Chatpoter 10
A/N: Screw update schedules. I'm not patient enough to wait for certain days to update. If I don't update as I go, the backlog will be too powerful. Here is chapter 10, early, and you had better like it… or not. It's okay if you don't. I'll understand.
Robin unloaded the still, and yet again, unconscious Nowi into the pious Nagan priest's arms. Libra accepted Nowi from him wordlessly and held her gently in his arms. As Robin turned around to go about his reports, he saw her eye's flicker open, but chose not to say anything or bother her. She had seemed to not desire his presence anyway.
Robin quickly hurried back to his study to compile a report for Chrom. The Exalt would not be in a huge hurry to receive such a type of report but it would be much better for Robin if he could go and get it done with thoughts on haste.
On his way to his study he passed by the dining hall with intents on grabbing a few pieces of food to carry back with him. As he was grabbing a platter with some slices of meat, a potato and even an apple, he saw Lissa leaving the dining hall.
Seeing her sparked his memory to a certain item that he happened to be carrying in his pocket. It was a large gemstone, smaller than his fist, but quite a bit larger than a pebble. He had nearly forgotten that he had picked it up for Nowi.
He opened his coat, shrugging to himself as he noticed the ashy gray stains. He pulled the Dragonstone out of one of the hidden pockets inside his pockets.
It can be cleaned later.
"Hey Lissa, can you come here for a moment," he caught her just down the hallway outside of the dining hall.
Lissa turned to him, "yeah sure Robin, when did you get back?" she asked.
"Just now," he held out the precious stone, "Can you give this to Nowi when you see her again?"
"Nowi's back?" Lissa said.
The way she said it brought Robin's attention. It almost felt like guilt, but he suppressed his urge to ask her.
"Yeah when I was out stopping the fire I ran into her," Robin said.
Lissa took the stone, "Yes well when I next see her I'll give her it."
Robin was already walking off, "Thanks Liss I appreciate it," he said
Alright, that's one thing taken care of.
Robin walked back to the study, eating the sliced, he assumed beef, as he walked. By the time he got back to the room, he had already started on the potato, eating it whole as he held the hot food in his hand.
"Lord Robin," his guards saluted.
They opened the doors and allowed him into his room. So intent on reaching his desk, with a mouthful of potato, he didn't notice the presence of another person in his office. He sat at the desk and began the opening words of his report.
Suddenly, "Welcome back Robin. Your powers of observation are clear to be seen."
Robin jumped from his desk, toppling the chair over in the process, making a clattering noise. Then, with one hand on the dagger he kept at his desk, he turned quickly to see Jordane sitting in a chair near the corner of the room.
Nearly as quickly as he pulled his dagger around, the guards opened the doors and rushed inward, ready to halt an assault. Robin quickly waved them off, and they put away their swords and left the room again without another word.
Robin picked his chair back up, and reset it at his desk.
Jordane chuckled quietly, "Well it is nice to see you again Lord Robin," she said, as she stood and curtsied.
Robin returned the gesture with a bow of his own, "Likewise to you Lady Jordane Ferris."
Jordane walked over to him, "I do not believe, Lord Robin, that I know of your surname," she said.
As she walked passed him he could feel her hand brush against his, her fingers trailing along.
"Yes, well Lady Jordane if you'll excuse me, I don't know my surname. I might even say that I don't even have one."
Jordane gasped, "Why Robin. I didn't know… are you perhaps orphaned?"
Robin laughed, "I don't know. Maybe. I woke up maybe two years ago in the middle of a field, with nothing but a name, a coat, and some knowledge. No memories. Chrom rescued me from what was going to be an almost certain and confused death at the hands of brigands. Really I owe him pretty much everything. Including my life."
"I see…" Jordane almost whispered, "But, well you are here now, and very much in need of some kind of notoriety. Have you considered taking a name?" she said.
"What do you mean," Robin asked.
He was suspicious as to what she had meant by that statement.
"Well it's just that you cannot remain as you are now, Lord Robin," she said, "You are a noble now. Maybe not a man of noble birthright, but titled all the same. It doesn't matter what you were before."
Robin crossed his arms, "That's something I can agree with, at the least. Who I was before is dead. All that matters now is who I am. Not even what I am is important, and it shouldn't be." He insinuated.
"But still," Jordane insisted, "You are a noble, and nobles have a responsibility to produce an able heir to their station."
Robin growled, trying to maintain careful control, "This is a matter we discussed, and it is a matter which is closed. And has been for some time."
"But Robin, I'm not sure you understand fully. At least let me speak my peace," she begged.
"That's enough Jordane. Your peace has been said," Robin said.
The quiet and meek noble girl he thought he had known was all but a myth before him as she lost her grip.
"Robin you say to wait bu-"
Robin cut her off, "Enough Lady Jordane."
She continued to speak. Robin walked away from her and sat back down in his desk chair.
"Lord Robin, you've told me to be patient and wait, that you are not ready for marriage yet, but this is my last chance," he was trying to ignore her now, hoping she would stop, "whence my father returns again he will take me back to be wed by another. I don't have any more time," she said.
Robin put his face in his hand, his elbow rested atop his desk.
"I just. Can't. I don't know right now. I'm confused, and unsure of what I desire," he said.
"So there is something in your heart for me?" she questioned, accusatory, "It's that little wench of a dragon that-"She stopped in her tracks, and let out a soft gasp, "I'm sorry I didn't."
He didn't let her finish that statement.
Robin slammed his fist onto the desk, a small crack appeared, running vertically up one of the legs of the table.
"Guards!" he shouted.
His men burst into the room, weapons drawn, surprised at his sudden shout.
"My Lord Robin?" one of them said.
Robin took a deep breath, "Please escort Lady Jordane back to her suite. It's about the time of day when she meets with the princess, and she seems to have had a little too much wine. She could use some time to calm herself beforehand."
"Yes my Lord," the men saluted, "Come along Lady Jordane. Take my arm now."
Jordane bowed her head in defeat, and interlocked her elbow properly with the guard.
She stopped for a moment and looked back at him, and said, "Good day Lord Robin," before turning and allowing his men to guide her away.
He said nothing back, in turn choosing to turn back to his desk and pick up his quill as his door was closed. He had a fire report to write.
Robin bowed before Chrom. He made a show of it. There were many nobles in the court that day. All of them wanted to know about the fire. His written report was being passed around, but he was likewise expected to speak of what he found, and should he need, vocally fix any errors in this report.
Chrom spoke, "Rise, tactician," Robin stood from his kneeled position, "Speak."
"My lord. As the report mentions, five days ago I left Ylisstol, leading eleven mages armed with Fimbulvetr, and fifteen Ylissean Knights to ensure the safety of the mages. Around noon on the second day, we reached the location assumed to be the fire's origin. There the mages and I agreed that the fire's origin was indeed a magical one. It was agreed upon that the most likely culprit for the start of this fire was a rogue mage, or even a powerful outlaw magician."
"And you, the tactician, saw fit to not lead your small militant force in pursuit of one mage?" a noble said.
Robin bowed low, "Duke Themis. There are two reasons I deemed it inappropriate to pursue the offender, perhaps even three. The first was that while the offender may yet be at large, I made the decision that stopping the fire was of upmost importance. Beside this point there were no tracks leading anywhere away from the burnt forest, I could assume, because of this that either the offender died with the fire, meaning there is no worry, or it might mean that a force including wyverns, or pegasi is involved. Which brings me to my third point, a force powerful enough to attract such skill as flying combatants is likely more than large enough to handle the small force I had," Robin breathed, content with his speech.
The Duke of Themis merely grunted, choosing to say no more.
Chrom spoke again, "Anyone who desires questions, speak now."
There was a low grumbling in the massive circle of nobles around the court. It appeared as if they were quietly discussing the matter. Robin was patient as the nobles quietly discussed up and down the rows. Eventually, it was somehow unanimously agreed upon that they were done discussing things, and an elderly man stood up.
"The court has nothing more to say on this matter your grace," he said.
Chrom stood from his throne, followed by every other member of court. Robin yet again knelt down in front of Chrom.
"Very well then," Chrom began, "I decree this matter dismissed. Rise Lord Tactician Robin, you are free to leave."
Robin stood again, and bowed low, before removing himself from the spacious chamber. Some random noble that Robin had yet to be acquainted with passed him by for his own turn at the courts. The man lifted his nose to Robin, perhaps not knowing who he was.
Being the royal tactician afforded him rank above most people in the kingdom, barring the few dukes and the royal family. In war, Chrom was the only person who could outright veto his word. He didn't much care for the habits of nobles or the status of rank, yet he attempted to at least be educated in propriety. That was a truly boorish man, arrogant enough to wear a cloak inside the castle.
Behind him, just as the doors closed, Robin heard something he hadn't heard in a long time. It was the blood curdling scream of a woman. The guards immediately threw the great, gold embellished doors open again and Robin rushed passed them into the giant chamber.
In the middle of the room, Chrom himself was locking blades with the noble that Robin had not recognized. Across the room, Frederick was rushing forwards, but was slowed by his armor. On the other side of the room, from the entrance, Robin sprinted forward, drawing his blade, as did the guards following behind him.
The would-be-assassin saw what was coming for him, and reacted in a way that none of them in the room could have expected. He dropped his guard, and Robin saw in his hand a yellow tome, signifying electricity. Chrom managed to slash the assassin before he cast his spell.
The room was illuminated in a blinding hot light, followed by the deafening crack of thunder. A massive gaping whole opened in the ceiling. Frederick tackled Chrom away from the gigantic stone blocks as they fell. Likewise, Robin and the guards dove away from the center of the room shielding their heads and necks. A small fist sized piece of stone struck his shoulder for a glancing blow, and he knew that it would bruise horribly. The debris cracked down onto the floor, creating massive cracks in the stone floor.
Robin heard the whinny of a horse, and knew that the failed assassin was escaping through the whole he had made in the roof. Quickly as he could, Robin regained his footing on the now uneven ground and immediately commanded the guards.
"Bring word to Taxia Cordelia to mobilize the Pegasus knights," he commanded, before halting, "scratch that, scramble the guard into high alert, I'll do it myself. No one gets in or out without special notice. Check with Sir Frederick. Somebody else go and find Princess Lissa. Escort her to her room. I want two men on her balcony garden, and three men outside her door."
The castle guards barely had time to salute him before he was sprinting to the Pegasus roost, which was built onto a massive stone platform connected to the castle. It was at least four flights of stairs into the sky. The platform had a thick layer of dirt to facilitate for softer landings. Really it was a great display of Ylissean power. No other similar structure existed in the world.
The amazing architecture did nothing for him then, as he sprinted up the stairs 3 at a time, flying passed the royal embroidery along the walls. He landed at the top of the stairs, completely breathless, but continued running towards the Pegasus knights' barracks, which was likewise up on the platform. Somebody some him coming, and soon Cordelia was jogging out to meet him.
"What is it Robin," she asked, stopping in front of him.
Robin gulped air, "Assassin. He failed. Escaped… by Pegasus, mobilize the knights. It looked like he was headed to the northwest, but he may have doubled back or picked a new direction. Check all the likely spots. Nobody got a good look at him, except maybe Chrom. He was cloaked. The Pegasus had a small brown patch of fur under the left wing I think," Robin stopped to breathe for a moment, "The man was about my height, but slimmer by some small margin."
Cordelia whistled, and waved her hand. Someone came running immediately. The knight stopped and saluted them both.
"Ma'am. My Lord," she said.
"Get everyone in the air. We have a traitor of the crown to catch. Robin's height. Slimmer build. Brown spot under the left wing of the Pegasus. Northwest. Send them in all directions just in case. Everyone should carry their royal seal, they won't be able to get back to the castle otherwise," directed.
Soon the grounds were crowded with pegasi and their knights doing last minute checks on saddles and wings. Cordelia, mounted on her own flying steed, stood at the head of the quickly forming flight formation to chase directly after the assassin. Other knights in smaller groups would go in all directions and search thoroughly.
There was nothing more he could do here. He couldn't fly a Pegasus very well, and he knew that riding double with any of the knights would only hinder them. Robin rubbed his temples. This was going to be a long day, and a long night, and a long week, until they found the culprit, or all signs were lost.
Robin headed back down the staircase. Much slower, yet still at a steady pace beyond leisure. He still had some work to do with Frederick about security. First though, before that, he would report to Chrom.
He found the Exalt sitting on his throne in the court room with Libra. Several attendants ran about. Robin noticed a local architect inspecting the damage. As Robin drew nearer, he could see that Libra was concentrating on magically stitching together a cut across Chrom's arm. There would be no scarring.
Robin stopped in front of Chrom, and grunted.
"I got Cordelia to mobilize the Knights. They're in pursuit as we speak," Robin said.
Chrom sighed, "Good. That'll appease the court."
Robin nodded in understanding, "I suppose that the knights won't catch him. They're too young and inexperienced," Robin glanced around the Court room, "I see Frederick has gotten to work."
"Yes," Chrom agreed, "It's a wonder that he isn't right next to me right now. Frederick is going around and assessing all of the larger rooms for their viability and dependability. This part of the castle isn't the safest right now, and won't be for some time. The estimates are running that it is going to take at least a few weeks for them to get measurements in and get the stone cut for the rebuilding. Then they have to do the actual fixing of the room. It might not be done for a few months."
Suddenly Chrom started laughing, it was a throaty laugh from the man he hadn't heard in a while. It was the kind of laugh one might produce in the face of an ironic situation.
"What is it Chrom?" Robin said.
"I was just thinking something, Robin," Chrom leaned against his uninjured arm, "That was the best and most exciting thing to happen to me since I've been crowned. And I could have died." Chrom snorted out a laugh again.
"Yes I suppose that did add a bit of excitement to your day," Robin said, dryly, "I suppose I'll be saddled with the paperwork again too. Hmm." Robin put his hand to his chin.
"Don't worry. I'll find somebody else to do it. It involves moving a lot of money around, so perhaps I can load it onto the treasurer."
Robin just smiled and let Chrom do his plotting. He liked to joke about, but Robin knew that Chrom would end up doing a lot of the work, and a lot of the stress, no matter what he said.
"Have fun with that Chrom, I'm going to go to my room and rest for a bit. Maybe I'll take a nap until morning. It's been a long day. Let me know what goes down in the morning." Robin began walking away.
There was literally nothing else he could do to help the castle in its current situation. He was a tactician, as much as he wanted to be a politician at times. There would be interrogations, but he wouldn't see light of them. Frederick could organize the guard on his own, and Robin knew the knight let him assist out of some form of pity. His job, reacting, had been done. The Pegasus knights would take some days in an attempt to track down the culprit, or return at all.
In the meantime there was nothing he could do save busying himself with worry over ifs and hows. Most of the work he did was technically not his job, and Robin knew Chrom dumped extra work on him to keep him from boredom. Ylisse's standing army was virtually nonexistent, and what few troops they kept around were paid well and lived in middle district of Ylisstol.
Robin could relate to them as career soldiers. When not at war, their only job was to keep themselves sharp and ready. Robin's job was similar. He was to study tactics, invent new tactics, and do some light paperwork and documentation on the side.
As Robin made his way back to his suite, he took note of how often new patrols of the castle guard passed by. Robin quickly realized that Frederick had pentupled the number of rounds that the guards made. He counted no less than fifteen patrols from the court to his door. By morning he was certain they would calm down. The guards couldn't keep up such a workload for too long.
His room's guards were not present, and he assumed Frederick had taken them for patrols.
Across the room, and through the door to his office, Robin found a concise letter from Frederick noting the occurrence of his missing guards, and too take it to the knight himself if he had complaints. The note prompted Robin to do a mental shrug.
The only reason he had guards was because Chrom insisted. Likely it was just a tradition for the Royal Tactician to have guards. He was an important man after all, and he probably had many enemies. There was no secret to his location. As an Ylissean tradition of social rules and law, anyone who had done the necessary paperwork, noble or not, could meet with him or even Chrom.
Not having guards was not much of a bother. People in the castle knew not to bother him without emergency. At one point the maids stopped coming in at night to clean his chamber pot out, which was useless anyway. Chrom had had a type of sewage system implemented in the royal suites, and there were no longer any uses for such things. For Robin at least.
The maids didn't even come in the morning to prepare him a fresh set of clothing, and though it had been offered to him, they were not allowed to dress him either.
Robin sighed. His reminiscing was getting him nowhere. Those were simple things. Being alone, and not busy was getting him nowhere. So much had happened in a single day.
He had spent the morning carrying Nowi on horseback and then through the castle to the healers quarters, and he would never stop complaining about how heavy she was. Then his fight with Jordane, which even now, several hours later, brought his blood to boil thinking about.
Thinking about her now didn't bring any of the wistful thinking as it had before. He had genuinely cared for her. He didn't know if he had cared for her in such a way as to marry her, but he did know that her panicked words made him angry. Nowi didn't deserve that kind of treatment.
Even now he was growing more angry thinking about it and he didn't know why. Wishing to calm himself Robin walked out to his balcony and looked out over the ledge at were the Ylissean hills met the darkening sky. The beautiful view did nothing to dampen his high emotions.
He stood there, leaning against the fencing of his balcony, and stewing in his thoughts. He couldn't help it, and without anything to distract him, he wasn't sure if he could stop his circular emotional reason. It was just an echo chamber for his anger and other emotions he didn't like, or wasn't sure about.
As he stood watching the night end of the sunset, the entire side of the castle cast in one long shadow, he tasted the salt of his anger, and reveled in it. He allowed it to flow until he was physically drained. Then he went to bed.
Nowi walked alongside Lissa through the castle. She was up and about so soon through no small amount of will power. She was grateful for the dress she currently wore, which did much to hide her shaky steps and wobbly legs, still weak, and now that her bath was over and she had cooled down, they were quite sore. It felt like she had overexerted every muscle in her body, and she knew that she had.
Nowi looked through a passing window as she followed Lissa back to her room to retrieve her Dragonstone. She was dressed in light and flowy dress that was, thankfully, incredibly modest. Nowi didn't wear dresses often. But then again, a year ago she didn't wear a whole lot all. Not much covered to retain her decency.
She had gotten used to such modesty, and was thankful that it was no longer terribly uncomfortable to wear, as she would likely not be going back to her old form of dress until she was alone and traveling again.
"You lied to me Lissa. It's fairly late in the day," she said, judging by the longer shadows.
"Oops," Lissa said, " Silly ol' me. I seem to have lost track of time. I was so busy with you that I missed afternoon tea with a young visiting noble. How shameful." Lissa rose the back of her hand to her forehead in a dramatic fashion.
Nowi chuckled.
Lissa didn't want to tell her who, but Nowi all but knew for certain who Lissa had been talking about. She did her best to ignore an anxious feeling she had in her stomach.
That was when a guard rushed up to them.
"Princess Lissa. My Lady. It is Lord Robin's orders for you to be escorted to your room," Then the guard turned to her, "I apologize Miss Nowi, but only Princess Lissa will be permitted in her room at this time."
The guard bowed to her, and as she escorted Lissa away, Lissa waved.
Nowi smiled and waved back, as soon as Lissa had rounded the corner, Nowi let out a breath that she hadn't know she was holding in. Immediately she had to take in a few deep breathes to calm herself.
In, it's okay Nowi. She still has it. Out, the Dragonstone isn't going anywhere. It'll be there when you get to it. In, you're in control. You are calm. Out, you don't need it right now. You are going to live, she assured herself.
Hoping the anxiety wasn't obvious on her face, Nowi slowly made her way down to the dining hall, hoping for some place to sit for a while. She didn't actually have any lodgings prepared for herself. The first night she'd been back she slept on Robin. After that, she had slept in a burning forest, and then on Robin's horse, and in then Robin's arms...
It made her chest ache to think about it so she decided to think about something else. Anything else. Something distracting.
What about opposite thoughts? Nowi though, I don't like that noble girl, yeah that's the opposite of Robin- oops. No, bad. Not now.
"Hey, Dragon Girl. Over this way."
Speak of the Devil incarnate.
Nowi searched for the voice, quickly locating it down a small servant's passage. The voice sent small shivers of not quite describable emotions down her spine.
Nowi walked over to the passage, "Yes my lady?" Nowi pursed her lips together, trying to avoid a scowl.
"I don't need any silly pleasantries or honorifics from you, you damn dragon. I have something you want."
"What?" Nowi said, genuinely confused.
The young woman in front of her nonchalantly examined her fine, and well cared for fingernails for a moment before responding again.
"I have a certain little rock in my possession. Something I'm sure you would want."
Nowi nearly assaulted her then and there, and she wanted to avoid being provoked at all costs. She wouldn't be able to overpower the noble lady anyway.
"Give it to me. It's mine, and you know it. It has no use to you," Nowi growled.
The woman in front of her chuckled softly, "That's where you're wrong dear stupid girl. I can turn that stone to dust if I wanted. If you want it back you'll have to do as I say to the letter."
Nowi genuinely scowled at the woman, "What do you want."
"Foolish girl. It isn't about what I want, now is it? It's all about you. It was you all along. And you'll get it. I've prepared a special place for us, where we will be all alone and have all the time in the world. Meet me in the royal court at sundown tomorrow. I assure you nobody will be there to disturb us…."