Chapter 6: Unyielding Will, Painful Legacy
Weaving a slow path northward, Chrom led the Shepherds as well as Emmeryn towards the Feroxi border, aiming to unite their forces in order to properly engage Plegia and protect the Exalt. Robin followed closely behind the prince, rubbing the back of her gloved hands idly as she was lost in thought. Ever since the assassination attempt made a few days ago, her mind was consumed with dreams of events that didn't seem possible yet felt real enough to cause doubts in the tactician.
These can't be memories, since Emmeryn didn't die, and the Fire Emblem hasn't been lost. This is just stress from working too hard, nothing to worry about. But what about these brands on my hands, and why have they started glowing all of a sudden? Why do I feel like things are happening beyond my control? Why can't I-
"Excuse me Robin, do you have a moment?"
Robin jumped, startled out of her thoughts by the Exalt, a curious look on her face as she waited for the younger woman to collect herself.
"Yes, forgive me Your Grace," Robin said, taking a deep breath and smiling back at her companion. "So much has happened lately, it's hard to take it all in."
"I understand, and please call me Em," Emmeryn replied gently, putting her hand on Robin's shoulder. "You've become so close with Chrom and Lissa, it feels like you're part of the family now. No need to stand on ceremony with me."
"Wow, you really are related," Robin laughed, relaxing at the calming air radiating from the Exalt. "Chrom says that all the time. I wonder if it's a trait all Ylissian royals share."
"Well, to varying degrees I would say so," Emmeryn chuckled, sharing in Robin's mirth. "Most of our ancestors, going as far back as the Hero King Marth himself, have ruled with the belief that our duty should always be to the people first. After the inheritance my father left me, I truly embraced that philosophy and was able to bring our country back from ruin."
"Em…how do you do it?" Robin was gazing at Emmeryn in wonder, marveling at everything she had learned and seen about the incredible person beside her. "When there is so much hostility and hatred aimed at you, how do you find the strength to forgive and aim for peace?"
"Well, it wasn't always easy," Emmeryn confided, her gaze turning pensive as she recalled her youth. "There were several instances where I almost gave in to the doubt and despair that threatened to consume me. But then, one evening after putting my siblings to bed following a terrible riot earlier that day, I came to a revelation: in this life there are only two things that matter, the things you can do and the things you can't. My choices were to accept my fate or do everything in my power to make things better. I made a vow to the gods that I would devote everything I am to healing this damaged world for my people and my family."
Robin stared down, a wave of sadness crashing over her as words seemed to rise from deep within her. "Your devotion is admirable, but your mission will never be truly complete. Humans by their very nature crave and thrive from conflict; peace will only ever be a temporary measure."
Emmeryn looked to the tactician and gave a sad smile.
"Indeed, peace may be nothing more than an ephemeral dream. Most things in life are such when you think about it. I'm no fighter, I have no love for strife. But if the peace I yearn for can make even one person's life better, than that will have made all of the effort worth it."
Robin glanced at the Exalt, feeling a kinship of spirit and renewed sense of hope since arriving in Ylisstol.
"Thank you Emmeryn. I-"
"Ambush! Advance troops, to the front! Don't let them cut us off at the pass!"
Robin grimaced, the familiar feeling of déjà vu returning.
"Don't worry Em, we'll settle this quickly!"
Robin charged forward, her cloak flapping in the wind as Emmeryn looked on with a worried expression, her royal guard forming around her as the sound of battle broke out.
In the end, it was a brief but intense skirmish. Robin wiped her cheek, wincing as the healing ointment stung in the shallow cut she had received from a passing arrow. The Plegian troops they had encountered were an advance scouting party, which made the implications more dangerous than the battle itself had been.
It's at least three days from the Plegian border, the war only started five days ago. Even with their fastest troops, there's no way they could have known we were taking this route to set up a proper ambush. If they have troops this far in, then that could only mean-
"Your Grace, my prince, you mustn't tarry! Run, as far and fast as you can!"
Robin glanced up, spotting a white Pegasus descending with a female knight atop his back. She was striking, wearing ornate white armor in stark contrast to her long crimson hair, which flowed freely in the wind as she landed her steed. Her eyes, a radiant ruby that complemented her locks, were wide with worry as she dismounted and joined Robin and the small group around her.
"Cordelia? What are you talking about?"
Chrom winced, Lissa tending to a gash on his leg having been dealt by the enemy general.
"More Plegians are coming, not a half day's march from here!"
Cordelia met the prince's gaze briefly, then glanced away with an intense look of shame.
"Cordelia, why are you here? You were assigned as a member of the border guard. Tell me the border remains secure."
Phila, a Pegasus knight and the head of the royal guard for Emmeryn, frowned in concern as she gazed at the young knight, who looked on the verge of tears.
"I wish I could, but it would be false," Cordelia said shakily, her face going white as she looked to her superior officer. "We-we stood no chance. Gangrel himself led his army against us. My knight-sisters begged me to flee and warn the Exalt, even as we were being overwhelmed. I should have stayed! By the gods, I can still hear their screams."
"Peace, Cordelia. You have nothing to be ashamed of; you performed your duty admirably," Phila reassured, even as she traded a look with Chrom and Emmeryn. "Your knight-sisters were right to value your youth. You have many years yet to honor their sacrifice and uphold their legacy."
"But I'm weak! I shouldn't have abandoned them."
Cordelia was visibly shaking, her legs looking ready to give at any moment.
"Sometimes running takes the greatest amount of courage. Your knight-sisters knew that. Let their faith in you give you strength."
"But-but I-"
Before she could say anymore, Robin had stepped forward and given the crimson knight a tender hug. Cordelia froze in shock for a moment, then completely broke down in Robin's arms, sobbing uncontrollably as she hugged back the tactician in desperation, who gently stroked her hair as she glanced at Chrom, cursing Plegia out as Lissa looked nervously around the group.
"I must return to the capital. I should never have left."
Emmeryn wore a resolved look, unmoved by the surprised looks everyone gave her.
"Your Grace, I don't advise-" Phila began, a note of panic briefly creeping into her voice.
"If word spread that I am away when this happened, people would panic, riot. I cannot risk more innocent lives being lost."
As Emmeryn continued making her case, Robin slowly pulled Cordelia away, cradling her head on her shoulder as the younger woman gradually pulled herself together, making small hiccups in between shuddering breaths.
"Thank you, milady," Cordelia finally said, blinking her eyes as she straightened up. "I'm sorry for making such a scene earlier. I don't believe we've met before."
"I suspect not. My name is Robin," the strategist replied kindly, offering her companion a handkerchief from one of the many pockets of her robe. "I'm the tactician for the Shepherds. You have nothing to apologize for. I imagine anyone with a decent mind and compassionate heart would do the same. If you ever need anything, come find me. I will always make time for you."
"I-that's…thank you Robin," Cordelia murmured, smiling as she lightly dabbed her face. "I hope this doesn't come off as presumptuous, but I don't have many that I consider as friends and would very much like to have you for one, if the notion agrees with you."
"It most certainly does," Robin said gently, clasping Cordelia's hands as she tried to offer the handkerchief back. "Keep it, as a token of our friendship. When next we meet, you may give it back then, so that we may renew the bond we now share."
"Of course! May the gods bless you in all your travels."
Wearing a smile that illuminated her face despite her tears, Cordelia went to attend her Pegasus while Robin rejoined the others, with Chrom wearing a look of desperation and anger.
"Walking to your own death will not bring peace to anyone! Ylisse needs you! WE need you! Be selfish for once in your life!"
Emmeryn wore a small frown at her brother's words, but when she looked over to Robin, her expression softened, and something seemed to settle in her mind. Recalling the conversation they had, Robin had an inkling of what it was, but held her tongue as she felt it wasn't her place to say anything at that moment.
"I love you, Chrom. Both you and Lissa are my everything. As for the peace I seek…you cannot see who it is for."
Lissa looked on the verge of tears, Frederick putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Chrom stood dumbfounded, holding what appeared to be an ornate shield at his side.
"I have to go. I'm sorry-I truly am. We will embrace in Ylisstol once more when you arrive with Feroxi reinforcements. I know you will return."
"…this is a terrible plan."
Chrom seemed in denial, unwilling to accept his sister's decision. Emmeryn turned her head, meeting Robin's gaze once again.
"Robin, might I have a word in private for a moment?"
"Of course, Your Grace."
Fighting to keep her face passive, the strategist followed the Exalt, catching Phila speaking to Cordelia a short distance away.
"What are your thoughts on this matter? I trust you have already reached an opinion of your own."
Taken aback by her direct question, Robin blinked before matching the ruler's look with one of her own.
"While the risk is high, I agree that maintaining order is crucial at this point in time. As long as you bring your honor guard, I have no objections to your choice. Although, this will devastate Chrom and Lissa if something happens to you. I don't know how they would come back from that, let alone the kingdom."
Emmeryn's eyes widened, surprised at the passion Robin added to the end of her statement. A small smile bloomed on her face as she took the tactician's gloved hands.
"What matters now is preserving the future, and I entrust that duty to you. Mine has been to mend the wounds of the past, and I feel that work is almost done. Be true to yourself Robin, and you will be able to show my siblings how to not only survive, but flourish from the trials to come. I have faith in you."
Now it was Robin's turn to look shocked, then tears started falling as she squeezed Emmeryn's hands.
"But, I don't know myself at all Em. I have no memory of my past, only talents and skills gained from a life not my own. How can I trust myself to make the right choices going forward with nothing to have faith in?"
"But you do, Robin," Emmeryn replied, gently wiping her companion's cheek. "You came into my families' lives and made them better, made the halidom better. You even mended the heart of that young Pegasus knight earlier, a person you had never met until now. You may have started with nothing, but that only means you have everything to gain from here on. Have faith in others, and they will help you find faith in yourself. Hold on to hope, and the rest will reveal itself in time. Be well, my beloved Robin."
Robin froze in place, Emmeryn's words ringing in her ears as the Exalt departed, mounted atop Phila's Pegasus and escorted by her royal guard, with Chrom cursing the heavens and Lissa sobbing on the ground.
Alright, here I am again with another chapter! It's taken a bit longer than I expected, but I wanted to give a special shoutout to gabymooncat. It's thanks to you, and everyone who reads and likes my stories, that I find the inspiration to keep writing fun and compelling stories. Any reviews and comments are welcome, and see you in the next chapter!