Chapter 20 – Calm Before the Storm


To Rose's satisfaction, Morgana settled well with their group of misfits. The family only told Phila and Emmeryn of Morgana's full history. They even told them of her rightful claim to the throne of Plegia. To the Shepherds, they told of their ties to House Nordion to explain Mystletainn and Ignis. As a sign of trust, Morgana told them of her role as the tactician of the Plegian army during Augustus' Crusade.

Before anyone could get angry at her, she did point out to look at the history and timeline of the war. She pointed at the date she left her post. Her strategies allowed both armies suffered light losses during her time as tactician. Morgana feared heavier losses would only make things worse. After she deserted her post, Augustus finally pushed deep into Plegia. But her replacement made Ylisse bleed for every inch of ground it took. This culminated with the ceasefire after the death of King Augustus and Queen Elissa.

In the end, no one could say anything against her. After all, why blame her for leaving to save her children from a zealot father? Even Vaike didn't protest her presence. Especially after tasting her food, which everyone loved. They also loved all the embarrassing stories she had about Robin's teenage years. Much to Rose's horror, Morgana had gained some stories about her from their shared memories.

The nobility had their reservations with yet another Plegian getting close to the Royal Family. Their accusations ceased when Chrom reminded them of the roles the twins had in the war. He insisted that their mother was more than welcome into the castle and that was the end of that. Rose was glad she didn't need to have any noble suffer an accident if they planned something against her mother.

In no time she had earned the love of the Shepherds with her charming personality. Much to everyone's surprise, Emmeryn and Morgana took to each other like a house on fire. Morgana's character and motherly nature was something Emmeryn missed for herself. It also helped that the older woman jumped to help with the wedding preparations. Tiki assisted too if only to keep busy while Phila and Rose took care of the security planning.

In the meantime, these were not the only celebrations going on. Cordelia and Stahl married just a few days after their return. Rose was glad Cordelia had moved from her crush on Chrom to the one that she knew would make her happier. It seems that having her fellow Pegasus knights support instead of the guilt of her deeds did that trick. Other couples were using the opportunity to plan their own weddings.

Days after their arrival, Rose 'fixed' Tharja. To an extent, at least. There is no fixing that mess. The mage had her old personality back. Rose kept the mental blocks on her knowledge of Grima, and added a little hypnosis to she didn't become too obsessed with Robin nor practice black magic on her children. Might not be the most ethical choice she has made, but she could live with it. At least this allowed Tharja's nice side to not be overcome by her obsessive darker one. She had goodness in her, after all. Rose got rid of the giggling, though. She already had enough nightmares.

Speaking of nightmares, Morgana took over Robin's training. This allowed Rose to focus on establishing an information network. Sadly, it required a lot more paperwork than she had done in years. It reminded Rose of her time as a grandmaster, sorting the mess that had been Ylisse after the war.

Why did she accept this position again?

Ah, right, because it was the right thing to do for her kind-of-sister-in-law. That and the salary.

Well, at least that kept her focused on a few tasks. Unlike her brother.

Between his responsibilities and having the tard beaten out of him by their mother, Robin had also started to spend more time with Tiki. The Voice had decided to stay longer in the capital, now that the war in Valm is about to heat up. They chose to reveal Tiki's identity to Robin to add another layer of veracity to her story.

Maybe she should've have thought that through since Robin almost got a stroke once he realized he went on a date with the daughter of Naga. He got worse when he remembered how he complimented her with corny words, and even got a kiss from her. In the cheek, but still.

His reaction amused Tiki. To calm him down, she told him that had been the most enjoyable outing she had in centuries. This didn't help Robin's embarrassment, though. That was a fun afternoon.

At least Tiki managed to calm him down and introduce herself properly. She insisted that she wasn't that different from 'Lily' so they could still be friends. They were getting quite friendly with one another. They had taken to talking about books and history, or simply walking around the city. It was sickeningly sweet, though nothing compared to Aedan and Emmeryn. Those almost made her want to vomit sometimes, in a good way if there is such a thing.

Although… She had heard he had accepted some invitations from Devola and Popola. This before he had gotten closer to Tiki, of course. It seems the visits had become less frequent as of late. Something to check out on later. Well, at least he would be getting experience on many topics, other than tactics and fighting.


"Now then. I want to see what you are capable after your time with the Shepherds," Morgana exclaimed far too cheerfully for Robin's liking. His mother was wearing boiled leather armor and breaches, with gloves and boots to match. She had her hair pulled into a braided bun, making her look just like her daughter. She didn't look out of place in the castle's training grounds. No one would suspect her of being a farmer for so long, though she did have the muscles to show for it. Robin wore a similar outfit, discarding his coat. Later he would start wearing heavier armor to get used to the extra protection.

The sight of the duo had caught the attention of many that walked past the training grounds. This was the woman that held off Augustus for three years and evaded the Grimleal for decades. Not only that, but she also raised Robin into the fine tactician that protected them. And despite growing up apart, she also helped shape Rose into whatever the hell was. The monster.

She handed him a blunt copy of Mystletainn to train safely while he gets used to the weight. They also practiced harnessing the power of Ignis. While he disliked the link to Grima, he couldn't deny the tactical advantages.

"I mean, I understand that you want to teach me what I missed when I left, but, um..." he said while rubbing his neck. "Are you sure, mom?" He might not remember everything, but surely, he never fought his mother… right?

"My little chick," she said in a sweet tone that fooled no one. "Are you afraid of your dear ol' mother?"

"I don't want to hurt you," Robin said, though their audience thought it was the other way around.

Something flashed in Morgana's eyes and she smiled. "It's sweet that the Slayer of the Mad King is so worried about his dear mother's well-being, but you shouldn't". She closed the distance with him in a moment, bringing her sword down on his hasty block that rattled his bones. "I can handle myself," she whispered into his ear, making his spine turn into ice.


"Ohh! How long did he last this time?" Gaius asked with a cringe at the scene. Robin crashed on the ground as his sweet mother slammed the pommel of her sword on his face. This was the twelfth time the scene repeated itself.

"Fifty-four seconds," Miriel said as she noted the time in her book. In its pages were the records for each round between the mother and son. Along with the methods used by the woman and the injuries sustained by their tactician. Looking at her notes she nodded. "New record. Most impressive."

"Ah! You are improving fast! You used to only last thirty seconds before you left home! I'm so proud of my baby boy!" Morgana cooed, gaining awkward laughs from the Shepherds.

"Whaa...?" Robin asked, blinking at the stars that appeared in front of his eyes.

Frowning, Morgana turned to the benches. "Lady Lissa, if you would be so kind as to heal my son? We don't want him to lose his memory again."

"Of course!" Lissa said, grabbing one of her staves and waving at the thief next to her. "Gaius, help me move Little Chick t–"

"Stop calling me that..." the tactician growled at the princess.

"–o the bench!" she said, ignoring his protests.

The thief complied, getting a closer look at the tactician and wincing. "I think his nose is broken."

Lissa waved her staff and frowned. The soothing light did reduce the bruising, but not by much. "I will need a stronger staff. I think it's enough training for today, Miss Morgana."

"Oh, that had to hurt."

Turning to the origin of the voice, the group saw Rose looking at her brother with sympathy and amusement. She was not wearing her coat today, instead only a simple shirt, trousers, and leather boots.

"Hmm, agreed. I think that's enough training for you, son," Morgana said before turning to her daughter. "What do you say, Rose? Are you up for a round with your mother?"

"Are you sure?" Rose said, her tone implying something that the audience could not decipher.

Morgana took a more serious look. "I want to see how you grew while you were away. No magic for now. Nor our family's little trick," she said taking her stance and preparing for the fight.

"Fair enough," Rose said, putting a simple leather vest and arm-guards. She then took a training sword from the rack that was like her regular weapon. Testing its weight, she nodded and got into her stance.


Having been on the receiving end of that ass-kicking before, Rose knew better than to underestimate her mother. She still figured she could fare far better than the pitiful sack of bruised meat her brother had become. Narrowing her eyes in focus, she tried to remember all the practice sessions she had with her mother.

Both had been younger at the time, with physical strength favoring Morgana back then. Now, Rose should far surpass her in that regard, but she's aware her mother never showed all her tricks. It's not like she could, or would, go all out on her mother, but she had some reputation to uphold. She might be strong, but Rose wasn't taking any chances.

"Alright, it won't be as easy as Robin, though," Rose said, succeeding in hiding the nerves she's feeling. Say what you want, Morgana had ingrained respect and fear in her soul since she was a child.

"And I won't go as easy on you as I did with him," Morgana said with a tone that promised pain, earning a cry of protest from her son.

The two circled each other, looking for openings. Rose looked at her mother's eyes for any tells, but it was as if she was carved of stone. There was barely a muscle twitch before Morgana dashed to her, slashing at her midsection, only to have her strike parried. The dance continued for six minutes as the women got used to each other's fighting style. Morgana had her own mix of styles, just like Rose. The older woman easily matched her skill, much to her surprise. Her mother had more up her sleeve than she suspected.

"Damn, mom. I knew you were good, but this?" Rose asked, shocked. Her own body was stronger than that of a normal human, Ignis constantly running through her veins. And yet her mother was easily matching her blow for blow. Sure, she wasn't tapping into her draconic power in full, but damn if that farm work did not make up for a decent equalizer.

Morgana smiled, twirling her sword in a playful taunt. "Oh, my little flower, who do you think took care of the bandit raids on the village all those years? Or trained those poor excuses for guards for the garrison? Or dispatched those poachers that wanted take what little cattle we had?"

Ah, that explained those days she went away, leaving Rose alone at the farm in her early youth. While growing up, she thought she was spending time with Mr. Rodrick down the road for… other reasons. She shuddered at that and locked the idea far away in her mind.

Taking advantage of her momentary lapse of focus, Morgana put pressure on her daughter with quick attacks. The tactician grunted as she blocked with some effort. Rose moved to counterattack, but her mother was exceptionally fast for her age. Morgana pushed back her attack, feinting twice and stabbing at her midsection.

With a curse on her lips, the younger woman twisted out of the way and lashed out with a kick. It didn't hit her target as her mother, using her sword to keep her own at bay, caught the leg with a grunt. Morgana twisted the grip of her sword and pushed Rose's blade downwards. She then thrust the fist around the hilt towards her daughter.

Rose caught her mother's fist to the side of her face. Using her free leg, she kicked her mother away and put some distance between them. Spitting blood on the floor, much to their audience shock, the tactician glared at her mother.

"Ready to yield?" Morgana asked with no small amount of cockiness. No fair, that was her thing! Rose growled. "Oh, it's on!"


"Bubbles?" Gaius asked, having dragged his friend to the bench as he watched the two women trade blows. It's like watching two angry Fredericks fighting each other.

"Yeah?" the tactician managed to slur out as Lissa used various staves to heal his wounds as she looked back and forth from the duel.

"The women in your family scare the shit out of me," he said, earning nods from the others. They watched Rose strike Morgana's stomach, only for her mother to grab her arm and flip her over her shoulder. Rose rolled with the hit, dodging the downward slash and pushing herself to her feet, ready for another go.

Robin could only grunt in agreement. Better they don't find out about Aversa…

Maybe he could get his mother to help Chrom master Aether while they trained with Ignis. He knew his friend was trying after watching Marth use it. That was still a mystery, though

That would be fun.


"I'm telling you, Emm, I don't need help talking with women!" Chrom declared in exasperation. The siblings walked the hallways of the castle towards the training grounds. They had heard of the sparring session between Robin and Morgana and decided to watch. Unfortunately for the prince, her sister thought it was the best time to discuss something they had postponed long enough. "Look! I'm talking with you perfectly fine!"

"...I am your sister, Chrom. It's not the same," Emmeryn responded, unamused. "And I am not talking only about your blunders with Lady Rose and Lady Morgana. I remember what you said to Lady Mormont during the New Year Banquet."

He grimaced. "Maybe complimenting the thickness of her arm muscles was not the best way to start a conversation, but–"

The pair jumped back in shock as the door to the training grounds exploded in a shower of debris. Chrom immediately jumped in front of Emmeryn, Falchion ready to face any threat. Only his discipline and trust in the castle's improved security had stayed his hand.

Once the dust settled, the royal siblings were treated to a sight no one had seen before.

Rose laid upside down against the wall, her eyes wide and her expression one of stupefied disbelief. Her sword laid embedded in the stone floor in front of her.

"Don't underestimate your dear old mother, little flower!" Morgana's voice called from the courtyard.

Emmeryn and Chrom looked up from the gaping tactician, whose body slowly slid from the wall to the floor and stared at each other. A mutual understanding sparked between the two. Something they haven't felt since they were children before they were shackled by the weight of their responsibilities. An unspoken set of rules and customs that every sibling knew. And there was only one way to decide who would win this silent challenge.

"Dibs," said Emmeryn, quick as a whip.

"Di– Aww, Come on Emm! You already got Rose!"

"And you have Robin. Not to mention that Rose accompanies you as my proxy during large missions," she retorted. Chrom narrowed his eyes. "You only want her because of the pastries she makes."

"I have no idea of what you are implying," Emmeryn denied, head held high despite the rosy tint on her cheeks. "And I doubt she desires fieldwork. A job around the castle is a better choice."

Her brother stared for a moment, before sighing. "...Fine, but if she makes more of those blueberry cheesecakes while I'm away, you better save me some."

Emmeryn smiled as her brother's grumbles, enjoying her victory. Things had certainly gotten livelier in the castle since that family came into their lives. And those pastries taste heavenly.


Cynthia had been anticipating the news of the royal wedding. They all were, especially Lucina, who anxiously waited to see her parents' wedding. So, when the announcement came they all cheered. It quickly stopped when they realized it was to be the wedding of Lady Emmeryn Lowell and Aedan Amell. From what Laurent said, the groom was a scholar of renown, who in their time died during the attack on the capital. They seemed like a good match in her opinion, and she would love to see the public part of the ceremony.

Someone disagreed, though.

"Nononono, this is all wrong," Lucina cried as she pulled her hair. She's a mess. Cynthia had never seen her this distraught. Sure, she had lost her temper a few times after harsh defeats, and badly at that, but she could understand. Lucina was always calm, but the changes on the timeline have only deepened her existential crisis. "It should be my parents' wedding! Are they not getting married? I won't be born¡ What if I do disappear?! Will time collapse in a paradoxical self-implosion?!"

Cynthia was honestly surprised Lucina knew those words.

"There is always multiverse theor–"

"Shut up, Laurent!" shouted Severa from her seat near the fire. "Gawds, Lucina! Get a hold of yourself! This is getting annoying!"

"What is all this ruckus," growled Gerome, coming out of his tent with an air of annoyance.

The pigtailed brunette sighed as she stood up and proceeded to reason with Lucina. Using the same method as before, of course. It worked last time, so she might as well do it again.

"Cynthia!" her friends shouted in alarm.

Looking at the unconscious princess, she muttered. "Drats, forgot the open palm again..."

Hopefully, the others are having a better time in town.


"Why do I have to look for the flowers for the bouquet and crown? Isn't that something more up Lissa's or Maribelle's alley?" Chrom muttered to himself as he made his way through Ylisstol's markets. His sisters had tasked him of all people to look for a bouquet of flowers for her. Shouldn't this be something they had already organized? Why did they think he had an eye for such things?

No, he knew it was to get him out of the room. Emmeryn getting married made his protective instincts go into overdrive. He didn't dislike Aedan. He couldn't think of someone worthier of his sister now that he was aware they have been infatuated with each other. For a long time as he found out.

It's the principle of the matter.

Chrom sighed in defeat as his own thoughts and focused on his task. "Oh well, how hard can it be? Just ask a florist for a nice wedding bouquet, no big deal."

Silently, he was glad this was the only thing he had to do for the preparations. A month was barely enough time to organize such an event like a royal wedding. And he didn't want to deal with Maribelle and Lissa right now.

Finally, a store caught his eye. It was a large building instead of the collection of stalls that littered the marketplace. The front was cleared, and he could easily see through the windows. They had a wide selection of items, from weapons to toys, but most importantly the biggest collection of flowers he had found all afternoon. Making his decision he opened the door and walked inside.

The store was nearly empty of customers, being already late in the day, just with a few of the staff and guards. At the door were two young myrmidons whose features reminded him of Lon'qu. 'They must be from Chon'sin. They are rather young, though, especially the girl. Why are they working as guards?' Before he could give it any more thought the owner of the store came forward to welcome him rather enthusiastically.

"Welcome! Welcome!" the vendor greeted. He was a young man with red hair and an easy smile. "Welcome to Alann's General Store! I'm Alann, the owner. I did not expect the honor to serve the prince of Ylisstol after only being open for a couple of months! How can we help you, your highness?"

"Please, just Chrom is fine," he said, shaking the man's hand.

"Lord Chrom, then," Alann said with an easy smile that reminds him of Anna. "My mother always said to be respectful to your clients and their status."

The prince smiled in response, understanding his professional reasoning. "Fair enough."

"Now then! How can we be of help to you today?"

"I'm looking for flowers for my sister bouquet and wedding crown. I saw outside you have quite the selection and I hope you can help me decide," he said, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "I'm afraid I'm not the most knowledgeable person when it comes to such things, but I couldn't say no to my sisters."

"I understand, Lord Chrom," the red-haired man said, nodding as he guided the prince through the store. "Arianne is our florist. She can help you with anything flower related. I dare say she is one of the best in the whole city!" he added with pride before shouting, "Arianne! We got a big client for you!"

A reply came from the back of the flower section, "Coming, sir!"

As the florist stepped into view. Chrom had to admit the woman was. She had shoulder-length blonde hair held in a simple white bandana, framing her clear blue eyes, with freckles dusting her rosy cheeks. Quite a different sight from the painted noble ladies or even his more feminine comrades, but still quite beautiful in a simple way. It was even more charming when her doe eyes widened in shock at the sight of the royal.

"Arianne, this is Prince Chrom," Alann said with mirth in his voice as he introduced the dumbfounded girl to the royal. Clearly, her boss enjoyed her reaction. "He is looking for help in choosing something from our selection of flowers."

"A pleasure to meet you, Lady Arianne."

The florist waved her hands in front of her nervously. "P-Please, milord! I'm no lady, just a simple florist."

"Alann said otherwise. He insists you are the best florist in the city. I'm hoping you can help me with a special order. I need flowers for Emmeryn's wedding bouquet as well as her flower crown."

The girl took a moment to process his words before her mouth dropped in shock. "That's such an honor!" She squeaked. "Oh, Alann… Milord, h-he's exaggerating about my skills, but I will do my best to assist you with this honor."

'Goodness, it's like talking to Olivia,' he thought with amusement. She started guiding him through the selection of flowers. The girl gained more confidence as she explained the nature, origin, meaning, and symbolism of each flower. There was so much to about that he didn't even imagine that made him glad he didn't pick some random bunch and be done with it. He would've probably chosen some funeral flowers or something.

"You are quite knowledgeable about flowers," he complimented.

The young blonde woman blushed, hiding her freckles from view. "W-Well… I grew up in a village outside the capital. My family owns a farm that produces many things, but we pride ourselves on our flowers. Orchids, lilies, camellias, carnations, tulips, roses... You name it, we know it!" she stated proudly, before remembering who she was talking to. "P-Pardon me, milord! That was too informal of me!"

Chrom chuckled at her attitude. "No problem, and please, call me Chrom. My family likes to be approachable to our subjects." Then he stopped as something she said caught his attention. "Hmm, roses..." he said, thinking about one of the tacticians that had shaped his life in such a short time. One that had not only saved his sister nearly at the cost of her own life but had become a close friend of hers. "Tell me, do you have any white roses? They should fit rather well with Emmeryn's wedding dress. Or maybe something blue, for our house color? I admit I'm can't tell if those are proper colors for a wedding, or if they would clash..."

Arianne pondered for a moment before breaking into a smile. "I have just the thing! Please follow me," she said with the enthusiasm of someone that loved her job. "These are Winter Roses, from the north of Ferox. In the cold, they are a pale blue color but they turn silvery white in warmer climates. They are very rare in Ylisstol, only grown in the greenhouses in the mountains behind the city. We are one of the few stores in the city that can keep them fresh and healthy," Arianne stated, puffing her chest with pride. "They are associated with purity and goodness of heart, while their meaning is the purity of love. If I might be so bold, I can't think of a better flower for such an occasion."

Chrom gave a soft laugh and checked the flowers and was stunned. "They are lovely," he breathed. They were. He might not know a lot about flowers, but he could appreciate their beauty. Silvery white with a slight cerulean shine that reminded him of frost. He could see why they were named that way. The blue tint would work well to represent the color of the Brand of the Exalt. Maybe Robin and Rose could do something with their ice magic...Yeah, that could work. "I would like to commission a wedding bouquet and a flower crown from these roses got my sister's wedding. Can you do it yourself, or do we need to talk with someone else? I would, of course, pay you generously for your work."

The request shocked the girl, who stammered with her response with a shrill voice. "You want me to make the flower accessories for the Exalt?! I-I mean! Selecting the flowers is one thing b–!"

"Breath, Arianne! Breathe!" came Alann's voice from the counter.

"I–We–I mean… I have experience with small weddings and it would be an honor for me and my family to do this. I can only hope my work befitting of your sister," she said after gathering all her courage.

"I'm sure it will. Unlike most nobles, my sister is not that picky. She prefers simplicity over complicated arrangements," he said, offering her a reassuring smile. "Something in my gut tells me you have the talent, and for the most part, those feelings haven't wronged me so far. That's what lead me to recruit some past enemies that turned into precious allies. I get the feeling you will not disappoint," he added, placing a hand on her shoulder as an idea occurred to him. She was saving his skin after all. "In fact, how about this? If you can help me, I will make sure you get a couple of invitations to the wedding as well as the reception. How does that sound?"

"I–! I would love to! Oh, I could invite my sister!" she squealed, before freezing. "B-But I'm just a lowly commoner, milord. Would I even be welcome in su–?"

"None of that! Everyone if our kingdom is important. Most of my friends have no title and some of them even rose from nothing to high positions by their own merit. I would never look down on anyone due to their station. That's not the kind of lord that I am," Chrom said seriously, halting her protests.

She looked down at her clothes and Chrom noticed the worn cloth. "I don't think we have proper attire for such an occasion..."

"Don't worry about that," the prince said, waving off her concerns. "I will give word to our merchant, Anna, to get you something nice," he said with a smile.

"This is too much! The invitations, the dresses, and the business for some flowers?!"

"They are rare flowers, and they will be part of my dear sister's wedding. That deserves a good compensation," Chrom said with a shrug. It wasn't that much in his opinion. The invitations were easy to get since they had some reserved in case of something unforeseen. The dressmaker for her dress was given invitations too so it's only fair. Paying for the flowers was already taking into consideration. Getting Anna to cooperate usually is like squishing blood from a stone, but she had been happy lately. Between her time with Gregor and the increased business, he could pull this off.

Arianne stared at the lord in shock, and her eyes started to mist up. "You are too kind, milord," she said, flustered. "Attending the Royal Wedding… This is like a dream..."

"It's good to make other's dreams a reality, for life is too short," he said, thinking about how close he was to losing Emmeryn and never seeing her wedding. "And I told you that you may call me Chrom."

The girl gave him a shaky smile and nodded, "O-Of course, C-Chrom."

The prince smirked. She's kind of cute.

'And Emm says I can't be charming.'


Alann frowned as he watched the prince and the florist talk and laugh like old friends. It was a strange sight to see and it was one that worried him. What were the chances that the prince picked their store for such an important occasion? ...Or that he was hitting it off with his florist?

"Ke'ri. Sun'fey. Jocasta. Meet me in the back," he said to his guards – his friends – who nodded in understanding, "Tobias, the store if yours for a while, we are taking an early lunch!".

"Got it, boss!" was the reply he got. There shouldn't be an issue but if anything happened they would be just one door away.

Nodding, the redhead went to the back and closed the door behind him, leaving him alone with the three guards. "What do you make of that?"

"Not sure," Jocasta said, leaning against the wall with a frown. "Isn't Chrom the one supposed to be the one getting married?"

"Emmeryn is alive. It makes sense she took the responsibility for giving the populace something to celebrate," Sun'fey pointed out. "If I recall correctly, the Exalt and the Queen married in haste to increase the populace morale."

"Did you see the way he looked at her, though?" Ke'ri said, crossing her arms. "It reminded me a little of my brother. Do you think they are…?" she said, trailing off and leaving the question open?

The merchant scowled in thought. Chrom getting married might not be so far off if his gut feeling was correct. But he wasn't sure it was the right thing to happen now that Emmeryn was alive. Too many variables. Deciding there was only one course of action available to them, he stated his decision. "We should report this to Lucina."


Watching over the city from the battlements of the castle, Robin enjoyed a moment of respite. All the preparations for the wedding amidst the reconstruction certainly increased his workload. The rubble had been removed, so setting up the stands and decorations was a simple matter. There were still too many damaged buildings, though. At least the outer walls were fully repaired to provide a sense of security to the people.

Some purposely loud footsteps came from behind him and the familiar voice of his sister asked, "You aren't brooding, are you?"

He sighed in mock annoyance. "No, just enjoying some 'me' time."

"Well, it's now 'we' time," she said, putting a blanket on the stone floor and putting down a basket he just noticed that she had been carrying around. "Here, mom made us lunch," she said, offering him a box wrapped in cloth.

"Thanks," he said, taking the box and opening it. He smiled at the simple but delicious food his mother made. He could see the truth in that nothing beats a mother's cooking. "What brought you here?"

"Other than being Mother's delivery girl?" Rose said and shrugged. "Nothing really. I just enjoy some time away from the sickening display of love that is Emmeryn and Aedan. I could feel my teeth rot from the sweetness."

"You are such a good friend."

"I know, right? So, then I thought, what better way to spend that time than my baby brother?" Rose said, flashing him a smile.

"Mom said you are only older for a few minutes..." Robin said dryly, before taking a more thoughtful tone. "We haven't spent much time together just the two of us since before we left to look for mother."

"Yeah…" she said, rubbing the back of her head and he noticed he does the same thing when he's nervous. "Sorry again for not being truthful from the start, but..."

"I understand. I have come to terms with it. Things have worked out, so no hard feelings," Robin said, before looking at his sister flatly. "Though I would've preferred that you had told me the truth about 'Lily' in a less blunt manner."

"Heh, your face was priceless."

"You invited me to lunch and just said, 'Oh, by the way, Lily is really the Voice of Naga, Tiki,'" he said in a mocking imitation of Rose's voice. "Then she took her jewelry off and revealed her manakete nature! I almost pissed myself when I realized I was being too familiar with freaking Naga's daughter!"

"Relax, she loved going as your date. Life in the Mila Tree is dull, and you showed her a good time," she said, before giving him a sly smirk. "Though not as good a time as you did Devola and Popola."

"Please don't say that! Tiki might get the wrong idea and Naga might smite me!"

"Oh, come on, don't tell me you haven't thought about it," she teased him with a grin that reminds him of a cat stalking a mouse. "I mean, she looks fantastic for being older than dirt and all, but she has never been in a relationship. People take her a symbol of purity and all. Then this dashing tactician with a mysterious past, who ended a war by defeating a mad tyrant in single combat, takes her out to magical night as the belle of the ball."

"...You planned on her being my date only for this moment, didn't?"

Rose laughed, and Robin begrudgingly admitted it was fun to spend time together as siblings.


The day of the wedding finally arrived, and the city was bustling with activity. The main roads were clear so the Emmeryn's carriage could do a lap around the castle. This way she could greet the masses before she stopped at the entrance of the castle's great hall. The Pegasus Knights were patrolling the skies, while some of Rose's contacts watched from the crowds. So far, nothing bad had happened, which was good news for the two bridesmaids.

Phila and Rose stood on the side of the altar, in a set of matching light blue dresses, internally not too happy to be wearing them. Normally, it would've been a challenge to get both women into a dress, but they relented for Emmeryn's sake. Next to the pair, Lissa stood in a similar dress, holding a box engraved with the Brand of the Exalt. Aedan stood before them with his best man at his side, his brother, holding a similar box with the sigil of House Amell. The mage looked twitchy, eyes flicking towards the door in anticipation, lips witching upwards every second. It was kind of endearing.

Once the first part of the ceremony was done along with the customary prayers and songs, the Exalt finally made her entrance. She was being escorted by her brother and the sight made the whole audience fall silent.

Emmeryn was a vision of ethereal beauty. Her white and gold wedding gown complimented her luscious golden curls that framed her face. Her makeup accentuated her natural beauty. The necklace she wore was of made of silver adorned with a sapphire centerpiece with the brand of the Exalt carved into it. On top of her head sat a crown of winter roses. The women had to admit Chrom did a good job picking up the flowers for the bouquet and crown. It had been tricky for the Plegian tacticians to complete the request of the Prince. It took them the better part of a week, but they succeeded. A light coat of ice magic brought out the shimmering blue of the roses, making the scene even more ethereal.

Both warrioresses glanced towards the groom and were pleased to see his love-stroke expression as he saw his bride walking down the aisle. When they finally stood in front of each other and looked into the other's eyes, there was no doubt in Emmeryn's retainers that these two loved each other. Which was good, since if he broke her heart there would be no god to save him from their wrath.

The High Priest of Naga's Church led the ceremony, looking at the couple with kind eyes. Rose recalled he had a part in teaching the Royal family about Naga's teaching, and help a close connection with them. He would have been a better advisor than Howe had he not being tied to the church.

"We have been invited here today to witness and celebrate the union of this man and woman. They are taking the first step of their new beginning; their new life together. The ability and desire of one human being to love another is perhaps the most precious and fulfilling gift that has been entrusted to us. It is an all-consuming task, a lifelong endeavor — the journey we've been preparing for all of our lives."

Stealing a glance to the front rows, Rose could spy Stahl holding Cordelia's hand, while Gaius put his arm across a blushing Sumia's shoulders.

"Loving someone is a reason to stretch beyond our limits, to become more for the sake of the other. It is to look inside the soul of your beloved and accept what you see. Good and bad. Loving is the ultimate commitment that challenges humans to become all that we are meant to be, but that's not the only challenge they are going to face."

At her side, Lissa vibrated with excitement, her grin wide matching Henry's perpetual smile visible from his seat. She still remembered how Chrom had almost gutted the mage once he found him on a simple date with Lissa. Luckily Emmeryn was nearby to stop him. Next to them were Panne and Vaike, both hating to wear clothes, in brooding but respectable silence. Even Tharja seemed to scoot closer to Libra.

"We know the suffering they have gone through due to the war, for we too share that burden. Their union heralds not only a new beginning for them, but for the Halidom as a whole. As they join in marriage today, they are announcing to the world that they are welcoming that challenge. And they can be assured that we, their subjects, will help them carry that burden."

Phila closed her eyes, probably remembering all those of her soldiers that fell in battle.

"Let us then proceed with the ceremony," the high priest said, silencing the crowds. "Who stands before the Gods and the Divine Dragon Naga this day?"

Emmeryn spoke with conviction as her soft voice seemed to ring through the hall. "Emmeryn, of House Lowell, Exalt of the Halidom comes here to be wed. A woman grown, trueborn and noble. I come to beg the blessing of the Gods and the Divine Dragon."

The priest nodded, smiling at the girl he knew since she was a child. "Who comes to claim her?"

"Aedan, of House Amell, Archmage of the Ylissean Arcanum," the groom said with passion and certainty. A tone so different from his regular scholarly demeanor. He never took his eyes off his smiling bride.

"Who gives her?"

"Chrom of House Lowell," the leader of the Shepherds said with pride in his voice. "Her trueborn brother, Prince of the Halidom."

The priest nodded. "Do you, Emmeryn Lowell, take this man as your husband, welcoming him as part of House Lowell with all the responsibilities it entails for you and the Halidom?"

"I do."

"Do you Aedan Amell, take this woman as your wife, with all the responsibilities it entails for you and the Halidom?"

"I do."

"Does anyone here have a reason for why this union should not be? Speak now or keep your peace."

No one did. Sure, Rose might have ... a few people that disapprove of the union for political gain into silence, but it worked. Maybe Lucina would… Oh well, those were future Rose's problems.

Nodding in satisfaction, the old man continued with a pleased smile. "As there are no objections, we shall seal this union. The rings," he said to Lyssa and Aedan's brother. The two walked to their siblings, opening and holding the engraved boxed so they could take the contents.

Emmeryn took a golden ring with the Brand engraved into the polished sapphire. Like the one Rose used to own, but clearly meant for a man. "This ring was made the day of my birth as heir to the throne. With it I place my faith and heart into your hands, welcoming you into my family."

Aedan smiled and offered his own ring. "I accept that ring, and I give you my own as proof of my devotion and love."

"I accept it," Emmeryn said as the pair slipped the rings into each other's fingers.

The old man couldn't help the proud smile and tears from his eyes. "Then by the power vested in me, I declare you husband and wife. May your union bring prosperity to your houses and the kingdom." He turned and winked at Aedan. "You might now kiss the bride."

They certainly didn't need to be told twice as Aedan took a step forward and pulled Emmeryn into a loving kiss. The display of love earned cheers from those present, none more excited than their friends and family.

"It was beautiful!" Cynthia gushed as the newlyweds kissed. "It's a wedding straight out of a song!"

"Only you would compare it to that," Severa said with a roll of her eyes, though it lacked her usual bite. Maybe out of respect for the ceremony. "...It's pretty nice, though. Lady Emmeryn just oozes grace."

"Was it necessary to tie up and gag Lucina?" Ke'ri said, eyeing the seething princess dubiously, being held back by a reluctant Owain and Gerome.

"Agreed," the two said solemnly.

"We couldn't risk her making a scene, especially after what Alann told us, sweet sister," Inigo said, putting an arm around the tiny myrmidon's shoulder.

"Fair enough, big bro," she grumbled. "Don't think I will let you go around flirting with every girl in the city, though!"

"You wound me! How can you deny these sweet maidens the chance to spend time with me?"

"Easily," the pink-haired myrmidon said in a deadpanned tone. "How did you get invitations for us anyways, Alann?" she said, waving her hand to the private balcony where the many future children say, watching the wedding. Why does a church need to have balconies she didn't know, but she wasn't complaining.

"Oh, I know some people," Alann said

"The twins from 'Sealed Verses' had a few invitations from a friend in the castle. They sold them to him in exchange for some rare, imported alcohol," Sun'fey said. His words shattered his friend's image of a savvy merchant while not bothering to look at him.

"You have too much Anna's blood in you," Jocasta said.

"As a merchant, I take that as a compliment."

The dark-skinned blonde warrior snorted and waved him off. "Yeah, yeah. Kjelle, grab Lucina. Let's see if we can enjoy the celebrations in the town."

"Wait. You didn't get us invitations to the reception?" Cynthia asked in angst.

Alann looked at the side. "I can't get that much alcohol and they sold them to someone else."


Later in the evening, the reception was in full swing. Food and wine flowed freely as the guests mingled and celebrated a new beginning for the royal family. The nobles wanted to complain about the rumbustious group that was the Shepherds. But they couldn't without insulting the Royal Family. And while they would never admit it, they livened the party. Robin just shook his head in amusement. Uncouth they may be, but the Shepherds are a fun group to have at a party. Better than a boring nobility party full of half-hidden insults and political agendas.

Tiki was his date once again, much to his secret delight. He enjoyed her company, though he didn't have ideas that he could be more than that with the Voice of Naga. A man could still dream, though. That kiss in the cheek gave him hope. Sadly, they missed their first dance since his mother took her to talk for a while, wanting to know more about her. Despite being the Voice of Naga, she wasn't excused from Morgana's curiosity.

He got a surprise when a certain pair of red-haired twins took his arms. Devola and Popola, who had invitations courtesy of Rose, took it upon themselves to guide him to the dance floor, taking turns to dance with him. The girls were excited after having missed the Victory Ball and took their turns dancing with him, much to Tiki's amusement. He was sure she knew about them from Rose and hoped she didn't get the wrong idea but didn't seem to have an issue with them.

Of course, any sign of amusement soon vanished as soon as he saw his mother dancing with some man he didn't know. She looked lovely in her dark purple dress, with her hair pulled in an elegant braid. She looked half her age, making it no wonder people thought she was their elder sister. Not only that but she had such charisma that just endeared her to everyone. Now he couldn't imagine a life without her.

The man was another story. His clothes were fine, but less so that those of a higher noble, so either a successful merchant or a minor lord. The tactician committed his face to memory to give the information to his sister. He was sure she will get every dirty secret the man had by the end of the week. Robin's eyes narrowed, watching like an eagle at the mere sign of his hand moving somewhere inappropriate. If he tried anything on his mother, he would make Gangrel's corpse look handsome in comparison. Or maybe plant some incriminating evidence of some crime in his room? Damn, his sister really was a bad influence...

"You know your mother can take care of herself, right?" his date's voice said as if reading his mind.

Looking at the green-haired beauty, Robin did his best to hide his blush and game a sly smile. "Is it wrong for a son to worry about some stranger's intentions for his mother?"

Tiki did a show of pondering the question, shrugging with a smile. "I suppose not. I don't have siblings and my mother's dating life is nonexistent, so my experience is very limited."

"Eh, I suppose that's one way of putting it." He never would've guessed that Naga's dating life could be a topic of conversation.

Luckily for him, Tiki spared him by changing the topic. "It was a beautiful ceremony, don't you think? It's been a while since I attended a wedding."

"It was. I don't know who was happier, Emmeryn or Lissa. Certainly not Chrom."

Tiki rose an eyebrow at that. "Oh? Why do you say that?"

"Chrom is happy for her, make no mistake. But he's still miffed that now there is another man in her life, regardless of how happy he makes her."

"Men are as protective of their sisters as they are of their mothers it seems," she jested. An idea seemed to occur to her as she asked, "What would you do if Rose gets married?"

Mindful to swallow his food first, Robin snorted. "Even if we ignore her disastrous past relationships, can you think there is a man out there that can put up with my sister in her current state?"

"Point taken," the Voice conceded. She then got into a thinking pose and got a sly grin. "Hmm, what about if it was… Prince Chrom?"

The tactician almost choked on his wine, "Chrom and Rose!?" He tried to imagine it, but for all his brain's power, the idea just didn't process. It was like picturing Gangrel and Emmeryn together, or him and Tharja. No. Just… "No. Rose would kill him in a week if she is in a good mood."

Tiki hummed noncommittally as if she knew something he didn't and probably didn't want to know.

Deciding not to stay in awkward silence, "Say… Even after, you know… I learned the truth of who you are, I… Umm, I was wondering… and I know I have no right to ask this from someone of such importance and I apologize if I was improper in the last celebration, but..."

"Yes?" Tiki asked, with a tilt of her head, though her smile indicated she knew what he was about to ask.

He swallowed his nerves and steeled himself. "W-Would you like to dance with me? I owe you for dancing with Devola and Popola first. That was wrong of me."

Tiki's smile widened and offered her hand. "I would be delighted. I was afraid you wouldn't ask after knowing who I am. People tend to be intimidated by my… station. And don't worry, I have no problem with you dancing with your friends."

Friends. Right.

"Oh, I'm terrified, make no mistake. No idea what you or your, ehm, mother would do if I offended you," he said, laughing awkwardly as he took her hand and guided her to the dance floor. "Or what mine would do to me if I offended you."

Tiki laughed, and the melodious sound made his whole embarrassment worth it.


"So…"

"So?"

"Emmeryn is married," Rose said conversationally, sipping on her wine as she watched all the couples dancing.

"That's a fantastical observation," Phila replied dryly. It took her a moment, but she noticed that despite her rather impressive resistance to alcohol, Rose had gained a slight slur on her voice. Not enough to be drunk, but still tipsy. Not a good combination in her option.

"And you are still single," the tactician said while pointing at her coworker with narrowed eyes.

The knight's lips formed a thin line as she finally turned to the former mercenary. "I fail to see the problem with that."

"I mean, I have an excuse, but you?" Rose said, ignoring Phila's scowl. "Come on, Phila! You are a fit, beautiful woman in her prime. One of the most influential persons in the Halidom, not to mention a warrior of renown!" she said, making the Wing Commander's cheeks gained a rosy tint. "There had to be some poor sucker out there that has at least tried asking you out!"

"Well, Rose…. To be perfectly honest…" Phila started, taking a sip of her own wine before leveling an unamused stare towards the other woman. "I don't think that's any of your business."

Rose did the closest thing to whining that Phila had ever seen her do, "Come on! We are friends, right?"

"If we stretch the term then yes, I believe we loosely qualify as such."

"I mean, sure, you still have the boring hairstyle, but with a few tweaks you can knock the sucks out of some gallant knight!"

"I'm not interested in– wait, what's wrong with my hair!?" the knight asked indignantly.

"I mean, it's not wrong…" Rose said, eyes glassing over for a moment before she continued, "it's just so… simple," she finished with a shrug.

"I happen to like my hairstyle, thanks," Phila gritted out. "And we are not having this conversation."

"Fine, fine..."

Pinching the bridge of her nose, the knight sighed and refilled her glass. "Ugh, I'm going to need more wine if I'm spending the rest of the knight babysitting you and making sure you don't burn the castle down."

"I knew you cared!"


"We are really here," her sister, Bethany, breathed out and Arianne was forced to agree.

She still couldn't believe she was in the Great Hall of the Ylissean Palace! They were simple girls from a farming village and yet the prince himself gave them such an opportunity. Both girls wore simple, but elegant dresses of higher quality than they could ever afford adorned with flower patterns. That girl Anna had done them the favor at the prince's request, though she did try to sell them more things. They did manage to get a nice contract for their family with the Annas, so that was great for them.

"Think we could dance with some nice gentleman?" Bethany asked, seeing how some young men were looking at them with interest.

She couldn't contain her hope. This felt like a fairy tale. "Oh, that would be delightful! But who would ask us? We are just some common girls..." she trailed off, depressing herself.

"Ari..." her sister said with exasperation. "We really need to work on your self-esteem."

"R-Right! I just… need not to make a fool of myself."

"I still can't believe you got to meet the prince! And you got us invitations for this!" her sister gushed, pulling her to one of the tables and taking a glass of wine that was offered to them. It was delicious and the doubted anyone in their family had ever tasted something so fine. "The girls back home must be seething in jealousy! Think we will meet him tonight?"

A lump formed in the pit of her stomach. Lord Chrom was so nice to her, but she couldn't imagine talking to him in front of so many people! "Oh, I don't think so. He must be so busy with t–"

"I'm glad you decided to join us, Lady Arianne," a familiar voice said as if the gods had intervened.

Turning to the man, the girls' nerves froze at the sight of the topic of conversations. Chrom wore a nice dark blue suit and fitted him perfectly, accentuating his muscles. But what caught their attention was the fact that the Exalt of Ylisse, the bride herself, stood at his side with a gentle smile. She was wearing the flower crown she and her sister wove, making them feel proud of their work. That combined with her natural beauty made her look almost divine.

"Lord Chrom! Your G-Grace!" Arianne squeaked as she and her sister bowed to the Royals.

"I told you to relax with us," Chrom said, amused but a little frustrated. "Emmeryn, this is Lady Arianne. She is the florist that helped me with your flower crown and bouquet." He then turned to her sister and smiled. "And you must be the sister she mentioned. May we know your name, my lady?"

"B-Bethany, Your Grace. Bethany Hinton," her sister squeaked.

"You look lovely tonight, Lady Bethany," the prince said with a dazzling smile that made Bethany's knees week. "And do too, Lady Arianne. I'm glad Anna had dresses that flatter both of you tonight."

The girl stared like a deer in front of a hunter. She wasn't sure how to deal with a compliment from the dreamy bachelor that was the Prince of Ylisstol.

Wait, what was that thought?

"Right," the prince said, taking her silence in stride. "I hope you are enjoying the festivities? Remember, if anyone harasses you, you can find me or any of my comrades and we will be happy to help."

The sisters nodded numbly, realizing a few nobles had turned to watch and feeling wholly out of place in their simple, yet nice dresses. They were not nearly an extravagant as the nobles, but they were not cheap. Simple designs like those worn by the Exalt's bridesmaids or some lesser nobles. More than their family could afford.

Bethany was fitting in better than herself. She had always been the extrovert of the two. How Arianne envied her confidence. If only she was more like her maybe she could get a boyfr– Wait.

Was the Exalt talking to her?

"–or the lovely flowers. The work you did was exquisite."

Luckily, her sister had recovered her wits quickly and answered for them.

"We thank you for the opportunity, Your Grace," Bethany said, giving a polite bow to the Exalt. "It's a great honor and opportunity for our family to be of service to the House Lowell."

"You more than earned it with your skill," the Exalt said with a smile that could have melted any heart. "My sister Lissa and her friend Maribelle are currently helping plan the weddings of a lot of their friends. Don't be surprised if you receive more requests. Directly to your family, of course."

Arianne swallowed. This could be a great chance for their family if they cut Alann as a middleman. He's a great boss but working for him it still required to give him part of the profits. This was a better deal for the Hintons. "We´ would be thrilled to serve your sister and her friends, milord."

The Exalt smile was as gentle as the songs said. "Excellent. I will be sure to mention it to Lyssa." She then turned to her brother and the sister could see the brief flash of a smirk on her lips. "Chrom, why don't you take the ladies to the dance floor? It would be awfully boring to stand all night here by themselves. Maybe introduce them to Lissa and Maribelle."

'Dance? With the prince?!' Both sisters froze at the impossibility of how the night was turning out to be.

"Is that okay? I don't want to make some of the more troublesome nobles angry with them," Chrom said with a concerned frown.

"Don't worry about it," Lady Emmeryn said, much to the girls' surprise. "You already danced with more than enough noble ladies tonight. Indulge the girls They earned it with their work."

"If you think so..." Chrom said, narrowing his eyes. Did he not want to dance with them?

"It won't do if you are the only one of your friends without a date," Emmeryn added with a wink, making the other three blush. "Sir Robin is already spending a lot of time with Lady Lily last I heard."

"You just love teasing me don't you, sister?" The prince sighed in the same way her father did when her mother manipulated him. "Rose has been a terrible influence in you," he grumbled good-naturally.

So that was it. It was strange to think so, but Arianne realized the Exalt and the Prince were still a brother and sister that loved each other. Teasing is just part of the package when it comes to siblings. It made her smile realizing that even people of such high standing were still people at heart.

"What do you say, Lady Arianne? Would you grant me this dance?" Chrom asked, breaking her out of her thoughts. "Of course, I would also dance with you, Lady Bethany."

The reality of the situation came crashing down on Arianne all at one. They were being called ladies by the prince of Ylisstol. In the beautiful Palace Grand Hall. During the Exalt's wedding. And he wanted to dance with them.

Had she died and gone to paradise?

Feeling a pinch on her arm, and a side glare from Bethany, Arianne replied after miraculously pulling her wits together. "We would love to, your highness." It wouldn't do to reject the prince in the middle of so many witnesses. It would be social suicide, especially for an insignificant flower girl such as her.

"Excellent," Lady Emmeryn said, giving a slight nudge to her brother. "I will leave you to it. Aedan should be done dancing with his mother, so it's my turn again. Have an enjoyable evening, ladies." With that, the Exalt left the sisters alone with the prince.

"Shall we?" Chrom said, offering her his hand.

Arianne took it and followed him into the dance floor for a night she would never forget.


The prince and the flower maiden were unaware of a pair of drunken eyes looking at them with disgust.

Having seen her husb– No, wait. He wasn't her husband, right? Ugh, damn headache, she needed more wine. Watching the prince dance with another strumpet still made the former queen jealous. Something she would only admit under supreme torture or the influence of alcohol. The girl looked like any other maiden from a random... village… A village maiden? There was something there, but she couldn't remember. Maybe more wine would help.

"I'm telling you, men are stuuuupid," Rose slurred, drinking from her eight – or eighteen, but who's counting? – glass of spiced wine. The answer to her confusion stood at the tip of her tongue but was washed away by the wine.

"Damn right they are," Phila said with a flushed blush on her cheeks. "That's why we got a woman on the throne and we are her bodyguards."

"Yeah! I mean, Chrom as Exalt? Pfft, we would have to run the country for him! ...Or my brother will. I can't handle all that babysitting again..." the tactician added, catching herself.

"Again?"

"Eh, past relationships," Rose said, barely sober enough to not spill out her secrets. "Had to keep previous men in my life from doing stupid stuff. And that's coming from me!" she said, laughing at her own joke.

Phila snorted a laugh and clicked her glass with Rose. "To women!"

"To women!"

After clicking their glasses and drinking more wine, Rose suddenly smiled. "Hey! I got an idea!"

"Yeah?"

"We should get out of here and go to the celebration outside! I will be less stuffy with nobles and more fun!"

The Pegasus Knight pondered the idea for a moment before smiling. "That's not a bad idea, Sustrai."

"Umm..." a voice said from behind them, making both drunk women turn to see one of Phila's knights standing awkwardly in her dress uniform.

"Lena? What are you doing here?" her commander asked with a raised eyebrow, no less intimidating with her flushed cheeks.

The perky brunette gulped and forced a smile. "I'm… just making sure everything is ok here! You know, so you don't get too excited haha…."

"Hmph, very well. I can see Emmeryn's hand at work here," Phila said with surprising clarity and gave a drunken nod. "You will come with us, then. We will need more wine. Or beer. Anything really."

"W-What?"

"Good idea! The more the merrier!" Rose slurred with a smile that would make children cry.

"Don't I have a say on this?!" Lena exclaimed, eyes wide in terror as both women grabbed her arms and lead her to the door. Desperate, she looked around for her wing-mates only to see them waving and saluting her as if she walked to her demise.

"Nope."


"Your retainers seem to be enjoying themselves," Aedan said with amusement as he danced with his wife to the expert tunes of the orchestra.

"I might have given the order to give them some of our best wine, so they won't be hovering over my shoulder all night. They can be a bit protective," The Exalt said with a theatrical sigh. "Phila's knight will make sure they don't burn the town down. Or at least I hope so."

The enchanter gave a hearty laugh. "Ha! You're surrounded by colorful characters, my love. Each of them is worth a thesis themselves."

"And now they will surround you too, once we get you your own retainers," Emmeryn said, giggling at the expression of mock shock her husband pulled. She kissed him, making the smile return to his face. "Not like you are not colorful yourself. You can be a bit of a dork," she said playfully. A more human side that few ever saw of their graceful ruler.

"But I am your dork now," Aedan said proudly.

"That you are," Emmeryn said with a happy smile, leaning into his embrace. "I am so glad you can now be free to express our love."

"I've waited for years to do so," he whispered into her year, sending shivers down her spine. "Those stolen kisses after our meetings were not enough."

The Exalt didn't know what made this assertive at the moment, but she liked it. "Well, now we don't have to hide," she said, kissing him again. "We can just enjoy our lives together."

"For being a mage of the Arcanum and the son of the Senior Enchanter, no matter the research I did I never could figure out what spell you cast over me."

"Poetry was never your strong suit, Aedan."

He shrugged. "I had to give it a try."


"Something bothering you, Robin?" Tiki asked as they danced to a soft Ylissean ballad.

Robin frowned in thought, mulling over how to answer. "Not sure if it should, but earlier I saw Rose dragging some poor soul out to party it seems," he said, looking nervous. "And Phila wasn't stopping her."

Tiki paused. "Now that's strange," she said, her tone light with amusement but with a hint of worry.

"Should we check on them?" Robin asked tentatively, not wanting to ruin the evening.


Lena was sure she walked into a portal into a parallel world like from those stories her grandma used to tell. That was the only explanation. Because there was no chance she was witnessing Phila Lavellan–bonafide stick in the mud–drunk off her ass and being chummy with Rose Sustrai.

"You know Sustrai… When I first met you, I thought you were such a biiiiitch," Phila said, swaying in her seat as she took another sip.

Oh, gods. Lena had no idea Phila was such a lightweight. She barely had any wine before getting drunk.

Rose laughed and tried to point at her fellow warrior, missing completely. "I thought the same of you!"

"But really, like really really…" Oh gods, did her commander had that much to drink? "I think of you as a friend."

"Aww, I love you too Phila," Rose said, pulling Phila into a hug. "And you too Lana!" she added, pulling the terrified girl into the embrace.

"L–Lena," she squeaked.

"You are nice, Lina," the tactician slurred, nodding to herself. "Here! More wine!"

"But I don–! HMM!?" she stopped as a bottle was practically shoved down her throat.

"Drink up! Don't be shy!"

'It's going to be a long night.'


"I'm sure they are fine," Tiki said. "Phila is quite responsible after all."

"You're probably right," Robin conceded, ending their dance and leading her to the glass doors. "What to take another stroll through the gardens and maybe go see how the town is celebrating?"

"That would be grand," she said, walking with their arms linked. "This celebration reminds of the stories the others told me Mar-Mar's wedding. Though I suppose they were still quite different in those times."

Robin tilted his head in confusion. "Mar-Mar?"

The manaketes blushed at her slip of the tongue. "Oh, sorry. I meant King Marth," she clarified, slightly embarrassed. "I was a child when I lived with him and the nickname stuck with me all these years."

"I almost forgot you were part of the king's party!" he exclaimed, eyes shining with even more interest. "You were at his wedding then?"

Tiki shook her head. "No, I didn't join him until after he married Queen Caeda."

"Still, it's fascinating to hear the perspective of someone who was there. If it isn't too much of a bother, could you tell me more King Marth and Queen Caeda? I doubt the legends and clinical biographies do them justice."

"They don't," Tiki admitted with some sadness. "Legends portray them as flawless individuals, forgetting that they were human too. But I would be delighted to share my memories with others. It makes so that they live longer in our worlds, at least in some way."

"Hmm, there are many biographies written by stories, but none with your input, right?"

"Correct, while I've been visited by historians, they tend to twist the worst to suit their needs," she said with a frown. "There are plenty of misconceptions about many historical figures, but that's the way of the world."

"Well, we can fix that. We could work on giving your account to your old comrades, so people really know them. With Emmeryn's support of your identity, as well as Aedan's position as a respected scholar, we can publish it and clear all the misunderstandings," he said, smiling at her. "I doubt many will dare doubt the voice of Naga and if they do, they can always visit you and you can verify it."

Tiki's eyes widened and a spark is excitement showed in her eyes. "That's a fantastic idea! We could do the same for the Shepherds, so they aren't forgotten like my friends!"

The pair talked about the past, not only of Tiki's but of the memories Robin regained. The stories of the follies of his youth earned more laughs from the manakete. It didn't embarrass the tactician, though. Robin's heart swelled with happiness at her laugh, unaware that the same feeling was growing on his companion. A small ember that would only grow with time.


The sun pierced through the curtains, lettings its warmth spread across the room like a mother's embrace. Phila snuggled into the silk sheets enjoying the comfort of the body next to her. Surprisingly, she felt only a slight headache from the hangover.

"Hmm, good mornin'..." a familiar voice said from her side.

"Mornin' Rose," the knight responded to her companion without opening her eyes. "Want to get up?"

The tactician hummed as she shuffled in the sheets. "Hmmm… nah, we got the day off. Let's stay in bed a little longer."

"Ok," Phila whispered, snuggling with Rose at her side, ready to fall asleep again.

"…"

"…"

Two pairs of eyes snapped in horror. All traces of exhaustion and hangover vanished from their bodies. Jumping from the bed in opposite directions –barely aware that they were both naked– the two women pointed at each other. Noticing the dry sweat on their skin and the discarded clothes on the floor, the pair came to a horrifying realization before letting out a scream.


Chrom, Gaius, and Robin walked through the hallway, talking about the party. Or in Gaius's case, bothering them about their romantic exploits.

"So, how was the night with the green-haired goddess, Bubbles?" the thief asked with a smirk. All the Shepherds had seen him during the Victory Ball with Lady Lily. Seeing them together a second time just spread gossip amongst their ranks.

The prince was curious himself. This was the second time he had seen them together and he hoped his friend had finally found someone he could have a relationship with. "Did start courting her?"

"I saw them walking out of the celebration and into town. Did you manned up and kissed her?"

"...No comment," Robin said, not taking his eyes from the front.

The thief threw his head back and laughed. "That says enough! Nice, Bubbles! Keep going like that and who knows? Maybe you will take Lily to 'Sealed Verses' to ask the twins to join you," Gaius said with a lecherous wink.

Instead of reacting angrily to the jab, Robin paused and seeming to ponder the idea.

Gaius stared at the tactician, his eyes slowly widening in wonder. "...Bubbles. If you do that, I will build a religion in your honor."

"I never suspected that you would be such a casanova," Chrom said with a shake of his head.

"You're one to talk, after flirting with my mother," the Plegian stated dryly, making the prince sputter in response. "Besides, I saw the way you danced with those sisters. The ones that helped you with the flowers. You enjoyed that much more than any other dance."

"He got you there, Blue."

"I was just being polite and Emmeryn strong-armed me into it!" He defended himself, though it sounded quite pathetic. Then again, he did enjoy his dances with the sisters. Both were lovely ladies, but he had to admit Lady Arianne had a certain air to her he quite couldn't place. Like he was bound to meet her, but at the same time he had a strange feeling he shouldn't. It was quite confusing.

"Sure, sure," his friends said as one.

Changing the topic, Chrom turned to the orange-haired Shepherd. "What about you Gaius? How are things with Sumia?"

The thief gave them a sincere smile. "Doing wonderful. I still marvel that taking the job to break into the castle could turn out this way. She–"

The trio stopped when they heard the scream. They rushed through the hallway, following the sound to Phila's room. Not wanting to give any intruder a chance, the men ready themselves for an attack. Robin gathered magic in his hand, while Gaius pulled a dagger from his cloak. Nodding to his friends as he drew Falchion from its sheath, the prince knocked the door open, rushing into the room, followed by the other two.

"What's going o–?!" Chrom started to shout only to freeze at the sight of the two of the strongest women he knew with their backs at the opposite walls, breathing heavily.

They were also naked.

Robin's brain seemed to have burnt out at the sight of his naked sister, probably traumatizing him for life.

"Nice," Gaius said unhelpfully, probably signing their death sentences.

The combined glares of Emmeryn's retainers made the prince wonder why they hadn't been reduced to a pile of smoldering ashes.

"OUT!"

The three men obeyed, but before they could disperse Phila called out to them.

"AND WAIT OUT THERE!"

The trio froze. They knew better than to disobey those two, especially when they seemed to be working together. Never mind that one was the prince of Ylisse. The men remained in place as the minutes moved painfully slow. Finally, the two women came out of the room, fully dressed this time.

"This never happened," Phila said, the perfect picture of the leader of the Pegasus Knights.

"You saw nothing," Rose gritted out, pulling her hood over her head. Chrom took a moment to wonder where she pulled that from since she was wearing a dress last night. The men were aware she was sparing her brother but, sadly for Robin, Phila's glare more than made up for it.

The two women shared a silent discussion through their gazes and, after a moment, reached a silent agreement. They nodded and proceeded to leave, but Rose caught Gaius's shoulder in a vice grip that certainly would leave a bruise. "If I catch a whiff of a rumor about this, I'm coming for you," she said while trying to incinerate Gaius with her glare.

The thief paled, swallowing his candy along with his fear and nodded.

Rose let him go and left the trio standing there.

"We shall never speak of this again," Chrom stated to them, not even bothering to look at the retreating women.

"Aye."

"Agreed."

The door of the bathroom opened, catching the attention of the men. They saw a perky brunette coming out in an open bathrobe, leaving a window to her toned body. Lena, a knight under Phila if Chrom remembered correctly. She looked around in confusion, not noticing the trio.

"Hey! Where did those two go?"

Chrom saw Gaius freeze and bite his tongue from the corner of his eye. He would really need to talk with him, well aware of what Robin's sister was capable off in retaliation. That is if he survived the stroke he seemed to be getting. And this girl, did she not hear the scream? The prince sighed and wondered why the gods were punishing by putting him in this situation.

Did he do something heinous in another life?


Many other weddings soon followed, starting with Sumia and Gaius, with the rest of the couples planning their own. Rose and Phila stood away from the stronger drinks during all ceremonies they were invited to. They avoided each other's gazes for a few months, much to Emmeryn's confusion. Eventually, they seemed to make peace with the topic and moved past it.

Chrom had offered to host the weddings, but his friends declined, not wanting to waste the crowns gold on frivolities. Lissa and Maribelle were more determined, though. They took over the preparations despite their protests and that got a lot of business of the Hinton family. Still, they had a single banquet for all the couples and it was one to remember. It was hosted only three months after Emmeryn's wedding, but there had been some announcements there.

Cordelia, Sumia, Miriel, and Olivia were pregnant, much to the happiness of the Shepherds. But the biggest surprise was when a few weeks later Emmeryn announced her own pregnancy, bringing the joy of the Halidom. And she suspected many of the others will soon follow. Post-war celebrations tended to do that.

Still, this confused and worried Rose since the times of the pregnancies were off in comparison to her own timelines. Laurent is supposed to be the youngest and Lucina the eldest, but things were getting mixed up. She didn't know what to make of this. She was sure her sources were correct with the locations and identities of the future children, so they should be born still.

Even though, Rose and Tiki lamented that Lucina's birth had been prevented. They hoped it had just been delayed since Naga assured them that Lucina is a constant in all worlds. If Chrom marries, his first child will be Lucina. The topic is a sore one for the Fell Dragon, so they don't discuss it much, but it does bring some other points.

What other changes would happen? Emmeryn and the Pegasus Knights lived, as well as the bulk of Ylisse's population. The Ylissean Army stood stronger than in her timelines, so that was great to start with. With her work to help Virion and Chon'sin, they should face Valm on a more even ground.


Months after the wedding, two best friends walked the streets of Ylisstol. They were gathering supplies and information for their leader while having a nice conversation.

"Gawds, why am I stuck babysitting you today, nerd?" Severa asked, annoyed like always.

"No one asked you to come, jerk," grumble Cynthia, not happy with having her peaceful afternoon ruined with Severa's company.

"Lucina did," the red-head said smugly, flicking one of her twin-tails. "She knew you would do something stupid alone, like dropping Alann's supplies while doing 'heroic' poses."

"That just happened one! Ugh, why couldn't anyone else come?" the orange-head mumbled. She decided to ignore her companion until they passed through one of Ylisstol's parks and something caught her eye that made her freeze.

Cynthia quickly moved behind a large bush, mindful not to drop her bags, and hiding from view as she spied on her newest target. Not very noble nor heroic, but she didn't care at the moment. The sight was something she needed to see.

"What are you doing now, dork?"

"Shhh!" Cynthia hissed, waving her to be silent.

Severa bristled at that. "Hey! Don't you 'shhh' me! You–!"

"Shut up and watch!" the orange-haired girl hissed, pulling her behind the bush and pointing at the park was a couple of women were having a picnic.

Severa was about to snap at her when she noticed two familiar and very pregnant women amongst the group.

"Mom…" Severa whispered.

"Yeah…" Cynthia said, looking at her own mother. "And they seem to be pregnant with us…" she said, swallowing her nerves.

This was a surreal experience for both girls. Severa silently hid too and watched, as both girls strained their ears to hear the conversations.


"So, do you know the gender already?" Sorano asked from her spot in the blanket, serving everyone a glass of fresh juice. It was a beautiful day and one of the few the whole squad had free to enjoy themselves.

"Yep! We both are getting girls!" Sumia said excitedly. "I'm sure they will be the best of friends like me and Cordelia!" she said, earning a smile from the red-haired captain.

"Oh, that's marvelous!" Anise cooed, clapping her hands together. "And they will get plenty of aunts to pamper them."

Sorano nodded with a wide grin on her face. "Yeah! We can train them to be pegasus knights!"

"Well, that will be their choice. My little Severa can be whatever she likes," Cordelia said proudly, then wincing for a second. "Her kicks are strong. She will be a little spitfire."

Elsa tilted her head, swallowing the bite of her sandwich before asking. "Don't you want her to follow in your footsteps?"

Cordelia frowned in thought. "I don't want her to feel she has to live under my shadow or something like that. I… I grew up in my father's shadow. He was one of Augustus' best soldiers until he got an injury that took him out of duty." "Well, I couldn't exactly follow in his footsteps as a swordswoman…"

"Why not? You are good with the lance!" Jean added but stopped as something occurred to her. "Although, I have never seen you wielding a sword."

"Truth be told, I'm mediocre with a sword at best. I mean, I wouldn't die instantly, but even Gaius would defeat me with ease. And he prefers daggers!" the redhead admitted, blushing at the unbelieving looks her comrades gave her. "But the real reason I joined the Pegasus Knights is that…. I'm a lousy runner."

There was a beat of shocked silence before her friends started laughing, though there was no malice in it.

"Oh? Our captain admitting, she is not perfect at everything?" Grace said, playfully ribbing Cordelia.

"She must be sick! We should take her to Angela!"

"Oh, shut up you!" Cordelia said with a laugh, swatting her friend's arm.

They all laughed for a while until Samantha changed the topic of conversations to the other future mother. "What about you, Sumia? Do you want your kid to follow in your footsteps?"

"I think the same for Cynthia, but I hope that she wants to ride a pegasus," Sumia admitted. "I will be right there to teach her! ...I just hope she doesn't inherit my clumsiness or her father's bad habits."

"You can always have Phila babysit her," Jean suggested. "That will straighten her up. I know it worked on me."

"Please. She would probably make the poor thing do laps before they can talk," Anise said.

"I'm pretty sure that giving Phila a kid to watch over qualifies as a war crime," Elsa snarked, making the spear-sisters laugh once more.


Severa and Cynthia watched with conflicted emotions as their mothers spend time with their friends. They didn't recall their mothers having many friends outside the Shepherds. But it didn't take them long to realize these were the original Pegasus Knights. The comrades that had died early in the war in their timeline, leaving their mothers as the only Pegasus Knights in Ylisse's fledgling military. They obviously survived this time.

Not even Severa made a move to leave their hiding spot. They drunk the images of their youthful mothers laughing, full of life, and happily awaiting their births. The redhead watched with conflicted emotions boiling in her heart. She wanted to be angry at her mother for abandoning her to follow Chrom into war. But the way she talked about her and her father made it clear she loved them dearly. She already knew this. She knew Cordelia went to war for her daughter more than anything, but Severa only wanted to lash out in anger and grief. Maybe… if everything goes well, if Naga allows it, she could talk to her and move on.

Cynthia meanwhile was doing her best not to cry at the sight of her mother laughing while rubbing her pregnant belly. Sumia was rambling about how she will take her flying once she is old enough. The girl recalled the few times her mother took her into the sky, cementing her desire to follow in her footsteps before fate took them apart. Maybe they can fly side by side at least once. She had to smile, though. She did inherit her mother's clumsiness and her father's love of sweets. The young girl hopes she won't be too disappointed.

But Cynthia noticed something that bothered. "Severa… Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it too early for them to be pregnant with us?"

Severa frowned but did the math in her head. Her eyes widened in realization. "I… You're right," the redhead said in such a shock that she didn't insult her companion. "We are younger than Lucina, for more than a year. They shouldn't be pregnant yet." Not only that, but the war with Plegia should've lasted longer, so Lucina would be born much later. And so, should they. And yet, Lucina hadn't even been conceived yet!

"So… those could not be us?" Cynthia asked, fear in her voice.

"I… I don't know," Severa admitted. They started to understand how Lucina since the announcement of Emmeryn's wedding. "I mean. They are sure they are girls and they will have our names, but..." she trailed off. "We… need to talk with the others."

The orange-haired girl nodded but returned her gaze to their mother. "Yeah..."

The pair continued to watch for a long time. They knew Lucina's plan was to disappear once Grima had been taken care of. So, this might be the only time they could see their mothers up close. They won't have the chance to interact with their parents if things work as intended so they would take what they can get. Then again, things hadn't been going according to plan.

The two girls didn't want to leave, but the knights made the decision for them. The women started prodding their mothers for information about their fathers' skills in bed. Not wanting any more emotional scars, the two girls picked up their bags and banished.


On the other side of the city, another couple was enjoying a day together. Tiki was happy that Robin had asked her out to town. They had become quite close after their outings. She had never felt so bold as when she stole that kiss on his cheek. She had never kissed anyone before. At least with less than innocent intentions. The close she had come was kissing Mar-Mar in her dreams, but that was just a childish crush.

Robin was so like Marth, but still his own person. She hated that such a man was bound to have his soul consumed by Grima.

"Here you go!" Robin said cheerfully, breaking her out of her thoughts.

Tiki turned to see Robin holding something she hadn't tasted in years. "This is..."

"You mentioned that one of your friends introduced you to fried apples. And that they are one of your favorite confections," he said, offering the treat.

She took it into her hands and memories rushed to her.


A young Tiki looked curiously at the confection on Kris's hand. "Huh? What's that?"

The man that had treated her so kindly looked at her in confusion before understanding. "Oh, this? This is a fried apple. You remove the apple's core, add butter and sugar and fry it. We used to fry and eat old apples like this quite often, back in my village."

The 'young' girl's mouth watered at the description. She had apples before, but this sounded better than those she had before. "Is it tasty?"

Kris smiled and nodded. "Yes, want a bite?" he offered.

"Yeah, I do!" she said, nodding excitedly. She could feel her tummy growling in anticipation.

Chuckling, her friend offered the rest of the treat to her. "Alright, then here you go. It's hot so be careful."

"Thanks!" She took a large bite, thinking her dragon tongue would protect her. It did not. "It is hot…" she said, quickly blowing air through her mouth.

"You'll need to blow on it, so you won't burn your tongue," "Here, like this."

Tiki watched the demonstration and eagerly tried again. "Okay, got it." Blowing on the apple, she munched on the cooler treat. It was delicious!

"Haha, yes, just like that," Kris said jovial, watching her with a fond smile. "But, even though she's just a little girl now...She becomes a mighty dragon during battle...The dragonkin sure are mysterious…" the knight mused out loud.

The girl tilted her head, making a questioning sound through her munching.

Kris shook his head. "No, nothing. Do you want more?"

She nodded happily, continuing munching on her treat.


"... You remembered that?" she said softly.

Robin tilted his head with a smile. "Shouldn't I?"

He didn't need to. It was barely a small thing she commented during Emmeryn's reception if she remembered correctly. A small detail not worth remembering.

The Voice just managed to prevent tears from forming in her eyes. While not common, there still had been many through the ages that professed their love and devotion to the manakete for her role as the Voice of Naga. Others for her beauty. Tiki wasn't blind, she knew she was attractive, but those that stated their affections for her didn't know her past the image history painted of her. And yet none had left such an impression as the tactician did with such a simple gesture.

Tiki was glad for their current circumstances. She felt feelings growing for the tactician as more time passed, and the little gestures he made only helped to reinforce that he felt the same.

"Thank you," she said, rewarding him with a smile as she took a bite of the apple. It was delicious.

"Do you like it?"

"Mhm," she said, still munching happily.

Robin laughed. "I'm glad."

Swallowing, she smiled at him. "It's been… wow, centuries since I last had one as good as this. I never mentioned it to others, and it's not a threat common on the areas I tend to visit. And it's better with good company," the Voice said, taking a more somber tone. "Something that it's hard to come by for me..."

"It must be lonely…" Robin mused out loud. His eyes widened as he caught himself. "Sorry, I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

"It's alright," she reassured him. "It can be lonely, but I have grown used to it."

Robin frowned at that. "You shouldn't have to," he said, taking her hand into his. "Well, at least you have us now. Me. My family. The Shepherds. I know… I know you will outlive us, but that doesn't mean you should lose contact with our families. And well..."

She squeezed his hand in reassurance. "I know."

The pair kept walking in comfortable silence, taking a seat in one of the benches of the park as Tiki finished her apple.

"You have a good heart, Robin," Tiki said, breaking the silence. "You remind me too much of Mar-Mar and Tar-Tar," she said fondly, looking back at the memories of times long past.

Tilting his head in confusion, the tactician asked, "Tar-Tar? I know the first one is your nickname for King Marth, but who is the other one?"

Tiki gained a blush of embarrassment. "Ah, yes my bad. I tend to call them that out of fondness. Tar-Tar is my nickname for Kris. A member of Marth's army. He is the one that first shared a fried apple with me."

"Of course," Robin said. "We haven't talked about all the members of Marth's army. So, you were close friends with Kris?"

"Yes, he and Kat-Kat introduced me to my favorite confections when I was little."

Robin just gave her a confused, expectant look and she blushed.

"Katarina," she clarified. "I'm not that creative with nicknames ok! I was a child."

The tactician chuckled, raising his hands in surrender. "Hey, it's ok. I think it's adorable."

The manakete's blush got worse but she still returned the smile. "Careful, or I will start calling you Rob-Rob or something."

Robin coughed on his hand at her teasing. "Ehm, back to Katarina," he said, bluntly changing topics. "I've read about her. Another member of Marth's army. A powerful mage and loyal to him."

Tiki nodded and gave him a pained smile. "That's what history tells. Not many know that her original name was Reese and was sent as an assassin to kill Marth and his army."

Robin's eyes widened in shock. "What?! Nothing I've read said such a thing!"

"Yes, well. History is written by the winners," Tiki said, looking at the sky. "She found Kris and use him, eventually setting a trap that failed to kill the army and forced her to retreat. There were many attempts by her organization to kill Marth, eventually leaving her as the only one left. But she was too kind for that. She lost too much, and the army still considered her a friend. She finally defected after her boss left her friend to die and joined them for good under the name Katarina; the name she used to first infiltrate them."

"She was treated with true friendship and kindness, changing her heart," Robin said understanding. "Marth and Kris must have been very charismatic to earn such loyalty."

"Just like you and Chrom," Tiki said, knowing that would make him self-conscious. "Funny. She aspired to be a tactician, which wasn't a lie and fought next to Kris in many battles. They were quite a powerful pair. Katarina developed a crush on Kris, and they eventually married. Marth, having forgiven her, allowed them to create a minor noble house: House Sterling."

"An extinct house that served the ancient kings for generations as loyal knights," he recited. "A shame they no longer exist."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that," she said nonchalantly.

"What do you mean?"

"A powerful, loyal knight and a magically adept tactician. Both loyal to a blue-haired royal. Sounds familiar?" Tiki asked with a smile.

"With the look you are giving me, you are making it sound like they are my ancestors," Robin jested.

"Oh, they are."

Robin blinked. "...What?"

"I suspected it for a while and asked my mother. She confirmed that their bloodline survived, though not publicly," Tiki admitted. "They served the royal family for many generations. But as it's bound to happen, the many branches of descendants spread out through the land. Eventually, the main house succumbed to time. One of the branches ended in Plegia, though. I'm sure there must be some documents in the archives, as well as in Plegia."

She could see the information was taking its toll on Robin. "So… Not only do I have the blood of Hezul in House Nordion, but also of the founders of the legendary House Sterling? Add to that the power of Grima that Forneus obtained and our claim to Plegia's throne… This is too much..."

Tiki understood. The Sterling bloodline was strong and it's showing it their tactical brilliance. But it wasn't special in any magical sense. Not like Forneus or Hezul's blood. That the Grimleal's selective breeding managed to get them too was sheer luck.

"Yes, but if anything, it just proved that others don't control your fate. You can choose your own path. You have none of the dark qualities of your ancestors. You might have their power, but you have Kris and Katarina's spirit," she said kindly. "You already live up to their legacy. Build on it and make it your own."

"Thank you," Robin said with sincerity. Then he paused for a moment before he slowly started laughing.

Tiki looked at him in confusion. "Robin?"

"It just occurred to me," the tactician said. "My ancestor, Katarina… She was an assassin sent to infiltrate and kill the army. Exactly what Frederick and many of the others suspected I was going to do. Is that ironic? I don't know," he said with a shake of his head. "So similar and yet so different."

"Fate works in interesting ways, does it not?"

"It does indeed," Robin admitted, looking at the sky. "Hmmm, it almost midday. I doubt that apple was enough. Do you feel like getting lunch together? Just the two us? Or would you rather we go to the castle and eat with the others?" It was frankly adorable how he tried to be subtle.

Linking her arms with his, Tiki leaned on his shoulder and smiled. "I think the two of us it's just fine."


Time passed quickly, and soon the joyous news spread through the Halidom.

The Crown Prince, Jonathan Lowell was born to Exalt Emmeryn Lowell and King Consort Aedan Lowell nee Amell on the first days of winter, affectionally called Jon by his family. He was born with the Exalted bloodline's dark blue hair and his father's dark grey eyes. The Brand of the Exalt was clear on his little hand since the day he was born. Lissa had been a little bittersweet at that, but she easily got over it once she held her nephew.

They named Phila as the godmother, much to her embarrassment. Aedan's cousin, Robert, was the godfather. Lissa and Chrom were over the moon, doting on the child at every moment. Emmeryn had also gotten closer to the Shepherds, hoping that her little Jon too would get along with the children of her most loyal protectors. Loyalty like the one the Shepherds showed was not something easy to gain.

She enjoyed life to fullest with Aedan and Jon, knowing how close she had come to never experience the joys of having a husband and child. She loved her siblings, but there was something about holding the little bundle of joy that nothing could compare. She swore to protect this little one's future at any cost.

Emmeryn would forever be thankful to the Plegian family that had helped her get this gift.


Chrom dodged Robin's stab, twisting his body out of the way and spinning to slash at his side. Morgana's training had certainly borne fruits as Robin deftly blocked the attack. He had adopted more and more of Rose's and Morgana's style into his own and could give even Chrom a run for his money. It was sometimes scary how fast he grew in skill, but that only made the prince push himself harder.

Robin pushed back, leaving some distance between them. The two shared a measuring look until the tactician smirked. "I think we can increase the intensity, don't you think?"

The prince grinned at his friend. "Took the words right out of my mouth."

For the past few months, the two men had been training together to harness the power of their bloodlines. It still impressed Chrom to witness the full power of Ignis. The descendants of Hezul certainly lived up to the power of the Twelve Crusaders of Jugdral. It explained the strength of the Plegian family.

Ignis and Aether ignited, enveloping the blunt swords as the power of their blood came to the surface. Robin could draw from his magic to increase his physical strength or vice versa. Chrom's flames could bypass some of the defenses of their opponents, zapping away at their energy to reinvigorate him. Still, the flames tended to negate one another, only increasing their striking power.

The pair exchanged blows for a while until they ran out of stamina to keep their techniques up. Deciding to take a rest, the pair took their waterskins and sat down to recover. It was a nice day and the two were alone in the private training ground. The other Shepherds were taking the day off, but the two friends still liked to have at least some sparring in the mornings.

"So, how is it being an uncle?" Robin said, after taking a generous gulp of water.

Chrom had to smile at that. "It's fantastic! Jon is a great baby," he said, pride clear in his voice. "He is healthy and calm. I can see he is going to grow up strong. Lissa is going to spoil him rotten, I just know it."

"I can certainly see that happening," his friend said with a chuckle.

"And I can see you two have progressed nicely with your techniques."

The pair turned to the doorway where Robin's mother was leaning, looking at them with an approving expression. Chrom wasn't surprised to see her. Emmeryn had taken to her quite nicely. Not only that, but she helped train many of the recruits when she wasn't helping at a nearby school. Say what you want about her, but she was not one to stay idle.

"Hello, mother," Robin said, waving at the woman who smiled in return.

"Good day, Lady Morgana," Chrom said politely, making sure to keep its response simple least he incurs the wrath of his friend.

"Good morning, Robin. Lord Chrom," she said. She then turned and gave her son an appraising look. "I hope you didn't forget your date with Lily. It would be most improper to arrive covered in dirt and sweat," she said with a raised eyebrow.

The prince looked in amusement as Robin froze. "You have another date with Lady Lily?" he asked.

Robin blushed and scratched his cheek. He cleared his throat and turning to his friend. "Ehm, yes. But it's not until the afternoon."

"...It's past midday, son," his mother said in a deadpan tone.

In an impressive display of speed, Robin rushed past them, dropping the training blade and disappearing towards his room in the castle. It was lucky he lived here instead of that with his mother and sister. Sometimes he wondered why, but since Lily lived there too he might've found it improper.

"At least his training increased his speed. Honestly, sometimes..." the bluenette said, shaking his head in amusement. Still, he was happy that things had been working out well for his friend. He had his family back with him for nearly a year, working excellently for the crown. And now it seems he finally has started courting Lily. With the birth of his nephew as well as all the pregnancies of his friends, things certainly were looking good for the Shepherds.

The sound of a blade being cutting the air got his attention. Turning, he saw Morgana giving him a smile that was somewhere between Emmeryn and Rose's. To him, that promised nothing good.

"Now, Lord Chrom," Morgana said as she twirled her own training sword. "Since my boy left you in such a hurry, how about I help you train? Add my own motherly touch to your training?"

He gulped. He might be envious of his friend having a mother at times, but this was not one of them.


Later that evening, Robin and Tiki strolled through one of the parks of the capital. It was decorated with banners with the Brand of the Exalt. The landscaping done here was less grandiose than the Royal Gardens, but it was still beautiful. Emmeryn had wanted the parks restored soon so the people could have a place to relax and forget about the attack on the city.

She felt bold, for some reason. Robin had been kind to her. Even without her knowledge of his bloodline, she still found him interesting. He was funny, intelligent, kind, and not bad on the eye. The times they had spent together talking about random topics were some of the happiest she had in her long life. The book they were writing together was coming along and the act itself helped her recover many of the memories of her long-lost friends. It was as if they were returning to life.

Tiki turned to the man and gave him an appraising look. Robin wore some rather fine clothing this evening. She herself wore a nice dress, but nothing fancy.

"If I had known we were wearing fancy clothing I would've put more effort into my appearance," she jested. She saw him blush they walked past the fountain and sat on a rather lovely stone bench.

"Ah, but you are lovely even in the simplest of clothes," Robin said with a smile, his voice carrying a theatrical tone.

"Hmm, still a charmer," she retorted with a sly smile.

Robin chuckled and looked at the sky. "It's silly. I guess I did want to impress you today."

The disguised manakete frowned in confusion. "Why? I told you, you have nothing to prove to me. Please, don't tell me you are feeling pressured by my status after all this time."

"It's not that," he denied with a shake of his head. "Well, maybe, but not by you. It's just…"

"Just what?"

Her friend looked hesitant, before relenting with a sigh. "Well, you've lived for millennia... Seen the legendary heroes with your own eyes... You knew the Hero-King Marth himself! And compared to him, what am I?" he said, looking at his hands. "I felt that I had to be as great as him, as mighty and powerful... Otherwise, you couldn't help but find me lacking in comparison."

"You don't have to feel such things. You have earned your own victories which are no less important," Tiki pointed out.

"I've triumphed so far thanks to my sister's intervention," Robin denied. "Otherwise we would have suffered terrible losses."

"Remember, you would've won anyway, but what Rose did was spare you the same suffering her world went through. I think that's worth a little loss of merit in those victories."

"Maybe you are right. I guess it's my pride talking," Robin admitted with a laugh.

Tiki licked her lips. She dared not hope too much but something told her to act or she would regret it. She needed to pick her words carefully. "There is only one Mar-Mar, and that was Marth, the great king of ages past," she conceded. "Just like there is only one Kris and one Katarina."

The tactician chuckled a little. "Yes, well. Fair enough, I suppose. I'm hardly qualified in comparison."

"That's no it," the manakete quickly denied. "There is a reason why I can't really compare you to them."

Robin gulped, his nervousness clearly visible on his face. "...And that is?"

Tiki took his hand and squeezed gently. "Because you, too, are a singular—and very special—man to me. You are the man with whom I've...developed feelings for," she admitted, blushing up a storm. She felt like a kid again and was glad her glamour hid her pointy ears because they surely were now bright red.

The tactician's eyes widened in shock. "T-Tiki?!"

"We have spent a lot of time together these past months. More so that I have with anyone since the days with Marth's army. I don't think it's strange for such a thing to happen," she explained. "I've lived a long life and yet I'm inexperienced in the matters of the heart. I don't know if this is love, but..."

"I'm afraid I'm no expert either," he admitted, gently squeezing her hand in return. "I know it's too early to claim this is love between us, but I want to find out together." Robin gulped, clearly gathering courage. "I… I would like to start courting you properly."

The lethargy she felt for so long, making her sleep her lonely days away vanished in an instant. "I would be delighted," she said with a smile that could light up a room.

"I'm so glad to hear that haha…" Robin said, and she could almost see tears in his eyes. "Truth is, I've been hoping against hope that we might be together but dared not ask…"

"No more doubts from you," she chastised in jest, before taking a more somber tone. "I know that to love another, I must watch the world move past him. But such short years make an eternity worth living. I'm willing to give it a try if you would have me."

Robin gave her a big smile that made her heart swell. "Nothing would make me happier."

Smiling, Tiki leaned in and their lips met for their first, proper kiss.


"So Emmeryn had a boy…" Grima said, crushing the letter in his hand and engulfing it with his dark flames. "Another concerning, albeit irrelevant, change to the pile. I will not be denied." There was also the matter of the insurrection in the far west of Plegia, luckily away from Ylisse's eyes. Some foolish deserters decided it was time to change Plegia, weakening his stance on the game. That would not do. Curse that Emmeryn and her words.

He needed a pawn to put on the throne, one easily manipulated and that already had enough influence. Maybe he should not have sent the assassination order for that harlot Aversa. That had been a rash decision. Her plan for Chon'sin failed but she would've been useful right now. But the bitch had slipped through his fingers, and he had made those that failed him pay. If only Lucina hadn't killed Validar. He still wasn't sure how she accomplished that right under his nose, but he would make that blue-haired bitch pay.

Well, it's a good thing that he brought a spare with him from the future. The Fell Dragon then gathered his magic and opened a portal to a pocket dimension where he kept his most useful creations. He was quite proud of that spell as he watched it spit out a Risen in a very familiar set of sorcerer clothes.

Validar stood up with a blank face as if carved of stone. The purple mist oozed out of his skin, making him easily recognizable as a Risen.

"Hmm, that would not do," Grima growled at the obvious flaw, thinking of a solution. "The hex to return his mind to him without the necromantic aura… Yes, that would do."

A set of runes glowed around the slimy little weasel and the aura vanished as if a great wind had swept it away. Validar blinked as if awakening from a long dream. His skin returned to the disgusting grey tone he always had. Pouring his will and memories into the sorcerer, the Dragon saw him take it in and getting the hang of the situation. Then Validar smiled as he dropped to one knee.

"What are your orders, Lord Grima?"

"You will retake the throne and put down this stupid insurrection," Grima said. The dragon stood from his chair and pointed at a set of locations on the map. "It's been a thorn in my side and keeping it quiet has been a waste of my time," he ordered. "Restore the army and navy. The Ylisseans will need the boats soon to travel to Valm. Let them slaughter and weaken each other in that meaningless war. It will save us the effort and we will have more corpses to rise later."

Grima would love to have his Risen infiltrate the enemy ranks, but to get rid of the aura he had to return their free will. Something he had tried and failed to fix. It hurt his pride, but even he had limits. 'Irrelevant,' he thought. Things will soon be set right.

His lips curled into a bloodthirsty smile. The scales will always tip in his favor.


"And this letter is from House Cassel," Phila heard Rose say from her seat. They were going through letters from all over the Halidom and beyond. "It came with a casket of their best wines. Let's see what it says. 'Dear Exalt… yadda yadda … congratulations on the baby…. Yadda yadda … this is totally not a bribe… yadda yadda'. There is some more ass-kissing there, but seems nice enough," she said, throwing the letter on the 'done' pile.

Phila scowled at her lack of professionalism but didn't contradict her coworker. She had detected the same thin veiled bribes from many of the lesser houses of the Halidom. At least there were few, with many offering sincere congratulations. They had already gone through nearly a hundred letters and the pile wasn't getting any smaller. Phila too was feeling a little short on patience for empty flattery.

Emmeryn didn't mind, still happy from the birth of her child. Little Jon was spending time with his father while the three dealt with the paperwork for the day. "That's nice, though we still have the ones they gave us for the wedding."

"You can never have too much good wine," Rose said, shrugging, earning a glare from Phila. "You can always throw a small party for the castle staff or give it to them as a reward for good work. We can keep a few for when the Cassels visit and do the whole showcasing bit." She paused. "They could gift something other than wine all the time though. It's like they put no thought into it..." she said to herself.

"That's a good idea, better than having them sit in storage gathering dust. Their wine is still one of the best in the continent," Emmeryn said, nodding. "Might keep some in my room for..."

"Special nights with the King Consort?" Rose said with a grin, making Emmeryn blush.

The Pegasus knight sighed, annoyed that she seemed to be the only professional one today. But even her nerves were starting to fray from the dull paperwork." Let's just continue. The sooner we do, the sooner we can finish this. Hmm, this one is from…" The knight froze for a moment. Swallowing and hardening her voice, she continued, "From the King of Plegia, Your Grace." That caught the attention of both women.

"Oh, that's true. They recently appointed a new king," the Exalt said, frowning after a moment. "We haven't established contact with him."

"After the last king, I'm not eager to have another Plegian monarch around," Phila said. Pausing, she gave Rose an apologetic nod. "No offense to your mother."

"Some taken," she said with a shrug, frowning after a moment. "Just wondering who it is. Even my sources haven't been able to give me the identity of the man. He is very paranoid and secretive, focused on stabilizing the country after the war. There is still plenty of regions where unrest is prevalent. But I don't like how he has routed almost every possible source of intel so easily. It's like the country went silent."

Phila didn't like the sound of that. "Well, hopefully this letter will give us an answer." The knight opened the letter, clearing her throat and reading:

"To Exalt Emmeryn Lowell of Ylisse and King Consort Aedan Lowell,

It is with great joy that my first letter to you is one of congratulation on the birth of your heir. Please forgive the lack of contact during the past year, but Plegia had trouble on choosing a king. Fear not, I will not restart the feud between our people. Your words have changed many hearts, mine being one of them. I will strive to better the relationship between our people, so the mistakes of the past are not repeated. Along with this message is a gift. In a few weeks a fleet of seventy-eight ships will arrive at the Whitewing Harbor carrying gold as further repayment for the war, as well as food and cloth. Please, keep fifty of the ships. The crew will teach your people how to use sail if needed. Once again, my apologies for the delay but I hope this is enough proof of my good intentions.

Signed, Validar Lessard. King of Plegia."

The sound of glass shattering on the floor startled the Ylisseans. They turned to see a pale and horrified Rose, looking at them with wide eyes.

"Impossible..." she breathed, quickly standing up and knocking her chair back. "Excuse me, I need to check on something." Before anyone could answer, she dashed out of the hall into the training grounds. Phila and Emmeryn watched in bewilderment as moments later Rose rushed past the door all but dragging her mother and brother along.

"What could have gotten that reaction from her?" the Exalt said with worry in her voice.

"Validar..." Phila muttered, "Why does that name sound fami...li...ar..." she trailed off, looking at Emmeryn who had just realized the same thing. The reason why Rose went into shock at the last part of the letter. Something she had mentioned to them before.

It's signed under her father's name.


Morgana and Robin were practically thrown into the chairs of Rose's study as she bolted the door and proceeded to pace around the room. Morgana took in stride, but Robin had no issues in showing his annoyance.

"Ok, what's the big idea?!" he said as he fixed the collar of his shirt.

Rose stopped and moved her mouth as if trying to form the words that wouldn't come out. That worried Robin, for she only lost her wits when she was cornered.

"I… One second… Look," she said as she unsheathed Thorn and closed her eyes. Robin saw how she focused, making runes glow on the blade with gathering magic. A moment later, tendrils of purple light moved from the blade and took the shape of a bound man. He remained unmoving, his eye empty. But Robin recognized him from that night long ago.

"Is that… Validar? Our father?" he asked, looking at the man that tried to assassinate Emmeryn.

"Yes," she said cringing. "I forgot to mention I had his soul sealed inside my sword, didn't I?"

"Yes, you forgot that small detail during your briefing," Morgana said drily. Robin could see how she looked at with hate at the bound soul of her ex-husband. The man remained bound to the sword, weak and unable to struggle. "Is there a reason for showing this to us now?"

The former mercenary stopped pacing and nodded, taking a breath to calm herself. "Yes. We received a letter from Validar congratulating Emmeryn and Aedan," she said through gritted teeth. "But that's possible! Look!" she exclaimed, pointing at the bound soul. "I'm not imagining this, am I? I sealed his soul inside my sword as insurance that he never becomes a problem ever again. So then why is there another Validar running around?"

"An impostor? Someone claiming to be him to get to power?" Robin suggested. "His name alone holds sway over the Grimleal."

"Wouldn't work," their mother said with a frown. "He needs to pass the Test of Blood to rule and Validar is too well known in Plegia for someone to claim to be him."

He remembered all he heard from Rose's world. It was a shock to hear that the damned Fell Dragon came from the future, but he understood the need for secrecy. Especially the Shepherds being some of the worst secret-keepers in the world. "You said Marth and Grima came from the future. Marth came with companions, correct?" he got a nod in response. "Is it possible for Grima to have brought followers too? I understand that the dragon is weak right now, so he would need people loyal to him to make his moves."

Rose froze, "But in my time… I mean, Naga didn't mention anything about that! As far as I know, Grima came alone."

There was something in the way she said that that made Robin frown, but he focused on the problem at hand. "You were sent back before you faced his full might, so it's more than likely you didn't face all his tricks. Or there could be enough deviations from our births that our Grima did bring troops with him."

"There are a few things that don't match either, right?" Morgana said. "You mentioned that in your world, Grima never used the Risen in the manner he has here. Like fusing them together into those monstrous Abominations," she said with a shudder. Robin could sympathize. Remembering having to face those creatures still made his stomach churn. "This could be another difference."

"Fuck," was all Rose could say, slumping on her own chair. "Well. There is no way to get rid of this Validar without starting another war. From what I recall, he will offer us support for the war with Valm, though the ships were supposed to arrive later."

Morgana and Robin agreed. Validar would remain King of Plegia as long as he plays the role of a benevolent ruler. Still, it was clear Rose was not eager to explain how their father could be alive.

Luckily, Emmeryn stopped taking Plegia's promises at face value. If Plegia asked about the military build-up, they would respond that their civil war and the situation in Valm has them nervous. The Exalt might hate having to reassemble the army, but it was her duty to protect her people. For now, it would remain as a deterrence for future conflicts.

But they know that would not last.


At that moment, a rider left Regna Ferox, carrying with him an urgent message as the Khans marched west to war.


AN:

Sun'fey Fujiwara: Say'ri's and ■■■■■■'s son. Serious, honorable, blunt, and a mama's boy.

Alann Roque: Anna and Gregor's son. A savvy merchant that can charm any woman but is mediocre with a sword. He oversees procuring housing and money for their large party and is damn good at it.

Jocasta Mikhailov: Basilio and Flavia's daughter. The best/worst of her parents.

Ke'ri Sirot: Inigo's younger sister. Just because it's a bit weird that only Lucina gets to have siblings. Think of her like the Misty to his Brock.

The way I see it. Katarina's story is exactly what Frederick expected of the Plegian Siblings. That and her being a grandmaster in Awakening fits perfectly for being an ancestor of the twins. This doesn't grant them power like the legacy of Hezul or Grima, nor was it planned. But if anything, we know in this world fate works in funny ways.

The relationship between Robin and Tiki might seem to go too fast but remembers, these snippets are across nearly two years. Since I'm so slow writing I didn't want to spend the entire two-year in-story writing every date. That would probably really take me two years. Hopefully, those snippets of dates and thoughts are enough to portray a growing relationship. Unlike many the other Shepherds, many who already knew each other, these two won't marry right away. They are just different from others.

And hey, Cordelia kept her promise from the battle of Ylisstol. She promised to run around town if she survived.