Edgar and Rosalind's visit after that was brief, but pleasant. Once things were cleared up, I found myself enjoying it. They had to leave the next day; duties and shit like that. I remembered that Cordelia said they were the advisors to some noble in northern Ylisse. Minor nobles, all around, but still nobility. I was just glad they liked me.

That left me with one last thing to do, before Valm had a chance to begin.

You ever see yourself getting married at the age of twenty-one, boy scout?

I didn't. Hell, I never imagined I'd get married, period. Not because I didn't want it or anything but because, well, because it felt like such an unattainable goal. Something so far on the horizon that I'd never be able to have it, let alone see it.

That was going to change.

I had the will. I had my confidence. I had everything. The only thing left to do was buy a ring. The thought of it alone set off butterflies in my stomach, like it wasn't actually going to happen. Like it was all just a dream.

If it was a dream, I'd be very pissed when I woke up.

I had enough money to buy rings. I just needed to know the right one to get. That led me to a different redhead.

"You want me to tell you what?" My daughter looked at me like I'd grown another head. "That may be the dumbest thing I've ever heard you say."

I held both my hands up, one of flesh and one of iron, like I was placating a particularly vicious cat. "Now, hear me out on this, sweetheart," I said quietly, hoping no one else within the barracks would be able to hear us. "I just want this to be perfect, alright? I'm not just gonna go out there and buy any old ring. It's gotta be special. I can't exactly make one myself, so…"

Severa crossed her arms. "I dunno, ever tried?"

"I don't wanna lose my other hand, Sev."

"If you lose a hand trying to make a ring, then you deserved to lose it."

"Look, that's beside the point!" I exclaimed, calming down after a moment. "Look, I love your mother. I love her to death. I'd do anything for her-!"

"Alright, dad, I get it! Jesus Christ!" Severa cringed. "I don't need to know just how devoted you are to mom. Trust me, I still kinda remember how you two were in the future, before the, uh… Well, you know. Lovey-dovey crap." Severa face twisted in disgust before settling back into that usual slightly frowning expression. "I'm not exactly an expert on romance. The last relationship I had ended pretty, er, messily."

I perked up at that, my eyes narrowing. "You've been in a relationship before?"

Severa must have realized what she said, because the next thing I knew, her cheeks were flushed a dark red, and she avoided my gaze. "T-that's not what we're supposed to be talking about, idiot! We're talking about how you're gonna propose to mom!"

"You're right," I said after a moment, still giving her a pointed stare. I needed to finish the conversation soon, anyway; standing in the middle of the Shepherd's garrison, in a hallway, could attract the wrong kind of attention. Especially since the future child secret was out. I didn't want anything getting back to Cordelia. "But you'll tell me about that later, won't you?"

"No promises," Severa said quickly. "Anyway, as I was saying before you rudely interrupted me, I'm not good with relationships. And before you ask, no, I don't have your rings with me. I never got the chance to get them."

That's because Cordelia died on a battlefield, and you died after they left. That makes sense.

"D-don't give me that look! I'm trying to help you, for fuck's sake!"

I blinked. "We really oughta do something about your cussing habit."

She stuck her tongue at me. "I'd like to see you try. Now, stop getting me off track for Gawd's sake! You really are an airhead!"

"This is news to no one. Keep going."

"Just get her something. Anything. Mom'll love it. It could be a ring made of metal that'll rot away within five days and she'd still say yes. That's just how you and mom are," Severa continued, seemingly caught in her own world for a moment. "You used to tell me, before everything went to shit, about the day you proposed to mom. Heh, maybe it's not so bad that you came to me for this. You said that you proposed to her at sunset, on a balcony. It wasn't the one here, if that's what you wanted to ask. You guys were never really here for very long. Always out fighting and crap." Severa's expression turned bitter. "Anyway, long story short, just get a ring. Any ring. She'll say yes. It's you who's giving it to her, after all. She'd have to be insane not to say yes."

For some reason, that struck a chord with me. There I was, worrying about what kind of ring I wanted to give her, instead of worrying about the message. The meaning behind it. Everything we'd gone through, all the hardship, all the turmoil, all the bullshit, everything. We were in love. In my own world, it may've been a bit early to start proposing, but I didn't care. As much as I was adamant we'd survive through the worst the universe would throw at us, I couldn't deny the possibility that we could all be dead in a few more years.

I'd rather spend those few years with the woman I loved, having taken the not-so-big leap of faith years prior, with golden bands on each of our ringfingers.

"Hey, you still in there? Or'd you finally just say 'fuck it' and left your brain?" Severa said sardonically. I felt knuckles rapping against my skull. "Dad? You still with me? Blink twice for yes, stand still like a moron for no."

I blinked twice.

Severa smirked. "I guess you're still in there after all. Now, what're you gonna do?"

A smile formed on my lips as well. "Something I should've done a long time ago. Better late than never."

"Keep telling yourself that," Severa drawled, before her expression became serious. "Now go out there and propose already! I'm sick of seeing you two moon over each other all the time!"

I laughed. "That ain't gonna stop any time soon, sweetheart. Not if I have anything to say about it."

"Oh Gawd, what have I done?" Severa said, horror slowly creeping into her voice. "I swear, if either of you start really getting into it in front of me I'll-!"

"Yeah, yeah," I said nonchalantly, turning around and waving. "Heh, just look out for things in a few months, yeah? Who knows what could happen!"

I was certain a person in orbit would be able to hear the sound Severa made. My laughter soon followed.

I decided to make my own set of rings, with a little help. Felt like it'd be more special that way. Still, my conversation/verbal sparring match with Severa wasn't completely in vain; I wasn't so worried about the particulars anymore. I just wanted something that was there, that had clear meaning to both of us.

You're still worrying about all this, huh? Didn't you hear a single word your daughter said?

I did. This was my decision, though. And I was going to stick by it.

Before I approached a jeweler or blacksmith or whoever made golden bands, I wanted to visit somebody.

Frederick.

It had been a few months since the assault on Dolorous Guard, and Frederick's recovery was slow. Slower than a goddamn glacier.

He was being housed within a room in the castle, with frequent visits from his friends and fellow Shepherds, including me. I opened the door to see him laid out on a comfortable bed. Those dark rings under his eyes were faded, but still clearly there; he didn't look like a corpse anymore, but he sure as hell didn't look healthy. His torso was still partially covered in bandages, but many of them had been removed.

When I entered, he wasn't doing anything in particular. Just staring out the one window in the room.

"Hey, Frederick," I said softly, turning a chair around to sit beside him. "How's it going?"

"Alexander," Frederick rumbled, turning his head. "As well as I can be, with this gods' forsaken injury. I have never experienced anything like it. I realize that warhammer was Fell magic, but is there anything else that has been gleaned from it?"

I pursed my lips and looked down. The truth was, not a lot. I couldn't understand much of what Tharja, Ricken, and Miriel said, but what it boiled down to is that the weapon was enchanted. It had once been an ordinary warhammer, forged out of silver. The Fell magic placed on it was erratic, chaotic, and practically bursting at the seams, as if the weapon would explode if handled a certain way. Just one more reason to stay the fuck away from it. Unfortunately, that instability made it difficult to find out what it did exactly.

I could tell, though, just by looking at Frederick that it did some pretty horrible things.

Telling him as much as I knew, Frederick closed his eyes, hummed, and nodded. "That would make sense. The clerics tell me that the wound has not healed properly. It would not be idiocy to suspect that there is some correlation between them."

I raised a brow. This was news to me. "It's not healing right?"

"That, and it is healing slowly," Frederick clarified, "It is unnatural. You have not seen the scar, but it is this ugly, black mass of tissue, as if my very flesh has been poisoned. I have grown sickly and weak. The clerics assure me that they can heal it, but it could take months. Maybe even years."

My jaw dropped at that. "It what?"

Frederick chuckled humorlessly. "That was my reaction as well. I doubt it will take years; months seem the far more likely option. Either way, I feel useless."

"You're not-!"

Frederick quietly raised a hand to stop me. "Do not try to contradict me, Alexander. I am well aware that in this state, I am utterly useless."

I stewed on that knowledge for a few minutes. I felt like it wasn't true. I wanted it to be untrue. I knew, however less harshly I thought of it, that it was. Frederick would never be useless in my eyes; I still remembered how he could take on entire battalions of people by himself. Hell, I still remember him spearing that one bandit guy through the back, years ago.

I held out my hand and grasped his raised one. "I don't care what you say, Frederick, you're not useless. Not to me. It'll be a few months until you're combat ready again, yeah, but when you do, you'll get back out there and start kicking asses left and right. You hear me?"

Frederick stared at me a moment before suddenly laughing again. Unlike last time, however, this one appeared more genuine. More real. "I appreciate the sentiment, Alex. And maybe you are correct. 'Kicking asses left and right', hmm? An interesting way of putting it."

"I'm a foreigner; I have all sorts of phrases that're bonkers."

"Indeed. And many other interesting ways of speaking. Including this 'Jesus Christ' character you exclaim when you are surprised or frustrated. Is he really so infamous a figure that you utter his name as a curse?"

It was my turn to chuckle. "It'd take a fortnight to tell you all about it, Frederick, and I've got some stuff to do. Maybe later, though." I stood up. "Glad you're doing better. Chrom doesn't say it, but he misses you."

Frederick breathed out. "Then allow me my rest. I must return to milord's side as soon as possible."

"'Ang on there, laddie! It's gold, not steel; don't twist it up into a gods' damn-!" The grumpy old man with a beard nearly reaching his shins barked at me, taking the pincers out my hands. All around us was steam and red-hot metal, along with the instruments needed to craft with it.

The man I decided to visit was a cantankerous old bastard who fancied himself a jeweler and goldsmith, and he lived in the upper districts of Ylisstol. His stall was fitted with nice looking golden jewelry with inset gemstones, so I went with him. I was even able to convince him to allow me to help craft it. It involved an ungodly amount of trial and error, but eventually, we got something workable.

The one being workable was the same one being held in the old man's pincers. He squinted at the crude, but whole and shiny gold band, his grey eyes analyzing every part of it.

"Aye, that ain't bad." He finally said, causing me to let out a sigh of relief. "I ain't gonn' say you gots any future in metal-workin' but it's better than what most folk can do. I'll do all the shavin'."

"Shaving?" I asked, confused. I still really had no idea what the process entailed; I was just following along.

The hunched old man made a confusing gesture with his hands before sighing and face-palming. "You royal castle-types. Don't they teach you nothin' 'bout metal-workin' at all? It ain't like gold's hard to mold. With you twistin' it like it's the neck of your childhood bully, though, it might as well be!" The old man snorted. "'ero of Khadein comes onto my doorstep askin' to make a pair o' rings. Har! It almost sounds like a bad joke. But I like your gumption, laddie, so I'll keep helpin' ya. Just keep workin' on that next one. Say…"

I'd begun to turn away when he trailed off. Turning back around, I stared at him. "What?"

"What gem ya want inlaid, laddie?" The old man rasped, crossing his arms. "Yer obviously makin' this for someone special-like. Long as you got the coin, I can get ya whatever gem ya want. Amethyst? Jet? Diamond? Rose Quartz? Anythin' ya want."

I actually thought about that for a moment. In the end, I didn't need to think for long. There was really only one gem that could compare, that I thought would be appropriate.

"Can you do ruby?" I asked tentatively.

The man snorted. "Can I do ruby, he says. Aye, that I can, laddie. 'ope your lady likes red, 'cause I got some of the reddest ya done ever seen!"

I laughed nervously, feeling the blood rush to my cheeks. I rubbed the back of my neck. "Yeah, let's go with that, for both of them!"

The entire process took a couple hours, but in the end, I got what I wanted.

Two rings, side by side, a brilliant shade of gold laid in a box. Inlaid at the top were two carved rubies, fashioned into a rectangular shape.

"Aye, fine work, even with ya muckin' it up half the damned time!" The old goldsmith chuckled. "Ain't too shabby. Ya worked with me on them, so I'll cut ya a break and lower the price a tad."

I shrugged, a little spellbound by the two rings in front of me. "Yeah, whatever you want, man. I got you."

The old man's expression soured. "This 'man' done got a name, ya know."

I shook my hand, looking at the goldsmith apologetically. "Sorry about that. What's your name?"

"Weyland, at yer service, milord. Pah!" The old man spat. "No respect for yer elders is what ya got, laddie! Still, long's yer gold is good, don't much care."

"Yeah, yeah, I got you," I said, pulling out a sack. Contained about as much as I made in a month. "Go ahead and do whatever with it, Weyland. Who knows, I might be back someday."

"Aye, twouldn't be so bad, I suspect," The old man said, opening the thin sack. "Aye, that'll be enough. Pleasure doin' business with ya, Sir Alexander."

"Likewise" I replied curtly, walking out of the man's abode.

I swore my heart was beating in my chest at a billion miles per hour.

The castle staff must've known what I was about to do. They kept giving me weird looks on my journey throughout the castle. To be fair, I was holding a small box with two rings in it. Not that they knew about the last part, that would be ridiculous, but still. I swore up and down that I saw one of the maids give me a wink as I marched through the halls and towards a balcony.

The same balcony I finally confessed to both Robin and myself that I had feelings for Cordelia.

It felt strange being out there, the gentle wind blowing through my hair and past my face, the feeling of the setting sun on my skin, the small but noticeable weight difference between my right hand and left hand. In that moment, I felt I was cognizant of everything around me.

I fiddled with the small box in my hand, feeling its weight. For some reason, it felt heavier than before.

Trying to calm myself, I took a deep breath. My heart still went off in my chest like it had a quota to fill by the end of the night, but somehow, I felt serene. In a way, at least.

I wasn't there to brood or anything like that. No, I'd long gotten over that whole thing. I was just waiting for Cordelia. I'd told her to meet me at that specific balcony. Still remembered how Severa said I proposed on a balcony, with the backdrop of a sunset behind us. I saw no reason to change that.

You were gonna pick it anyway. You're disgustingly romantic, boy scout.

It was true, and I had no problems admitting it.

"Alex?"

There she was.

I turned around to see her standing there, as stunning as ever. As was often the case, she was wearing her riding skirt and the under armor of her Pegasus Knight uniform. A part of me wanted to turn away, embarrassed, but I forced myself to keep still. I was well beyond the point of being embarrassed all the damned time.

I hid the box behind my back, probably rather conspicuously. "Uh, hi, Cordy," I said, giving her a nervous smile. "Lovely day, isn't it?"

So much for not being embarrassed…

Cordelia blinked at me, confused, before a smile graced her lips as well. She moved forward until she was right next to me, staring off at the brilliant, golden sunset. The light made her hair seem more like an ethereal maroon. Absolutely gorgeous. Then again, what about her wasn't gorgeous? That list would be short and would only have one item listed. Said item being 'nothing'.

"That it is," Cordelia said wistfully, her eyes closing a bit as the wind lazily passed us by. "It's on days like this that training usually goes smoothly, as well. The gentle winds are fantastic for helping novice pegasus knights learn how to guide their Pegasus, rather than trying to control it." She turned to me then, her red eyes glinting in the light. "The wind also feels nice, of course!" She giggled.

I nodded, playing with the box behind my back. I wondered if she already saw it. Her laxness lent credence to the contrary, but I couldn't be too careful.

"You know, Cordy," I finally began, finding the courage within me to start talking. "These past few months have been some of the happiest of my entire life. Sure, there were a couple road bumps, but on the whole, I don't think I could be happier even if I tried."

"Likewise, love," Cordelia replied, putting an errant lock of hair behind her ear. "I feel as if I can hardly contain it all at times. I love the moments we spend together."

Goddamnit. She's gonna make me cry.

Steeling myself, I continued. "I-I don't know what the future'll bring. There's what Lucina and her friends told us. But, we have a chance. A chance to make things right. To earn a happy ending. At least, I hope so."

"Alex…?" Cordelia trailed off, confusion coloring her tone.

"But if there's one thing I want to be certain, it's you. And me. At each other's side until the very end." I journeyed on, feeling a lump growing in my throat yet still going regardless. "I know this might be a bit fast, but goddamnit I made a promise to both you and myself, so…"

"What're you…? Gods-!" Cordelia gasped, covering her mouth with both hands as I got down on one knee, and showed her the box I held.

"Cordelia," I intoned, opening the box to reveal both rings, shining brilliant in gold and red. "Will you marry me?"

Silence reigned. Cordelia stared wide-eyed at the rings in my hand, her gaze unwavering, her hands covering her open mouth. For a moment, just a brief moment, a worm of dread wriggled through my chest. Was I wrong? Had I gone too fast? Did I do it wrong? My worries were dashed, thankfully, when I saw her hand move.

Gingerly, shakily, she grasped one of the rings. Her mouth closed as I saw tears trail down her cheeks. Finally, a sight that filled my chest with warmth, was her putting it on. The golden band glimmered on her ring finger, and what she said next nearly turned me into a weeping wreck.

"…Yes...!" She said, breathlessly, barely able to be heard. "Yes! Gods, yes! I accept with all my heart!"

That did me in. We leapt at each other. Cries of happiness and laughter filled the air around us as I held her in my arms. Her hands cupped both my cheeks, and once more, all I could feel was her. Her warm body, felt even through the fabric, pressed firmly against my own. Her hands grasping my cheeks, my fingers flowing through her soft hair, and her lips against my own.

I could be like this forever.

If there'd be any moments before that I described as the happiest moment of my life, they were null and void. There, becoming engaged to the woman I loved, was the happiest moment ever. No doubt when we were officially married I'd consider that my happiest moment, but until that time, this was it. This was what I'd wanted for God only knew how long. Ever since she and Robin helped me get back on my feet back in Whiteford.

After a few more moments that didn't last nearly long enough, we parted. We still held each other, though, and it'd take an army to take me away from her.

"I never thought this day would come," Cordelia said softly, removing her right hand from to look at the new ring on her finger. "If you asked me two years ago that I would be engaged, I would think you were jesting. But now…! I'm glad you're with me. It's hard to imagine what my life would be without you!"

It was hard to not chuckle at that. A little over two years ago I was on a bus going home from college. Two years later, and I was a battle-hardened knight of Ylisse, engaged to the love of his life.

"I love you, Cordelia," I said, feeling the words on my lips. Even though I'd said it many times before, somehow, it felt more powerful then. More final. "I love you with all I am."

Cordelia's hand trailed down my covered chest. She looked up at me, her eyes taking on a familiar glint. I found my own hand trailing up her back.

Our faces grew closer again. "Show me," Cordelia whispered.

My life was a cycle of light and dark. Life and death. Peace and war. When one took charge, the other bided it's time until it could finally strike.

I ascended the hill, away from the red and the blood and the dying, and into the light. The light I'd been chasing for eons. The light I thought I'd continue to run for until the end of time. It was right there, within my grasp, and with it, I saw.

There, surrounded by color and light, they stood. Red hair followed the breeze. One carried an expression of mirth, while the other looked at me, her blue eyes expecting. Wanting me to join them.

Who was I to refuse that call?

The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, the wind blew against my skin gently, as if it sought to cradle me in its embrace. There was only one whom I wanted to hold, and in that moment, I held her close.

I would never let go. Even if the sun set and the land was drenched with the blood of the fallen again, I would not let go. The entire world could burn for all I cared. As long as I had these two, I would be able to power through it. To fight it. I'd find whatever strength my body possessed and fight that which wanted our deaths.

The very evil that was on the horizon.

It began slowly at first, but I recognized its call all the same. The roar of a maelstrom, clouding the horizon and choking the sky with black smoke. It blocked the sun, threatening everything I held dear.

But I was different then. Different from the fool that squandered his days in battlefields and rivers of red, searching for a light that was never there. Searching for a light that never existed rather than the one that was by his side all along.

He drew his sword, and others drew their weapons alongside him, all towards one purpose.

Protect the future.

Protect the light.

Protect those dear to us.

I charged.

And, once more, I was in a storm of fury and blades. Dancing between them as best as I could. My sword cut through rotten flesh and broken armor, a companion for the harsh fight that now engulfed everything.

In the end, we were losing.

I watched as my comrades, my friends, fell. One by one. Falling to the ground with swords in their backs and axes through their knees and spears through their hearts. And yet, I fought on. Fighting in their stead, fighting through the pain, fighting with every last shred of energy I had. The monsters with red eyes closed in. Even with our strength, they were more. They were infinite. They were everywhere.

I felt myself losing to the carnage. Losing to the insanity of it all. I held fast for as long as I could, my sword dull and stained with the black blood of thousands of purple corpses.

They were many, and we were not.

Despite it all, through the cacophony of shouts and swords and blood splattering against the wounded ground, I heard it. A piercing scream. A cry that chilled my bones and shocked my heart. In that moment, I felt nothing as my eyes scanned the ground, searching for them.

I found them. I wished I hadn't.

Their armor was sundered, their bodies bleeding, the red liquid staining the tired earth, dying it a shade of crimson that matched their hair. Their eyes were closed, never to be opened again. Never to laugh again. Never to hear again. Never to love again.

Never. Never. NEVER.

They were gone. And I was still there.

A roar so ungodly came to my ears, but it did not originate from a dragon or monster. It came from my own mouth. I screamed at the sky, at the world, and I finally let go.

I smashed my way through them. Ripping and tearing through dead flesh like a wild animal gone mad. I stuck my right hand through one's mouth and separated his head from his body. I gutted one with my sword, watching as it tried feebly to put itself back together. I tore one's arm off and beat it until it was a pile of purple and black mush. I killed and killed and killed and KILLED.

There was no end to the slaughter. No end to the pain. No end to the blood and death and dying and betrayal.

They were all dead, and I remained.

I struck them down, over and over again, as six red eyes peered at me through impenetrable clouds. The mirth they beheld could be felt for miles. It did not care. It laughed at me. Laughed at the suffering and the corpses.

As if it wanted to let me stew, the purple monsters stopped. Not a body was left on that battlefield, save for the ones of my comrades. My wife. My child. My everything.

My footfalls rang hollowly in my ears, a faint laugh in the distance, slowly growing louder with every step.

They were still there, sprawled out on the floor, their pale skin no longer flushed with life. In that moment, I realized that no matter how many monsters I slaughtered, no matter how many battles I won, no matter what costs I paid, their eyes would never open. They would forever remain closed until they rotted and opened again and broke through the ground to haunt-

In their blood, I saw my reflection. A sad old man, with no one to mourn his passing. He was the last one, after all. Who could mourn you if everyone was dead but yourself?

His violent, savage glowing red eyes, so much like the ones of the monsters he'd fought forever, gazed at him through the blood.

In the end, he was no Knight, no brave man, no father, no husband.

He was a husk of a coward. A fool. A hopeful liar.

Through the pain and through the anger and through the sadness, he screamed.

My eyes opened, hazily, the faint feeling of vicious anger clouded the back of my mind, but I still remembered. I remembered bodies, blood, red-!

I shook, my body breaking out in gooseflesh.

Trying to bring my hand up to my face to wipe at my forehead, it was stopped by a lean, warm body. Slowly, the memories from earlier surfaced, and my face flushed. On top of me laid Cordelia, her head on my chest. All I could see was the ocean of red hair that went every which way. Her body was molded against mine, and I could feel our nakedness through the sheets.

No light shone through the curtained windows. Around the room were our discarded clothes, although due to the darkness they looked more like bodies to my eyes. I didn't even remember taking them off, although considering what we did, it would've been difficult if we kept them on.

I shivered, the remains of my nightmare still haunting me. Out of reflex, I hugged Cordelia closer to me. Unlike most of my dreams, the more I thought of it, the more I remembered. I saw them both, broken and dead, on a hellish battlefield. A childish part of me thought that pressing her closer to me would somehow make it go away and, granted, it felt nice. But it didn't dispel the images.

I'd failed once before, in the future. I wondered, then, whether I'd fail again.

Cordelia murmured happily, snuggling closer to me. I noticed a small smile on her face. It was the most content I'd ever seen her.

Too bad I had to ruin that with my erratic breathing. With the rapid rising and falling of my chest, she slowly stirred. Her red eyes opened, sleepy, but full of life. For a moment, her expression was blank, confused even. Then our eyes met and she smiled brilliantly.

Her expression faltered when she noticed the state I was in.

"Love?" Cordelia whispered, rising slightly to get a better look at me. "Is something wrong? You look…"

I turned away from her, unable to meet her gaze. A moment before, they reminded me of life. Then, I remembered them closed, never to be opened again-

I felt a warm hand cup my cheek and forced me to look at her. "Alex?"

That time, I could see everything. Her gorgeous face, her radiant eyes, her smooth, pale skin, the modest swell of her breasts, everything. She was still there, alive, with me. I didn't want to believe that she'd ever leave.

"I had a nightmare," I finally said, feeling incredibly childish, "That I- That we lost. I saw you, everyone, just gone. Your eyes wouldn't open. Severa's- I don't know what it means and I'm really sorry for-!"

Luckily, I never finished my rambling. Cordelia had apparently heard enough and took matters into her own hands.

Suddenly, I was enveloped in her warmth, mercifully smothering my thoughts. Her arms encircled my neck, her bare chest pressed against mine. She sighed softly as she settled into place, her lips right next to my ear.

I heard her next words very, very clearly.

"I'm not going anywhere," Cordelia murmured softly, adamantly. "We're not going anywhere. I don't care what dreams you have, or what the future will throw at us. Right now, my place is at your side, and you at mine. As far as I'm concerned, nothing will ever change that."

I felt tears at the corners of my eyes. As always, I wrapped my arms around her, drawing her as close to me as I possibly could. With the momentary but usual frustration of not being able to feel her with two hands, I nuzzled into the side of her neck. All I wanted was to feel her warmth, feel her skin on mine, for the rest of time.

I felt my eyes close, and mercifully, no other dreams came to me that night.

The bloodshed seems so far away…

I didn't awaken from slumber with a jolt or in a haze. Thankfully. Golden beams flowed through the curtains like water down a stream, casting the room in brilliant light. I tried getting up, only to find something, or someone, holding me down.

It was a wonder how I even functioned if I could forget what happened the night before. It started out innocently enough at first, but then we really started going at it, and one thing led to another and…

Well, suffice to say that it was the best night of my entire life. I would have damned myself if I forgot it. The snuggling that came after was cozy, too.

Unfortunately, all good things had to come to an end, and I was hungry. And I was sure Cordelia would be too when she woke up. I couldn't get her off me without waking her up, so I decided to just roll with it.

"Rise and shine, beautiful," I whispered into her ear. "Time to get up."

Cordelia groaned, and moved closer.

"Not that I mind that, but we have to get up. Who knows how late we are?"

Cordelia lazily rose her head, with one eye opened and one eye closed. "Must we?"

"If we don't want Phila and Robin breaking down our door, then yeah." I chuckled.

"Let them," She replied. "I'm comfy."

"So am I, but we gotta get up sometime."

Cordelia groaned again, separating herself from me. I missed her warmth already. "Fine. Just give me a moment. I still feel, er, sore."

I was going to ask her why she felt sore, like a dumbass, but immediately thought better of it. I chuckled, gathering my clothes.

The castle was quiet that day. Despite the sunshine, I could feel a general sense of unease, between the staff and the guards, several of whom I spotted running through the halls at varying intervals. I opened the door to Robin's office to find no one inside.

It felt as if I was forgetting something. Something important.

I realized what that was when I approached the grand hall. I nearly bowled over Robin when he came charging through the entrance. He took a step back and regarded me with wild red eyes. His coat was unkempt, and his hair was a mess.

"Robin?" I asked, rubbing the back of my neck awkwardly. "Did, uh, something happen? Saw a few men running down the halls and everyone seems on edge."

Robin didn't mince words. I felt his words echo through the halls.

"We're out of time. Valm has invaded."

Boom. Take that. I made it to Valm. Hell, I'm already well beyond what most SI fics even get to. Let's just hope I can get out of the next shitshow of an arc, yeah? I've got a lot of ideas on how it's gonna go, so bear with me. It's either gonna be really good, or horrible

Guess we'll see when we get there, huh?

Next chapter'll be a Xenologue chapter, then onto Valm we goooooooooo

Here's a link to our Discord server: discord .gg/9XG3U7a

See you all next time!

Edited on 3/11/21. :D