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Forever With You

Chapter Nine

Almedha blinked, staring at her son for a short second. Clearing her throat politely, she nodded sternly. "Of course. It's your birthright to rule that country." She cupped his cheek and gave a small smile. "And you will do it better than your father ever could have." She assured. She kissed his brand and looked him in the eyes. "But surely you will wait. This isn't in your immediate future, I'm sure."

The sage shook his head. "Actually, I was planning on leaving as soon as I can walk."

Almedha looked shocked. "Why the haste, my love? You should be resting; you've had a terrible experience."

Soren smirked at the irony. I had a terrible experience, and it has nothing to do with my trip over the waterfall... "Actually, it would just give me some peace of mind to get out of this place, and leave behind certain memories."

His mother nodded, not quite understanding her son's reasoning, but not in any position to be disagreeing with him. She almost stood to leave, but he touched her arm.

"... Also, I would like to be married."

This time, Almedha let her mouth hang open for a moment. She stared at her son in confusion, but eventually smiled at him. "Darling… you do know that marriage is not a requirement...?"

Soren nodded, ready to tell his mother his greatest secret. "I know, Mother. And I'm not doing it solely because I've decided to take the throne." The sage's cheeks began to flush as he realized that he was about to tell his mother, whom he had known for three weeks, that he was in love with another man. "I've fallen in love. Well, to be more precise, I've been in love. For quite some time now."

Almedha's heart soared at the fact that her son was telling her all of this, despite them not being very close. She took it slowly, holding in her joy. She patted his arm. "That's wonderful, Soren! But... I've never seen you... with anyone but that Commander Ike," she said quietly. The moment she said this, Soren looked up at her and nodded once. Her draconic eyes widened in realization.

"I see." The dragon princess nodded. "Father would not approve. Hence why you are so hasty to be gone."

Soren nodded. "Indeed. And… I would appreciate your support in the matter."

Almedha's eyes softened as she took in her adult son. "Soren. You're my only baby. I could never turn my back on you." She moved closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. He raised a hand to pat her shoulder.

"Thank you, Mother... it means a lot to me."

---

After Titania suggested it, Ike had promptly decided to find Sothe and speak with him. He searched for a full fifteen minutes, checking several different courtyards and training fields. He finally found the thief practicing with his stiletto in the castle's southeast training yard. He was clad in his casual wear, but his scarf wasn't covering his face. He stood stone still for the longest time, and Ike jumped as the thief threw the blade in one quick whip. It panged a nearby tree with a pang.

Ike grinned at the emeralde's ability. He hadn't even been facing that direction. As Sothe moved to retrieve his weapon, the commander approached him swiftly, calling his name. "Sothe!"

The youth went still, but turned around slowly. "Ike…" He looked down, embarrassed. Ike came to a stop about three feet from him. He scratched the back of his head.

"Sothe, look… As much as neither of us want to, I think we have to talk about what happened last night." Sothe did his best to keep his heart in his chest as he prepared his knife for another throw. He remained silent as he listened. "I just need to say one thing. Last night..." His gaze was locked on Sothe's back as the youth refused to look at him. "It was a mistake."

This didn't surprise the thief at all. He tossed the stiletto again. Amazingly, it missed its target. "I know… Commander. Trust me, you really don't have to explain yourself. I know you love Soren."

Ike's fists clenched and unclenched. "Sothe, I... I am sorry, though. To have dragged you into this. This entire thing is my--"

"Don't say that," Sothe said loudly, turning to look at him for the first time. Ike stared. "This was all Micaiah's fault. I don't know why she did it… And from what I've heard, she's nowhere to be found..." The boy averted his gaze. "But none of this is your fault."

Ike was silent. His blue gaze hit the ground where it lingered a few moments.

"S-so, is this talk over?" Sothe attempted to sound casual and he wandered away to pick up his stiletto. A tiny smile crept onto Ike's face and he felt a little relieved.

"...I suppose so. Good night, Sothe."

The emeralde kept his shoulders straight as he waved over his shoulder. He stayed facing the trees until Ike's footfalls could no longer be heard. Within seconds, his eyes were full of tears, and he knew he couldn't stop them. But little did he know, hidden away from him was someone that did care for him. Someone who felt his heart sting at the sight of the youth's tears.

---

It took a total of two days for Soren to be able to walk without help. The sage was quick in his goodbyes to his grandfather; Dheginsea insisted on a council meeting with the new King once he was settled, but Soren knew that the man simply yearned for a quick family reunion.

Plans were made to leave Daein as quickly as possible. Within three days, Ike and his company left Myron. Two weeks of travel took them to Tanas, and by that time, Ike and Soren had still not slept together. They were still uncomfortable, but had reached an agreement that maybe it would be best to wait until after they were wed to make love again.

Though Ike was only prolonging the process of trying to heal himself from what he had done.

Two more months passed before the company reached Nevassa.

Once there, Almedha officially established Soren as the lost heir to the counsel members who had currently seized power of the war-devastated nation. More than willing to have a new leader, Soren was crowned the following day as the 14th King of Daein.

Within two weeks time, by his calculations alone, Soren had removed all of Begnion's influence in Daein, and had passed an economic stimulus plan that had the economy on the rise. Daein was once again a stable nation, and after he was sure he had the people's support, the new king announced his wedding plans. To Soren's surprise, the people accepted Ike without question. Ashnard had far more quirks than a gay lover to deal with, so the citizens were mostly relieved.

Soren left it to Almedha to arrange the wedding, though the only thing he requested was a small, private ceremony. The spell caster spent all of his spare time with Ike, trying to reestablish the closeness of their pre-Micaiah relationship. The commander meant more to him than all of Tellius, and he would do anything to build a bridge between them.

Ike had found it extremely easy to adjust to life in the Daein castle. He and Soren had kept their promise not to make love until their wedding night, and he had even been feeling better about his mistake with Sothe.

Likewise, none of the members of the Greil mercenaries had left Daein. The company obviously meant a lot to each of them, and they all lived together on a large base outside of the nation's capital. Even Kieran, deep loyalist to Crimea and its Queen, remained in Daein. Ike assumed he had met a local Daein citizen.

---

For their wedding, both Ike and Soren had worn white, for no apparent reason other than they felt it was the appropriate color. Soren wore very plain, white silk robes, and had a custom lord outfit made for Ike. Rhys had wholeheartedly agreed to perform the ceremony.

It took place in a private room with the mercenaries as the audience. The two had written custom vows for each other, which had proven difficult for both of them. When it was Ike's turn to speak his love in front of his friends, he had been frightened.

"Um... I'm not very good at this, so bear with me..." He whispered, taking a shaky breath. "Soren... when I look at you, I feel like I'm looking into a mirror sometimes. You always reflect me in the best of ways, and give me perspective when I need it.

"I want you to always be your upfront and honest self. I always want to hear what's on your mind. You're my whole world, and... I know I've made mistakes, but I want to only bring you happiness, from this day forward. Please accept this ring as a token of my love for you."

He delicately held Soren's hand as he placed the band on the sage's finger.

Soren swallowed, taking a moment to gaze at his ring in the faint light of the room. "Ike," he began. "You came into my life by accident, but you made a remarkable impact. You saved my life, and gave me a purpose when I had none. You gave me a voice when I couldn't speak, you held out a kind hand when no one else would, and when the world turned its back on me, you were there.

"Words fail to convey the depths of my love for you. I only wish to remain at your side, until the end of my days. I wish to please you, as you are my life. Please accept this ring as a token of my never ending love for you."

The moment that Soren had Ike's wedding band securely in place, the bluenette pulled him into a loving embrace, to which the spell caster smiled and wrapped his arms around the bluenette's back. Rhys concluded the ceremony and their friends clapped. Mia even whistled.

"I love you," Ike whispered into Soren's ear. Soren's fingers gripped the white fabric of Ike's tunic.

"I love you, too. I love you, Ike."

---

The wide double doors closed gently behind them and Ike didn't waste any time scooping the sage into his arms, pulling Soren off of his feet.

"We did it." he whispered and Soren held his face, studying his blue eyes.

"That we did." he replied softly. Ike walked to the bed and gently laid him across the red fabric.

The young king sighed dreamily as the commander crawled on top of him, showering him with affection. Although the two had been in similar situations before, this was the first time that their kissing had taken place in bed. The sage was eternally grateful to have the bluenette with him now. Nights had been painfully long and cold without his lover at his side. It only enlarged the gap between them, in Soren's eyes; he needed Ike to heal.

"Get me out of this thing," the spell caster pleaded between kisses, tugging at his robes.

Ike was more than happy to accommodate him. His hands grasped at every knot and clasp until finally he pulled the fabric apart to reveal his lover's pale chest. He lowered his lips and dragged them across the soft skin.

Soren felt Ike's movements slow when the swordsman had reached to undo his pants.

"...Ah..." Ike was all but frozen, unsure of how to proceed. Soren... is this okay...? He closed his eyes and lowered his head, his ministrations ceased.

He felt a soft, loving hand weave its way into his messy blue hair. "It's okay, Ike." his lover whispered. "I want this. Please, I want you so badly, it's painful." The spell caster cupped the bluenette's cheek and raised it so they were looking each other in the eyes. Soren's crimson gaze was serene, gentle; something reserved only for the swordsman. "Please, take me."

Ike's gaze was soft and adoring as he listened to his spouse. He smiled and leaned forward to kiss him, his tongue darting into Soren's mouth. He moaned loudly; Ike hadn't kissed him like this in so long.

*******

In her time on the run, Micaiah had come to live in the comfort of upper class Begnion society. The Black Knight had made good on his promise to protect her, but she was still in discomfort. She missed Sothe with an intense passion and longed to see the boy and make right with him. She promptly decided to leave Begnion, secretly from the Black Knight, to locate her brotherly companion.

She arrived in her homeland a week after the new King's wedding. She caught wind extremely quickly of the ceremony, but it only disgusted her. Ike and Soren were responsible for taking Sothe from her.

It was incredibly easy for the maiden to find the mercenary base outside Nevassa. At first it seemed empty, as if she had found it when they were all out to town. As she was awkwardly leaving, she happened to hear a faint moaning sound. Being naturally kindhearted, she decided to investigate to make sure that whoever was making the sound wasn't in pain.

But instead, she found the Crimean knight Kieran in the exact opposite of pain as her dear friend deep-throated his cock.

"Dear Goddess!!" She shrieked loudly, raising her hands to cover her face.

"Shit!" Kieran yelled, guiding Sothe away quickly, standing and refastening his pants. Sothe turned as he wiped his mouth, his face beet red.

"Micaiah?!"

"Ike ruined you, Sothe!" Micaiah cried before rushing off, tears streaking her face. As she ran from the scene, her mind raced with anger towards the blue haired commander. She could trace everything that had gone wrong in her life back to him, and now her dearest friend… She loathed him, every bit of him. The fact that he was living in luxury only irked her further.

Unused to such depressing emotions coming from her vessel, Yune chirped at the golden eyed girl.

"Oh, Yune!" she cried, coming to a stop. "Ike did this! Every bit of it… I hate him! And you know I'm a good judge of character! I just wish he knew what it was like to lose the one he loved!"

The little bird flapped its small wings so it hovered in front of Micaiah's crying face.

Micaiah... Yune's voice crooned. You are right. I do trust that you are a good judge of character. Before Micaiah's eyes, the little bird's body transformed into that of a young girl, a light blue aura emanating from her. Do you believe that things would improve if the one called Ike did experience this pain that you refer to?

Micaiah stared with wide eyes at the goddess. She cleared her throat, trying to dry her eyes in Yune's presence. "Y-yes...Yes, Yune… I do believe it!"

Yune closed her eyes. Then I will lend you my strength, Micaiah.

End Chapter Nine

Description
Forever With You

Chapter Nine

Almedha blinked, staring at her son for a short second. Clearing her throat politely, she nodded sternly. "Of course. It's your birthright to rule that country." She cupped his cheek and gave a small smile. "And you will do it better than your father ever could have." She assured. She kissed his brand and looked him in the eyes. "But surely you will wait. This isn't in your immediate future, I'm sure."

The sage shook his head. "Actually, I was planning on leaving as soon as I can walk."

Almedha looked shocked. "Why the haste, my love? You should be resting; you've had a terrible experience."

Soren smirked at the irony. I had a terrible experience, and it has nothing to do with my trip over the waterfall... "Actually, it would just give me some peace of mind to get out of this place, and leave behind certain memories."

His mother nodded, not quite understanding her son's reasoning, but not in any position to be disagreeing with him. She almost stood to leave, but he touched her arm.

"... Also, I would like to be married."

This time, Almedha let her mouth hang open for a moment. She stared at her son in confusion, but eventually smiled at him. "Darling… you do know that marriage is not a requirement...?"

Soren nodded, ready to tell his mother his greatest secret. "I know, Mother. And I'm not doing it solely because I've decided to take the throne." The sage's cheeks began to flush as he realized that he was about to tell his mother, whom he had known for three weeks, that he was in love with another man. "I've fallen in love. Well, to be more precise, I've been in love. For quite some time now."

Almedha's heart soared at the fact that her son was telling her all of this, despite them not being very close. She took it slowly, holding in her joy. She patted his arm. "That's wonderful, Soren! But... I've never seen you... with anyone but that Commander Ike," she said quietly. The moment she said this, Soren looked up at her and nodded once. Her draconic eyes widened in realization.

"I see." The dragon princess nodded. "Father would not approve. Hence why you are so hasty to be gone."

Soren nodded. "Indeed. And… I would appreciate your support in the matter."

Almedha's eyes softened as she took in her adult son. "Soren. You're my only baby. I could never turn my back on you." She moved closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. He raised a hand to pat her shoulder.

"Thank you, Mother... it means a lot to me."

---

After Titania suggested it, Ike had promptly decided to find Sothe and speak with him. He searched for a full fifteen minutes, checking several different courtyards and training fields. He finally found the thief practicing with his stiletto in the castle's southeast training yard. He was clad in his casual wear, but his scarf wasn't covering his face. He stood stone still for the longest time, and Ike jumped as the thief threw the blade in one quick whip. It panged a nearby tree with a pang.

Ike grinned at the emeralde's ability. He hadn't even been facing that direction. As Sothe moved to retrieve his weapon, the commander approached him swiftly, calling his name. "Sothe!"

The youth went still, but turned around slowly. "Ike…" He looked down, embarrassed. Ike came to a stop about three feet from him. He scratched the back of his head.

"Sothe, look… As much as neither of us want to, I think we have to talk about what happened last night." Sothe did his best to keep his heart in his chest as he prepared his knife for another throw. He remained silent as he listened. "I just need to say one thing. Last night..." His gaze was locked on Sothe's back as the youth refused to look at him. "It was a mistake."

This didn't surprise the thief at all. He tossed the stiletto again. Amazingly, it missed its target. "I know… Commander. Trust me, you really don't have to explain yourself. I know you love Soren."

Ike's fists clenched and unclenched. "Sothe, I... I am sorry, though. To have dragged you into this. This entire thing is my--"

"Don't say that," Sothe said loudly, turning to look at him for the first time. Ike stared. "This was all Micaiah's fault. I don't know why she did it… And from what I've heard, she's nowhere to be found..." The boy averted his gaze. "But none of this is your fault."

Ike was silent. His blue gaze hit the ground where it lingered a few moments.

"S-so, is this talk over?" Sothe attempted to sound casual and he wandered away to pick up his stiletto. A tiny smile crept onto Ike's face and he felt a little relieved.

"...I suppose so. Good night, Sothe."

The emeralde kept his shoulders straight as he waved over his shoulder. He stayed facing the trees until Ike's footfalls could no longer be heard. Within seconds, his eyes were full of tears, and he knew he couldn't stop them. But little did he know, hidden away from him was someone that did care for him. Someone who felt his heart sting at the sight of the youth's tears.

---

It took a total of two days for Soren to be able to walk without help. The sage was quick in his goodbyes to his grandfather; Dheginsea insisted on a council meeting with the new King once he was settled, but Soren knew that the man simply yearned for a quick family reunion.

Plans were made to leave Daein as quickly as possible. Within three days, Ike and his company left Myron. Two weeks of travel took them to Tanas, and by that time, Ike and Soren had still not slept together. They were still uncomfortable, but had reached an agreement that maybe it would be best to wait until after they were wed to make love again.

Though Ike was only prolonging the process of trying to heal himself from what he had done.

Two more months passed before the company reached Nevassa.

Once there, Almedha officially established Soren as the lost heir to the counsel members who had currently seized power of the war-devastated nation. More than willing to have a new leader, Soren was crowned the following day as the 14th King of Daein.

Within two weeks time, by his calculations alone, Soren had removed all of Begnion's influence in Daein, and had passed an economic stimulus plan that had the economy on the rise. Daein was once again a stable nation, and after he was sure he had the people's support, the new king announced his wedding plans. To Soren's surprise, the people accepted Ike without question. Ashnard had far more quirks than a gay lover to deal with, so the citizens were mostly relieved.

Soren left it to Almedha to arrange the wedding, though the only thing he requested was a small, private ceremony. The spell caster spent all of his spare time with Ike, trying to reestablish the closeness of their pre-Micaiah relationship. The commander meant more to him than all of Tellius, and he would do anything to build a bridge between them.

Ike had found it extremely easy to adjust to life in the Daein castle. He and Soren had kept their promise not to make love until their wedding night, and he had even been feeling better about his mistake with Sothe.

Likewise, none of the members of the Greil mercenaries had left Daein. The company obviously meant a lot to each of them, and they all lived together on a large base outside of the nation's capital. Even Kieran, deep loyalist to Crimea and its Queen, remained in Daein. Ike assumed he had met a local Daein citizen.

---

For their wedding, both Ike and Soren had worn white, for no apparent reason other than they felt it was the appropriate color. Soren wore very plain, white silk robes, and had a custom lord outfit made for Ike. Rhys had wholeheartedly agreed to perform the ceremony.

It took place in a private room with the mercenaries as the audience. The two had written custom vows for each other, which had proven difficult for both of them. When it was Ike's turn to speak his love in front of his friends, he had been frightened.

"Um... I'm not very good at this, so bear with me..." He whispered, taking a shaky breath. "Soren... when I look at you, I feel like I'm looking into a mirror sometimes. You always reflect me in the best of ways, and give me perspective when I need it.

"I want you to always be your upfront and honest self. I always want to hear what's on your mind. You're my whole world, and... I know I've made mistakes, but I want to only bring you happiness, from this day forward. Please accept this ring as a token of my love for you."

He delicately held Soren's hand as he placed the band on the sage's finger.

Soren swallowed, taking a moment to gaze at his ring in the faint light of the room. "Ike," he began. "You came into my life by accident, but you made a remarkable impact. You saved my life, and gave me a purpose when I had none. You gave me a voice when I couldn't speak, you held out a kind hand when no one else would, and when the world turned its back on me, you were there.

"Words fail to convey the depths of my love for you. I only wish to remain at your side, until the end of my days. I wish to please you, as you are my life. Please accept this ring as a token of my never ending love for you."

The moment that Soren had Ike's wedding band securely in place, the bluenette pulled him into a loving embrace, to which the spell caster smiled and wrapped his arms around the bluenette's back. Rhys concluded the ceremony and their friends clapped. Mia even whistled.

"I love you," Ike whispered into Soren's ear. Soren's fingers gripped the white fabric of Ike's tunic.

"I love you, too. I love you, Ike."

---

The wide double doors closed gently behind them and Ike didn't waste any time scooping the sage into his arms, pulling Soren off of his feet.

"We did it." he whispered and Soren held his face, studying his blue eyes.

"That we did." he replied softly. Ike walked to the bed and gently laid him across the red fabric.

The young king sighed dreamily as the commander crawled on top of him, showering him with affection. Although the two had been in similar situations before, this was the first time that their kissing had taken place in bed. The sage was eternally grateful to have the bluenette with him now. Nights had been painfully long and cold without his lover at his side. It only enlarged the gap between them, in Soren's eyes; he needed Ike to heal.

"Get me out of this thing," the spell caster pleaded between kisses, tugging at his robes.

Ike was more than happy to accommodate him. His hands grasped at every knot and clasp until finally he pulled the fabric apart to reveal his lover's pale chest. He lowered his lips and dragged them across the soft skin.

Soren felt Ike's movements slow when the swordsman had reached to undo his pants.

"...Ah..." Ike was all but frozen, unsure of how to proceed. Soren... is this okay...? He closed his eyes and lowered his head, his ministrations ceased.

He felt a soft, loving hand weave its way into his messy blue hair. "It's okay, Ike." his lover whispered. "I want this. Please, I want you so badly, it's painful." The spell caster cupped the bluenette's cheek and raised it so they were looking each other in the eyes. Soren's crimson gaze was serene, gentle; something reserved only for the swordsman. "Please, take me."

Ike's gaze was soft and adoring as he listened to his spouse. He smiled and leaned forward to kiss him, his tongue darting into Soren's mouth. He moaned loudly; Ike hadn't kissed him like this in so long.

*******

In her time on the run, Micaiah had come to live in the comfort of upper class Begnion society. The Black Knight had made good on his promise to protect her, but she was still in discomfort. She missed Sothe with an intense passion and longed to see the boy and make right with him. She promptly decided to leave Begnion, secretly from the Black Knight, to locate her brotherly companion.

She arrived in her homeland a week after the new King's wedding. She caught wind extremely quickly of the ceremony, but it only disgusted her. Ike and Soren were responsible for taking Sothe from her.

It was incredibly easy for the maiden to find the mercenary base outside Nevassa. At first it seemed empty, as if she had found it when they were all out to town. As she was awkwardly leaving, she happened to hear a faint moaning sound. Being naturally kindhearted, she decided to investigate to make sure that whoever was making the sound wasn't in pain.

But instead, she found the Crimean knight Kieran in the exact opposite of pain as her dear friend deep-throated his cock.

"Dear Goddess!!" She shrieked loudly, raising her hands to cover her face.

"Shit!" Kieran yelled, guiding Sothe away quickly, standing and refastening his pants. Sothe turned as he wiped his mouth, his face beet red.

"Micaiah?!"

"Ike ruined you, Sothe!" Micaiah cried before rushing off, tears streaking her face. As she ran from the scene, her mind raced with anger towards the blue haired commander. She could trace everything that had gone wrong in her life back to him, and now her dearest friend… She loathed him, every bit of him. The fact that he was living in luxury only irked her further.

Unused to such depressing emotions coming from her vessel, Yune chirped at the golden eyed girl.

"Oh, Yune!" she cried, coming to a stop. "Ike did this! Every bit of it… I hate him! And you know I'm a good judge of character! I just wish he knew what it was like to lose the one he loved!"

The little bird flapped its small wings so it hovered in front of Micaiah's crying face.

Micaiah... Yune's voice crooned. You are right. I do trust that you are a good judge of character. Before Micaiah's eyes, the little bird's body transformed into that of a young girl, a light blue aura emanating from her. Do you believe that things would improve if the one called Ike did experience this pain that you refer to?

Micaiah stared with wide eyes at the goddess. She cleared her throat, trying to dry her eyes in Yune's presence. "Y-yes...Yes, Yune… I do believe it!"

Yune closed her eyes. Then I will lend you my strength, Micaiah.

End Chapter Nine