"You're impossible, Frederick, you know that?" yelled Lissa, as she dragged the knight into an empty kitchen tent. They both looked furious, although Frederick was doing a better job of controlling himself.
"I can't believe you had the guts to tell Vaike off for kissing my hand. I'm so pissed off right now I could just… aaargh!"
The princess shouted on the top of her lungs, her little fists punching on her thighs. At one moment, Frederick thought she might even stamp her feet.
"Are you done, milady?"
Her brows furrowed, Lissa pointed a finger at Frederick's chest.
"Don't you patronize me, mister! And stop acting like my guardian or something. Even Chrom's less interested in my life than you are."
"That's because milord has a war to take care of," the man said louder than he intended to.
The girl put her hand over her face, shaking her head in disbelief.
"You have an answer for everything, don't you? Then surely you can tell me who I am supposed to date? Is there even a guy you wouldn't run to scare away when he as much as blinks in my direction?"
Even though the princess stopped shouting, her every word was dripping with anger and sarcasm. Frederick bet it would be in his best interest to act oblivious.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," he said in a steady voice.
Lissa snorted loudly. Clearly, she did not believe in his sudden memory loss.
"Don't you, mister smarty pants?" she said, as her hands landed on both of her hips. Even though she was relatively short, one could swear that, at this precise moment, she was towering over the great knight. "What about that time when Ricken asked if I had any injuries after the last battle and you told him that you'd sooner die than let me get hurt? Or, when I gave Gaius a needlework and you just had to butt in and tell him that of course it looked like a cat, what else would it look like? Or, when you accidentally ate the cake I baked for Kellam? Or, when you walked in any time Lon'qu−"
"Oh, please!" the knight interrupted, having no desire to hear more. "You can't tell me you were actually considering any of these… gentlemen."
He touched a nerve there, he could instantly tell. Lissa's arms folded together across her chest.
"Why ever not, oh mighty Frederick?"
The man shrugged, not meeting her eyes. After a short silence, when it was obvious that she wouldn't let him leave the question unanswered, he stated,
"Because you're rushing yourself into relationships, even though they're not really your type."
"Sooo, now you know my type better than I do, huh?"
Frederick shook his head with irritation. He wished the princess would drop the subject, not delve into it.
"This conversation is getting us nowhere." The knight pointed at the exit and hopefully added, "May I be dismissed?"
"Nooo way! You're not going anywhere until you tell me who my dream boy is. Here, I'm listening."
Frederick sighed. She had him cornered. He considered telling a white lie just to escape this unpleasant situation. Although, the man figured, he might as well tell the truth.
"You deserve a man that appreciates how lucky he is that you chose him. A man for whom your happiness and safety matter above everything else. Who would dedicate his life to serve you and protect you. Who loves you for who you are and not for what you represent."
With a raised eyebrows, Lissa just blinked back at him. It struck her how serious he seemed, with his voice low and eyes straight at her. The atmosphere was getting too thick for her liking. She figured a joke simply begged to be thrown in.
"Come ooon, Frederick! Where am I gonna find someone like that? If I don't want to die a virgin, I need to kinda lower my expectations here, you know?"
If he was disappointed with her statement, he didn't show it.
"So," the princess went on. "I would really, really, really appreciate it if you'd take care of your life and let me live my own, oookay?"
Without waiting for an answer, Lissa winked at Frederick and went out of the tent, leaving him alone with his conflicting thoughts.
"The princess has a few fair points."
The knight jumped, nearly getting a heart attack, when a large man suddenly appeared right next to him.
"Oh my gods, Kellam!" exclaimed Frederick in surprise, putting a hand on the comrade's shoulder. "When did you get here, man?"
Embarrassed and just a little offended, Kellam replied,
"I was already here when you two came in…"
