Title: Forever Yours
Author: xChocolat
Date Published: 03.31.13
Disclaimer: Fire Emblem: The Awakening and all its characters belong to Nintendo.
Summary: A twist on Chrom and his tactician. Romance, angst and betrayal ensues.
Why did you leave me?
That question haunted Chrom for the next two years.
It haunted him when he stood at the altar, exchanging vows of eternal love with Sumia.
Why did you leave me?
Chrom could not come up with the answer. He could only speculate.
It haunted him as he watched Ylisse rebuild itself after the war.
He became an empty shell. A mere ghost of the man he used to be.
Why did you leave me?
It haunted him even as his first child came into the world.
Chrom's time remained frozen since the time Robin left him.
However, it was not to say that he was not a good ruler, a good husband or a good father.
He supported Sumia who in return supported him during his earliest years of ruling. He always treated her with respect and kindness, and was considerate to her in every regard that he could. He fulfilled his duty to his halidom and his people by producing an heir. He even felt a growing sense of attachment to his daughter, even if she were not created from love.
Chrom did his best to be the man everyone wanted him to be. He tried very hard to forget Robin, to move on. But he could not let it go. Chrom had tasted what it felt like to be whole, to be loved, and love unconditionally in return.
Now, he could only fill the gaping hole in his life by making up for his past wrongs. But if he were to be honest with himself, he never once regretted falling in love with Robin. She once consumed his entire heart, his soul. No one could ever take her place, and he could never truly forget her.
Why did you leave me?
He never got the answer to his question. He could not find her, no matter how far and wide he searched.
Perhaps she regretted it? And then she fled, for fear of having to deal with him and the consequences.
But Robin was not a woman who would fear facing any kind of hardship.
Perhaps she just wanted to see if she could wrap one of the most powerful men in the region around her finger? Toy with him and then fling him aside once she got her prize.
But Chrom believed that her feelings for him were true. She could not have acted all that out. She must have loved him…
Perhaps she had planned to leave him all along. Perhaps she never meant to confess her feelings to him. Perhaps she wanted him to be everyone's Chrom, rather than just hers.
That was the only answer that Chrom could bring himself to accept. Robin never wanted to take Chrom from anybody. She only wanted his love because she loved him irrevocably.
In the end, that was the only way Chrom could comfort himself enough so that he could pull himself back together and carry out his role.
Though he wanted to tell Sumia the truth, he decided against it, deciding that it was what Robin wanted all along. If it was her wish, then he would never go against it.
Chrom did not want anyone to be hurt on his behalf, and he was certain that Robin would have wanted no less.
Chrom thus lived two years in denial and deception. He would remind himself of who he should love, and not who he wanted to love. Every morning he would talk himself into staying in Ylisse and maintaining order of his family and kingdom rather than run around the lands like a madman in search of Robin.
He would learn to love Sumia and Lucina more than anyone else in this world.
He stood in the hall of the palace and stared out the pristine arches and pillars to the setting sun, its golden light coating the marble floors. The setting sun looked much like the one he saw when he rashly proposed to Sumia.
His heart sank when thoughts of what could have been flashed before his eyes. His breath hitched from the discomfort but to his relief, Frederick had not noticed. He missed her sorely. He would give anything to go back to the past to change his future. The one walking towards him would not be a curly haired brunette, but a teal-haired maiden with smoky gray eyes that always saw through him.
Chrom was shaken from his disconcerting trance by a solider who he did not notice had come up to him. "Sire, a messenger from Regna Ferox."
"See them in at once," commanded Chrom.
"Yes, milord." The soldier retreated and his presence was soon replaced by a woman in pale green armor who he met before in the past.
Raimi crossed one arm over her chest and bowed. "Prince Chrom. I come on behalf of Khan Regnant Flavia."
"Flavia? Well, this is a surprise. Is something amiss?"
"I fear so, milord. The khan requests your presence at a summit as soon as you are able."
"What's happened?"
"Our western neighbors of Valm are no longer acting so neighborly. The emperor, who they name the Conqueror, has launched warships against us."
"An invasion? Are you certain of this?"
"Yes, milord. The khan hopes to meet with you in Ferox, if it please you.
"What do you make of this, sire?"
"Ill business to be sure. Raimi, we will meet with Flavia at once…"
Sumia was listening on the sidelines and then stepped closer to her husband. "Chrom…"
Chrom turned to look at her. "I'd stay with you if I could, Sumia, but we owe Regna Ferox a great debt. I must apprise myself of the facts there before deciding on a course of action."
Sumia smiled warmly at him. "I'm not asking you to stay here with me. I'm saying I'm coming with you."
"B-but Lucina is newly born! She needs her mother now." Chrom would've preferred for this summit to be a low key trip. He also needed a bit of space for himself and his thoughts.
But Sumia persisted, "Can she not be wet-nursed as you and Lissa were? That is House Ylisse's tradition, is it not? Lucina is a strong child; she takes after her father. The Brand in her left eye is not your only gift to her."
"I'm worried about more than our child. ...I'm worried about you," dissuaded Chrom.
"That's sweet. But I'm still coming."
Chrom sighed, "... I know better than to argue once your mind is made."
Lissa chimed in, "Wow, Sumia really has you trained well! Whh-ksssh!"
Chrom flinched a little at the contorted whiplash sound she made. His patience was wearing thin. As much as he loved his sister, that was uncalled for. "Lissa - you're not helping." He obeyed Sumia out of duty, not love. He addressed Sumia once more, "Just promise me you'll return at the first sign of danger, Sumia. Lissa and I had Emm of course, but we lost our parents when we were young. I want Lucina to grow up with her whole family around her."
Sumia nodded, "I'll be careful. I promise."
Frederick stood at the ready and cut in, "I will ride ahead and assemble an escort, milord."
He nodded absentmindedly. "Thank you Frederick."
Frederick was just about to leave when a hooded figure made their way into the hall.
"I'm quite impressed Chrom. You make a fine ruler. You've come a long way from tending sheep."
Chrom's breath hitched slightly at that familiar voice. His heart was racing. That voice, the one who guided him through all his troubles, who cried out his name in the heat of the battle and the dead of the night. He felt all sorts of emotions: happiness, anger, love, hatred, bubbling and welling up inside of him. He felt the wheels of time begin to move for him again, slow and creaking, but moving. But over the years he had learned how to better hide his true feelings so he kept his composure and managed to reply wittily. "Ha! Have I truly changed so much?"
The intruder lifted their hood off with both hands, teal waves cascaded down and a pair of gray eyes met theirs, revealing a face that everyone thought they would never see again, especially Chrom. Her lips curled into a small smile as her eyes wandered to baby Lucina, "Mmm... In a way, you haven't. But you've grown as a leader, and, of course, as a father."
Chrom tried to maintain calm but he couldn't help clenching both his fists tightly. "I've tried to do my best. My sister left a weighty legacy. I do all I can just to live up to it."
Their eyes met. Blue beheld gray in a blaze of old passions and new desires.
Robin…she's back.
A/N: This is only Part A of Ch 3. Part B will be in Robin's POV for the last 2 years and up by later today or tomorrow. I want to get to the really good parts, but I want to take my time building up to it as well. Let me know what you think? :D