Prince of Fire Emblem: The Promise

[volleygenius]

Bunta let Lissa have the rest of their return trip to be as quiet or as talkative as she liked. She had a lot to digest, he imagines, between the arrangement itself and how her interactions with people were about to change with the addition of a ring to her finger. It's simpler for him. He pledged his life to the royal family a long time ago; this is just a new spin on an old loyalty.

For the remainder of the day, the second ring from Ishimitsu's store has stayed hidden in his pocket, out of sight until the sun is nearly set on the horizon, and the moon and stars are beginning to appear. That feels about right.

To call it a plan was an overstatement. He got a whim in the jeweler's and acted on it, and once it was in his pocket he thought of a good use for it, and that was that. He got it for her, at some point was going to give it to her, and he was going to make it count for something when he did.

So, rounding his way through the castle, he finally finds Lissa and gives her a casual salute of greeting.

"Yo. Can I borrow you for a minute? There's something you should see up top of the west tower."

Comments

[volleygenius]

Maybe it is a bit of a riddle. This isn't a confession, after all. The love he feels for her is genuine, but quite platonic. An engagement ring is an awkward prop for his purposes. He can make it work, though.

"Am I? Then, let me put it more plainly."

He takes a couple of steps in towards her, now that the ring box is safely clutched inside his fist.

"I bought this ring for you. When I give it to you, it's not just gonna be a present. I'm putting a lot on the line with it. It sounds like you're ready to accept the ring. But I'm not convinced you're ready to accept everything that's coming with it. This is a package deal."

The words are a bit bullying, but he says them with warmth and challenge in his eyes. They're not meant to tear her down, but to prod her into pushing herself up.

[didntaxyou]

Lissa takes a step back. If anybody else said these things to her, she'd be full-blown alarmed, but with Bunta? It's just a slight trepidation.

"I-I'm not at all sure what you mean, still..."

[volleygenius]

"No? Well, take a minute and think it over. There's time."

Is she misunderstanding again? He won't lie, it's a bit disappointing to see her back away and stutter. He doesn't press to reclaim the space she's put between them. He slides the box back into his pocket and heads to the sitting area, where he plops down in one of the chairs and lounges back, arms folded beneath his head and gaze at the blooming stars in the ever-cooling sky.

[didntaxyou]

"Well, now you just look disappointed," she muttered. She felt like a bit of a let-down. Which was nothing new, as much time as she spent standing next to a particularly perfect and well-beloved older brother...

"Maybe you'll be happier if you just give people gifts, instead of attaching all these expectations..."

[volleygenius]

"Ah, I see," he says mildly, without looking her direction. That's one bit of information that's helpful, at least.

"What expectations do I have?"

[didntaxyou]

"I don't know, they're your expectations! If you're not convinced I'm ready, then why'd you already buy the thing?"

If he's not going to look in her direction, she'll just... take the opportunity to deflate a little.

[volleygenius]

"You're the one who said they exist," he reasoned, somewhat nonplussed.

[didntaxyou]

"If you gimme that box, I'm going to throw it at you," she warned, beginning to be irritated at how calm he was. "How else am I supposed to interpret 'I'm not convinced you're ready?' Why do I need to be ready? Ready for what?"

Her arms crossed. "I don't know why this has to be complicated. Seiichi told me to do something and I'm doing it. There's nothing else to it."

[volleygenius]

Is he making this complicated? These words are going to mean more than the king ordered this. They should be on the same page about that. It seems simple enough.

Well, in that case, any lack of understanding on her part is entirely on him, isn't it? Let's fix that.

"That's fine, isn't it? You don't need to do more than that."

He shifts his head, looking her direction.

"This is different. I wasn't ordered to buy this ring for you. You already have one to wear for appearances."

[didntaxyou]

That made her stop and think for a moment.

"...I guess that makes sense," she said slowly. "I mean, if you don't have, like... things to pay for."

[volleygenius]

"Don't worry about how it was paid for. I wanted you to have it, and I'm choosing to give it to you."

He sits up to face her more frontally, posture open and relaxed.

"The promise that comes with it is the same way. That's all."

[didntaxyou]

She laughs nervously.

"You drag things out worse than Seiichi, you know that?"

But she can still joke with him like this, so it's not... not too nervous.

[volleygenius]

"No way," he says with a grin. That man was definitely supreme ruler in that field.

"In any case, that's the situation. If you understand, come sit down. I'll give you the ring."

[didntaxyou]

"Except for what you're actually, promising, maybe..."

She wrung her hands together, but she stepped forward. Wasn't quite ready to sit just yet, but she was getting there.

[volleygenius]

It's a good mood for what he intends to tell her. That nervousness he heard in her laugh is now visible in her body language-- feeling shy, seems like. Insecure, uncertain, but not dreading. Seems she understands that something important is about to happen. If that's the case, he's done his job.

Rather than tease or further bait her, he simply waits, watching with open invitation. If she needs the extra few moments to finish preparing herself, that's fine. There's a reason he's letting her be the one to come to him.

[didntaxyou]

Lissa takes a deep breath.

"I'm trying not to rush into things," she said ruefully. "Maybe I'm overcompensating over a little gift..."

But maybe she isn't. He is acting all serious, but...

She pulls another chair to face him directly, and sits, trying to channel all the royal dignity she can.

"I at least want to hear what you have to say."

[volleygenius]

From where Bunta sits, Lissa has gotten the right message that this is a bigger gesture than the downplaying she's doing with her words indicates. She has good energy for this conversation.

He extends his hand so that it rests palm up between them. Deep down, he knows who he's really doing this for. It's a slight disservice to her. But they have her best interests at heart, and he's not going to let it change the authenticity of what he says to her. His affection for her, his desire to protect and care for her in the event Yukimura fully loses his ability to, those are real. He focuses on that.

"Let me see your hand."

[didntaxyou]

"Like you've never seen it before," she joked, but before she can think twice, Lissa lays her hand over his.

It's not exactly a world-ending sensation. It's a little more... intimate than they usually are together, but it's still the same Bunta. Still warm and friendly and oozing good cheer.

[volleygenius]

"Heh," Bunta scoffs in enjoyment of her good humor. It helps, doesn't it? A reminder that they're still the same people, with the same friendship. Things are changing, but it doesn't have to be bad change. In fact, if he has anything to say about it, it's not going to get the chance to be.

Her hand feels delicate in his, her fingers slightly cool. Nerves, maybe. But strength hides inside the small, feminine shape. No grip that was merely dainty could handle the weight and force of an ax. Not unlike the princess herself, was it?

He guides her hand to an open palm as he fishes the ring box out of his pocket and places it there so that his hands gently encase hers holding the box. Intimate, yes, but that's appropriate here.

He takes one last moment for silence, making peace with his decision. He's resolved. He can love Yukimura enough to let him go, just a little. Just enough for this.

Unconsciously, his hands tighten a bit around Lissa's. It's affection and sincerity that he feels as he smiles at her, his eyes alight with energy.

"This ring is for you. When I saw it in Ishimitsu's shop today, I knew I wanted you to have it. We might just be friends, and the engagement just a ruse, but I'm not here to pretend about this. So this promise is for you, too."

Shifting his hands, he flips open the lid with his thumb, revealing the daisy ring of eight diamond petals and a fire opal center that he saw in the display case at the jewelry shop.

[didntaxyou]

"Oh, no!"

With absolute dismay, she slammed the box shut and looked at Marui in distress.

"What's my actual husband gonna do? He can't compete with a ring like this!"

Remembering her threat to throw it at him, she lifted the box menacingly.

"I can't believe you're wasting this on a FAKE engagement! What if you can't buy your real spouse a ring when the time comes? You're going to feel kinda silly then!"

[volleygenius]

Bunta knows he's chosen well if she's reacting like this. Listen to her. Waste.

"Gonna have to step up his game, isn't he?" Marui says, ignoring her questions about his own future and not looking one drop of sorry. He doesn't even flinch at her threat to throw it at him. Never falters in his smile. In fact, if anything, it grows into a full-fledged grin.

"I'm setting the bar here."

[didntaxyou]

She practically squishes the box between her hands. The goods are metal, she can't bend it. It's fine.

"Oh, why'd you bother with the other ring, then?" she wondered, wringing her hands, closed box still between them. "You could have just pointed this one out in the store like a normal person."

[volleygenius]

"Well, it's done, right?" He said dismissively, and in a complete evasion of the question itself. "More to the point, I have still one more thing to give you."

[didntaxyou]

"What's it gonna be, a new castle?" she asked, a little giddily. She cracked the box open to see the fire opal catch another sunbeam.

Throwing it could wait until she'd had her fill of looking at the pretty thing. Maybe even could wait for until she'd had her fill of wearing it where everyone could see and exclaim over it.

"You're gonna be lucky if my brother doesn't take this out of your pay!"

[volleygenius]

Lissa's elation is palpable and contagious. What a great mood to ride.

Leaving aside the question of who's paying for it (and Bunta has every confidence and expectation that it's Yukimura-covered-- just look at how happy it's made Lissa), he reaches out and gently reclaims her hand with the box, bringing it back into a loose clasp between his hands.

"I told you, right? This ring comes with a promise attached. Try and listen carefully; I'm serious about this."