Author's Note :
Warning everyone right now that there are some spoilers if you haven't played the game or played to mid-game! Please know that before continuing.
Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend celebrating BBQ's, pies, and fireworks. Whooooooo, actually I didn't cause I passed out from Anime Expo. SO MANY AWESOME FE:A COSTUMES /heavybreathing.
As always, thank you for reading! I hope to knock out one more chapter before the end of this month!
Chapter 9: Bookmark
"Milord, we need last approval of our convoy before our departure."
"Yes Frederick. All this checking, double check…TRIPLE CHECKING! It's all so exhausting, I wonder how Robin managed this daily."
Chrom rubbed his tired eyes with his thumb and fore fingers.
"She was a very dedicated tactician milord, and I believe from what I've observed myself, enjoyed these duties actually."
Chrom and Frederick walked side-by-side discussing about their plans for the journey and the agenda of his remaining council at the kingdom. The duo entered the storage room startled by the sight of a young man scribbling in his notebook.
"Laurent, surprised to see you here."
"Oh. Not at all your highness. I'm reviewing our provisions and streamlining the necessities for your journey. Since prior to our current state of peace, I've been trained for this sort of … accounting and believe it would be much more efficient to do this task in your stead. You must already have other duties to attend to that no one else could fill in, it would be an honor for me to handle this task."
"Ah, thank you Laurent!"
Chrom pats Laurent on the shoulder with little reserve of his strength unbeknownst to him.
"Eck!" The young man rubbed his shoulder, slightly sore from Chrom's display of… gratitude.
Finished with his work of counting all the supplies, he placed a large leaf of sage as a bookmark in between the pages.
"Laurent, did your mother teach you that?"
"Excuse me your highness?"
Puzzled by the Exalt's vague question, he then realized the man was staring at his bookmark.
"No…I did not get this habit from my mother. I barely knew my parents from my timeline your highness."
"Oh, I'm sorry to pry. It's just…there's something familiar about using herbs as a placeholder. Hmm…and Laurent, no need for formalities, you've bravely stood beside us on the battlefield!"
"It is imperative to address one by their deserved title. But as you wish, please do allow my to at least refer to you as 'sir'?"
Chrom chucked by such polite request and nodded.
"Most people would use a ribbon or a note you know, but instead you share the same habits as my wife."
Laurent nervously pinched a leaf of sage between his fingers, avoiding Chrom's curious stare.
"I learned this habit from my foster family when I had arrived in this world."
Frederick realizing a fact from memory brought down his right fist down onto an open palm.
"Ah, milord if I may. I've heard from his father that Laurent arrived 5 years prior to our recruitment. Which at this time, we were not yet at war with Gangrel and this was three years before meeting our famous tactician."
Rubbing his head, Chrom was still confused about time lines and time travel. To make it clearer and understandable, Chrom turned to Laurent.
"When we met, how old were you?"
"20, sir."
"So from the age of 15 to 20 you've lived with another family this whole time?! Gods! Shouldn't you be trying to find them son?"
"It's…complicated."
Frederick smiled and stood between the men.
"How about you share your story with us over some dinner? It'll be refreshing to have your company for once."
"Ah! But sir…I couldn't possibly –"
"Great idea Frederick! You always know how to plan efficiently as possible. I am getting a little hungry myself."
Releasing a sigh, Laurent knew he could use a break and gather some nourishment before continuing his experiments. There was also the fact he had no valid excuse to deny dinner with the Exalt.
"If we must, let us continue over dinner."
Chrom grinned from ear to ear. It had been forever since he was reminded of how life was before the war.
The men gathered at their table, served with fine roast meat, potatoes, and the season's best vegetables in a stew. After eating on the battlefield for so long, it was nearly impossible for anyone to return to the rich and lavish dishes of the castle. Recipes were altered to be more simple and respectful of the difficult harvest after the war, while still fit of an Exalt.
"Sir, I have a confession before I begin."
"Have at it."
"The habit of using herbs in books was taught to me as a way of deterring insects from destroying my texts. Among many little tricks I've learned from my foster family…especially their daughter."
"What's wrong with that? I'd say you've probably copied her from admiration!"
Chrom had to grab both his sides from bursting has Laurent began to turn deep tomato red.
"No…I don't believe so, they were the closest thing I had experienced as a family unit. My feelings were quite filial."
"Sure Laurent suuuuuuuure…"
"Milord, I suggest that's enough teasing should you become Basilio himself!"
"Oh come on 'Frederick the Wary', lighten up! We've all embarrassed ourselves as young men at some point."
Chrom grinned teasingly at Laurent as he gulped down his drink.
Laurent was every bit annoyed by his jest and delivered a critical blow whilst Chrom's mid-gulp.
"The daughter's name was Robin."
Chrom spat his drink and merely choked after processing what he just heard.
"Milord! Are you alright?! Was there something in your drink? See this is why we need a royal food taster! Let me test your dinner before you begin…"
"Frederick stop! No, I'm fine. GAH STOP!"
Frederick stopped mid-wipe of his lord's face with a personal embroidered handkerchief.
"Robin? You don't mean our Robin right? Maybe it's a common name outside the city!"
"I thought the same, but she undeniably looks similar to her years ago and has the same distinctive habits. When we met again after your recruit, she did not recognize me at all…including my attempts to sharing some of her duties to be around her, hoping that she would realize who I was. But she never did bring up our past or even mention any familiarity to someone she once knew."
Chrom looked at the pained young sage. The only people who knew of Robin's memory loss were Lissa, Frederick, and himself. It was unnecessary to share their tactician's severe case of memory loss in the middle of a war.
"Laurent, when we found Robin, she had amnesia of some sort and forgot all about her past. Somehow only retaining the knowledge of language and battle tactics."
"Ah…so she forgot about me. About our 'family'…I wonder if she forgot about her mother too…"
"That's right! You were living with the both of them. Validar mentioned her mother smuggled Robin out of Plegia and away from the Grimleal."
"The Grimleal?"
Laurent looked down trying to recall the memories of days past.
"We lived in a port town called 'The Outrealms'. They thought this would be the perfect place to live outside the reaches of Ylisse and Plegia. I arrived when I fell into this timeline and they discovered me."
"Discovered you? When Lucina arrived she was running all over the place killing the risen."
Laurent glared at the Exalt, wondering if he truly believed everyone's bodies were made equal to his own.
"…My body isn't physically toned…not even close…to hers for falling out of the sky and time traveling, sir."
Chrom scratched his head from embarrassment; he really shouldn't be comparing people to his bloodline.
"We lived happily in this town, they celebrated the seasons with festivals and had many interesting travelers with further knowledge of the outside lands. It was fascinating."
"Wait, if you were all so happy…why did we find you in the Desert Oasis and her in South Town?"
"South Town?!"
Laurent quickly stood up and pulled out a scroll of a map from his robe and jotted notes next to the location of South Town.
"Yes…yes I see, so that's what happened. Gah ! I'm such a fool!"
"Wha...among all the Shepherds you're far from what anyone would describe as a 'fool'."
"No! I am definitely, undeniably, most certainly a fool! I went in the wrong direction trying to save them!"
Laurent took off his glasses and rubbed his temples. Recalling all the events that had occurred three years ago.