Chrom wakes in a cold sweat, sitting up straight, eyes wide and hands clasping the sheets that covered him. The letter lies discarded on the ground- clearly; he threw it there in the middle of the night. A nightmare occupied his dreams, and now he has to deal with the aftermath. Robin was in it again, and she sacrificed herself to Grima once again. These thoughts don't just plague his dreams; they're in every waking moment too.
"Chrom? It's nearly ten a.m.," Lissa calls through the door, not even bothering to knock. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. I'll be down to breakfast in half an hour, and then we can head for the south."
"If you're sure…" Lissa says uncertainly. "It's a long journey, you know. It'll take us a good few days to get there!"
"Yes, I'm aware. I'm more than willing to stay in a town or two on the way, as long as we find what we're looking for."
"Fine!" Lissa sighs. "We'll leave at eleven, okay? Be ready by then."
He listens to her footsteps disappear down the corridor, and waits until they are no longer audible before making his way out of bed. He swings his legs onto the carpeted floor, and lifts the folded piece of parchment with his name scrawled on it. Robin's handwriting is so familiar to him- he still keeps many of her original tactics plans from the war under the bed. They were in the war council tent at camp, but he didn't have the heart to throw out any of her belongings after the war ended.
He opens the piece of paper cautiously. He's scared of what it might say, but he opens it anyway, glancing over the words written in her untidy scrawl.
Chrom,
If you're reading this, it means that Sumia has done her job of keeping this letter a secret from you. Tell her thank you, if you haven't already. It also means that I am gone, and I haven't come back.
It means that Lucina is three, nearly four, and it means that I've failed as a mother, but I'm sure you're the world's greatest father. It means that the war is over, and Grima is dead, and it means that the shepherds have probably disbanded.
I know that this is hard for you, but I'm sorry for leaving you alone. Maybe one day you'll find someone else that can act as a mother to Lucina, and I'll be watching with happiness from wherever I am.
You know that you meant the world to me, Chrom. In fact, you became my world, quickly after we met. I was determined to protect you, even at the cost of my life. And then we beat Gangrel, and you weren't dead and you asked me to marry you, and that was possibly the happiest day of my life.
I know I wasn't much of a wife to you, and I definitely wasn't much of a mother to Lucina. I doubt she even remembers me, that's how much I saw her. But I hope that you can do a better job than I ever could. And I know you will, Chrom, because that's the sort of person you are. You're kind and nurturing, and the best possible person to raise our child and be the leader of the country.
And who knows, one day I might come back. You might find me. These are all mights, though. Nothing is certain.
I know for certain that we'll meet in the next life, at least. There are invisible ties connecting us, like I told you so many times. They're between all of us, but I think the link between us is strongest, and Lucina is the proof of that.
Never give up, Chrom.
I love you.
Robin
The tears in his eyes aren't concealable, and he smudges some of the ink when the spots of water land on the paper. Maybe you'll find someone else, she wrote. There was no way in hell he could find someone else. Robin meant the world to him as well. No- she was his world. He words were only encouragement to him, and he had to guess that Sumia had also opened and read the letter at some stage. There was no way she would wait until such a moment to give him the letter, even if Robin's instructions were to wait two years. She knew that was a moment when he needed Robin's support, and even if she wasn't physically there, she could be emotionally.
Chrom dresses himself, making his way downstairs to meet with Lissa. There's still twenty minutes before she wants to leave, so he manages some breakfast, sitting in silence. Lissa's not there, probably packing a bag (he hopes she'll put some of his stuff in there, but he doubts it). Ricken, however, is at the table, as are Owain and Lucina. Ricken is attempting to feed Owain with a spoon, who has decided in the last few days he won't feed himself. Lucina makes her way over to Chrom, grabbing his hand.
"Daddy, Uncle Ricken says that you're going away," she complains, pulling the pout that makes her look so much like her mother.
"I am, Lucina," he offers, hoping that she doesn't notice that he's obviously been crying. "But Uncle Ricken will look after you. And I'm sure Maribelle will be here as well. I left a note for her to come and see you."
"I like Maribelle," Lucina says, a smile appearing on her face. "Oh! Will she take me horse riding?"
"You'll have to ask her nicely. And tell her I say you can go, okay? But remember your manners."
"I will!"
"That's my girl," he says, ruffling her hair gently and pulling her in for a quick hug. She skips off, back to her place at the table to finish her breakfast.
Lissa enters the room after that, setting a slightly overstuffed bag by the door, accompanied by a slightly emptier one. She marches towards Ricken, taking the spoon out of his hand and giving it to Owain.
"You have to eat all by yourself, Owain, or else you'll end up like your Uncle Chrom!" She says, smiling at the baby but shooting a septic look across the room at her brother. "I had to pack you a bag, you know," she says standing with her hands on her hips. "Twenty five years of age, and forgets to bring clothes when traveling. Gods, I'm surprised you're the exalt!"
"…Would you like to be the exalt?" Chrom asks quietly.
"What?"
An uncomfortable silence falls in the room. Lucina starts humming awkwardly, a tune that Chrom knows but can't put a finger on. Ricken lifts the book he was reading and sifts through the pages until he finds where he was before. Owain hits his spoon off the bowl in a temper, but neither of his parents respond.
"Would you like to be the exalt?" Chrom repeats slowly. "I mean, Lucina is far too young to do the job, so that means that you're next in line for the throne."
"What are you talking about?" Lissa asks, throwing her hands onto the table with a bang. "You can't abdicate!"
"I have the lowest approval rating since even before dad," Chrom points out.
"That's because you have depression!" Lissa cries, and Chrom is silent once more. It's been the elephant in the room for two years. No one has said it, and certainly not to his face. "You're… you're grieving. And for good reason! But… Chrom, I know you're a great leader. You brought peace to the country. And I know that, given time, you'll be great again," she continues, her voice gentler this time.
"Chrom you led us to victory against Gangrel and Walhart and Validar and Grima, and I think that, like Lissa says, you're a great leader. Those victories have to count for something, right?" Ricken says, looking up from the pages of his novel.
"I couldn't have done it without-" Chrom starts, but Lissa knows what he's about to say and cuts him off.
"Without Robin," she nods. "But she's still with you, right? In your heart, at least."
She walks towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She's still a lot shorter than he is, but he awkwardly returns the hug, one arm around her back. She lets go, and lifts the bags from beside the door. She holds his out towards him, and he stands, taking it off her with a small smile.
"Now. Let's go put that mind at ease."
The five make their way out into the hallway, where a few maids stand, keeping guard over the door. Chrom dismisses them kindly, and they take their leave. Ricken stands between the two children, holding their hands. Lissa moves towards Owain, and places a kiss on his forehead, to a slight noise of disgust from the boy.
"Be good for your father, Owain," she smiles. She kisses Ricken, too, quick and chaste, and blushing because her brother is present.
"Goodbye, Lucina. Don't forget to ask Maribelle about horse riding," he reminds, giving the young girl a parting hug.
The siblings make their way towards the door, followed by the other members of their family. Ricken is smiling, still holding on to the two children, who seem keen to be elsewhere.
"Good luck," he smiles, and Chrom nods in acknowledgment.
"Bye, mama!" Owain says, and Lissa laughs.
"Have fun, daddy!"
They walk off without another word, not looking back to the palace as they leave the grounds.
Southern Ylisse is very aesthetically pleasing, filled with greenery and empty fields. It is a well-known area for farming, and although crops and animals are thriving in most of the fields, they often come across a field where the grass was over grown. These are the places that Chrom was most interested in- after all, it was in a not too similar field that they stumbled across Robin in the first place.
"So…" Lissa starts, swinging her arms by her side as she walked. "Are we headed to that field we were in all that time ago?"
"Yes. It's the only place I can think of where she might be," Chrom says, barely containing a sigh.
"For your sake, I hope she's there," mumbles Lissa, and Chrom turns to her in surprise. She's been so negative about the idea the whole time. From the moment Chrom suggested that Robin might still be alive, Lissa had laughed and put up a fight any time he wanted to go look for her. And understandably so- they had all seen Robin give up her life for the sake of Ylisse. And when your brother becomes obsessed with searching for someone who you saw die in front of your eyes, you're obviously going to be upset.
"Thanks, Lissa," he manages after a moment, giving her half a smile.
"You've been down here before, though. More than once. And… well, she hasn't been here."
"I… I don't even have anything to remember her by, Lissa. None of her clothes, or other personal belongings. She didn't have anything when she arrived with us, and she never really gained anything. I just want to find her. Or something that belongs to her."
"You have Lucina," she points out quietly. Lucina is proof of that. Robin's words from the letter jump to the forefront of his mind once again, and he smiles.
"I don't deserve a daughter like her," he sighs, though Lissa can tell he's happy from the tone of his voice.
"You do. She's probably the smartest almost four year old I've ever met. Unlike her father," Lissa snorts.
"Well, she certainly inherited her brains from her mother," Chrom acknowledges.
"And her looks from you. Seriously, she looks exactly like you!"
"You wouldn't be the first person to point that out."
"Well, it's true!"
"I wish I had some of her clothes, or books or something. Her wedding dress is all I have, and I'm hardly going to get that out every time I miss her."
"It'd be out all the time, let's be honest," Lissa points out dryly.
The two spend the night in Southtown, as close to their favourite field as possible. The owners of the pub in town are practically beside themselves when the two royal siblings turned up on their doorstep late at night, asking for a room. They got one with ease, and soon fell asleep, the walking from the past days taking its toll. The beds weren't the comfiest, but with no other choice, they had to make do.
The early April sun beat down on them as they made their way out of town, walking up the hill that Chrom knew like the back of his hand. He had walked up this way a million times before, only to become disappointed when there was no white haired girl in Plegian mage's robes, asleep in the grass below the yew tree. Part of him knew not to expect anything this time, but there was a different feel in the air this time around.
Maybe it was just imagination, but things seemed different. Lissa suggesting that they go look was the first flag in his mind, and Ricken telling him that he believed in him was the second. Lissa yelling at him at breakfast a few days was another sign- she was acting uncharacteristically forward. It wasn't that the younger girl was shy; she just felt her opinion wasn't as important as everyone else's. And for her to express her emotions in an outburst like that… well, it was easy to see why Chrom reacted the way he did.
And of course, Sumia's visit with Robin's letter sent up warning signs in his head. Maybe Robin knew, maybe she could tell that two years was the time it would take her to get back. Maybe she told other people, and not Chrom, and that was why everyone was acting so weird. Maybe that's why she left the letter for two years after the fall of Grima and her death.
Or, maybe he was just being paranoid.
He quickly realises that Lissa isn't beside him, and looks back to see her sitting on the ground, staring out over Southtown. He wanders back towards her, seating himself beside his sister. The view is impressive; he must admit- he's never paid much attention to it before. They sit in silence, Chrom not wanting to ask Lissa what's weighing on her mind.
"I'm scared," she admits abruptly, and Chrom takes her slender hand within his own.
"Of what?"
"What if… what if we find Robin, and she's not Robin? What if she's Grima?" Her eyes are filled with tears, and she blinks fast, trying to dispel them the best she can.
"Is that why you've been so reluctant to help me look for Robin?" Chrom asks gently, and she nods shakily.
"I'm sorry!" She says, throwing herself at him and wrapping her arms around his neck. He tenses automatically, and relaxes, patting her head in the older brotherly way that he has.
"It's fine, Lissa. I'm just glad you admitted this to me."
"It was selfish of me," she sniffs, wiping her tears on the end of her sleeve while fishing about in her pocket for a tissue.
"I understand, though. I have many reservations as well. Grima has never entered my mind before, but I know where you're coming from. She was already a vessel for the dragon so what if when she killed it, it's soul entered her body?"
"Exactly. I'm… well, worried for her. And worried for you."
"Don't worry about me," he says, ruffling her hair and getting to his feet. He holds a hand out for her to take, and helps her up. They stay stationary for a moment, before she turns to face the top of the hill, determination evident on her face.
"There's only one way to find out. Let's go."
Overgrown grass makes up most of the plateau at the top of the hill. Daisies litter the grass, barely visible through the grass. The yew tree stands tall at the end of the field. It takes a long time for Chrom to make the first step towards it after they reach the top, anticipation and fear freezing him in place. What would he even say if she was there? He hadn't ever got that far in his head, and now the thought occurs to him, he's terrified.
"Lissa, what do I say if she is here?"
"Have you not thought of this before? You've had two years to come up with some moving speech!"
"I don't want to scare her," Chrom decides. "So, something soft. Gentle. If she's asleep, I don't want to wake her loudly."
"Then… do it the way you did before. Just talk, and hope that she comes to." He glares at her, and she shrugs in indifference. "Hey, it worked last time!"
"You're right. Let's do this."
They make their way to the end of the field, flattening a path of grass as they go. It'll be easier to get out again that way, and Chrom knows that they'll need the obvious way out. The tree is fast approaching, and Chrom feels butterflies- no, dragons- floating around in his stomach, making him feel sick. Lissa gasps as they get closer, and see that there is in fact someone under the tree.
It's clearly a woman, and she's clearly asleep, her white hair splayed out around her in a halo. Her hands are resting on her stomach, folded neatly, almost regally. Her robes are messy, a little torn, and burnt around the bottom. Chrom knows that the left corner was burnt on Grima's back by an enemy's Bolganone attack, and he knows that this woman is definitely Robin, without mistake. She looks so peaceful, her eyes closed, no stresses concerning her face.
"Are you just going to let her lie there?" Lissa asks, apprehension clear in her voice. He doesn't reply, merely staring at her face. "Chrom, we have to do something."
"What do you propose we do?" He asks, glancing over at her.
"I… I dunno!" She cries, and with that, Robin's eyes flutter open, blink blearily in the harsh midday sunlight. Lissa gasps again, her eyes lighting up and a grin gracing her face.
"I see… you're awake now," Chrom says, trying to hide the smile and act as professional as possible.
"Hey there," she says gently, smiling at her sister in law.
"There are better places to take a nap than on the ground, you know," he points out, and Lissa giggles, remembering the use of the line from six years ago. "Give me your hand," he says, holding his own gloved one out to her. Robin takes it, and he pulls her up, finally allowing himself to smile.
"Welcome back. It's over now," he says softly.
He has to stop himself from kissing her, or even hugging her, because of the look on her face. She looks around, tying her white hair up with the band that previously resided on her wrist. She gives Chrom a once over, and then Lissa, and then looks past them. He takes a step back, and Lissa grabs his arm. Her eyes are normal, the clear hazel they were before, unlike the black and red of Grima's. It sets their minds at ease, but something still seems amiss.
"Sorry," she says, opening her mouth for the first time to speak. "What did you mean… it's over now?"
"The war," Chrom explains gently. She's been asleep for two years, so it's understandable that she's a little out of it. This should clear things up, but her eyebrows furrow, glaring at the ground.
"I… I don't think I knew about that. Where… where am I?" She asks, her fingers brushing gently over the long grass. "And sorry, but who are you?"
Lissa gasps audibly, bringing a hand to her mouth.
"Chrom… her amnesia is back!"
.
