Author Notes:

-I do not own Fire Emblem and do not make any profit from this story.

Epilogue

"So, what will you do next? You have any plans?"

Cordelia shrugged, toying with one of the remaining potatoes of her stew. "Even if the war is over, we're still soldiers, Sumia. Once I'm back, I'll just return to my training."

Sumia rolled her eyes. "You know I didn't mean it like that. I'm asking about you and Stahl."

The face of the redhead face flushed at the mention of the knight's name. She lowered her eyes, avoid her friend's inquisitive gaze. "What are you saying? We only played a few harp duets together, nothing more."

"Teehee, I don't believe you. You should see the way he looks at you, it's written all over his face. He's totally into you."

From scarlet, Cordelia's cheeks turned crimson. "Please, Sumia. This can wait until we return home."

"I'll make sure you don't forget this promise," Sumia replied with a shrug, her traits lightened by a devious grin.

Losing attention to her two friend's back-and-forth, Cherche's mind drifted away to her own thoughts. It had been one day and one since the last battle, back at Valm's castle. Rather than setting a camp next to it, the Shepherds had simply started occupying the place while their leaders determined their next course of actions and the terms of the Valmese surrender. Setting her plate aside, Cherche looked through the window. Outside, the sun was setting, shining his last rays on the ravaged plains below the castle.

"Say Cherche, you've been pretty silent. Maybe you'd like to come back to Ylisse with us?" Sumia suddenly asked, tearing the knight from her thoughts. Surprised by the question, she paused for a couple of seconds, pondering her options.

"I appreciate the offer, but my place is in Rosanne. The country will need every able bodied person it can get to recover from the war."

The smile of Sumia faded, replaced by a sullen frown. "I see… I guess that's the most logical choice after all."

Next to her, Cordelia seized the pegasus rider's shoulder and gently shook it. "Don't look so gloomy. We can always drop by Rosanne whenever we have free time. Isn't that right, Cherche?" The pair of riders stared at her expectantly, hope glowing in her eyes.

Her body felt unusually warm and her cheeks flushed red for a split second. After losing almost everything to the war, she had finally found people she could rely on again. "Of course, I would love to. We do not have to stop seeing each other. Who knows, maybe in a few years, I'll be the one to stop by Ylisse once Rosanne is rebuilt."

Brimming with excitement, Sumia's whole face lit up. About to answer, she stopped in her tracks, her mouth agape.

"What is it?" Cherche asked, raising a confused brow.

"I think a certain someone is paying a visit," the rider answered. With a wink, she pointed at the entrance of the refectory, behind the knight.

Cherche turned, looking for the source of Sumia's surprise. There, by the door, stood Lon'qu, wearing his usual armor. Standing still, he was combing through the rows of tables with his eyes, seemingly not having noticed her yet.

Cordelia lifted an eyebrow. "Wasn't he away the whole day?"

"He was," Cherche confirmed. While she had searched for the swordsman, she hadn't been able to find about his whereabouts until she stumbled on Gaius. According to him, Lon'qu had left the castle in the morning for the nearest town.

"Should we wave him over?" Cordelia asked.

Cherche stood up and gave the two women a half-smile. "No, that won't be necessary. He is probably looking for me, I'll go and see what he wants."

"Maybe he wants to marry you," Sumia teased with a giggle. "You two are always together lately."

Cherche rolled her eyes, dismissing the young woman's assumption. It seemed the young woman had read too many cheesy romance books lately. "Come on now, don't be ridiculous. I'll see you two later."

With a parting wave, Cherche left the table and walked to the man. His traits brightened as his eyes met hers, the corners of his mouth curving up. Something about his smile was disarming, leaving her very core exposed. Her cheeks feeling like fire, she looked to the side, refusing to show her vulnerability.

"I've been looking for you the whole day," she confessed.

"Apologies, I had an urgent errand to take care of. I should have told you I was leaving." He paused for a second, examining the refectory behind her. "Do you mind if we leave? I would like to speak somewhere more… private."

Cherche nodded, relieved by the proposal. Despite not facing them, she could feel the burning gaze of the two pegasus riders on her back as they spoke. "It would be for the best. Do you have a place in mind?"

"I do. Follow me, it is not far from here."

Lon'qu left, leaving the door open for the woman. She quickly caught up with him and walked by his side through the castle's corridors and staircases, her mind racing with questions. Why was he away? What was he so intent on speaking about?

"You didn't tell me where we are heading," she finally remarked after they climbed a third set of stairs, breaking the silence.

"I did not, I'm hopeful you will enjoy the surprise instead. Here, these are the last ones," he replied, pointing at a spiraling stairway.

"I'll be right behind you," she said, stopping to let the man pass in front her. Too narrow to let two persons walk side by side, Cherche followed Lon'qu's brisk pace through the stairs, climbing them two steps at a time.

About a minute later, they landed in front of a small door. Lon'qu opened it and walked through the passage, lowering his head to not hit the door frame. Let a bit short-winded from the effort, Cherche followed his example, only to be greeted by a strong, chilly breeze. Repressing a shiver, she tugged her clothes closer. In front of her, Lon'qu moved to the side as he reached a stone railing, revealing the landscape his body had been hiding.

Below, the ocean was laid bare before her eyes, tinted a pretty coral by the ephemeral, faint rays of the setting sun. She walked to the railing and wrapped her arms around her torso, using the warmth of her armpits to protect her hands from the bite of the chilly breeze, carrying with it the soothing, salty breeze of the ocean. Next to it was a sea of green grass spreading as far as the eye could see, going up and down in wave like motions under the strong gusts of wind from the sea. This side of the castle intact, left untouched from the fighting, a feeling of serenity washed over her as she contemplated the colorful scenery.

"Do you like it?" Lon'qu asked, shifting his position to face her.

Cherche uncrossed her arms and leaned forward on the ceiling. She turned her head toward him, her lips curled up into a genuine smile.

"This is a beautiful sunset. The view isn't so bad either," she teased him.

His eyes crinkled at the corners, a satisfied smirk playing on his face. "Good, I feared it would be too cold, up here."

The woman hummed softly, amused by his concern. "I'd like to stay here for a while, actually. I was a rider. I'm used to heights, remember?"

A deep brow split Lon'qu's forehead as he turned to face the setting sun. "Losing Minerva was a terrible blow."

He was right, obviously. Of all the trials she ever went through, coming to terms with her friend's death had been the most arduous she had to face. Next to her, the swordsman seemed dejected, his shoulders slumped. He must still be blaming himself, Cherche realized, her smile fading as a feeling of concern started nibbling at her heart.

With her hand, she reached for his forearm in an attempt to comfort him. "We did everything we could, only the ones responsible for her death are to be blamed. We should take comfort in the fact that she has been avenged and try to go on from there."

Lon'qu gripped the railing tighter, keeping his gaze set on the horizon. "Are you truly satisfied with vengeance?"

She blinked, taken aback by the unexpected question. No matter what they did, Minerva was gone. "No, I am not," she confessed in a whisper. "Revenge alone won't fill the gap her departure left in my heart."

"Then..."

"In the end, it wasn't retribution that gave me the comfort I sought," she continued, cutting him off. "No, ending this war did. I'm glad to finally be at peace, along with people who deeply matters to me. Having you safe and sound gave purpose to Minerva's sacrifice, and I couldn't ask for more."

"You are very strong," he observed, raising surprised eyebrows.

Cherche shook and lowered her head, the shadow of a faint smile appearing on her face. "Spare the compliment, I am not stronger than anyone else. I only happened to have the right people supporting me when I needed it." She paused, hoping the man wouldn't notice her quivering lip. "I needed you. Without your help, I don't think I would still be here today."

Lon'qu took a deep breath and turned to face the woman, then gratifying her with a solemn nod. "I will keep helping you, then. I have made my decision. I will head back to Rosanne with you, if that offer is still standing."

Cherche's heart skipped a beat, her traits brightened by a heartfelt grin. "Y-yes, of course! I'd love that!" she revealed, barely able to contain the excitement taking over her body.

The man stiffly reached for one of his pockets with a trembling hand. "In that case, this is the only next logical step," he declared, pulling out a dark, small box from his pocket. "I vow to stand by your side and protect you, always. If you are willing to take this, that is," he continued, holding the box for her to take.

Cherche swallowed, an irresistible shiver running through her body. Her mind lost in the racket of a myriad of fleeting thoughts, she was unable to think of any words of reply. Instead, she reached for the box and fought the irrepressible shaking of her hands as she slowly opened it in his outstretched palm.

Her knees almost gave out. She quickly covered her agape mouth with both her hands. Under her fingers, her cheeks were almost burning, turned crimson from the sudden realisation. "W- what a pretty ring!" she stuttered.

In the box was the most beautiful engagement ring she had ever seen, tucked in a bed of red velvet. Made with gold, it was mounted by an oval-shaped large ruby. It must be at least two carats! she guessed, overwhelmed by the size of the stone. Large wings spread out from both sides, covering part of the central gemstone. They were adorned with a myriad of smaller obsidian gems, arranged in a ingenious pattern designed to give the illusion of a multitude of tiny, black scales. Is it representing… Minerva? she realized, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes.

It took her a few seconds to fully register the situation. Originally crippled by his gynophobia, Lon'qu had grew close enough to the woman to wish to spend the rest of his days with her.

"Lon'qu. Does this mean..." she started, the lump in her throat preventing her from continuing.

The swordsman lowered his eyes, staring at the box on the palm of his hand. "You disposed of the demons of my past and healed the wounds of my heart. I don't want a future without you at my side. Will you marry me?"

"Gladly!" Cherche exclaimed, taking a step forward. Her heart was beating so fast, so loudly, that she could barely remain standing. "I've also fallen in love with you, but never could find the right time to confess it."

Lon'qu beamed at her, the corners of his mouth curling into the widest grin she had ever seen on his face. His body instantly relaxed, released of the pent up tension it had accumulated during the whole confession. "Allow me, then," he replied, nudging the ring outside the box. He shoved the box back in his pocket before presenting the ring to her, a faint blush creeping on his cheeks.

Cherche extended her left hand forward, her mind only able to focus on keeping it steady. The man grabbed it softly and gently pushed the band into place around her ring finger. To her relief, it fitted perfectly. Not giving Lon'qu a single second to react, Cherche let her feelings take over and jumped in his arms, bringing him in a tight embrace. "I'm so happy," she mouthed, tears of joy flowing freely down her face. Standing in his vigorous arms was enough to make her feel protected, to let her forget about any of her vulnerabilities.

Time froze as she finally softly pushed him back, just enough for her to be able to gaze into his beautiful, widened eyes. Wordlessly, she grabbed his shoulders and stood on the tip of her toes, bringing her visage closer to his.

"I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you," she whispered before pressing her lips to his, delicately, just long enough that she could feel the warmth of his breath. Slowly, she moved back slightly and admired his gorgeous features, his taste still lingering on her lips.

"Cherche..." he murmured before seizing her face in both his hands, slowly closing the distance between his visage and hers. Her eyes closed, she tilted her head to the side as much as the swordsman allowed her to and slightly opened her mouth.

The kiss was much more daring, this time. She could only hold on to the back of his neck as he hungrily thrust his lips against hers. A wave of irresistible delight ran down her spine, her body burning with the fire of passion as his tongue worked its way through her clenched teeth. Not trying to win a battle but rather seeking the union of one breath in one timeless and passionate moment, his tongue slowly penetrated the moist place within. Timidly at first, her tongue touched his for a fleeting moment before retreating. The taste was sweet and sensual, almost overbearing, sending arcs of pleasure through her body. The heat rose in her cheeks as she pushed her tongue forward, this time more determined, firmer. His was like an elusive fire in her mouth, that chasing down with her own tongue only served to strengthen further.

Abruptly, Lon'qu suddenly moved back, gently pushing her away. Almost with regret, she released her hold on the man and opened her eyes, still panting.

"Sorry, I needed to breath," he sheepishly explained, rubbing the back of his neck with an embarrassed hand.

Cherche repressed a stifled giggle and moved a step back, giving him the space he needed. "Thank you for this gift, Lon'qu. You made me the happiest woman on earth," she professed, a hand on her hearth.

The man shook his head and reached for her hand, a wide smile playing on his face as they entwined their fingers. "I should be the one thanking you. You got rid of my nightmares and allowed me to find true happiness. For the first time, I can see a bright future awaiting me, with you at my side."

"I wouldn't have it any other way!" she exclaimed, her heart almost bursting with love. Turning her back to the romantic sunset, she nodded to the door and eagerly pulled him along. "Let's go find the others, we still need to find someone to marry us, after all!"

It's weird feeling writing the final words on a story you worked on for more than a year. I hoped you like my fiction as much as I enjoyed writing it. It's been tough at times, but I enjoyed how it finally turned out. This was my first time writing a story, in a foreign language no less (I'm French), and it's quite the gratifying feeling overcoming difficulties to keep pushing content forward. I'm aware my work is far from perfect yet (seriously, I couldn't help but cringe a little when I read the prologue). Nevertheless, I'm hopeful more practice will only make my writing better.

You can follow me on Twitter if you want, the link is in my profile and probably somewhere earlier in the story, after I decided to create one for updates about my works. I'm planning to write another fiction, more details to come on this soon (unless I publish the prologue directly here, we'll see).

I'd like to thank everyone who read this fiction, you are the reason I kept on writing all the way through. Special thanks to the people who left comments and excited reviews, it's always a blast reading them (seeing you excitedly reviewing almost every chapter was a blast, CrazyPhenom. Thank you for being so active from the beginning to the end, it really was a great boon for my morale). I try to message back everyone who do comment, when I'm able to. At the very least, know that I always read and appreciate every single on of them.

Finally, I want to thank all the people who helped me write the story itself, which is basically everyone on various discord servers I kept bugging with questions about basically anything. That includes people like GS7, ClearlyInvisible, WritersBlah, nisserie86, QuoteMyFoot, Coyote, and many others!

Oh, also thanks to Di4na for agreeing Lon'qu x Cherche is the true OTP. I hope you've enjoyed the read!

Sorry if I forgot anyone, I still appreciate every bit of help and support I received!