Ylisstol…
"Lucina, dear, you need to wake up!" The princess in question groaned as Sumia barged into her room.
"Why?" Lucina asked as she squeezed her eyes shut and clutched onto her pillow. "There's no reason to get up that early…"
Indeed, there wasn't much for Lucina to do while she's awake that makes her feel happy anyways. It's better to be asleep, so that she doesn't feel anything. To her, it made perfect sense. Why get up and face the world when you could stay under the warm blankets?
"Lucina, darling… it's the afternoon already…"
"Please… just five more minutes…" Lucina pulled the covers over her face.
"Darling…" Sumia sighed. "That's what you said four hours ago…"
"Please, why can't you just leave me alone!?"
"Because I care about you, dear." Sumia came over and sat on the edge of the bed. "Look, I know you're still sad that Robin's gone, but sitting in bed and sulking won't change anything. And besides, didn't Naga say that there's a chance he'll return at any moment? What would he think about you if he saw you like this?"
Lucina finally sat up. It seems that Sumia had struck a chord. Although she clearly looked unhappy about it, at least she was awake now.
"Goodness, look at your hair… I'll comb it for you."
Lucina looked at her reflection in the mirror across the room. Her hair did look disheveled. Perhaps this was the result of not taking good care of it for an extended period of time.
"You know, everyone's worried about you…" Sumia told her as she continued to brush. "Your father, your sister, your friends, the shepherds… even baby Lucina seems to have caught onto the fact that you're constantly sad. You haven't been eating or drinking, and you're certainly not sleeping well. And what's worse, it seems Lissa isn't able to help you with healing magic… how can we not be concerned?"
Lucina didn't have anything to say to her.
"Don't lose hope, honey…" Sumia continued. "Didn't Robin make a promise to you that he would return? When has he ever lied to you in the past? If it's Robin, he'll do whatever he says."
Lucina's eyes darted to the small box on her dresser. It was Robin's final gift to her before he disappeared: an engagement ring. She didn't know when he found the time to buy it, but the fact that he had it meant that he had intended to propose to her at some point.
Thanks to Grima, she might never have the chance to give a response to his question. Lucina swore if that dragon slithered out from under a rock somewhere, she'd find it and strangle it to death a second time.
"Oh, by the way…" Sumia paused as she worked on a knot. "Gerome and Cynthia came back today."
"They didn't find anything, did they?" Lucina sighed. The way Sumia presented the information was a dead giveaway.
Gerome and Cynthia, as well as Laurent and Nah had traveled to Valm a few weeks ago. Their purpose was to try and track down their remaining three friends who were still missing, but they assured Lucina that they would give Valm a good combing for any missing tacticians as well.
"...no…" Sumia admitted, albeit reluctantly. "Still, you have to admire their spirit. They're not giving up, and you shouldn't either."
Lucina could only grumble in response.
"Still… did Cynthia think I wouldn't notice?" Sumia giggled. "She's been getting awfully close with Gerome, hasn't she?"
"I'm soooo… happy for her…" Lucina rolled her eyes.
"Look, I know you're really upset, but could you at least be a little bit supportive of your sister?"
"If Cynthia gets married before I do, I'm going to disown her."
Sumia began to laugh, but quickly covered her mouth. Lucina said it in a way that she wasn't sure whether she was joking or serious.
Actually, Lucina was dead serious when she said what she said. However, she wasn't really thinking either. Her mother's reaction, funnily enough caused a slight grin to appear on her face as well.
"There… that looks much better, doesn't it?" Sumia put away the brush. "Now get dressed. Come have lunch with us… or I guess it would be breakfast for you…"
"All right, I'm coming…" Lucina sighed.
"...and though I do enjoy spending time with my dear daughter, you should also try to find someone else to look after you…" with that, Sumia left, leaving Lucina to grumble by herself.
Sumia meant well. Now that the war was over, many important figures in the Ylissean capital were asked to choose retainers. Up until now, Chrom was the only one, having Frederick protecting him at all times. The late Emmeryn also had Phila. However, it's been decided that it would be better if the Exalt, as well as members close to the Exalt, were better protected.
In response, Chrom had picked up Vaike as a second retainer. Vaike, though he has improved quite a lot, still acts unprofessionally from time to time, but Chrom ignored all protests and insisted that Vaike would do a fine job. Perhaps the dichotomy between Frederick and Vaike helped him feel a little more comfortable, instead of being formal one hundred percent of the time.
Lissa, who had been protected by Lon'qu for quite some time, felt no need to replace him, even though they were married. Technically, Lon'qu could've given the job to someone else and picked up a retainer or two himself, but he felt it was unnecessary to have people dedicated to protecting him. Since all he could do was fight anyways, he might as well hone his skills in order to protect his beloved.
Though she was able to ignore most dissenting opinions, the one she couldn't brush away was Maribelle. Her best friend insisted that it was improper for a young lady such as herself to have an official male retainer, but not a female one. As a result, Maribelle, through self selection, voluntarily became Lissa's second retainer.
Her mother, on the other hand, selected Cordelia and Panne as her retainers. It seems Cordelia, thanks to Gaius, no longer felt spiteful towards Sumia, and the two of them were back to being best friends just like before. Panne agreed to protect Sumia because she reminded her of the late Emmeryn, who had helped her warren in the past. She also has grown considerably less hostile towards humans overall.
Cynthia, despite not wanting to take a retainer, was convinced by Sumia. She eventually chose Gerome, though there might have been a little bit of an ulterior motive somewhere in there. She wouldn't admit it, but it was pretty obvious to anyone that knew the situation.
The only one who had not yet selected any retainers was Lucina. She simply felt there was no need for someone dedicated to protecting her. In fact, it would be embarrassing to ask one of her younger childhood friends to protect her, and even more so if that person happened to be in the same generation as her parents.
She had promised Chrom that she'd selected someone once Robin returned, to which Chrom reluctantly agreed. Deep down, Lucina harbored the feeling that she wouldn't really be concerned if she were assassinated if Robin would truly never return.
Her troubles seemed to all boil down to one issue.
"Robin… please return home soon…"
Meanwhile in Elibe…
Robin kept riding towards the Western Isles. Though there was no time restraint, he was still in a hurry. The faster he traveled, the sooner he could return home. He slept the minimal amount, oftentimes waking the horse to continue traveling long before the sun even rose.
And really, Robin felt sorry for the horse. Since Hausen had given him plenty of money for his travels, he usually bought the horse some treats to reward it for its excellent behavior thus far.
Robin concluded that this horse must've been one of the best that Caelin had.
When he arrived at the Western Isles, Robin quickly found that there were not very many ships sailing to Ylisse. It took him several days to even find a single one that was going to head across the sea to his homeland.
However, as soon as he found one, getting a spot on board was child's play. When he told the captain he could help defend the valuable cargo against pirates and brigands, he was challenged by the mercenaries that were hired for that exact same job. After knocking all of them to the ground effortlessly, the captain of the ship let him on for no charge. Robin, on the other hand, also didn't ask for pay, as his primary goal was to just make it home, not to earn coin.
The most difficult part was when he had to sit around and do nothing for a few days as preparations for the journey were being finished. There was a reason there were few routes between Elibe and Ylisse, and it was primarily due to the potentially perilous journey. If preparations were not made perfectly, it was possible to be stranded in the middle of the ocean without food or water, sentencing the entire crew to a slow and agonizing death. Robin passed the time by finding someone to take the horse Marquess Caelin had gifted him with off his hands.
His worries were finally lessened when the voyage across the ocean began. Robin quickly became one of the favorite people amongst the crew, as when there was not a favorable wind, he would simply create some with magic. The captain remarked that the trip was probably going to be around three times as fast with his help, and even offered him a permanent position aboard the ship, something that Robin politely declined.
A few weeks passed quickly, and the ship finally arrived in Ylissean waters. Robin said his farewells to the crew as the ship was pulling into the harbor, because as soon as the ship docked, he instantly left.
Unfortunately for him, Robin soon realized that they had landed in the Northeastern part of Ylisse, close to Regna Ferox. It was probably going to be a few days worth of travel by foot to get to Ylisstol. Though it was nothing compared to the long journey he had already been through, at this point he was beginning to feel awfully impatient.
After a day of travels, Robin found a small group of houses that could barely be called a village in the distance. He decided to try his luck. Perhaps he could stay in a bed instead of on the plains tonight. If he's truly lucky, maybe he could even buy a horse from them to make his journey faster.
The old lady that answered the first door he knocked on seemed cautious, but friendly. Though she didn't seem to recognize him, she did recognize the term 'shepherds' when Robin introduced himself and let him in.
"If you're looking for a place to stay, I'm 'fraid we don't have much to offer." The old lady sighed. "If you want to, you're welcome to sleep in the stables. At the very least, it'll protect you from the wind and rain."
"That would be more than enough." Robin bowed politely. "Thank you for your generosity... I'm also wondering, would you by chance have an extra horse? I'm willing to pay for it."
"Young man, are you in a hurry to get somewhere?"
"I'm trying to go home to Ylisstol." Robin explained. "It's not a problem if you don't, I was just wondering. It would certainly make my journey faster."
"I'm 'fraid not, dear." The old lady shook his head. "Out here, he don't have the money to keep around extra animals we don't need. The only ones we have are the ones that pull our wagons. Without them, we'd have no way to survive."
"I see…" Robin sighed in disappointment. "It's not a problem… just… unfortunate."
"Now, now, I didn't say we couldn't help you." The old lady clicked her tongue. "You're actually extraordinarily lucky. My husband is scheduled to make a trip to Ylisstol tomorrow. This year's harvest came early, so he's takin' it down to the capital to sell. You'd be welcome to tag along."
"Really? Then I am truly grateful."
True to her word, the next day, Robin set off towards Ylisstol. The old lady's husband, though relatively skinny, seemed to be quite fit for his age. Even so, Robin had helped him load the wagons, taking much of the strain off the old man's back, both figuratively and literally.
Along the trail, they made pleasant conversation. Though the old man wasn't exactly completely up to date with all of Ylisse's new policies, from the details he did know about, Robin was able to tell that Ylisse seemed to be flourishing peacefully after the defeat of Grima. This knowledge made him quite happy with how things ended up turning out.
What made him even more excited was that, according to the old man's estimates, it would only take around a day and a half to reach the capital. Though Robin was wrong in his initial estimate, he certainly wasn't complaining.
Before he knew it, they were pulling up to the gates of Ylisse on a sunny afternoon with clear skies. The excellent weather, coupled with the familiar walls of what he now considers his home city put Robin in an extremely pleasant mood. He was tempted to vault over the city walls with wind magic just so he could be home quicker. However, he knew that this could also bring him unnecessary trouble, so he refrained from doing so.
"Bah, it looks like the line to get into the city is a long one." The old man sighed. "Looks like we weren't the only ones. But I guess it's not a bad sign. It means everyone will have a plentiful harvest. Naga's been good to us this year, it would seem."
Along the trail to the capital, there were several knights, or perhaps squires that rode up and down the road. It seems they were checking each incoming merchant for credentials or contraband. No one seemed intimidated by them, so Robin guessed this was a normal process. The old man explained that this was to expedite the entry process so you spend less time once you actually reach the city gates.
"Ready for the preliminary check?" A young knight, probably not a day older than sixteen years of age asked as he dismounted next to their cart. "What do we have here?"
"Mostly grain." The old man responded. "And some dried meat, as well as some corn."
"O...k…" The knight scribbled some notes on a pad of paper he pulled out from a satchel he was carrying. He then inspected the contents of the cart. "Hmm, everything seems to be in order…"
The knight looked up at the old man, and for the first time seemed to notice Robin sitting next to him. The knight rubbed his eyes.
"Huh?" The knight fumbled around and brought out a folded sheet of paper. His eyes darted from the contents it contained to Robin's face, then back again to the paper.
"You're not a wanted criminal, are ya?" The old man whispered to Robin.
"Not since the last time I've checked." Robin responded.
"Um, please, may I ask for you to come with me?" The young knight asked.
"Is… something wrong?" The old man chuckled nervously.
"Oh, you're not in any trouble." The young knight quickly clarified. "In fact, you've been granted special access to the city. You don't have to wait in line anymore."
"Eh?" The old man seemed quite confused. "Well, all right, if you say so…"
The merchants they passed all looked at them with a mixture of surprise and envy when the young knight led them past everyone in the long line and directly into the city.
"Captain!" The young knight exclaimed as he approached the entrance of a stone building near the entrance of the gate. "I've found someone that looks exactly like the sketch we've been given!"
"You're not pulling my leg are you?" A very familiar voice asked. "Don't think I haven't remembered the last time you 'thought you had found the right guy'."
"No sir!" The young knight exclaimed. "This time, it really looks exactly like the picture!"
"Well, all right, if you-" A figure appeared from inside the building. Robin instantly recognized him as Stahl. The Paladin was so shocked by what he saw that he dropped the scroll he had been holding in his hand.
Stahl blinked a few times and even rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't just seeing things. "Robin?"
"Hey man." Robin waved at him. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"Quickly! Let this cart through!" Stahl ordered.
"But sir," One of the knights manning the gate protested. "We haven't collected their taxes yet."
"To hell with the taxes!" Stahl scoffed. "Just get them through, hurry up!"
"Y-yes sir!"
"Eh? What's this about?" The old man asked.
"You've brought an old friend back to us, is what happened." Stahl replied as he pressed a few gold coins into the old man's hands. "Thank you very much."
After they made it into the city officially, Robin said his farewells to the dumbfounded old man. There was sure to be a story to tell when he returns home with far more money than he had originally anticipated.
"I can't believe you're back!" Stahl exclaimed when it was just the two of them.
"Me neither." Robin admitted. "Have things changed a lot?"
"Uh, yeah, I'd say so." Stahl replied. "Although most of it is for the better. You remember the shepherds' garrison?"
"Yeah, what about it?"
"Well, it's gone now. ...Hey don't look so glum! It's gone because it was getting a little too cramped, y'know, with all of the children and all? We've built a small village just outside of the city now. We call it the shepherds' village. I know, not very creative, but it's really a nice place. I'm sure you'll love it once you see it!"
They arrived at a gate on the other side of the city.
"Just follow the trail, and you'll see it on your right hand side." Stahl pointed. "You can't miss it!"
"Where are you going?" Robin asked.
"Why, I have to report your arrival to Chrom, of course!" Stahl chuckled. "Some of us are busy working during the day, y'know. But I'm sure there will be a welcome party or something for you tonight. I'll definitely be there."
"...can't I just come with you?" Robin asked.
"Er, I mean, I guess you could, but it's gonna be easier to get Chrom over to the village than the village over to Chrom, if you get what I'm saying."
"I see. I'll go wait in the village then."
"They've all missed you as well. Well, I'm off then."
Stahl gave a friendly wave to his long lost friend, before heading off to the castle. Robin, following the instructions he'd been given, soon arrived at the village. As he took the path leading up to the village, he noticed that there seemed to be two concentric circles of houses around a single building in the very center.
"So uh… what now?" Robin asked. He wasn't really sure where he was supposed to go. It seems in all the excitement, Stahl had forgotten to inform him which house he should report to.
Luckily for him, a certain redhead happened to leave her house at this very moment. When she turned and saw Robin standing at the entrance of their village, she dropped the bag that she had been holding in her hand, causing many coins to spill out everywhere around the front of her house.
"Hey… Anna…" Robin waved at her awkwardly.
"AHHHHH!" Anna let out an ear piercing shriek as she ran at him full speed and pounced on him.
Several other shepherds, hearing the commotion, peeked their heads out. After seeing that Robin was back, they all made their way outside excitedly.
"Hey Bubbles is back!" Gaius exclaimed. "I gotta bake you a couple of pies to celebrate!"
"Welcome back, Robin!" Ricken smiled. "We've all missed you!"
"Thank Naga..." Libra seemed to be giving a grateful prayer towards the Divine Dragon.
"Hoho! Things more of the exciting now that bird man back!" Gregor laughed.
"Show him his house! Show him his house!" Nowi jumped up and down energetically. "I'm sure he's going to love it! We all put some much effort into it, after all!"
Without knowing what was going on, he was led towards the building in the very center of the village by a very enthusiastic Anna.
She had, uncharacteristically, forgotten completely about the sack of coins she had spilled all over the ground.
Robin, to his disbelief, found that by 'his house', the shepherds had meant the big one at the very center of the village. As soon as he entered, he noticed all of the shelves of books arranged inside.
"When we tore down the shepherds' garrison, he couldn't just throw away all of the books that you loved." Olivia explained. "So we moved them over here. We thought that you'd like them if you ever returned."
"Well, what do you think?" Nowi asked.
"I… love it." Robin admitted. The interior of the house was large and spacious, and was head and shoulders above what he had been expecting.
"I believe we now lay claim to a sufficient reason for festivities." Miriel smiled.
"Nya ha! There definitely has to be a party or somethin'!" Henry agreed.
"Yes, yes!" Gregor licked his chops. "Bird man cook, right? …Hey, don't look at Gregor like that! Gregor make joke!"
Robin found himself surrounded by his friends. This pleasant atmosphere was something he had been missing for far too long…
Meanwhile…
"You know, I think it's important for you to go outside every day." Sumia told Lucina. The two of them were walking around in the courtyard. "I think the sunlight helps put you in a better mood."
"Maybe." Lucina admitted. "But it's only temporary. I feel like shit when I go back inside."
"Have faith dear… he could be back any day now…"
"You've been saying that for the last several months!"
"I understand your frustration dear, but… well, just hold on. Since Naga didn't say he is unable to return, we can only assume it's taking him some time to find his way home. Don't lose hope. Not yet."
Just then, a figure descended towards them from the sky.
"Sumia!" Cordelia exclaimed, out of breath.
"What is it?" Sumia frowned. "This had better be something important… your pegasus just trampled my flowers…"
"Robin…" Cordelia panted. "Robin's back!"
"What!?" Lucina's eyes shot wide open.
"Cordelia…" Sumia snuck Lucina a look of concern before staring at her retainer. "If this is a joke…"
"I swear to Naga!" Cordelia exclaimed. "He's at the village right now!"
Just then, there was a commotion behind them.
"Please exalt! You cannot leave without a proper escort!" The voice of some minister called from inside.
"Escorts be damned!" Chrom exclaimed as he rushed out. "This is a matter of extreme importance!"
"What's wrong?" Sumia waved at her husband.
"Oh, there you are!" Chrom jogged over to his wife and daughter. "Great news! Stahl just reported that Robin's back! He entered the city a little while ago. Apparently he sent him towards the village!"
"See?" Cordelia exclaimed, feeling quite justified. "I wasn't lying!"
"I can't believe it! He's actually back!" Chrom seemed as excited as a little kid in front of a candy shop. Sumia couldn't help but giggle at her husband's adorable act. "I'm gonna go see him right now!"
Chrom instantly ran off.
"Milord!" Frederick exclaimed, following close behind him. "At least take the horses! It'll be faster that way!"
"Right!" Chrom changed direction mid sprint and headed towards the stables.
"Oh, what are we going to do with him?" Sumia giggled. "Cordelia… can you take Lucina with you? I'm sure she's the most anxious to reunite with him… I'll go fetch Morgan and bring her with me."
"Yes, of course!" Cordelia nodded.
Lucina, equally as eager to meet Robin once again, mounted the pegasus with Cordelia and flew off towards the village.
The part of her that believed she was about to be reunited with Robin was ecstatic. However, there was still a small portion of her mind that was cautious. Perhaps everyone got together to play a prank on her… Lucina wanted to be prepared for the disappointment in case it came.
As they descended towards the village, Lucina noticed a large amount of commotion at the building in the center. When the shepherds were working on building the village, they had designated the center building to be Robin's, in memory of him. And in case he did return, no one would complain if he actually lived in it. Seeing this kindled Lucina's hope even further.
As soon as Aurora's hooves touched the ground, Lucina leapt off towards the building. Any shepherd with a functioning brain knew that it would not be a good idea to be in her way, and so she was able to get to her target right away.
Lucina blocked her mouth with both her hands to avoid letting out a scream. Hot tears formed and began to flow down the side of her face.
At the same time, Robin noticed her presence. For something that he had been looking forward to for a long, long time, Robin didn't actually make any preparations for what he wanted to say to her. As a result, the two of them kind of just stood there, staring at each other, while everyone else awkwardly watched.
In the end, Robin couldn't bring himself to say anything. He approached Lucina and wrapped his arms around her. In response, Lucina moved her arms around his neck and buried her face into his neck. The quiet sniffling turned into a full fledged wail.
Reading the situation, Gaius began to quietly gesture for everyone to leave. Nowi and Anna, made a face showing displeasure (each for their own separate reasons), but still complied in the end. Shortly after, it was just Robin alone in the house with Lucina.
"You're… b-back…" Lucina continued to sob into Robin's shoulder.
"Yeah." Robin brought one hand up and began to stroke the back of her head. "And I'm here to stay."
"I… m-missed you…"
"And I missed you as well... But it's over now."
"...why couldn't you just let my father deal the finishing blow? There's so much time that we've missed."
"I'll make it up to you. We've a lot of time to make up for."
"...I'll hold you... accountable to that…"
Robin felt Lucina's body go limp. It seems she passed out from exhaustion… or perhaps excitement… or perhaps relief. Or maybe a mixture of all three. Regardless, Robin swept one arm behind her knees and carried her over to the bed.
He had just laid her down on the mattress when the door opened, and an extremely out of breath Chrom burst in.
"Robin!" The two men approached each other and shared an embrace. "You sick bastard! What took you so long? Everyone was beginning to lose hope!"
"...was it really that long?"
"You've been gone for over a year!"
Robin paused. This was the first time he realized just how long he had made Lucina wait. "A year? I swear I was only gone for a couple months!"
"Trust me, Lissa kept a very careful tally. Well, the important part is that you're back."
"Milord Robin…" Frederick bowed as he entered. "It's good to have you back."
"Thank you. And it's really good to be back as well."
Chrom looked at the peaceful figure of Lucina sound asleep on the bed.
"Er… I don't know what happend." Robin chuckled nervously. "She just kind of… passed out."
"I'm not surprised." Chrom replied. "Honestly, I couldn't tell you the last time she got a good night's rest. For the past year, she's had problems sleeping. Her eating habits also became extremely irregular…"
"I didn't know." Robin sat down at a table near the bed, an action which Chrom copied.
"It's actually surprising to see her being able to sleep so peacefully for once. We'd better let her rest."
"Yeah."
"That actually reminds me…" Chrom began. "So you see… I made a promise to her…"
"What is it?"
"I told her that I'd arrange your marriage as soon as you returned." Chrom admitted. "Like… she's gonna want to have the ceremony tomorrow."
"You're kidding, right?"
"Uh, see, the thing is, I originally said that to her because I thought it would put her in a better mood, but as the days dragged on, it became more and more clear that she was holding me to that promise. But don't worry. In exchange, I told her the wedding would have to be an extremely small one. After all, the large scale ones are difficult to plan. Plus, if all of Ylisstol was invited like mine, then we'd have to come up with a suitable identity for her. No one's gonna believe she's my daughter, after all."
"So what you're saying is that the whole thing will be on a very small scale?"
"Yeah, I'm thinking it'll just be the shepherds attending. Libra said he would officiate it."
"I understand. How has everyone gotten along? Y'know, after the war ended?"
"Well, everything's been peaceful, if that's what you're asking. Actually, Regna Ferox proposed a permanent alliance between our kingdoms… and it was originally only intended to be between Ylisse and Regna Ferox, but…"
At this time, the door burst open once again, and an extremely energetic young girl leapt through the frame and barreled towards Robin.
"Papa! You're home!" Morgan exclaimed as she jumped into Robin's lap..
"I am." Robin smiled as he ruffled the young girl's hair. "How have you been kiddo? Were you good while I was away?"
"Uh huh!" Morgan nodded. "I was on my best behavior! Grandmother said that the better I behaved, the sooner you'd come back! And it worked!"
"She's been more confident that you'll return than any of us." Sumia explained as she also entered the house.
"Yeah, what took you so long?" Lissa pouted as she also entered.
"Uh, Naga sent me to Elibe. Apparently there's going to be something dangerous happening there in the near future…"
"Elibe?" Lissa frowned. "Where's that."
"That's a continent to our east." Chrom explained. "We import a variety of metals from there."
"Why have I never heard of it?"
"The travel time between Ylisse and Elibe is even longer than the travel to Valm and back, so you're unlikely to run into anyone here that's even been to Elibe. And it's not like we're so dependent on them that everyone knows about it." Chrom explained to his sister.
"You said something dangerous was going to happen there?" Sumia looked concerned. "You don't mean we'll have another Valm situation, do you?"
"Uh, honestly, I don't know." Robin admitted. "I guess we'll have to ask Naga, or Tiki I guess. Honestly I don't even know what I did that would've prevented disaster."
"We can pay a visit to Mount Prism in the near future." Chrom decided. "After all, I hear there's an extremely militant country in Elibe… possibly with a larger military than Valm."
"Really…" This was the first time Robin had heard this information. If this were true, then perhaps they did need to keep an eye on Elibe.
"But let's put that aside for now." Sumia clasped her hands together. "First things first. We need to make sure you get married!"
"Yeah, I told him already." Chrom sighed.
"Then we'll need to make preparations!" Lissa exclaimed. "You promised Lucina we'd have it tomorrow, didn't you?"
"If she remembers…" Chrom sighed once again.
"Of course she'll remember." Lissa replied dismissively. "Why would she not? I'll talk to Libra."
"Yeah, don't worry about a thing… Lissa and I will make sure that everything will be perfect for Lucina's big day… even if not going to be some grand event." Sumia smiled. "Though… I'm sure there's much Chrom needs to discuss with you as well. We just wanted to drop in and say hi, since, y'know, you've been missing for such a long time."
"Morgan! C'mon let's return to the castle!" Lissa gestured to her great-niece. "Your father and grandfather have to have a serious conversation! Let's go do something more fun like planning your parents' wedding!"
"There… was so much wrong with that sentence…" Chrom deadpanned.
"Yet somehow, in our weird situation, it makes sense." Robin looked exhausted as well.
"Yay! I get to plan my parents' wedding!" Morgan giggled. It was possible that deep down, she knew she was going to do something that was normally impossible. She turned to her father before getting off his lap. "Papa… please make mama happy again… she's been so sad because you were gone…"
"...Yeah… papa will do that…" It was a difficult thing for him to hear, coming from his own daughter, but Robin still managed to get the promise out.
"Thanks papa. You're the best." Having received the promise from her father, Morgan ran to Lissa's side.
"...so I think I remember there was something about an alliance with Regna Ferox?" Robin asked once the girls had all left.
"...Right." Chrom sighed. "So originally, it was just going to be us and Regna Ferox. But then Plegia heard about it and wanted in."
"Plegia?" Robin looked intrigued. "How are things over there?"
"Aversa has taken over as queen." Chrom responded, much to Robin's surprise. "I know it's a little bit shocking, but actually, Ylisse played a part in getting her there. Actually, after you disappeared, we found that Aversa, without Validar's influence, is actually a fairly reasonable person. Though she would normally not have any claim to the throne, we were able to place her there through the claim that she was Validar's legitimate daughter."
"She actually wasn't too happy about that." Frederick added as he poured some water for both his liege and Robin. He had been so silent earlier that Robin had almost forgotten he was in the room.
"...Right." Chrom agreed. "But eventually, she agreed to take the position. She felt that she had much to atone for. And many of the Grimleal still only see the cruel side of her that was painfully clear when she served Validar, so she's able to keep the country from acting up. Overall, for someone that was never raised to be royalty, she's done a fantastic job of running the country. At least, in my opinion."
"So what about the alliance?" Robin asked.
"Yes, yes, we got a little off topic." Chrom admitted. "So anyways, Plegia suggested that instead of it being an alliance between two out of three countries on a continent, we might as well forge a pact between all three. That way, we'll be able to keep the peace on the continent, while trade and commerce will continue to flourish as well."
"That doesn't sound too bad."
"Well, I haven't gotten to the juicy parts yet." Chrom chuckled. "So it's the three countries so far, right? After we made an announcement of the alliance, the Valmese countries caught wind of it."
"Oh…" Robin seemed to make a sudden realization.
"Yeah, you see where this is going, right?" Chrom sighed for the umpteenth time that day. "Virion proposed that Rosanne be included. Shortly after, Say'ri demanded that we do the same for Chon'sin. I still remember reading her letter… 'if Rosanne is to be included, then there is no reason why Chon'sin cannot be a part of this treaty…' something like that. And then came the most controversial part: Valm requested to join in as well."
"Really…"
"There was some backlash, but in the end, they used an argument like 'if Plegia is allowed to be a part of this treaty, then Valm should too… after all, we're no longer at war with one another…'" Chrom explained. "Honestly, this whole foreign policy thing makes my head spin. But whatever. So the point is, we now have this six way treaty where everyone promises to not wage war against one another, and to come to the aid of one another in emergency situations. Also, free trade is to be allowed between each of the six nations, etc. etc."
"I don't see any problem."
"Yes, well the PROBLEM is that as this alliance got bigger and bigger, they began to suggest that we needed an official leader of the alliance." Chrom groaned. "And of course, I received nominations from all five other countries. It wasn't even my choice. It just got forced onto me."
"How unfortunate." Robin didn't even attempt to hide his laughter.
"You're laughing too early." Chrom smirked. "In the end, I accepted it under the condition that you would help me co-lead it once you returned."
"What?" Robin froze. "I'm pretty sure you can't do that."
"And I'm pretty sure I already did."
"You know I have no experience with leading right?"
"Are you even listening to yourself?"
"I mean leading a country. That's not the same thing as giving orders on the battlefield!"
"You act like I'm an expert on the subject!"
"And all of them agreed to it?"
"Yeah. In fact, they all thought it was a fantastic proposal."
"What were they all thinking? I mean, both you and I are barely even in our twenties… and yet they expect us to lead an alliance of six countries?"
"Tell me about it."
"I might have to reconsider the competency of the leaders of our so-called allies."
Chrom let out a hearty laugh at Robin's joke.
"May I say something?" Frederick politely asked.
"Sure, Frederick. What did you want to say?" Chrom gave him the go-ahead.
"I believe the reason why all of them want the two of you to lead is because the two of you managed to pull them all together in the first place. Ylisse came to the aid of Rosanne and Chon'sin by initiating an alliance with Regna Ferox. And together they made Plegia and Valm recognize the error of their ways." Frederick began. "And they also know that although both of you are quite young, both of you are also extremely capable. I may be getting ahead of myself, but I think they believe the two of you can lead Valm and Ylisse into a great era of peace and prosperity."
For a moment, the room was completely silent except for the breathing from Lucina's peaceful nap.
"Well, I'm sold." Robin grinned. "What do you say we give it a shot, 'gramps'?"
"Behave yourself, son-in-law." Chrom chuckled as he shot right back at him.
"So what are they calling this alliance?" Robin asked.
"Well I've proposed the'Six Country Alliance', but apparently others thought it was quite a boring name." Chrom admitted.
"Yeah, not much thought put into it. Even I can tell."
"Shut up. I only proposed it because the others wanted to call it the 'Ylissean League.' I believe it was Say'ri who had originally coined it."
"Hmm… Six Country Alliance does sound better when you give me that option as the alternative."
"I know... it sounds so vain… but Flavia said it was appropriate, if we were to have Ylisse lead the entire thing."
"So I'm guessing everyone else preferred 'Ylissean League'?"
"Right as always."
"All right…" Robin scratched his chin. "At least I have an idea of what I'm working with now…"
"It'll be difficult, but we'll pull through." Chrom declared confidently. "After all, we're two halves of the same whole."
"Damn right." Robin bumped his knuckles with Chrom's. "We'll put together the best Six Country Alliance the world has ever seen."
That Evening…
True to their word, the shepherds got together and threw Robin a massive welcome back party. It started as soon as Stahl, Sully and Kellam were finished with their work for the day. It would seem that many of the shepherds worked with each other in order to put together a feast.
Though Robin was extremely happy to be with his friends (which, at this point, he considers family), the exhaustion from the past month or two finally caught up with him. After realizing that Robin was about the fall asleep, Chrom began to suggest that everyone start heading back to their own homes to allow him some rest.
Already half asleep, Robin managed to complete his before-bed routine. He stopped before the bed when he realized Lucina was still sleeping. Due to the party his friends had thrown for him, it seems Robin had completely forgot that she hadn't gotten up since that afternoon.
He briefly wondered if he should sleep on the couch…
Eventually Robin decided against it. He was exhausted, and it wasn't like he hadn't shared a mattress with Lucina in the past. In fact, if he remembered correctly, it was what she had wanted anyways. Also, since he wasn't familiar with the interior and the candles were out, he could hurt himself on accident if he were to wander around in the dark. Plus, this was his house. He should get to sleep in his own bed.
After convincing himself that he was not being 'ungentlemanly', Robin slipped under the covers, trying not to wake Lucina up. However, right as he got done settling down, he felt a warm body snuggle up to him.
"Have you been awake this entire time?" Robin asked.
"No…" Lucina whispered back. "Well… maybe half awake. I heard a lot of people earlier… but I was still too tired to get up, so I just went back to sleep."
"Chrom tells me you haven't been sleeping well lately."
"Well, yeah…" Lucina admitted. "But… since you're back now, I get the feeling that it won't be a problem anymore…"
"I hope that's the case. Perhaps you'll feel better tomorrow."
"I'm feeling optimistic."
After a few moments, both of them, being extremely exhausted for differing reasons, fell into a deep slumber.
The Next Morning…
Robin awoke feeling completely rejuvenated. He turned towards the window. Judging from the amount of light coming through, he'd estimate it was almost time for the sun to rise.
Suddenly, he had a thought. 'How's breakfast going to work?'
Pretty much, the only meals he's had in the past few years were meals made in large batches, meant to feed an army, or at least a group of people. Now that they were in times of peace, did the shepherds make their own breakfast? If so, then wouldn't he need to go buy ingredients? Robin doubted that there was much to eat stored in an empty house. Books are one thing, but perishables were another.
"I should get up to check." Robin muttered. "Wouldn't want to be hungry."
However, there was just a slight problem. Robin found that he couldn't get out of bed. This had nothing to do with his exhaustion, but everything to do with the figure clutching onto him like it was her lifeline.
'Looks like you're stuck for the time being…' Grima snickered.
'I think you're right…'
Remembering about Lucina's sleep issue, Robin decided it was probably best to not disturb her. Fortunately, he was able to enjoy the sunrise from his current position, and he admitted being unable to get up because your fiance was sleeping on top of you wasn't the worse thing in the world.
After an hour or so, there was a soft knock on the door.
"Who is it?" Robin called.
"It's Kellam." The voice replied. "I brought you breakfast."
"Uh…" Now Robin was at a crossroads. He couldn't answer the door without waking Lucina, and in doing so, he would disturb her sleep.
He eventually decided that it would be difficult to explain the situation to Kellam. And besides, he had gone through the trouble of bringing the breakfast to him. It would be rude to not answer the door.
As gently as he could, he nudged Lucina awake.
"Kellam brought breakfast." Robin whispered to her. "I'm going to answer the door."
"You'd better come right back..." Lucina muttered in a half awake state. However, her grip on Robin loosened.
Getting up, Robin answered the door.
"I figured you probably didn't have any food around, since you just got back yesterday." Kellam explained as he handed Robin a basket. "So I made some extra."
"Thanks." Robin gladly accepted the food. "So does everyone make their own breakfast now?"
"Well, yes." Kellam nodded. "Everyone wakes up at different times after all. It's the same with lunch. However, there's someone assigned for dinner every day, and they're responsible for cooking for everyone that night."
"Just like when we were at war."
"Yeah, pretty much." Kellam nodded. "It's more convenient than having everyone cook for themselves every single day. Tonight... I think it's supposed to be Gregor."
"Oh boy, I haven't had stew in a long time…"
Kellam chuckled at his jab towards the ex-mercenary.
"Well, I'd better get going. I have to head into the city soon. Y'know, for work." Kellam turned to leave. "Oh, I almost forgot. That's two portions. I noticed that Lucina was still here last night, and I assumed she wouldn't have left."
"I see." Robin peeked into the basket. There were some loaves of bread, a few slices of some sort of meat, two bottles filled with water, and it looks like some sort of egg and vegetable dish. Indeed, there was too much in there for just one person, unless that person's name was Stahl. "Thanks Kellam."
"Don't mention it." Kellam seemed to disappear into thin air. "We're just glad you're back."
Robin took the food inside, and saw that Lucina had already gotten up. Not a single trace of tiredness could be seen on her face.
"You're up, I see."
"Yeah, I suddenly remembered. Did my father talk to you about plans for our wedding?"
Robin nodded. "Yeah, he told me you'd want to have it as soon as possible, so I think he said something about having it today."
Hearing Robin's response, Lucina let out a squeal of excitement.
"Calm down…" Robin chuckled. "C'mon, let's have breakfast."
The two of them got dressed and enjoyed breakfast together. Robin could get used to this feeling.
Later that afternoon, Robin and Lucina had their wedding. It wasn't anything too formal. In fact, Lucina didn't even have a wedding dress prepared, nevermind Robin's complete lack of formal clothes. However, Lucina had made it clear that she wanted to tie the knot as soon as humanly possible, and didn't really care about making it into a big event. Personally, Robin had to agree. It was enough for their friends to witness their marriage. He'd probably get extremely embarrassed in front of all of Ylisstol's citizens.
As expected, Libra officiated the wedding, and apart from a few sour looks on Anna's face, all the shepherds wished them well.
When it came to the issue of where the newlywed couple would stay, Chrom suggested they could stay at the castle. However, many shepherds protested that they had worked hard on Robin's house, so he should stay there. In the end, Robin suggested that he and Lucina could split between the two. This seemed to be an agreeable suggestion for all parties involved.
A blissful week passed, as Robin and Lucina began to get used to their newlywed life, while Robin began to pick up tasks at the castle in helping Chrom run the country.
Usually, he would spend most of the day in the capital, and return to the shepherds' village in the afternoon. It was no different today. Robin had finished a grueling day of paperwork, and was on his way home. He had stopped by the farmer's market and picked up a few ingredients for breakfast.
When he got home, he found that Lucina wasn't there. He poked his head out of the house and saw Nowi chasing a butterfly.
"Hey Nowi, do you know where Lucina went?"
"Oh, hey Robin!" Nowi seemed to forget what she had been doing and waved at the tactician. "Um… I think I saw her head towards the training ground. It's… that way!"
Thanks to Nowi, Robin got pointed in the right direction. After setting the food items down, he decided to look for his wife. The fact that he now should refer to Lucina as such would take a little time to get used to.
As he drew near, Robin saw Lucina swinging around a practice sword.
"You're still training?" Robin chuckled as he drew close.
"Well, I think I have to do something to stay in shape." Lucina smiled as she wiped some sweat off her forehead. Robin felt extremely glad to see that smile. "I'm not good at any of the diplomatic stuff or whatever… so really I can only contribute by being battle ready."
"Well, it probably isn't very stimulating to swing the sword at nothing." Robin began. "How about a little spar?"
"With who? You?" Lucina grinned.
"Why is that funny?" Robin protested.
"Can you even swing a sword? I don't think I've ever seen you do it."
"Hey… let's not be too judgmental..."
"Well, since you offered, I won't turn you down. But I'm really bad at holding back."
"That's fine."
Robin picked out a practice sword and gave it a couple swings to get used to the weight.
"All right, I'm ready."
Lucina charged at him as soon as he gave her the go ahead.
From this spar, Robin realized that Lyn, Kent, and Sain hadn't been the only ones improving in the past month or so. His swordplay seemed to have gotten better as well from practicing with them. Intuitively, this made sense, as the knowledge was due to Grima's experience. Of course he'll be better at something if he also practices it with his own two hands.
Still, Lucina was a formidable opponent. Even though she was self-proclaimed 'out of shape', Robin still felt pressured by her fast paced, yet powerful fighting style. Through this practice, Robin also realized that his own endurance seemed to also be quite lacking.
After going back and forth for a few minutes, Robin found an opportunity to knock aside Lucina's blade, and brought the tip of his own up to her neck.
"All right, you win." Lucina smiled. "Damn, I'm surprised. Since when did you learn swordplay?"
"Well, I think I inherited Grima's knowledge after I killed him." Robin chuckled. "I could probably fare pretty well if you gave me any weapon."
"You… what?" Lucina blinked a few times. "Do you realize how infuriating that is to someone like me? Someone that's trained their entire life being instantly surpassed does NOT feel good."
"Hey, it's not like I had any say in the matter."
"Ugh… well, does this mean you'll help me practice in the future, at least?"
"Yeah, I'll definitely help you out!"
"Thanks." Lucina gave him a smile. "I'm so glad to have you."
"And I'm very glad to have you as well."
The two of them began to head back to their house hand in hand.
Right after they both finished washing up, they got a visit from Chrom.
"Is something the matter?" Robin asked as he dried his hair and sat down on the steps leading up to the front door..
"We got a message from Plegia." Chrom got right to the point. "Aversa has asked for a meeting. With you."
"Me?" Robin asked. "Wow, I guess word travels pretty fast."
"Yes… but I have a bad feeling…" Chrom sighed. "I don't know, it could just be because the last few times, meeting with Plegia had led to bloodshed. Perhaps this time things will be different. Still… remember what we had discussed earlier today?"
"Picking a retainer or something?" Robin asked. "Chrom, you know-"
"Yes, I know you don't think you need anyone to watch over you. But because this is Plegia, I'd certainly feel better if you had someone dedicated to watching out for you… would you consider choosing someone, for me at least?"
"...All right." Robin sighed. "When do I leave?"
"You mean 'we'." Chrom corrected. "I'm coming with you."
"And I will as well." Lucina stepped outside. "I just got you back. There's no way I'm letting you go to Plegia without me.
"Will it be fine for you to leave the capital?"
"The country won't fall apart if I'm gone for a few days." Chrom waved his hand dismissively. "The various ministers and court officials will ensure things run smoothly. As for the stuff that I need to take care of personally, I'll just get it out of the way once I return. Anyways, to answer your question, we're leaving tomorrow morning."
"Ok, I'll be ready."
"Well, that's all I needed to say. I've gotta get back to the castle…"
"You're not staying for dinner, father?" Lucina asked.
"I can't. There's a meeting I have to be at in around an hour." Chrom explained. "Your mother should be taking Morgan here in a little bit, though."
"Got it."
Sumia volunteered to take care of Morgan for the time being. Most people figured that Robin and Lucina would want some time alone since they got married recently. Usually newlywed couples didn't have to take care of a young teenager anyways. Sumia also gets to dote on her adorable granddaughter, seeming to not care one bit about the fact that the difference in their ages was only a single digit. However, because Morgan wants to see her parents, Sumia flies her over on her pegasus every day in the afternoon, before bringing her back to the castle at night. Overall, it was an arrangement that benefited everyone.
"I've got a bad feeling about this." Lucina muttered as Chrom left.
"Why? Do you think the Grimleal are up to something again?" Robin asked.
"I don't know… it's a gut feeling…" Lucina sighed as she began to go back inside. "I really hope I'm wrong…"
Robin watched her disappear into the house.
"So… Bubbles…" Robin immediately knew who was talking to him. There was only one person that referred to him as 'Bubbles'.
"Did you need something, Gaius?"
"Well, I couldn't help but overhear something about needing to find a retainer, and I know just the guy for the job."
"Oh, do you now?"
"Yup! This guy can do it all. Skirmishing… Intelligence gathering… Sewing… Baking… Drinking… you name it. And I hear, from multiple sources in fact, that he's quite handsome as well!"
"Uh…"
'This man's absolutely shameless.' Grima noted. 'I love it.'
"Well? What do you say?"
"You really don't have to."
"Yeah, but I'd like to." Gaius grinned. "You see, I'm not like you or ol' Blue. I can't help you run the country. I'm an ex convict for cryin' out loud. But protecting and serving one person… that's something easy for me to do. It'll make me feel like I'm contributing to the betterment of society and all that. And besides… Cordelia is serving Sumia now. I'll feel like a freeloader if I don't find something productive to do."
"All right, you've sold me." Robin chuckled. "I guess that makes my task a lot easier."
"All right then… so it's a done deal?"
"I guess."
Neither of them were sure of the proper steps in establishing a formal retainer/master relationship, but in reality, neither of them truly cared.
The Following Day…
Robin and Lucina got up extremely early in order to prepare for their trip to Plegia. For the first time in what seemed like forever, Lucina equipped her Parallel Falchion with the intent to use it in combat.
Gaius was already dressed and ready by the time the couple walked outside. Chrom, as well as many others, seemed surprised by Robin's choice, but nobody objected to it either. Eventually, Robin would figure out that despite his past and his personality, Gaius was rather professional and took his job quite seriously.
It turns out, the people they eventually had to wait on was Chrom. After a short amount of time, the current Exalt of Ylisse approached the village with his entourage.
Vaike and Frederick were to be expected. However, Robin was surprised to see Sumia, as well as Cordelia and Panne.
"I couldn't convince her to stay." Chrom explained.
"Well, yeah, there's no way in hell I'm going to allow you to head into Plegia by yourself!" Sumia crossed her arms atop her pegasus. "I know we're not at war anymore, but I just don't trust them yet."
"It's not like I'm completely unprotected." Chrom complained.
"Yeah, well Plegia has more than just a platoon of soldiers at their disposal, you know?"
"Look, it doesn't matter. Just… Cordelia, Panne, I'm counting on the two of you to keep her safe if something happens."
"Of course!" Cordelia straightened her posture.
"It will be done." Panne nodded.
As the group set off, Robin gestured towards Gaius to lean in.
"What is it Bubbles?"
"Look, if something happens in Plegia, I want you to protect Lucina."
"Uh… my job is to protect you."
"Look, I'm not defenseless. However, if I have to also worry for her safety, I could potentially put myself into a dangerous situation in order to protect her. So in a sense, the best way for you to protect me is by keeping her safe. I'll be self sufficient."
"Whatever you say. You're the boss."
"Thanks Gaius."
Thanks to the well traveled roads, they were able to move much faster than when Robin had traveled with Lyn. It might've also helped that they didn't have a certain female cleric that would need to take a short break every hour or so. Now that he was back with the shepherds, Robin was truly able to appreciate how vast the differences were between the two groups of people.
Granted, it wasn't always like this. After all, Lissa had originally been just as spoiled. But now, she's become a fairly renowned healer, and has grown out of (most of) her childish tendencies.
The journey took a day and a half. They began to approach Plegia's Castle Dohlr the next afternoon.
"Greetings, Exalt Chrom of Ylisse." Aversa personally welcomed them into the castle. "Thank you for agreeing to allow me to meet with Robin on such short notice."
"It's been a while, Aversa." Chrom replied. "Please excuse me. I think you understand why I couldn't send Robin here by himself, don't you?
"Given the past of our countries, I think your caution is well justified." Aversa didn't seem offended. "However, Plegia would like to turn over a new leaf. Perhaps, our two countries will become rather close allies in the future. At least, I'd like a world where that could be the case."
"I'm glad you can see where I'm coming from." Chrom nodded.
"However, I hope you'll also give me a little bit of your trust." Aversa stepped closer to Chrom and Robin. She moved a hand to the side of her face, as if indicating she was going to tell a secret. "The details of what I wish to discuss should probably not be heard by the common foot soldier. In fact, the fewer ears the better. Would you mind if we moved into a more… private venue?"
Chrom and Robin looked at each other. "All right. Please, lead the way. However, I request that our family and retainers be allowed to wait outside the room."
"Of course, Chrom. That is only reasonable. The other soldiers you've brought will be allowed to stay in the reception area, and will be treated as honorable guests."
Aversa gestured for them to follow her. She stopped in front of a meeting room, and invited Chrom and Robin inside.
"Easy there." Gaius seemed to notice that Lucina became extremely anxious. "Both of them are quite capable of taking care of themselves. And if anything does happen, we'll be able to help them right away."
Lucina nodded to show that she understood.
Inside the room, there was an elderly gentleman in Grimlean garb already sitting at the table.
"Aversa, this is…"
"My apologies. Please allow me to introduce Elder Nasser. He is one of the remaining prominent Grimleal leaders."
"And why is he here?"
"Please do not be alarmed." Nasser let out a chuckle. "I want to avoid trouble just as much as you do, Exalt Chrom. You may not believe me, but my subordinates were uneasy about allowing me to meet with someone carrying Naga's bloodline."
"Well, I'll take your word for now." Chrom frowned as he sat down. "So what was it that you needed to talk about?"
"It's about the Plegian succession." Aversa explained. "As you may know, Validar has died, and Robin went missing following Grima's defeat."
Robin noticed that Nasser flinched at the words, but otherwise didn't chime in.
"...and, though Validar had all but adopted me, I do not carry Grima's bloodline." Aversa continued. "However, there was no better candidate to take the Plegian throne, so I filled in for the time being."
"What you're saying is quite reasonable…" Chrom nodded.
"But now that Robin has returned, he should take the Plegian throne." Aversa finally got to the main point. "It's rightfully his. I'll gladly step down if he wants to reclaim it. After all, he carries the royal bloodline of Plegia."
"I refuse." Robin stated immediately. "Honestly, I don't have much interest in ruling over a country. My life in Ylisse is quite pleasant as is. My friends and family are there as well, and I don't want to start over, even if Plegia was my country of birth."
Aversa shot Nasser a smug glance that read 'I told you so'.
"Your excellency, please reconsider!" Nasser begged. "You are the last of Grima's bloodline! If you do not save Plegia, she'll be destroyed! Please, I beg of you, won't you take the reins and lead this country back into greatness? Someone of your caliber shouldn't waste their lives away doing nothing but enjoying the pleasantries of life!"
"He already said he declined." Chrom reminded him sternly, feeling somewhat defensive.
"And, I don't know if you know, Elder Nasser, but Robin will be one of the leaders of the Ylissean League." Chrom and Robin cringed at the term. "Instead of leading Plegia, he will lead six countries. That's hardly the same as 'wasting away their lives', wouldn't you say?"
"...you're right, I'm sorry, I spoke out of turn." Nasser bowed his head.
"No, don't worry about it. It's just… I'm sorry, but I really don't want the Plegian throne." Robin clarified. "From what I hear, Aversa's doing a fine job. She'll be the one to lead Plegia back to greatness."
"You flatter me." Aversa smirked at her adoptive brother. "I shall try my best then."
"...so are we done then?" Chrom asked.
"Not quite." Aversa sighed. "In truth, I had already informed elder Nasser that this was a very likely outcome. However, we still have to think about Plegia's future… Therefore, we are not done yet."
"I hope you don't mean…" Chrom reflexively moved his hand towards his Falchion.
"...please!" Nasser waved his hands frantically. "Let's not resort to violence."
"Then what is the issue?" Robin asked.
"It has to do with the next generation of Plegia's leaders." Nasser explained. "This generation, it is acceptable if Aversa reigns as queen… The people have already accepted her as such. But she does not carry Grima's bloodline…"
"And why is that a problem?" Robin asked.
"That means that, assuming I have children, and they succeed the throne, Plegia's future leaders will never have Grimlean blood again." Aversa explained. "Consider if the situation was reversed, Exalt Chrom, you could see why people such as Elder Nasser would try desperately to get Robin to return, no?"
"I… can understand. The clergymen in Ylisstol would lose their minds if something similar was happening to Naga's bloodline in Ylisse."
"So in the end, you're still guilt tripping me to return?" Robin asked.
"No… your excellency has made up his mind. We wouldn't dare try and change it." Nasser explained. "However… we do have to ask your excellency for a favor…"
"Name it…" Robin narrowed his eyes.
"As the last of Grima's bloodline, could we humbly request that you provide Plegia with an heir?" Nasser asked with his head bowed.
"An… heir…? You mean you want Morgan to be the next queen or something?"
"Ah yes, Morgan… that's Lucina's daughter is it not?" Aversa looked contemplative.
"You'd be correct." Chrom nodded.
"I guess that would make her my niece then…" Aversa chuckled. "I would like to meet her at some point… though I'm afraid she cannot be the next queen of Plegia…"
"Why not?" Chrom asked.
"Who is this… Morgan?" Nasser asked.
"Ah, it looks like explanations for both sides are in order then." Aversa cleared her throat. "For starters, I think you're aware that Naga opened the rift in time to send back some of her followers in her conflict with our master?"
"...Yes, I am aware."
"Well, in doing so, it enabled some extremely extraordinary events to occur. Morgan, the daughter of my brother, also happens to be Exalt Chrom's granddaughter, isn't that correct?"
"Yes… you're right." Chrom acknowledged the truth freely. However, Nasser's eyes shot wide open, the implications slowly sinking in.
"And so, to answer your question, Exalt Chrom, Morgan cannot rule Plegia because though she carries Grima's blood, she also has Naga's as well. My niece is truly a phenomenal girl, an indicator that it's possible for our two cultures to co exist. Alas, she cannot rule Plegia just like how the clergy of Ylisstol would forbid her from being the next Exalt, am I correct?"
"I… cannot deny that." Chrom nodded. "But then you also realize that any 'heir' that Robin creates will also carry Naga's bloodline, right?"
"Ah, how could I forget to congratulate my own brother on a successful marriage?" Aversa laughed heartily. "Yes, don't let me forget. Before you leave, I must send some of the gifts I have prepared with you."
"That… though somewhat inconvenient, isn't a problem." Nasser seemed to be hinting at something. "And don't worry, we would never suggest his excellency separate from the woman he loves."
"How?" Chrom seemed confused.
"Yeah, I don't get it either." Robin was puzzled as well.
"Well, this comes down to a cultural difference." Aversa explained. "See, in Ylissean culture, you typically only see monogamous relationships..."
"...yes…" A bead of sweat trickled down Chrom's brow. "I'm not liking where this is going…"
"But in Plegian culture, it is not too uncommon for a king or queen, or possibly even a nobleman or woman to have a polygamous relationship." Aversa finished. "What the Elder is suggesting is that if Robin were to have a child with someone else, that child could be the future heir of Plegia."
"That's insane!" Robin rose from his chair as he slammed on the table with his hand.
"Well, it's either that, or you bring your family to Plegia and rule as king." Aversa shrugged. "Surely, you wouldn't abandon an entire country in need of help, right? The selfless Robin that would sacrifice his life for the sake of others couldn't possibly do such a thing."
Robin scowled as he sat down.
"Well? What say you, Exalt Chrom?" Aversa asked.
Chrom gave a wry chuckle. "We're not at war anymore, could you please stop causing trouble for us?"
"My apologies." Aversa chuckled at Chrom's sarcastic comment.
"The truth is, I'm also quite mad that you would suggest such a thing." Chrom admitted. "Especially since Robin is married to my daughter as well. Public opinion would lower for both of them… something I dread to see happen. However, my position also makes me understand the predicament Plegia is in, so although I don't like it, I don't really blame you either."
"Exalt Chrom, if I may, something like that is unlikely to occur, unless his excellency Robin flaunts it in front of all of Ylisse…" Nasser explained. "Even in Plegia, polygamous relationships are not exactly transparent, if you know what I mean."
"Something like this has not happened before in the past, but I hope that you realize that Robin would be the only one taking part in a polygamous relationship." Aversa added. "Your daughter, provided she doesn't find other men to... procreate with, is still in an acceptable relationship by Naga's standards. Not to mention, Robin's blood excludes him from Naga's standards, by definition. And, dear brother, why are you so opposed to this plan? As faithful as you may be, surely there have been other women you've found attractive?"
"...I'm opposed, because I know it would upset Lucina." Robin explained, earning a nod from Chrom.
"Then would it help to bring her in here and discuss it with her?" Aversa suggested.
"She's not gonna like it…" Chrom brought his hand to his forehead. "Let's bring in Sumia as well… maybe she'll be able to help her stay calm if… when she freaks out."
Aversa and Chrom got up to invite the two of them from outside.
"...what's wrong?" Lucina looked at Robin in concern when she came into the room. She was extremely concerned when Chrom suddenly asked her and Sumia to attend the meeting. This feeling was exacerbated when she noticed that Robin was reluctant to meet her gaze.
"Well, please, sit down." Aversa invited her. "This is Elder Nasser, he'll also be participating in this talk as a representative from Plegia. Let me get you caught up on the details..."
"That's insane!" Lucina exclaimed as Aversa brought her up to speed.
"What are you trying to do?" Sumia asked, a look of fury in her eyes. However, she at least seemed to remain rational, as she restrained Lucina.
"It's about Plegia's future." Aversa calmly replied. "We're not exactly in a comfortable position either."
"So are you saying that if we move to Plegia, Robin wouldn't have to marry anyone else?" Lucina asked. She was trying her best to remain calm and rational, though anyone could see she was just on the verge of losing it.
"Well, of course, that would be ideal…" Aversa replied. "Though it still doesn't solve the problem of Plegia's heir. You have to understand that your own bloodline makes any child of yours unable to inherit Plegia's throne, no?"
Lucina gritted her teeth. For the first time in her life, she wished she did not carry Naga's blood.
"... I think we're all getting a little tense." Nasser chose to step in. "Miss… Lucina… I think you're mistaken on the nature of these relationships. His excellency Robin would still only have one wife… that would be you. Anyone else would only be a concubine… or perhaps you prefer the term 'mistress'. Furthermore, you, being his wife, would have final say on who he's allowed to take as his mistresses."
"While counter intuitive, it actually gives you more control over who my brother might interact with." Aversa chuckled. "Not that he's that type of guy, but it all but ensures that he won't be sleeping around behind your back. In Plegia, there are actually many women who prefer that their husbands take a mistress or two for that reason."
Lucina clearly wasn't convinced.
"Is all of this truly necessary?" Sumia asked. "Why is it a problem that Grima's bloodline doesn't get passed on?"
"True, it might not be a necessary trait to rule, but it's something like the right to rule. Not to mention, it's something that's necessary to maintain the status quo." Aversa replied. "Could you imagine if Naga's bloodline disappeared, but Plegia was ruled by someone like Validar?"
"There would be riots in Ylisstol." Chrom admitted. "There could very well be a coup, or at the very least, calls for war."
"I'm glad you understand…" Aversa purred. "When that happens, it would be more than just an inconvenience... for both our countries, I might add…"
"But, my father is not a religious fanatic!" Lucina protested.
"I certainly agree." Aversa admitted. "But not all the Grimleal might believe that. And even if they did, what's to say that a few hundred years down the line, someone like your grandfather appears, and declares war on Plegia because they believe they're morally, or perhaps even racially superior?"
"No, given the history between our countries, Plegians might think exactly that." Sumia admitted.
"We understand exactly why you might feel upset, miss Lucina." Nasser sighed. "Believe me, not all Grimleal are heartless monsters… but this is something that we truly need as well. If there is anything we can do to make it easier for you, we'd gladly help."
"... I'm just concerned that… Robin…" Lucina began.
"That he'll eventually love someone more than you?" Aversa asked.
Lucina could only numbly nod.
"I won't." Robin tried to shut down that narrative as soon as possible.
"Ah, but there's no way that she'll know that for sure, no?" Aversa countered. "And you could change your mind in the future."
"There's no good way to prevent that from happening." Nasser admitted, stroking his beard contemplatively. "It really depends on His Excellency Robin's character. However, I will say that your odds should go down as long as you firmly establish the fact that no one is his wife but you."
"Well, what if we require Robin's mistresses to be Lucina's retainers?" Sumia asked. "If they directly served under Lucina, it could help put her mind at ease, right? She'd be able to keep a better eye on them, and, not to mention this would solve two birds with one stone."
"You're not afraid they'll backstab her?" Aversa asked. "I'm sorry, I'm just trying to play devil's advocate here."
"Well, what's to stop Chrom's retainers, or my retainers from doing the exact same?" Sumia asked. "If Lucina trusts someone enough to be her retainer, then perhaps it would be easier for her to trust them to help her take care of Robin…"
"I think that's a pretty good idea." Chrom agreed.
"...So… if I don't trust them, then I get the final say?" Lucina asked.
"Yes, you understand, don't you?" Aversa asked Robin.
Robin, still scowling, nodded in response.
"Then, I think we're done here." Aversa clapped her hands. "I'm sorry about the awkward topic, but it was something we needed to address. When the time comes, Plegia can take full responsibility for raising the child. Of course, you'll always be welcome to visit them."
"Then we'll be taking our leave." Chrom responded as he began to get up.
"The servants should have gathered the gifts for Robin and Lucina's marriage by now. They're nothing too valuable or meaningful, but it would make me happy if you were to accept them."
"We thank you for your generosity."
"...Look, I don't blame you for any of this…" Sumia whispered to Robin as they left the meeting room. "And I don't think Lucina does either. We know this had nothing to do with you. However, it doesn't make her any less upset. Now I would've put up a lot more resistance normally, but I've known you enough that I think I can trust you."
Robin nodded to show that he understood.
"But make no mistake…" Sumia's tone turned a little playful. "If you break my daughter's heart, I will do what I can to make sure you regret it."
"I understand." Robin chuckled wryly. "You don't need to worry."
As they bid farewell to Plegia, Sumia arranged for Robin and Lucina to share a horse. She told Robin that Lucina was in need of some comfort right now, so Robin didn't object.
The two of them rode near the back of the formation.
"Lucina… I'm sorry." Robin couldn't take it anymore, and broke the silence.
"I...no, it isn't your fault." Lucina responded. "I know this is selfish, but I really don't want to share you with anyone else. I just want to have you all to myself."
"No, I don't think that's a selfish thought. I think that's normal."
"...Listen, Robin… when I was little, I saw a lot of Ylisstol's noblewomen break your heart. It happened over and over again… I think that part of my obsession with marrying you originated from the fact that I thought I could prevent that from happening ever again. Though I was just a little girl… anyways, so since we're already in this situation, I'll do my best to make sure that anyone who wants to get close to you does so out of pure intentions. But in exchange, you have to let me turn away anyone who might try and steal you from me."
"Easiest deal I've ever made." Robin chuckled. "I guarantee you, no one will end up becoming more important to me than you."
"I really hope so."
Lucina let herself lean backwards into Robin and sighed in content. Internally, Robin had to thank Sumia. It turns out, Sumia had the most experience in making a sad Lucina happy. Or at least, not sad.
Back in Ylisstol…
Robin, alongside Gaius, Gregor and Stahl, were currently enjoying a couple drinks at the local tavern.
"The options seem to have increased tenfold." Robin noted as soon as they arrived.
"Yeah, we're able to import all sorts of beer, wines and liquors from everywhere… Regna Ferox, Rosanne, even Valm!" Stahl explained. "It's definitely an upgrade."
"Finally! Gregor can share drink with friends again!" Gregor guffawed as he chugged a beer.
"You're not wrong, it's been a long time since the brothers have gotten together." Gaius smirked.
"Yeah, things have changed a lot since the last time I was with you guys." Robin admitted. "However, it seems like most of the changes are pretty good."
"Now Robin show us more of the… er… the high…" Gregor's words seemed to get caught in his throat.
"High alcohol tolerance?" Stahl asked.
"Yes! Gregor mean that."
"Well we have time." Gaius chuckled. "The wife isn't expecting him back anytime soon… in fact, they explicitly said he wasn't allowed to return home yet."
"And why is that?" Stahl asked.
"I can't spill the beans." Gaius shrugged. "Ol' Blue'll tell you tomorrow. Is what I've heard anyways."
"I have a feeling I know exactly what's going on…" Robin groaned. "Bartender! Can you give me something really strong?"
"Yes, forget problem!" Gregor laughed. "For now, only drink!"
Meanwhile…
Anna cautiously opened the door. She peaked her head inside. Sumia and Lucina seemed to be the only ones home. Sumia gestured for Anna to come in.
"So, uh… why did you call me over?" Anna asked.
"Please, sit down." Sumia suggested. "Trust me, you're going to want to."
"Uh… Ok…"
"All right, I won't beat around the bush." Sumia took a deep breath. "During our trip in Plegia, they requested that Robin take a mistress so he could produce an heir for them. We brought you here to ask whether or not you would like that role."
Anna blinked a couple of times before promptly getting up and making her way towards the exit.
"Hey, where are you going?"
Anna turned back towards Sumia. "Normally, I have no problems with practical jokes, but this is too far!"
"It's not a joke!" Sumia insisted. "Trust me, Lucina wouldn't even allow me to joke about such things!"
Anna turned to Lucina and finally noticed how awkward and embarrassed she looked.
"I told you, you'd want to sit down for this one."
Cautiously, Anna returned to her seat. "I'll hear you out… but I can already tell, there's a catch somewhere…"
Sumia spent the next hour or so bringing Anna up to speed on the situation.
"...You're serious?" Anna asked after Sumia had explained everything. Clearly, she was still skeptical.
"Well that's the situation." Sumia shrugged. "Chrom said he'll inform the shepherds about it tomorrow. However, since Lucina told me you'd be most likely to jump on the opportunity, we thought it would be good to let you know ahead of time. Since she knows your love for him is genuine, we thought you'd be the best candidate as well."
"...And you're saying all I have to do is be Lucina's retainer, and I'll get to be with Robin?" Critically, Anna avoided the word 'marry'. Sumia had driven this point home by now.
"Uh, yeah, basically." Sumia nodded.
"I can do that!" Anna agreed enthusiastically. She knew a good deal when she saw one.
"...One day." Lucina finally spoke up, holding her index finger towards the ceiling. "You get him for one day out of the week. The rest of the time, he's mine."
"Ouch…" Anna grimaced. "Well, I guess I have to take what I can get. One out of seven is a whole lot better than zero out of seven anyways…"
"So is that all sorted out?" Sumia asked.
"Yeah." Anna leapt out of her chair to Lucina. She began to vigorously shake her hand with both of hers. "Thank you thank you thank you for the opportunity! I promise you won't regret it!"
"I hope so." Lucina let out a nervous chuckle.
"All right, I'm going to head back to the castle then, dear." Sumia rose out of her own chair. "I'll let Robin know he can come back now. I'm sure the three of you have much to discuss…"
Author's Notes…
When I was planning out this chapter, I knew it would be long, but I didn't expect it to be this long. It easily surpasses the next longest chapter I've written so far.
That being said, not only is this the longest chapter I've written, but I wrote it in an extremely small amount of time as well. (Hey, I had planned this one for a while, and I was excited to write it as well, so this is what happens.) As a result, it is possible that there are some small errors despite my proofreading.
Anyways, I put some time into finding a way for Robin to have a harem that makes sense in the story, instead of just 'it's like this because I said it's like this'. Let me know if you think I did a good job or not.
This chapter, though long, is basically a filler. We'll get right back to Elibe really soon.
As you can see, the frequency of my posts can be somewhat sporadic, so make sure to follow if you don't want to miss the next update!