Last chapter was the... longest one in this whole project so far. I wasn't expecting it, but Cordelia and Chrom insisted on sharing some of Cordelia's family history, and Grima decided it was time for Daddy Grima's Bedtime Stories. So, uh... not quite how I envisioned it to go. I wasn't going to have Grima meet back up with Chrom so early, but Inigo came into the picture back in Ch. 8 and then I had them go back to Ylisstol... and then I had to have literal Parent Trap shenanigans... and then I realized Inigo getting captured would make way for an excellent use of a plot point that could also move along the Grima/Inigo subplot. So Grima's gonna be with the Shepherds for the campaign. Hey, more confusion on the Plegian side, could be entertaining! Also, I wanted Chrom back with his dad, and the "constantly-too-late" gag was gonna get old REAL quick.
(Any of you Black Butler/Kuroshitsuji stans notice the reference last chapter? I was trying to figure out a good fake name for Inigo and the other Fire Emblem protag names weren't cutting it [and Laslow didn't even cross my mind]. Then I was like "oh, Ciel"-and then I realized JUST HOW GOOD a name that was! So many parallels, it's ridiculous! And if you've read the manga far enough that you know the truth about Ciel? Makes this chapter even better! Sometimes my mind amazes me at what it puts together.)
"Now I want to read The Earl and the Dragon because of it, I'm curious as to what you're talking about."
Hey, by all means! Just know you're either gonna get a kick out of the similarities or be done with my silliness.
"Hmm, that's for me to decide. Would I be able to read it to Chr-"
NO! That's a teen series with violence and stuff, baby Chrom doesn't need to get introduced to that!
"Oh. That's fair. Never mind, then."
Don't own, yadda yadda, blah blah blah, back to the story!
Inigo awoke to birdsong and sunshine and pounding on his door.
The boy yawned and stretched, snuggling further into the mattress. But the pounding continued. "Milord, wake up! Milord, the Exalt has returned!"
"Hmm?"
The teen sat up in bed and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He glanced around at the familiar bedchambers and sighed. Time to get up for another day… but Father was home, so he'd be looking forward to seeing him again. Mother would be especially happy, she had all sorts of stories from her last patrol that she'd been hoping to share with everyone. Luci was probably busy wrangling with the council with Aunt Lissa's help. In his opinion, politics came after breakfast—the other way around was sure to spoil one's appetite. How his big sis could do it, he had no idea. He slipped out of bed and padded over to the door, opening it.
An unfamiliar butler stood in the doorway. "Milord Chrom, quickly! We must get you dressed and ready to meet your sister! Oh, she'll be so delighted to have found you, milord!"
Inigo stared in shock. Chrom? Sister? Found him?
Then the events of the previous night and days and years came crashing down on him. He wasn't Prince Inigo Lowell, and this wasn't an ordinary day in the castle; he was Inigo the Future Child, and this was the past of his father. His father, who hadn't even been raised as the prince, but as a mage and the son of the Fell Dragon. His stomach churned with rising horror and the color left his face. He trembled and backed away, willing to go back to the pleasant reality he'd just thought himself in moments ago.
The butler bustled in and ran about setting out clothes for the boy. "I'm afraid these are a shabby job at best, milord, but we tried to use the clothes you were wearing as a guide, so they should fit." He came over, led the boy into the bathroom, and started undressing the bluenette teen. Inigo watched, feeling detached from his body as the older man dressed him in something reminiscent of the navy outfit his father so loved to wear, except this one had both sleeves. Then the man ushered him out of the chambers and into the hall, down the hall and into an enormous dining room, and into a seat at the right of the head of the table. The other servants finished setting the table, turned, and bowed to a blonde woman who strode into the room wearing green-and-white robes and looking very tired. She waved the servants away and they departed as she took her seat.
Inigo had never met his Aunt Emmeryn, having been born years after her assassination, but the woman sitting to his left could not be anyone else but her. She favored him with a kind, sympathetic gaze. "Hello there, young man."
"H-Hi," he squeaked back.
Emmeryn chuckled. "You need not be afraid of me. I won't hurt you." She regarded him with curiosity. "What is your name?"
I will not use that name, I will not use that name! The bluenette swallowed. "C-Ciel." Great. Just great. He hoped the Fell Dragon hadn't overheard him, the man would probably rag on him later and be entirely too gleeful that he had used the man's suggestion. He was so not telling Owain if he ever lived to see his cousin again.
The Exalt gave him a kind smile. "That's a lovely name, Ciel." She gestured to the food. "Please, eat. We will speak as we take our meal."
Inigo nodded and dug in to the food. Palace fair was always top-notch, but of course, the servants saw to it that the Exalted family had only the best. He polished off a delectable slice of quiche and took a bite of fruit mousse before Emmeryn spoke up again. "So my captains in the palace guard told me this morning that they had discovered my brother. Now you must understand, it has been fifteen years, anything could've happened to him. I'm afraid I hold out little hope that he can be found, though my loyal retainer, Frederick, insists on looking for him." She looked straight at him. "So you must believe I mean you no offense when I say I doubt you are him."
The bluenette teen nodded. "Y-Your Grace, I don't blame y-you. I think your m-men were overly… um, excited last night."
"Yes, perhaps." She tilted her head. "Although the strange thing was, they kept repeating 'He has the Brand! He has the Brand!'" She stood up and walked over to him. "May I see it?"
Inigo gulped and set down his silverware, turning to face her. She put her hand on his cheek and studied his face. After a minute, she offered a sad smile.
"You look so much like him… and you have the Brand of the Exalt… but you are not my brother."
The teen hung his head and nodded. "I'm s-sorry, your Grace. I never meant to get y-your hopes up."
Emmeryn shook her head as she returned to her seat. "I believe you could be of some relation to us," she said, "but my brother had his Brand on his right shoulder, and you have yours in your right eye."
"I-It's an illusion." Naga above, he could practically hear Grima smirking with delight. "A sorcerer th-thought it would be f-funny to place an-an illusion of the Brand in m-my eye. Y-You know, to-to throw off who the prince really w-was." He sighed. "I did t-try to warn your people."
She nodded. "I'm so sorry about this, Ciel. While I'm experienced with magic, I'm afraid illusions are quite out of my purview… but I will see what I can do for you. If you happen to know—"
Boom!
Inigo gasped and whipped his head around in the direction of the explosion. Emmeryn stood, her mouth in a tight line. "They're here."
"Wh-Who?"
"Gangrel's men. Cordelia said they were half a day's march away… they must have arrived. They're here for me and the Fire Emblem."
"W-What?!" Inigo shot up out of his chair. "Y-Your Grace, we have to get out of here! If they find us—"
"If they find you," she fixed her steely gaze on him, "there's no telling what they'll do. I'm not worried for my life, I knew this might happen when I gave the Fire Emblem to Chrom. But you, Ciel, are an unknown. I can't let an innocent person die because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time."
The teen's lip quivered. He couldn't speak, but instead threw his arms around Emmeryn. She hugged him back tightly, warmth and love in her arms. The she grabbed his hand and led him out of the dining room into a secret passageway that took the two to her bedroom.
In the end, it didn't matter. The Plegians found and captured them anyway.
Grima yawned and sniffed the air. The scent of smoke filled his nose, and he frowned in his sleep. He flipped over to his other side, but the acrid odor remained. He grumbled and went to sit up—Bam! "Ow!" Falling back on his pillow, he looked up to find the underside of a bed above him. "Huh…?"
Oh wait, that's right, he'd spent the night here with Inigo instead of at the inn.
The albino wriggled over to the edge of the huge bed and flipped up the bedskirt. Okay, coast was clear… He slid out from underneath the bed and got up, turning to bid good morning to his grand-blueberry. "Rise and—shine…" He frowned at the empty bed. "I guess I missed you waking up? Weird. I must've been ridiculously tired last night." Well, he'd made use of his wings. That power was sure to wear at him without his usual reserves. How he wished for his old body back… He'd have to generate a new dragonstone, however, if he wanted to continue lavishing affection onto his cute little blueberries. Being the size of a city would be quite the cumbersome obstacle in trying to hug two sweet but squishy humans.
He walked around the suite looking for Inigo, but the bluenette was nowhere to be seen, and the smell of smoke had strengthened by the time he returned to the bedchamber. He went over to the door and slowly opened it, keeping a sharp eye out for servants. To his surprise, he found Plegian soldiers milling about and rifling through the castle's goods. Wait a minute, what happened? Did I just sleep through an invasion force?! Gangrel hadn't taken Ylisstol quite so early in the previous timeline… or had he? Because Emmeryn's assassination had been thwarted this time (and he liked to think that was all due to Chrom and his education), so what was going on?
"Lookie them jewels jus' lyin' around like trash. Ain't it disgustin'? These Ylisseans live like filthy rich pigs, they do."
"Well, now'n we gots the Exalt an' the prince, we oughta move along an' take what'n we can get, heheheh!"
Grima's heart stopped. They had Chrom?! No wait, Inigo had been here. They had Inigo?! No, no, no, no, no, I am not gonna let my grandson suffer! Oh no, I never had a chance to put a new illusion on his eye! Gangrel's going to hurt him when he arrives in Plegia! If I go now… but wait, I don't know where he is! He could be halfway to the border by now! What am I going to do?!
The Fell Dragon bit his lip and closed the door. Okay, think. Chrom and the Shepherds were heading to Ferox for reinforcements. If I go there and let them know Inigo was captured—no, they don't know about him, that wouldn't be right. Ylisstol was captured? Oh, wait, isn't the blonde princess with them? She'll want to know how her sister is doing. Maybe I can convince them that we need to get to Occasus in order to prevent her sister and my grandbaby from being killed or executed!
Okay. He was going to have to retreat now, but it was for Inigo's good. He turned and put his invisibility illusion back on, grew back his wings, and took to the air, flying out of the open balcony doors. Below him, the Plegian army pillaged and vandalized the castle, though Emmeryn and Inigo were nowhere in sight, and he couldn't get their scent on the wind. Sighing, he flew down to an alley near the inn, took off the spell and retracted his wings, and rushed into the inn, slipping past the soldiers and running up to the room he'd gotten last night. After checking to see he had everything, he ran back down, found and saddled Eugene, and took off towards the Northroad.
I won't let your son die, Chrom! We'll rescue him together!
It was good to be back in Ferox, though the mood of the Shepherds could've been better. Chrom really didn't blame them—being shouldered with the responsibility of the Fire Emblem was nerve-wracking at best, mind-numbingly terrifying at worst. Raimi led the party through the halls of Arena Ferox to the Khan's throne room, where they waited for the Khans. Frederick looked particularly glum, probably because Emmeryn's life was in danger. Some of the Shepherds went up to him to offer words of consolation or encouragement. Even Lon'qu had put off glaring at the guy and gave him a pat on the back in sympathy. The brunette knight barely responded, however.
Sumia went up to the knight and yelled, "Frederick, snap out of it!" and punched him in the face! Chrom gasped, and next to him Robin sniggered.
"Ack!" Frederick massaged his jaw. "And what, pray tell, was that for, Sumia?"
"O-Oh, um… did-did I do it wrong? Captain Phila always says a good slap to the face helps break anyone out of their blue moods."
Robin outright cackled. "Sumia, sweetie, a slap is done with an open palm. You just punched Frederick in the face! Haha-hahahaha!"
"Robin! I was only trying to help! Oh, dear, what did I do?! Frederick, are you all right?"
The knight gave a chuckle. "While I daresay that hurt, I suppose it's the thought that counts. Thank you for trying to cheer me up, Sumia."
"Wow." The tactician leaned over to Chrom. "We finally found something that just might be Freddy Bear's match—Sumia's fist!"
The bluenette rolled his eyes. "Robin, that's just dumb."
"Hey, my gal can sure dish it out, can't help you if you can't take it."
"Your gal, huh?" Chrom felt a ridiculous grin spread across his face. "Does somebody have a cruhhhhhh-sh? Are you in loooooove, Robin?"
Predictably, the white-haired tactician went bright red. "For your information," he hissed, "the attraction is mutual between the two of us! I'll have you know that she's an amazing cook and an excellent book buddy! Although her tastes in romance lean towards the more lurid side…"
"Robin! Ribald Tales of the Faith War is a tame book compared to the other series I read!" the pegasus knight rebuffed, walking over to them. "It is a perfectly acceptable adaptation of historical events that occurred back in ancient times!"
"Oh, yeah, that one," Chrom remarked. "I actually though that one was fairly interesting, I read it when it came into the bookstore before."
Robin blinked at him. "Well, okay then. I never said it was bad. I actually thought the characters were fairly well-written and sympathetic—even Arvis, who deep down was just trying to do what was best for his country."
"Sigurd's and Deirdre's romance is one for the ages!" Sumia sighed. "Oh… and the tragedy of them being torn apart, and Deirdre losing her memory only to find love elsewhere…"
"Ooh, I wanna know the answer to this question," the platinum-head said, turning to Chrom. "Who's your favorite character in the book?"
"Well, I actually really identify with Saias."
"Of course you do." Robin facepalmed. "Go with the illegitimate son of the emperor who's extremely powerful and crazy charismatic. Actually, you know what? That kinda does sound like you a little bit."
"… Okay? I don't know whether to be flattered or offended."
"He was a great tactician, you should be flattered."
"Psst, guys." Kellam nudged Chrom and Robin. "Flavia says the Feroxi army has mobilized. We're probably going to be heading out soon, you hear?"
The bluenette nodded. "Got it." Then he jumped a bit as the doors swung open and Basilio strode in with Olivia trailing behind him. The pinkette waved at Chrom and slipped over to his side, head tilted in query. He shrugged, and she nodded, frowning. He caught Robin's wickedly gleeful grin and Kellam's thumbs-up out of the corner of his eye. Olivia gave them a confused look, but turned her attention back to the West Khan.
"I've been looking for you all over, Lissa! Our scouts just got back, and they have grim news to report. A witness who was there also arrived." The brown-skinned man shook his head. "There's really no easy way to say this: Ylisstol has fallen."
"What?! Oh, no, Emm!" the blonde princess cried. "Tell me she's okay!"
"I'm afraid not. The witness says the exalt was taken behind Plegian lines, along with a boy they believed to be your brother." His eyes fell on Chrom when he said this. "Gangrel's going to have the two of them executed within the moon."
"Not if I have anything to say about it."
The bluenette gasped as a familiar figure with white hair, red eyes, and a black tactician's coat swept into the room. "Father?! Father, is that you?!"
"Chrom!" Dad's eyes widened, and he ran over to the young mage as Chrom ran towards him. The two collided in a tight, loving embrace, Dad whispering sweet nothings into his ear as the older man clutched him close and stroked his hair. "Oh, Chrom, sweetheart, I've been so worried, I was so afraid you were hurt or worse! It's okay now though, Daddy's here, everything's fine, you're fine…"
"Oh, Father!" The stress that had piled up on the young teen's shoulders lifted and vanished as he snuggled into his father's arms. "Oh, I'm so glad you're here! I was so stressed about you, whether you were worrying about me, it was so much."
"Shhh, there there now, it's all right, you're safe, I'm here…"
Basilio cleared his throat, and the two glanced around, then melted out of the embrace, sheepish expressions evident on their faces. "I'm glad you were able to find your father, Chrom. You two will be able to catch up later, I'm sure, but right now we need to figure out how to rescue your Exalt and prince."
Dad's face took on a resolute look, and the bluenette mage-healer could see his mind working on the problem at hand. "Ciel isn't the Prince Chrom—he's just unlucky enough to look like the prince. When I first found him, a sorcerer had left him with an illusion of the Brand that the boy was unable to dispel, and when we went to Ylisstol, the guards saw him and took him in." His red eyes gleamed with a furious light. "I will not let Gangrel put this innocent child to death, not when it was my fault he got there in the first place!"
"I can't help but think this is a trap," Robin spoke up. "Surely he knew your scouts were going to report back. He's trying to provoke us to do something—but what?"
"Well, we need to think over our options here—"
Lissa cut Basilio off. "Shepherds! We march on Plegia tomorrow!"
"You can't just do that!" Dad hissed. "We need a strategy first—"
"He's gonna kill my sister—!"
"And he's going to kill Chrom's brother! If we don't think this through carefully, they're both going to die, and we will be at fault! If you rush in to this, you will lose more lives than you can afford!"
"Quiet, both of you! Lissa, take a breather for a moment," Flavia interjected. "Look, we're not saying not to act at all. We're saying to do it wisely. Raven is right, we need a plan for how we're going to get to the capital in time to save them both." Her gaze was stern. "We need both guts and brains if we're going to pull this off successfully."
Robin nodded. "I'll figure out a strategy for us to use, Lissa. Raven, do you know tactics?"
"I do."
"Then you can help me put a plan together. You can trust us, Lissa, we'll make sure your sister comes home safe and sound."
Lissa glanced between the both of them, then gave a sharp nod, her eyes filling with determination. "All right. I'll leave you two to it, then."
"You sure you're up to the task, you two?" Basilio asked. "I know Robin's only worked with the Shepherds so far, and I know nothing of your experience, Raven. You'll have both the Exalt's and Ciel's lives as well as all of our own to keep in mind."
Dad gave an evil grin. "Oh, I have plenty of experience," he practically purred. "Gangrel won't know what hit him."
"We won't take this responsibility lightly," Robin added, gaze fierce. "I know we'll rise to the challenge."
"… All right, then." Basilio rubbed his bald head. "Either you two are the ballsiest geniuses I've ever met, or you're complete fools. Gods help us all…" Then he laughed. "Well, I guess we'll see the answer to that on our march! Ylisseans, we've got ourselves an Exalt and a prince-lookalike to save!"
While the Shepherds checked over their gear and packed up extra supplies, Chrom followed his father to the Feroxi war room. As the two approached, the din of people yelling reached their ears. "Father, I have to go! I might not be much of a fighter, but I can help in other ways! Please, I just want to help!"
"Olivia, it's dangerous out there! Humor an old man and stay at home, please?"
Grima frowned and pushed open the doors to the room. He cleared his throat, gaining the attention of the West Feroxi Khan and the familiar pink-haired dancer. "Sorry, are we interrupting anything?"
Basilio perked up. "Raven, you know what it's like, sending your kid out there, how scary it is, right?"
"I don't necessarily send him out anywhere—a lot of the times I go with him. Letting him be on his own is one of the scariest things I've encountered."
Chrom sighed. "Dad—"
"I'm not saying he's not capable! Far from it!" Grima put his hands on his hips. "But I really, really don't like the idea of him getting hurt. That being said, he's technically an adult and can take care of himself." He paused, then amended, "Mostly. He still struggles with the sword for some reason."
"Basilio, I know you're afraid for Olivia," the bluenette spoke up. "I also know how she feels, wanting to do something good where you can. I know you want to leave her behind, but the truth is, she's actually safest with Dad and me watching over her. She's my friend, and I don't want her to get hurt. And Dad is extremely powerful and extremely protective towards the people he cares about. Between the two of us, Olivia will not get hurt."
Olivia's eyes widened. "Oh… thank you, Chrom, that's very kind of you."
Grima couldn't help his mental smirk. This is the mini blueberry's mother, it's in all of our very best interests that she not be harmed. Out loud, he said, "Chrom is right, both about my power and protectiveness. Your daughter will come out of this unharmed."
Basilio blinked. "You two really are sure about this." His brow furrowed in contemplation. "Okay. Raven, Chrom, I'm putting my daughter's life in your hands. I trust you'll take care of her to the best of your abilities."
"Of course." The albino nodded. "From one foster father to another, I promise you I'll treat her like my own daughter."
The Khan grinned. "Thank you." He slapped the dragon on the back. "Well, Olivia, looks like you've gotta get packing!"
"Oh, thank you, Father! Thank you, Mr. Raven! Thank you, Chrom!" The pinkette went around and hugged each of them. "I'll do the best I can out there!"
Chrom coughed, and Grima chuckled at the blush that dusted his cute son's cheeks. "Don't worry about it. Hey, since I'm all done, do you want me to help? I'm pretty good with fitting lots of stuff into very few bags."
"That would be very much appreciated," she replied with a shy laugh. "Come on then, let me show you to my room…"
As the two walked out of the room, Grima leaned over to Basilio and commented, "I ship it."
"Da—ad, you're just as bad as Robin!"
That sent the two older men into a fit of giggles!
"Okay, dancing rings, steel sword, extra steel sword, extra clothes, light cloak—Chrom, are you sure I need a cloak? It's hot out in the desert."
The bluenette glanced up from the bags he'd readied. "Trust me, you're going to want the extra sun protection. Your clothes are loose and flowing, which is good, but they don't cover all of your skin. If you don't fully cover up, you're going to get a nasty sunburn real quick."
"What if we travel at night, though?"
Chrom grinned. "That's where my dad's spells come in. He can put one on your cloak such that it's cool in hot weather and warm in cool weather, just like our coats!"
"Oh!" Olivia gasped in delight. "Oh, that's clever! I didn't know your dad was capable of such a thing!"
"Oh, he's like the best mage ever. He can do all sorts of different spells, plus he helped me write my tome."
She tilted her head. "That's right, you mentioned that last time, didn't you." Then she frowned in thought. "Have you ever been to the desert before, Chrom?"
"A couple times." The bluenette took the clothes she handed him and packed them into one of the bags. "Middlefield is south of Themis, and both towns are next to the border between Plegia and Ylisse. I don't know if I told you this, but sometimes Dad and I go out to other towns and deal with bandits every so often."
"And you went to a Plegian town? To find out where the bandits were coming from?"
"Well, no." Chrom sat back, lost in thought. "We chased this one brigand group across the border once and came upon this little oasis village. We decided to take a break there and found out the people were getting harassed by the group as well."
"Oh, no! What did you do?"
"Well, we drove the bandits off—the villagers were happy about that. Turns out they were short on food. So, I organized a relief mission with the help of the other Middlefielders, and Dad and I went back with food and supplies for them." He smiled. "If we ever need to stop in Bubblestone during the campaign, they'll be happy to help—though we should help them in return if they're dealing with a shortage again."
Olivia laughed, shaking her head. "You know, Chrom, I don't think I've ever heard about such kindness towards the Plegians in a while." She smiled at him. "You're very sweet to think of them."
The bluenette felt his face flush, heat creeping into his cheeks. "Ah, w-well, I—ahem—I don't blame the Plegian people for what their king does, or what their Grimleal do. At the end of the day, they're just people like us, you know?"
"Huh. That is true. Did your father teach you that?"
"Well, what he does say is that race doesn't matter in the case of good and evil, so, um… I kinda extrapolated from there. Race doesn't matter in the case of innocence or guilt." Chrom sighed. "I wish some people would understand that."
She handed him another set of clothes and some dancing rings, and he resumed packing. "I think that's a very wise outlook, Chrom." Then she laughed. "Look at me, I'm perfectly fine talking to you like this! I have no idea what Dad was so worried about!"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Olivia's face colored a bit. "O-Oh, just that… w-well, I don't know if you've noticed, but… I'm kind of… shy… around guys. I-It's not your fault!" she cried, waving her hands. "I just… had a bad experience, is all. When I was younger, I mean."
Chrom took the rest of the dancing rings from her and put them on top of the others. "I have at least two or three of those—bad experiences, I mean—so I might understand."
"Oh, okay. So, um… when I was a preteen, I really loved to dance. I mean, obviously I still do now, but I kind of always have. Um, so one day I was practicing for a performance out in the orphanage yard, because I didn't want the other kids watching me. They were all busy doing other things. This, um, this guy rides up, and he has this whole retinue—I think he was an Ylissean noble or something. I'm not sure what he'd be doing in Ferox, maybe visiting someone? Anyway, so he saw me, and I wasn't paying attention," she explained, "I sort of get really into it when I'm dancing, you see."
"So he saw you and… what, was he rude to you?"
"Oh, not at all! Actually, he complimented me on my performance from a couple days before, and he said he wanted to talk more with me. In his carriage."
Chrom frowned as he packed her swords up. "Why in his carriage? Couldn't you both just talk outside of it?"
"Well, that's obvious to us now, but then I was just a dumb kid who didn't know any better. So I say yes and he takes my hand and helps me in—then he yells at his driver to go as fast as he can! He says something about 'getting what he came for' and I kind of freak out. It kind of hits me that maybe I've been kidnapped. I start screaming and kicking and just raising a fuss in general. He tries to get me to shut up, sort of, not trying to hurt me, just restrain me."
"Did anyone hear you?"
"Basilio did," she replied. "He was out with some of his buddies that day, thank goodness. They were going to a tavern, but before they got there, the noble's carriage came roaring down the road, and I'm screaming and everything and they heard me. Basilio goes out and stands in the middle of the road, and his friends cover all the other exits. The carriage barely stops just in time, and I get thrown to the floor. The noble is asking his driver what's going on, so I make a run for it—well, I try to, he caught my hand before I could get out the door."
The bluenette finished packing her things and sat with his legs crossed on the floor as he listened to her tale. "Basilio comes up to the door and says, 'Is there a problem here?' The noble says no, I panicked because there was a fly or something." Chrom snorted at that. "Yeah, I thought it was dumb, too. So Basilio leans in and goes, 'I don't know what's legal down in Ylisse, but up here we don't make off with little girls.' The noble, of course, looks down his nose at him and says, 'Well, what are you going to do about it? Tell the Khan?'"
"Oh, my gods!" Chrom burst out laughing. "What did Basilio say?"
"He leaned in even closer and said, 'I am the Khan.' The noble went white!" Now she was giggling, too. "And Basilio took my hand and led me out. The noble started saying something about a dowry or something, he was like, 'What's her bride price, I'll pay double!' So Basilio goes, 'For a national treasure? You can't afford such a priceless thing!'"
"Oh, my gods! Oh, he really gave it to him, didn't he?"
"He sure did!" she agreed. "The noble sped off and Basilio asked if I was okay and if he needed to walk me back home. He was just a complete gentleman and everything." She gave a happy sigh. "I kept thanking him over and over for saving me, I asked him, 'Is there anything I can do to repay you?' And he goes, 'No, that's okay, I'm just happy you're all right.' Well, I kept insisting, and finally he said he'd think about it. Next week, he comes to the orphanage and asks me, 'I've thought about it, and I've decided: would you do me the honor of being my daughter, Miss Olivia?'"
"Aww!" Chrom was grinning so widely his cheeks hurt. "That was so kind of him! And you said yes?"
Olivia laughed. "Well, I wouldn't be here if I hadn't," she said twirling. "But yeah, that's why I'm not really comfortable around guys. Except for Lon'qu, we see each other as siblings. Basilio kinda adopted him too."
The mage-healer nodded. "You know, your story is actually very similar to how I met my own father—except I met him first, then he saved me. I think I mentioned that when we first met?" She nodded. He ran through the story with her of how they'd gotten caught by a pack of bandits and Dad had stepped in to save him.
"Chrom, that's… wow." She tapped her chin, deep in thought. "When you say he scared them off, what do you mean?"
Chrom glanced around in case anyone was eavesdropping, then leaned in closer. "He's… well, Dad's not human. He just looks like it. He can manifest aspects of his other nature in his human form, although he doesn't have enough power to fully transform—at least, that's what he said."
"What is he, then?"
The bluenette grinned.
"He's a dragon."
Olivia gasped. "Your father's a—no way! Chrom, that's incredible! Do you have any idea how rare dragons are nowadays?"
"Extremely so." Chrom's expression turned sad. "They haven't been treated well in so long… it's really heartbreaking."
"Okay." She nodded. "Well, you let me know if there's anything I should be careful about around him."
The boy beamed. "Olivia, have I ever told you you're one of the most considerate people I've ever met?"
"Aw, Chrom! Now you're just flattering me!"
"Hahaha, nooooo, it's true! You are!"
Chrom found his father in the dining hall with the other Shepherds, eating over a spread-out map of Plegia along with Robin. He sat down next to the red-eyed man with a bowl of stew and scooped a spoonful into his mouth. "How're things going?"
"Well enough." Robin took another bite of roasted chicken. "We just finished putting together a viable plan for the extraction. Now we just need to implement it." He nodded his head at Dad. "Your dad's been a fantastic resource, I had no idea he was native to Plegia."
"You are?" The bluenette turned to his father with a look of surprise. "Well, that explains how you know the desert so well. Why didn't you ever tell me?"
The older mage-dragon shrugged. "You never asked. Besides, it…" his face went tight, "it has some good memories that… are particularly painful. I… I lost someone who lived there, someone close to me." He sighed. "I'd never had a happier time in my life… until you came along." He favored the blue-haired youth with a gentle smile.
A few of the Shepherds came over and sat around them with their food. Sumia took a spot on Robin's right while Frederick sat to his left. Kellam sat in the empty space on Dad's left, Cordelia sat next to Sumia, Lon'qu seated himself on the other side of Chrom, and Gaius slid in next to Frederick. The orange-haired thief grinned at Dad. "Hi there again, Bubbles Sr.!"
Dad's eyes narrowed. "You're that kid who tried to make off with my spellbook all those years ago."
"What?! You remember me?"
"Of course." Dad smirked. "Nobody else has ever tried to steal my spellbook from me while it's on my person."
Kellam whistled. "Dang, Gaius, I had no idea you were that kid. I was wondering why you and Chrom seemed to know each other."
"You tried to steal from Raven?" Cordelia peered down the table at Gaius. "Please tell me that was temporary insanity on your part. Nobody steals from him and gets away with it!"
Gaius shrugged. "Blue here saved my skin. Kiddo traded me his lollipop to get the book back. I told him I'd never forget him for it." He glanced at the redhead and the ravenette. "How do you two know about him anyway, did you grow up with Blue or something?"
Dad nodded. "Kellam and Tia were two of Chrom's friends growing up in Middlefield. Which reminds me…" He turned his head and locked a glare onto the older pegasus knight, who gave him an uneasy grin.
Chrom rolled his eyes. "Dad. I told you before, please don't take revenge on my friend."
"Little blueberry, may I remind you—"
"She left without saying goodbye, yes, I know. It's been five years, we made nice and everything, please drop it."
The red-eyed albino gave him a skeptical look. "And you're not just saying that to get me off her case?"
"It's true," Cordelia spoke up. "I apologized for hurting his feelings and we agreed to just be friends." She chuckled. "We felt we both grew out of our mutual crush from then."
"Ha! Told you, Robin! Pay up!"
"Aww, come on, you have the advantage of knowing them!" Robin dug in his coat for some gold and handed it to a smug Kellam. "Why did I even get into that bet, anyway?"
"You're the resident shipper here, you were sooooo convinced it was unrequited love!"
"Wait, wait, wait, wait." Gaius held up his hands. "Is no one going to acknowledge the fact that Bubbles Sr. calls his kiddo 'little blueberry?'"
Kellam, Cordelia, Robin, and Sumia burst out laughing. "We're going on about Chrom and Tia's relationship and that's what you get hung up on?" Kellam asked in amused disbelief. "Raven's called him that for as long as we've known the both of them! It's his nickname for him!"
Lon'qu looked Chrom up and down, then shrugged. "Makes sense to me." That set off another round of laughter from the other four.
The bluenette grinned. "You want to talk about goofy nicknames, how about the fact that Gaius calls you 'Shush-Kabob?'"
"Does he really?!" Sumia squealed as Chrom joined the others in cackling. Even Dad laughed. The thief shrugged.
"Hey, come on, he's silent, and he skewers people. Shush-Kabob." The laughter ratcheted up a notch. "Why is that so funny to you people?!"
"Of—Of all the people you could give a weird nickname—Lon'qu is the last person we'd think of!" Robin choked out. "Oh, gods… ow, my aching ribs." Another wave of giggles went through. "Ow-how-how… man, I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard. You guys are all amazing, you know that?"
"Well, I can't speak for the rest of you, but Chrom on the other hand," Dad started, setting off more giggles. "Hey, I raised the kid, I know exactly how awesome he is."
"Aww, Dad!" A warm and fuzzy feeling filled Chrom's heart as he looked out over the table at his father having fun with his friends. This… this is really nice. I missed this, having my dad along. A tender smile graced his lips, and he leaned against his father's shoulder, the love in his heart bright and warm. Dad put his arm around him and kissed the top of his head, making the bluenette beam.
"I have to go deliver our notes to the Khans," he said, gathering up the map and papers scattered on the table, "but I'll see you later tonight." He stood and nodded to the group. "Be back at a reasonable hour, little blueberry, you'll need your sleep!"
"All right, Dad!" Chrom called back. "See you later!"
After Dad left, Kellam scooted over into his vacated seat and Cordelia switched to sitting next to him. "Quick, Frederick, hide!"
"What? Why?" The knight gave them a flatly bewildered look.
The two rolled their eyes. "Because Raven is stupidly protective of Chrom," the big man said, "and when he finds out you were the one behind Chrom's panic attack when we were here last time? The only thing that will stop him from killing you is if Chrom deploys the infamous Puppy Eyes and pleads with him to spare you."
"What? I do not have puppy eyes!"
"Yes, you do. Out of everyone we've ever come across, your dad is the least immune to them."
Frederick cleared his throat. "While I would not ordinarily advocate such a thing, would it not be easier to simply not tell him what happened?"
"Oh, no, he already knows," Chrom commented. "He definitely would've felt it through the pact-bond, it's only a matter of time before he figures out who it is."
"A pact—I'm sorry, what?"
Kellam and Cordelia glanced at the others at the table, then at the bluenette mage, who gave them a nod. "Raven's not human," the redhead revealed. "Not very many people know about this, though."
The brunette knight's eyes narrowed. "Not human?" His brow furrowed. "If he has a pact-bond with Chrom, does this mean he's a demon?"
"What? No! Nonononono!" Chrom waved his hands in a placating gesture. "Dad's… well, he's… he's a dragon."
"What?!"
"He was created as an experiment." The pegasus knight looked at Chrom for confirmation, and the youth nodded. "Basically, he was supposed to be some sort of perfected being, but the alchemist who created him tried to kill him when he got too powerful for him to control. He didn't have any family until he adopted Chrom."
The bluenette fingered the area near his heart, where his father's Mark lay inked deep in his skin. "The pact-bond was something I asked for when I was younger. Dad didn't remember until we started dream-speaking with each other that what he'd done was that sort of thing. It'd been over a millennia since the last time he'd made such a bond." He shrugged. "It's at its most powerful only when we're both asleep near each other and dreaming, but it's been helpful in other ways. Dad can use it to sense how I'm feeling."
"Oh." Frederick looked pale. "So that is how he knows that you had a panic attack."
"Mm-hm. With that amount of strong emotions, definitely. It's happened before."
"Oh."
Robin leaned over to the knight. "Sorry, Freddy Bear, sounds like you're a dead man. Oh well, you were fun while you lasted."
Frederick's gaze sharpened on the tactician. "Are you saying you are going to help him find me and exact justice upon me for something which I have already been considered forgiven?"
"Nah, just offering my condolences."
"That is not going to help."
Chrom bit his lip. "Look, I'll talk to him at some point, okay, Frederick? I'll do my best to get him to understand that you weren't trying to hurt me, you had no idea I would react that way. Just… be prepared for any retaliation on his part. He's not very forgiving to people who hurt me."
"Case in point: 'Clear the Road,'" Cordelia muttered. "Does he still do that, by the way?"
"Yep."
The bluenette finished off his food and gave a small yawn. "Well, I'm off to bed. See you guys bright and early tomorrow."
"Yeah." Robin sighed. "Time to get back at Gangrel."
Grima lay back on his bed, coat and boots lying discarded next to his dresser. Being with the Shepherds as an ally instead of an enemy was a… bizarre experience, to say the least. Already he could see Robin and Sumia's relationship putting out buds, and of course his sweet, sweet son had begun to fall in love with Olivia. Well, maybe it wasn't love yet, but the connection the two had made was undeniable. Maybe it was their shared experiences in adoption? The dragon hadn't known much about the dancer other than she was a Feroxi, shy around men and about her dancing, and adopted by Basilio. Perhaps this time around the two had more that they could relate to given Chrom was now a foster child and had some embarrassing stories of his own. Grima chuckled. He liked it better this way instead of the "love at first sight" nonsense that had happened in the other timeline. Soulmates or no, his son needed to get to know his potential partner first before figuring out whether said person was worthy of the bluenette's hand. Olivia had better measure up, otherwise there would be no mini blueberry in this timeline—which wouldn't be fair at all to Inigo.
Poor child… first he'd lost his parents and been forced to survive in a dying future, then he'd been separated from his friends in the past, then he'd been found by Grima (who he didn't know wasn't an enemy to him), and now he was probably sitting in some rotting Plegian dungeon not knowing whether he was going to live past the next moon. The albino sighed. How he wished he could just teleport over to his little grandbaby, he hated that he'd had to effectively leave him behind! If only he had a blood pact with the child… but the boy would never consent to it as his father had. So teleporting was out of the question.
He was going to tear Gangrel to shreds bit by bit for endangering his darling grandson!
"Father?"
Grima lifted his head and looked up as Chrom slipped into the room. He sat up and swung his feet over the edge of the bed, regarding the bluenette. "Ready for tomorrow?"
"Mm-hm." The boy took off his boots and set them next to his own bed. He shucked his coat off, and Grima frowned in surprise at the laced-up slits on either shoulder. Those were definitely not there last time he'd seen him.
"What's with your shirt? You spruce it up while I was gone? It looks really good."
Chrom reddened and ducked his head. "Oh, this isn't my handiwork. S-Someone else did it."
The albino got up and studied the needlework. "Mm, well, whoever did it, they did good—" Wait. They were over where the boy's concealed Brand was. "When did you get it done?"
The bluenette gulped and looked down at his feet. Uh-oh. That was not a good sign.
"Chrom, sweetheart, what's wrong? Why don't you want to tell me about it? You know you can trust me with anything, right?"
"F-Father…" The boy trembled and looked back up at him, eyes wide and glassy, hands clasped together. "Promise me you won't hurt him! He had no idea what he was doing was going to set me off, I asked for proof and—"
Grima blanched. "This… this is a result of… of your panic attack?" His eyes hardened, smoldering. "Who did it?"
"Father, you have to understand, our tempers were high, we were yelling at each other, I asked him for proof and he tried to g-give it to me!"
"By ripping open your shirt?" the dragon hissed. "… Was it Frederick?"
The boy gave a sob. "Father, please don't kill him! He's already beaten himself up for it so much, even Lon'qu threatened to kill him!" By now the bluenette was trembling. "Please… please don't… I can't… please don't…"
Grima's stomach roiled at his precious child on the verge of tears, pleading for the life of his abuser. Oh, how he hated to see the boy this way… but something had to be done about Frederick. "Chrom, I have to do something about him, I can't just let this go unpunished!"
"Father, please! It's like what happened with Risen Sarah, remember? I messed up so badly that the results of my mistake were punishment enough! It's the same thing here!" Chrom hiccuped, tears leaking out onto his cheeks. The Fell Dragon's heart broke at seeing his sweet baby in such distress. No, he couldn't kill or maim Frederick and hurt Chrom like that. He sighed and drew the bluenette teen into a tight hug, cradling the boy's cheek in his hand and rubbing his own cheek on the boy's soft hair.
"All right. I won't hurt him. Okay?"
Chrom sniffled and nodded. "Okay. Thank you, Father."
"Of course, my sweet little blueberry."
After the boy had finished calming down, he asked the older man a question. "Father, is… is Ciel really my brother? I-I can't recall having one—a younger brother or a twin, or even an older brother…"
Of course he had to ask the question that couldn't be answered. Grima gave him a weak smile. "I can't tell you what your exact relationship is with him, I'm afraid. He asked me not to tell you. I can, however, tell you that you are related by blood."
"Oh." Chrom frowned. "Is he the real Prince Chrom?"
The albino laughed. "No, he's not. He said as much, and anyway, he thinks his Brand is in the wrong location."
"Right… Frederick said the prince's Brand was on his shoulder."
"Hmm, I see." Grima cupped the boy's face and tilted it up to look into glimmering azure eyes. "What's wrong? You haven't wondered about your birth family in a long time."
Chrom shook his head. "I-I don't know, I just kind of… met someone recently, and she… she recognized me but… she looked surprised to see me. Like she wasn't expecting me to be here or something." He shrugged. "I guess it's just… there was a portal that opened up the night I helped out at Southtown, and she came through along with a bunch of Risen. She said she saw the future—what was going to happen—I think she actually lived through it. And now that I've seen her and learned things, I can't help but wonder… who am I?" He looked up at Grima. "Father, who am I?"
Grima's mouth opened, but the words stuck in his throat. He must've met one of the Future Children… one of the girls, from the sound of it… but why was he questioning his identity? He shook off the thought and cupped the boy's face with both hands. "Who do you want to be?"
Chrom gazed at him, a sweet smile spreading onto his face. "I want to be your son."
"Then that is who you shall be."
"Thank you, Father." Chrom hugged him tightly. "I love you."
"I love you too, my little blueberry."
Chrom lay awake that night, deep in thought. He laid out the facts that he'd gathered from everyone and the information he'd learned from Marth in his head. First of all, the Exalted family had noticed his similarity to the missing Prince Chrom, who had disappeared as a child. However, he didn't have the Brand at all—which apparently wasn't a new thing, Lissa had said she didn't have the Brand, yet she could wield Falchion just fine. On another note, Falchion could be wielded only by members of the Exalted family and then only by those it deemed worthy. Marth wielded a future version of Falchion. She recognized him. So Marth was probably a descendent of the lost prince.
She recognized him. Maybe she thought him dead in the future? Did she have any siblings? Well, he'd established that she was most likely his older sister. But everyone thought he looked like Prince Chrom.
Wait! What if I look like him because… because he's my father? And Marth and I are his children! That must be it! And the reason why we have the same name… Oh! That must be it!
I think I know who I am now! I… I must be…
Prince Chrom Lowell… the Second!
Where was he? What was this empty, dark void? It felt horribly suffocating and depressing. Oh, there was some light over there! He ran towards the light, and it grew brighter and more… purple? He stumbled on the uneven rocky… there was ground? He glanced around himself and found a dark, grey, wilted wasteland around him. In the distance, bright golden light gleamed and flickered. He rushed toward it… was it fire? In the castle? The castle! Where were his lieges?! He whirled around, looking for any sign of them. The castle was surrounded by Risen. They noticed him and growled, lumbering toward him. He didn't have a weapon… He took a step back… into something wet and… rusty smelling? He glanced down behind him and found a river of blood flowing by. He ran upstream and followed it. He found its source in the roots of a dead tree. Hanging from the tree was a figure. It was a woman. It was Emmeryn. She was dead. She was dead!
Frederick gasped awake and sat bolt upright, shivering in a cold sweat. Outside, an owl hooted, and the dim embers of the fire in the hearth crackled. Weak moonlight glowed through the windowpanes behind him.
The brunette knight took deep breaths to calm his racing heart. It hadn't been real. It was just a dream.
He breathed a sigh of relief and went back to sleep.
Not a minute later, he woke up again, this time screaming.
From his dreamscape, Grima grinned. This was great fun, tormenting the fanatical knight with nightmares! Why had it taken Chrom's classmates bullying him to implement this kind of punishment? Ah well, better late than never.
The Fell Dragon could watch over the Shepherds in place of the retainer tomorrow. Frederick wasn't going to get any sleep tonight!
And that's a wrap! Next up: We Don't Like Sand! The Shepherds move out into Plegia to save Emmeryn and Inigo. Chrom reveals his conclusions about himself to Robin. A Grimleal group chasing Nowi and Gregor end up on the wrong side of the Shepherds' and Grima's wrath. The pair-ups begin to show fruit, much to Robin's delight!
Feel free to review or feed me concrit! Anything to let me know I'm brightening your guys' day!
"... I don't know whether to be amused at you or unimpressed that you pulled this kind of shenanigan."
What, the Black Butler reference? Hey, writer's gotta use all her tools at her disposal.
"Well, now that I get the reference, I'm going to continue calling the mini blueberry Ciel."
Works for me~! Meanwhile I'm going to squee over and save my orbs for that baby Marth that dropped for the Fire Emblem 30th Anniversary in FEH.
"THERE'S A BABY MARTH UNIT?! GIMME!"