Title: A Bird's Flitting Dream
Writer: Neph Champion
Idea: Awakening: Robin has never been shy, she is confidant and controls powerful magic. She is clear spoken and articulate and has no problem making her opinion knows. Unfortunately, she can't remember anything but a horrible dream, her new commander Beloved and her own name. But there's a problem, if she's not talking tactics with Beloved she gets tongue tied, can't seem to string two words together without stuttering, and she seems to almost lose her voice! What is going on?
Summary: Beloved was the first thing Robin can remember seeing so of course she would fall in love with him. But she is not by any means shy and will do anything to make sure that her dream never comes to pass. And who knows, perhaps she will win Beloved's heart along the way…
Disclaimer: Fire Emblem is the property of Nintendo.
Warning: Robin is Build 1, Face 1, Hair 3, Hair Color: 12.
(The Exalt and the King)
The second week into their march to the border found Chrom stretching as he walked through camp, coming back from a meeting with Emmeryn and Phila. And Robin too.
"Mah, ever since I accidentally walked in on Robin in the bathing area in Ferox," he sighed, "I've felt awkward around her."
He headed towards his tent. "Whenever we're alone I freeze. What should I do?"
He opened the flap to his tent and walked in. "I've never had this problem before and I can't talk to Emm about it." He snapped his fingers. "I know. I'll take a bath. Perhaps the hot water and steam will calm my nerves. After a quick soak I can go find my tactician, and we can chat as we always do."
Happy with his solution, Chrom grabbed his bathing supplies and headed to the men's bathing tent.
On the other side of camp, Robin was trying to find where the lances and axes were kept. She knew it was around here somewhere. "Let's see. The armament tent is here somewhere. Here it is!"
She opened the flap, almost freezing when steam came out. This was not good. To go in or not? This could not be the tent she wanted, but if Chrom was in here, she supposed the real question was whether she wanted revenge on her dork of a husband for walking in on her or not. A mischievous smile worked its way onto her face and she walked in. "Right then. I'll just head in." Her voice was loud.
Chrom froze his cheeks reddening. "Robin! Where did you come from?" He'd just gotten out to dress and go find her. Now he was wishing he'd stayed in the water.
Robin blushed turning away, letting out a calculated scream as she reached for something to throw.
Chrom ducked. "Blazes, what are you screaming for? You walked in on me this time." Why was she throwing things again?
Shouldn't he be the one throwing things at her? "Ouch!" Was that the soap dish?
"Would you stop throwing things at me already?"
Robin kept facing away from him. "Have you no shame?" she scolded him loudly, "Noble or not, you should at least wear a towel when addressing a lady!"
"But you" - he couldn't quite dodge the next projectile - "Ow, you were the one to walk in on me this time!"
Robin deflated, feeling rather ashamed of herself. "I'm sorry," she whispered as tears welled up in her eyes. She hadn't meant to get so carried away. "Forgive me, Prince Chrom."
Chrom took the chance to pull his clothes on. "Are you done throwing things at me?"
Robin bowed her head in mortification. Why had she thrown that stuff at her beloved husband? "I think so." She blushed. "I don't know what happened. I guess something just snapped."
"Well, no harm done." He rubbed his stinging ear. "Perhaps this is the Gods' justice for when I walked in on you." He laughed nervously.
Robin giggled. "Thanks for being so good natured about it. Can I turn around now?"
"Sure," Chrom replied as he tried to get his cape to sit right.
Robin turned around. "I feel terrible about the soap dish." She pushed his hands away and fixed his cape. "How's your ear?"
"Well it stings," Chrom blushed at how close they were standing, very aware of just how pretty his Tactician was, "But it's feeling better."
"That's good." Robin blushed as she looked up at him, they were so close.
"Besides, look on the bright side." He kissed her unshed tears away tenderly.
"What bright side?" she breathed curiously as her eyes closed reflexively.
Chrom shrugged. "We've seen each other naked now right?" His cheeks were the same dark red hers were.
"So I guess we've got nothing left to hide." His smile was nervous.
"In a way, we are closer than ever."
"Not in the most appropriate way I'm sure," she retorted as Chrom slid an arm around her shoulders like he usually did when they chatted.
"But I suppose as long as no one else knows about this then it's alright." She looked up at him and froze. Their faces were millimeters apart, and she could feel his breath on her lips. She longed for him to close the gap, to kiss her.
Chrom nervously pulled back a bit. That was too close. Another minute and he'd have kissed her. He wanted to, but he didn't know how she felt about him. He gave her a silly, lopsided grin. "It's kind of like we're partners in crime" He laughed.
"Really?" she asked as a similar silly grin appearing on her own face.
"Well yeah, sharing an unsavory past."
She giggled. "You goof."
"Hey," Chrom grasped her chin and turned her head so that she was looking into his eyes again, "anything that brings us closer will make us stronger on the battlefield. Just you wait."
"Alright, I like the sound of that anyway." She chuckled. "Alright partner, your secret is safe with me."
The day before the Parlay with Gangrel
Robin scribbled something in her journal as she finalized the last of her plans should things go south and her Shepherds were forced to fight. "Okay, So Frederick and Stahl are over here, and Donnel is helping Sully on the other side." She rested her chin on one hand. "Should Sumia be the one to grab Maribelle or not, since we have to worry about archers maybe…"
She hadn't seen Chrom all day, but she wasn't too worried just yet. As long as Chrom knew the plans she had in place, he'd be fine, and she wasn't about to let him fight on his own. She just hoped that he wouldn't do anything rash.
She yawned. "What time is it?" Usually Chrom was there to drag her to bed if she stayed up late enough. "Never mind, we still have a bit of a march before we get to the meeting place tomorrow."
She smiled as the last of her contingency plans fell into place. "Chrom may have been avoiding me for the last three days, but I'm glad that I'm finally finished with my plans." She stretched as she got up from her seat to put her supplies away.
She left the tent rubbing one eye as she did so, walked past Chrom's to get to her own, an only stopping when she heard voices in Chrom's tent.
"Sister, you're looking too far into this and finding something that's not there," she heard her beloved say.
"Oh, Chrom, it's obvious to anyone with eyes that you are smitten with that tactician of yours," Emmeryn's voice said. "When are you going to get off your duff and ask her to marry you? I'll handle the wedding details."
Her beloved stuttered for a good minute. "Emm, it's really not like that!"
Emmeryn giggled. "Everyone can see the way she looks at you." There was a smacking sound.
"She's probably been in love with you since you found her."
Robin blushed. Did Beloved love her back now? She hoped so.
"You're just as bad as Lissa, Emm," Chrom grumbled.
"Admit it already and we'll back off," the Exalt tempted. "She has been acting as your Princess Consort for how long now?"
Robin's ears pricked the longer the silence lasted. "Alright fine!" Chrom hissed. "I think I've been in love with Robin since I found her!"
There was a clap of hands, and Robin knew that it was Emmeryn. "Wonderful. Now, I shall take care of your wedding plans, but you really should ask Robin soon."
Robin retreated to her tent. What had she just heard? She fell onto her bedroll and tried to keep her pleasure to herself. Beloved loved her! She wanted to scream in happiness.
Then she sat bolt upright. Didn't that make Marth her child, since Chrom was obviously Marth's father? She giggled at the silliness of it all. "I can't believe I was jealous of myself," she muttered when she'd finally gotten her laughter under control.
For the first time since she woke with no memories, Robin slept well, dreaming of her and Chrom's wedding, and of baby Marth.
Border Pass: Midmorning
Robin's sharp eyes took everything in from her place just behind Chrom. There were a lot of troops here. "It seems my battle plans will be needed after all," she muttered almost silently.
Chrom squeezed her hand. "We knew that already, Robin," he reminded her as he kept his eyes out for Gangrel and Maribelle.
"Can you fault me for hoping that my contingency plans wouldn't be needed?" She wasn't sure why she'd hoped that anymore. "I wonder which plan we'll need."
Her eyes narrowed. They'd need someone to grab Maribelle so. "Plan A and sub plan C I think."
Chrom hummed in agreement and nodded to Sumia, who smiled back. "You got it. I'll protect Maribelle, Princess Tactician."
"Good to know," she muttered as they came to a stop. "No sight of Maribelle yet but…"
"There's Gangrel," Chrom muttered, gritting his teeth.
"Hush, My Prince," Robin soothed. "He will get what's coming to him eventually."
Gangrel cackled when he saw them all. "What's this then?" he laughed madly. "The Exalt herself in all her radiance!"
"Boy is he playing this up," Robin breathed sarcastically.
"This is how he always is. There's a reason he is called the 'Mad King'."
"I have never doubted you, Chrom," Robin replied and squeezed his hand.
Gangrel stopped laughing. "I fear I must shield my eyes." The sarcasm was dripping from his words.
Emmeryn took a step forward, almost hiding her younger siblings and Robin, from view. "King Gangrel," her voice was strong and carried well but she was not yelling, "I've come for the unfortunate truth between us."
"The truth?" a white haired woman wearing a Dark Flier uniform laughed. "I can give you the truth."
Emmeryn smiled peacefully. "Perhaps milady might first share her name?" Her voice pleasant, as if she and the Dark Flier were chatting about the weather.
The Dark Flier frowned. "You may call me Aversa."
"Very well," Emmeryn's smile gained a bit of an edge. "Aversa, is Maribelle unharmed?"
Gangrel cut in. "Who?" He pretended to forget. "Oh yes, that little blonde brat," he spat. That was the signal for one of his men to bring her forward.
"Unhand me you gutter-born troglodyte!" Maribelle snarled as she was pulled into view of the Ylissean contingent.
"Maribelle!" Lissa gasped. Why did this have to happen to her best friend?
Maribelle blinked, her eyes moving quickly before landing on Lissa almost at once. "Lissa? Is that you darling?"
Aversa snorted and rolled her eyes. "This girl crossed the Plegian border without our consent," she shrugged uncaringly. "She wounded the brave Plegian soldiers who sought only to escort her safely home."
"Somehow I don't believe that," Robin muttered as Maribelle seethed.
"Lies!" She snarled, spitting her words as if they were poison. "You speak nothing but lies you hag!"
Aversa chuckled but said nothing as Maribelle raged.
"Did they not teach the meaning of the word 'truth' in your wretched-crone school?" she finished with an elegant sneer painted on her lips.
Aversa shook her head. "You see?" she asked sarcastically her voice becoming that one might use with a small child. "No manners at all. Such a nasty little bird simply had to be caged."
Robin shook with anger as she listened to Aversa disparage one of her new friends "I'm not going to let that, that," she couldn't find a word vile enough, "do this to one of my friends. Not Sumia, not Lissa, not Miriel, not Sully, and especially not Maribelle!"
Chrom's grip tightened on her hand. "Don't worry. We'll save her."
She nodded, her blazing golden eyes meeting his not-so-calm cobalt eyes. "Don't forget your plans, Robin," he reminded her.
Gangrel laughed almost hysterically. "Such a violent temper," he almost purred in malevolence. "It speaks to her guilt doesn't it?"
His mad grin almost split his face. "This calls for a weighty punishment," his chuckle turned downright revolting. "And if she were to later confess to being an Ylissean spy?"
He put a hand over his mouth, faking, rather obviously, horror. "My goodness, it would take an act of considerable good faith to repair our relations."
Maribelle couldn't stay silent anymore, having spat out the gag that had been placed in her mouth by one of Gangrel's men. "I have done nothing wrong!" she scoffed and turned pleading eyes on her Exalt. "It is them who should confess, they are the ones who invaded Ylisse."
She sent a sideways glare that the Plegian King. "They razed an entire village. When I attempted to intervene they dragged me across the border." Her rage caused her voice to rise. "Let the charred and plundered homes and shops of that village serve as my proof."
Robin took a deep breath. "Maribelle, calm down, I know you are angry. We all are."
"Madam Tactician," Maribelle took a deep breath and calmed herself as best she could since she knew Robin was right.
Gangrel snorted then chuckled cruelly. "That only proves that Ylisse has a bandit problem," he retorted, still chuckling almost softly.
"Something I hear oft as of late," he smirked. "Indeed, tonight I shall weep salty tears into my pillow for your dead villagers."
"Your Grace, please," Maribelle called much more calmly, pleading with Emmeryn.
"Peace, Maribelle," Emmeryn reassured the Troubadour with an almost gentle smile, "I believe you."
She turned deceptively soft eyes on the king. "King Gangrel, I request that you release this woman at once," her voice carried. "Surely you and I can sort out these affairs without the need of hostages."
Gangrel snorted and lost the façade of his jovial demeanor. "Without so much as an apology?" He laughed. "Why should I even bother with this parlay?"
His fake smile turned contemptuous. "I'm well within my rights to have her head this instant and be home in time for supper."
Gangrel gave the signal and his men started closing in on Emmeryn.
Chrom didn't hesitate and cut down one that came too close to his sister and Robin. He had to protect them. "You black-hearted Devil!" Chrom snarled with Falchion at the ready. His eyes made the others stop.
Gangrel huffed. "Control your dog my dear, before he gets someone hurt," he threatened.
Chrom growled as Robin came to his side.
"Calm down, My Prince," she whispered. "Sumia needs time to get up to where Maribelle is."
"You're right," Chrom hated to agree, "but I couldn't just let." His eyes widened.
Robin pulled back from the kiss. "All you were doing was defending us. Had you gone to cut anyone else down, you would lose the self-defense protection, and it would have been an act of war."
Chrom nodded, and they both turned back to Gangrel, wondering what his demand would be.
"Now then," Gangrel's sneer was downright toxic, "Your Graceliness, perhaps we can arrange a trade?"
"What could he possibly want in trade?" Robin asked. "Nothing I can think of stacks against Maribelle's life."
Gangrel answered Robin's question with what he said next. "You give me the Fire Emblem, and I return Mari Contrary here in one piece."
"What?" Robin blinked. "What's the Fire Emblem?"
Emmeryn glared. "You would ask for Ylisse's royal treasure? But why?"
"Because I know the legend," Gangrel crowed. "The Fire Emblem is the key to having all one's wishes realized."
Robin's eyes narrowed, "I'm not impressed."
"I have desired it for years, years." Gangrel snarled. "Yet my birthday comes and goes each year, and nothing from Ylisse." He chortled again. It was his most unsettling laugh yet.
"The Emblem's power is meant to one single purpose," Emmeryn actually growled. "To save the world and its people in their most desperate hour. Would you really claim a more noble wish?"
His dark laugh sent shivers up everyone's spines. "I want what every Plegian wants," he boomed and stood, "a grisly end to every last Ylissean."
Robin couldn't stand it anymore. "Not everyone," she stepped out from behind both Emmeryn and Chrom. Never had she been more proud of her cloak. "Then again, I'm not one of you."
"What?" Chrom rushed forward to be by her side in case she was attacked.
Gangrel frowned as he met Robin's blazing eyes. "Surely you have not forgotten what the last Exalt did to my people?"
"Your people aren't me," Robin spat. "I proudly stand with them."
Gangrel growled and turned back to Emmeryn. "Your father named us heathens. His 'crusade' across Plegia butchered countless of my subjects and my kin."
Emmeryn shook her head as she once again stepped forward to help Chrom to once again hide Robin from view. "I have never denied Ylisse's past wrongdoings." She pulled herself up to her full height. "I have sworn to never repeat those mistakes. Ours is now a realm of peace."
"Yours is now a haven of hypocrisy." The Mad King spat. "Now give me the Fire Emblem!"
Maribelle had to be pulled back by her captives as she struggled forward. "No, Your Grace," she shouted, sounding distressed and desperate. "I'd sooner die than act as a bargaining chip for this filthy reprobate."
"Maribelle, no," Emmeryn breathed.
Gangrel looked disgusted. "Taaaaaalk talk-talk-talk-talk. It's time to speak louder than words," he roared. "This negotiation is over, Your Luminosity. I shall have the Emblem if I have to pry it from your shiny dead hands."
The brigands Gangrel hired once again approached, and Chrom, already on edge because of before, gave them no chance and cut down the two closest to him and Robin.
"Stay back, or you'll suffer the same fate," he thundered while keeping Robin shielded.
Gangrel smiled as if he'd struck gold. "Now that's a declaration of war if I've ever heard one," He sniggered. "A big, messy war that will bleed you Ylisseans dry."
He laughed evilly.
Chrom's eyes narrowed as Robin placed a hand on his shoulder, raising her hand to signal Sumia until she noticed something. "Chrom, look where Maribelle is!"
Aversa was mocking Maribelle, though even Robin's sharp ears couldn't hear what she was saying, when there was a flash of wind magic.
And Robin had a flash of insight. "Ricken. Ricken must have followed us! Ok, Plan A and not Sub Plan C but Sub Plan B!"
Chrom nodded. "Right," his voice rose. "You heard our Madam Tactician, get ready!"
Donnel scrambled up behind Sully, who helped him. "You alright?" Sully asked.
Donnel nodded. "Yup!"
"Good, because things are about to get messy," Sully gave her passenger a slightly blood thirsty smile.
Sumia pulled Lissa up behind her saddle. "Ready?"
"Am I ever!" Lissa smirked.
"Charge," Robin shouted.
On the other side of the battlefield, Gangrel was basking in his victory. His laugh was almost jovial. "I have my war. Captain Orton, remain here, and take down as many Ylisseans as you can." He was feeling giddy.
"You can expect reinforcements from the forts as well. Now, do your best—at doing your worst!"
"Yes, sir." Orton smirked. "You know me well, Sire."
"Frederick, you and Lon'qu clear us a path to the General. They'll fall apart with him gone. Then we can pick off the rest," Robin commanded
"Yes, Madam Tactician." Frederick pulled Lon'qu up behind his saddle and took off.
"Ricken, you keep an eye on Maribelle," Robin called.
"You can count on me, Princess Tactician," Ricken replied, using his wind magic to amplify his voice.
Robin blushed as Chrom pulled her after Frederick. "Mind on the battle, love."
She smiled. "Always, beloved." She pulled out her Elthunder book. "Ready when you are."
"I was born ready." They dashed forward and picked off the few that Frederick and Lon'qu missed.
Finally, Chrom and Robin were in front of General Orton. He smirked and leered at Robin. "I won't ask for your name, just your life."
Chrom stepped in front of Robin as she concentrated on her spell. "Well, you won't get either, nor will you touch my love."
Robin fought down a blush. "Go for it. Ready?"
Chrom rushed forward. "Now I'm angry." The man had looked to be undressing his best friend with his eyes. No one was going to touch Robin on his watch.
Chrom was so angry that he nearly missed, and then if Robin hadn't pushed him out of the way, blocking with her sword. "Predictable. Why don't you just back off?" She brought up her palm, Elthunder spell crackling, and let it fly. "Checkmate!"
Chrom panted. "Thanks, Love."
Orton fell to his knees. "This matters not, and soon, war will be," He coughed up blood, "upon your soil." He fell face first into the sand.
Maribelle rode up to them. She was panting with Ricken hanging onto her, "Captain, Princess Tactician, are you ok?"
"We're fine Maribelle," Robin replied with a blush at her new nickname.
Lissa slid from Sumia's Pegasus and rushed over as Maribelle herself dismounted to get a better look at her tactician and Captain. "Are you alright, Maribelle?" Lissa asked and tackle hugged her friend.
"Oof," Maribelle almost lost her footing. "Nothing I didn't return tenfold darling," she reassured the other blonde girl as she pulled her staff from its sling so that she could heal Chrom and Robin if they needed it.
"I'm glad you're safe." Robin smiled tiredly.
"Oh think nothing of it, Princess Tactician," Maribelle smirked. "It's my job to look after everyone else… even my darling Lissa."
Robin nodded. "It's a relief, since you can't use a weapon just yet."
"Yes well," Maribelle hesitated for a split second, "thank you for rescuing me."
"What are friends for?" Robin asked with a soft smile.
Chrom slung his arm around Robin's shoulders. "Let's get back to camp."
Everyone else nodded in agreement.
That night: General Meeting Tent
"I'm sorry, Emm," Chrom's shoulders slumped. "I acted rashly."
Emmeryn waved his apology away. "Chrom, it's alright." She got up from her chair and hugged her younger brother. "King Gangrel is the one at fault. You were only protecting me."
Chrom nodded and closed his eyes. He still felt guilty.
Robin put her left hand on one of his shoulders. "I'm here, Chrom," she whispered and leaned against his back.
"I know." She'd always be there to help him up if he needed it.
"The Mad King will be rallying his forces, if they haven't already." Frederick looked between Emmeryn, her brother, and the Shepherd's Tactician.
"Then shouldn't we be heading back to the capital so that we can discuss our strategy in safety?" Robin asked and looked over Chrom's shoulder at Emmeryn.
"Of course," Emmeryn agreed. "It seems war is upon us, we must protect our people at all costs."
A week and a half later
Robin smiled as she walked into Chrom's tent one afternoon. "Chrom," she chirped, "just the man I want to see." She looked away and licked her lips.
"We need to talk."
Chrom looked up. "R-Robin?" Oh no, what had he done this time?
"It's about the route you drew up for tomorrow's march." Robin walked passed him and unfurled the map onto his makeshift table. "I was looking at the map when I noticed..." She stopped and turned to look at him.
"Are you even listening to me?" Had she done something to make him hate her?
Chrom laughed nervously and scratched the back of his neck. "Uh, oh! Of course." He paused, "Actually, I kind of had something to do…"
Robin lowered her head to keep him from seeing her tears. "You're acting very strange, Chrom." Her mouth dried. "Are you hiding something from me?" Her voice was so soft he almost couldn't hear her.
Chrom began to sweat. "Hide?" Why would he do that? "You mean hide, hide? Nope! You know I wouldn't hide anything from you."
Robin giggled. The sound barely covered her sob. "Then why are you fidgeting like you've got a squirrel in your pantaloons?"
"No I'm not," Chrom replied as he went to the tent flaps and tied them closed as tightly as he could, not knowing that his two sisters were out there listening along with several of the Shepherds.
"I'm perfectly relaxed and normal." He turned back to her and found that she hadn't looked up at him like she usually did.
"And refusing to meet my eye?" she asked. Her voice rose as she finally turned to look at her beloved. She was so close to tears it wasn't funny. "Didn't you tell me that we were close friends, best friends, with no secrets between us?"
Chrom had no answer.
"You did mean no secrets didn't you?" Her eyes fall to the floor as she fought to not let her tears fall.
"N-no I mean, yes," Chrom sighed as he fought to keep from swallowing his foot again. "I swear it's not like that, Robin!"
Her shoulders started shaking and she forced a sigh. "I know you've been avoiding me recently." She turned away from him. "I'd like to know why. I deserve some kind of explanation, right?"
She didn't notice when Chrom had come to her side or when he'd cupped her chin with his hand and turned her face so that she was looking up at him again. "Please," she pleaded, barely keeping her tears from falling, "I can't keep pretending that nothing's wrong. Do you really dislike my company that much now?"
"Dislike you?" Chrom asked in disbelief as he watched the tears start to fall from her eyes. He hadn't meant to let it get this far. He'd never wanted to hurt her.
"Robin, of course I don't dislike you." He leaned in and kissed her tears away. "Nothing could be farther from the truth."
"Then why are you avoiding me?" she asked as he pulled away slightly. Neither noticing just how close they were.
"Uh," Chrom slowly leaned in. He just couldn't resist any more.
"Chrom? Mm," Robin's eyes widened then closed as she relaxed into the kiss, and pressing back, fueled it with all the love she felt for her Prince.
Finally, Chrom had to pull away for air and noticed how Robin was gazing up at him cheeks a bright red. "D-don't look at me like that." He turned away. "It's just, we've always been fighting together side by side."
She blinked in confusion.
"I first thought of you as an ally then comrade and finally friend," he whispered. "The bond between us is so strong, I only realized it when Emm pointed it out, but you're more than just my friend."
Robin felt her heart beating faster and faster. "What do you mean?" she breathed hoping that he would finally confess.
"I, care about you Robin," Chrom met her eyes, "as a man would care about a woman."
Suddenly, she realized something. They couldn't be doing this now. "Chrom, we can't possibly-" She hated herself for not saying yes right away but!
"Wait, please," Chrom asked calmly. "You've made me come this far."
She trembled. "You might say something you'll regret."
Chrom shook his head and took a deep breath. "Not this." He took another deep breath.
"Please," Robin clenched her fists in front of her chest, "just say it already."
Chrom smiled. "I love you."
Her eyed widened, and she felt as if her chest was about to explode. "Oh," she said breathlessly. How long had she been waiting to hear him say those words to her?
"I think I have since that first moment I laid eyes on you," Chrom pulled her into an embrace and used the tip of his thumb to make her look up at him. "I didn't realize it until Emm said something just before our battle with Gangrel's army."
She stared up at her beloved, not daring to say anything. She licked her lip and Chrom's eyes followed it.
"Look, I know this is sudden, and I'm coming on like a wyvern in heat." He rested his forehead against hers. "But I'm not trying to force you into a decision, believe me."
"No, that's not it," Robin swallowed and licked her lip again. "I have been waiting for you to say this since we met, but well…"
"Whatever your answer," Chrom continued as if he hadn't heard her, "I shall abide by it, no matter how painful, and, come what may, we'll always be friends. This I promise you."
Robin began to cry again. "This is, I'm sorry Chrom," she pulled away, carefully tucking her head under his chin, "but, this is impossible. The general and his chief tactician?"
"It just wouldn't be right." She fisted the material of his shirt in one hand. "Our first responsibility must be to the soldiers we lead, not each other. You understand don't you?"
"Yes I do," Chrom whispered even as he felt his heart break.
Robin pulled away to look up at him through her bangs "But someday," she smiled shyly, "someday this war will be over, and when that happens, we'll be free to follow our hearts."
"Our hearts?" Chrom asked. Hope swelling in his chest at the warm and the loving smile on her face.
"Yes," she agreed. "Because, I love you too, Chrom."
"But that's," he swallowed, "that's, that's wonderful." Chrom laughed happily. He swung her around and pulled her into a kiss.
"This is the best day of my life," he told her.
Robin giggled as he got down on one knee. "Mine too."
"You are the wind at my back and the sword at my side," Chrom confessed as he took her right hand in his and slid a ring onto her finger. "Together, my love, we shall build a peaceful world, just you and me."
"Oh ,Chrom," Robin breathed at seeing the Brand of the Exalt on the ring, "I love you so much."
(End)
Thank you to my Beta, as always~!