Saya: Hello everyone…. uh, it's Saya here… this is kind of my first time with this… so, um… FD is kind of busy at the moment, so he wanted me to get the chapter going.

Deadpool: Is he doing homework?

Saya: No, he's gone to Montreal. A big tournament. I just hope he doesn't get hurt…. But we shouldn't think like that. So anyway… we don't own anything… cue the intro… I think…

For more visual aid, take a look at Sengoku Musou's opening. Music: Sen Ikusa by Wagakki Band

(Instrumental) The Brand of Pandora falls down while spinning, landing on a familiar forehead with bangs. The perspective shifts back slightly to show Eric looking up ahead, while Chrom's side profile is shown facing the other direction behind the former. Their respective brands plaster the background as Chrom stands with a hand on his hip and Eric stands with arms crossed. Then Sumia crouches on one knee in front of Cordelia, an emblem of upward curving wings beside them. Next, Frederick, Raven, and Robin, each with their respective weapons of an axe, sword, and tome in hand, accompanied by a scythe and dragon emblem. Next, Walhart stands tall with Wolf Berg on his shoulder with the emblem reminiscent of his axe beside him. Then the black scene receives two slashes to reveal the black scene to show the title "Fire Emblem: Decisions

(Kataku chikatta yurenai omoi nara koko ni aru darou?) Falchion and Eternity stand in the ground in an X when suddenly, Eric and Chrom run through from each side and grab their respective weapons. With flame emitted from the blade, Eric swung a few times, a torrent of fire torching the scene

(Shinnen aru nara surechigai mo mata hitsuzen darouka kotae wa izuko da) Chrom slashes the screen accompanied by powerful gusts of wind, and a battlefield of troops are blown away with an explosion, revealing the two kings back to back grinning at one another over their shoulder. A familiar background of royal blue is displayed behind Robin as he points forward, Frederick appears on screen with an axe in hand. Raven, armed with Uramasa and a smile, each of the two on Robin's left and right sides. A red background replaces the blue, with Walhart holding his Wolf Berg. Yen'fay, Excellus and Cervantes each appear at Walhart's side before Yen'fay slashes the scene

(Iza, maichire sakura saite inochi no aru kagiri maire) A silver lance, a steel sword, and Uramasa lock with one another, the scene widens to show Frederick, Robin and Raven smiling at the sky, making a pact of sorts. Now, the Shepherds all stand in a group with Vaike pointing up at the screen, then the scene switches to a black background, with both Aversa and Validar standing parallel to each other while a pair of ominous red eyes glow on a darkened face

(Aa, mou dare ni mo inai fuwari, kaze ga naida) Chrom stands beneath a veil of sakura trees, petals dancing along the wind in the glow of the moonlight. Sumia hugs the prince from behind, bringing a warm smile to his face as he places a hand on Sumia's. Meanwhile, Eric looks out at the crescent moon over a cliff. Cordelia looks at him with worry and sadness in her eyes with a hand on her chest.

(Hanate, hanate ikusa he inotte, inotte mirai he) A bolt of Thoron is launched from Robin's hand, Frederick attacks with his lance, then Sumia and Cordelia charge through the sky with their lances in hand. A familiar blue haired swordswoman stands with her hand on Chrom's sword, surrounded by 15 silhouettes before one of them jump out to cut the scene with a purple flash

(Waratte, waratteruyouni douka, chikai no nakade chirasetekure) A young Chrom and Eric run side by side with smiles on their faces before the scene cuts to a dreary looking castle, the two now adult royals charge at Walhart with swords in hand. Chrom avoids a strike from Walhart as Eric jumps in the air and meets the Conqueror's axe, the force cracking the ground beneath them and causing it to explode

(Sono kokoro, makoto ni musou) Falchion and Eternity fall from the skies and land in an X once more. A freeze frame of Eric and Chrom both running is displayed, Cordelia and Sumia appear next near their respective love interests, then Raven appears in the middle in front with a hand on his hip and a smile. Frederick stands on Chrom's side with hands behind his back, Robin, on Eric's side with a hand on his chin in thought. Finally, a large portrait style view of Walhart towering behind them all, ending the opening.

"Hold still, damn it," Cordelia huffed as she took a handful of my hair.

"Remind me why you decided you wanted to mess around with my hair?"

A brush in her hand, she wiped her brow. "Because, you hardly take care of it, there are so many split ends that I can't even count them, and while you wash it, you rarely condition it." She continued to rake the brush through my hair. "And besides, you'll get a fresh new look from yours truly."

I sighed in absolute annoyance, the urge to storming out growing very tempting right about now. But that would backfire greatly. For one, she was in MY house, so I wouldn't have anywhere to go before she would find me, or before I forget why I left in the first place. And secondly, I couldn't necessarily go against her reasoning, she was right. I really didn't take care of it as much as I should have over the years, streamwater and hot springs being the only thing to cleanse it.

"You're lucky you're pretty," I grumbled, receiving a humourous giggle from the redhead.

"I know."

Cordelia flipped her hair out of her face and behind her back, reaching a hand onto the bedside table for a pair of metal scissors, making clipping noises with the tool. A slow drawn-out breath left her lungs before she put the tool to my hair, feeling the resistance of my hair against the metal.

I blew at a stray bit of hair that had fallen on my face. "Since when did you become a groomer, hm?"

"Since I had a pet to groom," the redhead quipped back with a cheeky grin.

I snorted at her remark and coupled it with an eye roll. Her quips aside, I really enjoyed her now more frequent company. It had been weeks since Chrom's wedding at this point, and as far as I could recall, there wasn't ever a day to pass that wasn't spent with Cordelia in some way, shape, or form. Of course, our duties had to come first before that, but all else was fair game. I even had to force Raven to take more days off just so Cordelia and I could be alone, though that was easier said than done most times. Fortunately, I'd figured a way to get him to spend more time with the dancer he seemed so fond of.

I mean, sure, he didn't know it as of yet, but in due time.

Another snip rang out. "I assume you're playing matchmaker again, huh?"

"Aw come on, Cherry," I sighed. "It's obvious that Olivia has a thing for Raven, it's almost painfully clear."

Cordelia giggled. "Funny, that's the same thing I heard from Sumia."

"About Raven?" I asked incredulously.

"About you to me," she laughed again.

"Is that right?" As much as I wanted to, I couldn't be mad. I still win out of this. "It is what it is. The Shepherds will be the Shepherds."

A long silence followed that sentence, save for the use of the scissors. "So, do you plan on getting a replacement," Cordelia began, attempting to break the tension. "For your arm, I mean."

"Unless you know someone who knows regenerative dark magic, there is no replacement."

"Tharja doesn't?"

I scoffed. "She's more suited for hexing, not for healing."

I could tell she nodded. "I see."

"And the only person who knows that kind of magic is the reason I've lost it," I chuckled, giving an attempt at alleviating the thought. "Eh, I'll have something figured out."

A few minutes passed, and Cordelia finally set aside the clippers. "Alright, then, Eric, your hair is finally finished…" She reached out for a hand mirror before bringing it in front of me. My hair before, it was long and shaggy when left down and would get in my eye's view often, hence why I often had it tied back. But now, with the hair clipped and styled evenly, now it left my face and eyesight exposed for the most part, though a small bit of it would still fall over my left eye. As well, what used to be shoulder length now barely extended below my ears.

"What do you think?"

I hadn't responded, but the way my hair looked, there was only one thing I could do. I stood up slowly before running a hand through my hair, sweeping it all back. "I alone will stand at the top," I huskily said as I crushed the mirror in my hand.

"Whatever the hell you're doing, you owe me a new mirror," Cordelia chimed in.

"Okay, okay," I chuckled. "I suppose we'll go find you one."

After an afternoon walk with the pegasus knight to make a quick merchant's deal for a new mirror, she and I decided to get a nice late lunch, as she and I had been craving for a good bite to eat for a while. At the quaint little establishment we were at, I had gotten a full meal of spit-roasted pork with buttered bread and collard greens while my companion had noodle soup with pork and egg in it. I was surprised she had developed such a palette, as well the restaurant itself; what she had been eating was something native to the western neighbouring continent of Ylisse, so it wasn't very common around these parts. Same went for the establishment, that was a delicacy not native to Ylisse, so I wasn't expecting them to have it on the menu for the redhead to order. Either way, I simply shrugged and continued eating.

One meal time and conversation later, I offered if she would like dessert, and with a nod as my response, I hailed down the waitress. "Excuse me," I began with a friendly tone to the woman. "Do you serve any desserts, and if so, what would you consider to be your best one?"

The waitress tucked her wooden tray beneath her arm. "Well, I would have to say that our apple pie is one of our best sellers. Sprinkled with cinnamon and using apples picked fresh from Rosanne, it is one sweet treat that keeps customers coming back for more."

I looked at Cordelia. "Would you like that?"

"I'm not sure," she smiled sheepishly. "Truth be told, I've never had apple pie before."

My eyes widened and my eyebrows were raised. "You mean to tell me you've never had apple pie? With Sumia as your longest friend?"

She nodded. "Well, I'll be damned." I grinned in amusement. "That means you HAVE to try it then. Two apple pies, fair lady."

I placed six gold coins on the table to cover our food as well as the oncoming dessert. "Okay then, it shall arrive shortly."

As the waitress made her way back towards the kitchen, Cordelia raised an eyebrow at me. "Fair lady, hmm?"

"I said that platonically, dear," I sighed.

"Oh, I know," Cordelia began. "It's just always fun trying to mess with you. Not many people know of my playful side, so I'd count yourself lucky if I were you."

"Playful indeed." I tapped the wood of the table. "A good quality to have in a woman, in my honest opinion."

"Oh, the analysis of what makes the opposite sex desirable? From Lord Eric of Pandora?" the redhead gasped in mock surprise. "Please, do go on!"

I furrowed my brow, but couldn't prevent the grin on my face from surfacing. "I'll have you know that my analysis is a fair one, though opinion, much like my own, differs from person to person."

Curiosity getting the better of her, she laid her elbows on the table, leaning towards me with her chin on her palms. "And pray tell, what is your opinion? Specifically, what is your opinion of me?"

"Well…" I lifted my previous cup of water to my mouth. "The best way I could phrase my opinion of you is that I like my women the way I like my weapons. Strong, sharp and sexy."

Curiosity and wonder quickly turned to embarrassment and vulnerability as a blush comparable to her own hair creeped up on her face. "W-what? No, that's not… I mean… you…" Not too keen on sputtering anything that would make her look like a fool, she held her tongue and turned away. "...s-shut up…"

I grinned against the rim of the cup. "Keikaku doori."

Tychon: ….you all know what that phrase means(crickets chirp).

Suddenly, the waitress comes back with our dessert order in hand. "Here are your pies, hope you enjoy!" she said sweetly. I nodded my thanks before taking a bite of mine, humming in content to the sweet welcome of the confection. Meanwhile, I saw Cordelia eye her slice with a slight wariness, which was to be expected for her first time trying a slice of it, though that would soon change I suspected.

"Come on, just take one bite." Encouraging her, I finally got her to cut a piece with her fork and with a little hesitance, she slid the piece into her mouth. In an instant, her body became stiff as a board, fork still in her mouth and her eyes widened to sizes that would shame dinner plates. I looked her directly eye-to-eye, but she didn't seem to respond. "Hey, Cordelia? You okay?"

I didn't receive an answer. I proceeded to wave my hand in front of her in an attempt to get her attention. No response still. "Hm. This is the first time I've seen this happen," I mused aloud. Still, it would be a damned shame if good pie were to be wasted. "Look, if you don't like it, I can always just take it off your-GYAH!"

My free hand, which was previously inching towards her side of the table, was yanked back instantly, a knife lodged deep in the wooden table where it used to be. I looked up and away from my hand to see Cordelia staring me down, her face was completely shrouded in an ominous darkness, her usually violet orbs replaced with a sinister red glare. "Touch the pie and I kill you myself." she warned me.

"Okay, Cherry, damn! A simple "this is amazing" would suffice!" I replied, nursing what could have been my impaled hand.

Inwardly, though, I had chuckled to myself. She was a busy bee to say the least, and in tandem with her perfectionistic nature and track record, it wasn't a secret that many found her unapproachable. It was quite refreshing and admittedly adorable to see her quirky side not many get to see. I mean, how many others can say they've seen someone react like that towards pie of all things? Save for anyone referring to Gaius, anyway.

"Can I have yours?"

"What…?" I pulled myself out of my doldrums long enough to see two very expectant violet orbs staring between me and the food I had on my plate. "You didn't even finish your-"

"Done," she blurted out, showing me her empty plate.

"Look, miss, you already had your pie, let me enjoy mine!" I said with a false stern voice.

The redhead across from me placed down her plate, and with all the appeal she could muster, she leaned over the table, grabbed my hands in hers and stared directly into my eyes. "Please, can I have your pie, baby?"

Godsdamn it. Had this been a year ago, I would have simply eaten the food in plain sight without any concern. But I can't do that, not with Cordelia.

"Ugh… Fine." I pushed my half eaten slice of pie over to her, quite reluctantly, might I add. Seeing her dine on it with such enthusiasm and content quickly got rid of my previous scowl, replacing it with a warm smile of my own.

Cordelia's eyes opened, their focus was on me. "Thank you so much," she squealed before taking yet another bite.

I sighed with a smile. "You're welcome, Cherry."

"So what are you doing for the rest of the day?" Cordelia asked once she finished off her pie.

"I dunno, I'm basically free."

She twirled her hair in her finger. "Then would you mind walking with me home? After all, a beautiful woman like me is easy prey."

"Oh please," I snorted. "You'd sooner castrate them. That said, I would love to."

Once we'd finished up with our food and I'd paid the bill, she and I made progress towards her home. I stretched my arms out behind my head, yawning up at the late afternoon sky as the sun began to fall closer and closer towards the horizon, midway between it and the highest point in the sky. I let my arms fall back to my sides, and at that moment, I felt something soft and smooth coil around my right arm. I looked down to see Cordelia holding me by the arm close to her, humming happily.

"Enjoying yourself?" I asked, to which she nodded against my shoulder in response.

She laced her fingers with mine. "Sorry if I'm bothering you, it's just… I've wanted this for so long…"

"If I may be indulged… how long exactly did you feel this way about me?" I asked.

Cordelia tapped her chin. "Hmm… it's been a while but… I guess the furthest I can remember is when Emmeryn was about to be assassinated."

I raised an eyebrow incredulously. "Not to be rude, but that's a rather odd place for it."

"Well aren't you a gentleman," she pouted. "Maybe I shouldn't tell you."

"Hahaha, okay." I held her hand tighter. "I apologize. Now go on."

"It was as far back as the first attempt on Lady Emmeryn's head that I realized it myself. Of course, there were other things prior to that which caused me to get closer and closer to you, but that one moment stuck out to me." She raised her head to look at me, a smile on her face. "It showed me how kind and selfless of a man you were, to defend a foreign leader as the risk of your life."

I laughed sheepishly. "Chrom would have had my head if I didn't get her out alive. And besides, it would have been very detrimental to Ylisse if she were to die. So I can't say that was completely out of selfless heroism."

"Make excuses all you want, tough guy," Cordelia huffed. "You act like you have a heart of stone, but you're a big softie, you know that?"

"Whatever." I scratched my nose with my one hand, trying the best I could not to disturb the woman on my arm. She didn't seem to care about not disturbing me, however, as she proceeded to poke my face to get my attention once more. "Yes, dear?"

"You have a bit of pie filling on your face."

"Of course you'd spot it," I replied with a shake of the head. "Where is it anyway?" I rub at my cheek. "Is it here?"

She shook her head. A little confused, I moved my hand inward. "How about now?"

Another no. My hand reached the corner of my mouth, but when I asked her again, she still answered negative. "Okay, then where?" I asked slightly defeated.

"Right there." No sooner than that sentence left her mouth, she clapped both slender hands on my face, pulled me towards her face, and smashed her lips against mine. My eyes couldn't go any wider within that first second or two, but once I finally processed what was going on, I returned the kiss in full. Probably good that the nearby area wasn't populated too much, I wouldn't want anyone seeing the two of us if I had to be honest with myself. I felt her tongue push against my teeth, as if asking for permission, so I let my teeth part to deepen the kiss between the two of us. Being the gentleman-no, more like the guy NOT trying to get kicked in the weak point for doing anything out of the question-I was, I made sure to keep my grip above her hips as I held her close to me. She's kissed me before, yes, but it always felt perfect every single time, for the risk of sounding cliché.

A low-pitched, loud cough interrupted the two of us in our moment, which attracted our attention. Seeing who garnered our attention, my face immediately went aflame, and I immediately cursed my position in this situation. "Daddy!" Cordelia sputtered, her entire face flushed red with embarrassment. She was mortified that she'd been caught in such a spot, whereas I feared for my life at that moment.

Still clung to me, she looked between me and her father before putting down her raised leg and pushed herself off of me. "Um… well, how have you been today? I heard Mother came back yesterday."

Egil crossed his arms. "Yes, she'd just returned from her council summit meeting in Caldor not too long ago. I'm sure you would have seen her the moment she returned if you had stayed the night at home," he said with a tone I couldn't place, either between subdued anger and amusement, could have literally been anything within those parameters.

She kept a laser focus on the ground at her feet. "Sorry, I didn't think she'd arrive so late at night."

"Not to worry. But, I'm afraid we have bigger fish to fry."

This caught the redhead's attention rather swiftly. "What do you mean?"

Detecting his daughter's slowly growing fear at what was to come, he turned his gaze away, trying to muster the strength to look her in the eye. "Well… as you already know, your mother attended the noble council summit of Ylisse held every so often."

I tilted my head. "Wait… noble council… you're nobility, Cordelia?!"

"My parents are the Count and Countess of Tivales, west of Ylisstol," she answered briefly, not even bothering to give a full explanation before turning back to her father. "Anyway, what makes it a problem?"

"I'm not entirely sure if this is to be discussed in Hawk's presence," Egil replied, referring to me.

Cordelia tugged me by the arm. "He's my boyfriend, he has every right to know."

A long, drawn-out sigh began Egil's next statement. "Very well. Anyway, your mother had attended the meeting keeping in mind that the topic at hand was the different ties between some of the households, and it was in particular two of them, our house and the Antillus house, wish to mend their relationship, look beyond the past conflicts and instead opting on treading forward."

I could tell that Cordelia was growing increasingly impatient, and I wouldn't blame her one bit. I tasted a familiar bile at the sound of the name as well, but I had to hold my tongue for now. I held her hand in a shot to try and comfort her. "So then…? What's the point?"

"In order for the Talia-torre family, and the house in question to smooth over its bitter history, their house had come to a conclusion." Egil took a pause that was well needed to form his words carefully, though it would hardly matter in the long run. "That conclusion was… that you be married off to the young master Nathaniel Antillus."

I could literally hear something snap in Cordelia's head as many non-descript mumblings were heard. "...I'm sorry, could you repeat that? I didn't quite hear you right, Daddy, I could have sworn I heard you say I was to be married to that piece of filth many come to name Antillus. But surely, it's my imagination."

"I fear not, my child." Egil solemnly sighed. "In fact, it was her who suggested it. She truly had much of a distaste for the bickering going on between the two houses and she figured this would be the best way to handle th-sweetheart?"

The air suddenly heated up immensely within the surrounding area, increasing the air pressure around the three of us as well and burning what little had managed to grow between the cracks of the cobblestone road beneath us.

"Oh shit, she's mad, Egil," I lamented, pulling her close to me. "Quick, try and convince your wife to call off the whole thing before Cordelia kills us both! I'll stall for time!"

While Egil rushed inside to do as I instructed, I tried my best to calm the ill-tempered redhead down, lest she end up incinerating everything on the block. "It's okay," I cooed softly as I stroked her hair, the heat and pressure letting up at last.

"I'm sorry, Eric. I didn't know what came over me."

I ran my hand through her long, beautiful hair. "Don't worry about it, I will handle this pesky problem and you can go back to stealing food from me, okay?"

She nodded enthusiastically. "Goodnight Cherry, and hey. Try not to kill your mother when you see her, okay?" I joked before kissing her forehead and turning the other way. "See you around."

As I got further and further away from Cordelia's abode, I looked around the rooftops to analyze the situation. "You can come on down, now."

Our beloved and loyal knight to the Pandorian royal family jumped down from the rooftops, landing silently at my feet. "Reporting in, milord."

"I take it some of his men were tracking me?"

"Quite a number of them too, some were even armed to snipe you down. I have dispatched them with ease, however."

I chuckled lightly towards the sky. "Nathan, Nathan, Nathan… you really want me out of the picture, don't you?"

"I can assume you don't take much interest from this nobleman," Raven supplied.

"None in the slightest, as of now at least."

"Well, that's good to hear. Because I believe it is time for your surgery."

I tilted my head in confusion. "Surgery? What surgery?"

I felt a slight chop to the neck before I lost all hearing, save for an annoying ringing in my ears, and I had quickly lost my sight until everything had become black.

I felt the light filter through my bedroom window, its rays dancing along my skin with the subtle touches of a feather, succeeding in bringing a smile to my face as I woke up. Though something felt a little… odd. I don't think it was the sheets, I mean, yes, they had been washed recently, but it wasn't out of the ordinary. I hadn't been robbed or injured, that wasn't the case. I sat up in bed and began my morning stretch before I felt something heavy on my left side, as well as the clanking of metal. My groggy, trance-like gaze now exploded into a open-eyed stare of awe. It started with a strap attached to my left bicep, which extended down towards my forearm. Midway down, I saw that my arm was replaced with a mechanical one, complete with a mobile hand, flexibility with the custom made joint on the elbow, and from what I could tell by the latch on it, it came with a replacement feature.

I blinked in surprise. "I've totally got to test this out."

"Oh, milord, you're awake!" I heard Raven call from the other side of my bedroom door. The doorknob clicked and turned before the door opened, with Raven being behind it to walk through. "I take it you've found out about your new addition?"

"Hell yeah I have," I blurted out, swinging my arm about once I got out of bed. "Is this the surgery you were talking about yesterday?"

"Indeed." Without warning, Raven threw a ceramic piece in my direction, namely the left side of my body. Without even thinking, I reach out to catch the hardened clay in my new hand, crushing it in my palm. I couldn't believe my own eyes as I opened and closed my new metal fist. "What… what is this…"

"Amazing, isn't it?" Raven began. "Libra, Miriel, Gaius, Stahl and I really had our work cut out for us to make it, but I'd say it came out done well."

"It's… it's like a real arm!" I exclaimed in surprise.

"It took us hours to create a pseudo nervous system for the missing portion, and hours more to weave it through the metal itself. It works and operates like a real arm, however, it also allows you to feel pain as well."

Raven got a broom in hand and began sweeping up the mess of clay. "Though since it's not as fragile as human skin, it takes a lot more for you to feel the pain, unless it experiences heat, of course, so be careful not to overheat it."

I clenched my new hand a few more times before punching the air. "What does this thing come with?"

Raven picked up the dust tray he had to gather the shards. "It houses a repeated crossbow, magnetic properties to enhance sword grip, and a powerful single-shot cannon. Courtesy of Stahl. He worked on most of the rough plans and broader aspects of it," he replied. "Please refrain from using any of the features on it. I'd rather that you heal properly before doing anything rash with it."

I winced a little bit, remembering what took place yesterday. "That reminds me… I have something to discuss with you about the past evening."

Raven waved a hand in interruption. "Worry not, milord. I heard everything, and I even made sure to get as much information from Lady Cordelia about the matter as she was privy to."

I sighed in relief. Good to know I could always count on Raven. "And what did you find out?"

"The two families intend to meet with each other at Ylisstol Square at noon today, to discuss the terms of Lady Cordelia's arrangement with Master Antillus."

A manic grin spread across my face. "Wonderful, so I can humiliate him in front of a live audience."

"Quite." The dark haired swordsman paced across the foot of my bed. "Though you must get ready and dress yourself, milord, we have only three hours until then."

"Oh trust me. I'll be ready."

The sun reached the sky's highest point, signalling to all that noon had come. Within the hustle and bustle of the plaza square, Raven and I stood within the crowd, disguised with cloaks so that Nathaniel wouldn't spot us so quickly. Even with all of the clamor around me, I could detect Cordelia's presence gradually getting closer, and following the sensation with my watchful eye, I tracked her, surrounded by her parents. What caught my eye was her mother, and it was from there that I could definitely see where she got her looks from. Not to try and flatter, but simply from a genetic standpoint, she was almost one-to-one with Cordelia, from the hair color, to her violet eyes, even her facial shape and her tall height. The woman held a stone-faced expression as she strolled on through to the statue of the Hero-King that stood tall in the center of the plaza square.

I had to keep my face hidden, however, as a rather large group was approaching the center as well, within it was a familiar signature. "Antillus," I whispered to myself. As he got closer, my ears picked up on a rather interesting piece of information, one that certainly gave me some level of intel.

"Heheh, what a day it is," the nobleman guffawed. "How sad it must be for that lowly Pandorian swine that his beloved will be handed over to me! I just wish I could see the look on his face, if not for just a moment, and see the anguish and suffering!"

He clenched his fist as he all but walked past me. "That shall teach him not to tussle with House Antillus!"

I deadpanned, considering the possibility of having an aneurysm out of the sheer stupidity. "So he's doing this, ALL of this, simply to spite me? That's rich."

"Milord, I wish you would tell me of your plans sometimes," Raven chided. "Especially when it requires such awkward disguises."

"Hush, you'll see soon enough." Once I saw the two parties make contact, I gave a few hand signs to Raven, signalling to him to move closer. With as much stealth as could possibly be mustered in plain sight, he and I darted from spot to spot, making sure not to blow our cover just yet, hiding behind carts and in alcoves wherever possible. In my location, I was in a great spot; close enough to be within earshot of the ensuing conversation, but out of range of any prying eyes.

I analyzed the initial greeting between the two, narrowing my eyes at the way Nathaniel looked at Cordelia. It was absolutely disgusting to say the least.

"Greetings to you, Lady Cordelia. Such a fine day today," Nathaniel spoke, grinning ear to ear as he placed a chaste kiss to the back of her hand, much to Cordelia's ire. Still, she still somehow managed to keep her composure. "And greetings to you, Master Antillus."

"Now then, let us get down to the main course of the matter," Nathaniel suggested. "I am a very busy man, and I have things to do elsewhere."

"Indeed," Cordelia's mother said, raising her arm in front of her daughter to take over. "I would like to discuss with you my terms."

And here it goes, I thought.

"I request that this deal be revoked."

This certainly left me, Cordelia, and especially Nathaniel surprised, though the latter was also enraged beyond belief. Just seeing the snot-nosed noble try to compose himself was absolutely a sight to see. "May I ask why this is the case?"

"Originally, I figured that my daughter wouldn't have any qualms with this, and I truly do wish to bring our houses together," she started. "However, I have come to realize that she is her own woman and I will not force her to marry a man she isn't in love with. And on top of it… she already has a man to which her heart belongs."

I could see the red in Nathaniel's eyes intensify with every word Cordelia's mother spoke. "We could find another way to connect our houses once more."

"I think not," Nathaniel huffed. "What you've just committed is nothing but an even greater insult to the house of Antillus." He reached out in rage and grabbed Cordelia by the arm, tugging her forward. Seeing that this would not continue well, Egil went to step in for his daughter, only to be blocked off by one two of Nathaniel's men. Looking back at Raven, I nodded at him, giving him the signal to move.

"You will be married to me, young Talia-torre, and your so-called boyfriend will simply be shit out of luck!"

At the end of that sentence, I grabbed him roughly by the arm he held Cordelia with. "You don't seem to learn much, do you, Nate?"

Nathaniel, enraged even further, growled out in vexation. "No… not you again!"

"How's it going, Nate?" I said as I removed my cowl with my new arm. "Haven't seen you in a while. How's the spleen doing? Heard it took some damage after that hellish blow I planted in your torso."

"Just fine." Letting go of Cordelia to wrench his arm out of my grip, he scoffed in disgust. "Tell me what brings you here. I wasn't aware you had a death wish today."

I saw his men surround me, pushing Cordelia out of the way and keeping me in the center of it all. Looking around me, it didn't take a genius to realize this attracted a large amount of attention from many passing civilians. "Was the Harvest Festival not a clear indicator of how this is going to go down?"

"Men." With that one word, each of Nathaniel's henchmen drew blades on me, causing many a scream to erupt from the unsuspecting public, as well as Raven reaching to draw Uramasa before I raised my hand to keep him steady. "Hold, Raven. This matter can be solved quite quickly. So please. Step down."

Raven kept an iron-grip on his blade, but eventually sheathed his blade fully with hesitance. Pleased with my charge stepping back, I placed my hands behind my back. "Now then, Nathaniel, I believe you have something you wish to be done? Give them the command. I know you're itching for it."

The noble was foaming at the mouth, glaring with all of his might in the hopes that he would fell me right on the spot. In a low, primal voice, he rasped out two words to his men. "Kill him."

I grinned like a lunatic as one of them lunged at me with an outstretched arm, easily dodging the blade. Another came at me from my right side, swinging his blade down, yet I evaded that attack as well. As time passed, I casually dodged each and every strike the near dozen of Nathaniel's lackeys had to offer, before knocking each of them out with a single strike to either the gut, neck, or jaw. Once the last of his pitiful crew fell to the ground, I turned my eyes to Nathaniel, his gaze wary, yet unwavering. I made slow, suspenseful steps towards him, towering over his figure before grabbing him by the collar and throwing him to the side, clearing a path to Cordelia. A smile grew on my face as I heard Nathaniel clatter to whatever the hell he hit on the way, not that I truly cared either way.

"You okay, Cherry? He didn't bruise you, did he?"

The pegasus knight laughed softly, "No, I'm just fine."

I glanced over at the pathetic nobleman, barely picking himself up off the ground. "I told you your beauty was going to get me in trouble," I joked. "It's a blessing and a curse to have someone as striking as you to myself."

I sighed, my gaze softening once my eyes landed on the redhead. "And to think that this could very well be a regular occurrence."

Cordelia tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

This is it, I thought as I placed a hand in the depths of my pocket. No turning back. "Cordelia…"

I took a deep breath, hoping it could calm me down just for this moment. A tense silence filled my surroundings before noise and screams of all kinds erupted as I slowly fell to one knee. I raised my hand out of my pocket and bring it forward to her. Within my hand was a small box holding a band of exquisite silver, and atop it was a single three-sided jewel of ruby, each corner tipped with a crescent, the jewel being reminiscent to my brand. Cordelia stared at me with doe eyes for a brief moment before bursting into tears. Overwhelmed by emotion, she would have collapsed on the spot had it not been for her parents' support behind her. She clasped both hands over her mouth, trying to contain the thoughts she couldn't put to words.

A ragged breath escaped me as I pushed on. "Damn, what a time to do this… Look, I know this isn't the best of times, and it's a little sudden. But hear me out. Cordelia, I've been shunned, slandered and spat on by many a person since I've been but a boy. I've always had to be alone, and very few were even willing to give me a warm welcome, leading me to stay away from others. However, I'm happy to say that you're one of those few. As I got to know you, you taught me that I can trust others, and that I'm not made of stone. And, as cliché as it sounds… you changed me. You changed me into the man who would put his life on the line to save those whom he cared about, you changed me into the man of warmth and love he is today. And most of all, you make me feel like I can take on the world without a single scratch. I ask you that you please be my beacon of strength, my ray of hope, and most importantly, not as a fellow soldier, not as simply a lover, but as he who wishes to be your husband… will you marry me?"

Cordelia was openly crying at this point, not even trying to hold back what she felt inside. Her parents looked at her with warmth and happiness in their eyes, smiles of joy written across their features. Let it be known that among the extensive list of her many, MANY talents, she was an unrivalled wordsmith. Well, save for maybe Virion or Miriel. So I made sure to savour this moment no matter what her answer was, as this was potentially the only time I would see the Knight Paragon of Ylisse blubber like a child over a broken toy, stumbling over her words drastically.

"Yes." Cordelia nodded furiously. "I will!"

My face lit up like a Christmas tree at those three words, and I would have gone in to place the ring onto her finger, if not for a sudden blunt hit to the side of my head, and a sickening crack as the object made contact. Dazed, but not knocked out, I trailed the attack to see a boot, leading back to a livid Nathaniel.

"I will not stand for this!" he roared as he stepped over towards me. "I will not be humiliated by some insolent fool who clearly doesn't know his place!"

"HOW DARE YOU!" was all Nathaniel could hear before Cordelia planted a bare-knuckled slugger punch straight to the side of his head, sending him tumbling to the ground away from me. The hit certainly jarred something loose, forcing a mortified nobleman to spit out a couple teeth and some blood.

"You bitch… you have no idea…" My blood ran cold as I heard the familiar grind of steel being unsheathed. "WHO YOU'RE DEALING WITH!"

A squelch reverberated throughout the square as Nathaniel's cold steel ran through flesh. Not even thinking about what method would be best, I stand in front of Cordelia, shielding her from the potentially fatal blow. A round of gasps came from the frightened townspeople, Cordelia, and her parents, and a grin of triumph from the attacker.

"You fool!" Nathaniel cackled. "Didn't I tell you that humiliation won't stand with me?! Enjoy breathing while you still have it!"

"Thank you, my arteries have been itching for a while." Triumph and hysterical laughter shifted into shock and hopeless horror once I grabbed his arm, squeezing like a vice. "You know… I remember this one saying that my mother once told me long ago, dear Nathan."

"Don't weep for the stupid, you'll be crying all day." A small series of crunches and pops came from my grip on his offending limb, the man attached to it crying in extreme pain. "Sometimes it just can't be helped, stupidity like yours can only be solved through violence."

A grin that could only be described as hell itself bared its fangs on the poor man. "Let see if you get this message."

A sudden loud ripping sound preceded Nathaniel's screams of agony, his entire forearm torn straight off his upper arm as it still clung to his blade that lay within my body. Collapsing to the ground, the blood that splattered from his wound made many a civilian turn away, some of which actually retched at the sight of the crimson stains that painted the once gray-blue cobblestone. Picking his fingers away from the handle, I removed his bloody arm and tossed it in front of him. "I believe you'll need this. Prison meals aren't too tasty, I hear."

"You bastard! You will rot away in prison along with me for such a villainous act!"

I chuckled slightly at the idiocy that was Nathaniel Antillus. "Dumbass, have you forgotten who I am? It seems you have, else you would realize that what you did, attacking royalty is a very hefty offence, often punishable by death. Be lucky you get to live." I spat at his severed arm before letting the guards do away with him.

I looked down at the wound briefly. Luckily, he missed anything that would have been fatal. Placed right at the base of the stomach, but right above the left side of the colon, it barely missed my spleen, though it did nick the former two organs.

Well, that was going to be another trip to Lissa, I groaned before my attention was turned to Cordelia once more. Her puffy, tear-stained cheeks filled my vantage point before she kissed me passionately, modest enough so her parents wouldn't object, but intense enough to convey her feelings on the event that took place before it was so rudely interrupted. It felt like an eternal heaven until finally her and I part, her violet orbs gazing deep into my brown ones. With a teary smile on her face and no words she took the ring from the confines of my hands and slid it straight onto her ring finger. A perfect fit.

"Don't do that ever again," the redhead joked. "You could have died. And you're not going to get rid of me that easily."

"Wasn't trying to. I just didn't relish the thought of you becoming a human kabob again."

Cordelia shook her head. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, Cherry," I cooed before planting a kiss on her forehead. "Now we need to find a healer…"

FD: I am so sorry for how this chapter turned out, I am not a romance writer. That said, I try my best.

Saya: Oh, FD! Y-you're back. How did the tournament go?

FD: Won Gold, pretty awesome all things considered. So, were things running smoothly while I was gone?

Deadpool: Did you expect anything less?

FD: ...how much, what did you break, and will I get sued?

Deadpool: No cost, nothing is damaged yet, and you might get flamed, and potentially shunned by every reader you have for this dumpster fire of a story, but I don't think you'll be sued.

FD: Gee, thanks. Glad to know I can count on you. And Saya?

Saya: Y-yes, sir?

FD: Keep up the amazing work! You'd make a great narrator.

Saya: O-oh… thank you… *blushes*

FD: Sayonara, everyone, Dragons out.