Author's Note: For TheFreelancerSeal, requesting Cordelia trying to handle her friendship with Sumia after Chrom/Sumia becomes a thing.
Sumia looked gorgeous in her dress.
It was more pastry than bridal gown, in Cordelia's opinion, but it suited her completely. Fluffy skirts of gauze and lace, puffed sleeves, tiny pearls embroidered in elaborate patterns like beads of dew.
Only the best for the future queen.
It hurt, watching her flutter around in it. Knowing that in two days Chrom would be watching her walk toward him wearing it, mouth open in shock at her beauty, perhaps laughing in delight or on the verge of disbelieving tears. He wouldn't see anyone else for the entire wedding. But then, he'd only had eyes for her anyway.
Cordelia thought she would be stronger for all this, but tears still pricked her eyes as she followed Sumia into another jewellery shop. They still hadn't found anything lovely enough to keep her veil pinned to her curls, despite Sumia's protests that anything would be all right with her. Cordelia had insisted on finding something just perfect, no matter what it took. This was her best friend, after all. Her rival in love, yes, but her best friend.
Now Sumia wore only her uniform as she hesitantly wandered the rows of jewellery.
"Careful," said Cordelia, almost absentmindedly by this point. Sumia nodded but her hip caught the edge of a display anyway. Cordelia curled her fingers around a string of rubies before it fell. The shopkeeper noticed but didn't say anything as he made his way toward them, mouth open to ask what they desired and stretched into a wide smile.
Sumia described what she and Cordelia had been talking about on the way over, something else more confection than jewellery. He went to select certain pieces. As soon as he was gone, Sumia frowned at herself in the mirror on the wall and tugged at a wayward curl. It bounced askew again immediately.
"Cordy," she said. "I don't think I can do this."
"Your hair? Of course not; you can't see the back of your head. Leave it to me."
"No." She took a deep breath. "I don't think I can get married."
Cordelia's heart swooped. Unpleasantly. Rather like when Chrom looked at her cursorily and moved his gaze to the next soldier. "What in the world are you saying."
"Well, just look at me!"
"That's all we've been doing all day. Looking at you in mirrors. To get you ready for this wedding."
"And it's all wrong! I shake just thinking about it! Cordelia, I love him, but it just isn't going to work."
"How can you...what do you…?" She warred with herself until Sumia opened her mouth again.
"I'm not right for him. I can't do it. A queen should be graceful and elegant and capable. And he deserves all those things, too. Someone beautiful and talented, like-well, like you! All I do is trip and make messes. I don't understand why he says he loves me."
Cordelia's eyes narrowed. "How dare you."
She wanted to shake Sumia by the shoulders but couldn't manage it. There was no need to take out her own frustrations on anyone else, or punish them for her own life's ironies. Tears welled in her old friend's eyes nonetheless.
"I'm sorry, I really am! I know it's looking a gift horse in the mouth. I'm just so happy that I feel like it's got to fall apart any second."
"Or-and here's a crazy theory-you're a wonderful friend and you're allowed to be that happy."
The jeweller came back, gave them both a strange look, set their options down on the table closest to them and then took off to help another customer.
"I don't mean to be like this. I'm sorry." Sumia was twisting her hands now. "I guess I...I can believe that he cares about me. But what I don't understand is why."
Cordelia knew exactly why, and said it with more fire than she meant to:
"Because Lord Chrom-Chrom-is kind and he's gentle and he's strong and he's beautiful."
Her voice finally broke and her eyes stung again. Sumia's covered her mouth in horrified realization, but it was too late now. Cordelia had to keep going.
"And you're all those things too. You are. So you both deserve each other. That's why. That's all. Now stop dragging your feet. I'm not going to let you ruin the happiest day of your life because you can't love yourself properly!"
"I had no idea," she whispered.
"I'm sorry. I never wanted you to. But if this gets my point across, so be it."
"Cordelia…"
"It really won't work, you're right. Not while you're like this. He loves you, and I love you, but if you don't love yourself, it's not going to be healthy for you."
"Or for him," Sumia finished, but Cordelia shook her head.
"He doesn't matter right now. This is about you and your happiness. You could stand to think about that a little more often, you know."
Sumia hugged her hard. Cordelia returned it for a moment but eventually pushed the other woman away and turned her back to face the mirror. She started braiding an ornament into Sumia's hair.
"You're going to be in the wedding and everything," said Sumia. "At my side the whole time. I wish you had told me. How could I put you through this?"
"I will simply get over it. I'm nearly there already."
"Cordelia, this just isn't fair. No one can magically change how they feel."
And then Cordelia decided to take her own advice.
"I am a genius," she said. "I can do anything. Except maybe your hair properly. You have too much of it and it's always so unruly."
Sumia peeked at her in the mirror with a small smile. Determinedly, Cordelia bent forward and kissed her cheek.
Author's Note: it's probably not a good idea to marry someone yet when you're not sure why they love you but SHHHHH it's not just a fanfic but a FIRE EMBLEM AWAKENING fanfic. Chrom/Sumia is the least of our worries.