4Hey, everyone. I've been reading stories of various fandoms on this site for years and years, but this is the first time I've ever actually published anything myself. Here's hoping at least one other person gets some enjoyment out of it. There are some fairly extensive author's notes at the end, if anyone is interested in seeing my thought process behind this. Honestly... even with all the years I've been reading stories on this site, I never thought I'd try my hand at writing something myself. I definitely didn't expect it to be a romance-focused story, and I definitely didn't expect it to be written about one of the less popular Fire Emblem games.
The following story takes place after Roy and Cecilia's canon A-rank support conversation. Think of this chapter, and the one to follow it as my attempt at A+ and S-rank support conversations for the two of them.
Zephiel was dead. It was hard to believe. Three words, such a short, simple sentence, yet they sounded so alien to him.
Zephiel was dead. The mad king had been slain, and with him, Bern's once invincible strength had been bested.
And yet, the war was not over. Starting from Bern's initial invasions of Ilia and Sacae, it had taken almost four years of bloody battles to get this far, and Roy was eager to see the fighting finally end. When all this had started, he'd been a fifteen-year-old boy. Small, scrawny, and particularly unimpressive as far as lords went. Sure, he'd had a good head on his shoulders, and nearly unlimited potential, but he'd been nothing like mighty Zephiel, who'd been hailed as a prodigy at combat and a genius in the arts since he was young. Nothing like Hector, who'd likely been twice the size of Roy at the same age. And nothing like Lilina. She'd possessed a gift for magic that he'd never have, a natural talent that had made her a quick learner under the Etrurian Sorcery General's tutelage.
In comparison, Roy had to work for each and every achievement. It wasn't fair to say that he struggled with any of Cecilia's lessons, but he certainly didn't have the talent for magic that Lilina had, which had enabled her to learn so quickly in Cecilia's combat lessons. Roy still remembered the bitter sting of shame at how he'd floundered in the combat arts in those first few weeks.
Yet despite his poor initial performance, General Cecilia of Etruria had not once spoken harshly to him. Oh sure, she could express disappointment as much as any teacher could, but she had never turned him away, never made him feel like a failure… Where others might've had disparaging remarks, cruel laughter, or humiliating jeers, Cecilia had nothing but patience and a kind smile.
Though she was far from his only combat instructor, Roy considered her the one he remembered the most fondly. Without her efforts, Roy still doubted whether he would've been able to retake Ostia from the traitors who had usurped it from Lilina, much less survive the entire war. But instead, she'd laid the groundwork for him to build from, and now here he was.
Long gone was the fourteen-year-old boy who had stumbled through his lessons alongside Lilina. In his place was the nearly nineteen-year-old young man who was hailed across Elibe as the champion of Lycia, the second-coming of Roland, and the man who had stopped King Zephiel's mad ambitions.
That brought Roy back to his current thoughts. Here he was, sitting in one of the many guest chambers in Bern's royal castle. His army (and that thought still shook him from time to time- his army) was preparing to march on what was believed to be the last stronghold of Bern's remaining forces. He hoped it would be an easy battle, but… scouts had reported General Brunnya, last of Bern's three Wyvern Generals, was leading the forces. It would not be an easy battle.
A knock at the door roused Roy from his thoughts. Moving away from the window he'd been looking out of, Roy padded over to the door.
Opening it, he found…
"General Cecilia?"
"Roy, I've told you more than once, it's just Cecilia. This is not Etruria's army, and these are not my forces."
"I-I know… Sorry, even after all these years it still feels weird addressing you in such an informal manner."
"You really should be used to it by now, Roy. I've been a member of your army for almost three years now. You are the lynchpin of this army, and it wouldn't do for any to see you as lacking in confidence. Though, I suppose after the events of this week there will be few anywhere in all of Elibe who will doubt the strength of your convictions, or that of your sword arm," Cecilia remarked.
What a week it had been. Not five days had it been since Zephiel had been slain in his own throne room. Guinivere, noble and beautiful princess (and soon to be queen) of Bern, was already rushing about the castle (closely followed by her maidservant and bodyguard) identifying which advisors were still present in the castle… and those who had been driven out, or worse by Zephiel.
"So… what brings you here, G- Cecilia?" Roy corrected himself before the slip of his tongue could grow into a full-on mistake.
"I wished to see how you were fairing. You've… you've come an awfully long way, Roy. It's honestly hard to believe you're the same boy I once instructed."
(((Several minutes earlier, as Cecilia had been walking through the halls of Bern's royal castle)))
Three long, bloody years had passed since the retaking of Ostia from Bern's forces, three years that Cecilia had been given to quietly observe her once student turn into the famed and respected leader he was now.
She had not spoken of her fears or reservations to anyone, but when it had all begun, she'd worried deep down that this war would break Roy. During her time at Ostia, she had come to know him as a kind-hearted boy, one who was both loyal and attentive to his friends… but of all the good things he'd been, Roy had not been a warrior like Hector or his father.
That hadn't bothered Cecilia at the time. Back then Bern had been silent, and the idea of an all-out continent-wide war would've been laughed at.
But then Sacae had been invaded, its tribes scattered, and shortly after Ilia fell from Bern's unstoppable might.
And then Bern had turned its sights on Lycia, and though she'd no longer been Roy and Lilina's teacher, her heart had been heavy with worry for them.
Lordlings and princesses were of high demand in war, for all the wrong reasons, and Cecilia hated the thought of either of her students ending up as prisoners of war.
That was why she'd been so relieved when she'd heard, by way of messenger from Lord Hector, that Lycia's unified army would be helmed by him while his child and his best friend's child remained far away from any conflicts.
When the news had come about Lord Hector's passing and the army's defeat at Araphen, it had been as if the rug she'd standing on had been yanked out from under her! Her students, two wonderful people it had been a joy to teach, who were still children, were going off to war! As a soldier herself, she'd known that this was a very possible outcome, but as a teacher… there was no way to sugarcoat just how awful it felt knowing that her students would soon be on the killing fields.
And then the reunion had finally come, some six months after she'd left Ostia.
Cecilia had answered Roy's request for aid immediately, and while she hadn't had trouble spinning it as a military maneuver that would be beneficial to Etruria as a whole, somewhere within her Cecilia wanted to believe that even if she'd been barred from going to Ostia, she would've found some way to sneak in, alone to spirit her wayward pupils away to safety.
But the need for such drastic actions had never arisen. General Narcian- a vain, pompous, buffoon of a man whom Cecilia liked to believe had been appointed to his station from nepotism rather than skill- had flown off from Ostia with his and his forces' tails between their legs, leaving her to see to Ostia's security.
Lilina had still been the child she'd remembered, and Roy had still been the same kind, loyal boy she'd taught swordplay and tactics too, but in Roy there had been something new. A spark of determination and grit that hadn't been there previously.
Cecilia hadn't thought much of it at the time beyond simple thoughts; that she was relieved both her students were alive and well, or alive and… coping, in Lilina's case…
But that spark had only continued to grow.
She'd once again separated from her students as they went off to the Western Isles, and from there disaster had struck. It had all culminated in the shattering of her loyalist forces, and a terrifying match facing down the mighty king of Bern in single combat…
Cecilia had been prepared to die that day. Oh, it would be an honorable death for sure, befitting of a general of Etruria… but she certainly had no desire to die.
She'd known the risks when she'd joined Etruria's military, more so upon accepting her position of Sorcery General… but at twenty-four years old, there was so much more she wanted to do, so much more she wanted to see!
When she'd woken up in that dark cell in the castle's dungeons, she'd felt fear and uncertainty like nothing else. Prisoners of Bern did not live long, nor did they tend to meet anything less than… gruesome ends.
That fear that had threatened to drown her was instead washed away when her former students reunited with her.
The situation on the Western Isles- corrupt nobles, bandits given free reign, and the mass enslavement of its citizens in all but name- were horrors that Roy had witnessed and emerged from stronger.
The liberation of the Western Isles had been just over two years ago, and much had changed since then, particularly with Roy.
He'd had his last three birthdays not spent in luxury at Pherae, but in his tent or whatever guest quarters he could find for himself in whatever the Lycian army's base would be at the time.
That brought Cecilia back to the present, the green-haired young woman looking at her student as opened the door and motioned for her to enter.
War changed people, but Cecilia was glad to see that the boy she'd taught was still there. Roy had been a good kid, and rather than breaking him, the war had turned him into a great man.
He was a paragon of nobility, the kind of princely figure that would certainly one day be recounted of in the songs of bards and the studies of historians. He was a hero to all, who had reminded Cecilia herself that one shouldn't lose sight of the people around you in the pursuit of victory.
Imagine that! Cecilia… Cecilia had been so, so proud of Roy! Truly, she'd felt a kind of joy she'd never thought possible at not just knowing but seeing in real time just how far the man who had once been her student had come.
Roy was the man who had stopped Zephiel and saved the world, and there seemed to be only one last battle ahead of them before Bern's forces were truly vanquished. This long road was finally reaching its end.
That lead Cecilia back to the present. Shaking her thoughts aside, she answered her student's question.
"I wished to see how you were fairing. You've… you've come an awfully long way, Roy. It's honestly hard to believe you're the same person I once instructed."
"Well, I'd be lying if I said I made it this far under my own power. Sir Marcus, Wolt, Lilina, and everyone from Pherae. They've all contributed to stopping Bern. Dame Echidna, Princess Guinivere and so many others… I made it this far because I was surrounded by so many people who were all so determined. Honestly, some days I feel like if I don't keep pushing myself, I won't be able to look them in the eye."
Cecilia frowned at those words.
"Roy, it isn't fair to yourself to downplay your own efforts. You can't think like that, or you'll only burn yourself out. I most certainly didn't teach you to work yourself to death!"
"T-that's not the point I was trying to make, just that… well, I'd be lying if I said that your lessons hadn't credited to my success. I don't think I would've come this far without your lessons all those years ago."
"Goodness, I'm starting to think you might be overvaluing my lessons. While I'm glad you remember those days so highly, officially I was just a visiting diplomat. It wasn't like I was an official teacher at your academy by any means. I spent barely a year in total at Ostia."
Despite her short (in the grand scheme of things) stay at Ostia, teaching Lilina and then Roy once he'd arrived, her time there had been a blessing, and was without a doubt one of the happiest periods of her life.
"Hah, I know, I know…" The red-haired man laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head.
"Still, I can't let myself slack off, not even for a little bit. The ending of this war is finally in sight. The army will rest here for the rest of the day, before marching out to meet General Brunnya's forces tomorrow. After that… Heh, sorry…" Roy laughed again.
Cecilia blinked, caught off guard.
"What? Why would you apologize?"
"Oh, it's nothing… I was just reminded of all the times you've told me not to lose focus. I can't let myself think about what will come after the war until the next battle is won, right?"
"That's… true. Roy, is something the matter? You seem… nervous." Far be it from her to pry into her general's feelings, but Roy was a friend, and if something was troubling him, she wanted to do whatever she could to help him.
True to her words, Roy did indeed look nervous. As if there was something on his mind that he was dying to say but couldn't find the words he wanted.
Finally, Roy marshalled his thoughts into some semblance of cohesion.
"Er… Cecilia. Have you… given any thought to what you'll do when the war is over?"
Cecilia blinked in confusion.
"Roy? What do you mean by that? I'm certain we've already had this conversation. As I told you last time, I'll be needed in the efforts to ensure Etruria's reconstruction goes as smoothly as possible."
Roy's face scrunched up momentarily, an unhappy look on his face that was gone so quickly Cecilia thought it might've just been a trick of the light.
"Uh, sorry. I mean... I should've… Ah…" Roy paused and took in a deep breath before continuing.
Was it just Cecilia's imagination, or… were Roy's cheeks turning the faintest shade of pink?
"Sorry. What I'm really trying to say is… Have you given any thought to who you might… spend your time with, when the war is over? I mean… you're a young noblewoman of Etruria. Surely… surely your family must be considering 'partners' for you?"
Oh.
Oh.
That was what Roy was asking about. Cecilia, for once, felt like she'd been caught completely off guard.
"Er… I can't say that I've ever given it much thought, Roy. To be honest, part of the reason I applied to become a knight of Etruria in the first place was in hopes of escaping the possibility that my family might one day marry me off to some nobleman I'd never met. That I was able to become Etruria's mage general only gives me more freedom to do as I please. I might be the daughter of a count, but even my esteemed father can't hope to order around one of Etruria's three Royal Generals!"
"That's fair. I can't imagine anyone trying to set you up in an arranged marriage, or any other marriage against your will."
"Roy, what brought this on? We've talked in the past about what the future may bring, but this topic in particular is new…"
"Well… honestly… Cecilia, you remember what I told you about… my father, right?"
Cecilia's heart sank. The green-haired beauty remembered all too well. If Roy was referencing that specifically, then she knew all too well what had prompted Roy to bring up this topic. Eliwood may have been the marquess of Pherae, but Roy had confided in her several months ago that his father's health had taken a turn for the worse. Or rather, that it had been steadily declining over the course of the war.
Eliwood had written to his son, and to Marcus- the aging commander of his knights, about his condition. No one else had been informed.
The legendary knight of Lycia was not likely to live to be forty-five. The illness that he had been fighting for the last several years only seemed to grow stronger with each passing month, and according to Roy, the forty-year old Marquess of Pherae's illness seemed unresponsive to all known treatments.
It wasn't uncommon for lords to inherit their positions young, regardless of which nation they were from- Lilina herself had taken her father's position as the ruler of Ostia at the age of fifteen, and no one had questioned the young marchioness.
Roy was eighteen now and would undoubtedly be formally named marquess of Pherae in several months time… regardless of whether it was by inheritance, or by his father living to retire and pass the title on to him.
"Is your father… has he-"
"He lives, Cecilia. But… he's not well. In his last letter to me, which I received only two weeks back… he admitted in his words that he did not believe he had more than a year or two at most left in him. And that's assuming the healer's newest treatment proves effective…"
"Oh, Roy…"
Cecilia's heart went out to the young man. Not even 19 years old, and he was already faced with the realization that his father wouldn't be around forever, and the duties and responsibilities of a marquess would soon be his.
"And if that wasn't enough… those aren't the only letters I've been receiving…" Roy grumbled, his tone switching from downtrodden to irritated in the space of several seconds. That wasn't like Roy at all, in Cecilia's mind. She'd seen him happy, sad, incensed, and all manner of other emotions… but Roy was hardly a man who let himself get irritated.
"What… what do you mean, Roy?"
"Well… I suppose you'd probably understand this fairly well, Cecilia. Especially given what you said about becoming a knight to escape the threat of arranged marriage. But… as of several months ago, I've begun receiving letters from other families- mostly in Lycia, at first, but by now quite a few have come from Etruria as well, about… well, about how they'd like to introduce me to certain female members of their families. It's quite… well, 'amusing' isn't the word I'd use, but it's interesting that I've received so many letters of that manner before the war has even ended."
Ah.
Those kinds of letters.
Cecilia felt… something unpleasant bubbling inside of her, but it wasn't a feeling she could name. Instead of dwelling on it, she pressed on.
"Have you accepted any of those invitations, Roy? I'm certain many of them are from pleasant families." And many of them likely weren't, but that went unsaid. Cecilia knew the cause of Roy's irritation, as plain as day. There had long been an underlying prejudice in Etruria- that the noble nation of Etruria was closest to God and Elimine, that theirs was the most advanced, the most cultured, and the most refined nation on Elibe.
Too many Etrurian citizens saw Ilia as nothing but a poverty-ridden nation of amoral mercenaries, Sacae as a land of backwards savages, Bern as a warmongering rival (which it was, technically. Princess Guinivere certainly had her work cut out for her.) And lastly, of Lycia as a land of rural towns and hillbilly lords.
But now that Roy was renowned across the continent as the liberator of Ilia and Sacae and savior of Aquleia, many noble families- especially those in Etruria- saw him as the chosen champion of Elimine, saint divine.
The family that married into the Pheraen lordship would without a doubt become one of the most powerful, most influential families in all of Elibe. Guinivere may have been the soon-to-be-crowned queen of Bern, and Lilina marchioness and de-facto ruler of Lycia… but Roy was the true champion of the unified army. It was him that the power, the prestige, and the reputation ultimately rested.
And Cecilia was no stranger to politics. She knew that every noble family with a daughter, regardless of whether she was a bastard or true noble-born, would likely try and secure the rights to the legacy of Pherae's heir.
Cecilia didn't fully understand why, but the thought of Roy getting roped into some loveless marriage by a family of cackling traditionalist nobles set her blood boiling.
Roy let out a great sigh, a tired look on his face.
"I'm sorry to vent to you about such things, Cecilia. I know it's probably unprofessional of me…"
"No, don't apologize. I'm your friend. It's better to talk about these kinds of things rather than bottling it up. But I must ask, Roy… Have you accepted any of those invitations? You didn't answer my question earlier."
"N-no! I mean, no. I haven't. I… I can understand why all of those families want to meet with me, but frankly… it's a little overwhelming."
"Well, why not… consider looking for a wife from within the army? You are rather close to many people here… especially some of the young women who have joined your forces." Cecilia remarked, not making a jibe at Roy's expense so much as bluntly stating a fact.
"Well, I'm not that close to any of them, but… er, actually… that's what prompted this whole conversation, Cecilia. There is someone I've been considering asking for permission to begin courting…"
Cecilia felt like she was sailing into dangerous waters. This was not a topic Roy had ever spoken to her about, and frankly it wasn't a topic she had imagined she'd ever be involved in.
The mage general thought over her next words carefully before continuing on.
"Well… whichever lady it is you seek permission to court, I'm certain she'll give it, along with the blessing her family. You are a fine man, Roy, and you've proven to the entire world that you aren't just a strong leader, but a kind and capable one as well."
"That's just it, Cecilia! I don't want to marry someone who sees me as "Roy the leader, or Roy the Hero of Elibe! I want to marry someone who wants to be with 'Roy, the person underneath all the titles and prestige!' Oh Hell… this is awkward. Cecilia-"
"I-I'm sorry, Roy. I didn't mean to upset you-"
"No, Cecilia, that's not what I meant. I'm sorry for losing my patience just now. I…"
"Roy, take a deep breath. There's no need to continue this conversation if you don't want to. We can leave it here and never speak of it again if that would be better."
"NO! I mean, no. Not at all. Cecilia, the reason I brought this up to you is because I don't want to put this off anymore. These thoughts that have been in my mind, they've been here for a long time. I thought they might have faded with time, but instead, I'm more certain of them than ever." Roy closed his eyes, mustering the courage to say how he truly felt, before speaking once more.
"I didn't lie when I said there was a woman in this army that I wished to ask for permission to court. But it's not just anyone in this army. It's you, Cecilia."
Cecilia could count on one hand the number of times she'd been truly dumbstruck in the last year and still have fingers remaining. Now, Roy had the dubious 'honor' of seeing the normally calm mage general utterly flabbergasted.
The green-haired woman's mouth was hanging open, and her eyes were wide- out of all the things she'd expected Roy to say, that had not been one of them.
"B-but… Roy, it's… m-me?! Surely… I thought… Lilina?" The befuddled woman's thoughts were in a rare state of disarray, her words failing her.
Roy's face was a shade of red that nearly matched his hair.
"No, it's not Lilina. It's you, like I said. With your permission, Cecilia of House Prydwen, I would ask for your hand, that when this war is finally over, I would court you with the intent of marrying you."
"R-Roy… I…"
"General Cecilia, I got to know you briefly, years ago in Ostia. But that was Cecilia, the instructor. During this war I have had the pleasure of getting to know Cecilia, the soldier. Nothing… nothing would please me more than getting to finally know Cecilia, the woman."
"!"
A wordless gasp left Cecilia's lips, one hand flying to her mouth.
"Roy, I… You're a wonderful young man, but…"
Roy's face fell, a look of hurt and soul-crushing disappointment on his face. But more than that, there was understanding on his face as well.
"Heh… I guess I should've expected that. I… I wanted to hope that you'd say yes, that this would all go like one of Lilina's old stories about knights and princesses and dungeons and dragons… But it really was a ridiculous idea, wasn't it?" Roy asked.
"What?! NO, Roy, that's not at all what I meant. I-I… Roy, I'm NOT saying no, just… this has caught me by surprise… I don't know what to say. I never thought… I mean… Roy, I stand by what I said. You're a wonderful man, and you're more than ready to inherit the title of Marquess of Pherae from your father. But…"
"But?"
"This is marriage we're talking about! To spend your life with someone... wouldn't you prefer to be with someone closer to your own age?"
"I don't want to be with someone just because they're my age. I want to be with someone who will make me happy."
Oh. That… Cecilia's heart fluttered in her chest, a strange warmth blooming there that she hadn't previously felt.
The green-haired woman let out a great breath that she didn't even know she'd been holding in. Brushing one of her long locks past her ears, she looked her once-student in the eyes.
"Roy… This is… a lot to think about. But… it wouldn't be right to just say no out of habit. This war has been long and bloody, but through it all I've seen you grow into a wonderful man. Any woman would be beyond lucky to have you as her husband."
"Then…"
Cecilia closed her eyes, wracking her brain for the words her mind wanted to give shape to. What a struggle! Her mind was in a deep turmoil, an emotional turbulence greater than any she'd experienced in years. Somewhere deep down inside of her, Cecilia found it ironic that the struggle to find an adequate response to Roy's heartfelt proposal stumped her more than any exam or magical formula she'd studied ever had.
"I… Roy, I'm sorry if this is selfish of me, but… I can't give you an answer right now. I… I was not expecting to hear something like this from you, and you deserve nothing more than a truly honest answer from me. An answer from my heart. I know you, and I know that your intent is genuine. You wish to court me… that we might one day be wed, and I would be doing you an enormous disservice if I gave you a response that was anything less than genuine."
Roy nodded. He hadn't quite allowed hope to fill him, but the crushing disappointment from earlier was no longer present.
"That's perfectly fair, Cecilia. And… I apologize as well. There's no going back now, but I could've prepared this better… I… I know that your answer might still be a 'no,' but… I'm glad I was finally able to tell you how I felt."
"Make no mistake, Roy. I am truly glad that you value my company so much. Hearing that you wish to spend your life with me… it's true that I never anticipated hearing this from you, but at the same time your words fill me with joy! Please… just give me some time to gather my thoughts. We have only one last battle ahead of us. I promise… when all of this is truly over… I'll give you my response."
Author's Notes
Timeline
There's no word on how much time actually passes during the events of FE6, but this story follows the idea that the war took multiple years from start to finish.
Roy, Lilina are 15 at the start. Cecilia is 23 going on 24.
From prologue – chapter 22 (Zephiel battle) is 3 to 3.5 years.
Post chapter 22:
Roy, Lilina are 18.5 and 19 respectively
Cecilia is 26, nearly 27.
This story takes place after the canon A-rank support between Roy and Cecilia.
Cecilia's age
This is a big thing, and one that might make or break the story for some people for more than one reason. The whole Roy x Cecilia pairing, while very well-liked by some people (myself included) is also very unpopular for wholly justified reasons.
Making Cecilia only 8 years older than Roy felt like the youngest I could make her without breaking her character. I didn't want Cecilia to be more than 9-10 years older than Roy at the most but making her any younger than this felt like it changing her character too much.
Etruria (and Fire Emblem in general) have a history of giving positions of great power to young people, so I follow the logic that Cecilia was appointed mage general at only 19 or 20.
Cecilia's teaching position
There's no canon position on what Cecilia's role in Ostia was beyond the tutorial and some other snippets of dialogue. Was she a professor at the academy in Ostia (or whatever school the Lycian lords went to when young?) Or was she more of a private tutor for Lilina and Roy?
My interpretation is closer to the latter, mixed with undescribed political/diplomatic duties (for the purposes of this story, Cecilia was already the Mage General of Etruria prior to teaching Roy and Lilina.)
For the purposes of this story, Cecilia came to Ostia a little over a year prior prior to the beginning of FE6. Roy and Lilina were both 14, Cecilia was 22.
I'll admit, it gets a little tricky in here. Did Roy have combat instructors prior to Cecilia? Probably. It's not super likely that he only just started learning swordplay at 14, one year before the game began, but at the same time it's hard to pinpoint just how much time Cecilia spent with him and Lilina. According to canon, she was effectively his main instructor in combat + tactics, but I can't imagine he didn't start learning stuff from other people (like Marcus) prior to going to Ostia to study.
Cecilia's noble status
It's never confirmed in game what level of noble her family is, so I wrote it in that her family is on the level of the Reglay family
She IS a noblewoman, her supports with Saul show that her father is a lord of Etruria in (likely) fairly high standing.
House Prydwen (made up the name; it's Welsh and Caerleon (FE7 Priscilla's adopted family) is also a Welsh name.
Courting vs dating
One of Fire Emblem's many mysteries is just where it falls on the whole 'realistic medieval' vs 'fantasy medieval' scale.
So…
Courting definitely has a more 'old-timey' connotation than dating. It's much more formal, and very much done with the intent on determining whether the couple involved will work as a married couple.