Gods, where could Chrom be? Robin felt the panic rise in him as he quickly walked through the halls, as well as the euphoria. Chrom wanted to marry him.
He turns the corner, headed towards the Shepherds barracks, and walks straight into the prince. He nearly knocks himself over. Chrom grasps Robin's shoulders, steadying him.
"Whoa there, be careful," Chrom says, and then smiles, blushing. "Robin! Hi. How are you?"
Robin can hear the slightly nervous tone, and he balls up a fist. "Chrom. I've just heard news that you let something slip in your meeting this morning."
"Ah, did I now?" The prince laughs, and runs a hand through his hair, trying to walk past him.
Robin grasps the exalt's wrist, and looks into his blue eyes. Chrom seems to crumble.
"My apologies, Robin." He hangs his head. "I'm so sorry that I let slip about everything. I know you were so worried about keeping it a secret, and it probably wasn't kindly of me to share it to the panel, knowing they would tell everyone... But I meant every word that I said."
Robin blinks. Oh. "No, Chrom, screw my own secret. I've been looking everywhere for you because I was scared of the backlash you would receive from doing something like that. What even brought it on?"
"Oh…" Chrom barks out a laugh, and pats Robin's head. "My apologies. You were really upset last night, and I kept thinking about it well into this morning. The nobles have been badgering me to just choose a wife and marry her as soon as possible… so I told them I was going to indeed ask someone to marry me, and when they asked who I told them it was you."
Gods, Robin could imagine the reactions now. The older generation were brought up with same gender relationships considered wrong and sinful. Remembering Solberg's smirk at choosing Maribelle as a fit for the prince, Robin winces.
"Lissa just about knocked me over after I called for the meeting to be over, she's so excited…" Chrom rests his hand on his head, burying his fingers in his white hair. "Um… but I should have asked you in person before saying that to them. I just assumed your answer."
Robin shrugs, and looks away. "Are you certain? You know what marrying me will entail."
"Yes. Otherwise I wouldn't have blurted it to all those people." He smiles a little, but it falters at Robin's worried look.
Chrom releases the tactician, and pats his pockets, and then pulls a small box out of one, opening it carefully. "I figured I'd best also do this in person. It was my mother's.
Robin felt his cheeks turn crimson when Chrom gets down on one knee, and takes one of his hands in his own. The ring is simple, a white and gold mix with the brand of the exalt on it. "Robin. Will you do me the honour of marrying me?"
The tactician doesn't hesitate, a smile growing. "Yes. Gods, Chrom, of course I will."
The prince grins, a soft blush on his cheeks. He rises up, and Robin wraps his arms around Chrom's waist to draw him in for a kiss.
O~O~O
After their initial disgust, which Robin had the honour of viewing in person at Chrom's next meeting, the lord and ladies finally accepted the fact that Chrom was going to marry a man. Maribelle and Lissa sat on their side of the table, looking very smart, ready to fight for them. The two were all for supporting them and their union, as well as Frederick.
"Lord Chrom," whispers one of the older ladies, a woman with graying hair and large green eyes, "but are you certain? You'll be unable to have a natural heir with him."
Robin wished they would stop talking about him like he wasn't in the room. He'd been sitting back, holding his tongue, arms folded. An embarrassed blush had settled on his cheeks.
The prince blushes. "Um, I'm sure if an heir is required it'll be fine. But surely it's much too soon to be thinking about children."
The Hierarch sighs, and fixes her glasses. She was much younger than the old Hierarch, but still set in the ways of old. "Don't forget, milord, as exalt many people envision your head on a stake. The people of Plegia are still upset about the loss of their own king, despite his state of mental health. It wouldn't be wise to give more reason for boycotting."
"Emmeryn, my sister, would want me to follow my own heart." Chrom is firm. "We should be a capital of peace and acceptance. If it's legal, what's the problem with it?"
So, the royal wedding was announced, and Chrom and Robin would be wed in the beginning of winter, which was at least two months away. Lissa was absolutely overjoyed, nearly bowling Robin over with her hug.
It felt strange to know that they could be open about their relationship. Robin still felt awkward displaying any sign of affection in front of other Shepherds, but Chrom was all for it, holding his hand when they walked, resting his arm around Robin's shoulders. It was embarrassing having the exalt himself kiss his forehead whenever he left the mess hall, in front of most of the army. But hardly anyone cared. The few times Robin had horrible slurs shouted at him was by random citizens when he walked through the city, but if the Shepherds had bad feelings about the fact that they were both men, they never mentioned them.
It was now mid spring. Maribelle and Libra's wedding had passed, which had been held in a tiny church. Lord Solberg was nearly brought to tears at the giving away of his daughter, but nobody was sure if it was due to the fact that Libra wasn't the richest man or because she was getting married. Sully and Kellam had traveled to Kellam's home for their own wedding, so she could meet his family and all of his brothers.
A salty Tharja refused to attend the events, mostly staying in her room alchemizing or studying. She needed to find a way to stop this wedding! Robin shouldn't give away such a darkness within to someone who wouldn't use it, like Chrom. She'd concocted a plan to create a potion that would force Robin to fall in love with her, but was finding difficulty finding the ingredients, as well as slipping her failed test samples to him.
When the Khan's of Regna Ferox decided to visit around the end of summer, Flavia had a red-faced apology for the two on her assumption that they wouldn't be together. Basilio was beside himself with joy, a mischievous smile on his face. The two thoroughly congratulated Chrom and Robin, however, saying that they had their support.
Robin had packed up his things in his shared room with Stahl, and was given his own room near Chrom's which he was expected to stay in before the event. It was much larger than the shared room, and had a very handsome desk for writing and strategizing. However, Robin ended up spending his nights with Chrom in the prince's bedroom.
Chrom was laying on his bed. He had tried to stay awake to spend time with Robin, but he was periodically falling asleep due to how sheerly exhausted he was. He would wake up with a jerk every few minutes. Robin was sitting up next to him, writing in his journal by candlelight, trying his best not to disturb him.
"Chrom, just go to sleep," Robin mutters to him, pausing his quill at his next jerk, and Chrom opens an eye.
"It's not even that late," he mumbles back, and rolls onto his back. "Keep talking. I don't want to sleep yet. We've hardly spent any time together today."
Robin smiles, softly, and shuts the book. "I'll see you tomorrow, though."
"Yes, for five minutes before I'm forced to do paperwork." Chrom sighs. "I miss sparring with Sully. No wonder why exalts tend to go soft. I should just hire someone to do my job for me."
Robin laughs. "When there's no war to be won, I'm not surprised either. You'll have some spare time soon enough."
"Hopefully," he groans, and rolls to his side, towards Robin. The preparation for their wedding was ridiculous. When Robin was initially fitted for his suit, it had taken six hours of being pinned and unpinned before the seamstress was happy. Propping himself up on one arm, he squints at Robin's journal. "What were you writing?"
"Strategy, of course. I keep envisioning new scenarios." The tactician's games with Virion truly helped keep the ideas fresh in his mind. He puts it on the bedside table, and blows the candle out. "I think we'd both best sleep now."
He feels Chrom wrap his arm around him, drawing him close, and Robin rests his head on the prince's stronger arm. Despite all this time they had spent together, Robin was still amazed Chrom had chosen him, regardless of the circumstances.
"Chrom…" Robin swallows. A question had been playing on his mind for some time. "If we did want a child, what exactly would have to happen?"
He feels Chrom shift, and hesitate before speaking. "Well… biologically, our first born would have to be mine. Then I suppose for a second born we would be allowed to swap or adopt, but they wouldn't be able to take the throne if need be… but how that child would be created, I'm unsure. Normally if the woman was unable to bear children, the exalt would be able to, uh, have children with another…"
Robin winces at the thought of Chrom like that with someone else, but the prince continues. "I'm not interested in doing that, however, unless absolutely necessary. It would feel morally wrong."
"So, presumably, we can't at all." Robin feels slightly depressed at that. Despite his preference, he'd always been drawn to the idea of having a child of his own.
Chrom shrugs. "Maybe we can find a way for it to happen without it resorting to that. But, Robin, let's discuss this more once we're married. We can figure it out then."
The tactician sighs, feeling a deep sense of sorrow roll through him. "I'm sorry, Chrom…"
"Sh…" Chrom presses a kiss to his temple. "I thought about it for a while. If I wasn't okay with it, I wouldn't have asked you to marry me. Relax. Don't apologize for something that can't be helped."
The tactician curls up closer to him, upset, and from her spot on the floor outside of his room Tharja listened on with a glint in her eyes. This was perfect. Robin was sure to notice her if she did something about this, and a plan had already begun to formulate as she got up to run to her room.
O~O~O
Their wedding was due for the next day, and Robin was utterly terrified.
They'd rehearsed for this day, but only in front of the priest and a few interested Shepherds. The wedding was to take place in the grand hall, the same as Chrom's coronation had. He secretly was grateful they weren't getting married in a church, fearing for the remarks people would give about what religious texts state about marriage.
He was forced to stay in his own room that night, and it was depressingly lonely. The whole night, Robin tossed and turned. Given he had no family, the tactician had no one to give him away, but Basilio had kindly stepped into that position. It felt strange for the khan to do such a thing, but he greatly appreciated it.
After finally getting some sleep, Robin cringes at the sound of being woken up by a handmaiden named Astrix, who opens his curtains. She normally would tidy his room, and was supposed to be his personal servant. It felt wrong to treat her as such, so he hardly asked her for anything.
"Lord Robin, today's the big day!" She smiles kindly, watching him struggle to wake up. Since Chrom had proposed, the staff had taken to calling him 'Lord Robin', and it made him slightly uncomfortable. A hot mug of coffee was ready by his bedside table, and he needily drinks it, feeling the nausea from lack of sleep drifting away. "You look like you haven't slept a minute."
He shakes his head, and rubs his eye with the back of his hand.
After a very forced bath and shave, Robin was having his hair brushed and styled. He cringed at how flat the stylist tried to make it, but it kept bouncing back into its bed head style.
"Gods, it just won't stay neat!" The stylist grimaces, and Robin smiles faintly at her expression in the mirror. He felt sick. Hundreds of people were about to bear witness to their union, and the people of Ylisstol would surely gather to meet the exalt's partner.
After the stylist finally finished fixing his hair, he dressed himself in his suit. It was white, with a royal blue sash across his chest and around his shoulder, but he knew it was considerably less fancy than Chrom's. The exalt's also included gold lapels and real gold buttons. The white and gold ring he had been wearing would be replaced by a plain wedding band, but was safely tucked away in a drawer. He sighs, looking at himself in the mirror: he wasn't fit to marry royalty. His white hair and pale skin looked silly next to the material. It covered the nicks and scars from swords, and two plain white gloves covered his hands as well as his purple Plegian tattoo. But it was way too much white.
"Robin," Basilio greets him, stepping into his room, as well as an excited Lissa. He's dressed in a simple dress shirt, and Lissa in a pretty yellow dress. The princess squeals, and throws herself at Robin in a hug.
"I'm so excited! Robin, how are you feeling?" She sees his pained expression, and he turns to her.
"I look stupid," he mumbles, nervousness setting in. Compared to Chrom, it would be obvious he didn't fit in.
Lissa punches his arm, a little aggressively. "You look fantastic! Fit for a king. Even if you showed up wearing a sack I'm sure he'd still marry you."
Basilio laughs, heartily. "Just imagine it's only you, Chrom and the priest. Just like the rehearsal."
Robin sighs, looking at himself in the mirror, and tries to smooth his hair.
"Quick, it's almost time!" Lissa is almost singing, grasping the tactician's arm to drag him from the mirror. He felt sick.
Standing at the entrance of the hall, behind the shut doors, he fixes his sash. Robin is extremely nervous. Basilio remained by his side. The two had been directed to link arms, like how a bride would her father, and Basilio waits with his elbow extended.
"Stop stressing, boy. You look fine. Lissa was right with what she said."
Robin grimaces. Gods, he was going to look so obviously out of place in front of all of these people. But he appreciated the sentiment, and links arms with the warrior. The doors open, and he swallows.
Walking down the aisle made him want to turn around. At least a hundred people are squished into the hall, ranging from nobles across the land to Shepherds to family and friends. Every eye was on him, and he felt his cheeks turn crimson, and his stomach flip. A pianist played a ballad.
Chrom turns to look at him, a pink blush on his cheeks, and beams at the sight of Robin. The tactician's heart skips a beat. Lissa was right: he could have been wearing a sackcloth and still have made the prince smile like that. Finally reaching him, Basilio grins, removing his arm from Robin's, and the tactician takes the prince's own gloved hands. He's wearing a crown, for ceremonial purposes, and looks very dashing. A goofy smile lights up the tactician's face.
"Friends, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of two people in matrimony." Their priest is a young woman with brown, mousy hair, a kind smile on her face. She was a good friend of Libra's who had also presided over his own. "If anyone has any reason for why these two should not wed, speak now, or may you forever hold your peace."
Silence rings out around the hall, and Robin feels relief wash over him.
From the crowd, Cordelia winces at the sight of the two holding hands. She felt so daft. How was she to know Chrom was in love with another man? Did he not love her because she wasn't? Of course, she was happy for Chrom and Robin… sitting with Sumia and Gaius only fueled her unpleasant thoughts. Sumia was beaming at the couple, holding Gaius' hand, watching the priest speak. Cordelia longed for someone to do the same.
"I, Exalt Chrom Elrick Lowell, take you, Robin, to be my lawfully wedded husband." Chrom's voice doesn't waver, nor hesitate, as he repeats after the priest. "To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, in battle, by my side, in sickness and in health."
Robin swallows, and repeats his own vows. "I, Robin, take you, Chrom Elrick Lowell, to be my lawfully wedded husband." His grip on Chrom's hands tighten, and the words come out in a tumble. "To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, in battle, by my side, in sickness and in health."
Chrom smiles kindly, and squeezes his hands back.
From the crowd, an overwhelmed Frederick dabs at his eyes with a hanky as they exchange rings, each taking off the glove on their right hands. He'd been proud for Chrom to follow his heart, and would support him regardless of who it was. Frederick the Wary had grown to trust the tactician, and had faith that their relationship would soar.
Chrom beams at Robin, and at the priests direction, leans in to kiss the white-haired man, sealing their marriage. The Shepherds whoop and cheer, Donnel even stands to clap, giddy with excitement.
Now, onto the more scary ceremony. Robin exhales, and feels Chrom gently pull his hand to their marriage certificate. After the two sign, they would be legally bound, and Robin would be considered a member of the royal family.
With a shaky hand, the tactician signs his own name. The Hierarch stands at the podium now, placing a small pillow with a circlet on it onto it. She's smiling, but it seems slightly strained, and even more so when Robin kneels and has it placed onto his white-haired head. The crowd claps again, as Chrom grasps Robin's hand, pulling him from the ceremony. The reception was going to start now, but Chrom felt there was something more important pressing.
"The people are going to love you," Chrom insists, squeezing Robin's hand, walking hand in hand with him up a flight of stairs. The weight of the circlet on his head felt strange, and he understood why Chrom hardly wore his crown.
"Are you sure?" Robin laughs, nervous. The people of Ylisse were gathered outside of the castle, on this momentous day. Marth stood with them, a neutral coloured hood covering her dark blue hair. It's strange, being so close to the castle again yet having only been inside once…
"I'm positive." They've reached the balcony, and the glass doors are shut. Chrom leans in, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. "They're going to love my husband."
Opening the door, Chrom smiles, wide, and the people of Ylisse erupts into cheers.
O~O~O
Sorry I took a bit with this one. Been a tad busy. Just as a warning, I'm going to change the rating, but next chapter might not be up until later this week!