Disclaimer: Fire Emblem and all names and concepts belong to Intelligent Systems and Nintendo.
Characters and Pairings: Chrom, Robin, Aversa, Validar.
Author's Notes: And that settles the works for Chrobinweek, at least for 2016. I like how I claim not to write AUs and then I churn out two in a week.
For a Better Life
Robin placed her hands on her knees, finally allowing herself to bend forward and pant. That had been the last of the Mad King's men… Grima be praised, she thought, straightening her back and stretching to relieve the stress on her spine. She looked up as she heard the fluttering of wings behind her, stepping aside so a black Pegasus could land next to her. "Was that the last one?" she asked the rider, who nodded and tossed a strand of long, white hair over her shoulder.
"Yes, for us anyway," Aversa said. "I believe Papa and the Ylissean Exalt are still fighting Gangrel. Should we help them?"
"No," Robin said, "We'd just get in their way. Father is an accomplished wizard and Lord Matthias a mighty swordsman; they'll be fine as long as Gangrel's cronies don't stab them in the back, and we and our men just ensured that won't happen. Let's inspect and help the troops, instead."
"Wise as ever, sister." Aversa scooted forward a little in her saddle, holding out a hand to help Robin clamber aboard the Pegasus behind her. "Hold on tight. Yaa!" With that, the beast took off, turning around in mid-air and flying back to the main body of troops, well behind the vanguard that the sisters had been part of. Their appearance, aided by the easily recognizable and unique barding on Aversa's steed, seemed to do the Plegian fighters good- axes dug into enemy skin more aggressively and spells left a more discernible energy trace after they'd passed than before they had. Robin looked down, evaluating the battle as it raged.
To her relief, the Plegian/Ylissean alliance was winning. The Ylissean soldiers were less affected by the two sisters flying overhead unharmed and healthy, but their morale had been high from the beginning. Aversa spiraled upwards, higher, and pointed at someone on the ground. "Look at that," she said, giving that wicked grin that only she could make so well. "Maybe if we're lucky Papa won't even have to uphold his part of the agreement." Robin looked over Aversa's shoulder, following the line of her pointing finger, to see a lone young man surrounded by the Mad King's followers, the soldiers on his own side similarly occupied. Small wonder the other troops were doing so well- Gangrel's men had focused their efforts on a single key figure in the Ylissean army!
"No, Aversa," she said, "If that is who I think it is, then we can't have him killed here. Besides," she pointed down as well, at a blue-clad knight atop a large brown destrier. "I'm pretty sure that man there has already spotted us. We don't want a second war, caused by Plegia's princesses freely allowing Ylisse's prince to die."
"Fine," Aversa said, whipping out a tome of dark magic. "Double Mire?"
"Double Mire," Robin confirmed, preparing her own copy of the siege tome. Its long range and their high magical power allowed the two to reliably take out the soldiers around the Ylissean prince without exposing themselves to retaliation, and within minutes, he was safe- sparing a glance and a salute upwards before rushing off to help his fellows.
The Pegasus evened out, floating idly in the air with its riders relaxing on its back. "We've done it, Aversa," Robin finally said. "We've reclaimed Plegia. Father will soon be on his throne again and we can stamp out the last remnants of rebellion."
"Shame it took an alliance with these dim-witted Ylisseans," Aversa said.
Robin shook her head. "We simply didn't have the manpower without their help. I'm none happier than you are with what Father had to promise Lord Matthias in exchange for his help, but in the long run it will be better for Plegia and Ylisse both."
"Ever objective, aren't you, baby sister?" Aversa said, giggling. "You need to stop thinking about the greater good and start thinking about yourself. We don't know who he'll choose yet, but if it's you I'm pretty sure you'll start singing a different tune."
"Probably," Robin admitted as she pointed out a signal from one of their generals and Aversa directed her Pegasus to fly towards him, "But it'd still be better than leaving Plegia in hands of the Mad King."
It wasn't long after the pair had landed and received reports regarding their losses that Plegia's rightful king returned to their side, with the Ylissean ruler at his side and the severed head of his usurper in hand. "It is done," he said calmly as he tossed it to the ground. "Plegia thanks you, brave soldiers and noble Ylissean warriors, for your aid in displacing that unworthy despot. Plegia's loyal soldiers will be rewarded! As for our Ylissean allies…" he turned to Lord Matthias. "We will discuss compensation in more detail once my palace is clear of traitorous remains."
"Very well," Matthias said. "Mages! You will enter the palace alongside the Plegian Dark Mages to dispose of the bodies. Make it quick." Mages voiced their agreement, following the Dark Mages into the palace to get to work.
Aversa and Robin, for their part, took this opportunity to tackle their father. "Papa!" Aversa said as she put her arms around him, "I'm so happy you succeeded! Robin was afraid you couldn't do it alone, you know."
"Nonsense," Robin protested, hugging her father tight as well. "Father, I'm glad to see you safe and sound. As for the main forces, we have minimal losses on the Plegian side. No prisoners were taken among the traitors."
"Wonderful," Validar said, patting both his daughters on the back. "Your strategies were sound as ever, Robin. You were right in that we needed Ylissean help." She bowed her head, accepting the praise. He turned to Aversa. "And I look forward to hearing the witnesses speak of your exploits in this battle, Aversa. I do hope you've enjoyed yourself."
"Rest assured of that, Papa," Aversa said, smiling once more. "But for now, I would like to pick a stablehand, see to it that my Pegasus is taken care of, and find an undamaged room to go to. I'm a little tired from having to save Ylisse's prince." Validar nodded, letting go of her and letting her leave to collect her Pegasus and her favourite stablehand.
"What's this about saving the Ylissean Prince?" he asked Robin, who explained what had happened. Then, he smiled once more and patted her on the back. "Another sound decision. As much as I would have liked to have my kingdom back for free, if there is one thing we've learned from this alliance it's that Matthias of Ylisse is foul-tempered and not entirely reasonable. Losing his son in what was technically our war wouldn't have endeared him to us."
"Of course, father." Robin bowed her head again. "Shall I find my chambers as well? I will join negotiations when summoned, of course."
"By all means," he waved her away. "I have matters to see to among the soldiers. You rest- you've done exceptionally well today."
She thanked him, leaving the battlefield and the troops to find her room fortunately largely untouched and fell onto her bed, sighing deeply in relief.
When Gangrel had shown up at the palace gates with enough traitorous forces to overthrow their father and banish the three of them, along with their faithful knights, from the capital, she had initially been afraid that she would never see all these tomes, custom-made desk, and soft bed again. It hadn't been until they had happened upon an Ylissean border patrol that she had had the idea to request their neighbours' help; although there were tensions between the two countries based on their radically opposite state religions, the newly-crowned Mad King was a well enough known man that even Exalt Matthias would know leaving him on the Plegian throne would be a bad idea.
Robin's hunch had been correct, and the Exalt had soon agreed to lend his troops and his own blade to the cause. In exchange, however, he had demanded a to Plegia steep price… in order to improve the relationship between both countries and establish a tight bond, Matthias had demanded that Validar offer one of his daughters in marriage to his own son. Fortunately, the boy was roughly Robin's age and only a few years younger than Aversa, and political marriages were honestly to be expected when they'd been born (or in Aversa's case, adopted) into royalty. Still, both Robin and Aversa had been less than pleased at the suggestion, finding the prospect of marrying, producing offspring with, and governing a Naganite country alongside a Naganite man repulsive.
But it had been the only way, Robin reminded herself. They had needed Matthias's and Ylisse's strength. Besides, she had been pleasantly surprised when the lad had insisted on joining his father on the battlefield with a small elite force he called the Shepherds at his side and a sword in his hand. So at least he wasn't a wimpy little kid who broke at the sight of blood. And during the battles they'd waged to reach and reclaim the palace, he'd proven himself a more than capable warrior, his skill with a sword almost on par with Robin's often-lauded strategic genius.
She had to admit he wasn't hard to look at, either.
Well, don't get your hopes up, she sarcastically told herself as she got up and perused her tomes, he hasn't chosen you yet. Aversa is way prettier than you'll ever be, there's a good chance he'll pick her. Sighing at her own thoughts, she grabbed a tome from the case, sat down at her desk and started reading. Cognitive dissonance was no excuse to slack off on her studies.
It wasn't until dusk had set in that she was summoned to the negotiations, Validar and Matthias having found a usable conference room in which to convene. Robin sat down beside her sister, facing the Ylissean prince, with Validar and Matthias beside their respective heirs. "As agreed," Validar began, "Now that Plegia is once again under my reign, I will give away one of my daughters to Prince Chrom as his bride." He nodded to Prince Chrom. "And as a sign of goodwill on Plegia's part, I will allow Ylisse to choose which sister they want." He gestured towards them. "Robin is my youngest but trueborn daughter, well-educated in magic and strategy. As you remember, it was in no small part her mind that led us to victory here. The marking on her hand always indicated she was destined for greatness, and I believe she has lived up to it well." Prince Chrom's eyes widened marginally at the mention of the marking, and Robin fumbled with her hands to cover it. Why had he brought that up? Even if the marking on her hand was the sigil of Lord Grima, it made Robin profoundly uncomfortable to have people know of it. There were so many possible interpretations. What if the Ylisseans thought her a monster now? Was he trying to destroy relations before they started?
She was given time to calm down from her panicked state as Validar moved on. "The older Aversa, on the other hand, was adopted into our palace as a little girl. She too has been educated in magic and many other aspects of royal life, and would make a model queen as well as a beautiful wife, as I'm sure you'll agree. Not to mention that her magical power is great enough that she served as one of my generals during this conflict." He shut his eyes, bowing his head ever so slightly in a display of deference. "As much as I hate to lose either of them, this was our agreement. Plegia owes Ylisse an eternal debt and is as such in no position to make demands, but I do request that my daughter –whichever one- is treated respectfully and with care in Ylisse."
"As enticing as they both are," Matthias said, prompting a blush on Robin's cheeks that ran deeper than she would have liked, "I am not the one who will have to wed one of them. Chrom? You'll be choosing your bride, yourself."
"Yes, Father." Prince Chrom's voice was mildly deeper than Robin expected from his gentle features, something that had caught her off-guard every single time he'd spoken. "Father speaks truly, Your Majesty," he continued, addressing Validar directly. "Both your daughters are beautiful and would bring distinct mental resources to Ylisse. However this makes the decision more difficult than I had anticipated; I would like a night to sleep on it."
"Why not two nights?" Aversa said, her famously sharp tongue moving faster than Robin could intercept it. "I'm sure we could provide you a glimpse of what we could offer you personally." The implied meaning of her words, which she was too well-mannered to say out loud but too provocative to not imply, visibly sent the prince reeling and put a deep scarlet tint on his face.
"I- that's not what I-"
"Please, Prince Chrom, let's not pretend." Aversa smiled, content in the knowledge she'd flustered him. "We know we are to be your prisoner and servant in Ylisse. Why else would you make this particular demand? You might as well make your decision a well-informed one…" Robin didn't hear the rest of what her sister said. She buried her face in her hands, swamped with embarrassment. There went all hopes of settling this amicably. She loved Aversa dearly, but sometimes she wished she knew when to keep her mouth shut!
She retired to her room shortly after that, claiming exhaustion as her excuse. In truth, she just wanted to be out of that room and that meeting, away from the gazes of the Ylissean royals. Aversa had been right, of course, but that didn't mean she'd had to lay it out on the table like that! Now, the best-case scenario was that one of them would indeed be openly made into Prince Chrom's prisoner –albeit in a luxurious prison- and the worst-case scenario was that he and his father would be affronted enough to start another war in retaliation. A war which would wipe the weakened and outnumbered Plegia off the map!
She looked up when she heard a knock on her door. Too heavy to be Aversa's. "Father?" she asked, sitting up.
"Er, no," a half-familiar voice sounded from behind the wood, "It's Chrom. Of Ylisse. I… I wanted to talk to you, Lady Robin." She turned a little red with indignation. Visiting a lady's room in the evening? Unescorted? Who did this man think he was? A horrible thought crossed her mind- was he here to take Aversa up on her offer, except that he would 'try out' Robin first?
With half a mind to chew him out and half a mind to see what he wanted, she stood up, put on her coat to make sure she was fully covered in case he had taken Aversa's words to heart, and pulled the door half-open. "Talk, huh?"
"Yes. May I, eh…" He couldn't come in, what with Robin's body blocking the door, so he only looked at her sheepishly. Something about him was endearing, Robin found. He looked so helpless that she couldn't help but step aside, holding the door open for him.
"Hurry up, before anyone sees you," she said, waiting for him to get inside before shutting the door and sighing. "I… I'd like to apologise for my sister, earlier."
"Quite the spitfire, isn't she?" Chrom asked, but he managed a small smile. "I'm sure she's a nice girl, but I must admit she… caught me off guard."
"She does that to people," Robin said, unable to keep mild frustration out of her voice. "I beg you, take no offense to her- we owe Ylisse much and will pay any price for the aid you've given us. If that price is the freedom of one of us, then so-"
"Is that really what you think?" he interrupted her. "One of these days I will learn to pick my words with care, I promise." He sighed, sitting down on her bed without even asking her permission to do so. Robin crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, but if he saw it, he didn't realise her meaning. "In truth, it was I who suggested we make this particular request."
"Oh?" That was surprising. Lord Matthias had taken advice from his son? Ylisse was definitely different from Plegia. She and Aversa were lucky to have a say in anything political; Robin's opinion only had value in terms of battlefield strategy.
"Yeah. As far as Father is concerned my reasons are exactly as your sister outlined- either of you as my wife would give Ylisse pressure to exert on Plegia. That, and… well…" he turned red and avoided her gaze. "I did speak truly when I said you were both beautiful women."
Robin's arms remained crossed, but she dropped her eyebrow and smiled. "I'll take that as the compliment I think you mean it as. Thank you." She brought one hand up to toy with one of the loose strands of hair that framed her face, as she often did when intrigued or thinking. "From your choice of words I take it there's more to it?"
"Hmmm. I'm sick and tired of this constant tension between our countries." He shut his eyes, annoyance clearly visible on his face. "If it's not King Validar scheming, it's Father considering a new crusade. Surely you're sick of it too."
"And you think an international marriage will fix that?" She sat down next to him. "Grima's mercy, you must be naïve."
"It's not a one-day cure," he agreed, "But I figured it would be a start… At least it could lead to two high-profile figures in both countries' government learning and understanding more about each other and each other's customs and beliefs."
"And understanding can give birth to trust and cooperation," Robin found herself agreeing. He was right- this constant tension had started to wear her patience thin, too. She wanted nothing more than to put an end to it and see the two countries start to work together. It would be better for their people. "I take it back… you may not be so naïve after all."
"You agree, then?" He asked, raising his head to look at her hopefully. Moments later, she registered her hand having been snatched up in his. Gods, but he was forward! "Will you come to Ylisse with me, Princess Robin?"
"…yeah. Let's see if your word is worth as much as your sword arm."