[Fire Emblem 11] On Barbarism

[runiclore]

Title: On Barbarism
Author: Amber Michelle
Challenge: #004: temper
Game: 11: Shadow Dragon / 3: Mystery of the Emblem
Word Count: 1284
Pairings/Characters: Minerva, Michalis
Warnings: this is a first draft! (Yes, again. Maybe we should just assume from now on.)

Notes: Okay, so-- this is an excerpt of a longer story, which I'm pretty sure I won't finish in time for the deadline. It's over five thousand words anyway, and still going, so instead I'm giving you a scene relevant to the prompt. I tried so hard, but... but. ;_;

Same complaints as usual apply.



.................................................................


"How do you define barbarism?" came her brother's voice from behind. "I wonder."

The question sent a thrill from the core Minerva's chest to her empty stomach. She hadn't heard the library door open or latch again, and without his cape there was no telltale hiss of dragonhide or silk to catch her attention. "Uncivilized," Minerva said, placing a leather marker between the pages of The Twelve Paragons and turning in her chair. "The absence of modern systems such as fiefdom, slavery, coinage, agriculture."

"You do a passable imitation of a textbook," Michalis said, unbuttoning his blue coat, shedding it over the back of his usual chair, the round one that appeared all one piece. The silver chasing on his cuffs and collar gleamed in the light from the window. Dust motes danced in each shaft of light as he passed through them. "Do you know what any of that means?"

"Of course I do." She pulled her legs up and sat on them, the chair hard against her shins. Pine and ambergris teased her nose when he passed by. "Who keeps pressing me into this chair to listen to lectures on kingship? Leon talked at me for three entire hours about the irrigation channels up north and how many barbarians we have to kill to keep them in one piece."

"That word again." Her brother turned his back to her, pushing both hands into his hair. It fell long and heavy and silky to the point just between his shoulder-blades, the auburn especially bright against his black shirt. "You're like a parrot."

Minerva's lips tightened in an attempt not to frown. "You're obnoxious today." Parrot? Of course, asking would mean being told to look it up.

Michalis spared her a short glance over the high ruffle of his shirt, pausing by the window and leaning slightly, pushing it open with a screech that had Minerva grinding her teeth together and hunching behind the hardwood back of her chair. A million wings flapped and fluttered outside. Black shapes streaked past the slim rectangle of glass she could see past the bookcase, their caw caw cawcaws drowning out the scrape of the other window panel across the casement. "It's a talking bird from a mysterious land across the ocean, apparently, possessed of feathers of improbable colors like green, turquoise, azure, yellow," he said, turning back to her with a flourish, "and it followed some shipwreck here from abroad before settling on a nameless island far to the south of Talys. Or-- so our guest from Pales would have me believe."

"Oh." Minerva watched his eyes glitter across the room. "So that's why you're being such an ass."

He laughed, his mouth stretching wide in imitation of a real smile, and leaned against the corner of the bookcase. "His Excellency the Earl of Mora in Leafcandy - Phillip, to be precise - would like to express his regret that he was not introduced to the eminent lady of the realm-- that would be you, I think, though his visions of what being a 'lady' here entails are a bit optimistic. I suppose Maria was too young for him." Minerva tried not to wince, but Michalis must have seen the twitch and curl of her lip because he chuckled in a way that made her want to shrug and press her back to something solid. "Father wouldn't let me punch him where it hurt."

"He should have," she muttered. "Why aren't you yelling at him then? That idiot doesn't have anything to do with me."

"Oh, there was talk about marriage-- and dukes, and the relative worth of Macedonian royalty compared to an Archanean duchy. They're apparently of the same calibre." Michalis crossed the room - it was only ten steps from the window to the table, hardly a library at all - and he braced his hands on the back of her chair. It creaked under his weight. His shadow engulfed her. "And you let me take care of it all myself, little traitor."

"Father told me to study!" Minerva slammed her book closed and got up so he couldn't loom over her. He wasn't that much taller, maybe a finger or two, and that was only because he was so many years older. "Besides, I don't want to see what's-his-name from Leafcandy--"

"I don't want to meet with the vermin either." He shoved the chair in, but only, it seemed, so he could lean back against it and cross his arms, and look mad. He heaved a loud, sharp sigh, yet didn't relax. "I hope he's ambushed on the road and the crows eat his corpse."

Minerva stared down at her coat, adjusted the folds of its skirt. Her toes twinged, still pinched by a new pair of boots - black like her brother's, shined, carefully stitched with gold and red. "So he's gone now?"

"Phillip of Mora? No, I'm afraid father will have to speak with him personally. I don't have the authority to sign anything."

"But--" She looked up, bit her lip at the way his eyes seemed fixed on the opposite wall, as if he was waiting for the door to open and reveal their father. Even more unlucky an arrival would be Maria. She always flinched when Michalis yelled. "Well, he did say Archanea wanted some kind of trade agreement - using wyverns to cross the shoals instead of making detours, right? Why on earth wasn't he there?"

Michalis shifted his eyes to her, his face turning slightly. "Perhaps he wants to appear more important by making the man wait."

"Michalis, that's-- don't say that."

"'Adhere to Truth, though it bring misfortune to the individual,'" he quoted.

"'Never disparage the person or character of the monarch,'" she said, a hand on her hip.

"What of the monarch's son and heir?"

"What about his daughter?"

"Well, I don't know about that-- apparently women aren't fit to hold a crown, much less a spear or an axe." Michalis gave up on his staring contest with the door and turned his head fully to look at her, his hair swaying and sliding over his shoulder. "In a civilized nation, that is."

She knew where this was going. Minerva had heard the rant before - that Archanea's claim to civilizing the entire world was a lie. There were history books, and letters, though none of them were in Macedon's vaults. They weren't a nation of scholars or lords, or even knights. She'd heard Princess Nyna had never opened a book like The Twelve Paragons of Kingship, but Minerva knew it back to front, and she would learn many more, even if she never held the throne. When Michalis was king, she would be beside him, and if he ever flew off to battle, she would be up there with him. "He'll have to accustom himself to an exception. And if they want to be rid of those raiders off the coast--"

"Silly little Minerva." She glared, and Michalis smiled, leaned toward her, as if he meant to tell her a secret. "We are the barbarians. Remember?"

Minerva made sure her mouth was set in as thin a line as possible. "No, we're not."

He lifted a finger to his lips, as if to shush her. "What is barbarism?" Michalis straightened slightly. "What makes a barbarian?"

Minerva tried not to shift on her feet, and wished she knew what he wanted - how to answer.


*

Comments

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

All right!

Even if this kind of runs against the idea that idea Michalis and Minerva were extremely close in an affectionate way before he, uh, killed their father, I really like this one. The details were vivid without being overwhelming, and the characterization worked. Loved the part about parrots, too. Also The Twelve Paragons.

the relative worth of Macedonian royalty compared to an Archanean duchy. They're apparently of the same calibre

Yeah, this makes so much sense. I make pretty much the same point in "Another Piece of Blue" except that it's Talys being denigrated (again). Given that Archanea had (alleged) full control of the continent only a few generations before, the existence of these upstart kingdoms would be such a burr in the coats of the old-line nobility.

"Well, I don't know about that-- apparently women aren't fit to hold a crown, much less a spear or an axe." Michalis gave up on his staring contest with the door and turned his head fully to look at her, his hair swaying and sliding over his shoulder. "In a civilized nation, that is."

Well, there is Midia... but of course he's engaging in a bit of hyperbole here. Aurelis strikes me as a likely candidate for being the most chauvinist of the kingdoms, in part because there are NO female playable characters of any sort hailing from there.

She glared, and Michalis smiled, leaned toward her, as if he meant to tell her a secret. "We are the barbarians. Remember?"

Yeah, I like this. The whole issue of "barbarism" in Archanea is something else just sitting up on its hind legs and begging to be addressed.

[runiclore.livejournal.com]

this kind of runs against the idea that idea Michalis and Minerva were extremely close in an affectionate way before

It does, and that's one of the things I want to balance out with some happy memories. This began as an examination of Maria's recovery and Minerva's desire to give up the throne, and what it turned into was this thing about barbarism and Minerva resenting Michalis for dying, and herself for seeming to follow his footsteps as the story moves on. So as it turns out, the scenes set in the past all have to do with times when they were at odds in some way.

There is an outline for a nicer scene between them, which I hope I can still fit in. It didn't work with all of these emerging themes, at first, but it might make a good endcap.

I do think that maybe their affection would have a rougher edge, though. They were close, but there might have been some (friendly) rivalry there, too. I can see Michalis teasing her, headlocking her, whatever. I never had a brother, but my husband makes a pest of himself this way all the time.

... but that's not quite the parallel I want to express to the audience at large.

Well, there is Midia

This is why I think she's interesting. She's pretty alone among the Archanean knights, isn't she? In gender terms? I don't recall any other female knights, but my memory isn't really dependable in this case...

Thank you!

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

what it turned into was this thing about barbarism and Minerva resenting Michalis for dying, and herself for seeming to follow his footsteps as the story moves on.

I want.

They were close, but there might have been some (friendly) rivalry there, too. I can see Michalis teasing her, headlocking her, whatever.

Yes, I think so. Michalis might have treated her more as he would have treated a younger brother, whereas Maria was very much the baby sister.

She's pretty alone among the Archanean knights, isn't she? In gender terms?

Oh, yes. Now, Midia's backstory as the daughter and heir of a powerful Duke/Marquess makes it plausible that she would be an anomaly-- not exactly raised as a boy, perhaps, but definitely placed into the role a son "should" have been in, riding and fighting like a man. The only other FE3 femme-knights are:

Cecil (cavalier, Altea)-- Either Alteans are more broad-minded than the norm, or they're just desperate for manpower. But everything said about Cecil in canon, which isn't much, indicates that her comrades respect her and the gender is no big deal. Of course, at least two of them are hot for her.

Sheema (general, Gra)-- In no way shape or form intended to represent a cultural norm.

[runiclore.livejournal.com]

Maria was very much the baby sister.

Her designs for FE1/3 appear very child-like. How old is she supposed to be, do you think? I just sort of assume Minerva is around seventeen or eighteen, and Michalis two or three years older than that, but Maria seems vastly younger. In the story I had her pegged at thirteen or so for FE11, but she looks pretty uh... let's say, slim, even for thirteen.

not exactly raised as a boy, perhaps, but definitely placed into the role a son "should" have been in,

I really like that idea, what with how snooty Archanea seems from the point of view of Macedon and (probably?) Grust. And Talys, yeah. Situations where Necessity forces a family/culture to accept a female heir where it usually won't (Japan in recent history, for example) are interesting.

Sheema also seems like a really interesting character. I can probably blame that on sarajayechan.

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

I initially pegged her as eight or ten in FE11, which is probably too young even by Fire Emblem standards. Taking FE3 into account, I'm guessing 12-13 in FE11, and three years older for War of Heroes, making her 15-16 for the kidnapping. This, I think, fits her in nicely among the visual depictions of her fellow "little kids" (Grust twins) and borderline age-of-consent cases (Melissa).

Situations where Necessity forces a family/culture to accept a female heir where it usually won't (Japan in recent history, for example) are interesting.

Japan's way of dealing with it, from what little I know about it, does seem fascinating (aside: I was so sorry they didn't amend the succession laws on Aiko's behalf). I think I will go ahead and post the Caeda-in-Talys 'fic that has been languishing on my hard drive so I can demonstrate some of my ideas re: Talys.

As for Grust... given the tenor of its militarism, and how both of the playable females you get from there are little magical girls (plus Lena by extension), I tend to think that a woman's place in Grust is generally either at home or at the altar, not on horseback.

Sheema is quite interesting. Read Hitomi's "Flowers on the Sea" sometime; it's intimidated me so much re: Sheema I shall probably never write her.

[imanewme.livejournal.com]

Knowing nothing of the characters previously, I must say that you show the brother/sister relationship very well. He's being an ass and teasing her, but there's no real harshness there.

When Michalis was king, she would be beside him, and if he ever flew off to battle, she would be up there with him.

What loyalty! Minerva's a firecracker, isn't she? Something tells me that the only time she cowers is to Michalis or her father.

Hm.. Favorite line: "I hope he's ambushed on the road and the crows eat his corpse."

Yup. Made me smile. I'm looking forward to the rest of this when you post it here.

[runiclore.livejournal.com]

Right, he's not trying to hurt her, he's just annoyed and venting to an understanding audience... more or less.

What loyalty! Minerva's a firecracker, isn't she?

Minerva is hot. XD THE WHOLE FAMILY.

The horrible, sad thing about Minerva and Michalis is that they were so close as children, and were divided by this issue with their father, and - I think - lack of trust on Michalis's part. He did a few dastardly things that Minerva just couldn't stand for, didn't explain himself (though I still think she would've confronted him), and eventually they ended up on opposite sides of the war. There are other elements at play (Michalis has some Issues and Resentments, I think), but.

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it, even not knowing the canon.

[sarajayechan.livejournal.com]

I love the descriptions here. :D And the interaction between the siblings was oddly cute despite the heavy conversational topic.

[runiclore.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I was hoping that might be the case.

[samuraiter.livejournal.com]

Michalis is emerging as a major anti-hero, thanks to all these 'fic portrayals of him. I can this Michalis evolving into the Michalis who makes the sacrifice in the story that mark_asphodel posted for him in a previous challenge. Always that element of danger to him, of something coiled up tightly inside him. Most intriguing. (Minerva seems to be here mostly to reflect his characterization, but that may simply be because of how strong his personality is, IMO.)

[runiclore.livejournal.com]

After reading his history and thinking more about his role in FE3 - and yes, definitely mark_asphodel's fic - I started thinking the same thing. It's what finally made me attempt to write him.

The scene IS about him, more than Minerva - or rather, her memory of him. The bulk of the fic is about her, from her POV, but when Michalis shows up in the past, it's all about what he's doing, because that's what concerns her so much in the present. Whether that WORKS or not is up in the air at the moment.

Thank you!

[penandpaper71.livejournal.com]

I really enjoyed reading this. Minerva's and Michalis's banter in this is both interesting and rather amusing. I quite like the way you write these characters.

You're far too hard on yourself. This is incredible. I'm now really looking forward to the final product.

[runiclore.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Haha, now I hope I can deliver on the full story. XD

[wolfraven80.livejournal.com]

Ah! This has your trademark attention to detail, which I quite enjoyed in spite of my lack of familiarity with the cast. The idea of using wyverns to avoid shoals was an especially nice touch – the use of a fantasy element for something concrete like trade rather than just battle. Very nice, even if it's just an excerpt.