I Mistook You For Eternal (Siegbert/Ignatius)
Ignatius once told Siegbert dying for him would be an honor, though neither expects to come across a situation that would demand the knight to sacrifice himself, not until it happens, until they find themselves surrounded and weak and Ignatius takes a mortal blow for Siegbert.
"Ignatius!"
"Siegbert! Be-behind you!"
The monsters are relentless, and Siegbert isn't able to attend his friend's wounds. He had to survive, or neither would, he had to survive for Siegbert believed Ignatius wasn't fatally injured, that he would live.
Only when Hisame arrives to aid him, he's able to stop their foes, but by then several minutes have passed.
"Oh, gods, Ignatius!"
"What are you doing standing there! Go get Elise, Dwyer, Mitama, anyone!"
"Yes!"
And as soon as he's able Sigbert drops his sword and kneels beside Ignatius, who seems to have fainted, or– "I-Ignatius, no! Please, resist–" Siegbert can't choke back the tears that start to roll down his cheeks. "L-look, the help is coming, so, please–!"
Ignatius opens his eyes. "Siegbert, don't cr–" A coughing fit stops him from talking.
"Please, don't speak, don't waste your energy, j-just relax."
"But I know I don't have much time, Siegbert... Please, don't cry for me, it–" Another coughing fit, blood spills down the side of his lips.
"I-Ignatius!"
"Just, let me finish... Siegbert, don't cry for me, it's been an honor fighting by your side. I don't regret dying t-to protect you, Siegbert..."
The knight reaches up to try and wipe the tears off his dear friend's face, who is unable to say anything more through his sobbing. Siegbert takes Ignatius hand and holds it, leans into the touch.
"Siegbert, p-promise that you'll be alright– Promise that, you'll be alright and that y-you will live through this a-and be happy– For me, please–"
And Ignatius stops, his hand suddenly feels heavy. When Hisame returns with Azama and Dwyer, it's already too late.
"Ignatius? Ignatius! No, please! Please! Ignatius!" Siegbert throws himself over the body of the knight, hugs him, crying and screaming and cursing because this couldn't be happening to him, to them.
What Siegbert regrets the most is never having the chance to tell Ignatius how much he appreciated him, though he always tried, he doubted he ever got the message across. He never had the opportunity to let him know how he really felt.
For several hundred years after the reign of King Siegbert, people commented how he always had two weapons by his side. One, the Siegfried, inherited from his father, legacy of the kingdom of Nohr. The other, a lance used by a young, valiant knight that gave his life so King Siegbert could live.