Part I
The Shepherds campsite is filled with laughter and joy despite Ylisse being plunged into another war. Soldiers are celebrating another victory against Risen, and their future princess's arrival, around the campfire, exchanging food, drinks, and stories. Sully and Gregor began drinking mead quickly trying to drink faster than each other while people cheered them encouragement, curious to see who would win. Vaike went up to Chrom demanding another rematch, while Sumia sat next to their now met future daughter, Lucina, smiling awkwardly as her husband tried to wave Vaike away. Gaius and Nowi were off collecting an assortment of sweets that belonged to the others in camp, with a nervous Donnel in tow. Lissa and Maribelle began dancing together along with other Shepherds. It was evident that everyone is having a good time, even Lon'qu had a smile painted on his face; although he did try his best to hide it. Every member of the Shepherds gathered together, all except for one – the man whose brilliance is the reason the Shepherds were given the opportunity to celebrate in the first place.
Olivia sighed, many people have asked her to dance, and although she did accept a few offers, she hoped that Robin would have been one of the men to ask her. She asked people if they had seen Robin anywhere, many of which gave her the usual "he's probably in his tent" answer. He wasn't. That was the first place she searched, she even checked a few couple times afterwards just in case. She finally met some luck when she walked up to Stahl and Panne. The two sat at a table sharing a meal that Olivia assumes to be the carrot dumplings that Stahl makes specifically for her. Olivia admired how the two of them are so comfortable with each other. She became good friends with both of them during their last war campaign, but she felt as though her bond she shared with either of them couldn't compare to the one the two shared with one another. As she approached them, she could hear Stahl asking Panne more about her Taguel culture, making her grin from ear to ear and, her eyes sparkle with pride as she spoke more about her tribe.
"Excuse me," Olivia said quietly hoping that she won't bother them. Panne and Stahl both turned to look at the outside source of volume. Olivia let out a small blush as the two of them offered her a small smile.
"Hey, Olivia!" Stahl greeted, not a speck of irritation in his voice. Olivia took note of his welcoming tone and released the breath she didn't know she was holding. "Can we help you with anything?"
"Umm, yes actually if you don't mind…?" Olivia had no idea why she is so nervous. Nonetheless, Stahl gave her a reassuring nod that encouraged her to ask whatever she came up to them for. "Have any of you seen Robin by any chance? I've been looking for him and... umm... no one else knows where he is and I'm just – er." Panne's and Stahl's smile grew slightly bigger when Olivia mentioned Robin. The pair is aware, as well as a good handful of Shepherds, of Olivia's crush on their tactician. Careful as Olivia thought she was with it, many of observant Shepherds took note of how bashful Olivia gets around Robin. Not to mention how many excuses she made to go see him during the two years of peace Ylisse had after the first war.
"I'm sorry Olivia I haven't seen Robin anywhere." Stahl answered. "Maybe you should ask someone el-"
"I saw him." Panne interrupted Stahl. Olivia's eyes lit up, filled with hope. "He's not in camp. I saw him leave an hour earlier towards town. I apologize that I can't tell you exactly where he is."
"This is more than enough information, thank you Panne!" Olivia beamed. "I'll head straight to town and bring him back to camp so he can enjoy the festivities as well!"
"Take a cloak." Panne suggested. "The clouds are full and it may start raining sometime tonight. Also, it won't hurt for you to take a sword. It's dark and thieves are probably around. Be cautious, Olivia."
Olivia smiled at the two and gave them her thanks as she turned on the balls in her feet. She made her way towards the tent she shared with Cherche and quickly made her way to her chest. She searched for suitable clothing to take for the rain Panne had warned her about. She had worn her dancer clothes in the rain before – it was the night she helped the Shepherds escape from Plegia. Olivia remembered what little coverage her outfit offered her, leaving her cold and wet as she stomped around in her then ruined sandals. She found the assassin garb Robin had given her a little over a week ago. He had told her that once she is ready, she should try to go into the assassin class so that she may become stronger. Although she isn't going into the battle field and isn't planning to be an assassin anytime soon, she was sure that he or Chrom wouldn't mind her wearing the gear for tonight. Olivia removed the daggers from the armor, too afraid that she might hurt herself or someone around her as she didn't receive any training with them yet. She also removed the scarf since she will be wearing a cloak instead, she wouldn't need the extra fabric to weigh her down. Olivia tied her boots as quickly as she was able while making sure that she brought a small amount of coin as well as her steel sword hidden behind her cloak.
Olivia experienced nothing but peace on her way into town. The last war had left Olivia with sour thoughts of Plegia. She expected Plegia to be filled with brigands, terrifying people like Tharja or even creepy people like their new companion Henry. But after walking through the lush gardens of Plegia and hearing the calming serenade of crickets performing their songs, she could see how someone like Robin would wear Plegian robes. As she approached the town, she could hear the faint voices of townspeople enjoying their night. It wasn't a surprise as many towns were full of life during Saturday nights, however it still left Olivia a bit astounded knowing they fought a battle against risen not that far from where the town stood. The battle had come as such a surprise that they were barely able to escape with their lives and here there are people going on with their lives not knowing what the Shepherds just experienced. She recalled Robin barking orders with confidence soaked into his words, but his eyes still held a faint glint of fear.
Olivia walked around the dirt road surrounding the town, looking for building that Robin may be inside of. She found herself in front of a library, a smile making another appearance on her face. She never thought she would have liked libraries as much as she does now that she joined the Shepherds – during her time in the theater troupe, stories were always spoken. She had spent a lot of time in libraries now, Sumia and Cordelia showed her a diverse amount of romance novels, Maribelle showed her the array of books that noble women read and Ricken had even taken her to the library every now and again since the two of them liked reading together. Robin had also gone to the library with Olivia albeit he mostly just showed her carpentry and architecture books for their theater project. Olivia's heart raced when he would find a book that grabbed his interest, his eyes would light up and he would give a handsome smile that would make Olivia give the faintest blush. Olivia stepped toward the old oak doors of the library and tried budging on them, but the doors were locked.
"Of course, the library is closed no one goes to the library at night, stupid." Olivia whispered to herself. She continued making her way into town. Her pink hair bouncing with every quick step she took, as she tried to avoid the gazes that men threw at her as she walked by. As she passed by many streets and food stands with enticing smells, small droplets of water began to fall; clouds giving the warning that water will start falling harder and faster. Glad that Olivia was that she brought her cloak, she still didn't want to be caught in the rain. She began to wonder if Robin had already turned back to town, and she was just walking through town like a lost puppy.
Rain began to fall rapidly, no longer feeling like tiny kisses on Olivia's skin. Olivia walked hastily towards the nearest building and stood there smelling the air and pondered if she should stop for a bit to eat as she went right in front of a pub. The inviting sounds of laughter gave Olivia the impression that the terrifying cut purses of Plegia wouldn't be in this building. She made her way inside, the bright lights blinding her slightly while her boots tracked in mud on the grimy wooden floor.
"Oi, lass! I know my floors ain't the cleanest but ye can't just be tracking in mud like ya please!" The bartender called out while cleaning a large glass mug. Behind his full beard, Olivia can see a toothy smile.
"I-I'm so sorry!" Olivia almost yelled, her cheeks holding a heavy blush that competed against Cordelia's red hair. Olivia found people beginning to look at her and her blush was threatening to crawl on her neck. "Stop staring!" Olivia called out as she quickly looked around for a place to sit. Her eyes skipped over the many men and few women that stared at her with their cheeky smiles. Her eyes made an abrupt stop at a hooded figure seated at the end of the bar, mixing their drink with a glass swizzle stick.
"Why are ya mixing ye drink, lad? Ain't nothing but beer in there!" Olivia heard the bartender tell the hooded man as she slowly approached the two.
"Just because," the man responded. "It's keeping me distracted." The bartender laughed a hearty laugh while patting the man in the shoulder.
"Whatever ye say. Just let me know when ya need anotha drink, Robin." The bartender replied while walking away to accommodate for his other customers in need of a drink. Olivia's ears perked up and she sat down in the seat next to Robin. Robin being distracted in his own head didn't realize the dancer sit next to him. Olivia cleared her throat and he looked up, meeting his eyes with her own. He offered her a weak smile and pulled back his hood, his white hair finally breathing out of the purple hood.
"Hello, Olivia." Robin said while taking a sip out of his glass.
"Have you been here the whole time?" Olivia asked. Robin nodded behind his glass. "How many drinks did you have?"
"Uh... I don't know a few." Robin replied setting the drink down and resting his head on his fist.
"I never took you as a drinker." Olivia eyed Robin as he tensed a little.
"I'm not. Not really, anyways. I've been under a lot of stress lately and it's helping me calm my nerves." The two sat in silence until Olivia let out a small smile. Robin returned her smile, no longer giving her the lazy smile he gave her earlier. "Do you want anything? I'll buy you whatever you want."
"You don't mind?" Olivia asked. Robin shook his head and her smile widened. "I wouldn't mind getting something to eat."
"Hey, Gus!" Robin called out. The bartender turned and looked at Robin. "Can you get me a steak here? And a glass of wine." Gus smiled with a nod and went in the back.
"I'm okay with drinking water, Robin." Olivia smiled. "But, uh, do you mind telling me why you're here in the first place? Is it because of the battle we just went through?" She watched as he looked at his hands, specifically his right hand.
"Uh, I don't know maybe…?" He looked at Olivia, her eyebrow raised. He quickly turned around and started tugging on the strings of his cloak. "Olivia, what do you think of me?"
Taken aback Olivia blushed and hesitated. "W-what does that h-have to do with a-anything?"
"Just give me an answer, Olivia. Please."
Olivia cleared her throat and started playing with a strand of hair, looking away from Robin's gaze. "Well, uh… you're a great tactician and a very k-kind person. You're very intelligent and a reliable f-friend."
"Oh." Was all Robin can say, his frown deepening.
"Here ya, go Robin!" Gus interjected. "One steak and a glass of wine!"
"Could you please give the lady a glass of water, Gus?" Gus smiled and served Olivia a glass of water. Robin thanked him and Gus went back to cleaning glasses.
Olivia took the food and bite into it, her eyes lit up at the taste – she was so glad to have something other than camp food. She turned to Robin to smile, but he sat slumped looking defeated as he drank two big gulps from his drink.
"Did I say something wrong, Robin?" Olivia frowned, she really hoped that she wasn't the reason he drank those two gulps with haste.
"No, you're fine."
"Are you fine?"
"Yes."
"…. Robin."
Robin drank the rest of his drink, then looked at Olivia. "Are you going to drink your wine?" Olivia shook her head and Robin took the drink. He took a drink and clicked his tongue trying to grasp the flavor the wine is offering.
"Robin… do you want to talk about something?" Olivia hoped that he would stop drinking so much, she didn't want him to get ill.
"Nope."
"Are you sure?" Robin nodded. "Robin... please I'm worried about you."
Robin took another drink of wine then looked at her, Olivia noticing how exhausted he looked.
"I'm a worthless piece of shit." Robin finally said looking at Olivia, his expression stoic. Olivia stood there shocked, how could he say something like that? He stared at her what felt like a million years for her, the gears in her head turning trying to process why Robin would think of himself as anything less than great.
"W-what?" Olivia was finally able to stutter out.
Robin let out a small huff of air and started to swirl the wine glass around, studying the crimson ripples form. "Nothing, forget I said anything... eat your food it'll get cold." Offering her a false smile that delegates would hand out during court.
Olivia shook her head. "I'm sorry I just never expected you to say that about yourself. You're one of the most important people in this army."
"Yeah, I'm important in the army, but what about outside the army?... During Ylisse's gap of peace, once I finished laying out the foundation of reconstruction plans, I didn't do much of anything. I couldn't help but feel… lost."
The two sat in silence, Robin had already sat the glass of wine now and started tracing a pattern on his gloved right hand. Olivia watched him, puzzled at the odd shape he was illustrating.
"You know," Robin began, now focusing on twiddling his thumbs. "I did try to make something out of myself after the war. I wished to join Chrom's council, I went up to the court and presented my case. They dismissed me from the room having told me they must speak amongst themselves. Lissa took me to hidden pathway built for a royal's escape in case of any mayhem happening in the courts and we heard everything those counsel men said about me." Robin turned to Olivia, let out a dry chuckle. "They called me an idiot. A genius in war, but a fool in everything else. I sat in that hidden passage with Lissa as she tried to whisper reassurance to me about how wrong they are. I listened to her, but after the last two battles we've seen with unbeatable odds, I realized just how good I am in using people's lives like a damn chess game. My body races with adrenaline and my heart beats with confidence whenever I put a battle plan to use. I get a sense of euphoria during war – I've never felt it with anything else..." Robin looked away from Olivia, afraid to see her reaction to his confession.
"… In the last battle, when we were caught off guard, I thought you were scared – I thought I saw it in your eyes," Olivia finally spoke. "Was I wrong?"
"No. Believe it or not, I'm still human. I don't want you or anybody else to get hurt under my watch... No matter how retched my view on war is, I promise that I won't hurt you in any way, Olivia." Robin offered her a reassuring squeeze on her shoulder before taking another sip from his wine.
A blush spilled on Olivia's face, her lips twitch into a smile. Olivia steeled courage into her system and reached out for Robin's gloved right hand resting on the counter. Her fingers lightly fluttered on top of his hand; he flinched his hand slightly, afraid that his hidden brand may burn the back of his hand more if another person were to touch it. Frowning, Olivia retracted her hand back and took a shaky defeated breath while setting her hand aside next to Robin's rather than on top. She looked down at the coffee colored counter, concentrating on all the water marks other customers had left behind. Her concentration broke when she felt a warm presence on top of her hand. Olivia turned to see a pink cheeked Robin swirling his glass of wine, his protected hand over her exposed one. Olivia smiled widely at him and turned around, finally facing the food in front of her.
Olivia and Robin sat in comfortable silence, Olivia eating her food while Robin finished his wine. The pair lost track of time, not realizing how late it was until Gus told the pair that he was closing soon. After Robin set down the right amount of coin, they both stood up and left the building only to see that the clouds haven't given up their showers. Robin wore his hood then offered his arm to Olivia. Olivia hesitated for a second before putting on her own hood and taking his arm. The two looked like fools, running through the rain, laughing loudly, and Robin slipping on the mud several times – but this time, Robin didn't mind being seen as one.