Okay, at first I was all, 'This is going to be a happy chapter!' Then that changed to 'This chapter is going to emotionally break all the Sane'qu shippers... ahahahahahah!' Then I went back to 'This is going to be a happy chapter!'

That will break the Sane'qu shippers.

I'm going to have to put that magical mature content warning on this chapter, for slightly sexual situations, but nothing major so don't worry.

After getting Ptera back, there was another period of calm. Chrom had considered getting more Wyverns, to keep Ptera company and to also train them for use by the Shepherds. I advised him to talk to Basillio about the pros and cons, but that in my opinion it would be a wise investment. I told Chrom that I was going to be taking the rest of the day off to go strolling through town. I had an idea see, an idea how to solve the relationship issues I was having with Lon'qu.

'Hopefully it will solve them, anyway, I'd really hate to just further bugger our relationship.'

It had been a while since I had ambled into the dark recesses where I was now willingly treading...

'Madame Bev's tent.'

I walked inside, not really knowing what to expect. As I had remembered from my previous visits, the tent was filled with the scent of many exotic candles and spices. Inside the tent was shockingly warmer than the cool late autumn air outside, and the humidity pressed against me. While it felt slightly oppressive, there was also a reassuring feel to it and I inhaled deeply.

'Why didn't I notice how nice this place was before?'

I was tempted to call out to Bev, but didn't. Instead I walked around some looking at the various things. I smelled about twenty candles and oils before I heard a seductive voice behind me.

"Sane, how positively wonderful to see you again."

I turned, a smile on my face.

"Bev, hello. You're looking fine today."

Bev and I embraced briefly and she examined me.

"You look fine as ever Sane, you've gotten some lovely curves. I have some smallclothes that would look just wonderful on you."

"Sounds great Bev, show them to me."

Bev raised her eyebrows.

"Well this is a surprise... Why the sudden interest in those sorts of things?"

"Bev, do you remember what you said to me when we first met?"

I stepped closer to her.

"Come, in many ways if you will..."

Bev smiled in interest.

"My, my Sane... So what's brought this about?"

I looked around the store.

"Ah... Perhaps we could talk in private?"

Bev nodded.

"Of course Sane. You head to the back of the tent, I'll close up the front."

I went to the back of the tent, where Bev keeps her more risqué wares. I looked at the various undergarments, trying to decide what Lon'qu would call "sexy". There were pink ones, red, blue, black, deep violet, light peach, and different shades in between. There were different oils and lotions that I recognised from my many years of fanfiction.

'I hope I'm making the right choice coming here, honestly I feel like I'm going to die of embarrassment... I've never walked into Spencers with the intent of buying anything...'

Bev returned before I had any more time to look around.

"Now Sane, what is it that brings you here? And spare me no details."

I proceeded to explain to Bev about my relationship with Lon'qu, and how I've noticed it changing as of late. She pressed me for as many details as she could, like how often we kissed, or how intimate we've been. While I wasn't keen on divulging every detail, I told Bev just enough to keep her entertained. When my story was finished, she paused for a moment before speaking.

"Seems like you need something that will get him in the mood. What turns him on?"

I shrugged my shoulders.

"I don't know actually..? I thought I did, but with our recent troubles..."

Bev nodded in understanding.

"Right... Okay, here's what I suggest."

Bev started pawing through her various oils and candles, putting ones she seemed to like in a bag. She also put a couple thin looking undershirts in the bag. After that, she pulled a book out from under one of the tables and handed it to me.

"Here, start reading this."

The front of the book was plain and undecorated. It had a basic leather cover, no engravings or any special markings of any sort. I opened the front cover and looked at the first page. There wasn't anything special on it either, just an inked drawing of a heart. The next couple pages were unremarkable, just having quotes about love from philosophers or poets I had never heard of before. Several pages in however, I discovered what the subject of the book was and dropped it.

"Christ Bev! What the hell?"

The internet has shown me many things over the years, things that have certainly left me slightly warped. However, there wasn't anything that could've prepared me for what was in that book.

"Oh? That book is a compilation made by some of Ylisstol's most educated in the arts of physical love. You could learn a thing or two from it."

I handed the book back to Bev.

"Here, you can have this book back... I really don't need this..."

She looked disappointed, but took the book anyway.

"I suppose I'll have to trust you... You're supposed to be a Tactician after all."

Bev handed me the bag she packed.

"I'm assuming you'll be able to figure out how to use most of this?"

I rolled my eyes.

"Yes Bev, I'll figure it out."

She smiled at me.

"Good, now this time it's on the house, but after this, I expect full payment for my wares."

"Lon'qu? Do you have a moment?"

It was late at night when I finally found Lon'qu. I don't know what he had been doing, but whatever it was he seemed to have a guilty look on his face.

"Sane, it's late and I was off to bed."

He tried to walk past me, so I stood in front of him.

"I know it's late, but I haven't seen you all day... You're not mad at me, are you?"

I tried my hardest to look cute, but judging from his irritated expression I must've failed.

"Look, I really don't have the time for this. I'll spend time with you tomorrow."

Lon'qu tried to push his way past me, but I held my ground. He sighed.

"Fine Sane... What do you want to do?"

I took a hold of his hands and leaned into him. He leaned back slightly, but still let me rest my body against his.

"I was thinking you could come meditate with me tonight?"

Lon'qu looked at me like I was crazy.

"Meditate? Are you serious?"

I nodded.

"Yes, it's nice to meditate after a long day, and it will alleviate your stress."

Lon'qu grumbled, but I was able to convince him to come back to my room with me. We walked holding hands to my room and I opened the door. I had intentionally left a candle burning, and the room was filled with a warm vanilla and freesia scent. I could tell Lon'qu noticed by the way he sniffed the air, but he didn't say anything.

"Just sit on the bed and wait for a second," I said to him.

"I'm going to change into some pyjamas."

I stepped into the bathroom, closed the door, and stripped off my clothes. I then took one of the nightgowns Bev had given me and put it on. There was hardly any fabric, and once it was on my body I felt practically naked. Deciding it was too late to chicken out now, I continued with my plan. I rubbed some oil that smelled like honey and lavender on my neck, collarbones, and the front of my chest. I took one final breath to calm my nerves before stepping out of the bathroom and joining Lon'qu on my bed. His eyes were closed when I sat down, and they opened when he felt my weight lower onto the bed.

"Ah... S-Sane..!"

He seemed significantly surprised to see what I was wearing, a thin and lacy nightgown, light green that barely covered my bottom. No doubt with the way I was sitting he must've been able to see a glimpse of my matching underwear as well.

"What?" I asked, feigning innocence.

"Is green not my colour?"

"It's not that..."

Lon'qu seemed visibly distressed by my attire, and I couldn't tell if that was a good or a bad thing.

'Oh Gods, he looks like he's about to poop a brick!'

"Is something bothering you?"

Lon'qu was blushing and put a hand on the back of his neck.

"No... You... Look very nice..."

He absently pulled at his coat collar.

"Do you always dress like this when you meditate?"

"Usually."

'No.'

I stretched, to limber up and to give Lon'qu a chance to look at me.

"Okay, now to meditate you need to close your eyes and clear your mind."

Lon'qu sighed, but listened to me. He crossed his legs on the bed and put his hands on his knees.

"Now what?"

"Now you just breathe, in and out. Through your nose. The only thing your mind should register is the sound of your own breathing."

In Lon'qu's defence, he was doing a fabulous job of following directions. Although he still looked like he was going to poop a brick, his face had certainly relaxed.

"The candles are nice." He murmured.

I smiled.

"Aren't they though? I got them from a specialty shop."

Lon'qu had no idea that I was watching him, waiting for a reaction. Sadly other than looking bored, he didn't seem to be doing anything. I decided to take matters into my own hands and leaned forward. Lon'qu opened his eyes and stared at me quizically.

"Sane?"

I took a hold of his coat and opened it. I then slid it off his shoulders and set it on the bed beside us. Lon'qu tried to reach for his coat to put it back on, so I threw it across the room and glared at him. He sighed and narrowed his eyes.

"Sane, I know what you're trying to do."

I shrank back slightly.

"Oh..? A-and what are your thoughts?"

Lon'qu sighed and held on of my hands. He laced our fingers together and tugged on my arm so I would scoot closer to him. He had me sit on his lap and I leaned against him. He rested his chin on my shoulder and wrapped his free arm around me.

"I think you value our relationship more than I do."

I turned my head to look at him.

"What..?"

My voice had cracked, the word leaving me sounding choked.

"I know that's a horrible thing to say, especially considering the effort you put to make this a special night..."

I started to wiggle out of Lon'qu's grip. He kept me held against him, gently of course.

"You put aside a lot of emotional uncertainties for me, didn't you? And here I am still clinging to mine."

He sighed.

"There's something I got for you, it's in my room."

He coaxed me off of his lap and got off the bed.

"Don't lock me out."

He left my room, leaving his coat on my bed. I sat in shock, staring at the door after him.

'What was that all about?'

I was tempted to walk over to the door and lock Lon'qu out, just to spite him.

'What right does that jerk have to pull something like that? I ought to..,'

My thought was interrupted by my door opening and Lon'qu striding over to me. He took his spot on the bed and took my hand in his.

"Sane, I understand you're not a conventional woman, but..."

He let go of my hand, and in my palm left a small, gold ring. I stared at it in wonder. Engraved on the outside were the words 'Variable' and 'Constant'. Engraved on the inside however, was something that made me gasp. Anyone else who looked at the inner engraving would pass it off as nothing more than random squibbles, however the five symbols were ones that I was all too familiar with.

"How... How could you know these symbols?"

Many years ago I created a language, born of nothing more than a silly child's expression of creativity. However, for me that language quickly became a way to escape and strike back at a cruel world. It was a language only one other person beside me knew, but I was the only person who cared for it. Yet here engraved on the ring Lon'qu had handed me was my language.

"Explain this..."

I was unsure how this made me feel. I had so many questions in my head, yet none of them were able to escape me.

"Obviously you know what it says... I suppose how I know what it says is an interesting question. I noticed about a month ago that you write in a different language when you're bored. I had Gaius swipe a couple of the papers and started translating them. I noticed there were only twenty-six letters so I assumed it to be a variation of our alphabet. After that, I went through a process of matching your letters to our equivalent."

'What the unactual f... Okay, Lon'qu is the new Miriel...'

He scratched his head.

"It was a lot harder than I thought it would be... But luckily I only needed one word."

"You learned an entire language... Just for one word?"

Engraved on the inner band of the ring, was indeed a single word.

Yours.

So yes, this is a thing, and it is official. MARRIAGE. YAAAAAAS. What the heck even? Honestly, this was a break-up chapter at one point, but then I was all, "No, just because my bf was a jerk and dumped me for no good reason, doesn't mean that this Sane has to get dumped also." So marriage. Because that's a thing?