The market was bustling, with crowds of people struggling to get past each other. Stalls were lined up with customers, each of them anxious to hurry with their purchases. A variety of items were being sold; ranging from common fruits to, crazy enough, weapons for self protection.
Someone who has often visited this busy castle town would obviously grow tired of the constant crowds, but this was never the case for Ike.
Grabbing his father's hand tightly, he intently stared at the bustling market before him. His eyes shone with a childlike charm; the young boy always felt a sense of excitement at this place. Ike could care less about the packed area; all his interest was focused on all the potential gifts he could get today.
Ike felt a squeeze in his hand and looked up to his father, who seemed like a giant compared to the little toddler. His face was adorned with wrinkles and a scar from previous battles crossed the side of his forehead. Greil always seemed to be the intimidating type, but the warm smiles he gave Ike made the little boy feel content and happy.
In return to his father's smile, Ike responded with a big grin.
Greil chuckled lightly at this. "What are you waiting for, son? Aren't you going to look around the market? You only get this opportunity once a year, you know."
Ike nodded, knowing the effort his father put in to get him to the castle town every year. The both of them lived on the outskirts of the kingdom, in a small village not known by many besides its inhabitants. The castle town was very far from their home; so far that both Ike and Greil had to wake up early at dusk in order to get to the town before noon. Not only that, but they made the trek on foot. However, despite the difficulties and exhaustion from the trip, little Ike believed it was all worth it in the end.
The two began to walk through the market, taking in all the sights. Ike quickly darted his eyes back and forth, taking interest in all the shops and stalls. But one particular stall caught his eye.
"Papa? What's that?" Ike pointed to a rather empty stall compared to the others, with only one or two customer interested in its sales. The older man looked in its direction, figuring it was a weapon shop due to the swords, shields, and other military items being displayed. Greil chuckled in amusement. "Now why would you be interested in that?"
"Because," Ike paused to look back up at his father. "I want to be a strong soldier like you, Papa!" Greil could only smile warmly at this. "I am glad you have such big aspirations, Ike. But you know I left that job to take care of our family. When you were born, you and your late mother were my priorities." Greil began to reminiscence back to the days when he was a proud army general of Altea.
Ike cocked his head. "But couldn't you have just stayed as a soldier? I mean, to protect us?" The older man laughed. "Well, even if I wanted to, I couldnt." Greil gestured to the old, faded scar on the side of his forehead. "See this? This is one of the many painful injuries I earned from fighting for the kingdom."
"So.. You don't want me to become a soldier?" Ike inquired, a sad tone in his voice. Greil shook his head. "It's not that. I'm just reminding you that fighting for the kingdom, as brave as it is, leaves permanent scars."
Ike turned back to look at the swords displayed by the stall. "Well, if I can't become a brave soldier, at least I can learn to protect our family!" He said happily. Greil smiled. "I will get a training sword for you, if that's what you would like. However, I need to check with the salesperson to see how much it is. Let's hope we saved enough money to buy it."
Ike nodded, giddy. He couldn't wait to get the sword and learn to fight with it with his father's techniques. Greil crouched down to Ike's level. "If you would like, you can wander around the market on your own while you wait for me," He suggested. "Just make sure you don't get lost, and you return to me as soon as you're done. Got it?"
"Yup!" Ike agreed. Greil proceeded to stand up and get in line to purchase the sword. Ike looked around, noticing the crowds have gotten even bigger.
But something caught his eye; it was a small, cloaked, figure peeking out of an alleyway on his far right. Ike became immediately curious. The figure was short, so it seemed like it was a kid around Ike's size, maybe a bit shorter. But what was it doing?
Suddenly, Ike heard loud, sudden footsteps come from the alley on his left. Royal guards. He could tell by the silver armor and royal emblem painted on their shoulder plates. They were marching around the market, seemingly looking for something. Or someone. Ike shot his gaze back to the figure in the alleyway, only to find it was gone. Now there was something definitely up.
Once the soldiers passed, Ike immediately bolted to the alleyway the figure was previously at. He looked through the alley, only finding that the alley was a shortcut to the other side of the market. Making sure his father wouldn't notice, he entered the alleyway and came out to the other side of the market. This side of the town was bustling with people just as its opposite. Ike's eyes darted around, searching for that cloaked figure. He spotted another small alleyway on the far right, but it looked like it was located near the back of a house.
Feeling something in his gut, Ike dodged running into any people and slowed down when he got near the small opening between the house and the wall right next to it. He peeked around the corner, and bingo; the cloaked figure was right there, curled up in a ball.
"Hey," Ike greeted. The figure jumped from surprise, and Ike swore he heard a little yelp. The figure immediately turned to him, and now Ike could see the face under the hood. It was... a girl? Ike wasn't too sure. The hood was covering it, but Ike could spot that this girl had long, deep blue-ish turquoise bangs. Their eyes were wide and scared, and Ike observed they had rather long eyelashes.
"I- Who are you?!" The kid managed to let out, their voice high and shaky. Not wanting to scare the poor thing, Ike slowly made his way into the alley and crouched down to the figure's level. He held out his hand, trying to make sure he didn't seem threatening. "I'm Ike."
The figure seemed hesitant to respond, but eventually held out their hand to shake Ike's hand. "Who are you? Are those royal guards looking for you?" Ike questioned. The figure nodded, still slightly intimidated by Ike's sudden presence. "Did you do something bad? Why are they looking for you?" Ike asked, curious.
"I-I'm not a thief! I swear!" The kid squeaked. "I'm.. just.." Their words trailed off, and they looked away from Ike's gaze, embarrassed. To Ike's surprise, the kid took a deep breath and yanked their hood down. They had long, blueish, turquoise hair draping down past their shoulders. Their bangs covered his/her eyes, with longer strands of hair hanging on the sides of their face.
"I.." Ike was appalled. "Are.. you a girl?" He asked. This seemed to offend the kid, as they turned their head to shoot a glare at Ike. "I am not a girl! A boy! I'm a boy!" The long-haired boy turned around and huffed. Clearly this was a question that bugged him often. "I-I'm sorry, it's just that your hair.." Ike apologized hastily, his voice trailing off.
"I don't understand, why does everyone judge me for my hair?" The boy began ranting. "I like my hair! So what if it's long?" The boy crossed his arms, frustrated.
"I didn't mean to hurt your feelings.. I think your hair looks nice." Ike complimented. This threw the other boy off. No one has actually complimented his hairstyle before. "I.. Thank you," He mumbled bashfully. A sudden wave of guilt hit him; he shouldn't have been so quick to jump to conclusions.
There was an awkward silence between the two until Ike decided to break it. "So? What's your name?" Ike asked.
"M-Marth..." The boy replied. He seemed like the shy type.
Ike raised his eyebrows. "You're not from here, are you?"
Marth hesitated before nodding. He was obviously hiding something. Ike decided to interrogate him more. "Where are you from?"
"Um... the castle.."
Ike's eyes widened. "The castle?!" Marth nodded slowly. "Y-You're royalty?!" Ike exclaimed, completely stunned. Again, the younger boy nodded. Ike was at a loss of words. Everything made sense now. The cloak, the hiding from the royal guards; Marth had escaped from the castle.
"Wait, you're running away?" Ike asked, dumbfounded. Marth shook his head. "No, not that. I'm not running away from home, I'm just kinda stalling so I can stay here longer." The messy haired boy gave Marth a questioning look.
"Well, it's just, the castle town seems and market seems so interesting! I never have the time to leave the castle, and when I do, I don't have a lot of time to explore." Marth's eyes glinted with excitement. "I wanna see how all the people live! It seems so much more lively than back home.." Marth's eyes averted, and suddenly the sparkle in his eyes was gone.
Ike always thought being born into royalty would be an amazing and wealthy life, but sensing Marth's sudden sadness when mentioning his home had him thinking there was more to it than that.
Before Ike could question anything, the familiar sound of clinking of metal began to approach. The guards were nearby. Marth immediately tensed up. "Oh no! They're here.." He whispered. Ike abruptly turned his head towards the shorter boy. "Stay quiet! And put your hood on!" Ike hissed.
Marth was surprised at his sudden demands, but quickly draped the hood over his head without question. He pulled it up as much as possible in order to cover his face. Ike took a seat next to him, listening for the footsteps of the guards. Because he was a bit taller than Marth, his figure would cover Marth and anyone who would glance into the alley would barely see the other boy.
The metal clinking only seemed to get louder. Marth was getting more anxious by the second, letting out raggedy breaths. The footsteps got louder and louder.
A guard suddenly came into Ike's view. There were a few others behind him, but far enough that they were out of the view from the alley. "Hey, kid." He said rather bluntly. Ike shot a look at him. "You seen the royal prince anywhere? He's on the run. About your size, too."
"If I saw some royal prince running around the market, I think I would have noticed." Ike replied coldly, his tone harsh. He was hoping if he came off intimidating then they wouldn't bother interrogating him any longer. The guard raised his eyebrows. "Calm down, boy. I'm only asking." It was subtle, but Ike could hear Marth's
anxious breathing next to him.
"How would I know?" Ike questioned, his glare still fixated on the guard. The older man merely rolled his eyes. "Youth these days..." He muttered under his breath. Ike heard this, but chose to ignore it. He wanted to come off as intimidating, but not enough that he would get in trouble for it.
The guard shook his head in disappointment. "Well, I tried." Without another word, the guard turned around and left. Ike waited for a moment after the man left, just in case another soldier would pop his head in. When all was clear, Ike whispered, "You can take your hood off now."
Marth slowly took off his hood, releasing a relieved sigh. "Ike.. Thank you.." Marth said quietly. Ike turned around to face Marth. "No worries!" Ike's intimidating look from before had now shifted into a big grin. "I was so scared he would notice me.." Marth admitted. "I don't know how you did it, but you saved me!"
Ike cheekily scratched the back of his neck. "Hehe. I didn't even know I could pull it off."
"There must be something I could do for you!" Marth exclaimed. "You know, in return for what you did for me!"
"There's not much you can do.."
Marth huffed. "I don't wanna hear it! I'm returning the favor, and there's nothing you can do to convince me otherwise!"
Ike chuckled awkwardly. He knew Marth was not going to let up on this, and he was supposed to return to his father soon. Ike didn't want to worry him. "I'm happy you want to help, but I kinda have to go back to my father.."
"Then I'll go with you. I'm not letting you leave this market without a gift from me!"
"Please don't follow me.. I'm serious, I got to get back to my dad. He'll get worried."
Marth stared at Ike with a disappointed expression. "Fine.. I'll let you go for now, but I WILL return a gift to you! Someday!"
"Well.. Hopefully we see each other again. But I got to go, okay? See you someday." Ike stood up and quickly waved. Then he left the alley quickly, not allowing Marth to respond. "Wait-" Marth stopped his sentence, watching Ike leave hastily.
___
Ike ran around the streets of the market, looking for the stall that his father had previously been. After running around some more and accidentally running into a few strangers, the boy finally found the shop with the swords. To his surprise, his father wasn't there. Ike frantically looked around.
"Hey kiddo, I was just looking for you," Greil's voice came from behind Ike. Ike quickly turned around to see his father, smiling. "Did you get the sword?" Ike immediately asked. Greil's smile faded a little as he crouched down to Ike's size. "I'm sorry son.. We don't have enough money."
A feeling of sadness tugged at Ike's heart. He was really looking forward to being able to train with his father. Despite that, Ike knew that they weren't exactly the wealthiest people, and he needed to be grateful for what he had. "It's okay.. Maybe next time." Ike gave a sad smile.
"You could pick out a different present, if you want." Greil suggested. Ike shook his head. "No, it's okay. I don't really need anything else." Greil sighed, disappointed that he couldn't get his son a present on his own birthday. Nevertheless, he took Ike's hand and stood up. "Alright.. Let's just head home, okay? Maybe next year we'll get something even better than that sword."
Before Ike and Greil could even take two steps, a voice interrupted them from behind. "Wait! Sir!" They turned around, and to Ike's surprise, it was Marth. The young prince's face was filled with determination. Unbeknownst to Ike, Marth had been secretly following him around.
"M-Marth?! What are you doing here? Did you follow me-"
"Yes, I did follow you!" Marth replied loudly. He realized the weirdness of the statement, and did his best to explain himself. "B-But.. only because I wanted to repay you!"
Greil stared at the unfamiliar kid before him, before turning to Ike. "Ike? How do you know this boy?"
"Um-" Before Ike could respond to his father, Marth quickly answered for him. "Sir! Your son saved me!" Marth thought it was best to leave out all the details; he didn't want Ike's father to know he was royalty. "A-And, I wanted to repay him!" Greil raised his eyebrow. "Saved you?"
"Yes! And, well.." Marth fumbled around with the inside of his cloak, then swiftly pulled out a small pouch. "I heard your son wanted a sword from that shop over there.. and I wanted to offer to pay for you!" Ike and Greil both had surprised expressions. They were completely appalled that this young boy would even suggest paying for such an expensive item.
"Young boy.. There is no way we can just take your money." Greil replied. Marth quickly shook his head. "No! I want you to have it! Please take it!" The poor boy was practically begging.
Ike and Greil simply looked at each other, not knowing what to do. Greil looked back at Marth, and hesitantly took the pouch out of his hands. He slowly opened it, and was shocked at the contents of the bag.
The pouch was filled to the brim with gold coins. This could feed his family for months, maybe even a year. Never in his life had the man held so much money at once.
Greil looked down at the young boy in front of him, completely speechless. "How.. did you get this much?" Marth didn't respond and only nodded; a gesture that showed he wanted Greil to have it. "You're not from here.. are you?" The older man questioned. Marth shook his head. "No, but that's not the point! I want you to have it!"
Greil desperately wanted to convince the boy to take it back, but knew that he would continue refusing, no matter what. "My boy, the sword is not worth this much.. Are you sure you want me to take the ENTIRE bag?" Marth nodded in response.
Greil was at a loss of words for a moment. "Thank you, but.. What about your parents, boy? Surely they can't be okay with you just giving out your money like that." Marth desperately tried to think of an excuse in his head.
"I- Um.." His voice began to trail off. "M-My parents don't mind..?" He managed to say. Greil just stared at the boy, getting more confused by the second.
"But, please.. Just take the money. I'll feel terrible if you don't." Marth said somberly. Greil sighed, knowing there was no point in arguing. "Thank you, my boy.. I truly don't know how to thank you," Greil crouched down to Marth's level and shook his small hand. "Your good deed shall never be forgotten, I swear it."
Before Marth could even open his mouth to respond, the familiar clinking of armor began to approach from behind. Ike, recognizing the sound immediately, darted his eyes to Marth. The younger boy noticed Ike's sudden gesture, and his eyes widened. The soldiers were back.
Greil noticed the boy stiffen up. "Hey, something wrong?"
Marth looked back at Greil, his eyes still wide with panic. But, as if magic, his eyes softened and he regained his composure. "No.. It's nothing."
"Are you sure-"
"Yes, I'm sure," Marth smiled. "But.. I have to go now."
Marth quickly took his hand out of the older man's grasp, stepping back. Taking a deep breath, he turned around to face the guards.
The incoming guards noticed the young prince immediately. "P-Prince Marth!" The leading soldier in front called out. "Where were you-"
Ike and Greil could only stare in awe at what happened next. The young boy bolted to the soldier's feet, and started.. crying.
"P-Please d-dont be mad at meee!" Marth sobbed, wiping his eyes with both hands for dramatic effect. "I-I didn't mean to run off! I got lost, and.." Tears were rolling down his face at alarming speeds. He could barely finish a sentence without at least two or three sniffs in between. "I-I was lost! And I was wandering and wandering around- and I.. Waaaaaaah!!!"
At this point, Marth was a sobbing mess. His eyes were already puffy from so much crying. "I-I tried so hard to f-find you all! P-please.. forgive me!"
The guards were silent for a moment, and Ike was extremely anxious of what they were gonna do next.
The soldier in front leaned down to pick up the small boy in his arms and began to cradle him. Like a baby. "Do not worry, Prince Marth!! We would NEVER get mad at YOOOOOUU!" The soldier shouted gallantly. All the other guards behind him nodded in agreement. "We PROMISE, we will NOT say a single WORD to the royal family! Your secrets are SAFE with US!!"
"T-THANK YOU SO MUCHHHH!! WAAAAAH!!" Marth practically screamed, tears still streaming down his face.
Ike sweatdropped. This whole scene in front of him only seemed to be getting more confusing and embarrassing.
But it clicked in his head. The reason why Marth was practically sobbing in front of the guards now was because he didn't want them to know that he ran off and hid on purpose. The young boy was being overly-dramatic for a reason; to gain the soldiers' pity. And he was doing a damn good job at it; he could be a professional actor, the way he quickly burst into fake tears on command.
Because of the ruckus the prince was making, a few townspeople stopped what they were doing to watch the ridiculous scene. It was almost comical.
The soldier carrying Marth lifted him up slightly so that the young boy could wrap his small arms around his neck. "DO NOT WORRY, PRINCE MARTH!! We will ESCORT you back to the castle IMMEDIATELYYY!!" And just like that, the group of soldiers marched in unison back in the direction to the castle.
Before he could disappear from sight however, Marth looked back at Ike and winked. He mouthed, "See you soon". With that, the noise of clanking armor slowly faded away.
There was a minute of silence, with both Ike and his father still trying to process what happened. The small crowd of townspeople that gathered around to watch the sight had already dissipated.
"Well, Ike, looks like we're getting that sword for you after all."
___
A/N: That chapter was kinda long, wasn't it? 😳 This is only the prologue, so just expect a lot of future chapters that are just as long as this one, if not longer.
Just in case anybody is confused, I'll clarify some things:
- Greil is originally from Crimea, but moved to Altea and had his children there (Ike, Mist)
- Greil joined the Altean military for a while before retiring to take care of his family and became a mercenary
That's all. :) I'll try to update with more chapters consistently.