"Five years or ten years from now… What kind of future awaits us, I wonder."

"Well, I'm sure you'll have ascended as king of Altea, and govern the world. And by then, you and Princess Caeda will have children too. I'm more than certain your children will be both kind and brave."

"Thank you for your kind future. And yours? What will you be doing, then?"

"Em… When that time comes I believe I'll still be serving you by your side. And… if I happen to have children of my own, I'm sure they will fight for the future of Altea, as well."

"My children and your children… Heh, it would be lovely if they could get along."

"Truly."

Chapter Twenty-One
A Greater Whole

Anali hardly put any effort into sleeping, her nerves and excitement made it near impossible for her to doze off. She spent the night reading a book or reviewing her notes from her visits to Ofelia and her friends. The way Anali saw it, she was about to be put in a position of power, so why not use it?

Early in the morning, long before the sun was even close to rising Anali finally nodded off for what felt like only a minute; and then, "Up, up, up!"

Anali tossed herself over in bed to find a middle-aged woman, somewhat plump, stride over to her window and threw the curtains open. What was the point of that? The sun hadn't even risen yet. The woman, Nina, repeated, "Up!"

Groggily, Anali sat up and tossed the blankets off. As she stretched Nina was quickly at Anali's side, then, without warning, Nina lifted Anali's nightgown over her head, exposing her birthday suit. The Tactician yelped and tried to hide herself by covering her chest. Nina just rolled her eyes, unimpressed. "Milady, we are both women," she said. "Honestly, if you're going to act like this with me, how are you going to consummate?"

"You could have warned me!" Anali snapped through a whine. "Or better yet, told me to take it off myself!"

Nina gave Anali an indifferent wave of the hand signifying that the conversation was done. She fetched a robe from the closet and tossed it to Anali, ordering her to put it on. Once it was tied around her waist Nina grabbed Anali by the arm and lead her out of the room. In the light of the hallway, one could see that Nina had brilliant red hair that had striking grey streaks in it.

"Can't I get something to eat?" asked Anali.

"Later."

Nina lead her into a large bathing room where three maids were each busying themselves. There was Marlee who was looking through a collection of soaps, the other Anali recognized as Lazuli who was busy mixing a concoction with another maid Anali had no name for. Though she later learned her name was Scarlet. "Now," Nina said while she removed Anali's robe. "First things first; we have a few things unsavory to remove. And we best do it now while it's still warm."

"While what's still warm?" asked Anali.

As though it were rehearsed Scarlet lifted the wooden ladle from the concoction, revealing the substance to be thick and gloopy. Anali could feel her irises shrink, and her face lose color.

About an hour later Anali's arms and legs were as red as can be. Her skin was still tingling after she was slathered with hot wax, then had the hair on her limbs ripped off. Nina insisted it would pay off for the wedding night. The warm bath Marlee made for her felt wonderful against her tingling skin and chilly bones. The soap she chose smelt of cherries with the slightest trace of vanilla. Scarlet worked diligently on her hair, scrubbing right at her roots which also managed to massage Anali's scalp.

After her hair was washed Anali was scrubbed until her skin was soft and supple. Her hair was towel dried, and, after putting her robe back on, Anali was allowed to eat a couple of rolls. Cleaned and full Anali was lead back to the Princess Suite where her wedding dress, and a vanity had been set up in her absence. Ellyn, the woman who would be doing Anali's hair and make-up had everything already set up and waiting for Anali. She gestured to the stool for Anali to sit herself down in, then immediately began brushing Anali's hair out. "Such lovely hair, milady," said Ellyn. "All the styles you could do it up in."

"Yes," Anali agreed, wincing as the brush pulled at a small snarl. "But I've no idea what to do with it outside of my pigtails."

Anali's bangs were left alone, a layer of hair pulled back into a small bun that was held together by a hairclip decorated with snowflakes, a motif for Anali's accessories today. The inner layer was left hanging loose and carried a light curl.

Ellyn painted Anali's lips a dark rose, making them look delicate and kissable. Her eye make-up was blended so skillfully it was a wonder they did not come from the same container. Metallic gold lined Anali's eyelashes, then the blue was blended a few centimeters up, then Ellyn smeared a little out of the boundaries of her eyes, making it look almost natural.

When Anali's eyes were done Ellyn studied Anali's face then brushed her thumb over the scar on her cheek. "This mark…" Ellyn's voice trailed off. "I could hide it, if you want. Won't take long."

"No," Anali replied, afraid to shake her head and ruin Ellyn's work. She smiled, slightly embarrassed by what she was about to say. "I… think it makes me look striking."

It was a bit funny and weird to think about it like that. Funny in that Anali was concerned that she would have become self-conscious about it. And she was, for the first couple of days. Now she was willing to weave tall tales about how she obtained it. However, Chrom clearly felt guilty about it. There was a reminder of his actions that day on his wife's face, would it be a better idea to cover it after all.

The sun had long risen by the time Ellyn began to work on her hair and make-up, and it was well into the day by the time she finished. The wedding was only a few short hours away, but the pre-wedding jitters never fully hit Anali until Nina and Marlee helped her into her dress and she got a look at herself in a full-length mirror.

The dress was not the stereotypical poofy skirt or poofy sleeved fairy tale princess wedding dress, nor was the train ridiculously long. That simply wasn't Anali's style. It was just a sweep train; the skirt pleated down the center, revealing a light blue layer underneath. There was a matching sash tied around her waist. The collar and sleeves were made of lace, it served as to distract from the white band on the back of her right hand to cover her mark.

Her jewelry consisted of a silver snowflake bracelet on her left writs that matched her hairclip. She wore two tiny snowflake earrings on each ear. She had on a white beaded choker with a white and blue snowflake pendant on the right side of her neck. The only thing the ensemble was missing was the wedding ring.

Looking at herself in the mirror, all dolled up and beautiful made it finally hit home. These were going to be her last few hours as a single woman and a humble tactician. By this time tomorrow she would be married and Ylisse's new queen. Had they maybe rushed into marriage? They had only just discovered that they had mutual feelings for each other by the time Chrom proposed; they hadn't even acted on these feelings. They were only engaged for about six months and had hardly known each other for a year, wasn't that a bit fast?

What did Anali really know about Ylisse? Oh, sure Anali knew facts and dates, but that wasn't the people, Ylisstol was but a fraction of the haildom. Understanding politics was near impossible and the council meeting nearly put her to sleep until Chrom blurted out their engagement. Could she really live up to her responsibilities and expectations? Anali couldn't even say 'forget about what they think,' not about the people Emmeryn gave everything for.

Gods, why did she say yes?

Because she loved Chrom.

The life she dreamed of, the husband and the children, wouldn't be complete unless it was with Chrom. The council was free to think what they wanted, Anali knew she would have loved Chrom with or without the crown. He wasn't some Prince Charming, Chrom was just Chrom, and Anali would take everything that came with him, blunders and public scrutiny and all. They had only gotten where they were today by working together, together they were more.

Anali, so lost in her thoughts, jumped when she heard Sumia singing as she walked up, "Here she is, the beautiful bride~"

Suddenly, Sumia's reflection appeared beside Anali in the mirror. She rested her chin on Anali's shoulder while her arms wrapped around Anali's mid-section. "Nervous?" asked Sumia.

"Yes," Anali replied all too bluntly. She looked straight at their reflection to find a trail of light purple fabric behind her. "And I had half a year to prepare for this. I can't even imagine what was going through your head when you had an afternoon to prepare."

The clumsy Pegasus Knight simply smiled. "Well, the way I saw it is if I could make the first step, then everything was going to be okay in the end." Her eyes wandered up to the side to look at Anali, her grin turned rather mischievous. "And considering it's me the fact that I could make the first step at all had to be a good sign. It helps that the man waiting for me at the end made me feel loved, protected, and special."

Loved? Well, Chrom certainly made Anali feel that. And she certainly felt protected, his arms had quickly became her favorite place in the world. She wasn't sure about special, but Chrom did make her feel like she was home. And from the beginning, Chrom was the one who offered her a place to call home. "Keep looking at yourself like that and I think Chrom might have some competition," Sumia said, tightening her grip on Anali. "But in all fairness, you do look gorgeous, Chrom won't be able to keep his hands off you for your wedding night."

Anali's face flushed scarlet. The wedding night… She remembered that night weeks ago when they both got a little frisky, how much Anali wanted Chrom to just take her right then and there. The one thing that kept her from insisting they go all the way was just how unromantic it was. Well, that and the fact that they could have been caught. Oh, the hell that would have been risen if they were. It was so easy to want something when it was a simple fantasy, but when it was just hours away from becoming reality… it was overwhelming, if not downright nerve-wracking. "H-Have you and Frederick…?"

A pink blush formed upon Sumia's pale face. She looked away from their reflection and smiled awkwardly. "The first time was unforgettable," she said. "But it got better as we both discovered what we liked."

The bride gulped, Sumia's words did not do much to calm her nerves. On one hand it was nice to know that one of her friends had done it before. However, Sumia wasn't under pressure to produce an heir sooner rather than later. As soon as wedding excitement died down everyone would be asking about children. Not that Anali minded, after all she did want children, but she and Chrom never really talked about when it would be a good time. Aye, how could the notion of her wedding night bring upon all these thoughts?

She felt Sumia's arms tighten around her. "You'll be fine," she said.

"Knock, knock," the two heard from the door behind them.

Khan Flavia was almost unrecognizable without her usual getup. Her hair hung freely at her shoulders, and she wore a red dress with a slit that went up to her thigh. And if Anali was mistaken, the Khan actually wore make-up for the occastion. "Hey, Sumia," said Flavia. "I think your hubby needs some assistance. Just paid Chrom a visit, and the big baby's whining about his suit."

"Oh, dear…"Sumia's voice trailed off. She looked back at Anali, then a Flavia. The bride gave her friend a nod of the head, telling Sumia that it was okay to go. "I'll see what I can do."

Sumia hurried out of the room, stumbling slightly over the hem of her dress. Flavia closed the door behind her; approaching Anali, she hugged her. "Gods, look at you," she said, holding the bride at arms length. "With darker colors and a different situation you'd make quite the temptress."

"You think so?" asked Anali. She never really thought of herself as sexy, her idea of a beautiful woman was someone tall, robust, and a little on the dark side. Anali certainly filled the last criteria, but the first two? Nope. No, she pretty much described Flavia.

"I'm so anxious to get started already," Anali confessed. "But I'm also so overwhelmed right now. The two emotions are conflicting and I'm afraid I'm just going to throw up."

Flavia cupped Anali's face into her cold hand. "Just breathe, hun," she advised. "What you're feeling is perfectly normal, marriage is a huge commitment. Why do you think I'm still single? Certainly not because I'm a giant of a man of unparalleled thew."

Embarrassed and blushing, Anali smiled awkwardly. Given their current relationship Anali knew Flavia was going to hold that above her head for the rest of their lives. "No, I'm still single because I'm not ready for such a commitment," continued Flavia. "But clearly you and Chrom are. And believe me hun, he's just as nervous as you."

"I look like a marshmallow!" snapped Chrom.

"You could have realized that during your fittings, milord," Frederick said dully. "There was plenty of time."

"Well, he is right about the marshmallow thing," murmured Lissa.

"Milady, you're not helping."

Chrom fiddled with the cord that held his cape in place. He was dressed in all white. His suit was a two-piece, an oddity compared to his usual taste in fashion. His top had a high collar with gold accents running down the front, highlighting the buttons. And, as another oddity, he wore both sleeves, thus covering his Brand. The cape he wore covered his left arm, much like his usual fashion, though it was missing his pauldron. His hands were bare, a necessity given the wedding rings, but one might not notice due to the thick sleeve cuffs. He had on a couple of thick white belts around his waste, though he wasn't carrying Falchion on him today. His own coronation could not tear him away from it, but his wedding could with great success. And he had tried, tried to brush his hair, be neat and tidy for today, but it just popped back into place.

"A marshmallow!" Chrom repeated. "Marshmallow with a blueberry on top!"

"If you hate it that much, then just go naked," he heard Lissa say from behind him.

Frederick gasped, "Milady! Why would you suggest such a-"

"Because he's acting like a big baby! He had two ding-dang months to choose something else. He made his bed, now he can lie in it."

"I'll be sure to remember that when you get married," Chrom shot back.

Lissa, in response, blew a raspberry in her brother's direction. Sometimes she was amazed how someone like Anali could fall in love with such a knucklehead. And she was about to tie herself to him for the rest of her life. "What's going on in here?"

Sumia had her head poked into the room momentarily before she slipped inside and closed the door behind her. "Oh, Chrom only cares now about what he looks like," Lissa said with a huff.

"What I usually wear never made me look like a marshmallow!" snapped Chrom.

"And a blueberry's better?" murmured Lissa.

"There's nothing wrong with my usual clothes! This is a monstrosity! I don't know what I was thinking-"

"Milord," sighed Frederick.

In a flash, Sumia moved Frederick to the side, and walked up to Chrom. The punch in his face came without warning and with enough force to cause Chrom to step back. Thankfully it did not hurt as much as the one in Ferox, when Sumia still had her gauntlets on, but it still stung. Frederick had taken a large step back, exclaiming his wife's name, no doubt stunned by the sudden turn of events. "Get a hold of yourself, captain!" Sumia ordered. "This isn't like you at all! No one's going to care about how you look, least of all Anali! Now get it together, you're getting married in less than an hour!"

She turned herself around on her heel, and marched forward a few feet away before she stopped in her tracks to look over her shoulder. "And, yes, this time I meant it as a punch."

Lissa watched, gripping her chin as Sumia walked out. Suddenly she couldn't wait to see her with child. "My apologizes, milord," Frederick said quickly as Chrom massaged his jaw. "I don't know what's gotten into her."

"Frederick, it's fine," Chrom insisted as he looked himself over in the mirror once more. Suddenly he didn't mind how he looked. "I needed that right now."

Sumia was right, Anali wouldn't care if he was overdone, or underdone so long as he didn't just leave her at the alter. Gods, the past year had so many ups and downs. The war with Plegia, Emmeryn's death - hopefully she was watching them on this day, wherever she was - and the Risen, which were still a problem. But Chrom also became the Exalt, and he had found the love of his life in one of the most unusual places. And here he was starting the new year by marrying the woman he loved in just a short while.

Anali's bouquet consisted of white roses and forget-me-nots. She held the stems in her hand so hard it was a wonder she did not suck the life out of the flowers. Anali listed off the wedding details in her head, over and over. First the vows, then the rings. Anali would make her vow to Ylisse before she was presented with her first regalia. Normally that would have been done by an older member of House Ylisse, but as it now consisted of just two people Chrom would be the one to do it. After the wedding they would greet the people of Ylisstol from the balcony, then the reception. And after that would come the wedding night.

Anali repeatedly tapped her free hand against her leg, even from the back room, she could see the hall. It was like someone had brought winter inside. Fake trees, painted white, were placed after every five pews. At the end of the aisle, where Chrom was waiting, was an arch made of small sticks with small prism's placed inside, which currently caught the light. Behind the podium where Libra stood had white, and very, very light blue sheets covering the wall, with crystal vases filled with white roses and irises.

A strong arm suddenly snaked around Anali surprising her. "Relax, milady," said Frederick. "You've face far worse than this."

"This dress is too long," Anali said pitifully. "Don't let met trip?"

A small smile formed upon Frederick's lips. "You still doubt me?" He looked strait ahead as soon as he heard the music begin to swell. "That's our cue."

Chrom stood beside Libra frigidly and sweating like a pig. Why did he think wearing white was a good idea? With this much perspiration it was a wonder it did not show. In perfect unison the crowd in front of him began murmuring as they rose to their feet. Slowly and in tune to the music Frederick was ushering Anali down the aisle. Chrom imagined he must have been beaming once he caught sight of Anali, she was downright radiant. She was always beautiful, even after a long bloody battle, but today she had a heavenly glow around her.

At the end of the aisle Frederick too Anali's hand into her own and offered it to Chrom. Anali gave Frederick a quick, grateful smile, then looked back up at Chrom as he lead her in front of the podium and Libra. He gave the couple a warm smile before he opened his mouth and spoke, "Dear friends, members of the council, people of Ylisse. Today we bare witness to the union between Exalt Chrom of Ylisse and Lady Anali in marriage. My friends, there is no such thing as a good war, but as these two people have shown us, if given the chance, even love can bloom amongst the blood and ashes of war."

Seated with the Shepherds, Vaike wrapped one arm around Miriel's shoulder. The two came out with their own engagement a few days after Vaike popped the question, after they found the right ring for Miriel. As far as anybody knew they did not have any distinct wedding plans just yet, opting to wait a little bit and save up their money first. It was a bit surprising, given their personalities, but their friends were thrilled for them.

"Trust is the key thing in any relationship, let if be friendship or love, and nothing brings trust to the frontline than strife."

In front of Vaike and Miriel, Sumia leaned into her husbands chest. He in turn, placed his hand over hers. Everyone, even the couple themselves, were still getting used to seeing Frederick, of all people, show someone such tender affection in front of everyone. It seemed like Sumia brought out an entirely different side of him.

"Support of a partner is just as much a necessity. And an unfortunate fact of life is that tragedy shows us our greatest support."

Smiling, Chrom gave Anali's hand a squeeze. His greatest support was right there next to him, with her hand in his. He would have held onto her hand harder if he wasn't afraid of hurting her. "Dear friends," Libra continued. "It is for this reason we watch Exalt Chrom and Lady Anali as they embark on a new journey in life. We watch as they make their vows in front of Naga to become two halves of a greater whole."

Anali had to raise her eyebrow at Chrom after that line. Why did she get the feeling that was something he requested?

Their vows were the same ones Frederick and Sumia took months ago, "I, Chrom/Anali, take you Anali/Chrom, to be my wife/husband. My constant friend, my faithful partner and my love from this day forward. In the presence of Naga I offer you my vow to be your partner in times of good and bad, joy and sorrow, sickness and health. I will love you unconditionally, support you in the road of life to honor and respect you, to laugh and cry with you, and cherish you as long as we both shall live."

And then came the rings. They were both matching gold with a silver center circling around the band. Chrom held Anali's hand gently in his own, and guided the ring onto her finger. "The wind at my back and the sword at my side," he whispered.

Anali's ring bore the Brand of the Exalt on its surface. It marked Anali's status as being married into the Ylissean royal family. When the time came for Lissa to marry, her husband would have the Brand on his ring.

Once her ring was securely on her finger, Anali took Chrom's hand into her own, and placed the thicker band onto his ring finger. His ring lacked the Brand but bore four tiny light blue stones around it.

The vows Anali made to Ylisse were not unlike Chrom's. She swore she understood that she was to serve the people, uphold Naga's teachings, and to support Chrom as he lead Ylisse into a bright future. The regalia Anali was presented with was a gold tiara with an intricate design etched onto it's surface. It was to be worn like one would wear a headband, and it was simple enough to be mistaken for an expensive headband.

"Now, in Naga's name… kiss the bride," said Libra.

Initially, Anali leaned forward, expecting Chrom to do the same. He wrapped one arm around her waist, then he dipped her. In a brief moment they just stared at each other. Anali's left hand cupped Chrom's face just before he lowered himself and planted his lips over hers. They were death to the applause from their friends and guests.

Fifteen minutes later, long after the wedding hall had moved to the reception hall, Chrom, hand in hand with Anali, lead her up to the balcony where the people of Ylisstol were waiting to see the Exalt and his new wife. Anali however nearly tripped four times over her dress even with the skirt hiked up. "Chrom, slow down!" Anali said through a half-laugh. "I'm going to trip at this rate!"

They stopped in the middle of the hallway, still hand in hand. "Can I help it if I want to show off my bride to the world?" asked Chrom.

"No. But it becomes a problem if the bride snaps her neck trying to keep up with the groom."

Without warning, Chrom scooped Anali into his arms with a yelp from her. "You disappoint me, Mrs. Tactician," Chrom whispered into her ear. "There's an obvious solution to your problem."

"Heh… Guess there was," said Anali.

Her fingers tangled themselves through Chrom's hair as they kissed. Little bits of the passion they reserved from the altar slipped out in that moment. When they parted for air, Anali rested her forehead against Chrom's. "I think everyone's itching to see their Exalt," she murmured.

"I think they're more interested in seeing their queen," Chrom corrected as he carried her up the flight of stairs. "My queen."

Smiling warmly, Anali cuddled into Chrom as much as she could. "My Shepherd boy."

Finally at the balcony door Anali stood up on her own, her arm laced around Chrom's. She took in a deep, calming breath, nerves hitting her for a moment. "Ready?" asked Chrom.

"As I'll ever be."

The doors flew open and Anali was greeted with a cold gust of air. The snow reflected the light of the sun; it hurt Anali's eyes momentarily as she blindly walked along side Chrom to the edge. Anali was never that fond of the cold, made all the more worse with Anali's lacy sleeves and her bare legs under her dress. She tried to take it as best as she could as she greeted Ylisstol. Mimicking Chrom, Anali waved at the people below them, hoping against hope that her smile didn't appear forced. "I'm freezing," Anali said through her teeth. "How long will we be out here?"

"Until they've had their fill," was Chrom's reply.

Somewhere, invisible to the couple amongst the crowd a young woman with long blue hair had her eyes locked on the royal couple. After she heard of King Gangrel defeat, Marth traveled across Ylisse in search of her allies, until she heard of Exalt Chrom's upcoming marriage to Lady Anali. There was no way Marth would miss this for the world.

A smile broke out upon her face as soon as the Exalt and Queen came into view. It was probably one of he few times Marth smiled honestly, and wholeheartedly, in a long, long time. Lord Chrom was downright dashing in his fines suit, and his best smile. Lady Anali was radiant, the light blue of her dress complimenting her hair and complexion.

It was just as they had always said. Except now, there was an air of serenity about, not the tense scene she had always pictured. Still, Marth could never imagine the couple as serene as they were now.

Marth's breathing shuttered, she placed a hand over her mouth before the sob could escape. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes. 'Get it together,' she scolded herself. 'Get it together.'

Just a little longer, and maybe Marth would get that which she yearned for the most.

The musical accompaniment was of mostly string instruments that played a light, gentle melody as the newlyweds shared their first dance together. It was less 'dancing' and more swaying side to side as neither of them were dancers. Flavia kept her back to the wall and the wine glass in her hand as she watched.

As far as weddings went this was pretty memorable. Frederick outdid himself with the décor and Libra preformed a lovely service. Of course, it helped that it was memorable because the bride was the Khan's younger sister. A little tidbit she happily drove Basilio crazy with within the last couple of weeks.

Both Khan's were hardly surprised when they got the wedding invitations. After Anali's words of encouragement and Chrom's behavior when she fell ill it was only a matter of time.

"This unions a sham," the Khan heard someone whisper. "Can you imagine, the Exalt and a Plegian. After everything they did to-"

"Ainsley, please!" a second person snapped in response in a hushed tone. "My Ricken's had nothing but nice things to say about Lady Anali in his letters, and your daughter seems to think pretty high of her."

"Doesn't change the fact we have some nameless lowborn wench with the Exalt," Ainsley scoffed. "That is certainly someone we want serving our country."

Flavia finally decided to throw in her two stars. "Isn't it?" she asked, turning towards Duchess Ainsley Rebeck. "After all, Lady Anali helped the Exalt solidify the alliance between Ylisse and Regna Ferox, and helped bring an end to the war. All that was before today. Imagine what they could do now."

"Oh, do mind your own business!" Ainsley snapped, much to the surprise of the second woman. "Who are you? Some lowborn street urchin the Plegian invited?"

"Ainsley!" hissed the second woman.

"I am Khan Flavia Alexandrov," Flavia replied with a raised eyebrow. "The Khan who made the alliance between our countries, fought alongside the Exalt and his wife, and trusted Lady Anali's plans on multiple occasions."

Ainsley's jaw fell open in horror. She just insulted the leader of Ylisse's strongest ally. Flavia smirked to herself before she took a sip of wine, celebrating her little victory. "Oh don't look so frightened… Ainsley, was it? I'm not about to dissolve the alliance my little sister and her new husband worked hard to secure because someone cannot simply be happy with what they have."

"Y-Y-Your…" Ainsley stuttered. So the rumors about the East Khan adopting the Plegian were true? Ainsley just thought it was some nonsensical rumor!

Flavia left Ainsley, still stone cold stunned, as she turned back towards the newlyweds. Their dance had just finished and the wedding goers were giving them around of applause. A new song started shortly after, and several other people took the dance floor around the newlyweds, Ainsley's daughter and her husband included.

Anali had her head rested against Chrom's shoulder, only somewhat aware that the song had changed and that there were others around them. They were in their own little world at the moment, a little bubble that shielded them from the outside world.

However the bubble popped when a hand placed itself on Chrom's shoulder. "Mind if I cut in, boy?" asked Basilio. "Don't worry, I'll give her back."

Chrom gave the Khan a brief nod and stepped away for Basilio to take Anali's hand. The effort Basilio put in to making himself presentable for the wedding was almost as surprising as Flavia's. He must have had his best suit and tie for the occasion. Even his eye patch looked nicer today. "I didn't think you danced," said Anali. "At least not like this. I can picture a drunken ditty at the bar."

Basilio let out a howl of laughter. "And I don't!" he said, beaming. "But, I decided a while ago I'd make an exception for two lasses. You just happen to be the first of them to marry."

Looking away, Anali blushed. Just how highly did Basilio hold her? "Didn't I tell you the two of you were going to grow tall?" Basilio twirled Anali around once, almost reading her thoughts. "Looks like you're well on your way to growing taller than I originally thought."

"I hope it's not too tall," replied Anali. "It wouldn't be a good idea to grow so far away from out brothers-in-arms and people."

"Well, can't argue with that."

If Cordelia could pretend this was just a regular party she could get through this. But then the song ended and Khan Basilio returned Anali to the Exalt and the reality hit her, hard. Like a slap in the face.

Damn it, why did it get to be her?! What did Anali have that Cordelia did not?! She served the royal family for years, years! She knew Chrom much longer than Anali did, and yet she waltz in, and gets to treat the Exalt so casually?! Why did she get to refer to him by name, he never told Cordelia she could?!

But… they did make a lovely couple… Damn it!

She tried to focus on the other couples on the dance floor. She had to smile at the sight of Sumia and Frederick. She was happy for her oldest friend. And then Cordelia's eyes turned to Stahl who twirling Elaine around over and over.

When the song ended Elaine nearly fell over she was so dizzy. Stahl had helped her over to the empty seat beside Cordelia. "The world's spinning…" she weakly let out.

"Because Stahl twirled you so much," replied Cordelia.

Immediately Stahl held his hands up and said, "Hey, I just did what she asked of me. Buuuut…"

Stahl suddenly bowed himself forward, offering his arm to Cordelia. "May I have this dance, milady?" he asked.

Her face had almost turned as red as her hair. This was far from a first, Cordelia had received invitations to dance by many gentlemen before. But she always politely refused, partially because she did not know the person who asked, let alone liked them. It was different when Stahl asked, he was a friend, which made this feel different. But why? It was just a good friend. Cordelia stuttered, "Y-Yes, you may," and took him by the arm.

On the other side of the room, Gaius did what he did best in these large social events; support the wall. He was never really one for parties like this, and only forced himself to sit through it today for Blue and Bubbles. Gaius wasn't exactly wanted here anyway, at least not from Duke Alder, his wife and Twinkles. They were justified in that, Gaius wouldn't want Gaius there if he were in Alder's shoes. "Hey, Gaius!" Lissa exclaimed, suddenly right in front of his face. "Come on, dance with me!"

He hoped he could blame the blush on his face at the moment on the alcohol he had yet to touch. It was amazing how much Lissa looked like Lady Emmeryn with her hair down. In another few years she could probably be the late Exalt's double. But Princess would probably keep those big expressive eyes, she certainly wouldn't be Princess without them.

"I dunno, Princess," grumbled Gaius. "I'm not much of a dancer."

Lissa began clapping her hands together as she bounced on the balls of her feet. "Oh, perfect!" she explained. "This means I can finally teach you something!"

"I never said I couldn't dance. I just said I wasn't much of a dancer."

Lissa crossed her arms with a huff and pouted. He was still resisting her. Haven't they gone down this route before and ended it with Lissa usually twisting his arm into it? "Alright," Gaius said as he removed himself from the wall. "But nothing too fancy, got it?"

"Oh, relax, it's just a simple box step."

Without warning, Lissa grabbed Gaius by the arm and lead him onto the dance floor. She positioned his hand around her waist. Lissa had forced him to stay on the dance floor long after the slow dances had ended, and the band had switched for a more lively roster. Nowi eagerly asked if she could dance with Anali, and quickly the two of them were spinning around and accident bumping into people.

Chrom watched the pair intently with a smile on his face. He could see that Anali's updo had been slowly beginning to come undone, and her face had a natural blush to it. "Counting down the minutes to your wedding night?" Virion asked, standing beside Chrom with a wine glass in his hand.

The Exalts face turned red as soon as the archer said, 'wedding night.' Oh yes, Chrom allowed himself to fantasize about it more than once. Consummating was just as much apart of the whole wedding as the ceremony, and they were going to have to produce an heir at one point or another. Of course he wanted it, there were moments where Chrom was afraid he couldn't hold back any longer, their reunion after his tour came to mind. But he did not want to do anything neither of them weren't ready for.

His blush deepened as soon as Virion wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "Of course you'd be, my dear boy," said Virion. "The first time is always the most daunting. There have been many in your shoes before you, my boy. Just some words of advice from your dear pal, Virion."

Oh, good gods, were they really having this conversation?

"First of all, getting in is not as easy as it sounds. You can try a few times to get your ship to dock, but in the end you will probably need to use your hands, disgusting I know. Second, and probably most important, if she doesn't…" He waved his free hand in circles as he continued, "Let's just say 'spill the beans' this time around does not mean you've done something wrong. It is perfectly normal for the fairer sex, those beans will given a bit of time."

Okay, Chrom could keep up wit that. It as easy to follow. "Are you talking from experience?" asked Chrom.

"My, my, my isn't our Exalt a curious one," Virion said with a sly smirk. "But alas, I never kiss and tell."

The wedding was over, the reception hall was in the middle of cleaning, and their guests were resting their heads for the night. Anali followed Chrom back up to his… their room. Butterflies filled her stomach, why did she have so many mushroom tartlets? Even if they didn't end up consummating this would be the first time Anali shared a bed with someone of the bolder sex. Or at least she assumed that to be the case.

It was as Chrom predicted, Anali's wardrobe had been moved sometime during the wedding and/or reception. At least Anali wouldn't have to worry about what she would wear in the morning. Anali closed the door behind her and leaned her back against it. She reached a hand behind her head and removed the hairclip. Her hair hung freely over her shoulders, the slight curl still held throughout the day. She stumbled slightly out of her shoes, relieved to finally be out of them, but quickly found it to be a blessing and a curse as soon as her feet touched the cold floor.

In front of her, Chrom slowly began to remove the snowy cape from his shoulders. "Here we are…"

"Here we are," agreed Anali. Her hands went up to her ears and she removed the snowflake earrings. "I take it you've been plagued by the same thoughts I have on and off today?"

A weak smile played upon Chrom's lips. "I can't hide much from you, can I?" he asked. Sighing, he took a step forward towards his wife. "I don't want to pressure you into doing this. I'm willing to wait-"

"No," Anali quickly cut him off. "No, I do want this. I've wanted it for a while… I'm just… nervous."

Chrom chuckled, "And I'm not?"

Walking up to Anali he placed one hand on the side of her face, Anali's own hand covered his as she leaned her head into it. Chrom could still smell the sent of cherries and vanilla in her hair. "We can take it slow," he said.

"Slow is always nice," replied Anali. Her lips pursed together moments later. Was she supposed to do something right now? Was he supposed to do something? How long were they just standing there?

It was in that moment Chrom wish he had asked Virion what he was supposed to do first. Did he make the first move, or did she? How were they supposed to even start? Suddenly, Anali's hand left his and both reached behind her. Her fingers fumbled with the claps of her beaded chocker. Once it was unhooked Anali gathered it into the same hand with her earrings and hairclip. After that she took off the bracelet that helped to distract the out of place band on her right hand.

Chrom's hands traveled to his belt, his fingers struggled to hold onto anything while he muddled through taking it off. Once he got it through the loop he let it fall with a dull clatter. He fumbled at the laces of his boots and got them both off with a couple of tugs.

And then they both went back to staring awkwardly at each other. It seemed so much easier back when they had the restriction of premarital scrutiny. Now when they had the freedom to go all out they didn't even know where to begin.

In a flash, Anali allowed her jewelry to fall to the floor, she wrapped her arms around Chrom's neck and kissed him. Chrom, somewhat surprised by her sudden action, wrapped one arm around Anali's back, pulling her in as he deepened the kiss. His free hand began tugging at the strings of her dress. Anali's own hands unbuttoned his suite jacket, and the buttons on the shirt underneath.

Slowly, she peeled off the layers, exposing his chest. Finely toned muscles with a few nicks and cuts he over the years. Anali, ran her hand down his chest, the tips of her fingers softly brushing against Chrom's skin. His breathing hitched under the touch, goosebumps littered his arms.

Retracting her hand, Anali gathered the skirt in her hands and pulled the dress over her head, allowing it to fall to the floor once freed. She shivered, feeling chilled without the layer of cloth to keep her somewhat warm. She noticed Chrom taking her in, which prompted her to start fiddling with the back of her brassiere. "N-Nothing we haven't seen before," she reminded him as she allowed the garment to drop to the floor.

When Anali started to remove the last of her smallclothes, Chrom instantly started to remove his pants. In his initially confusion - and horror - back when he had walked in on her, Chrom never quite had the chance to admire her body. Anali's breast weren't not generous but not small enough to be non-existence. Maybe, just maybe, she was a little on the thin side during the bathing accident, but she had gotten to a healthier weight since she joined the Shepherds. She may have been forming a bit of muscle on her abdomen since then as well. She was beautiful.

Inhaling, he gathered Anali into his arms once more that day; he momentary tensed when her hair brush against his arm. He brought her to the bed and laid her onto her back. Anali trembled slightly, partially out of a chill, and partially her nerves and excitement getting the best of her. Chrom climbed in on top of her, he lowered himself down to kiss her again. Her tongue entered his mouth while her fingers entangled themselves into his hair.

Her eyes snapped open when she felt Chrom's warm hand cup and massage the corresponding breast. Their lips parted for a moment allowing them both to catch their breath. Anali pulled herself up slightly to nibble at Chrom's earlobe, he breathed out the tiniest little moan and lowered his lips onto Anali's collar.

He trailed a line of kisses from one end to the next, down the valley of her breast. Chrom used his hand to steady the right breast before he sealed his mouth over the nipple. Anali let out small, strained cry as she felt Chrom's tongue circle around the nub. Her chest was heaving by the time Chrom finished giving the other side attention.

He brought his lips down, kissing her on the side of the neck. A fit of giggles escaped Anali's lips and she withered under the touch. "Hehe! Stop! Stop!" she squealed. Lowering herself back onto the pillow Anali grimaced at the sight of Chrom's mischievous smirk. "Oh no…"

"'Oh no is right,'" said Chrom. "That wasn't exactly tactically sound."

"No. But this is."

Before he knew it, Chrom was on his back, looking back up at Anali as she straddled him on the hips. She pushed her bangs out of her face while her hair fell over her shoulders. There was a bold, pleased smile on her face. She placed her pointer fingers just under his neck and slowly dragged the tips down the center of his chest. Chrom's breathing hitched and his body trembled. Anali repeated the process once more before she lowered herself to nibble his ear again, her free hand pulled at the lace of his breeches.

Chrom lifted his hips slightly, making it easier for Anali to pull his breeches and smallclothes down low enough he could easily kick them off. Smiling slightly, Anali lowered herself back down and placed her lips on the side of Chrom's neck. Her lips traveled down his neck, from shoulder to shoulder, then down his chest until she reached his abdomen. Anali felt Chrom's hand run through her hair.

When Anali pulled herself back up to look him in the face, he guided Anali onto her back and began to rock his hips against hers. Her legs hooked themselves around her waist as Chrom tried to penetrate with a thrust of his hips. After trying, and failing three times he took his groin in his hand and guided it in. At least Virion was right about that.

set into a slow, steady rhythm. Slow because the last thing he wanted was to unintentionally injure her because he wasn't being careful.

His hips set into a steady rhythm, Anali grasped Chrom by the shoulder, her nails dug into his skin; her breathing trembled. He was the one to reach his peek first, but did not allow himself to rest until Anali got something. With a bit of finger work, she was rendered breathless, and Chrom allowed himself to collapse on top of her. Anali wrapped one arm around his shoulder, her eye lids began to feel heavy, the exertion of their acts and the long day finally began to catch up with her.

She had wanted to say it to him. To say 'I love you' before either of them fell asleep, but she did not have the strength. But maybe she didn't. Hadn't the days events, their actions tonight said it all? Neither of them could have told you how late it had gotten, or even how early it was. Any sense of time was lost. And the world was soon lost to them as they both fell into a deep slumber.

Authors Note: So, the header for this chapter… I admit it is a little out of place considering how every other chapter's been without. The lines are taken from Marth and the F!MU's final base support from Heroes of Light and Shadow. And they're there in the first place, because I'm one of those who subscribes to the theory that Robin is a descendent of Kris (especially if you pair the M!Avatar with Katarina). So, as far as Embers is concerned, yes, Anali is a descended of 'Marth's shadow.' Who were they? Maybe we'll find out one day.

I didn't want to use the Bride class for Anali's wedding dress. I'm not that fond of the design, I love the idea of it, but the design's just meh. Her dress is, however, based off of Zhu Li's wedding dress from The Legend of Korra finale, with some minor alterations. Yes, I realize it get's a little funny on a meta scenes when you realize which character Zhu Li shares a voice actress with in this game.