Chapter 6

"A feast? Here? Tonight? Gods, and I hardly brought any of my good clothing…" Lissa muttered, panicking slightly, as she went through her things. Nathan had returned from his meeting to the bedroom he and the Princess were sharing in the Ferox Castle, and after giving Lissa the news of the banquet, sent his wife into a fluster, digging through her pile of clothes to find something to wear.

"You think you have it bad? I didn't pack anything formal…I thought we were going to war, not a party…" The tactician replied, groaning slightly while he sat on the bed, flipping through one of his strategy books and scribbling notes into it.

The blonde-haired cleric reached her hands around in her bag before pulling out some items, tossing them onto the bed next to her husband. "I had a feeling you wouldn't think to pack anything formal, Mr. "I'm always three steps ahead", so I grabbed one of your suits and added it to my things."

Nathan breathed a large sigh of relief, putting down his book and looking at the clothes Lissa had brought for him. "Geez, did you have to grab this one? The colour doesn't really accentuate my eyes…I'm kidding, I'm kidding!"

Lissa glared at the tactician for a moment before returning to her search. Nathan knelt down behind the Princess, wrapping his arms around her belly and lifting her up.

"Hey! Now is really not the time, Nathan!"

The man chuckled for a moment, setting her down. Lissa turned around, staring into his brown eyes. "What?" She impatiently snapped.

"You!" Nathan replied. "What's got you so worked up?"

Lissa frowned, looking at the ground and shifting her feet. "Well, it's just…we're about to head back to war, after so much time of peace, of being able to spend time just hanging out with my friends, and just being alone with you! And I don't know when we're going to have that kind of time again, and tonight may be the last time in YEARS we get to really have nothing to worry about…and I just want it to be special, y'know?"

Nathan pulled his wife into a tight embrace. "I know what you mean. So just…relax!" He smiled slightly. "A certain blonde cleric taught me that sometimes you just need to forget about everything else and just have some fun."

Lissa grinned back at him. "What a nice young lady! You two would make for a nice couple, I think!"

The man winked, before pulling in the Princess for a quick kiss. "I like to think we do."

The two then turned back to Lissa's clothes pile from her bag. "Now then…" Nathan began. "I think that one looks good?" He pointed to a bright yellow dress near the top of the pile.

Lissa looked at it for a second, before smiling. "Yeah, I think you're right. That one it is!"

Nathan raised his hands in a mock cheer before getting serious again. "Now then, one last thing…"

"Yeah?"

"Can I bring Mystletai-"

"No! No weapons. What do you want us to look like, mercenaries for hire? No one is going to be showing up trying to kill us."

"What about carrying a tome-"

"No."

"Under my suit?"

"No."

Nathan let out a sigh of exasperation as he unclipped his sword and hilt from it's belt tied over his shoulder, grumbling quietly, "With you in charge we'll never be three steps ahead…"

Not long after, Nathan and Lissa were dressed up and headed down to the Castle's dining hall. On their way there, Nathan spotted Frederick, pacing nervously in an empty hallway just outside of the dining hall. Like them, he was dressed fancily, wearing a grey suit vest over a white dress shirt. The pair walked over, with Lissa calling out, "What are you doing out here, Freddy? It's almost time to eat…"

The great knight jumped slightly at the sound of their voices. "Milord, Milady!" He cried out, turning towards the two. "I was just…about to head in…ah!"

The great knight ducked behind Nathan and Lissa, who turned around to see Virion, Olivia, and Cherche all walking together into the dining room.

Once they had left, Nathan turned to Frederick, silent for a moment, before he started to laugh. "I think I know what's happening here…" He snickered, putting together the events at the war council meeting. The great knight let out an exasperated laugh, quickly waving off the tactician.

"I – you – she – nothing is happening, I mean!"

Nathan turned to Lissa. "I think Frederick likes our new friend…" Lissa giggled, nodding.

Frederick sighed, exasperated. "Alas, Milord, you are correct." He confessed. His eyes then lit up. "Perhaps you and Chrom could aid me in my quest for Milady Cherche's hand, as I did for the both of you two years ago!"

Nathan frowned. "If that was you helping us, I'd hate to see what happened if you didn't like our wives…" He whispered under her breath. Lissa heard him, letting out a loud laughing snort in response. Frederick didn't seem to notice, seemingly invigorated by his proposed idea.

Lissa then looked up at the man, a light bulb going off in her brain. "Say, Freddy, I don't mean to be rude, but…have you ever even actually talked to Cherche yet?"

Frederick shook his head. "I'm afraid not yet, Milady, but I am sure she is the woman of my dreams…"

Nathan grinned widely, grabbing Frederick's arm and dragging him with Lissa to the door. "Well, I think you two need to go get acquainted then! Get over there, big guy!"

Frederick's eyes widened, standing at the door of the room, his gaze shifting from Nathan and Lissa to the table where Cherche was seated with some of the other shepherds.

The great knight laughed awkwardly, with beads of sweat starting to roll down his face. "Er…while I would love to, I must go observe Milord Chrom and make sure his food is not poisoned! And I must ensure he uses the proper utensils for the meal, and that his seat is cleaned…and do the same for you two, of course, My Prince and Princess! So much work, I'm afraid…perhaps another time…"

Nathan laughed. "Nice try, big guy. Take the night off, I'm sure 'Milord' can handle himself. Now get over there!" He playfully shoved the man in the direction of Cherche's table, who noticed him and waved to him with a smile. Frederick weakly smiled back, flopping his hand in what Nathan assumed was intended to be a wave, and shuffled his way to the table.

Nathan turned to Lissa, offering his hand. "Shall we, Milady?" He teased, doing his best noble impression.

Lissa giggled at the man, taking his hand and playfully bumping hips with him. The pair then made their way to the dining table at the front of the room, where Chrom, Sumia, Basilio and Flavia were already seated.

"Took you long enough…" Chrom muttered as Nathan took the seat next to him.

Nathan smirked. "Well, Lissa and I ran into a bit of a 'situation' that we had to help out with…" The tactician nodded his head towards Frederick, who was blushing heavily as he talked to Cherche.

The exalt let out a laugh. "Well, that's new!" He declared. "It's refreshing to see Frederick enjoying himself for once."

Nathan nodded in agreement, as Basilio and Flavia stood up at the other end of the table, causing a silence to fall over the room.

Basilio spoke up, arms raised. "SO! As you all know by now, as of tomorrow, we are heading to face this threat of Walhart the Conqueror, in war, against his 'army'. Some of you may know war, may have lived through it, and most of you fought alongside us through one just two years ago. You know that there are lives at stake, and there will be casualties."

Flavia then took over, picking up her wine glass from the table. "However, tonight, we become family again, before war takes us apart," She added. "Tonight, we celebrate the union between the Ylissean and Feroxi people!"

The group of assembled warriors roared loudly in response, clapping their hands, stomping their feet, and raising their fists in approval.

Flavia raised her glass. "To our kingdoms!"

"TO OUR KINGDOMS!"

As Basilio and Flavia sat down from their speech to thunderous applause, the hall became filled with chatter once again as melodious music filled the air, coming from the band of nobles on hand to wish luck to the force. From across the table, Nathan gave a thumbs up to Basilio, who grinned widely back at him.

"Quite a speech, eh?" Chrom muttered to his friend. The tactician nodded. "Not bad for an old man, I think. Though I wouldn't have minded it being a bit shorter…" He replied, his stomach rumbling in agreement. Chrom laughed, turning around slightly, noticing servants exiting the Kitchen, bringing out trays and trays of food. Watching the main tables, he could see all sorts of meats being brought to the groups of shepherds sitting down. The Prince licked his lips eagerly.

"What kind of meat is that?" Lissa asked Nathan, nudging him slightly as she squinted at the other tables.

"Probably bear meat," The man teased, letting out a mock sigh and leaning back in his chair. "Looks like you'll have to just give it all to me, what a shame…"

Lissa blew a raspberry at her husband, smiling slightly as she playfully punched his arm.

"Ah, here it comes! Took long enough!" Basilio roared from the other end of the table. Nathan, Chrom, Lissa and Sumia all leaned forward eagerly, watching as the servants brought out covered trays for each of them, and for Basilio and Flavia as well.

Nathan grinned, taking the metal cover of the plate he was given and slowly lifting it off. "Well, don't mind if I…do?" Inside was a bowl filled with a white creamy soup, filled with meats, vegetables, and the like. Nathan shrugged indifferently. He was hungry after all, and food was food. While it wasn't meat, it had meat in it, so the tactician decided it couldn't be all that bad.

A voice then spoke up from behind him. "Are you enjoying your dinner, Milords?"

Nathan and Chrom turned around to see Frederick standing behind them, beaming.

"Hey Fred," Nathan greeted, before tilting his head slightly in confusion, "Shouldn't you be off with Cherche?"

Frederick smiled. "I took some time to have a good chat with Milady Cherche, and 'got acquainted with her', as you suggested, Grandmaster Nathan! However, I told her my duties to my Princes and Princesses must come first! Naturally, she understood, and allowed me to go and be with Milords!"

Chrom laughed awkwardly, midway through turning into a bit of a sigh. "That's…great…"

Sumia then spoke up. "Actually, Frederick, there is something you can help us with…they never gave us spoons for this soup, do you think you can…?"

Frederick pumped up his chest. "I will complain in the kitchen on your behalf's posthaste!" He then began to march for the kitchen, with Nathan frantically calling to him, "We just want spoons! Be nice! Don't hit anyone!"

"No guarantees, Milord! I must get justice for this grievous error!"

Nathan pushed back his chair, standing up and turning to the others. "We really need to follow him, I think."

The four rushed quickly to catch up to Frederick, who had burst through the doors, yelling, "I demand to know the location of your finest spoons!"

Chrom rushed in first behind the great knight, lightly shoving him out of the way. "Very sorry for our friend here. What he means is, we never got spoons for our meal, and if it isn't an issue, could we get some?"

One of the chefs nodded, not looking up from the carrots he was chopping up. "Help yourselves," He told them, reaching down and pulling open a drawer to reveal an assortment of Spoons, each in their own pile, all different. Nathan counted eight in total.

"Oh, what a perfect moment, just as we were discussing back on the caravan!" Frederick exclaimed, his eyes lighting up. "Milord, please show Nathan which spoon the proper one is for consuming soups!"

Chrom's eyes widened as he gritted his teeth slightly, panicking. He looked to Sumia, who shrugged in confusion. Lissa squinted at the spoons for a moment, before slightly waving her hand towards the right side of the drawer.

"Right, well…" Chrom began, turning around and putting his arm around Nathan's shoulder, who did the same back to the man.

"Do you know which one it is?" Nathan hissed under his breath, so only Chrom could hear.

"Of course not! But Lissa motioned to the right side of this thing, so it has to be one of these ones…" The Exalt pointed towards the four kinds of spoons on the right half of the drawer.

"It should be big and deep, right? To get lots of soup each time you use it…" Nathan muttered back, pointing to two spoons in the drawer. Chrom nodded in agreement. He then came up with an idea, picking up one of the spoons they had isolated, and handing it to Nathan. He then picked up the other, keeping it to himself.

The two turned around, facing Frederick and the others. Frederick looked on anxiously, as Chrom tried to explain things.

"Well, I told Nathan that this spoon (He motioned to the one he was holding) is the correct one, but he said that he read a book in which they used the spoon he picked up…so we agreed that both could work for this dish!"

Frederick let out a loud gasp. "MILORDS! YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT NEITHER OF YOU KNOWS THE PROPER SPOON?"

Nathan raised an eyebrow, before turning to Lissa, who looked equally confused. "Which one is it then?"

The great knight cried out in exasperation, marching over and grabbing the smallest spoon in the bowl, thrusting one into the hands of the Exalt and his Tactician. "This one, of course! How could you ever think that the pudding spoons could be used for soup?! Oh, I have failed in my duties as a knight…"

Nathan scratched his head for a moment as he and the others slowly started to back away from the great knight, who was standing, looking defeated and shaking his head. "Right…well…we'll just be heading back to eat now, Freddy…"

As the four shepherds left the kitchen, Lissa and Sumia finally burst out laughing. Chrom glared at Nathan, trying to do his best impression of him.

"Oh, it's gotta be a big one, so you can scoop lots of soup up…" He mocked.

"Hey! You agreed with me!" Nathan shot back. The two glared at each other before laughing as they walked back to their table.

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