[Fire Emblem 9/10] Second Thoughts (Chronicle out-take)

[runiclore]

Second Thoughts
Author: Amber Michelle
For: searains
Words: 3382
Rating: T
Request: Chronicle-verse Sephiran/Sanaki, Ike/Soren, and closets.
Warnings: crack, no redeeming value, etc. etc.

Notes: this could have happened during chapter twelve, but sadly didn't. If you haven't read that chapter, you'll have no idea what's going on. Started a million years ago, let it sit for weeks, finally finished it today.

I... it's... well, it was a request. >_>



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"It won't do, Sephiran. I refuse to leave Lady Gaddos our only excuse to get away from the party." Sanaki pushed a sheaf of papers into a cubby and closed her writing box with a snap. "I hope you have another idea."

He sighed, grinding his heel to the rug just before her desk, and tapped a folded paper against his fingertips. We regret the inconvenience, but an imperial order has closed our department for the holiday. She only smiled and looked away when he lifted his eyebrow. "There will be plenty of time for our 'tryst' while we wait for her to find us," he said. "Leaving more than once is excessive."

Her lips turned down, the cast shadows making her frown deeper. The window was closed and the room smelled of ink and dusty books, though he'd be hard pressed to find any dust to smear his fingertips. Sanaki's scent was a delicate overtone, orange blossom and honey. "You don't think our guest would feel awkward walking into something like that? At the very least my dress would have to be in order, and that would ruin everything."

Sephiran opened his mouth-- and closed it again. He wouldn't have her bare so much as a shoulder for anyone else, no, not even another woman, but-- "What exactly are you planning for this little outing?"

"What do you think? The usual." Sanaki slumped back in her chair and pulled her knees up, propping her feet on the shelf beneath her desk where the lamp was kept during the day. The glass clinked against its brass holder. She stretched her fingers one by one, counting ideas. "There's the garden - but the point is not to be seen. A bedroom is too on the nose--"

'The usual' didn't involve the removal of her dress, unless her reading material had veered away from law documents to something more sensational. He thought he'd had the library purged of books like that. "Have you mentioned this plan to Amelia?"

The way she was sitting made the curve of her legs into her hips more pronounced and hitched the hem of her skirt up to show her calves and a creamy bit of her thigh. He averted his eyes, but she wasn't watching him. "This was her idea."

"That--" Sephiran looked at her again, at the pale expanse of leg, and tried to ignore her other suggestions - a broom closet, the stables, a balcony would be too obvious. Amelia would never suggest the empress participate in something so undignified as a tryst in a closet - or behind the stage, or the curtains. Did Kilvas put these ideas in her head? One of the younger pegasus knights or recruits? Marcia apparently had a degenerate for a brother - perhaps that was reflected in her reading habits. If anybody would indulge his empress in a quest for trashy literature, it would be her. "Surely you can wait until we get back."

"That takes the excitement out of the prospect." Sanaki's smile was too wide, and reminded him of the expression Kilvas wore when he contemplated his orders and - presumably - found loopholes to take advantage of. Her foot tapped the lamp casing. "Tanith!"

He clasped his hands behind his back, heard the door open, and raised his brows. "Is that an insult, your majesty?"

Sanaki took a breath to speak and blinked, staring, mouth half open an instant before her teeth clicked shut. He heard Tanith come up behind him, boots muffled by the rug. The empress straightened and said, "No, of course not. I didn't mean it that way." Her cheeks flushed pink, and her lips darkened after them. "It's just--" Her eyes flicked to Tanith. "Find a suitable space where I can speak with Sephiran privately at the party. A small room or a closet - somewhere inconspicuous."

Tanith's leather creaked, and he could imagine her expression - rather like his. Eyebrows raised, maybe a line creasing her forehead, a grimace hinted at when she tried to smile. "A... closet, your majesty?"

"Yes, Tanith. A closet."

Sephiran sighed. He heard the knight lift her fist to her heart in a salute, her uncertain yes, your majesty, and her footsteps retreating to the door. Sanaki leaned on the desk, folding her hands under her chin, and looked away to the window until Tanith had departed and the door closed behind her. He heard her voice murmur behind the slab of wood, passing along her majesty's orders and possibly even instructing the others to find a replacement so she might speak with Amelia personally. The office was well-insulated; his ears caught words here and there, but never a full sentence. Enough to identify whomever might be outside seeking audience.

"I can't imagine a closet in a place private enough for your purposes," he said.

"She'll manage." Sanaki got up and came around the desk to prop her hip on the side and look up at him, fingers latching onto his coat. "We never have time for any fun here. There's always an emergency, or an interruption - or senators." She fingered the braided gold trim, lowered her eyelashes. He frowned, and she yanked the fabric. "Just once!"

"It's incredibly undignified." He pried her fingers loose, but kept hold of her hands, cupping them against his chest. "Consider your reputation."

She tilted her head, looked at him from the corners of her eyes. "What about yours?"

As if he would fall for that trick. "Immaculate."

"Hmm."

"If you insist," he said, lifting one of her hands to kiss, "I should let Zelgius know he will attend after all. I won't risk your safety or the guests' good opinions."

"Do that." Sanaki smiled and withdrew her hand, plucking the note from his pocket. "Leave the accommodations to me."

That was not the most comforting note upon which to leave, but Sephiran left his empress to her scheme and took the back stairways down to the ground floor where recreation areas were set aside for clergy and senators to use for tea or meals - seven courtyards and small, enclosed off-shoots of the gardens between the cathedral and the palace, and a practice yard he used to secure for Sanaki's lessons in magic and self-defense. Sunlight reached between the buildings and lit boxes of lawn and flagstone yellow. He passed sentries in every corridor, armored in red and glinting when they passed through patches of light. The military offices - such as they were, soldiers generally not being given to paperwork - were past the yard; the only other places he knew Zelgius frequented were the library and the barracks, neither of which would lend themselves to privacy.

The goddess smiled on Sephiran; his general was reclined in a chair in one of the common rooms, a plain contraption with leather cushions hard and cracked, well-used, the wool insides showing. He'd moved it by the window to read a book - a tactics manual. The cover was cracked in long lines along the spine. "Zelgius."

The general snapped his book closed. "Lord Sephiran." His eyes flicked to the door, still open a crack, and he stood up. "I wasn't expecting you. Is there a problem?"

"No." He pressed the door closed, heard the latch click; there was no lock, but he would hear anyone who dared to approach and listen. Neither the walls nor the door were as formidable as the protections in place for his empress. He listened to the ambient sounds as he crossed the room - talking outside, across the walk, a boot hitting a leather ball in the courtyard, armor clanking down the corridor. No breathing, no shifting cloth, aside from Zelgius. No scrapes to indicate a footstep. Sephiran turned his eyes to the window. "Have you spoken with Tanith?"

"Yes." A breath; it could have been a sigh, a cough, but-- "Closets?"

Sephiran bit his lip, pulled it in, tried not to frown. His face heated slightly, more than was warranted for a bit of sunlight. "Arrange the security detail with our hosts, and for the love of the goddess, don't allow us to be caught."

Zelgius wore leather beneath his shirt and the coat rank obligated him to wear, left unbuttoned; it creaked when the man shifted and put his book down. "I'll see to it immediately."

He didn't need the ability of a heron to know what that slight pause meant. "Laugh."

A hard swallow clicked in the general's throat, and his voice wavered just slightly. "I don't follow--"

"If anybody hears about this," Sephiran said, turning his face away from the window and his partner, "I'll send you to patrol the Daein wall for the rest of the year."

Zelgius tried to assure him the warning wasn't necessary, but he tripped over the words and his attempt degenerated into a chuckle he muffled against his hand. Sephiran turned on his heel and strode to the door. "Before we depart I'll give you a list of the individuals allowed to approach us, should the need arise." He heard the general clear his throat, strangle his laughter back, and murmur as you wish, Minister before he opened the door to leave.

A closet. She couldn't have picked something more respectable - an alcove, or the wisteria enclave-- but that would mean the garden, and they couldn't be seen. Of course not.

Sephiran turned his steps to the palace. There was hope yet, if he'd judged Prince Daein and his retainer correctly. It was only a matter of divining the correct suggestions to propose, and phrasing his requests carefully, obliquely enough even the prince wouldn't guess at his purpose. Sanaki would distract herself with plans for the party, and never notice-- and even if she did, she would be much too busy afterward to accuse him of ruining her fun.

He'd win this game like he won the others - though if she thought the victory was hers, all the better.


*


The east side of Ameila's ballroom opened to a cobblestoned garden with a small fountain at the center, a tall, marble Saint Yoram pouring water from a bowl carried on her head, the significance of which was lost even on Sephiran when he led his empress outside under the pretense of taking a moment of fresh air. All he knew - and this from the family records - was the mark on Yoram's hand was the first in the family, and the emergence of the Apostle's power had made her a saint in the centuries after her death. She was said to have predicted many disasters, and prevented two potentially disastrous civil conflicts. Sanaki wanted to know how true that was, but he couldn't tell her. He'd never met Yoram.

There were glass doors opening from the courtyard to the private halls of the house, and while Sanaki leaned slightly to smell a flower, her hand still on his arm, he caught sight of Zelgius behind one of them, motioning with his hand. "Sanaki." She raised her head, and he led her away from the blossoms. Sigrun's shadow was cast against the white curtains on the doors leading back to the ballroom; similar shapes barred the other doors, and Zelgius was gone when they entered the north hallway.

"Where did this fixation with closets come from?" he asked when they were inside and the door latched shut. Plain oil lamps lit the corridor, the transparent globes etched with simple flower designs.

Sanaki sighed through her nose and rolled her eyes. "I thought it made perfect sense, our guests considered."

The door Tanith described to him was two turns deeper, in a corridor similar to the one they'd walked to meet Lady Gaddos. He heard a scuffle behind the door, though a glance flicked toward Sanaki told him she didn't notice. "How right you are."

She tilted her head, narrowing her eyes up at him. "You disagreed with me earlier."

"That was before I noticed Lord Ike fingering the hilt of his sword when Dame Marsilikos tried to pull the prince down for a dance." Sephiran lifted his hand, indicated the closet door, and was sure his empress must hear the voice behind it, yet she did not even look. He led her a few steps closer. Were beorc senses really that dull? She was better than most-- usually. "If we're to talk about closets, I admit I don't understand why we've made this arrangement. Doesn't this contradict the spontaneous nature of--"

Sanaki latched her fingers around his collar and pulled him down with both hands to kiss her. A thread snapped and he pried her fingers loose to save his shirt. They had to return to the party with their clothes intact, he murmured to her, pulling her close with an arm around her waist, kissing her again before she could respond with more than an inarticulate sound he muffled with his lips, pressing hers open and tasting a hint of fruit-laced wine when he ran his tongue along her teeth. Chocolate lingered at the corners of her lips, the roof of her mouth, and the whaleboning of her bodice refused to yield to his grip. He worked his fingers to her waist and yanked the silk ribbon loose.

Sanaki pulled away. "Wait a minute."

Sephiran lifted his eyebrows, twisting the ribbon around his finger. "Second thoughts?"

Her lips pressed together, colorless for a moment. "No, it's just--" She glanced to her left, he followed her gaze to the right. Her face was tinted pink when they looked at each other again, the color dark in her cheeks, her forehead, reddening her lips. "That's the point of finding private space, isn't it?"

"The corridor is secured," he said, pulling on a stitch of ribbon, listening to the sliding slither of the blue lacing coming free. Her fingers clenched in his coat, and her blush darkened. He bent to kiss her throat, pressed her against the wall. "A closet won't be very comfortable."

Sanaki bared her neck and he heard her breathy sigh, felt the breath stir his hair and warm his ear. "How..." Her fingers tug into his hair and she stood straighter. "How would you know that?" She pulled him back with her grip. "What happened to your immaculate reputation?"

Sephiran watched her from the corners of his eyes. Her color had softened and spread to the braided neckline of her indigo dress, her lips were parted as if she couldn't catch her breath - if they were anywhere else he would have carried her to a real private chamber to finish the unlacing, peel away the layers of her costume, listen to the friction of silk sliding from her limbs and over the floor. Then the crease of sheets under her weight, the spread of her hair shining indigo on the white. "I suppose it has suffered somewhat since you came of age."

Her fingers brushed his cheek; Sanaki avoided his eyes, shifting against the wall. "Oh, but I've heard whispers of..." Her eyes drifted, to the space behind him, to the closet. "Of..."

He watched Sanaki's eyes narrow slightly, watched her bite her lip, and wished he hadn't led her those last few steps before the beginning of this discussion. "Of?" He nudged her foot, and she turned her face back to him, but her eyes were still abstracted. "My lady--"

"Do you hear that?" Sanaki's brows dipped, and she shrugged from his grasp, slid along the wall to get free. "It's--"

Sephiran sighed. He was the advocate of waiting, after all; he followed her and heard anew the voices behind the door-- rather, the voice of the prince, ragged breathing, and he was glad the walls muffled the rest. "Your majesty, if someone is in there, you should call Tanith to take care of it."

"Nonsense." Sanaki turned the knob and pulled. "You said she--"

"--said harder!" The prince's voice was recognizable even in its thin, higher register. the door shielded him from view, but he saw all of the lovely color drained from Sanaki's face, leaving her eyes wide and her hand pressed to her mouth. When something - someone - impacted the wall with a yes, she slammed the door closed.

Sephiran pressed his fingers into his hair, combing them back to straighten it and loosen the tangles created by Sanaki's grip. He straightened his collar, his coat. He'd have to speak with Ike later, though there was little point when he had no intention of enlisting him for this kind of work again. Show restraint, he'd said, because the empress will be witness. Was the meaning of the word lost on the boy?

Sanaki covered her eyes with her hands. "That-- that isn't something I needed to see."

Indeed. Sephiran swallowed the sour taste in his mouth and scratched his ear. He'd have to make this up to her - without letting her know whose fault it was, if possible. "Perhaps we should go back."

Her mouth turned down and she lowered her hand to stare at the door. "Not yet." She bent her fingers into claws, cracked a knuckle, and pounded on the door with her fist.

The space beyond went quiet. Sephiran glanced down the hallway, listened for the sound of armored boots, armor, and treads he would recognize. Zelgius would be waiting down that way with Tanith, and they couldn't be oblivious to this noise. "Your majesty--"

The door cracked open. "Can I help you, empress?" Soren's voice was even.

Sanaki clasped her hands at her back and smiled too wide. Her knuckles turned white. "Get out."

There was a pause, a shift of cloth; Sephiran guessed the prince and his retainer were looking at each other. "This isn't the best ti--"

"I said get out!" Sanaki's shout rebounded in echo and she closed her eyes, sighing sharply. Tanith's approach was still too far down the corridor for her beorc ears to register, but she lowered her voice when she spoke again, softening the tone. "This area was set aside for security reasons, and you shouldn't be here. Get dressed and get out. Now!" She pushed the door closed on the prince's reply and muttered under her breath, I'll have Zelgius drag him out by the hair if he isn't out in two minutes.

Sephiran closed their distance and reached for her hair, removing a pin to twist a loose strand back into place. "Will we wait for them?" He straightened her dress, pulled the bodice into place where it slipped on her shoulder. "Tanith can remove them and make our excuses."

"No." She covered her face again with both hands. Her reply was muffled. "I am not going in there. Not now. Didn't you hear them?"

Sephiran wished he hadn't. "I was occupied, your majesty."

Sanaki lowered her hands, turned her head slightly. Her hmm was flat and annoyed. "We'll have to talk about that later."

"Yes, your majesty."

She shrugged his hands away and hiked her skirt up with one hand, showing the snowy ruffle of a petticoat and the dark blue silk of her shoes. "We may as well go back, before someone thinks they've insulted us." She started down the hallway. The ribbons fluttered behind, a pale blue. "Hurry up, Sephiran. And fix my lacing."

The closet latch opened. Sephiran turned his back quickly and followed her. "Of course, your majesty."



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... this is so godawful. But it was amusing to write.


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Comments

[misheard.livejournal.com]

Heeheehee! Oh, I love all of this. Sanaki insisting on a tryst in a closet. Tanith's "...what." Zelgius trying not to laugh. And then how pissed off Sanaki gets when she's cockblocked (err, what do you call that for a girl?). Love all of it so much~

[searains.livejournal.com]

I hear it's box block.

[myaru.livejournal.com]

Thank you, I'm glad! It was fun to write. XD

Also, searains is much more knowledgeable than I am.

[searains.livejournal.com]

This is hilarious. xDDDDD I LOVE IT

[myaru.livejournal.com]

Yay, glad you liked!

[(Anonymous)]

I read this twice but I still dont catch what is this story all about

someone please explain