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I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 9: Chrom

Ophelia's eyelids fluttered closed. A nervous twitch of energy shot through my body. I caressed her face, but Ophelia did not respond. I bent low, close to her face. I heard her faint puffs of breath that came too intermittently. Carefully, I cradled her in my arms. My legs quaked underneath me. I should not have stopped. I wasted too much time. Ophelia was terribly limp in my arms.

I quickly started me trek back to camp. I moved as fast as I could without jostling my fragile companion. My attempt at bandaging her wounds had proved futile, fresh blood pushed through the bandages on Ophelia's back. I kept reassuring Ophelia, whispering soothing words and urging her to stay with me. She could not hear anything I said. Despite that fact, I kept talking. As long as I said it out loud I could keep my own worries at bay and maybe even trick myself into believing my own sentiments.

"I still love you…"

I couldn't believe I had admitted that to her.

She had left me and I still couldn't let her go. Even now, the simple thought of never seeing her again felt like a knife cutting through my chest and carving out my still beating heart.

But, there was another question nagging at my mind.

Did she still love me?

She did kiss me… Even though she was partially unconsciousness from the blood loss and the pain.

She said she wanted nothing to do with me, yet she acted as if she still loved me. Oh what was the use of this game inside my head? I desperately needed to know if she still felt something, and I couldn't face the idea of never knowing. Ophelia had a hold on my consciousness and upon my very soul like no one I had ever known before. How could she not feel drawn to me as fervently and naturally as I was to her…?

The forest darkened around me, but did nothing to deter my path. I came upon the encampment just before the sun finally disappeared completely. The camp was just a few haphazardly constructed tents and a fire blazed in the center of the camp site. As I approached, the figures seated around the fire turned in my direction. A few stood up and started towards me.

"It's me," My voice sounded foreign; it was cracked and weak.

"Chrom!" Lissa cried running towards me, bringing an anxious group along with her. Lissa's triumphant expression faded instantly and a tortured gasp escaped her now pale lips.

"Oh my—Ophelia!" Lissa looked up at me, her eyes searching my face for an answer to the unspoken question written on her face.

"She's still alive, but," my voice cracked and the rest of the Shepherds surrounded us. A general air of uncertainty descended upon me. Frederick eased Ophelia out of my arms. The small group of friends rushed Ophelia into one of the tents. When her still body left my arms, my body collapsed and I fell to my knees.

"Chrom are you alright? Are you hurt?" Lissa knelt down beside me. Her eyes grew wide as she searched over me for any wounds. I shook my head; my voice was completely gone. Breathing heavily, I looked into the pale of face of my little sister.

"I just, I need to be with Ophelia." I managed to say. Lissa gripped my hand.

"Of course. But please let me look you over, alright?" Lissa helped me up and led me into the camp.

Ophelia

"I still love you…"

Chrom still loved me? Even after what I had done; breaking of our engagement without a real reason. Disappearing for days and ending up needing him to rescue me. Not to mention the weeks of emotional distancing, before this whole mess, while I tried to keep our engagement secret.

Hadn't I done enough to push him away?

I guess that is what I had been doing, pushing Chrom away.

I had been so preoccupied with maintaining Chrom's image and ensuring his safety at all costs, I lost sight of why I was working so hard in the first place. I took our romance and managed to destroy it beyond recognition.

Yet…

Yet, Chrom did not want to give up on me.

But why not? I'd be sure to act as obsessively in the future. And mess up everything that was not tactics related.

But those four words meant more than he could have realized. Somehow, Chrom still found me lovable despite my flaws and mess ups. He deserved the complete adoration I felt for him, but I couldn't see how I deserved his love...

Then again...

Perhaps Chrom only became sentimental because I was dying...

Oh.. I had been dying..

But now... What I alive? Or dead?

"Has she woken up at all?" a desperate voice cut into my mind and suddenly grounded my in reality. With a peculiar crashing sensation, all my feeling and consciousness returned to me. I found myself lying in a cot covered in a white sheet. I was lying on my stomach, my head in a soft pillow. My body was stiff and every part of me ached.

"Not yet, but I wouldn't be discouraged. It will take a while for her to regain her strength." A second calming voice replied. The two began a conversation in hushed voices, out of courtesy to me.

I peeled open my eyelids and found myself in a beige tent. A small table and chairs sat in the corner, along with boxes of medical supplies. Standing by the table, now with their backs toward me, were Libra and Lissa. The two clerics were busy preparing an unknown project at the table. The tent was far too bright and I closed my eyes to dull the sharp pain in my head. After a moment, I forced my eyes open once more. With all of my strength and gumption I could muster, I pushed myself up with my arms and tried to move into a sitting position. I let out a groan, half from the pain shooting through my back and half of the frustration at my lack of motion. My outburst caught the attention of my two attendants. Lissa's face lit up with exuberance and she ran to my bedside. She helped me ease into a full sitting up position. Light tears dotted her cheeks when she finally turned to me.

"Ophelia; welcome back." I had never seen Lissa smile brighter in her life.

"How are you feeling?" Libra asked; even his normally calm tone was full of delight.

"I'm alright, I guess. I can't move very well," I replied and then added, "Is everyone here alright? What about the troops? How long have we been delayed?" All my tactical duties flooded suddenly back into my mind. Lissa giggled and Libra shook his head.

"Don't worry about that. For now, you need to focus on regaining your strength and healing," Libra admonished. He went to the table in the corner and returned with a tray of food, "Try eating a little something and have some herbs for the pain and stiffness as well." Lissa swopped in and provided me with a large pile of pillows to lean upon. After the initial pain from the pressure, I found I could sit comfortably enough to dig into my food.

"How long have I been unconscious?" I asked after a few minutes of silence while I ate ravenously. Liss and Libra exchanged a calculating glance.

"I would say four days." Libra answered. I nearly spat out my food.

"Four days?! Plus the days before that when I was, er, decommissioned… That sets the movement plans nearly a week behind!" I cried out, "Has any word been sent to the main troops? Have we advanced?" Libra shook his head, knowing I would not relax until I knew. He glanced at Lissa and, passing the torch to her, he quickly left the tent.

"Actually," Lissa said quietly, "Chrom has refused to do anything while you were out of it. We haven't had any communication with the main camps since we started looking for you. But we have all been so worried, especially Chrom, that it really didn't seem important." I stared incredulously at Lissa.

"Surely the army could run without my presence." I said before I could catch myself. As I spoke, the tent flaps reopened to reveal the Ylissean Prince himself. Chrom's face changed from that of intense worry to blissful relief. He rushed to me, only to stop short. The moment of hesitation shot through me, leaving a wound more imposing then the three on my back.

"You're awake..! Uh, are you alright?" Chrom's voice was hesitant and small. Something so different from his usual confidence and his brash attitude.

"I've been better," I laughed. I tried my best to fight the awkward sensation between us.

We looked tentatively at each other, neither sure what to do or say.

I do not own Fire Emblem