Castle Caelin…
"R-ridiculous!" Darin exclaimed. "They were able to get past even all of those soldiers? What type of crazy enemy are we up against?"
"Lord Darin, it's time to give up this madness." Hausen suggested. Though he was a captive, he was allowed to simply sit nearby due to the frailty of his body. "Further resistance is meaningless. For what you've done, you may never be forgiven, but it's not too late to try. Tell Eliwood everything. He'll intervene with Marquess Ostia on your behalf…"
"I've… I've lost. Perhaps…"
""Hurry! Eliwood will be here in no time. Let me speak for you. I'll convince him to- guaaa!"
"None of that now…" Ephidel shook his head as he stood up with the blood-stained dagger he had used to stab Marquess Caelin. "Marquess Laus needs no troublesome advice."
"L-lord Ephidel?"
"There's no turning back for you now…" Ephidel addressed Darin. "You should know that. First, Marquess Santaruz… and now Marquess Caelin. Both deaths are on your head."
"What!?" Darin protested. "But it was you that killed both of them! I never asked for any of this!"
"Yes, I killed them… for you."
"To trap me!?" Darin accused.
"Don't be absurd." Ephidel scoffed. "I follow my master's orders. My only wish is to deliver your dreams to you. The crown of a united Lycia…. And once that is done, dominion over the entire continent. Is that not what you desire?"
"Yes…" Darin's eyes almost looked glossed over when Ephidel mentioned his goal. "Yes… of course. That dream is worth a few sacrifices, isn't it?"
"You're exactly right." Ephidel nodded in agreement. "Our plans may have gone drastically awry, but as long as we have the master's power behind us, we cannot be defeated. We'd do well to leave now, before those meddlesome worms arrive. You will leave everyone from Laus behind. We will use them to delay our foe."
"Everyone… My soldiers? But…who will protect me?"
"The Black Fang and I will more than suffice for that task. There is nothing else you need, I assure you."
"Yes…I…I see that now. Where do we go from here?"
"To the Dragon's Gate…" Ephidel explained. "Our master awaits us there. The master has informed me our hostage may be all we need. If all goes well, we may be able to perform the ceremony with him alone."
"Oh! Is that so?" Darin looked relieved. " I suppose we've nothing to worry about."
"That is correct. Now please, begin your retreat. I have two or three orders to give, then I will be right behind you."
"Thank you, Lord Ephidel."
Once Darin had left, Ephidel shook his head. "Pathetic imbecile… Leila? Where are you?"
"I'm here, my lord…" A woman wearing the clothes of an assassin appeared by Ephidel's side.
"While Eliwood is occupied, finish off Marquess Caelin and hide the body." Ephidel ordered. "The enemy will waste precious time searching for him."
"As you command…" Leila bowed.
"You know, you've only been with the Black Fang a short while. However, you are quite skilled… I look forward to watching you…"
"Thank you, milord…"
Outside…
"...Lyn!? Lyn…." Florina searched through the nearby woods for her friend. "Where are you... Lyn…"
Eventually, she tumbled into a clearing, where Lyn was sitting in a fetal position, bawling.
"Lyn…"
She looked up at Florina with tear stained eyes.
"Wh-why!?" Lyn asked. "Why!?"
"Lyn? What happened?"
"It's Robin…" Lyn tried to dry her tears. "He's… he's already married! How come he never told us?"
"Robin's married?" Florina mouthed 'oh no' to herself as she now understood why Lyn was so upset.
"Why…" Lyn continued to sob as Florina wrapped her arms around her liege.
"C'mon… I think I know how you might be feeling right now… but… look, Robin might be married already, but he still cares about you! Even now, he's working hard to help you retake the castle and save your grandfather."
"..." Lyn didn't have any rebuttal to this fact.
"And besides… didn't you tell me you'll never cry again?" Florina asked. "Come to think of it, this IS the first time I've ever seen you shed tears... "
Lyn wiped her eyes dry. "Y-yeah… you're right. I… I overreacted."
"We'll have time to sort through your feelings later." Florina promised. "I, for one, will always be by your side. For now, could we first focus on saving your grandfather? Even if, after this is all over, you still want to cry, I won't judge you! But if we don't give it our all right now, you might lose your grandfather as well…"
Lyn flinched at Florina's words.
"S-sorry, that was too much, wasn't it?"
"No… no. I think that's exactly what I needed." Lyn picked herself up. "...Thanks Florina… thanks for snapping me out of it."
"Oh, er… no problem. That's what I'm here for, after all…"
"Now c'mon, let's head back. Knowing Robin, he probably already has something figured out by now."
"Knowing Robin, he might have already retaken the castle." Florina replied, giggling.
"Yeah, I wouldn't even be surprised…" Lyn chuckled.
The pair walked back to the others together.
Shepherds' Convoy...
"Anna? Hello… Anna?" Lucina ended up having to wave her hand in front of her retainer's face in order to get her attention.
"Oh, I'm sorry… I spaced out." Anna chuckled.
"Do you have something on your mind?" Lucina asked.
"Er… I guess you could say that."
"Is it about Lyn?"
"Wah!? Uh, what makes you say that?"
"Well you kept staring at her earlier… I was just curious what you might be thinking…"
"Uh… I think it's better if I keep it to myself."
"No, I really want to know. You can tell me anything. I won't get mad…"
"...Promise?"
"Yes. I promise. Now tell me." Lucina's expression turned playful. "Otherwise I'll have no choice but to order you to speak your mind."
"All right, fine." Anna rolled her eyes. "It's just… when Robin introduced you to her as his wife, I noticed her flickering expression…"
"Really? Honestly I hadn't been paying attention to her at that moment."
"Well, it was only for a brief moment, but it was definitely an expression I recognized… I had seen it on Say'ri's face… and it was one that I had made myself at one point…"
"You mean…"
"The look of heartbreak." Anna clarified. "But it was that look where you're trying to fool everyone into thinking you're happy about it when you're really devastated… I'm pretty confident that Lyn has feelings for him, that were crushed by that introduction…"
"I see… actually, I had similar suspicions myself." Lucina pursed her lips. "So what do you think we should do about it?"
"..."
"Don't tell me… you want to tell her that Robin's allowed to take mistresses?"
"... you said you wouldn't get angry…" Anna looked like a young girl that expected to be scolded.
"I'm not angry." Lucina laughed. "No… actually, I think it's fine. Let her know if you want. Sooner or later she'll find out anyways."
"You… don't mind?"
"No… why would I? It's one thing to let her know, it's another to allow her near Robin. In case you've forgotten, unless I'm convinced that her feelings are genuine, and that she'll be useful to us, especially Robin, and that she won't try and take more than she's given, I could always just deny her the opportunity… I'm allowed to do that… right?"
"Oh… yeah." Anna nodded. "Sorry… it's just, I know exactly what it feels like to be in her position right now… so I'd feel guilty if I didn't drop her a lifeline. I saw her fight in that last battle… she doesn't seem like that bad of a person to me…"
"Well, that'll be for me to decide." Lucina winked.
"Yeah… yeah… I know… so you're fine with it?"
"I already told you it's okay. But… let's wait until later… I think we should focus on helping her save her grandfather first."
"Sure."
A Few Moments Later…
When Lyn and Florina got back to camp, it seemed that everyone was preparing for an attack on the castle.
"Ah, Lyn, you're back!" Eliwood waved at her as the two girls approached.
"Just in time." Chrom nodded.
"I'm… sorry…" Lyn apologized sheepishly. "Er… So what did I miss?"
"Well, he's the general plan." Robin began. "According to Kent, there are probably many captured Caelin soldiers being held in the cells of the castle. So we'll divide ourselves into two groups: A larger one that will charge to the throne room, where Marquess Laus is most likely hiding... And a second, smaller group will move at a slower pace towards the cells, where we'll free Caelin's soldiers. This also ensures that the first group cannot be collapsed on from behind."
"So, which group am I in?" Lyn asked.
"The first one." Robin responded. "They could use as many people as they can get."
"T-then I'll go with Lyn as well!" Florina exclaimed.
"Actually… I have a different task for you." Robin admitted. "So here's the thing… it's rather inconvenient to fight indoors with pegasi, which I'm sure is what you're more comfortable with anyways… instead of joining us on foot, you'll watch the Castle's surroundings from the sky, along with Sumia and Cordelia. This is a crucial task as well… it wouldn't be good if reinforcements arrived and we weren't expecting it."
Robin gestured to the two pegasus riders that had saved Lyn and her friends earlier, and Florina practically squealed in excitement. "Y-yes… I can do that! i...I mean, if Lady Lyndis allows me to…"
"Of course…" Lyn chuckled.
"Well, everyone else should know their assignments… why don't we begin the operation?" Robin suggested.
"You read my mind." Hector grinned. "I've been itchin' to get back at the damn Lausians!"
"You're leading the large group, right?" Lyn asked as everyone else began to disperse.
"Actually…" Robin shook his head. "No, I'm going with the smaller one."
"What!?" Lyn was shocked. "Why? Wouldn't the large group need your expertise more?"
"Well, here's the thing… that group is supposed to be travelling relatively fast compared to mine." Robin chuckled. "I can still direct the battle from halfway across the castle… The problem is, it's harder for me to analyze the situation and also keep up with a fast moving group. It's safer for everyone if I go with the slower moving one."
"I see…" Lyn sighed. "Well, if my grandfather is being held in the dungeons, could you please make sure he's safe?"
"Of course." Robin nodded. "I promise."
"Robin!" Anna called for him from the convoy of wagons. "So are you comin' or what?"
"I'm on my way!" Robin called back.
He turned back to Lyn. "Good luck. Stay safe."
"Yeah… you too."
Inside the Castle…
Since she knew the layout of the castle, Lyn was in charge of leading her group towards the throne room. Following closely behind her was Chrom and Hector.
She noticed that Robin had elected to place his wife into the larger group, which Lyn found strange. And it seemed Lucina hadn't complained about it either, which Lyn found even stranger. If it were Lyn in her shoes, she would've insisted on going with Robin instead. Did they really trust each other to be safe that much? Or perhaps their relationship wasn't actually that close?
A sudden idea popped into her head: What if their marriage was an arranged marriage? Could it have been due to political reasons? Lucina did look eerily similar to Chrom, who Robin claimed to be the leader of his homeland… perhaps she was his sister, and was purposefully wed to Robin?
She shook her head to clear her thoughts.
"What's wrong?" Hector asked.
"No… nothing." Lyn denied. "...we're almost there."
"Stop!" Just as Lyn pointed that out, soldiers rushed out from around the corner and leveled their weapons at them.
"Heh… I was waiting for this!" Hector drew his axe with a grin on his face.
"Everyone, get ready!" Chrom drew his sword as well and got into a fighting stance.
"Charge!" Someone on the other side gave the command, and the Lausians began to rush them.
Outside…
"U-um… excuse me?" Florina was currently hovering in the air on her pegasus along with the other two ladies, Cordelia and Sumia, she remembered. "M-miss Cordelia?"
"Yes, what is it dear?"
"Are you from Ilia?"
"Ilia?" Cordelia shook her head. "No, I'm Ylissean."
"For the record, I'm Ylissean as well." Sumia jumped in.
"Well uh… I knew YOU weren't from Ilia…"
"Oh?" Sumia looked surprised. "And what made you so sure?"
"Because there are no black pegasi in Ilia!" Florina exclaimed. "It must be some other breed… which meant you were probably from somewhere else… I just put two and two together…"
"Hm, I guess that makes sense."
"So… Miss Cordelia?" Florina continued. "Um… where is your sword?"
"Huh?" Cordelia looked confused.
"W-well, back in Ilia, all the best pegasus knights learn how to use a sword." Florina explained. "The way you can tell how skilled a pegasus knight is, is by how good they are with that weapon. But… I guess maybe you don't have that tradition in Ylisse..."
"A sword?" Cordelia looked at Sumia with furrowed eyebrows.
"Well, that's pretty silly, isn't it?" Sumia chuckled.
"U-um… why?"
"Well, because a sword has no range to it." Cordelia explained as she extended her weapon out. "See, with my lance, I have a decent reach in the air. And Sumia has even less of a problem because she can cast magic."
"I'm trying to imagine holding Chrom's sword…" Sumia chuckled as she held out her arm as well, except with no weapon in it. "It would barely reach past Belfire's nose…"
"W-well… there are some Falcon Knights that are extremely good with a sword!" Florina insisted. "They can even beat some of the other knights equipped with a lance in combat!"
"Our apologies." Cordelia bowed her head. "We didn't intend to poke fun of your tradition. I'm sure, if I were to meet some of these knights, I'd be impressed with their swordplay as well."
There was silence for a few moments.
"So… how do you think they're doing inside?" Sumia asked.
"I don't know…" Cordelia admitted. "But, I guess there's not much commotion, which is good news right?"
"Yes." Sumia agreed. "No news is good news."
"Wait… do you see that group of people?" Cordelia pointed her lance at a couple fleeing figures.
"I see them." Sumia drew an Elthunder tome and began to channel its contents. However, before she could finish the spell, she felt a dreadful premonition, and stopped her attack.
"Down!" Sumia ordered, and Belfire responded immediately to her rider's voice.
In the air above her head, and magical explosion of dark energy formed, barely missing the top of her head.
"It's that dark magic user!" Cordelia gritted her teeth.
"Wh-what do we do now?" Florina asked.
"Nothing." Cordelia responded. "Robin explicitly told us, if we run into a group of archers or that dark magician, we are not allowed to engage them."
"I'll just let Robin know that there were a few that got away." Sumia replied after returning to the same altitude as the other two pegasus riders. "That's all we can do for now…"
Meanwhile…
Robin and Eliwood had led their group, which consisted of Matthew, Anna, Merlinus, Gaius and Olivia, and slowly tailed behind Chrom and the others. After they reached the appointed hallway, they stopped.
"You understand the plan, right?" Robin asked Merlinus.
"Y-y-y-yes s-s-s-sir!" Merlinus nodded whilst trembling.
"Seal off the hallway with the wagons. You don't have to do any of the fighting. If anyone shows up, Anna and Henry will take care of it."
"Yup!" Henry peeked his head out from one of the wagons. "If I see someone funny, I blast 'em!"
"You can leave this to us." Anna reassured him. "Just make sure you finish your part."
"Yeah." Robin nodded, then motioned for everyone else to follow him.
After a short amount of time sneaking about, they made it to the prison.
Eliwood peeked around the corner to see a couple guards in front of the doors that led down to the prison cells. They were yawning and didn't seem to be taking their job seriously.
"There doesn't seem to be many guards in front of the prison." Eliwood whispered.
Robin nodded to show that he agreed, but placed his hand on Eliwood's mouth to silence him. He then slowly pulled Eliwood back around the corner.
Turning around, Robin silently pointed at Gaius and Olivia. With his open palm, he made a chopping motion in the direction of the prison door. Then he made a slicing motion across his neck.
Gaius and Olivia made an 'OK' gesture with their hands and stealthily left.
Eliwood gave a confused look to Robin, but the tactician didn't spare him a glance. His attention was focused on the two guards.
The pair of assassins were able to approach the slacking soldiers undetected. Simultaneously, they reached around from behind and grabbed the guards' mouths with one hand, while slitting their throats with a knife.
The guards died without being able to cry for help.
After quietly laying the dead bodies on the ground, Gaius picked the lock to the prison while Robin slowly walked to them.
Eliwood and Matthew looked at each other in surprise, but quickly followed after him.
Inside, they found many soldiers locked in their cells.
"Who's there?" Someone called out when they heard the prison gate open.
"I am Eliwood, son of Marquess Pherae..." Eliwood introduced himself. "Currently, we are trying to retake Castle Caelin from Laus. Those of you that can fight, I'd greatly appreciate it if you could lend us a hand."
Most of the prisoners cheered when they heard they were being rescued.
Gaius and Matthew quickly unlocked the doors to the cells, and the soldiers began to file out.
"Robin!? Is that you?"
"Hmm?" Robin looked up to see yet another familiar face from his days spent in Lycia. "Oh, what are you doing here Lucius?"
"Eh? Me?" Lucius chuckled sheepishly. "Well, I've been traveling around the countryside with a friend… we just happened to be passing through Caelin when Laus attacked… and here we are…"
"I… see." Robin nodded. "Well, if you and your friend want to leave, then you're free to do so. There's no need for you to get involved in something you're not a part of, after all."
"No…" A Mercenary who had been sitting in the back of the cell with his arms crossed got up and walked to the side of Lucius. "I'll stay and fight… I WANT to fight."
"Raven…" Lucius sighed.
"That orange haired bloke said he was Marquess Pherae's son." Raven countered. "He's a good friend of Marquess Ostia's younger brother. If I help, I could get a chance to… settle an old disagreement…"
Though he wasn't exactly sure what Raven had meant, Robin had a sneaking suspicion that whatever it was, it wasn't anything pleasant.
"Well if you want to stay and fight, then I can't really stop you." Robin shrugged. "I guess, maybe go follow Caelin's soldiers? They might be able to find some equipment for you."
"Thanks…" Raven coldly replied before leaving.
"Raven… wait…" Lucius slowly went after him, but not before turning around and giving Robin an apologetic look.
"Well, it looks like the cells are clear." Gaius walked up to Robin's side and gave his report. "What now?"
"Gaius… I need you to do me a favor…"
"Name it."
"Keep an eye on that Mercenary with the red hair…"
"Why? Did he do something to you?"
"No… something about him just feels off… I can't quite put a finger on it though…"
"Hmm, will do. Do I need to… y'know…" Gaius made a slicing motion across his neck with one finger.
"No, I don't think that will be necessary. Just observe him and see what he does."
"Got it."
With Chrom…
For the first time in a while, Chrom felt the uneasiness of fighting a battle without the guidance of Robin. It's not that he couldn't direct them from where he is… it's just that Robin hasn't been directing them. Chrom could only hope that this meant Robin didn't feel the need to step in and tell them all what to do. Of course, there was also the possibility that Robin's group had already been annihilated… something Chrom didn't want to believe. Chrom earnestly hoped it was the former and not the latter.
Still, he had to admit that they were doing fine. Hector was able to pull his own weight, and the new girl, Lyndis seemed pretty competent as well.
Under the aegis of Frederick, they steadily advanced towards the throne room.
The guards in front of the main entrance were defeated just like the dozens of other soldiers they had run into along the way.
After funneling everyone through and into the room, Hector realized that something was terribly awry.
"Wait… where is Marquess Laus?"
"That man isn't him?" Chrom pointed his sword to the General sitting on the throne.
"I am Bernard, Knight Commander of Laus!" The man roared.
"Where's Darin!?" Hector demanded.
"The marquess has already made a stealthy retreat." Bernard chuckled. "Unfortunately, you're all too late… he's probably left Caelin by now!"
"Why you-" Lyn wanted to step up and challenge Bernard, but she felt a strong grip on her shoulder.
"Allow me." Chrom pulled her back as he stepped forward with his glowing sword.
"A duel!?" Bernard asked. "At least you have honor! Come then! I'm not afraid of you!"
"Well, that's your first mistake!" Chrom lunged forward with his Exalted Falchion.
Due to the higher quality of Bernard's lance, Chrom's blade didn't cut through it like the wooden handles of common brigandes and soldiers. However, his blade was still able to dig into Bernard's armor just fine.
But even after Chrom stabbed him in the gut, Bernard still didn't give up. Even though he knew that he was probably done for, Bernard strived to take down Chrom with him at the very least.
Still, Chrom was able to avoid the strike of Bernard's lance, especially due to the fact that he was moving more sluggishly due to his injury. Seeing no reason to prolong his death any longer, Chrom buried the tip of his sword into Bernard's chest, killing the Lausian General.
"Where's Marquess Caelin?" Hector asked once the room had been cleared.
"Grandfather!?" Lyn was growing worried too. "Grandfather? Where are you!?"
"Look…" Chrom gestured to the throne. "There's some blood on it…"
"Blood?" Lyn paled. "No… it can't be…"
"Calm down!" Lissa suggested. "We're not even certain it's HIS blood! Chrom's wild fighting could've splashed some of that Bernard guy's blood on there for all we know. And besides, even if it is, he may only be injured. Don't go jumping directly to conclusions!"
"Yes." Lyn took a deep breath. "You're right. I must remain calm."
"...If I may…" An unknown voice interrupted.
"Who's there!?" Chrom demanded.
"You!" Hector was the one to recognize her. "Leila!"
"You know her?" Chrom asked.
"Yes. Her name is Leila." Hector nodded. "She… works for Ostia… All right, she's a spy."
"And you must be Lady Lyndis of Caelin, correct?" Leila asked. "Marquess Caelin is in the back room, receiving treatment as we speak."
"My grandfather is safe!?"
"There will be no further threat to him… his life is yet his own…"
"Ah! Father Sky and Mother Earth! I thank you for your mercy!"
"But Leila…" Hector looked puzzled. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm… following Lord Uther's orders." Leila admitted. "I'm investigating Marquess Pherae's disappearance."
"Eliwood's father!?" Hector asked. "Hold on… we should wait for Eliwood first."
"I've already informed Lord Eliwood." Leila smiled. "He was one of the first ones to make it here…"
"What!?" Lyn looked puzzled. "How can that be?"
"You tell me." Leila shrugged. "He came through one of the back hallways… currently there's some redhead treating Lord Hausen… and several soldiers of Caelin as well. I had some time to talk with Lord Eliwood while that was going on… as well as some guy named Robin. He seemed to be the one calling the shots…"
"That confirms it." Chrom nodded. "They must've gotten to Marquess Caelin before us because they were met with less resistance."
"So what have you learned?" Hector asked.
"Well, I've told Lord Eliwood the general information, but I suppose it would be best to go further in detail… let's talk somewhere more private… I'll go inform Lord Eliwood…"
"Yes." Hector agreed. "That would be for the best."
Elsewhere in Castle Caelin…"
"All right, we're ready." Hector sat down as he closed the doors to the room.
"Let me first begin with my conclusion…" Leila suggested. "Marquess Pherae… is alive."
Eliwood closed his eyes and nodded in relief.
"That's wonderful!" Hector exclaimed.
"Are you sure?" Robin asked.
"I've been posing as a member of the Black Fang for several months now…" Leila explained. "Based on the information I've gathered, I believe that to be true."
"Black Fang…" Eliwood frowned. "Where have I heard of that name before?"
"Those were the assassins the son of Marquess Laus mentioned." Robin replied.
"Then these Black Fang…" Chrom crossed his arms. "Who are they?"
"The Black Fang is a guild of assassins founded about ten years ago by Brendan Reed." Leila began. "They're based in Bern. Their arms reached quickly in several other countries. Originally, they targeted only nobles who abused their positions. The masses saw them as chivalrous, defenders of the common man. Their activities found wide support."
"Chivalrous…" Lyn mumbled. She initially didn't think she should be present at this meeting, but Eliwood insisted, considering they were borrowing a meeting room in her castle.
"Then about a year ago, Brendan got married again." Lyn continued. "Black Fang's operations have slowly changed since then. Now, they'll take on any target, no matter how difficult, as long as they're paid. And they're no longer killing only criminals; anyone is a fair target."
"So then… is this Black Fang responsible for what happened to my grandfather?" Lyn asked.
"Yes. We've learned of a mystery man named Nergal, behind Reed's wife." Leila nodded. "It seems the Black Fang is performing secret tasks across Lycia for Nergal. Nergal's trusted retainer Ephidel is with Marquess Laus. He manipulated Laus into hatching the rebellion plot against Ostia. The first to answer Laus's call for rebellion was… Marquess Santaruz."
"Lord Helman…" Eliwood sighed. "Why would he…"
"Next was Lord Elbert, Marquess of Pherae…"
"So you're saying my father also endorsed this plan?" Eliwood asked, slightly hurt.
"I… cannot say." Leila admitted. "But what I do know is that he is currently with Marquess Laus… in a place called the Dragon's Gate."
"Dragon's Gate?" Chrom asked. "Where's that?"
"I've no idea either." Hector shrugged. "Never heard of it."
"On an isle called Valor, off the southern coast of Lycia." Leila offered. "I apologize, but that is all the information I have."
"Of all places to be…" Hector shook his head. "Valor… Blast!"
"What kind of place is it?" Lyn asked.
"No one knows." Eliwood shrugged. "It's said that those who step onto the island never return. The common folk call it the Dread Isle. If that's where my father is, however, I will go and find him. And this "Dragon's Gate," too!"
"I'm going with you. I'll tell you right now, you can't stop me." Hector nodded.
"I'm also going." Lyn insisted. "They've harmed my grandfather… I should pay them back in full."
The three Lycian Lords looked at Robin and Chrom, the other two members in the meeting room.
"Ylisse will give you her full support." Chrom agreed immediately, easing the tension that was beginning to build in Eliwood's heart. "But… Lyndis, wouldn't it be better for you to stay with your grandfather?"
"Laus must be stopped." Lyn insisted. "Otherwise, my grandfather could get targeted again. It's not like he won't have any guards if I'm not at the castle… and besides, I want to help Eliwood find his father. I know what it's like to… to lose a parent, and I wouldn't wish it upon any of my friends."
"Lyndis… Hector… Chrom…" Eliwood felt his voice get a little hoarse from emotion. "Thank you… you all give me strength..."
"Don't mention it." Hector waved his hand dismissively.
"Then… I must be off as well." Leila got up and bowed. She turned around as she opened the door. "Oh, and one last thing… Lady Lyndis, it would be prudent to let the world think Marquess Caelin is dead… at least for now."
"I understand. Thank you."
"No thanks are necessary." Leila bowed one final time. "Now, please excuse me..."
"Wait!" Hector exclaimed. "Leila!"
"...Yes?"
"This Nergal and Ephidel… what are they like?"
"Hm… I've yet to lay eyes on Nergal… but Ephidel… I've spoken with him on several occasions. He always wears a cloak, but... "
"What is it?" Hector asked.
"His eyes glow golden… You can't miss them. They seem…inhuman."
This caught the attention of Robin.
"I see… thank you, Leila."
"My pleasure, Lord Hector."
Once Leila left, she immediately looked to disappear and head for Valor herself. However, before she could do so, she was stopped by a shady figure.
"Is that you, Leila?"
"Mathew." Leila smiled. "It's been a long time…"
"What have you been doing?" Matthew grinned. "More dangerous work?"
"We're spies, Matthew." Leila rolled her eyes. "Everything we do is dangerous."
"That's true." Matthew admitted. "Hey, so how long do you think your mission's gonna last?"
"My objective is to rescue Marquess Pherae." Leila explained. "The same as yours. So if all things go well, I should return to Ostia the same time you do."
"That'll be perfect then. You'll need to visit my hometown."
"Hmm? Why?"
"To meet my parents." Matthew gave her a cheeky grin. "Well, that's that! See you!"
"As slippery as ever…" Leila chuckled to herself as Matthew disappeared down a hallway. "Didn't even wait for my reply…"
Afterwards…
Once it was decided that they'll be headed for Valor and the Dragon's Gate, everyone immediately made preparations for the trip. Aside from Lyn's friends, the rest of the soldiers were staying in Caelin to provide her grandfather adequate protection.
They didn't even stay at the castle for the night; every moment was precious when the life of Eliwood's dad could be at stake. By the time they set off, it was already well into the afternoon. By Lyn's estimate, they would only be able to march for two hours at most before the sun went down. Still, distance was distance.
The last time Lyn had traveled like this was around a year ago, when Robin escorted her from the Plains of Sacae to her current home in Lycia. While there were many more people now, it still gave her a nostalgic feeling. Unfortunately, nostalgia could only be considered bittersweet for her, as she knows now that Robin's actually married.
Still, neither Robin nor his wife were particularly cold to her. It wouldn't surprise Lyn if Lucina didn't realize she held feelings for Robin, considering they had just met, and she was also beginning to think that Robin might just be extremely dense when it came to this sort of thing. Regardless, Lyn tried to put it all behind her. There's no reason to cause everyone to lose morale just because she was feeling a little heartsick.
Fortunately, there was Hector and Eliwood. By this point, she would consider herself to be good friends with Eliwood, despite their few interactions in the past. To Lyn, everyone in Lycia was pretty much a stranger, and if Eliwood, the first Lycian Lord she met, was considered a stranger, then there would be no one outside of those in Caelin for her to call a friend…
Hector, despite their rocky start, was actually not that bad as a person. Lyn could see that the two of them, Hector and Eliwood, were extremely close friends, and she knew Eliwood had a good judge of character. He might be a little bit of an oaf at times, but Lyn began to develop a favorable impression of the Ostian lord.
As she looked around, she found that her friends were having no trouble at all fitting in. Florina was soaring through the sky behind the two pegasus knights that had come with Robin, and Sain had grown close to another cavalier who also happened to be wearing green armor. Even Kent had seemed to find a similar mind to converse with, as he rode alongside a cavalier wearing heavy armor.
The only exception was Wil. He tried in vain to approach a young, greenette archer. Unfortunately for him, he was repeatedly shooed away. It wasn't even that she was indifferent to him; she clearly had a strong dislike towards Wil, something that shouldn't happen if they had only just met.
Lyn guessed there might be some sort of history between the two, but she had no desire to investigate the matter herself.
Once the sun began to set, they stopped marching and began to settle in for the night. After helping everyone set up camp, Lyn ate dinner with her fellow soldiers from Caelin. When she was done, she wordlessly left the mess tent and began to look for a quiet place to calm her mind.
She settled on a small hill that looked down towards some wide open plains. Though nowhere near as impressive as Sacae, it still was nevertheless relaxing to look at. There were small villages dotted around the landscape, and Lyn could see the fields of many farmers… It seems the growing season has been quite fruitful this year.
Lyn let her mind wander freely. At first, this strategy worked well as she began to slowly relax. However, her thoughts slowly began to drift to Sacae… then into finding what she believed to be an exhausted or dehydrated man lying face down in a field…
Slowly, reality began to dawn on Lyn.
The first person she had fell in love with… and he was already married.
Lyn buried her head into her lap. Tears began to well up in the corner of her eyes.
Around the Fire, Shepherd's Camp…
"This place seems nice." Cordelia sighed as she took a deep breath of the cool, night air.
"Yup, no complaints here." Gaius was sitting nearby, whittling a branch with one of his knives.
"In a way, it reminds me a lot of Ylisse." Lucina said as she leaned her head against Robin's shoulder.
"Mm" Lon'qu nodded.
"Too bad there's still so many bugs!" Lissa complained.
"It's outside, dear. There will always be bugs." Maribelle reminded her.
"If they bother you so much, you could always sit downwind…" Chrom offered. "They don't like the smoke."
"As if!" Lissa exclaimed. "Then I'll smell like a campfire for the entire day!"
"You're gonna get a little dirty when you travel."
"No way! You know Lon'qu doesn't like women already… how do you think he'd feel if I stank of smoke? He'd probably stand a mile away!"
"A lady must always care for her appearance…" Maribelle nodded in agreement.
"Really?" Stahl nudged the Feroxi Swordsman. "You'd be bothered by a little smoke?"
"...I don't mind." Lon'qu said in his usual monotone. "If she doesn't like the bugs, she should sit on the other side of the fire."
"Hey Lon'qu! You're supposed to be on MY side!" Lissa complained.
"What's on your mind?" Lucina whispered to Robin. Though she was suppressing a giggle from her supposed aunt's antics, she noticed that Robin was constantly looking behind his shoulders.
"I'm just… looking for Anna." Robin explained. "I haven't seen her in a while…"
"Why is that?" Lucina asked innocently. "Perhaps… am I not enough to hold your attention?"
"No, no…" Robin shook his head and smiled, knowing Lucina was messing with him. "It's just… I'm concerned. I feel like if I don't keep an eye on her, she'll get into some sort of trouble… you never know what to expect from her."
"Hmm… agree." Lucina nodded.
"Do you know where she might be?"
"Nope!" Lucina smirked. "Maybe she got lost in the woods or something…"
"That's reassuring…"
Nearby…
"You know, you should probably tell someone if you're gonna head off into the woods in the middle of the night…"
Instantly, Lyn was completely alert. She went from her sitting fetal position instantly to a battle ready stance, sword drawn and everything.
"Who's there!?"
"Calm down, calm down… it's just me." The figure of a woman appeared before her under the moonlight.
"You're… I'm sorry… I don't think I've learned your name yet…"
"Anna." The redhead stuck out her hand. "Nice to meet ya!"
"Anna… did you need something?"
"No… I just thought you might be feeling a little down, and needed a little cheering up… or maybe some advice."
"How'd you…" Lyn narrowed her eyes in suspicion.
"How'd I figure out you're sad?" Anna asked. "Very simple. I was in your shoes before."
"I'm sorry… I don't follow…"
"All right, let's cut to the chase. I know you like Robin."
"What!?" Lyn's immediate reaction was to deny, even though she knew it was a fact. "I do not-"
"It's fine if you don't want to admit it to me." Anna smirked. "But trust me, I'm here to help you. Like I told you, I was in your shoes before."
Lyn stared at the Trickster for a few moments before sitting back down, pouting. "Fine…"
"So?" Anna sat down next to her on the grass.
"Well you seem to have gotten over it." Lyn grumbled. "How'd you do it?"
"Actually, I haven't." Anna replied.
"Great… that's the reassurance I needed." Lyn sighed in defeat.
"Well, that's because I didn't need to…"
"Ok… and why is that?"
"Because I'm his mistress." Anna grinned triumphantly.
It took Lyn some time to process what she just heard.
"...I'm sorry… what?"
"You heard me correctly…"
"I didn't know he was THAT kind of person…" Lyn grumbled.
"Well, that's because he isn't." Anna replied. "Actually, he was pretty against it too…"
"Oh, so you forced yourself onto him?"
"Do I seem like that sort of person?" Anna grinned as she turned to look at Lyn. "Nevermind, don't answer that. No… as a matter of fact, I did not. Lucina was the one to ask me."
"Does she have some sort of cuckold fetish?" Lyn asked. "And Robin really married her?"
"Well, not exactly. Actually, Robin was all but required to take a mistress…"
"All right, fine!" Lyn finally gave up. "You have my attention. Stop beating around the bush and tell me everything."
"Sure! No problem. But we'll have to start from the beginning…"
After what seemed like hours, Anna finally finished her story of their past.
"Hmm… you don't seem that surprised."
"Well, I AM surprised… for sure." Lyn felt herself getting a little excited. "But Robin told me something about being part dragon… or something. So I was expecting him to have a surprising background. But… why are you telling me all this?"
"Well I said I wanted to help you, didn't I?"
"...Are you asking me to become his mistress as well?" Lyn asked.
"No… no." Anna shook her head. "I'm merely letting you know that the possibility exists. The only one that can 'allow' you is Lucina."
"So you're saying I should go ask her?"
Anna shrugged. "You could. Or… you can forget we ever had this conversation and work on suppressing your feelings some more. I can tell you, from experience, it probably won't work."
"O...k…" Lyn still looked skeptical. "I'll keep that in mind. Thanks."
"No problem!" Anna got up. "Well, I'm off then!"
Anna disappeared just as quickly as she had appeared, leaving Lyn to her own thoughts. This time, however, they were filled with hope instead.
New Characters:
Raven (Mercenary, 20): HP: 90% Str: 70% Mag: 10% Skl: 65% Spd: 65% Lck: 40% Def: 40% Res: 25%
Author's Notes:
Looking back, the one thing I'm not too happy about in this chapter is Raven. To be honest, in the game, I never really cared about his back story, and he doesn't really contribute to the plot at all. He was just a really strong character with hard mode bonuses… As a result, I'm not too sure what I want to do with him in this story. Hopefully, I'll be able to figure things out as I plan the next few chapters… fingers crossed.
That's it for today. Thanks for reading, as always.