Robin stood behind Chrom in his assigned position as the best man. He was happy for them, really. How could he not be? Chrom was his best friend, and Sumia looked radiant in her dress. He knew he had to get to know her better now, and he was sure he would. He was happy for them.

So why wasn't he happy?

Well okay, he knew the reason.

"...gathered together today to join this man and this woman in the bonds of holy marriage before the gods," said the minister as Robin came back to himself. He shifted his weight a little and glanced at Cordelia in her position as the maid of honor as the man continued to speak. Despite her smile, he knew she was unhappy about today for her own reasons. Her feelings for the groom were well known to Robin. He didn't know how many other people knew, but he did. Seeing her best friend marry the man she loved probably tore her up inside.

He wondered briefly if he should ask her to spend the evening together after the banquet. She probably needed company, and he definitely needed company. Why not? She was single. She was beautiful. They got along well enough. It might be worth his time to talk to her and see how things proceeded. He thought he would.

With that course of action decided, he refocused on the couple. He really was happy for them. He knew they were perfect for each other. She helped keep his head on straight, and he helped her keep her feet on the ground. Sumia, he knew, worried about herself a lot. She tended towards clumsiness and it made her insecure. Chrom had taken a long time to figure out her feelings, but now that he had, Robin knew, he would always make her feel like the most important woman in the world.

"...Take this woman to be your wife? To love, respect, honor, and cherish, so long as you are given the gift of life?"

"I do," said Chrom. His back was to Robin, but Robin could see that he only had eyes for her. She was his world. It made Robin's heart ache. He wasn't jealous. That wasn't it. He'd never had any romantic inclination towards Sumia. But still his heart ached at the words. Words he knew he'd never be able to speak.

"...so long as you are given the gift of life?" said the minister.

"I do," said Sumia. Again, a stab of pain. He'd never hear a woman say that to him. He would be alone. Of course he had friends, but it wasn't the same. He'd never share his life with someone. Never fall asleep in the arms of the woman he loved. Never know what it was like to see the birth of his child. Never know what it was like to build a life together.

Because the woman he loved was dead.

"...what Naga has joined, let no man put asunder. You may kiss your bride." Chrom did as he was instructed and a cheer went up from the massive crowd in the courtyard of Castle Ylisstol. Everyone was thrilled to see their newly-crowned Exalt be married to his new queen.

Robin saw that the two women in front of him were crying. Sumia's were obviously tears of joy. Cordelia's were obviously not, although Robin was sure he was the only one who could tell from here. No one else was close enough to see the pain in her gaze. Well, Chrom was, but he wouldn't notice. Cordelia's eyes met Robin's and he tried to force a smile. She gave him a half of one in return. It was good enough.

Chrom offered an arm to Sumia, which she took. They began to walk down the aisle and, as prescribed, Robin followed a few steps later. He offered his arm to Cordelia. She took it and they were right behind the newlyweds. Cordelia had forced herself to look more calm, but Robin could feel her arm trembling a little.

They reached the waiting cart. Robin helped Cordelia into it and sat next to her. Fortunately for him, the two others were too wrapped up in each others' gazes to bother looking their way. He turned to Cordelia who, he saw, was staring at him. He imagined it was to take her mind off what was going on opposite them.

The cart took only a few minutes to reach the city's main square, which was where the celebratory banquet was to be held. It was an extremely uncomfortable few minutes for two of the four people in the cart, which the other two failed to notice. Robin couldn't blame them for being absorbed in their business, but that didn't make it any less painful.

Once the cart stopped Chrom led Sumia out and Robin stepped down and offered Cordelia his hand to help her down. He wasn't sure if she was accepting because it was protocol or because she really needed the help, but she took his hand and they followed the others to the head table. The whole city had been invited to join the feast and they would be arriving soon. The wait staff were hard at work making sure there was enough food and drink to feed the hundreds of people who were expected.

Some of the Shepherds began to trickle in one-by-one. Lissa here, Frederick there, Maribelle with a pair of attendants, and so on. They had each been given seats at some of the closer tables as friends and family of the bride and groom, so they sat near the wedding party and began to talk among themselves. Occasionally someone would look Robin's way and wave or smile, which he always returned. He forced himself to ignore Chrom and Sumia as they chatted. He didn't look at Cordelia again. He couldn't. One way or another, he couldn't get his hopes up.

The woman he loved was dead.

As the crowd formed and were seated and the food staff began to scramble to make sure everything was ready, Robin allowed himself to become lost in thought. It was a vastly superior experience to trying to focus on the cacophony around him.

"Sir Robin! May I speak to you for a moment?"

"Oh, you don't have to call me...just Robin is fine, really."

"Please, after all you've done for us—for me—I must insist."

"As you wish, milady. What did you want to speak to me about?"

"I wished to ask you if there is anything I can do for you as thanks for saving my life. I know that I may not be able to grant you anything while I'm sequestered in the palace, but when you return, maybe?"

"Oh! Well I think Chrom had more to do with saving your life than I did, honestly."

"I know Chrom trusts you with his life and I know you plan his battles. You deserve as much thanks as he does."

"Well...if you insist..."

"I do, Sir Robin. I'm afraid that, as the Exalt, I simply must."

"In that case..." Robin remembered how red his face had gotten. He would always remember how red his face had gotten. "In that case...would you do me the highest honor of sharing a private dinner with me? Once we've returned, I mean." She had giggled. It made her seem so much more grounded than her usual lofty air. It made her seem like...like an ordinary woman.

"I believe the honor would be mine, Sir Robin. I will pray every day that Naga keeps you safe."

"Thank you, milady. Sleep well."

Robin often wondered if he should have prayed to Naga for her safety. Maybe it would have worked. Maybe she would still be alive.

Maybe he wouldn't have failed her.

"...still with us?" Robin was jolted out of his fantasy by a concerned-looking Chrom.

"Huh? Oh...sorry. Got lost in thought."

"Of all the times," he said. "Come on Robin, the feast is about to begin!"

"R-right. Sorry." Robin stood up to join them and stole a glance at Cordelia. She had stopped crying, but he could still see the distress on her face. It was subtle, but it was there.

The four of them rose to greet everyone who had gathered and Chrom started making a speech that Robin didn't pay any attention to. He was sure it was just a word of thanks to everyone and something about how honored Chrom was to be their exalt and so on, so Robin thought he didn't even need to pay attention. The only think he did listen to was Chrom finishing the speech.

"And so I say, let the feast begin!" A cheer went up from the crowd as the four of them returned to their seats. Attendants arrived shortly after with their food and they all began to eat. The attendants began to serve the crowd and they started to talk among themselves, which meant that Robin had an excuse to act like he couldn't hear anything.

Once Chrom and Sumia were finished eating they rose, said their goodbyes to Robin and Cordelia, and left to begin traveling to the other tables to greet the guests. Once they were gone Robin shifted two seats over to sit next to Cordelia. She was idly picking at her food without really eating it.

"Hey," said Robin, "want some company?" She shrugged.

"I don't know. Maybe. I'm having very mixed feelings right now."

"I know what you mean," he said. "Wait here." He got up and walked over to the table that had the drinks. Several attendants were working at it, but they recognized him and let him be. There wasn't a long line yet, so he was able to reach the table in a moment. He took two glasses and, on a whim, two bottles of wine. He allowed an attendant to uncork them, resealed one, and took all four items back to the table. He sat down, placed a glass in front of himself and a glass in front of Cordelia, put down the sealed bottle, and poured them each some wine from the open bottle. She took her glass, swirled it around, and took a sip.

"Thank you," she said. "I...think I needed this."

"Believe me," he said as he took a sip from his own glass. The wine was dry, but not unpleasant. "I did too."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I have some idea of what you're going through right now." She downed her entire glass in one gulp then held it out to him. He refilled it.

"Do you? Wait, does that mean you know about—" he held up a hand to stop her before she voiced the feelings he knew she didn't want to admit.

"I do. I figured it out a while ago. I don't know if anyone else has, but being perceptive is my job."

"Then you understand why I'm so conflicted. She's...she's my best friend. I should be happy for her, but..." her voice trailed off and she punctuated her words with another drink.

"I know. Like I said, I know what it's like to not be able to be with the person you love." She looked at him quizzically.

"What, don't tell me you're in love with Sumia," she said. He smiled wistfully and shook his head, then took a larger sip of wine.

"No, nothing like that. I don't know Sumia well enough for that, and even then I could always see how she swooned over him. No, the woman I love is..." He shook his head, fell silent, then drank the rest of his glass. Then he poured some more and drank that.

"I'm sorry," said Cordelia. She had obviously puzzled out where he was going.

"Yeah. I'm happy for them, but I had to stand there and see my best friend get something I know I'll never have." She put a hand on his.

"Was it...someone I knew?" He gave a bitter laugh.

"I'd wager the whole country knew her," he said. She looked over at him and her eyes went wide.

"Do you mean who I...think you do?" He nodded.

"Probably." He downed the rest of his glass, poured out some more, then offered her the bottle. She poured herself another glass and began to drink from it. Each of them was starting to feel the effects of the alcohol.

"Robin...I'm sorry." He shrugged.

"Now you know why I know how you feel. And please don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to say that your pain isn't as bad as mine. I know you must be feeling awful." She patted his hand and he found himself placing his own on top of hers.

"That's true, but I appreciate that you're here. It means a lot to me." Her cheeks were a little pink, so he thought it was time to be bold.

"Listen," he said. His nerves started to get the better of him, so he finished his wine for courage. "When this party is over, do you want to...bring this other bottle back to my chambers in the castle? Maybe...see how the evening goes?" Her face turned as deep a crimson as her hair.

"You know, I think I would," she said. "I think I...could use some company tonight." He forced himself to smile, which she returned.

"Then I'll see you after the party." She nodded and they finished the rest of the bottle in silence.

The banquet lasted most of the afternoon. Robin stood up when it was time and gave his prepared speech. It was difficult for him to get through, but he did it. Everyone toasted and clapped and seemed happy with it. Cordelia was more composed. Robin hoped it was because of their conversation. After her speech the two of them got separated as they made their respective ways around the city square. Robin didn't mind though, since he knew she would be waiting for him when it was time to leave.

He started to get nervous as the day wore on. He forced himself to be calm. She had already agreed. She wanted this. He wanted this. He was attracted to her, and she was clearly attracted to him or she wouldn't have said yes. Even if she only wanted someone to warm her bed for the night, she would have told him no if she didn't want it. Cordelia was a forthright person.

At the end of the afternoon the crowd began to disperse. Once it had grown small enough, Robin finally bade farewell to Chrom and Sumia, then the other Shepherds. He made the excuse that he had gotten worn out from the day's events and wished the couple well before they left for their honeymoon. He was happy for them. Really. He trudged back to the castle. It took him a while since his pace was unhurried and by the time he reached the gates it was almost night.

Cordelia was waiting for him. He had noticed her make her exit earlier than he had. He had wanted to follow, but there were too many people to meet and greet. He felt his heart start to race. She smiled at him and he felt his heart race faster.

"I forgot to tell you before," he said, "but you look beautiful in that dress." She looked beautiful all the time, but her dress was sleeveless and a bright shade of pink that he thought matched her hair well. Her face flushed.

"Oh! Well...thank you," she said. She offered him her hand, which he took as they began to walk to the castle. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes," he said. "Look, I'm not going to pretend that I'm proposing marriage or anything, but I'd...rather not spend the night alone." She leaned into him a little.

"I think I agree," she said. "I can't promise that this will lead to anything. Maybe it will, maybe it won't. Maybe it shouldn't. But...I agree. I need the company." They walked to the castle in silence then made their way to Robin's room. It was one of the larger rooms as befitting his station as Chrom's adviser and strategist. He kept it clean and well-furnished and it even...had a bed big enough for two. He opened the second bottle of wine and went to offer it to her, then came to a realization.

"I...forgot to bring cups," he said, a little embarrassed. She took the bottle from his hand and took a swig, then handed it back to him.

"I don't need one if you don't," she said. He downed a swig of the wine. It tasted better than the first bottle had, but maybe that was because he had already drunk half a bottle by now.

"Me neither," he said. He offered it to her. She took it and drank. She sat down on the bed. He sat with her.

"I should be happy," she said. Her voice was becoming uneven as the wine took effect. "She's my best friend. I should be happy for her. I am happy for her, I think. But I...I think there's a part of me that...resents her." Robin, emboldened by the alcohol, reached out and patted her hand.

"She married the man you love. I understand." She shook her head and took another swig of wine.

"Am I a bad friend? Am I a bad person? If there's any day I should be happy it's her wedding. I feel like I've known her forever. I should be thrilled. But when I looked at her...Robin, I felt like I hated her." Robin knew that it was only the wine that let him see this side of her. No one else got to see anything but the diligent, hardworking, perfect knight. No one but him. He reached over and turned her face to his.

"You're allowed to be conflicted," he said. "I don't think it makes you a bad person. I think it makes you human."

"But you're conflicted too, and you didn't hate Chrom." He scoffed.

"Didn't I?" He took the bottle from her and drank some of it. "I think I may have. He gets everything. He gets the crown, he gets the girl, and he gets a happy life. I get to watch and try to be happy when I know that I'll never have that." She leaned against his shoulder.

"I don't know about never. You're a good man. I'm sure any woman would be happy to have you."

"You're one of the finest women I know," he said. "And if you really searched I'm sure you'd find a man worthy of you. But tell me: do you want to?" She took back the bottle and drank some of it.

"No. No, dammit, I don't. I love him. I can't just stop loving him."

"So you understand what I mean," he said. "I only have what, a year's worth of memories? I met her after a day and fell in love after a few minutes. I loved her for essentially my entire life. I don't want to love anyone else." She hugged him from the side. He felt the glass of the bottle against his far arm as her body pressed against him.

"I never knew. I wish you had told me."

"It's not like you and I are close confidants or anything. This isn't the kind of thing I admit. Even Chrom doesn't know. I'm just drunk and rambling." For emphasis he took the bottle and drank. There wasn't much left in it.

"Well I'm glad you trusted me. You're always so private."

"I'm lonely and don't like to let people see weakness."

"Me too." She let go of him and he gave her the rest of the bottle.

"Then...you want to stay the night?" She got up. For a second he was worried she was going to leave, but all she did was walk over to one of his desks and put the bottle down on it. Then she turned around and started back towards him. He stood up as she approached.

"Yes," she said.

"You're sure? I don't want you to think I'm trying to take advantage of—mmph!" his words were cut off as she threw her arms around him and kissed him.

"You're not," she said, "I want this." She rested her head on his shoulder. "I...know you're not...what I mean is that...I've always admired you, Robin. You're so dedicated and hard-working and talented and...you look great." He slipped his arms around her and pulled her in close.

"I should be saying that to you," he said. "I know all the things you do for us and how hard you work and how much you train." In a fit of daring he brought his hands up and pulled her dress down to her waist. She gasped, then smiled. He dropped his voice low. "And I...appreciate what it does for you." She kissed his neck.

"Even if it's just for tonight...I want you." He kissed her. It was a little more forceful than he intended, but she moaned and melted into it. So maybe she wasn't Emmeryn. But she didn't have to be. Not tonight. Tonight they were two lonely people who needed solace. Tomorrow he could resign himself to being alone forever. Tonight there was a beautiful woman in his arms who needed him as much as he needed her. Maybe he could never be with the woman he loved, but maybe that was okay.

At least for tonight.

The morning sun woke him up. He opened his eyes and saw that the sun was casting its light over the sleeping form of his companion. Her hair, which was much messier than usual, shone in the light of the breaking dawn. He caressed her cheek with the back of his hand and she shivered. He stole a glance down at her body. Gods,he thought, she was gorgeous. And her skin was so soft. And she was so...vigorous.

She opened her eyes and smiled at him. He kissed her and she moaned with pleasure. She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head against his chest. He almost felt intoxicated again at the feeling of her body against his, but he kept his head.

"I...really needed that," she said. "Thank you."

"Would you believe it was my first time?" he said before kicking himself for saying something so stupid. She laughed gently.

"Mine too, believe it or not. It's fine. We figured ourselves out eventually." She ran a fingernail against his back. "You were amazing."

"Same to you," he said as he idly ran a hand through her hair. "Didn't realize how wound up I was."

"I think I have some idea now," she said. "We should do this again some time."

"Works for me." He brought her face up to his. "Listen...I know I'm not him, but maybe I don't have to be. We don't have to get serious. We get lonely, we get together. What do you think?" She kissed him on the cheek, then the lips.

"I think that I'd like to see more of this body of yours," she said as she traced a line down his chest. "Make sure you keep it in shape." He brought his hands down to her hips.

"I'd tell you the same, but I already know you will," he said as he moved his hand a few inches and gave her a pinch. He was rewarded with a surprised giggle. He continued. "You know, with the royals out of town, I don't have anything to do this morning." He got closer and dropped his voice to a whisper. "What do you say we take our time getting out of bed?"

Her only response was a smile.

2 years later

"So it's war then," said Chrom.

"It's war," said Robin. "If Walhart's numbers are what they're supposed to be, then we'll need help. Ylisse's army isn't nearly numerous enough."

"That leaves us with few enough options," said Chrom. "I say we ask the Khans first."

"I agree," said Robin. "Then, if need be, we can make our way to Plegia. A military alliance might even be a good way to mend relations between our countries."

"I pray you're right, but first we make for Regna Ferox. We'll leave first thing tomorrow. Pass the word along." Robin nodded and left the war room to spread the news. They were going to Valm. He didn't know if he'd ever been there, but Virion needed help.

It took him an hour or so to track everyone down. Once he was done he ate dinner and went to his room to brush up on strategy. From what Virion had said, he expected he would need the refresher. He pulled out some of his better strategy books and pored over them for the next few hours. He began to nod off a little, but forced himself to stay awake for the sake of preparedness.

In the back of his mind he registered the sound of his door opening. He didn't look that way as he was too wrapped up in the books. The only thing that broke his reverie was the feeling of a pair of arms around him and a kiss on the top of his head.

"I thought I'd find you here," said Cordelia. "How are you?"

"Exhausted," he said as he placed his hands on hers and leaned back against her chest. "You?"

"Nervous," she said. "I'm always prepared to fight, but that doesn't mean I have to like it."

"No one does," he said. He brought one of her hands up and kissed it. "Listen...this could be it. We have no idea what will happen in the future, but I know it's going to involve a lot of travel and not a lot of spare time." He let go of her and stood up, then turned to face her. "I doubt we'll have a lot of time to see each other again."

"Robin, are you trying to...break things off?" Her smile became a frown.

"No. Maybe. I don't know," he said. They weren't even officially together. They just occasionally spent the night together. Even so, he liked her. He liked being with her. His heart still ached, but he enjoyed their time together. "Mostly I'm just warning you. We won't have privacy. I doubt we'll have much chance to actually meet up. If that happens, I just don't want you to think I don't care about you. I do. But we always knew this couldn't last."

"So you are," she said. She sighed. "No, that's not fair. We're not even really a couple, no matter how much I enjoy our...alone time." She rested against his chest and he hugged her on reflex. "You're right. We always knew it had to be temporary. Still, thank you. You've done so much to help me move on. And you're...always such good company." He was a little surprised at how well she was handling the idea.

"You are too," he said. "You're a good friend, and I'd like you to stay that way, even if we're never anything beyond that." He almost wished they could be, but even now he could never give her his heart. It still belonged to a dead woman. She deserved a man who could give her all of himself.

"I'd be happy to," she said, "but not tonight. If tonight is the last night we have..." she let go of him and gave him a kiss, then produced a bottle of wine from a satchel she had brought in. "...let's make it a night to remember." He pulled her in and kissed her forcefully. So maybe they weren't ever going to get serious. So maybe he found it impossible to move on. None of that mattered while she was in his arms right now. They were still lonely people who could make each other happy.

At least for tonight.

A/N: Had another idea for another story. This one's going to be multi-part, but short. This prologue and maybe four chapters.

Hope y'all enjoy it.

There was a tehcnical problem with the site when I published this in which new stories weren't appearing, so I decided to reupload to see if it's working. Just letting you know in case you're getting multiple notifications about it!