It had been a year since he came back home with her. Though they were both worried about it to some degree, they adjusted to their original lifestyles surprisingly well. He was just grateful that she in particular had made herself comfortable in the tribe, and was growing to be well-liked by her new peers.
His parents loved her, quite a few of the other clansmen loved her, he loved her.
He really loved her.
At times, he couldn't believe that she really loved him back, that maybe everything that happened after he left to work in that fort in Ostia was all some sort of daydream and such a thing was too good to be true, yet it was all a reality, and a wonderful one at that.
In his eyes, everything she did was like a dream, or magic, or perhaps both. Every time she smiled, he usually forgot about the silence he endured for most of his life. Whenever she spoke to him, the ache in the back of his head from past pains, caused the never-ending insults from those who looked down upon his race, weakened. When they held hands, time would flow in his heart again and he could actually smile with ease. When their lips met in the sweet and chaste kisses the two of them cherished so, he felt as if everything that tormented him had disappeared, and he felt healed.
And in the way the tone in her voice would lighten and her eyes would shimmer like the starry cyan pools they were, he could tell that he was also healing the wounds of her own heart by being by her side.
So he decided it was time that they completed the healing process by completing each other, all he needed to do was find the words.
Or to put it more simply and less dramatically, he was going to ask her to marry him, but he had no idea how to say it without sounding like an idiot or as sappy as the previous paragraphs. We are talking about a guy who doesn't really have a lot of social experience at all (*points to the clan seer* blame that guy with the fancy jewelry and the blue campfire and beads in his mustache…or maybe not since he just told me that he foresaw that I would twist my ankle, get my head stuck in a beehive, and fall off a cliff all within the same day just for saying that, so please, for your own sake, ignore what I just said).
He even did a great deal of research in order to pull this off perfectly, from asking her about her favorite settings, be it seasons or times of day or background or what have you, in the most discreet way possible, to changing the way he talked and seeing which of the speech patterns she liked the most (and though she kind of took it as him learning how to be funny at first, it later started to weird her out, which made him feel bad afterwards and he just went back to his usual placid dotdotdotness), he even went as far as to ask his mother some of the older customs of the tribes so he could pop the question in the way his lover would like it best, considering he heard her clan was a very traditional one. His heart kinda drooped when she said that his beloved's tribe stuck to the original custom that the man would tie a green strand of silk around the woman's wrist since he was almost ready to put the finishing touches on the pure white and fur-edged silk scarf, what the rest of the country excluding his sweetheart's clan would use as a proposal method (how that tradition changed? I dunno, probably the same reason we replaced the whole "tying our hands together" thing with rings), that he was making for her but nevertheless, such a small amount of such a material would be easy enough to find. Besides, it would spare him the chants of the women who would always keep an eye open for what they would consider as juicy gossip.
"I see a boy who's sew-ing. I see a boy skin-ning a mi-ink. We all know where this is go-ing. He wants to marry her, that's what we all think!"
And yes, it was normal for girls to sing that any time a guy would so much as seemingly reach for a needle or be caught coming back from a hunt with a weasel-like animal. It's probably pretty embarrassing, not to mention it's one way to ruin the surprise.
He made the upmost care that she didn't see him whenever he went out to ask passing merchants if they had but the slightest shred of green silk. The day he finally managed to acquire some (though it did cost him one of his bows. Not like he cared, he just wanted to ask for her hand, and even if she turned him down flat, he'd give just about anything, even one of his arms if he had to…well, he wouldn't have given up his horse. You don't give up the horse. You just don't.), she almost caught him with it. He had hoped she had not spotted the small sheet of fabric sticking out of the side of his sash, he tried to be as unsuspecting as possible…which would normally not be a problem if he didn't have butterflies in his stomach every time he looked at her now that he had his heart set on marrying her, so instead she ended up getting a little suspicious as to why he wouldn't look her in the eye like usual. It almost led to them getting into an argument, if it weren't for how he managed to dodge it at the last second by being as honest yet subtle as possible that he really needed to get to work on a present for her, and he didn't want to spoil the surprise as to what it was.
After that was taken care of, all he had to do was think of what to say to her when the time came and wait for a nice Summer evening, around the time fireflies would come out serve as little stars on the ground, and see if he could set the mood and see her face glow with elation once he asked her if he could have the honor of being her husband…or screw everything up and end up having her telling him "NOPE.", a scenario that terrified him yet often came into his head nevertheless, it could've gone either way.
And then the day finally came. He was sure to bring a satchel with him all day long with the ribbon inside it, just so he wouldn't forget it. Just before he left for the daily hunt, he told her that he would like to have a quick talk, just the two of them, when he came back. She smirked with curiosity and told him that she couldn't wait for him to come back.
Throughout the hunt, he had begun to get pre-proposal jitters. He had difficulty steadying the aim of his bow. He actually ended up accidentally hitting a boulder when he was trying to hit a grouse or pheasant or deer multiple times, and most of the others on the clan were scratching their heads as to why the esteemed Silver Wolf's son, known to be one of the better shots in the clan and a fairly seasoned veteran for one so young, suddenly either had the aim of a toddler or a sudden dislike for rocks. Or both. Well, at least his father knew his son was just nervous. He had been one of the very few people he had confided to about the matter of his plans, and he was just proud that his boy had decided that he was finally ready to tie the knot…though he did wish that maybe he'd focus a bit more when letting his arrows fly instead of possibly internally panicking over how the proposal was going to go...
So, eventually, they came back from a successful enough hunt, and after he dismounted his horse and let it walk wherever (you'd be surprised how loyal horses are over there, it just walked by the general vicinity of it's master's yurt and just stood there), he glanced around, looking for her.
It wasn't until he turned around slightly that he suddenly felt his bandana get pulled right off of his head and he heard the sound of a young woman's mischievous and hysterical laughter as a blur rushed by him. He sighed and smiled before he gave chase, and the two of them would run about the camp like children playing a game of tag. And that's no cute exaggeration or attempt to sound poetic, they really did act like they were twelve years younger than they really were whenever they did this sort of thing. It wasn't quite routine, but it was done often enough that the other clansfolk didn't really bat an eye to their practically guileless behavior.
She would eventually slow down, and he would finally catch up to her, embracing her as he ran up behind her.
She chuckled as she began to catch her breath a little. "Well," she began, a slight flirtatious tone edging her voice. "It looks like you've caught me again."
He lightly nuzzled her cheek and placed a small kiss upon it. "And I don't plan to let you go anytime soon…"
Foreshadowing.
"I hope you don't mean literally, because you're squishing me a little." She teased.
They both laughed a little as they parted, she handed him the cloth she snatched off of his head and he calmly accepted it back, tying it back around his noggin (I couldn't find a more professional sounding word in my thesaurus, I'm sorry).
A slight silence followed as he pondered his next move and she waited for him to make it.
"So…you said you wanted the two of us to have a short talk?"
His heart practically skipped a beat. The fateful moment was approaching faster than he'd imagined. "I…uhh…well, yeah. Just...not here. Somewhere more…scenic."
"Hee hee," she took a step forward and shot him a placid grin. "Very well, let us go, mihnii tahyij." (note: mihnii tahyij roughly translates to "my prince/chief/etc.", though this particular version of the phrase is not a formal one and more or less a term of endearment, just in case you wanted to know)
She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and extended her hand, and Heaven knows he wanted to get the tension over with as soon as possible and tie the ribbon around her wrist right then and there, but he put too much planning and effort into what he was going to do that evening to blow it out of impulsion. Instead, he just accepted her hand and took it in his as they made their way to the outskirts of the camp.
The time after the hunt, which starts just before sundown is one of the busiest times of the day in a Sacaean tribe; those who are supposed to prepare the food for the night are skinning/plucking and cooking the prey the hunters brought back, children get antsy for the nightly meeting (and are secretly not-so-secretly trying to dodge their parents so they wouldn't have to go through the tedious process of getting gussied up), the younger adults and teenagers are trying to think of something to announce or a story to share that everyone will applaud at, and the older folks tapped their feet impatiently and grumbled that supper was taking too long.
She inhaled deeply. "Grouse." She noted out loud. "Smells pretty good."
He nodded.
"Heh, even after…a year already, was it?" she continued. "I still can't get used to how lively things get around sunset again. It's like if of those little festivals we'd run into in Lycia and Bern while traveling during the war were daily, isn't it?"
"…Yeah, I guess so." he agreed, starting to take the atmosphere in a bit. The rustle of the grass as they walked, the chatter of their fellow clanmates, the smell of smoke and the Summer afternoon air. For a moment, he felt as if he forgot what was causing him to be so wound up earlier.
She stopped in place for a moment and cocked an eyebrow, the look on her face was a concerned one. "Are you okay?" she asked in a worried tone. "You're even quieter than usual."
He shook his head as her voice snapped him back into reality. "Hmm? I…um…yeah. Feeling great. Just…well…thinking, I guess."
"What about?"
He turned his head towards her and smiled lightly. "You'll see."
With a chuckle, she caught up with him and snuggled up under his arm. "Well then, I'm in suspense." She whispered in his ear in a cheerful tone.
As the two of them walked along, their clansmen would greet them, the young and old alike, and sometimes the children and adolescent girls would giggle and tell their friends about the cute couple they were just talking to. He didn't mind the gossip too much, not now that he was so close to finally asking for her hand.
Finally, they had reached the fringes of the settlement.
"Ah! Beautiful!" she exclaimed, looking out at the vast landscape, the seemingly endless rolling valleys and hills and the golden light reflected by the setting sun and the exquisite eventide accompanying it upon the sea of grass. Forget skipping a beat, he felt his heart practically stop once she turned around to face him. The tranquil look on her face, fern-colored hair flowing in the breeze, the breathtaking pink and amber sky, dark grayish-purple clouds in the shapes of wisps and small soft blankets, edged in hot pink as if it were an embroidery of Creation's own radiance, drifting across the warm-colored backdrop, and all the fireflies in the air…everything about her just made his heart sing like a bird in the Spring.
…Okay, that singing heart line was really cheesy. Like, Sain levels of cheesy.
"Don't you agree?"
"…Stunning…" he replied in agreement, smiling in a soothed manner…though he was aiming the compliment more at her than the nature, magnificent as the latter was.
She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear as her cheeks grew a little rosy. "Well, uhh…you want to tell me what you wanted to talk to me about, now?"
"Oh…I…right…" he murmured nervously. This was it. This was the moment. This was…
Oh gosh, no matter what he was going to say, nothing would sound perfect for this possible life-changing moment.
Well…well…all he could think was "here goes nothing".
"…I…umm…I…I just wanted to say…uhh…"
She took a step towards him, smirking a little with a lighthearted glint in her eyes. "Yes?"
He scratched the back of his head, trying to suppress his inner panic. "I…I…you…we…" he sighed, trying to think of something to say. "I…well…I love you…so much…"
She laughed aloud, pacing towards him. "Mm-hmm. Love you, too."
They went quiet for a minute, and then they had a shared bit of soft snickering.
"That can't be all…" she continued. "…not after taking me all the way out here to this gorgeous scene."
He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "You're right. There is something else."
"And that is…?"
He just knew his face was as red as a fox's pelt right about now. "Just a…a…a simple and innocent…little…question…" he was barely able to say in response, not even sure if he could keep his eye contact with her.
She took another step forward and closed the space between them, placing a hand on the side of his face. "Well then, ask away. It's just us, after all."
He didn't think he could choke the words out. If Aster were here at the moment, he knew she would be cheering from the bushes she was spying in, shouting "GO FOR IT, ROMEO! JUST TELL HER YOU LOVE HER AND KISS ALREADY!"
That's actually what the quirky tactician yelled, word for word, when he first tried to confess his feelings to who would become his lover, his fiancée and wife if everything went well during this very hour, that he loved her. Good times. To this day, he still had no idea what a "roh-mee-oh" was. "W-well…I…uhh…I was thinking…we…you…I…well…you've…me…you…us…you're so…we…you"
He was completely embarrassed at how he was doing, whatever he tried to say just ended up being a bunch of miscellaneous pronouns. Partly terrified, partly ready to just blurt the query out, partly just hoping this was a good Plan B in contrast with him stumbling upon his words and not forming actual sentences when he spoke, he began to undo the fasteners on his satchel and retrieve the ribbon, though he hesitated for a minute to do so and present it to her.
"What's this?"
As her hand slid off of his face, he felt himself go cold and his heart thumped in alarm. She had begun to look down at his opened satchel, more specifically the emerald sheen of silk that faintly gleamed in the waning sunlight.
She looked back up at her lover, a mix of hope, doubt, and bewilderment on her face. "…Was that…was that a ribbon?"
"…Yes."
"…Would you know about…well…is it…!?"
He clasped both of her hands and locked eyes with her, mustering more courage and confidence than beforehand now that she had practically found out everything.
"I think it's time I just told you…" he said, his voice wavering slightly less, though he slightly shifted his gaze to the side with a sigh afterwards. "…Goodness…Lyn…I…Where do I begin…?"
"Rath…?"
He looked her in the eye again "…Well…when we met for the first time in Araphen…I saw one of my own people in need…then when the marquess abased you and you showed no fear or hurt…I admired you…and I after I decided to assist you on your journey, that admiration grew…and when we stopped at Kathelet before crossing the Caelin border again, that admiration was accompanied with slight endearment…when I took my leave, I did so with regret, because I never met anyone quite like you…none quite as stalwart or charming…and when we met again…I…I know I probably didn't look like I was, but I was so happy that I got to see you…that we could travel together once more…and then the affection I had for you bloomed into love as we traveled onward, and I was delighted when you told me that you…" Rath paused and chuckled a little nervously. "You loved me, too."
"Hah, remember our first kiss?" Lyn asked him in a relaxed tone.
"How could I forget? It was so cold where we were, I was worried our lips were going to get stuck together, short and innocent as the kiss itself was."
"I remember you telling me that afterwards, as well as the mental image you had of Ilian and Bernese couples walking about in the snow with their faces frozen together. That day, I not only learned you were a good kisser, but you had a sense of humor beneath that quietness."
"…But I was serious…" he replied, trying not to laugh regardless. He then cleared his throat. "…A-anyway, we got off of the subject. What I'm trying to say is…I've been in love with you for a long time…you've been a great battle ally, friend, lover, and someone to look up to…and…I know I'll love you for eternity."
"Rath…" she murmured his name euphorically, internally preparing herself for the question she was almost positive he was about to ask her.
He got down on his knees (note: getting on one knee is not really a thing in the plains, most proposals are actually done standing up, he's just being a gentleman/showing humility), letting her left hand go, but still holding onto her right one, he reached for the ribbon in his satchel and enclosed her hand in both of his, the silk string dangling from between his fingers.
"Lyn of the Lorca…daughter of Chief Hassar of the Lorca…granddaughter of Sir Hausen of Caelin…survivor, war hero, dearest confidant and beloved…as a fellow dweller of the plains, a soldier who fought alongside you in two wars, and as your lover for two and a half years…I ask you as sincerely as possible…please…"
He took one last deep breath before finally letting the long-awaited question escape his lips, a strange mix of trepidation and ecstasy coming over him as he said those four classic words. "Will you marry me?"
There was a pause, a silence. He could only wait in slight fear for her response.
"…Go ahead and tie it around my wrist, silly!" Lyn practically boomed with jubilation.
He looked up to see her face, her pale blue-green eyes shining and holding back tears, her cheeks scarlet like maple leaves in the Autumn, all accompanied with a smile as big as a whale (okay, I exaggerate, no human being can smile that wide…also, for any whales reading this, please do not take offense. I did not mean to call you fat; by big, I mean your height.)
"…Y-you mean to say that you accept?"
"Of course!"
"…You sure?"
"I've been waiting forever for you to propose!" was her response. "And in addition I can't believe you actually got a silk ribbon for me! Oh…you shouldn't have…you're too sweet, Rath…"
"Lyn…I…" he could barely contain the joy in his voice as he slowly wrapped the green silk band around her wrist, finally and carefully tying the ends into a small bow and holding her hand tightly once more. "Thank you…"
"No, thank you! I just…how did you know?" she inquired him as she sat down in front of him.
"Actually, I asked my mother about it. She's…pretty savvy when it comes to the cultures of other tribes…said that she liked to chat with the other women of high status during times when two or more tribes would meet and converse about things involving all of them. Guess that's how she knows." He informed her.
"That's very interesting." Lyn said in reply. She then let out a small chortle, gazing at the ribbon tethered around her wrist, absolutely beaming. "We're actually engaged…"
"I was so nervous you wouldn't accept…"
"Well, I'm glad I was able to soothe your fears."
For a minute, they just stared at each other, almost shyly, just quietly laughing and acknowledging how rosy their faces were getting and letting everything that just happened in the last few minutes really sink in.
Finally, they scooted closer to each other, they leaned their faces nearer and nearer together…
Like their other kisses, they were pure, gentle, full of love, but this time, longer. Neither minded that their lips were rough and chapped, they just wanted to say "I love you, thank you, the war is over and we know we'll never be alone again, we know we won't ever be apart" in a way that words can't quite capture.
"Hey! You lovebirds over there!"
Of course, we interrupt this cheesy fluff for a last-minute gag that probably isn't that funny.
The two suddenly parted, turning their attention to the older woman calling out to them. The look on the latter's face both impatient and amused, and on the former two, a mix of sheepishness and the sort of giddiness you'd expect from an engaged couple.
"Yes, you two!" she bellowed. "You going to get your lovey-dovey hides over to the clan meeting and supper or are you going to sit there and keep mashing your faces together?!"
The pair laughed, a bit to their chagrin. Standing up, and running hand-in-hand, making their way to where the rest of the tribe was gathered for the evening, now that the sun had set and the game was done cooking, excited for when they would have their turn to tell a story to break the good news to everyone.
A/N: Well, finished this! I'm sorry if it's not that good...it's partially intentional for it to be a bit on the corny side, what I really hope I pulled off well was the humor and transitions between the jokes and the romance segments. So...yeah! I hope you enjoyed this mostly trite mix of fluff, bits of my personal headcanons on Sacaean culture (which I based on a lot of Native American and especially Mongolian traditions, particularly the whole thing with the scarf...trust me, it took a veeeeeeeeery long time to find some information on that, and reading about how Mongolian weddings go made my brain huuuurrrt...lots of stuff having to do with circling gers and scarves and horse milk (I don't even) and tea and moving luggage about) and native tongue (and my headcanon that Rath's mom is still alive in FE7, though I imagine she does die to the Bernese invasion in Binding Blade...GEE WHIZ, ZEPHIEL, YOU AND YOUR FREAKING DADDY ISSUES!), some unfunny-ness, and some possible funny-ness.
Also, MAH FAVORITE FE PAIRING. YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!
I also want to give some special mention to Odekake for helping me brainstorm. So, thanks buddy! :D
Have a great day, and may God bless you guys! ^_^