Hey, guys! So I've slowly been working on this oneshot for months, and it's finally finished! I was inspired to write this after listening to the song Starring Role by Marina and the Diamonds. It's quite the depressing song, but it's also so beautiful. Anyways, the gears in my head started turning, and well...this is the result! I think it's quite interesting, and I hope you guys think so, too.

I own nothing related to Fire Emblem.

Please read & enjoy! :D

I lied in my cot and let out a heavy sigh. The last battle had ended about an hour ago, but it certainly didn't feel like it. My body felt fatigued, but my mind was in worse shape. I had so much bottled up inside that I thought my head would explode. But it wasn't just the recent sacrifices of my fellow Pegasus knights that swirled in my head. Rather, something else- no, someone else- stayed with me. It made my heart swell and my cheeks flush.

Oh, Chrom…

I bit my lip hard. I still recalled how worried I had been when I finally reached Chrom and the Shepherds. Sweat trailed his forehead as he kept his grip tight on Falchion. He had lost his fury the moment he had seen me swoop onto the battlefield. I almost lost my ability to keep my emotions in check at the worry that etched his beautiful features. Somehow, I had managed to keep it together long enough to get through the battle.

But now the action was over. I was alone, and free to let my thoughts wander.

"Hey, Cordelia!"

Not anymore, I thought.

I sighed and glanced up. "Hey, Sumia."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I should be asking you the same thing."

"Oh, I'm fine," Sumia said. "I was about to go for a walk. Wanna come?"

I pondered my options. I was sick of thinking about the last hours I had endured, but I wasn't in the mood to go for a walk. Ultimately, Sumia's hopeful expression won me over. I allowed a small grin to escape me.

"Sure," I replied. "Let's go."

I followed Sumia out of my tent. We walked out onto a field full of green grass and the occasional patch of dirt. I wrapped my arms around myself as a cool breeze swept through the evening. I saw the sun beginning to set, and silently hoped that it wouldn't go anytime soon. I hadn't brought a candle with us, and I was now beginning to wish that I had.

"It looks so nice," I mused.

"It does," Sumia remarked. "Gods, what a beautiful night!"

That wasn't an exaggeration. I watched hazy purple clouds surround the orange sun off in the distance. My grin turned into a smile as I watched this unfold before my eyes.

Yet something didn't feel right. I looked over to see Sumia lost in thought. This wasn't like her; Sumia and I could talk about anything. Silence hung in the air, and I didn't like it. I nudged her arm, startling her out of her thoughts.

"You seem so distant," I said. "Is something going on?"

"Uh…"

"Oh, come now," I added. "We're best friends, right? There shouldn't be any secrets between us. Please tell me what's troubling you. Perhaps I could try to put your mind at ease."

Sumia looked at the ground, and then back at me. I couldn't read her expression; it wasn't one I had seen before.

"It's nothing bad…I think," Sumia said. "I'm just thinking about someone. Someone I care deeply for."

This was news to me. I never knew that my best friend had someone in her heart. I decided to be nosey about the issue.

"Who's the lucky guy? Come on, tell me!"

"Only if you swear you won't tell him."

"Of course I won't tell him! Now tell me!"

"Fine! It's Chrom."

I could've sworn I had stopped breathing. I felt my eyes go wide, and my mouth gap open in a stupid manner. I racked my brain for some hint in the past that should've told me that Sumia felt this way about Chrom. Slowly, they came to me. Sumia being flustered when teased about her closeness with Chrom…the way he looked her…

How did I miss all that?

The answer I found soon made things clearer. I realized I had never noticed any signs because I hadn't paid close enough attention. I got so wrapped up in my life- both big and little- that I hadn't noticed Sumia and Chrom's connection. A part of me chastised me for being a terrible friend. But another part was glad that I had missed on those signs. The latter was definitely true, given how awful I felt at that moment.

"Er, Cordelia? Are you okay?"

I blinked hard to regain my sense of reality. I faked a smile and laugh.

"I'm shocked," I blurted. "I mean, I…I never knew! Gods, how blind am I? I should've known something was going on between you and our commander. Shame on me."

Sumia laughed. "Oh, it's okay! Don't feel bad."

"But I should've noticed. I'm your best friend!"

"Look, I haven't made the fact public knowledge. The others just like to tease me. I never took their words seriously…though that may change."

I nodded. "Does Chrom know?"

"Oh Gods no! He'd never return my feelings," Sumia whined.

"You don't know that for a fact," I argued. I choked back my own feelings in the process by clearing my throat.

"You really think he feels the same way?"

"Of course. You're a wonderful woman… Any man would be lucky to have you as his wife."

Realizing that the sun was almost gone, I stood up.

"We need to get back to camp before it's too dark," I said.

Sumia didn't protest. She nodded before getting up as well.

As we walked back to camp, I had to blink hard a few times to stop tears from clouding my vision. My feelings for Chrom ran deep inside, and they were serious. But I couldn't tell him how I felt, not when Sumia clearly loved the man too. She would've been just devastated if I tried to claim him for myself. I wasn't going to destroy our friendship over this. Yet the feeling of a love never coming true didn't sting any less.

"I should get some sleep," I said once we reached camp.

"Are you feeling okay?" Sumia asked.

"I've had a long, hard day. I mean, I watched my fellow Pegasus knights…" I trailed off, unable to voice what I had witness earlier on.

"You don't have to tell me. Go get some rest. I should do the same."

I nodded. "Thanks, Sumia. "Goodnight."

I quickly walked to my tent, only to poke my head out to see Sumia disappear into Chrom's tent. I crawled into my cot to allow tears to finally stream down my cheeks. I contained most of my sobs, though a few escaped despite my best efforts. My crying lulled me to sleep, albeit with a heavy heart.

The next few days felt like a complete blur. I ate, trained, organized weapons, and did laundry. I did just about anything to keep me from thinking about my last conversation with Sumia. I couldn't even look her- my best friend- in the eye. A part of me wanted to scream at her for ruining my chances, while the other part of just wanted cry until I was all cried out. So I did my best to avoid her by helping out around camp as much as I could. This strategy actually worked for a while. But of course, it didn't work forever.

"Cordelia!"

A sigh left my lips as I looked up from the lances I had been organizing. I painted on my best fake smile and hugged Sumia.

"Hi," I greeted. "You seem more cheerful than usual. Did something happen?"

Sumia didn't speak. She just stuck her left hand in front of me and waited. It took a second for me to spot the beautiful diamond ring on her ring finger. It had a gold band, and had the Brand of the Exalt marked in the diamond's center. My eyes almost shot out of their sockets.

"He didn't."

"He did!"

"When?"

"Last night," Sumia confessed. "I didn't see it coming, I swear! I visited to give him a pie, and he began telling me how much I meant to him. And then he confessed his love to me. I couldn't believe it! And then he proposed! He proposed! Gods, I still can't believe it! I'm engaged, Cordelia. Engaged!"

"That's incredible!" I exclaimed. "I'm so happy for you both."

I hugged her tight under the guise of showing my happiness over her engagement. But I'd only done it mostly for selfish reasons. It was the only way I could hide my true feelings in that moment.

"Does anyone else know?" I asked.

Sumia shook her head. "Chrom and I plan on making a big announcement after breakfast. But I couldn't wait; I wanted to tell you myself beforehand. You're my best friend, after all."

"You're too sweet. Thank you. Um…I hate to be rude, but…would you mind if I got back to work? I promised Frederick I'd get these done before breakfast, and I know he'll hold me to it."

"Oh, of course! I'll leave you be."

"Thank you. And congratulations on your engagement again!"

I rushed to finish sorting weapons before darting to my tent. Once again, I cried my heart out over a man I knew would never love me back. My heart ached with reject, and my face felt hot. Each tear shed burned, as if to add to my pain.

I knew this was silly. I should've seen it coming since the night Sumia had told me about her feelings for Chrom. I guess a part of me hoped that Chrom didn't feel the same, which was awful on my part. What kind of friend hopes that their best friend isn't happy? It wasn't the right thing to do.

You don't need to feel like this anymore, I thought. You deserve a man who will love you no matter what. You can't continue to pine for Chrom.

I wiped my cheeks and sighed. I knew that the little voice in my head was right; I couldn't continue to pine for an engaged man. I had to give up my feelings once and for all. I stopped crying and let a small smile grow.

I vowed to find someone for me. I didn't know how long it would take, or if I'd even be able to do it. But one thing was clear- I was all done loving Chrom. There was no room for him in my heart anymore. That part was now reserved for a man who actually loved me. And I wasn't going to give it up until the time was right.

"Cordelia? Hell-OOOOOO?"

I jumped, almost spilling my cup of tea in the process. I let an amused laugh escape me when I saw Sumia's bewildered face.

"I'm sorry," I said, "I was just lost in thought. What were you saying?"

"Nothing important," Sumia snapped.

"Come now, please don't be like that. I'm sorry, I just…I have a lot on my mind. I tend to let it ruin what's supposed to be a good time between friends. I sincerely apologize, Sumia."

Sumia finally relented by nodding. "Apology accepted. And since I know you'll ask again, I was just saying that Chrom's always been a tad dense."

I giggled. "Yeah, he is. You got that right. This tea is delicious, by the way."

"Oh, thank you. I know you usually make it, so I thought I should do it for a change."

"Well, I appreciate it. So…got more funny stories about Chrom?"

Sumia frowned. "I can't think of any off the top of my head…"

"Well, I have one," I revealed.

"Oh, you have to tell me!"

"Well," I said, "it happened when we first met. I was with Phila and the other Pegasus knights. We were just training, and I threw a javelin a little too hard. Chrom was outside minding his own business, when suddenly the javelin I threw landed at his feet. I could've hurt him! I didn't even know he had been nearby until he ran to Phila, freaking out about almost getting impaled. I of course apologized profusely, but that didn't stop Phila from lecturing me. I was so embarrassed, but I confess: seeing our commander in such a state was quite funny."

I laughed as I finished telling the story. As I polished off my tea, I saw that Sumia looked horrified.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"How you told that story…it's as if you care deeply for Chrom."

"W-What do you mean?"

"Do you love Chrom?"

My grip grew tight around the tea cup. I had to let go out of the fear of crushing it. I put on my best calm expression as I tried to think of a response.

"You do!" Sumia gasped. "Oh Gods, you ARE in love with him!"

"I'm not!" I insisted. "I'm married, Sumia! Why would I love Chrom if I'm married to someone else?"

"Because you CAN?!"

I sighed. "Look…I need to be honest with you. Yes, I loved Chrom a long time ago. For many years, I pined hopelessly for him. But I never told him how I felt because I feared he'd never return my feelings. So I kept them to myself."

Sumia didn't look convinced, so I continue to speak.

"When you confessed your love for Chrom, and then got engaged…I'll admit, I was quite hurt. But I would never ruin your happiness for my own gain. I'm your best friend, and all I want is for you to be happy. I stopped loving Chrom once you two got engaged."

"Really?"

I nodded. "I promise."

My words must have gotten through to Sumia because her entire demeanour changed. Her anger disappeared, now replaced with what looked like disappointment.

"I never knew," she said.

I smirked. "Funny: I never knew you loved Chrom until the night you told me."

"You didn't know?"

"It's true. I was completely blown away. But that's not the point. The point is that I'm happy for you, Sumia. You and Chrom are a wonderful couple who deserve to be happy, no matter what. I'm sorry for not telling you about my feelings sooner. I hope you can forgive me."

"I do forgive you, Cordelia. And I'm happy you found someone else. You two are cute."

"T-Thanks," I stammered, my cheeks now red.

We shared a long, tight hug before going our separate ways. I returned to my tent, only to find a familiar face waiting for me.

"There she is, in all her glory!"

"I'm sorry for keeping you, Virion. I didn't expect to be gone so long."

"The wait is always worth it when I see your beauty, my love. You have no reason to apologize."

I sat down and kissed Virion's awaiting lips. His hands cupped my face, while mine dug into his hair. I may not be Chrom's wife, but I had become someone else's wife. And if I had to be truthful, I was perfectly content with that. I couldn't be happier.

There you go! I hope you all enjoyed it. :)

Please review, and don't forget to check out my other fanfics! :D

- Elizabeth