"Gaius, please…" Eyes wide with horror, Cordelia attempted to corner her orange-haired husband, who was throwing things into a small bag, but he didn't seem to pay any attention to her.

"Don't worry," he replied, a reassuring tone to his voice. "You know I'm the best thief there is."

His confidence was not helpful to her, so Cordelia placed her hands on his shoulders and looked him straight in the face. "Listen to me, Gaius. We have a family now. Our daughter needs you to be around."

"Why are you so worried about this? I'm gonna be gone three days tops." He gave her a small smile. "'sides, I'm doing this for you."

Tears forming in her eyes, Cordelia broke her normal demeanor and shouted, "You don't understand! Plegia's treasury is heavily guarded, and your family needs you!"

"Vaike's helping. It'll be fine." Gaius let his smile get a bit bigger and confident. "Besides, do you know anyone sneakier than me? I'll be back in three days, right before the sun comes up."

Cordelia sniffled. "Promise?"

"I promise."

The next day, Gaius and Vaike left for Plegia. Cordelia and Lissa chatted some, neither of them happy about the circumstances of what was happening; they ultimately decided to trust their husbands and to send good vibes.

Severa, the three year old belonging to Cordelia and Gaius, seemed worried about her father's absence. She had always been a daddy's girl, something Cordelia was well aware of. Although she was young, she was already holding small conversations, normally a point of pride for Cordelia; however, this time it left her depressed. "Is daddy gone?" the little girl asked, looking to her mom for a good answer.

Cordelia tried her best to put on a warm smile and not worry the girl. "No sweetie, he'll be home soon." But Severa scrunched her nose and puffed her cheeks out, upset she didn't hear what she had wanted to. This left Cordelia to sigh and watch as her daughter stormed off to another room.

The house they lived in was fairly small; it had two bedrooms, one for Cordelia and Gaius and one for Severa right across the hall. The kitchen was the only other notable room, just as small as everything else but with the basic necessities for living. Although Cordelia didn't like it, Gaius's thievery was the one thing that brought in surplus money. The job Cordelia had taken as a steward after the end of the war didn't earn much. With the holiday season upon them, being able to celebrate things for Severa was important to Gaius and herself, and so she could see why Gaius was off risking his life. However, she did wish they would have just borrowed money instead of her husband going on a perilous trip. Cordelia decided right then that she wouldn't ever allow Gaius to do this again.

On the third and final day of Gaius's absence, Cordelia was hard at work at the country's castle, thinking about what life would be like, living in such an adorned home. She caught herself feeling envious of Ylisse's crown princess. Lucina was born into the lap of luxury, making Severa's room look like a dingy closet. She swept up the numerous broken toys on the ground; Lucina definitely had a bad habit of breaking things, just like her father, Cordelia thought.

After finishing up with Lucina's room, Cordelia was done working for the day so she went home, only to work herself twice as hard. She tidied up the house, cleaning up the occasional mess that an unruly and adventurous Severa made. At the same time, she prepared a few of Gaius's favorite cakes and pies, decorating one with 'We missed you!' written in icing. Seeing the message brought a feeling of contentment to her, and she couldn't wait for him to see the hard work she'd put in.

When the day was over, Cordelia tucked Severa into bed, bribing the little girl when she protested sleep. "Your father will be here when you wake up. Things will be much faster if you just sleep."

Severa gasped, covering her cheeks with her little hands. "Okay! I'll go to sleep riiiight now!" Cordelia gave a soft giggle at her daughter before turning out the light and leaving the room.

Remembering her husband's promise, she decided to wait for him on the porch in front of the house. She sat in a lawn chair, scanning the horizon for signs of him. This went on for some time. The faithful wife was tired and struggled to stay awake, the urge to sleep for some time before finally succumbing to it, falling asleep before sunrise.

It was a fuzzy awakening some time later, the sun high over the horizon, and she noticed that it seemed like Lissa was standing by her, trying to wake her up. She gave a small yawn, alerting the blonde to her awakeness. "Cordelia!" Rubbing at her eyes, Cordelia yawned again and asked why she was there, to which Lissa began tearing up. "Cordelia…oh, I'm so sorry."

"What happened?" Cordelia asked, confused. "Do you need help?"

"No, Cordelia, I…" Lissa began before Vaike put a hand on Lissa's shoulder. His presence struck Cordelia as slightly odd, but she couldn't put a finger as to why that was.

"This is going to be hard for her to take." Vaike said to the princess, and Lissa nodded, swallowing down her tears. He then turned to Cordelia. "I'm gonna tell you something now. Be calm."

"What?" she quietly asked, trying to make sense of what was going on.

"Gaius…well, he didn't make it back with ol' Vaike."

"What do you—" Cordelia's words abruptly ended as the meaning of what she had just heard crushed her. "—what happened?"

"The Vaike barely made it back. 'course, the Vaike didn't come back of cowardice, but I didn't wanna die. And Gaius…"

Whatever was going to be said was interrupted by the sound of pans and other cookware coming from inside the house, followed by a loud scream from Severa: "Where is he?!"

Cordelia shook off her drowsiness and slight confusion and dashed inside her home, leaving her visitors outside. What they were talking about seemed important, but her maternal instincts had kicked in and she needed to make sure that her daughter was okay. "Severa! What are you doing?" Cordelia asked, shocked to see her kitchen had become a wreck. Pots, pans, and silverware were all over the floor.

"This is what you get for lying!" Severa answered. "Mom is a liar!"

"Severa! I never lied to you! Stop this!" Cordelia scooped the child up into her arms to calm her down, but the girl squirmed out of them, yelling once she was back on the floor.

"You said daddy was coming home! Stop lying!"

"What…?" Cordelia began to feel light-headed as things started to click in her mind. Why wasn't he there? Why wasn't…?

Letting herself in, Lissa's first action was to check on Cordelia. "Are you okay?" she asked, seeing the redhead swaying in her confusion.

"Lissa, wait! You can't just walk in uninvited like this!" Vaike called after Lissa as he followed her in.

"You're doing it too!" Lissa pointed out before glancing at Cordelia, whose eyes had become locked in on her daughter's face. "Besides, I think she needs to talk to someone." What felt like only a few moments later, Cordelia, Lissa, and Vaike were talking in the small living room. Vaike stood behind Lissa, who was sitting in one of the room's two chairs. Cordelia wept into her hands with Severa, who didn't quite understand what was going on, sitting on her lap. Seeing her mother like this made the little girl want to cry as well.

Lissa who looked pale, offered a few words to the crying woman in front of her. "Cordelia, I don't know what to say…I'll have a talk with Chrom, though. You totally don't need to come in for a few days, okay?"

Hearing the offhanded mention of her job, Cordelia's sobbing intensified. It was because of money Gaius left, and it was because of money she would never see him again. She gathered the strength to decline the offer, saying, "No, Lissa. I have to work. I have a child to raise."

"Cordelia…" Lissa started before Vaike shushed her.

"If ya gotta work, ya gotta work. But that don't mean you're on your own. 'Ol Vaike can help ya out tomorrow."

"I would appreciate it, Vaike." Cordelia replied weakly, wiping a tear.

"Well, I guess it could work," Lissa said before turning around to Vaike, "I mean, you haven't gotten a job yourself."

"The Vaike's been meanin' to get a job, can't live off 'a your brother's handouts for the rest of my life." Vaike looked back at Cordelia. "This steward thing you do is easy, right?"

Cordelia gave a slow shrug. "Depends on how big the mess is."

That night, Severa didn't protest sleeping like she usually did. She let her mother tuck her in as usual, but she had a painful question to ask "So…when is daddy coming home?"

Cordelia shook her head with a frown. "Sorry honey, he's not…he's not coming back." For an instant, it seemed like Severa would explode in a tantrum like she had that morning, but she calmed down quickly.

In the sweetest, most innocent voice the girl could muster, she said, "Goodnight, you're the best mom I could ask for." Cordelia gave a quiet reply of appreciation before leaving the room. She closed the door quietly and went into her own room, where she lay in bed and burst into uncontrollable tears.

The next day, Cordelia awoke to Vaike knocking rather loudly on the front door. She opened her eyes slowly and looked at the clock in her room, gasping when she realized she had overslept. Her mornings usually started with making breakfast for her family before getting dressed to go to the castle, but she just wouldn't have time that day. The newly-widowed woman ran to her front door and opened it quickly to stop the knocking.

"Good morning!" she said in greeting to Vaike, who was rubbing his nose after she hit him with the door.

"Watch what yer doin' next time!" he shouted, before looking her over and forgetting that he'd just been hit. "Er, aren't ya gonna pretty yerself up or somethin? I mean, the Vaike don't judge or anything, but…"

"I don't have time," Cordelia replied with a sigh. Was it really that she didn't have time, or that she didn't have the emotional motivation? "I've never been late before and I'm not starting now." The two climbed onto their horses and were riding towards the castle when an awful thought came to Cordelia: "Severa's going to starve at home. This is really bad. My child is going to be hungry all day because of me."

"Don't worry none," Vaike said to Cordelia as they rode. "'Ol' Vaike'll chat with Lissa 'n maybe she can watch her for the day."

"I would appreciate it," Cordelia replied, a small grin finding its way to her face. That day, Cordelia taught Vaike what she knew of being a steward, and so every room the two worked on was spotless. Despite being a little numb-skulled, Vaike was a good partner to have on the job and a fast learner. Once they were on break, the two got to chat. "So Vaike, what makes you want to be a steward? It's usually seen as a woman's job…"

Vaike was dumbfounded at the assertion. "A woman's job? Lissa must'a lied then. She said most stewards were strong and handsome. That kinda stuff."

"There are male stewards," Cordelia corrected with a laugh, "but most have the idea that it's a woman's job, that's all. If you ask me, you're a great steward, no matter what you are."

"Guess ol' Vaike might not quit after all," Vaike chortled, before musing on something else. "Kinda wonderin' how Lissa's doing with Severa. We ain't the best with kids, but one of us has gotta learn."

"When Severa came along, I just naturally knew what to do, and Gaius followed along. He and Severa used to have so much fun while I was away." Cordelia sighed. "At least Lissa will keep her company today." She began to think about how it wasn't the same sort of company, and her facial expression showed it, to the point that Vaike had to ask her to give him a smile—and when she refused, he frowned.

"Y'know what? Let's go get a bite to eat. I know this great place right in town and it might just help take your mind off 'a things for a bit."

Cordelia nodded, appreciating the kind gesture. "Can we stop by my home and see Severa after?"

Vaike grinned. "Sounds like a plan!" He took her off to a building, motioning for her to follow him the entire time. Inside, it was dimly lit and several people were enjoying meals. He sat down on a booth chair and she sat directly across from him.

Since she was there as his guest, Cordelia asked Vaike what she should get, but all he gave her was a shrug and a recommendation for everything. When a woman came to take their orders, Cordelia kept her eyes on the menu while Vaike said what he was getting. They talked for a moment before Vaike directed the conversation to Cordelia's order, breaking Cordelia's thoughts and concentration on the menu. She began to tell the waitress that she wasn't sure, but her face lit up when she saw who it was. "Sumia! We haven't talked in so long! How've you been?"

"We really haven't, have we?" Sumia said with a grin. "Ever since Chrom ended the war with Plegia, I've been working here as a waitress." Sumia looked over at Vaike. "Vaike's a regular around here."

"What can the Vaike say? This is a darn good place."

Cordelia and Sumia became engaged in small talk, both catching up with each other. "So, when did you two become friends?" Sumia asked, motioning slightly towards Vaike. "I can't say I saw that coming. You're pretty different from each other."

"I wouldn't say we're friends," Cordelia replied. "I needed help with my job over at the castle today, and Vaike was available. I'm not sure how long he'll be with me, but having him around brightens things."

Sumia gave a small nod, moving on to her next question. "Oh, and how are you and Gaius? You guys were so cute together back in the day."

Cordelia almost fell into tears again, but she decided she needed to stop the crying. She was too strong to cry nonstop. "Gaius…he was killed in Plegia. He went there with Vaike…" She turned to the man she came to the diner with, thinking this was a good place to ask something important. "Vaike, can you give me a few details on what happened in Plegia?"

"Are you sure ya wanna hear?" he asked. "The Gaius situation has got ya pretty torn up."

"I need to hear it."

Sumia, being the awkward girl she was, interrupted. "Hey, uh, Cordelia, I need to get your order before I go and I kinda need to go now."

"Oh, a salad please. Thanks, Sumia."

Vaike kept a smile on his face until Sumia stepped away, but once she was gone he began looking glum. "Okay, Cordelia. I'll tell you what happened." Cordelia nodded, feeling ready to hear whatever would follow. "Okay, so, Gaius and I snuck into the Plegian castle pretty easy. They seemed more focused on recoverin' their kingdom rather than protectin' it. And Gaius, y'know, he was really good at the stealth business. He led me in, made one turn, then another, and we ended up in the treasury. He told me to keep quiet, but at the sight of all the treasure, Vaike couldn't help but do a little hollerin'. So yeah…it might be my fault, huh?" Vaike looked down at the table in shame at what he'd just admitted to.

This revelation left Cordelia at a loss for words, so she simply stared at Vaike, her mind fogging over. At some point, Sumia returned to the table. Seeing the non-talkative state of the two, she asked them with a look of concern, "Is everything all right?"

"We're okay, Sumia," Cordelia answered, thinking lying to her friend was the best choice. Sumia nodded; yet her concerned look remained. She walked away from the booth and into the kitchen in the back. Cordelia then turned her attention back to Vaike. "What happened after that?"

"The guards came, so we ran the hell outta there. We didn't have time to loot before, that's why we—er, I came back empty-handed."

Cordelia looked at Vaike quizzically. "So Gaius got out unscathed?"

"Yup. We ran back towards the border, but when we got there, the Plegians were catchin' up to us. Gaius let the Vaike get back to Ylisse while he tried to stall the mob that was after us. That sacrifice saved ol' Vaike's life."

"And cost him his own."

Sumia was now returning with their meals. Unfortunately for the waitress, she tripped—seemingly on nothing—and landed on her face, the meals falling down behind her. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" Sumia apologized to the two. "Let me fix this up and you'll get the food for free!" Cordelia didn't like seeing her friend in the situation, but she allowed Sumia to give her the free meal. She wouldn't want her friend to get fired or in any other trouble, but her mind was too muddled to think about arguing against it.

At the end of the day, Vaike and Cordelia rode back to her house. Entering, Cordelia was excited to see Severa since she was gone all day, but before she could see her daughter she noticed Lissa, who was grinning from ear to ear. "Hi Cordelia!" the blonde princess chirped. "I think I did a really good job today."

"Well, I appreciate it, Lissa. I don't know what I would have done without you."

"It's no problem." Lissa motioned for Cordelia to sit down. Outside the windows, the sky was turning red as the sun began to set.

"Is Severa in bed already?" Cordelia asked, knowing how difficult the child could be when it came to bedtime, especially with recent events.

"Oh yeah! We had fun talking and playing games all day that she was pretty worn out and went right to bed." Lissa's grin got larger as Cordelia thanked her for that. "No problem! How was Vaike today? I know he can be a bit difficult to handle sometimes."

"The Vaike is easy to handle!" Vaike retorted, rethinking his words as soon as he said them.

Cordelia ignored the innuendo and gave a small smile as she thought about what had happened that day. "He was a determined worker, and he worked hard to keep my spirits up. I can't thank him enough for that."

Lissa nodded. "So, I was thinking of running an idea by you." Cordelia raised an eyebrow, asking what that could possibly be. "Well, I'm interested in watching Severa at the castle…so would you mind moving in with us?"

Cordelia was genuinely shocked by this offer. "Are you serious?"

"A princess never lies."

Cordelia was now able to take the news in. "But why? I can tell from today that you like spending time with Severa, but why move a poor steward and her child into the castle?"

Vaike gave a slow response. "One reason is that the Vaike feels awful for everything. But there's another big reason for this."

Cordelia gave Vaike a quizzical look. "What's the other reason?"

The group sat in silence for a while before Lissa spoke up. "I'm expecting."

In the following days, Cordelia and Severa moved from their little house to living in the castle. Chrom was more than okay to share what he had with an old companion; together, as one large family, they celebrated the holidays. It was during this time that Lissa began to show, and the others would remember the sudden development as a gift from Naga.

Cordelia was always grateful for the home she was provided with. She never had to worry about Severa being hungry or unhealthy. Deciding to do the best with her time, Cordelia began to study childbirth and procedures for it.

The castle was memorable for Severa. She had fun exploring the huge place during her upbringing, though it stopped being as exciting later on. Severa made fast friends with the crown princess of Ylisse. They grew up as best friends; however, their opposing personalities occasionally clashed.

Vaike made sure Cordelia liked her life at the castle, being ready whenever she needed help. This kindness began to dwindle over time, but the two of them remained close friends.

During the course of her pregnancy, Lissa enjoyed spending a lot of time with Severa, almost always with Cordelia there to teach the princess the ropes of motherhood, including how to deal with the ugliest of tantrums. Lissa, with the help of Cordelia and a few doctors, eventually had a smooth birth, bringing life to a healthy boy that she named Owain. His parents loved their son and spent as many moments with him as they could; in his older years, the family would often reminisce about their fondest memories.

Cordelia never did re-marry. Gaius forever held a special place in her heart, and the void wasn't an easy fill, to the point that she never really did try returning to the romance scene. She was content with spending her time with her daughter or honing her skills, both in combat and in work.
She would never forget how much Gaius cared for her. Risking his life for the sake of his family, and paying the ultimate price. Cordelia would sometimes regret letting Gaius go, but she knew his death was written in stone. The man she loved was gone, and wondering what could have been was pointless.

Thanks for reading!

This story was written for a friend of mine: Jessica! (Kristenschaalisahorse)

Happy holidays!