Once upon a time there was this rad as heck kid named Ricken. Don't call him a kid though. See, kids are carefree and sheltered and they aren't ever taken seriously, and Ricken knew he was nothing like that. I mean, his parents had tried for a bit, sure, but times were tough and ultimately they were the honest sort. And so Ricken didn't have any illusions about the situation his family was in, and he definitely didn't have any illusions about the situation his country was in. He refused to let it get him down though. Kids are optimistic like that.
Joining the war effort was his biggest hurdle. I mean, charming forest creatures was one thing. Convincing Chrom that he was capable of defending Ylisse? Being cute didn't exactly help his case there. But Ricken was the determined sort. He was determined to do good, determined restore his family to their former glory, and determined to repay the young royal. After all, Chrom was the whole reason he'd lived long enough to become this old and wise in the first place.
It happened, as all good things do, by breaking the rules. (Don't tell your parents. There is always danger in breaking the rules, be it guilt or death or worse. But, the way Ricken figured it, some things were worth the risk.) The rule had been simple. Stay behind. But Ricken was unable to do so. How could he stay behind, knowing his friends rushed headlong into danger? How could he be happy to sit and twiddle his thumbs when he could be of some help?
Not to brag, but he saved the day.
You probably remember something about a certain Exalt taking a certain tumble. What you might not recall is a carefully placed Elwind saving her from her gruesome fate. The history books will never reflect it, but it's true. Ricken of course is much too humble to come forward and take the credit.
The war itself was not without moral questions for Ricken. The Risen made it easier, the bloodshed, but their re-deaths were intermingled with real loss. Despite the efforts made by these people to kill his friends, Ricken couldn't help but see them for who they were. Which is to say, people. And aren't all people, good or bad or somewhere in between, inherently deserving of life? Ricken understood war was not a thing to be taken lightly. In some ways, it was the most and least childish thing about him.
The story has been told many ways, but the one that matters is this. They won. Good conquered evil. Everybody lived and nobody died. Friendships were forged and never forgotten. And Ricken was the reason why.
In the aftermath of all that happened, Ricken grew tall. No one who looked at him could claim he was a kid anymore. But, most important of all, Ricken was happy.
Good? Accomplished. Family honor? Successfully restored. Repaid? Perhaps. Ricken became one of Chrom's most trusted advisers. While he had saved the Exalt's life once or twice, what's a few near death experiences between friends? I suppose that is for you to decide. But, however you choose to look at it, it ended (as all good stories do) like this:
And they all lived happily ever after.