It had been a few months since Alex, the amnesiac tactician, had joined the Shepherds, and everyone had so far taken a liking to her. Her and Sumia went and collected flowers together, so Sumia could preform her flower petal fortunes as often as she wanted. Her and Lissa were just like sisters, always talking and giggling with one other happily, and always helping each other out. Frederick, who continued to live up to his title, continued to be wary of the girl, but it was quite obvious he was growing a soft spot for her and her silliness that often made the other Shepherds laugh, no matter the situation.

More importantly, he captured the attention of the leader and prince himself, Chrom. He couldn't explain why, but every time he got near her, talked to her, even thought about her, his mind would go all misty and find the inability to preform coherent sentences, mostly having them just come pouring out of his mouth randomly. It was on odd feeling, and the prince couldn't make sense of why this happened.

He decided he'd no longer be silent. He was going to confess to the female there and now, unable to wait a day or minute longer. He wanted her to be his, and his only, out of everything he knew that is what he knew the most. She was beautiful in every way, and he wanted to spend forever with her.

Yes, this is what he had to do.

"Lissa, have you seen Alex?" He asked his younger sister, looking for the tactician all through the camp and coming up empty handed.

"Hmmm... I think she's in her tent," the girl replied, pointing over to the way. Inwardly, Chrom scolded himself. Of course, the one place she was mostly likely to be, he hadn't checked. Thanking his sister, he walked away, his mind set and on a mission. Nothing would stop him from doing this.

Upon arriving at the tent, however, he froze, unable to move. He didn't know why, but his stomach twisted this way and that, and all courage he had just a moment ago had vanished, and at the moment, he was scared. Taking a deep breath, he figured they would get through anything that stood in their way together, such as they did on the battlefield, so finally, he opened the tent.

Alex sat at a small desk, back facing the entrance. She currently didn't wear the dark coloured coat that she so much favored, and was bent over a map on the desk, occasionally muttering something to herself, and writing something down.

"Alex," Chrom simply said to make his announcement on the girl, who obviously had no clue he entered, because she jumped and quickly turned, eyes wide. Her hair was all over, and her glasses were low on her face.

"Chrom!" The girl exclaimed in surprise, quickly getting to her feet. Since she found out he was a prince, she wasn't sure how to properly act near him, resulting in moments like these where she seemed all over the place, but eventually she relaxed and continued being herself. "Ah, what can I do for you?"

The blue haired male looked over at the map and writing. "Where you busy?"

"Oh, I was just trying to plan out new tactics for our next march, and possibly next battle." She explained, glancing back and forth at her work and then back to the prince.

He smiled and nodded, having also loved how dedicated she was to her work, and to keep everyone else around her safe and out of harms way. He trusted in her skills, and so did everyone else. Except, right now, it wasn't about that. He returned his mind to the mission at mind.

"Alex, I... I'm not too good with these kinds of things.." he admitted, wincing slightly.

"You can tell me anything," she said happily, tying her hair into its normal side ponytail, and pushing up her glasses to see him better. "Don't hold back!"

Well, if she was serious about the not holding back part... Chrom walked over to her, and without warning, put his hand gently on her face, and quickly leaned down to her, closing the space between their lips, and kissing her gently. He pulled away after a moment, and saw that she wore a look of surprise on her face, eyes wide.

"Chrom.. What.." she muttered.

"I love you." He quickly said. "There is no similar way for me to put it, no getting around it and saying it in any other way, other than I love you. I want to be with you forever, Alex. You are the love of my life. So, with that said, will you-"

"No."

Time seemed to stand still, and right away, Chrom hadn't the faintest idea of what she was saying, or if she even said it to him. "You.. didn't even hear my question.."

"I know what you were about to ask," she said, finally looking down, her hair hiding her face. "You were about to ask if I would like to marry you..."

"... And?"

"I said no.."

"But... but why?" He respected her decision, but it felt like he was being stabbed through his heart, greater than any wound he had ever suffered in battle. He needed to know why she turned him down. What surprised him the most, was when she looked back up, and was smiling.

"You are mislead, milord... What you think is love for me is only a fleeting emotion of infatuation, that will surely pass with no time."

Chrom stared at her with a confused look. "Why are you saying this? Do you not think what I say is true?"

"I know you wouldn't lie to me, of course not... But you don't know me.. I don't even know me... Besides, I have seen how you look at Sumia, it is with her where your heart truly lies."

"So..." Chrom muttered, looking into her brown eyes deeply with confusion and hurt. "You do not wish to marry?"

Shaking her head, she said, "No, I must decline. I am sorry."

With nothing more to be said, Chrom nodded, and left the tent, feeling as if his heart had shattered into many pieces, and surely this wound cannot be fixed through a cleric.

Once gone, Alex fell to her knees inside her tent. She placed a hand over her mouth as she began sobbing uncontrollably. She did indeed hold deep feelings for the prince, and wanted to so badly accept the marriage proposal. She wanted nothing more than to be with him forever, through all the good and the bad, start a family with him. She loved him to the point where it hurt. However, she could not accept. There was that haunting dream she had of her killing him, and inside of her was a haunting feeling of something yet to come, something dangerous that could hurt him, and her being the source of it. She didn't want to hurt him, or anyone else.

Something was lurking, she knew it. Therefore, couldn't accept. Besides, he would be much happier with Sumia, who she knew returned the princes feelings and rather openly as well.

But, gods, did this hurt...