Final Fantasy XVI - Thunder's Torrents

Ch. 32 - The Ties That Bind

She tied Ember to a statue in front of the large manor to which Rutherford and Byron had sent her, then knocked on a magnificent house with a door knocker for the second time in a few days. Admittedly, she was no longer used to the noble and distinguished, having lived in a cave for quite some time. Nevertheless, her muscles remembered the movements one had to make in the presence of the rich, and the words one had to utter. Who lived in this house, she wondered. Were they wealthy merchants of high rank who, along with Byron, used their resources to keep Rosaria stable? Or were they fugitives who had hidden here to avoid being executed by Anabella should she find out they were still loyal to the duchy?

The door opened just a little. A masked face slid into Erie's field of vision. Brown eyes bore witness to deprivation, fear, skepticism, to everything the supporters of the ducal house must have experienced after the annexation of Rosaria by Sanbreque to now be extremely cautious, to trust no one, to always be on their guard.

"Um, hello," Erie said hesitantly.

"Who are you? What do you want?" the male voice behind the scarf asked harshly.

"I was sent by Byron Rosfield. He told me to stop by here on my way to Eastpool." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "I, too, am loyal to the late Archduke. What Anabella Lesage did must be avenged."

His eyes twinkled briefly, before the door swung open just enough for Erie to slip inside. The house was furnished in a more modern style compared to Byron's rustic tastes, yet less cozy. On the left, a staircase led up to the second floor, a long hallway stretched out before them, and on the right a locked door, probably to the cellar. Various weapons scattered around, and voices could be heard from inside the house, indicating that more than a few people lived here. These voices came closer, and eventually, about a dozen men stood in front of Erie in the long, wide hallway. She felt a flicker of trepidation, which she quickly shook off. Byron had sent her here, so she was safe.

"Who was that?" the man in front asked, stopping a few feet in front of them. He looked incredibly familiar to Erie. His brown hair fell in his face, his bronze-colored eyes looked at her skeptically yet proudly.

Their clothes looked older and well-worn, signs of the honorable and dutiful fight they waged for the ducal house - after all, they wore the colors of that very house. All of them carried weapons, seemingly ready for an attack at any time.

No one said a word, they just looked at each other, until something changed in the gaze of the man in front of her. His skeptically furrowed eyebrows gave way to a surprised expression, his eyes lit up. Mouth agape, he brushed the hair from his face before putting down his weapon - an axe. Yet he didn't just lay it on the ground, he swung it in a circle before leaning it against the wall next to him.

If it hadn't been all the little hints before, then this move was the moment Erie had the same epiphany as him. It was a move she knew all too well, from someone who had been perfectly happy to brag to her about. A trick that was in fact utterly ridiculous. She had always told him one day his weapon would fall out of his hand and split his foot in two. He'd just laughed, done it again and again, just to annoy her.

"You still remember I'm the Lord Commander's daughter, don't you? Show some respect!" she had exclaimed with a laugh.

"Oh, of course. Excuse me, Your Ladyship," he had replied with a grin, bowing ridiculously. Then he'd started to teach Erie his self-invented move, which she still used from time to time.

"Erie?"

"Wade!"

She couldn't help but squeal excitedly. There were no tears this time. Pure happiness flooded her senses as she leapt forward and threw her arms around Wade's neck, who groaned as the air was forced from his lungs. This man had always been one of the most honest and sincere people at Rosalith's court, someone who saw her as a person and not just as Clive's betrothed. He had been the first not to be afraid to train with Erie, never holding back either. When she fell to the ground, he had helped her up, when he fell to the ground, she had helped him up. And over time, the other Shields had thawed too, and her father had accepted that Erie had sneaked her way into their ranks.