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Divergent Perspectives of the Lady of Nordion

Chapter 2: Rekindling the Flame in an Ocean of Tragedy

Summary:

Lachesis has come to Leonster and copes with the death of her husband Beowulf, father of their son Diarmuid, with the help of Finn...

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Spring had arrived in Leonster, and the flowers were blooming. It was as if the land was starting to heal after everything that had happened over the past year: the collapse of the Kingdom of Isaach, the massacre at Belhalla which killed Lord Sigurd and much of his army, and of course the Aed Massacre which resulted in the deaths of Leonster’s Crown Prince Quan, his wife Ethlyn and their young daughter. Since then, Leonster had been in a state of suspense as to whether Quan’s killer, the King of Thracia, would attempt to seize the weakened city. Surprisingly, there had been no attack from the mountainous south - just silence since that fateful event. But plans were still being drawn up to defend the city in case such an attack were to come, and not just the city but Prince Leif, the infant son of Quan and Ethlyn and grandson of King Calf.

At the forefront of those plans was Finn, the loyal knight who had been entrusted by Quan himself with Leif’s protection. Finn was sitting at one of the tables in the courtyard having afternoon tea with his close friend Princess Lachesis, one of the few people who survived the Battle of Belhalla. In the past it would be an unusual occurrence, but Finn recently had been spending a lot of time with Lachesis.

“You still remember how to use a bow, yes?” Finn asked.

“Yes. I used my bow in the desert to help against those dragon knights!” responded Lachesis. “I am as good at the bow as with any other weapon, even if I prefer the sword.”

“So you would be able to support the archers if Travant attacks? We have a great shortage of capable bow users, so any help works,” explained Finn.

“Indeed...anything to protect Leif. Never will I break my promise to Beowulf...to make sure that I can help out Leif and protect him...” Lachesis looked sullen, and understandably so given how her husband was almost certainly dead and their son sent off to a remote corner of the continent.

Finn got up and put a hand on his friend’s back. “It is hard to overcome the loss of a loved one…” He thought of his own loss, how losing the man whom he considered his mentor and the woman who acted as a big sister to him punched a hole in his heart.

Lachesis looked up at Finn. “Yes...it has been too hard. After everything with Beowulf and Grahnye having given me the cold shoulder...Finn, thank you.”

Finn blushed; he was perplexed by this sudden compliment. “For what, my lady?”

“For everything. Nobody else here has acted so warmly to me...I really do not know where I would be if you had not arranged for me to be taken in here, if you had not provided me company.” Her cheeks reddened a bit. “But enough of that. I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”

Lachesis grabbed Finn’s hand. “Finn, will you take me as your wife?”

Finn jerked his hand away, his face as red as a tomato. “Excuse me?! Are you serious, my lady?” Wh-”

“Just call me Lachesis now. Please.”

“-Lachesis, what about Beowulf? Is this not going to break the vows of your marriage to him?”

Lachesis took Finn’s hand in hers again. “Beowulf would want me to be happy, to be taken care of. With you, I can have companionship for the rest of my days rather than wallow in sorrow. So I ask you again: do you wish to marry me?”

“...Lachesis, I always had feelings for you since I first set eyes upon you, but I ignored them knowing that you were happier with Beowulf. This is like a dream for me, but would it be pr-”

“Yes or no?” asked Lachesis, impatient for a response.

“...Yes, Lachesis. I will become your husband. I know I will never truly replace him, but I will serve you - no, I will love you as much as you deserve.”

They stared into each other’s eyes for what felt like an eternity - not just as friends anymore, trying to overcome the loss of each other’s loved ones, but as lovers themselves.

“...I love you, Finn.” She went in to kiss him squarely on the lips, the first of many.

It would be a couple weeks later when they exchanged vows in one of the chapels in the castle in a private ceremony, attended only by a couple members of the royal family and Finn’s best friends. And in spite of the circumstances of Lachesis having truly loved someone else in the past...it worked out. At least, as long as Leonster remained at peace.

Notes:

In the last chapter I kind of "debunked" a pet peeve of mine with regards to how people discuss Lachesis: the claim that her conversation in Chapter 5 automatically means shows her having feelings for someone else in particular. In that imagining of her conversation with Beo, it merely showed her having lost interest in Beowulf rather than having eyes for someone else like Finn or Eldigan like many people interpret her "true feelings" being. This chapter I move on to another pet peeve: that Lachesis marrying Finn after Beowulf's (presumed) death means that she cheated on Beowulf. No, here I show that it's okay for her to have remarried; her doing that doesn't show a lack of fidelity towards Beowulf. Nanna isn't born yet either - in this scenario, she would be Finn's daughter and thus only the half-sister to Diarmuid.

I wanted to sneak a couple FE5 characters (specifically Glade and Selphina) into the ending but I felt that it would have prolonged it too long. We'll certainly see an FE5 setting in the next chapter though...