The Forgotten Zodiac

((Elincia, you just gave birth. Now is too early to get pregnant again.))

"Of course, I do. What else would I do?" Ike returned Elincia's smile. After quickly changing from his clothes, which he had worn since morning the day before, and into his nightclothes. He climbed into the bed next to his wife, looking somewhat jealous as he realized Greil's crib was on her side of the room. "Good night, love." The King's face froze and he ammended his statement. "Morning? Afternoon? What do I say when we're sleeping at this time?"

"You say, 'Sleep well, I'll see you when I wake up'," Elincia said, smiling and turning to face him. She nestled her head against his shoulder and rested her hand on her arm. She gave a small smile and a sigh and closed her eyes.

For Ike, the past week had been absolutely wonderful. Greil had been born, there were all sorts of interesting guests visiting, and Greil had been born. Currently, he was charging his way through the halls of Melior toward the throne room. According to the schedule he begged Elincia into giving him, she and the baby would both be there, which meant he could get baby-adoring time between his training, eating, and and all the activities that had come with being Crimea's king.
Ike bounced up to Elincia and stared pointedly at Greil. "Hi, dear. I love you. You're wonderful and beautiful. Can I hold him now? Please?" He bent his knees to put himself on eye level with Elincia and made his best "please can I have it" face. Previous to Greil's birth, he had used it to get cookies or random pieces of food; but it had gotten much more useful once Greil was born. Now he got baby-holding rights.

For Ike, the past week had been absolutely wonderful. Greil had been born, there were all sorts of interesting guests visiting, and Greil had been born. Currently, he was charging his way through the halls of Melior toward the throne room. According to the schedule he begged Elincia into giving him, she and the baby would both be there, which meant he could get baby-adoring time between his training, eating, and and all the activities that had come with being Crimea's king.
Ike bounced up to Elincia and stared pointedly at Greil. "Hi, dear. I love you. You're wonderful and beautiful. Can I hold him now? Please?" He bent his knees to put himself on eye level with Elincia and made his best "please can I have it" face. Previous to Greil's birth, he had used it to get cookies or random pieces of food; but it had gotten much more useful once Greil was born. Now he got baby-holding rights.

Elincia offered her husband a warm smile. She handed over their child, who was currently sleeping, and gave a solid point to the throne next to her. There was currently no one else in the throne room, but with the refugees camping around Melior, Elincia practically expected nobles of all backgrounds and ambitions to be on her doorstep. Word had traveled as far as Begnion, she knew, for Bastian had received word of the flood of newcomers and had taken it with him to Sienne's court. She hadn't given him leave to mention this... organized chaos, but Bastian never really did close his mouth, so visitors were to be expected.

"How did your training go?" she asked after Ike sat down, looking over at him and enjoying any sort of pleasent conversation she could have.

Ike plopped into the seat immediately, stroking Greil's thin, emerald green hair. "It went fine," he replid, a sudden melancholy in his tone. He turned his gaze back to Elincia, looking distinctly pouty. "How come Greil doesn't look like me? Does this happen to every first born? Will the next one look like me?" The father stared skeptically down at his child, who he still absolutely adored. "...He looks more like Mist than he does me," Ike muttered, frowning at the baby and willing him to change his hair and eye color.

Elincia leaned forward slightly, smiling at their son. "But he <i>does</i> look like you, Ike. I mean, just look at that cute little nose!" she gushed. She smiled up at her husband, then tweaked his nose gently. "It looks <i>just</i> like yours!" she insisted. She leaned back with a sigh, then answered his question. "I don't know. I don't think every first born looks like the mother. We can test that after Ritz and Lucia have their kids," she said, nodding.

Ike brightened slightly and felt his nose carefully, wrinkling it as he did so. "Really? My nose is that adorable?" He looked at her, then down at the sleeping Greil and his pouty expression immediately fell away. Tenderly, Ike leaned down and kissed his son on the forehead, breathing in the smell of soap and baby powder that currently represented his child. He grinned like a seven year and turned to Elincia again. "Did you have anything else to do today, or can we just stay here like this for the rest of the day?"

"I told Ritz I would come visit with her this afternoon," Elincia replied. "As much as I would love to stay with you..." she offered him a smile, before continuing, "I am afraid this prior obligation is rather binding." The young Queen looked out the window the gauge the time, before standing and facing Ike. "Can you hold down the castle while I'm away? We may have more visitors, just tell them I'll be back soon if any come," she said, knowing Ike's political skill. "Or otherwise show off Greil. He makes everyone happy," she said, smiling and nodding to herself.

"You're leaving me again?" Ike's tone deflated again, and he stared at Elincia in shocked disappointment. Rather than merely whine his way into getting her to stay, Ike held Greil to his chest and stood up from the throne, expertly showing that he could manage the lip of the drop off. This was no small feat, for this lip had been throwing Ike on his face for nearly a year, to the great amusement of his wife. "Just go get the- the thing that straps the baby to me. I'll be careful."
Knowing that alone would not be enough to convince his wife, Ike hastily scanned the room for someone to hold the fort down as Elincia desired. After nearly sixty seconds of looking, Ike spied Lucia passing in the hall. "Lucia! Hey, Lucia! Can you c'mere?" He hailed his sister-in-law, delighted to have found a way to fit Elincia's second-most obvious problem with his joining her.
Lucia spun in the hallway and quickly joined the couple at their places. "Yes, Ike? Can I help you with something?" She mostly expected he was calling on her to convince his wife she was wrong about something. The few places Ike and Elincia disagreed, there was rarely any hope of either giving in. When someone did give in, it was almost always Ike; for he had neither the knowledge nor the stamina to properly the Queen.

"You'll wear the sling?" Elincia asked, looking slightly appalled, slightly impressed with her husband. She had opened her mouth to voice her next concern, but Ike was already calling to a possible solution. The young Queen turned and smiled at her sister, wondering if Lucia would do her this favor.

"Lu, I'm supposed to go visit with Ritz, and Ike insists that he must come," she said. "Do you think you could remain in here and direct any nobles that might come in to the council room, where I will be able to meet with them after my break?" she asked.

Lucia nodded and smiled, looking completely ambivalent. "Why not? I don't have anything else to do." Before she gave her complete okay to that offer, she added one requirement onto it. "I'm not standing the whole time. Can I use one of your thrones?" She'd pretended to be Elincia often enough during their childhood, so it didn't seem like such a big jump now.
Ike nodded enthusiastically, directed at both Elincia and Lucia. "Sure, I'll wear the sling! I don't care that it's a girl thing, 'cause then I can hold my baby." The father beamed at the his baby and looked up at Elincia, still being super careful not to drop his child. "Can you go get the sling? You don't like me walking when I have Greil unsecured."

Elincia smiled gratefully at her sister, saying, "Yes, of course, feel free to sit down." She touched Lucia's arm in another small show of thanks, before turning back to Ike. "I'll get it, I'll get it," she assured, turning to leave the room. "Don't go anywhere, I'll be right back!"

True to her word, the Queen returned in only a few moments, carrying the white swath of fabric and draping it around Ike's shoulder. "There you go, happy?" she asked.

Ike crouched slightly, to make up for the height difference, but otherwise held still while Elincia positioned the fabric. Once she had it position, he placed Greil inside it carefully, so the circle of cloth cocooned the child against his chest. Ike examined the arrangement carefully, then took Greil's blanket, which he'd left draped over his throne, and tucked it around the child. "In case there's wind," he explained. "Thanks, Lucia." Ike proffered his arm to Elincia, but his attention remained on Greil. "Do you think we should get him a cape? That way, he wouldn't get cold; he could stay warm even if we forgot his blankets."
Lucia smiled at Ike's antics and settled into Elincia's throne, which was still situated to be comfortable to a pregnant woman. "Have fun, you two," she called before settling back and wondering vaguely whether or not Soren would be that devoted to their child. She hoped so; but, every now and then, she wasn't sure he actually wanted the baby.

"A cape?" Elincia asked, wrapping her arm around Ike's. She thought about it for a moment, before laughing. "Maybe when he's a bit older. For now, I think I can remember the blanket," she assured. She smiled up at her husband, though.

"It'd make him look just like you," she said. "Even though he already does. I bet he'll grow up acting like you, too," she added, nudging him lightly with her elbow as they made their way out of the castle and to the large tent that Ritz and Marche had been staying in. Elincia had offered them a room in the castle, but they had refused, wanting to be with the rest of their people. She found this admirable, expecially considering that Ritz would be due soon. Wanting to maintain good relations, the Queen often visited the two, walking among the Ivalician people as she did so. She did no want to seem threatening or unapproachable to the refugees, so she made it a point to come often.

The refugee camp was set up in a large circle outside Melior castle, a near-perfect circle for Mewt had directed the entire process carefully. The outer rim were the remaining soldiers, running a constant guard through the night. As Mewt had explained, both to his people and to Elincia, this had nothing to do with a lack of trust. However, those from Ivalice were still at war and would behave accordingly. The second layer was composed of the single individuals, divided by gender. The third layer was for families, which were to remain unfractured unless a parent was on guard duty. The fourth layer, Ike and Elincia's destination, was the political center and, as much as he protested it, the location of Mewt's tent. He had tried, quite desperately, to locate himself in the second layer, where he belonged; but Marche had pointed out the security risk combined with the truth that, realistically, Mewt would be sleeping in his tactical tent anyway. There was no reason not to make it official. Eventually, the prince had succumbed to his guard's demands and situated his tent there, though he had demanded his personal tent be the smallest one available.
Because of this positioning, it took Ike and Elincia nearly thirty minutes to make their way through the camp. Ike's worries about Greil freezing were quickly soothed for, if anything, the day was a little warm for his taste. Her husband and child's attendance did slow Elincia down, for nearly every person they passed stopped them to thank them for their hospitality and offer them advice, food, clothing, ointment, and all variety of items for the baby. Like Elincia had said earlier, Greil made everyone happy; and the Ivalicians latched onto any happiness they could find.
When they finally found Ritz, she was sitting just outside Mewt's council tent, looking incredibly bored. She brightened significantly when she saw them coming, and she stood from her chair to greet them both. "Elincia! Ike!" She gasped when she saw the baby, for his carrier originally blended with Ike's shirt. "You brought Greil!"

"We brought Greil," Elincia confirmed with a smile, picking up the pace slightly to get to a more conversation appropriate distance. With a whispered promise that she would give him right back, Elincia took Greil from Ike and held him out to Ritz. "Would you like to hold him?" she asked, smiling warmly at the soon-to-be mother.

((I am so tired this is all I can do -flop- ))

((That's okay.))

"I'd love to," Ritz replied immediately. Before she had the opportunity to take Greil, a loud bang filled the air. To those familiar with it, it was eminently recognizable. The familiar sphere spread across the grass in front of Mewt's tent, causing several people to scramble out of the way. Luckily, considering the confined space, this dome was one of the smallest so far. They'd yet to see what happened when the spell pushed into pre-existing objects, but no one wanted to find out.
A stream of people came out of the council tent in response to the noise: Mewt, Marche, Syl, Soren, as well as assorted political figures. At Marche's quick direction, soldiers surrounded the dome as it faded.
When it did, Alexander stood alert in the center, dressed in full mage armor. His sword hung from one hand and large, sharp pieces of ice were embedded in the earth around him, having been brought through by the spell. His armor, which he normally kept in excellent, glossy condition, was scratched and tarnished; the cloth pieces were ripped; and the metal ones were dented and dirty. The noble's longish, red hair had been cut shorter, jaggedly, as if done with a knife, and it too was dirty.
In contrast, the girl at his side was much cleaner, though still hardly a paragon of cleanliness. Her long, blonde hair was tucked inside a traditional hunter's cap. The green shirt she wore hung long and was rolled up high at the sleeves, clearly modified to fit her. Her boots came up to just below the knee, where her multi-pocketed shorts dropped over them. She held a great bow in one hand, tightly strung; and her face bore an expression of grim decisiveness. As dangerous as the two appeared right then, Alexander immediately tosses his sword forward, to the feet of one of the soldiers in front of him. The girl did the same, un-stringing it first and tossing it a little more gently. "Be careful with that. It's worth much more to me than you are."

Soren, who had noticed Ike, Elincia, and Greil's presence despite the ensuing chaos of the new black dome, gave the royal family a nod, then turned to face the newcombers with his hand on his tome. It did not lower despite Soren's recognition of Alexander and the way he and the girl surrendered their weapons - after all, it could easily be a ruse, and since he didn't know the girl and considering Alexander's condition... though he had considered Alexander more than capable of defending himself.

It never hurt to be careful. And Soren didn't want anyone to pay for mistakes that he had made.

However, while he kept his tome in his hand, his defensive stance did relax considerably, and he allowed the situation be taken over by the Ivalicians. He probably would have anyways, but with the King and Queen and their infant so close by, and Soren being the only Tellius retainer nearby, the mage knew it was his responsibility to defend them. After all, the Queen made it a point to not bring a weapon with her when she visited the refugee camp, and it seemed Ike had followed her on this point.

Soren almost laughed when he considered how threatening the Commander must look, unarmed and with a baby sling around his torso. The mage's inhibitions held him in check, though, and he knew that if danger arose, Ike would do anything he needed to to protect his family.

But all of this was likely unneeded, as the two that had come through the portal were already being handled by Marche and Mewt.

It took the girl much longer to disarm herself than it had taken Alexander. While her bow was her main weapon, she was also surrendering her quiver, the entire contents of her pockets, and the boot knife carried. "'Xander, have I missed anything? Bow, arrows, knife, potions," she counted off on her fingers. "No, I think that's it."
Alexander, after waiting for his companion to fully relinquish her weapons, lowered his hands from the air, where he had been holding them to prove his peaceful intentions. "Hello, Mewt. I'm deserting, so you're stuck with me now." He was referring to Mewt's speech, just days after war was officially declared, offering amnesty to any defectors from his enemies' side. "Also, I brought you these." The noble, for he was until the outcome of the war was certain, lifted the satchel he was carrying and tossed it to Marche. "Those are their current defensive strategies. They seem to think Mewt just hid everyone in the canyons of Ambervale and in Materiwood, so it works out that you kept those transport spells hidden." Looking entirely unimpressed the circle of soldiers around him, Alexander walked out of it, pushing their blades out of the way with his hand.
Marche caught the case easily, opened it to be sure of its contents, and handed it off to Mewt. When Alexander sauntered out of the circle, Marche placed himself in front of the mage, eyeing him critically. "Be that as it may, I'll need you to come with me." He motioned for two of the soldiers to follow him and led Alexander off, knowing Syl and Mewt could handle whoever the girl was.
In fact, Syl was already handling that situation. She too had meandered her way between the guards, but she had deliberately come out by her old acquaintance. "Hello, Isabella," he greeted her, tone deliberately cold and formal. "It's nice to see you grew a conscience since I've known you. We can talk over here." He gestured at a tent off to the side of the council tent, typically used for research or sleep, and waved at one of the soldiers to follow him as well.
Ritz, much more relaxed than Soren, craned her neck to see who had arrived. Once she identified them both, she turned to Elincia to explain. "You recognize Alexander, Syl's half-brother. The girl with him is Isabella Albrecht, one of the best archers in a clan and one of the few Hume females to be seriously involved in a clan." She watched as Syl led Isabella off and paused, looking thoughtful. "That's got to be an interesting conversation. They were pretty good friends, before Syl had his falling-out with Alexander."
Ike, through the whole scene, had placed himself in front of Elincia and Greil, arms crossed against his chest. Now that the danger was averted, he turned back to the group and, more specifically, his wife. "Is Ritz holding him, or can I have him back?" He demanded, refering, again, to Greil.