She'd been in love with Chrom since she was capable of having such feelings, and she thought she would be until the day she died. She knew she could never win his heart and resigned herself to loving him from afar, burying her pain under hard work and determination to do her best for him.
Every now and then she dared to dream, to wonder how it would be if Chrom suddenly realized her feelings and declared his love. Every now and then she would feel a pang of envy when he paid attention to another girl, or sorrow when he failed to notice her looking at him with her most adoring eyes. Fighting alongside him and knowing he didn't feel for her how she did for him and trying to focus on her duties as a knight was a challenge, sometimes she had to fight back the tears that threatened to fall just from being near him.
So when Chrom announced his engagement so Sumia, she was shocked to notice the absence of those pains. Surely Chrom getting married (to her best friend no less) should have hurt more, but all she could feel was joy for her two oldest friends. Later that day, she finished her training and was brushing her pegasus when she felt the familiar presence she'd grown so used to.
"Good afternoon, Kellam." He gasped and nearly dropped his lance.
"Y-you noticed?! I mean, usually I'm there for ten minutes and people don't even know I'm there by looking but you could just...how?" Cordelia smiled and shook her head, they'd been secret training partners for months now and he was still surprised when she recognized him. He's not used to people noticing him at all, she thought sympathetically. Such a shame...he really is a good person. A hard worker...easy on the eyes... She felt her face growing hot, realized he could see her and turned her attention back to her pegasus.
"Well, we have been spending a good amount of time together lately," she said. "It's easy to sense someone once you're used to them."
"Oh, right." Out of the corner of her eye she could see him reaching to scratch the back of his head. "So, um...how goes it? The training, that is!"
"Very well, thank you. I'm slowly getting used to the idea that I'm the best at being good at a lot of things," Cordelia said. "After all, it's the hard work that matters, not the recognition."
"Um, yeah." Kellam laughed, but it was tinged with bitterness. "I guess...being noticed would sure be nice once in a while, though," he said, and she instantly felt bad. How many times had she herself felt that way regarding Chrom, after all?
"Yes, that I can understand," she said. "My apologies."
"Nah, it's okay. I don't like it, but I'm used to it." He smiled a little. "At least you've started noticing me! That's more than enough." Again, she felt her cheeks grow warm. More than enough, she thought. Her recognition alone, in his eyes, made up for the rest of the Shepherds' lack of it; it was such a small thing but it made her heart race and her head swim.
"I'm glad, then," she stammered. She left her mount's side to go to his, sucking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly. "Er, Kellam?"
"Yeah?"
"I promised Sumia I'd help her with wedding plans this evening, but I've got a few hours free," she said. "Would you like to take a walk into the city with me?" He looked confused, as if he hadn't heard her right.
"Me? And you? You mean, like a date?"
"I suppose you could call it that," she blurted out. He smiled, and she couldn't remember the last time she'd seen such an engaging one.
"I'd love to," he said. He held out his arm, and she took it. On their way into the city they passed the lovebirds, but where in the past her heart would have torn in half at seeing Chrom with his arms around another woman, all she could think about was Kellam's smile.