Aaaaaaaaahhh, An Preson Peepul, the person who inspired this story, left a review on it here! Thank you so much, fellow fanficker, I am ridiculously honored you noticed this little project and that you're enjoying it! Regarding the last OOC question you have about Grima... well, I hope this chapter clears that issue up for you! I guess maybe I was a little too subtle about it in the previous chapters... oops. :P Anyway, I hope you continue to do well with your fic and in general!

I have to say, the dynamic with the Gothelverse Chrom and Frederick is just too fun to write, because one is completely certain that Chrom Ravenson is actually Prince Chrom Lowell and the other is completely certain that he is not. (Kellam is also quickly making himself noticed due to his childhood friendship with Chrom, and their ribbing is too fun to not put in.)

I hope you guys are enjoying all my references and chapter titles, by the way! They're fun to come up with, and I've done my work properly if they make you chuckle or at least smile!

"Can I do the dis—dis—not-ownie-thingie this time, Miss Vio?"

Why, sure you can do the disclaimer! Go for it, baby Chrom!

"Okay~! Miss Vio doesn't own an-y-thing, but she says that if she did, she would make sure Daddy got in Smash!"

I mean, can you imagine how awesome a fighter Grima would be? Like Corrin but without the sword. Anyway, thanks, baby Chrom! Onward!

He wasn't here.

Grima had arrived in Southtown around noon and spent his time questioning the folk there if they had seen Chrom. Most people who saw him had only glimpsed him in the middle of the battle that had taken place yesterday. Because of course there was a battle. And his son had been in the thick of it. If he hadn't gotten the sense of worried-but-safe over the pact's bond, the albino would've panicked long before now. Well, panicked more than he was panicking now. Still, he knew he wouldn't rest until he saw his son for himself, safe and sound.

"Huh? Eugene?"

The horse that Chrom always borrowed from Mr. Sackhouse whinnied from the stable next to him. He went over to the animal and rubbed his snout.

"This handsome fella yours, mister?" asked the stableboy nearby. Grima turned and shook his head.

"He actually belongs to a friend of ours, my son always takes him whenever he needs to get around. You wouldn't happen to have seen my son, have you? About my height, blue eyes, soft blue hair, wields a unique tome? Came in yesterday and probably helped fend off the raid?"

The youth tapped his chin in thought for a moment. "Oh! Yeah, I think I know who you're talking about! Last I saw, he was speaking to the mayor with a brown-haired knight, a blonde swordswoman, and a white-haired mage who looks the spittin' image of you. I'll take you to the mayor, he'll probably know where he is."

"Ah, thank you. I appreciate it."

As Grima followed the boy to the town center, he mused on the descriptions of the other people the boy had mentioned. It could be anybody… then again, I ran across Chrom almost immediately after I came to this timeline. With our luck, it'll be brigands, or… hmm… He wracked his brain for people he remembered that would fit the other two (clearly Robin had gone with them after waking up).

They arrived at the square, and the elderly mayor approached them. "Oh, you came back? I have to say, that was impressive work yesterday—"

Grima held up his hand, fighting off a laugh. "I hate to disappoint, but you must be talking about my… twin, Robin." Yeah, that would do for now. "I'm Raven. I came here looking for my son, the blue-haired mage?"

"O-Oh, yes. My apologies, you two just look so similar."

"No offense taken."

The mayor held his chin in contemplation. "Ah, yes, I remember that young man. Mr. Frederick said he and his Lady Lissa were heading back to the capital last evening and took Robin and your son along. He was very insistent that your son come along. Really, he went so far as to handcuff the two mages together!" The mayor chuckled, unaware that Grima's blood burned at hearing his son had been manhandled. "Oh, but if he's with his uncle, I wouldn't worry too much about them."

Grima shook his head. "Unfortunately, last I heard, Robin was suffering from amnesia, and Chrom's never met his uncle—he lives far away from us." He sighed. "The capital, huh? Well, I thank you for your time."

"Your son isn't by any chance a criminal, is he?" the old man inquired, concerned. "I mean, he was a wonderful help, but I just can't help but wonder—"

"Oh, no, no, no! He's the perfect law-abiding citizen! He's probably just dealing with a case of mistaken identity and is very frustrated that he didn't come home like he promised me he would."

"I see. Well, I wish you luck in finding him!"

"Thank you." Grima nodded to him, then turned to the stableboy. "If you'd be so kind as to help me get that bay stallion ready?"

"Of course, mister! Right away!"

Hang on, Chrom. I'm coming for you, my little blueberry.

"Oh, my goodness! This is Ylisstol?!" Robin exclaimed as the party passed through the gate. "It's beautiful! Look, Chrom, this place is amazing!"

Chrom glanced up and his jaw dropped as he beheld the city in awe. "It's… it's so pristine and gleaming… almost like something out of a dream—" Or a memory? No, Dad had never taken him to the capital before, so that couldn't be it. But maybe in the Before… no, that didn't make sense, either. The bluenette resigned himself to setting that puzzle aside for later. Right now, there was a city to admire right in front of him.

It'd be easier to admire if his dad were here. I hope he doesn't think I broke my promise on purpose and disobeyed him, he thought, morose. I'd rather he not get mad at me again. Way too scary!

"Chrom. Psst, Chrom." Robin nudged him.

Chrom snapped his head up. "What?"

"The Exalt! Look, she's walking among the people up ahead. Isn't that cool? Frederick says she's practically a living symbol of peace, too!"

"She is?"

Robin rolled his eyes. "Have you been listening to anything Frederick's saying?"

Oops. "Uhhhh…"

"I'll take that as a 'no,' then." The albino huffed. "Basically, the First Exalt fought a war against the Fell Dragon a thousand years ago. Lady Emmeryn upholds a policy of peace, much like what Ylisse strove for back then. So she's kind of very important to Ylisse because she supports peace when most people would want war—besides the obvious fact that she's their ruler. Your ruler? Our ruler? Whatever."

Chrom regarded the blonde woman—what he could make of her, anyway—with curiosity. "It can't be easy to work for such an ideal. She must be very strong to be as popular as she is now. Ylisse is lucky to have her as a ruler."

"She's pretty awesome, isn't she?" Lissa piped up. "And she's a terrific older sister!"

Robin sputtered in shock. Chrom looked back and forth between the two with renewed interest. "Wait, if you're her sister… That means you're the princess, aren't you."

"Yep~!"

"You said you guys were 'shepherds!'" Robin defended, reddening. "But if you're—oh, wait—Oh. Ohhhhhhh. I get it now."

Chrom laughed. "They are 'shepherds'—of a sort."

"Yes, I gathered that, thank you." Robin sighed, still blushing. "I apologize if my conduct was unseemly in your presence, Princess Lissa."

Lissa waved her hand. "Oh, no, no, please don't! We can drop the formalities, okay? Just 'Lissa' will do!"

"O-Okay." The older mage rubbed his face. "Can't believe I've been hanging with the princess of Ylisse, godsdammit."

"You guys, she's heading back to the castle. Wanna say hi to her?"

"It is imperative that she meet with them anyway, milady," Frederick cut in. "I am certain you can imagine why. Let us be on our way, you two."

Chrom still couldn't help but drink in the city as they made their way to the palace. Wonder what it would be like to live here… Dad could get a better job… but I'm not sure I want to move away from Middlefield just yet…

"I am glad to see you all return safe and sound, Lissa, Frederick."

"Of course, milady," Frederick replied, bowing to Exalt Emmeryn.

"How were your travels?" the stately blonde woman inquired. Chrom couldn't help but stare at the mark on her forehead. "Are our people well?"

"They're fine!" Lissa reassured her. "We shouldn't have to deal with any more bandits for a while. Although…" she tilted her head, "we're probably still gonna have to keep an eye on the borders—we're pretty certain they came over from Plegia."

Well, that explained the raids on Middlefield. Still, Southtown was further from the border from his hometown; why had the brigands gone for the other village? Strange, Chrom mused. The pegasus knight standing next to Emmeryn spoke up, apologizing for not being more vigilant on that front. Lissa waved it off.

"Oh, don't worry about it, Phila! I'm glad you stayed here to keep the capital safe! Besides, we had help!" She gestured to the two mages, and Emmeryn turned to look at them. "Robin's a great tactician, and Chrom here is amazing at magic! They really helped us against the bandits, and I think they'll make fine Shepherds—"

"I-I'm sorry." Emmeryn frowned in confusion. "Lissa, did you say this man's name was 'Chrom?'"

Oh, dear. Frederick stepped forward. "I have reason to believe that he may truly be your long-lost brother, milady. He's the right age and has the right name, and he looks very much like a grown-up version of young Prince Chrom. I brought him here to the capital in the hopes that—"

"Oh, Frederick." Emmeryn gave him a sad smile. "I appreciate your effort, but this young man looks terrified out of his wits. Did you handcuff him again?" The knight hesitated. "I thought so. You have my apologies, Mr. Chrom, on behalf of Frederick and his behavior. He is a loyal knight and an old friend, but his methods can be a bit… too much at times. I do hope no harm has come to you on his account."

"Of-Of course not," the bluenette stammered. "Ah, no physical harm anyway, I'm just worried about my father. I promised him I'd be back this morning. He must be worried sick by now."

"My goodness. Well, I will help you sort this out as soon as I can. And it seems I owe you both a debt of gratitude. Ylisse thanks you for coming to defend her citizens."

"Milady," Frederick added, "if I may, Robin here claims to have lost his memory, but it is nothing more than that—a mere claim. We must not rule out the possibilities of his being a criminal or even a Plegian spy."

Okay, that was offensive. Lissa apparently thought so, too. "Frederick!" she scolded the older man. The brunette gave her an unapologetic look. Chrom sighed. Robin facepalmed.

"You welcomed him into the castle, Lissa. Do you believe he is truly trustworthy?" asked the Exalt.

Lissa nodded, fierce determination in her eyes. "He put his life on the line to help us protect our people. Both of them did. That's good enough for me!"

"I see." Emmeryn smiled at the albino. "In that case, if you have earned Lissa's faith, then you have certainly earned mine as well. You as well, Chrom," she added. "But… thank you for being cautious, Frederick. Lissa is blessed to have such a peerless protector watching over her." Her expression turned wry. "I do hope she remembers to give you her gratitude on occasion."

"I believe she expresses something like it every once in a while, milady," the knight replied, a twinkle in his eye. At this, Robin caught his fellow mage's eye and smirked. Chrom grinned back. So he did notice, then. Interesting. The bluenette could already see the ways the older mage would use this to tease the knight.

Just don't go too far, Robin, and piss him off or something.

The conversation moved on to the Risen, which had been plaguing the countryside, at least near Middlefield, on very infrequent occasions; apparently now their sightings had become more common. Chrom frowned. Who exactly could be building an army of Risen? And why? Done like the mindless drones he'd seen, they only brought death and destruction. He'd yet to see any of the relatively more intelligent ones. Thank goodness, they'd probably be a pain to go up against. Although maybe it's possible to talk them down? The mage-healer shuddered. How about we steer clear of that idea for the time being?

"Well, Lissa, we will need to hold council soon today, but first, could you please settle our newest Shepherds in?" the Exalt asked of her sister. "Afterwards, please come to the council room for the meeting."

"Sure thing, Emm!"

Emm?

"Sometimes Emm lets me sleep in her bed when I have scary dreams!"

Huh? I-I… I thought I remembered something just now… did I? Or… no, my mind's wandering. Gods, I'm exhausted. When this is all over I'm going to take a very long nap.

"Frederick, I know you insist on finding my brother, but fifteen years have passed. Is it not so hard to believe he has either left Ylisse or… worse?"

"Milady, we must keep our hopes up. If anything were to happen to you, Lissa would be far too young to take the throne as she is."

"I was ten. By that standard, she is plenty old enough."

"Inexperienced, then. Emmeryn, she is simply not ready to shoulder such a heavy burden!"

"She is surrounded with wonderful people who support her wholeheartedly. I believe she will be just fine. She may make mistakes, but then, I have made my fair share of those, have I not? Besides, I have many more years to go before I hand the throne over to her. Unless someone sees the sense in providing me his hand and an heir?"

"… I still wish to keep the promise I made to you, Emm."

"Oh, Frederick. We were children—"

"I chose to become a knight and protect you because of him. Emmeryn, I will bring your brother home. I promised it then and I promise it now. I will do everything in my power to reunite him with you and Lissa."

"Oh, Frederick…"

"Allow me this, milady?"

"Well, I suppose I cannot say no. Anything for you, my darling Freddy Bear~!"

"Thank you, Emmeryn."

The Shepherds' barracks gave off a warm, friendly feel. When the three arrived, they found a pegasus knight decked in pink armor and a bare-chested blond man with an axe in the foyer. Lissa turned and waved her arms as she ushered the boys in. "Here we are! This garrison is specifically for the Shepherds. Feel free to make yourselves at home!"

"Ooh, cozy," Robin commented. Chrom gave a hum of agreement.

"Lissa, darling! Are you all right?! I've been on pins and needles waiting for you!" A pink-clad woman with bouncy blond curls and a parasol rushed over and hugged the princess. Lissa hugged her back.

"Hiya, Maribelle."

"Don't 'hiya' me! Do you have any idea how many gray hairs I've sprouted just worrying about you?!"

Robin hid a snicker behind his hand. "Join the Worriers' Club, I'm sure you could give Chrom here a run for his money. He's been freaking out about his old man since yesterday."

The bluenette narrowed his eyes. "Robin."

The albino grinned back. "Chrom."

The axeman took this time to butt in. "Aw, I'm sure Lissa here can handle it! Although I bet you had a harder time without trusty old Teach, eh?"

"So you're 'Teach' again, Vaike? Huh." Lissa pretended to ponder. "I thought you had to be born without brains, I didn't know you could pass it on!"

"The Vaike does not disappoint!" Vaike grinned, flexing his arms. "… That was a compliment, right?"

The two mages burst out laughing. The pegasus knight, meanwhile, went to check Lissa over and catch up with her. Chrom watched the woman with the ash-brown hair and considered her. That's right, I never did find out if Tia made it to the pegasus knight squad. I wonder if this woman knows about her? Maybe I should ask her sometime.

"Who're the newbies, cap?" Vaike interrupted.

Lissa freed herself from the other two women's ministrations and grinned. "Say hello to Chrom and Robin, everybody! They're new members of the Shepherds. Robin is our new tactician, and Chrom is a great healer. Both of them are fantastic mages! You should see what they can do out there!"

"Eh? Sounds like Teach's gotta measure their skills! But can they do this?" Vaike let out a particularly long and loud belch. Chrom went red and covered his face in mortification while Robin covered his mouth in an attempt to fight a snicker.

"Vaike! How disgusting!" Maribelle wrinkled her nose and gave a dainty sniff. "Must you sully the air with such wretched buffoonery? Be more like our dear Middlefield guest, he is quite embarrassed on your account!" She curtsied to the mage duo. "My apologies on this oaf's behalf, Mr. Ravenson, I know you have much more restraint and dignity than him. Robin, I'm disappointed in you! Don't encourage him!"

Robin shrugged. "Oh, sorry about that. I'm not really surprised he went and did that, it's just hard not to laugh."

"Hmph." The woman turned and walked off, her nose in the air.

The pegasus knight smiled at them in apology. "Sorry about her, Maribelle can take a while to warm up to people. I'm Sumia, by the way! It's nice to meet you both."

"You as well," Chrom nodded to her. "It's really a pleasure to meet all of you. I'm afraid I'm not planning to stay, however—I need to get home to my father—but Frederick was rather insistent that I come along. Uh, not to say that I won't help!" he clarified. "It's just that, well, my father must be distraught right about now since I haven't come home. We're very close, you see, and he's very protective of me. He just doesn't want anything untoward to happen to me, that's all. In fact, if anyone would be so kind as to point me towards the nearest pen and paper, I'd like to write him and explain what is going on."

"Oooh, sounds like somebody's a daddy's boy!" Vaike teased. Chrom rolled his eyes and chose not to comment.

The door swung open and Frederick marched in. "The exalt has asked us to travel to Regna Ferox. She believes their strength and their warriors will be just what we need to combat the new threats. Unfortunately, given recent events, it would be unwise for Lady Emmeryn herself to make the journey, therefore we'll be setting out in the morning. This mission is completely voluntary, except in the case of the princess, so if any—"

"I'm up for it! You'll be needing ol' Teach to getcha through!"

"I'll go as well," said someone behind Chrom. The bluenette whipped around—and then he gasped, grinning. "Chrom?! Is that you, man?"

"Kellam! What a pleasant surprise! I didn't know you joined the Shepherds!"

The armored knight clapped Chrom's forearm in a friendly shake. "I figured I might as well try to do something to help out." He looked the young mage over. "Still short, I see. You still living out in Middlefield with your dad?"

"You know it! And what about you, how's your family?"

"Doing well, though Mum sometimes wishes she could move back. She misses the old town, you know? But we're pretty okay. You know, if your dad ever wanted to come up, there's this apothecary that's looking for an assistant. I may have… let something slip about your dad. It pays pretty well, too."

"Wow! Really?! Kellam, you're amazing!"

The others looked on in confusion and no small amount of surprise. Lissa spoke up. "Gee, Chrom, I didn't know you knew Kellam here! You're like the first person we've come across who's noticed him right away. Most of the time we don't even realize he's there!"

Chrom laughed, patting Kellam's shoulder. "Kell and I go way back. We grew up together in the same town and he was one of my best friends. Though I agree, he's ridiculously quiet and practically invisible sometimes."

"Gee, thanks, friend. Really feeling the love here."

"That was for the 'short' comment," the young mage fired back. Kellam patted him on the back, grinning.

Frederick blinked, then cleared his throat. "Anyone else?" Sumia, after some hesitation, volunteered, and so did Robin. "Excellent! We'll meet out here eight o'clock sharp. Until then, pack your bags and make sure your armor and weapons are in perfect shape. Milord, I'll need to speak with you in private." He gestured for Chrom to follow him while Lissa led Robin over to the dormitories. "The Exalt will need all the information you can supply on the Risen."

The bluenette glanced back at Kellam, who mouthed "Milord?" and mouthed "Tell you later" back to him. The armored knight quirked an eyebrow, promising to find him later for the explanation.

Council won't be fun. At least Kellam is here. I'm surprised Maribelle recognized me, though, to be honest…

"Shouldn't we call them 'the undead?'"

"But if there are a different variety of types of undead, we'll need to distinguish these monsters from amongst them. I propose we call them the 'Revived.'"

"Clearly these creatures have no semblance of vitality to them, so labeling them as 'revived' would be inherently misleading…"

Yeah, I already hate it here, Chrom groused. Separation anxiety notwithstanding (thank you, Robin, for diagnosing that), his bad mood plummeted once he overheard the councilors' arguing—over what to call their newest threat, of all things! Really, some people were just so stupid, focusing on the most negligible details. The mage almost wanted to toss them into the middle of a Risen ambush and see how they'd fare just so they could grasp how ridiculous they were being. But I don't want them hurt, necessarily… Ugh.

"Your Grace, ladies, gentlemen." Frederick bowed to Emmeryn and to the assembly. "I have brought one of our newest Shepherds to help us with this new threat. Milord Chrom has experience with these creatures and is an invaluable resource on how to combat them."

Emmeryn gave the young man a kind smile, but the other nobles in attendance turned scrutinizing looks onto him, and whispers began to fly—except from the ruler of Themis, Duke Avignon. He rewarded the mage with a bright smile. "Ah, young Chrom! It is good to see you again, I must admit, though I do wish it were under better circumstances. You've grown into quite the fine young man, I see. Is your father well?"

"He is, thank you, sire." The tension left his shoulders. The Duke of Themis, from what he remembered of him from visits to the border city, was a pretty cool guy, always willing to work with the father-son duo regardless of Dad's propensity for dark magic. That made things much more likely to work out. Some of the other nobles, though, gave the duke bewildered looks. One, a stern-faced man with a balding head and a trim mustache, turned his incredulous expression upon the bluenette mage, then switched it back to the duke.

"Avignon, you know this boy?"

"Why, yes, indeed! If it weren't for him and his father, Themis would have been overrun years ago by brigand companies." The duke's posture filled with pride. "He is a capable young man and very powerful. You would do well to listen to him, as he will know that of which he speaks." He gestured for the boy to continue. "Please inform us, young Chrom. The more we know about this threat, the better."

"They're called Risen," Chrom addressed the assembly. "They're created through a dark ritual and must have their summoner controlling them, or else they'll be little more than feral beasts. If you can find the summoner and take them out, the Risen will vaporize. There are ways to cut them out of the control of their summoner, but usually it's best to eliminate them if they are hostile. They are extremely strong, do not feel pain, and are far more durable than the average human. What may be a killing blow to a human may only inconvenience them—unless that blow is to their neck or head. They can be overwhelmed by multiple fatal blows." He paused and took a breath. "They have ranks and a variety of soldiers, just like any other army. The higher the rank, the more difficult they are to defeat. They typically have very low sentience, but there are the occasional few who can speak a couple coherent words."

"And why do you know all this, boy?" one man spoke up, suspicious gaze zeroed in on him. "How did you come by all this information? Are you, perhaps, a dark mage from Plegia?"

Frederick scowled, and Duke Avignon glared, both of them apparently offended. Chrom ignored them. "And if I am? Why would I share such information with you when it would be—I assume—to my benefit to keep it to myself?"

"You could be feeding us false information!" another council member interjected.

The mage fought the urge to roll his eyes and opened his mouth to retort when the brunette knight stepped forward. "Milord's information proved accurate when we fought off a Risen skirmish in the middle of a forest two nights ago on our way back to Ylisse. If not for his aid, I imagine that we would have come out of the experience with far more injuries than we suffered. As it is, we prevailed with no casualties."

"Why do you defend this child, Frederick?"

Oh, no, please don't go there, this is not the time or place—

"I believe this man is the lost Prince Chrom. I trust that he has our best interest in mind."

—aaaaaaand he went there. Gods, man, couldn't you, I don't know, not mention that at all?! Or if you really wanted me to gain their trust up front, maybe lead with that first?! Wait, no, that would derail the entire discussion like I bet it is now. Chrom covered his face and sighed.

"Frederick, this is the fifty-eighth time you have brought a man who looks like he could be the prince, why should we take your word for it?"

"He could be a Grimleal who altered himself to look like an Ylissean!"

"What disgusting magic must he have used to attempt a likeness to the prince?"

"I doubt it's actually a person, it must be a dark construct—"

Duke Avignon stood, hushing the councilors' speculations. He directed his hawk-like gaze to each of them. "I understand that you are suspicious to the point of paranoia and wish to see this young man as a threat. However," he raised his voice, silencing their protests, "I have known him since he was very young. I can tell you with absolute certainty that he has always been a genuine, kindhearted youth who only wishes to help to the best of his abilities. Were his father here, he would give the same testimony. If you wish to have anything done about the Risen threat at all, you would be wise to listen to his counsel."

"He could be deceiving you!" one noble threw out. Chrom hung his head, frustrated. The councilors continued to bicker with Avignon supporting the boy, but the bluenette felt this session had become a waste of time. Emmeryn waved him and Frederick over.

"Frederick, if you could please escort him back to the Shepherds' barracks?"

Chrom frowned. "But what about the information I gave you? Will anyone remember it?"

The Exalt smiled and motioned to a young scribe sitting at a desk in the corner of the room. "Anselm here has already transcribed it. We will be able to go over what you have given us when cooler heads prevail." She bowed her head to him. "Thank you again, Chrom, for your help. May your travels be safe and uneventful."

"Chrom! You're just in time! Sumia made dinner tonight and it's fantastic!" Robin waved the bluenette mage over as soon as the younger man stepped into the garrison. "Come on, you gotta try all this! Quick, get a plate and help yourself!"

Chrom chuckled at his new friend's cheery spirit and grabbed a plate, loading it with dumplings, mushroom stew, and pasta salad. He found an empty chair next to the other mage and seated himself, setting his plate down. Picking up his fork and knife, he cut into the stew-drenched dumplings and took a bite. "Mm!" He chewed and swallowed the delicious morsel before speaking. "Sumia, this is incredible! My compliments!"

"O-Oh! I'm glad you like it, Chrom!" Sumia blushed from her seat across from Robin. "I may be clumsy, but at least I know how to cook!"

"Very much so!" Then he remembered his thought from earlier. "Pardon me for asking, but I couldn't help but notice you're in the pegasus corp. Do you happen to know a woman with red hair named Tia? She's an old friend of mine and Kellam's."

The ashette frowned in thought. "Tia? Hmm… Tia, Tia, Tia… where do I know—oh! I think I know who you're talking about! My dear friend's first name is Cordelia, but her middle name is Tiamo, right? She said she used to go by the nickname Tia when she was younger."

"Exactly! She didn't like being called Cordy, so she took a nickname based off her middle name." Chrom grinned. "Wow, first Kell, then Tia—I can't believe I ran into people I know or who know people I know on my first day here!"

"Maribelle seemed to recognize you, too," Robin pointed out.

"Oh, well, Dad and I have visited her city before to help out with bandits. We're probably not close enough to be friends, but we have shared tea together."

"Hey, I didn't know you knew Maribelle already."

"Gah! Kellam!" Chrom swiveled around in his seat to find a smirking raven-haired knight behind him. "Really?!"

Kellam shrugged. "At least I waited until you didn't have food in your mouth," he said, taking a seat beside the blue-haired mage-healer.

"Hasn't stopped you before."

"Name one time."

"Sixth grade, May, lunchtime after arithmetic."

"Ooh, going for the low blows already." Kellam narrowed his eyes at him. "Punk."

"Jerk."

"Shortie."

"Ninja."

"Is this normal behavior between the two of you?" Sumia spoke up, a look of mild concern on her face.

The boys glanced over at her and burst out laughing. Kellam slung his arm around the shorter boy next to him. "Yeah, this little goof and I have been teasing each other since day one. Don't worry about it, it's always harmless." He patted the bluenette's back and went back to his food. "Although the one subject is pretty touchy…"

"Kellam, so help me, if you say 'Risen Sarah' one more time—"

The ravenette man laughed. "Nah, I know I'll get slapped."

The other two at the table fixed their attention on Chrom. "What does he mean when he says 'Risen Sarah?'" Robin asked, eyebrows raised. Chrom shook his head, his smile turning weak.

"Some other time."

"Aww, fiiiiiine, okay."

After they finished their meal, the bluenette followed his white-haired companion to the dorms, where Robin led the younger man to his room. "I don't think anyone else is sharing with me, so, uh, feel free to claim the other side? Kellam's already bunked with somebody named Stahl, I'm afraid, but I thought I'd offer seeing as you could probably use a friendly face right about now."

"O-Oh, thank you, Robin, that's very thoughtful of you—"

"Actually, Frederick wants you in the room across from mine and Maribelle's," Lissa interrupted from outside in the hall. "He's been saving that room specifically for my missing brother if he ever finds him."

"Seriously?! That guy's a maniac!" Chrom sighed. "Sorry, but I'd feel more comfortable rooming with Robin, if that's fine with you."

She grinned, winking at him. "I figured as much, that's why I took the liberty of filling out your room requisition form and processing it before Frederick got his hands on it. He won't be able to do anything about it, hee hee~!"

"Wow, really? Thanks!"

"Oh, and there's stationery and writing utensils in your desk," the blonde pointed out before she moved further down the hall. "Feel free to let your dad know what's going on."

"Really?!" Chrom dived over to his desk and shuffled through the drawers, looking for said objects. Sure enough, the top drawer was stocked with three each of inkwells and quills, the middle held a stack of writing paper, and the bottom contained a box of envelopes, a stick of gold-marbled blue wax, and a seal. "Oh my goodness, you're a lifesaver!" He rushed back out into the hallway and called out "Thank you!" to the retreating figure of the princess.

"You're welcome~!"

The bluenette slipped back into the room and glanced at the bunk beds on the left wall. Robin followed his gaze. "Oh, yeah, I took the liberty of waiting for you first before picking out my bunk. I figured since the top bunk doesn't have as much leeway overhead you'd probably go for it."

Chrom gave him a flat look. "… I am only two inches shorter than you, there is literally no difference between who gets the top bunk."

"Suit yourself." Grinning, Robin took off his coat and flung it up onto the bunk before stripping his gloves off. The sight of a familiar purple mark caught the bluenette's eye.

"You have one too?" At the albino's confused look, the younger mage explained. "Dad has a mark just like that one in the exact same place. I have one as well," he slipped his coat off and then his shirt, "but Dad gave it to me. I asked him to put it over my heart so I'd always keep him close no matter what." He pointed to the six-eyed mark on his breast. "Dad says the way he gave it to me is basically the same as a blood pact since he's a dragon, so… yeah."

Robin got up to examine the mark. "That is so cool," he murmured. "So maybe I made a blood pact with your dad at some point? Although why does he have it as well? Aesthetics, maybe?"

"Dunno." Chrom shrugged. "Again, he was into some pretty dark stuff, so I have no idea. Maybe you can ask him when you meet him?"

"Sounds like an idea." Robin stretched as Chrom put his shirt back on. "Welp, I'm gonna read a book or two before I go to bed, I already checked my gear for tomorrow."

"Oh, good, I'll need to do that too. Hey, you wanna read Umbra?" Chrom held out the tome. "If you do, just take good care of it, okay?"

Robin's eyes lit up. "Really?! Wow, you're the best, Chrom! Don't you worry, your priceless spell is in good hands!" He took it and clambered up to the top bunk, settling down to read. Chrom chuckled, then turned to his desk and fished out the necessary supplies for writing a letter. Then he sat down and got to work.

"Dear Father…"

Grima nursed his water as he watched the bustling tavern before him. He still had a day or two before he got to the capital, and the thought made his heart clench. I hope that fanatical fool of a knight has not harmed a single hair on my precious little blueberry's head, for his sake. Really, Chrom is too good for those people. Ylisse? Bah! He deserves the entire world!

But he can't have the world if you burn it all down, a traitorous voice whispered in his heart.

The Fell Dragon blinked. Oh. That… that is a very good point. But they all betrayed us! They deserve to rot in their graves or as my Risen! Or Chrom's Risen! If only I could convince him it was all right to try the spell again with my help, he could have his very own Deadlords! Or better! He could be the Risen King without being a Risen himself! And I, I would be the god of our dead world!

Wait, but if everything's dead, how am I going to be able to support Chrom?

And Chrom really wouldn't like it if Grima killed whatever friends he had. Ah, the boy was so sentimental… but strangely enough, that was exactly what made him perfect. He has such a tremendous heart and capacity for love…

Maybe the whole destroying the world idea wasn't nearly as valid as he'd believed. Well, then what am I supposed to do? I still think Chrom would be the perfect ruler, everyone would love him for his kindness and giving heart—no, I can't let anyone take advantage of him! If he was in a position of power, he could just say no… but I know he won't. Hmm, this is quite a conundrum. Why didn't I think of any of this before? That was what running through your master plan on autopilot while raising a child did. Grima sighed.

I still really want my body and power back, so that plan is a definite go. Robin is… what am I going to do with Robin, anyway? Meh, maybe I'll try winging it when I get there. Hmm… I wonder… Ruling the world doesn't sound so bad. I mean, there's obviously tons of details I'd need to think about, but that's what delegation is for. You know what would be really adorable: if I somehow got Chrom to become my Hierophant. He practically worships me anyway—no, I can't use my sweet boy like that. But he will have the highest place in my worldwide kingdom aside from me, that much I'm certain of.

Well, now that that's settled, time to inform Validar and Aversa there's been a slight change in plans. And then, off to rescue my darling blueberry from the clutches of the Shepherds!

And that's a wrap! Next up: Feroxi Fierce! The road to the snowy warrior nation is filled with companionship old and new for Chrom, although Frederick's insistence on treating him like the Lost Ylissean Prince is getting on his nerves. Grima, meanwhile, is stymied at the capital in his search for his son. Chrom meets someone else he can relate to at Regna Ferox. And Frederick gets a nasty shock when he attempts to prove the bluenette mage's legitimacy.

Feel free to review or feed me concrit! Flames will be directed to the nearest bonfire for baby Chrom to roast marshmallows over.

"Oh! Can I have some now, Miss Vio?"

Of course, sweetie. Just make sure to have your dad help you, all right?

"Okay! Thank you~!"