It was a day to remember, that mid July haze. The entire city had become festival grounds for Ylissean and Feroxi alike. Joy, relief and jubilance danced wildly among the people of Ylisstol. The War with Plegia had finally ended. Soldiers were once more reunited for their families, hopefully never to part again. A new man sat on the throne of the Halidom, ready to carry on the role that his departed sister had left vacant all too soon.
But the highlight of the day wasn't any of those grand events. Instead, it was yet another happy moment. One of the happiest of Chrom's life.
A month ago he had offered his betrothed a ring, one passed down in his family from heir to heir. It was to be given to the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, the woman who would help him raise a family and lead his homeland into a new age of peace and prosperity. A woman who shared his convictions in never seeing war visit Ylisse again, and a chance to let all people within her borders have their own happily ever after.
And there Robin stood, grumbling and glowering next to the groom in question.
He was a bit surprised when Chrom asked him to be the best man. He already had a million duties to partake during the day. Organizing security with Sully, planning out the logistics with Cordelia, making sure Stahl and the cooks had all the food ready in time for the reception, ensuring Olivia and her troupe were ready to entertain the guests.
What he didn't expect at all, however, was gift he would receive that morning.
"Gaius delivered this to me in the evening. It took him a few weeks, but it appeared to pay off." Chrom removed a parcel tube from the small of his back, the object having been obscured by his cape until now. Robin stared on as he unpackaged a roll of documents and offered them over. Tentatively, the tactician took them into hand, reading the lines over quickly.
They were pages of census documents. Older ones, with the Plegian crest stamped at the top. Their edges were frayed from having spent a few decades in the files of some storeroom. At the top was a woman's name, Cecilia, written in old calligraphy in dark purple ink. The mark where the husband's name should have been had long since been lost, though he couldn't tell due to wear or by voluntary action. Near the center was a day, a month, and a year. Twenty one years ago, a year after Chrom's birth as he could recall.
And then there was the name. Robin. Son of Cecilia Medon.
He didn't respond. Instead he just kept flipping through the documents, reading through each page at speed as he tried to absorb the information. Meanwhile Chrom merely restarted his explanation. "Basilio suggested the idea while Flavia had her way with their treasury. We didn't have time then, but with the recent disappearance of the Risen I figured it the best chance to search."
Robin nodded absentmindedly as he tried to realize what rested in his hands. What may be the last link it his past he would ever find. His memory before Chrom, Lissa and Frederick found him in that field had sparsely returned, only giving him flashes and glimpses into his shattered thoughts.
Every day he would search and research, subjecting himself to Miriel's experiments and Tharja's hexes. Something, anything for him to find out who he really was. Where he came from. If there was anyone for him to go back to.
And now he had the answers in his grasp.
This log had been taken in his third year. He'd been born on Altea of all places, the second child to this Cecilia. She was daughter of the city's Count, and she'd given birth to him on the first day of January. The rest of the pages seemed to be medical and bureaucratic records he couldn't make heads or tails of.
"This… this is too much." Robin finally managed to say, his gloved hands shaking as he slowly rolled the parchment back up. Tears welled in the corners of his eyes, streaking down his cheeks. "You've read this?"
Chrom nodded in the affirmative. "I hope you don't mind the intrusion, but I wanted to see for myself where my best man came from."
"I still can't believe it. You did this for me?" He asked in astonishment, still in disbelief. "You sent someone on a wild goose chase for a man you've only known a year?"
"You talk like he didn't do this willingly, Robin." Chrom answered, giving the man a shake so he would finally look up at him once more. "Any of the Shepherds would have gladly done this, myself included! Gaius was merely the best candidate to find something so obscure."
"But…" Robin shook his head, slipping the documents under his robe and into an inner pocket. He wiped the waterworks away and straightened himself, his usual dry demeanor coming back into form. "Thank you. Chrom, thank you. I can't even begin to convey how much this means. I'm forever in your debt."
Chrom asked, almost out of the blue. He wrapped the arm around the shoulders of his shorter companion, guiding the two towards the exit. "You would do the same for me, I am owed nothing. But that isn't the only reason why I called for you."
Robin didn't resist as the men were guided out of the Shepherds barracks and out into the blazing sun of Ylisstol. Robin tentative looked around them as his memories recalled how much had happened on these grounds. If one told you that this city had been sacked, you almost wouldn't believe them. Reconstruction was swift, the entire city working as one being to refurbish what was damaged and replace what was lost.
"Now that I will be taking Emmeryn's place, I will need to remove myself from the Shepherds." Chrom disclosed. "Getting used to the role of statesman will take… time, but it's one I need to assume none the less."
"Virion could give you lessons. Knowing Maribelle she's already subjugated Sumia under her tutelage." Robin laughed at his own joke, before realizing what he said was most likely what was going to transpire. The Noblewoman would see it as her duty to educate the new Queen, which meant…
Sumia was more than likely going to die. Oh dear.
Chrom shook his head. "I can handle myself in court. But what I need is assistance in administration." The two ducked under and arch and moved into the courtyard, the same one where Marth had been unmasked. Strange how it all felt so distant now… they hadn't seen heads or tails of the woman since Plegia.
"I'm more than happy to help with the search." Robin chimed innocently. "We'll need to replace a few advisors, yes? The hierarch position will also need filling, along with quite a few of our Commanders."
"I already have Candidates for advisors, along with the Knight Captainhoods." Chrom explained, letting his arm fall away from his friend. "The only positions left are Marshal in nature."
"That's… surprising quick of you." Robin blurted out, lifting his hands in defense as Chrom glared at the indirect slight. "What? You hate paperwork! Frederick and I handle all of the Sheperds' clerical duties!"
"A bit of tact would still be prefered." The Prince answered.
Robin sighed, dropping his arms. "Well if you have the candidates, I suppose I can help with their assessment. Or act as their assistants in the meantime."
"You, an assistant?" Chrom huffed skeptically. "A bit overqualified for that, no?"
"In case you forgot I technically have no qualifications." Robin pointed out, before patting his own side. "Unless you count these."
The newfound Exalt rolled his eyes, arms going over his chest as the two stopped next to a row of shrubs. "I have other duties in mind." Chrom clarified, leaving Robin befuddled at his friend's rather cryptic way of wording.
"I…" Robin began, looking to the ground and stroking his chin. "You'll need to spell it out for me."
Chrom sized up the ash haired wanderer, keeping his pose as Robin continued to remain lost. Internally he could not comprehend how the normally perceptive mage was being so dense, but decided not was not the time for teasing.
"I mean to make you the realm's Grandmaster." Chrom said, clear as day.
Robin's brain simply shut down as the revelation registered with him. Each emotion made itself visible on his face as it came to him, making him look as if he was trying to be a street mime.
Confusion, comprehension, shock, disbelief, confusion again, until he managed to settle back onto disbelief.
"You… want me. Me. The Plegian amnesiac, to be the new Grandmaster of Ylisse." Robin reiterated as he stared at his best friend. They were both in the castle's Counsel chamber while this discussion was being had, a circle of benches and seating surrounding the center tilework where the two leaders of the Shepherds stood. "You want me to be the tactician for our entire military?"
Chrom nodded in response, a smile beaming at the snow haired man. "You're easily the best strategist we have Robin. If it wasn't for your schemes we'd all likely be dead in the desert now."
"That-..." Robin slapped his palm across his own face, shaking his head back and forth while Chrom laughed at his reaction. He lowered his hand and looked on to the new Royal in exasperation. "The counsel is never going to approve of this. Half of them don't even trust me being in the country, now you're making me a military officer?"
"You've already undertaken most duties a Grandmaster would hold." Chrom dismissed with little concern. "Our armies have marched on your plans for half a year now. At this point you hold the title in all ways but actuality."
"Have you ever stopped to think that's why no one's raised any objections? This is an official appointment, not emergency orders!" Robin continued to protest, face creased with stress as the worst case scenarios began to run through his head. Dealing with the Ylissean court, having to win over the General's staff, settling into the city permanently. After the war he'd planned to take some kind of reprieve, maybe try and hunt down more answers about his past on his own.
"Robin, you of all people know I do not make these choices lightly." Chrom began, sternly glaring at his friend. "With my sister gone, I need the best people possible by my side so I can carry on her dream. If I am to rule, I need to rule well. You are a skilled soldier, a fine swordsman and an accomplished mage." He clapped a hand onto Robin's shoulder, his snow haired companion looking up morosely to meet the steeled eyes of his leader.
"But above all of that; you understand what she wanted more than anyone. Freedom and safety. I need you to make the military a vanguard of that." He explained firmly, not allowing the subject of his ire to utter a word in protest. "Not a fist, but a shield. A tool of peace, not a weapon of war. I did not pick someone else because there is no one else. Do you understand?"
Robin's head bobbed up and down, sighing as he resigned himself to his fate. Chrom's stubbornness wouldn't allow anything but a yes. Part of him resented that, the blue haired bull always had a tendency to get his way. But he understood as much as everyone how much Emmeryn's wishes weighed on the Prince's shoulders.
"You just had to use Emmeryn, didn't you?" Robin grumbled defeatedly, shrugging off the man's hand. Chrom laughed once more, letting the wayward hand rest casually above Falchon's sheath.
"Fine. Alright, it's not like I don't want to help you." The Plegian admitted. In all honesty he already had a heap of possible reforms ready to offer Chrom. His time dealing with the Ylissean militia had him jot the ideas in his free time, mostly out of annoyance at how archaic the Halidom's military seemed to operate. "But we run into one key problem."
"And that is?" Chrom asked.
"You mean to give a Plegian, my newfound gentile birth be damned, a peerage." Robin rattled off. "This isn't the same as knighting me Chrom. I have done research on Ylissean Grandmasters of yore, none of them were ever foreigners."
"I've already thought ahead of that." Chrom responded as the two began to walk once more. The Prince had already gotten an earful from Frederick about how utterly insane this act of his was, but through all of the knight's chastising critique he was also able to discern a clear and present solution. "Where did it say your family was from again?"
"Nothing at all about my father. My mother was from Altea." The gears began to whirr in his head, freeing themselves from the revelation's shock as his brain started piecing things together. "The island Ylisse annexed in the war's peace treaty."
"Indeed." Chrom confirmed, the duo now moving down the hall. Rays of dawn's light pierced through the windows, shining upon them both. "Now, why did we annex Altea? You were the one who suggested it after all."
"It's a trade hub, so we can have a better base for our merchants. It's close to the Plegian border, so we can keep sentry for bandit patrols. It's also a good place to start a navy if we ever had the funding." Robin bitterly noted, but there. He had hundreds of other reasons he could think of. Even if had to almost force Chrom to agree to the idea, the Prince wanted nothing to do with annexing Plegian land.
He saw it as an act of bad faith. Robin on the other hand was more pragmatic, seeing the island and the city as strategic hardpoint. Taking it was too great a boon, even if he knew the late Exalt wouldn't be pleased with conquests. There were times when principles were overshadowed by necessity. Plus, they'd just fought a long lasting conflict. Ending it all with no gains to speak of would've been seen as disgraceful by the people of the Halidom.
"Yes, yes, yes. But why did the Council want it as well?" Chrom continued to prod, looking on with a newly donned neutral expression. "Come on now, you've spent more time reading history and tactics in the last year than I did as a child. And you didn't have noble tutors hovering over your shoulder."
Robin resisted the urge to roll his eyes, thinking back before the answer popped into his head. "...Marth. Marth's family ruled Altea before the War of Shadows. It was the birthplace of the Exalted bloodline." The tactician then stopped dead in his tracks, almost causing Chrom to trip over him at the sudden stop before Robin stabilized the Prince. "Are you insinuating I'm related to you!?"
Chrom stood back up once more once Robin released him, shaking his head. "Not possible. Your mother's family isn't in our records, Miriel checked." The prince thought back to the massive ledger of the Ylissean royal family, trembling in fear at the thought of reading through the tower of paper on his own. "But it does mean that your family is no less Ylissean than mine."
"My mother's side, yes. We don't know anything about my father!" Robin countered, his voice suddenly raising. "For all we know he was a Grimleal priest or a Plegian General! I may even be some distant cousin of Gangrel!"
"Peace, Robin. Peace." Chrom comforted, taken aback by the man's sudden explosion. He kept his voice firm and controlled, trying to pull Robin back down from his mania. "We do not know that. Nor did we find any evidence of that. But what we do know is simple; you're of noble lineage. Your family came not only from a city in Ylisse now, but the city where my ancestors also hail. That, paired with your actions during the War. Helping protect my sister from Plegian assassins, organizing not only her rescue attempt but the full invasion of Plegia itself. Do you truly think the Council members won't approve of you being Grandmaster?"
The logic was there, even if Robin wanted to deny it. He'd proven himself loyal to Chrom time and time again during the War and before. When they had returned to Ylisstol after the conflict, the people treated him as a hero. The man who'd helped Chrom lead their armies to victory, even after they'd lost so much. Their Exalt, their capital, their pride. WIthout him, as Chrom was so certainly sure of, they would've been lost.
But that didn't make him happy about it.
Why did she do this to herself?
Today could have been a day off for Cordelia. The first one in a very long time. She could be lounging about in the barracks, or walking through the town. Maybe making preparations to go back to her home in Friga. It'd been too long since she'd seen her family. Months before the war had even started, for all she knew her parents thought she had fallen during the invasion of Plegia.
Instead she was locked in the bridal chamber, fiddling madly over logs and papers as she helped plan her best friend's wedding. To the man she'd spent years pining over without end, no less. The Gods had a rather disturbing sense of humor.
In truth she wasn't as smitten with her Lord as she once was. Her time with the Shepherds, constantly being near the man along with her new comrades, had shifted her priorities. Part of it still hurt, not being the one preparing her wedding dress for the night. But her hurt was more overcome with joy. Sumia deserved this happiness, the night when Chrom proposed to her was clearly the most joyous one of her life.
That being said, planning everything for the klutz was still a nightmare.
"The kitchen said they'll be stocked within the hour. Sully has already assorted guards across the premises in areas where they won't be noticed." She called out, trying to catch Sumia's ear as the Queen to be powdered her nose. "Robin told me he would send a copy of the parade path to us by morning. Gregor and Vaike apparently appropriated some Feroxi ale as well."
"You mean stole!" Sumia called from her domicile.
"I am not a constable, my dear. I shall leave that investigation to them." Cordelia called back, flipping to a new page. "Everything seems fine. For now, at least."
"What about the cake?" Sumia continued to question.
"Gaius said it would be ready by the time of the reception." Cordelia lamented. She'd been worried about letting the sweet-toothed vandal oversee the centerpiece of all the food, but he'd insisted that he'd lessen the amount of sugar he usually put into confections.
"And the decorations?" Sumia finished.
"Ricken and Kellam are handling that." Another thing she didn't put much stock in. Ricken had insisted in helping somehow, and Kellam deserved to have a place in the ceremony. But she felt it best to let each Shepard do some part in this. It was a grand celebration for all involved, she just prayed to Naga they wouldn't muck it all up at the finish line.
She lifted her head at the sound of barefoot steps, her old friend finally having left the bathroom. Sumia looked like a completely bedridden mess, with an old purplish bathrobe hanging on her shoulders over her nightgown. Her hair hadn't been done yet, at all. Her eyes were crusted beyond belief, her posture was slumped over. When Cordelia had come to rouse her an hour prior, the red-head almost had a heart attack. Apparently she'd spent half the night worrying herself mad instead of getting any proper beauty sleep.
"How much time do we have until the ceremony starts?" Sumia asked with a yawn, sitting herself down onto the bed next to the night-table Cordelia had occupied as a desk.
"Seven hours. Of which we will be used entirely to make you somewhat presentable." Cordelia sighed, dropping her quill into a well of ink and resting her head on a hand. She turned over to look at the catastrophe of a bride. "I've already contacted Maribelle and Lissa, they'll arrive soon enough. With hopefully a full team of beauticians."
Sumia nodded slowly, absorbing the information before rubbing her eyes. "You don't need to do this, you know."
"I'm the only Shepard who knows enough about planning to handle this, par Robin. And he's already dealing with Chrom's side of things." Cordelia murmured, smiling softly. "And I want to, Sumia."
Sumia opened her mouth to protest further, but Cordelia turned herself and took hold of her hands. "Listen. When we were younger, you never let yourself think you deserved something like this." She continued, Sumia's face burning up pink at the memory. "It's true! You always believed you weren't good enough to have your own happiness. Even after we joined the Knights, you never thought you'd even get a date, let alone be wed."
"But… I'm marrying Chrom. You're sure this isn't awkward for you?" Sumia mumbled. In truth that fear had been one of the bigger ones nagging her the night prior. Most ladies in the Shepherds knew about Cordelia's old infatuation with the Prince. When Cordelia offered to organize the event, everyone was completely caught off guard. They all expected her to run for the hills and avoid the capitol at all costs.
Some might have even suspected her of trying to sabotage the affair.
"Maybe if this was a year ago, yes. It would probably be rather painful for me." Cordelia admitted, squeezing Sumia's hands. "But I've…" The crimson haired knight racked her mind, searching for the right words to describe her thoughts. Her mind was still a complete mess, yes. For more reasons than just this wedding. She had gone through so much over such a short stretch of time.
"...After what happened in Ylisstol during the War. With what happened to my squadron, I want to focus on what I have and care for. And there's a lot, you included. I'm happy for you, and I'm happy for Lord Chrom as well. So don't think this is some trial for me, please?"
Sumia silently stared at the woman, blinking once. Cordelia was never a very good liar, and that trait hadn't changed since she joined the Shepherds about a year ago. But Sumia had never once thought she'd hear her friend, the man who basically lived for Chrom's affections, dismiss them.
"You found someone, didn't you?" She asked almost immediately, unable to disguise the joy in her voice. Both her eyes popped open, twinkling with the possibilities. The idea that Cordelia had finally moved on was a great relief to her. "Oh my Gods, who. Who! You've got to tell me!"
"Aurora." Cordelia answered in a dry deadpan, her red eyes shimmering in annoyance at the her friend's assumption. "We've already been wed in secret, I am sorry to inform."
Sumia visibly recoiled at the image of Cordelia becoming betrothed to her own Pegasus, which brought a smirk to the redhead's face. "I have other priorities before I deal with suitors." She then answered honestly.
"Well, one things calm down you'll probably get a whole line of them. Juuuuust like when we first joined the Knights." Sumia recalled as she rolled over on the mattress, lying on her back and staring wistfully at the roof.
Cordelia sighed, her brunette friend blissfully unaware as Sumia kept recounting the redhead's love life.
"Complimenting your looks…" Sumia began.
"I was as fair as any of our Sisters." Cordelia followed.
"Helping you whenever you needed it..."
"Quite capable of taking care of myself."
"Random letters from secret admirers…"
"Still don't know how they found our room."
"Sneaking in to play you songs through our window."
"Creepy and forbidden. Trespassing on military property."
"Going down onto a single knee and professing their undying love!" Sumia rattled off, squeeing like a schoolgirl.
"Mortifying for all parties involved." Cordelia answered, promptly amputating the conversation. "Now can we return to the discussing the wedding?"
Sumia promptly pouted at Cordelia souring what she had seen as a good natured discussion, but as usual the Knight Paragon merely resumed her no-nonsense attitude. She scooped up the scroll and wet the quill once more, intent on forcing Sumia to sit through each detail possible while they had the time.
"Wait." Sumia requested, sitting up and facing her erstwhile assistant. Said assistant grumbled at yet another interruption, but once she looked to Sumia the bride to be's usual flightiness was totally absent.
"We do need to talk about something else before we get too busy." She informed sternly. "I'd rather discuss this before Lissa and Maribelle arrive."
"Must be rather important." Cordelia hummed, letting the quill sit in the inkwell before turning herself so that both knights focused on one another.
Sumia nodded, both of her hands resting in her lap. "You know that after this we won't be seeing each other that often. I'll have to start handling duties in court and…" She laughed weakly, nerves surging. "Well, running a country."
Cordelia remained quiet with that note, thinking about her own future.
The Pegasus Knights were gone now, with the whole Order taken from this world par herself, Sumia and a few scattered survivors who'd made their way back to the Capitol near the War's end.
Sumia had a new duty however, one that far surpassed what Cordelia could ever possibly possess.
Meanwhile she had nothing. Her Company had been slaughtered to the man, she was alone.
"I'm planning to return to Friga once the festivities have concluded." Cordelia informed a now gasping Sumia. "I wish to see my family." She tried to explain, hands shaking at the memory. The memory that she relived every night, watching all the women who'd trained her die like cattle.
"I… I need to rest." She finished. Cordelia wanted that above everything else. After the months of war, each day bringing a new battle. Fleeing Plegia after the Exalt's death, surviving on scraps. Seeing the countless bodies, Ylissean and Plegian alike, strewn across the varied landscapes.
It was all too much for anyone to handle. Even her, she couldn't keep up this facade in front of her friends for much longer.
"Y-you'll come back though, right?" Sumia asked horrifically. She was coming back. She had to come back. She'd known Cordelia for years, and she always managed to jump back from everything. From the hazing from other knights, to the solitude from home. Even during the War itself, while Sumia was a shaking mess before each battle, all she had to do was look to see her friend.
Fear and panic slowly slithered through her veins when Cordelia didn't respond. This wasn't happening, it couldn't. She couldn't lose Cordelia now, not when she needed her help more than ever. Even with Chrom's support, she needed someone catch her whenever she fell. Figuratively and literally.
Luckily for her, Cordelia nodded. "But what will I do? The Order's been all but destroyed, and… I don't know if I wish to be a Shepherd full time."
"You don't have to be!" Sumia practically yelled, almost causing Cordelia to jump out of her skin. "Chrom and I are already planning on rebuilding the Knights! It's one of the first things on our list."
Ever the skeptic, Cordelia gave Sumia a look of mistrust. "Really. You plan to refill the ranks?"
"We want to expand the ranks!" Sumia happily said, her sorrow being replaced with elation at her first personal endeavor as Queen. "We aren't just going to remake the Knights, we're going to make them better than ever before!"
"Enlighten me on how." The paragon mused, still not buying it.
"Well…" Sumia laughed nervously, twiddling her thumbs as she shrunk beneath Cordelia's smoldering gaze of disapproval. "Plenty of ways! We'll rebuild it all from the ground up, that way they'll be stronger than ever!"
"Uh huh." Cordelia answered. "And who's going to be leading these new and improved 'super knights?' Lissa? Marlibelle? You certainly will not be able to."
"Actually…" Sumia laughed again, this time sounding as if she was being smothered with a pillow. One of her fingers nervously twisted a lock of her hair.
Weeks before this day, she and her fiance had discussed at length how they were going to patch the holes Plegia had pierced into the nation. The Order of Pegasus Knights came into the discussion, along with the Ylissean Knighthood. Both had taken brutal casualties through the war, the latter still sustainable but having lost it's own leadership.
Both of them had agreed on whom the new Captains should be. Frederick was the best choice to lead the Knights, he was already a diligent commander and a fine instructor. Stahl, Sully and Kellam had already agreed to help the man when he humbly accepted the offer. All of the Ylissean Shepherds now had new duties in this post war world.
As for the Order, though this discussion had thrown a wrench in her plans...
"Chrom and I were wondering if… you could?"
"What do you mean we're missing the cake!?"
Robin and Gaius stood in the middle of chaos. Both were in the banquet hall of the palace, which had been designated as the end point of the wedding parade. Wedding workers ran around, between and sometimes through them as they carried out various tasks.
Tables were being set and prepared, seating charts had been arranged. The hired band for the evening sat on stage, already. Ricken, the Shepherd's youngest member, stood atop a tall chair with a makeshift bullhorn as he gave orders and instructions.
A large sculpture of ice that had been commissioned, shaved down to resemble the brand of the Exalt in the most gaudy way possible, leaked onto the floor and caused some poor girl to slip onto her face.
Robin made a mental note, ice sculptures were stupid.
All the while Gaius stood in front of him, a sucker lazily dangling from his mouth as he paid no mind to the madness that surrounded them. "Well, Stahl told me the kitchen had too many orders and not enough cooks. So I borrowed some money and hired uh…"
He scratched his cheek, trying to find the right words. "We'll call him a contractor."
Robin groaned loudly, his palm covering his face. "Dare I ask why I don't recall authorizing this?"
The sugar addict, rather enjoying himself, smirked at the distraught wedding organizer. "Don't worry about it Bubbles. I can vouch, this guy is gold. Wife's the best baker on the continent."
"That isn't the po-" Robin inhaled deeply, controlling his desire to yell in frustration. "Fine, fine. OK. Where is it then?"
"That's the uh… tricky part." Gaius informed, looking around them for a moment before leaning in. "We're gonna need to go nab it ourselves."
Robin gaped, wondering why they couldn't just send a group of couriers to transport the confection. "Listen, my guy's good. But he's also not really a baker by trade, per say. They're an old contact from my… previous line of work."
"Gaius." Robin started, white hot rage starting to simmer to the surface. "Don't tell me you hired a crook. Please, for the love of Naga, don't tell me you hired a crook to prepare something this important for a royal wedding."
"I never said that, you can't prove it in court." Gaius swiftly denied. "He's just involved in 'extra-legal industries.' Yeah, we'll call it that."
"Why did I ever agree to this job, mother of Anri." Robin muttered under his breath, shaking his head and dismissing what fury he could as he glared towards the convicted criminal. "So what happened?"
"Nothing. Cake's ready. But we need to go get it ourselves." The thief explained, taking a long suck from the lollipop resting in his mouth.
"And why's that?" The white haired tactician asked with dread.
"He may or may not have…" For the first time in the discussion, Gaius showed a physical sign of discomfort, scratching the back of his neck and directing his eyes away from Robin's increasingly strained expression. "...let's just say he doesn't feel comfortable leaving his hideout right about now."
The two men stared at one another in silence, the scene around them continuing to unfold without any attention paid at the confrontation occuring right in the center of it all. One butler took a moment to look in their direction, then upon seeing Robin's face quickly disappeared back into his work.
"Gaius." Robin said, losing all semblance of calm as his hands curled into fists. A vein began to pop out from his pale skinned forehead, one of his eyes twitching. "I'm going to kill you. I'm going to kill you, and make it look like Frederick's horse did it."
Gaius, taking quite a few steps back and lifting his hands in defense from the angered tactician until he backed into a pillar.
"While I'm completely sure you could pull that off Bubbles, let's wait until after we get the cake." Robin looked unconvinced, and now more than ever Gaius was painfully aware of the Arcthunder tome hanging off the man's hip. "Please?"
Gritting his teeth, Robin acquiesced, his hands unclenching as he regained control. "Where?"
"Lower quarter, his name's Petey." Gaius informed. "Hour trip back and forth, tops. Swear on me mum."
Groaning, the white haired man pinched the bridge of his nose. Why in the hell he tolerated this, he never knew. "We'll need a third person to help carry the blasted thing."
"Um… I can help." A third voice popped in. Robin and Gaius both jumped in surprise as Kellam materialized next to them, armor and all. "Ricken's handling everything pretty well, I'd be happy to come along."
Not looking a gift horse in the mouth, Robin jumped on the offer immediately. "Perfect. Gaius, go get Kellam a cloak and meet me at the palace gate. We're leaving now before someone notices."
The two men nodded, the thief ducking into the crowd and the knight clunking behind him as they went to find more appropriate attire. All the while Robin stood there for a few more moments, breathing in and out as he tried to center himself once more.
Why did he do this to himself?
"Her jewelry isn't here!?"
Cordelia clutched her hair as she paced back and forth outside Sumia's room. Shouting and arguing echoing out as the bride to be was locked into a three way debate between herself, Maribelle and Lissa. Both the Princess and the Heiress had gone inside to try and ready her for the big day, but from the sound of things the trio were spending most of their time debating on how she should even look.
Cordelia, sensibly, retired herself from the situation as it grew out of control for the sake of her sanity.
She now stood outside the room, mired in an entirely different issue.
Sully leaned up against the wall next to the room's door, balking at the revelation. Anna laughed sheepishly, tapping her finger against her chin as she tried to come up with some sort of explanation for her gaff. All the while Cordelia was livid, muttering raging obscenities under her breath that made even the crimson cavalier blush as red as her armor.
"In my defense, it was hard to find a jeweler on such short notice." The merchant quickly admitted, failing to pull the fuming knight out of her paces. "The city's still half destroyed, most of my local suppliers aren't exactly open for business anymore."
"Really?" Sully asked from the side, as unamused as Cordelia with the incident. "You said it was gonna be a piece of cake when Chrom handed over the gold."
"I… miscalculated?" Anna added nervously, laughing once more as she withered away from Sully's pointed glare.
"Uh huh." The horsewoman acknowledged with a huff.
Cordelia kept her movements going, mind racing a mile a minute as she thought of how to fix this. Thankfully, Sumia didn't seem to notice the discussion that was happening right outside her door. At the moment she seemed to be demanding Lissa stop trying to put her hair up into twintails similar to the Cleric's own. But once they were finished with makeup, she'd go to put on the dress. And when she went to put on the dress, she'd see her earings, tiara and necklace were missing.
Cordelia's heart broke at the image in her mind, her friend's perfect day smeared just because of one missing headdress.
"You said it isn't here." Cordelia rattled off quickly, turning to face Anna as she walked. "Is it ready, or did you bungle this that badly?"
Anna bobbed her head up and down. "He said it'd be ready this week! We just… need to go grab it is all."
"Then we go get it." Cordelia affirmed, now looking to Sully. "Do you mind if we borrow some mounts from the Knight stables?"
"Not at all, I was actually about to offer." She answered with a smirk, pushing herself off the wall. "Shouldn't take long on horseback."
"Indeed." Cordelia mused, again facing Anna sharply. The secret seller jumped, looking at her interrogator's fiery eyes. "And where is this jeweler?"
"Lower Quarter of the city. It'll take us a half-hour to get there." Anna promised, then pulled out a small sack of gold. "I even have the second half of the payment here, see? Was gonna go grab it myself."
"That looks like a lot less then what Chrom gave you." Cordelia observed through narrowed eyes, noting that the tweed bag was barely the size of Anna's palm. Chrom had offered her a budget of more than a hundred gold coins the month prior. "Don't tell me you skimmed off the top."
"Hey, I resent that!" Anna boasted defensively, pocketing the sack once more. "Chrom said I could take the extra as a finder's fee! I just… found the best deal, is all."
"Cordelia, the Lower Quarter's filled with scalpers." Sully informed from the side. "Thieves, rogues, bandits. Not the place you'd find a legit jeweler."
The Pegasus Knight stood there, stunned for a moment, before she looked back to the merchant with a renewed flame. "Anna…"
"I uh… cannot confirm or deny how the gems were procured." Anna squirmed, backing off as both Shepherd women began to advance upon her threateningly. Whatever on their minds was clearly not going to be pleasant for her if she didn't pacify the situation.
She gulped, trying not to trip over herself as she continued her slow retreat. "Listen, I know you're both mad-"
"Mad? Ooh, sister, I'm not mad." Sully began, cracking her knuckles. "You cheaped out on my friend's wedding ensemble for a few extra coins. I'm Gods-damned furious."
"Think if we shake her upside down we'll get a refund?" Cordelia asked, moving around to cut off the beset merchant's route of escape.
"Let's find out." Sully agreed, gleefully grabbing the trickster's flamboyant collar and holding her in place.
"OK!" Anna cried, squirming under Sully's iron tight hold as she whipped her head back and forth search from any semblance of mercy from the women. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I'll pay Chrom the gold back when we get the stuff!"
Cordelia held a hand up to stop Sully, who had already now grabbed Anna by the shoulders and was lifting her off of the ground. "You swear sure it's all really there? Not trying to pull one over us?"
"I'm a woman of my word!" Anna swore, beads of sweat dripping down her face like a torrential rainstorm. "There's a tiara, earings, broach, necklace, the whole shebang! Ordered the full set!" She looked back to Sully, eyes wide as she plead her case. "Come on, Red Rider. You know I'm legit, I'm the one who sold your hubby that ring on your finger!"
"And I'm still surprised the rock hasn't shattered like glass." Sully answered in a deadpan, not buying a word of it.
"Oh come on, guys! You think I'd try and con a Royal!?" Anna cried in desperation.
"Yes." The two other women chimed at once.
Anna again opened her mouth to protest, but then clammed up. "OK, that's a fair assumption." She admitted. "But Sumia's my friend! You're all my friends! I swear on Marth's grave, I commissioned everything!"
"Still don't believe her." Sully mused, looking over to Cordelia again as Anna continued to futiley attempt escape. "Time for the shake down?"
Cordelia's brow creased in though, looking over their captive with interest as she tried to dissect whether she was speaking the truth. Anna clutched her hands together, fingers interlocked as she kept pleading that she was saying the truth. Her eyes were wide with panic, voice sputtering in fear at the dire straits she was in.
"We'll check this supplier of hers." Cordelia acquiesced, much to Anna's visible relief. Again she lifted her hand, cutting off the stream of thank yous that were now being lobbed at her. "What's his name?"
"Peter Natal." Anna readily informed. "Everyone calls him Petey. Runs a tavern in the southern part of the Quarter."
"Good." She paused for a moment, once again listening to see if the three other women behind the door had caught wind of the confrontation. They were still trapped in her own world, the topic now having changed to the far more amicable topic of the seating arrangements.
"Let's go now." Cordelia ordered, spinning around on her heel and marching down the hall. Sully followed, not releasing Anna. Instead she threw the merchant over her shoulder, carrying her off like a rolled up fine rug.
Nothing was ever simple with these people.
Peter Natal was many things.
A tavern owner, a cook, a father and husband.
A counterfeiter, a thief, a bookie and smuggler.
And a damn fine hornest, if he did say so himself.
But he was also two things he often found himself regretting far, far too often in his various lines of work.
A debtor, and far too honest to justify his surviving this long.
As he sat quietly in his empty bar, the middle aged man counted various stacks of copper and silver coins. His establishment was barren, everyone in the city was making their way to camp along the parade route of the Royal wedding. Not just rich nobles, but impoverished paupers like those whom often frequented his little den of indecency.
Even his wife elected to go, taking his two sons along with her to watch the high born bride and groom ride amongst their subjects. It was a city wide festival that all were partaking in, after almost a year of bloody war. One that had claimed his brother and sister when they ran to join the Ylissean Militia.
He wanted to go. He wanted to celebrate how it was all over, and that they could now rest knowing they died for a victorious cause. That he could share the jubilation with his remaining family.
But he couldn't. He made up some story about not feeling well, as shielding his side activities away from his family.
"Still not enough…" He cursed, having taken his wealth for a third time in hope that he'd previously miscounted.
They'd be here soon, demanding what was owed them. Men in hoods, weapons hanging off their side and breath that reeked of blindingly strong liquor. Natal was a month past his payment now, and there was no chance they would give him another extension on his loan. The last time they had given him one, they'd broken his knee in exchange. The cane resting against the bar counter was clear evidence to that.
He signed, looking under the counter at the iron sword that hung hidden away. In his youth, he'd used this blade in an attempt at the Knighthood exam. Strange how his life had gone from that to this in fifteen years.
Hmpf. Well the dastards weren't going to kill him without a fight at least. Bum leg be damned.
Three knocks rang out from the entrance, echoing past the table and into his ears. With a sigh, he readied himself, then called out in his graveled, low voice. "Come in!"
The door opened, and three figures wandered inside. Each was draped in a hooded brown riding cloak, their faces obscured from his vision. The person in the rear was easily the tallest, towering over the two in front of them. The others were of similar height, but of differing posture. One stood straight and proud, clearly radiating military discipline. The other was a bit slouched over, marching with a spring in her step.
Peter cursed his blasted luck, he'd hoped they'd send people a bit easier to defend against.
"I don't have the coin." He admitted outright, hand resting close to his blade's hilt. "What's on the table is all I can offer."
"Coin?" The energetic one asked in a familiar, feminine voice. "Uh, Petey? We're here for the gems I asked for two months ago."
"Gems?" Peter asked, hand relaxing from the blade. Soon the voice clicked in his mind, and he put together that these weren't his expected guests. "Anna?"
The head nodded in approval, before a hand shot up to remove the hood and revealed a confused merchant. Cordelia then followed suit, looking rather unamused at the mishap while Sully's face revealed her clearly holding back a laugh.
"Oh, sweet Naga." Peter said in relief, shoulders relaxing. "Don't do that to me girl."
"Don't do what to who?" Anna asked, still not understanding. "You told me to come get the stuff I bought from you! What, did I get the wrong pidgeon?"
"No, not at all." Peter dismissed, slipping off his stool and grabbing his cane. "I just didn't expect you today. Shouldn't you be partying with the Prince? Last I heard you'd made inroads with him."
"Your information network still scares me." Anna observed, before shaking her head. "We're headed there after this. You do have what I paid for, right?"
"He better, for your sake." Cordelia hissed quietly from the side.
Peter looked curiously at the woman, leaning over and across the counter to look Cordelia directly in the eyes. Her smoldering glare adjusted from Anna to the barkeeper, but he didn't seem cowed. "And who exactly are you?"
"Her babysitter." Cordelia answered sardonically, earning a short laugh from Sully. "Regardless, Sir. We are on a short schedule, pray you can give us what was asked?"
"Huh. Here I thought Anna was the last merchant on the planet who needed a bodyguard." Peter commented, shrugging before he turned to go into the kitchen behind him. "Wait there! I'll be out with the box."
The three women complied, waiting at the counter in silence as the man disappeared from their sight.
"He actually seems pretty nice. Here I thought you'd drag us into some seedy jackass' parlor." Sully commented with a grin, playfully punching Anna's shoulder.
Anna yelped a bit, rubbing the forceful strike with a hand. "I wouldn't give a job this important to someone I didn't trust completely." She admonished defiantly. "Petey's the kind of guy who delivers. Plus he's actually one of the few honorable people in this business."
"Still can't believe you commissioned a common criminal." Cordelia berated.
"Hate to break it to you sweetheart, but criminals have always helped run this town." Anna shot back with narrowed eyes. "Only difference is some are like Petey, some are actual cutthroats, and some pretend to be legit like your 'oh so benevolent' Merchants Guild of Ylisstol."
Sully shrugged, accepting it. "She ain't wrong, Cordy. This city's always had a pretty lively black market."
"In Friga we operated within the law. I'm shocked the same can't be said for our own Capitol." The Pegasus Knight stated obstantly.
"Welcome to the real world, Miss Genius." Anna quipped with a growing grin, watching Cordelia chafe under such a hated nickname.
Peter returned before the supposed genius could offer rebuttal, a fine square box with a dark reddish-brown finish. He placed it on the bar counter in each of the ladies' sight, then opened it up to reveal the contents inside.
Inside the container was laced with soft black velvet, a mirror reflecting back at the onlookers. "Handcrafted Chon'sinese box made from their own cherry trees." He said in exposition, grabbing the necklace that rested atop all the other finery and lifted it for all to see. The purple and blue glistend vibrantly, even in the dim and dank light of the tavern.
"Amethysts and Sapphires mined, cut and set right next to Duma's Ingle. No imperfections, no mixtures. Pure, flawless and unmarred." He informed, continuing to lift the expensive accessory. All three of the women gazed in awe, rendered speechless at the majesty of what was laid before them.
Anna was the first to break out of her stupor. "You've outdone yourself, Petey! This is perfect!"
"Well, you did insist I got the best available." Petey noted with a shrug, setting the necklace gently back down and shutting the case. "Honestly, you're lucky. Caught this on the underground market three weeks back, had to near fight three people to grab it all. Apparently they used to belong to some Duchess down south."
Cordelia's face grew red as she was told the origins of the jewels, but beggars couldn't be choosers. They were on a tight schedule.
Besides, what Sumia didn't know wouldn't hurt her.
The box was closed, and then handed over into Anna's embrace in trade for her gold. She lustily looked inside once more, craving the gems.
Sully, ever vigilant, caught note and swiped the thing from her grasp, holding it gingerly under her shoulder.
Their task fulfilled, and the girls satisfied, Anna offered the two a high five. Begrudgingly, Cordelia followed through, smiling despite herself. Sully did so gladly, grinning from ear to ear.
"Thanks again, Petey." Anna repeated, leaning against the counter and looking at the coins. "Uh… say, what's this cash for anyway?"
Peter sighed, settling back down onto the stool and resting the cane in his lap. "Nothing you need to worry about."
Both Knights took pause at this, having been making their way to the exit before the man spoke again. Anna's face creased, not liking the barkeeper's tone. "That's only making me worry more."
"It isn't your problem." Peter affirmed once more.
Anna frowned even more severely, pushing herself upright and folding her arms over her chest. "Humor me."
Peter tutted his mouth, not wanting to divulge the information. The other two redheads had returned now, waiting as well for the man to say something. Realizing they wouldn't leave otherwise, he caved.
"Rourke." He said. Instantly Anna's face changed, twisting from a frown into a disgusted scowl. "I owe him money. A lot of money."
"You took a loan from Rouke?" Anna asked again, watching Peter nod in confirmation. "Why!?"
"Uh, Anna?" Sully asked, now holding the box under her cloak. "Who's Rourke."
"A scumsucker, that's what." Anna answered, grimacing. "The guy's a thug. Runs the protection racket down here, gives 'loans' that he uses as an excuse to rob people blind."
Now it was Sully's turn to frown, grumbling to herself while Anna levied a disappointed look to the man. "Peter." She said with total seriousness. "Why?"
"Why? Oh, I dunno." The barkeep began, leaning over to match Anna's glare with one of total contempt. "Maybe because the Plegians burned down half the city, including my old bar." He pointed out, earning a wince from his target. "Maybe because I had to pay for two funerals after both my siblings bought the farm in that last fight with Gangrel."
Cordelia reeled back with shock, but the smuggler wasn't done. "Maybe because I lost almost my entire savings when this place got sacked! Maybe, just maybe because I have three mouths to feed! Maybe because most of my customers, legit or otherwise, are dead, and I didn't have any other options!"
The red-headed merchant promptly choked on her words, shaking as she was informed about just how deep of a hole her friend was. "How much?" She asked frantically. "A hundred gold? I can give you that right now!"
"Three hundred, sweetheart. If it was just a hundred I'd've handed him that." Peter answered and jabbed a finger at the hidden box, with all three women turning pale as a ghost. Five hundred gold, that was about as much as Sully and Cordelia made in a year from their military pay.
"Shit." Anna cursed. She started to pace back and forth across the tavern's floor as she tried to come up with some kind of plan. "Damn it, this is bad."
"I'm going to guess this Rourke doesn't take well to not being paid?" Cordelia asked, color still not returning to her.
"He crippled me when I missed the last deadline, what do you think?" Peter answered dryly, Cordelia somehow going even more white.
Then, color came back. She straightened up, an idea coming to her first. "He's coming today, correct?" The flier asked. Peter grumbled in the affirmative.
"Then we're staying here and dealing with him." Cordelia declared, causing all three heads to turn and face her with surprise. "We're not standing by and letting a gang of thugs accost a man, are we?"
"Damn right we aren't." Sully answered grimly, clapping a hand on Peter's shoulder. "What kind of knights would we be if we didn't do something about this crap?"
"Weren't you the one who kept complaining about being on a schedule on the ride here?" Anna shot back at the pegasus rider.
"I'd rather be late and ask for an apology then be on time and let a man get murdered." Cordelia defended, turning back over to Peter.
"They're coming here correct? Then we let them come."
"This place smells like a sewer."
Robin's hand covered his face as the trio of men made their way down the street, trying to shield his nose from the unholy stench that rose from the unwashed street. His eyes were almost burning from the strength of the smell, truthfully he was surprised that he hadn't begun tearing up.
Gaius paid no mind, seemingly indifferent to the smell as he adjusted the hood of his cloak. If anything the thief felt right at home in the slum, not operating with the same caution and suspicion that Robin came to observe he carried within the palace walls. "Oh it ain't that bad, Bubbles. Imagine growing up in this part of time, the people smell a lot worse."
"Honestly smells like the farm back home." Kellam commented himself, resting behind his two compatriots with composure. He too was used to the unpleasant scents, having grown up having to shovel manure and other products of his family's animals all throughout his childhood. The normally silent man also seemed more relaxed that usual.
Robin himself continued to wallow in displeasure. He had to admit, compared to the smell of blood and iron that he had grown accustomed too in the war, refuse and excrement was a welcome alternative. At least these smells were evidence of the living, not the dead.
"How long until we get there?" The tactician asked as he rode shotgun in the covered wagon, Gaius at the reigns and Kellam sitting in the bed of the transport itself.
"Soon." Gaius spat a stick out of his mouth and onto the ground, the sucker having run dry. He quickly replaced the lost sweet, offering two more lollipops to his fellow Shepherds as they rolled down the road.
Kellam took the treat, thanking his friend. Robin eyed it with mild distrust, casting a glance at Gaius, then back at the candy. "Since when do you share your stash?"
"First time for everything." Gaius chirped back, wagging the sucker back and forth. "Come on, take it. It's your favorite. Banana strawberry swirl."
Robin continued to hesitate for a few more moments, before surrendering to his own sweet tooth and snatching it from the thief's grasp. He unwrapped the sucker and placed it in his mouth, savoring the sugar as it washed over his tastebuds.
"Take it as an 'I'm sorry' for not telling you about this sooner." Gaius said, looking back towards the road as he stirred the horses left at a turn.
"Hm. Well it's a decent start, I'll give you that." Robin answered, sucking loudly. "If anything I should be thanking you, really."
"Me? What'd I do?" Gaius asked, setting the wagon straight again. Then the thief remembered, laughing at the memory. "Oh, that!" He exclaimed. "That was nothing Bubbles. Didn't think Chrom'd hand it to you so soon but, I'm not complaining."
Robin chuckled at his friend's apparent short-term memory, twirling the sucker in his mouth. "It was a surprise, that's for sure."
"What happened?" Kellam asked turning about to look at both of his friends. His own pink treat still remained in his hand, not having been consumed just yet.
Robin turned so he could better face both men, informing Kellam of the gift that Chrom and Gaius had imparted on him in the early hours that morning. The armored knight's eyes shined with empathetic happiness at Robin's newfound heritage, well aware of how doggedly the Plegian mad had been searched for any scraps of information.
"Lord Chrom was right y'know. We all would've done the same thing." Kellam gladly said, an infectious smile spreading between all three of them.
"I believe it." Robin hummed, resting back against the side of the wagon's white tarp. "Honestly, guys. I dunno what I did to get friends like all of you, but…"
"Don't get soft on me now, come on." Gaius chided gleefully. "What happened to framing Freddy's horse for my murder?"
"Oh, I'm still planning that. Just lulling you into a false sense of security before I strike. Kellam's got a hammer ready to knock you out after we get the cake." He jerked a thumb back towards the large man.
"Wait, I do?" Kellam asked, not sure about what the two were discussing. In truth back at the palace, he had only begun to listen near the end of their heated confrontation.
"Sure you do. There's also a burlap sack and a club shaped like the horseshoes Fredrick's horse wears." Robin continued nonchalantly, stretching his arms out as Kellam became more and more uncomfortable. There was a rather large sack in the back.
Gaius, all the while, rolled his eyes. "You're a criminal mastermind. Ever think about taking up a career in larceny?"
"Tempting. But I've got another job offer." Robin answered back. Both Gaius and Kellam looked on, confused by the statement.
Realizing he might've said too much, the tactician sighed.
Then, also realizing how stressed said offer had made him, he vented.
He told both men about the position Chrom had asked him to take up. He told them both about his newly found gentile birth, and how he was petrified about what would happen next. He told them about the plans he originally had for after the war, and how they were now effectively dashed. He even complained about the various duties he had been burdened with this blasted wedding.
In the end he slumped, fatigued even talking about it all.
"...So what'd you tell'im?" Gaius asked, breaking the silence.
"That I'd give him an answer in a week." Robin said, again sighing. "I don't know what to do."
"You wanna know something, Bubbles?" Gaius pondered. "This is a complex problem ya got. Your best buddy's asking you for something pretty big, and you're worried about the repercussions."
He snapped his fingers after. "But, you know something else? All a complex problem is, is a bunch of smaller ones tossed together."
"Wasn't I the one who told you that?" Robin asked, groaning when all Gaius did was shrug in response. "I know, I know. I'm just worried."
"Why's that?" Kellam spoke up, having remained silent for a decent bit. "You're a great tactician. Heck, you've saved my skin plenty of times. People would think the stuff you did during the war was impossible."
"He's right." Gaius agreed. "Honestly if I was in Chrom's shoes, I'd pick you in a heartbeat."
"I just don't know if I'm ready." Robin admitted. "I've been with the Shepherds for a year now, that's it. I still can't remember anything from before I woke up in that field. How can someone like me be a military advisor?"
"How can someone like you be a tactician period?" Gaius answered back. "How can you use magic so damn well? How come you're so good with a sword? I dunno how, Bubbles. I really don't. But I do know you are all of that."
"But if I screw this up, who knows the kind of damage I'll do?!" Robin shot back, voice raising from his own fear of failure. The others reeled back, caught off guard by the outburst.
That was, at the core of it all, why Robin didn't want to do this. What if he failed?
What if he didn't live up to everyone's expectations? What if he did a horrible job, and ended up turning the whole Ylissean military over? What if he couldn't handle himself in court? What if the other officers didn't follow through with his orders? What if he made life harder for the people of the country that'd adopted him when he had nothing?
What if all his successes so far had just been a fluke?
Silence reigned over them as they rode on. It wasn't until their destination that someone spoke up again.
The tavern was dark inside, only one light barely visible through the glass. Three horses were all tied up outside at a post. A sign hung above the door with the establishment's name, 'Natal's Ale House' painted on in luminescent yellow. Other than that the rest of the district seemed totally empty.
"Guess everyone must've gone to go see the parade." Robin observed.
The three hopped out of the wagon and approached the door. Robin held them back for a moment, speaking up again. "Let me do the talking, alright? I wanna get in and out fast."
"You lead, we follow." Gaius complied. Kellam nodded himself, and the three entered the building.
The inside of the place was… rather depressing honestly. Dark brown wood lined all of the walls, the floorboards creaked under their feet upon coming inside. Tables with chairs scattered through the room, each with an oil lamp resting on them. Nothing hung from the walls or ceiling, the absence of color being the most noteworthy thing. It felt so dim, dull and depressed.
The only source of life was three people sitting at a table, hoods over their heads as they mulled over a few drinks. That and the barkeeper.
"That's him, Petey." Gaius whispered.
The trio went forth to the man, standing at the counter and hovering around this apparent 'Petey'. He was casually wiping a tankard, looking up as these new patrons approached him.
"Did he send you?" The barkeeper asked Robin, who was standing in the center. Naturally, Robin assumed by 'he', he meant Gaius.
"Indeed." Robin answered clearly. "Do you have it ready?"
Petey placed the tankard down and shook his head, frowning at the tactician. "No, I don't."
Robin stood there, stunned. He couldn't believe it, they'd ridden all the way out here to get this blasted cake. It took them almost an hour to even find a wagon to transport the thing, let alone get here.
Mechanically, the tactician turned to face Gaius at his flank. The thief growled under his breath, beyond annoyed that he'd apparently paid this man for nothing. If anything he felt betrayed, this was one of his most reliable contacts for sweets and information.
Kellam remained silent, growing more worried as he felt the fury building between the other two.
"What do you mean you don't have it?" Robin asked incredulously, raising his voice as he leaned forward on the countertop. "You had a month's notice to do this, how in the seven hells couldn't you be prepared when we came!?"
"These things take time." Petey answered cooly, not moving an inch. "If you give me a few days I'll have everything prepared."
"You. You-" Robin slammed both of his fists against the counter, knocking the tankard on the ground. "We don't need it in a few days, you oaf! We need it now! Do you even realize how far we came for this!?"
The barkeep remained stoic, unfazed by Robin's anger. The three people at the table behind them shuffled, standing up to their feet. Gaius, ever perceptive, took note.
As they began to come close, he sensed something… wrong, and slowly began to drag out his dagger from beneath his cloak. Kellam took a step back, letting the three interlopers walk past him unawares.
Robin continued on his tirade, not realizing what was going on behind him.
"Do you think this is a joke!?" The maddened Plegian roared, almost ripping the wood off from the bar as his fingers dug deep. "I am not leaving this place empty handed, damn it! If you don't have what we came for, you damn well better have an alternative!"
"How's this for an alternative." A new voice hissed into his ear. Something sharp prodded his spine.
Robin tensed, his head finally turning to see what had occured behind him.
The three figures had positioned themselves. One holding what he assumed to be a blade to his back. The other was hovering over his shoulder, hissing at him. The third was behind Gaius, clearly keeping a knife leveled at his side.
An ambush. Gaius' source was now trying to mug them. Maybe he would kill the man after this.
Still, he had a trump card. Robin relaxed once more and recomposed himself, deciding to simply retake control of the situation.
"If you'd be so kind, Kellam." He requested.
"Kellam?" The voice chirped in surprise.
Without warning, two voices shrieked. The stealthy knight retook his position, grabbing two of the assailants by the neck and hoisted them high above the floor. Gaius took advantage of the confusion and grabbed the figure behind him, throwing them down onto the ground and pressing his own weapon against their neck.
Amused, Robin turned around and saw the two flailing in Kellam's tight grasp. Their feet desperately kicked at air, trying to hit either him or their captor to no avail.
"Now then." Robin asked as he turned to face Petey, who was now defensively clutching what looked to be an older iron blade. His footing was clearly off, likely due to some injury. Robin merely drew out his Arcthunder tome, opening the thing and letting the pages flutter. His hand began to glow an electric yellow.
Seeing that he was apparently dealing with a mage, Petey aptly dropped the blade and lifted his hands in surrender.
The Plegian smiled, letting the spell die out.
"Wonder who these jerks are, trying to jump us over a damn cake." Robin muttered, leaning down to look at the person still pinned by Gaius. He grabbed the hem of their hood and tore it back, revealing their face and expecting to see some scarred thug.
He was instead greeted by a red headed trickster's wide eyes.
Robin went mute, his skin turning as white as his own hair. Gaius balked, pulling his own hood back as he spoke the merchant's name "Anna?"
"Gaius!?" Anna exclaimed, sharing the thief's startled expression.
Robin took a few steps back, stumbling into one of the stools. He then pulled his own hood back, then looked to the now no longer struggling persons that Kellam held. Quickly he came over, revealing their faces as well.
Cordelia and Sully both glared down at him, tomato red in both embarrassment and fury.
Robin remained there, still as a statue. His jaw hitting the floor.
Hours later, the six of them now resided within the wedding's reception hall.
The rest of the day had gone on with no more surprises. Petey's wife had delivered on the promise of the cake. A five layer tower that was nearly as tall as he was, which had at this point almost completely been consumed by the multitude of guests. Everyone had praised the reclusive baker for a superb job, demanding to be given a reference so they could place their own orders.
Robin had no idea how a smuggler's wife had learned how to design and create such a thing, but he wasn't complaining now.
Sumia received her jewels gladly, thanking Anna endlessly on how she had managed to acquire such things. Anna merely laughed, going on about how the Secret Sellers never failed to provide a product to their clients. She then proceeded to offer a lump some of gold as a dowery, wishing the best fortune to the bride and groom.
Cordelia hid her smile. Both for her best friend's happiness and Anna's relinquishing of the gold, even if it looked like it caused the merchant physical pain.
The bride and groom were currently dancing amongst the crowd, completely oblivious to what had occured behind the scenes of their big day. Everyone involved swore to never mention what happened from sheer mortification of what had occured. They laughed, drunk and made merry, socializing with the various guests. The other Shepherds were mixed into the retenue, each enjoying themselves in their own way.
Robin and Cordelia sat off to the side, away from the pomp and circumstance. The two coordinators were indulging themselves in a needed break.
"I am never going to another wedding." Robin declared, Cordelia giggling at the man as she sipped at her glass of wine. He sat there in his usual Plegian coat, a dress shirt and slacks worn underneath. "I mean it! No more, I refuse! This whole circus has made me swear off these things."
"Oh don't be so dramatic. Ignoring the early stumbles, things have gone very well. The ceremony was perfect, Libra did a wonderful job officiating. The parade went off without a hitch, and this reception is going lovely." Cordelia admonished. She herself wore the light purple dress that each of the bridesmaids possessed, sleeveless and with a purple sash at the waist. A white flower was pinned to her chest, marking her as the maid of honor. "A red letter day, to be sure."
"Ugh…" Robin groaned, slouching in his chair as he swirled his own glass. "Fine. But I'm never helping run these things."
Cordelia smirked, taking another sip. "Good. Because I doubt you'd be able to weasel out of Kellam and Sully's, lest you face her wrath."
The man shuttered, remembering what had happened right before they'd left the tavern.
Rourke did in fact arrive, with a group of thugs armed with clubs and axes. After Anna had informed Gaius of the situation, he readily agreed to stay and assist his old informant. The six of them stood there while the weedy man spoke about how he was disappointed about not receiving his money back.
Then, he'd made a pass at Sully.
Kellam promptly broke the man's face. The rest of them subdued Rourke's lackeys in what was effectively a tavern brawl, using chairs and tables as blunt weapons.
After that they'd deposited them at the jailhouse on their way back to the palace.
"After today, I think both of them scare me beyond belief now." Robin admitted.
The two continued chatting about the day's affairs, before moving onto other topics. Life after the war, the new inventory in the castle's armory, a local bookshop that had reopened after reconstruction. During the War, they had these discussions regularly when in camp. But afterwards, neither had the opportunity. Both were pulled away by various duties and requests.
They relished the chance to finally catch up.
Time began to pass as the night started to wind down. Afternoon became dusk, the sun fell, and the party continued well into the night. Both remained as they were, happy to remain in the quiet hidden amongst all the chaos.
And eventually, of course, they reached the topic of their respective offers.
"So we're both in the same pickle." Cordelia observed, their table now littered with empty plates and glasses. A candle now burned in the center, one of many lights which illuminated the room. "I can't believe they dropped this on both of us today of all days."
"They're both a lot more clever then we give them credit for." Robin muttered, downing his new drink. Gregor had done the rounds, pouring everyone a glass of old Feroxi ale. The stuff burned going down, but it was strong. And he needed strong.
"Hrm." Cordelia grumbled, tapping her fingertips against the table. "They'll need to be. Running a nation isn't easy. No wonder they're getting as much help as possible."
"True." Robin mused, setting his mug down as he breathed through his nose and tried to focus. "So what are you going to do? Accept the offer?"
"I don't… I don't know." Cordelia admitted, eyes becoming downcast as the thought once again invaded and occupied her mind. "I should, shouldn't i? Most Knights need to serve for years before even getting the chance."
"This isn't a case of 'should you', it's a case of do you want to." Robin corrected.
Cordelia slowly nodded, taking in the man's words as she tried to process her thoughts. "...What I want. Hm. What do I want?" The woman sighed, leaning forwards and resting her head in her hands. Her cheeks were pressed up, forcing her to look like she was pouting childishly. Those ruby orbs of hers wandered across the the ballroom, searching for an answer.
They found themselves resting on the bride and groom, having reunited and taken to another dance in the center of the floor. Both spun around with grace and skill, not even once seeming that Sumia was about to topple them. Chrom seemed to be in his one world as they flowed seamlessly between their fellow dancers. They were one, perfect unit. Two parts of a whole that seemed so natural it was as if they were always together.
Longing bounced in her breast at the sight. Once upon a time she was sure her the target of her desire was the blue haired man.
And yet, now of all times, she couldn't place it.
Robin's eyes followed Cordelia's, his whole body turning so he could see just what exactly she was staring at so intensely. Once he caught notice, his eyes softened as he saw his closest friend maneuvering with such bliss.
That same longing struck him as well.
"Still not over it, huh?" Robin asked, turning back around to face his companion.
Cordelia sighed, still gazing off. "In truth Robin, I'm not sure if I am or if I am not."
Robin's eyebrow shot up in question, bringing his mug back to his mouth as he let the woman explain her thoughts.
"I've recently come to realize I've spent five years of my life pining over a man whom I almost never spoke a word with." Cordelia solemnly admitted. "That entire time I had an endless amount of chances to try, and chose to not because I was simply either too afraid or too guileless."
She turned to look at Robin, her flaming red irises meeting his darkened purple. "Then when I finally was forced to do so, I fainted."
"Metaphorically, of course." Robin assured as he continued to drink, smirking at the play on words.
Only then did he realize that Cordelia's visage began to match that of when Kellam had blindsided herd. "No. No. You did not actually faint."
As her embarrassment intensified, he began to laugh. Robin howled, beside himself at the image. Cordelia fumed, this time actually pouting childishly before grabbing a mutton bone from a plate and hurling it at the man's forehead.
Her shot was true, and Robin's head snapped back at the impact. That quickly shut the man up, rubbing the wound as he already felt a lump forming.
"As I was saying." Cordelia continued, opting to hide her regret at striking the man impetuously. "Then after that we actually spoke. At first I was flustered, then time past and when I was finally able to suppress my insecurities-"
The woman leaned back into her chair, her perfect posture slouching unceremoniously. "He wasn't the man I thought he was. The feelings I had for him just… slowly faded. I still respect him to no end, but…"
"You figured out you loved the idea of Chrom, not Chrom." Robin laid out in plain language, his face again curling up into a smile. Sympathetic this time, not one of schadenfreude.
"Maybe." Cordelia hummed. "Or maybe my mind's such a mess that I can't tell the difference."
She shook her head. A servant passed the two, and swiftly refilled the woman's wine glass as she herself began to drink away. "What if I hurt them?"
"Who, Chrom and Sumia?" Robin asked.
Again, her head shook. "Not just them. The new Pegasus Knights. You know how harsh of a taskmaster I am."
"Reason why I'm never picking up a lance again." Robin quipped.
"Har har." Cordelia droned sarcastically. But inside she thought of her conversation with Sumia during the campaign. How she had brutishly attempted to force the woman into forsaking her ridiculous flower fortunes. "What if I drive them too hard? What if I break them? The Knight-Captain needs to be someone respected, not feared."
"You won't." Robin responded nonchalantly.
"And how are you so sure?" Cordelia questioned.
"Because you're aware of the risk and don't want it to happen." He answered. "Cordelia, you are without a doubt one of the strongest people I have ever met. Ignoring your skill, you survived events that would have broken veteran soldiers. Mentally and physically mind you."
"Sometimes I wonder if I really survived." She mumbled dejectedly.
"You did." Robin affirmed without hesitation. "Cordelia, you're many things. Harsh, brutal, judgemental, self-deprecating and frankly rather depressing."
"Gee, thanks."
"You're also a kind soul who just wants people to be better." He pressed on through the interject. "Everything I've ever seen you do was for that purpose. Even when it caused you suffering, you still went through with it to the best of your ability. You aren't perfect, yes. But perfection is impossible."
The tactician smirked. "No one else on the continent could take such a role."
Cordelia sat there, absorbing the man's words. She scanned the Plegian, taking him in as he sat before her. All of his own traits, skills and flaws.
She thought of the times past where they had discussed, both when he had comforted her after her joining Chrom's Company and when she had supported him after Lady Emmeryn's murder. She remembered how he had hated himself as much as she had hated herself. The anger, the frustration, the grief and failure.
She remembered how he used to look at the Exalt. It was just as how she had once viewed Chrom.
Then after that she remembered the times he spent driving the Shepherds to their limits during drills. How he constantly looked after their well beings, and took it as his own personal duty to guard each of their lives above even his own.
"You're ready to be the Grandmaster." Cordelia said without prompting, grinning from ear to ear. "No one else on the continent could take such a role."
Robin blinked as his own words were turned against him. His reflex was to protest at the vote of confidence, just as he had with those prior. But this time he couldn't find it in him to do so.
As he looked at the woman's eyes, he didn't see a soldier. He didn't see a prodigy hailed across the Halidom. He didn't even see Cordelia specifically.
All he saw was a peer. Perhaps the one true peer he had.
And that alone made him happy.
"I think you very well may be right."
A/N: Time for a new story. Well, stories. A bunch of loosely connected anthologies, we'll call them. With some romance and comedy along the way.
o/