Interlude - Sands

Chrom's injury puts a definite pause in our push through Plegia. Not necessarily a bad thing, since it means that Basilio and Flavia's groups will more likely catch up prior to us starting everything, but it does mean we're on an even tighter schedule. Worse, we're burning through supplies more quickly than anticipated. At this rate, we'd barely have enough for a trip back.

There's no way this is going to work. But I dare not say it. Not now, when everyone is so focused on a miracle that just… was not going to happen.

Chrom slept a lot as he healed, because of how bad the injury had been. It didn't help that he tried to push himself, even as he did his best to obey Lissa and Maribelle, meaning he exhausted what little energy reserves his body built up fairly quickly. At least he remained in bed like he was supposed to.

I smoothed the blankets over Chrom, checking him for a fever. It was my morning ritual. Wake up to make breakfast, and then come bring some for Chrom. I tended to just leave it for him, though, since it was rare he was awake for it, and I fussed over him, always worried that he'd overheat or freeze. The desert had sharp temperature differences, after all, and there were many among the Shepherds who complained about it. Chrom didn't, but Chrom felt a large amount of guilt over making us stay in the same place for a few days. I doubted he'd whine about how something was too cold or hot.

The sounds of clinking reminded me that I wasn't alone. Frederick was also here, though that wasn't unusual; like me, he was up before the dawn regularly. Most days, he and I just quietly took care of Chrom before splitting off to our various duties. However, today, as I watched him boil some water and polish some silverware, I couldn't help but break the silence.

"You're like the most perfect butler," I teased. Frederick paused and gave me an almost annoyed look. "Sorry, but seriously."

"I'm a knight," he stated, sounding almost whiny about it. There was even a bit of a sulk. "I just like things neat and tidy."

"Still doesn't change how you're better at it than many butlers." I grinned as he rolled his eyes. "Surely others have commented on it."

"Lady Maribelle has insisted I teach her how to be a steward so that she can teach her own servants." He sounded so thrilled by the prospect. "I am deciding how."

"The same way you train all of us Shepherds, of course." I tucked the topmost blanket more firmly around Chrom, marveling at it as I had the past couple of days. It was simple enough, but it looked beautifully handmade, and lovingly mended, though some patches were faded, hinting it had seen some years. "Be brutal drillmaster."

"You think I should?"

"Hey, if she's insisting that you teach her even though you're busy with other things, she should take it seriously!" I laughed and sat down at the table, checking that Chrom's breakfast was neatly covered. Just some things that would be good no matter when he actually woke up to eat it. "I adore her, but still."

"Tempting." Frederick laughed softly and set the silverware down, checking on the pot. "Well, since you're staying a bit, would you like a cup?"

"I would be delighted." I smiled, and glanced once again at the quilt. "Where did that blanket come from?"

"Which one?"

"The quilt. It's lovely."

"Oh, that's mine." He turned to face me again. "I've had it a long time, and it's very warm. I worried that the cold would make Prince Chrom ill on top of being injured, so I'm lending it to him."

"Really?" Somehow, I wasn't surprised. "Well, like I said, it's lovely. Did you buy it in the market?"

"My mother made it actually." He sounded very proud of the fact. "She was a brilliant seamstress, if I do say so myself. She taught me that and knitting, and many other things."

"Then she had to be skilled. That scarf you made me is amazing." I smiled slightly. "But your mother, huh? Where is she now, if you don't mind me being nosy?" I hoped she hadn't been in Ylisstol. I knew many Shepherds quietly fretted over the family left behind, but no one showed it on their faces. There just wasn't time to worry.

"I don't mind. Unfortunately, though, she passed away a couple years ago. Illness." He smiled sadly, but there was a warmth to it nonetheless. "She was a single mother, but was always so strong. No matter what anyone said to her, she stood tall and held onto her purpose and dignity. She inspires me every day, even now."

"Did you become a knight to get her a better life?" Knights made some very nice paychecks. It wasn't uncommon for commoners to join up for that reason, though most just served in the regular army. It was cheaper. Becoming a knight often had lots of extra expenses.

"No, that's for another reason. There were other ways to get her a 'better' life." His smile fell slightly. "I was saved from a wolf attack when I was much younger, and it was a knight of Ylisse who saved my life. Lady Clara, actually." He went back to fixing the tea. "It stood out to me. 'I will not let death take you'. And she didn't. I wanted to be someone like that. My mother's strength encouraged me to defend others, and I wanted to do it the same way Lady Clara had saved me. As a knight."

"Huh." I wasn't sure how to react, so I just sat there awkwardly and watched him continue to make tea. "How did you afford it? Did you get a sponsorship?"

"Actually, yes." He turned and set a mug of tea in front of me. I hadn't realized he'd been making me one too. "Lady Clara had set it up. Even after she disappeared and everything went… well, everything went to hell, it was kept."

"Oh." I sipped the tea, and coughed as I scalded my tongue. "Ah…"

"Careful, it's hot." He grinned and I stuck my burning tongue out at him. "I didn't mean to ramble. I suppose I'm a bit nostalgic, and… worried."

"Why wouldn't you be?" We were trying to pull off a damn miracle, after all. "Or are you worried for a different reason than I think?"

"Slightly." He shrugged. "The last time Ylisseans were this deep in Plegia… it was during the war. Lady Clara led four different direct offensives, and the fourth was successful only through the help of traitors."

"And it ended with a city on fire, and lots of slaughtering." I knew the story well. Plegia had a public day of mourning for it, and even villages at the border took it seriously. "Though, didn't a lot of Ylisseans die that day too?"

"Yes. Lady Clara was the sole survivor of the final offensive Ylisse launched. Then she came home, and disappeared, leaving questions in her wake. That's why I'm worried. I'm worried we'll have similar prices." He shook his head. "This is not a proper topic, though. All the gloom will make us all sick." He smiled, but I noticed it was tight. He was deathly worried. "How about some stories about my lord when he was a child?"

"Well, I won't say no." I grinned, looking forward to it already. I hoped my own cheer would ease his concerns. "I'm all ears~!"

After a delightful early morning of tea and stories with Frederick, I went through my typical duties of making sure there were no arguments and that everyone was getting along reasonably well. I also checked to make sure no one was suffering from heatstroke or heat exhaustion and did a check of our inventory. Normally after that, I'd check on Robin, but this time, I got ambushed by Maribelle and whisked off for a 'morning tea party' with her, Sumia, Cordelia, and Virion. I'd thought Virion had been joking about having a tea party.

"Oh, so Lissa is with Captain Chrom," Sumia murmured, sipping her tea. It was a good tea, a citrus blend that reminded me of the tea Emmeryn had served me before. "That makes sense. He's recovering well, right?"

"He is, yes," Maribelle answered. Her voice was strangely cool, or so I thought. "Though he seems insistent on making us fret ourselves grey in the process."

"Tut, tut, it seems I need to give another lecture to our fearless leader," Virion sighed, shaking his head. "It isn't proper to make beautiful ladies fret."

"I am not certain you should be giving lectures in propriety."

"Once again, my lady's sharp tongue cuts me to the quick!"

"If only you stayed that way."

"Alack, alay! I fear I shall waste away from such barbs!"

"Why was I invited?" I muttered, focusing on my tea. I felt horrible out of place, and tried not to squirm in my seat. "I had things to do…"

"So did I," Cordelia mumbled. She and I were seated side-by-side, and shot me a sympathetic smile. She looked as awkward as I felt. "There were some weapons that needed repairs."

"The lances, right? I remember thinking that some of them looked off."

"Mostly the lances, yes, but we're down a few axes."

"Vaike had fun again, it seems." I sighed, and then glanced at the other three to make sure they hadn't noticed. Thankfully, they were too busy bantering to bother with us. "At least he hasn't lost any yet." I gave her a curious look. "How did you know the axes were off, though?"

"Oh, I practiced with them a bit. Nothing fancy." She shrugged. "We need to replenish our medical supplies, though."

"Yes, we're low on medicine, but we don't have anywhere to really get any."

"And Ricken in low on tomes."

"Is he?" I gave her a curious look. "You know this because…?"

"Oh, I keep track." She shrugged. "I like staying on top of things, so I check on everyone's equipment."

"Or you don't trust them to take care of it on their own." I smiled slightly as her expression blanked. "Or you're purposely overworking yourself so that you can sleep without dreaming of the screams following your back." I laughed as she continued staring. "You should be careful. I imagine there are many in the group who won't take your helpfulness as anything but meddling."

"I'll… keep that in mind." She suddenly laughed softly, giving me a look that was both bitter and respectful, pained and resigned. "No wonder he likes you."

"Huh?" Of course, I was just confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing important." She shook her head, and pointedly sipped her tea. "I don't know why I was invited. Maribelle and I argue often."

"Revenge for something?"

"That could be it, but then why did she invite you?"

"I've no clue. I kind of thought it was Virion's idea." I sighed, and took a sip of my own tea. "If I have to be resting, I'd rather be talking books or poetry."

"Oh, right, Sumia was telling me that you were her book buddy." Cordelia smiled warmly. "What poems do you like? I have a few favorites myself."

"I actually brought them, since they're small. I'll lend them to you."

"That would be wonderful!"

"Oh, you two are dreadful," Maribelle suddenly said. She frowned at Cordelia and me, while Sumia giggled and Virion looked amused. "I've been trying to get your attention."

"I'm sorry, Maribelle," I replied, feeling a little guilty. "We were just bonding over feeling a bit out of place."

"I can understand that, but adaptability is an important trait for a lady." She sighed, shaking her head. "And you, my dear, will need to adapt quickly. You'll find yourself hosting parties like this before long, I think, and the Ylissean court is not so forgiving."

It took me a second to realize what she was implying, and even then, I only figured it out because both Sumia and Cordelia winced. When I did, I… couldn't react. I just couldn't. It just felt… horribly awkward. I knew why she had said that. All of us did. But that just made it all the worse. Sumia worked on keeping her smile, and Cordelia's face had smoothed out to blank stoicism. I tried to pretend I didn't notice any of it, while my heart keened. Part of me was happy, but everything was so nebulous. It was clear everyone had expectations. But did Chrom really feel the same as I did? If he did, would he and I marry? Chrom had to think of his country as well himself. I wouldn't be a good queen. I could barely govern myself. How could I govern a country? I didn't know the first thing about courtly graces either. I knew politics only from afar, as a mercenary who had listened to the gossip. I… couldn't be queen. I…

But clearly some sort of reply was expected, as the awkward silence stretched longer and longer. I felt like I was about to throw up or something, which only made me realize all the more that I wouldn't be a suitable queen. If I froze up like this, in a gathering of friends, how could I…?

"Well, well, I just noticed something." Virion's light voice broke the silence, and he winked when I shot him a grateful look. "I appear to be the only male at this lovely little gathering," he declared. "However did I get so lucky?"

"I suppose it means we consider you one of the girls," I teased, unable to help it. The tension in the air eased slowly. "Hope you don't mind."

"Now, whyever should I mind being bosom buddies with such marvelous people?" He laughed, and gradually, the rest of us joined in. "But I do believe I promised you a story of how I got lost in my own castle, Kestrel." He had promised no such thing, but it was such an easy change in subject that I nodded anyway. "Well, then… which incident was the most humorous?"

"There was more than one?"

"It's a very big castle, you must understand." He grinned and launched into a story about how he managed to lock himself in his own dungeons on accident. I was half certain it was a lie, but it was entertaining, and thanks to it, the tea party continued without incident or awkwardness. Far better than feared, at least.

After the tea party, I helped Maribelle clean up as an 'apology' for not paying attention. When I was done with that, I decided to take an afternoon bath, wanting to get the sweat off of me. However, somehow, I must've gotten lost or confused as I ended up walking in on Gaius just as he was about to take off his underwear. Lovely way to have a proper first meeting.

"Sorry, I must've read the sign wrong," I explained, barely resisting the urge to sigh. Today just wasn't going to be my day. "I'll be leaving now."

"Nah, it's no worries," Gaius answered. He even grinned. "Not like it became awkward or anything, and not like you threw things at me."

"Why would I do that? It's my fault that I walked in." I frowned, not liking the implication. I'd need to have a talk with the girls. "Well, whatever. I'll leave you to your bath."

"Yeah." He paused suddenly, and his grin faded. "Er… I do want to mention that I'm normally in much better shape. Just with everything, I've been stress eating." He looked strangely insistent on that. "Usually I'm a nice piece of eye candy, belly of a washboard, glutes like a-"

"You are quite handsome as you are Gaius, though if you are worried, I am sure we can arrange some extra training sessions." I sighed, shaking my head. My eyes, however, fell on the tattoo on his lower arm. "That, however, does catch my eye." I pointed to it, and he stiffened instantly. "Relax. I know what it is, and I really couldn't care less. I am… was… a mercenary. I probably did just as bad of stuff and got paid for it."

"Yeah, well…" He shrugged, eyes narrowing. "You mind not saying anything? I'll pay you."

"You don't have to pay me. I told you that I couldn't care less. That also means I don't care enough to tell anyone."

"Or care enough to be silent." He frowned. "If you're looking for ransom, I'll admit I don't have much money, but I do have a particular set of honeycakes-"

"I. Will. Not. Tell. Anyone." I said the words slowly and firmly. "I'll keep your blasted secret. I just didn't want you panicking over whether or not I saw it. You're not the only one with a dark past. Part of mine got revealed yesterday to everyone."

"Oh, yeah, those Grimleal fellows." His frown deepened, but he sighed. "We'll drop it for now." He paused and then laughed. "Well, this was a fine conversation to have while wearing my smallclothes!"

"Meh, I've a twin brother, and spent time fighting alongside people and in infirmaries. I've talked to men wearing less."

"Bet you wouldn't be so nonchalant if you saw Blue in his smallclothes~"

"Blue?" I gave him a confused look before rolling my eyes. "That is the most unimaginative nickname for Chrom." Of course, it wasn't as if I could talk, considering how 'creative' mine had been, but he hadn't been around for that, so he couldn't comment on me being hypocritical. "Whatever. Have fun." I turned around and walked out of the tent, trying to hide my blush at the mental image of Chrom in his underwear. It didn't help that I got lots of time to see him shirtless thanks to his injury. "Ugh… thanks, Gaius…" I grumbled, ducking my head. That was when I noticed something. The sign for the tent… clearly said 'Lady's Baths'. "Uh… Gaius?" I picked up the sign and batted at the tent flap to warn him I was still there. "Sign says this is the bath for the girls."

"Wait, what?" Gaius poked his head out and frowned when I showed him. "That's not the sign I saw when I walked in. I even had Frederick show me where the men's baths were, just to make sure I didn't misread anything."

"Someone switched the signs?" That was just… bizarre. "Clearly, someone has had too much time on their hands."

"Time for an investigation." He darted back inside, and the sound of clothes rustling hinted he was getting dressed quickly. "I have to clear my good name!" He popped out two seconds later, fully clothed. "Ugh… clothes feel weird."

"Why do they feel weird?" I asked, setting the sign down before picking a direction at random to walk in. "Everything alright?"

"Just Cordelia going on a laundry kick." He made a face. "Bah, she gets all up in everyone's business to run away from taking care of herself."

"I think so too. It worries me." It worried me all the more because she was Sumia's best friend. I should make a point to get her to relax, and not at a tea party. Though I wasn't sure if she'd want to be around me. "When we next get a break, I should encourage her to seek out a therapist or something. The church does things like that, right?"

"Supposedly. Most I've met only do bribes, but Blue seems to be lucky when it comes to attracting people to his cause. Maybe we'll get a genuine one." He reached into his pocket and grimaced suddenly. "Ugh… it's too hot… my candy is melting…"

"It'll freeze up again when night falls." I looked around the camp, noticing that Sully and Vaike were sparring again, despite the fact that this was probably the hottest part of the day, or close to it. "It gets cold."

"But that'll mess up the flavor!"

"Sugar is sugar to me." But, then again, I had an idea of why he was obsessed with sweets. They were expensive. Unless you were wealthy, or a skilled thief, you'd likely only manage to snag some during a festival. "Sorry."

"We need to have a proper sweet tasting so that you can appreciate the differences between them all."

"Perhaps we can do something more practical, like how to be sneaky." I was fast, but my stealthing abilities were average at best. "I went the mercenary route instead of the thief route when funds ran low."

"Knowing the wonders of sugar is important." His eyes sharpened slightly and he pointed to where I could see Frederick scolding Lissa. The 'Men's Baths' sign was in his hands, and Lissa looked very contrite. "Well, what's that over here?"

"I think we found our prankster." I sighed heavily, thinking of how that really should've been my first guess. I'd forgotten, since I'd told her to never pull a prank on me, but Robin was a favored victim. "Shall we join in with the lecture or just leave it?"

"Leave it." He laughed, clearly amused now by all of it. "We were just wondering, right? How about you and I go get food and leave them be?"

"Yeah, sure, that's good." I shrugged, and turned away, heading for the mess tent. "I hope no one has guzzled the water again. I don't want to hunt down more."

"Here's hoping, Falcon. Here's hoping."

I chose not to comment on the nickname, and instead, asked him if he'd traveled. He responded by telling me about different cities in Ylisse, with delightful stories about the people, the sweets they ate, and what sort of things they gossiped about. It ended up being a delightful lunch, actually.

Late that afternoon, Chrom was cleared to actually get up and walk around. Robin and I volunteered to be his crutches, and so, we helped Chrom slowly patrol the edges of the camp. He tired frequently, no thanks to the heat, but he stubbornly kept insisting on continuing, so Robin and I helped him walk.

"Chrom, I swear, if you strain yourself, I'll hurt you," Robin grumbled. He took most of Chrom's weight as Chrom staggered again. "Seriously. As a tactician, I'll hurt you."

"Go on; keep scolding," Chrom joked, grinning weakly. His eyes danced, though. "It's preferable to the constant apologies."

"I'll apologize for kicking your ass if you overdo it." Robin sighed and gave me a beseeching look. "Make him behave."

"And how do you propose I do that, master tactician?" I retorted. I kept a step back, mostly because I knew how much Robin wanted to help Chrom. He still felt horrible guilt over it all. "Come up with a strategy."

"Why must my twin be so cruel to me?" Robin instantly complained, groaning. Chrom only snickered. "Is it a sister thing? Is it a younger sister thing? Help me out here, Chrom."

"Why are you asking me?" Chrom laughed. His bright smile did wonders to soothe both Robin and me. He really was recovering. "I don't know!"

"You have sisters!"

"Maybe it's a twin thing!"

"Boys, calm down," I chided, shaking my head. I had to fight to keep the grin off my face. "You…" I trailed off as I noticed something odd. Not far away, there was a woman dragging something towards our camp. Her clothes, however, marked her as Plegian. "Who's that?" I pointed to the woman when Robin and Chrom gave me weird looks. "Her. I don't recognize her."

"...Oh, great, did something actually happen?" Robin sighed. He shifted, slinging Chrom's arm over his shoulder. "Come on. Unfortunately, we do need to look into that."

Slowly and cautiously, the three of us made our way towards the girl. She seemed to notice us and stopped, watching us closely. But as we got closer, I noticed she was smiling, and it… it was actually a genuine smile, with dimples and shining eyes.

"Hi, my name is Melaina," she introduced, bowing to us. She gestured to her burden, which was a blanket, and let one corner fall so that we could see what was inside. "The folks in my village thought you guys might be running low on medicine since you were holed up here for a while. So, here, have some!"

"Are you serious?" I asked, startled. She was right in that we were low, and when I crouched down to look at the medicines, I realized that unless they were very clever poisons, they were actual medicine. I recognized most of them. "This is quite the gift."

"Not really. Our village specializes in medicine making." She shrugged, still smiling. Chrom leaned away from Robin to stand on his own, and Robin dropped a hand to his pocket, where he had his tome. "This is just some extras."

"Still, though, it is appreciated." I glanced up at her, trying to figure out if she was tricking us. But I didn't find anything but simple honesty. "It's very appreciated, actually."

"I'm glad." She giggled. "You guys did a good job with the hiding, but some of our herb gatherers have to come out this far, and noticed you."

"Damn, I had thought we were far enough away from villages," Chrom murmured. He frowned a bit, glancing at his arm. He was wearing a sleeveless shirt, something thrown on to cover the bandages, and his Brand was easy for anyone to see. "...Forgive me, but you have to know who I am." His voice remained even, though. "I'm not… well, I'm not taking steps to hide it."

"Nope, you're not," she agreed. "You are Crown Prince Chrom of Ylisse, heir to Exalt Emmeryn, only son of Exalt Adair, and the current wielder of the Falchion." She rattled it off with ease, and with each word, her cheer faded to become stone-cold serious. "I take it these are your Shepherds. We've heard of you."

"Then why?" He shook his head. "Not to sound ungrateful. I'm just… very confused." He paused, eyes widening. "Wait, is it a… custom thing? Culture? I… sorry, I'm just not sure why, and I'd like to know."

"..." Her face softened with a smile before she laughed. "Well, you're more adorable than I anticipated." She laughed a little more before letting the sound die, but the smile remained. "Prince Chrom, I remember the war. King Gangrel can whip people into a frenzy over the past, but my wounds have already scarred." She pointed to the scar over her eye for emphasis. "There are Plegians who long for war and revenge, but there are many, like myself, who are tired of watching good people die for someone's stupid ideals. King Gangrel pursues an ideal of revenge. I wish someone would remind him that we live in a world of reality, not ideals."

"That doesn't mean going out of your way to help us, though. You can simply…"

"Watch you go by? Yes, I could. I imagine many have done the same. Based on how you're acting here, I can see that you move quickly and quietly, doing your best to avoid a conflict." She shrugged again. "Far different than the last time an army invaded. You're trying to be efficient. In and out, minimal casualties. You just want to save your Exalt, your sister, and you're careful to not bring harm to others."

"I… try." Chrom fell silent for a bit. "So, why do you come to help us directly? Forgive me for being stubborn. If you would rather not answer, I don't mind."

"Curiosity killed the cat."

"Satisfaction brought it back."

"And curiosity killed off the rest of its nine lives."

"Well, thank goodness I'm not a cat." Chrom flashed a grin before pointing to Robin and me. I continued peering at the medicines; Robin watched over everything calmly, one hand still on his tome. "These two would also kill me if I died."

"Well, aren't you lucky?" She laughed again, before nodding. "Well, the answer is simple. I, and my village, chose to help you directly because of the Holy Swordsman."

"The Holy…" Chrom's eyes widened. "Clara?"

"Yes, her. She wanders around, sometimes, and takes care of bandits for us." She spoke lightly, and each word made Chrom's eyes widen further. I couldn't blame him; it didn't escape me that she used present tense to refer to her. "Other villages too. Our knight in tarnished armor, who does more for us than our king in his revenge." She smiled wryly. "Went a long way to remind us that there was more to the previous war than any of us would ever admit. The Holy Swordsman, the Demon of Blades, the Reaper of War…" Chrom flinched at each title, and my jaw dropped as I realized they all referred to the same woman. I'd always assumed they were three different people. "She tended to the children so gently when they were lost in the sands. She cut down the bandits without mercy, and held their victims as they sobbed. We like her. We respect her. And, because of her, we remember that Ylisse is filled with people too, just like Plegia. You seem like her, in how careful you are. So, we don't mind helping. King Gangrel's war is only going to get a lot of us killed, after all."

"...Thank you…" Chrom whispered the words, and, when he smiled, he looked ready to cry. "I appreciate it."

"Just continue being you, Prince Chrom, and when this war ends, remember that there are people here too." She laughed and turned, waving over her shoulder. "I'd better return, though. I've my own chores to finish."

"Safe travels to you." Chrom hesitated and then looked to Robin. "We were attacked twice yesterday. Can you…?"

"If she does not mind," Robin replied. He smiled when Melaina gave us a curious look. "We were attacked by Grimleal. While you made it here safely, we're worried. Would you mind an escort?"

"...Sure, why not?" she replied after a moment. She laughed again, smiling. "It's not far, but it is out of sight."

"Then let us go. I'm sure one of our fliers will follow, but I promise it's just them being paranoid." Robin grinned and walked over to her, easily falling in step as she continued on. "Can you tell me a bit more about Plegia, though? I try to read, but there's only so much you can learn in books…" Robin's happy questions, and Melaina's easy answers slowly disappeared in the distance. Chrom and I watched them leave, and watched Cordelia, who must've been on an aerial patrol, subtly head after them, in silence. The whole talk was… odd. Odd and refreshing. It was nice to see someone who didn't want to kill us, even if it was unexpected.

"...Clara's alive," Chrom whispered after a moment. He laughed, and it sounded both relieved and hollow. "I don't know what to feel about that." The gentle murmuring of the camp behind us hinted that everyone was going back to their tasks. "I'm glad, but I also wonder why she didn't come back. I'm happy, but I also wonder why she's not saving Emm right now."

"Well, I can't answer the first, but perhaps she's not near for the second," I pointed out. I shrugged when he looked at me. "But, hey, she's alive, and she's helping people. She's showing Plegians that there is some good in Ylisse still. In her own way, it seems like she was helping Emmeryn."

"True." He sighed, looking up at the cloudless sky. "...After we save Emm…" He trailed off, clearly thinking of what to say. "After that, I have something I'd like to tell you."

"You do?" I gave him a confused look, even though he wasn't looking at me. "What is it? Why not tell me now?"

"Well, I'd like to focus on saving my sister." He glanced over his shoulder to smile warmly at me. "And, well, I'd like to also talk to her about it. Advice. Frederick gave me some, but I want to hear her words too."

"Okay?" I felt a little breathless, my pulse thundering in my chest. "That seems… odd to me, but I'll wait. If you promise to remain a good patient, and go rest."

"Yes, yes." He laughed, smile widening. "I can take the hint. I'll head back to my tent."

"Very good." I glanced at the medicines, and made a split-second decision. "I'll go tell Maribelle about the medicine. If you're not back at your tent by the time I'm done, then you'll get a scolding."

"A fate worse than death."

"From Frederick."

"A really worse fate than death." He made a face and I laughed. "Fine, fine. I'm going; I'm going."

"Good." On impulse, I leaned up and kissed his cheek. "For being polite." And then I ran off, barely avoiding tripping over my own feet, worried about his reaction even as my face heated up.

I shouldn't have done that. I really shouldn't have done that. Ah, the next few days were going to be so, so awkward…!

After dinner, I invited Cordelia to my tent to read through some poetry. I invited Sumia too, but she had first watch, so she declined. Robin ended up crashing on some of my pillows, curled up asleep, as Cordelia and I flipped through poems, dramatically reading some aloud. It became a game over who would burst into giggles first, and it ended in a tie. Both of us couldn't keep a straight face for long.

"Poems are infinitely funnier when you're reading them melodramatically," Cordelia managed through her laughter. Tears actually gathered in the corners of her eyes. "Oh, goodness…"

"It doesn't help that we're purposely mispronouncing some of the words to make them rhyme," I pointed out. My stomach hurt from how much I'd been laughing, and I had to check on Robin to make sure we hadn't woken him up. "But it's a good poem."

"It is. I love it." Her laughter faded to giggles, and then, amusingly enough, hiccups. "Oh no!"

"Hold your breath!" I snickered, unable to help it. Both of us were red in the face, and hers turned redder from embarrassment as she held her breath to try and cure her hiccups. It took a few tries before it worked. "There we go!"

"Ah…" She sighed mournfully, but smiled. "I haven't laughed like that in a while. Everything has been…"

"Hell. War is worse than hell." I shrugged and flopped back on my pillows. "I figured you could use a night off."

"I did. Thank you." She smiled warmly, but a bit awkwardly, like she wasn't used to smiling. "I appreciate it."

"It's fine. Besides, I'm having fun too." I grinned at her, but it faltered when I noticed she was looking at me closely. "Something up?"

"No, it's nothing." She shook her head. "Just, again, I was thinking it was no wonder he likes you."

"You said that before." But this time, I had a feeling of who the 'he' was. My face heated up at the implication, and my heart ached at the pain I saw in her eyes. "...Well, since you brought the topic up, mind if I ask a question? You don't have to answer if you don't want."

"Certainly." She picked up another pillow and tucked it against her chest. "What is it?"

"Why did you 'give up'? Sumia told me that you had."

"She would. She had encouraged me to try for it, even though she loves him too." Cordelia sighed, and hid half her face in the pillow, muffling her voice. "Well, part of it is simple. We don't live in a fairy tale. The girl from the slums doesn't magically marry the prince charming just because she likes him."

"Slums?"

"Yeah, I'm from the slums of Ylisstol, poor as Vaike. Actually poorer, I was an orphan." She hid a little more behind the pillow. "Every day, I had to struggle to survive. I lived for the days Exalt Emmeryn would step out to greet us, often with Prince Chrom at her side. They were all… sparkling and bright, and whenever they passed by, it felt like the sun had finally come in. But then they'd disappear, and I was back to doing what I had to. I'm a poor runner, sadly, so I was never good at stealing. I worked on strengthening my body, though, thinking that I could become a mercenary to escape. I did… a lot of bad things…" She lifted her head slightly, though, and smiled. "One day, though, this strange little girl wandered into the slums, the pretty daughter of a Viscount. Some of the other kids tried to beat her up and steal from her, but I intervened. I grabbed a broken broom pole and whacked them with it, chasing them away, before leading the girl back to the 'proper' part of town."

"That was Sumia, wasn't it?" I smiled, easily imagining the encounter. "Sounds like her."

"It was. She thanked me profusely, and insisted on dragging me to her parents. I was so embarrassed, since I was covered in filth, but she took my hand without disgust, and her parents smiled so warmly at me. Captain Phila was with them at the time, discussing some sort of security thing, and when Sumia told everyone about how I'd saved her, she offered me sponsorship into the pegasus knights. After a moment of staring at her like an idiot, I took the offer, and so, made it out of the slums."

"I see." My smile warmed as she glanced at me hesitantly. "Sounds cool. I thought you had to do a test to get sponsorship."

"Normally, yes, but Captain Phila is high enough ranked to overrule that, and she said she thought I had the potential. And…" She smiled slightly. "She said I reminded her of her sister, so she was sure I'd do great." She paused awkwardly. "Though she was also quick to add that she'd hoped I would have a happier fate."

"What happened?"

"She died during the war. Phila became a pegasus knight in her memory." Cordelia laughed. "Wow, all of that rambling just to explain that I gave up because I wouldn't be accepted. Of course, me giving up so easily was probably a sign that my feelings weren't all that strong to begin with, no matter how much they linger. But I think they linger because of the other reason."

"What's the other reason?"

"I love the idea of Prince Chrom more than I love him, I think." She straightened up, though she still hugged the pillow to her chest. "I love the idea of a Prince Charming, a prince who goes out and does stuff. I love the light he brings to the world. But I know next to nothing about him as a person. I spent all my time studying and working hard, hoping to live up to expectations. My only friend was Sumia, who would tell me about him, and I would listen to the gossips, who would tell me how he was viewed. But I don't know him. I just know the image I've built up in my head. That's… well, I won't say it's not a 'real' love, but it's not one to pursue a relationship with."

"...That's way more mature than I was expecting." I grinned as she actually squeaked and pouted. "Sorry, but it was."

"I've had a lot of time to myself to think. It means I come up with stupidly complex answers to simple things." She sounded so huffy, and continued to pout. "Regardless, though, that's why. And no telling anyone. I've only recently pieced it all together and need to tell Sumia."

"Yeah, sure, no worries." I giggled, making her pout further, but my cheer faded as I thought about her first reason. "I imagine the courts wouldn't accept someone like me either…"

"Courts might not. But the Shepherds will, and the Shepherds is filled with a lot of influential people." She smiled encouragingly at me, even though her eyes were pained. "You'll have to fight for it. But you… I think you can do it. Given everything I've heard about you, from everyone, I think you'd make a good queen."

I was saved from answering by a loud gasp, followed by Robin shooting up, panting heavily with wide eyes. I lunged over to his side, hugging him tightly, while Cordelia peered worriedly at us both. Robin leaned into me, trembling as he clutched my arm. I kissed the top of his head, and rocked him slowly, doing my best to radiate comfort while he dragged himself out the last bits of whatever nightmare he'd had.

After a long moment, he took a shuddering breath and pulled out of my hug, looking at me seriously. "Kestrel, are you certain I don't have the ability to see the future?" he asked me, desperately. His hand clenched into a fist. "Absolutely?"

"Yes, you don't have it," I replied. I focused on keeping absolutely calm. "I'm sure."

"And a…" He visibly groped for words. "An… an ability to see things happening in present times, but not…?"

"Scrying?" I gave him a weird look when he nodded. "No. You only have your Insight. Why ask?"

"...Just a bad dream." Robin sighed and flopped back on the pillows. "Just a bad dream."

"I know a good tea for that," Cordelia stated, already leaping to her feet. "Hold on. I'll get some made for you." She was out of the tent without even waiting for an answer.

So, instead, I scooted closer to Robin and ran my hands through his hair. "You're just nervous," I whispered. I hoped it soothed him. "There's a lot riding on you."

"I know," he mumbled. He curled more into himself. "I won't fail, though. I can't. I'll save Emmeryn for Chrom. I'll keep us all safe. I can't fail. I won't fail."

"Robin…" I didn't know what to say. So, I just kept running my hands through his hair. "I love you."

"I love you too." He breathed in deeply and let it out slowly, relaxing with the exhale. "That tea sounds nice, though."

"Cordelia will be back before long. Make sure to thank her."

"I will." He closed his eyes. "Thank you, too, sister. For staying with me, even though everything is all messed up."

"You can't get rid of me if you tried." I smiled slightly. "Why not just stay over in my tent tonight? You're already comfy."

"Okay." He sighed. "Sounds good." We stayed like that until Cordelia returned with three mugs of tea. Then we worked on having a polite, but happy, conversation until the tea was gone and we all went to bed. But as I tried to go to sleep, a dark cloud hung over me, worries of what was to come.

Emmeryn's fate would be decided soon. And I was very scared of what destiny had planned for her.

Notes on Panne:

Class - ; Reclass - Thief, Wyvern Rider

One of the few survivors of the Taguel after decades of genocide, noble yet aloof

An excellent frontline fighter, with a strength, agility, and senses that surpass humans. However, her Beaststone is capable of breaking if overused, and are rare, so she has to be careful to time it well. Surprisingly reckless.

Because she is Taguel, and hasn't been around humans much, she is ignorant to human customs, resulting in amusing instances. Poor Stahl almost fainted from embarrassment when she licked his face to clean off a dangerous-to-human fruit.

Author's notes: So, there are a lot of random tidbits here that tie in to Shadows of the Exalt, including bits about Frederick's mother and Phila's sister, neither of which are mentioned in canon (for good reason in Phila's case; Phila likely doesn't have a sister in canon). Cordelia being from the slums isn't mentioned at all (in fact, there's nothing for Cordelia's background at all), but I'm having her be from there to further contrast Sumia (the daughter of a Viscount) and to add another dimension to why she's so certain her feelings would be unrequited and why she's so perfectionistic. Also have some local Plegians who don't instantly want to kill the party, who are few and far between in game. Robin's implied nightmare is the same one from in-game, which shows in the 'prior to preparations' scenes in Chapter Nine.

Gaius and Kestrel's conversation references the C support between Gaius and a Female!Avatar. Sully and Vaike sparring is a reference to their supports, mostly their B and A. Panne licking Stahl's face is a reference to their A support. Frederick and Maribelle's supports deal with him teaching her how to be a steward at her insistence. Cordelia and Gaius's supports are about her scolding him for cleanliness.

Next Chapter - Emmeryn