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When Aymeric saw the Warrior of Light, he was sure he was looking at a corpse.
It took him an uncomfortably long time to realize otherwise. Rose’s white dress was soaked through completely with blood, dying the entire garment a dark red. There were traces of blood around her mouth.
But she was also talking to a nearby chirurgeon, and after a long moment, Aymeric realized he could see her chest rising and falling.
A cloud of dust and debris lingered in the air. He’d gotten the report in his office: A group of terrorists who believed that Ishgard should return to its old ways had set off an explosion in the residential district. As a result, a relatively large building was on the brink of collapse.
And the Warrior of Light had run inside.
By the time that Aymeric arrived at the scene, there was nothing left of the structure. He was afraid that he’d find his fiancé dead. When he’d seen her blood-stained clothes, he’d feared the worst.
He was still wearing some of that fear on his face, apparently. The chirurgeon tending Rose took one look at Aymeric before declaring the Warrior of Light was in fine health. He ran.
An uncomfortable silence lingered between the two that remained. At least, it did until Aymeric started shouting.
“What were you thinking?”
Rose frowned. She was nothing if not spitfire, and she responded likewise.
“There were kids in there, Aym!”
“You could have been killed!”
“I couldn’t leave them behind! Besides, you did the same bloody thing! How is this any different from you storming the Vault when you were still recovering from an assassination attempt?”
“You’re the Warrior of Light. If you die, the entire star could be doomed.”
“And you’re Ishgard's leader. If you die, who will carry on your legacy? Who would lead Ishgard to a brighter future?”
This struck Aymeric square in the chest, and he found himself searching for words.
Rose was correct, of course. If he’d been nearby, he would’ve done exactly the same thing. It was hypocritical of him to be angry.
But he couldn’t stop himself, and that hit him like a dagger to his heart.
After a long moment, he took a seat and beckoned Rose to sit next to him. He expected her to fight him on this, but she relented.
“I apologize. When I saw the state you were in, I feared the worst. I’m afraid my emotions took over.”
He wasn’t used to it. He didn’t know if he’d ever be used to it. For the longest time, his emotions were something he could hide away from public eye. They went into a small box that he tucked away in the corner of his heart.
The Warrior of Light, and the Warrior of Light alone, awoke feelings he couldn’t completely control. Normally, he could manage the flurry of emotions in his heart, but even he was helpless against a blizzard.
“It was pretty stupid of me. It’s just, when I got here, I could hear the parents shouting. I kept thinking, ‘What if I could have saved them, and I did nothing?’ and before I knew it, I was inside.”
“I’m glad you are unharmed.”
“Me too,” Rose echoed as she rested her head on his shoulders.
A small silence hung between them. Rose was real, she was right next to him. That calmed his heart.
“As Ishgard’s leader, I should thank you for saving its people.”
“And as Aymeric?”
Aymeric sighed. This was the hard part, if only because he knew where Rose was coming from.
“As Aymeric, I wish you would be more careful. You are precious to me, and I do not know what I would do if something were to happen to you.”
Rose frowned and buried her head in his chest. She was shaking.
“I could say the same for you, you know. You take a lot of stupid risks.”
“I know, but they are risks that are necessary—-“
“To build a better Ishgard,” Rose cut him off, finishing his sentence.
To Aymeric’s surprise, this got a small chuckle out of him.
“Am I really so predictable?” he asked.
“Only when you’re trying to be a good person,” she responded.
Aymeric was caught off guard by her sincerity. For all the good that he did, it was still difficult for him to see past his own faults.
But it was because of those faults that it was important that he act. It was because of faults like his that Ishgard found itself where it was today.
“I can’t give up yet. Even if it costs me my life,” he said, unable to stop himself.
“I can’t give up helping people. Even if it kills me,” Rose responded.
“But perhaps,” Aymeric continued, “I could stand to be more cautious, considering the enemies I’ve made.”
“And maybe,” Rose sighed, “I could stand to think before heading into danger. Take what precautions I can to stay safe.
The air was quiet as the two continued to hold each other. Looking at the debris in front of them, it was clear that Ishgard’s struggles were nowhere near over.
“Rose.”
“Yes?”
“Know that no matter what happens, I love you.”