings of Frelia to strengthen their kingdoms' alliance? Would they marry for love? If so, to whom?

He arrived to his quarters after the long day, leaning his head against the door and closing his eyes, a sigh he didn't know he was holding escaping his lips. Despite the lengthy negotiations, peace was not granted and so he had to coordinate the mobilization of many units, make tactical plans and attend some meetings, and train a few squads. He also made sure to take the time to walk his horse, but these tasks made it impossible to check on his lady.

His lady…

He remembered that she would often complain that knowing how to sew or dance was not useful, but knowing how to sew turned out to be useful as she stitched Seth's grave wounds after they fled the castle. Gentle, soft hands grazing his skin, burning trails of pain and pleasure in their passage.

It was wrong to think of that moment in such light. He owed her his life. He was her knight. He was hers, but she was not his.

A princess and her knight, everyone heard a fairytale as such. A small part of him hoped that their time together before retaking Renais made an impression on her, but why would she choose a peasant like him when she could take any royal blooded noble as a husband?

His hand went for his coat pocket, gently grabbing a handkerchief and bringing it to his face. It still smelled like her, and he sunk down to the floor in shame. How unbefitting of him to still be holding onto such a personal object of hers like some… some pervert! Yet he still held it to his nose with his eyes closed, his fingers carefully feeling the texture of the soft cloth as if it were her skin, breathing in her fading scent, shivers running through his body as he felt his pants tighten.

A knock on the door brought him back to reality and he jumped back to his feet, the object in his hand diving right back in the coat pocket. He blinked, inhaled and moved to the door, opening just enough to cover for his shameless state.

"G-general Seth, sir!" A nervous recruit stammered. "You have been summoned, sir! The Prince and the Princess have made their decision, sir!"

"… I'll be on my way, thank you!"

He closed the door again. It was finally done. After so many weeks, they finally reached an agreement. An agreement that would bring a new beginning to the nation. An agreement that would bring an end to his improper infatuation. And he would finally, finally return the handkerchief she so gently lent him to use on his wound. And she would think him so noble not to dirty it, and the many, many times he relieved himself holding it to his face would be a secret he would take to his grave.

It was almost over now, and his heart burned as he waited to be in a proper condition to meet the future King or Queen of Renais.

.