Arthur opened his eyes slowly. The Shepherd barracks was still dark, everyone else sleeping peacefully. It was unlike Arthur to wake so early, but his sleep had been restless.

The Shepherds had arrived back in Ylisstol the day before after the five-day journey back from Arena Ferox. Arthur hadn't talked to Robin since the first night of their journey – she had been avoiding him and he had been avoiding her. Robin seemed to have spent most of the journey with her nose in a book. Arthur had busied himself practicing fire magic and hanging out with Sumia, who had talked for hours about herself and Chrom, and her master plan to win his heart with rhubarb pie (Arthur had made fun of this plan quite a lot, but Sumia was intent).

Still, he couldn't get Robin off his mind. He wanted to talk to her. But what can I say? I've finally gotten permission to tell her about Dialga and suddenly she doesn't want to hear! Arthur sighed, regretting not for the first time that he had lied to her about his conversation with Marth. I had to lie, but fuck, it really messed things up. What can I do to make things right? Or is she done with me? Again, Arthur found himself paralyzed by indecision. He wanted to talk to her, but every time he talked to her he felt like he made things worse, and he worried that their next conversation could be the final nail in the coffin of… whatever it was they were. But what if it's already over? Well if that's the case then it's not like I'd lose anything talking to her again. If she isn't interested anymore then how I act doesn't matter anyway, so I should probably operate under the assumption that it's not over. So we have the same question. How do I make things right?

Arthur's thoughts were going in circles, so he decided he needed a distraction. Slipping quietly out of bed so as not to wake the other Shepherd's, he changed covertly into his day clothes, pulled on his cloak, and walked out into the Shepherds practice yard. There, he continued practicing his fire magic.

He had come a long way in the past week – Robin had apparently not been praising him idly when she said he was a natural. While he was still nowhere near the level of Miriel or Robin herself, he could now create fire in his palm and even direct it out at an enemy. He could create an orange-sized ball of flame – probably not enough to kill an enemy outright, but certainly enough to be useful in a fight. Plus, the more he practiced the less he needed the fire tome, and he had realized that if he could create fire easily without the tome he could incorporate it into how he fought with his sword, use it to pressure or intimidate his opponents. Overall, he was very excited to learn magic, and he had been drilling it relentlessly as they traveled (only partly to avoid thinking about Robin).

After a few hours practicing his magic, the Shepherds barracks was beginning to wake. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a bustle of activity, and suddenly a man strode out into the training yard. His satchel and distinctive blue clothing marked him as a member of the Ylissean Couriers, the Halidom's messaging service. Walking into the courtyard, he pulled a letter from his satchel. "Lord Arthur?" asked the courier.

Arthur gestured to himself. "That's me," he responded with a smile, eying the letter and wondering who could have sent it. Courier services were expensive, and there was really only one person who would send him a letter.

"I have a message from His Grace, Duke Uther," said the courier, confirming Arthur's hypothesis. Father. The courier proferred the letter and Arthur accepted it. Bowing, the courier departed, leaving Arthur staring at the sealed envelope. It was sealed with wax bearing his family crest – an Ouroboros, a dragon consuming its own tail. After a moment's consideration, Arthur broke the seal, pulled the letter from the envelope, and read:

Dear son,

I was unhappy to hear of your sudden departure to the mainland, but James informed me of the special circumstances which caused your departure. I am proud that another generation of our family has been called to serve our patron, and I am sure that you are ready for this grave responsibility.

I must remind you, however, that the continent is a den of vipers. There are things we must discuss, things I had meant to tell you before you left Pyrath for the first time. As such, I am departing the island shortly and will meet you in Ylisstol to talk. Await me there.

Until such time as we have spoken, trust no one. Guard your heart, Arthur. There are many on the continent who would seek to use you to their own ends. Until we have spoken, do nothing that cannot be undone.

Love,

Uther III, Duke of Pyrath and Lord of the Sudylissean Isles

Reading and rereading the letter, Arthur found himself puzzled. What do we have to discuss? And what does he mean about not trusting anyone? "Do nothing that cannot be undone"? What the hell does that mean? And he's leaving the island just to talk to me? Why all the cloak and dagger? The letter offered many more questions than it answered – Arthur tucked it into his pocket with a frustrated sigh. As though I needed more to think about. Dialga is cryptic enough – now my father feels the need to contribute some confusion. Gods, can't anything be simple?

Arthur walked into the Shepherds' barracks at found that the others were packing up their things hurriedly. "What's going on?" he asked Stahl.

"Chrom just told us. Plegians crossed the border into the Duchy of Themis, burned down a village, and kidnapped Maribelle from her family's winter estate. Exalt Emmeryn is going to the border pass to negotiate with Gangrel for Maribelle's release – we're going with her for some extra security."

Arthur cursed. The Plegians were escalating tensions, just as he had expected they would. They want a war, even with the Risen? Or are the Risen not a problem for them? Could they be involved somehow? The Risen do seem to be associated with Grima, and so is Plegia – would they really work together with the undead against the living, though? Is Gangrel crazy enough to do that?

Arthur gathered what equipment he would need and walked it over to the Shepherds' convoy, the wagon which waited in the courtyard for their departure. Unfortunately, Robin was also packing her items into the convoy when he got there. Arthur felt his stomach drop as nerves gripped him. Should I say something? I need to at some point. No time like the present.

He walked up next to her, beginning to stow his items in silence. He saw her stiffen next to him before turning and leaving the convoy. "Robin, wait," he said, suddenly gripped by the impulse to speak.

Robin paused and half-turned back towards him. "Yes?" she asked, tone absolutely neutral, face betraying nothing.

"Are you…doing okay?" Arthur asked. The news about Plegia had him concerned about her – Ylisse could be a somewhat xenophobic place towards Plegians, and stirrings of war would do nothing to help on that account.

"I'm doing fine," she said, face still blank. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well I was just worried about you, what with the news about Plegia…" said Arthur. "No one has given you a hard time, right?"

Her voice softened a bit. "No, no one has given me a hard time." As suddenly as her voice had softened, it was back to hard. "There's no need for you to worry about me. You should probably focus on higher priorities."

Higher priorities. Arthur sighed internally at the phrase, regretting having said it himself the last time they spoke. He imagined she had chosen the words carefully. "Robin, I'm sorry about what I said earlier," he said. Seeing that she was listening, he continued. "I didn't mean that you and the Shepherds aren't important to me… I just meant… that other things are important to me too. I lied to you about Marth in the heat of the moment, because I wasn't sure what to prioritize. But I promise I can tell you the truth now, if you'll just let me."

Robin considered the words for a moment, still only half-facing him. "I can't focus on this right now," she finally said. "You distract me, Arthur, and I can't afford to be distracted right now." Not waiting for him to respond, she turned again and strode away.

Okay – that could have gone worse, actually. "I can't focus on this right now" isn't a no. Also – I distract her? Arthur couldn't help but smile at the thought. That might not be a compliment, but I'm going to take it as one.

— Two Days Later —

It was close to dusk, two days after Maribelle's kidnapping, and the Shepherds had finally arrived at the site of the negotiations. They were to be held in what Ylisseans called "The Pass" – the only major pass through the otherwise nigh-impassable mountain range which divided Ylisse and Plegia. As the only convenient route by which an army could pass between the two countries, The Pass had immense strategic value. Over the years of aggression between the two nations both had built heavy fortifications on their respective sides. In between the fortifications lay a no-man's-land – more navigable than any other area of the mountains, and yet still littered with a number of precipitous ravines and ridges.

In the distance, Arthur saw a figure standing on one such ridge. Sunlight glinted off his crowned head and a Levin sword dangled carelessly from his hand. It could only be one person. King Gangrel.

Much of Arthur's education had been in international relations, and Ylisseans scholars in this subject had been fixated on Gangrel for as long as he was in power. Not much was known about him other than that in the aftermath of the Great Crusade a decade previous, his rise to power had been meteoric. In the Great Crusade, Chrom's father, Exalt Lucas, had put every member of the Plegian royal family to the sword. When the Ylisseans withdrew following Lucas' death, they left an immense power vacuum. Gangrel had forged an alliance between what remained of the Plegian nobility and the resurgent Grimleal clergy (whose power was ironically waxing as extremism against Ylisse surged in Plegia). Then he had crowned himself King and begun reforging Plegia into the powerful kingdom it was today.

Now the man himself waited, twirling his sword idly as Exalt Emmeryn, Chrom, and their bodyguards approached his position. Arthur himself among these bodyguards, along with Phila, Frederick, and Robin. As they moved closer, he saw that Gangrel was accompanied by a white-haired woman (scantily clad, as was the Plegian custom) and four fierce-looking axemen.

"Well, well, well," drawled Gangrel as they approached. "The Exalt herself comes to parley with the lowly Plegian King. Your presence honors us, your exaltedness."

"Greetings, King Gangrel," responded Emmeryn, calm and composed as ever despite his sarcastic tone. "We have come to negotiate the release of Lady Maribelle and reparation for the actions of your soldiers."

"Reparation?" asked Gangrel, feigning surprise "That's odd. I don't recall receiving any reparation when Ylisse came into Plegia burning villages. Do you recall anything like that, Aversa?"

"I recall nothing of the sort, your majesty," responded the white-haired woman, presumably Aversa, in a silky voice.

Emmeryn moved to speak but Gangrel spoke over her, brazen. "Hmmm… for that matter, I don't recall burning any Ylissean villages. That would be violating the peace, and there is nothing I love more than peace. But like all good and innocent people in this cruel world, others wish to do violence upon me. Men – bring out the prisoner!"

Several more axeman emerged from the Plegian side of the no-man's-land, escorting Maribelle. Her hands and feet were bound and her face was bruised, but even in such a state she still maintained a regal bearing, head carried high. Gangrel pointed to her and continued speaking. "I heard that one of the border villages had caught fire and sent a detachment of my men to assist in putting it out, in the interest of neighborly friendship. This little lady of yours and her men attacked and killed several of my soldiers before we managed to restrain them."

"Liar!" shouted Maribelle before one of the axemen gagged her. She wriggled against the constraints, shouting incoherently with her mouth muffled by the gag.

"Clearly she still cannot control her violent tendencies," said Gangrel, shaking his head in mock disapproval. "Such an impolite woman. My soldiers have tried to teach her manners," he said, gesturing to Maribelle's bruises. "But clearly the lessons have not yet taken."

Chrom looked ready to kill Gangrel – only Emmeryn's calming hand restrained him. "I understand your concerns, King Gangrel," said Emmeryn, somehow maintaining a calm and respectful tone. "I too believe in peace, but the crime you are describing took place in Ylissean territory. Deliver Maribelle to us, and if she has indeed committed these offenses she will face Ylissean justice."

"Ylissean justice?" said Gangrel, laughing in a decidedly deranged manner. "An oxymoron! No, she has committed crimes against Plegians and as such will face Plegian justice. I think execution a fair punishment for crimes as heinous as hers, wouldn't you agree?"

"I cannot allow that, King Gangrel," said Emmeryn, voice determined. "This woman is a noble of my Halidom. What will it take for her return?"

"I thought you'd never ask!" cried Gangrel. "I ask a small price, really, in return for the many precious human lives this wench has taken. All I ask is the Fire Emblem."

"What do you want with the Emblem?" asked Emmeryn, clearly suspicious of the demand.

"That is none of your concern!" said Gangrel. "But suffice it to say, I believe the Emblem is the only fitting reparation for Ylisse's crimes against Plegia. Plus, my birthday was quite recent and Ylisse sent me no gift! The Fire Emblem is my birthday wish."

"Ylisse has been the Fire Emblem's safekeeper for the last thousand years, holding it in case the world is again threatened," said Emmeryn calmly. "We cannot part with it. Is there anything else you desire that Ylisse could provide?"

"Hmmm," said Gangrel, pretending to be deep in thought. "I am a simple man, your holiness. I only desire that which every Plegian desires." He paused for dramatic effect. "Ylissean blood! I desire it spilled upon the ground, running through the streets. Can you provide me that, Exalt?"

Again Gangrel did not allow Emmeryn a word in edgewise. "Oh wait!" cried Gangrel. "It just so happens I have some Ylissean blood on hand!" He turned to the two axemen standing next to Maribelle. "Off with the wench's head, men!"

At this, no amount of calming from Emmeryn could restrain Chrom. He had already drawn Falchion and leveled it at the axemen. Before anyone could move, however, the air around the delegations changed, becoming unnaturally still. Suddenly wind whipped at the axemen moving towards Maribelle and they fell over as though pushed. A small blue-clad figure emerged from beneath a rocky outcropping, frantically reciting from a light-blue tome – Arthur recognized Ricken, the Shepherds' young mage. As he watched, the boy stowed his tome and ran to Maribelle's side.

Suddenly everything was chaos. Aversa sent a bolt of dark magic at Emmeryn, who Phila deftly pulled out of the way. Chrom tried to charge at the axemen, but was restrained by Frederick, who pulled him back towards the Ylissean fortifications. Aversa and Gangrel made their retreat, with the King giving a final cry: "I have my war!"

Both ends of the pass were bustling with activity, the chaos beginning to radiate outwards, alarm bells tolling the beginning of a war. With the royalty evacuated, however, there were only a few fighters in the no-man's-land. Arthur and Robin were on the Ylissean side of the no-man's-land and Ricken and Maribelle were on the other. Between them were six Plegian axemen. Arthur pulled Rust from its scabbard and saw that Robin had pulled out her sword as well. They exchanged a glance, having both analyzed the situation and seemingly reached the same conclusion. Maribelle wasn't a fighter, and even if she were, her limbs were chained. Although Ricken had skill with magic, he was still a boy, not a trained warrior, and the spell he had just cast had probably exhausted him. They couldn't handle six fighters, and if they were left on the Plegian side, they would be captured or killed. A mutual understanding passed between Arthur and Robin, their own fight forgotten in the heat of battle. They weren't leaving Ricken and Maribelle behind.

Robin released a bolt of lightning, frying the closest Plegian as Arthur charged a cluster of two, warding one away with a flash of fire while he dealt the other a deep slash across the chest. It was the first person Arthur had killed since Southtown, but he didn't have time for mercy – once again, it was kill or be killed. After a brief back-and-forth with the other axeman, Arthur performed another flash of fire and ran the man through the chest while he was distracted – Rust cut through people with sickening ease. Robin had dealt with another Plegian while he fought, as had Ricken. One more remained, but before the Plegian could do anything more an arrow slammed into him from the direction of the Ylissean fortifications. Word must have reached the nearby fortifications that negotiations had broken down, because suddenly soldiers and arrows were streaming into no-man's-land from both directions.

Arthur helped Maribelle to her feet while Robin looked around, analyzing the situation. "Ricken, get to the back lines!" commanded Robin. Ricken started to protest, but Robin cut him off before he could say anything, her tone brooking no argument. "Now!" she shouted. "Get in the back and use your wind tome to knock the Plegian arrows out of the air!" She pushed the Ricken in that direction, and without further objection he and Maribelle ran off towards the Ylissean side.

Arthur surveyed the battlefield. Plegian infantry was flooding out from their fortifications in huge numbers. The cry of wyverns rang through the air as Plegian wyvern riders took flight, and arrows were beginning to fly more thickly through the air. Arthur didn't plan on dying here, and he didn't want Robin to either. "Shouldn't we go to our walls too?" he asked.

"We can't run just yet, Arthur," she said, brow creased in concentration. "The Plegians were clearly prepared for this – they'll probably have a much stronger force here than Ylisse. They'll want to take the Ylissean side – holding those fortifications is the only way to launch a full-scale invasion. The soldiers in our fortresses can hold against long odds, but they need time to prepare. We can give them that time."

"What?" said Arthur, eying the rapidly approaching Plegian forces. "That's crazy, Robin! There are a ton of them! We'll be overrun!"

"We don't need to beat them!" she shouted in response, backing up and taking a combat stance. "The pass is at its narrowest here," she said, eying the surrounding terrain. It was true – where they were standing the pass narrowed to about 20 feet wide, with ravines on either side. Still, 20 feet was too wide for the two of them to hold – maybe if they had three or four more fighters, but two? They would be overrun, surrounded and killed. Robin had clearly already reached the same conclusion and overcome it. She explained. "We can't hold it with our swords – but will they charge into fire?"

Arthur smiled, catching her drift. It was a flawed plan, reliant on the use of magic in which they were still novices and an enemy that behaved predictably, but Arthur trusted Robin. If she said this was necessary, he would do it.

As the first of the Plegian infantry approached their position, Robin let a burst of flame pour forth from her hands in a horizontal line across the twenty-foot pass. Even though Robin was more skilled in magic than Arthur, she had still only been working with fire for a week. The wave fire certainly looked dangerous, but it was very thin. Having tested similar techniques himself, Arthur knew that dispersing the fire so widely would cause it to be much less effective – if the Plegian soldiers walked into it, they would probably suffer only superficial burns, if that. Robin was betting that they would not realize that, and as she created the first wave of fire it seemed that her bet would pay off. The mass of Plegians surged back from the fire fearfully, held at bay for a moment. As the first wave of fire faded and they began to creep forward once again, Robin summoned a second wave and sent them falling backwards over themselves, intent not to fall prey to the intimidating flames.

Arthur watched as Robin summoned wave after wave of fire, awed by her magical endurance. Knowing he would not be able to summon enough fire to fill even this narrow section of the pass, he busied himself lobbing orange-sized balls of fire at any Plegians trying to edge around Robin's flames, which were concentrated in the center of the pass. This continued for about a minute. Arthur thanked the Gods that Ricken existed, as he was still using his wind magic from somewhere in the distance to knock any arrows from the Plegian side of the battle off-course.

Still, there was a problem. Robin was beginning to flag, her waves of fire becoming less and less intimidating. Plus, the Plegians opposite Arthur and Robin were beginning to recover from their initial panic and think. Suddenly one of them had the bright idea to toss their axe at Robin. It was a battle-axe, ill-suited for throwing, but by some misfortune it was on a direct path towards Robin. Time seemed to slow as Arthur saw the axe on a collision course with Robin. Turning as quickly as he could he lunged at the axe, knocking it aside with Rust in a flash of the eye. In doing so, however, he placed himself in front of Robin, preventing her from producing another wave of fire. Arthur turned over his shoulder and saw that, without the continuous stream of fire, the Plegians had begun charging, rapidly covering the small distance that remained between them and the pair of Shepherds.

Again, everything seemed to slow – everything but Arthur's mind. How can we get out of this? The Plegians were already accelerating towards them – Arthur and Robin would not have time to run back the Ylissean positions, nor time to again channel the magical energies. We can't stay here. We can't go back, and we certainly can't go forward. Facing the horde of Plegians would be certain death. Arthur turned in slow-motion, grabbing Robin's hand and pulling her behind him as a desperate plan formed in his mind. There was only one direction to flee where they wouldn't be pursued – to the side, into one of the ravines which formed the edge of the pass. Arthur didn't know how deep either ravine was. Jumping might kill them, but not jumping would kill them. It was the only option.

Pulling Robin's hand, Arthur ran at the ravine on their right. He didn't have time to look over his shoulder, but he could tell Robin was running after him – she must have reached the same conclusion he had. In his other hand he held his sword, and his mind was racing with ways to slow their approaching fall. Too soon, they reached the ravine's edge, the howls of the Plegian army growing rapidly closer to their left. No time to hesitate. Arthur jumped, turning as he did to face the cliff. As he began to fall, he stabbed at the cliff side with his sword, hoping it might slow their fall.

Robin had pulled off her cloak as they ran, and looking up Arthur saw that she was holding it between her hands over her head as they fell. The cloak billowed as they descended, taut with air, and Arthur realized that it must also be slowing their fall.

The ground arrived quickly. Even with Arthur slowing their fall by clawing at the cliffside with his sword and Robin slowing it with her cloak, their impact with the ground was vicious – Arthur landed feet-first, jarred by the impact, and was immediately hit in the back by Robin's falling body. They collapsed face-first to the ground, Robin on top of Arthur's back.

Ow. The impact had hurt, but nothing had snapped. All things told, Arthur considered it an ideal outcome. Still, they weren't safe yet, and although his aching body wanted nothing more than to stay lying there his mind was still racing with fear and his heart still pumping rapidly in his chest.

The weight lifted off his back as Robin rolled off of him . "Arthur!" she said urgently, voice shaking. She shook his shoulder violently – he looked up from the ground and saw her eyes were wild with panic. She seemed to calm a little as she saw his face, and with her help they maneuvered themselves under an overhang in the ravine, where they could not be seen by those standing above.

Arthur evaluated his surroundings. They were at the bottom of the ravine. Craning his neck beyond the overhang, he could see that the pass itself was about 50 feet above them, the nearly sheer face of the ravine wall climbing three or four stories into the air around them. The ground of the ravine was mostly narrow, probably ten feet across, but they were positioned under an overhang which expanded that ground area another five or so feet. To their right, the ravine stretched 20 feet or so before reaching a dead end. To their left, in the direction of the Ylissean fortifications, the ravine continued without a visible end. With dusk having recently fallen, the bottom of the ravine was becoming increasingly dark. Robin created a small fire in her hand, casting a dim, flickering light under the overhang. If Arthur strained his ears, he could make out the sounds of a battle in the distance – shouts, the clanging of metal, the shrieking cries of wyverns. Still, at the bottom of the ravine it was calm. Arthur's racing heartbeat slowed, and he allowed himself a moment of peace. They were safe.

Arthur leaned back against the hard stone wall of the ravine, closing his eyes and pulling his cloak around himself, trying to let himself calm for a moment. Unexpectedly, he felt Robin sit next to him and lean against him. He opened his eyes and saw her white hair in his peripheral. Enjoying the contact and content to ignore the fight they had been having, Arthur put his arm around Robin. He wondered briefly if they should try and make their way out of the ravine, but Robin was the tactician and she seemed content to stay here. Probably smart. Soon it will be fully dark, and we won't be able to climb out of here or find an exit without light. But we can't make too much light without knowing who's winning the battle up on the pass. Even if we could climb out, we'd be climbing right back into a war zone. Best to stay put for now and hope the Ylissean walls hold.

Arthur imagined Robin had already reached the same conclusion. Even though his body was aching in pain from the fall, lying here with his arm around Robin he felt better than he had all week. After an extended period of comfortable silence Arthur realized that, trapped as they were in this ravine, fresh off the rush of nearly dying, he had a perfect opportunity to make amends with her for lying about Marth. Thinking for a moment, Arthur decided that the only remedy for a lie was the truth.

"I'm on a mission from the Time Dragon, Dialga," he blurted out. "They're the patron of my holy blood, and they sent me to the continent because they have an alliance with Naga. Marth is a time-traveling champion of Naga, and Dialga ordered me to work with him because apparently Grima is going to return and try to destroy the world. I didn't tell you about Marth because Dialga told me not to reveal my purpose, and I didn't want to jeopardize my mission."

"Hm," said Robin, processing his words. "Why can you tell me now?"

"I had a… dream, I guess? I spoke with Dialga while I was sleeping… the night after we first kissed. I asked them if I could tell the Shepherds' tactician about my purpose, and Dialga said I could if I thought it was necessary."

"So you want me to know because I'm the Shepherds' tactician?" asked Robin, leaning up and looking into his eyes. It was a leading question.

"Well yes, but…" Stay strong Arthur, a little bit more. "That was really just an excuse." He leaned up as well, closing some of the distance between their faces. The air between them was charged, just as it had been in Arena Ferox. "I need you to know… because…" He choked on the words. How could he convey his feelings? He hardly even knew what they were himself. Did he love her? He wasn't sure. Somehow he expected love to be… purer. More chaste, more clear. This felt different – murky, lustful, obsessive. He wanted her, he was burning for her, and the longer he spent with her the more it consumed his mind. He had to let her know.

Arthur had imagined this conversation taking place in a more romantic setting, not at the bottom of a dark ravine with a battle raging nearby. Still, the events of the last thirty minutes had changed him. A war had just begun, and he and Robin were soldiers in a war zone. The future was uncertain – both of them could be dead by morning. Just be honest, Arthur.

"I felt guilty when we kissed," he said, looking down from her eyes to her lips then back up, voice a sultry whisper. "I'm telling you the truth because we just almost died… I want to kiss you again before I die." Arthur leaned closer, heart pounding in his chest. "And this time I don't want there to be any reason to stop."

Arthur heard Robin inhale a small gasp. He waited a moment, unsure of her reaction. With her face shrouded by the increasing darkness of the ravine, Arthur couldn't read Robin's expression. Gods, I might have just created the most awkward situation imaginable. All was still for a moment, and uncertainty gripped him. What is she going to say?

Luckily for Arthur, she didn't say anything. Robin lurched suddenly forward into him, pressing her lips into his with a frantic intensity – the exact answer he had been hoping for. She pushed her hands against the stone ground of the ravine, driving his back into the hard cliff wall, the force of her lips conveying exactly the emotions Arthur himself had struggled to articulate – frantic, desperate, ravening. All the tension Arthur had been holding over how she thought of him flooded out – he couldn't help but smile, despite his lips being otherwise occupied. He put his hands on her back, pulling her even closer to him, desperately trying to maximize their physical contact.

Robin moved onto his lap, straddling him and linking her arms behind his neck. An electric thrill ran down Arthur's spine as Robin began to involve her tongue in their kiss. Arthur remembered Virion had called this sort of thing a Rosanne kiss, and had gone into… uncomfortable detail about the proper technique. At the time Arthur had wondered what the appeal was – in truth he was fairly inexperienced, other than a few chaste kisses with some Pyrathi village girls. Now, with Robin, he understood the appeal. Clasping his hands around her waist, Arthur let instinct take over, basking in the moment, letting his own tongue explore and his hands slide down her body.

"Ahem"

.

..

…

Someone in the ravine had cleared their throat, and obviously it had not been Arthur or Robin. Horrified, the two broke apart, looking to the sound of the voice – Robin remained straddling Arthur, turning over her shoulder, Arthur beneath her and craning to the side to look past her. The ravine was bathed in torchlight – they must have both missed that while… distracted. Standing in the center of the ravine, holding a torch which illuminated her beet-red face, stood Sumia.

"S-sorry!," Sumia squeaked, covering her eyes with one hand. Clearly uncomfortable, the pegasus knight let forth a rapid stream of words to explain her sudden appearance. "We saw you guys fall into the ravine! We've been holding off the Plegian attacks at the fortress but there's been a lull in their attacks so Chrom told me to fly down here and look for you guys and make sure you were okay!"

Finishing the run-on sentence, Sumia drew in a breath. Arthur and Robin exchanged a glance. Arthur found himself at a loss for words – Robin, however, was a master of making plans under pressure. She stood quickly, brushing herself off and adopting a casual tone. "Sumia! Boy are we glad to see you!" she said, giving the pegasus knight a quick hug. "But…what are you sorry for?"

This question clearly made Sumia even more uncomfortable. "F-for… interrupting… you guys," she squeaked out.

"Interrupting?" asked Robin, feigning cluelessness. She glanced back at Arthur quizzically. "Interrupting what? Oh… you thought? You thought we were…?" Now Robin feigned beginning to have an uncomfortable realization. She blushed, acting flustered as though suddenly understanding Sumia's implication (can she blush on command?). "Gods, no, Sumia! I was just trying to check Arthur's pupils! His head took a little hit during our fall – I was worried he might have a concussion, and Lissa told me that when people get concussions their pupils dilate to different sizes." Robin laughed as though finding the whole misunderstanding funny. The display was impressive really, although Arthur found it just a small bit unsettling how well Robin could lie. If he hadn't intimately known the truth, he would have believed she was being completely authentic.

"Oh!" said Sumia, recovering from her embarrassment. "Sorry…it's pretty dark down here… I guess I've been reading too many romance books," she said with a nervous laugh. "Are you okay, Arthur? I've been so worried about the two of you!"

Arthur rose from the ground, rubbing his head to support the concussion narrative Robin had spun. "I think so," he said, shrugging. "The fall was pretty rough, but luckily neither of us broke anything."

"Oh good," said Sumia, breathing a sign of relief. "And you can both walk alright?" she asked. They nodded. "Then follow me."

Holding her torch aloft, Sumia led them down the length of the ravine in the direction of the Ylissean fortifications. After a few minutes of walking they arrived at the ravine's end, where Sumia's pegasus waited, hoofing the stone ground impatiently. It whinnied a greeting. "Hush now, Caeda," said Sumia, stroking the pegasus's mane comfortingly. "We're back."

Sumia turned back to the two of them. "Caeda can't take three people. I'll take you one at a time. Robin, you're first – Chrom said they need you for a tactical meeting while the Plegians have stopped attacking." Sumia mounted her pegasus, extending a hand down to Robin and pulling her up. Without further ado, the pegasus kicked off the ground, powerful wings creating gusts of air which whipped at Arthur's hair. Arthur marvelled at the steed as it receded into the distance. He loved pegasi. One of his favorite books as a child had been 101 Pegasus Facts – pegasi were smarter than ordinary horses, creatures of magic. An ordinary creature of their mass would never be able to fly, but they did by naturally channeling wind magic through their wings. Arthur had been devastated when he found out that men could not ride them.

Why am I thinking about pegasi? What the fuck just happened with Robin? Are we a thing now? Why does she care whether Sumia knows? Arthur had been embarrassed when Sumia appeared, but he had already told her he was interested in Robin. Her catching him and Robin making out would have been very embarrassing, but not unacceptably so from his point of view. Technically it was rather scandalous for a Duke's son to be caught in such a situation, but Sumia was a friend and a peer – it's not like she would have gossiped about it. Still, Robin's first instinct had been to lie, and Arthur found it slightly concerning how well and how easily the lie came to her. I guess she doesn't want people to know about us. It was probably a smart policy. In Ylisse, premarital relations were a complicated taboo, expected to occur but discouraged from occurring openly. A nobleman like him was not truly expected to abstain from premarital relationships, but he was expected to perform them covertly, out of respect to his future spouse. He supposed, in retrospect, that he hadn't thought much about what a relationship with Robin would mean for his life. We'll have to keep things secret, for now.

Still, he was worried about the feasibility of keeping things secret. He was into her and she was into him, and now that they both knew it he wanted to lean into it – he wanted to hold her hand, hug her, cuddle with her. Even now he missed her. Gods, what the hell is happening to me? The feelings were… a little disconcerting, really. Honestly, Arthur had met this girl two weeks ago, and suddenly he felt as though all his thoughts were about her. It's all happening so quickly. How am I going to feel in another two weeks? He had never felt so… exposed… vulnerable. He felt like Robin already had his heart in her hand, like she could crush it on a whim, and suddenly he wasn't sure whether he wanted it there at all. Can I trust her? I think so. I mean, I trust her with my life on the battlefield. Aren't the stakes in a relationship lower than a battlefield? Somehow he felt more unsafe in this situation than in a fight. I mean, what's the worst that could happen in a battle? He could die – a short period of pain, but after that it wasn't his problem. No, dying was not the worst fate from a battlefield. The worst fate was to be permanently broken.

Arthur had seen men brought back from the Great Crusade like that. They had lost arms, legs, hands, feet, eyes, ears. But they had also lost something else, something much harder to define. Arthur wasn't sure what it was, but something had changed within the soldiers who came back. They were more cautious, more fearful. Maybe they had lost their sense of security. Maybe they had realized how fragile they really were, how easily the cords that held them together could be cut. No, this was no different from a battlefield. Arthur felt the same insecurity, the same gnawing worry at the realization that he was not invulnerable, that he could be broken beyond repair.

Best not to dwell on it. Let's go back to thinking about pegasi. They're opportunistic carnivores, did you know that? Mostly they eat plants, and they don't go out of their way to hunt, but they'll chomp a robin out of the sky if it flies in front of their mouth. Or a bluebird, or a pigeon. Any little bird or mammal really. Not robins specifically. No need to think about robins. The topic, however, was already on his mind. Robins were all over Pyrath. Arthur had always liked them, although his father hated them. His father called the birds "sky rats" and had told Arthur that they carry all sorts of diseases. Hopefully he wouldn't mind Robin herself. Gods, let's think about something else. This train of thought is going in an unpleasant direction.

Arthur breathed a sigh of relief as his thoughts were interrupted by the approaching sound of wingbeats. Looking overhead, he saw Sumia descending into the ravine on her pegasus, landing with a graceful clop. Sumia gestured for him to mount behind her, helping him with one hand. Once he was mounted behind her, Sumia kicked her heels lightly into the pegasus's flank. Suddenly Arthur felt the muscles of the pegasus tighten beneath him and it kicked off of the ground forcefully, soaring into the air. Wind whipped past Arthur's face as the ravine floor dropped beneath them. For the second time in the past hour, Arthur found himself unable to conceal a smile – he was flying. His exhilaration mounted as the ravine walls disappeared beneath them. Their ascent continued into the sky, and against Arthur's better instincts, he looked down.

His first impression was fire. It was night, and the most visible aspect of the ground was fire. Fires burned throughout the pass – torches intermittent along the Ylissean wall, sprawling campfires of an Plegian army assembled in the pass, plus a few wildfires raging behind Ylissean lines and scattered in the scrublands around the pass. It was quiet now, but it was clear that a vicious battle had recently been fought in the area. Still, Arthur and Robin seemed to have been successful – the Plegian surprise attack had not taken the Ylissean border fortress. As long as they held this position, Ylisse could not be invaded, and the most dangerous time had been the first few minutes, before the Ylissean soldiers were ready. Already messengers had likely been sent summoning support to the fortress. Arthur felt relief flood through his body, releasing a stress he hadn't known he had been holding.

It was a short ride after that – the ravine ended very near the Ylissean border fortifications. Sumia landed on their side of the wall, allowing Arthur to dismount before dismounting herself. Without warning Sumia suddenly hugged Arthur, burying her face against his chest in an unprecedented gesture. "I'm really glad you're okay, Arthur," she said, voice cracking. "I was on the walls and I saw you guys fall and I was just … so worried." Outside of the ravine the moon bathed the night in light. When Sumia pulled her face out from his chest, he could see that she had been crying. A sudden strong protective impulse overcame him – Arthur had always wanted a sister, and over the past few weeks he had started to view Sumia in that way.

"Hey," he said, trying to put on his most comforting voice. What can I say? I did almost die, but I had to do it. Sensing that explanation would do no good, he simply hugged Sumia tightly, patting her gently on the back. "We're alright now. Everyone's alright."

Sumia sniffled, disengaging from him and wiping the tears from her face with the back of her hand. "Sorry," she said. "I shouldn't be acting like this. Pegasus knights don't cry."

Arthur shrugged. "Sure they do," he said. "One's crying in front of me right now. I'm not going to judge you for having emotions, Sumia. I'm sure I'd be a wreck if I thought you might've died."

"Really?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Uh…yeah?" he said, surprised by her insecurity and again feeling a protective urge to reassure her. "Of course I would, Sumia. You're a good friend, and I care about you. It doesn't make you weak to worry when someone you care about is in danger."

Sumia wiped away the last of her tears, drawing in one long and determined sniffle. "Thank you, Arthur," she said. "And for the record, consider yourself forbidden from dying in the future."

"I'll try to remember that during the next battle," he said with a laugh. Looking around, his mind wandered to the topic it so often went to these days. "By the way Sumia, where did Robin go?"

He expected this change of topic to earn him some teasing from Sumia, but she must have still been getting over her worry. She pointed to a large stone building built into the wall. "They're talking strategy in the keep. Robin should be there."

"Okay, I should go talk to her," he said, hoping Sumia wouldn't ask any specifics. "Talk to you later!" he said, walking quickly in the direction she had indicated.

Arthur made his way into the keep and found the Ylissean leadership assembled around a large rectangular table with a map on it. Robin was talking as he entered, pointing to points on the map as she did so. "We should also send detachments to these villages along the western border, and reinforce the southern ports" she said. "They can't invade without the pass, but if I were Gangrel I'd start sending detachments of wyverns across the mountains to raid, and I'd send my navy against our southern coast. He has to break through here, so he'll be doing anything to draw our attention away."

When she finished, the Ylissean generals erupted into a chorus of objections. "How does this girl know what the Plegians will do?" asked one general. "She looks Plegian herself! Your majesty, we cannot afford to spread our troops so thin! We should rally our army here and force these desert rats back from where they came!"

"That is enough, my lords," said Emmeryn, her calm voice silencing the cacophony. "Robin's advice is sound. My brother trusts her, as do I. Do as she has advised."

"Your majesty, please!" said one of the generals, a woman with a long scar across her face. "Even if she can be trusted, what knowledge does she have of warfare? Everyone else here has experience warring with Plegia. The best way to stop this war is to deal them a resounding defeat early, otherwise they will bleed the Halidom dry!"

"I know of your previous experience, generals," said Emmeryn, voice colder than Arthur had ever heard it previously. "I'm sure my father listened intently to your experienced advice. But I am not my father. Winning this war will win us nothing – the only true victory is in ensuring future peace, and we will not do that by attacking. Let the Plegians attack and let us defend our borders. Let them see that we wish only to defend ourselves, and before long they will realize that bloodshed benefits no one."

The general who had questioned Robin's loyalty stood from the table. "I admire your ideals, your majesty," he said, voice cutting. "I hope they are worth the Ylissean lives that they will cost. I must return to my territory and gather my levy. May I be dismissed?"

"You may," answered Emmeryn, voice restrained. The man strode from the room, cape billowing behind him. Emmeryn waited for him to leave before continuing. "The rest of you are dismissed as well. Summon your troops and await orders from Ylisstol." The assembled generals stood, most of them bowing to the Exalt, and excited the room. This left Emmeryn, Chrom, Robin, and Frederick – plus Arthur. With the generals gone, Emmeryn allowed her shoulders to fall, sinking into her chair with a sigh. "May I speak privately with my brother?" she asked them – it was an invitation to leave.

Robin, Frederick, and Arthur bowed and left the room. Frederick said something about checking on Lissa and dismissed himself, leaving Arthur and Robin alone outside the gathering hall.

"So, we're heading back to Ylisstol?" asked Arthur, content to avoid the elephant in the room.

"Looks that way," said Robin, eying him curiously. "Did you want to… talk about something?" she asked with a conspiratorial smile.

"Actually I did," said Arthur. "I just wanted to check whether you wanted to keep… this… a secret."

"I think that would be best, for now," said Robin. "People would talk, and I…" she hesitated for a second and then continued. "I just don't want them to know yet."

"Well, I don't think we need to lie to Sumia," said Arthur. "Honestly, I told her I was interested in you a week ago."

"You told her?" asked Robin, suddenly suspicious. "Why?"

"Because… I don't know… I wanted to confide in someone. And I like Sumia. She lent me a smutty romance novel, and we've been friends ever since."

"Uh oh," said Robin, sidling closer to him with a lascivious grin. "Do I detect a rival? Should I be worried?"

"Bah," said Arthur, dismissing the question without a thought. "Not unless my name were Chrom."

"Good to know," said Robin, sliding to his side and leaning against his shoulder. Her voice dropped into a whisper as she leaned close enough that he could feel her breath on his ear. "Because I don't share."

(Author's Note: Don't know how to move your relationships forward? Just get trapped in a ravine together! Works ten times out of every ten times that it works. Don't know in what situation you would fall into a ravine? Just contrive one for the sake of plot. Oh, what's that? You don't have plot contrivances in real life? Fuck you. Contrive your life. Take someone on a date in a ravine-infested area (Mt. Everest, for example) and 'accidentally' slip into one. Trust me bro, it'll definitely work. Report results in the comments, but only if they were good. I take no responsibility for any broken necks or spines.

Anyway, I had a lot of fun writing this chapter – I hope the mountain pass scene was clear enough. I have very specific pictures of these things in my head, but just let me know if I need to be more detailed. Honestly the fights are the part of the story I'm least attached to. They're more of a backdrop for the drama, and boy this chapter had a lot of drama – passive aggression, cryptic letters, near-death experiences, Sumia cockblocking Robin, Robin gaslighting Sumia. Trust and believe that this is only the beginning. I want this story to break the Scoville scale.

Also, let's hear it for Arthur experiencing puppy love. I was kind of channeling my own experience here – sometimes infatuation is a little bit scary, really. I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, it can be kind of nice. On the other hand, I'm a really rational person, and being so influenced by hormones makes me feel not myself, like an animal or an automaton. It makes you realize how malleable your mind is and how much it's ruled by your body. It's an uncomfortable realization, or at least it was for me.

Also also shout out to everyone who has left comments. I do read them and I do often incorporate suggestions. This is the longest chapter I've written, and I definitely wouldn't have kept writing without the positive feedback.

Song: Acquainted - The Weeknd)