Chapter Text
Leaning over the railing slightly, Frey peered over the port side of the airship toward the Town of Selphia below. Clutched in her right hand was a letter from her lover; no, her fiance , she reminded herself giddily. They had been exchanging letters since the previous summer, when they met at a party at the palace. He had been the guest of honor, and she had been the Earthmate who, by sheer coincidence, shared the prince’s birthday. Neither of them had felt comfortable in the crowded atmosphere of court, so they spent much of the party in each other’s presence; when duty hadn’t stolen the young Prince away, of course. The months since their initial meeting led to no small amount of personal intimacy, in spite of the physical distance between their homes.
Frey smiled as warmth blossomed in her chest. She had memorized the contents of the letter in her hand:
My dearest Frey,
I cannot wait for my journey to Selphia, since it will bring me to you, once again. I have made arrangements to depart as soon as possible, so I might sooner see your adorable face. I am over the moon with delight that you’ve agreed to marry me. I know you also have business to attend to in Selphia; perhaps we can arrange a date for a wedding when your tasks are complete? I await our next meeting with a heady anticipation. I find myself wondering how you will smile when we see each other. Will you blush if I place a kiss upon your hand? What brilliant hue would grace your skin when we are finally alone together? I am eager to learn the answers to these questions. Until then, I will count the days.
Eternally yours in deepest love,
Arthur
Admittedly, Frey was equally eager to meet Arthur again. Her heartbeat quickened with anticipation as they approached Selphia. All she had to do was ensure the safe delivery of the Rune Spheres to the Rune Spots where the Guardians slept, and then she would be free to do as she pleased. She was ready to marry Arthur; eloping with him just seemed so romantic . A sigh escaped her lips. Soon .
She removed the Rune Spheres from her pocket. She felt a sense of pride, knowing that she was among a team of Earthmates who had finally found the solution to keeping the Divine Wind in this world. Perhaps her fiance, as the prince of Norad, would accompany her as she secured the Rune Spheres in their rightful places? It was wishful thinking, but she could entertain the fantasy for a moment. She had been present in the capital when they presented the Rune Spheres to the king, but she hadn’t seen Arthur at that time, as he was away on business. She would have loved to stay longer in the capital, but the king sent the Earthmates home and declared that only one of them would be able to ensure that the Rune Spheres were secured properly and safely.
The other Earthmates agreed that Frey, being equal in intelligence, swiftness, and strength, would be the one to make the journey. She was thankful that she would at least not be required to return, so she could stay in Selphia as long as she wanted. This was her opportunity for a new chapter of her life.
Frey turned to the airship captain and asked, “Excuse me, how close are we to Selphia?” She really did want to arrive as soon as possible.
The captain replied, “Oh, we’re almost there! Doing some sightseeing? It’s a real nice town.” He smiled back at Frey, who could only grin in response.
“Something like that.” Frey’s fingers tightened around the letter and the Rune Spheres. Her mission could prove dangerous, but as long as she would have Arthur at her side, no task seemed too daunting. The captain continued to speak.
“Selphia’s got a great atmosphere,” he said. “Like you can feel the protection of the god while you’re standing on those roads. I’m sure you’ll enjoy your stay.”
“I really hope so,” Frey answered. She would be spending an awful lot of time there, if things worked out the way she wanted them to. The rest of her life, even. The very thought made her heart flutter.
A crash suddenly broke her out of her thoughts, and she whipped around to find two soldiers of the Sechs Empire standing where previously, there had been a pair of barrels. Frey’s hand twitched toward the sword at her hip. She turned slightly, so she could covertly slip Arthur’s letter and the Rune Spheres into one of her pockets, taking a defensive stance. Slowly, she and the soldiers circled each other, and Frey picked up a barrel lid that she could use as a small shield. She drew her shortsword, maintaining eye contact with the soldiers.
“What do you want?” she asked coolly.
“You have something we want,” one of them said. The soldiers argued amongst themselves before rushing at her from across the ship’s deck. Though it was fairly easy for Frey to best them in combat, she turned away to ensure she still had the Rune Spheres in her pockets before making sure the soldiers were completely incapacitated. One of them was still able to stand, and he knocked her off-balance, sending the Rune Spheres--and the letter--flying over the edge of the airship, down to the wilderness below.
“No!” she screamed, as she failed to regain her balance. Her head collided with the railing before her body could hit the floor. She slipped out of consciousness with one soldier, who appeared to be in command, berating the other.
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Only a moment later, Frey came to, her stomach churning. Who were these people who were arguing? Why were they dressed like Sechs soldiers? Where was she? What was going on? The wind was particularly strong, and her hair trailed in front of her face, into her eyes. She started breathing heavily, saliva filling her mouth as she tried to maintain control over her gag reflex. It appeared that the soldiers hadn’t yet noticed she was awake. Panic rose in her throat like bile that threatened to spill, and there was no way she could keep all of it contained.
Thankfully, the panic was what left her mouth.
“Ahhhhhhhhh! What’s going on?” she screamed. On either side of her was a blade and shield. Had she used these? She couldn’t recall how. Tears came to her eyes unbidden. Were the soldiers going to take her as a prisoner? Or worse, since evidence pointed to her having fought them…?
The commanding soldier ordered the other to advance.
“Where are the, uh…. Rune Spheres?” the soldier demanded. He didn’t seem particularly demanding; more nervous than anything else. Frey could relate. But…
“What do you mean, ‘Rune Spheres’?” she asked. “What are those?” She’d never heard such a term in her life. What could they possibly do? Still, she was fairly certain she didn’t have any such items in her possession. “By the way…” If she was asking questions, she may as well go all the way. “Why are we all in the sky?”
The soldier seemed equally dumbfounded as Frey felt. However, his suggestion that she had amnesia struck a chord within her. She couldn’t remember what brought her into her current set of circumstances, so she must have amnesia! Last she knew, she was home, in….
Where did she live, again?
The commanding officer doubted her, though, and ordered the less-intimidating soldier to throw her overboard if she refused to cooperate.
“Like this…?” the soldier requested confirmation. However, he followed his question with a flying kick that truly did send Frey over the edge of the ship’s deck, where they had all been suspended at great height. Time slowed, nearly halting. She gasped. The rush of wind past her ears was nearly deafening, and certainly painful. The airship looked as though it was taking off, leaving her behind as they continued on to their destination. Frey didn’t know how long she would have, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to stomach looking down, if such a thing were even possible. The impact would arrive eventually, and she would most likely leave this world when it did. A shame; the world was a beautiful place. She regretted that there were so many sights she’d never know. She squeezed her eyes shut.
It was all she could do to brace for the impact.