Author's Note: Well, look who's back! Apologies for the impromptu hiatus I pulled on you all; this past month has been pretty busy (mostly work stuff). Pair that with personal obligations, a brief sick spell, and being either worn out or hilariously distracted in the moments I did have to myself, it was tough to get any writing done, let alone posted.

But, that's all behind us now! That being said, next month will also be kinda busy, so heads up on that. Anyways, I hope you all have been doing well, and I hope you enjoy this latest entry! Have a great day!

FireEmblemMaster101: And this is why proper communication skills should be a must-have skill for anyone, lol! Although, in Kiran and Alear's defense, they had no reason to be on guard against a pair of eavesdroppers. I feel as though confusion is pretty much Alear's default emotion whenever she has to deal with people, and can you blame her?

Also, agreed. I am in a tug-of-war between Tokyo Mirage Session and DLC run 2 of Engage. And with Wave 4 DLC of Engage on the horizon, along with a recently purchased Mario All-Star Collection, things are not looking good for me.

Half-beastdragonsoul2013: I'm glad you enjoyed it! And yes and yes to both of what you said: all of Elyos needs lessons in social eitquette, and F!Morgan wearing Kiran's coat is an adorable image. I'm sure something like that exists somewhere...

Sephyrum: :) Glad you enjoyed!

Klaw117: Thanks! I'm sure someone else out there has made their own witty interpretation of the "engage with me!" joke!

As for Kiran and Fjorm's relationship status, I will confirm that Kiran is interested in Fjorm and is more or less aware that she is attracted to him. However, I interpret him as being comparatively more *subtle* about his affections than Fjorm; I also interpret him as still coming to terms with having feelings for actual royalty and all the insecurities that come with it. Additionally, these stories are all meant to be self-contained scenarios, so it's possible to witness the two in various stages of their relationship, from "awkward crushing on each other" phase to...perhaps something more~...

Jay Hayden: Ohhhh yeah. Only time will tell when THAT can of worms will be opened! Or would it rather be more of a Pandora's Box?

Brave and Bold

"Hyah! Tah!" Fjorm grunted as she straightened herself from her fighting stance, her tight grip on Leiptr relaxing. "Perhaps we should end things here for now, Eirika."

Across from the Nifl princess, Eirika nodded as she similarly relaxed her hold on Reginleif. "Very well." With a weary smile, Eirika made her way towards Fjorm as she said, "I really must thank you again for taking the time to assist me in my training, Fjorm. You are quite the capable mentor."

Fjorm smiled bashfully as she shook her head. "Oh, it's no trouble at all! I am more than happy to offer whatever assistance I can."

"That was quite the impressive sparring session, you two."

"Hm?" Fjorm and Eirika both turned their attention towards their surprise audience, which turned out to be Celica, followed closely by Seliph. "Ah, hello Celica. And you as well, Seliph." Fjorm greeted with a nod. "Are you two here for training as well?"

"That's right," Seliph affirmed as he and Celica drew near to the two princesses. "Celica wished to hone her swordsmanship, so I volunteered to be her sparring partner."

Fjorm blinked in surprise as she turned toward the Zofian priestess. "Oh, I didn't know you were well-versed in swordplay, Celica."

Celica giggled as she shook her head. "That's not quite the case, Fjorm. While I have learned some of the basics of how to wield a sword, I am more comfortable using magic in combat." Drawing the sword at her side from its sheath, Celica gently ran her fingers over the flat edge of the blade with a gentle smile. "However, after being entrusted with this sword, I felt it was necessary to revisit my training in swordsmanship."

"Oh my," Eirika said in awe. "That is a lovely sword, Celica. You mentioned it was entrusted to you; may I ask by whom?"

A slight tinge of pink colored Celica's cheeks as she replied, "Well…it was given to me by Alm, back in my world." Deciding to elaborate, Celica continued, "You see, this sword was originally entrusted to the Zofian royal family by the Rigelian royal family as a gesture of peace. However, only those of royal blood are capable of wielding it, so it was locked away within the royal castle until Alm came upon it." Holding up the blade, the red-headed priestess said, "Once peace was restored to Valentia, Alm gave it to me. 'Thanks for letting me use it, but it belongs to you,' were his exact words."

Fjorm chuckled, along with Eirika and Seliph. "That does sound like something Alm would say." Composing herself, Fjorm continued, "So, you wish to improve your swordsmanship as a way to honor Alm's gesture?"

"That's right," Celica confirmed. "I…admire Alm, his strength and his conviction. At first, I didn't understand his reason for fighting, for taking up a sword." A look of steely determination flashed in Celica's eyes. "However, after fighting alongside him, both in our world and here in Askr, I feel I now understand. In light of that, I will strive to wield this sword with the same conviction he does in order to protect what we hold dear."

Eirika nodded in understanding. "That's wonderful, Celica. In fact, I can relate to your sentiment." Holding up Reginleif, the princess of Renais explained, "This lance was actually my brother Ephraim's personal lance before he entrusted it to me, similar to how Alm entrusted that sword to you." Gripping the lance firmly, Eirika continued, "It's because of my brother that I was able to face battle after battle in our world and not lose heart, so I will dedicate all that I have to master this weapon!"

Seliph spoke up next with an amused chuckle. "It seems we all have something in common." Holding Tyrfing aloft, he elaborated. "Not just this sword, but this attire I inherited from my father. He was a great man, and it is with pride that I wear these clothes and wield the holy sword Tyrfing like he once did. I only hope that I may one day be as great a man – as great a leader – as he was."

Throughout this whole exchange, Fjorm stared in awe as the three Heroes shared their stories and convictions. "You all are truly amazing," she said, catching everyone's attention. "All of you are working so hard, even going so far as to train with unfamiliar weapons and adopt similar attire, for the sake of those you love and admire." With an adoring smile, Fjorm concluded, "You three are an inspiration!"

Celica giggled as she responded, "That's very kind of you to say, Fjorm. But how about you?" At the Nifl princess' confused expression, Celica explained, "The three of us shared who we most admire in our lives, but what about you, Fjorm? Surely there is someone that you admire."

"A-ah, well…" Fjorm fumbled, her cheeks beginning to warm at being put on the spot so suddenly. "Um, y-yes, there is someone that I…admire very much." Upon noticing the invested and encouraging expressions Celica and the other two Heroes wore, Fjorm hesitantly elaborated. "They…are kind. Very kind, to everyone they interact with. Despite the power and authority that they wield, they never consider themselves more important than those around them."

"Mhm," Celica hummed. "They seem like a wonderful person."

Fjorm nodded enthusiastically, her passion getting the best of her at Celica's words. "Oh, yes! I owe so much to them, including my life." With a sigh, Fjorm said, "He truly is wonderful."

Noticing the Nifl princess' unconscious slip of the tongue, Celica quickly hid her amusement before saying, "Well, since this person is so important to you, why don't you demonstrate how much they mean to you?"

"Huh?" Fjorm said perplexed. "What do you mean, Celica?"

Gesturing to herself and Eirika and Seliph, Celica explained, "Look at us. Each of us, whether through our attire or our choice of weapon, have taken our own steps to be closer to those whom we most admire. Perhaps if you do something similar, you will feel closer to the person you admire."

Fjorm blinked as she considered the priestess' words, the warmth in her cheeks seeming to rise a couple degrees the longer she considered them. "I-I see…" Swallowing the lump in her throat, Fjorm nodded in understanding. "I…will take your words into consideration, Celica. Now, I believe I've kept you and Seliph from your training long enough, so I will take my leave." Giving a short bow to Eirika, the Nifl princess added, "Farewell as well, Eirika. Please let me know if you would like to spar again."

As the princess of ice made her exit, Seliph commented. "That was…abrupt. Do you think she will take your advice, Celica?"

Celica giggled softly with a confident nod. "I believe she will."

"I wonder who it is that she admires so much," Eirika chimed in thoughtfully. "Her mother, perhaps? Or maybe Princess Gunnthra?"

"She mentioned a 'he'," Seliph replied with a thoughtful expression of his own as he mused alongside the Renais princess. "Her brother, Prince Hríd, perhaps?"

As the two lords wondered aloud, Celica silently smiled to herself, already having a sneaking suspicion as to the identity of Fjorm's special person.

"Thanks for coming on such short notice, you three."

Eirika nodded. "Of course, Kiran. We're ready to move out if you are."

Kiran nodded in thanks. The Order of Heroes had just received a report of bandit activity in a village not too far from Askr's capital, so Anna had tasked Kiran with forming a strike team to handle the situation post haste. Fortunately, Kiran didn't have to look very far for willing volunteers, as Celica and Eirika had also caught wind of the situation and immediately offered their help to Kiran. Seliph, similarly, offered his aid, having conveniently been passing by when the two princesses were extending their own aid.

"Not just yet, Eirika." Kiran responded gently, his eyes scanning his surroundings as if expecting someone. "We're still waiting on someone. She said she'd meet us here…"

"Oh? Who are we waiting for?" Celica questioned. However, she didn't have to wait long for an answer.

"Um, pardon my late arrival, Kiran."

Smiling, Kiran turned toward the voice. "Oh, Fjorm! Don't worry, we weren't-" The rest of the summoner's sentence was lost as he gaped in surprise at the sight before him, his surprise mirrored by Eirika and Seliph.

Before them stood Princess Fjorm, though one wouldn't know it at first glance. Instead of her traditional Nifl attire, the princess of ice wore a high-collared turquoise blue tunic, the deep cut of the article of clothing revealing the hint of a pure white undershirt. A tan belt encircled Fjorm's midsection, a golden brooch in the shape of Askr's emblem resting in its center, and beneath the hem of the tunic were a pair of fitted cream-colored pants, tucked into brown boots.

However, the most eye-catching accessories were the tome Fjorm clutched in one hand, its cover glistening in a prismatic rainbow of colors, and the cream-colored hooded cloak that she wore, which curiously seemed to match with the cloak a certain summoner was also currently wearing.

"F-Fjorm, you look…um," Kiran fumbled, surprise and awe clashing with each other as he attempted to put his scrambled thoughts into comprehensible words. Meanwhile, Fjorm lightly fidgeted under Kiran's gaze, desperately wishing she could pull up the hood of her cloak to obscure her blushing features.

"W-Well, shall we be off? We haven't a moment to lose!" Not waiting for a response, Fjorm marched forward, grabbing one of Kiran's hands along the way and all but dragging him behind her, not sparing a glance at the other three Heroes.

"Whoa?! Ok, ok! No need to pull me!"

As the summoner and princess led the way, Eirika and Seliph stood frozen in place for only a moment more before putting aside their shock for the time being in order to follow after the departed pair, leaving only Celica behind.

With a vindicated, knowing smile on her lips, the Zofian priestess giggled softly to herself as she began to follow after her comrades, intent on having a more in-depth chat with Fjorm once their mission was complete.

Sooo, Fjorm for Choose Your Legends when? I kid, I kid...unless...

Also, as is usually the case in situations like these, have a free theorycraft of what I think a Brave Fjorm would look like:

Fjorm: Bold Admiration (Colorless Infantry Tome)

"The gentle hearted second princess of Nifl. Donning familiar attire, she fights to uphold her promise to those whom she holds dear."

Weapon: Aurora Tome - If unit's HP 25%, or if unit is within two spaces of an ally, grants ATK/SPD/DEF/RES+5 during combat and, if unit is within two spaces of an ally and is inflicted with a penalty to ATK/SPD/DEF/RES, grants bonus to unit's stats during combat = current penalty on each stat x2. Calculates each stat bonus independently.

Assist Skill: Ardent Sacrifice

Special: Glacies

A Skill: Close Salvo

B Skill: Quick Riposte 4

C Skill: Vow Keeper - If a foe initiates combat against an ally that is within 2 spaces of unit, triggers [Savior] on unit. If unit triggers [Savior], grants ATK/SPD/DEF/RES+3 during combat. If ally is on terrain that unit cannot cross, [Savior] will not trigger. (Yeah, that's right. Just like how A!Fjorm - an armored unit - got a B Skill that includes an infantry exclusive skill, my interpretation of B!Fjorm - an infantry unit - would get a C Skill that includes an armor esclusive skill!)