Bright Flame
"She is stronger than any steel he has ever come across."
A collection of Priam/Robin drabbles, from their first meeting to post-game.
Part I - first
Rating: K+
Word count: 1,719
Summary: "When he first meets her, they engage in combat."
A/N: This will be eight parts, each part having five drabbles in it. This is technically done but I split it into parts due to the fact the total word count is 17,000+ words. SO YEAH enjoy ~.
I'll unfold before you
Would have strung together
The very first words
Of a lifelong love letter
-I choose you, Sara Bareilles
i.
He is a man of steel and follows the way of the sword. He dedicates himself to combat and becoming the strongest hero in the realm. But, he also knows of his limitations. He fights like a demon but in the end, he is only a man.
He does not live a life of solitude. He is surrounded by many faces from all over the continent. They see him as a teacher and he must remain strong for them, so he does not let his emotions flow out that easily. He is friendly with them but in the end, The Radiant Hero's descendent is but a mystery to them. It's only in battle or talking about combat when his peers see excitement.
He doesn't feel as though something is missing, at least right now. He does not concern himself with such things and he does not feel the need to seek it out. He is content with his way of living.
He wouldn't have it any other way.
ii.
When he first meets her, they engage in combat. He remembers the day; sunny, warm - a perfect day for training.
"Priam," one of his soldiers calls out to him. It's a Valmese female who approaches him, a Wyvern Rider. Priam holds up a hand to another soldier he was training, turning towards her. "It seems like you have some visitors." She nods her head towards a group.
It's a fairly large group. The ringleader seems to be a young man in his twenties. There's a mark on his bare shoulder and a sword at his side. The woman next to him appears a tad younger than him, especially in height. Long, hazel hair droops over her shoulders and there's a bow on the side of her head. Over her right eye is an eye patch. She has her hood down.
He studies them for a minute. He recognizes the man - the newly exalted - but he does not recognize the woman all that much. The robes caught his eyes - he had heard that Chrom's tactician was a young, hooded woman, as well as a mastermind.
"Thank you, Celes." He gives the woman a nod. "I'll go greet them."
After all, he's the reason why they're here.
iii.
"I stand corrected. It seems the rumors of a hidden village were true..." The woman mumbles a bit, taking a gander at the soldiers around her. Her voice is laced with surprise and excitement.
"Indeed. But could a descendant of the Radiant Hero truly reside here? I still have my doubts." The man next to her bites the inside of his cheek. Ah, they're gossiping about him.
The tactician plays with the end of her hair for a moment, fidgeting slightly. "What all do you know about this Radiant Hero, anyway?" The excitement doesn't disappear. In fact, it grows.
"Only what the legends tell—that he's an unparalleled warrior from another world." The lord taps his chin for a moment, trying to recall the legend. "They say he felled thousands with a divine blade blessed by Ashera herself."
Of course, Priam has Ike's entire legend memorized by now. Sometimes, he puts himself in his ancestor's place in his dreams. It riles him up - in both a good and a bad way. It excites him and urges him to become stronger, but he's somewhat afraid that he will bring shame to his family's name.
"Interesting," a pause, "then if his descendant exists and possesses even a tenth of his skill..."
The man nods his head, as if he read her mind. "Exactly, strength like that could be of great use to us."
Ah, it's recruitment they're looking for. It brings him back to the earlier days, when the infamous conqueror tried to recruit him. But they don't seem as hostile as Walhart.
"This assumes he would even fight for you," he finally makes his presence known. Almost half of the group has a heart attack. "A bold assumption, that."
"Wha—?! When did you...?" The tactician tries to speak. The lord next to her stands up tall, eyeing the elder man.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Priam," a stare from the other blue haired man, "the hypothetical descendant you were just going on about."
"What?" Now the lord looks embarrassed and his tactician jabs him in the side to speak. "Well met, then! I'm Chrom, of Ylisse. I apologize if I sounded presumptuous. Though I see I was clearly correct in my assumptions about your strength..."
A snort from the hero's descendant. "Flattery is cheap, friend. Very cheap," He stretches. "So, to what do I owe the honor? A royal's come all this way just to enlist me?"
Chrom shifts his body, "yes, actually."
"Interesting, but I've little interest in following someone else's orders." He eyes Chrom, a flame of passion burring in his eyes. The tactician sees it and her own eyes sparkle. "...Unless they're handed down by a man who can fight for himself.
"And if I prove I'm such a man?" Chrom raises an eyebrow as he speaks. Priam only shakes his head and chuckles.
"Prove it and see." He's known for not giving straight answers.
"Right to the point, I see." Chrom places a hand on the hilt of his sword, a grin on his face. The girl herself grins and pulls out her tome and she nods at the army behind her. They begin to ready themselves for the battle that's about to begin.
"...I think I like you already." The lord slams his sword down into the ground. "Very well - I accept!"
iv.
It's his army against Chrom's. Instead of waiting at his spot, he dives into the fight as well, not wanting to miss any of this. He manages to get a closer look at the people in Chrom's army. He's clashed his blade with a red headed woman, who seemed to enjoy shouting profanity.
Ragnell clashed with an axe of a blonde haired man, who seemed to call himself 'The Vaike' and seemed to have an ego. His eyes dart to a certain black haired swordswoman, fighting off a few soldiers.
They managed to recruit the princess. He seems to be rather serious about this.
He breaks away from his thoughts when he spots a lightning bolt from the corner of his eye. He manages to move himself out of the way, but his arm gets hit in the process.
It's painful but Priam grits his teeth and tries to brush it off. Turning around, he's face to face with the tactician - Robin, as Chrom said before the battle began. She has a look in her eye - one full of spirit. It practically sparkles when they exchange looks.
"Hey," she greets with a smile. She's full of energy, almost bouncing in place. She's strong, at least when it comes to magic. She seems to be excited about fighting him. He's not sure if he's that excited, but he is thrilled to see someone who shares the same amount of energy as him.
Priam grips the hilt of Ragnell, lifting his sword up and preparing a stance.
"Heh, I'm impressed. Now show me what you're made of!"
He doesn't allow her to answer and charges at her. She tries to move out of the way, but he's fast and manages to catch her. She grits her teeth, feeling steel against her flesh, though lifts her arm to cast a spell.
She's putting up a good fight, a fight that Priam's been aching for. But, there's another presence nearby – he can feel it. Chrom charges at him and Priam manages to block the attack with his sword. He's unsure where he came from, or when he made his way over to them, however he can admit that Chrom is a lot faster than he looks.
The two go at it; blades clashing with fierceness and Priam can feel the adrenaline. He hasn't fought like this in years. Robin is directing Chrom in what seems to be like code. It's interesting, watching those two. They certainly have some special connection to each other, as a lord and his tactician should have.
They're both at a distance now and quickly, before Priam can even think about moving, Robin speaks in a low voice, loud enough so only Chrom can hear her.
"Go for it, Chrom!"
The lord nods and in an instant, he closes the space between the warriors. Priam's glance drifts to Falchion, his eyes widening as he sees the aura that surrounds it.
Aether.
In an instant, the battle is over. Priam is on the ground. Even though the fight is over, there is a lingering aftermath of emotion dwelling in him. For the first time, in a long time, someone managed to beat him.
"Heh... Y-you're good..."
He feels as though he should be ashamed – and his ego is a bit hurt, he won't lie – but his curiosity about this army only arouses his thoughts.
v.
In the end, Priam lost. Though he would be back at the island when his work with Chrom was done, the soldiers asked for one last match from their teacher. Chrom seemed rather surprised at the small army Priam has created, and he simply shrugged his shoulders and explained that they tried to challenge him and just never left. He left Celes, the Wyvern Knight, in charge until he returned.
He spoke with Say'ri and learned of Yen'fay's fall. He's shocked at first, but he quickly masks it. He had a history with the siblings, one that was more on the neutral side, but it was strange hearing about his defeat.
He was a great warrior after all. It seemed like fate was not on his side. He's not that great with comforting people but he can read Say'ri clearly – she's still hurt at what happened. She looks up and brushes his concerns away with a soft, business-like smile.
Priam gives Say'ri a gentle squeeze on her shoulder and leaves her be.