*Inside the palace*
Robin was marveling at the rich interior of the palace as she was following Chrom to the throne room. The walls were covered with expensive looking painting and tapestries. The marble floor were covered by finely woven rugs and the high ceiling held up by stone pillars. The scent of roses, in full bloom and nestled in crystal vases on maple tables fill the air with a heavy perfume.
"Wow..." Robin thought to herself as she tries to grasp every detail of the hallway. Once the group reached the throne room with it's red and gold splendor, they found Emmeryn, waiting for them with one of her guards beside her.
"Chrom, Lissa, welcome back." Emmeryn greeted them with a warm smile.
"Greeting, Frederick."
"Good to be back, Emm." Chrom answered back.
"There's so much I want to tell you, Emm!" Lissa said excitedly.
"Maybe later, Lissa. I can see that you have a new friend with you."
"Ohh, my-y name-e is Robin, your highness." Robin stuttered, nervously.
"Robin has fraught with us against the brigands. I'm planned to make her the Shepherds' tactician." added Chrom. Frederick stepped forward from the group with a grim look.
"Milady, I still have concerns about Robin, for she claims to have no memories of who she is or where she comes from. She can still be a brigand or a Plegian spy."
"Frederick!" Chrom exclaimed.
"I see...Yet you allow her into the castle, Chrom? Do you trust her?"
"She helped save Ylissean lives. She has proven herself trustworthy."
"Plus she saved me from a brigand!" Lissa added. Emmeryn smiled at her younger siblings before looking at Robin.
"It sounds like Ylisse owns you a debt, Robin."
"Not at all, milady! I just wanted to help anyway I can."
"Since Chrom and Lissa trust you, then you have my trust as well."
"Milady..." A smile stretched out on Robin's face.
"Thank you very much!"
"I am also very pleased that my little brother and sister have such a tireless guardian looking after them. I hope they remember to thank you from time to time." Emmeryn noted.
"They do...in their own way, I suppose."
"Milady, the war meeting will be starting soon." stated the guard next to her.
"Yes, thank you, Phila." Emmeryn answered as she looks towards Chrom and Frederick.
"Chrom, Frederick I must ask you to join the meeting as well."
"Alright, Emm." Chrom said.
"Yes, milady." Frederick said. Lissa turned her attention to Robin.
"Come on, Robin. Let's go, there is still a place I would to show you."
"Oh...okay." Both Robin and Lissa left the room when something golden fall out of Robin's pocket. Chrom was the first to notice what Robin had unknowingly dropped and went to pick it up. The item turned out to be a simple gold locket on a golden chain.
"Wait, Robin." Chrom called out, but Robin and Lissa were long gone.
*Outside the castle, in the Shepherds' barrack*
Robin followed Lissa to appear to be a vacant looking stone building with a wooden pike fences around it, but once inside, she can see the main room was cramped and clattered by weapons, staffs, craters and sacks on it's dirt floor. Books and tomes were piled up high on the tables and bookcases, covered in dust. In the back, lies two corridors with a staircase in middle, between them.
"This is the Shepherds' barracks. Come on, make yourself at home." Lissa said to Robin.
"Okay..." Robin said, looking at her new surroundings.
"Lissa, my treasure!" Both of them turned their attention to a young woman who was wearing a pink riding outfit with brown knee high boots and carrying a white parasol. Her blonde hair were twisted into curls and held up by white bows. She immediately throws her arms around Lissa and pulls her into a tight hug. After breaking up the hug, she started examining her from head to toe.
"Are you okay? Were you hurt?"
"I am fine, Maribelle." Lissa answered, trying to reassure her friend.
"'Fine' does not cut it, I nearly spouted 12 grey hair worrying about you!" stated Maribelle.
"Hey, is Chrom back yet?" They turned to see a young man with spiky blonde hair, dressed in dark trousers and iron accessories and another young woman with long, wavy chestnut brown hair, held upon by a hair clip shaped like wings. She was dressed in pink and purple armor with matching boots.
"No, Vaike, Chrom is at a meeting now." Lissa answered.
"Too bad, Old Teach was about to teach him an extra special lesson." he commented.
"Since when have you been called "Teach", Vaike?"
"Since this morn-wait, I mean since forever."
"Yeah, right."
"By the way, who do we have here?" Vaike said, pointing at Robin.
"Oh, this is Robin." Lissa introduced, presenting Robin.
"She's going to be Shepherds' tactician. Robin, this is Maribelle, Vaike and Sumia, they are part of the Shepherds too."
"It's nice to meet you all." said Robin shyly.
"It's nice to meet you too." Sumia said, equally as shy.
"So Chrom found us a new tactician? Hey, Robin can you do this?" Vaike lets out a loud belch, which disgusted Maribelle and Lissa, but causes Robin to giggle a little.
"That was disgusting!" Maribelle commented before turning to Robin.
"And Robin, I hope you are cut from a finer piece of cloth." Maribelle turned around and went into another room in the barracks.
"I think she doesn't like me." Robin said, worried.
"Maribelle, no, it takes time for her to warm up to anyone. Now let me give you a tour of the barracks." Meanwhile, Chrom seated at the war council table with Frederick standing behind him. Emmeryn sat a couple of seats away at the center with Phila next to her.
"Based on Pegasus knights' reports and Prince Chrom's encounter, this "things" have been appearing everywhere and aimlessly attacking any person at sight."
"There are numerous reports of them attacking villages as well. We cannot keep these incidents under wraps for much longer."
"Your Highness, I strongly suggest announcing to the people about this new threat." Emmeryn nodded her head in agreement.
"Alright, we will send out reports of these creatures tomorrow." Emmeryn announced.
"What should call these creatures?"
"How about Risen?"
"It doesn't matter what we call those things! Risen...if dealing with Plegia wasn't bad enough. I bet those Plegian dark mages are the one behind these so called Risen."
"Blaming Plegia once again?"
"But this time, I have proof."
"What is this proof?"
"Oh, I know what it is and so does Prince Chrom!"
"What are you trying to say?" Chrom questioned, glaring at the councilman.
"Don't play dumb, Prince Chrom! You were the one who brought that woman into the castle."
"Robin!" Chrom thought.
"Her robes have the markings of a Plegian dark mage, so therefore she must have come from Plegia." This news causes uproar within the war council.
"A dark mage here?!"
"How did she get passed the borders?"
"Are the Pegasus knights not protecting the borders?"
"Is she the one behind the Risen?" Chorm clenched his fist as the council members were pointing fingers at Robin. He wanted to defend Robin's name, but the words got stuck in his throat.
"That's enough!" Emmeryn exclaimed, raising her voice. Everyone included Chrom and Frederick was stunned, for Emmeryn rarely raise her voice.
"Councilman, I have seen this girl of which you spoke of. From what I can tell, she doesn't pose a threat to the halidom. May I reminder why Plegia has been invading our land in the first place?" The whole group went silence with Chrom and Frederick, astonished and shocked.
"This meeting is adjourned." she declared. One by one, the councilmen left, leaving only Chrom, Frederick and Phila left in the room.
"Chrom, may I talk to you alone?" Emmeryn asked. Chrom nodded his head while Frederick and Phila waited outside. Once the door was closed, Chrom turned back to his sister.
"Emm...I-" Chorm started to say before Emmeryn cut her off.
"Chrom, do you really trust Robin?" she asked.
"Huh?"
"Do you really think Robin is a Plegian dark mage?"
"Of course not!" he yelled.
"But yet you don't defend her, someone who you said you trusted."
"I-I..."
"What happen today at the meeting shows that you have doubts about Robin."
"Doubts...?" Emmeryn went up to him.
"Chrom, you are a kind and trusting soul. Many people follow you because of that, but with Robin, her case is special one. She has no memories of her past or where she came from. Without knowing it, you build up doubts and questioned whatever or not she is to be trusted."
"But Emm, she-"
"Help save Ylissean lives? Yes, which lead me to think why would she help people that she only met a few moments before?"
"Yes, I guess that's true..."
"Chrom, let me ask you this again: why do you trust her?" Bearing his sister's question in mind, Chrom draws a blank about Robin. They only met a day ago, but yet she protected them and his people, earning his trust. Since little is known about her past, he was also very reluctant to give her his complete trust.
"I don't know..." he responded. His sister nodded her head and went over to a gilded window, looking up at the blue sky.
"Then watch her and see whether or not she is truly worthy of your trust. This is a test not only for her, but for you as well."
"Sister..."
"Now I have a special mission for you and the Shepherds."
"A mission?"
"Yes, I need you to contact one of the Khans of Regna Ferox. We will need their help for the new incoming threat."
"Yes, of course!"
"Then I wish you and the Shepherds luck on your journey. Now go."
"Right away!" Chrom exited out of the room and head down the hallway with Frederick behind him. Emmeryn stood there quietly after her brother left.
"Good luck Chrom, may you find your answer on this journey." she prayed.
Happy New Year! Enjoy this new chapter of 2014! Please review and don't forget to leave your favorite pairings in your reviews. Also please tell what you think about this chapter since it didn't happen in the game. Should I stick to the game or branch a little every now and then?