Robin

So here we are, at the Khans' castle. The rest of the Shepherds waited at the dining room, while the Feroxi offered them a meal as an apology for mistreating us back at their border. I just hope that Stahl doesn't eat everyone's rations, I let out a small chuckle at a hilarious imagination.

Meanwhile Chrom, Frederick, Lissa and I followed Raimi who led us to this long hallway before opening two gigantic wooden doors that led to the throne room.

"Prince Chrom, please wait here while I summon the khan." Raimi bows and makes her exit as we patiently stood up waiting for the person we needed to meet.

"Of course." Chrom replies to the leaving armored female.

"The khan is away?" I asked

"Out training, I'd wager. The khans of Ferox prefer battle to politics. Or rather, battle IS their politics."

As we idly stood, I surveyed the surroundings of the room, and boy this is surprisingly neat! Not to mention that cool looking throne, I bet it's really comfortable.

"A warrior ruler, eh? I can picture him now... A giant of a man of unparalleled thew, his broad chest covered in hair, heheh... Not to mention this throne room is tidy and clean, not something I'd expected from a brute..." Somehow a picture of a shirtless pirate came to my mind of what the Khan would look like.

"Am I now? ...Please, do go on!" A deep feminine voice spoke in a short distance, which we turned to look at who it was.

"Huh?"

The figure happens to be a well tanned, blonde woman that wore a fully clothed armor with a big red shield covering almost of her left arm. She approached us slowly and met Chrom and I, face to face.

Chrom

Wait a second! If Raimi went to fetch the Khan, and this is the only one who came... Then she must be the— *gasp*

No way! Is she? Only one way to find out.

"Are y-you the—?! Er, that is to say... The khan, I presume?" I almost broke, but remained calmed at the end.

"One of them, yes—the East-Khan. My name is Flavia. I humbly apologize for the troubles my people had caused at the border, Prince Chrom. You are welcome in Regna Ferox." Oh, so she IS the Khan.

"Thank you, but I'm confident we can put that misunderstanding behind us. Is it true bandits posing as Ylisseans have been ransacking your border villages?" I asked curiously, hoping that that in truth. My people didn't do any harm to the Feroxi.

"Yes. Those Plegian dogs! We found documents proving as much on the corpse of one of their captains. Plegia must see some benefit in raising tensions between your kingdom and ours."

I knew it, those Plegian trash are nothing but savages!

"Damn them! I—" I started to become enraged with my blood about to boil until...

"Chrom..." Robin soothes me down with her gentle voice, I almost lost my temper there. Thinking on how horrible those Plegian bandits until I remembered my manners, as Robin places her soft hand over my shoulder to cool me down.

"Forgive me, Your Grace and you too, Robin. That was...indelicately put."

"Ha! Damn them and damn delicacy! Here in Ferox, we appreciate plain speech." Flavia laughed off from my anger and was pretty cool with it, well I'm glad then.

"In that case, you should have a word with your damn border guards. They goddamn nearly killed us!"

"Ha ha! Now that's Feroxi diplomacy! Yes, I like you already. I know why you have come, Prince. But regrettably, I cannot provide any Feroxi troops for Ylisse"

"What?! Why not?!" Lissa behind me, screamed obnoxiously, making my eardrums ring. I was just as shock as Lissa, not getting reinforcements for my kingdom is a big downfall for the future.

"I lack the authority. That's why." Flavia with dissatisfaction in her voice.

"Forgive me, but I don't understand. Aren't you the khan? Shouldn't you have the power?" I pointed out in confusion.

"As I said, I am ONE of the khans. In Ferox, the khans of east and west hold a tournament every few years. The victor acquires total sovereignty over both kingdoms. And that means they have the final say when it comes to forging alliances. The West-Khan won the last tournament, you see, and so..."

"So... we are to receive no aid at all? That's it isn't it?" I became quite saddened at the surprise of not receiving any help for my kingdom. But there's got to be a way.

"Not if you always give up so easily! The next tournament is nigh, you see, and I am in need of champions." Flavia puts a shyly smirk on her face.

"What does that have to do with us?" I questioned.

"The captain of my border guard informs me your Shepherds are quite capable." Ah~ so that girl, Raimi must've told her about our actions back at the border.

"Perhaps you would consider representing the East in the upcoming tournament? If you win and I become ruling khan, I will grant your alliance." Flavia reconsiders my dissatisfaction into a motive of helping her in the competition, but I don't think my people are in a right to compete in their traditions.

"I would have assumed Ylisseans had no place in such Feroxi traditions."

"Ha! On the contrary. The khans themselves do not fight—they choose champions to represent them. Otherwise our land would be rife with blood feuds and dead khans! We don't involve comrades or kin for the same reason. Over time, it was decided the tournament should be fought by outsiders. Although the outsiders have never included foreign royalty. ...That I know of! Ha! Regardless, it is your choice to make." As much as I don't want to risk the Shepherds and myself in cruel competition, we ARE in an agonizing situation. A situation that we have to get out off, so we basically have no other choice on this one.

"There is no choice, East-Khan. My people are desperate. We face not only Plegia's constant attacks, but now the added threat of the Risen. If fighting for you is the quickest way to an alliance, then we will take up our steel." I clenched my right hand into a fist from the thoughts of my people getting slaughtered everyday by two different threats at the expense of my kingdom's army not having enough strength to fight both.

"Ha ha! Oh, I like you, Prince Chrom. I do hope you survive the tournament! Come, I'll show you the arena where the tournament is held. But be wary! I hear an equally able swordsman champions the West-Khan." Who could those men be?

"May I ask, who the swordsmen we may be facing?" I was curious on who we would be fighting if they're equally as good as I am.

Flavia taps her chin with one of her index finger as thinks really deeply. "Ah! Hmm~ let me see... Aha! I think the champions go by the name of 'Alm' and 'Marth'."

"WHAAAAT!?" Once again Lissa screeches and made everyone's hearing painfully ringing. She immediately covered her mouth with both hands as she blushed in pure embarrassment.

"Ha! It seems you've already met both champions, eh prince?"

"No, Flavia. We only met Marth, but never heard of this 'Alm' person. *Sigh* People this days just seem to name their kids off the legendary heroes."

"I also think that both champions of Basilio happens to be siblings if I remember correctly, one of them is skilled in terms of magic, and the other goes by the blade skillfully. Not to mention they both have the same masks, so they're easy to spot." Flavia let's us use of the valuable information that we can use for the competition.

"Chrom, whatever happens we shouldn't deal tremendous damage to them, and we owe Marth a great favor of saving Lissa. So let's not try to kill him and his sibling." Robin pleads, in which she is right. If it weren't for Marth, my younger sister would have been done for.

"Very well Flavia, they shall be defeated by Ylisse's necessity." I proudly promised her the victory.

"Well spoken again—I look forward to seeing if you're equally skilled with a blade! I'll be watching your group in a few days at the tournament, in the mean time take a rest and practice in our barracks that I'll send word for." Well looks like we'll be in Regna Ferox for a moment, at least were provided with an accommodation until the competition begins.

—The Next Day—

Robin

Chrom had given me special sword, just right for my style. But it was rather thoughtful of him to reward me with such a beautiful gift. My face began to heat up, thinking that he greatly likes me to go as far as giving me an enchanted levin sword.

No, no! No way! There's absolutely no freaking way that he likes me the way... I... like him... I mean he has Sumia who has been in his side longer than I have, and clearly she's far more superior in terms of beauty. C'mon Robin! Focus more on training on your swings for the competition, innocent lives back at Ylisse are on the line!

"Hya! Hi~ya! Hy—ya!" With one last swing with my trusty levin sword towards the straw dummy, I was completely exhausted. Surely if I was any better, I'd be able to swing more than 250 times, but right now I'm sweating hard!

"You seem exhausted. Finished training for today, Robin?" Chrom appears behind me as I was just finishing up with my practice.

I took off my coat that made my body warmer, and I wiped sweat off my face using a towel before replying back.

"With combat practice, yes. But I thought I might review a few battle histories..."

"You should relax a bit. Put your feet up. Experienced soldiers rest when they can. On a campaign like this, you never know when the next battle might break out. Especially that tomorrow is the tournament."

"Heh, so I've noticed. With all that's happened recently, we've barely had time to even eat." Surprise, surprise. My stomach grumbled all the sudden, hopefully I'll get a nice Feroxi lunch later.

"It's been a tough road, to be sure. And it's only going to get harder." Chrom points out.

"I do try and rest when I can, though. A lady needs her beauty sleep and healthy diet, after all." I said to Chrom.

"Er..." With the sound of concern and confusion in his voice.

"...What? Did I say something?" I asked back.

"Er, no... No, it's nothing. It's just that... Well, I just didn't consider you the type to care after beauty and such... I suppose I've never really thought of you as a lady." WHAAAAT!? I'm not seen as a lady!? Who the hell does he think he is?

"Excuse me?!" I questioned him with disgust in my voice while still being passive, but somewhat mostly aggressive.

"No! I mean—I didn't mean—not like that! That is to say, a "lady," per se... Er... You know, how you fight and strategize, and... Not to say a lady can't fight, but... Gods, this is coming out all wrong." So what Chrom's saying is that apparently, ladies CAN'T fight! He really want me to unleash my sassy tone if he keeps this up.

"My goodness, Chrom. You're the scion of a noble family, aren't you? Didn't they teach you manners at your fancy schools growing up?"

"Oh, gods, yes. Of course they did. We spent a whole term on etiquette." Apparently he needs more training, if he's this thick!

"Perhaps you could use another term, this time on how to talk with a lady, such as myself." Now I am bout to get sassy with him.

"It's just my image of a lady is someone so prim and proper...perfumed, and pretty... Nothing like you at all! When I look at you, I just don't see a 'lady.' Prim? Proper? Perfumed? Pretty?! Does he really see me as bedraggled? Stinky, disgusting and UGLY!? Gods I can already feel one of my veins on my face about to pop at this annoying prince!

I gripped my levin sword harder than ever and sparked it with electricity emitting out of it.

"Er, Robin? What... What are you doing with that levin sword?" Chrom gulps as he nervously stared at my blade.

"I'm thinking a thousand bolts of thunder to the head might help fix your eyesight, and your brain." I sarcastically said with extra sass. Now Chrom's face is sweating as he begins to panic, slowly making his way backwards.

"N-no, wait! It was a just a joke! Ha ha...ha? ...Gotta go!" Off he goes at lightning speed, away from my line of sight in an instance.

"I don't believe it. The little craven actually ran away! What kind of manners... Sheesh... Oh, well. Perhaps it's only fair. It's not like I think of him as a gentleman, let alone some fancy noble. Let alone his sense of fashion is horrible with only having a single long sleeve!"