Hello!

I'm so sorry that it's taken so long for me to upload this. I've been busy with A Pair Of Queens, with college, and I even forgot about this fic for a while. Thanks a ton if you're still reading, by the way. Special thanks to Jarjaxle for a fave and a follow. Next chapter- the final chapter of this fic! I'm planning to do the Valm arc (and possibly Grima) as a seperate fic, as more original ideas will probably be involved. More details next chapter, but for now...

Onwards!

Chapter 21

The day was only just dawning in Ylisstol. Early morning mist still snaked through the streets, barely set aglow by the faint sunlight. Very few people were moving at this hour.

The clack of boots on cobble was the only sound in the street. A figure, obscured by the mist, strode purposefully down the street, cloak flaring out behind. After a while of searching, the figure vanished into a side shop.

Kit strode into the small shop, pulling the hood away from his face.

"Oh, it's you!" An Anna stood behind the counter announced. "Kit, the famous Ylissean tactician. You saved one of my sisters, right? I'll give you a special deal. What are you after? A sword? A tome?" Her expression turned sly. "A gift for Princess Lissa, perhaps?"

"Umm..." The tactician reddened. "A- A gift for Lissa, yes."

"Oooh..." Anna grinned. "What are you thinking of? A dress? Chocolates? A trip somewhere?"

"Maybe next time, Anna. But right now, I'm looking for a ring..."

Kit sat, relishing the midday warmth. He appeared to be the picture of relaxation and nonchalance, lounging on a bench in the royal gardens, eyes half-closed, head leaned back to savour the sunlight.

Internally, he was a mess of nerves. His panicked thoughts chased themselves around his skull and snapped at his already frayed nerves.

"What if... She says no?" He thought.

"That's ridiculous. There's no way... But what if... Just maybe... No, not a chance..."

Kit shook himself mentally to quiet the mess of disconnected thoughts swirling inside his head. He tried to focus on the positives- what he was going to do today.

He was pleasantly distracted from his thoughts by a voice.

"Kit?"

He looked over to see Lissa, sat on the bench next to him, mild puzzlement on her face.

"Cordelia told me that you wanted to see me. What is it?"

Kit stared, suddenly tongue-tied. His fingers were tightly wrapped around the tiny box in his pocket, but he couldn't make his hand move and take it out of his coat.

"Kit?" Lissa moved closer to him, resting a hand on his face. "Is something wrong?"

"N-No." Kit managed. "Nothing's wrong."

He silently chided himself for being so awkward.

He took a deep breath. "It's... I wanted to talk about us."

Lissa stared back, confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean..." Kit paused. He'd come this far. No turning back now. "We were... Close, during the war, and I was wondering..."

Lissa's eyes widened as she realised what he was saying.

"I was wondering if you'd consider making this whole thing official." Kit slid off the bench, pulling the tiny box out of his pocket and flipping it open in one smooth motion. "Lissa, will you marry me?"

The princess stared back, hand on her mouth. Kit realised, after a few seconds, that there were tears running down her cheeks.

"Lissa? Are you alright?" Kit asked, worried that he might have upset her.

After a pause, she exclaimed: "Of course I'm alright!" She slid off the bench as well, throwing her arms around the tactician's shoulders. "The bravest, smartest, most handsome man in the world just proposed to me!"

Kit wrapped an arm around Lissa's waist, pulled her closer, and kissed her. Both of them crying with happiness, they held each other close, smiling and laughing more than they had done in a long, long time.

In only a few weeks, the two of them were officially engaged. Their engagement rings were made by the finest silversmiths in Ylisse, inlaid with intricate designs and tiny gemstones from all corners of the continent. Chrom spared no expense for his little sister.

The Exalt had promised to lavish the wedding with similar disregard for the cost. When Lissa heard this, she smiled all day. Kit couldn't help but grin at her obvious joy.

"It's going to be the perfect wedding." Lissa assured her fiancee one evening. "Don't you think so?"

"Of course." Replied Kit, wrapping one arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. "I'm getting married to a beautiful woman, who I've known for as long as I can remember." They shared a smile at that. "And even better, she's a princess. I never would have thought..."

"I know. I'm so happy with how this all turned out." Lissa frowned. "I never wanted to go along with how it's supposed to go." When Kit looked puzzled, she continued: "You know, princesses are supoosed to marry some stuffy nobleman, have it all arranged by other people, settle down quietly and do nothing. That's not for me."

"Yeah, I heard from Chrom." Kit smirked. "Apparently, you've left at least two noble families fuming with news of the wedding."

"I don't care." Lissa said, her expression aloof. She looked at Kit, and her familiar smile crept back. She'd been smiling almost continuously since they started to plan the big day. Kit loved her smile. Her eyes shone, her entire expression radiated pure, honest joy. "We'll just ignore those boring people who say you're not right for a princess. You're perfect for this princess."

Neither of them could wait for the wedding.