Policy meetings and parleys with advisors had suddenly become a large part of Chrom's life, and as the end of another meeting approached with the heads of Ylisstol's castle staff, he was ready to rush out. I need to swing a sword or something. This is tedious, he thought as the head chef complained about the low quality of the summer's lentils. I can't believe Emmeryn started dealing with these things as a ten year old.

Roughly ten minutes later, the meeting ended and Chrom waited for the room to clear before practically sprinting to the door. He exited the chamber and found none other than Lon'qu standing in the hall, leaning against the wall and looking in the opposite direction. Just days ago, he had been riddled with cuts, bruises, and a dramatic wound through the shoulder from an arrow. Due to his sister's healing and some attention from Libra as well, he seemed less clammy and walked far less sensitively. "Lon'qu," Chrom called, "were you waiting for me?"

His attention snapped to Chrom. "Yes. I'd like to speak with you."

I've just been speaking for what feels like days. Can we not? Chrom thought, but he gave a friendly smile. "Certainly. Just walk with me. I need to get down to the barracks."

"It isn't something that we need to discuss," Lon'qu said. "It's more something I need to tell you."

"Okay." Chrom shifted from foot to foot a little bit, feeling as antsy as a child. His only true stress relief as of late was sparring with his fellow shepherds, something he could only spare about an hour a day for. "What is it?"

"I would like to resign as a shepherd and return to Chon'sin."

Chrom felt his stomach drop. His deep desire to return to the sparring field was replaced with immense concern. "If it's because you nearly lost your life guarding my sister, I really do apologize—"

"I can't do this job objectively," Lon'qu interrupted, his eyes on the floor.

Frowning, Chrom folded his arms over his chest. "What makes you say that?"

Lon'qu was silent, looking uncomfortable. He shoved his hands into his pockets before muttering, "Lissa."

Chrom cocked his head, confused. "I don't get it."

"I threw myself in front of an arrow for her the other day. Not because she was a princess or because it was my duty. It's because...I love her," he said, his voice trailing off to a quiet, serious whisper. He wouldn't look up at Chrom. "It isn't fair to my allies."

Chrom's dropped stomach seemed to also be clenching at this point. He just confessed his love for my sister right to my face? He questioned, flabbergasted. Collecting himself, he slowly said, "There's no rule in the shepherds against relationships. It makes fighting better, even, when you have someone to fight for."

Lon'qu was silent. Chrom sighed and continued, "As a leader, I'm going to ask you to reconsider and discourage your decision. As Lissa's brother...I'm a little concerned you'd tell me before her. Is that a ritual in Ferox? Or Chon'sin?" Chrom asked.

Lon'qu's face was tinged pink. All he responded with was, "Fine." Before Chrom could comprehend what was even happening, he nearly sprinted off down the hallway.

Chrom stood, bracing himself against the wall with one arm. "The world's gotten weird," he muttered to himself. More than ever, he really needed to run his sword through something.

What am I supposed to do?

A few days had passed since Lon'qu had waited nearly forty five minutes for Chrom to leave a meeting, asking to resign and getting what felt like the firmest no the Ylissean could muster. Was he not disgusted with Lon'qu's thoughts and feelings? He was a foreign soldier, born in the slums of Chon'sin, and interested in his younger sister.

In Ferox, it was also uncommon to develop relationships beyond friendship with fellow soldiers, especially ones that worked closely with each other in the same unit. What if a relationship grew messy or died out? What would happen to the unit's chemistry then? It felt as though he suddenly had a thousand miniscule problems that snowballed into one larger problem.

He kept running into the source of those problems in the barracks. It was hard to look at her, seeing her through eyes that now recognized what he felt for her. Those eyes cast her in a softer light. Her stray hairs were fine gold thread, and her voice was music. When he looked at her, he understood art and poetry better than he ever had in his life.

Was he even worth someone like her? It hit him hard; she was a princess, caring, beautiful, and humorous. What did he have that matched up to that?

Also, wasn't he cursed, in a sense? Ke'ri's dead because of you, a voice in the back of his mind would remind him, but he brushed it aside. With her, the nightmares and the thoughts had faded to weak whispers; he felt so at ease, so why had he become so uneasy with these feelings that had sprung up in his heart?

Roughly a week and a half after the thwarted assassination plot, Lon'qu was entering the barracks just as Lissa was leaving. "Hi, Lon'qu," she greeted, rubbing at a newly-bandaged left hand. "What are you up to today?"

"I was going to spar with Gregor," he answered. In realizing his feelings, he felt as though he'd taken many steps back with her. He took a few steps back; if the breeze stirred her hair, Lon'qu would smell that faint floral smell that had suddenly become one of the most intoxicating smells he'd ever known. He didn't want reminders of what he was trying to work through.

Lissa looked down, seemingly a touch disappointed. "Ah, I see. I had a little free time, and well...I'm not a big fan of that right now," she remarked, scratching at her head with a sheepish grin. "If you're busy, though, I won't bother you. See you around." She pushed past him and headed back toward the castle, her hands behind her back.

Lon'qu didn't move after her. He didn't want to be alone with her. He didn't want her to accidentally brush him or say something ridiculous or as much as look at him if it was just the two of them. He didn't want to feel this way, because there was no way she could reciprocate feelings for someone like him. Her feelings couldn't be more than friendship, considering how often she referred to him as one.

He pushed into the barracks, feeling low and aggressive, and decided that he would take his frustrations out on anyone who decided to train with him that day.

After a long session with Gregor, he sat down on the grass in the training area with a sigh. Gregor had thanked him heartily before speedily running back into the barracks after spotting a nonplussed Olivia through the open doorway. She was apparently rather popular amongst the shepherds, especially the men, but Lon'qu had barely even noticed she was around.

Surrounded by a tall wooden fence and with the worst of the hot sun blocked out by the forest around the barracks, Lon'qu didn't feel like he was frying in the way he did in full Ylissean sun. Damn this weather, he thought quietly. And damn these thoughts. He had felt erratic and caustic during his match today, his swings more erratic than usual. Gregor was a good opponent, yet he barely provided a match even in Lon'qu's frustrated state-something that didn't help Lon'qu's emotional state very much.

As he sat in the grass, trying to breathe to settle his ragged emotions, he heard approaching footsteps. "Hey, Lon'qu." It was none other than Gaius. His calming techniques were now about to be essentially useless. "Do you have two seconds?"

"One, two. There they were."

"I didn't mean that literally, and you know it. No need to be hostile," he remarked. He tossed his sword and its sheath on the grass before sitting a few feet from Lon'qu. "Look, I wanted to talk to you about something, and I'm being serious here, so don't look at me like I just told the world's worst pun or something."

Lon'qu gazed away from him silently, trying and failing to rein in his negative emotions. This left Gaius sighing, and he pushed his hand through his hair, stirring the ginger strands. "So. I'm getting the feeling that you're in love with Lissa."

His head snapped up, and he shot Gaius a hard glare. He expected the thief to be smug, but his expression seemed uncustomarily serious. "What about it?" Lon'qu questioned.

"I'm getting there. Hold your horses," the thief ordered. He sighed and continued, "You're different around her. Not just in the not fearing her way. You're nicer to her than anyone else you know. If one looks hard enough, they'll understand it. But that's not the point, actually."

"What is the point, then?" Lon'qu asked, exasperated. "Is this blackmail?"

"I'm not interested in her," he responded. Gaius began digging around in the folds of his cloak, obviously searching for candy, as he explained, "The day of Emmeryn's memorial service, I thought you were going to kill me out of jealousy. I was just trying to be nice, and Robin told me to go get her out of there, anyway. Lissa is cute, and I think she's funny. But Robin is more my type, honestly." He found a bag of caramels and cursed. "I was gonna give these to Lissa, but what she doesn't know won't hurt her, you know?"

Lon'qu felt his frown ease. He watched in silence as Gaius unwrapped a caramel and placed it on his tongue. "Why are you telling me this?" he asked. Lissa had told him that she and Gaius were just friends, but why had the ginger felt the need to distinguish this to Lon'qu?

Gaius looked over, and as seriously as one could muster with a mouthful of caramel, he said, "Because I don't want you to kill me in my sleep." He buried the wrapper in his pocket and stood up. "Also, I think it'd be a good thing for both of you. She clearly likes you, so go act on it or something before someone who isn't me decides to do something. She's a cute girl and all." He walked back into the barracks, whistling a happy tune that further clashed with Lon'qu's mood.

In spite of his dislike for Gaius, he thought upon his words. Did Lissa truly like Lon'qu? Would she laugh him down if he confessed some kind of feelings for her? Why were his thoughts dancing in this direction at all?

Go act on it or something before someone who isn't me decides to do something. Lon'qu's mind came to focus on these words, and it made his fidgeting hands freeze. After a moment, Lon'qu groaned and shoved both hands through his hair. He had been confused before, but now he felt motivated to say something, although the idea felt awkward and uncomfortable like a sliver under a fingernail. What if Gaius was right about someone making a move on her before he could muster up the courage to? Even if nothing would come of it, what if he never tried to confess these feelings to her? The thought of not knowing if she potentially felt anything in return was almost more painful than the thought of standing before her and confessing. I have to do something, but what? He thought, feeling oddly desperate. Why did Gaius say something like that to me? How does one go about these things?

He scrambled to his feet and jogged back inside. Lon'qu had to figure out a plan. To suddenly understand what he was feeling for her only to lose her. I can't let this person slip out of my hands this time. Not her. I can't do that again.

It took longer than Robin cared to admit to notice that the sun was in noon position in the clearing she was sitting in, meaning Gaius was late. "Oh, he was supposed to be back here by now," Robin muttered to herself. She snapped her tome shut and marked the spell she was studying with a long strand of grass. "He said before noon. Now it's...high noon," she grumbled. Her hairline was beading with sweat, and she wondered if she needed to move back into the shade to wait for Gaius.

"Hey now, I'm coming." The ginger thief slid into the clearing and trotted over to the tactician. When he made it, he flipped over onto his back and offered a caramel. "Some candy?"

Robin declined. She peered down at the thief and raised an eyebrow. "Did you do it?"

"Oh yeah, I scared him, alright. He may or may not kill me in my sleep, but he's going to talk to her. Hopefully," Gaius added, a slight frown rumpling the skin between his eyes. His face relaxed again and he smiled up at the tactician. "So. You busy?"

She opened her tome to the page she had been looking at and set it on his face. "That's new Thunder magic. It isn't going to learn itself, Gaius." Lifting the tome, she snapped it shut and stuffed it in one of the voluminous pockets of her coat. "You should get to work yourself. Now that we've done those two a favor, we need to do our actual jobs."

"Hey, I did all the talking," Gaius called after her as she scrambled to her feet and walked away. "I expect compensation."

"IOU," Robin retorted. She heard a good-natured groan, and Robin couldn't help but smile. She hoped that their maneuvering would aid Lon'qu and Lissa. Only so much moping could be taken around the barracks. I just want those two to be happy, and right now, they aren't. If this doesn't work...it might not have been the best of plans, she decided, swallowing nervously.

Hopefully it will, right?

Did he totally brush me off earlier?

Sitting beside a patient suffering from stomach pains in one of Ylisstol's free clinics, Lissa frowned and wondered what had happened with Lon'qu earlier. She felt the young woman's stomach for any lumps or abscesses while she thought back to her run-in with the myrmidon. Why had he been so quick to say no? In the past he would have at least thought about it, but his no had come so rapidly. It wasn't a true "no", of course; he was indeed about to spar with Gregor. I suppose I can't expect him to make time for me like he did when he was guarding me. Now he has other things to do, Lissa thought as she pressed gently under the girl's ribs. Out loud, she asked, "Does this hurt?"

"Yes," she moaned, her eyes watery. Lissa let up her pressure and set a cool, wet washcloth on the girl's forehead.

"Looking at your other symptoms, you probably have some trouble with your gallbladder. Avoid fatty foods for a while, like nuts and fried foods. If it gets worse, come back here. In the meantime, take these herbs for pain and try to avoid strenuous physical activity." Lissa set a small bag of herbs beside the girl. "Feel free to rest here for a while after taking these herbs. They can take a bit to kick in."

The girl nodded. Her round face was shining with sweat. "Th-thank you, princess," she responded.

"I'm just Lissa," she responded, a knee-jerk reaction to "princess". She pulled away from the bedside and wandered through the large infirmary. So many patients who were so ill and sweaty—she couldn't remember the last time she'd seen this number of patients in this particular clinic.

She checked in on a few of her patients, trying to keep her mind from wandering to Lon'qu again. Lissa had a talent for overthinking, and to do so while trying to care for her patients before handing off her shift to one of the usual healers at this clinic was counterproductive. She caught Maribelle's eye as she checked the arrhythmic pulse on an older gentleman. Maribelle shot her an encouraging smile, which Lissa returned with a quick raise of her eyebrows.

Her gaze shot post Maribelle to the cleric who normally worked this shift, a well-rounded older woman with a shock of dark hair. Lissa scribbled a few notes on his chart, bid him a good day, and walked up to the cleric, filling her on her patients. Maribelle was watching her over the woman's shoulder, something interesting in her expression. After the cleric walked away and Lissa started heading for the door, Maribelle trotted up to her. "Do you have a moment?" she asked.

Lissa glanced around. "Don't you have patients to take care of?"

"It will be brief, dear Lissa. I just would like to have a short word with you," she insisted, already half-hauling Lissa out into the hallway outside of the clinic's infirmary.

Outside, Maribelle released Lissa's arm and immediately asked, "Are you well? You've been frowning quite a lot today."

"I…" Lissa watched Maribelle's stern gaze fix itself on her. I just want to say I'm fine, dammit! I can't when she gives me that look. "It's weird, not having Lon'qu at my side all the time."

Maribelle cocked her head slightly. "Is that all?"

"I kind of wonder if he blew me off earlier today, but...we were just friends, anyway, I guess." Lissa sighed. "I have it for him bad. I might've scared him off."

Maribelle sighed. "It's no wonder. Even if he had gotten comfortable with you, I can't imagine he'd be ready for a relationship." She pulled Lissa into a hug. "Promise me to take some time for yourself, and don't let a dumb boy like him get in your head."

"He's hardly a boy—"

Maribelle released her and gazed at her with a cool, serious expression. "Don't let a dumb boy like him get in your head," she repeated herself. "See how things go," she added, her expression a little lighter. "There is enough trouble in your life without being preoccupied by what a gynaphobic myrmidon thinks of you. Shall I come find you after I'm done here tonight?"

Lissa gave a small smile. "That'd be nice."

After saying their goodbyes, Lissa started walking away. Her face fell quickly the minute Maribelle was behind her. Her friend's speech hadn't quite calmed her nerves; in fact, it made her worry more. Of course Lon'qu didn't feel amorous affection for her.

Why did I have to go and kiss him? I ruined what we had, Lissa thought with a groan. Her heartbeat was so hard it almost hurt. Loneliness yawned before her in a way it hadn't before; it seemed interminable. Her sister was gone, Chrom was busy, and she had scared Lon'qu off; wasn't Maribelle right? Lon'qu would never be ready for a relationship beyond friendship.

She started to walk out of the clinic, back toward the castle. Her heart longed for the gardens, and it was there that she would head. At midday, it would be peaceful enough that maybe she would forget about her transgressions for a while.

The box in his pocket felt like it was burning a hole through to his leg. Not that he wasn't already uncomfortable enough in the Ylissean summer heat, but the mental burden of a box containing a ring didn't exactly help his case.

It was how Ylissean men courted Ylissean women, right? They obtained a ring. They professed enamorment. They spent time together and eventually got married, if all went well. Lon'qu felt he had a long shot at best at getting her to even accept the ring; Chrom didn't seem terribly enthused with the myrmidon's feelings for his younger sister. He'd seemed bemused at best.

Why am I doing this? Lon'qu kept asking himself as he walked through the streets of Ylisstol, back toward the castle and the barracks. Is this even a good idea?

But what if Gaius was right? He needed to go through with this, right? It was better to fail having tried than to have never tried at all.

Lon'qu felt a shoulder clip his. He muttered an apology to the glowering pudgy man he had ran into and kept walking. His heart was beating too quickly in his chest; he felt like it was about to take off, not unlike the hummingbirds he occasionally saw while marching along the border of Plegia. The ring in his pocket was simple; a slim silver band, set with two radiant yellow stones (hadn't the merchant in the downtown market called them topaz?) and one light blue one. It was so flowery and feminine, imported from some province in Valm. What would Basilio say if he saw this? Lon'qu thought, his face suddenly hot. I bought a ring for a woman.

The rest of the walk to the castle he passed in a haze of worry. This surely wouldn't go well. Of course it wouldn't go well. Did anything ever go well at all?

At the bottom of the stairs, he vaguely heard someone calling his name. He looked up to see Vaike standing there, dancing from foot to foot. "Hey! Lonnie boy! I've been calling your name for a good ten minutes."

"Ten minutes ago I was in the middle of the street crowd. You probably looked like a fool," Lon'qu grumbled, his foul mood encouraging him to verbally snipe at Vaike.

Vaike, unbothered by Lon'qu's mood, pointed at the barracks. "You said we'd practice together today! A good ol' bout of fisticuffs!"

"We use weapons. Fisticuffs is hand to hand combat," Lon'qu responded, his voice tetchy.

Vaike laughed, raising his fists. "You know what Ol' Teach meant."

"Maybe I didn't."

Vaike took a playful swing at Lon'qu, which he easily blocked. Lon'qu groaned. "Look, can we do this some other time. Something came up."

"Yeah, and that's me challenging you to the good old fisticuffs!" Vaike declared. He jabbed at Lon'qu, who hopped back. In the process, the box fell from his pocket. His heart froze as Vaike noticed it. "Hey, what's that?"

"N-nothing," he grumbled, diving to pick up the box. Unfortunately, Vaike beat him to it and opened it, gazing at it with large eyes. Lon'qu knew his face was red as he demanded, "Give it back. Now."

Vaike pulled out the ring, watching the sun dance across the stones. He was uncharacteristically silent before he chuckled loudly. "Lonnie boy...are you...proposing to me? I knew you weren't much for women but—"

Lon'qu snatched the ring back, shoved it into the tiny box and buried the box deep in his pocket. "No. It's for..." He trailed off, deciding he was already uncomfortable with the number of people who knew about his feelings before he could tell Lissa, and turned on his heel and began marching up toward the castle. Vaike was calling after him, his voice filled with jocular glee, but Lon'qu was already blocking it out. He had to gather his courage and confess. It had to be done.

At the top of the stairs, he wondered if he was even doing the right thing...again. Instead, he steeled himself. He had to find her now before someone decided to do the same in the future.

"...still some hoards of Risen, which should have been taken care of by…"

"...but the lentils have been awful, what do they expect from us? A miracle or…"

"...doubling down on guards. Recruiting hasn't been difficult after recent days…"

The garden had become a popular spot to walk through in the still of the afternoon, but no one could spot where she Lissa was laying. Hidden in a patch of hydrangeas, Lissa gazed up at a sky that was so blue it seared her eyes. She half-closed them, wondering when she'd stop feeling so anxious.

She remembered being a small girl, hiding in this same patch of hydrangeas from her tutors. Emmeryn or Chrom would inevitably come find her; each time they would gently remind her that she had to receive her education. Chrom would get tired of her quickly and drag her, kicking and screaming, from the flower bed if he had to. Emmeryn, on the other hand, would sit outside the flowers and ask Lissa if she was feeling alright and talk her through whatever was bothering her.

Her heart panged; part of her wanted nothing more than for her sister to appear now. It had been years since Lissa had needed someone to sit outside the flowers, looking like a fool in the process, and talk her through what she was feeling. This is hard on my own, she thought with a sigh.

She kicked off her boots unceremoniously, having returned to wearing her cleric clothing, sans cage skirt. Supposedly they were in a time of "peace" once again, meaning the armor could be left catching dust in the barracks or in her room. Peace. Lissa's eyes opened. She reached up to touch a pale blue head of hydrangea blossoms. Nothing had felt peaceful since this so-called "peace" had arrived; she'd almost been killed and her soul was now restless.

More voices drifted past her ears. Male, female, familiar, unfamiliar. Frederick arguing with Cordelia. A pair of cooks arguing about the appropriate way to saute mushrooms. An advisor telling a joke to her assistants. They were separated from her, by what felt like more than just mere physical distance. It felt like a metaphysical wall separated Lissa from the world.

"Have you seen Lissa?"

Her oddly insulated state cracked; she opened her eyes. Was that Lon'qu's voice? She lifted her head and listened hard. It was from a good ways behind her, in the same hallway she and Gaius had been talking in the day of Emmeryn's service.

She heard Libra's voice. "Ah, Lon'qu. I fear not. She was at one of the free clinics earlier; she took over for me."

"Do you know where she might have gone?" Lon'qu asked. There was an intriguing urgency in his voice.

"No, not really. I'm not close to her. We just work together in the infirmaries sometimes. Are you two not closer than she and I are?" Lon'qu didn't respond to Libra's inquiry. After a moment, Libra hastily added, "I wish you the best in your hunt."

Lissa remained quietly in the flowers. Did she reveal herself to Lon'qu? How would he react to seeing her laying under a canopy of hydrangeas like a kitchen cat? She decided to stay where she was, primarily for saving face, and listened once more. The conversation had faded, leaving her wondering what was going on.

Maybe they both left? Lissa thought, opening her eyes and looking around as much as her position allowed. She saw little but flowers and one of the walls; she would have to stand or sit to look for him. I should let him know where I am. He's looking for me, and I don't want to be rude. Yet, she found herself not clambering to her feet. Eh. Maybe a little rude. He did brush me off earlier, right?

Before she could muse further on the matter, she heard a gruff, "Dammit!" from nearby and the sound of someone dropping to sit in the grass. Lon'qu? The extra conversation had subsided. She craned her neck again, and to her surprise, she saw Lon'qu sitting no more than five feet away from her, just outside the patch of hydrangeas. His back was to her; she could see just the very tips of his ruffled, black hair.

It made her think of Emmeryn, sitting in almost that same spot waiting for Lissa to leave the deep blue flowers. Always patient and loving. Presently, Lon'qu didn't even know she was there, but his unknown, unintended gesture filled Lissa's heart with a strange, bittersweet kind of calm. She could feel an odd anxiety rolling off of him, even though she could barely see him. What was on his mind? Why was he looking for her with that sense of urgency.

Her curiosity was piqued, and Lissa decided to give up her self-imposed solitude. Oh, wonderful. I have to bite. Tentatively, she started sitting up in the flowerbed, careful to not rustle the leaves in an aggressive way. Her efforts were in vain, though, because as she sat up Lon'qu turned to look at her. Their eyes met, and they both froze. After a moment, Lissa merely said, "Well, hi."

His eyes shifted to the flowers around her, his expression a mixture of irritation and surprise. Lissa followed his gaze and remarked, "So. This. It's a hiding spot."

"I see," he responded, his voice forcedly level. Lon'qu twisted around to face her, his eyes cool. "I've been looking for you."

"Have you now?" She stood, brushing dirt and fallen flower petals from her clothing. "I should've said something sooner. I heard you and Libra. I just...kind of wanted to escape for a bit, you see?" Lissa explained, more to herself than to him.

He gazed up at her. "Is that so?" Something in his tone suggested a challenge; Lissa knew he was agitated by something. Her little stunt likely hadn't helped.

Lissa, still standing, gazed down at him and nodded. "Yes. That is so."

They were locked in a stare-off, it seemed, before Lon'qu scoffed and looked away. "I've been looking for a while. You could have said something."

"Would that have looked okay to you? Me rising out of the flowers shouting 'oh dearest Lon'qu I'm here amongst my hydrangea friends!'? Libra might have had a heart attack or something." Lissa retorted, her eyes narrowing at the vitriol in his tone. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she clasped her hands in front of herself. "Look, you seem a bit agitated. Is everything okay?"

He shook his head. "I don't know."

"Well, that's clear." He was silent, offering up no more details. She groaned and scratched at her neck. "Okay, look. We've barely talked since you stopped guarding me. Just...is it something to do with that? Do you not want me to talk to you anymore?"

"No!" Lissa was taken aback by the vehemence in his voice, the width of his eyes. After a moment he added, "I...there's something I need to say."

Talk in circles much? She huffed and sat down opposite of him, the waxy leaves of a rhododendron scraping her neck. "Well, first you get snippy with me and now you're beating around the bush. What is it that you're trying to say, Lon'qu?"

He was gazing at her, something hidden just out of reach in his eyes. In spite of this guardedness, Lissa began to wonder if his gaze was filled with tenderness. The look made her breath catch; she loved his eyes, as guarded as they could be. After a moment, it vanished, and Lon'qu said, "I…" Lissa leaned forward, waiting for him to say something.

He glanced over at her and seemed to lose what little composure he had. The myrmidon leapt to his feet in almost a blink of an eye, startling Lissa. "Gods, I can't do this," he muttered.

Lon'qu could feel the burn of Lissa's stare of disbelief on his back. That same soft, green gaze that had looked at him with intrigue just moments before, the one that made him lose his composure. How was he supposed to get through this, when he feared a no from her?

"Lon'qu, whatever it is, I can't believe you're more afraid of telling me it than you were of throwing yourself in front of an arrow for me," Lissa remarked, her voice just bordering on exasperated. He couldn't turn to look at her.

I shouldn't do this. I can't do this. This is selfish, Lon'qu thought to himself. He muttered, "That's different."

He heard Lissa clamber to her feet. Moments later, her hand gently rested on his back, sending a huge shock through his body. He flinched away, and Lissa pulled her hand away, hard. He heard her step back. "Ah. Right. I...I shouldn't touch you. That's probably why you aren't talking to me. I took it too far. That's...that's what you're here to tell me, right? I shouldn't have...kissed you…" She fell silent.

Lon'qu's hands balled into fists as he thought about Lissa pressing that kiss to his cheek before running out of the infirmary. That small spot burned as he thought about it. "That's...that's not at all what I'm saying, Lissa," he muttered, but by flinching away, the damage was already done.

She marched in front of him and folded her arms in front of her chest. Her gaze was icy as she stared up at him. "Don't spare my feelings! Just spit it out if you don't like me! Stop...stop making me hope for something that could never happen," she said, her voice trailing off.

He was about to respond—and then froze. Stop making me hope for something that could never happen. Something not unlike hope buoyed up inside of him. He gazed down at her, as she stared up at him with a defiant, stubborn face. Lon'qu couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of this situation.

Lissa gaped at him. "What? You're...laughing? Don't make fun of me!"

Lon'qu dragged his hand across his mouth, killing his mirth. "I'm—I'm not."

Her face grew increasingly red, and she pressed her hands to her cheeks and covered her eyes. "This is frustrating. I just—I just want us to talk a lot, you know? Like we used to. Well, it was more me babbling all the time and you nodding…" She removed her hands from her face. "I don't know. I don't expect you to understand. You don't really like girls much, so even if we are friends I imagine you'd be relieved to get rid of me—"

"Lissa." He said her name, quietly. She must not have heard, as she was still babbling. She sure babbled, but he loved that about her, much like he loved those eyes, directed somewhere off to the side in the near distance. For once, he felt his expression soften. His storm of confusing feelings was gone. She...she loves me too, doesn't she? Lon'qu thought. That hope from earlier swelled into something...warmer. Brighter. He pushed his hand into his pocket, where he felt the ring box. "I...I like it when you come to talk to me. That you like to see me. I've missed you."

"—and so you don't have to pretend…" she trailed off and gazed at him, a small crease forming in her brow. "Uh, Lon'qu. Hey. What, uh...what did you say there? Because I'm pretty sure you said you liked having me talk to you and that you miss me?" Lissa took a step back, and Lon'qu could watch the nervous energy fill her. "Are you ill? Did you hit your head training? Oh, gods. What if I'm ill?" She pressed a hand to her forehead. "Fever? Nah. Maybe I, uh, accidentally ate an herb I shouldn't have in the clinic on a dare." She laughed nervously, dropping her hand in order to wring it with the other one.

Lon'qu's fingers closed on the ring box, and, with far less hesitation than he could have expected from himself, he pulled it out of his pocket, his hand still clenched around it. "This may come as a surprise, but I have something for you." He opened his hand and popped open the box.

Lissa stared. She was dead silent, for once. Lon'qu's momentary confidence faded. Was this too far? Before he could pull back, apologize, and escape the situation, a massive grin broke out over Lissa's face. "That's...that's a wedding ring, isn't it?" she whispered.

"Y-yes," he responded.

She bounced on the balls of her feet before looking up at him, her hands coming up to cover her mouth. The joy in her face melted into confusion, and she arched an eyebrow, looking at him fishily. Her voice muffled, she stated, "But...you hate women."

"No, I...I don't. I don't hate anyone. Yes, I have an issue with women, but you're the exception," he explained. He closed the ring box and lowered his hand. "I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. I close my eyes, and there you are. My every moment is consumed with you." He stepped closer to her. His voice suddenly quiet, he promised, "Lissa, I swear to be with you and protect you for the rest of your days. That is, if you'll...you'll have me," he added hastily, his confidence fast wearing down again.

Lissa's confusion seemed to fall away. A slow smile spread over her features, and the bright, enthusiastic joy of earlier was replaced with a contentment that Lon'qu thought he could have only dreamed of just hours before. She reached for his hand, gently took the box, and opened it. For a moment the world was still as she gazed at the ring silently. There were hydrangea petals trapped in her locks, blue trapped in a sea of gold, not unlike the ring he had bought. She looked up, her cheeks a bright pink. "I have to request one thing of you first," she said breathlessly, stepping closer to him.

He nodded, encouraging her to go on. She gazed up at him, both hands clutching the box. "No more distance, okay?" she requested.

Lon'qu hesitated for only a second before repeating, "No more distance."

Lissa pulled out the ring and slid it onto her finger. With that, his worries about whether she would accept had faded. Slowly, Lissa—his Lissa—stashed the box into the pocket of her dress and reached out to him with both of her hands. Slowly, with some nervousness, he took her hands in his. The instant fear was replaced with a gentle warmth that spread from his palms up to his face. Lissa stepped closer to him, their hands hanging low, and rested her head against his chest. "Lon'qu, I love you," she murmured. His heart pounded faster at her words. The final confirmation that he had done the right thing was there, in her words, and it put him at ease.

How damned lucky he was, to be standing here with her, knowing that he had found love with her.

"I love you, too," he whispered back, his voice rough with emotion. She released his hands and wrapped her arms around him loosely, as if to not upset him. In a way, he was tired of distance, and in that moment he pulled her tightly to him. She squeaked in surprise, but she moved her arms higher to wrap around his neck.

They stood, tightly embracing, when Lissa groaned. "Lon'qu. This is amazing and I'm still convinced I'm dreaming, but I just thought of something. We have to...tell Chrom."

Lon'qu had almost forgotten his conversation with Chrom. It didn't matter, though; it had turned out way better than he could have hoped or dreamed, and dealing with Chrom hardly intimidated him—especially since he already had an idea of Lon'qu's plan. "Right. About that..."

The news of Lissa's engagement had spread like wildfire among the shepherds, and it had certainly been met with some interesting reactions. Lissa wondered if part of it had to do with Vaike's jokes about Lon'qu's sexuality, claiming that the myrmidon had attempted to propose to him on the stairs, but she knew that it was largely that Lon'qu had seemed to be little more than an impossible dream to any female who'd ever met him.

Once the shock wore off, questions flooded in that made Lissa's head spin.

"When's the wedding?"

"Where will you two live together?"

"How did Chrom react?"

Lissa could barely keep up with these questions, and she felt worse for Lon'qu, who was flooded with even more pressing inquiries by the male shepherds and a few daring female shepherds, who were disappointed to find that Lon'qu's acceptance of Lissa didn't necessarily spread to them.

However, the questions were well worth it when she finally found herself alone with him again, along one of the outer walls of the castle. They'd agreed to meet there at sundown, since privacy had suddenly become even more difficult to find in the light of their confession. I guess they think they're going to find us oozing all over each other in some corner or something. We need to work up to that level, she thought with humor.

She found him sprawled rather comfortably in the grass, one hand raised. As Lissa got closer, she noticed a small, yellow butterfly standing on one of his fingers. His expression was surprisingly gentle; when alone or alone with her, his cool facade seemed to thaw more than it used to. "Hey," she said gently. He didn't even start at the sound of her voice, which filled Lissa with a self-satisfied pleasure. The myrmidon—her fiance—gently wiggled his finger, making the butterfly fly away. He got to his feet as Lissa drew closer. "You didn't have to send your little friend away. He seemed cute."

Lon'qu simply shrugged. He got closer to her, hands in his pockets. God, she loved his more casual poses. She loved how fluid and free flowing he had become with her. "I suppose," he responded, but his eyes were on her. "How are you?"

"I'm fabulous," she responded, trying to keep herself from grinning like an idiot. "Actually, I'm kind of tired. I've been in the clinics all day again today. Mind if I sit down?"

They situated themselves on the hill, sitting so close that their shoulders touched. Lissa smiled to herself. With the sun going down, the heat of the day was slowly fading, and she was grateful to have Lon'qu's warmth beside her. Hell, she was just grateful to have him. "How about you? How are you?" she asked him once they were comfortably situated.

"I'm fine," he responded. He glanced across to her, with dark eyes that burned steadily into hers. "Vaike seems disappointed that I'm taken."

"Poor guy. He worked so hard for your attention and all, too," Lissa responded, bumping her shoulder playfully into his. "Always letting himself lose to you and all."

"He's miles behind me," Lon'qu responded reproachfully.

Lissa's smile faded a little. "It was a joke, Lon'qu."

He rolled his eyes at her, grunting in acknowledgment. They sat quietly on the hill. It had only been a few days since their engagement, and it felt as though this was the first time they'd have extended time alone together. Aside from hugging the garden, they hadn't done anything particularly coupley yet. Lissa shifted herself to rest her head on his shoulder. He glanced down, looking a little bewildered, but calmed himself when he saw that it was Lissa. She could hear his heart faintly through his shoulder, beating steadily inside of him. "I want to ask you something," she said softly.

"Go ahead," he responded.

"Why did you jump in front of that arrow?" she questioned, feeling herself frown. "You could have pulled me out of the way or pushed me down. But you...took that arrow. And now we're here, obviously."

He was silent for a moment, clearly thinking about something. "I had to think about that myself. Because it does seem stupid, especially in retrospect." Lissa felt his heart speed up a little, as though he was nervous simply thinking about that day. "I couldn't stand the thought of there being a life without you. An Ylisse that didn't have you. I didn't want you to get hurt."

Lissa felt pleasure curl inside her gut at his answer, but it still wasn't a full answer. "Right, but you could have done that those other ways, too."

"I think, in the heat of the moment, all I cared about was whether you made it out safe," he responded. "If I took that arrow, you couldn't. I wasn't going to have you be Ke'ri. I couldn't bring that bad luck to you," he said, his voice sad.

Lissa nestled closer to him, her head touching his neck now. "I won't be. You're going to protect me. And I'll protect you, too, no matter what," she said vehemently. His heart sped up again, and she felt his head lower over hers. She smiled and closed her eyes, feeling deeply content. "You're a good man, Lon'qu."

"Even if I told Chrom I loved you before I told you?" he asked.

Her eyes snapped open, and she playfully nudged him with her elbow. "That's the ultimate betrayal, Lon'qu. Not sure if I'll ever forgive you for that one. We could be old and gray, and I'll still remember how you asked Chrom to leave."

He pulled away from her, his eyes sparking. "Is that so?"

"Yeah, that's so," she responded, sticking her tongue out at him.

Lon'qu's mouth twitched with a smile. Lissa gasped theatrically, clapping her hands to her face. "Hey now! Wipe that smirk off your face, or I'll wipe it off myself." When he didn't stop grinning, she pounced on him. He cried out in surprise, and he quickly rolled, pinning her under him and grabbing her wrists in one fluid movement. His eyes were wide with surprise, his breathing heavy. Lissa wondered if she had gone too far, gazing up at him. "Oh, no. I didn't mean to startle you or anything, and I'm really sorry if I took it too far."

His expression softened as he gazed down at her. He didn't quite let her up, but he shifted his weight off of her. He released her wrists, but he took one of her hands in his. "It's fine," he responded, that same faint smile returning.

She reached up, gently wiping her free hand across his lower face, making him look at her like she was crazy. Lissa grinned wickedly. "Gotcha."

He groaned, shaking his head at her. When he met her gaze again, though, his dark eyes were filled with a gentle humor. Lissa's breath caught in her throat when she noticed the desire in his eyes. She reached up to him, her hand cupping his face. Her palm rubbed against the stubble along his jaw. He closed his eyes against her touch, and Lissa felt like her heart would burst. So beautifully vulnerable her Lon'qu was when he was alone with her. He opened her eyes, gazing at her sweetly, and she knew in that moment that they were about to kiss.

He started leaning in and she guided him, her hands cupping his face and pulling him closer. He paused, inches from her, searching her eyes, as if to see that it was okay. Lissa closed the distance, pressing her lips to his. Her blood burned hot as he pressed back, almost too gently. She buried her hands in his hair, her toes almost curling with the pleasure. She started to deepen it, which startled Lon'qu.

He pulled back slightly, his eyes wide. "Am I hurting you?" he asked.

Lissa shook her head, laughing breathlessly. "Hardly." This time, he closed the gap, pressing a kiss to her lips that was quick, if only because they heard a wolf whistle. They looked up to see Robin at the top of the wall, gazing down over them with a smug smile. Annoyed, Lissa sat up and glared at her. "Hey! This is private time down here!"

Gaius's head quickly joined hers and he gave a quick wave. His hair seemed a little too messy, and he also seemed a bit too close to Robin. "Excuse you, this was ours too."

Lissa glanced sidelong at Lon'qu, whose face was burning. It seemed like he could hardly look up at his fellow shepherds. "Look at you guys. You scared Lon'qu. Do you feel good about yourselves now?"

"Okay, sheesh, we'll move. You kids behave now...or else." Robin winked at Lissa and disappeared back over the edge of the wall.

Lissa, feeling a bit pink in the face herself, turned back to Lon'qu. He was once again rigid, his eyes having lost their softness. With a sigh, Lissa scooted closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder again. "Hey. It's alright. They're leaving."

"Robin is younger than me. Why would she call me kid?" Lon'qu muttered to herself, earning a snort of laughter from Lissa.

She gazed out over the trees and the distant hills. From this side of the castle, it seemed like Ylisse was a verdant Eden. Maybe there is peace here, after all. Lissa smiled a little and took his hand in hers. He lifted their joined hands and kissed the back of hers. She closed her eyes to the sunset-tinted scenery and laid her head against Lon'qu's shoulder again. In spite of everything that had happened, she had Lon'qu with her. Whatever the future would hold for her, she had him at her side, and she knew, wherever life took them, that they had each other's backs.

For the first time in what felt like a long time, Lissa felt perfectly at ease.

Hello, it is I, Mars, giving you this 8K+ word update because IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I UPDATED. I've kind of been in and out of the hospital a bit and prepping to go to college, so yeah. The speed was a bit lacking. And guess what? This is the last chapter. There will be an epilogue for sure and potentially something concerning Owain's paralogue...but FOR NOW I GIVE YOU THIS MONSTER OF AN UPDATE.

I've rewritten this update four times and done major revisions twice. Keeping this final update in character has been A REAL STRUGGLE and I hope I did well!

I was kind of emotional writing a lot of this. This sounds super corny, but this pairing gives me a lot of feelings. If you notice anything grammatically off, it's because THE FEELS WERE A BIT TOO REAL MAN.

So...yes. This isn't my last author's note here, but it also is in a way on this fic? I have an epilogue coming up soon, but I also have a lot to say in this note.

I'd really like to thank you all for sticking with me. I know there was a long intermission on my updating (three/four months or so), and I know there's been a bit of drama, but I've also really enjoyed writing this fic. I've learned a lot about writing for this fandom and interpreting characters, as Fire Emblem is way more cut and dried than, say, Pokemon, which I usually write for. It's harder to be loosy-goosy with character interpretations like I usually aim for? I digress.

So here are a few personal thank yous:

A big thanks to Stella for getting me into this pairing in the first place, and for being an awesome supportive friend throughout this process.

A big thanks to Kari. You came into the game late but your support and friendship has been really awesome as I work through this fic and start planning out later works.

A big thanks to Erin, although I KNOW FOR A FACT you don't read this bc this isn't your fandom, but you've been super helpful especially on these updates where I rewrite them five or six times and in making outlines.

Also, a big thanks to Drags. You know what you did.

Alright, so while I'm at it, I'm going to thank all my readers again. You guys have been superb and really fun to write for!

Things that you all should keep an eye out for the in future: a Lonlissa Yakuza AU, a modern one for this pairing as well, a Shura/Corrin one shot, and potentially more fics for Pokemon. Don't expect anything RADICALLY soon after I post the epilogue for this fic, as I start back to college, but I've got THEM IDEAS GUYS.

Until the epilogue, take care. Remember to drink lots of water and to change your oil every 3,000 miles or every three months.

Sincerely,

Mars