4-E4 Rebirth

I am about to tell you a very old story--a story you should know, as the new king of Goldoa.

This is one of the oldest and most heavily guarded secrets in all of Tellius. You'll find no trace of it in any histories or sagas.

If it's that important, maybe we should go somewhere else. Other people might hear us.

Hmm. What do you think, Nasir?

I called upon Lady Micaiah because I felt that she should know the story as well.

No... I think now is the time to let everyone know. Would that be all right, Your Majesty?

There will be no secrets from now on. Tell us everything.

As you wish, Your Majesty.

In the dawn of this age, after the goddesses began their long slumber, the kingdom of Begnion was established.

In those early days, laguz and beorc lived side by side in harmony and peace. Yes, that kingdom would become the Begnion Empire.

The hero Altina was chosen to be the kingdom's first queen. Lehran supported her as an advisor...and as a husband.

What!?

Despite their differences, Lehran and Altina loved each other very deeply.

The people accepted a marriage between a laguz and a beorc?

That was what King Dheginsea said. This was before the people thought of such differences. They saw only a queen and her husband.

At this time, King Dheginsea also created his own kingdom far from other laguz tribes and beorc nations.

He believed that the dragon tribe was too powerful to interact equally with other tribes and peoples. That kingdom became Goldoa.

Begnion had been established for four years when King Dheginsea received news that Altina had become pregnant.

The news brought great joy. You see, the news was also quite surprising.

There had been other unions between beorc and laguz, but until Altina's pregnancy, no children had ever been conceived.

Indeed, hers was the first child ever to be born of beorc and laguz.

As close friends of both Altina and Lehran, both King Dheginsea and Soan rejoiced at the news.

The child would be the first to carry the joined blood of both laguz and beorc.

The king said that the baby would become a symbol of peace between the two peoples.

But joy over the child's birth did not last. Soon after the child was born, Lehran lost all the powers of the laguz.

He could not transform any longer, nor could he sing galdrar.

It became apparent that the child of such a union neutralizes the laguz parent's powers.

To make matters worse, the child bears only the characteristics of a beorc.

Lehran felt he was no longer a true laguz, and felt he could no longer act as a bridge between the goddess and the people of Tellius.

He lost hope, and also his mind...at least temporarily.

He attempted suicide several times, which is an unthinkable taboo for anyone who has sworn to serve the goddess.

King Dheginsea fell into despair. If people caught wind of this news, he believed it would create a deep rift between the two peoples.

The king was especially concerned about the reaction from the laguz.

They might interpret the birth as a herald of their eventual end. Some might even attempt to harm the child.

Lehran needed to hear the voice of the goddess then more than ever before...

But he could no longer sing the galdr of release. Is that what happened?

Just so. Lehran was forced to make a very difficult decision to protect the peace between beorc and laguz.

He decided to retreat into seclusion and consider the problem. Once he regained his sanity, he announced his decision.

Lehran was forced to ask the unthinkable of his wife, his aides, and close friends:

"For the sake of Begnion, you must tell the people that I died in an accident. Tell them the birth was merely a false rumor."

Lehran left the medallion to his tribe, moving to Goldoa under King Dheginsea's protection. He simply disappeared from history after that.

After Lehran had left and life returned to normal, Altina eventually welcomed a beorc husband.

She raised the child she'd had with Lehran as though it were an ordinary beorc child, born of her new husband.

Since then, marriages between laguz and beorc have been forbidden. It became known as a "crime against the goddess."

Even so, the taboo was broken several times over the next few decades.

Usually no child was conceived, but when there was, it was swiftly covered up.

The parents soon learned what it meant to bear a child who possessed both laguz and beorc blood.

After they learned of the consequences, none of these parents ever rejected the edict forbidding it.

The child was to be raised by the beorc parent, and raised as a beorc child. That should have been enough to hide everything, end of story.

It was several generations later that the certain descendents began to manifest physical marks which indicated their ancestors' sins.

Fortunately, this mark looked very similar to the marks on those protected by spirits.

They could pass as students of the dark arts for at least a few years. Unfortunately, the Branded lived much longer than beorc.

Most Branded chose to hide, living outside of ordinary society, and they disappeared into the shadows of history.

Rumors had already begun to spread across Begnion, however. The Branded were shunned and cast out wherever they lived.

Where the laguz held power, they persecuted the Branded and executed them in honor killings.

That's horrible!

It was King Dheginsea's opinion that these were crimes that he had to carry on his conscience.

From the beginning, he realized that he and the others in power had made a mistake.

They understood that they should have revealed everything about Altina and Lehran's child.

The people should have been told the truth.

But since they'd kept the truth from everyone, the Branded were marked as unclean, persecuted wherever they traveled.

Here is the family tree for Lehran and Altina's bloodline. Only King Dheginsea knew the truth. Until now.

Father... You've had to endure this burden alone for so long.

It was the same in Lady Almedha's case.

When she lost her powers after giving birth to the Mad King's son, King Dheginsea had no choice but to hide the truth from everyone.

So he chose to hide Almedha from everyone. Better to deny her existence than be forced to explain long-hidden secrets.

In the process, he'd lost someone even more dear to him. Prince Rajaion.

He deeply regretted his decision when he learned of the prince's death.

The only choice left for King Dheginsea was to remain stubbornly neutral in all wars on the continent.

He hoped--in vain--to keep the goddess from waking up before the thousand years had elapsed.

I'm such a fool... I had no idea what Father went through. All I did was deny what he fought for.

Kurth...

Your Majesty. You are the king now.

You know that it is a sin to fight against the goddess, and yet you've chosen to move forward.

King Dheginsea left everything to you. You must succeed. Do not be afraid of what lies beyond. Forge ahead.

I understand. I shall be true to my convictions. I have no more doubts.