Disclaimer: Fire Emblem and all its characters belong to Nintendo. Story and chapter titles from The Struts' song Somebody New.

Chapter 2: Believe Me, I'm Speechless

It was 6 PM. Chrom could tell by Emmeryn's wistful glance behind them as they entered the candle-lit dance hall with Lissa that while Emmeryn enjoyed social gatherings, she liked them less when they were held indoors. She savored each moment of daylight and became reserved in dim, windowless rooms.

"My solar-powered sister…"

"Hm?" Emmeryn asked, meeting his eyes.

Chrom didn't realize he had said it out loud. Focusing on anything but the ball kept his nerves calm despite the task the loomed before him.

"I was just thinking – next year, we should host the ball outside."

"In 90-degree weather? In these outfits?" Lissa asked, gesturing to their multi-layered formal clothes.

Lissa wore a long, peach-colored satin gown with voluminous sleeves. The skirt was topped with her favorite metal hoop skirt. Emmeryn's floor-length jade satin dress was attractively accented by an amber-hued gossamer cape with embroidery that complimented her royal headpiece. Chrom's tailed cobalt blue dinner jacket paired nicely with his midnight velvet slacks. The only thing summer-friendly about their formal wear were the girls' twisted updos that exposed their necks, and Chrom's missing right sleeve which showed off his toned biceps.

"I do like the idea of an outdoor affair," Emmeryn said. "Maybe we can throw a Spring Festival next year."

Chrom nodded.

"But first," she said as they reached their seats at the head of the dance hall where Fredrick was waiting for them – fully armored, despite Lissa's request he dress formally – "let's enjoy this ball."

Chrom finally took in his surroundings, and his nerves hit him like a charging stallion. Iron candelabra illuminated hundreds of well-groomed people as they gathered around the royal siblings, many of them women. Chrom wasn't afraid of women, but the fact that he had made up his mind to open the previously locked door to romance this evening made him feel as though he were.

"People of Ylisse," Emmeryn began in a commanding, yet gentle voice. Smalltalk ceased, and people at the back of the hall craned their necks to hear. "Thank you very much for joining my siblings and I for the Annual Summer Ball. We would like to extend an especially warm welcome to our special guests from the kingdom of Nohr, who are joining us for the first time this year. Please, everyone, enjoy yourselves." Then she took her seat. Chrom and Lissa followed suit, and Fredrick remained standing at their right.

"Nohr?" Chrom asked.

"Yeah, didn't you hear?" Lissa asked, leaning in. "They've been on guest list since winter – as soon as we established that trade agreement with their envoy."

"Right." Chrom had heard, but he hadn't remembered. He was aware of the trade agreement but not that it included a formal invitation. Now there were women from Ylisse and Nohr present. His stomach turned.

"You look a little green," Lissa observed.

"Must be the lighting," Chrom said.

Emmeryn was about to comment when a tall man with wavy blond hair ringed by a tungsten circlet approached them. He wore a lavish maroon suit of corduroy and silk. "Esteemed Exalt of Ylisse," he began with a sweeping bow. "Thank you for your invitation, and for your business with our kingdom."

Emmeryn held up her hand when he resumed an upright position. "Call me Emmeryn, please."

"Gladly, Emmeryn," the man continued. "I am Xander, King of Nohr. These are my siblings-" He turned to introduce them but found no one immediately behind him. He blanched. "There were my siblings…" he corrected ruefully.

Emmeryn smiled understandingly. "While we wait for them, may I introduce my siblings? My younger brother Chrom, and our little sister Lissa."

Xander nodded at both respectively. "It's an honor to meet you all. I deeply apologize for my siblings' disappearance. I-" He scanned the crowd for a familiar face. "Ah, there is my eldest sister, Camilla. She must be trying to round up the others." He pointed out a lavender-haired woman traversing the dance floor.

The Ylisse royal siblings followed his gaze and spotted her. She was tall and fair, her curves strongly pronounced by a violet-hued silk crisscross halter dress that exposed both her midriff and her back. Her voluminous high ponytail swayed as she looked around for her missing siblings. It took Chrom a moment too long to realize that his mouth was hanging agape.

"Okay, I know you believe in love at first sight, but it's rude to stare," Lissa whispered to her brother as Xander busied himself with apologizing further to a patient Emmeryn.

"That's not it! I-I'm just in shock; it looks like she forgot to finish dressing," Chrom said quickly.

"Really?" Lissa asked flatly, and she bopped his bare arm.

Chrom visibly deflated. "Point taken…"

But Lissa wouldn't let him off the hook. "The royal tailor was so ashamed to have you ruin his work in public again that he refused to attend!"

"This again! At least I don't wear my outfits inside out." Chrom pointed at Lissa's hoop skirt.

Lissa jumped to her feet and glared into her brother's face. "It's a fashion statement!"

"So is this!" Chrom also rose from his seat, pointing to his arm, and returned her glare with equal intensity.

Without taking her eyes off Chrom, Lissa finished with a resounding point at the lavender-haired princess, "And so is that."

Chrom sighed and looked at the Nohrian princess once more. "Yeah, but what is she trying to say with it?" He stroked his chin and glanced at his younger sister to see if she was buying his disinterested attitude. She wasn't.

"Why don't you ask her?" Lissa grinned mischievously and pushed her brother into the crowd of twirling dancers.