Fire Emblem : Alchemical Spectre

Chapter 2: The Flaming Bride

Celica lay on her bed, reminiscing the last night she spent with her beloved friend.
Where are you? It has been eight years... you still remember me don't you? You'll still fulfill your promise right?

Even though it has been so long since she had contact with Karna, Celica didn't doubt even a single time that her friend will come... to save her...

She rolled sideways, now facing the huge glass window adored with the purest kind of silk curtains. Her face submerges deeper in the soft pillow. She can see the never ending blizzard of the snow lands of Illia, so harsh and fierce, like how life writes for her. Yet people have endured this storm for thousands of years, they strive and live, they learn a way to survive it. But Celica still haven't found the answer how she is going to live like this. She curled her body in a ball, arms embracing her knees, where she buries her face.

Feelings started to form in her gut...Fear...Loneliness...Sadness...What if he didn't remember me already... what if he's already engage also to someone... what if... her thoughts now recalled to what her mother said. 'Celica stop acting like a child, this isn't a fairy tale. No knight in shining armor will come here to save you. He probably doesn't remember your childish vows anymore. Stop now Celica you'll only hurt yourself more. Besides you have Michalis. Strong, brave and handsome doesn't he qualify to you young lady? Many princesses hold a grudge against you since you're the one he chose among his many admirers.'

Celica didn't know when she started to cry until she felt her eyes burn and light liquid pouring down slowly on her cheeks. Her mind replayed her mother's words again, which even tangled her heart in a tight knot. 'How can mother just say that to me? She didn't even considered or ever ask how I felt', she never gets tired of asking herself with this question, 'Why?' Her pillow now damp with tears. 'And Michalis he's a gentleman, proper prince with proper attitude and discipline', Celica had no doubt he'll be a good king. The second prince of Nohr has always tried to get her heart and affection. He always tried to talk with her, and showed that he cared for her, yet Celica always didn't care how much effort the gentleman would bring and poured to her. They were already engaged since before Celica even knew what love is. For her there's no point of courting since there marriage was already contracted. She was forced into this stupid royal tradition. She did her best to keep the prince away. She remembered when there castle hosted a dinner with royals and Michalis ask her for a dance but Celica publicly declined the offer, which earned a murmur of surprise and furious stares from other princesses. She wondered why the gentleman still insists of staying with her. 'Maybe he really does love me', her mother's words echoed now, 'How could you feel his love for you darling if you're mind is always close to everyone except for that boy of the plains. Michalis has always tried to take a move to bring you two a step forward but the thing is you always decline everything he does. You always forced yourself to despise him. Celica you need to move on. Trust me the prince of Nohr really cares for you. Give him a chance to prove himself'. The princess disbelieved that a moment will come where she will gave anyone a chance to get her sentiment, since it only belongs and will still belong to her only love.

After pondering on those thoughts, her marriage suddenly came to her, only days away. The hairs on her neck stood at remembering that. She tried to burn the picture of what would happen on that date and after, but the frightening thoughts get the best of her mind. She should have accepted this already since she knows she's a royal, yet she can't... 'I'm going to be married to someone I don't love and I'm going to be forced to have kids for an heir'. She abruptly slaps her face with both hands hardly, 'Stop Celica you're just panicking too much, don't let fear consume you' ...but still, those things kept her heart torn, especially she loves someone else dearly.

To drive her attention to something else, she now grabs the piece of paper that lay atop a table in the edge of her bed, a draft in her last letter to Karna she sent three days ago. It became a habit of her to reread every letter she has written, pondering how her friend would react to her words, and imagining what would be his reply afterwards. After all, Celica was trapped in her own fairy tale, imagining those kinds of thing was all she could do to lessen the sorrow that was stitch in her. She now opens the fold to fully see what was written.