Shanzira and Chrom: S support (chapter 11 auto-marry).


Agh... Right, I'm here to paint and relax, not stress myself out. I don't have to paint a damn sunset.

Just... Okay. War's over. I'm... going to paint... myself. Why the hell not. I'm vain, I can't help it.

I start with my face, picking up the gentle curves of my chin. I know what I look like by heart... A self-portrait shouldn't be too hard without a mirror.

Just... right... brush strokes...

This really is relaxing...

"Shanz," I hear the voice. Just as I'm mixing reds for my hair. I just got the copper color I was after...

I should have seen this coming... I'm just... innocently out painting. "What is it, sir?" It shouldn't take a genius to realize it's Chrom. I apply the pigment to the canvas.

"I've... been thinking..."

Well, his thoughtfulness is plain to hear in his voice. He's quiet, hesitant... "How many hours of sleep did you lose?" I look at my canvas, then at the horizon. I won't be able to paint much after it sets. I picked a hell of a time, didn't I?

Chrom pauses a little, briefly drawing in breath while thinking. "Quite a few," he finally answers. "But... I've just... been a selfish ass lately..."

Chrom of Ylisse, insulting himself? I won't stand for this. Nobody insults my friends– not even themselves. That in mind, I stand and glare at him, my hands balled into fists. "Well, this is laughable. Chrom of Ylisse, a selfish ass? I doubt that's even possible. You're fine, you idiot."

His eyebrows are the first thing I notice on his face, raised up in the middle to form a sharp angle. After that, his eyes– the blue in them seems more like actual water. Despite this, he's still meeting my gaze. "No." That one came out with a cough. "I've caused you and Robin and everyone else a lot of worry. I just..." He takes a breath. "... Wanted to stop Gangrel, and I didn't... care... if my life was the price..." Downward drift his eyes, resting on some place on the ground to my left.

I can't help it, I take a terse sigh, slightly frustrated. "You snapped out of that, right? Because I'm pretty sure the lot of us like having you around."

(In future times, I would admire my ability to focus on helping him this much. It made my crush on him seem insignificant, unimportant. I felt free of feelings I felt guilty to feel.)

"Yes..." He takes a deep breath. "Yes, I have. One of... the things I've been thinking about is you." He lifts his head to slowly come back up to look me in the eye, starting with my feet. "You're talented, witty, quick... And very caring..." I note that he paused at my chest. "I've noticed you seem to treat me differently than everyone else..." He finally looked back at my face, only to look away again as he continues: "May I ask... what do you think of me?"

"My, you're a real headache, sometimes," I groan. "That's not my answer." Yeah he looked pretty hurt when I said that, so I had to throw out that disclaimer. "Um. You're..." I look up at the orange sky, thinking. "You're Chrom. There's really no other way to put it." Yeah, I get that it's a bad answer because it doesn't define what 'Chrom' is. "You're the guy in charge, the guy I take orders from– the ONLY guy I take orders from–" yes that amendment was necessary– "who just so happens I'm closer to than I'm comfortable with."

His gaze meets mine for a mere second, then I drop it this time, not him. "How so?" He seems anxious– whether scared or excited is beyond me.

I don't even look past his face like I normally would– I just look to my left side. "I... I didn't mean to fall in love. But I did. I did everything I could to prevent it, and it happened anyways." I hate the words I'm saying, so they come out with gritted teeth and a growl. "You're the prince! Royalty! That would condemn me to a life amidst court, to being locked in a stuffy castle for the rest of my days... You're off-limits."

So I try to remind my heart.

"What if I promised to spare you that?" Is that desperation I hear? "What if I let you roam to your heart's content?"

Stop it, Chrom, please. You're... I'm not worthy of you. Stop it. Please...

"Well," okay the warmth in front of me has to be him. I shut my eyes. "My sister always followed her heart, so now I'm going to follow mine... What I mean to ask is..." There's a hand on my cheek, and a silence, until I finally open my eyes. ... Th... that's...

In his hand, that's...

"Will you marry me, Shanzira? If I promise you all the freedom I can grant?"

"You little..." I'm frozen in place, like a pillar of cooling magma, and yes I feel warm, there's this hot fire feeling in my chest. "That's... that's the ring made to celebrate your birth... With the Ylissean royal crest..." Those sapphires, that opal... it's... beautiful... "This is actually happening." I try to force my eyes open to take all this in, though the very realization of it burns.

It burns so painfully, I collapse against him. "Yes... Please... Anything to quench the fire you've lit in my heart." I wrap my arms tightly around him– Oh, he's... big and strong. Not a skinny little stick like me. There's a lot of Chrom for me to love.

He shivers a little– I'm confused until the sound of nervous laughter breaks on my ear. "Hah... Shanzira..." His hand, his hand just met my back, that's warm. "Thank you. I've been afraid... Afraid you would say no, but..." He chuckles again. "Ahem... I'll need to ask for some patience for the near future... My first duty must be to heal the scars of war and assume my role for the people." Ah yes, that bullshit. "But then, we can begin our life together."

I nearly swooned to hear that. ... A life, with him? I... It's a very different thought now than it was an hour ago. "I hate waiting, but the fact remains that I'm good at it. Just don't let it be too long..." I nuzzle him. I'm really not sure about my patience in this case. "... Or I'll get antsy..." Antsy is one word for it.

Chrom shifts, wrapping me in sweet warmth. "Thank you," he whispers. "I know together we can bring joy back to the royal palace. I'll do everything I can to make the castle a happy home for us..." Weak chuckle. "... My love."

... Everything's suddenly blurry. "My..." My eyes slide closed. "My prince..."

All is warm and black. It's... blissful. Sweet silence, sweet sleep.


My apologies for the lateness, I derped. I'm planning out the timeskip arc, once I finish with that I'll start it off.
This support occurred in chapter Thirty–Five: Curtains Close.