Let's Go - Ioder/Estelle oneshot fic
Fandom: Tales of Vesperia
Estelle breathed a sigh of relief upon opening the door to the Sagittarius tavern in Dahngrest. She had been running away, and she knew someone had been following her. At least, she hoped to lose her stalker in the crowd. She spotted the familiar, tall Krityan standing by the bar, flirting with the bartender for a cheaper drink.
“Judith!” she cried, and upon approaching her friend, they sat down and caught up with each other’s lives. Estelle told her about her intuition - that someone had been following her, and Judith agreed to look out for her when they returned to the streets.
As the young Princess was purchasing some items by the street market stalls, she turned around to look for Judith, but struck in fear upon seeing her ‘stalker’. The Knight Commandant Flynn was striking up a conversation, and by the serious look on his face, she knew that he was looking for her. Without another word, she fled the guild city for Heliord.
“I was wondering if you’ve seen Her Highness,” Flynn had said to Judith.
“Yeah, I just met her. You must be the guy who’s been chasing her, hmm?” she teased as she turned backwards, only to see the pink-haired princess missing from view. “Odd…she was there a second ago.”
By the time Flynn had gone after her, Estelle was already running through the bridge and heading into the deep forest. She used her Holy Bottles and sped her way to Heliord, not caring about the monsters. Upon reaching the stone walls of the high-rising town, she collapsed on the ground, tainting her white dress. ‘Of all the people, why Flynn?’ her mind screamed before she scrambled to her feet and walked towards the inn. If she was going to run away, she might as well rest well before she was able to run that long a distance again.
She paid for her room at the counter and got her room key. After walking upstairs, she placed the key inside the keyhole and unlocked the door. Only when it swung open did she see the man she had been really running from.
“It’s about time you showed up, Estellise,” said the young prince, seated on one of the beds.
“Ioder…” she said, trailing off. “I’m sorry. I can’t do this, not now. I still want to do so many things.”
He stood up and walked towards her, and she noticed that he was growing taller after a few months. In time, he could even be as tall as Yuri, she mused as he looked down at her with his blue eyes.
“Estelle, you can still do all that and be Empress. Duke returned the Dein Nomos to you, after all,” he told her.
She shook her head. “But I gave it back to you! Your father was the Emperor, my father was only his cousin, and he only became regent when your father died, so he could wait until you grew older and…”
Ioder placed a finger on her lips, silencing her. “I know,” he said. “But you are more worthy of the Empire. You are the Child of the Full Moon, and you saved the world.”
“And I nearly destroyed it, too!” she broke out in protest. “I don’t care what you tell me, Ioder, I am not going to become Empress. I want this freedom so much that I’m willing to give up my throne.”
Ioder’s eyes narrowed. “Even your responsibility to the people?”
He caught her there. “I…no, that’s not what I meant.”
A gentle smile caressed his young, boyish face. “I have a solution for this problem, but you might need to wait another year or two,” he said. “Hold open your palm.”
Estelle’s eyebrows furrowed, wondering what the smart young prince had in mind. Sure, he was only sixteen, but he - like Rita - had the mindset and thinking of a true adult. He reached into his trouser pocket and placed a small, cold metal object in her hand and cupped it tenderly with both hands before letting go. She looked down at the object in her hand and gasped; now realising what he had meant by waiting.
“Your mother’s wedding ring…”
Estelle breathed a sigh of relief upon opening the door to the Sagittarius tavern in Dahngrest. She had been running away, and she knew someone had been following her. At least, she hoped to lose her stalker in the crowd. She spotted the familiar, tall Krityan standing by the bar, flirting with the bartender for a cheaper drink.
“Judith!” she cried, and upon approaching her friend, they sat down and caught up with each other’s lives. Estelle told her about her intuition - that someone had been following her, and Judith agreed to look out for her when they returned to the streets.
As the young Princess was purchasing some items by the street market stalls, she turned around to look for Judith, but struck in fear upon seeing her ‘stalker’. The Knight Commandant Flynn was striking up a conversation, and by the serious look on his face, she knew that he was looking for her. Without another word, she fled the guild city for Heliord.
“I was wondering if you’ve seen Her Highness,” Flynn had said to Judith.
“Yeah, I just met her. You must be the guy who’s been chasing her, hmm?” she teased as she turned backwards, only to see the pink-haired princess missing from view. “Odd…she was there a second ago.”
By the time Flynn had gone after her, Estelle was already running through the bridge and heading into the deep forest. She used her Holy Bottles and sped her way to Heliord, not caring about the monsters. Upon reaching the stone walls of the high-rising town, she collapsed on the ground, tainting her white dress. ‘Of all the people, why Flynn?’ her mind screamed before she scrambled to her feet and walked towards the inn. If she was going to run away, she might as well rest well before she was able to run that long a distance again.
She paid for her room at the counter and got her room key. After walking upstairs, she placed the key inside the keyhole and unlocked the door. Only when it swung open did she see the man she had been really running from.
“It’s about time you showed up, Estellise,” said the young prince, seated on one of the beds.
“Ioder…” she said, trailing off. “I’m sorry. I can’t do this, not now. I still want to do so many things.”
He stood up and walked towards her, and she noticed that he was growing taller after a few months. In time, he could even be as tall as Yuri, she mused as he looked down at her with his blue eyes.
“Estelle, you can still do all that and be Empress. Duke returned the Dein Nomos to you, after all,” he told her.
She shook her head. “But I gave it back to you! Your father was the Emperor, my father was only his cousin, and he only became regent when your father died, so he could wait until you grew older and…”
Ioder placed a finger on her lips, silencing her. “I know,” he said. “But you are more worthy of the Empire. You are the Child of the Full Moon, and you saved the world.”
“And I nearly destroyed it, too!” she broke out in protest. “I don’t care what you tell me, Ioder, I am not going to become Empress. I want this freedom so much that I’m willing to give up my throne.”
Ioder’s eyes narrowed. “Even your responsibility to the people?”
He caught her there. “I…no, that’s not what I meant.”
A gentle smile caressed his young, boyish face. “I have a solution for this problem, but you might need to wait another year or two,” he said. “Hold open your palm.”
Estelle’s eyebrows furrowed, wondering what the smart young prince had in mind. Sure, he was only sixteen, but he - like Rita - had the mindset and thinking of a true adult. He reached into his trouser pocket and placed a small, cold metal object in her hand and cupped it tenderly with both hands before letting go. She looked down at the object in her hand and gasped; now realising what he had meant by waiting.
“Your mother’s wedding ring…”