[Our scene opens in The Purple Dragon, the hotspot tavern in Ylisstol. In there, two figures sat in the middle of the sea of humanity. They shared a table and were laughing, so many hours and just a few bottles into their night. These people? Cordelia the knight and her strategist, Mark.]
Mark: And that's when I said "Ripper? Why Captain, I hardly knew her!"
[Both proceed to laugh, Mark wiping a tear from his eye.]
Cordelia: And they honestly thought you were some serial killer?
Mark: [He snickers] Nah, I just really like using that ripper line.
Cordelia: Oh, I can't believe you! You're the worst!
Mark: [He takes a drink from a bottle in front of him] Like you haven't lied to someone's face before.
Cordelia: Me? Never. I have nothing to lie about.
Mark: Oh, come on, Cordelia. No need to put up a façade.
Cordelia: I have no clue what you're on about… [She picks up her glass, draining what was left inside] I think I need another drink. Excuse me. [She leaves the table and walks towards the bar.]
Mark: I can't believe she thinks she still needs to lie about her feelings for Chrom. No need to hide what the whole damn camp sees.
Cordelia: [returning, with a full glass in hand] Now, I think it was your turn to ask a question. Though it may be hard to top 'have you ever gotten in trouble with the guards?'
Mark: Alright. [He takes a drink from his bottle] Who was your first love?
Cordelia: I'm sorry?
Mark: You heard me. You're first love. The man who first set your heart aflutter.
Cordelia: Oh…well…I don't know if I should.
Mark: We both agreed to the rules of the game when we sat down. Can't dodge a question.
Cordelia: …Alright. His name's Julian. I met him when I was 14 when we were in school. He's a boy from back home in Jannet.
Mark: Well, go on. What's he like?
Cordelia: Hah…well, he was a farmer's son, but he was smart. Smarter than me, stronger, better with a sword. I hated him. And yet…
Mark: You couldn't help it, her skill and charm was too much…
Cordelia: Yeah…wait, she?
Mark: What?
Cordelia: I…guess nothing. But yeah, my attraction to Julian kept pushing me to be better, hoping one day he'd see me as an equal or…I guess as a lover. I think you could count that as my first love.
Mark: [He finishes what's in his bottle] So whatever happened to Jules?
Cordelia: Julian and I had two different paths in life. I signed up for the Pegasus knights and Julian wanted to pursue a career in art. Last I heard he was somewhere in Valm, trying to find himself, or a payroll, or some bullshit.
Mark: Wow!
Cordelia: What?
Mark: I've just never heard you curse before. It's a jolt.
Cordelia: Sorry…I just feel like I wasted a good portion of my life over him…over love…
Mark: Cordelia…what do you think love is?
Cordelia: Huh...I mean it's an attraction you feel to someone…usually unexplainable otherwise.
Mark: Hmm. Our definitions of love differ then.
Cordelia: What do you think it is then?
Mark: When you care more for someone…than yourself.
Cordelia: So by that logic, you accept Tharja's love?
Mark: Gah! God's no! That woman…there's something not right with that woman.
Cordelia: Oh, but it must be love, since I'm sure she cares more about you than herself.
Mark: Look I…sigh, not that I don't appreciate it. It's just that she's always…plotting, you know.
Cordelia: [She giggles] Well, I guess there's two ways of looking at love. [She looks around.] It looks like the bar is starting to get pretty empty. We should be heading out.
Mark: Right…well [raises bottle] Here's to Julian
Cordelia: [Hits Mark's bottle with her glass] And to Tharja.
[The two sat there for another few minutes, quietly finishing their drinks, contemplating the meaning of love. Was Cordelia's admiration love? Was Tharja's twisted sense of caring love? Who are we to say? Certainly we're not to say tonight, as The Purple Dragon closes it's doors.