A/N: Hello there! I'm CreationsGoneAwry, CGA for short (or Luxray, as I'm known pretty much everywhere else online), and this is my first "real" Fire Emblem story. I posted a kind of drabble series last year that featured pairings and friendships from FE 7, 8, and 13, but I pretty much lost interest so it hasn't been updated since like... last July.

Anyway, this baby's being worked on consistently, so I may or may not continue posting the chapters until it's fully complete. Ideally I wouldn't even post the first chapter until the whole story's done but I figured I would so I could spark some possible interest in the fandom, and/or at least just see if it's a good premise. I haven't seen this exact storyline before (unless somehow there's a new story out there or the author didn't have Robin and Chrom in the character details) so I figured I'd start it~

I'm hoping for this to just be a romcom with the occasional drama, but at the end/close to end I was wondering if maybe I should include the two years or so from the end of the Gangrel war to the beginning of the... Plegia? war. I don't really remember much of Awakening's plot, admittedly, hehe. But yeah, that's what I'm hoping for, probably less than 20 chapters but no promises.

Oh! And thank you so much to my beta reader, My Gender Is Armin Arlert, for proofreading and checking the general ideas and most importantly dialogue! I seriously can't thank you enough ^-^ You're all kinds of awesome!

Thanks for reading! Sorry I rant a lot... Enjoy!

This is Strictly Political, Right?

The new checkpoint in her life from today on didn't include any friends from the army, the wonderful Shepherds she had grown to love and lead. It would be strange not hearing Stahl's stomach growl or the ecstatic but haunting words of Tharja, or even the constant bickering between Panne and Gaius.

It would undoubtedly take some time to get used to not being with everyone anymore, but she knew she wouldn't be entirely alone. As she looked ahead and saw the tall halidom covering up some of the blue sky, she told herself she'd be fine; after all, she still had three very wonderful people by her side. They were all close enough to stay with her through thick and thin.

The young tactician sighed happily, closing her eyes and basking in the warmth of the sun, wondering how long the nice weather would keep up. There probably hadn't been a day this beautiful since the start of their battles. In the back of her mind she wondered if it was because of the fighting they just weren't able to appreciate nature if it ever was this nice.

Her hair was thrown around a bit by a sudden breeze, tickling her neck. She outstretched her arms and breathed in the crisp morning air, deciding everything was better when there was nothing to worry about. The hardships were over and now she could finally settle down.

"Hey, Robin!"

For a few moments at a time, anyway.

Robin opened her eyes, the voice reminding her that not everything was fun and games like she'd hoped it would be from now on. She still had her own missions to accomplish after all.

The purple-haired girl made her way to Lissa, apologizing for being absent (mainly in the mind). Frederick and Chrom, the only others accompanying her, remained far ahead, seemingly engrossed in their own conversation. Robin paid them no real mind, though, knowing if it was anything important Chrom would tell her later.

"It's nice being able to walk like this," Lissa mused once Robin matched her pace. She subconsciously kicked up some loose dirt with every step, making little dirt clouds and getting her shoes even dirtier than before. "Just… completely carefree and all."

The girls shared a few quiet moments before the blonde continued, hearing some snippets of the two men's conversation.

"What do you think they're talking about?"

"Hmm?" Robin asked, though she had an idea what she asked.

The younger female giggled anyway, knowing how dense her friend could be. "Chrom and Frederick. I've heard your name come up a few times."

It intrigued her a little, but Robin decided to let the two have their space, sticking to her previous trust in their blue-haired leader and friend. "They might have heard you say their names, too," she teased.

Nothing else was really said for a short while until they could finally see the streets and gates of Ylisstol. The castle could easily be seen and, if they strained their ears enough, they could hear the business of the shopping district just through the gates.

"Are you excited?" Lissa asked, making small talk again. "About living and working here, I mean."

Robin half-smiled. "I don't exactly have anywhere else to go. If the castle staff doesn't accept me I suppose I have no choice but to make my home here in the district."

"I didn't mean about the district," the other replied with a laugh. "I bet it feels great knowing you may be able to help out around the city and even make some big decisions."

The smile reached Robin's eyes now as she looked at her friend. "It's all thanks to you and Chrom that I have these connections."

"Oh, stop." She waved it off she always did when it came to royalty matters.

They walked leisurely behind Frederick and Chrom until Lissa decided they all had enough time to chat with the same gender. "Come on! We'll lose them in the crowd!"

Robin admitted they probably would. Lissa was the princess, yes, but Chrom was to be King – and of course that meant he would be pestered by fans, townspeople and press alike. She knew they didn't exactly have to stop it from happening but they had to make sure nothing else accompanied it.

It was rather darkly humorous that outside the city walls they were almost perfectly safe, but once they set foot inside them there could be trouble lurking anywhere. The Ylissean guards would do their duty but one could never be too careful, especially being haunted by the memory of Chrom's near-death experiences with assassins.

She followed Lissa to catch up to the men, stopping once they were directly behind them. For a brief moment she made eye contact with Chrom. He smiled.

"Are you ready?" he asked, scanning her face. He knew she had to be feeling both excited and nervous; even he was, though he supposed he had his own reasons for that.

Robin flashed him a smile, which he laughed at.

"Calm down. We're all right here with you."

That reassurance was pretty much all she needed to lower her guard. All within a year it seemed he could see right through her, maybe even knew her better than she knew herself. Sometimes it seemed like all three of them had a better idea of who she was than she did.

But that was probably easy, seeing as how she was an amnesiac. They all knew her as the calm and collected – but also hot-headed – tactician, not a single weakness in sight. Yet how could she believe that without any memories or proof to back it up? She could have been an entirely different person one year ago, or however many years ago since she remembered. Truly she wondered if anything would ever come back.

She wasn't exactly zoned out as she needed to stay alert for anything suspicious, but she nearly ran into a security guard stationed at the gate. Glancing up, she offered a meek apology before meeting up with the party, who was obviously trying very hard to contain laughter.

"All right, so I'm a little spacy because I'm nervous," she said bitterly, a blush joining her frown. Wouldn't any normal person be the same in such a situation? Having to appeal to some probably old men she had never met before, trying to convince them why she was a great tactician they should consider hiring, did not sound like an easy task.

Chrom stepped closer to her. "Do I need to hold your hand?" he asked. His voice was tender but she knew all too well the teasing, underlying tone.

"No."

Her abrupt response just made him crack up more, but a stern Frederick snapped him out of it.

Chrom cleared his throat and coughed into his fist, any traces of a smile now gone. "Erm, right. That would probably cause a bit of confusion in the city."

Robin was about to ask what he meant by that but before she could open her mouth, Lissa opened hers.

"Come on! Let's go!"

They shared a brief greeting with another gatekeeper and set foot into the city. Just like they could hear from outside, the large shopping district at the city's entrance was absolutely bustling with people. Vendors tried their best to cater to men, women, and children alike and even some street performers attempted to earn some coin. A female dancer at the top of a staircase reminded Robin of Olivia, and then a young boy carrying a bag with some candy sticking out brought the memory of Gaius.

She smiled seeing all this. Sometimes life had little reminders hidden in plain sight.

"Let's make haste to the castle, everyone," Chrom announced. The four quickened their pace, eager to make it in one piece.

Thankfully there weren't too many people paying attention to them, more focused on how they spent their money, so they managed to escape most press and others who would spread the news of the prince and princess's return. There would be a formal announcement later that night, anyway, according to Chrom.

After they ascended just one more stairway they were right at the entrance gate to the castle. As Chrom went on ahead to explain himself and his guests, Lissa beckoned for Robin to look back at the view.

"I know it's kind of hard to imagine when you're in the big crowds, but the capital is really pretty."

Robin nodded, noting the way the birds all flocked to one house and then the next, how the sun seemed to prefer to shine on one area more than the others, and mainly how huge it really was. Outside all they could see were the walls, but here in the heart of it she could see the layers and tiers of houses and shops, leading her to wonder if she could ever get used to life here. It looked so much different than when she was here for the first time, learning that Lissa and Chrom were actually royalty. There was so much to do and so many places to explore – she didn't think there would ever be a boring day.

Though… would she be staying in the castle as a guest or in the city as a normal, tax-paying citizen? She wished Chrom would have been more direct with her about what was likely to happen.

She directed her attention to him, still deep in talk with the gatekeeper. If she wasn't allowed to inhabit the same space as her friends would she have to meet with the guards every time she wanted to visit them?

After a few more moments Chrom turned around and smiled. "Let's go."

Well, at least she got accepted to enter the castle. That was step one, she supposed, and the rest would follow. She stayed close behind the others, occasionally glancing at all the details of the outside as they made their way in.

There was some sort of foyer adorned with pictures – portraits, more like – Robin thought to be of the previous exalts, as she spotted one she believed was Emmeryn. She silently wondered if Chrom's face would soon join them.

The man of interest led them to a fork in the hallway. A quick glance revealed handfuls of rooms to both sides; Robin knew she would easily get lost in here.

"I must prepare for the announcement and apparently catch up on some paperwork," said Chrom with a hand to his neck. "We'll meet back with you ladies later. Frederick?"

The stoic knight nodded. "Milord." He turned to face Lissa. "You could show her around. I'm sure she is curious to see the castle."

Lissa scoffed as if she had just been insulted. "I'm not important enough to be included in the ceremony?" Her voice rose in pitch with every word, coming out more like a shriek than she intended.

Frederick uttered a brief apology and chased after Chrom. It seemed they still had something to talk about.

The young princess crossed her arms and huffed. "There's something fishy going on with those two. I want to know what it is."

Robin nodded in agreement, wondering what was happening as well. She respected Chrom's privacy but at the same time hoped he understood there were limits to her patience. "We should leave them alone for now, though. Chrom's learned he can't keep secrets from us anyway. If we need to, we can easily find out what's going on."

Lissa shared the mischievous smile, happy someone finally saw things her way. "Well, until then… do you want me to give you that tour?"

The sincere smile on the older female's mouth told her yes, so the girls stepped down the right side of the hallway, opposite Chrom and Frederick. There were definitely enough rooms to check out to occupy the time until the formal announcement.

…

It felt like an eternity had passed after they finally finished touring all the rooms. In truth it was only a couple of hours at most, but Lissa's need to explain every function behind every door proved to be quite tiresome. It didn't help that she only remembered about half of the rooms, using the excuse "I don't normally go down the right wing." Being a perfectionist, this meant she searched for people who knew what role each room played.

Strangely, Robin suddenly knew exactly why Lissa didn't consider herself royalty, let alone a princess. And she remembered thinking she, herself, didn't want to be a part of it when she kept seeing a shadowy figure around every corner they turned. It wasn't enough to give her the chills, but it definitely put her on edge.

The two left the last room, built to serve the purpose of a child's playroom, and began wandering down the left wing. Lissa hoped to run into the boys as long as they weren't too preoccupied, but they decided to give up after some time. Meanwhile Robin was wondering how she could request an audience with whoever was in charge; she wanted to find out where she would be staying tonight, at least.

She assumed it would be easy to become appointed as a royal tactician, given her connections, but apparently it took more than a request from the king himself to bring an outsider in and make her nobility. She didn't understand it, and she knew she couldn't ask Lissa, but she trusted Chrom when he told her it was complicated.

Lissa took the lead once more when they reached the rooms of the left wing. She provided short descriptions of each room this time – guest, medical, and a few maids' rooms – before stopping in front of a bigger one a little ways down the hall. The door was large, almost reaching the ceiling, and printed to the side on a plaque were the words PRINCESS LISSA'S CHAMBERS.

The tactician had a feeling the family members had bigger rooms than regular housemaids, but if this was just the size of Lissa's she couldn't imagine what that of Chrom's would be.

"And this is – you probably guessed it – my room!"

Lissa opened the door, revealing possibly the most gorgeous room Robin had ever seen. She expected there to be pink and yellow explosions of color everywhere, knowing the girl, but every corner and wall was a neutral lavender and all the furniture was actually quite modest. There was some space between the bed and what seemed to be a sitting area, and cherry wood dressers filled up most of the rest of the room. It was big, yes, but it didn't feel like a waste of space.

Robin smiled. "Does it feel strange coming here again after such a long time?"

The blonde shrugged. "A little bit. To be honest I would even be happy with a regular pull-out sofa after sleeping on cots for so long." Robin laughed along with her. "You were probably expecting something more vibrant, huh?"

Why did it seem everybody could read her like an open book? "Yes," she replied sheepishly. "Does that bother you?"

"Not really. I just think it's a little funny to see people's reactions when they find out I'm not as girly as they initially thought I was."

Robin chuckled. "I didn't mean anything like that. I think it looks very nice." She glanced around some more, looking at the tray ceiling, how nice and tall it was. "It's timeless and classy. I'm actually a little jealous."

"Thanks!" The princess smiled, sinking down onto the bed, motioning for Robin to join her. She did, and the two sat in silence for some time.

"Hey," Robin started, breaking it, "do you think Chrom really even wants me here? I mean… I pretty much appeared out of nowhere and I brought a lot of trouble with me even though I don't remember what I did to cause any of it." She took full advantage of the bed's comfort and lay down on her back, hands over her torso. "I would understand if he didn't want me to mess up his country with bad decisions."

Lissa gave Robin the chance to rethink her words, hoping she would realize how silly they were, but when it was obvious she wouldn't the blonde scolded her.

"I can't believe you feel that way." She sighed. "I can't really speak for Chrom, and maybe it'd be better if you heard it from him instead, but we probably wouldn't be alive if it weren't for you. I'm a healer and even I can say you've saved us more than I've ever saved anybody." She picked at the blanket strewn across the bed, running her finger along the flower pattern. "I think we were meant to meet you in the field that day so that we had a voice of reason to guide us. You didn't know anything about the world so you were kind of lost, but you learned quickly and I think you understand a little bit of everything better than me."

Robin smiled, grateful to hear those words. It was nice knowing that Lissa understood the serious tones in the world. Sometimes, because she was so young, everyone forgot just how grown up she truly was because she hid behind her childish exterior and attitude. But that was just her way of having fun, the tactician perceived.

"…Thanks, Lissa. But you were right."

She got up, startling the blonde, and headed for the door. "I'm sorry to leave, but I do think I have to ask Chrom how he feels about this. We've brushed over it before but both of us were too busy to truly settle what's going to happen. I'd hate to take advantage of anybody's hospitality, especially if he will be the new king." She turned the knob and walked out, only to return a moment later. "Where is Chrom's room?"

Lissa giggled, mostly unaffected by her words and letting it go. "Just turn right out of the room and keep going straight. There's a few corners but you can't miss it. I think the sign on the door still says 'Exalt Emmeryn' but that's Chrom's room now."

Robin nodded and thanked her again before shutting the door and trying to find the way. Thankfully there were no other rooms except for washrooms – she supposed it was to give the royal members more privacy – so she couldn't get lost or mistake one for another.

She came to a room on the left with a plaque that read PRINCE CHROM'S CHAMBERS but remembered Lissa's words so she skipped past it. However, there were two distinct voices she just couldn't ignore, and she found herself turning around, stopping short of the door. She needed to talk to Chrom anyway.

Her knuckles prepared to knock but she couldn't do it once she started understanding what they were saying. It was Frederick's voice she heard first.

"Well, Milord, do you love her?"

There was a short pause during which Robin stared at the door in suspense, wondering who the girl in question was. She heard Chrom clear his throat. When he spoke his voice sounded rushed.

"As a friend and as a partner, yes of course. Her deduction and leadership skills are envied by many, myself included. There is no doubt in my mind that if we procreated, our child would be brilliant, skilled in both combat and strategy. But…"

Robin gasped, covering her mouth just in time to silence herself. Just who was Chrom talking about?! Already thinking about a child? Was this why he was acting so strangely today - and the past few days?

After looking to make sure there were no people around she moved closer to the door, pressing her ear against it.

"Milord, if I may speak, we have been discussing this for a very long time. If you don't make up your mind soon, it will be too late. You must prepare for the ceremony soon; you won't be crowned yet but all the townspeople are looking forward to hearing your announcement."

She cursed the door for not having a keyhole to peep through but quickly chided herself. Why was she eavesdropping anyway? She could just knock and walk in and ask what was going on.

"Yes, but…" It was Chrom's voice again. "To propose a marriage all of a sudden… Surely she would think me mad, right? Even I do and this has weighed on my mind for weeks." He sighed. "Em always told me that one was to marry who he loves, never out of obligation. Do you think Robin is the type of woman to do this sort of thing? It's awfully selfi – "

"Gah!"

In an instant Robin found herself on the floor of Chrom's room, alternating between both pairs of eyes, meeting them at different times.

"I'm… sorry," she offered lamely. "I heard voices and knew they were yours, and then my name was mentioned after all of that so I lost my grip and reached for the doorknob to hold me up… but it didn't… work." She was out of breath now but stood up, dusting herself off, wishing she could also dust off the heat that rose to her face.

Neither of the men said anything, Chrom frozen in fear and Frederick in shock, wondering if it was too late to escape.

Soon enough, though, the latter apologized and excused himself, shutting the door on the way out. He knew just how loud the two of them could get while entranced in a heated argument.

Unfortunately Chrom could not do the same so he stood awkwardly, not meeting her eye. "So you heard…?"

"Everything." She crossed her arms and looked at him threateningly.

Though she knew there was no point in getting upset and yelling (she knew why Frederick left), so she just waited for him to say something. During this time she realized the room was nearly empty. Unlike Lissa's, it only had a bed, a lamp, and a single armoire. Was all his furniture already moved to Emmeryn's old room? Or did he really not have much in terms of personal belongings?

She decided that didn't matter, though, redirecting her attention to the nervous Chrom after he cleared his throat.

"I had no intentions of keeping this from you."

Robin scoffed. "Is that why I only found out because I was eavesdropping?" She felt a twinge of guilt at her own confession, but then she felt betrayed that she trusted him not to keep secrets.

"I… just got caught up in conversation. Ideally I would have talked about it with Lissa first, seeing as she knows you better…"

She scratched her head. "Why did you wait until now to talk to anybody about this?"

Chrom looked up at the ceiling. "Because I'm an idiot."

She uncrossed her arms. Well, that was very unlike him. For the king and valuable leader of the Ylissean army to admit his shortcoming… it was a bit shocking, to say the least. But she admired his honesty.

Robin stared at the wall instead of him, disbelieving that she was actually playing along. "…So what's going on?"

He didn't miss a beat when replying. "I don't want to force Lissa into the throne when I die." Before Robin could retort he continued, killing her train of thought. "We both know I could be killed in the line of fire any time. It is nothing short of a miracle that it hasn't happened yet. In this time of peace we don't know if or when danger will present itself, so… I must ensure there will be someone to succeed me, right?"

The tactician stayed silent, wondering just how insane he was, knowing he was referring to the aforementioned heir. She had a lot of questions but at the speed he was talking she didn't think she could even get a word in.

"I believed that, with your innate ability to problem solve and make decisions with the utmost thought, an heir with royal blood and the skills of a tactician would prove quite fearsome. No country would dare declare war on us with such a strong leader." He sighed. "I understand what I ask is a tremendous favor, and if you refuse I would not obj – "

"I haven't refused yet," Robin told him, finally able to speak. But what was she saying? "You are truly an idiot for not mentioning anything to anybody and there are several flaws in your logic, but your reasons for wanting this are noble and admirable. I have a plethora of questions but just answer this one." She turned her head towards him.

"Did you tell me I had to request an audience just so you would have more time to prepare for this? After thinking about it, you have all the necessary power to appoint me as the royal tactician, don't you?"

Chrom gulped, knowing this would happen but still fearing it. "Ah… one question at a time, please." He chuckled nervously but once he saw she wasn't having any of it he gave up. "I was planning on announcing your appointment as both queen and tactician tonight."

Queen? She guessed it made sense, but the name still rang through her ears as if a foreign word. As queen she wouldn't have all the authority as Chrom, but as tactician she would be able to continue what she learned to love doing so much.

But was she willing to go the rest of her life practically locked up in the castle? With Emmeryn gone, surely the guards wouldn't be so carefree about letting the royal family go out and fight anymore. She was almost positive there would be several duties and tasks lined up for the both of them – like the paperwork Chrom mentioned earlier, though she had to wonder if he was lying about that as well.

She had to admit, though… she had nothing lined up for herself either. She didn't and couldn't remember anything about her past so she wasn't sure if she actually had her life planned out. It wasn't exactly the greatest idea to wander around, idly searching with nothing to go on, so why not take the chance to unwind and relax and spend time with the three people she undeniably trusted the most? Along with that she could stay on top of her strategy, acting to make sure as few lives as possible were lost to battle.

Maybe she was being too careless, but suddenly all this didn't sound like such a horrible idea - except for Chrom's bad timing and planning, anyway.

"When is the ceremony?" she asked at long last, noticing just the faintest trace of a smile on Chrom's face.

"Thank you," he said. He didn't wait for her to tell him she hadn't said yes yet. "It will start just before dusk, so we still have some time before then."

Honestly, even if there were still hours left, just when did he plan on telling her he was formally introducing her as his bride? She felt a light laugh escape from her. "All right. Despite your horrible lack of arrangement… I guess I'm considering this. I have a few conditions and questions first, though."

Chrom nodded, eagerness present in his expression. "We have time. I will try and answer everything."

"First, I don't have anything even remotely decent to wear. How will I find a tailor in such a short time?" She motioned to her normal tactician robe, implying it was nowhere near good enough to wear to a formal event, especially one she would be involved in. "You are really bad at pla – "

"I already had that arranged. One of the tailors assured me that you and Emmeryn were nearly the same size, so there are just a few tweaks needed for you to fit into one of her old formal dresses."

Robin admitted it was strange knowing she would be wearing someone else's clothes, but given the time limit it didn't bother her as much as it normally would. Besides, it made sense now that when she was on the tour with Lissa there seemed to be someone watching her. They were sizing her up?

"Okay." She guessed that was one less thing to worry about, anyway. "One of my conditions then is that I receive no real special treatment."

He nodded, though she elaborated anyway.

"I do not want to be called Lady or Queen and especially not Your Highness. Since this is more or less a fake marriage I don't think I truly deserve those titles. I must earn trust before fully becoming a queen."

"You will quickly earn it with your tactician title," Chrom reassured her as he butted in. "Besides, the people have always put their trust in their exalt. If he makes a decision, they will stand by it with him. They will come to respect and admire you in no time."

She smiled, thanking him. It quickly turned into a frown as she remembered another big concern, though.

"Will we stay as friends?"

He took a few moments to answer, looking around the room and collecting his thoughts. "I promise you and I will always be friends. Frederick, Lissa, and I together in this castle will never leave you – even the battlefield cannot separate us."

She wasn't confused why it had to be her anymore, or if Chrom accepted her as the tactician. She made a mental note to tell Lissa she wasn't stressing about it anymore. Throughout her talk with Chrom she further solidified that he was rather bad at planning, at least when it came to things that made him uncomfortable, and she more firmly believed she was doing this for his sake as well as her own. They worked together perfectly as friends: she helped him come up with ideas and execute them and he helped her stay calm and rational precisely so she could be of use. It seemed they were each other's perfect complement, so a marriage built on that foundation should be strong, right?

Though…

"Your whole reason for this is to produce an heir, right?" she asked warily.

Chrom nodded. "With both our genes, the child we conceive is sure to be a genius."

She guessed she couldn't argue with that. It was because they were both gifted that they were the leaders of the army. She wanted to make sure her legacy was passed on, as well.

"Besides," he continued, now nervously caressing the back of his neck, "I figured it would be easier with you since we have both seen each other naked already." A hesitant laugh was added and it took all of Robin's strength to resist punching him. Even the king had thoughts like that, she supposed.

"But after all the political business is taken care of, we can go about continuing our friendship as normal… as normal as it could possibly be after that, anyway."

She sighed, staring down at Chrom, who was sitting on the edge of the bed. Truthfully she didn't even remember him moving, but that happened sometimes; one night the two had fallen asleep in the same tent, occasionally even on the same cot, planning their next moves all night.

"I guess I'm all out of questions," she admitted. At least she wasn't confused about his motives or intentions anymore – though she did learn he was extremely paranoid.

He chuckled, back to his normal self. "If you think of any more, I'm not out of answers."

The tactician took that into account, rattling her brain for more that didn't make sense. There were a few thoughts left but they weren't too important at the time, and since they were on a time constraint, anyway…

"All right. I'll marry you," she stated, taking a seat to next to him on the plush bed. She was pleasantly surprised by the level of comfort; even Lissa's had been very nice, so she couldn't imagine what the Exalt's chambers' bed would be like. If nothing, she was in this for the furniture.

"Thank you," he said once more.

The two sat in silence for a while before deciding they really should get ready for the official announcement now. They got up off the bed and started for the door but before Chrom could open it, a stray thought ascended to the front of his mind.

"Damn it!" he exclaimed, a palm to his forehead. "I never told Lissa."

Robin laughed, pushing her way past the distraught man and turning the doorknob.

"I'm going to get an earful."

~CGA