Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem: Awakening.

• {Chapter one} •

In a small town southward of Ylisse, in the month of Juno, at the present time:

My dear Lissa,

There is not much to write today. I have convinced our sister to give me the occupation of chef in the house; I lied and said it made me feel better to have a useful purpose. She tilted her head and smiled in a warm fashion, as she always does. With that image in my mind, how could I ever tell her how awful a cook she truly is?

My little boy is walking quite well, now. Though his elder sister would ignore him since birth, today she seemed to have rediscovered his existence, and is very well pleased at his being a toddler who can keep up. I hope they shall be as close as Morgan and Lucina.

There is nothing more to report at the moment.

In Ylisstol Castle, in the month of Juno, one year ago:

Darkness, she remembered. Robin had just woken from her night's rest, her eyes were closed. With a grimace and a yawn which burned her throat, Robin managed to open her eyes.

First she noticed the empty place in bed. She rolled onto her back to see the window on the left wall. Orange sunlight was pouring into the room, turning the wooden floors and fine furniture into gold. Robin recalled seeing the moon in the sky before falling asleep last night; surely the sun, then, was raising rather than setting.

"I see you're awake, now." Chrom said from another part of the room. Robin turned to him, surprised to find him dressed in his white court clothes, Falchion sheathed in the richest silk at his side. As she studied him, Chrom approached and sat at the foot of the bed. "Do you feel better this morning?"

"... I think so." Robin whispered hoarsely. "My throat still burns, but only slightly. And my head no longer feels awkwardly attached to my neck."

Chrom smiled and nodded. "That's good. But you still need to take it easy. Stay in bed all day, if you can stand it. The children are fine with Morgan, and have his wife when they need motherly comfort."

"But where will you be?" Robin asked.

Chrom shook his head. "On the road to Feroxi. If it were anyone else, I would stay here and see you recover, but I can not disappoint Flavia again." He clenched his teeth. "Damn tournament. Why can't they simply elect a leader through a vote like every other civilized country?"

Robin smirked. "Then Flavia would not live in Feroxi."

Chrom laughed shortly. "No, of course not." But he frowned. "I still don't see why we need to be there. She agreed that she could not ask us to fight when Lon'qu is her opponent; why does she need us as spectators? I can not lend jeers for her side, and even if I could, I seem incapable of mocking to her standards."

Robin's smirk deepened into a smile. "Stop, you're going to make me laugh and that will hurt my throat."

"I'm sorry. Please, promise to behave and rest. You'll never get rid of this illness if you don't take your time recovering."

"I know. I promise."

"I suspect I'll be gone for at least a fortnight, maybe more; in the meantime, I'll have Frederick watch over you. I've given him specific instructions, including but not limited to mandatory breakfasts and suppers, no reading for more than one hour at a time, no leaving your bed unless you are feeling miraculously stronger, and no leaving your room until I return. All my mail will be handled by my advisors, as will any of your mail that bears an official seal; personal letters will be set aside on your desk until you are well enough to reading them. Ah, let's see..."

Robin wanted to make a sharp retort, but all her stuffy mind could think to say was 'cough'. As the fit carried on for a few seconds, Chrom fussed over her, adjusting her pillows, supporting her back, and checking her handkerchief for stains. Once Robin had calmed down, she laid back on her bed with a sigh of exhaustion, noticing that Chrom himself was almost as white as his outfit.

Robin felt guilty about worrying him, so drew what strength she could muster into a playful act of pouting by pulling the covers over her head and mumbling, "Surely I shan't be able to recover in this oppressive environment."

"Robin," Chrom said, his voice not at all light, "I shall stay and send Lissa and Morgan in my place. Flavia will understand."

"No, Chrom," Robin argued, pulling back the covers. "I am fine. I shall recover quickly enough, and nothing can go wrong with me as long as Frederick is here. You must go and get out of the palace - be a prince again for a little while. You have hardly left my side this past week and shall run yourself into bed if you don't relax. Please, go and have fun for my sake?"

Robin took his strong hand between her two weak ones. She tried to squeeze his hand reassuringly, but her own hardly followed her dictations anymore. She felt so cold and thin, and thought that Chrom must have felt it to; he looked hurt as he stared at the veins protruding from her pale skin.

Robin said quickly, "Go now. I wish to sleep some more and can't do so when you're hanging about badgering me."

She took her hands away and lay her head firmly on her pillows, gaze turned away from Chrom. She closed her eyes and pretended not to notice when Chrom stared for several moments afterwards. She was just beginning to truly doze again when he stood up, kissed her cheek, and left the room. Robin smiled, thinking she had won and that Chrom was on his way to an enjoyable fortnight in Feroxi, where he would not be stressed over his wife's slow recovery. She fell asleep, feeling happy over her triumph.

Robin grew worse again within hours of Chrom's leaving. Her fever returned and her muscles ached from unexplainable exhaustion. Her head felt as though it were detached, floating off-centered around her neck, yet at the same time causing her body to shake uncontrollably from the sheer pain of an imaged rendering.

New days and nights brought little relief. Almost a week had past before her temperature cooled. Another week went by before Robin was able to sit up in bed and do some reading. However, it was not until three weeks had went since Chrom's departure that Robin felt well enough to receive visitors outside of doctors and priests.

Frederick appeared as soon as Robin allowed him to. She would awake in the morning to find him sitting in a chair outside her door, waiting for her to invite him in; Frederick would not leave until Robin fell asleep at night, so she was never certain how long he stayed nor how little sleep he was persevering on.

After three weeks and three days had past without any news of Chrom nor a promise of return, Robin asked for her pile of letters. "Chrom told me that he would have you put them aside for when I was well?" Robin told Frederick.

Frederick nodded. "Indeed. I have been stacking them on your desk right here." Frederick took a small pile from Robin's desk in the room. "I have kept it in chronological order, beginning with the earliest letter at the top."

Robin thanked him and settled down to read. First were letters from Shepherds who had moved far away. Henry, Nowi, Gregor, Miriel, and even a letter from Tharja delighted Robin as she lay in bed. "I may need you to write replies for me in a while, Frederick," Robin said, "for they must be worried that I haven't respond in a month."

Next came one from Feroxi, from Lon'qu. Robin opened the letter eagerly, hoping for some long letter from him or perhaps even his wife detailing an embarrassing but humorous scrape her husband may have fallen into.

Inside was a folded sheet of paper which Robin pulled out and opened. The page was mostly blank, except for two lines scribbled in the center of the paper.

'Chrom injured. Come quickly.'

Robin's heart skipped. An uncomfortable weight gripped her chest, tightening as she noticed the date inside labeled as being three weeks ago.

"Frederick..." Robin gasped, handing him the letter to read. As he did so, Robin made a mess of the neat pile of letters, searching frantically for a sequel, though unsure whether she wanted one or no.

Eventually, Robin found another letter from Lon'qu, the second from the top, newly arrived that day. Robin tore into the envelop, ripping the page which contained the message. This time, there was only one line printed in the center of the page.

'Chrom died last night.'

The page dropped out of Robin's hands. It fluttered onto her lap. She stared at the message, her eyes wanting to turn away yet unable to. No tears blurred her view. Murderous anger clamored for the death of the paper, as though it were an enemy on her battlefield, as though its existence was the cause of death. Death...

But all disappeared as Robin let out a scream.

Postscript

Oh, but there is one incident to report - I was asked by the preacher's son to go out walking after church. Our sister seems to think it important that I go.

But I shan't go.

Ending Note: So here is a new story, one which I hope I shall finish relatively soon. It shall be short, only four or five chapters in all. I have yet to begin chapter two, and honestly, I'm not totally satisfied with this chapter. However, I miss the reviews so much, I shall post this anyway and hope that some notice to this story will inspire a new writing phase for me.