Edward had never thought about what it would mean to sit this throne.
It is strange to think of himself as the king, not the prince waiting to take center stage. The crown he wears is heavier than the circlet; not just physically, but the weight of his people's expectations and his new position press into his head until he wonders the metal does not leave him bleeding despite its rounded edges.
Yet the throne is his now; his father died in the last battle against Baron, and it is Edward's place now to make peace, to protect his people from the worst of Baron's ravages. Those he will take upon himself, for his father taught him that his power must be a shield for those who have it not.
So when Golbez comes before him, Edward kisses the icy metal of his blackened gauntlet, and swears fealty in a voice strong and true as any song he ever sang in a tavern. And later, when Golbez comes to claim a different sort of reward, Edward holds in his mind the reasons he does this. It is not that Golbez is unkind, or unskilled, and Edward gives his kisses willingly enough.
Sacrifice, FF4, Edward/Golbez [PG-13 for implied coerced consent]
It is strange to think of himself as the king, not the prince waiting to take center stage. The crown he wears is heavier than the circlet; not just physically, but the weight of his people's expectations and his new position press into his head until he wonders the metal does not leave him bleeding despite its rounded edges.
Yet the throne is his now; his father died in the last battle against Baron, and it is Edward's place now to make peace, to protect his people from the worst of Baron's ravages. Those he will take upon himself, for his father taught him that his power must be a shield for those who have it not.
So when Golbez comes before him, Edward kisses the icy metal of his blackened gauntlet, and swears fealty in a voice strong and true as any song he ever sang in a tavern. And later, when Golbez comes to claim a different sort of reward, Edward holds in his mind the reasons he does this. It is not that Golbez is unkind, or unskilled, and Edward gives his kisses willingly enough.
It is a small sacrifice.