Author's Note: So... yeah. Hi, everyone. I'm alive.

A lot has happened in the intervening years. My drive on my ageing laptop crashed and I lost a number of files (including the original script for this chapter, and which I did not have a back-up saved anywhere), my job got busy, I almost lost use of one hand, I got promoted at said job and became even busier, I actually temporarily lost use of my other hand, the pandemic happened (and we had a near-miss with that here at home), I lost my drive and my motivation to write, before finally finding some inspiration thanks to Awakening's tenth anniversary (my god, tenth anniversary!) to put this chapter together.

It's somewhat short, but it's a bit of a transition chapter, so hopefully you all won't mind too much.

For anyone who's still following this, I hope you'll still stick with the ride. I don't know what sort of update schedule I will follow (or if I will even have one), but I will continue to try to get chapters out as I write them.

Hope you're all staying safe. I send you all my warmest regards and well-wishes.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem: Awakening or any characters, concepts, weapons, etc. that are found therein. Anything within this fic but not from the source material are my own creations.


Chapter Eleven – A Changing Wind

Location: Exalt's Palace, Ylisstol

Warmth.

That was the first thing Lucina noticed as the first patches of consciousness began to return to her senses. The soft glow of light pressing gently – if a little more insistently than anyone would be really comfortable with – against her eyelids was the second thing, and let her know that it was more than likely morning, meaning…

'Wait, morning…?'

Lucina almost bolted upright at the thought that the rest of the previous night had already passed, but she just about managed to keep her sleep-addled mind the right side of calm before she reflexively did anything that could give away her consciousness to anyone who might have been watching over her previously-sleeping form. Months of constant fighting and running had made her incredibly wary any time she was in a situation possessed of any modicum of uncertainty, and that wasn't about to change now just because… that person was not – to her knowledge, at least – in her immediate vicinity.

That said, the feeling of a gentle and careful touch brushing a few cerulean locks of hair away from Lucina's eyes and forehead and then softly stroking the top of her head clued the girl in that she was more than likely in pleasant company and not surrounded by any unsavory individuals who might wish her harm or ill will. After all, no one who did not value her well-being would be treating her quite so tenderly… although, given past experiences, she wasn't about to discount the possibility that it was all a ruse to get her to lower her guard.

While her own experiences were telling her that her safety was hardly a guarantee in the current scenario, Lucina could not deny the strangely comforting – and all-too-familiar – feeling that was tugging at the back of her consciousness for her attention… almost as if some part of her were subconsciously trying to tell her that she was going to be fine.

Deciding to trust in whatever instinct that may have been, Lucina allowed herself to stir ever so slightly and begin to make the long, reluctant trek back to wakefulness…

… only for her slow awakening to coincide with her mind recognizing just how exhausted she actually was.

A soft groan left Lucina's lips before the cerulean-haired girl could even control her own actions, the aches and pains she'd tried to push past through sheer willpower now keenly felt as the effects of far too many nights out in the wilderness were allowed to remind her of their collective existence with a vengeance. That her mind registered her exhausted body was currently tucked into a luxuriously soft bed that may as well have been heaven-sent did not do her any favors, and neither did the recollection that she hadn't slept in a bed like this since Naga knew when.

The thought certainly made her want to sink – physically and mentally – back into the state of blissful irresponsibility she'd just about managed to drag herself out from, and the longer she pondered on it the greater the pull of the temptation to do so grew on her.

Through some miraculous feat of willpower Lucina found it in her to resist the urge to return to sleep. The cerulean-haired girl repeated to herself that she'd decided she was going to be waking up, and she was nothing if not determined to seeing a course of action through once she'd set her mind to it.

She slowly cracked her eyelids open, but even that seemed to be too much for her eyes as the tiniest slivers of bright morning sunlight cheerfully invaded the precious territory and forced her to shut them tight once again. Another groan slipped from her lips as her tired, aching body shifted beneath the layers of warm blankets that covered her, her mind already cursing her decision to wake up when she could have just returned to peaceful slumber.

Lucina being herself, of course, she wasn't quite ready to give up at the first hurdle. She made another attempt at opening her eyes, and – judging by their lack of protest this time at being exposed to sunlight – it seemed they were a little more willing to cooperate on the second time of asking.

The first thing she noticed was the canopy draped around her bed like a protective sheet, the finely woven cloth shielding her from the outside elements and any potential prying eyes while she slept through the night… and preventing her from really getting a glimpse at the rest of the room that lay beyond.

"Ah, you're awake…" a familiar voice gently said, Lucina starting slightly as the spoken words cut into her thoughts and reminded her that she actually wasn't alone in the room.

The cerulean-haired girl shifted her body so she could more comfortably turn her head towards the side of her bed, her heart all but leaping for joy as her eyes quickly recognized the young man sitting at her bedside with a gentle gaze in his eyes and affectionate smile on his lips; she could never mistake him for anyone else, with his soft, almost feminine features, long, messy cerulean hair and glittering sapphire-like eyes that were all so much like her own that every time she looked at him it was almost akin to looking at her own reflection.

The cerulean-haired girl's vision blurred and her throat thickened, and it took her a few moments to realize it was because she was crying.

Lucina blinked once, sending tears splashing down her cheeks as the corners of her lips rose in a tired smile. "Brother…" she whispered – mumbled, really, given how drained she still was – hoarsely. She tried to free her small hands from beneath the blankets to wipe away her tears, but Leon had already reached over and gently wiped away the first batch of tears as they fell. "S-Sorry… I just… last night really wasn't just some dream…"

An emotion flitted across Leon's expression for the briefest of moments before his smile and gaze both softened in unspoken understanding.

"Don't worry, Lucina, it wasn't a dream or an illusion. I'm definitely here," he assured her as his fingers continued to catch her tears and keep them from leaving wet trails down her porcelain cheeks. "But… well, at the risk of sounding ridiculous… perhaps you might say… that last night's events were more like a dream come true?"

Lucina's smile grew, and even amidst her tears she couldn't quite stop herself from laughing happily. "A dream come true… that sounds wonderful…"

"I'm glad I could do that much for you…" Leon hummed in reply, his fingers now hesitantly ghosting against her cheek as if silently asking for permission.

Lucina leaned into his touch and closed her eyes, the movement all the reply she needed to give him. A happy sigh left her lips as she relished in the comfort that came from feeling her brother's fingers gently caressing her cheek or threading through locks of hair with the tender affection he rarely showed in anyone else's presence… and the realization that those hellish weeks of trying to soldier on by herself – of trying to fight her inner demons without her pillar of support to help her through it – were finally over.

She could, at least for now, find solace in the presence of the one person who'd been at her side ever since she could remember.

Lucina's hand came up from beneath the blankets in search of Leon's own, her brother obliging with a soft smile as he ceased his ministrations and allowed her slender fingers to curl around his hand and clasp it. Leon's own fingers wrapped around the cerulean-haired girl's own smaller hand, and it did not take the cerulean-haired girl long to notice how tightly he was holding onto her hand and how his fingers were now shaking.

"Brother?" she asked as she looked up at Leon, her smile of contentment melting into a concerned frown as she curiously noted how he was pointedly trying to avoid making eye contact with her.

When he refused to answer, Lucina's frown deepened. "Leon?"

Leon again said nothing, only giving a slight shake of the head as he lowered his gaze. He'd almost been fast enough to hide it before Lucina could notice, but they were siblings; she knew him better than anyone else ever could, and it was that familiarity with him that let her catch the change in his expressive sapphire-like eyes before he could fully avert his gaze.

"I'm sorry…" he said quietly, his voice thick with the same emotions Lucina had spied clouding his crystalline sapphire eyes. "I'm just… glad… I'm just so very glad you're alright, Lucina."

Leon looked up then, allowing Lucina to see the desperation and fear in his haunted eyes and grief-laden features. "You already paid the price once because of me…" he continued. "If… if something happened to you again while I wasn't there, then I… I…"

He drew in a shuddery breath and swallowed thickly, before his visage crumpled completely into inconsolable grief and a choked sob escaped his lips.

That sob was the tipping point for Lucina as she somehow found the strength to raise her tired body up into a sitting position and gently pulled him into an embrace.

"I'm here, Leon", the cerulean-haired girl whispered – echoing her brother's own words from mere moments ago – as she held Leon against her small frame, one arm wrapped around his shoulders while the other placed itself at the back of his head and began to thread through his deep cerulean locks. "I'm here. I'm alright. Everything will be alright."

Another shuddery sob escaped Leon, and another… and before Lucina could comprehend her brother's sudden breakdown, he'd thrown his arms around her smaller frame and pulled her close with a desperation that she recognized all too well in herself.

The cerulean-haired girl felt a pang of guilt shoot through her as her brother's barely-suppressed sobs escaped his lips. He did not cry, but to Lucina he may as well have been.

'… All this time…' she thought sadly, her own tears beginning to again pool at the corner of her eyes.

Lucina's mind wandered back to the weeks they'd spent apart and all the agony that must have entailed for not just her, but for him as well.

She had spent many of her waking moments having to face her inner demons on her own, with most – if not all – of them finding themselves rooted in her time spent in a captivity she was all too willing to banish to the darkest depths of her memories, never to be seen again.

As difficult as it was having to live with the scars that came from those harrowing experiences and every painful reminder that her mind seemed to love to throw at her even in what few moments of restless sleep she seemed to get… seeing Leon as he was right now reminded Lucina that she wasn't the only one who was struggling to pick themselves up and keep moving forward each day.

She wasn't aware of any details, but she could say with some level of certainty that some event or other had occurred during her captivity, and that had caused Leon's demeanor to change into something that was almost unrecognizable when compared to the brother she remembered from her youth. While he was still himself at his very core, there were so many obvious and subtle differences that showed in his behavior or in his expression that Lucina sometimes wondered where the old him had gone and what had happened to prompt such a drastic change.

It didn't help that Leon never so much as even hinted to anything that might have happened, even when all the signs that something had happened were painfully obvious and right there for Lucina to see. She was sure, though, that Leon knew she'd noticed, and that thought only compounded her worry considering they had always shared their thoughts with each other when either of them had something weighing heavily on their mind or heart.

Lucina had never even tried to broach the subject, hoping Leon would simply come around and eventually open up about it on his own, but…

Whatever had happened was a topic that he – much to her ever-growing concern and frustration – was continuing to keep very tight-lipped about.

'Brother…' Lucina thought to herself as she held Leon just that little bit closer to her, resting her cheek on the top of his head as his tears began to stain her tunic.

As much as it pained her, the cerulean-haired girl knew she couldn't ever try forcing the issue. It was his story to tell, and to try and force anything out of him would likely only drive him to bury whatever secrets he was hiding even deeper into the darkest depths of his mind and heart.

Until Leon was ready to talk, she would wait… wait, and support him the same way he supported her through her own trials and difficulties.

He deserved nothing less than that.


Robin felt a tug on his heartstrings as he watched the emotional moment between Lucina and Kris play out through the tiny crack in the doorway.

'I wonder how long it's been since they've seen each other…' the tactician thought to himself, grimacing as Kris' muffled sobs wafted out through the door to reach his particularly perceptive hearing.

He knew he shouldn't be doing this – curious as he might be about the two mysterious swordsmen and as much as he might be able to learn a little something about them, this was a very private moment that they were sharing and which he was currently witnessing without any sort of permission or approval from the involved parties. However, he'd wanted to check on Lucina and maybe speak to Kris for a few minutes while he had the opportunity to do so before he was swept back into the whirlwind of war councils and planning sessions he'd briefly managed to extract himself from so that he might attend to other matters which had demanded his attention.

Robin had barely so much as laid his hand on the door handle of their temporary quarters and cracked it open just the tiniest amount when their conversation began wafting out, prompting him to abandon his course of action and simply settle for listening from where he couldn't quite be seen.

What parts of the conversation he'd been able to catch… gave him a little bit of insight into Lucina and Kris that he hadn't quite been able to glean from any of his prior interactions with them – with Lucina, mostly – and that gave him a few more details he could add into the rest of the intricate puzzle that characterized their entire existence.

'I can be almost certain now that they're somehow blood-related,' he thought to himself, bringing a hand up to cup his chin in contemplation. 'Aside from the striking and far-too-obvious physical similarities, they also share a sort of… well, a sort of familiarity that's difficult to find outside of an intimate level of trust characteristic of close siblings or lovers.'

Robin frowned as he considered that particular possibility. Never mind the near-certainty that they were indeed siblings, could they also possibly be…?

The tactician hurriedly shook his head as he felt heat rush to his cheeks. That was hardly an appropriate thing to be thinking about them!

'Where in Naga's name did that come from?!'

Mentally chastising himself for his wayward thoughts, Robin none-too-gently slapped at his face to rid it of the last vestiges of his self-inflicted embarrassment.

Letting out a sigh, the tactician suddenly realized that he could pick out no more noises coming from inside the pair's room. Peeking around the corner and through the crack in the doorway, he could see Lucina cradling Kris in her arms, the cerulean-haired girl's head resting on top of her partner's own as her lips moved soundlessly. No doubt she was whispering soft words of encouragement and comfort to calm the other down given his earlier outburst.

'This really isn't the best time…' he thought to himself as he turned away from the intensely private moment and began making the trek back to the war room that had become almost his residence – such was the amount of time he spent within its confines – since his… rather abrupt promotion to High Tactician of the Ylissean Royal Army. As much as he wanted to wait, he had work still that needed to be done… work that included what was sure to be another grueling series of war councils as they attempted to develop a counterstrategy against the Plegian invasion.

Conversations would simply have to wait until he could find the time to make another visit.


"So, you're saying we have no obvious leads as to how the enemy was able to infiltrate the castle?" Chrom asked.

The three members of the royal family – Emmeryn, Chrom, and Lissa – along with Frederick and Phila, were situated around a large table that served as the centerpiece of the palace's war room. Maps, scrolls, and manuals were still spread and scattered all over it from when Robin had been last present several hours ago.

Phila, shame clear in her defeated stance and expression, could only nod. "Yes, milord," she replied. "It will take some time to investigate how this assassination plot developed so far without so much as a word reaching the ears of our spy network."

Chrom scowled. "It was Plegia!" he snarled, eyes all but glaring a hole through the map spread out on the table they'd all gathered around. "I'm sure of it. That dastard Gangrel will do anything to see Emm dead and get his hands on the Emblem."

Emmeryn frowned in concern. "Chrom…" she said gently in an attempt to placate her younger brother, but her words seemingly fell on deaf ears.

While the Exalt was unsuccessful, the prince did nonetheless calm himself temporarily as he turned to face his older sister.

"Emm, you can't stay here," he said pleadingly. "Please, come with us to Ferox."

Shaking her head, Emmeryn let out a sigh as she prepared for the likely argument that was going to ensue.

"You wish for me to leave our people undefended?" she asked almost rhetorically, gazing out the window at the clear skies above. "War has come to our borders, Chrom; the situations we only spoke about as worst-case what-if's have now become reality."

She fixed a steady, firm gaze upon her brother. "Do you truly expect Ylisse to stand against the might of Plegia without a leader? The people must see that their Exalt stands with them; they would lose all hope and morale otherwise."

Chrom bore a look of frustration on his firm features. "But… Emm, what if something happens to you?" he continued to argue. "What then?"

The Exalt pursed her lips, her own feelings on the matter mirroring her brother's own. She could understand Chrom's point of view and his concerns, but a part of her wondered if her brother could even see the wider repercussions if she were to leave Ylisstol.

People turned to her for guidance, and it was not just those in positions of authority; her very people looked to her as the steady pillar that they believed would be able to guide them through dark times. It would be a terrible blow to their morale and a great betrayal of their faith were she to simply up and abandon them for something as selfish as her own safety.

"Your Grace, perhaps you might relocate to the eastern palace for the time being?" Frederick suggested. "It would be further away from where the lines of battle are sure to be drawn, and the other kingdoms know not of its existence. You would be safer there, and yet still within our own borders."

Chrom nodded eagerly. "An excellent idea, Frederick," he said. "Yes, please, Emm. Do at least that. I wouldn't be able to leave for Ferox with peace of mind if you were to remain in harm's way."

Emmeryn raised a hand to her lips in thought as she mulled over the suggestion. While she was still rather displeased with the thought that she was entertaining such a course of action despite the clear attempt at a compromise, she also knew that Chrom was stubborn to the point of obstinacy on the matter, and she doubted they – he – would be able to move on to other, more important, matters until and unless he received a satisfactory response.

She sighed, knowing a lost cause when she saw one. "Very well, Frederick. I will do as–"

"I would advise against such a decision, Your Grace."

The royal siblings and the two knights turned almost as one as Robin approached the table, tomes and furled parchments tucked beneath his arm. While he looked no worse for wear at a glance, it only took a quick scan of the young man for it to quickly became apparent to Emmeryn that the Shepherds' tactician was exhausted.

For sure, Robin held himself up well, pride and discipline and determination all contributing to steel his stance, but there was no mistaking that the events of the weeks since Chrom had found him in that field were beginning to take their toll on the Shepherds' snow-haired tactician, never mind the fact no one had gotten a moment's rest since last night's battle.

And, try as he might to hide his growing tiredness, Emmeryn hadn't ruled over Ylisse and survived assassination attempts, social unrest, and court intrigue for fifteen years without being able to pick up on body language cues. It was a skill she'd quickly discovered she had a natural talent for and which she'd had plenty of time to hone and refine until it was second nature to her.

"Tactician Robin." "Robin!" "Robin!"

All three royals had both acknowledged the tactician's sudden appearance, the prince and younger princess doing so in a rather more animated – or agitated? Emmeryn couldn't quite tell – manner than the Exalt's own calm greeting.

"Your Grace, Chrom, Lissa," Robin greeted the three royals, hands together before him as he offered a courteous bow before turning to give both Frederick and Phila respectful nods which the two returned with similar sentiments.

Emmeryn offered the snow-haired tactician a gentle smile in response. "Good morning, Tactician Robin," she greeted again. "Forgive me for cutting directly to the heart of the matter, but might I inquire as to your thoughts on Frederick's proposed plan? Why do you offer a dissenting opinion, my friend?"

Across from her, Chrom nodded, his expression rather unhappy. "Indeed, Robin. Please, tell us what you think is so wrong with the idea?"

If he were fazed by the combined attention of the three royals and two knights, the tactician showed no signs of it even with his exhaustion clearly seeping into a posture he was keeping through sheer discipline.

"If it pleases you, I'd actually like to give you even more than just that," he said as he stepped up to the table and deposited the load he'd been carrying. "I've been giving our entire situation some thought ever since the resolution of last night's incident, and I think I may have an idea that we might be able to follow that will explain how we've arrived at our current situation. To be quite honest, this plan of Frederick's actually just so happens to fit into a rather disturbing narrative I would like to share with you all this morning."

He turned to regard Emmeryn. "This may be a bit of a lengthy explanation, so I would beg Her Grace's forbearance in advance."

For her part, the Exalt simply offered up a smile. "I have no objections, my friend. Please, share with us what you have in mind."

Robin nodded. "Thank you, Your Grace. I promise that you'll appreciate the story," he said as he leaned over the table and reached for a box that stood undisturbed on the corner of the topmost map spread out over the table.

"Chrom is correct about one thing," Robin began without preamble as he slid the box's lid off, fished out pieces used for representing armies and fortifications in strategy meetings, and placed them on areas across the map detailing the regions of Western and Central Ylisse. "This plot was most definitely the handiwork of Plegia."

When he was done, red and blue flag pieces were placed over Themis and Ylisstol, respectively, with several large and small red army pieces arranged in a fan formation extending from Themis while a trio of small blue army pieces were placed in a huddled formation around the blue flag on Ylisstol.

"If I might direct your attention to the map, this is as accurate a representation I can make of the situation that faces us now," Robin said.

Emmeryn couldn't help but notice the satisfaction in his expression, satisfaction that was no doubt due to everyone present giving him and his presentation their rapt attention.

He pointed at the region occupied by the red flag and pieces. "From what information our scouts have been able to bring us, the main body of the Plegian Army has already crossed over the mountain border and taken control over the western territories surrounding the duchy of Themis," he said, noting how Chrom bristled at the mere mention of Plegians taking Ylissean territory as their own but ultimately choosing to ignore it in favor of continuing his explanation.

"With the western territories now under his control and without any other major fortifications present between Themis and Ylisstol, the Plegians essentially have a straight path right into the heart of Ylissean territory…" At this, the tactician pointed towards the blue flag and pieces. "… and we should be under no illusion that Gangrel isn't going to march his army right up to our doorstep."

Chrom growled. "Let that dastard come," he said. "Let them all come. We won't let them take our home away from us. I won't let them take our home away from us."

"I appreciate the passion, Chrom, but let's keep focused on the here and now before we start entertaining any thoughts about picking a fight with Gangrel," Robin reminded, before indicating the fanned Plegian pieces once more. "He has a distinct advantage in both numbers and logistics, and, while he might be fueled by bloodthirst, I don't doubt for a moment that he's coming with some sort of plan to put us into checkmate."

Emmeryn gave the pieces another look over, taking note of the way the red Plegian pieces had been arrayed around Themis.

She cupped her chin. "I see. You expect King Gangrel to cut us off from any sources of support, trap us in a siege, and then tighten the noose until we have nowhere left to run."

Robin smiled tightly. "Quite right, Your Grace," he said. "I've said this before: Gangrel may be insane, but he definitely isn't stupid. It is my prediction that he – or his generals, at least…"

At this point, the tactician took the croupier's rake that had been lying next to the map and began using it to push the Plegian pieces forward until they were divided into three groups: the first group comprising the majority of the Plegian army pieces surrounded the Ylissean pieces and flag that were placed on Ylisstol, the second group occupied the Northroad facing towards Regna Ferox, while the third group remained rooted at Themis.

"… will use one of their army's divisions to cut us off from the most direct route to our allies in Regna Ferox while the main body of their invasion force marches on Ylisstol."

Emmeryn frowned as she took in the troubling statement. 'Then that leaves us with…'

The Exalt's gaze flickered up to the pass just to the narrow strip of land to the northeast of Ylisstol – the route Frederick had suggested she take when fleeing the capital – before they returned to the Plegian pieces that were now surrounding her home in Robin's war simulation. She recalled how the tactician had moved and arranged them so deliberately, almost as if he…

'Wait…'

Emmeryn took a step back so she could look at the whole picture, her mind a whirlwind as it processed all the information Robin was laying out for his audience to piece together: the Plegian pieces, their suggested formation, the forecasted movements of the Plegian army, the previous evening's assassination attempt…

A sudden realization occurred to Emmeryn, and she immediately paled as she took in the implications of the conclusion that Robin had so exquisitely guided her to arrive at.

She returned her attention to the tactician, who seemed to be waiting almost expectantly… and who gave a somber nod as they locked gazes.

'Tactician Robin… you can't mean…'

The tactician's gaze seemed to soften ever so slightly as he took in what Emmeryn knew had to be a distressed expression lining her features.

"The attack last night gave me plenty to think about…" he continued, and to Emmeryn it seemed that there was a suddenly distinct air of discomfort surrounding him, almost as if he was hesitant to actually give voice to the inevitable conclusion he was driving the discussion towards. "… and the most plausible explanation I came up with has led me to a particularly unpleasant line of thought that, if true, would mean that we're in an even worse situation than what we actually realize."

Chrom frowned at the tactician. "What do you mean, Robin?"

For his part, Robin shook his head. "Think about it, Chrom," he replied. "Any attempts to move the Exalt will likely have to be relayed to her council. There's no way we can just spirit her off into the night without anyone knowing of her whereabouts. It could lead to untold panic if she just up and disappeared and no one who remained here had an answer to give as to her whereabouts."

Beside Emmeryn, Phila offered a grave nod. "Indeed. The tactician is correct," she affirmed. "It is protocol that at least one person of the Exalt's council – usually the Hierarch – should be informed of Her Grace's whereabouts should she ever leave the castle premises." The falcon knight frowned in thought. "Of course, there are certain emergency situations where that can be dispensed with, especially if they place the Exalt in danger, but…"

Robin nodded, a gleam entering his eye as he processed the information.

"I understand," he said, Emmeryn not quite missing the almost predatory quality to his words. "Those old men are so caught up in their own importance they wouldn't know danger unless it was about to strike them dead. They'd demand to know of our plans no matter how we try to rationalize that it's on a need-to-know basis and that they didn't actually need to know."

He let out a devious, scheming half-smile, half-smirk that Emmeryn felt decidedly uncomfortable seeing on features that were usually so warm and open.

"Still, that is the final piece of the puzzle I needed to bridge everything together."

The Exalt felt her mouth go dry at Robin's proclamation. She wasn't sure if anyone else had caught on to his meaningful gestures and words – and, judging from the mix of curiosity and unease in the expressions of her two siblings and the two knights, they hadn't but were nonetheless under the spell of curious dread – but she was almost certain that the line of thought he was leading them on was going to lead them to a most troubling conclusion, one that she was sure was not going to be taken well by anyone at this table.

'Least of all myself…'

Robin gestured once more to the map.

Emmeryn, almost as if under the tactician's spell, turned her attention back to it.

"I believe that if we move you to the eastern palace…"

At this point, Robin took one of the Ylissean pieces, and moved it towards the Breakneck Pass… before he then turned to pick up the last red pieces from Themis and place them at the pass, arrayed before the single blue piece.

"… we will be ambushed by the Plegian Army here, at the Breakneck Pass. This, I believe, is exactly the turn of events that will come to pass should we proceed to move Her Grace away from Ylisstol, because the Plegians will be fully aware of our every move and will have foreknowledge of the course of action we are going to pursue."

Chrom was slack-jawed. "But… how…?" the prince asked hoarsely, before turning to his tactician with pleading eyes. "Robin, what makes you so sure that they would know…?"

Robin drew himself up to his full height, chin tilted almost imperiously; such was his confidence in what he was saying and about to say.

"My proof lies in last night's events," the tactician stated with a calm surety that almost frightened Emmeryn. "How else would assassins have snuck into the inner palace grounds if not for the words and deeds of a conspirator on the inside?"

He met each person's gaze directly before he addressed everyone at the table with his next words.

They were words that would turn the blood in Emmeryn's veins to ice.

"Ladies and gentlemen… I believe we have a traitor in our midst," he enunciated with a calm and measured finality. "That is the conclusion I have arrived at, that is the reason I have chosen not to reveal this to you all first, and is also the reason why I fully oppose the idea that we move Her Grace from this location."

Silence reigned for a brief moment… before the room erupted as Chrom, Lissa, Frederick, and Phila all expressed varying reactions of shock and outrage to the tactician's statement.

Emmeryn was the only one to remain silent as she attempted to gauge Robin's demeanor, both as he spoke and as the waves of protests washed over him. What she found troubled her further as she found no hesitation in his voice, gaze, and posture. The tactician held himself with such assured composure that she had no doubts that the tactician believed in his theory – uncomfortable as it was for the Exalt to think about – with every fiber of his being.

A traitor… a traitor to her own Halidom, right here in the palace. The thought made Emmeryn sick to her stomach, but it was the realization that she couldn't actually refute Robin's logic that gnawed a gaping hole into her.

She returned from her inner thoughts just as Chrom's voice, Naga bless him, rose above the din and silenced the rest of the room with its strength.

"You can't be serious!" he exclaimed, unknowingly giving voice to Emmeryn's own misgivings even if the Exalt would have chosen more delicate a wording had she been the one speaking her thoughts. "Robin, please tell me you don't truly believe that someone in the Halidom wants my sister dead!"

When Robin simply met Chrom's challenge with a silent, steady stare, the prince's expression morphed into something resembling a cross between dismay and horror.

"By the gods, you're serious…" he whispered. "You… you really believe this…"

Robin nodded. "I do," he affirmed simply. "I can't tell you who the traitor actually is since I currently lack hard evidence, but… there's really no other interpretation that makes sense considering everything that's already happened. We must give at least some credence to the distinct possibility that Plegia has an ally on the inside that allowed those assassins from last night onto the palace grounds."

Beside Emmeryn, Phila furrowed her brows in contemplation. "Would it not have been possible for them to have been teleported in?"

A shake of the tactician's head was the Wing Commander's immediate answer.

"I considered the possibility, but the likelihood of it is low," he replied. "Teleportation spells are very advanced and require a great deal of prowess in the arcane arts to perform, especially if there is a need to move a large number of individuals across great distances, as was the case here… While I don't doubt that Plegia has mages who are more than capable, the preparation necessary to enact the spell on the required scale to move all the troops that we saw last night would be beyond them."

Emmeryn slowly cupped her chin with her thumb and index finger. "Mm, I see what you mean," she murmured thoughtfully. "They would certainly have needed some sort of ritual circle to ensure the spell accurately delivered the individuals to their target destination, correct?"

Robin inclined his head respectfully. "Yes, that's exactly right, Your Grace. Your understanding of the arcane arts is most admirable," he affirmed and praised. "That knowledge was precisely why, at my request, Sir Frederick took Miriel and some of the other royal mages and scholars early this morning to scour the castle grounds and the entire city for any traces of such a spell having been used within the last twenty-four hours."

Chrom turned to his knight. "So that's where you were the whole morning."

Frederick bowed. "Correct, milord. I apologize for not informing you of my whereabouts before I departed, but our tactician had stressed the urgency of the task."

Chrom waved it away. "Never mind that. What did you find?"

Robin shrugged helplessly. "Needless to say – and Sir Frederick can vouch for the veracity of this information as he delivered the report to me himself – their searches turned up empty. Aggravatingly enough, it brought me back to square one with no sources of information… at least, until I remembered that I actually did have a source of information right within this building."

Phila almost couldn't help but scowl in displeasure. "You mean that scoundrel that Frederick says you're currently keeping under the castle's roof?"

The tactician nodded. "Yes, Gaius. Let's not forget that he was – at least initially – with the assailants we encountered last night, although he claimed to have thrown his lot in with them only to loot something to get by."

Chrom's earlier frown hadn't left his face, and now deepened into a scowl that mirrored the one present on Phila's own features.

"How sure are we he's even being truthful? For all we know, he's–"

"Peace, Chrom," Robin chided gently, hands raised in a placating manner. "While the arrangement didn't – and probably still doesn't – sit well with you, Sir Frederick, or Commander Phila, let us at least give Gaius the benefit of the doubt. He fought alongside us and followed my orders without question last night, after all. I'm willing to offer him a certain level of trust because of that, regardless of his prior social status and previous choice of profession."

Emmeryn kept any reaction from her face even as she pondered Robin's curious choice of words.

'Previous…?'

"Previous?" Phila repeated, unknowingly echoing her liege's own thoughts.

Said liege's younger brother caught on to the significance of the echoed word quite quickly. "Previous… Robin, is there something you've not mentioned to me?"

Robin blinked innocently. "I… may have forgotten to mention that I did some personnel management and talent acquisitions overnight."

Chrom blinked for a moment before his eyes widened. "You… you hired that thief from last night?!"

Robin nodded. "I invited the taguel, too, while I was at it," the tactician said, before he tilted his head in a questioning manner. "That… is within my jurisdiction as High Tactician, isn't it?"

"Well, yes, it is, but… why?" Chrom asked.

Robin shrugged. "We could use someone with his skills," he replied. "Additionally, tapping into his connections and contacts among the common folk and whatever passes for a criminal underworld here in Ylisstol can give us certain information that no amount of scouting and intelligence gathering activities using our knights and spy network could ever possibly hope to uncover."

Chrom made to say something, but Emmeryn quickly decided to step in lest the discussion get completely sidetracked by whatever issue her brother might have with his tactician's handling of Gaius.

"Enough," she said, voice soft but firm. "Brother, you may take this up with Tactician Robin on your own time. Please, do not allow your feelings on an isolated matter to derail this session from its purpose."

To Emmeryn's surprise, Chrom backed down without much of a fight… but the glower he threw in Robin's direction let her know that the discussion had merely been shelved, not abandoned.

If Robin was bothered any by the unspoken promise of an incoming argument – and the headache which was more than likely to follow in its immediate wake – he showed no real sign of it or that he'd even noticed Chrom's expression at all.

'He can be terrifyingly unflappable when in his element… it is curious that he has this side to him which is so at odds with his crippling lack of self-worth.'

"Now… Tactician Robin, I can only assume you have already spoken with our friend?"

Robin nodded. "Of course, Your Grace. I actually spoke with him earlier this morning. I went to find him as soon as I was done reviewing the report Frederick had delivered to me."

Emmeryn tilted her head in question. "And? What did he have to say?"

"Quite a bit, actually," Robin said, a slight smile of satisfaction crossing his lips as he retrieved a small notebook from inside his robe and opened it, licking a finger before using it to leaf through the pages. "From what Gaius said, hooded men approached him about two weeks prior, asking whether he'd be interested in joining a raid on the palace's treasury. Aside from keeping a cut of whatever they would have been able to pilfer, they apparently also offered Gaius a rather hefty sum for his services."

Emmeryn cupped her chin in thought. "How much was he to receive?"

"Two thousand gold up front," Robin replied, eyes going over the pages which undoubtedly contained his notes from his conversation with Gaius… though Emmeryn was not discounting the possibility that it was, in fact, a full transcript.

'How Tactician Robin would be able to actually write everything down so quickly and legibly and still carry on a conversation, I haven't the faintest idea… but it would not surprise me were I to learn that he was actually capable of such a feat.'

Phila frowned. "You specify up front as if he was to receive even more at the conclusion of their relationship."

Robin nodded, his smile turning grim. "Quite right, Wing Commander," he affirmed. "Gaius claimed that he was to be paid another two thousand gold after the fact, plus another thousand for his silence on the matter."

Lissa's eyes widened. "F-five thousand gold?!" she all but shrieked, vocally expressing the surprise that Emmeryn herself felt.

'Five thousand gold… all to secure someone's aid in killing me?'

Robin nodded again. "Yes, five thousand, all in all. It is perhaps not so incredible a sum to those of us who were born into positions of prosperity… but, to the common folk? A man who spends wisely and frugally could live quite comfortably off of such a purse for a considerable period of time."

The tactician's hazel eyes scanned the document. "As for how they entered the city… ah, here it is. Gaius claims that he was instructed to meet the assassins' group just before midnight, outside the city walls near the western sluice. When he arrived at the specified location, he found just about every other ruffian and ne'er-do-well he could remember seeing during his day-to-day activities… along with the troops and assassins we encountered yesterday evening."

Robin looked up with an unreadable expression. "Based on what information we have, I can say that whoever drew up the Plegians' plan knew what they were doing," he said, Emmeryn noting the tone of what could only be grudging respect in his otherwise even voice. "They deployed considerable troop strength, more than what an assassination mission would normally entail, and they weren't above hiring any unsavory individuals who would be willing to work for them, either. Whether to bolster their numbers or to use as fodder should battle be joined, I don't know. Either way, the cause of the action is immaterial. What matters is that they were willing to do anything just short of a full-blown invasion in order to end Your Grace's life."

Emmeryn's brows furrowed. "Would that not be contradictory to the supposed narrative that Gangrel wishes to butcher as many Ylisseans as he and his army can get their hands on?"

Robin frowned unhappily, though whether it was from the question or the answer that came to mind, Emmeryn couldn't quite tell.

"Honestly? I think Gangrel wants your head – and by extension Ylisse's head – early so that he and his army can make sport out of killing the body," he replied. "They want to hunt demoralized Ylisseans down like predators would their prey… not to mention the possibility that they would want to leave as much infrastructure intact for when their main army gets here so that they can sack the city and take back as much collateral as humanly possible."

Lissa paled, but Emmeryn kept her expression carefully neutral even as several conflicting thoughts and emotions rose within her: grief that her people had once again paid the price for her failures and her unrealistic hopes that she could have reached a peaceful resolution; anger at her father and all his political, military, and religious advisers for their bigotry, their bloody crusades, and the long-lasting and wide-reaching pain and suffering which resulted therefrom; sadness that, despite her best efforts, war was once again at Ylisse's doorstep and threatening her people's safety and happiness; determination to protect those same people, to whom she had dedicated her life to leading and serving; fear that she would be unable to protect those same people; and…

She blinked as she realized what the last thought was: gratitude – gratitude to Naga or whatever other powers-that-be that had decreed that her brother should find the amnesiac tactician standing before her; gratitude that he had pledged his mind and his sword to their cause; gratitude that he would grow to be a pillar of strength for Ylisse as she faced the coming trials.

Somehow, despite a caution and wariness that had been instilled in her from years and years of political maneuvering, she'd come to believe in Robin with an unshakeable faith – the same sort of faith her brother held for the amnesiac tactician. She killed a bitter, self-depreciating smile before it could even begin to form on her lips. Faith and goodwill were all well and good, but when her people were at stake…

"Beg pardon, Tactician Robin, but I do have a question to ask."

Robin blinked, but quickly offered a smile and gestured openly. "Please, Your Grace."

Again, Emmeryn noted, if Robin had felt anything beyond that brief moment of mild surprise, he did very well to keep it very tightly under wraps.

She also noted that his smile was disturbingly unreadable.

It was an almost painful divide, how little faith she could allow herself to express and how much she wanted to afford Robin the same faith she had already shown him prior. It had been so easy when it had just been her and her siblings who were under his care. However, she had a duty to the Halidom, and she would distance herself from those she would call friends and family so long as she could make the decision which would protect as many of her people as possible.

"Can we trust him?" she asked. "As much as he has assisted us previously and as much as I owe him a personal debt for his actions on our behalf, as Exalt I must be certain of the sort of individual he is before I can place stock in any courses of action, assumptions, or conclusions that might be derived from his words… especially when my people's safety is at risk."

Robin nodded. "I understand, Your Grace. To answer, I believe I can take Gaius' words for what they are," he said, the words leaving his lips without pause or hesitation. "Even if he might be of a more unscrupulous sort of character than present company and what said company might be used to dealing with, his demeanor in all the times I've interacted with him since last night spoke of a man who held himself to a certain standard of behavior despite his lot in life. Unless he is an actor of incomparable talent, I can say with utter certainty that Gaius is no liar, and certainly no murderer."

His lips suddenly quirked up in a wry smile.

"That said… even if he were cut from a more dishonorable cloth and was just playing us, I still have ways of ensuring his cooperation."

Emmeryn raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Oh? Kindly explain," she said.

Robin shrugged easily. "If you'll remember last night's events, we secured his cooperation with a bag of sweets, Your Grace," he said simply. "He has an almost crippling addiction to sugar, so I'm quite sure that he'll be easy to keep in line. Any sort of business relationship with him will start and end with candy."

Emmeryn's other eyebrow joined the first in its raised position. "Bribery, Tactician Robin?" she asked, making sure her tone of voice let the tactician know exactly what she thought of his suggested method.

Another shrug. "You can call it that, if you wish," he said. "I'd rather consider it an exchange of wants – he wants candy, I want his services and whatever information he has in his head. He and I exchange wants and everyone is happy."

"That is quite the euphemistic turn of phrase, Tactician," came the voice of Phila this time. "But I cannot deny that, as unsavory as they might be, such methods may be necessary in these trying times."

Robin allowed an expression of mock hurt to cross his features. "I'm crying on the inside, Wing Commander. Truly. My heart is wracked with guilt now that I am faced with the true nature of my actions."

The tactician's expression sobered almost immediately. "Allow me to be frank with you all. I want to trust Gaius, and it's not just out of the goodness of my heart or because he offered us a helping hand when we asked – although the latter admittedly does give him some points in my book because no one just puts his or her life on the line. He's the currently the only lead any of us have towards figuring out this mess, and it's highly likely that he will remain the only lead we'll have until we find the traitor. If I'll be completely straight with you, some part of me still thinks you should have treated me with the same amount of caution we're treating him – hell, as much as it drove me up the wall with frustration, I could and still can understand where Sir Frederick was coming from."

He allowed his gaze to pass everyone else present at the table, his eyes lingering on Emmeryn just that slight moment longer. "The Wing Commander put it best: these are trying times. The coming conflict means we no longer have the luxury of choosing how to do things, especially if my hypothesis is proven right and the Halidom's upper ranks have been compromised. If our continued immediate survival demands that I have to resort to a few unsavory means to ensure that I can find the conspirator and protect Your Grace and the Halidom's people, you can be sure that I will take it."

From the look in his eyes, Emmeryn was certain that he would make good on that promise.


"… I'm sorry. That was… unbecoming of me, Lucina," Leon said apologetically, his eyes downcast and staring at his clenched fists almost as if he were ashamed of his own moment of weakness. "I shouldn't have to burden you with my own problems."

Lucina wanted to sigh, but – thinking her brother would misunderstand and further sink into his habit for self-depreciation – simply settled for a minute shake of the head.

"Don't be," she replied, smiling lightly at the irony of having repeated the very words he'd said just the previous evening. "You could never be a burden, Brother."

Leon stared blankly at her for a moment before his lips curled into a grateful smile. Whether he tried to keep an appearance or not, Lucina easily noticed that Leon's smile failed to reach his eyes, clouded as they were with that same unexplainable sorrow that continued to make her heart sink.

"Thanks, Luci…" he murmured, his tone unable to quite hide the inner turmoil he was still undoubtedly feeling. "I appreciate it, truly."

Lucina watched her brother turn his head and gaze away as he spoke, but she still kept a part of her attention on Leon's hands through the periphery of her vision.

They were still balled tightly into fists, and it took a noticeably conscious effort from him to force them to eventually relax.

The cerulean-haired girl kept any distress from reaching her face, instead forcing what she hoped was a convincing smile onto her lips and nodding to indicate her acknowledgement of Leon's voiced appreciation. It wasn't quite what she wanted to see or hear from him…

But it was something. It was a start, hopefully, of his own road to recovery.

At the very least, it was certainly progress on the personal side of things. With their emotional outbursts at having reunited under some semblance of control, Lucina could at least begin thinking clearly again and start addressing some of the issues facing them… including a particularly pressing concern that had been nagging the back of her mind ever since she'd woken up.

"Brother…" she asked, waiting patiently until he'd given her a questioning tilt of the head to indicate he was listening. "Where… where exactly are we?"

Leon averted his gaze and threaded his fingers through the locks of hair framing his face on one side, a nervous tic of his that instantly told Lucina that the answer to the question she'd just asked was likely not going to be something she was going to enjoy hearing.

"Well… you see, about that…"

Lucina frowned. She was definitely not going to like the answer if Leon was acting like this. Her brother was the type of person who would simply say things that he felt needed to be said, so to see him being this hesitant to say anything had her more than curious now.

She raised a hand to the canopy and drew it back so she could take a closer look at the room she had been sleeping in, hoping she could glean any sort of clue as to their current whereabouts.

What she found certainly surprised her, though said surprise had been lessened ever so slightly by the quality of the bed she lay in and the blankets and canopy that shielded her from the elements.

The room's floor was covered in a high-quality, luscious wool carpet with intricate, flowery designs that along with its softness evoked a feeling of stepping through a meadow. The molding where the walls met both floor and ceiling was decorated with finely carved floral patterns showcasing many of the most popular breeds in Ylisse, and Lucina was overcome with a small sense of nostalgia as she recognized some flowers as those that were found in the gardens she'd once called her playground.

"The décor in this room is far beyond what I can recall seeing in any normal inn," she said casually, hoping that she could use a conversation to coax a hint or two out of Leon as she continued to take in the apparent opulence of her – their – overnight residence. "And, as far as I know, we didn't have any gold on us, so the only thing I can think of is that you've managed to convince a kind-hearted noble or wealthy merchant to take us in for a night…"

Leon, unfortunately, didn't bite, prompting a small, inaudible sigh of disappointment from Lucina. 'It didn't hurt to try…'

Turning her attention to the furniture, Lucina was hardly surprised to find more evidence of the aforementioned luxury that surrounded her. The wooden frames employed by the furniture – from the bedside table to the desk and chair and even the coffee table set – were all finely shaped and inlaid with the same floral patterns that decorated the room's wall moldings, further adding to the natural feel that the room's interior decorator was likely going for, while the upholstery on the sofa and chairs were possessed of a subtle elegance and an evident sense of comfort that made itself readily apparent even from just a simple visual inspection.

More than the luxury, Lucina's surroundings all seemed so familiar to the cerulean-haired girl that she couldn't help but feel almost as if…

Lucina suddenly froze as she realized where her line of thought was headed.

'Almost as if it's home…'

"… Brother…" she whispered, eyes wide as the room's décor took on an entirely new significance.

There was no reply.

"… Leon."

He didn't reply once again, and Lucina turned back towards him, only to find his features schooled into an impassive mask.

However, Lucina stared straight into his eyes, and she saw answers to questions she hadn't even asked yet – answers that let her know that one of the few situations she hadn't wanted to happen had come to pass.

"We're… we're home… aren't we…"

It wasn't a question, not after his eyes all but confirmed her own thoughts before she'd even given voice to them.

They were in Ylisstol.

They were home.