Salerika

Salerika is the het ship between Eirika and Saleh from the Fire Emblem fandom.

Canon
They first encountered each other as Eirika was in the run, in a journey to reconquer her kingdom, after it was invaded, and she was approached by an enigmatic man in a town she was resting. He seemed to be a mysterious person, and after she denied having any knowledge of the dragon named Myrrhr, he left without revealing his identity nor the reasons for asking the question, so she got an odd first impression of him.

An amount of time has passed when Eirika meets the mysterious man again, this time in very different circumstances: she and her army want to transpass the mountains of Caer Pelyn in the way to a nearby kingdom. The man's student, Ewan, who joined her army, brings her to one of his master's cabin in the outskirts of the mountain, pleading for him to guide them, since he is more knowledgeable about the land. The man had been seen before by Eirika, and she immediately recognized him from that day, and he reveals himself to be the mage Saleh. She spends one night at Saleh's house to rest, preparing to hike the path to Caer Pelyn.

He warns Eirika that the road is harsh, but she wants to go anyway despite his warnings, he doesn't coddle her even when she is tired. During the journey, they face dark creatures that lurk in the mountains, the monsters ambush them in the woods, but fortunately, they escape alive with minimal wounds. When they finally arrived the secluded Village of Silence, where Saleh truly resides, they were welcomed by some villagers and his grandmother Dara. He prepared herbal tea for Eirika, who got dizzy from the mountain heights. While she drinks it, they chat and he discovers that not only is she going to the same place, but that the great dragon he is charged to protect is in, actually, the kingdom of Grado. As soon as he knows that, he sets out to follow her, since the group is eventually heading there too.

The princess and her army stayed some nights in the village to recover some injured soldiers and to rest a bit. In the way, they discover the truth about the stones, magical stones that were bringing unstabilityto the continent, and they work together to save it.

During their time together, Eirika grows more familiar with him, and he starts teaching Eirika the meditation technique of the Valega created by himself. In the middle of the journey, Eirika masters the technique, which helps Eirika to clear her own mind and have a new outcome of the world, feeling that her convictions are renewed. Saleh also notes that Eirika remembers the mythical hero Nada Kuya, whose legendary exploits he finds fascinating.

Eirika admires the wisdom and vast knowledge of the world that Saleh has, and finds his teachings and stories to be a source of comfort and inspiration on her adventures. She always holds him in high regard. Saleh, on the other hand, finds her very easy to talk to and cares a great deal about her, he admires Eirika courage, dignity, beauty and inner strenght. He rarely judges her and gives Eirika's space to express herself, without the need to rush to protect or cuddle her from danger, as he is very spiritual himself, and trusts in her inner strength.

Eirika shows desire to know more about his homeland, and eventually asks to visit Caer Pelyn after the war is over. Saleh affirms that she will be welcomed anytime. After the war ended, Eirika and Saleh returned to their respective homes. Eirika visited Caer Pelyn when she could. Over time, they visited each other more often until they she decided to move to his village and marry him, leaving Renais in the care of her brother, the new king Ephraim. They eventually have a daughter that resembles the legendary Nada Kuya.

Fanon
The fans of Salerika love the fact Saleh loves Eirika as Eirika herself, instead of seeing her title as a princess, and that he doesn't rush to protect her or treat her as a damsel in distress, instead letting Eirika express her courage in her own pace and seeing her inner strength above all.

One of the ship's most beloved aspects is that it's the only ending that mentions Eirika having a daughter, giving a sense of continuity. Therefore, fanarts and fanfictions often explore their life after the war end as parents or adapting to each other cultures. Eirika and Saleh ship is most commonly pitted against the ship Eirinnes and Sethrika due to the game multiple canon endings.

Fandom
FAN FICTION