Robin shivered in the frigid winds that plagued the Feroxi border, massive stone walls caked in layers upon layers of snow proving as foreboding as the first time he had ever witnessed them. Deep down, he knew that there was an untold warmth inside, one that he could search for his entire life and never find anywhere else, but that didn't stop him from resenting the cold.
He was already questioning every single decision he had made in his life up to this point. How could he ever want to live somewhere so frigid, where the elements themselves were actively trying to kill him at every turn? Why would he ever want to leave Ylisstol?
The memory of Flavia filled his mind once again, as it always seemed to do, and the frosted wind cutting at his skin no longer felt quite as cold. She was a fierce warrior, a devout friend, a powerful and beloved leader, a shoulder he had always had to lean on regardless of whatever challenge he had to face…
She was the person who, a full year ago near the end of the Shepherds' ordeals with Grima, had offered him a role as her strategist, and in the end had offered more to him than even Chrom could ever hope to give. Probably.
She was the one who had offered him everything. Meanwhile, he was the one who hadn't even had the heart to give her a straight answer, and he was the one who found himself regretting it at every step of his life since.
"So, this is it, huh?" Chrom said, clapping a hand on Robin's back and breaking him from his doldrums. The grandmaster started slightly, almost dropping the elegant bouquet of flowers he had carefully brought with him all the way from Ylisse.
"You can stop saying that every few minutes," Morgan whined, bundling tighter into her own cloak in fearful anticipation of another gust of wind. "The border guards are slow, I get it, but that doesn't mean saying 'so this is it huh' will make things go by any faster."
"Hey, I'm trying to set a mood here," Chrom grumbled. "This may very well be the last time I see either of you for gods know how long, and I'm struggling in my own ways to come to terms with it. Humour me?"
"I've already humoured you for almost an hour…" Morgan groaned, causing Robin to smile.
"Try doing that for a few years, Morgan," he said. "You'll be thankful that we're staying in Ferox if you had to put up with him for that long."
"Trust me, I already am," she smiled, though the usual levity in her voice was tied down with its own gloomy set of emotion.
"You're both assholes," Chrom muttered, purposefully loud enough for them both to hear.
"Like father like daughter, eh? Honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way," Morgan smiled again, even brighter than before.
"...So, this is it, huh?" Chrom said again, earning a colourful string of angrily grumbled words from Morgan. "Seriously, though… as glad I am to see you follow your heart, I'll miss you. Ylisse itself will be at a loss in your absence."
Robin couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Please, Chrom, you make it sound like I'll be disappearing forever," he said. "I'll be a day's journey away from you - less than that if you fly."
"Ahem!" Morgan practically shouted from Robin's other side, ensuring that Chrom could hear her. The Exalt turned to see his friend's daughter furiously pouting. "What about me!?"
Chrom blinked at her in perfectly feigned confusion. "...Who are you, again?"
Morgan's pout somehow managed to grow even more intense.
"I'm kidding, Morgan, I know who you are," Chrom laughed heartily, almost succeeding in making her grin. "And don't worry, I'm sure someone somewhere will end up missing you. Eventually."
Her pout returned in full. "And you call me an asshole?"
"He's just teasing you," Robin said, dismissing the Exalt's actions with a wave of his hand. "I told you you'd want to get away from him, didn't I?"
"Aw, you know I'll miss you, Morgan…" Chrom cooed, descending on her for a third hug in as many hours, not to mention those he had given out far too freely when the family had announced their plans.
"Ah, gods, no!" Morgan shouted, subdued enough that she couldn't properly hide her own smile.
Chrom enveloped her in a mighty hug, crushing her smaller frame against his and causing her to gasp for air when he finally let her go. For a moment, he lingered next to her, afraid he had actually done some damage, but moved away when she found the strength to wave him off.
"Ugh… you may have crushed some of my ribs…" she groaned, and Chrom flashed an only slightly concerned smile in response. "I still haven't fully recovered from hugging Minerva, either…"
"...You hugged Minerva?" Robin asked, holding back a short laugh at the surprisingly heartwarming mental image the notion gave him.
"I-I don't know, I thought she looked… cuddly," Morgan said, averting her gaze from both men as a small blush crept over her cheeks. Her head suddenly whipped back over to Robin, horror written plainly across her face. "Wait, did you leave without hugging her goodbye!? You monster!"
A small burst of awkward, almost guilty laughter escaped Robin at his daughter's typical overly bubbly and eager response, though he wasn't able to give her any comments before Chrom began speaking again.
"Really, Robin, you didn't even hug her goodbye!?" the Exalt recoiled, appalled. "Well, that settles it, then. I'll have to come by sometime soon with her so you can say your farewells. Cherche will undoubtedly want to come along as well, and Frederick probably won't allow me to leave again without him, not to mention Lucina…"
Robin laughed in full, a quiet, gentle sound that never failed to put a smile on Chrom's face. "I'd like that, really. Just give me some time to get settled in first, okay?"
"I'll hold you to it," Chrom smiled, clapping his hand on his friend's back once more.
The trio stood outside the gates to the Feroxi border wall for a while longer, Chrom unwilling to leave their sides and return to Ylisstol until he knew they were safely on their way to their new home.
"...So, this is it, huh?"
Morgan clapped her hands together in front of her face, a far too pleasant smile gracing her features. She calmly removed her cloak from her shoulders and held it open, then used a burst of wind magic to launch it at Chrom's head, attempting to smother him into silence.
Robin could barely suppress his laughter as his friend and daughter devolved into a metaphorical slap fight, taking turns throwing Morgan's cloak at one another. Both Morgan and Chrom laughed openly, kicking up small flurries of snow as they danced away from the other's throws.
Raimi bowed out of the Feroxi throne room, giving Robin and Morgan the space deigned necessary for the meeting of a Khan. Morgan waved happily to her as Robin simply nodded to the knight, Raimi giving no response over the course of her exit.
"Thank the gods we're finally out of the cold…" Morgan said, rubbing her shoulders to bring warmth back to her body. Robin had to swat at her hands to stop her from lighting a fire in her palms, preventing her from unnecessarily burning yet another building.
"Aha! Robin, Morgan!" Basilio bellowed, jolting both to attention as he made an unreasonably rambunctious entrance from the side of the room opposite Raimi. "Been a long time, hasn't it?"
"About a full year, yeah," Robin said, slowly easing himself back into a state of relaxation. "How have things been holding up out here?"
"Everything's good, more or less," Basilio grinned, approaching them both with his arms outstretched.
Morgan's eyes widened in immense horror as the Khan made his slow approach. "Oh, gods no, not ag-!"
She was silenced when Basilio wrapped his arms around them both, crushing them in his absurdly powerful grip. Morgan managed to pry free a few moments before Robin, gasping desperately for air, though Basilio didn't seem to mind and merely intensified his hug on her father. Robin barely managed to hold his flowers far enough from the behemoth that they were saved from a crushing destruction.
Eventually, leaving Robin to tend to his new bout of soreness alone, Basilio released the grandmaster with a burst of laughter. "Beautiful flowers there, Robin! They a gift for little old me?"
"You wish," Robin laughed, and Basilio's own laughter only grew. "They're for Flavia."
"Ah, I see." Basilio said, his laughter forgotten for a second before it returned in full force. "Well, don't you know the best ways to break a man's heart! Anyway, Robin, you're here for the tactician offer from her, right? In that case, allow me to extend it to you both!"
"Wait, you… you're offering me the job, too?" Morgan asked, pointing to herself as if she needed his proposal to be any more clear.
"As long as Robin doesn't mind a little competition," Basilio smiled, Morgan beaming eagerly at them both in response. "I was actually thinking that Robin could represent Flavia now, and you, me. Get some tactical flair in the old arena matches."
"I'd love that. Not like you'd have too much else to do around here," Robin smiled, Morgan's own growing ever more intense.
"Alright, I accept!" Morgan beamed even brighter, grabbing and shaking Basilio's hand emphatically. She found that she preferred the action far more than any hug.
"Ha, that's the spirit!" Basilio bellowed, crushing her hand in his grip and causing her to reevaluate her conclusion. "I can already tell that this was the right choice!"
"You'd better be prepared to lose big time, father," Morgan taunted once Basilio had finished destroying her hand, her smile having grown devilish in only a few seconds.
"I'd like to see you try," Robin responded in kind, though his grin was far more sincere than hers. "I know you're good and everything, but I'm no pushover myself. There's a reason Flavia wanted me here, after all."
Morgan glared at him, her eyes doing nothing to suppress the frivolity written plainly across the rest of her face. Robin reciprocated her look for a few seconds before turning back to Basilio, his expression rapidly losing its vigour.
"By the way, Basilio, can I go see Flavia before we do anything?" he asked. "I just wanted to check in with her on some stuff before I do anything major."
"Ah… of course," Basilio said. "She's over by her old house, near the city centre. Only a few minutes from here - you probably know the place."
"I do," Robin nodded, and swiftly began to depart from the throne room. "Keep Morgan occupied for a little while, okay? If not, she might decide to go ahead and remodel your entire country in order to make it more 'strategically sound'."
Basilio gave another short burst of laughter. "Ha, yeah, I heard about that. Don't worry, I'm not as easy to slip documents past as Chrom. I doubt Ferox is in any trouble."
"She'll stop at nothing to make you eat those words," Robin warned, backing out fully from the room as he spoke. Basilio gave yet another short, low laugh.
He turned back to Morgan only to find that she had somehow set up an entire table and chess set in the short time he hadn't been looking at her. "Wait, how the hell did you-?"
"You want to question my abilities, or do you want to play?" Morgan asked, rolling a spare pawn between her fingers. "By the way, if your answer is the former, that means I get to remodel Ferox."
"I'd like to see you try," Basilio said, taking the seat she had somehow acquired for him nonetheless.
"That wasn't a threat, Basilio," she said, placing her pawn away in one of the numerous pockets in her cloak. "I was merely being courteous enough to tell you what would happen."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say," Basilio said with a wave of his hand, both telling her that he wasn't interested and that he was ready for her first move. "Anyway, are you really up for staying in Ferox? It's a pretty big thing for you to leave Ylisstol like this, especially considering that you're old enough now to be doing as you please, without the need to follow your father around."
Morgan tapped a finger against her chin as she considered her move, then pushed the pawn in front of her king up two spaces. "I'm fine with it. I mean, I'll miss everyone in Ylisstol and everything, but I think a change of scenery will be good for me - especially once you accidentally sign some papers that make me the sole ruler of all Feroxi territory. Besides… I'm pretty sure I'm going to properly meet my mother today."
Basilio carefully considered the board before mimicking her move, his pawn coming face to face with hers. "Is that why Robin wanted to talk to her, then? ...Wait a minute, is that why she offered him the position!? I swear to the gods if that woman wasn't thinking straight when she tried to get him appointed…"
"Hey, he's perfectly capable and you know it!" Morgan defended him, and Basilio raised his hands to show that he relented. "We'll both be a major benefit to Ferox and Ylisse, and I might finally be able to get some full memories of my old family back… it can be kind of scary, y'know? Knowing that there's supposed to be something there, but never having it appear, no matter what you do?" She lifted her right knight over toward the centre of action, down and right one square from where her pawn now sat.
"Sorry, kid… I guess I wasn't really thinking. What do you think is going to happen now, anyway? With you two and Flavia, I mean?" He lifted the further of his own knights, slowly bringing it toward the developing main fray.
Morgan frowned at his use of 'kid', but began to smile again at the mention of Flavia. "I'm hoping that Robin's talk with her goes well, and that I'll be able to talk to her, too. Hopefully, I'll end up getting some of my memories of her back, even if none of them came back during the wars…" She sighed and maneuvered her now-freed bishop up to the same row as her pawn.
Nodding silently, Basilio propped up a pawn between his other moved pawn and his open knight, already preparing to block any of her potential plays.
"...What do you think he's talking to her about?" Morgan asked, moving her other knight into place behind her bishop.
"I don't know. Probably some sappy romantic crap I would never want to hear," he said. He moved his first bishop down into place diagonal to her first knight, in a position where he could take the piece if he so desired, albeit at its own subsequent loss to her unmoved pawns.
"Do you think they're fucking?" Morgan asked with a feigned innocence as she moved her rightmost pawn up a single space. Now, Basilio was in a position where if he were to either attack with his bishop or not do anything with it, he would lose the piece.
The Khan's eye widened, and he found that he was choking on air. "W-What!? No, gods no! What's wrong with you!? Who the hell even taught you to speak like that!?"
"You pick up a lot over the course of some wars and a year in one of the world's largest cities," Morgan explained casually. "It's your move. Go."
Basilio stared at her blankly, his expression giving way to both shock and stifled bemusement before he shook it clear. He moved his bishop back to hug the side of the board in front of her recently moved pawn, protecting the piece. "You've got a messed up sense of humour, kid."
"I'm not a kid - you even said so yourself," Morgan reminded him tersely, sliding her first knight across the board to take the pawn he had first moved, exposing her queen in the process. "Also, I'll choose to take that as a compliment."
"I'm sure you will… somehow," Basilio smiled, taking her queen with the bishop he had saved only one turn prior. "Heh, word of advice? Your queen is probably your most significant piece, and by far your greatest power player. You don't want to-"
"Check," Morgan cut him off, skipping her own bishop across the board until it took an unmoved pawn diagonal his king.
"...Wait, what?" Basilio blinked, studying the board for an explanation as to how she had grown so close to beating him. "Where was your- when did you- ...how long ago did you set that up?"
"You're in check, Basilio," Morgan sang, a purposefully irritating grin plastered on her face. "You have to save your king, or I win the game."
Basilio stared for a second longer at the board before moving his king down, next to her bishop and out of immediate danger. "You're good, ki- er, Morgan, but you're still not-"
"Checkmate," Morgan said, placing her second knight into position beside the first, ensuring that whatever move he made his king would be taken by one of her knights or her bishop.
"...Huh?" Basilio said, ignoring her smile. "Wait, did you… sacrifice your queen in order to set up that entire play? Godsdamnit, that's something Robin would never have done!"
"And that's the reason why I'm better than him in chess," Morgan said, already working to place her pieces back in their starting positions. "I mean, I'd never do anything like that in a real war, but in a game like this? Sure, why not?"
"You're devious," Basilio concluded, and she shrugged. "Alright, play me again. I'm not about to lose twice to you."
"Already on it," Morgan nodded, gesturing for him to replace his own pieces. "After this, though, I want to go check in on my father. Just… to make sure that everything's okay."
Basilio nodded, watching intently as she shifted one of her pawns up the board, already able to tell that she was somehow on the path to another victory.
It had been approximately one year to the day since Robin and Flavia had last spoken. She had found him, sought him out prior to their final battle against Grima, meeting him outside their camp at Origin Peak when he had been preparing for his endgame.
"Robin!" she had greeted, in her same usual boisterous yet professional manner.
"Flavia?" he had responded, turning from the few hastily edited plans he had concocted to greet her. "What are you doing out here? The rest of camp is already-"
"I know what they're doing," Flavia had cut him off, clapping her hand on his shoulder and pulling him into a quick hug. "I just wanted to talk to you before we do anything big. Make sure everything's good with you, you know?"
"Everything's fine on my end," Robin replied with a small smile he found he reserved almost solely for her. "You should get back to camp. I'm sure people will be missing you soon, and you don't have the excuse of being a tactician to get them off your back."
"Ugh, don't remind me… you lucky bastard, you," Flavia groaned. "Honestly, you'd think that a few soldiers could get by for a few minutes without having to check everything with me, but apparently not. You should be glad you can order them to stop, meanwhile I have to put up with it all for the sake of positive relations…"
"I'm sure you could come up with something," Robin said. "Maybe convince them that you're on some special mission, and can't be disturbed?"
"Hm… maybe," Flavia sighed. "But then I'll have people who want to help me so much that they never leave me alone."
"Is that a bad thing?" Robin asked, and she shrugged. "Well, if that won't work… you could just say that you want some alone time. They'd probably respect you enough to give you some… eventually."
"Eh… it's not so bad, really. At the very least I know I'm an insanely valuable asset to them."
"Oh come on, you're way more than that," Robin said, and she had to hide the small smile that formed on her lips. "You're the Khan, sure… but you're also an amazing fighter, one of the most dependable people I've ever met, and probably the greatest friend I've ever had. Not just an asset."
Flavia no longer bothered to hide her smile, instead holding it openly for him to see. "Thanks, Robin. That… means a lot. Probably more than you think."
Robin cracked an easy smile of his own. "I aim to please. Anyway, what did you want to talk to me about? It wasn't just checking in, was it?"
"Not quite, no…" Flavia said, suddenly growing almost bashful and causing Robin to change the way he regarded her from humour to concern.
"...What is it, Flavia?" he prodded when it became apparent she was having difficulty progressing.
"I…" Flavia began, stopping again immediately and sighing. "...What do you think is going to happen next? During the final battle?"
"Honestly, I'm not really sure," Robin admitted, doing nothing for her apparent anxiety beyond cultivating her growing respect for his honesty. "My plans can account for a lot, but fighting a dragon god… that's almost too outlandish for even me to have considered."
"'Almost'?" Flavia raised an eyebrow, and Robin smiled again.
"Yeah, almost. A tactician's got to have contingencies, after all, and it turns out that fighting dragons is one of mine."
"...You have legitimate strategies for fighting dragons?" Flavia asked incredulously. "Why the hell would you ever come up with something like that?"
"Well… Morgan did, actually. Apparently she spent a lot of time thinking up ways to beat Grima after everything that happened in her time," Robin said. "She's remembered them through everything, and shared them with me as soon as everything at the Dragon's Table had gone down."
"That makes a little more sense, I guess," Flavia said. "Have you, ah… figured out who her mother is yet?"
"No, not yet," Robin shook his head, and Flavia felt more conflicted than ever as to whether she should smile or frown. "I'm not too worried about it, though. It bothers Morgan a little, sure, but… I know that as long as we can both be happy and safe, everything will be okay."
"Have you never thought about it?" Flavia asked. "Never wondered about who she may be, or… anything?"
Robin shook his head again. "I've never had the need to, or the time. I only found out that I had even married when we met Morgan, and that was when we were going into the Valmese war. Now, with having to go to Plegia again, and everything with Grima… even I haven't been able to have much idle time to myself."
"Then I suppose it's good to have time like this now," Flavia said.
She stepped beside him, looking past him to where he had undoubtedly been watching the ocean that bordered every side of the island, provided that a mountain didn't cut off the view prematurely. The sun had yet to begin setting, though it was nearing such a point that its colours would be played out across the water in vibrant shades that always proved beautiful to behold.
"...It's nice out here, isn't it?" she asked, directing the question to Robin without turning away from the ocean.
"Aside from the fact that Grima's a few hundred metres above us, yeah," Robin agreed, casting a wary glance up to where the rotting dragon flew dormant in the sky before returning his attention to the sea.
"I wish I could lie back and enjoy this view for as long as I wanted, but… I guess my nerves won't die down quite yet," Flavia sighed.
Robin sat down on the ground, patting a spot next to him with his hand to get her to do the same. "There's no need to be nervous. Not to sound too prideful or anything, but Morgan's plans are pretty amazing… everything has insanely high chances of going well once we get up to Grima. So, no need to worry over anything."
"If only that were true…" Flavia said, accepting his unspoken offer and sitting herself down next to him. "Morgan's plan… it doesn't involve that whole… 'sacrifice' thing, does it?"
"You mean where I would have to die to stop Grima?" Robin asked, and she nodded. "No, it doesn't. She was pretty adamant about keeping me alive."
"That's good. You've got a sensible daughter," Flavia smiled, closing her eyes and allowing the warm winds of the ocean wash over her, giving their tiny effort toward calming her nerves and strengthening her resolve. "I'm… certain anyone would be proud to be her mother."
"...If it comes down to it, I may still do whatever I can to defeat Grima," Robin admitted, his tone losing the easygoing nature he enjoyed expressing around her. "Even if it means that… that you-know-what has to happen."
"...Oh," Flavia said simply, uncertain of how to handle his words. "...You'd be willing to do whatever you can to keep the ones you love safe, huh? No matter what?"
"That's right," Robin confirmed with a determined nod. "Even if it means I won't be around to see them prosper… I want them all to happy and healthy. Morgan especially… she's been through way too much already."
"I don't think she would approve of you up and dying, though," Flavia said, her voice as remorseful as it was cold. "Nobody in the Shepherds would be okay with that. You've… come to mean a lot to them, to all of us… losing you would be as bad as losing the war."
"Come on, that's a bit of an exaggeration," Robin said, leaning back to rest on the ground, his arms behind his head. He found that staring at the sky wasn't as relaxing as usual when it was primarily composed of zombie dragon, and sat back up to look at the ocean again.
"What would you say if Morgan tried to do the same?" Flavia asked, and Robin couldn't suppress the visible wince that overtook his composure. "I'm sure she'd feel the same way about you trying it."
"Actually, that's… that's what I'm afraid of," Robin confessed, and Flavia turned her head to face him, with the same amount of concern he had expressed in his voice shining through her eyes. "Morgan knows that if Grima isn't stopped once and for all, he'll only cause the same amount of destruction as her future at a later date. Her plans say that Chrom and Lucina will merely put him to sleep, like what happened before, but… I'm afraid she may be hiding something more from me."
"She shares your bond with Grima, doesn't she?" Flavia said, turning her head back to the sea. "...She would be able to kill Grima, saving you and everyone else, at the expense of herself…"
"Like father like daughter, eh?" Robin smiled. "I just wish there was some other way… something that could let us kill Grima, without losing one of our own."
"Naga said that you might survive, didn't she?" Flavia asked, pointing out the same shred of hope that she already knew Robin, and now apparently Morgan, had likely been clinging to this entire time. "Something about how the bonds you share would keep you alive…"
"Something like that," Robin confirmed, though the emptiness of his tone conveyed how little hope he truly held for the matter.
Flavia glanced at Robin, and seeing that his expression was as resolute as she had come to expect over the course of their time together, lowered her head. "...I've been thinking a bit more about that offer I made you, Robin. The one about you coming to work for Ferox."
"You know I can't just leave Chrom, not after all of this," Robin said, smiling to her in the hopes that doing so would somehow raise her out of the gloom that had caused her head to lower.
"Yet you'd do exactly that to keep him safe…" Flavia muttered, and she drew her legs up toward herself to wrap her arms protectively around them.
"...I guess that's true," Robin said, hesitantly shifting closer to her to put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Tell you what, if I make it through all of this, I'll go to Ferox. Not necessarily for work, but… if it's to visit a close friend, I'll always be able to make the time."
Flavia finally looked up to him again, raising her head out of its lowered position. "...I would like that. But, there's something more to it…"
Robin cocked his head to the side, not understanding her but also not wanting to interrupt her.
She sighed deeply before continuing, "The reason that I wanted you to come to Ferox…" she began again, though she had to stop all the same and reorder her thoughts before she was able to press further.
"I… I want you to come to Ferox… because I love you, Robin."
Robin's eyes widened considerably, and he turned to look at the ocean again, hiding the blush that had rapidly formed on his cheeks.
"You don't have to say anything," Flavia said, her own blush soon matching his as she, too, turned back toward the ocean. "I just… wanted to make that known, before the next fight. Before anything serious happens, before this all ends…"
"I… I don't…" Robin stammered, catching the insecure glance that Flavia shot at him that immediately made him want to attempt to correct himself. "I-It's not… I-I mean… I don't know what to say, or what to think… you sure know how to surprise me, don't you?"
"You… you don't have to give me an answer, or say anything…" Flavia reiterated, resisting the foreign desire he instilled in her that urged her to release all of her insecurities.
"Flavia, I…" Robin began, though as soon as he started he realised he had no idea where to take the statement.
"Let's just… sit back and enjoy the view," Flavia said, demonstrating how to do so perfectly. "We can just… pretend I didn't say anything, and we can go back to when there wasn't anything like that between us. Just… go back to being close friends, or at least friends… I know I can be happy like that."
"Flavia…" Robin started again, finding himself in the same predicament as before. Slowly, and with as much uncertainty as he had ever experienced in his entire life, he followed her lead and returned to staring at the ocean.
They sat there, the two of them both staring out at the sea as it slowly drained colour out of the sky, for what Robin knew now to have been far too long of a time. Eventually, Flavia broke their shared silence, her voice more shaken than he had ever heard before in his life.
"I… want you to make a promise, Robin," she said. "I want you to promise me that, no matter what, you'll be okay. That even if things go horribly wrong soon, even if you never decide to go to Ferox or even speak to me again, even if the world itself goes to hell… I want you to make sure you're okay."
"Robin… I want you to promise me that, no matter what happens, you won't die."
Robin stared out at the sea, not daring to look over at her for fear that he might break town in a tidal wave of emotion he would undoubtedly mock himself for later. "I promise… that I'll do my best."
He rose from where he was sitting, and though he still couldn't bring himself to look at Flavia, he could tell that she wasn't about to move.
"I… I need to get back to camp," he said, not trying to sound cold but knowing that such a thing was probably inevitable for him. "People are still making preparations, and… yeah."
Flavia was still sat unmoving next to where he had been, and she offered no goodbye short of lowering her head further toward her raised legs. Maybe, if he had waited around longer, she would have said something more, or he would finally have been able to put the warm sensation spreading out from his heart into words, but he hadn't. He had left. Returned to the camp without her.
Robin found that he resented leaving her there, obviously in turmoil and insecure uncertainty. He resented how he had run away, leaving his own emotions behind with her as they went into their final battle, not knowing how to put his answer into words, especially after leaving her there.
Especially after he had defied her, ignoring Morgan's plan and had attempted to sacrifice himself to save them all. To save her.
Then, he was awake again, and he felt so much relief at having returned, that his ties had been strong enough to this world and to her. That he had been able to uphold his promise, even if he hadn't accepted it outright. That he would be able to live a happy life with her, without fear of leaving and causing her more pain than if he had simply rejected her, or in his case than if he had said nothing at all.
More than anything, he resented that he hadn't made her swear the same promise.
Robin shivered in the cold winds of Ferox, this time as much from his memories as the snow that persisted on dancing around him. He had reached the city centre quickly, as although he hadn't made the journey before, he had memorised by heart its location months ago. Even then, the sun had almost completely set by the time he had reached the graveyard.
Not daring to remove his cloak for fear of losing the meager protection it offered against the elements, despite how disrespectful not doing so may be, Robin sat down next to the grave at his feet. Flavia had never been too focused on propriety, after all.
"Hey, Flavia… it's me. Robin," he introduced himself, part of him almost hoping that he would get a reply. None came, the ground before him remaining as silent as ever.
Robin traced his hand across the vase of flowers that had been left recently by her graveside, their petals having frozen over in the Feroxi weather. A wreath sat over the head of the gravestone, decorating it in colours that betrayed its gloom.
"I see people have been leaving you things, even now, so long after everything," Robin smiled, content that she was still respected and beloved by her people.
He slowly lowered the flowers he had brought with him next to her grave, on the opposite side of the vase. "I brought you some, too. It's nothing too special, just some that were picked from around Ylisstol… I know you wouldn't want anything too gaudy or outlandish."
The wind around him picked up a little, and Robin had to hide his hands within his cloak to save them from the cold. "I'm sorry it took me so long to visit, I… didn't really know what to do, even now. It's taken me so long to see through everything…"
He sighed deeply before continuing, "After Grima, after I nearly died and everything… I thought that I would be able to come see you, that you would be happy to see me again even after I had left you. I… I thought that you would be okay…"
Robin choked on his own words, and brought a hand up to his face. "I… I-I thought that, after everything, we could be happy, together… that I would be able to tell you how I feel, and… not have to run away, like before…"
"...I love you, Flavia. More than anything, more than I had ever thought possible. I'm so, so sorry that I never told you… that I never had the guts to say anything, even when you laid your heart bare…"
He brought his other hand up to his face, hoping that doing so would somehow grant him the fortitude to continue. "I was always going to take the job, to come here with you in Ferox… even before you told me everything. I wanted to be here, with you, no matter what… I just didn't want to have leave you by killing Grima, and for everything to be made so much worse."
Robin choked back a sob, though this time it was mixed with a deprecating laugh. "That probably sounds so weak, especially now… at least, that's how it sounds to me. I wish that I had said something, that I hadn't been such a coward… that I had done everything better, or at least right… that I had given you as much as you deserved. As much as you had given me."
His head lowered further into his hands and he choked more on his words, bringing him to absolute silence. For once, he was thankful for the silence her lack of presence granted, as it mirrored a peaceful serenity he had missed. He had always found the peace he experienced around her to be simply amazing, and found that he missed it almost as much as her.
He sat there, in the cold snow of Ferox next to her grave, until the sun had long since set. Darkness overtook him, though he didn't even notice it until a bright, unnatural light shone through the cover of his hands.
"Uh… dad?" Morgan called out from behind him, one of the small magical fires she had conjured for light and warmth orbiting around him as the others continued to circle around her. "Are you… okay?"
Robin rose from his spot on the ground, brushing away the coating of snow that had come to line his clothing. "Yeah, yeah, I'm… I'm fine," he lied.
Morgan frowned, immediately seeing through her father as she approached his side. "It's perfectly fine to not be fine," she said sagely. "Did you get to talk with Flavia? With… mother?"
Robin nodded, though he still had yet to turn and face his daughter. Morgan was certain that if he did, she would he able to see the tears that had undoubtedly streamed down his face.
"Is… is it okay if I talk to her, too?" she asked tentatively, and Robin merely nodded again. He stepped away from the grave to give her space, and she knelt where he had been sitting.
"So, um… hi, Flavia. Er, mother," Morgan opened awkwardly, both hoping that Robin would leave so that he wouldn't see her making a mess of herself, and that he would remain to offer her support should it be something she needed.
"It's been a long time since I saw you… about a year now," she continued. "A lot's happened since then. As you probably know, everything with Grima and father turned out fine… thanks to you, most of all. People sang your praises for so long, knowing how valiantly you had fought and how much you did even when the other Shepherds couldn't… you were a hero, through and through."
"You know, I… I never really thought that you would be my mother," Morgan said. "Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed spending time with you, sometimes even more than father or anyone else… but until Robin told me about you two, about what had happened and what could have happened… I really didn't think that we would ever be that close."
"I… still don't have my memories back, by the way," she kept going. "I thought that if I came here, to see you, that maybe I would remember something… but no. Nothing's coming. Nothing came back during the war, either, but… I thought maybe this time would be different. I guess not. Even so, I already have all the memories of you from when we were here, in this time, together… and while I'd still like more, I know that can be enough."
She laughed lightly, though the noise was far too strained to be considered happy. "You just had that kind of effect on people, I guess… one that's always worth remembering, even if I have lost my memories of you."
"Oh, yeah, Basilio's wanting me to stay here with Robin now. Full time, as a tactician myself. I would have preferred to be with you, but… this is probably the best I can make things right now. I'm accepting the offer, and I'll be able to work alongside father, if also against him at times… but at least things will be exciting, then."
She glanced over to Robin and smiled, the man mirroring the expression for a second before returning to his previous mournful state. "I'm going to make sure that no one ever forgets you again, mother. I'm certain Robin will do the same. We're your legacy, of sorts… you know, if you were to ignore the whole 'saved the world' thing."
"I love you, mom. I'm so sorry we couldn't have been together more," Morgan said, rising from the side of her grave on unstable legs.
Robin stepped toward her and placed a hand on her shoulder for comfort, both for her and himself. She immediately turned into him and hugged him tightly, burying her head into his cloak and staying there, perfectly still and silent, until Robin gently pushed her away.
"Let's get back to Basilio for now, okay? We have a few things to talk about before we can really start work here," he said, and she nodded.
Both people could tell that the other was barely holding themselves together, with Robin knowing that if Morgan were to attempt speaking again she would likely start to cry, and Morgan knowing all too well how her father was willing to put on a brave face for her sake.
Morgan left ahead of Robin, giving him a few more precious moments together with Flavia. As she left, he knelt next to her grave once more, angling his head toward the snow that lined her resting place.
"Thank you, Flavia, for everything," he said. "You were more amazing than you could ever know, and probably would ever want to hear. I'm sorry it's coming so late, but… I love you, and I accept everything you've ever offered me."
He rose from his position and made for the exit to the graveyard, leaving the woman he loved to her silence. Morgan was waiting for him just outside the gates, and she hugged him once more upon his exit.
Together, they made their way back to where Basilio was waiting, at the throne room of what was now Ferox's only and undisputed Khan.
I spent way too much time trying to transcribe a goddamn chess play.
I forget what the proper name for this kind of story is, but I'm pretty sure there's one better than 'waited too long to tell them how they feel'. It doesn't matter, really, since this kind of story is probably common enough that anyone can recognise it even without knowing the name.
I wanted to try writing a story like this, even if it is done more and better by other people, so at most I hope you enjoyed reading my attempt at this kind of content. Please, tell me what worked and what didn't, since feedback about what I can improve is pretty much the only guaranteed way for me to actually improve my writing.
Also, to address some other stuff quickly: I'm pretty much looking for excuses to write short oneshots or mini stories while I write other stuff. If anyone has any requests, I'll be more than happy to take them. Probably.
SirGregSloth: I don't know if this is in the vein of what you wanted, but it's here! If you don't really like it, I can by all means write another, fluffier piece, so message me if that's something you're interested in. I honestly don't have many ideas that can work for Flavia right now, but I doubt that would stop me from writing the pairing. Also, sorry again for not being clear about my stuff with the writing motive.
Thanks for reading, everyone!