Chapter 37

Bittersweet Victory

"We've won," Chrom stated quietly inside the war room of Castle Sable with Robin, Frederick, Lissa, the Khans, Walter, and Phila, "yet for some reason, I don't feel like celebrating."

"Victory can be bitter as well as sweet, boy," Basilio responded sagely. "It's good that you learn that now."

"Regna Ferox lost many good soldiers today," Flavia said, unusually sober. "We need to attend to our dead. Then we must see to the living, and rebuild our army."

"Your sacrifice will not be forgotten," Chrom vowed. "Ylisse will compensate you in whatever fashion-"

"Oh really?" Flavia interrupted with a small smile. "How about you just hand over the Fire Emblem and we'll call it even?" The entire room stared at Flavia incredulously, before the woman gave a short, barking laugh. "Just a little Feroxi humor," she assured placatingly. The others expressions eased. "Reparations will fall to Plegia; I've seen their treasury, they can well afford it."

"Pity the man that stands between Flavia and a full coffer," Basilio muttered, rolling his eyes, causing the others to chuckle and Flavia to slug the man across the arm.

Chrom then turned to Walter. "I heard you and Captain Phila battled Aversa?" he asked.

"Correct," Walter replied. His arm throbbed at the memory; Lissa had looked at the wound, even calling in Tharja to examine it due to her inexperience with dark magic wounds. He had been assured it would heal, but the process would be…slow. Tharja had taken one glance at the tome they had recovered and shuddered. That had concerned Walter; Tharja was many things, most unpleasant, but she was a woman of intense intestinal fortitude. "She was a formidable foe. I am not sure if I could have bested her alone."

"It's a good thing you weren't, then," Flavia replied, a sly grin appearing on her face. "I hear you two make quite the pair on the battlefield. Rickard described your fight together as 'poetic', in fact. Rumors aside, you two are clearly made for each other in one regard."

Phila and Walter both flushed at that, and their stuttering protests could scarcely be heard over Flavia's laughter. The rest of the Shepherds joined in…except Robin. The man's distant expression had not faded since the battle with Aversa, and he rarely responded to contact. He had taken possession of Aversa's tome after Tharja had refused anything to do with it; his thousand yard stare was concentrated squarely on the tome. Walter still intended to question the man about it later…

"Alright, that's enough," Chrom replied jovially. "Leave them alone, Flavia, you're going to drive them to an early grave with your incessant teasing."

"It's not my fault their skulls are so thick that we could make armor from them," Flavia retorted.

"Anyway," Chrom emphasized, "I feel it's high time we all return home. I don't know about the rest of you, but I look forward to a cold drink and a soft-"

"Chrom!" a voice shouted from the doorway. Sumia had burst into the room, looking panicked. Before anyone could speak, she blitzed across the room with a speed that frightened Walter, and latched onto the man with an hug that made Walter swore he heard bones crack. "I've been so worried about you! You look exhausted!"

"Sumia," Chrom struggled to get out through the stranglehold, "You're…choking…me…!"

"Are you hurt?" Sumia fretted, apparently not hearing Chrom's protests. "Grazed, even?"

"Uh, guys?" Lissa said pointedly as Sumia continued to fuss, the Prince's face turning a similar color to his hair, "Maybe we should give these two some space?" She then dramatically gestured to her hand…one particular finger on her hand, before pointing back to the Prince and Pegasus Knight.

"Yes, yes," Flavia replied. "Carry on, lovebirds!" she called, cackling madly, as the rest of them filed out. Walter spared one last look into the room as he left, and saw Chrom not-so-casually reach into his pocket as Sumia finally let go. They had just finished rounding the corner at the end of the long hallway when they heard an ear splitting shriek- one of excitement, not pain or fear.

"Planning this wedding's gonna be fun!" Lissa cheered.

"I'm looking forward to the drinks, myself," Basilio said with a grin.

"Well I'll be damned," Flavia said in mock shock. "We agree on something for once. Someone! Dispatch a scout to Regna Ferox! Basilio and I agree on something, the Northern Mountains must be thawing out and dragons walk the earth once more!"

"Well, to be technical," Walter supplied with an amused grin, "We do have a dragon amongst the Shepherds. Albeit it a thousand year old child, but a dragon's a dragon."

Flavia's face took on a mimicry of horror. "Oh gods, the world really is ending!" She tore down the hallway at that point gesturing madly. "Everyone, the world is ending around us! Find a lad or lass, take a drink, and enjoy your last hours on earth!" Basilio rolled his eyes at Flavia's antics as they followed after her, at a slower and less frantic pace.

"I am happy for Sumia," Phila said contentedly. "She is a sweet girl, and they deserve each other. I fear for how Cordelia will take this, however…"

"I wouldn't worry so much about that," Lissa replied cheerfully. "She's been getting pretty friendly with Stahl, and hasn't been leering at Chrom so much anymore. I think she miiiiiight have a crush on him."

"Cordelia does not 'leer', Princess," Phila said with a frown.

"Oh, she totally does," Lissa argued with a grin. "She's got that real intense stare too. I don't know how Chrom hasn't figured it out yet. In fact, there are a lot of dense Shepherds around here…" Lissa then began to prattle on about the various budding romances she suspected were developing amongst the Shepherds (Though some were truly strange. Gregor and Miriel? Seriously? Or Frederick and Panne, of all people? The man was terrified of any beast that wasn't a horse!).

"Oh, and there's a certain knight who's unbelievably dense when it comes to that sort of thing," Lissa said, giving Walter a strange look.

"It is impolite to talk ill of Sir Kellam," Walter said with a frown. Kellam was the only knight that Lissa hadn't mentioned, though who she thought was interested in Kellam was beyond him; most of the Shepherds barely ever remembered he was around, Walter included. "He may be…difficult to remember or notice, but he is a good man."

"Oh good gods," Lissa groaned in exasperation, confusing Walter, "nevermind."

"I saw that devil-beast you captured," Basilio interrupted, changing the subject (much to Walter's relief; he was not one for gossip). "Are you going to make a trophy out of it? Keeping it fresh before you get it stuffed?"

Walter frowned. "No, we are going to try to cure it," he said.

"'We'?" Basilio asked. "Who else is on with that mad scheme? I'm no Pegasus Knight, but even I know a lost cause when I see one."

"I am helping him," Phila replied hotly. Walter furrowed his brow in confusion as Lissa began giggling, and Phila's face tinged pink. Ylisseans are insane, and the women doubly so, Walter thought bemusedly. "It is a noble goal, and could mean even more cured pegasi if we succeed."

Basilio held his hands up defensively "Alright, alright," he said soothingly. "I meant nothing by it. It's just that it doesn't look good."

"It doesn't," Walter agreed. "But nevertheless, we shall try."

"I hope you guys actually do it," Lissa said. "I noticed some hubbub in the camp near the Altar of Naga," she said suddenly, "Got any idea what that's about?"

Phila and Walter both stopped dead in their tracks; they had forgotten about Emmeryn's body in all the business surrounding the battle. As the others stopped to glance curiously back at them, Walter's face grew pale. Basilio's expression was similar.

"We need to go back and speak to Prince Chrom," Walter said somberly. "This is…well, I would call it good news, in a manner of speaking, but it brings little comfort."

000

Shortly thereafter, all of the Shepherds stood around the enchanted casket of Emmeryn. Rickard, Mustafa, and the Khans were with them. Most of the Shepherds maintained a respectful distance, but Chrom and Lissa stood directly next to the casket.

"How?" Chrom gasped hoarsely. "I thought for sure that Gangrel would have…"

"My men stole the body," Mustafa explained. "When Gangrel sent me to pursue you, I ordered some of my men to confiscate her body and hide it. When he learned of this, combined with my failure to stop you…"

Chrom turned around, his mouth agape. "Your wife…your child…you risked them for her?"

Mustafa nodded, his expression slowly becoming more miserable. "Yes," he replied. "I have always had great respect for your sister; I had even exchanged one or two letters with her. She was a far better ruler than Gangrel ever was, that was for certain. I couldn't bring myself to let that madman defile the body…" he trailed off, rubbing his eyes furiously. "I hadn't thought Gangrel would kill my family for that. I thought I would die trying to stop you, dissuading Gangrel from bothering to do it, and that nobody would discover who had ordered the body hidden…I was wrong on both counts, and Sati and Hasan paid the price for my misjudgment," he said, his voice beginning to crack.

Chrom walked over to the man and embraced him. "Thank you, General Mustafa," he said, his own voice thick. "The debt I owe you can never be repaid."

"You owe me nothing, Prince Chrom," Mustafa replied morosely, returning the embrace. "I blame no one but Gangrel, and you delivered the justice he deserved. I miss my wife and my son so terribly that it hurts, but they are at peace now. Just as your sister is."

Chrom and Mustafa parted, and the Prince returned to the casket. Lissa stood by it, sobbing quietly. "Emm…" Chrom muttered, barely able to be heard, "We did it. We stopped the war, we won it even…but we couldn't have done it without you. Your words and sacrifice resonated with the people of both nations like my own never could…Why did it take me so long to understand? You believed that all people desired peace. Even the Plegians, which I had begun to view as monsters, animals…but you believed in them anyway. You gave your life for this peace. I swear to you, I will do everything I can to live up to your example. I will do my best to lead Ylisse back to prosperity, to preserve this peace as long as possible. I…I only wish you were here to see it."

Robin walked forward and put his hand on Chrom's shoulder. "She can see it," Robin said softly as Chrom turned, his eyes red and swollen. "Your sister's watching us, even now, and I know she's proud of you. We all are," he said, gesturing back to the rest of the Shepherds. "We're all here with you, Chrom, and we'll build this peace together, with Emmeryn watching over us the entire way."

"You're right," Chrom said, his voice growing stronger as he wiped his eyes. "Emmeryn is still with us, in spirit if not body. She'll make sure we stay on the right path. Thank you, Robin. You're a true friend." He turned to the rest of the Shepherds. "You all are," he said more loudly. "I could never have done this without any of you."

"Sure you could have, just not as stylish," Vaike called out, causing the Shepherds to chuckle a bit.

Chrom himself chuckled a bit before his expression grew serious. "I know I've already asked much of you all, but I must ask yet more. Building this peace will not be easy, and I will have to rely on all of you. Will you continue to stand with me?"

"C'mon, you don't need to ask stupid questions," Robin said lightly, punching Chrom in the shoulder. "We're with you, to the end." The rest of the Shepherds cheered their agreement.

"I don't know what I did to deserve you guys," Chrom said with a smile, before turning back to the casket one last time.

"Let's go home," he whispered.