"Come ooooooon! Where is he? We're going to be late at this rate."
While Robin did not voice it like Lissa did, he too was starting to get anxious. Chrom was taking his sweet time arriving at the gate. They were the last to leave for the party as they had a surprise for the other Shepherds, and they did not want to give it away prematurely. However, if Chrom did not show soon, they could very well be late.
"I'm here!" Chrom came running up in his red version of his normal attire. Complete with a fun little hat that Lissa talked him into wearing, "I'm here. This thing is really heavy," Chrom referred to the bag of gifts slung over his shoulder.
"Do you want Robin to carry it?" Lissa mocked.
"I'm fine," Chrom readjusted the sack on his shoulder, "Now, come on!" Suddenly Chrom was in a hurry as he led the way through town.
It was surprisingly sparse around that part of Ylisstol on that cold winter night with most of the population celebrating either in private homes or public establishments. However, the trio were taking a shortcut and therefor bypassing most of the people.
Chrom was leading the pack with his sack of gifts over his shoulder when Lissa tapped him on the shoulder, "Uh, Chrom, this doesn't look like the best neighborhood."
"Don't worry so much," Chrom dismissed her, "We'll be there in a few minutes."
"I don't know, Chrom," Robin spoke up, "I feel like we're being watched."
"You should listen to em," Came a gruff voice from the shadows as several less than scrupulous looking men appeared from alleys.
"See?" Lissa put her hands on her hips as she addressed her brother, "I told you!"
"Now's not the time!"
The apparent leader of the ruffians laughed, "Stupid nobles. Now hand over all your goodies and we might let you out of here with your pretty faces."
Chrom sighed, "Look, we're in a hurry, so if we could just skip this and just move on, that'd be great."
"I don't think you're in any place to be talking," He gave a signal and two thugs rushed Chrom. Chrom's face immediately snapped into a serious expression as he pulled back the sack of gifts and smacked the two of them with the large bag. The two were knocked unconscious by the blow.
This served to enrage the leader, "What are you all waiting for?" With that, they were soon rushed, but Chrom jumped into the fray wielding the sack of gifts like a weapon as if it were perfectly normal.
One made the mistake of thinking Lissa would be easy prey and went for her. Unfortunately for him, she bopped him over the head with her very hard, very metal bell. He was also knocked out cold.
Robin, however, had no such bludgeoning apparatus, but he spotted a small festively decorated tree in front of a store and picked it up. The thugs gave pause as he brandished his new weapon, giving him the opening he needed to thwack them both upside the head.
Despite being one of the most unusual battles they had ever partaken in, they quickly proved too much for the ruffians even with such unconventional weaponry.
"Well," Chrom sat the sack down as the brigands fled, "That was inconvenient. I'll have to send the guards out here to take care of them later, but better us than some defenseless citizens."
"More than that," Lissa turned to her brother, "We're definitely late now! And I dented my bell!"
"Well," Robin reached for the sack, "Let's get moving then." However, he did not go anywhere as he hefted at the bag, but it did not budge. "Chrom, what's in this thing?"
"Just presents," He picked it up and hefted it over his shoulder like it was nothing. While Robin stared in disbelief, he finally noticed something around the Exalt's hip.
"Is that…Falchion?"
"Huh?" Chrom looked puzzled, "Yeah. So?"
Robin slapped his hand to his face, "You mean to tell me that you had an actual weapon this whole time and you still used the sack to beat them into submission?"
"I couldn't just leave the presents unattended, now could I?"
"And why do you even have that after all the grief you gave me for bringing weapons to the spring festival!?"
"I thought it might be prudent after what happened then."
"But…you…and the bag," Robin breathed deep, "Whatever. Let's just get to the party before they send out a search party."
The other two agreed, and they were soon at the barracks without further incident.
"There you are," Sumia greeted them as they approached, "I was starting to worry."
"No need," Chrom smiled hefting the sack from off his shoulder, "We come bearing gifts!"
That certainly got the Shepherds' attention, and they all huddled inside. All, except for two. Lucina stayed behind and greeted Robin. She wore a red outfit – with matching hat – along with green leggings and pointy red shoes with fluffy white orbs on each shoe. All in all, it was relatively tame for Lucina.
"Mother was not the only one starting to worry."
"Sorry," Robin apologized, but she chastely kissed him on the cheek.
"It's fine." She then noticed the small tree in Robin's hand, "Um, Robin, why do you have a tree?"
"Huh?" He looked down realizing he still had his "weapon" from earlier while also making a mental not to pay the owner back for the tree, "Oh, right. That's a bit of a story. I'm sure you'll hear all about it. Before that," Robin shuffled around in his coat pulling out a box, "I got you something."
"That's sweet, but you did not have to," Lucina said as she looked at the box now in her hand.
"I think I did," Robin smiled, "Open it."
She did as he asked and gasped in surprise upon seeing the box's contents, "See? It would have been kind of tacky to propose without a ring." When she looked back at him, he was on his knees, "So…will you marry me?"
"Yes, of course I will!" She pulled him up into a tight hug, "Only in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would ever find love. Thank you, Robin. You have given me more than I could have ever hoped for."
"Well, it's not entirely selfless. I rather enjoy the arrangement as well."
Both smiled stupidly at each other until their concentration was broken by a loud commotion from the barracks.
"What do you mean you used it as weapon!?"
"No wonder everything's crushed!"
"Did you throw it off a cliff while you were at it?"
Lucina looked perplexed, but Robin just sighed, "Perhaps we should wait out here for a bit."
A/N: Merry Christmas! Also, I will likely have my time absorbed by another game, but rest assured that Inherited Burden will not be abandoned.
