Chapter 11 - Hope Rising

Chapter 11
Hope Rising

They were nearing Jarus when all of a sudden, a girl about 16 years of age appeared before them. “Greetings, Sierra, Marth, and Roy. I am Carmell.” She said, smiling. Her caramel-brown hair was up in a neat bun, and her knowing brown eyes made you focus in on what she was saying. “I’ve come to tell you something of great importance,” Carmell continued. “Tell us,” Sierra said. “You three are the Continental Guardians,” Carmell said. “What?” Roy asked. “Sierra, powerful in magic, you have the power of earth,” Carmell continued, ignoring Roy, “Marth, smart in many ways, you have control over ice and water. Roy, courageous like the lion, you have the element of fire at your fingertips.” “I still don’t get it…” Roy said again.
“Allow me to explain,” said Carmell, “Every generation, a new set of guardians are chosen to retain peace and harmony between the continents of fire, water, sun, and darkness. They have special magical abilities that no archsage can ever achieve, and they are normally non-royals that live in ordinary villages all over this region. This is the first time in 14 generations that royalty was picked in the guardianship.
“Sierra, Marth, Roy….you three have amazing adventures ahead of you, maybe even greater than the one’s you’ve experienced now. Take these rings. They may help you in more ways than you’ll ever know.” And with that, Carmell disappeared.
“Okay….what was that about?” Marth asked his friends. “She said we were guardians. I had read about them in my history books. They have such power that they can take away and give magical powers to and from other people….” Sierra said, then stopped. “I get it now!” Roy declared, “That’s why our power is so famous! It’s simply earth, ice, and fire! Think about it: in Ostia we found that each of our kingdoms had the top 3 magical powers in the continent. We also discovered our powers one-by-one; starting with Sierra, then me, and ending with Marth. We then had the ability to TAKE AWAY Ariella’s magic and set a new count on Aarona’s throne. See? We’ve settled peace here, like we were destined. I have a feeling that this magic can take us across the continent to unknown lands……and even to new continents altogether.”
“Boy, that was DEEP….” Marth said. “Anyways, we’ve got the Jarusian Ball tomorrow night, so I’ll introduce you to my parents and my beloved home! Come on!” Sierra said, beckoning Roy and Marth to accompany her into the palace. The castle itself was amazing. It sat on a cliff outside the Great Jarusian Lake, which opened up to the sea. It was tall, white, and the turrets were green with gold rims.
Now, the only way to get to high places like this was to go by horseless chariot. It was a technological breakthrough, as the “horse” was nothing but a supercomputer that hovered and carried both itself and the chariot wherever the driver wished. Sierra, Marth, and Roy boarded each of their own, and rode the mile-long trek up to the castle.
When they got to the entrance, the three royals were greeted with all due respect. They were royalty, after all.
Marth and Roy were introduced to Sierra’s maids, butlers, and personal chefs. They even got to enjoy a Jarusian luncheon under the afternoon sun. “WOW! This is where you got your berry pastry recipe, I bet!” said Roy, who was raiding the pastry dish. After their luncheon, they enjoyed a walk through the private gardens, and afterwards the three were to see Sierra’s parents.
The throne room was fixed up since the battle of Ariella versus the king and queen. It really was a battle, since the whole exile deal was a hoax. “Mom! Dad!” Sierra cried, throwing herself around their shoulders. “I’d like you to meet my new friends. This is Roy, lord of Pharae, and this is Marth, prince of Altea. Roy, Marth, these are my beloved parents, King Blaken and Queen Corina.” “My gracious!” the queen said, looking at the three. “You three are filthy! You all need quarters, and you’ll be getting special ones too. LINA!!! ALBERT!!!” Two servants, male and female, came bolting in, almost slipping on the marble floor. “Please set quarters for our guests, and prepare a bath for each of them. For Sierra, show her the new princess suite. The one I made for her.” Sierra was led, separate from the guys, into a beautiful suite, complete with a fountain and velvet curtains in every window. Sierra was definitely happy; she was home.
After they cleaned up, Sierra, Marth, and Roy were in different clothes, other than their usual armor. Sierra had a simple green sleeveless knee-length dress which had a dragon detail on it. She had her knight’s crown on, and matching jade earrings. Marth had a blue tunic on, but it was made in Jarusian fashion, although it had the altean crest on the front. Roy’s tunic was crimson, with flames at the sleeves and trim, and it had the seal of Pharae, and was also made in the Jarusian style. “Guys, I just realized something,” Roy said. “What is it?” Marth asked his friend. “This is the first time any of us have seen each other in tunics without armor,” Roy said. They were silent for a second, then they laughed. Yes, they were going to have many firsts together, but that was just one out of many.

That night, when Sierra fell asleep in her quarters, Roy and Marth met up to see what they wanted to order for the tailoring in the morning. Roy had made sure that Sierra wouldn’t order anything, so he could make a dress for her. “What color and style of fabric should I use, Marth?” Roy said, dismayed by the velvet, satin, and silk before him. “I say use silk, and have a velvet lining. It’s what they do around here,” Marth said. “That sounds great! But bad news….I can’t even sew! I can’t even tell the difference between pins and needles!” Roy said, distraught. “This is where magic comes in handy!” Marth declared, loud enough for the main servants Albert and Lina to hear, “We’re going to use magic to make Sierra’s dress. It’ll be mostly your doing, and we’ll use enchanted fabric so it’ll fit Sierra perfectly! Plus, we have things like beads, fur, and other trims. Ready, my friend?” Marth said, levitating the fabric in the air. “Sure! Let’s do it!” Roy said, and he took the fabric and levitated the silk himself. The piece of green fabric billowed and rolled in the air like liquid crystal as Roy worked with the silk, imagining every seam where it should be, imagining what sort of outfit Sierra would like. Finally, as a finishing touch, he put glittering flames at the hem. “There! We’ll leave this at the tailor in the morning to make sure it’ll be okay for the ball,” Marth said, “but who’s Sierra’s escort?” “I am,” Roy said, smiling nervously. “Really? That’s great! Because I’m going to teach you how to walk like one! And Jarusian etiquette too! I mean, taking all the pastries at lunch was fine for today, but who knows? If you did that at the ball tomorrow, a royal might reconsider his vacation to Pharae!” Marth said, excited. It was a world of new things for Roy, especially since he was going to be marquess someday, and this was probably the worst.

The next morning, Roy barely stayed awake during breakfast. He excused himself to take Sierra’s new dress to the tailor for extra work, and he dozed off in his room. Sierra and Marth spent the rest of the day debating with the tailor and each other over Marth’s clothes. “I say you should have kings’ attire. I mean, you’re basically IN LINE for king, and by some standards you could be king right now. But then again, Altea’s customs are a tad different when it comes to their heirs…” Sierra thought aloud. “Nonetheless,” Marth said, “I should have Altean style clothing. I’m proud of my country, and I’m not afraid to show it in my attire.” “Okay, we’ll dress you up like a young king, and we’ll do it Altean style….” The tailor said as she wrote down the style. “You’ll come back before lunch for alterations. The Pharaen lord has them after lunch. Sierra, you don’t need to order anything. I have your dress right here at the back.” When she said those words, Roy bolted in. “Can I see the green dress?” Roy panted. “Of course,” said the tailor, and she gave him a package, “It’s alright, and no other changes were added. See you at alterations!”
“What is this, Roy?” Sierra said, pointing at the package. They were sitting against the wall outside the door to the Great Hall. “It’s your present from me, for being such a great friend. Here, open it!” Roy said, placing the package in Sierra’s lap. She ripped open the box, and inside was a beautiful green strapless dress, complete with glittering flames at the bottom of the hem. “It’s….so….beautiful! Oh, Roy! I love it!” Sierra said, throwing her arms around his now-armored shoulders. “Well, at least I don’t have alterations, since the fabric is enchanted. I’ll look amazing! And so will you!” she continued. “I have alterations after lunch...but that’s okay! We’ll be ready when the clock strikes 8:00! That’s when we walk out together!” Roy said, grinning.

It was 7:45, and the whole great hall was changing, preparing for the guests to come. Tables were pushed back, and round tables were scattered throughout the whole area. The Ballroom was only a small stairwell away, and it was decorated to the hilt. Sierra and Roy sat with their backs against the railing, waiting for the clock to strike 8. “I’m so nervous, Roy! Sierra said, pulling her cloak around her. “Don’t be!” Roy said, smiling, “They’ll love you, as they should. You are princess, after all…you get to rule this party!” Sierra smiled. She could always count on Roy for cheering her up. And it was many years more that both he and Marth would be of service to her, as the three of them were guardians of the continent and beyond.

At 7:54, Marth came to check on Roy and Sierra. “You guys have six minutes more. In a couple of minutes from now, guests will start pouring in by the dozens. You guys look great!” Marth said, giving them the thumbs-up. Marth had on pale blue princely robes that glistened in the light, and they complimented his simple crown. After Marth left, Sierra and Roy got up and waited in the hall. When Roy turned to look, already had twenty nobles come through the palace door.
Sierra’s father gave a welcome speech, that was thought to last for at least a lifetime, or so Sierra said to Roy, then backed down. A crier blew a horn and said, “May the Kingdom of Jarus now present the princess Sierra, and her escort Roy, lord of Pharae!” “You ready?” Sierra said to Roy, linking her arm into his. “I’m game if you are!” Roy said, with a smile, and the curtains drew upwards. There they stood, and walked down the beautiful gold staircase. Roy’s outfit was simply regal, as it was a shimmering, crimson, long-sleeved, armorless version of what he usually wore. Sierra’s dress gleamed all the more in the lights, and once they touched the floor, gave a bow and curtsy, nobles politely clapped.
“And now,” Sierra’s father said, “it is these two who shall have the first dance.” A little nervous, yet a little more confident, the two stepped out onto the dance floor. They danced to a slow beat, and once every other noble gradually walked onto the floor, the real party began.
The people who attended that were friends to the SMR were as follows: Raia, who danced with her brother, Marcus, who kept to himself; Nadia, who was liberated from Dolua’s shadow law and kept to herself also.

It was pure magic that brought on what happened after the ball, for Roy had an experience all his own….

Roy found himself sitting in a dark room, alone. Was it a dream? He couldn't tell. Suddenly, a figure on a white horse rode up to him, and dismounted. It wasn't himself that Roy saw, but his father. "Dad?" Roy stammered, in shock. "Roy....how much you've grown since I last saw you..." Eliwood said, smiling, "I suppose you're wondering why I'm here in your dreams. Do you remember when you were promoted? What they said?" Roy thought a moment, and managed to say, "H-here's Roy, lord of p-pharae..." "That's right," Eliwood said, "but what's missing?" Roy thought some more, then shouted, "they never said I was marquess!" "Exactly. You know what that means?" said Roy's father, "No? That means I'm still alive." Roy took those words in as if he would never grasp them again. "But where are you, father?" Roy asked him, confident again. "Not on the fire continent, but I'm still in the region. Roy....you and your friends have many adventures ahead. I still believe that this is only the beginning of the wondurous life you're about to lead," Eliwood said. "Dad...I have so much I want to share with you! Like the time I teleported Marcus back to Aarona! Using magic! That was awesome," Roy said, feeling happier by the minute, then his hapiness dropped when he asked, "Will I ever see you again? In dreams?" "Of course, Roy. Not only here, but in the real world also. Don't worry, I'll see you again," said Eliwood, and with that, he rode off into the blackness of Roy's dreams. And after that happened, the dark room instantly turned into a meadow. Roy's dream world was alive again, as he slept peacefully the rest of the night.

Roy was happier than ever. His father had returned to his thoughts, and made them truly happy again. And, as Eliwood said, it was only the beginning for the adventures of the SMR.

The End.

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