Chapter 11

Training Courtyard

"Hraaaah!" The sound of battle cries echoed against the stone walls of the palace, along with the clack of practice swords meeting, and occasionally, the sound of soft thumps against grass. As usual, the Shepherds had been at their daily training. For the first in a long time, Robin and Chrom chose each other to be their sparring partners. It was no secret the two were the best of friends almost to the point of brotherhood, yet they rarely ever trained together. It was more on Robin's part as he knew full-well he wasn't a match for Chrom when it came to handling a sword. Against a man who had been fencing for sport since he was a child, Robin had little chance. The reason for this pair up was more because the tactician was in an upbeat mood today of all days.

"Yaaah!" Another booming shout as precise swings swished through the air, landing against the dulled metal of the training blades. The display of Robin's improving swordsmanship against Chrom's already perfected fencing skills was quite the sight. Wandering eyes from their fellow companions drifted to the duo as they practiced, unaware of the attention they were garnering. Despite Robin's skill around a blade, he was soundly beaten by Chrom at every turn, sending the man back on his rear to the grass. They had been training since dawn and the constant fighting had already begun to catch up to him. Unable to lift himself off the ground this time, Robin lay in the grass, releasing his grasp on his weapon, panting breathlessly while sweat spotted his forehead and neck.

Exhausted as he was though, Robin found a bit of a personal victory when he noticed Chrom wiping some moister off his brow as well, accompanied by a sigh of relief. At least he was able to make the prince sweat, that was victory enough for him. Chrom offered a hand to his fallen friend, and hauled him back up to his feet with a strong pull and a well deserved pat on the shoulder.

"You're just full of enthusiasm today, aren't you?" Chrom huffed, still trying to catch his breath.

"Wh-What can I say?" the tactician stammered. He took a deep breath and puffed his chest out. It looked like Robin had gotten into his second wind. "I'm simply in a good mood! Come on! Let's go one more round!" Soon enough the two were once again squaring off with their blades.

While the Shepherds continued to spar, Lissa and Maribelle had finished their daily dues and retired to the garrison for the time being. It seemed like forever since they had time to themselves. The entirety of the previous two weeks were filled with the noblewoman devoting her time to fashioning Robin into a 'proper gentleman' by way of her constantly tutoring him every day after training. She hardly noticed that Lissa hadn't been on the forefront of her mind every minute as she used to think.

Lissa on the other hand was very excited at how the two spent so much time with each other, almost never seen apart since they went out for tea. Normally, Lissa would occupy her time with the other ladies of the army and occasional fraternizing with the males. She loved Maribelle like a sister, but she would not deny that her constant attachment to her could be suffocating at times. With this time apart, she did miss her company so it was nice to have a moment with her. Their separation was actually quite beneficial to both because now each of them had something to talk about rather than the little princess always having to carry conversations.

It wasn't just conversation either. Somehow, Maribelle's exposure to Robin had brought Maribelle out of her protective barrier that she holed herself up in for so long. It was nothing like Olivia's case, where she had a crippling shyness about her. For the noblewoman, it was her typical separatist attitude towards people below her station. Since she had been dedicating her time to Robin, a whole new side of her had been brought up. By extension through Robin, she was able to get to know the other Shepherds and establish real connections with them. They were far less insipid than her original mindset and with time she had been able to enjoy the company of others without needing to half-heartedly force herself into doing so. She never lost her habit of speaking as a noble should, but the way she addressed people had been much more respectful and considerate.

To further drive home just how far she had come in the short amount of time, when Lissa offered to have tea with Maribelle, they both had a cup that was favored by the latter. Not once had this happened since the two formed their friendship well over a decade ago.

"Hey, Maribelle, everyone's talking, you know." Lissa spoke up winking slyly.

"Talking? About what, dear?" the noble responded, taking a sip of her tea.

"'About what'... You know about what!"

"It wouldn't have anything to do with a certain tactician, would it?"

"How'd ya guess?" Lissa deadpanned.

"Female intuition." Maribelle shot back. "Now what exactly are people saying?"

"Oh, just the usual: You and Robin officially being an item since you two have been seen together almost every day for the past few weeks. So, is it true?" a hopeful smile met Maribelle's eye after Lissa's question.

An instant answer wasn't really given. Maribelle was instead tapping her fingers on the wood of the table pondering the question herself. She hardly noticed so much time flew by. With all the time she had been spending with the other members of the Shepherds, it felt as if it were only half the time Lissa mentioned. Still, the question stood. "Hmm. I don't really think we can be classified in 'that' category right now." she answered frankly. She took note of Lissa's deflating expression and quickly followed her statement up, "But, if the masses must know... he's getting there." she said, albeit reluctantly. Her eye contact broke for a split second before returning. To her credit, she wasn't lying about it.

Lissa's dampening expression lit up once again. The answer wasn't what she expected, but at this point, she would take what she could get. "Well, baby steps. So, are you planning on having another day between you two? Alone?" she emphasized.

'Dear me, but this girl is positively headstrong...' Maribelle thought. She was starting to feel pressured with Lissa's constant insistence. The only reason she even wanted to have Robin out for tea in the first place was a kindness on her part. Admittedly, the time they spent since then had endeared the man to her in unexpected ways. It wasn't without its benefits, that's for sure. "That, I cannot say." she answered. "I've already done my part. Whether or not Robin wishes to continue is up to him. Until he does so, our relationship remains strictly professional between mentor and student."

An eyebrow raised when Lissa heard the end of that last sentence. "Mentor and what-now?" she repeated quizzically.

"...Whoops." the noble quickly uttered. She briefly forgot that her tutoring Robin on being the perfect gentleman was supposed to remain between them only. "Er, that is to say... I..." she stammered. She tried to find an explanation for her slip of the tongue, but there was hardly anything to fabricate with a specific phrase such as "mentor and student." Sighing in resignation and slight frustration at her own personal slip, she answered, "Alright, to make a long story short; Robin is taking lessons from me so that he may one day become the perfect gentleman." She did embellish the last part, knowing full well he had no interest with the Shepherds as it were in that regard.

"Wait... what?" Lissa asked again.

"Oh Gods..." sighed Maribelle, rubbing her forehead. She was hoping Lissa wouldn't ask about the details of the arrangement. "Can we not speak of this right now, dear? It's bad enough I let loose that small bit of information."

Lissa's eyes narrowed at her friend. What was she hiding from her that she didn't want to talk about? Why was it private from her of all people? If Robin was involved, what was really behind these "teachings"? Obviously Lissa would get no blood from a stone, so for now she decided to shelve her interrogation for another time... or maybe another person.

In the midst of the princesses thought process, the door to the room gently creaked open and some of the Shepherds fresh from their training walked through. Of course, Maribelle spotted Robin in the crowd with a towel draped around his shoulders looking somewhat content with himself. Behind him, Chrom stood with a towel of his own, and interestingly a number of bruises dotting his arms. It looked like the tactician was finally able to reach Chrom's level of swordsmanship.

The two traded friendly blows at their recent sparing match. The prince was more impressed than disappointed that he lost one round, seeing as he won the rest of their bouts anyway. After a quick conversation, Chrom departed from the garrison to continue with other matters. Since taking up the throne, logically his duties increased as a result and he lad little time to interact with the others as he used to. With Chrom gone, Lissa waved her arm overhead to signal Robin to join her and Maribelle for awhile.

With a wave of his own, Robin walked to the two girls and had a seat between them. "Morning Lissa, Maribelle. How was training today for you two?"

"As smooth as working with a staff can prove to be." Maribelle answered. "Now how about you? I see you actually managed to get one over on our dear prince."

Robin rubbed his shoulder with mixed emotions as a response. Part bashful pride and also because he had taken a few hits there of his own. "I did. Once." he clarified. "But once was all I needed to make my week." Both shared a mutual laugh before taking the conversation into a new direction. Specifically, the continuation of their private teachings. "So, Maribelle, when..." he stopped himself mid sentence when he noticed Lissa was staring daggers into the side of his head. He cleared his throat before continuing. "On second thought, nevermind."

The way he had caught himself mid-sentence only intensified Lissa's glare before becoming aware of it herself and corrected her gaze. Taking this as her cue to leave, and possibly find out what was going on from a distance, the princess silently stood up from her chair with a demure smile and walked away without a word. Maribelle looked on as her friend left the two alone. She knew deep down that Lissa was growing suspicious of the two now and internally cursed herself for letting her mouth run faster than her mind.

Turning back to Robin, Maribelle continued the conversation, already knowing what the question was that he was going to answer. "Today is as good as any other day, Robin." She answered with a hushed tone, just above a whisper. "Although, before we continue, I feel it important for me to say that Lissa may be onto what we are up to." Her tone sounded worrisome, as if she had been caught committing some sort of indecency.

"Okay... Is that really such a big deal though?" the tactician asked. "It's not as if what we're doing is against the law or untoward. So what if she knows about it?"

The noblewoman steepled her fingers together in contemplation for an answer. True, they had not been up to anything that would ruin one or the others good name, but at the same time, it wasn't something she wanted to be spread among the Shepherds as common knowledge either. Royalty or not, Lissa had a penchant for gossip, and if she got word of Maribelle taking Robin under her wing as a student of noble teachings, it would no doubt head into a direction she may regret. The seed had practically been planted when she admitted that Robin was "getting there" in terms of a solid romantic relationship. She wasn't closed off to the idea as she seemed externally, but at this stage, anything could shatter whatever fragile chance he had.

However, even if that may have been the truth, Maribelle thought it best to keep that to herself for now. She had secretly been growing a special fondness for the tactician, but if he knew about that, she shuttered to think of ways that knowledge could be used to take advantage of her. He was a mind for planning strategies after all. Gods only know what he would force her to do... "Can we just be more careful about how we go about our business from now on? Please?" she asked.

Her averted eyes were a signal to Robin that something might have been amiss. He didn't understand what was going on in the noblewoman's head, nor would he pretend to. For whatever reason, she had to keep their activities private, and he chose to respect it until she would say otherwise. "Okay, sure." He answered.

"Thank you." sighed Maribelle. "Now then... meet me in the library later this afternoon and we can continue with our lessons. And remember-"

"'Punctuality is gentlemanly', I know I know." Robin finished with a light chuckle. It was the same phrase Maribelle would repeat to him every day since they started these lessons together. It was made to hammer in the point that she always wanted him to be on time to their meetings, which was fine by him, but the phrase 'don't be late' sounded much better in comparison. Still, he wouldn't argue as long as she held up her word.

"Right then. I'll see you in a few hours." With that, the blonde woman finished her cup of tea and excused herself to attend to her own business, leaving with a wave and nothing else. Robin sat alone at the table, thinking of their future plans. So many things that they had yet to cover. It was quite a handful when he pictured all of the things she listed off in his head. Fencing, horseback riding, ballroom dance, playing the violin, piano, harp, using a fork... How these all related to a noble bearing he would never know. That said, he didn't care either. This was all just an excuse for him to spend time with her and see the softer side of the reserved woman that no one else cared to delve into and see. The previous two weeks within each other's company were swift but also glorious to Robin in hindsight. In helping her to connect with people outside of her normal life, she had gained friends of her own, and was occasionally privy to a side of the noblewoman that only he had the privilege of even knowing existed. Nothing intimate or deep within her psyche of course, but he at least found her an easy conversation partner if nothing else.

He tapped his foot on the floor while trying to think of what to do for the day until it was time for his lessons. He could always walk about town with his usual gang of friends as he did on some days of the week when they had nothing to do. Anything to put off the staggering amount of paperwork he had been getting since Chrom ascended to the throne. His eyes drifted to the half empty cup of tea sitting before him. It smelled heavenly and it was still warm from the pot. Rather than let a good cup of tea go to waste, he decided to have a sip for himself. After all, it didn't seem like Lissa would be coming back for it anytime soon.

He picked up the small teacup and pressed the edge of it to his lips, taking in the amber-gold liquid. He was pleasantly surprised to find that this brew was not what he expected to taste. This was Maribelle's favorite choice. An oddity as whenever Lissa and her had tea together, by default, Lissa's choice of beverage would be what they were treated to. Lissa having tea that Maribelle chose... The idea sank in and brought a warm smile to him as he finished the rest of it. 'Good for you, Maribelle.'


Later that afternoon, Robin Ricken and Gaius were all together walking about the plaza of Ylisstol close to the palace. Robin chose to not stray too far as he didn't want to be late once his time drew near for his lessons. Stahl and Vaike were off at the local pub and invited the two older men to join them, but Robin refused simply because he didn't want to have the stench of alcohol and cigar smoke about him when he would see Maribelle. The whole thing actually didn't sit too well with Gaius, as he was on board for a few drinks.

"You know Gaius, you don't have to stick around with me. You can go with Vaike and Stahl and have your fill." the tactician offered. He pulled Ricken close to him with one arm and teasingly rubbed his knuckle into the boy's hair. "Besides, me and ol' Ricken can pal around by ourselves. Right?"

"Can you PLEASE stop doing that!?" the young mage demanded, as he struggled away from Robin's grip.

"Nah, that's alright. 'Sides, if you're not around, who else am I supposed to make fun of all day?" the thief joked.

"I would think Vaike drunk off his high horse would be enough fodder for a lifetime." Robin shot back.

"D'ahh, there, ya see? Ain't no one out there that can land a smartass comeback like you, Bubbles!" Gaius responded slapping him one on the back and purposely agitating his bruised shoulder.

"I learned it from King Smartass himself."

"Ooh, two for two! See? Vaike could never come up with that, and Stahl would just sit back and smile through the whole thing."

"Can someone help me..." Ricken interjected, still wound tightly in Robin's arm.

Robin offered his apologies and released the young noble from his headlock and dusted off his steepled hat. While Ricken was trying his best not to look embarrassed, and even trying to give the tactician a word or two on treating him like a little brother, Robin's eyes drifted to the position of the sun above them, trying to attain some semblance of time. It was well into the afternoon and he wondered if it was about time for him to meet Maribelle yet. It seemed like the right time with the sun drifted off to the east. It was a little hard to tell these days since they were well into Autumn, and the days were slowly growing shorter.

He was brought out of his concentration with a light snap of Gaius' fingers. "Yo, shorty's kinda talkin' to ya, man."

"Oh, sorry. My mind is somewhere else right now." Robin answered sheepishly, scratching his cheek.

The white stick of the lolipop Gaius had in his mouth swirled from the left end to the right of his lips as he tried to ascertain why the tactician had been growing distant so suddenly. This wasn't even the first time either. "What's always got you staring off into the sky sometimes, Bubbles? Afraid you'll be late for a date or somethin'?" The man's head sank a little and shrugged his shoulders at the sweet -toothed thief's guess. Technically they weren't dates, but he would be late for seeing Maribelle. "Holy crap, you really are going on a date...?"

"I-It's not a date," Robin quickly refuted. "I've just got important things that I need to do, okay?" Despite his answer, Robin was growing somewhat flustered, though he couldn't understand why. It wasn't as if he were lying about the situation.

"What's her name?" The thief asked teasingly, dragging out the last word.

"I'm leaving..." Robin answered, turning his back and walking to the palace road.

"You know you wanna tell me!" Gaius called after him, walking just a few paces behind with Ricken in tow.

"Stop following me!" Robin quickened his pace.

"It's Olivia ain't it!"

"Don't make me kick your-"

"Is it Miriel?"

"I'm warning you, Gaius!" By this time, Robin was in an all-out dash to escape from the thief, who still matched him in distance despite his efforts.

"How about the stalker chick with the nice bust?"

"Knock it off!"

"Is it Maribelle then? C'mon, throw me a bone here, man!"

Frustrated, Robin stopped dead in his tracks, just a few feet ahead of the thief, who had run so fast he left Ricken in his dust. Taking that as a confirmation, he asked again. "Was I right? You got the hots for Twinkles!?" he laughed.

"You know what, I've had enough of this." Robin answered nonchalantly and reached into his cloak, pulling his Thunder tome free.

Gaius was unimpressed. He stood in place, arms waving in a mocking fashion as if to challenge the tactician who was growing visibly tired of these games. "Ooh, scaaary. You gonna hit me with a bolt of lightning over a girl?"

"Nope." Robin answered, maintaining his plain tone. "Two ought to be enough. Maybe three if you're still breathing." The pages of his book began to lightly swish by as he was clearly getting ready to use it.

"Pfft. Bubbles, you and I both know you don't have the stones to-" the man was instantly cut off by a strike of thunder at his feet. Had he not used his quick reflexes, he would have actually gotten hurt. "Whoa! Hey are you actually trying to hit me!?" he yelled, pressing a hand to his chest to still his heartbeat.

"If you wouldn't move so much, I'd have better luck." Robin spat dryly as he readied another bolt.

"Okay-okay-okay, stop!" Gaius pleaded, covering his head in a comical cringing pose.

Robin briefly contemplated frying Gaius anyways just to set an example for the future, but then again Lissa would probably disapprove. That's not to mention what Chrom would do if he found out; Infighting was strictly prohibited among his own group, regardless of the cause. The tactician turned his back and placed his tome back into his cloak. "I won't miss next time, Gaius. Remember that." he called as he walked away with a tone that straddled the line of a sarcastic jape and genuine truth.

Rubbing his red hair, the thief watched as his friend moved away from him. His mind still wouldn't simply let go of what Robin was up to. If Robin acted the way he had over simple guesses, then the truth must be too juicy to simply pass up. A devilish grin slowly grew on Gaius' face as he ducked behind some of the buildings to keep out of sight...


Robin walked briskly through the halls of the palace looking from left to right trying to remember where the library was in this large place. Beliee it or not, it wasn't the place he frequented when trying to find a new book to read. He only visited the place once or twice during the campaign, and even then it was only to review some historical text to further his tactical knowledge. Thankfully, one of the maids was kind enough to escort the man there with little difficulty.

He stood before the large wooden doors to the labyrinthine area clapping his palms together and taking a quick breath. He even adjusted his collar a bit and straightened his hair; If there was anything he ever wanted, it was to meet Maribelle for their lessons looking like he came out of a fist fight. The first time he had forgotten to wipe the sweat from his forehead after training, she delivered a painful stab to his foot with the end of her parasol.

"Hookay, straight line.." he whispered to himself as he corrected his posture to that of a noble's. With both hands, he pushed open the large doors and walked into the familiar view of bookshelf upon bookshelf arranged in neat rows. It was easy for one to get lost in here, but he always remembered a trick to finding a way out. At the very center of the library, there was a circular area that had one large wooden table and plenty of space around it. If anything, all one had to do was walk between the shelves until they reached the center, it never failed, and more than likely that is where the noblewoman would be.

The sound of his footsteps rang starkly throughout the room against the marble floor. With nary a soul in here, they tapped with a rhythmical beat. His steps were slow and methodical, as if he were walking into some sort of coronation ceremony. The large windows towards the back allowed plenty of sunlight to bleed into the room, which struck the center with an admittedly otherworldly glow during sunset. Finally, Robin walked between the last few rows of shelves and appeared before Maribelle, who was pacing back and forth, a hand on her chin, and another holding open a large leather-bound book.

The blonde noblewoman's eyes caught Robin as he approached and she quickly turned her attention away from the pages. Clapping the book shut, she approached Robin with a harmless grin. "Well well! You're actually on time. Bravo." she spoke up, placing her hands on her hips.

"I do aim to please, milady." Robin bowed to her to play along with her sarcasm.

"Hm, well let's see if you succeed. Now then..." Maribelle walked over to the large table, and picked up a collection of times in her hands. "You've proven that you can walk and talk the part, so let's move on with our lessons. Before we do, however, I just have one final test." She walked over, handing the books to Robin and stood back. "Simply walk from one end of the room to the other without dropping those books from atop your head, and we can continue."

Robin scoffed at the idea. "Is that all? That shouldn't be so hard." He placed the four large books on his head and started his pace. The very first step he took, two books wobbled and fell off to the side.

"Oh, forgive me, I do believe I heard you say this would be easy?" Maribelle held her left hand up to her mouth to cover her grin.

"I did! And it is! I just... need a moment to get my bearings is all." Picking the books back up, the tactician tried again, and just as his last attempt, the top two books fell straight away. "...This may take a minute..."

Meanwhile atop the palace walls, Gaius and Lissa traipsed carefully along the stone path with Ricken following behind carrying a bundle of tightly wound rope. The thief was following the princess around the perimeter until they were able to secure their desired location.

"Are you sure we're in the right place Princess?" Gaius asked as he tapped his foot impatiently.

"Positive. You'd think I would know every nook and cranny of my own home..." Lissa scoffed as she and Ricken began unfurling the rope and tying a loop.

"That's not what I meant. I mean what makes you so sure they're even here."

Lissa sized up the hole of the loop, placing it on her foot and pulling on it to make sure it was nice and firm. "Because, I heard Maribelle tell Robin herself she wanted to meet him here. For whatever reason, I don't know, but she's hiding something and believe you me, I'm gonna find out!"

"Um... I feel like I should ask, but don't you guys think that this is a bit much?" Ricken asked. "I mean, look at us: We're scaling the walls of our ruler's home just to see what two people are up to... Isn't that kind of ridiculous?"

Gaius and Lissa briefly traded looks then looked back at Ricken with blank stares. "What's ridiculous about it...?" the asked simultaneously, disregarding his (valid) reasoning.

"Look, the point is, friends don't keep secrets, right? So I think we're well within our right to do this." Lissa reasoned, sizing up the adjusted loophole.

"...So we're entitled to violating someone's privacy just because they don't want to tell us what they do with their personal life?"

"Exactly!" the two responded in unison again. The young mage looked on incredulously at their blatant actions. He started to wonder how he even got caught up in this crusade...

"Okay here's the plan: You two hold this end of the rope here, and lower me down so I can see what's happening through the window." Lissa demonstrated as she placed her right foot into the loop. "And when I tug on the rope, you pull me up. Got it?" Her partners in crime nodded as they grabbed the rope. "Okay, let's find out what those snakes are up to..."

Gently, Lissa held onto the rope and rapeled down the walls of the palace, kicking her free foot against the stone as she descended a few feet down. She mused how the library should have been on the ground floor to avoid such hardships like this. When she reached the window to the library, she positioned herself between the window arches, to conceal her presence while she watched on.

"One. Two. Three... Four... Fi- darn it!" Robin uttered as the stack of books fell from his head again.

The noble was sitting in her chair, tapping her fingers on her lap as she watched on. "Ooh, one step farther than the last!" she giggled.

"This is going to take forever..." Robin lamented as he picked the stack of books back up and placed them on his head. "Don't tell me you had to go through the same thing when you were growing up?"

"Of course. How else would I maintain the perfect walk that you see each and every day?"

"I don't believe you... In fact, I doubt this whole thing can be done." Robin grumbled.

Silence fell over the two for a moment. The noblewoman picked herself up from her chair and calmly grabbed the stack of books off from Robin's head and placed them upon hers. She then began walking as she normally did, at her normal speed. She strode from one side of the inner circle of the library to the other effortlessly and without a single hesitant step, and more importantly, without a single book even moving a single inch from their original position. After she reached the other end of the room, she turned and walked across, right back to Robin's side with the same effortless movement as before while the books continued to stay in place. Wordlessly, she removed the books from her head and handed them back to Robin.

Sighing in defeat, the tactician returned the books to his head and continued with his own efforts under the watchful eyes of his noble friend.

"Anything?" Gaius called from the palace wall.

Lissa had no idea what to make of the bizarre activity. Was this some sort of game they were playing? Why was this so secretive? And who in the right mind came up with it!? The princess looked up to her friends and shook her head then returned to watching the odd even unfold.

"Okay... I think I've got it..." Robin prepared to walk once more. He made sure to keep his head held straight and walked with paced steps. He breathed scarcely as he slowly moved across the floor in a smooth glide, trying ti mimic Maribelle's effortless motion. The books jostled slightly, but he refused to stop and correct himself. He continued and even though the books continue to lean even more, he was able to successfully reach the other side with the books still intact. Although, the second he stopped and turned to face Maribelle, they toppled over. "Eh, I hope that didn't count?" he chuckled.

Maribelle giggled amused, as she gathered the books off the floor. "It's quite alright. I suppose we can continue then. I must say though, I didn't expect you to accomplish the task so quickly."

"Neither did I..." Robin huffed under his breath as he turned away so she wouldn't hear him. His eyes turned to the window for a brief second and he thought he saw Lissa of all people peeking into the room... But how was that even possible? The library was a full second story off the ground floor. He had a double take just to make sure he wasn't going insane and lo and behold, he was not. Though he couldn't see her head anymore, the telltale blonde ponytail the princess always sported was dangling just within his sight. How she was able to even see them this way was mind-blowing.

While Robin tried to put the puzzle pieces in place as to how Lissa was somehow watching them, Maribelle was returning the books back to their proper shelf, save for the one she was reading. "Alright, Robin. What shall we do next?" she asked.

The question itself actually pulled Robin from his thoughts. "Hmm? You mean you want me to choose?"

"Of course. I figure you should have the choice of your next lesson. It matters not if you wish for me to choose the next for you however."

All of the many things the pigtailed noblewoman listed to Robin came flashing back to him as he pondered about what they could possibly tackle next. Through it all, he couldn't stop trying to figure out how Lissa got to where she was... Although, maybe he could take advantage of the situation and have a bit of fun of his own. After all, the two girls had no problem when it came to his own expenses.

"I've got an idea," he snapped his fingers. "why don't we try ballroom dance next?"

"B-Ballroom dance?" stuttered the noble.

"Will that be a problem? Because if it is I-"

"No, no. I simply didn't expect... that would be something we would take up so soon..."

"What's going on now?" Gaius asked, tossing a piece of candy up and down as he sat on the palace wall. He grew tired of holding the rope, so he tied the other end to one of the protruding stone blocks in the brickwork to bolster it down.

Lissa's heart was still beating against her chest after the close call of being noticed. She dared to have another look despite herself. All she saw now was the two speaking of something. There wasn't much body language going on between the two either. "I dunno. They're just... talking." she called back up.

Alright... if you're sure about this, then I'll gladly teach you the basics of ballroom dance." Maribelle finally conceded.

"Only the basics?" Robin teased.

"Don't push your luck, Mr. Tactician..." A gloved finger jabbed into Robin's chest as a warning. "Be grateful for what I'll teach you. Had I taken the liberty, 'twould be fencing with genuine rapiers."

"R-Right. Forgive me." Robin gulped. He could almost feel a bead of nervous sweat crawl down his face at the thought of her slicing him into ribbons.

Sensing his nervousness, Maribelle shook her head, and smiled once again. "Peace, Robin. It was only a joke."

A light exhale erupted from Robin's lungs with her confession, but it did little to settle his mind. Her sense of humor was... uncharacteristically dark. "Yeah, I know! I was just playing along! Ha ha... ha."

Sighing, the noble couldn't help but laugh at how she could easily throw Robin through a loop time after time with the slightest of ease. Still, it was a surprisingly effective method to keep the man in line. "Now then, I suppose we should start with the... slow dance."

"The slow dance. Perfect." he repeated.

Reluctantly, Maribelle moved closer to Robin and held his hands in hers. "Now, the key to the slow dance is to keep your partner... close and... stay in tune with their movement..." Her stammering only punctuated her nervousness, but she couldn't bring herself to go back now. After composing herself with a deep inhale and keeping her eyes shut, she guided Robin's hands to her, just above her hips on either side.

The action also caught Robin off guard. He was privy to the ways two people would dance with each other, he had even seen it firsthand at Chrom's wedding. However, all the observing in the world couldn't prepare him for actually participating in it, with Maribelle of all people. He could feel her hands migrate from his own to his shoulders now.

"Alright, now the technique is all in the feet. I'll guide you with my own movements, and you follow my lead." the noble huffed.

"Maribelle?" Robin asked with a smile.

"Hm?"

"Don't you think this would be better if you opened your eyes?"

"Oh!" At once, Maribelle's eyes shot open and she found herself staring into the chestnut irises of her tactician. That playful look he was giving her... it was irritating. Yet, at the same time, it comforted her. The situation was awkward on a few levels for her, but the way he looked into her, and the careful way his hands were held about her brought her at ease.

Clearly, Robin had no idea what he was doing, only placing his trust within Maribelle; Still, his hands were free from the usual telltale signs. They didn't tremble or shake. They simply found a home where they lay upon. Not untoward in their touch, but careful and gentle.

"Right then. As I stated before, simply follow my lead." Taking the lead, Maribelle stepped in tune with music that only she could hear in her head, but made her steps elegant and simple enough that Robin could follow along with her.

His steps were not very polished, but he understood the gist of how he was supposed to move, stepping in tune with the noblewoman's subtle sways and keeping her at the right distance. In the back of his mind, Robin secretly hoped Lissa was watching from where she was; if she wanted to see what they were up to so bad, she was going to get an eyeful.

Despite those malicious thoughts, his eyes were focused on Maribelle's. Those deep crimson marbled stared back at him and the two refused to blink. It was as if one was trying to read the other's mind, but both remained at a stalemate. Their dancing soon found a perfect sync with each other and for a split second, it seemed as it the two were some sort of happy couple, dancing to celebrate their relationship. This feeling sent a sharp jolt up each other's spine, snapping them from their reveries.

At once, they separated from their previous positions and looked away from each other, Robin with a hand over his chest for his rapidly beating heart, and Maribelle's hands over her face to conceal an enormous blush.

"Well, that was, uh... different." Robin mused as he scratched the back of his head.

"I-Indeed..." Maribelle stammered back, still refusing to turn around.

"Should we... try that again?" Robin peeked over his shoulder as he asked.

A short silence fell over the two, broken by Maribelle taking a breath and finallly turning around. "Yes. Let's try that once more."

The tactician and noblewoman stepped forward again and placed their arms around each other just as they did before and resumed with their movements. The only difference now was that the two ended up staring at their feet the entire time, rather than each other's eyes...


A/N: Ah yes, back to finally being able to write again. Sorry I made you guys and gals wait. I had a bit of a hectic time these past few weeks and it left me with very little time to write, or just exhausted. That, and a tiny bit of writer's block kept this from being written up a lot sooner than I would have liked. Aw well, better late than never at least.

But enough about my problems! This chapter, I wanted to delve into some details on just what Maribelle's "gentleman" lessons are. I was going to have this chapter be a bit more focused on Robin playing an instrument, but the ideas in my head came off as boring and hard to write, so I opted to go with ballroom dance. After all, ain't no wait to make a man and a woman fall for each other than when you shove 'em together and make them dance, right?
(Don't think about that too hard, I certainly didn't. -_-')

Anyways, here's yer new chapter, hope you enjoyed! Now you're probably asking yourself how in the world did i come up with that insane wall-scaling scene... I have no clue, myself. That's what happens when I eat too many Candbury Creme Eggs though. The sugar makes me write crazy things. Also, the next chapter that goes up will mark the end of the poll. I don't have a window of when that will be, so go nuts until it happens! I am confident in saying that it won't take as long as this chapter took to upload. Anyway, until next time.