Bacorium Legacy (96 page)

They continued their unhurried walk back to the palace, and didn't say anything for a while. Only a few rays of orange still peaked over the horizon, and long shadows reached from every building. Emila did not let go of his arm the entire way.

And then, she closed her eyes and put her head on his shoulder.

“I'm happy.”

Nothing more needed said.

<> <> <>

With things finally having died down in the aftermath of the battle, Zaow declared that it would be a night of celebration. And so it was. Luca and Emila returned to the palace, and they heard music before they even entered the dining hall.

The music greeted them as they entered, being played on flutes and harps and drums. The four long tables were lavish with plates of thick meat and fine dishes, and goblets of wine and ale. The lights were off, and many candles provided soft illumination. The King sat at the head of the middle table, drinking deeply of his wine. To his side, his son Trist sat beside the stuttering lord Balzac, who whispered something in the prince's ear, earning a strong laugh.

Luca quickly spotted their companions, seated at their own table, and he and Emila rushed over to join them.

“About time you two got here!” Brand exclaimed. He got up, gave Emila a big hug, and gave Luca a strong clasp on his shoulder. “I was starting to think you two were just going to slip off and have a private celebration of your own.”

“I think that's for later,” Emila said with a smirk.

“Look at who's coming out of her shell,” Brand laughed.

They all took their seats. Brand sat beside Luca, and Emila took his other side. On the other side sat Selphie, with Jared and her brother. Nearby Ash sat with a full plate in front of him, and Wiosna sat on her own at the far end. Everyone looked to be in good spirits - even Ash had cracked a smile at Brand's joviality.

After a moment, Selphie addressed Luca, “I feel we didn't part on very good terms.”

Luca waved his hand. “Water under the bridge.”

“Still, I feel I need to apologise,” Selphie said. “I said some things I found myself regretting...”

“We both did,” Luca said. “What I said about you and your father at the Elder Hall - it was wrong of me to do. At the time I felt going to war was the right decision. I do not regret that. But I didn't need to call you both liars. So I'm sorry for that.”

Selphie smiled. “I accept your apology.”

Jared then said, “You've changed, Luca. When I first met you, you were angry and eager to battle. You've grown since then.”

“I suppose I have...”

Jared held up his drink. “You saved this city, which is so dear to me. And you saved the lives of everyone here. I'll be in your debt forever.” He drank.

Luca and Emila exchanged a quick glance. They were both thinking the same thing. Everyone thought that the revenants had vanished when he defeated Zinoro. Luca was not the sole hero of the battle, but the people of T'Saw were treating him as such, because that's what they believed he was.

At Emila's request, he had not told the others that Eva had created the revenants, and that she had been the one to undo them. She did not want her little sister to be held with that responsibility. Luca had agreed without complaint. It made him uncomfortable to be taking credit for something he did not do, but the alternative would be to force the blame of so many people's deaths onto a fifteen year-old girl.

It was ironic, Luca realised. His father had declined to take credit for something he had done, for the sake of someone close to him. Now, Luca was doing the opposite, but for the same reason.

He looked down at the food in front of him, and felt his stomach rumble. It was a celebration, he decided. It was the time to set aside those kind of thoughts and just be glad that everything had worked out alright.

As Luca ate, the others engaged in casual conversation. Selphie spoke about the plans to rebuild T'Saw, and her efforts to assist the people of the city. Her brother merely frowned and said nothing on this.

“Eva still isn't here?” Emila asked.

Brand frowned, and said, “She actually stopped by before you arrived. She grabbed two plates off the table and took off before anyone could ask her anything.”

“Oh,” Emila said, looking disappointed. “I see...”

“I think we all know who that other plate is for,” Luca muttered. “Perhaps it was a mistake to let her see him.”

“I'll talk to her,” Emila said. “But she's free to make her own decisions. She has known him for the past two years. I may hate him, but I won't stop her from seeing him.”

“Are you sure about that?” Luca asked her.

She nodded.

Across the table, Ash finished his plate and wiped his face with his napkin. Then, he said to Luca, “Brother.”

“Yes?”

“I don't feel that you made the right decision,” Ash said to him. “I think you should have killed him. However - I understand why you did so.”

Luca nodded slowly.

“We may not see eye-to-eye on everything, but I want you to know that I do respect you.” Ash held out his hand. “I always have.”

Luca smiled, and reached across the table, shaking his hand. “Likewise.”

Ash returned a half-smile. “Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be retiring early. I have training at sunrise.”

Ash rose, but before he started off, he cast one last glance at the two at his side. Jared whispered something in Selphie's ear, and she stifled a laugh. They didn't even seem to notice him.

He frowned, and left.

Luca turned to Brand. “What did he mean by training?”

Brand finished chewing what was in his mouth, then said, “He joined the guard force. The archers that he commanded in the battle spoke highly of him. And as you know, there's a lot of open positions.”

Luca frowned. “Indeed. Well, I suppose he can do as he wishes.”

Brand shrugged.

“What about you?” Luca asked him. “Are you going to go and join something?”

Brand chuckled. “No way. Not my style. Especially not the guard force. I had enough of that in the few minutes I was in charge during the battle.”

“I heard about that.” Luca glanced over at Wiosna, who quietly ate by herself. “How has she been since then?”

“The healers patched her up fine,” Brand said. “She blacked out while she was fighting. According to the others, it sounded like - that.”

“I see,” Luca said, his voice a bit quiet. “I really don't know what we should do about that. We can't just ignore it.”

“Until we know more about it, I don't think there's anything we can do,” Brand said. He then sighed, and said, “The blackout isn't what she's been miserable about. She has feelings for you, Luca.”

“I know,” he said sadly. “I've known for a while.”

Emila was looking at him now. He returned her gaze, and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

“This as well, I have no idea what to do about,” Luca said. “Perhaps her heart will change, or we could find her someone else...”

“If only it was that easy,” Brand said. “The world would be a much simpler place if we could just turn off those kind of feelings, or just turn them to someone else.” There was something in his voice that made Luca think he understood this problem well.

“In another world, perhaps I could have made her happy,” Luca said. “But there's only one person I belong to.”

Emila smiled.

The room was then filled with the sound of a spoon tapping against a glass. The chatter died down, and the sound of the band faded. The many nobles and lords in the hall turned their attention to the king, who rose from his seat at the head of the centre table.

“T'Saw survived this attack,” King Zaow said. “The first battle fought within our own walls. We very nearly fell, and we likely would have, were it not for one man. You all know him, because yesterday I made him the first knight Sono has had in fifty years.”

All eyes in the room then turned to Luca.

“The man who attacked our city, with an army of unnatural soldiers, now sits within our dungeon,” Zaow continued. “And it is thanks to Luca.”

Applause filled the room.

As it died down, Zaow said, “For some time, I have known the battle with the Acarians was coming. I put it off, fearing the devastation it would bring on our people. There was even a point where I would have bargained with Zinoro, and I even considered sending Luca to him in binds, for the promise that he would not bring war to us. I was a fool for thinking that would have saved us. In truth, I would have sacrificed the one person capable of saving us. Thankfully, my dear daughter saw the error of my ways.”

The crowd was silent, waiting for his next words.

“I have ruled over Sono for forty-five years,” Zaow said. “Nearly half a century. In that time I have had to make many hard decisions to protect this kingdom and its people. Some were the right choices - others I came to regret. But in all that time I never came so close to sending Sono to its doom as I did when I nearly sold out this young man to our greatest enemy - Luca, would you please come before me?”

Luca looked to his companions, and they nodded in encouragement. Emila gave him a bright smile. He took a deep breath, and rose.

Everyone in the hall was watching him. Hundreds of eyes. Feeling a bit of nervousness he'd never felt before, Luca made him way over to Zaow, one step at a time.

Finally, he stood before the old king.

“Sir Luca,” Zaow said to him. “Your efforts spared this city, and likely this whole kingdom, from destruction. You are a hero, and your legacy will remain with the people of Sono forever. Your name will be carved beside the names of the heroes of legend. I promise that you, your children, and your children's children, will always be welcome here in T'Saw. All I ask in return is that you find it within yourself to forgive this old fool for what he nearly did.”

They all waited in tense silence.

Finally, Luca got down on one knee, bowing before the king.

“There is nothing to forgive, Your Majesty.”

Zaow cracked a slight smile. “Then rise, knight of Sono. Turn, and face the people you saved.”

He did. As he rose, he reached to his side and drew
Siora
from its sheath. There was a
gasp as he held the sword high in the air. And then, his mana rushed up, and a shining white flame enveloped the blade.
 

“For Sono!” Luca shouted.

The people in the hall echoed his cry, and thunderous applause broke out. It continued for nearly a minute, until the manaflame died and he returned the blade to his side. He looked to his companions, seeing them clapping with proud faces.

And then, he realised one of them was missing from the table.

<> <> <>

“Emila?”

After nearly an hour of searching, he found her, alone at the palace battlements, looking wistfully at the night sky. She turned as he spoke her name, a bit surprised to see him.

“Luca - you didn't have to come looking for me...”

He went over to where she was, leaning against the battlements. From that point, one could see the entire city.

“Why did you leave?” he asked her. A strong wind blew through, and he shivered. “It's freezing up here, and you didn't bring your coat.”

She didn't seem to notice. She returned her gaze to the night sky. There were few clouds, so the moon and stars shone bright.

“I kept a lot of secrets from you, Luca,” she said. “So many things I should have told you - you should have known I was his sister. I knew that was why Trunda came after me, but I didn't tell you. I couldn't bring myself to say it. I didn't want it to be true - I tried so hard to convince myself it wasn't, but I never actually believed that.”

“That's done with,” he said to her. “We've already put this past us...”

“No,” Emila said in a sad voice. “I can't let go of this regret, because I still have one more secret I've kept from you. One more thing about me that you have to know.”

He blinked. What else could there possibly be? “What is it?”

Emila met his gaze, looking like she was about to break down. She took a deep breath, and then she said, “There's something wrong with me - something I've known about myself for years. I - I can't have children, Luca. My body just isn't able to do it. My parents were the only ones who ever knew, because I couldn't tell anyone. No man would ever want to marry someone like me, who could never give him a son...” She was beginning to sob, looking at him like he was about to start screaming at her.

He took her hands. “I don't care about that.”

“R-really?” she said. “But - your legacy...”

“It can die with me,” he said. He then smiled. “Or perhaps it will live on in another way. But I couldn't care in the slightest about something like that.” He cupped her chin, and wiped the tears from her eyes with his thumb. “It may be cruel of me to say this, but I find it a bit amusing that you were so worried about something like that. Don't you know me better by now?”

She didn't say anything for a moment. And then, she suddenly moved towards him, throwing her arms around him and kissing him deeply.

Thrown off guard, Luca fell onto his back. Emila fell with him, not breaking the kiss. He didn't care. He pulled her close, thinking back to the night before the battle. He closed his eyes, and was lost in the feeling of her soft lips against his.

When the kiss was finally broken, Emila sat up, and pulled him into an embrace. She set her head down on his chest, and closed her eyes.

He looked down at her, taking in her soft features. Her dark hair, her light complexion, her heart-shaped face, her soft skin... She was an angel. He wrapped his arm around her waist, and held her closely. He closed his eyes, and some time passed.

Luca felt something cold and wet touch his nose. He opened his eyes, and looked up to see snowflakes falling down from the sky.

“It's snowing...” he muttered.

“I know,” Emila replied with a mischievous smile.

“Is this your doing?”

She didn't answer. She giggled, and shifted a bit closer to him. Her small body was warm, in contrast to the cold air outside.