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The Truth Shall Set You Free	By : lissatyger Category: +A through F > Fire Emblem (all) > Fire Emblem (all) Views: 4973 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 3
- 4
- 5
Story
Title: The Truth Shall Set You Free

Chapter Title: The Cost
of Love

Archived: Also at my LJ.
Ask before posting anywhere else

Pairings: Ike/Soren,
Rhys/Titania (not terribly obvious in this chapter, though)

Other characters: Mist

Disclaimer: I do not own
Fire Emblem, nor these characters and I am making no money off this
story.

Author's Note: This
chapter is angst, angst, and more angst. But it does actually place
this at a specific point in the game. I'm not sure how long this fic
is going to be. I was originally going to take it through the end of
the game, but now I'm not sure. I guess I'll see when I get there. I'll ponder this adding Rolf, too. ^_^

The next day started badly and only got worse. Ike
is awakened while it is still dark by a screaming argument nearby,
and when he hears his own name he starts actually listening to what
is being said. Titania seems to be arguing with someone about his
relationship with Soren and she is doing it at a very loud volume and
far too early in the morning. He groans and tries to bury his head
deeper into the pillow and go back to sleep. He does not want to
deal with this right now!

Now that he is awake, he
notices that Soren is lying beside him trembling, with his hands
clenched into fists. Then something seems to snap and he bolts out
of bed and starts to throw on his clothes, muttering something Ike
suspects he doesn't really want to hear under his breath.

Ike sits up and Soren turns
to him, so much rage in his eyes that they look aflame. Visions of
his advisors attempting to kill each other flash before his eyes and
he gets out of bed and grabs Soren in a hug that also conveniently
binds his arms and keeps him from leaving. Soren only struggles for
a moment, but his entire body is stiff and he is breathing hard.

“Wait,” Ike
whispers in his ear. “Don't do something you will regret.
I'll handle this.”

Soren starts to protest,
but then thinks better of it. Ike lets him go to get dressed and he
sits back on the bed, rubbing his arms where they ached from the
strength of his general's grip.

Ike only bothers with a
minimum of clothing and doesn't worry about combing his hair. “Wait
here for me,” he says firmly. “I'll be right back.”

He is nearly out of the
tent when he hears Mist's voice, too, and she sounds nearly
hysterical. “Stop it, stop it, stop it,” she shrieked in
a much higher-pitched voice than usual. “Don't say those
things about my brother!”

He can hear the tears in
her voice and he nearly runs out to find her. He comes up behind
Mist and gives her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “Mist,
don't, it's all right,” he says, trying to sound calm and in
control. If it were just him, he really would be calm, but the
reactions of those he loves has made him upset and angry, too.

“But Ike, didn't you
hear the things she was saying, in front of everyone?” Mist's
eyes seem huge and hurt and she really is crying, although he can
tell she is trying not to. Shit, this is so not how he had
envisioned starting the day.

When he sees the tears in
his sister's eyes, he has to take a few deep breaths before he thinks
he can speak with any measure of rationality. He wraps his arms
around Mist in a brief hug and looks at the situation in front of him
and tries to think. Titania had apparently been arguing with Rhys,
who had been looking uncomfortable the whole time. Titania herself
had fallen silent, although her eyes are still angry and her face is
flushed, nearly as red as her unbound hair.

“I'm sorry, Ike,”
Rhys said. “I was just trying to help her see the positive
side of your relationship, but clearly this was neither the time nor
the place. I didn't mean to wake you or upset anyone.”

“It's not your
fault,” Ike replied, and it really wasn't. Not that Rhys
shouldn't have known that Titania had a typical redhead's temper, but
he knew his intentions had been good. And if anyone could convince
her to change her mind, it would probably be Rhys. “I
appreciate what you are trying to do, but it isn't necessary. Let
her change her mind on her own or not.”

“But I -” he
started to protest, then lowered his gaze. “No, you are
probably right. I should have known better. I really am sorry.”
Rhys's smile is rueful. “I just wanted to make sure you were
happy.”

“I know,” Ike
said, and he did. “Really, it's okay.” He turns his
gaze on Titania, who meets it angrily, refusing to back down. “You,
on the other hand, should have known better. What on earth were you
thinking? I barely stopped Soren from coming out here to fry you.”

“I... wasn't really
thinking, I guess,” she said and actually sounded reasonable,
but then her next words came out in an angry rush. “But while
I shouldn't have said it where or how I did, I still meant every
word! And you, you clearly weren't thinking either, coming out here
looking like that!”

Ike looks at himself and
realizes it is very obvious that he had just come from his bed
without taking time to be presentable. But he doesn't think it is as
bad as Titania seems to think, nor that it necessarily suggests what
she thinks it does. He would look just the same had he slept alone
and had to dash out here in a hurry right after waking up. “In
the future,” he says shortly, not really trusting his voice,
“don't behave like this first thing in the morning and maybe I
will have time to care about how I look.”

He turns and strides back
to Soren's tent without looking back, leaving the others to stare
after him silently. Later, he is sure he will regret not staying to
comfort his sister, but then again, he is sure Rhys will do it and he
doesn't trust himself right now. He knows Titania is just trying to
protect him, but she is driving him crazy! He collapses, shaking,
once he is safely inside the tent. At least here he doesn't have to
pretend.

Soren takes him into his
arms, offering love and comfort and he takes it gladly. “I'm
sorry, too, Ike,” he says softly. “I shouldn't have
gotten so angry. She just said such awful things, about both of us.”

Ike turns to put his arms
around him and closes his eyes and for a long moment they just hold
each other. He feels his shoulders relax a bit and he pulls Soren
closer and leans down to kiss him. “It's okay,” he says
softly. “Remember, though, I won't leave you, no matter what
she or anyone else says.”

Soren still looks concerned
and he hates to see it. “But she said I was ruining your
future... that isn't true, is it? I don't want to make you unhappy.”

Ike's laugh is almost a
growl and he buries his face in his lover's hair before answering.
“You are my future,” he says, and is nearly
surprised by how much he means it.

An intense ruby gaze meets
his searchingly and seems reassured by his evident sincerity.
“Then,” he says hesitantly, looking away for a moment, “I
really should tell you something.”

Ike laughs, suddenly
feeling better. “What could you have to tell me that would be
so bad? Do you have another lover? Are you secretly married?”
He can't resist tracing the curve of Soren's ear with his tongue.

“No, nothing like
that.”

“Then it doesn't
matter.” Right now, trailing kisses along his jaw and down his
neck feels far more important than anything else.

Soren sighs softly and
closes his eyes. Maybe Ike is right and it isn't important at the
moment. They have so little time to themselves, after all. So he
helps Ike take his shirt off and tries not to think about how much
they shouldn't be doing this right now, or about anything else. For
just this short while, he tries to turn off his thought processes and
just feel the pleasure his lover gives so freely.

* * *

Afterwards, of course, they
both have to run off immediately. They are already late leaving and
both of them know that this was an indulgence they shouldn't have
allowed themselves. So when they hear the water and learn what it
means, it almost seems like it is somehow their fault, some sort of
karmic penalty. In the larger sense, of course it is their fault; if
they weren't here marching through this country and defeating the
troops thrown at them, no general would feel desperate enough to
flood his own people. Soren knows this, even if Ike doesn't; and
truthfully, he hopes he won't ask because he won't lie to him, but he
doesn't really want to tell him this either.

And then there was the
battle, which he is used to turning off his emotions for. If he
couldn't stop caring and look at war objectively, at least when
necessary, he would be a terrible strategist. Somebody has to
do it and it is his job and really, he is pretty used to it by
now. Some things may have changed, but not this. He can't afford to
let this change. Whatever else happens, they are still fighting a
war that they have to win.

This time, they do win,
although the devastation is terrible. Still, the advice he gives, to
move on without helping those who have had their homes and
livelihoods destroyed by the water, is only practical. Realistic.
Of course he sees the look Titania gives Ike, the one that so clearly
says, “I told you he was heartless” and asks how he could
love someone like that. But it won't change his mind, although it
does make him angry. The whole discussion makes him angry. They are
all so naïve, such children; how can they be like that? Because
they have him to be the adult, he supposes. Compassion is a weakness
in war and it always has a price and he can only hope the
price this time won't be too high. But he has to be practical and
realistic and ruthless, because no one else seems willing to be.
They can afford to be compassionate because he is practical for them.
He has to be strong so they can be weak. Soren knows this and has
known it for a long time, but today it makes him angry in a way it
hasn't before. He does what he does for the good of them all, but
the way they judge him for it hurts.

How does that silly little
princess think she will rule, anyway, he wonders. She wasn't taught
the things she should have been and knows so little about the
realities of ruling a country, much less war. He hopes she can find
someone to advise her, someone to fill the role for her and Crimea
that he does for Ike and the Greil Mercenaries. He doesn't know who
it will be, but surely someone like that must exist. He has no
intention of sticking around to do it!

He will make sure the aid
is given that Ike has ordered, of course, though he well knows that
it will do so little it isn't really worth it. Many people might not
take charity from the army that invaded their nation and killed the
troops protecting them. And what they could give wouldn't even begin
to make up for what had been lost. All it was good for was soothing
consciences. But that isn't his decision to make, so he makes the
arrangements.

Then he goes to his tent
and compiles the usual report on the battle, trying not to be angry,
not to feel anything at all. It is harder than it has been in a long
time. Maybe those who said a relationship right now was a bad idea
are right. He cannot afford to feel like this.

When at last Soren feels
ready, he goes to the command tent. And Ike is in there looking
completely overwhelmed and upset and all his effort is for nothing.
His heart twists and he finds himself wrapping his arms around him
almost without planning to, as though it is instinctual now, because
he cannot bear to see Ike hurt. And he thinks to himself that the
cost of love may be much higher than that of compassion.
- 3
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- 5
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The Truth Shall Set You Free