"Ah, Alex. There you are," Frederick said, approaching me in the hallway wearing full armor.

I looked at him wide-eyed, surprised by his presence. I hadn't seen him what felt like forever. "Shit, is something happening? You only come up to me with all that armor on when we're about to train."

I'd been back for a week, and what a week it was. The barracks were still used by everyone, even after the war and Chrom ascending to the throne in all but name. Well, mostly everyone. Chrom and Sumia no longer stayed there, although they visited regularly. Beyond that, though, it was nice to catch up with them. Really did feel like I'd come home again.

Even bumped into Kellam. That was a blast from the past.

There was one detail I noted, though: no one seemed to question where I'd gone. Where we'd gone, I corrected myself. I didn't bother to ask Robin if the Shepherds knew about why we were all gone for a little over a month when we were on our way back to Ylisstol. The most I could get was that the three of us had gone on an expedition of sorts to Whiteford Isle, to investigate rumors of strange anomalies.

Seemed a bit wonky to me, but they bought it.

"Not at all," Frederick assuaged, staring down at me intimidatingly. He was one of the few Shepherds taller than me. "Milord and Robin would like a word with you. Depending on how it turns out, we may be seeing each other a lot more."

"If that ain't the most cryptic thing I've heard today," I mumbled to myself before shaking my head. "Alright then. Lead the way, I guess?"

Frederick nodded, and we were on our way.

"Hey, Frederick."

"Yes, Alex?"

For some reason, I paused like a dumbass before remembering what I wanted to ask. "So, you said we'd be seeing each other a lot more depending on how this, er, meeting went. Could you give me any clue why? Not that I think that would be a bad thing, mind you."

Frederick hummed. "You shall see soon. It would be remiss of me to tell you when milord seemed so excited."

I grumbled something unintelligible and kept my pace up. Castle Ylisstol's halls would always seem a maze to me; even the walk there from the barracks was less confusing. I hadn't even been in the place since Validar's assault. It looked like all the bloodstains and bodies had been cleaned, at least.

Well of course it would be. It's been months, boy scout.

Before long, I was ushered into a meeting room of sorts. An oak table sat in the middle of the room surrounded by chairs, with a single window allowing sunlight inside. Chrom and Robin sat on either side of the table, discussing something until Frederick and I entered. Chrom stood up, smiling wide.

"Alex! Good to see you!" He held out a hand, and I took it. "It's been too long. Glad to see you've cleaned yourself up. Sully told me you were in, heh, quite a state when you, Robin, and Cordelia came back."

I winced. "Okay look, they didn't have any baths or good water or anything when I was there, and I- Goddamn you, Sully." I mumbled to myself, letting go of Chrom's hand and turning to Robin. "Right, you guys wanted to see me for something?"

Robin's expression was unreadable as he nodded his head to Chrom. "I will let Chrom explain. It was his idea."

I looked at the blue-haired lord. "Well, now I'm really curious."

"Heh," Chrom chuckled. "I'm sure you will like it. It's more of a formality at this point."

I sat down between next to Robin as Chrom sat back in his chair.

Frederick bowed. "I will ensure no one disturbs you, milord."

Chrom nodded. "Thank you, Frederick. This won't take long."

Frederick left, closing the door behind him. With that, it was just the three of us. Despite the way I spoke, I was actually nervous. It wasn't often things like that happened, being summoned to talk to the monarch of a country. I could only imagine what they had in store for me. I was thanking my lucky stars that Robin was able to cover for my ass. Even if the cover story was weak, it worked.

Chrom sighed. "I haven't had a moment like this in a while. Not an ounce of privacy since I've taken control. And the Council… Urgh." He took a deep breath. "Anyway, I didn't ask you to come here to hear me complain, Alex."

"I wouldn't mind if you did. I'm a pretty good listener." I smiled.

"Ha!" Chrom laughed. "Be careful, I may just take you up on that offer!" He coughed into his fist. "Anyway, since I've taken control, I have had to make many decisions. One of those being who I will have as my advisors. I already have Frederick and Phila as Knight-Commander and Flight-Commander respectively. And the Council will no doubt show me who I should fill in for the other positions. There is one position, however, that has not been filled for quite some time."

Robin face broke out into a small smirk as Chrom continued.

"That position being Grandmaster Tactician." Chrom nodded to Robin. "I have decided that person shall be Robin. A worthy reward for someone who stuck by me through the whole war and was the reason we even stood a chance in the first place. But..."

Robin continued for Chrom, his face settling back into that same neutral expression from before. "I am not nobility. While the positions as advisors of the Exalt are not exclusive to nobility, the fact that for all intents and purposes I am just a commoner will be sure to cause some unrest among the Council and lesser courts."

I still had no idea where the conversation was going. I understood the concept of nobility, of course, but it was an ancient and foreign concept. Something that was technically thrown away in the United States over two-hundred years before I was even born. I wasn't stupid; I knew there would always be those that are above others, whether it be class or through just having more than everyone else, but I was in a feudal society. One where, if the king – or Exalt in that situation, even though he didn't officially take that title – married anyone not of noble birth it was possible for there to be riots in the streets.

"But that is where you come in, Alex," Robin finished.

I leaned forward, putting my good hand on the table. "Alright, what's going on? Why am I here?"

"Alex," Chrom began. "I wanted to grant you knighthood."

Whatever thoughts I had were gone as soon as Chrom finished. Knighthood? I barely knew the first thing about being a knight. I had no idea hy in all the fucking world I was being given the- Well, I would've liked to have called it an honor, but it felt more like a whole lot of responsibility on my shoulders.

"What?" I mumbled out after a few seconds, my eyes wide.

"We would have to forgo some processes, certainly," Chrom continued. "You were never a paige or a squire. Nonetheless, I think it is the best way to further legitimize Robin. Of course, you would benefit as well."

"Woah, woah, woah, hold up," I said, holding my good hand up. "You want me, some nobody foreigner, to be a knight? What?"

"That 'nobody foreigner' fought with us through the entire war," Chrom retorted, crossing his arms. "You can reject it if you wish, Alex. I would not put you in this position if you truly didn't want it."

"It's-" I rasped before coughing into my hand. "It's not that. I'm just confused, I guess? How will this help Robin?"

"As Chrom said, it would make me seem more legitimate," Robin reiterated. "This would also raise your position in the world, and possibly open more opportunities for you in the future." Robin smiled softly. "In addition, working with you could prove to be entertaining."

I gave Robin a blank look.

"But like Chrom said, you can refuse this if you want," Robin continued, folding his hands together on the table. "It just means we will need to find somebody else to fit the position. I do hope you accept, though."

I looked down at the table, thinking. A part of me wanted to refuse. What right did I have to become a knight? With my iron hand? With my mistakes? I didn't listen to it, though. I was done listening to it. I had a promise to keep, to be a better person, to not just run away from my problems and responsibilities.

Looking back up with a determined expression, I spoke, "I accept your offer, Chrom. I'll become Robin's knight."

A smile lit up Chrom's face. "Great! I knew you'd be up to it!"

His smile was contagious, as I was sure Robin and I could attest. I coughed into my hand. "So, uh, how exactly are we doing this?"

"Oh," Chrom seemed to settle down. "Ah, yes. Well, usually there would be a ceremony and tournament dedicated to someone attaining knighthood, but for you I think we will go with something a little less flashy. A simple ceremony at the end of the week should be sufficient."

I shrugged. "Eh, was never really very good with crowds anyway. Well that and," I put my iron hand on the table. "This, well, I don't really know how to fight anymore. Not with a hand missing."

Chrom focused on my hand while Robin spoke: "We will need to begin training again. You never know when something will come up."

"Yes," Chrom agreed. "Stop by the training grounds tomorrow. We'll get you back in fighting shape in no time."

I raised a brow. "Huh?"

"Gah, fuck!"

Chrom hissed. "I may have been a little too hard on him…"

I rolled around on the dirt floor, grabbing at my knee. "Fuck, dude, ya think?" I laughed humorlessly. "Yeah, let's just have the guy who's lost his dominant hand spar with a literal superhuman. What could go wrong!?"

"The 'guy' would begin complaining on the floor. That is what could go wrong," Frederick said dryly from the sidelines.

I sat up, picking up my sword. My iron hand still grasped the shield in a vice. Those spring-loaded mechanisms could do wonders. I faced Chrom again, in a reverse of the stance I used to take back when I had my right hand. I couldn't tell if it I was rusty or if I was worse at fighting with my left hand than I thought. A combination of both was the most likely answer. My swings were not as strong, my strikes not as precise. I felt more sluggish than usual. It was like trying to ride a bicycle with only one foot.

Also, well, as I'd said, Chrom was the closest thing to a superhuman that I'd ever seen. He was the guy who could do three flips in the air, defying all the laws of physics through sheer strength, and speed towards his time-traveling daughter who could do the exact same thing.

I swallowed my doubts and feelings of inferiority and charged clumsily. My practice sword slammed into Chrom's, who aimed low, going for my legs again. Wizening up to his tricks, I blocked it with my shield. Too bad the fucker was so fast I couldn't bring up my sword for another strike and ended up blocking another blow aimed for my head. Chrom didn't have a lot of finesse, but he swung the practice sword around like it was an extension of his body. In just a few seconds I'd gone from going on the attack to backpedaling on the defensive.

Despite it all, though, I saw an opening. As soon as Chrom swung again, I struck. My practice sword hit his side, bouncing harmlessly off as I was quickly disarmed and sent to my ass for the fiftieth time that day.

"Impressive; you got me!" Chrom laughed jovially, patting the side I'd hit. "I didn't expect that!"

"Fat lotta good that did me," I spat out, looking up at the great blue sky. "Christ, and you're knighting me in just a few days! Isn't there some kind of, I dunno, thing I'm supposed to do involving combat?"

"Not in this case, although I would love to see the face of someone who lost to you," Chrom replied, chuckling. He offered me his hand, and I took it. "Like I told you, it'll just be a little private ceremony. Something official so the nobility don't question why this foreigner is hanging around my newly-appointed Tactician."

"The training will not stop once you have been knighted, Alex," Frederick said, stepping forward. "It would be remiss of me to allow a knight of Ylisse to slack in his training. Especially in your case."

I rubbed the back of my head as Chrom hoisted me up. "I know, I know. Maybe I'm just a bit nervous. Haven't been given such a big responsibility before. Not that I'm not grateful, but…"

Chrom nodded. "It's understandable. Knighthood is a big responsibility, but it is an honor as well." Chrom gestured to a nearby wooden bench. "Let's take a break. Frederick, could you get us some water?"

Frederick bowed. "At once, milord."

We sat down as he left. I sprawled out on the bench, running my left hand over my forehead. I had to consciously remind myself to do that, otherwise I'd bash my face in.

"I know you're frustrated, but since we've started you have improved," Chrom said, leaning back on his side of the bench. "We never had the chance to spar before, but you seem to have a good handle on swordplay, even with only your left hand to work with."

I held up my right hand, twisting it back and forth. "Hell, if my swordsmanship fails me, I could always deck somebody in the face."

"Ha!" Chrom barked a laugh. "Now that's an idea! Didn't think of it when I was handing the schematics to the blacksmith, but now that you've said it, ah, that would be a sight to see, wouldn't it? I think they may even put it in the history books, should they write any about us."

"Still haven't forgotten when you kicked that door down." I pointed at him, smiling. "Tell me the truth, you were just showing off, weren't you?"

"Maybe, maybe not," Chrom answered cryptically. He let out a deep sigh. "I've missed this. It's been too long since I've gotten the chance to be alone and spar with a friend."

I didn't think I'd ever get used to Chrom calling me a friend, even if it had been a long while since he last said so directly.

"Fuck, man, I can't even imagine," I began, "I mean, here I am moaning about how nervous I am about becoming a knight while you're here governing the Halidom. Don't know much about royalty but that doesn't give you a lotta time to yourself, does it?"

"That's putting it mildly." Chrom crossed his arms, staring off into the distance. "I have always known how to rule the Halidom. It comes with being second in line for the Exalt, but I'm beginning to understand a little how Emm must have felt when she became Exalt after the Plegian Crusades." He ran a hand through his blue hair. "I may have forsworn the title of Exalt, but I am still the reigning monarch. Coming into power just after fighting a war that nearly saw our land conquered... It has been messy. I don't even have all of my advisor positions filled. The Council has been difficult to work with. And on top of all that, I'm getting married! Gods, I really do have a full plate!"

"Holy hell, dude," I replied, a little stunned at the sudden onslaught of stress. "I mean, damn, that really- well, there really is nothing I can say."

Maybe it was a remnant of the guilt I felt, but I still had trouble looking Chrom in the eye when he turned to me. Well, that and some shame at the fact I was bitching and moaning about getting my ass kicked when Chrom was dealing with so much. I decided not to beat myself up about it and simply keep my complaints to myself from that point onward.

Chrom sighed. "I wouldn't expect that of you. If this is the burden I must bear so that the Halidom will continue peacefully, then I will bear it gladly. I just wish I had more time to do things like this."

I nodded. "You miss being with all the Shepherds all the time, huh?"

"Mhm," Chrom hummed, "I'll always look on those times fondly. Patrolling the countryside, keeping the people safe. Technically the Shepherds will continue to do that, but I will no longer be able to lead them as I had."

I didn't answer for several moments; I tried to think of something to say. "Hey, you know what, let's do this every week. How does that sound?"

Chrom looked at me curiously as I stood up.

"I mean, unless you're so swamped with shit that you can't, of course. Just wanna let you know you aren't alone in this. You're getting married, so Sumia will probably help you out with all sorts of things. And you still got us! Now," I picked up a training sword that I was using before Chrom disarmed me earlier. "I know Frederick ain't back yet, but I think I could go for another round. How about you?"

Chrom blinked, and then his face lit up. "I may just take you up on that offer, Alex. Gods know I could use the practice myself!" He stood up, picking up his practice sword. "I won't go as easy as I have on you this time, though. Be prepared!

I gulped. What had I done?

I wiped my brow as I caught my breath. Training had ended just five minutes prior, yet I still needed time on the bench to recover. Chrom hadn't so much as broken a sweat. At most, it looked like he'd gone out for a light jog. He and Frederick had left not long after, allowing me to get a hold of myself.

It was clear I was going to need a lot of training to get used to my altered stance, to get used to my left hand doing all the work. As I was told before, my iron hand could hold a shield. It was a bigger relief than it was just a couple months before. I didn't want to be caught out in the battlefield with no protection; good way to lose more than just a hand.

With the Valmese Invasion in probably less than two years, I couldn't spend a lot of time just sitting around. So training for the next two years was going to be my priority.

Then it occurred to me. I was flooded with nostalgia as I remembered all the training I did almost a year ago. That hit hard, but not in a bad way. I'd been in Ylisse, Archanea, Fire Emblem: Awakening for almost a full year. For some reason, I felt satisfaction at how far I'd come in that span of time. I'd gone from a college student with zero combat experience to a war veteran in a fantasy universe.

I looked down at my iron hand and frowned. I may have gained a lot, but I'd lost a lot, too.

Donnel.

I leaned my head back, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. Dwelling on shit like that wouldn't help me. Better to relax while I could.

"Hey, Sailor."

Slowly, my eyes opened, landing on Gaius. I pulled off the most unamused expression I could muster. "Gaius," I greeted curtly, "Got something you wanna say?"

Gaius was unaffected by my tone as he gracefully took a seat next to me. "Just thought you'd want some company, Sailor." He looked to me and smirked. "Usually you'd scream when I did that. Or just jump up like a rat got shoved down your tunic. I miss that."

My frown deepened. "Oh, yeah, I loved that too. My heart going a million miles an hour? Got the adrenaline pumping. All that good shit."

Gaius' smirk turned into a shit-eating grin. "Oh, so I made your heart beat fast? Tell me, were your reactions just to hide your swooning whenever I spoke with you?"

I groaned as I slapped my face with my left hand' "Fuck! Here I was just enjoying post-training bliss and you just gotta get your nose into it. God damnit, man."

Gaius held his hands up mockingly. "Hey, I mean, I don't mind if you swing that way, Sailor. That's your prerogative. Sad to say that I'm taken, so you lost your chance. Chin up, though. I'm sure there are other people who'll wanna piece of you."

I looked at him seriously. "You're taken?"

"Sure am," Gaius confirmed, leaning back. "Married to the prettiest thing you ever did see. Can you guess who it is?"

"Fuck, don't do this to me, man. Who?" I asked back, suddenly very interested in the conversation.

Seemingly out of his sleeve, Gaius pulled out a lollipop. "This little thing right here! Ain't she the prettiest, Sailor?" He cooed, before popping it into his mouth. "Damn, that's good."

"My God, so this is what bloodlust feels like," I murmured to myself.

"You shay shomething, Shailor?" Gaius spoke with the lollipop in his mouth.

I shook my head. "No, no I didn't." I rubbed the back of my head. "So, any real reason why you decided to pay me a visit?"

"Eh," Gaius took the lollipop out of his mouth and twirled it in his fingers by the stick. "Just wanted to see how you were doing. Seems like you've been going at it pretty hard with Blue all day. The big promotion weighing on you or something?"

I sighed. "I don't really have a right to complain, do I? I mean, being a knight is an honor and all that, right?"

"You can be a little nervous. That's just natural," Gaius supplied "You're still going through with it, which is what counts. Me? I don't think I'm knight material. Don't got the stones or the body for it. Put me into plate armor and I'll just sit there and rot. Besides, all that duty malarkey ain't really my style, yeah? Can't exactly do any jobs with those kinda oaths."

The image of Gaius in full plate armor made me giggle. "Hehe, maybe we should get you knighted too. I'd pay money to see you struggle to move in that shit."

"Aw, damn, and here I thought you were my friend," Gaius replied in a hurt tone of voice. "This hurts me, Sailor. You got me good."

"Keep talking like that and I'll show you how badly I can hurt you."

"And this is where I make my exit," Gaius said quickly, standing up stiffly. "Don't want you to kill me so soon after you, Bubbles, and Red came back. Got a ton more candy to eat and all that."

"It's too late, Gaius," I said menacingly, standing up. "You've already sealed your fate."

"Yeah, yeah," Gaius waved off, making me scoff indignantly. "Anyway, game night this Sunday. You gonna be there?"

I paused for a second. I hadn't been to one of those in a while. And without Donnel-

"…You get another fifth player?" I asked quietly.

Gaius turned around, looked me in the eye, and shook his head. "I don't think anyone could replace Farmboy, do you?"

I didn't answer, looking at the floor as I was. After a second, though, I looked back up. "You know what? Count me in, Gaius. It'll be after I'm knighted anyway. I could use the celebration."

Gaius smirked. Not the same shit-eating grin he had for most of the conversation, but a genuine one. "Now that's what I like to hear! See you then."

He left the training area. A few minutes later, I followed, with a smile plastered on my face.

"…and I swear my service and sword to you, my lord." I said, my voice echoing in the chamber I was practicing in. "Damn, that sounds cool."

"You are swearing an oath, Alex; it is not meant to be 'cool'." Frederick said. "It seems you have your part memorized. Ensure that you do not forget it by tomorrow morning."

"Yeah," I replied, standing up. "Don't worry about that, Frederick. Just, uh," I couldn't exactly say 'nerding out'. He wouldn't have understood what I meant anyway. I was still nervous, but hopefully he didn't notice that. "Just a little excited. I've never done anything like this before."

"I would be concerned if you had done something like this before," Frederick said, still standing tall. He wasn't wearing his heavy armor anymore, but even without it he still looked as imposing as ever. He was wearing what I could only describe as a grey butler's uniform. If I remembered correctly, he even wore it underneath the suit of armor he usually had. "Being granted knighthood is a unique experience, even if yours is being given unusually. You must be every bit as honorable and loyal as your oath says you are."

I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly. "Er, yeah. I mean, I'm serving Robin, so I don't think living up to those oaths will be that hard."

Frederick's eyes narrowed, and I fidgeted in place. "You are not very adept at hiding your body language, Alex."

"Okay, well, just point that out then, I guess," I mumbled to myself, causing Frederick to move a little closer. "And that is seriously making me nervous. Jesus, can't be a knight if I die of high blood pressure the day before."

"Why are you nervous?" Frederick asked simply, his arms behind his back.

Even the sun shining into the small room couldn't shake off the air of unapproachability Frederick had then. "Fuck, I don't know. I just am."

Even though I told myself I'd keep my mouth shut when it came to my complaining, I still couldn't help what I felt. I'd felt this horrible pressure building in my chest, like I was going to my first day of college or some shit. I hated the feeling, but no matter what I did, I couldn't get rid of it. It was like that even before I'd come to Ylisse, and I doubted it would ever go away. The only thing I could do was wait until the event I was anticipating came to pass.

Then I'd wonder why I was so nervous in the first place and everything would go back to normal. That's usually how it went, and it was the only thing keeping me going.

Frederick stared at me for a few moments. That only made me even more anxious. I was joking before, but the way things were going I was liable to just fall down dead there. My heart would explode.

"It is not improper to feel nervousness," Frederick said. "Becoming a knight is a big responsibility. I would be worried if you were feeling nothing at all. It is important to keep your emotions in check despite that."

"Frederick, I know," I said, my voice cracking as I ran my good hand through my hair. "Trust me, once I'm actually there I'll probably be the definition of calm, but until then, well, I'll be a nervous wreck."

Frederick paused as those words left my mouth. He thought for a moment before speaking again. "I was not unlike you when I first found my duties thrust upon me. You may not have been a paige or a squire, but even so you feel the anxiety of one before the day they are granted what they have been training years for." He put a hand on my shoulder. "You have come a long way from the pudgy foreign villager I thought you were. If milord wishes to give you such an honor as knighthood, I do not see any reason to disagree."

It felt like being praised by my dad, or someone else I looked up to. I didn't know how to respond. Agree with him? Shake his hand? I was too stunned to really even say anything. For a moment, I even forgot the anxiety building up for tomorrow's event.

Frederick relaxed his hand. "Your training will not stop after you have been knighted. On the contrary, that is when the real training begins. You must learn to work around your injury as best as you can. The time may come when we are called to war once more, and you must be ready."

War. I knew a war was on the horizon. A difficult one. Then there would be one right after it. I was not looking forward to it, not in the slightest. Who would? When it came,though, I would take it on. For Donnel.

"I- Thank you, Frederick," I said, my tone cracking again, but that time for a different reason. "I made a promise to somebody recently. That I'd be a better person. Think this whole knighting thing might be the first real step in that direction. I'm gonna honor that promise, no matter what."

Frederick nodded. "That is a good code to have. I shall be prepared to be impressed in the next few months. Get some rest, Alex. Tomorrow is a big day."

After that, Frederick left. I took a deep breath. The anxiety and nervousness still clumped together in my chest, but somehow it was more tolerable.

It'd been too long since I'd had a one-on-one conversation with Frederick. I made a mental note to do so more often in the future.

I left just a few minutes after Frederick, preparing myself mentally for the next day.

Taking one last deep breath, I entered the large room. It was a cathedral, emptied that day specifically for the event I was about to experience. Pews lined the carpeted isle as I took step after step. The robes I wore were a stark white. I was told all Knights wore something like it when they were first knighted, and I was no exception. It was comfortable, at least; it would've sucked to have to go the whole ceremony in full plate armor.

Chrom and Robin stood before a giant statue of Naga, watching me as I got closer. To the left was Libra and another man I couldn't recognize. He was thin, wearing a brown robe. He hastily jotted down something on the parchment he held in his hands, peering at me with small eyes.

As soon as I made it to Chrom and Robin, I knelt to one knee, lowering my head.

"Let us begin," Chrom said, as I heard the unsheathing of a blade. "On this day, I grant knighthood to the man known as Alexander Jameson Wright." I could feel the blade of Falchion on my shoulder. I could feel the sharpness through the thin robes I wore. "Before my ancestors and Naga, I bestow this rank upon him." Falchion tapped against my other shoulder. "May he now say his vows aloud, so that those who came before us know what he has already sworn in his heart."

I was eerily calm as I brought my iron hand up to my chest. "On my honor, I swear to uphold the law and customs befitting of a knight of Ylisse. I will protect the innocent, help the needy, and hunt the wicked. This I do swear. To my lord, Robin. I offer all that I can. My service is yours, should you have it."

The words rolled off my tongue so easily. It was amazing to believe that they had been rehearsed for days.

"I accept," Robin said.

"Thank you, my lord," I replied. "My services are now yours for as long as you will have them."

I felt a swelling feeling in my chest. I couldn't exactly tell what it was, but it was only amplified when I heard Chrom sheathe Falchion. His voice rang in my ears. "Arise, Sir Alexander, knight of the Halidom of Ylisse!"

When I looked up, it was to the smiling faces of Chrom and Robin.

I couldn't help but smirk back.

"Holy Jesus, my fucking heart," I groaned, leaning in the chair I sat as Robin stared at me amused from behind his desk. He'd gotten his own office and study when he was granted the position of Grandmaster Tactician, even if it wasn't completely official yet. Pretty spacious, too. Windows overlooked the city sprawl, and the fading light of the sunset illuminated the nice décor of the room. "It's been, what, seven hours since the whole ceremony? Still feel like I'm about to die."

"Heh. You seemed to weather the ceremony well enough when it was actually happening," Robin pointed out.

I looked at him. "Well, yeah. The whole heat of the moment thing's kinda worn off since then," I paused. "My lord."

Robin frowned. "When we are alone, please refrain from calling me that. It feels wrong coming from your mouth."

I did the best mock bow I could while sitting down. "Whatever you command, my lord."

"Gods," Robin groused, rubbing his temples. "I am beginning to wish I had asked for Sully instead. No, wait, she would have done the same as you. There was no winning with this, was there?"

I waved a hand, chuckling. "Relax, Robin. I'll only call you that when we're, well, I dunno what we do after this, but I'll call you all formal and crap when that time comes. Whatever it is." I moved forward. "Now, there's a reason why I'm here, isn't there? Feel like I'm getting summoned a lot more than I used to be."

"Mmm," Robin hummed. "Yes. There is a reason. I believe that it is wise to consolidate all of our knowledge and come up with a strategy for the next few years."

Whatever levity I had left when Robin said that. "Until the Valmese invade."

"Until the Valmese invade," Robin echoed, agreeing. "First, I want you to answer some questions." He pulled something out of his pocket and placed it on the table. My eyes widened as the dark glasslike ball of Sable laid still on Robin's desk. "I am sure you remember this. Sable. What do you know about it?"

I shrugged. "All I know is that Marth used it in the Binding Shield some two-thousand years ago. Although it was just called the Darksphere back then. Some bastard named Gharnef used it to commit a ton of awful shit. That's about it, really."

Robin nodded, picking it back up. "I realize I said questions, but I really only have one that I am interested in asking right now. All of those prophecies, you told me about. Did they say anything about where the other gemstones are?"

I thought for a moment. "Two of them are in Valm. So, we won't be seeing those until the Valmese invade. There is one that's held by Basilio I think. Besides that, we have two of them already. One's in the Fire Emblem."

Robin's face was blank for a moment. "Then it appears I will stick with the plan I drafted a few days ago."

I stood up, feeling a little too excited to be sitting down anymore. "What kind of plan is that, Robin?"

"For the next two years, I will be preparing for the Valmese invasion," He stated simply, putting both hands on his desk. "I will build the Ylissean army under the guise of preparing for the worst. I imagine the nobility will throw a hissy fit if I overstep my boundaries, so I will have to be careful."

"Or you could sic me on them," I said, grinning. "I'd do it."

"Much as it would make things simpler, that would just get us both executed," Robin replied, semi-seriously. "Anyways, by the time the Valmese invade, hopefully they will have a heavily trained and numerous army to contend with."

I nodded. "It sounds good Robin. If there's anyone I know who can do that, it's you," I paused, looking down. "What're we gonna do about, uh, well, about the Grimleal? Grima?"

"And the Deadlord," Robin added, picking up Sable and looking into it for a brief moment. "As much as I am loathe to admit it, for now we can do nothing."

I was hoping he wouldn't say that. Not like I expected him to pull a miracle out of his ass, he was only human, but a part of me wished we could just march into Plegia and kick Grima's scaly backside.

I knew it was impossible without the Fire Emblem and all of Naga's gemstones, but I could still hold out hope.

"Not only would it be bad politically," Robin began. "It would also be logistically impossible as well; Ylisse was essentially conquered for a short time during the last war. It is already going to be difficult to raise an army over the next few years, let alone the next few months. I am not too keen on potentially starting another Plegian Crusade, and I do not think Chrom would either."

Curiosity got the better of me. "How much does Chrom know, Robin?"

Robin looked down at his desk as soon as I mentioned Chrom. "Almost nothing, Alex."

"That bothers you, doesn't it?" I asked, maybe pressing a little too much.

"Of course it does!" Robin replied incredulously. "Do you think it would not? That man has given me everything I am. And I-I cannot even thank him for it like I would want to. Should he ask of me I would run straight into the Plegian Desert and fight the entirety of the Grimleal by myself. And yet," Robin quickly shook his head. "No, I will not burden you with these feelings of mine. Not now."

"I'm here for you, man," I said lightly. "I'm your knight now, remember? Swore an oath and all that shit. You need me to be there to talk my ear off, I'll do it."

…I wonder how Cordy's doing.

After a few more seconds of silence, Robin spoke again. "Thank you, Alex. That means a great deal."

"Hey, it's what I'm here for," I chuckled, looking up at the ceiling. "Huh. I remember the last time we were in a room like this. You were, well, those weren't the best of times."

"Are you referring to when I lost my temper? That night, back in Flavia's fortress?"

I nodded. "That was a bit of a wake-up call. Can still remember it so clearly."

Robin put Sable down. "Alex, did what I say have a hand in making you leave?"

I rose a brow. "Why're you asking?"

"Just," He closed his eyes. "I just want you to answer."

"Robin," I began, staring him straight in the eye once he opened them again. "My leaving was entirely my decision. And one I didn't make when I was in a good state of mind. The dressing down you gave me a few months back was a drop in the water with all the other shit I was dealing with back then. What matters is that I'm here now. I'm not going to make stupid mistakes or assign myself more importance than I actually have. Because in the end, I'm just one guy. I'm a knight, but I'm still just a guy. A human. And I'm not going to stop trying to improve myself. I'll never hold myself back again."

Until the day I could safely say I was the person Donnel looked up to, I would continue to do just that.

Robin remained silent, looking at the floor. He took a deep breath. "That is… That is a good mindset to have, Alex," He turned to me. "It is good to know that you are committed to improvement. We will need it in the coming years, based on what you have told me." He gestured to the door. "You should get some sleep, Alex. It has been a long day for you. I will call for you when I need you next."

I nodded, turning around. "Whenever you need me, Robin. I'm here."

I left Robin's study quietly. Despite the somber tone I'd left on, I had a feeling things were falling into place. Robin's plan was simple, yet effective. To my eyes, at least.

I just hoped it was enough.

And we're at the twentieth Chapter! Holy shit, this fic might be the longest continuous fic I've ever written. Well, it will be. In a few weeks. Until then, I won't feel secure. Because the fic on my profile that is actually the longest is... kinda shit.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that! These next few chapters will be a little bit of a cool-down period until shit hits the fan again. It'll be nice practice for character interactions, specifically Alex and a certain other character.

Here's a link to our Discord: discord .gg/9XG3U7a

Until then, see ya later!

Edited on 2/25/21. Good Chapter. Not much else to say.