#gwenlili

[merryfortune]

a rarity we are stronger for

Written for the Ladies Bingo on Dreamwidth

Prompt: Feudal Ties/Master and Servant

Title: a rarity we are stronger for

Ship: Gwendolyn/Lilina

Fandom: Fire Emblem The Binding Blade

Rating: T

Word Count: 2,527

Warnings: None

Tags: Past/Referenced Character Death, Fluff and Angst, First Meetings, Crushes, Confessions, Requited Love, Kissing, Pet Names, War

   Their first meeting had been fleeting.

   Gwendolyn had been a fresh faced recruit, hadn’t even been on the job for a day yet and was being shown around the castle and its sprawling grounds by her brother when there was an official orientation in the evening. The assembly was to welcome in the new apprentices and set expectations. Marquess Hector had spoken with a gallant, booming voice that left Gwendoyln quaking, speechless, to this day. He was very good at rallying the troops and Gwendolyn was filled with a naive fervour to do her best.

   A fervour that turned to unadulterated chivalry when she saw Lilina. Gwendolyn’s heart skipped a beat.

   Gosh, what a young lady. She moved delicately and gracefully, her poise was elegant and her manner of speech adorable. She seemed very green and yet it was that inexperience that conveyed so much heart, she immediately charmed all in the knighthood. She was their sweetheart whom they would live to serve and protect.

   Gwendolyn felt that way too.

   Thus, she made a fool of herself straight to Lady Lilina’s face when after the assembly ended and there was mingling. Bors, ever a smothering and embarrassing excuse of a man and older brother, chauffeured Gwendolyn straight to the beginning of the line to introduce her to Lady Lilina. 

   Lady Lilina was paying her dues to nobles and commoners alike in her family’s service, thanking them personally for their hard work. Her smile was optimistic and genuine. 

   Upon seeing such a pure-hearted expression of happiness so close, Gwendolyn felt weak in the knees and the flutter of butterflies in her stomach. She didn’t know why but if she had to guess, perhaps the apple didn't fall far from the tree and she was more of a chip off the old block than she would like to admit when it came to being like the men in her family. It seemed a curse for her bloodline to flounder in social situations. From what she could recall of her father, he too had a well-meaning but awkward demeanour that Bors had modelled off. Now her, too, apparently.

   “Hello, it’s rare to see a young woman in the force.” Lady Lilina politely commented. “I’m sure you will do excellent work.”

   “Th-Thank you, La-Lady Lilian.” Gwendolyn replied, stammering through her words only to go red when she realised. Oh no, oh no. Her eyes went wide and she corrected herself hastily, “I mean, Lady Lilina.”

   Lady Lilina laughed graciously, “It’s okay, I’m not offended. Accidents happen.” Lady Lilina assured Gwendolyn.

   Still, Gwendolyn was embarrassed by the faux pas. Her lips twisted and as did her stomach. Bors tapped her on the shoulder, encouraging her wordlessly to at least complete the ritual of introductions with some semblance of salvaging it from its wrinkle.

   “Er, thank you, Lady Lilina. I, Gwendolyn, shall do my best.” Gwendolyn said and she puffed out her chest and tilted her chin out to have pride, she put her hand to her breast balled in a fist with her elbow poked out.

   “I will remember you, Gwendolyn, you are a rarity we will be stronger for, I have no doubt.” Lady Lilina told her.

   Gwendolyn couldn’t believe her ears - either then, at the time, or hours later when she mulled the interaction over in her head, trying to sleep in the apprentice dorms. Or even several years later when much would change, a campaign would erupt and one which would have Lady Lilina at the helm, allied with Prince Roy of Elibe. A cause that Gwendolyn, herself, would take up without hesitation as she loved her country of Ostia… and her lady as well.

   When she learned the news of the hostile takeover had resulted in not only the murder of Marquess Hector but Lady Lilina’s imprisonment, Gwendolyn felt every emotion under the sun. She was devastated. Hector was a good man and she had no doubt in her mind, he would have been killed where he stood, defending his family, his country, and on his values but poor Lady Lilina.

   That frightened Gwendolyn to her core out of pity out of compassion to Lady Lilina…  

   To lose her father, her only parent, in such a ghastly way and then made a prisoner in her own home, Gwendolyn was racked by guilt. She could relate, her parents had been killed, too, during a violent incident and that was what inspired both her and Bors to take up against this senselessness. Still, Gwendolyn should have been there to stop this madness but as a member of Prince Roy’s ranks, there was still time to rescue Lady Lilina.

   So, Gwendolyn fought gallantly and was a part of the team who freed Lady Lilina from her unjust bondage. Afterwards, Gwendolyn would join permanently as a member of this roster in this campaign against Bern. A decision that Gwendolyn made with a clear mind yet became a fraught journey.

   One that brought her closer than she had ever been with La- er, no, just Lilina. They were friends now, after all. Despite Gwendolyn’s reservations.

   During her stint of service thus far at the Ostia Castle, beyond that one little meeting during orientation, Gwendolyn had hardly encountered Lady Lilina. Their schedules were so haphazard and incompatible. Gwendolyn ate in the mess hall, Lady Lilina broke fast in the dining room. Gwendolyn battered training dummies with a spear underneath an open sky and Lady Lilina cast spells in a fireproof room deep within the castle. So, they hardly glimpsed one another but now…

   They were back to back on the frontlines every other day. Lady Lilina relied on her armoured knights to defend her from melee weapons and they relied on her to pick off those who were low in resistance yet carrying weapons that trumped their weapon triangle. It was all very important things that got the heart racing and blood pumping, bonding them like none other.

   In the quiet, in the camps or various settlements they visited, Gwendolyn and Lilina enjoyed each other’s company with Lilina even specifically seeking Gwendolyn out for “girl time”. It was all very out of the blue and out of station, also.

   At first, it made Gwendolyn uncomfortable. There was a wide chasm of difference between them and they had a mandate of respect, distance to keep yet Lilina didn’t care. She saw Gwendolyn beyond the boxes she had put them both inside of. They were noble and commoner, mage and knight, they didn’t have much in common - seemingly - beyond both being young girls well out of depth in war. But they made it work and that’s when Gwendolyn realised.

   During that fateful moment, when she was even younger and greener as a knight, when Lady Lilina and her Father welcomed all the apprentices into their fold, it wasn’t just gravitas that caused Gwendolyn to spiral. It was something else. A crush, a love at first sight.

   She couldn’t be rid of the image of Lilina’s glittering blue eyes and the soft, bouncy waves of her sapphire-hued hair, her charming laughter and her impeccable manners. Lilina was the epitome of femininity and Gwendolyn would never be like that but she didn’t need to be like that because she was content being attracted to it.

   The reason there was no boy to speak of, to gossip about, was because Gwendolyn’s affections were unto Lilina instead of the opposite gender. 

   The revelation put much into perspective for Gwendolyn. Her grit and her determination for her country and her lady was so much more personal than being a knight protecting an ideal and a birthright. She needed to be there for Lilina because she loved her dearly.

   Though where to after that… Gwendolyn did not know. The future was full of many unknowns but when she looked towards, Gwendolyn felt her desires solidify.

   For herself, she wanted to let herself dream big and beyond her humble origins as a country kid. She wanted to lead a squad of armour knights as captain. The mentorship from her brother and from Ogier were priceless to her. The experiences she was having in these battlefields would prove invaluable, she was sure. 

   But in the bigger picture, possibly the biggest picture, Gwendolyn wanted to see Lady Lilina grow into her fullest potential as a leader of a country. She wanted peace and prosperity for Ostia, in whatever form it took.

   Moreover, she wanted to remain by Lilina’s side, as a soldier she could trust. That was her ultimate dream. Maybe even as something more to Lilina as a mere knight. if Gwendolyn could dare to take inspiration from Lilina’s friendly disposition and cross those boundaries that seemed more self-imposed than societally. 

   With so much on the horizon, that future once obscured was quickly coming closer, Gwendolyn knew deep in her heart that she had to let Lilina know her feelings. So, she chose the night after their confrontation with Brunnya to express all which she had been thinking and feeling.

   Perhaps that was unwise but Gwendolyn refused to be daunted by the final battles drawing in. She knew deep inside that she needed this off her chest lest it become a distraction rather than a reserve to draw power from. 

   The night afterwards was calm, all things considered. They hadn’t taken any casualties or severe injuries but the mood was serious. The skies above were clear and moonless, shining with thousands of stars instead. The fields and forests were quiet, not even a cricket chirped out on the outskirts of the war Dragon’s last stronghold, home to a temple and a special chamber for Idunn - according to scout reports, anyway.

   Lilina must have known that something was up with Gwendolyn because just like how she had made the first move to becoming friends, she suggested they enjoy the night together whilst everyone else went to sleep in their tents and cots. How typical of that girl, really. So, they sat together outside their own camp and made light conversation.

   “Ah, I think I saw a bat.” Lilina said and she pointed the direction of where she meant.

   “I’m… not really interested in bats.” Gwendolyn said. Politely pretending she had seen it as she hadn’t, it was pretty patchy out here to make heads or tails of anything in the dark.

   “I see.” Lilina said. “Then what are you interested in? Did you want to chat about something? You’ve seemed fidgety all day, even at dinner.”

   “Have I?” Gwendolyn asked and she laughed at herself. 

   Even now, out of a nervous habit she didn’t even know she had, Gwendolyn twiddled her thumbs. They wrestled each other, her other fingers interlinked as she looked thoughtful out towards the horizon. She took in the trees, the feeling of the wind and the smell of the dirt. It was all so precious and earthy.

   Especially next to her bestest friend in the world.

   Once upon a time, Gwendolyn would have hesitated to even mentally crown Lilina with such a self-indulgent title but it was true. They understood one another in a way that the others in the army were not privy to her. They shared food and secrets, opinions and stories. Most of it was silly but not always, sometimes they spoke of their loss to one another, too. They understood each other with wordless intimacy in that regard.

   Now was not one of those times, so Gwendolyn took a breath.

   “Lady Lilina, where do you see yourself after the war?” Gwendolyn asked.

   “In my rightful place as duchess, of course.” Lilina replied. 

   She didn’t comment on Gwendolyn’s use of the honorific. Good. That meant she had intuitively felt the seriousness that Gwendolyn wished to convey as she opened up more of her heart to her lady.

   “I will lead our people to a new age of peace and wealth, I will become a leader in my own right and leave behind a heartfelt legacy as a wise protector.” Lilina continued, concocting a bright future that Gwendolyn hoped to see come to fruition. 

   “Where do you see me?” Gwendolyn asked, her heart thumped in her chest. Her palms sweated. “By your side or out of sight?”

   “By my side, naturally! Where else?” Lilina indignantly replied.

   Gwendolyn’s lips twitched, “With a husband.” she said.

   She got up and Lilina watched, a little dumbfounded. She sat prim and proper on a stool, knees together, hands in her lap. Gwendolyn came down to her knee in front of Lilina and removed her left hand from her lap. She blinked, taken aback and yet flattered in her expression, her cerulean eyes illuminated by the starlight as Gwendolyn met her gaze with a confident countenance.

   “My lady, I am in love with you. I love you more than our stations should imply, you are more than the symbol of the nation, you are my peer… My friend. I enjoy your company and do not want to leave your side. Will you accept me as your one and only partner? Your guardian?” Gwendolyn asked.

   “O-Oh, my…” Lilina gasped.

   With her right hand, she reared it back to cover her mouth and most of her face. Yet her wide-eyed expression could not be hidden, nor could the blush. Gwendolyn held her steady and held onto hope as Lilina absorbed what she had said, her intentions and her affections.

   Only to smile, to demurely place her hand down and over Gwendolyn’s. She leaned in and kissed Gwendolyn’s knuckles through the arrangement of her own. Her lips were soft and warm, stoking Gwendolyn’s deepest desires and allowing them to swirl with pleasant disbelief.

   “I would be honoured to have you as my most loyal knight, Wendy.” Lilina whispered lovingly.

   Gwendolyn felt her ears reddened and her eyes flicker. Wendy? Did she hear Lilian right?

   Lilina giggled, “Are pet names not your thing?” she asked, unsure. “It’s just, ever since we first met, all those years ago, I wondered, what it would be like to have a female friend I could call by a nickname and it was all because you mistakenly called me Lilian in your nervousness. That’s what made me curious.”

   Gwendolyn felt her heart jump to her throat. Lilina had genuinely meant it, what she said that day, that she would remember her. That wasn’t an empty platitude that happened to be fulfilled as they were thrown together by the twist of fate that was war.

   She smiled, “No, go ahead, c-call me whatever you want, my lady.” Gwendolyn gave her her blessing. 

   “Then call me, Lilina! Or Lili, I suppose.” Lilina pouted.

   “Or,” Gwendolyn readied a suggestion, seduction on the tip of her tongue as she leaned in, “I could call you my love.” She sealed her flirtation with a kiss.

   Lilina melted into it and kissed back. She caressed Gwendolyn with her right hand, she cupped Gwendolyn’s ear and kissed back, her fingers carding through the short strands of Gwendolynn’s hair. The kiss itself was passionate. Fiery. Yet a commitment.

   For their bright and glorious future they wanted to share, they had to seize it. Tomorrow. When they breached the final forces of Bern.