Chapter Twenty-One

I woke up before sunrise refreshed for the first time in months. My back wasn't causing much pain and I could stretch my legs without any cramps. I fixed my hair and threw on my jacket and pants as I paced outside. Thinking I was the first one awake, I was slightly startled by a dark silhouette looking in the distance. Cold air evaporated from his lips.

"I know that face. Dueling with unpleasant thoughts, are we?" I approached knowing it was just the Exalt.

"You know me well, Phil." Chrom was holding the fire emblem tight to his chest. Vert was added on late last night as Say'ri was able to find the gemstone and gifted it to the Ylissean lord.

I wanted the conversation to be pleasant and turn Chrom away from whatever what was eating at him. I considered about how he and Lissa found me in the field over a year ago. The focus shifted to him as I didn't want to talk about myself.

The silence was broken after a minute, "Say, Chrom, how did you propose to Cordelia? What was that like?"

Cordelia walked at a brisk pace, then sped up to a full sprint by her standards. She never was the best runner. But at this moment, she felt like the fastest Shepherd. His tent in sight, she barged in without even asking.

"Chrom!" She spotted him immediately. The position he was sitting in and the blank stare told her he was waiting for her. "Oh, umm, sorry. I should have knocked."

"No worries, Cordelia. I, myself am glad to see you." Chrom gleaned as the sunlight bounced off his radiant hair the right way. Cordelia wanted to sigh and soak in the picture for as long as she could.

"Oh! Well, I'm glad to see you, too." There was an awkward silence for too long.

Chrom coughed, "I've been meaning to talk to you. Please sit down." Chrom patted a pillow that acted as a seat next to him.

Nerves were overtaking Cordelia, but she fought them off, accepting the seat. "I-I've been wanting to talk to you too, actually."

"You first, Cordelia."

"No, you first! You are the prince." Cordelia blushed lightly.

"Ladies first, Cordy." Chrom folded his arms. After a staring contesting and seeing he would lose, he gave up. "Fine, I'll speak…Cordelia, I've been told rumors of your…how do I politely put it…your love life."

Oh, gosh! He knows! What do I say? He doesn't love me, there's no way. He is going to tell me he wants another woman and we won't be friends at all!

"W-w-What about it? My love life is none of your business! I'm doing quite alright for myself, as you can see. I can have anyone I want and I got my suitors and–"

"Slow down. You're speaking too fast and you're sweating!" Chrom wiped off condensation from her arms as he moved up to grab her shoulders.

"S-sorry!" Cordelia blushed a deeper red.

"It's fine…listen, I should be blunt…someone gave me stern advice and got me thinking…"

"Thinking isn't quite your strong suit, Chrom." Cordelia giggled.

"Har har, very funny…anyways, I've been thinking about a special person. A special woman to be exact…"

Oh, this is it! He is going to say he loves someone else! Sumia, Olivia, Sully, even a maiden from the capital would be great for him. I am nothing special, just a girl with so many issues, trying to be perfect. I should just go away and never talk to him again!

Cordelia closed her eyes, expecting the worse…which never came.

"Cordelia, for the longest time, I wanted someone to be perfect by my side. However, I was wrong in that thinking. No one is perfect. I certainly can attest and by no stretch perfect. I have doubts and fits of rage. I think about Emm far too much…"

Cordelia opened her eyes, offering a hand, "I can understand your pain, Chrom…" She sighed and explained, "When I was stationed back at the Border Pass, my pegasus sisters picked on me. Right before they…well…"

Chrom rose up and he opened his mouth wanting to say something, but she held up a hand. He sat back down, fully listening.

"They called me names, like 'Little Lady Genius'. I've been hazed for years and accepted it. I would often hear their snickering behind my back… 'Oh, there goes Lady Genius' or 'Miss Perfect has finally arrived.' What I found out later, from the insight of a close friend, is that their hazing was their way of making me strong. It was their strange way of showing love. I didn't realize it at the time…I wish I had another chance to tell them I love them as well." Tears began to flow down her red checks, which Chrom wiped away with his gloved hands.

"Anyways, I am probably testing your patience. My point is that I know what it is like to lose someone dear to you. It hurts, yes, but with support, you can and will overcome the darkness. I can help you with that, if you want. But I have my flaws. I am not perfect. I get easily frustrated with the Shepherds and their lack of effort. I have self-doubt…you ever read about your ancestors, Marth and Caeda?"

Chrom shook his head.

"Well, Caeda was the first great pegasus knight; the best in my opinion. Forever I wanted to emulate her…her style, her techniques, her flawlessness. I don't think I could live up to the legend that she is, no matter how hard I try…"

"Cordelia…" Chrom whispered.

Cordelia sighed and continued. "Not only do I have that live up to, I have spells of depression. I considered forfeiting my life on the way to warn you about the Plegians after the slaughter of my sisters. I came this close, but…you were on my mind; your safety. I pushed on because I didn't want you to die…" More tears ran out of her eyes as she poured her heart out for the man she loved. Chrom was beginning to understand her pain and toil she kept in for so long.

"Cordelia!" He wrapped her in his tight arms, giving warmth in their embrace.

The red head continued to sob, "I-I am not perfect, Chrom. I need to be, though. For you, for the Shepherds, for Ylisse, everyone!"

"Cordy, please! Listen to me." Chrom let go and lifted her chin, "You don't need to be perfect…but you are perfect…for me."

Those words awakening her soul and saw him in a new light. More than a friend, more than a dream. The ideas of fantasies she held for years melted away into reality. She stared into his dreamy pools of eyes.

"I-I-I'm perfect? Despite my short comings?"

"Allow to explain. At first, I thought of you as an ally, then a comrade, and finally a friend. I've felt the bonds of trust grow between us, stronger and stronger. And then I realized...you were more than just a friend. After those battles together, you always had my back, and I had yours. You've saved my life on several occasions."

Cordelia sniffed, "Yeah, sure, I've saved your life, but that means nothing in the heat of battle…I should be going…"

Chrom regripped his hold, preventing her from leaving, "Cordelia, please wait! You've made me come this far, and now I'm going to say my piece…"

"Don't say something you will regret." Cordelia looked away.

"I won't! I've made up my mind and I have to confess something…Cordelia, look me in the eye!" Chrom's tone forced her to look back.

"Cordelia, I love you!"

She didn't expect that phrase to leave his mouth. After years of expecting the worse and avoiding him at all costs for fear of failure, he did it. He confessed his love for her. The unrequited love dissolved and the two hearts became one.

Cordelia held up her hands to her face and blushed the hardest red imaginable, "Y-you do? You-you love…me?" She let go of him and shook her head. The torture of self-loathing and pity-parties still casted unbelief. "Liar."

The prince understood and smiled, "I do. And to prove it, I have something for you." He fished out a piece of metal from his coat pocket that was hanging by his bed. The ring was made of mythril and the gemstone glowed a bright royal blue beam. The topaz stone had an engraving of the brand of the exalt. Passed down from many generations, time did not affect the quality; no blemishes could be found. Cordelia gasped as her eyes echoed the shades of blue.

"It-it's beautiful!" She cried again, but tears of joy she never experienced.

"And it is for you, but promise me this first. You have to promise you love me unconditionally and not the idea of being with me. I need a woman I can trust and stand by and support, and she needs to do the same for me. Too many have long sought the throne and the concept of becoming a princess or queen…is that an issue with you?"

Cordelia paused for moment to reflect on the times she loved the man across from her. Did she really love him, though? They never held a solid conversation for more than thirty seconds. But, with the two being so open and so vulnerable, this was no longer an issue. She truly loved Chrom and not the idea of being on the throne sitting next to him. They fought and protected each other. And with the emotional support each would offer, knowing their weaknesses, she made up her mind.

Cordelia loved Chrom, above all others.

"Oh, Chrom! I love you with all my heart! I don't care if you were a common villager or ruler of all the world, I love you! I promise to love and support you and be your strength in your times of need." Cordelia attempted to tackle Chrom, but he was a big enough man to take her blow.

He shined a brilliant smile and hugged her back, "Thank you, that is all I needed to hear." He lifted her off the ground and laid her on her feet. He kneeled and offered the ring to the happiest woman alive.

"Cordelia Volkner, will you marry me?"

The pegasus knight beamed, "Yes! Oh yes, with all that I am! I accept with all my heart!"

"Truly?! That's wonderful! Oh, Cordelia, you've made me so happy!"

"Not half as happy as you've made me!" Cordelia cried through the words. Chrom wiped away more watery crystals before they embraced once more in the sunlight penetrating the tent flaps. But the warmth of the bodies was all the heat she needed. Their lips touched for the first time, but it certainly wasn't the last.

"Huh. Guess I deserve an assist on that one." I squinted as the sun rose above the Valmese hills. The crisp air filled my lungs, feeling great. Birds were chirping, a sound I haven't heard since landing in Valm. Giant trees cast shadows that didn't force my body to crawl. Life appeared to return to normal. No more fighting, no more howling of pain, no more looking behind my back. The peacefulness was gladly appreciated for the day. Memories reminded me that Grima's influence was still around, but it was ignored all together with the bliss of a clear sky and listening to a friend speak of a wonderful moment. Did I make the right choice in helping Chrom land Cordelia as his queen? I believe I did. No doubts wrestled with me for the first time. No mind control nor speaking from the Fell Dragon. This felt…right.

"You do, Phil. Even if it took a push. Thanks for that."

I never did mention to Chrom I was sorry for the outburst, "Oh, yeah, so, about that: I am sorry for yelling at you. I shouldn't have done that." I glanced down at the grass shuffling my feet.

"It is no worry, I forgive you. I admit, I needed that. But next time, be a man and don't run away crying." We both chuckled.

"Man, I guess we really are two halves of the same whole."

Chrom folded his arms behind his back, "Perhaps…hey, should we go wake the others? They shouldn't waste an opportunity to see this beautiful sunrise."

I rubbed my chin, "Nah, Fredrick should be awake shortly and I'm sure he will do that." I threw Freddy under the bus because I wanted to spend more time with my friend. I wanted to confirm he was doing okay mentally. "So, you feeling any better?"

"I would say yes. I appreciate this talk."

"Good, I'm glad. How is Cordelia doing? Is she being supportive? I haven't talked to her in a while."

Chrom folded his arms, "She is doing well. Sure, she still has the rare moment of self-doubting, but don't we all?"

I nodded.

"She has improved greatly. Less bouts of depression and she is opening up more and more. And a good listener, though I could use less advice on some days."

"I'm sure she means well, Chrom. She loves you a lot. You are very lucky to have her." I sighed as I started to walk but to camp, "Tell the queen I said 'hi'".

"Will do." Chrom waved and I turned the corner in the lily field and went inside my tent to pack my things. We would be leaving the Valm Port in several days.

Make sure you pack an elixir to prevent seasickness, Phil.

Noted.