Robin sighed as she opened her eyes, staring at the star-filled night sky above her. It seemed that sleep would not come to her easily this night, as the events of the day kept replaying in her mind. Waking up with no memories in a strange place surrounded by strangers made her uneasy. The strangers called Chrom and Lissa were quick to offer their help, which lifted a bit of Robin's uneasy feelings. The third stranger however, was not so easily convinced of her amnesiac claims.
'I have every wish to trust you, stranger, but my station mandates otherwise.'
Frederick's words kept playing over in Robin's mind. She really didn't blame him for not trusting her. If she had been in his position, she probably would have been wary too. She would have at least been a bit more wary than Chrom and Lissa had been. However, she was still bothered by his words. Robin was the type to befriend everyone, so having someone be so cold and distrustful towards her from the very beginning made her uncomfortable.
Letting out another sigh, Robin sat up. She wasn't going to fall asleep anytime soon. She looked around to find that Chrom and Lissa had not had a problem falling asleep. They both lay still on the ground, with Chrom snoring slightly and Lissa mumbling incoherently.
"Having trouble sleeping, Robin?"
Robin was in the middle of getting to her feet when the voice startled her and almost caused her to fall back to the ground. When she composed herself, she looked up towards the campfire to find Frederick sitting on a log, staring at her with narrowed eyes.
"Eh, yes," Robin said as she shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. She hesitated a moment before approaching the fire. She stopped at the opposite end of the log that Frederick was sitting on and asked, "May I sit here?"
Frederick's dark eyes locked with Robin's own, as if he was searching them for any signs of foul play. He must have found nothing, for he just nodded and said nothing, turning his attention to the fire in front of him.
Robin sat down and silently stared at the fire, but she couldn't help herself as she snuck some quick glances at the knight sitting next to her. His huge plate armor gave him an intimidating presence. He had a handsome face, framed by wild brown locks of hair. His dark eyes were stern, and absolutely beautiful with the flames of the campfire reflecting in them. He was an incredibly attractive man.
'Oh Gods, what am I thinking?' Robin thought as she felt her cheeks flush slightly. That came out of nowhere. These thoughts were unprecedented. She just met this man today, and he obviously didn't like her. She tried to push those thoughts to the back of her mind.
"Robin."
"Huh?"
Robin was jerked from her thoughts as her eyes slid into focus. Frederick was looking at her again with a raised eyebrow. He was holding his hand out towards her, which was grasping a piece of leftover bear meat.
"You're still hungry. You're stomach is growling so loudly that I'm surprised that you haven't woken up Chrom or Lissa yet." Frederick said. Robin blushed madly.
"Oh Gods. How embarrassing." Robin said, a mortified look crossing her face. Robin took the meat from Frederick, and noticed that his lips were twitching slightly upwards, as if he was actively trying not to smile. She did not try to hide the broad smile that crossed her face.
"Thank you Frederick. Are you still not hungry enough to eat yet? I don't want you to go hungry because of me." Robin said before taking a bite. Frederick adverted his gaze and shook his head.
"I'm fine. Like I said, I had a large lunch. It would be unwise to overeat." Frederick said, but his lack of eye contact told Robin that he was probably hiding something, and Robin decided against prodding him for more information. They fell silent as she continued eating. Frederick picked up a stick and started stoking the campfire, his eyes staring intensely at the flames. Robin didn't know which burned brighter; the literal campfire that sat before them, or the metaphorical one that had just ignited inside of her heart.
"Robin." Frederick said, finally breaking the silence. Robin swallowed the last of the bear meat and look at him with curious eyes. Frederick's eyes shifted from the fire to the ground before finally resting on her.
"I would like to apologize for my accusatory behavior earlier. So far you haven't shown any signs of being a danger to my lord and lady, so my wariness may be unwarranted," Frederick said. Robin's eyes widened in surprise as he continued, "However, until I can be sure that you are to be fully trusted, I must remain vigilant and continue to keep an eye on you."
Robin couldn't help but crack a smile, which seemed to confuse Frederick. "I thank you for your honesty, Frederick. I really don't blame you for being cautious. I would probably feel the same way if I was in your position." Robin said, "I really admire your devotion to Chrom and Lissa. They must be very important to you." Frederick's face flushed slightly as he cleared his throat.
"Thank you milady. I do care for them immensely. I take great pride in my service to them." he said, shifting his eyes away from hers as his face turned a darker shade of red. Robin let a giggle slip out, and then suddenly yawned deeply.
"You must be tired Robin. You should try to sleep now." Frederick said quickly, turning his attention back to the fire. Robin smiled and nodded as she stood.
"I will Frederick. Thank you for the extra food. And the good company." Robin said, as she returned to her sleeping spot. She laid back down on her back and closed her eyes, finally drifting off into a dream-filled sleep, featuring a certain knight in blue armor.