YSE: Third chapter! Third chapter!
Serra: Would you cut it out! Jeez, you're so annoying!
YSE: Oh, I'M annoying? Look who looks like Chibiusa from Sailor Moon, the most annoying anime character of all time!
Serra: Why you---
YSE: Now do the disclaimer!
Serra: Sheesh! Fine! Erisonii doesn't own anything of Fire Emblem. That includes the bishounen! I'd claim them, but I'm not allowed to either...
YSE: Nobody wants you anyway! I guess I should start the chapter now... Here ya go!

Pounding hooves sounded on the land as Lowen galloped towards an approaching bandit, swinging his sword. "There!" he cried as he sliced through the foe. He turned as his superior, Marcus the paladin, trotted up next to him. "How was that, Sir Marcus?"

"Pitiful, you fool!"

Lowen grimaced as his commander's face became even more stern than before. "Y- Yes sir! I- I'll try harder! I promise!"

"Promises are meaningless! Just get out there and fulfill your duty as a knight!"

"Y- Yes, sir! At once, sir!" Lowen answered, galloping away. 'How can I fulfill all of my knightly duties? One I can't carry out is to protect someone who means the world to me personally! Or at least, that's what that one knight, Sain, I think his name was, told me… And I'll… I'll NEVER find a girl that I can love!'

Having become too lost in his thoughts, Lowen was unaware of a sniper who was setting him up in his sights. The string was released, the arrow pierced the air, and struck Lowen through an opening in his armor, hitting him in the arm.

"Graaagghhh!" Lowen exclaimed, grasping his arm as blood oozed out from the injury.

"Lowen!" Others were quick to rush in and kill the trooper before he could close in for the kill with a sword. However, during the commotion, Serra, the most obnoxious person most of the group had ever known, managed to push her way to Lowen.

"Jeez! You're so reckless! And you're supposed to be a knight from Pherae! You're PATHETIC!" Serra screeched at the cavalier over the clamor around them. Nevertheless, she managed to remove the arrow, then used her staff and healed the wound. "There. Now don't be so stupid next time! Even with all my divine beauty and power, I can't be everywhere at once! If you get hurt again, you're probably gonna be on your own!" With that said, Serra marched off again.

Lowen stared after the noisy cleric in surprise, then looked at his arm. "It's… completely healed…" he muttered to himself. "Everyone says that cleric, Serra, is annoying. But, she just healed me, so she can't be annoying, can she?"

Later that evening, the group had set up camp and most were sound asleep. Lowen was on guard duty at that time, so he walked his horse all around the encampment, making sure he sat straight and tall like a knight should be. Several times, he trotted past Serra's tent, and silently wished for her to come out so he could thank her for healing his arm earlier.

Lowen was eventually relieved of guard duty by Kent. The green-haired knight went and tied his stallion to a tree in the area where the mounts resided. When he finished, someone approached him from behind and tapped him on the shoulder. "What? Who goes there!" Lowen yelled, spinning around so fast he made himself slightly dizzy.

"It's just me, mophead!" came Serra's voice.

"O- Oh, S- Serra!" Lowen breathed a sigh of relief. "You shouldn't sneak up on people like that."

"Hmph! You're just not a good knight, that's all!" Serra argued, her violet eyes narrowing at the cavalier in fury.

Part of Lowen was nervous because of the cleric's anger, and yet part of him thought Serra was kind of cute when she was mad. "Y- You're probably right…" he said, looking down in defeat. "Sir Marcus says I've been doing the bare minimum of everything a knight SHOULD be doing… I don't take enough responsibility for Lord Eliwood, I'm not strong enough..."

Serra shook her head, her pigtails swinging from side to side as she did. "Nah, that's not it… Hmmm… I've got it!" she cried, clapping her hands together as a gleeful expression crossed her face. "Since you owe me for helping you earlier, and I need a bodyguard, how about you protect me?"

Lowen's jaw fell open slightly. "W- What? M- Me protect you?"

"Are you saying you're too good to protect me?" Serra argued, standing on her tiptoes to try and be more frightening.

For Lowen, it worked.

"N- No, Serra! Th- That's not it at all!" Lowen exclaimed, shaking his head wildly.

"Good! Now come and stand guard outside my tent," Serra ordered, marching off to the camp.

With a deep sigh, Lowen followed his new mistress. After they reached Serra's tent, the pink-haired cleric stopped and turned around, holding up three fingers.

"As my new bodyguard, there are three rules you must follow! No excuses!" Serra put two fingers down and left one up. "Rule one: You must refer to me as 'Lady Serra'."

Lowen's shoulders sagged in defeat as he replied, "Y- Yes, Lady Serra."

Serra nodded to show her approval before raising her second finger beside the first. "Rule two: You are to protect me and me ONLY."

"B- But I serve Lord Eliwood! Sir Marcus will be furious if I don't!"

"I'm sure Lord Eliwood wouldn't mind! He'd probably be delighted to get rid of some dead weight!" Serra now raised her third finger. "Rule three: You have to let me see your face."

"W- What…?" Lowen started to question his mistress, but Serra got on her tiptoes and brushed his bangs upwards. Her eyes widened in amazement and she stepped away, letting Lowen's face be covered once again.

"Y- Your… Your face…!" she gasped.

"My face…?" Lowen was puzzled by Serra's behavior, but she shook her head wildly.

"N- Never mind! You gotta stand guard now, so… stand guard!" Serra darted inside her tent and uncovered her face; she was blushing bright red. 'He was so handsome! That's it, I'll never let go of him!' she mentally declared, glancing outside at her new bodyguard… the one she intended to keep.

YSE: I hope I made Serra annoying enough...
Lowen: U- Ummm... I don't know if you---
YSE: I know, I probably didn't get you right either, Lowen. I'm sorry. You're a really nice guy, though.
Lowen: Th- Thank you, Erisonii...
YSE: Don't mention it! Please R&R, my fans! Tell me what chapters you're enjoying so far!