hehe baby marcos

i'm so glad he got more screentime i love him sm

an underrated character, if you ask me >:0

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"Any of you who wish to not fight in this war, you may step down and be forever relieved of your position." A bead of sweat trickled down the side of my face. The suit of armor was hot. Everything felt like fire -- my muscles, my brain, and my heart. This wasn't right. I didn't want to be fighting for an unworthy cause. The crown prince was still out there, and Katolis was being ruled by tyrants.

But what would happen if I stepped down? Surely no harm would come to me, but what about my loved ones? Would they be belittled in the town for having such an incompetent soldier as a relative? Would whispers of malice bloom all around, and whenever someone would catch sight of me, their mouths would move with vile intentions?

My fist curled around the sword I held in my grip as I unsheathed it. My throat was parched, and my tongue fell slack in my mouth. Letting out a shaky breath, my eyes lingered on the place in front of me, my legs wanting so desperately the give in. This wasn't right.

So I stood tall, in defiance and took a step forwards, head raised with an indignant stature. My eyes warily glanced at Viren, but narrowed as soon as I saw his prideful expression. Oh how desperately I wanted to crush that sly smile of his. I unsheathed my sword, the metal's sound against the leather hold echoing in the pavilion.

An army stood behind me, while the enemy stood in front. There was no time for cowardice. Shaking my head, I forcefully threw my weapon onto the ground. The sword landed with a clatter and people started to gasp. With a second stroke, my hands reached for my helmet, taking it off. Immediately, the breeze that tainted the peaceful evening rustled through my hair, laying itself on my skin.

It was relieving, liberating to finally feel the night's air upon my sweat-stained forehead. And with another throw, my metal helmet, decorated with the crest of a general, now laid on the floor with a dent -- the impact where it hit the stone. Gazing up once more at the dark mage, I heard another set of footsteps come up behind me.

Marcos stood by my side and stuck his sword in the ground, gracefully laying his helmet on top of the handle. Other soldiers began to do the same, until a good chunk of us were missing from the perfectly aligned forces of the Katolis army.

"General (Y/N)?" Mutters spread among my previous comrades.

"They're leaving? Why?"

"Who's going to lead us now?"

With a flourish, I turned back to the crowd, my chin high and voice booming.

"I refuse to be lead by this man you call King. If you want a leader, look to him for guidance. That was your choice, after all." After a short speech Viren had brought up so maliciously, the "traitors" and I left, the booing and jeering of the crowd still haunting my senses, even after we had gone miles away from them.

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"What will happen now, Marcos?" With a piece of bread wrapped in my hand, I stared at it for a while before taking another, smaller bite out of the loaf. "We're gone. Everything's gone." He placed a hand on my back, taking a seat next to me, the warm fireplace gently crackling. As the light danced on his fair skin, I took to notice how his hand was protectively encased around mine. I smiled, leaning my head on his shoulder.

"Despite everything, despite losing, we made the right decision. You, me, and everyone else who decided to join us. This slump won't be long, (Y/N)." Sighing, I set the bread down and lowered myself so that my head was placed on his lap. I reached a hand up and touched his short locks of raven-black hair.

"But where will we go? Where to?" He thought for a moment, considering the few options that we had.

"Duren." I raised an eyebrow, casting a questioning glance at him.

"Duren? The Kingdom of Flowers?" Marcos nodded, placing a chaste kiss on my lips.

"Yes, love. We'll escape with the others. Queen Aanya is a powerful and wise force. There is no doubt that she despises Viren as much as you do." I chuckled, cupping his cheek with a hand, my eyes creased with admiration and adoration.

"Then we'll go," I whispered, a grin tugging at my lips, "We'll escape, and we'll finally be on the right side of this war."

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I waited cautiously, nervously pacing back and forth in the hallway, two guards in front of us. They stared at me curiously, wondering why such a high-ranked official from another kingdom had come to Duran specifically.

"Don't worry, everything will turn out fine," Marcos reassured, placing a hand on my back, "Queen Aanya will understand." The rest of our group, blue badges shining in the light, nodded, murmuring their agreements.

Once the doors finally opened, the guards uncrossed their long spears and we were finally let in. Walking cordially to the throne, I spotted the orphan queen perched upon it. The other chair next to her was left empty.

"Noble Queen Aanya, ruler of the floral kingdom Duran," I began, taking a knee, bowing deeply, "Katolis is in desperate need of help. Viren has overtaken former King Ezran as the ruler, and we, as sworn guards of the rightful crown, cannot live with this promise. We beg you, both as people and as caretakers of our home, to assist us in overthrowing this mad power that has risen Katolis's throne."

The room was silent for a brief moment as the small girl slid down from her seat, walking slowly towards me.

"Rise," she commanded, voice firm yet smooth. I obeyed, standing on my feet, looking down upon her. Her beige eyes glistened with power, both hands clasped behind her back as she stared at me and my accompanying soldiers.

"General (Y/N), I understand your concern. Deeply so. From the times I have met King Viren, formerly Lord Viren, he didn't strike me in a good way. He is manipulative, and with no doubt will I decide to ally with you in overtaking his power. But may I ask one question before doing so?"

"Of course, your highness."

"How did you all escape from his grasp? By force, or by convincing him?" My hand drifted to the blue badge upon my chest, unclipping it for her to see. The blonde peered at my hand, taking the pin, eyes scanning the symbol.

"You see, when King Ezran was in rule, he was a merciful leader. He instated a rule: that all members of the army that wished to return to their homes and family would be able to do so before this chaos. King Viren honored that rule, letting us go, but in the most vile and cruel way possible: in front of our very own comrades, and by pinning this badge to our sashes, marking us as traitors of the kingdom." The little girl simply nodded and returned it to me, dropping it in the palm of my hand.

"Well, General (Y/N), no matter what that dark mage says, I do not see this badge as a symbol of malice, or betrayal. It is merely a symbol of courage and justice. The broken chain will not be held in a negative regard in my kingdom. From now, you and your guards will be escorted and treated like nobles, the most righteous people in the human kingdoms. I will see to this fact. Thank you for bringing light to a dangerous problem, a no doubt fatal one." She nodded to me, then looked at her guards and court.

"Please, send them to rooms in the palace. They are warriors of the state. Glorious heroes. Make sure they have hot baths running and the best bedding so they sleep well for the tumultuous journey ahead."

"Thank you, Queen Aanya, for your humble hospitality and kindness to us. On the battlefield, we will pay you back tenfold." She smiled, then returned back to the throne, softly sitting down on the cushion. I turned around, walking out of the throne room, almost audibly gasping in relief. Once out the doors, I heard them shut and nearly collapsed onto the floor, if it hadn't been for Marcos to support me.

"Thank the gods," I whispered, clasping a hand over my mouth. My lover chuckled, letting go of me as I stabilized again. The rest of the ex-Katolian soldiers gave a small round of applause and a few cheers as we declared our retirement for the evening.

"It's done. We survived, my love." I giggled at his small exaggeration of everything.

"Of course we did." He hummed, pressing a kiss to my temple, light brown eyes crinkled in happiness.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Marcos."