A/N: This piece is a weird one for me. I feel it would work better like a screenplay. Maybe I'll rewrite it someday, but for now, here's the prose version. I hope I captured both Seth's and Eirika's stubbornness very well! Enjoy.

Words: 850
Characters: Eirika, Seth
Time: Post-game
Genre: Angst/Romance

Disclaimer: Everything you recognize belongs to Nintendo, not me.

"It is a simple matter, Princess," said Seth, in a voice of thinly controlled calm. "I am your knight, and I am honor-bound to remain as such to you. To involve myself with you in such a way would be - "

"'Involve yourself'?" Eirika said quietly. "You make it sound like I'm nothing more than a wayside wench, without enough sense of my own to - "

"No!" Seth exclaimed. "No, Princess, that is not what I – what I mean is, you must look at this rationally. It does not matter how we feel. We cannot change what is before us, what has been allotted to us by our stations in life. You are a princess, and you will marry a prince. I am a knight, and I will serve. There are reasons why these things must be! We cannot change it."

"Why not? The world has changed, Seth! We changed it. We can change it again."

"You have no idea of the pain it may cause you - "

"Pain? Pain?" Eirika tossed her hair, almost yelling now. "I know what pain is, Seth! I have experienced pain beyond imagining, my father, my people, Lyon… They were all taken from me, killed when I could do nothing about it, and each time I felt like I was being torn apart. And now you're telling me you are going to leave me too? So as not to cause me pain? Don't you see, Seth? What will break me to pieces would be not having you by my side! So then leave, leave if you want to leave, but don't tell me it's to save me pain. You'll only make a liar of yourself."

Her heart raced as she glared at his shocked face. Had she ever raised her voice like that to him before? To Seth, gentle Seth, her closest and most trusted companion? As the seconds passed, her temper cooled, though her heart slowed but little.

"I'm sorry I shouted." She couldn't look at him anymore, afraid of what she would see. Hugging herself, she asked softly, "Do… do you trust me, Seth?"

"Of course."

"Then trust me now. I know what I want, what I need, what could happen. I am no ignorant young girl, no sheltered princess. I have not been since the day you took me in your arms and saved my life, riding with me away from my fallen home. I ask that you trust that I have the strength to bear whatever may come. I want to. So please, Seth…"

"Princess… no."

Her heart stopped. She was staring at the ground and yet, all of a sudden, she couldn't see anything at all.

"Eirika."

She whipped her head up. Seth was meeting her gaze squarely at last.

"You are right." He extended his hand to her, and in a daze Eirika took it. Seth pressed it to his lips. "Forgive me. I… can say nothing save for that I am sorry, I thought… I wanted only to protect you. I should have known by now. You can protect yourself. You are…

It came almost like a physical shock when his lips caught hers. But it took only one breathless moment for her to relax, to wrap her arms around his shoulders as tightly as his were around her waist, to lose herself in the heat of his touch.

"I love you," she whispered when they finally drew apart. "I think I always have."

"And I you, Eirika."

She smiled as she settled her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. It was fast and strong. "I like hearing you say my name."

Soft lips kissed the top of her head, careful hands threaded through her hair. "Eirika." This time he hesitated a moment before he kissed her. "It will take me some time to get used to this. To you."

"I think you'll adjust rather quickly." Eirika reinforced her words with a kiss of her own. Her skin burned, cheeks red as the setting sun, but no longer from anger.

"I must speak with the king."

"As soon as possible."

"Tonight, if you wish."

"Yes. Yes, I do wish."

Gently he caressed her hands, callused palms rough but comfortingly familiar. He lingered on her bare fingers. "Once I speak with King Ephraim, I will do this properly. With his permission, I will ask you to marry me, and I can only pray that you will accept."

She scoffed. "I need no permission from him. I do what I like. But… I would appreciate his blessing."

When Seth returned to her that night, she smiled so much that her cheeks began to hurt. He told her how her twin had spoken almost the exact same words that she had – "She needs no permission from me. Eirika does what she likes" and proceeded to give them his warmest royal and filial blessings, a knowing smile on his face.

And a few days later, Eirika still couldn't stop smiling, especially when Seth knelt before her and slipped a silver ring onto her finger.