Author's Note: Hey there, everyone! So glad to be back with you all again, and just in time for the turn of another year!
I hope you all were able to enjoy the holiday season with family and/or friends and loved ones. The past couple of months have been pretty busy for me, not to mention getting into a bit of a writer's block as well as distracted by other things (Character A.I. is a deep, deep rabbit hole). But, I'm so glad to be with you all as we say goodbye to 2023 and hello to 2024 on the horizon. I know I'm sounding like a broken record by this point, but I'd like say again how much I appreciate all of you who stop by to read my content, whether you're a regular around these parts or a newcomer stopping by to see what's up. Thank you all so much, and here's to a happy new year! Enjoy!
Neutral Samurai Hunter: Thank you for stopping by and for your review! I'd be more than happy to check out your Fire Emblem story; I hope we both can continue improving our storytelling and sharing fun stories with everyone!
LuigiG54: Thanks! Yeah, it's kind of becoming a habit of being a little late for seasonal occasions, just like now. Thank you for your support!
FireEmblemMaster101: Thanks for the recommendation! Eir and Ymir are just being good wing-women for Fjorm; everyone could use friends like those two, people who will push you into the proverbial deep end!
Starry-Eyed on a Starry Night
Fjorm sighed as she paced back forth within the main hall of Askr's castle, a furtive expression on her face. The few servants within the hall assisting with the preparations for the upcoming Winter Festival give the princess curious looks before going about their business. Even Feh watched as the perturbed princess continued her pacing, giving a soft hoot in concern.
"Hey, Princess Fjorm! Something the matter?"
Fjorm paused her pacing to see who called out to her, a weak smile on her face as she recognized a red-haired young man approaching her. "O-oh, hello Sylvain. It's…nothing."
Sylvain shook his head with his usual carefree grin. "C'mon, no need to be so shy. Besides, it's not in my nature to ignore a lovely lady in distress." His expression becoming more sincere, Sylvain added, "So, if there's anything I can do to bring a smile to that pretty face of yours, I'd be happy to help."
Fjorm chuckled softly at the young man's obvious flirtatious comments, even as she considered his offer. "I appreciate your concern, but you don't need to trouble yourself. I wouldn't want to hold you up from helping with preparations for the festival…"
"Ah, don't worry about that." Sylvain replied easily, a persistent smile on his face. "I was just on my way to help Dimitri and the others hand out gifts in town. The prince seems pretty fired up this year about helping the professor – er, professors, I guess – with gift giving." With a casual wink, Sylvain added, "But, I'm sure His Highness would understand if I took a little detour to help a friend in need!"
After a moment's hesitation, Fjorm reluctantly nods. "Alright, I…suppose. Though I'm not sure if you will be able to help."
Sylvain grinned as he put his arms behind his head. "That's more like it! Alright, princess, I'm all ears; what's got you down?"
The Nifl princess hesitated again before speaking her mind…or at least some of it. "There…is someone within the Order of Heroes I admire." A soft smile unconsciously made its way onto Fjorm's face as she spoke. "They work so hard for everyone's sake – especially now, during this festival - and I wished to do something special as a means of thanking them. However…" Fjorm turns her gaze to the floor thoughtfully as she continues, "I am…unsure of what would suffice."
Sylvain whistled with a cheeky grin. "Wow, he sounds like a special guy! Got to say, I'm a bit jealous!"
"Huh?!" Fjorm asked startled. "Wh-what makes you think I'm referring to a 'he'?!" Sylvain chuckled in response.
"Trust me, Princess Fjorm. I've been around plenty of girls, and whenever they have that same look that you have on your face, it's almost always a guy." Raising an eyebrow, the young man looked Fjorm squarely in the eye as he asked, "Am I wrong?"
Fjorm blushed madly under Sylvain's scrutinizing gaze before reluctantly shaking her head, confirming his suspicions. "See? Now, back to your problem. You want to do something special for him, yeah? Got any ideas so far?"
Glad for the slight subject change, Fjorm shook her head again. "No, nothing yet. I…just can't seem to think of something that would properly convey my admiration."
"How about your company?" Sylvain casually proposed, catching Fjorm off-guard.
"Wh-what? I'm not sure I understand your meaning." The princess asked nervously.
Sylvain elaborated. "I mean just spending time with him. Sure, you could buy him something nice or even make him something, but I believe the best thing you can give him is your time and attention." A spark of inspiration flashed in his eyes as he grinned eagerly. "Hey, that's it! Stargazing!"
"Star…gazing?" Fjorm asked.
"Yeah! Ok, so," Sylvain began with an excited look. "Winter is the best time for stargazing. Trust me, as someone who comes from a kingdom with the harshest winters, it's pretty much the only thing good about the season." Studying Fjorm's expression carefully, Sylvain said in a reassuring tone, "Take it from someone who has done this with quite a few ladies in the past; a quiet night with just you, your special guy, and the stars above is the best way to show how much you care!"
"I see…" Fjorm murmured to herself as her mouth curved into a nostalgic smile. "I remember when my mother would take my siblings and I onto her bedroom's balcony in Nifl so we could watch the stars together. It was so beautiful…"
Sylvain chuckled. "Yeah, you get it, princess! But it's not over yet." At the princess' confused expression, Sylvain continued with a mischievous look. "Well, it's going to be cold out there, right? That's when you say in an innocent tone, 'It's pretty cold out tonight'. And the moment you do…" The redheaded young man winked. "That's when he'll make his move."
"Make…his move?" Fjorm questioned, uncertain of where Sylvain was going with this.
Sylvain nodded. "Yep. Once he hears that, your special guy will take off his coat and offer it to you!" Flashing a grin, Sylvain said, "Works every time. I suggest dressing a little light for the outing to really sell it to him."
At that, a look of uncertainty crossed Fjorm's face. "Um, I'm…not sure that will work. B-Besides, what if he…doesn't wear a cloak when we go out?"
Now, Sylvain was considered to be many things among his peers: a shameless philanderer, an annoying slacker, absolute disappointment in human form (that one was probably his new favorite). But the one thing most of his peers would acknowledge was that he was perceptive, something that hadn't diminished in the slightest since being summoned to Askr.
In the brief time participating as a new member of the Order of Heroes, Sylvain had been putting his skills of perception to the test, scoping out the many lovely young women within the Order. While conducting said "observations", he had happened to notice that a certain princess of Nifl was almost constantly found alongside the summoner of the Order of Heroes…who is never without his trademark hooded cloak.
"Oh, I think he'll be wearing a coat." Sylvain assured her with a grin, allowing himself a knowing wiggle of his brows. "After all…" Fjorm waited with bated breath, her heart pounding in her chest at the thought of her affections being called out. "It's going to be pretty cold out at night! I mean, not as cold as winter in Faerghus, but still chilly." Placing a comforting hand on Fjorm's shoulder, Sylvain said, "Come on, give it a try!"
Fjorm remained silent as she considered Sylvain's words as her lips curved into a small smile. "V-Very well. Thank you for suggestion, Sylvain." With a grateful nod, Fjorm trotted off, her mind and heart racing.
Sylvain chuckled as he watched the Nifl princess walk off, placing his hands on his hips casually. "Ah, young love. You did good, Sylvain. You did-"
"Sylvain!"
Sylvain yelped as he heard his name shouted from behind him, turning around to see his fellow Blue Lions approaching him, chief among them being an irate, young blonde woman. "Oh, hey there, Your Highness! And, er, everyone."
"Don't give us that, Sylvain!" Ingrid ground out as she approached Sylvain, giving him a light punch in the shoulder. "You're supposed to be helping us distribute gifts for the Winter Festival. Yet here you are, harassing poor Princess Fjorm!"
"Hey, now!" Sylvain responded indignantly as he took a step back, making a show of rubbing his shoulder. "For your information, I was not 'harassing' anyone! I was merely helping Princess Fjorm with her romantic woes."
"Romantic woes?" Mercedes repeated with a curious expression. Beside her, Annette giggled.
"He probably means Kiran, Mercie!" Annette said with a grin. "He and Princess Fjorm are inseparable!"
"Come now, Ingrid." Dimitri addressed his fellow classmate in a placating tone. "I'm sure Sylvain had no ill intentions toward Princess Fjorm." He then gave a pointed look at the redhead in question. "Am I correct, Sylvain?"
"Absolutely, Your Highness!" Sylvain responded with a smile. "Princess Fjorm had asked me for some advice on how to show her 'appreciation' for a certain summoner, so I suggested the two lovebirds go stargazing."
"Oh, how romantic!" Mercedes gushed, Annette following suit. Behind them, Ashe nodded with a bright grin, while Dedue and Felix showed no visible reaction. Besides Sylvain, Ingrid's severe expression softened, but not by much as she continued to eye Sylvain with suspicion.
"And~," Sylvain continued with a mischievous grin, causing Dimitri to groan softly as he noticed Ingrid's eyes narrow in preparation for whatever Sylvain was about to say next. "I told her to pull the old 'it's cold out tonight' routine so Kiran can loan her his coat. By the end of the night, those two will be a guaranteed couple!"
"Wait, hold on," Ingrid started, walking in front of Sylvain with an incredulous expression on her face. "You told Princess Fjorm – the princess of a country known to be colder than Faerghus' coldest winters year-round AND who has the blessing of a divine ice dragon – to tell the summoner that 'she's cold'?"
Silence echoed throughout the hall as all eyes were on Sylvain.
"…whoops."
"You're an idiot," Felix muttered with a shake of his head.
"So, why are we out here again, Fjorm? The Winter Festival is in the castle town."
Fjorm turned around to address Kiran with a smile, doing her best to still her rapidly beating heart as the duo continued their trek up one of the small hills near Askr's castle. "You'll see soon, Kiran. Just trust me."
"If you say so," Kiran responded casually with a smile as he pulled his cloak tighter around his body to protect himself from the chill night air. It certainly was a surprise to the summoner – albeit a pleasant one – when he was suddenly approached by Fjorm prior to the start of the Winter Festival and asked to accompany her on a short excursion to one of the hills near Askr's castle, specifically the hill that the late King Gustav had directed Kiran to some time ago.
Soon enough, the pair reached the top of the hill, both taking a moment to catch their breath. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Fjorm turned to Kiran as she pointed upward. "Ok, Kiran. This…is what I wanted to show you."
Kiran quirked a questioning brow as he looked up, only for his confused expression to transform into one of awe. "Whoa," he breathed as he gazed at the clear night sky, the stars twinkling brilliantly overhead.
The summoner's admiration was interrupted by the sounds of someone clearing their throat. Tearing his gaze away from the stars, Kiran saw Fjorm sitting comfortably on the ground, smiling warmly as she patted the ground next to her invitingly. "I…I wanted to show you my appreciation, Kiran. For all that you've done for me. A-And, for the Order of Heroes, of course!"
Blushing lightly, Fjorm continued as Kiran took a seat beside her. "When I was younger, my…my mother would bring me and my siblings out on her balcony around the time of Nifl's Midwinter Festival to stargaze." Her tone turning nostalgic, Fjorm pulled her knees closer to her as she said, "Sitting there together as a family, our faces illuminated by those beautiful twinkling lights…I cherish those memories, now more than ever."
"Fjorm…" Kiran murmured softly in concern.
"Ah, apologies." Fjorm mumbled, brushing a lock of hair nervously behind her ear as she moved to change the subject. "I, um, also know you enjoy skywatching. Do you…like this, Kiran?"
Beside her, Kiran took a deep breath of the crisp night air. Smiling serenely, Kiran glanced at Fjorm and said, "Fjorm…this amazing." His eyes darting to the ground at his feet, Kiran added clumsily, "Um, thanks for bringing me out here to see this. It's really nice, just the two of us out here, away from all the craziness for a brief moment."
Fjorm felt her cheeks warm as she replied, "You're welcome, Kiran." As the two sat in silence staring at the stars, the rest of Sylvain's advice echoed persistently in Fjorm's mind. The Nifl princess lightly bit the corner of her lip as she debated whether to follow this part of Sylvain's plan, but as she glanced at the tranquil expression on Kiran's face underneath his hood, she figured now would be as good a time as any. Clearing throat as casually as possible, Fjorm made her move. "U-Um, it…certainly is cold out tonight, isn't it, Kiran?"
"Yeah, it really is," Kiran replied before a look of confusion crossed his face. "Wait, hold on a sec," he said as he turned to look at Fjorm. "I thought you don't get cold that easily. Y'know, Nifl blood and all that?"
"…er, r-right! That's right…er…"
Fjorm turned her face away from Kiran in a futile attempt to hide her mortified blush. She mentally berated herself for saying something so foolish; of course, saying that she, of all people, was cold would be ridiculous to anyone who knows her and her heritage. Why did she think that would work? Why-
"H-Huh?"
Fjorm was snapped out of her spiraling thoughts at the sensation of something heavy and warm being laid atop her shoulders. One look to the side caused Fjorm to gasp softly, realizing the warm material was Kiran's favorite coat. "K-Kiran…?" Fjorm mumbled softly as she looked at the summoner, who was only left with a long-sleeved shirt as he grinned back at the stunned princess.
"Y'know, if you wanted to try wearing my coat so bad, all you needed to do was ask!" Kiran joked with a chuckle as he settled back comfortably on the ground. "It feels nice, doesn't it?"
Fjorm blinked once in awe before slowly inserting her arms into the empty sleeves of the coat, a smile pulling at her lips. "Y-Yes, it does feel nice. Thank you, Kiran." Fjorm managed to say softly, pulling the hood over her head to hopefully hide the scarlet blush on her cheeks as she relished the lingering warmth of the summoner's coat. Perhaps Sylvain knew what he was talking about after all.
As the pair continued stargazing, Fjorm became aware of strange clicking noise. Confused, Fjorm began looking behind her, wondering where the strange noise was coming from before turning to Kiran. "Kiran, do you hear that-" The rest of her sentence was cut off when her eyes landed on Kiran. Though he did a good job of hiding it, Fjorm instantly realized the clicking noise was the barely subdued chattering of Kiran's teeth as he shivered subtly in the chill night air.
"Hm? D-Do I hear wh-what, Fjorm?" Kiran asked, the slight wavering of his voice all Fjorm needed to hear to confirm her suspicions.
"Kiran, I-I apologize!" Fjorm immediately stuttered as she scrambled to remove her arms from Kiran's coat, a part of her reluctant to part with the garment so soon. "H-Here, please take your coat back! You need it more than I do!"
"Wh-Whoa, calm down, Fjorm! I'm f-fine!" Kiran attempted to protest with a casual smile, though he could tell by the stern look Fjorm was giving him as she continued to remove his coat that his words rang hollow. "I'm serious!" The summoner insisted a little more firmly this time as he met Fjorm's gaze. "You can wear it. I'll b-be fine." Before Fjorm could protest, Kiran turned his gaze back skyward, hoping Fjorm would accept his words. He was unsurprised, of course, when he felt the familiar weight of his cloak being draped over him as he sighed. "Fjorm, it's really ok-"
What did surprise Kiran, however, was Fjorm suddenly scooting next to him until her shoulder bumped against his. Looking over in surprise, Kiran noticed that his coat was not just draped over him, but over Fjorm still as well, the pair now huddled together within his coat. "Fjorm…?"
"There," Fjorm murmured, her face turned away slightly to hide her flushed cheeks. "Now, we can both wear this coat. Th-this should be acceptable, right, Kiran?"
Kiran sat in stunned silence before grinning, a light chuckle escaping his lips. "Yeah, this is good." As the two resumed their stargazing, Kiran worked up the courage to loop his arm around Fjorm's, prompting a soft gasp from the Nifl princess. Staring at their intertwined arms, Fjorm smiled softly as she then gently leaned her head against Kiran's shoulder, an act he reciprocated by leaning his head to rest lightly against hers, the two settling into the comfortable silence under the starlight above.
"See? What did I tell you?"
Sylvain grinned proudly as he whispered to his fellow Blue Lions, the whole cohort hiding behind a convenient group of bushes as they watched Kiran and Fjorm in secret. "The old 'it's cold out tonight' routine never fails!"
Beside him, both Dimitri and Ingrid rolled their eyes in exasperation, but couldn't deny the smiles on their faces as they watched the summoner and princess share a tender moment together, away from the hecticness of war and conflict. Further down, Annette and Mercedes giggled and gushed as quietly as possible over the scene before them, whereas Ashe and Dedue merely admired the scene quietly, although Ashe did look slightly apprehensive over eavesdropping on this personal moment between Kiran and Fjorm. As for Felix…
"…you're still an idiot."
