Final Fantasy XVI - Thunder's Torrents

Ch. 36 - He Serves His Princess

They sat there by the lookout for a long time, long enough for night to fall and the lively chatter to gradually give way to a not unpleasant silence in which the Rosarian comrades took turns keeping watch over Auldhyl while otherwise staring into the fire, its red and orange flames dancing around mesmerizingly.

Erie's eyes wore heavy from the long journey. She was in danger of dozing off. So she stood up, away from the cozy warmth of the fire, stepping out of its glow, off to the side of the cliff from where Wade watched Audlhyl. He sat with one leg bent, his arm resting on it, on a large stone in the shadow of the mountains above them, the light of the fire barely reaching this corner.

"Hey," Erie said softly, for in the vast silence of the night, broken only by the occasional crack of firewood, every sound of voice seemed to amplify.

Wade turned his eyes away from the small harbor town when he heard her voice, greeting her with a gentle smile before returning to his task. He'd always been a dutiful man. So, Erie stood beside him, hands clasped at her back. The cold air now surrounding her revived her spirits, while the gentle breeze, blowing coldly in her face, caused her to shiver.

"I never thought, back then, our lives would be like this," Wade finally broke the silence, his gaze still fixed on Auldhyl, "you were destined to be a princess, and I, a shield of Rosaria. Unbelievable what one person can do to the lives of so many. What we had to endure because of Anabella Lesage." His jaw tightened noticeably, and Erie understood he carried at least as much grief as she was.

"I know," she replied, "the day I found out about her betrayal, I swore to avenge Rosaria and bring Anabella to justice. I don't care if she was our duchess. She must atone for her actions, and I see death as a fitting punishment."

Wade didn't comment on Erie's declaration, merely making a sound of recognition. For a moment, the silence of the Rosarian landscape spread between them once more before he spoke again: "I thought you were dead."

A sad expression flitted across his face as he looked at her for just a few seconds. "I mean, I'm glad you've been safe all these years, in Stonhyrr. But I would have happily given my life for you. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you from what happened. My greatest regret in life is to have failed the Duchy."

Erie gave a sad sigh before taking a step closer to him to place her hand on his shoulder in a comforting gesture. "There's nothing you could have done about it, Wade. I'm grateful you're still alive, I really am. We carry so much remorse and vengeance with us, it drives us, but must not consume us. I myself do my best to try and look forward."

She remembered her conversation with Gav in Lostwing, when she had lost herself in her words of hatred. Those feelings still simmered inside her, so she tried as hard as she could to keep a clear head, to focus on the goal. She'd been embarrassed ever since poor Gav had seen her so consumed with anger, selfishly undermining him and his concerns. Not even in front of Cid did she ever lose her temper so irrationally, apart from her outburst after finding out about the crystal's curse.

She knew people were still watching her, a fallen princess, and she also knew she had to keep up the appearance of just that, so they wouldn't worry about her, so no one would know how much grief and anger still lingered within her, even a decade later. She had passed her test to become a scout, conquered the day after the Night of Flames. Yet the death of her father and her homeland still weighed heavily on her, that hatred she couldn't imagine would ever dry up without Anabella getting her just punishment.

"You've always been much more graceful than me," Wade commented through a dry, soft laugh, his hand resting on hers.

"You were never meant to be graceful," Erie replied, chuckling as well. An idea crossed her mind. Before she could think about it too long, she said, "Wade? Can I ask you a question you won't laugh at me for?"