The Shepherds and the Khans of Ferox continued on their path of retreat, though all of them were on the verge of collapsing. They were all exhausted from their fight – both physically and mentally – but their last ounce of adrenaline kept them going.

Basilio skidded to a halt inside what looked like a giant rib-cage and gritted his teeth, "Hurry!" He shouted to the weary travellers behind him, "There should be carriages waiting just through the ravine!"

Chrom came to a stop behind him and bent over double with his hands firmly grasping his knees. He stared at the floor in silence with a wide-eyed expression.

Robin ran to his side and grabbed his arm, "Chrom, please."

He grumbled to himself as she forced him to move forward. "I'm… I'm coming." He complained as he brushed her off and adopted a stride beside her.

"Quickly!" The Khan shouted as he resumed his march, "We're almost…" He suddenly stopped once more as his mouth fell open, "Damn!" He exclaimed with a shake of his head, "Plegians! I knew it couldn't be that easy…" He threw his hand out in frustration, "They're right in our way!" He drew his sword, "We must fight!"

The Shepherds behind him followed suit and stood full square as they readied themselves for battle.

A tall, bald man with a bushy beard strode out of the swarm of Plegian ruffians with his weapon drawn. He adjusted the bone spaulders he wore, then looked up to make eye contact with the Prince just as a flash of lightning illuminated his face and scars. "Ylisseans!" He bellowed, "I offer you mercy! Surrender to me now and live!"

"Surrender?" Basilio hollered back, "Sorry, I'm not familiar with that word."

Their new opponent smirked, "Emmeryn would not have wished for this to come to bloodshed."

Chrom struggled forward with a clenched jaw and fury burning in his eyes, "Don't speak her name!"

"Your rage is justified, Prince Chrom." The man replied in a solemn tone, "But the meaning of your sister's sacrifice is not lost on me." He ran the tip of his sword through the protruding bones on his shoulder-plates, "I suspect many Plegians who heard her final words would say the same." He then gestured towards the weapons that they all held, "If you lay down your weapons, I vow to protect you the best I can."

Fredrick stomped forward with an anger that looked foreign upon him, "How can we trust you after what your barbarous king has done?" The knight spat, "I think we shall take our chances with weapons in hand!"

The other man nodded and sighed, "I suspected you would say as much." He then stepped back in line with his men and stood full-square, "So be it, Prince Chrom. I shall endeavour to grant you a swift and dignified end."

The Prince nodded as he accepted the man's challenge. He then took his place beside Robin as the Plegians stormed towards them.

The leader looked over into the area from which the Shepherds had come and furrowed his brow, "Who are those… Thieves I see scattered about?" He asked himself before he scratched his chin, "So, they found our battlefield… They comb it for trinkets and spoils, then scurry away like mice!" He exclaimed before he waved the worry off and strode towards the back-lines of their army's formation, "We shall bring them justice later. First, the Ylisseans!"

Chrom pulled Robin close to him, "I've already lost someone who means a lot to me," He said to her, "I'm not prepared to lose another."

She looked up to him and sent a sharp nod his way, "I understand, but you're not going to. I know that Lissa can take care of herself."

He took her hand in his, "I know she can – but I meant you, Robin."

She felt her cheeks flush at his tender words.

"I promise to protect you." He said after a deep breath.

With a dry mouth, she managed a stammered reply. "A-and I-I you, Prince."

A soldier amongst the Plegian forces walked towards the leader and dropped down onto his knees, "Forgive me, sir, but I no longer see the justice in hunting these people down." He admitted with a shaking voice, "I accept any punishment you see fit, but after all that's happened…" He sighed and shook his head, "I just can't."

A wyvern rider beside him stepped from his steed, "How dare you question the general's orders!" He hissed through a metallic grate that covered his mouth, "You know full well the punishment for insubordination is death!"

The first soldier swallowed hard, "B-but sir!" He blurted out in desperation, "These people are –"

"– These questions are not yours to ponder, lad!" The general interjected, "The soldier does not judge. The soldier delivers judgement."

"Sir I…" The man looked back towards the Shepherds as they fought off the warriors behind him, "I cannot raise my lance against them. Even if… Even if it means death."

The bearded man sighed and shook his head, "You were there when Emmeryn spoke, weren't you?" When he saw the look in the man's eye, he rubbed the back of his neck and grumbled, "So be it," He then took a step back and raised his arms and voice to gain the attention of his men, "Those of you unwilling to fight are dismissed!"

The shivering soldier clasped his fist over his heart, "But I don't wish to abandon you, sir!"

The general gritted his teeth, "And I cannot deny the king, lad." He shook his head again and clenched his fists, "He would murder my wife and child to set an example for others. I will accept the blame for your actions today." He then pulled the man up by his elbows, "Now go!"

The soldier suddenly shook his head and dug his heels into the mud, "W-wait, General, I see now there is another justice – that of remaining by your side."

The older man slammed a large hand on the soldier's shoulder, "Aye. That's a brave lad." He then leant closer to him to whisper in his ear, "Call the reinforcements."

The man nodded and ran to follow his superior's orders.

The general then stood tall and addressed the other men before him, "Draw them close, then strike!" He bellowed.

The Prince gritted his teeth, "I don't like the sound of that." He grumbled to the woman at his side.

She shook her head as she agreed with him, "Then we need make sure that we cannot be lured."

With a sharp nod, the Captain did as she had indirectly commanded and they worked together to dispatch of as many men as they could.

After they had a clear path, they strode towards the opposing general.

"I am General Mustafa of Plegia." He called, "If you wish to keep your lives, then you must win them!" He then held his arms out and made him a far too easy target.

Chrom lunged forward and plunged Falchion into the man's.

As blood trickled from his lips, Mustafa smiled, "Well done, Ylisseans." He grimaced and stumbled through the pain, "Please… Spare my men."

The Prince withdrew the sword and the man crumpled at his feet. "I can make no promises." He said under his breath.

From the exit of their escape route came a pink haired woman with a concerned expression, "Khan Basilio!" She shouted.

The Khan ran to her, "Olivia! I'm sorry we kept you waiting."

She let out a sigh, "When I didn't hear from you, I thought…" Tears started to fill her eyes, "I assumed the worst."

Basilio placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled, before he turned to address the Shepherds behind him, "Chrom? Robin? Meet Olivia." He bellowed before he looked back to the girl, "She'll be smuggling us out of here."

"Only if you hurry! She blurted in panic, "Doubtless more of the Mad King's men are on their way."

The Khan nodded and forced his friends through the wooded clearing and into the carriage he had promised would await them., "Right, pile in you lot!" He then clambered in and slammed the door shut behind him, "And bid farewell to this Plegian Hellhole.

"Ready?" Olivia asked as she took up the reigns, "Hold on tight!"

It did not take them long before they were back in Ferox and on safe territory. Even though it was safe, however, none of them felt at ease. When they entered the castle, a number of the Shepherds were inevitably discussing Emmeryn's untimely demise.

"All of that… For nothing." Robin grumbled as she walked into the conversation.

Lissa was beside the room's throne, still crying and mumbling her sister's name.

"I should have died before allowing the Exalt to be captured." Fredrick cussed as he slammed his fist into the throne's arm, "I have failed as a knight…"

"So, what now, oaf?" Flavia asked as she pushed the shoulder of her partner.

"Don't look at me!" Basilio snapped back with a sharp tongue, "I'm not in charge!"

The woman sighed and shook her head, "I picked a good time to regain the full throne…"

The young tactician walked over to her Captain and bowed her head, "Chrom, I'm… I'm so sorry. My plan just wasn't enough."

He pulled her into an embrace as she nearly broke down into tears, "You did your best, Robin," He reassured her as he stroked her hair, "You have my thanks." He then looked up at the stone ceiling and sighed, "It's my own failures that haunt me now." He then released her from his grasp and turned away from her with a grimace on his face, "Gods, I was just so powerless!"

She reached out to him again and pulled him back towards her, "It's not your fault either, Chrom."

He pressed a hand against his chest as tears threatened to fall, "She did it for me, Robin. So that I would not have to live with the guilt of either choice, she chose for me." He bit his lip hard and blinked furiously to contain his despair, "She sacrificed herself rather than give up what could one day save her people…"

"Chrom…" Robin mumbled as she planted a hand on either side of his face, "Listen to me. Look at me."

His eyes' gaze changed from the floor to her face as she spoke.

"I was powerless once too, remember?" She asked as she reminded him of days past, "And yes, alone, I don't think either one of us is half the person your sister was. But together…" She let out a sigh and bit her lip as she steeled herself for what she had to say, "Maybe we can be something more."

His mouth fell open as his eyes darted back and force as he tried to figure out exactly what it was that she was trying to say to him.

"If you fall, I'll be there to pull you back up." She stated with resolve, "When you fight for your sister's ideals, I'll be by your side. You don't have to become your sister, you know. You can still be true to yourself." Her hands then dropped from his face and her fingers wrapped around his, "You just have to give people hope in whatever way you can."

"And what if I can't?" He asked before he swallowed hard, "What if I'm not worthy of their ideals?" His hand then tightened around hers, "Robin, what if I drag you down with me?"

She forced a small smile to appear on her face for him, "If you aren't worthy, you'll keep at it until you are, and if we both fall down, well, that's what friends are for, isn't it?"

He mirrored her smile with one of his own as tears threatened to fall again.

"That's right," The little dragon girl chirped from beside them, "I wouldn't even be here if not for you." She stated with a smile.

"You gave me your trust, and now you have mine." Tharja stated as she walked towards them, pen-toed and clutching at her tome, "For the time being." She added as her gaze shifted to her surroundings.

"Were you unworthy, I would have left long ago." Lon'qu stated bluntly from behind the witch.

The dandy bowman took a bow and smiled, "It took great courage and charisma to unite all of us." He said cheerfully, "I knew I possessed such talents, but clearly you do as well!"

Sully elbowed him in the side and rolled her eyes before she shook her head and clicked her tongue at his statement.

"We all look up to you," Ricken said as he walked towards his Captain, hand-in-hand with Maribelle, "You're like a hero to us."

Chrom smiled and sighed contentedly, "Thank you, everyone. Your words mean more than you could know." He released Robin from his grasp and took a deep breath to regain his composure before her threw his arms open wide, "My Shepherds, my warriors… There is work to be done!"

They all cheered and clapped their hands.

"Gangrel must be stopped so that peace can once again reign in Ylisse. Will you help me?"

They all shouted their various forms of encouragement.

"You can count on me!" Lissa called through a snotty nose and tears, "I'm tired of crying all the time. It's time to start punching stuff!"

"Hear, hear, darling!" Maribelle shouted as she stood beside her friend, "Our people have suffered enough."

Stahl bowed his head to his Captain, "Gladly would I fight and die for House Ylisse!" He proclaimed.

"Gladly would I fight and kill those dastards for House Ylisse!" Sully bellowed as a more forceful version of her fellow knight's proclamation.

"Our hearts echo yours, sire." Libra said in a serene tone.

"I will be the unbreakable shield by your side!" Sumia said, though she was still heavily bandaged from the attack she had suffered earlier.

"I'm with you too!" Kellam shouted, from seemingly nowhere. "You know just in case anyone…" His words trailed off as he once again disappeared into the shadows.

Vaike threw a thumbs-up the Prince's way, "Teach is here and class is in session!" He declared as he stuck his tongue out.

"How much you pay Gregor?" The mercenary asked with a cocked brow. He then doubled over with laughter, "Gregor make joke." When he was met with silence and weird glances, he started to shuffle on the spot, "Why you look at Gregor like that?"

Panne stepped forward, "Your sister earned my respect. The last taguel shall champion her." She stated with a nod of her head.

Fredrick planted his hand on his friend's shoulder, "You have grown strong, milord." He looked down at the floor in shame, "I may have set a poor example as a knight… But I swear to you, I shall die before any more Exalted blood is spilled."

Chrom breathed deeply through his nose and looked towards the people who would follow him to their deaths if need be. "Thank you all, truly." He said, somewhat taken aback by their astounding loyalty, "You honour me with your fealty. I will not falter again. We shall answer this outrage! The Mad King must be stopped!"

"Right!" Flavia declared as she punched the air, "It's time for ol' Gangrel to get a dose of his own vulnerary!" She then looked upon him with a steely gaze, "The whole of the Feroxi army is yours to send crashing against him!"

"You young folk!" Basilio declared as his arm snaked around his partner's waist, "Your passions run hot! If I had any grey hairs, you could have singed them right off!" He then stretched out a hand towards the Ylissean Prince, "In other words: count me in!"

Chrom took his hand and shook it firmly.

"I'd like to go too, if I may." The young woman known as Olivia said in a meek voice, "The Exalt did me a kindness once."

"She did?" Chrom asked with raised eyebrows.

The woman nodded, "Y-yes sire." She squeaked, "It would honour me to have a part in giving her justice!" She then idling rubbed the toe of her shoe against the runner on the stone floor, "Although, all I can do is dance… And I'm not so skilled at that if we're being honest."

Basilio slammed a hand into her back and nearly knocked her over as he laughed, "She's too modest!" He declared with a hearty chortle, "Olivia is a Feroxi treasure! You won't meet a finer dancer in all the realms, her moves inspire the soldiers to work twice as hard!" His face then became serious and he slammed his forceful hand onto Chrom's shoulder, "You'd do well to bring her along, Commander."

If the expressions on the faces of some of the men amongst the Shepherds' ranks were anything to go by, Olivia was sure to inspire and spur them on.

The Prince shook his head as he realised what the Khan had just called him, "Commander?" He asked, in shock, "What happened to 'boy'?"

"You've earned your way from that name, I think." He admitted, "Now, where were we? Oh yes!" He declared as he wrapped an arm around the young's man shoulders, "I was just about to start cracking skulls!" He then took the hand of his partner and smiled at her, "Flavia will lead me and the other Feroxi in a head-on assault. That should buy you enough time to take down Gangrel." He then slapped the Prince on the back and nearly knocked him off his feet, "Hear that, boy? You get the fun part!"

The Captain rubbed the back of his neck and grumbled, "I thought you weren't going to call me –"

"You and Robin have my every confidence." The Khan interrupted, "You're a born leader, and she has a knack for guiding troops to victory. You both have some growing to do yet, but I can already see you'll grow tall."

Chrom bowed his head and smiled, "Thanks, Basilio."

The Khan then took hold of Chrom by the crook of his elbow and started to drag him from the throne room, "All right, enough talk. It's time to raise some Hell!"

As he stumbled over his own feet, the Prince only managed a feeble: "Right," as a reply to the boisterous Khan's exclamations.

"Let's get to it then!" He declared as he continued his march, "Gangrel may try to hit us while we're still licking our wounds."

"Let him try." The Prince stated with a new-found resolve, "This time, I'm ready to dethrone the Mad King, once and for all."

The Shepherds wandered into their camp outside Regna Ferox with a solemn cloud overhead. None of them spoke to one another, they all simply dropped off their weapons in silence.

Robin – unable to settle – decided to search for the remaining sibling. She knew that he would be going through the same pain as his sister, but he would not be inclined to show it.

She found him in the weapons tent, slumped on a bench with the bloody Falchion tossed on the floor beside him.

"Chrom?" She asked as she carefully walked towards him, "How do you feel?"

He looked up at her with full eyes and a clenched jaw, "How do you think I feel?" He snapped before he slammed his fist on the wood upon which he sat, "I have just lost one of the most important people in my life, and that is all you can say to me?" He then grumbled to himself, "I guess you wouldn't understand…"

Though she understood why he would be so upset with her, she would have been lying if she had said that his words did not hurt her, "No, I guess I wouldn't, considering the fact that I have no family." She then took a seat on the bench beside him, "I have no one who cares for me, and no home to return to. I cannot imagine the pain you are experiencing."

"Do not say that," He blurted out as he turned to her, "There are people here who care for you. For some of us, if you were to leave, it would leave a gaping hole in our lives – much like it has with Emmeryn." He then pressed his fist against his lips and sighed, "And I cannot let anyone know about my pain. I must not dwell upon it either, or else everything may fall apart."

Robin placed a hand on her Captain's shoulder and gave it a squeeze, "I know, you wish to remain strong for the rest of the Shepherds, but you do not have to pretend for me."

He sat up straight and turned to face her, "What do you mean?"

"You do not have to act strong when you are falling apart inside," She said as she squeezed his shoulder again, "You can be yourself around me – there are no need for false pretences."

The Prince threw his arms around her as the tears he had been holding back started to fall, "Thank you, Robin," He sobbed into her shoulder, "You how no idea what this means to me."

She held him tight as he shook in her arms, "I'll always be there for you," She whispered into his ear, "Whether it be to defend you on the battlefield, or to hold you when the world becomes too much to cope with, I shall always be here." Almost as though it was instinct, she pressed her lips against the top of his head before she rested her cheek upon it. Her body froze as she realised what she had done. She did not know why she had done it, but it felt right at the time – as though it would be the thing that would give him the most comfort in his time of need. As the seconds ticked by, she expected him to pull away, but she found herself surprised when he did not.

Instead, he withdrew his head from where it had been resting on her shoulder and looked her in the eye. His face was tearstained, and he sniffed as he studied her visage, but he still looked as beautiful as ever. His hand cupped her cheek and he drew closer.

Her eyes fluttered to a close and her heart skipped a beat. She'd wanted this moment since she'd first laid eyes on the Prince and, as her stomach flipped with excitement, she could hardly believe that it was about to happen.

He pressed his mouth against hers in such a soft, delicate kiss that their lips barely grazed each other. He leant in for another, but she pushed him away.

She grimaced and shook her head, though she wanted nothing more, she knew that it wouldn't be right for her to allow him to continue, "I can't," She mumbled, "Not now."

"Did I do something wrong?" He asked in little more than a whisper.

She shook her head, "I simply cannot kiss you when you are this upset. It would feel as though I am taking advantage."

"But it was I who made the first move," He protested.

"I know," She admitted with a sigh, "But, you may simply be needing comfort now. I cannot allow you to kiss me if you shall regret it later."

"I won't," The Prince continued to object, "I know that I shall not. I want nothing more than to kiss you until I can no longer breathe."

Robin wanted to grant his wish, she wanted to be his genie, but she knew that she would have felt so uneasy in her gut, that she would have never been able to forgive herself, "When you are not so consumed by mourning, if you still wish to –"

"– I shall!" He exclaimed as he interjected her monologue.

She sighed and shook her head as a smile played on the corners of her mouth. "If you still feel the same, then you may resume what we have started here."

He sat back and wiped his eyes and face on the back of his hands, "I shall hold you to that," He mumbled before he stood up and straightened his clothes, "I supposed we should make our way out." He stated as he held out his hand for Robin. "I hear there is another spell of Risen that we must dispatch of."

She nodded and took it as she stood beside him, "I suppose we must." She replied, "We shall have to permit Gangrel another day of life."

"Before we go, please allow me this," He mumbled before he leant in and planted a peck on her cheek. "We had better not keep the others waiting."