Through Radko's knowledge, Chrom and company were able to snuff out the traitor that was the hierarch and was sentenced to a lifelong exile in the most eastern region of Ylisse, where he will live a secluded life under watchful guard.
Many were shocked by that revelation and once the hierarch was found out, he didn't try to hide it, which made the final verdict easier to conduct.
After the investigation was finished, the next round of patrols for the Shepherds had begun. Some were sent to help defeat a few ruffians or Risen, while others went to investigate strange occurrences that were sighted inside Ylisse.
All except for one.
As to why Robin was alone in the barracks was because she was excused from this week's patrols, because of her need to conduct strategies when any war council was being held. Since Chrom sung praises about Robin's ingenuity in strategy and tactics, she was appointed to the war council and needed to present her strategies in front of other people besides the Shepherds.
Robin was currently working with another wave of papers given by Phila for her to sort through. Usually, it was mostly about the Ylissian military and how capable their soldiers were or what weaponry they had at their disposal. Although the soldiers were veterans and weren't green to combat, the number of said soldiers was almost laughably low, making strategies around them much harder to figure out.
She groaned as she finished another paper, stacking it high, forming another paper pillar. Her office was filled to the brim with empty ink bottles, broken quills, and crumbled parchment on the ground, filled with flawed tactics in Robin's eyes although she couldn't keep them fully opened because of her lack of energy. She looked around the room and was surprised by how quickly the mess around her form.
"By the gods, I am already being too reliant on him." Robin thought while bringing one arm on her forehead while looking at the ceiling. She was already used to Radko being on the move, always cleaning up for her while she was doing her job as the tactician.
She ended her train of thought when she brought another quill, ready to dip it inside an ink bottle, only for her to find out it was empty again.
Robin sighed and stood up from her chair and rubbed her eyes while stretching her limbs and back earning loud popping sounds from her bones. She aimed for the storeroom, where all of their necessary supplies were, only to hear a loud knock, coming from the barracks' main entrance.
Since she was the only one inside the barracks, she had to see who it was.
When she opened the doors to peek, she was met with one of the guards, saluting once the guard spotted Robin.
"Are you lady Robin?" The guard asked and Robin internally sighed, thankful it wasn't anyone with ill intentions.
"Yes." Robin eventually answered.
"Then follow me, you are being summoned by the Exalt." He curtly replied and immediately aimed for the castle and Robin followed but contemplated over what Emmeryn would need her for and she was tired since it had been some time since she stopped forming strategies.
The trek to the palace didn't take long, as Robin was here so many times in the castle that she knew the place like the back of her hand already and if Emmeryn summoned anyone personally, it usually was within the balcony.
The guard then left Robin, making her go meet the Exalt on her own and she was no longer as nervous as used to be when in the presence of Emmeryn. It took some time for her to get used to the idea that the person who found her in the middle of the field was in fact the prince of a nation.
The thought made her lightly chuckle, but didn't dwell on it for long, since she was summoned by Emmeryn, after all.
The balcony looked the same since this wasn't the first time Emmeryn brought her here. The table was very minimalistic, that had a tea set with little flare compared to the extravagant halls of the castle and Emmeryn was watching over Ylisstol with a solemn expression on her face, likely from the fact that war was coming, and this city probably won't be left unscathed.
Emmeryn turned around and spotted Robin, her face changed into an inviting smile.
"Ah, Robin, I see you came sooner than expected, the tea hasn't had the time to brew yet." She said while prompting Robin with a hand gesture to sit next to the table that was on the balcony.
"It's alright, really. You know I don't drink tea that much anyway." Robin admitted while taking a seat and slightly yawning, hoping that she wasn't noticed.
"Very well, at least let me pour you a cup once the tea is done. It always helps to stay at least a little energized." Emmeryn lightly pressed and Robin then nodded, not wanting to argue about having tea or not. Emmeryn then took a seat as well while taking a peek at the tea if it was ready or not. She sighed, indicating the tea wasn't finished brewing.
"On a different note, I wanted to ask you how are you holding up? Chrom put you in such a difficult spot that I thought it would be rather overwhelming for you." Emmeryn asked, slightly worried if Robin was pushing herself more than was necessary if that yawn from Robin was any indication.
"It's fine Emmeryn, on the contrary, I feel like I am not doing enough after what Chrom had done for me," Robin reassured with handheld up, but her answer didn't seem to satisfy the Exalt, as a small frown formed that wasn't missed by Robin.
"I contemplated over your sudden appointment to the war council and I can say that you are very knowledgeable in your craft, Robin." She started while looking away, down at Ylisstol "But I see that it has been extremely stressful for you."
Robin was slightly surprised by the sudden statement from Emmeryn. It also saddened her even more since what Emmeryn said was truthful, to some extent.
Robin had to pull a few all-nighters just to keep up with the amount of work she had to conduct, and it steadily weathered her down, since Radko wasn't there to keep her from overworking herself or helping with said work. It dawned on her that if she wasn't being watched, she could work herself down to the bone.
"I won't deny that, it has been very hard to keep up with everything alone." Robin eventually admitted, not wanting to lie about her health. Emmeryn looked back at Robin, her face betraying no specific emotion.
"Well, have you tried finding a helping hand?" She asked and Robin had to chuckle, since she already had one, although Radko was away right now with the Shepherds, patrolling Ylisse.
"I already have one, although he is not here right now, since it was his first time going on a patrol and I didn't want to bother him with the paperwork of all things." Robin said with a smile, she then huffed her next answer "Although now I got used to him helping me and the more work I do, the more I need to have him to be there for me.".
"Is it Radko?" Emmeryn half stated with a smile and Robin wasn't even surprised Emmeryn could figure it out. She could be very perceptive when she wanted to be.
"How did you guess?" Robin asked with a small grin gracing her slightly tired features.
"I suspected it once he came with you to the meeting after the attempt at stealing the Fire Emblem." Emmeryn elaborated, she then struck a thinking pose while having a slightly torn expression "Although I was surprised and saddened by the fact that our hierarch was the suspect all along. What brings out more questions, however, is how fast Radko was able to expose him.".
That brought a shiver from Robin but she didn't pay that much attention to it. Even though Emmeryn was extremely good at figuring things out, there was no way for her to know what Radko knew about.
Hopefully.
"But that isn't what I wanted to talk about. Robin, you have acquainted yourself with Radko if he is your assistant. What is he like? Although I had tea with him once, he kept a lot to himself, so I thought you would know a little more." Emmeryn asked while checking once more of the tea was done brewing.
With a sudden "Ah." coming from her lips, indicating the tea was done, she took both hers and Robin's cups and poured them a cup each. She then offered Robin some tea as well.
As Robin took the cup, she contemplated over how she could answer Emmeryn, if she even was able to. As much as she thought she knew a lot about Radko because she got used to the sporadic nature of his, his behavior sometimes felt forced for some reason.
"I don't think I know all that much, to be honest. Radko is a hardworking individual, who is very outgoing and is fine to be around, yet…" Robin grimaced at what she was about to utter "Yet there are times when I feel I am talking to a schemer and a liar instead."
Robin looked at her teacup in her hand, a reflection of herself visible on the surface. Although she couldn't pick up on much, the visible bags under her eyes were spottable, indicating how much she overworked herself.
Emmeryn took her cup and sipped her tea slowly so as to not burn her tongue. Once she brought down the cup, a solemn expression adorned her face.
"I see that Radko still struggles to open up yet," Emmeryn replied, looking down at the table with her cup in hand. Robin didn't know how to respond, so she let Emmeryn continue.
"He seemed to heed my words, yet there have been no actions that would indicate as such. He comes here, helps us in numerous ways, yet he downplays himself, saying that everything he has done so far should be credited to the Shepherds and not him." Emmeryn contemplated and Robin's scowl only deepened.
"He seems so adamant about being alone, yet he knows that it only hurts him more than it helps him. And on top of all of that, he bears his self-given burdens." Emmeryn continued and Robin's previous shiver intensified.
"Oh please don't tell me she has a lead on what Radko knows." Robin silently begged, hoping that Emmeryn's comment on self-given burdens didn't mean his knowledge about Ylisse.
Emmeryn then looked squarely into Robin's brown onyx eyes, piercing through her, but what she wasn't expecting, was a plea from the Exalt.
"Robin, I don't know what you, Chrom, or anyone from the Shepherds could do to help Radko, but if there was anything that would be added on top of all the burden he is trying to carry, he is going to break under all that pressure. So please, ease the burden for him and remind him he is not alone."
Robin was surprised what the plea was, and she had to do a double-take. Was it that critical with him? He seemed to play everything off as if he was ok, yet why did Emmeryn's words somehow ring true with Robin?
Now that she thought about it, Radko never really talked about his problems, he always kept them to himself. That still didn't justify Emmryn's plea, however.
"Why him specifically? You could say that he is just another soldier in our ranks." Robin questioned, wanting to know more why Emmeryn would plead for Radko's safety. Emmeryn shifted slightly in her seat, yet she didn't break eye contact with Robin.
"I have a small hunch with Radko. As to what that hunch is, that is only for me to tell." Emmeryn replied with a smile "Oh the topic got grim quickly. We need to talk about you taking care of yourself more.".
Robin almost got whiplash from the sudden topic change and now was being scanned by Emmeryn's gaze, making her feel embarrassed and slightly uncomfortable. Although Emmeryn was able to steer the conversation to a different topic, it got Robin thinking.
Maybe she should broaden the subject with Radko, since she was currently the only one who knew what Radko was hiding, at least to her knowledge, but the idea that there could be more didn't bring Robin any comfort. There were so many 'what ifs' to consider for Robin but she thought just simply talking to Radko would at least elevate his troubles somewhat.
Robin just hoped that Radko would be willing enough to open up that is.
{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}
The sound of hoofs beating on the road could have been heard as the quartet Chrom, Frederick, Lissa, and a newly acquired Shepherd Donnel, were making their way to Ylisstol after successfully dispatching a bandit group inside one of the abandoned forts in the south.
Chrom was in the front with Frederick, trying to spot Ylisstol on the horizon while Lissa and Donnel were in the back, animatedly talking about… actually, Chrom had no idea. The only thing he could hear from them was either laughing or giggling and Chrom didn't mind that, thankful that the Donnel fellow was able to keep Lissa in such high spirits, despite the troubling times they were in.
He turned back to spot their newest member Donnel. He was a young lad with a teal tunic, beige leather pants, and brown boots. He also wore a tin pot on his head with unkempt dark purple, almost black hair underneath it. He was valiantly fighting for his village and Chrom saw potential in him and this time, he wasn't alone.
Frederick saw that with a little amount of training, Donnel could become an asset extremely quickly to the Shepherds and Frederick will gladly guide him to that point. Chrom smiled at the duo and turned back to spot Ylisstol on the horizon.
The sudden view of the city brought a slight grimace from him and Frederick noticed.
"Is something troubling you, milord?" He asked with his usual monotone voice, prompting Chrom to speak his mind.
"Yeah, I still don't know how I feel about leaving Emmeryn inside the city even after finding the suspect of the assassination," Chrom answered with a sigh while he could still hear the slight banter behind him.
"You aren't alone, milord. I find myself sometimes asking the same question. Although I believe you would have been more assured if you stayed in the last meeting for a few moments longer." Bereted Frederick slightly and it wasn't missed by Chrom.
"I guess you are right," Chrom admitted a little sheepishly while rubbing the back of his head. Their conversation took a small pause as they both looked at the approaching city only for Chrom to break it.
"How are the Shepherds doing overall?" Chrom suddenly asked since it had been some time since Frederick gave a full report. With the new recruits now in the mix, the Shepherds were growing at a rapid pace.
Frederick closed his eyes with his head slightly bent down to contemplate how to answer Chrom's question.
"If I had my notes then it would be much easier to answer that question once we get back to Ylisstol, but if there is anyone specific, I shall try to answer to the best of my abilities." Frederick eventually responded.
"I see, well how about Gaius and Panne? Their introduction wasn't taken very well so how were they holding up?" Chrom asked again, hoping that both were doing at least remotely fine. The situation around those two felt quite similar to the one when Radko joined back in Ferox.
"Gaius will serve an important role to the Shepherds as a scout and being trained in the way of thieves allows us to see a view from his perspective, cowardly and honorless as it may be. Panne…" Fredrick grimaced at the sound of her name, surprising Chrom slightly "I wasn't able to get much out of her, but both she and Gaius seemed to have found some common ground in the Shepherds. Thankfully, the patrol groups were sorted in a way to make everyone at least somewhat comfortable with their partners.".
Chrom hummed, satisfied with Frederick's answer, at least until they get home which shouldn't take long for them. As they reached the gates of Ylisstol they were once again greeted by the people of the lower level. Even though the war was announced to the public before their patrols, they waved at Chrom and Lissa with surprising enthusiasm and Chrom smiled and waved back, Lissa did so as well.
"Even after announcing the war, people still believe in you, Emm." Chrom thought as he gazed upon the mass of people greeting them.
Once they reached the barracks and checked with Robin on who had come back, they found out they were the last team, again.
"Damn, and here I thought we were at least somewhat fast," Chrom said in an irritated voice that betrayed his enthusiasm. He wasn't mad, he just simply wanted to not be the last team all the time.
"Well, I am sure that if it weren't for a new member joining, you would have at least stood a chance," Robin replied with a small grin once she had stacked all reports into one bundle and began to handle Chrom's newest recruitment.
"And you have found Donnel. Please tell me you didn't let him join on a whim and you have at least a good reason for it?" Robin asked with quite the amount of exasperation in her voice.
"Hey, I'll have you know that Frederick agreed with Donnel joining," Chrom stated proudly and Robin was surprised, to say the least.
"Ok, if Frederick said it was ok then I guess I have no room to argue." Robin relented with a shrug and Chrom chuckled at that, but then grew more serious.
"Is there anything noteworthy about some of the patrols?" He asked out of the blue, prompting Robin to take her working persona as well.
"Out of all the patrols, the only one that might require a second glance was Stahl's group. They found the cave they were sent to locate and found an unusual stone door at the end; we even got a sketch from Ricken on how it looks like." Robin answered while bringing the piece of parchment that Ricken gave her. She gave it to Chrom.
"Hmm, I think I never saw such a weird doorway, let alone one made from pure stone." Chrom pondered out loud while looking at the picture, it was quite detailed.
"There also was a groove for a hand to fit in that would unlock the door, or at least Ricken said so. Radko actually tried to open the door, only to suffer a small blackout, but nothing major." Robin elaborated and Chrom breathed a sigh of relief, glad to hear that Radko didn't suffer another injury.
"Well, at least it didn't bring him into another coma." Chrom quipped, trying to elevate the mood slightly, but Robin only grimaced at that and Chrom took notice of it.
"Everything alright, Robin?" He asked.
"No, because from what Stahl and Ricken said, Radko seemed to be unharmed, however, he is acting distant, or at least not the normal way he normally would, but he says that everything is fine," Robin said through her grimace as she took the picture from Chrom's hand and stored it for future use.
"Well, have you tried bringing up the subject with him personally?" Chrom suggested, but Robin shook her head.
"I tried, but he was extremely dismissive about it." She said, her head slumping slightly. Chrom grimaced, not liking how Radko was using his protection that Chrom gave him about keeping his secrets and he won't let Radko pile them up until either he breaks or loses their trust.
"Where is he now?" Chrom inquired, wanting to try and get Radko to talk.
"Normally he should be with me right now, but now he is in the training grounds, well, training or brooding inside his room," Robin informed Chrom and he struck a thinking pose and wordlessly left Robin's office.
"What are you going to do?" Robin asked while turning around to stare at Chrom's back.
"I am going to have a spar with him. The best way to find out what's wrong is through a duel." Chrom stated without turning around and aimed for the training grounds, hoping to find Radko there. As it turned out, he was, training with Sully of all people.
Both wielded a wooden lance, circling each other, waiting for the smallest of openings for any of them to take. Sully suddenly dropped her guard, prompting Radko to strike. It was a trap however, and Radko took the bait, getting his strike immediately redirected and had a lance pointed at his throat. Sully was almost ready to spit at him.
"Now what the hell was that!? It was an obvious feint, yet you fell for it like you have seen it for the first time!" Sully bereted and Radko scowled slightly, but then it morphed into a neutral expression quickly. It was so fast Chrom almost missed it.
"Sorry, I guess I'm not in my element right now," Radko said with a sigh while bringing his wooden lance for inspection, probably trying to find any splinters.
"I thought you weren't the type to make excuses," Sully said with her lips slightly twitching upwards. The sudden glare Radko gave Sully again disappeared in the blink of an eye.
"No, I usually am not." Radko eventually replied. It was then he spotted Chrom and smiled at him, but Chrom was able to see through it. It was forced and Chrom strode forward, Sully noticing him as well.
"Well look what we have here, finally arrived from your patrol?" Sully asked with an amused tone, prompting Chrom to look at her with a sheepish smile.
"Yeah, again the last place, but what could we have done? At least we got a new member, Donnel." Chrom answered and Sully perked up at the mentioning of a new member.
"Well, aren't you on a streak. Might as well check him out. Hopefully, he won't disappoint me." Sully said while throwing her wooden lance inside a box that was filled with training weapons and leaving the duo to their charges, eager to get some news about their new member.
"Just make sure you don't break him, Sully!" Shouted Chrom while looking back and he got a lazy hand wave from her without turning around. Once she left, Chrom turned to Radko who was still checking for splinters in his wooden lance, although it looked like the lance was fine in Chrom's eyes.
"So, how are you holding up, Radko?" Chrom asked to break the silence between them and Radko sighed again, bringing the lance down from his view to face Chrom.
"Could be better, you could see that I am not in the best shape right now if that small fight with Sully was anything to go by," Radko answered in a tired voice, although that wasn't what Chrom wanted to know.
"I wasn't asking about how well you fight, I meant as a whole. You doing alright?" Chrom asked again, this time hoping Chrom would get the answer he was looking for.
"Oh, that. Yeah, I am fine overall." Radko said while looking up at Chrom, a smile gracing his lips, but again, it didn't reach his eyes. Chrom was having none of that as he lightly scowled and looked around to find Radko's weapon. The spear was leaning on one of the boxes and Chrom brought it to inspection.
He got a questioning look from Radko because he had no idea what Chrom was doing but he let Chrom look at his lance. To his knowledge, he hasn't been showing off his new weapon much, since he never found a reason to do so, although he couldn't deny the spear's looks were beautiful.
It looked quite regal with the silver embroidery it had as Chrom was inspecting it and now that he thought about it, he never fought Radko using a spear and from what he had heard, Radko deserted swordplay for an unknown reason.
He threw the spear at Radko, who was surprised by the sudden gesture and clumsily caught his spear in his hands, the wooden one dropping on the ground. Once Radko held his spear in his hand, he looked at Chrom who had his sword unsheathed and pointed squarely at Radko, a concerned expression plastered on his face.
"Chrom," Radko started hesitantly "What are you doing?".
"Sometimes, when you need to get to know someone…" He started vaguely, staring at Radko, until he suddenly charged him, attacking Radko with a rising slash and Radko barely avoided it, rolling away from the strike.
"Ok Chrom, what the hell!? That could have killed me!" Radko yelled at Chrom, frustrated that he was being left in the dark on why Chrom attacked him.
"You have to fight them!" Chrom finished with a shout, ignoring Radko and pressed his advantage, and assaulted Radko with another strike. This time Radko blocked it with the shaft of the spear, the wood surprisingly stopping the slash from Falchion.
"You want a spar!?" Radko hissed through gritted teeth, barely able to hold off Chrom's mighty blow "Then I will give you one!".
He braced himself and pushed Chrom away, giving himself some time to twirl his lance and got into his stance which Chrom was surprised by.
"I know Frederick doesn't teach that stance, where did you learn it?" Chrom asked offhandedly only for Radko to ask back "Are you here to question me, or to fight me, Chrom? I thought I said I like to go straight to the point.".
"Then you are not staying by your logic, because you have been quiet since your patrol ended." Chrom rebuked only for Radko to scowl.
"Do I always have to be so happy-go-lucky all the time? Just because I am brooding in my own thoughts doesn't mean I have become distant." Radko fired back, but Chrom wasn't satisfied with his excuses.
"No, you usually aren't so airheaded. What happened inside that cave?" Chrom questioned him and Radko clicked his tongue "That's none of your business.".
He then charged Chrom with a forward thrust. Chrom sidestepped it, expecting Radko's flank to be exposed only for him to continue his assault as another slash followed Chrom through his dodge. He blocked the strike a little awkwardly, bringing his sword perpendicular to his body, but once the strike landed, he immediately got kicked out of his block by Radko, sending him flying away.
Air was forced out of Chrom's lungs, but Radko wasn't pressing his advantage. He was standing in his battle stance, ready for Chrom to initiate. Chrom got a hold of his bearings but was still surprised by the sudden combination of attacks.
"And you said you learned only swordplay? I didn't know you were this good with a spear, because I know Frederick doesn't teach that." Chrom praised while standing tall after recovering, but Radko's expression saddened, head slumped down.
"I had unwanted help, let's just leave it at that." Radko dismissed Chrom's praise "Now, are you going to stand there or fight me?" He challenged and Chrom only smirked while taking his battle stance.
"I'd rather choose the latter," Chrom answered while charging, poise to strike Radko. He got ready to feint a downward slash as bait for Radko to take. He began his strike and Radko put the blade of the spear right where Chrom wanted it to be. He performed his feint as Radko's eyes slightly widen as the slash suddenly became a stab, but Radko had that covered as well.
With the lower shaft of the spear, Chrom's lunge was redirected, barely scraping Radko's blue coat, but Chrom didn't stop. He aimed for Radko's legs and tried to sweep them with his own only for Radko to back off, but Chrom followed up with an overhead slash from his crouching position, bringing his sword down.
This time to make sure the shaft didn't break from Chrom's attack, Radko quickly touched his tome and a small layer of frost appeared on the shaft of the spear where he will block Chrom's slash. The strike vibrated through Radko's entire body and had to bring one knee to the ground the sheer amount of force Chrom used in that attack and Radko was at least happy he reinforced the shaft.
"Well, ready to talk?" Chrom pressed while not shirking away from the deadlock and Radko gritted his teeth.
"Are you seriously going to beat me into submission just so that I would talk!?" Radko asked incredulously.
"How else then, when you refuse to?" Chrom fired back.
"Stop butting in when I have already told you I am not revealing anything! Just because you will beat me in a fight doesn't automatically mean I will somehow open up myself!" Radko loudly exclaimed while grunting from Chrom's exert of pressure from his attack.
"Then when will that time come? When will you break under how many secrets you hold? Radko, we both know that keeping them hidden for so long will only hurt you." Chrom reasoned, not happy what Radko was doing to himself.
"No, I wouldn't…" Radko mumbled without finishing, head slumped down and barely being heard by Chrom.
"Radko, we are trying to help you, but you won't let us! You look like you are trying to bear the world alone on your bare shoulders!" Chrom continued, but suddenly Radko looked up to meet him in the eyes. However, instead of pleading eyes Chrom expected, they were almost lit with rage.
"I am not!" Radko suddenly shouted, suddenly having enough strength to force Chrom away from the deadlock. Chrom expected Radko to press the attack, but instead, he just leaned on his spear to hoist himself up.
"I was put into the stupidest position where there was no right choice! Should have I just waited to let the war kill people off, innocent or not, while I ran away like a coward with what I knew!?" Radko asked with a raised voice, throwing Chrom off guard from his sudden outburst "Or face the horrors of war when I had almost zero experience!? Although I was given the tools to do so, I ended up seeing myself as a murderer! It didn't matter how I justified it, these stained hands disgust me, and they are not even mine!".
"Wait, not yours!?" Chrom blurted out and Radko suddenly realized what he said, bringing one hand to his mouth to close it, only to utter a single word "Shit.". The silence between them was defining, to say the least. They stared at each other, two sets of blue eyes piercing one another until Chrom broke it.
"What happened in the cave." It wasn't a question, it was a demand. Radko clicked his tongue while looking away, leaving Chrom without an answer, hoping that Chrom would drop it but he won't let Radko bury the topic that easily.
"Come on! What is stopping you from telling us what happened!?" Chrom asked with a raised voice.
"Because I have a hard time believing it myself!" Radko shot back at Chrom, but he quickly steadied his breathing until he realized he was shouting at Chrom the entire time and sighed.
"I just… I am sorry, Chrom, but I just can't seem to wrap my head around what happened back there. I had so many questions that I needed answers for, yet I wasted it on something as trivial as petty payback." Radko spoke vaguely, and Chrom didn't know how to answer.
"That asshole was fucking right…" Radko grimaced at the thought of that stupid old geezer, only to realize that Diluc suggested he should open up to people as well. The realization made him snort as he looked back at Chrom, a regretful smile adorned his face "You know what? I can take this anymore, it would be better if you knew about it too anyway.".
"Wait, what do you mean by that?" Chrom said, completely bewildered by Radko's answer.
"Let's go inside Robin's office, I will tell you everything there. Follow me." Radko promised while leaving the training grounds, hoping that Chrom will follow him and also happy that nobody was near to hear their conversation.
Although Chrom was happy that Radko was ready to tell him his secrets, somehow the thought made him shiver, but he followed non the less. They wordlessly went inside the barracks and eventually got to the doors that led towards the office and Radko knocked, hoping Robin was inside.
"Come in." They heard from the other side and Radko opened the doors while going inside the room with Chrom in tow. They spotted Robin scribbling down on some parchment with efficiency and once she was done, she let the quill drop inside an ink bottle and turned around to see who entered her office.
"Well, finally done enough sulking to tell me what happened?" She said in an impatient tone once she spotted Radko who scowled at Robin in return but didn't say anything as he let Chrom enter the office as well.
"Oh, hello Chrom. Do you need something?" Robin asked, wanting to know why Chrom had come as well only for Radko to answer.
"Chrom has the right to know." Robin turned to Radko, raising an eyebrow from what he said only for her eyes to widen, but then a small smile appeared on her face.
"No more secrets, then?" Robin remarked and Radko shrugged while saying "Chrom literally beat me to it, loathe I am to admit it.".
That prompted Robin to look at Chrom who had a slightly sheepish smile on him, and Robin sighed although she wasn't mad, in fact, she was glad Radko was opening up.
"So, might as well begin from the start…" Said Radko and he began to tell his tale of ending up in Ylisse.
{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}
"…and that should be everything, I hopefully haven't missed anything." Radko finished while leaning on the wall, his voice sounding hoarse after talking for so long.
"I'll leave you, for now, to let you think over everything and get some water. Do you guys need anything?" Radko turned back to see if anyone voiced their needs. Both remained silent as there were some parts that Radko didn't even tell Robin, making him feel even worse, but, as Chrom said, he needed this. It felt like a giant load on his shoulders was lifted once he spun his tale, but right now, water was Radko's main priority.
Leaving Robin and Chrom behind for them to ponder over what Radko said, the silence between them was palpable as both were trying to comprehend Radko's story.
Robin already knew a few things about him, but this was certainly unexpected. Living a peaceful life only to be forced out of his own world and survive a war that wasn't his to fight. It would go against his nature to just run away and wait for the war to end and Robin definitely didn't like this Alexander person one bit.
What that man did was selfish in many ways.
Chrom was just sitting on a chair both elbows leaning on his thighs and his hands covering his mouth, his face betrayed a scowl, angry at Radko for keeping his knowledge a secret, and yet, he knew his anger couldn't be justified. If Radko came out of nowhere, stating that he knew the future without having proof, he would be just reduced to a madman or an insane stalker, both of which wouldn't lead Radko anywhere.
"And you knew about all of this, Robin?" Chrom broke the silence between the two, making Robin jump a little from the sudden question.
"No, the only things I knew was his knowledge and the fact he came from a different world and it was quite the recent development too." Robin eventually answered and Chrom hummed.
"Well, at least he had you to lean on a little because I have no idea how he could just keep this all to himself. I am surprised he didn't implode." Chrom pondered out loud and Robin agreed with a nod.
"Where do we go from here, however?" Chrom asked the question that was probably on Robin's mind as well.
"I have a faint idea, but once Radko comes back, he probably will know what to do next, since he had much more time to think about this than any of us. But before that, he still hasn't said anything about what happened in the cave and I intend to find out." Robin elaborated and Chrom agreed with a hum.
Once Radko came back with a few waterskins and drinking one of them in one breath, he set them aside on the table, ready to continue their conversation.
"So, do you guys have any questions that could have popped up?" Radko prompted the duo while taking another sip from a waterskin and Chrom was the first to speak.
"Tell us what happened in the cave," Chrom demanded and Radko choked on the water he was drinking. He gulped down what he had inside his mouth only to start coughing.
"I should have expected you to ask that." Radko admitted after his coughing fit was gone "Well, during that trance that happened in the cave once I touched the groove, in my head, I was transported to some of the places back from my world and I was able to find Alexander.".
"What did you do then?" Robin asked.
"I decked him in the face, of course," Radko stated with a sly grin and a snort escaped Chrom's lips, bringing his hand to his mouth to stop himself from laughing and Robin sighed.
"Why was I expecting anything different?" Robin pondered incredulously out loud.
"Anyway," Radko began before the topic would derail any further "After doing that, I forced out of him on how and why he brought me here, and let's just say that I have no clue where to begin with this one."
"You could just say it plainly." Chrom suggested, but Radko shook his head "Trust me when I say that this, if said plainly, would sound even more ridiculous than my already questionable story.".
"Yeah, if our first conversation about your knowledge was anything to go by." Robin agreed, reminiscing about how Radko's plainspoken nature didn't help in any way.
"Exactly but I have to start somewhere…" Radko pondered out loud "Well, what you see as me right now, isn't exactly me." Radko tried to explain his situation about having a different body.
"So much for telling him not to be frank." Robin's thoughts were filled to the brim with exasperation and she only sighed, again.
"Excuse me, what?" Chrom asked furrowed eyebrows and a dumbstruck expression plastered on his face.
"Alexander was able to perform some strange ritual and bound me to this body, but he needed a carbon copy of me, from looks to the way I act, almost everything must be identical. Once the two bodies merge, the stronger mind will take over the new body and I somehow was the stronger in the mind." Radko fully explained and Robin's eyes narrowed, the question being on the tip of her tongue.
"Did Alexander give you a reason why?" She asked, but Chrom looked back at her with a scowl.
"Wait, are we going to ignore the fact that Radko is not possessing his own body!?" Chrom loudly exclaimed, but Radko shut him down "Chrom, I am happy that you are concerned about my original body, but from the wording Alexander used, I think I don't have a body to come back to, let alone finding one." to which Chrom clicked his tongue but didn't say anything.
"As to Robin's question, Alexander said 'I need you to set someone on the correct path that was led astray.' or something like that. My first guess for who it might be was the one who he merged me with, but then I realized that merging with the said person would defeat the purpose of it in the first place. So, I am at an impasse right now and I have no leads, nor do I have any knowledge about that person, unlike with the hierarch." Radko said while crossing his arms and leaning on the wall.
"Do you at least know the person Alexander merged you with?" Robin tried to help Radko to find any form of a clue.
"I do, but I am not comfortable talking about it yet. I feel as though I just simply stole the boy's life with Alexander forcing me here. I intend to find out how this ritual works and if I somehow find a way to give this body back to him, I intend to do so." Radko resolutely stated, but to his surprise, Robin voiced her protest.
"Is this about you not belonging here, again? Because it's getting really old at this point."
"No, Robin, this is not about me not belonging here, it's about the life I have stolen!" Radko shot back, louder than he intended "I don't care if it was by Alexander's hands that I have a different body, if I just have simply minded my own business, then Adr-." Loud bangs against the doors interrupted Radko and a voice came from the other side.
"Milord!? Are you in there!?" That was Frederick's voice filled with desperation, in contrast to the usual stoic nature of the knight. Radko came to open the door and Frederick almost came charging inside the room and once he spotted Chrom, he bowed.
"Milord, the Plegians have been sighted in the Border Pass and the pegasus knights have retreated inside the capital. King Gangrel is with the army and is ready for a siege." Frederick relayed and Chrom's eyes widened from the news, Robin and Radko included.
"How long will it take them to come here!?" Chrom asked urgently.
"Within a fortnight, milord." Frederick curtly answered and Chrom clicked his tongue.
"Any orders from the Exalt?" Robin inquired and Frederick shook his head. Robin struck a thinking pose before addressing Frederick again.
"Go gather the Shepherds, Frederick. We will give orders to everyone present." Robin ordered and Frederick nodded, leaving the room to do his task. The trio then turned to each other.
"Let's go, I don't think there isn't anything else that needs to be said, at least not yet." Radko urged, but before he left the room with Chrom and Robin in tow, he said with a thankful smile "Thank you for trusting me.".
Robin and Chrom both smiled at him, with Chrom adding "I always trusted you, and that won't change any time soon." and Radko snorted at that "You are trusting to a fault as the story said.".
"We can talk about Radko's knowledge later. Now, we have a city to defend." Robin commanded and the trio left the office and went straight to the main hall which was still empty. Radko and Robin prepared for the meeting before everyone was accounted for from their patrols, even including the likes of Miriel or Panne.
They wordlessly devised the orders and worked until the hall was filled with all of the standing members, which took an hour or two, situated around a small platform for Chrom to stand on. He looked around to see if everyone was present and started his small speech.
"Shepherds! We have little time to prepare so I will get straight to the point of this meeting. We got grave news from the pegasus knights that the Plegians are coming to lay siege on our capital within a fortnight." Chrom bellowed out for the Shepherds to hear, earning a few murmurs from them, all of them being quite grim.
"We haven't gotten any orders from Emmeryn yet, but I will help the city in our ways. Starting from now, we will help evacuate the civilians to the upper levels of the city. No matter how the battle goes, the people must be out of ours and harm's way if the battle comes inside the city. The groups will be identical to the patrol groups we have." Chrom relayed his orders in a leveled, but authoritative tone.
Robin in the meantime began to unveil the map of the city, making sure that the team knew where they were supposed to be. She eyed Chrom that she was ready to give orders for each patrol team and Chrom nodded to her once he spotted her.
"Every single leader of their patrol team will go and get orders from Robin and once you are done evacuating your area, report back and then we will wait for Emmeryn's orders once the upcoming war council comes to its conclusion. Now, get moving!" Chrom commanded and a roaring "Aye!" was the Shepherds' response and individual patrol leaders were ready to get Robin's orders. One team at a time were the Shepherds leaving the barracks, until not a single team was inside the barracks, except for Chrom, Lissa, Frederick, and Robin.
"What about us?" Lissa asked once the last patrol team left, curious as to what they will do.
"We will go inside the castle and hope Emmeryn will have some good news or orders for us. The Shepherds will have to work as either a battalion or force us into different tasks, like placing you, Lissa, inside a medical tent." Chrom sighed his answer and Lissa slumped from the idea that Shepherds would have to separate.
"I don't like the idea of being left behind or separating us," Lissa exclaimed in a sad tone.
"Don't worry, I am sure we will think of something to prevent that," Robin assured Lissa and she was rewarded with a smile that usually should be bigger, but the circumstances didn't allow it.
They moved in silence inside the castle where they could get some information about the upcoming war council and once they were inside the throne room where Emmeryn was, discussing something with Phila, Chrom was the first to announce their presence.
"Emm." He called out and Emmeryn turned to face them, her expression had lost some of its serene aura.
"Chrom, you couldn't have come in a better time. Come, a war council is going to be held soon." Emmeryn said with a torn tone, never wanting to call one of these meetings, and moved inside their council although quite reluctantly.
"Yes," Spoke Chrom and followed with the trio inside to form their battle plan for their up-and-coming defense.
{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}
The evacuation was finished, troops were raised, banners hung up, artillery loaded and Ylisstol was ready to defend itself with everything it had, although for many it still felt as if it wasn't enough. As much as it impressed people with how much the citizens were willing to risk their lives in the defense, the numbers didn't back that up.
From the scouts they sent to spy on the army, what they needed to drive back was maybe five times as large as theirs, making the endeavor feel like an impossible task. Not to mention Flavia's troops won't be able to reach them in time, not until Ylisstol will be fully under siege.
All this new information Radko got from Robin made him extremely uneasy and had to leave to get some fresh air, hoping the outside will bring him some reprieve. Although he should be stationed at his post with Ricken and Stahl soon, he had to get a small breather in the form of a small walk.
He found himself going around the now empty streets of the first level of Ylisstol, completely void of human activity with only a stray cat or mouse sometimes making their appearance, or soldiers running around to survey order after order.
He went so far as to go on top of the walls of the city to take in the view that will soon be filled with enemy soldiers and weaponry that will be ready to lay waste to this beautifully maintained place.
With each step he took, he contemplated many things, his mind being a vortex of incoherent thoughts that all boiled down to "Is this the right thing to do?".
He thought at first that helping the Shepherds with his knowledge would allow him to save those who were destined to meet a grim fate, yet as if the flow of time kept steering itself back to its original course, another roadblock came to stop that happy ending from forming with the Plegian army being on the horizon, seemingly impossible to defeat.
He scowled at the thought of what he did so far bearing not a single fruit. He stopped his stride and looked down the wall that was high enough for a person to meet an untimely end, yet it would a be relief of all the stress and pain one would carry. It would only take one slight misstep, and everything would be all over.
"God, why am I considering this?" Radko questioned himself, and immediately shut down all the thoughts that would indicate as such. That would be a coward's way out, they do say 'You reap what you sow.' and Radko won't back down.
Not yet anyway.
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps was heard by Radko, prompting him to look in the direction the sound was coming from, only to spot Chrom, walking towards him.
"Never did I think I would meet someone in one of my spots." Remarked Chrom with a smile once he spotted Radko and he smiled back at him.
"I guess I have an eye on good scenery." Radko contemplated while looking at the castle at the center, almost reflecting in the afternoon glow.
"That you do, friend," Chrom answered, but he didn't know how to continue their conversation. He knew he was never good with small talk.
"There is something I needed to talk to you about Chrom, and I probably won't get a better opportunity than this, so, would you mind lending an ear?" Radko broke their silence and Chrom nodded.
"Of course, though I have never heard the term 'lend an ear'," Chrom answered, slightly bewildered by Radko's terminology and Radko quietly chuckled but left it there.
"It's about the knowledge I have, would you mind hearing the story of what would happen if Emmeryn left the castle? I would just like your input if I did the right thing." Radko elaborated and Chrom's reaction was almost unreadable, flashes of anger, understanding, and curiosity cycled through him until it settled on a neutral expression.
"I'm listening." Chrom prompted and Radko nodded and took a deep breath before starting.
"So, if Emmeryn would leave the castle without the hierarch being found out then you would get ambushed by Plegian wyvern riders because by the time you would have reached Breakneck Pass, Gangrel would already be on his way towards the capital, and Emmeryn being disappointed at herself, left for the city while giving you, Chrom, the Fire Emblem," Radko told Chrom who was silently listening to what Radko had to say.
"You would go with the Shepherds to Ferox and waited for Flavia's troops, but once the troops were ready, Ylisstol had already fallen… and Emmeryn would be captured and publicly executed in the Plegian capital."
"What!?" Chrom shouted, but Radko held up a hand to calm Chrom down.
"There will be a lot of things you won't like, Chrom, but at least let me finish what I have to say. I am telling you this so we can avoid it." He argued and Chrom, with a slight grimace, begrudgingly nodded.
"Anyway, you and the Shepherds try your best to take her back, but you don't succeed and Emmeryn ends up sacrificing herself, not without a few parting words, however. Those words tore through Plegia's morale and the war that would normally last a few years ended as quickly as it began, with Gangrel meeting his end and finally put to rest." Radko finished.
"Why are you telling me all of this?" Chrom questioned and Radko grimaced from what he had probably done.
"Because now we are here, ready to defend Ylisstol from the Plegians and yet, I feel as though I have chosen the wrong way of approach to the overall problem. Emmeryn's words were what caused the Plegians to stop fighting and now I think I might be prolonging this war without even realizing it." Radko finished, a light breeze passed by the duo, coming from the other side of the wall as if signaling the imminent threat was near.
"You really were trying to shoulder the world alone, didn't you?" Chrom remarked out of the blue and Radko was surprised at the remark only for him to laugh that was filled with mirth.
"The more I think about it, the more I realized that I did. Makes me wonder how foolish I was when I got here in the first place, thinking that I actually could do this alone. Seems the five months I lived here changed me." Radko admitted, but then he turned to face Chrom, a stern expression adorned his face.
"But that doesn't answer my question, Chrom." He stated, "I want to ask of you if I made the right decision, choosing Emmeryn over all of the soldiers that are ready to lay their lives for her, including us.".
"Of course you chose correctly, Emmeryn needs to survive to guide Ylisse into a bright future. I couldn't fathom the idea of losing her to this war, let alone me taking her place." Chrom answered resolutely, but Radko wasn't satisfied to the surprise of Chrom, because Radko showed it with a scowl.
"I forgot that you would be adamant about the idea of making sure Emmeryn survives, not that it is a bad thing, she is your sibling after all," Radko said with a sigh and it was now Chrom's turn to scowl.
"You seriously weren't thinking about-!" Chrom was stopped by the look Radko gave him that confirmed his suspicion.
"Of course I thought about it. It is a disgusting thought, but a logical one too, sacrifice one for the many as they say," Radko confirmed while looking away. Although he wasn't proud of admitting it, it was something he needed to get out of his chest.
Chrom sneered while quickly closing the distance between him and Radko, and proceeded to punch him in the face without hesitation, earning a grunt of pain from his while backing off after getting hit. He put his hand against his face, rubbing it to ease the pain.
"You sure know how to be impulsive, but I won't deny I didn't deserve that," Radko said while still groaning from pain. Chrom realized what he had done and his sneer morphed into an apologetic look.
"I… I'm sorry, I just… I don't know how I could handle my older sister's death if it would actually happen. The idea that you would let her sacrifice herself just made me want to punch you, I guess, and I acted before I thought it through." Chrom admitted with his head slumped but Radko smiled instead, although it did hurt him a little to do so after getting punched.
"No, it's alright, although I am starting to feel like your personal punching bag as of late." Radko quipped to ease the atmosphere and Chrom looked up and a smile graced his features.
"I'm sorry if I made you feel that way, I just don't know my way with words like you do, or anyone else for that matter." Chrom contemplated sheepishly while rubbing the back of his head.
"I could say that you apologies too much, but I would be just derailing the conversation further. I think we should head back, people could get wo-." Radko stopped to look at what he was seeing in the distance. A large dark silhouette was on the horizon, completely covering most of the road ahead and it grew larger by each passing second and a sneer appeared on his face.
Chrom looked in the same direction, curious to see what made Radko sneer, only for him to do so as well.
"They're here," Chrom spoke and Radko only nodded, a sudden lump in his throat formed.
"Yeah, and they don't like they are ready to negotiate if those moving trebuchets are any indication," Radko confirmed through gritted teeth once he spotted the siege weapons that looked extremely small from such a distance, but Radko didn't doubt their destructive potential.
"Let's go to our assigned spots, but you are probably going to meet Emmeryn beforehand, right?" Radko asked and Chrom gave him his answer in the form of a nod and once reach the ground, they split, each going to their wanted destination.
Radko moved through the streets yet again, but this time hearing the distinctive sound of thundering footsteps of soldiers and he went to meet Ricken and Stahl with a slight jog, wanting to reach them before they would question where Radko was.
He was stopped however once he spotted a figure in a torn brown cloak roaming around the streets as if he was completely oblivious to the imminent threat.
"Probably one of the citizens who didn't acknowledge the idea of an army breaking through." Radko thought with a sigh and went to the stranger and grabbed him by the shoulder. The stranger didn't react, almost like they expected to be interrupted and they turned around to see who stopped them.
Radko couldn't get a whole lot from them, they were the same height as him, but he couldn't determine their age since their cloak had a hoodie, obscuring their face and only their chin and mouth were spottable and the features looked manly enough, with only a small hint of silver hair coming from the hoodie and their skin almost shined.
"This place will become a battlefield soon, kid. Come with me to the higher level, your parents are probably worried about you." Radko commanded in a leveled tone, but the stranger only stared at Radko through his hoodie, as if they didn't understand what Radko said and he groaned.
"Come on, I don't have time for this, you will either come with me or hope that you will survive the fighting by hiding. Your choice." Radko urged and the stranger was ready to answer, their lips started to move, but the sound that came from them made Radko back off.
"But that wouldn't be as entertaining, watching from so far away." They answered with an overpowering sound that somehow was filled with raw power as if the voice carried the will of this stranger.
"It always amused me to see you humans struggle and watch you fight over something petty like revenge and vengeance. I would join in the fun, but what king heads first with his soldiers in his first charge, he always lets his pawns do the first round of fighting." They elaborated and Radko, by instinct, went for his lance and readied himself.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Radko questioned, but the stranger didn't answer, making Radko sigh "You know what, never mind. You are getting creepier by the second and my instincts tell me offing you right now will only make things simpler down the line." Radko said threateningly but the figure only grinned, his creepy smile almost splitting his face.
"Oh I am not going to fight you right now, there would be no point to it, and don't you need to be with your allies now? Those catapults and mages on the other side are going to fire soon. It would be a shame for you to meet at an untimely end here by some falling rubble and wood, no?" They pondered out loud and Radko clicked his tongue.
"Even though you may be right, I don't think I can let you walk around this place freely!" Radko proclaimed and charged the figure with his spear, swinging in a wide arc, but the figure easily dodged it by ducking under it. Radko pressed the attack with a relentless onslaught of thrusts, but not a single one could find their mark to his bewilderment.
"Hey, don't you think it's a bit rude to attack someone defenseless?" They asked, but the bemusement in their voice betrayed their serious question and Radko was starting to feel he was being toyed with. This stranger wasn't defenseless in the slightest since he finally found out why their skin was glistening.
"Correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think that a normal person would have dragon scales instead of normal skin," Radko stated with another slash of his spear, but the stranger blocked it with his right hand, the blade of the spear didn't sink into the arm. He didn't budge from the force of the attack.
"My, aren't you observant, but you sound so stunned, coming from a person who can do the same." They said and Radko was completely thrown off guard by the sudden statement.
"Excuse you? As far as I know, I don't think I came out of a dragon of all things." He spoke incredulously.
"I can feel my mistress's aura from you mixed with something else, yet you still haven't submitted to it. I am surprised you haven't yielded to its call yet." They contemplated, but then pushed Radko's spear away with enough force to make Radko backpedal.
"How about I lend a hand?" And then the stranger used the opening to punch Radko straight into his stomach with a loud bang, indicating its substantial power, yet, no sound of bones cracking or ruptured organs could be heard.
Radko gasped for air as he was sent flying, leaving him on the cold stone road, coughing in pain and few specks of blood were filled with his saliva.
"That should do for now. I should find a spot to observe this act because now I am quite curious what happens next and your part here met my daily need for exercise." They said with the same grin once Radko got his bearings, but his coughing fit didn't stop.
"What have you done to me?" He demanded weakly through his coughs.
"Nothing out of the ordinary, just unlocked a keyhole you so desperately try to subconsciously hide. Now, I could talk to you more, but as far as this conversation was enjoyable, I got a play to watch. Ta tah." They bid their farewell and left Radko on the ground, disappearing into one of the alleyways of the Ylisstol streets.
Once Radko's coughing fit stopped, he used his spear to hoist himself up, thankful that the punch he suffered wasn't as powerful as it felt at first. With a quick jug from a vulnerary to give him some much-needed energy back, he looked down the alleyway the mysterious person went, only to find a dead-end of all things.
"What the hell?" He pondered out loud, only to feel a slight ache in his heart, yet just as quickly it appeared, it dissipated. He was bewildered by this sudden feeling and confrontation while contemplating over what things the stranger said, every word he spilled was filled with vagueness and amusement.
"I'll have to report this once we defend ourselves from this siege," Radko spoke to himself and aimed for the spot he was supposed to be with Ricken and Stahl. Although the confrontation still plagued his mind, he knew this would have to come at another time.
Now it was time to defend the city.
Suddenly, the faint sound of wood, stone, and snapping rope could be heard all over the lower level of the city and after a few short moments, the crashing of boulders against buildings thundered through Ylisstol, signaling the start of the siege.
"Damn it! I am pretty sure Gangrel didn't even give a warning before starting!" Radko said with a sneer and immediately picked up the speed to meet with Stahl and Ricken as soon as possible, only to already meet enemy soldiers, clad in light armor and spears and Radko immediately tried to find a hiding spot inside one of the abandoned buildings.
"Shit! How are they already inside!?" Pondered Radko while looking through a window to spot the group, only to find out those weren't human soldiers. They were Risen, macerating as a battalion because their piercing red eyes were spottable through their helmets.
Radko took a deep breath after calming himself down to think rationally again. He browsed through the pages of his tome to activate his shield spell, only to be reminded of his limit in the form of his chest heating up slightly, reminiscent of the feeling he got from the punch from that stranger.
He threw that encounter to the back of his mind and readied his spear while looking at the lion attached to his spear. A small smirk adorned his features and remarked with a snort.
"Que the Roar of Dominion, I guess."
AN: And welcome back... two weeks later. Yeah, I am sorry for the change but I have to thank myself for switching to a different schedule. It's much more manageable to maintain.
Anyway, yes, a siege! We skip the Breakneck Pass since I didn't see any need to go there with where the story was heading. I am so excited to write the siege so look forward to it!
If you want to join a server of like-minded people, join discord server the Fanfiction Treehouse!
Link: gg/9XG3U7a
Thank you for all the support you give me because I thought that this story would flop here, but it didn't and I am happy about it.
Anyway, have a nice day and enjoy life.
God's speed.