This Woman

This story has some minor language, courtesy of Sully. However, when I say minor, I really mean minor—even for a Fire Emblem game. (It's the more commonly used term for the Underworld, used as a swear).

"…Inigo."

The youth being addressed looked up in surprise from sharpening his blade. That low voice wasn't one he often heard around the camp. He smiled at the man anyway. "Hi, Lon'qu," he said. "What's up?"

The brown-haired swordsman shuffled awkwardly. "Uh…" he muttered out. "I have a question to ask you."

"Oh?" He flashed a grin. "What kind of question might that be?"

"About…" Here, Lon'qu shuddered a bit. "…well, what you're known for."

Inigo frowned as he set aside his Killing Edge and stood up. "What do you mean by that?" He paused for a moment before saying, a little frantic, "Don't tell me that everyone knows that I'm—"

"…a philanderer?" interrupted Lon'qu. "It's not as though you try to make it a secret or anything."

Inigo stared at Lon'qu for a moment before chuckling. "Oh, I thought you meant something else…"

"If you mean how you are secretly are a dancer, everyone knows that, too."

Inigo blushed. "Wait, what? Who is everyone? …Hey, how do you know about that? You barely even say hi to me when we pass each other in the barracks!"

Lon'qu groaned quietly. "This is not what I came here to discuss."

"Gods, this is so embarrassing!" Inigo grabbed Lon'qu's shoulders and shook him gently. "You have to tell me how word of this got out!"

Lon'qu wrestled himself out of the younger man's grip. "No, I don't. Look… there's a woman, all right?"

Inigo's face reddened further. "The ladies know of my dancing, too? Oh…" his face fell forwards into his hand.

"No!" Lon'qu snapped. "…I mean, yes, but that's not what I meant! …Gods, you're dense. I don't understand how you can stand to be so near to these… women, let alone want and think about them all the time."

"What do you mean? What greater pleasure is there in life?"

Lon'qu shuddered fiercely. "I really don't understand you, Inigo." He took a breath. "I know that my gynophobia is a personal issue that most do not share, but still… Then again, that's why I've come to you today. There is… one woman I am willing to make an exception for…"

Inigo raised his eyebrows in interest. "And who might that be?"

Lon'qu started stuttering out syllables, his face becoming progressively redder with each utterance. At last, he managed to stutter out, "…It… it is no concern of yours with whom my interests lie."

However, at Lon'qu's expression, Inigo gave a cocky smile. "I know exactly why you came to me. You want to propose to this mysterious lady, don't you?"

Lon'qu blushed an even brighter red, as he turned away silently for a moment. "…Yes," he finally admitted. "Please tell me how."

Inigo's jaw dropped in surprise. "Wait, really? I didn't think you're actually…"

"Don't mock me."

"I wasn't! It's just that… have you seen my success rate of actually getting the girl? The percentage is in the single digits… after the decimal point. And I don't believe I've actually kept any of them for more than a few days."

"Look, just tell me: how do you propose to a woman?"

"I don't know! I guess you'd start by telling her that you love her. And offering her a ring. And asking her to marry you. I mean, that's all very generic, I know, but… why don't you ask someone who already has been through the process before? It's not as if I would know much about it."

Lon'qu frowned. "You're not being very helpful, you know."

Inigo sighed. "Look, Lon'qu. My ideal proposal to a lady would be very different from your ideal proposal to a woman, by our difference in personalities. Why don't you just go ahead and… be your own, awkward self? Present her with your ring, stutter out, 'Marry me?', blush profusely, and hope she accepts."

Lon'qu frowned, unimpressed. Inigo squirmed under his gaze.

"And… Er… I mean, if she refuses, you could always just bash her head in until she accepts. You're a great swordsman, aren't you?"

At that, Lon'qu finally smirked. "You know, I might just go do that. Thanks, Inigo." Reaching behind Inigo towards the weapons tent, he grabbed two practice swords and whirled away.

"W… Wait, what?" Inigo asked. "I was joking! Don't actually kill her! That's… not the most romantic way to propose!" He stared after Lon'qu, who continued to walk swiftly away, blue coattails fluttering with each step. Then, quickly stowing away the Killing Edge that he had been sharpening, Inigo ran after the swordsman.

But somehow, Lon'qu had mysteriously vanished into the camp. Slightly panicking, Inigo ran up and down the rows of tents, both listening for and fearing the sound a sword slicing across flesh. At last, when he approached the large tent in which the Shepherds would sometimes practice sparring, he heard the sound of metal clanking against metal, followed by a feminine voice shouting out a string of very unladylike curses.

Inigo, fearing the worst, threw open the tent flap and found Lon'qu, standing over a redheaded woman—Sully, Inigo quickly recognized—with a sword pointed at her neck.

"Lon'qu, what are you doing?" Inigo cried out.

"Holding a sword to Sully's neck," the swordsman replied coolly. Turning back to the cavalier, he asked, "Do you yield?"

Sully let out a sigh. "I suppose."

Lon'qu said without emotion, "Good." He took back the sword and let Sully stand up.

Inigo stared at them. "Wait, that's it? You accept, just like that?"

"Accept what?" Sully asked. "Yeah, I'm going to concede defeat when I have a sword pointed at my neck and I'm weaponless. You'd be a fool not to."

"You agreed to marry him because just because he threatened you!?"

Sully's face contorted into one of confusion. "What?" she asked. "Hell, no! That had nothing to do with his proposal!"

It was Inigo's turn to be confused. "But… but Lon'qu was… He grabbed the swords… …Lon'qu, why are you laughing?"

Indeed, Lon'qu was smiling broader than Inigo had ever seen him smile before, and even Sully was shocked at Lon'qu's amused expression.

"You really thought I was going to smack her into accepting my proposal?" Lon'qu asked Inigo.

"Well, what was I supposed to think when you ran off after her with two swords in hand?"

"That I was going to spar with her, and then propose. …And then spar again."

Inigo paused. "So you got her to accept because you defeated her in a sparring match? …Maybe I should go work on my fighting skills, then."

Sully frowned. "It'd take a hell of a lot more than just defeating me once to get me to agree to a marriage proposal. I accepted because I feel like there's a lot we could achieve together."

Inigo sighed. "There's no easy way to get any woman to accept a proposal, is there? Well, in any case, I congratulate you two. But I suppose I should be on my own, lonely way."

He turned to leave, but Lon'qu grabbed his arm. "Inigo, I just wanted to say… thank you. I went to search for you more to give me a confidence boost than actually to get advice how to propose. As I'm sure you know, I am not good with women, even if Sully is an exception. But the fact that you didn't really know how to propose, either—no offense—gave me the confidence to continue. No one knows how to do it right, so I might as well just go ahead and just ask straight out. So, again, I thank you."

Inigo, listening to Lon'qu's words, grinned. "No problem, old man! If you have any other lady issues, I'll be sure to lend an ear!"

Somehow, though, when they met next a few weeks later, it was Inigo who went to Lon'qu for advice. The philanderer approached the swordsman in the mess tent after dinner once everyone else had left.

"Lon'qu, can I talk to you a moment?" Inigo asked.

"I suppose."

"…What is your opinion of your daughter?"

Lon'qu frowned at the question. "How do you mean? If you mean that she's a woman and I have gynophobia, then no, I've come to—"

"I should rephrase the question," Inigo interrupted, blushing lightly. "What… what would be your opinion if I… went after Kjelle?"

"'Went after'?" repeated Lon'qu. "As in, flirt with her? As if that's anything new. Besides, I'd like to see you even try to approach her with that lustful grin that's perpetually on your face."

"No, that's not exactly what I meant…" Inigo said, blush deepening. "What if… what would you think if I… proposed to her?"

Lon'qu was silent for a moment, and Inigo was more frightened of his neutral expression than he would have been of an angry one. Finally, Lon'qu said, completely emotionlessly, "Is this a hypothetical question?"

Inigo chuckled nervously. "Er… perhaps?"

"…I'll take that as a no." Lon'qu's lips twitched into a smirk. "And how did she respond? You're still alive, which is a miracle in itself."

"She accepted."

Lon'qu actually flinched in surprise. "…What?"

"She accepted my proposal. …And that's why I came to you to ask how you would feel about this."

"I would've thought she had more sense than that! …Er, no offense, Inigo." He paused before shrugging. "I suppose there are worse sons-in-law than you. The worst you would do is have a bunch of affairs and break Kjelle's heart, but try that, and she'll break much more of you than just your heart."

Inigo sighed. "That's the other reason why I came to you. I'm well aware of my reputation as a philanderer, and… Tell me, Lon'qu: how do you look at a beautiful lady and… not go after her?"

A baffled expression passed over Lon'qu's face. "What do you mean by that? What does my aversion to women have anything to do with your proposal to Kjelle?"

Inigo frowned. "I don't want to be a faithless husband."

Lon'qu blinked twice before chuckling. "So you really are a good guy deep down in your womanizing heart."

"'Good guy'?" Inigo repeated, grinning. "Of course I'm a good guy! The ladies love it when…" He winced and trailed off. "This is exactly what I mean! I'm too used to saying things like that, or if I'm talking to a girl, flirting instinctively. I don't want to do that anymore if I'm going to be married. So teach me how not to flirt with every female being I see!"

"…This is the first time someone else has come to me for advice on women, you know," Lon'qu said with humor in his voice. "Still, the reason that I have difficulties with women is one I hope you never share. It was… a truly traumatic experience that I wish upon no one."

Inigo frowned. "But…"

"That doesn't mean I can't help. Ironically, I've probably thought about women and my relationship with them just as much as you have, though for opposite reasons. My biggest problem is that I just turn away from women when they approach me—the more beautiful the woman, the more quickly I retreat. That might be an easy solution for you."

Inigo's face went a little pale. "Just… never talk to women—other than Kjelle—ever again?"

"Make an effort to avoid women, even if I'm sure you'll have to have some form of communication with them occasionally. On the flip side, you might want to spend more time with Kjelle, and notice why you find her superior to other women. I've spent so much time with Sully lately, sparring or even just talking about life, that, for me, it's almost a step backwards in my gynophobia: other women don't compare to her strength and will of character, and I find myself with less reason to even try to approach them. Conversely, for you, that's your goal."

Inigo sighed. "I suppose I shouldn't've expected this to be easy. Still, if that's what it takes, I guess I'm ready for any challenge."

Just as he was finishing his sentence, the tent flap opened and Kjelle herself strolled inside. "Hey, Inigo! I thought we were going to spar now. …Oh, Father, you're here, too. Um…"

"Hi, Kjelle," Lon'qu said with a faint smile on his face. "Inigo and you have some catching up to do, I think. I'll let you two be. And… congratulations to both of you."

Without another word, he left the mess tent, leaving Kjelle to stare befuddledly at Inigo.

Inigo just grinned. "My, my, Kjelle. You're looking beautiful, as always. I was just asking for your father's permission for your hand in marriage. He allowed it, of course. A woman as strong as you certainly is capable of making her own decisions. But tell me—"

"Save it for later," Kjelle interrupted. "I know you love me, and I love you, too; we don't need to keep professing our love every few minutes. Now, you're already late for our date in the training tent, and it's rude to keep a lady waiting. I thought you of all people would have known that."

As Kjelle reached for Inigo's sleeve and started to drag him off towards the training tent, Inigo couldn't help but grin. "You know, Kjelle, you're truly unique. Never have I met another lady who is as loving yet as bold and harsh as you. I know you might not believe me, but… I can't picture myself at another woman's side."

Kjelle gave him a funny look, but there was an unmistakable pink tinge in her cheeks. "Shut up, Inigo," she finally said. "You're not complimenting me out of training."

"I would never dream of it," Inigo replied as they arrived at the training tent and Kjelle tossed him a practice sword. "Your love of training is what makes you you, and it's what made me fall in love with you—and your parents fall in love with each other, but that's a different story—and I wouldn't change that for the world."

"…Thank you, Inigo," Kjelle said. "You really are quite charming, when you're not being stupid." Then, with a wild grin on her face, she fell into a battle stance. "Now, en garde!"

Author's Note: These pairings are not representative of first playthrough: I paired Lon'qu with Panne, Sully with Vaike, Kjelle with Laurent, and Inigo with no one (ironic, I know).

Another note: This is my first shipping fic aside from Pride and Prejudice and Zelda, which is AU, and a few of the stories in Pokémon Constellation Myths (which I really should get back to at some point), which is about non-canonical characters.

Published January 13, 2014