Work Text:
In the romance books that Sumia kept around, there was always a chance to stop a wedding. The priest asks the crowd if there are any objections to the marriage. A knight stands up from the guests or barges in and declares their love for the bride. In most of the stories, the bride hikes up her dress and disappears with the man who she was secretly waiting for the whole time.
Cordelia did not want to object at a royal wedding.
Actually, she was determined not to. The idea of standing up in front of a crowd to object was mortifying. At first, everyone would most likely pity the girl who’s in love with the Exalt. Next, they would ridicule her and laugh when her pleas instead fall on the deaf ears of the bride.
Instead she decided a day like today would be as good as any to destroy her relationship with her childhood friend. She woke up to rain and thunder right before the sun came up. Her and Sumia were always early to rise, so it wasn’t much of an issue. Besides, the rain gave her a good reason to escape.
Lightning momentarily lit up the tent as she got dressed for the day, not bothering with armor but instead donning a heavy jacket and boots. Cordelia formulated a plan: she would tell Sumia her feelings, spend the day at the stables calming the pegasi from the storm, and hopefully by the time she got back Sumia would have requested a change of tents so she wouldn’t have to deal with the look on disgust on her face. Cordelia wouldn’t even have to attend the wedding, Sumia wouldn’t want her there.
“Why are you getting changed so early?” Sumia yawned, sitting up in her bed to watch Cordelia tie her boots.
“I’m going to hang out at the stables all day calming the pegasi. The storm looks like it's going to be rough.” Cordelia hoped the woman couldn’t see her hands shaking. This was something she had to do—she had no choice.
“Give me a minute to get ready and I’ll come with you.” Sumia ruffled under the covers, shivering at the cold air. The thunder boomed outside, strong enough that the wooden platform of the tent shook. “We can stop by the kitchen to get warm drinks to take with us.”
Cordelia shook her head. “No. I’ll go alone” Part of her just wanted to agree, it would be nice to spend the day with Sumia. After all, they never got enough days off with this war. But, she would just be allowing herself to continue dodging reality. “Can I talk to you real quick?”
“Yeah?” Sumia had wriggled from underneath the covers, sitting at the edge of her bed. She was beautiful, even with slept-on hair and wearing a simple nightgown. Cordelia couldn’t make out her features completely in the dim light and maybe it was for the best.
“I love you,” Cordelia said. She pushed her arms through her jacket as if this wasn’t the biggest confession of her life.
“I love you, too,” Sumia said by default. Those words were shared between the two girls countless times, so it would be easy for Cordelia to turn back. Get tea with Sumia and care for the horses all day.
She couldn’t back out.
“I’m attracted to women,” Cordelia said the words and knew that this was the end. “I love you more than a friend, okay? I know it’s not natural, so I never said anything, but now you’re getting married. So, this is my objection to the wedding.” She could feel the tears collecting in her eyes, but she didn’t let them fall. Her chest could barely contain the beating of her heart. She let the words sit in silence for a moment before finishing: “I really hope he makes you happy. You deserve it.”
She didn’t dare look at Sumia’s face. She just wanted to remember their friendship in smiles, not the betrayal she was undoubtedly experiencing. Cordelia set a brisk pace out of the tent, muscle memory taking her in the direction of the stables. Pulling back the flap of the door, her face was hit with raindrops hard enough to feel like she was being pelted with pebbles. The tears were finally coming, but they were washed away with the rain. Maybe if she waited for another drum of thunder, she could scream as loud as she could without being heard. It would help alleviate the pain in her chest.
“Cordelia!” Instinctually, she whipped around when she heard her voice. No one else was out of their tents except for the two women. Sumia was running in the rain, splashing through mud with bare feet and a nightgown. It was a wonder that she didn’t slip. “Stop, please.”
The logical choice was to run as fast as she could in the other direction, but her heart betrayed her. Cordelia stood still, the rain beginning to soak its way into her jacket. “Sumia! You’re going to get sick out here like this, go back inside!”
“You’re not just going to leave me like that, you idiot,” Sumia said once she reached her. Cordelia knew she was crying by the whine in her voice, with the tears invisible from the droplets. The rain had already matted her bangs to her face.
“Go back inside!” Cordelia practically begged, a bolt of lightning illuminating the scene for a second, followed by the deafening boom. She caught the girl as she stumbled forward, holding Sumia in her arms. “Please, go back inside.”
Sumia looked up at her and Cordelia felt sick at the distress on her face. The distress she had caused.
And then, Sumia kissed her.
Cordelia recoiled.
“Don’t do this to me,” Cordelia said the second their lips were apart. “Don’t pity me, Sumia.”
“This isn’t pity.” Sumia shook her head, draping her arms around Cordelia’s neck. Cordelia was painfully aware that she just was kissed by the Exalt’s bride-to-be in the middle of camp and she was grateful for the cover of the rain.
Cordelia wanted to protest, but Sumia captured her lips once more. Every other part of her body was freezing cold, but her lips were warm. This kiss was longer, Cordelia giving herself to Sumia. They exchanged hot breaths, both of them panting—but unwilling to break the kiss. The thunder was only secondary to how loud Cordelia’s heart was pounding.
She became aware of how bad Sumia was shivering in her arms. Cordelia pulled away from the kiss and watched as Sumia’s teeth chattered.
“Let’s go inside,” she said and Sumia nodded. Cordelia picked her up, noticing that her nightgown was completely soaked through. She had run out of the tent without much regard for how she was dressed. Sumia snuggled into Cordelia’s chest as they made their way back. “What the hell were you thinking?” she asked out loud, ducking into the tent flap that she had left wide open.
“I wasn’t, really,” Sumia admitted, her words a stutter. Cordelia placed the woman down on her own bed so as not to get Sumia’s wet. She went back to the entrance, closing the flap and hoping that no one had seen them. The clothes she wore underneath her jacket were dry, but Sumia was a different story.
Cordelia kneeled at Sumia’s chest that was stowed away at the foot of her cot. “You have to change your clothes, use the towel at the end of my bed to get the mud off of you.” She heard shuffling behind her as Sumia followed the order.
“I love you, Cordelia,” Sumia said, her voice strained. Cordelia gave her a pair of pants, a sweater and wool socks. “I’m going to tell Chrom that I can’t get married to him.”
Cordelia shook her head, awfully calm and at ease. She didn’t want her friend to sacrifice all she had for her. It was not what she had set out to do. Cordelia picked up the ring that had been abandoned on the nightstand, examining the royal crest it bore. “Sumia, Dear, you can’t do that. You’re going to get married and become royalty. That man loves you.”
“ You love me,” Sumia said defiantly, trying to unbutton the nightgown, but her fingers shook badly enough that she couldn’t even undo the first button. Cordelia set the ring back down with a clink and took a knee in front of her, undoing the buttons swiftly and peeling away the thin fabric that was stuck to her skin.
“You have a whole life set out for you, I’m not going to stand in the way of that.” Her eyes lingered on her best friend’s breasts, before helping her tug the sweater on. She slid back on the floor and tugged the socks on as well. “Besides, we’re both women. What happened today… it’s best that we don’t share that with anyone.”
“Cordelia, don’t act like a martyr.” She winced at Sumia’s tone. Both of the women stood, Sumia tugging the pants on over her thighs that were pink from the chill. “I want you. We’ve been through so much together, good and bad. I would be stupid to not want you this way. I don’t care what other people think, why should that matter?”
“Get back in bed.” Cordelia felt the blush reheating her formerly frozen cheeks. “You’re going to freeze.”
“Only if you come in and stay with me.
Cordelia nodded at the request, not wanting to argue. Sumia slid back under the covers of her own cot, scooting over and holding up the blankets for Cordelia. Cordelia sighed, before kicking off her boots and joining her. They shared the pillow, both of them looking one another over in silence.
It was warm under the covers, but Cordelia still felt her wet hair against her neck. Sumia reached her hand out, gently tracing her fingers over Cordelia’s face to tuck away the pieces that stuck to her skin. Her finger ran over Cordelia’s lips gently before she rested her palm on her cheek.
Sumia was looking at her with a strange expression. It appeared to be serious, but at the same time there was a soft look in her eye. Reverence.
“I had the biggest crush on you when we were younger.” Sumia’s voice could barely be heard over the raindrops. “I told one of our old friends. She was going on and on about some boy, so I thought it would be fine if I talked about the girl I wanted to kiss. I honestly never forgot how much her reaction hurt.”
Cordelia could see that damage, even years later. “But it will just be the same.”
“I feel like there’s just something different about the Shepherds, though. I may just be too optimistic, but so many of us are like family here. I’m going to talk to Chrom, he’s a good man, but especially after today I don’t think I’m quite ready for marriage.”
“They already announced the Exalt’s proposal, you’re going to make a lot of people angry.”
“You said you love me. Please trust me.” Sumia pressed her face closer, their foreheads touching. Cordelia found her other hand under the sheets and laced her fingers through hers. “This is what I want, especially if you want it, too.”
“I do,” Cordelia whispered, the words sounding like her very own wedding vow. She leaned in and kissed Sumia. It felt much more intimate than the last two kisses in the storm. It wasn’t rushed and was without the desperate intensity. Cordelia shifted her weight, breaking the kiss and propping herself up on top of Sumia, which was met with a giggle. “I guess we can stay in for a bit, since it is cold out.”
“And then we can get breakfast before heading down to the stables?” Sumia suggested, wrapping her arms around Cordelia’s neck. “We do have jobs, even though I would much rather be holed up in this tent all day with you.”
They exchanged a smile and Cordelia knew that she had made the right decision to speak up—that perhaps the knights in the novels weren’t just romantics after all.