I know I said Gangrel was gonna die last chapter, but honestly Chrom sparing him is a) more meaningful, b) more true to Chrom's character, and c) allows for redemption, 'cuz that's what this fic is all about! Grima's gonna have to do some soul-cleansing before Chrom can trust him back on the battlefield though after committing a war crime. Meanwhile, your guys's reaction to the new player are awesome, and I can't wait to write his interactions with the other Future Children!

Again, another chapter I've been DYING to write, and I'm sure you all can guess why! :3 All aboard the fluff train to Softnessville!

"M-Miss Vio, w-what is fluff?"

... Baby Inigo?! What are you doing here? I thought you were playing with baby Chrom or something.

"U-Um, w-well, I was, b-but I wan-wanted to s-see what you w-were doing..."

Awww, you big sweetheart! Come on over, we'd love your company!

Don't own, otherwise there would be groom alts for Chrom and Robin in FEH. (Please, IS?)

Princedom could go die in a hole for all Chrom cared.

All the endless duties and responsibilities, all the expectations heaped onto him, all the etiquette he didn't even know about—he actually seriously considered taking lessons from Maribelle. If Donnel could make a convincing act as a noble, then so could he. Except, of course, he had no time to add those into his schedule.

It was ridiculous from day one of returning to Ylisstol. Lissa and Frederick had had to announce his return to the council, which led to quite the uproar; the only one who didn't look all that surprised was Avignon. He'd probably guessed but kept it to himself beforehand. Then there were meetings on how to enforce the three-way treaty, which most of the council was not happy about, and then piles and piles of paperwork. Chrom honestly would not have been able to get through it all without Frederick's and Lissa's help. After all, his sister had actually been raised with ruling the country in mind, and the meticulous knight knew the workings of the halidom extensively. Still, the bluenette had gone to bed bone-tired and mush-brained.

He woke up at his usual time the next morning and proceeded to dress in his normal tunic-pants-cloak getup. When he exited the room, Frederick took one look at him and marched him back in, pulling out the regalia he'd worn during the final battle, the negotiations, and yesterday. Chrom raised an eyebrow at the knight.

"It is imperative that you send a message showing you care about your duties," the brunette explained. "Lady Emmeryn consistently wore her own royal robes all the time—it sent a message that she was always present as the ruler of our people."

"Okay, but wouldn't the people appreciate a ruler who dresses like them and fits in with them?"

Frederick shook his head. "The nobles won't. They will take the opportunity to drag your name through the mud and suggest better candidates for the role."

"Can't I just fire them?" the bluenette muttered.

"Now, now, milord, that's not how it works."

"I know. I wish it did, though." Chrom sighed. "Frederick, I am just not cut out for this. Maybe I was born a prince, maybe I had a couple years as a prince, but I'm not a prince. I wasn't raised to be one." His shoulders slumped. "Lissa might be young and inexperienced, but at least she'd know what she's doing. I don't. I have no idea how to run a country, I never learned how to do so."

The knight chuckled. "That is where milady and I come in. Fret not, milord, we will help you through this trying period."

The boy shook his head as he undressed and Frederick helped him into the robes. "I just wish… I just wish I'd saved her. Maybe it's selfish, but she would be so much better at this than I am." He sighed again. "Sorry, Frederick, I don't mean—"

"It hurts," the knight admitted softly. "but we must press on. She would want us to."

"… Yeah. You're right."

Lissa, Robin, Olivia, and Dad all sat at the table for breakfast when he made it to the private royal dining room. As he took his seat next to the pinkette, his eyes bugged out at the sheer amount of food on the table. "W-W-What, is this all for us?!"

"It's a normal breakfast for the royal family," the blonde princess commented. "Usually it's just me, Emm, and Frederick, but you, Robin, and your girlfriend and dad are here too."

"It's so much! For only six people?!"

Lissa gave him an odd look as she started on her food. "This really isn't a lot. What are you so concerned about?"

"Being a bookseller's and apothecary's assistants in Middlefield doesn't pay as much as you'd think," Dad explained. "We've had to scrimp and save nearly our whole time there to make sure we got enough. It was especially bad during Chrom's earlier teen years, there was never enough food in the house for me and his raging appetite." He scooped a piece of deviled egg into his mouth, chewed, and swallowed. "I had to be sneaky to make sure he at least had a mostly-full stomach."

"Is that why you always gave me bigger portions?" the bluenette wondered.

"… You noticed?"

"Wait, wait, wait." Lissa waved her hands in a "stop" motion. "You're saying you guys were poor?! And starving?!"

Dad nodded. "Starving isn't quite it, but now you know why Chrom's so small for his age."

"Oh, geez! When I first met you, I thought you were my age! Then you went and said you were nineteen!" She leaned in, curiosity dancing in her green eyes. "Did you ever get in trouble for ordering alcohol at taverns?"

Chrom scoffed. "Excuse me, fresh-pressed apple juice is superior to getting sloshed."

"What are you, five?"

"No, abstinent."

"I think he means 'obstinate,'" Robin muttered.

"I heard that." The brown-eyed albino rewarded him with a cheeky grin. Chrom rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out at his friend.

Olivia chuckled. "Now, boys, this is the breakfast table, please behave."

"Yes, Mom," the bluenette snarked. The dancer laughed and swatted his arm, and he gave her a goofy grin. "Good morning to you too."

"I figured you'd appreciate some silliness before you get into the thick of your work," she replied. "So Lissa invited Robin and me to breakfast. Although, I wonder… where are Vaike and Sumia at this time of day?"

"Training," Robin answered her. "Sumia and Cordelia are trying to figure out how to build the pegasus corps back up, and they're gonna look at potential candidates today. Vaike got promoted to the rank of hero, so he's learning how to wield a sword and shield." He cupped his chin in thought. "Most of the Shepherds got promoted after the battle as a matter of fact, so the barracks are gonna be pretty busy now."

Dad frowned. "Dumb question, but is that really necessary in peacetime?"

"Of course. It is always important to keeps one's skills sharp, especially in peacetime when one is inclined to be more lazy," Frederick asserted. "The Shepherds are a militia, which means we protect the people from criminals and bandits at all times."

"Isn't that what you have me for? I can play 'Clear the Road' way better and quicker than any of you," the dragon retorted. "I might end up doing that on my way to Middlefield if I'm unfortunate enough."

Chrom perked up. "You're going back?"

Dad chortled. "I have to if we want to move here." The bluenette gasped and cheered. "Yes, I'm gonna take that job. I'll be gone about a week or so—do you mind if I leave Ciel here? I think he could use the training with the other Shepherds." The older albino glanced at Olivia, then Chrom. "You might want to test his magic potential while I'm away."

"Okay." The bluenette nodded. "I might be swamped, but do you think you could handle that, Livvie?"

"Oh! Um, sure! I'll get Miriel and Ricken to help me."

"Thank you, dear." He ignored Robin's snicker and Dad's smug expression. "Well, then. Wish me luck and pray I don't die of overload."

"You'll be fine, little blueberry, I believe in you."

Chrom gave him a weak smile. "Thanks, Dad." Then he stood and excused himself, preparing for another grueling day of running the halidom.

Grima made a point to return Eugene to old Mr. Sackhouse when he reached Middlefield, but when the old man found out the albino was going to be living in the capital and potentially working as a member of the Shepherds, he insisted on selling the horse to him. "You've taken such good care of him, you and your son," the aging horse breeder reasoned, "and besides, I've a few strong young newbies that are on the cusp of their prime! He'll serve you better than me, Raven."

After that, the dragon made trips to the apothecary and Dusty Pages to let them know he and Chrom were leaving their jobs. Mr. Daniel smiled sadly when he heard the news and patted Grima on the back. "You will both be truly missed, Master Raven. I only hope young Chrom is doing well at the capital."

"He's stressed beyond belief, but that's what suddenly finding out you're the lost prince will do to you," the albino commented.

Mr. Daniel's eyes widened. "Is he really?! All this time, he was living among us! You know, this brings to mind the plot of The Lost Princess of Corona, except of course he wasn't locked away in a tower, and you are far too good-hearted to fit the role of Mother Gothel well!"

Grima held back a wince at the comparison, but smiled all the same. "Thank you for the compliment, not many people normally say that about me."

"Why, you're welcome! Please do say hello to young Chrom for me, a friendly word is sure to lighten his heavy burden."

Finally, he made his way towards the old cottage in the woods. He sighed in relief and longing once it came into view. I don't know that I could ever bear to give this place up… it holds so many memories of Chrom and me together… Perhaps I could keep it and use it as a retreat for Chrom when he needs a break. At least he has his sister and that obnoxious knight helping him with his workload while I'm away. I wish I didn't have to be away from him though…

He unlocked the door, stepping through, and then froze. A familiar scent filled the air—someone had been in here recently, and frequently; judging by the cleanliness of the kitchen and living room, they'd been kind enough to do maintenance while he was out. But who could've gotten into here without tripping the wards?! He strode further into the main room, glancing about. Everything seemed to be in order, though he looked through the food stores and found them much lower than he expected. One of his vulneraries was missing as well. Did… Did that name-stealing future brat somehow worm her way in here?! I mean, I know I coded Chrom's blood into the wards, but is it possible she could've snuck in that way?! Behind him in the living area, someone yawned. He whipped his head around and dashed to the couch, rounding it to find the intruder, who had apparently been lying on the couch, sitting up and rubbing their eyes. It turned out to be a woman, surprisingly enough.

A blonde, slim woman with wavy hair and the Brand of the Exalt on her forehead.

Grima stared at her for a minute before his jaw dropped. "Emmeryn?!"

The woman blinked and then gasped. "Raven?!"

The two gazed at each other in stunned shock. "I-I-I thought—I thought—but you died!"

"Somehow that has yet to pass, to my own confusion," she murmured. "One moment I was falling through the air… the next I was lying in—well, I guess it would be Chrom's bed. I scrubbed the sheets as best as I could, I accidentally made a bloody mess all over them," she added. "I must have caught one of the dragon skull fangs on my side."

A ridiculous grin spread onto the dragon's face. "You're alive…! You're alive! He did it! You're alive!" He whooped and picked her up, making her squeal as he swung her around. After a moment he set her down. "I don't believe this! He really did teleport you out of there!"

Emmeryn laughed. "I suppose I have you to thank for teaching him how to do so! Among all the other things I have to thank you for regarding him, of course."

"I mean, I didn't actually teach him that one, he just went and performed—sorry, what?"

The Exalt looked him straight in the eye. "The little boy in the photos in your room… and the young mage that Frederick brought along…" She stepped closer to him. "It is him, isn't it. You've been raising my missing brother all this time."

Grima gave her a gentle smile. "Yeah, I guess I have. He's the best thing that ever happened to me, you know?"

"I'm glad. He's grown up wonderfully, Raven. You should be very proud of him."

He laughed. "I'm proud of him no matter what, your Highness."

"Oh, please, just Emmeryn will do! You're as good a father to Chrom, you might as well be on casual terms with me," she rebuffed. "Would it be too much to ask you to move to the capital so you can be with him on a regular basis?"

"That's actually why I came here." He spread his arms out. "I was just gonna grab everything I needed—which includes you, by the way. Your brother's dealing with royal duties since they found out he was the prince, and I think it would be better if Ylisse had her Exalt back."

She gasped. "Oh dear, poor Chrom! I'll get ready right away as best I can, I don't want to miss another minute without him!"

"Of course! Let's get some proper clothes for you—is that my shirt?"

The blonde blushed and fidgeted with the hem of the beige shirt. "I'm afraid Chrom's things were a bit on the small side for me, and I wasn't about to run around in a strange dwelling after being teleported without my clothes."

He snickered. "Oh… yeah, we're going to have to work on that. All right, well, I'll just pack up, we'll get you some things in town, and then we'll be off!"

Chrom was on the verge of tearing his hair out.

This had to have been, by far, the worst week he'd ever experienced in his life, Risen Sarah aftermath notwithstanding. Actually, he'd rather take the bullying over Exalted princely life any day if this was how his role was going to turn out, that's how bad it was. Thank Naga, Grima, and all the gods for his wonderful sweetheart. She'd helped him as best as she could, and while she hadn't been a contender for the position of Khan, being the daughter of one meant she picked up a thing or two on how government worked. Avignon was a tremendous help as well, but he could only do so much. Chrom had freely admitted to being clueless on how to run a country, and the man had been giving him pointers in his spare time.

One of the most infuriating meetings he'd attended had been just today, this afternoon. The council had pressed him with the idea of getting married and producing an heir, which he personally thought was too soon for such a thing. When they began suggesting their various daughters and nieces, he'd shut them down almost immediately.

"I have someone I already wish to marry one day," he told them, "so that won't be necessary."

"Well, but are you engaged?" asked one portly baron, stroking his mustache. "It's all well and fine to want to marry someone, but if you aren't engaged, how will you know for sure it will happen?"

Chrom held up a hand to forestall any arguments. "Our relationship is at the point where we're feeling out whether we truly want to marry each other. In other words, we are courting. Her father and her brother gave us both their approval and blessing, so it's really a matter of time before we decide to get engaged."

"And just who is this mysterious lady?" asked a nearby count.

Internally, the bluenette chuckled. "Olivia Atticus, daughter to Khan Basilio of Regna Ferox."

"A Feroxi?!" a duchess cried. "What on earth do you see in such a brutish, ferocious race?! This Olivia could be a vicious warrior for all we know!"

"Oh, not at all, I believe she'd fit right in in Ylisse." His eyes narrowed. "Of course, the last Ylissean noble who thought so attempted to kidnap her and was reprimanded by the Khan himself."

The baron snorted. "Hmph. Preposterous!"

"Well, I would introduce you to her, but I've refrained for fear of one of you carrying her off for your own sons."

That sent them into an uproar. Chrom's mental smirk grew wide as he watched the chaos from his seat, the picture of perfect, innocent grace. Serves them right for forcing me to deal with their inanity on a daily basis, he thought. Thanks to them we barely get anything done as it is. Near the front, he spotted Avignon sitting placidly in his own chair. The blonde duke met his eyes, and the man's beard and mustache twitched in a manner than meant he was concealing a smirk. Chrom's own lips twitched. Except for him, he's awesome.

"Your Grace?" A servant approached him and bowed. "Master Raven has returned. He says he wishes to meet with you immediately about a matter of utmost importance."

The bluenette nodded. "Thank you, Calvin, I'll be right there." Surprised, the older man gave him a smile before bowing again and exiting the room. Chrom stood and banged his gavel, silencing the crowd. "My apologies, but something important has come up. This meeting is adjourned till tomorrow." He gave them all a nod and left the room, grinning like an idiot once he got out into the corridor.

"Your Grace?"

Chrom sighed. "Please, Calvin, call me Chrom. I've asked everyone in the castle to call me by my name."

The peach-haired man frowned. "Milord, that is neither appropriate nor respectful to you. You are the prince and the Exalt—"

"Not yet," the mage-healer countered, "I'm not the Exalt yet. And besides, it's much more respectful to me to call me by name. I might be royalty, but I'm still just human like you—I am neither above nor beneath you. And equals call each other by name, do they not?"

"… You are even worse than milady was, milord."

The teen laughed. "Well, that's one way to honor her memory, I guess." He left the servant's side and entered the throne room, where Lissa stood and gave him a wave. "Hi there. Were you called too?"

"A 'matter of utmost importance,'" she recited. "Please don't tell me it's another war or something."

The doors to the hall swung open, and Dad swaggered through, grinning the biggest grin Chrom had ever seen on his face. "Well, it's official! My son is the best mage in the entire world! The most amazing, incredible, talented mage you could ever wish for, and I taught him! That's right, I did! Who says a dragon can't teach a human magic, I want to shove this into their face!"

"… What are you even talking about?" the bluenette asked, blinking.

If possible, the albino's grin grew even wider. "Why don't you see for yourself?" he said, stepping aside to reveal a slim figure in a hooded cloak that had followed him in. The person lifted their hood, and revealed themselves to be—

"E-Emm-Emmeryn?!"

Lissa's jaw dropped. Chrom covered his mouth as his knees gave out, and he sank to the floor, staring at the woman. It had to be a trick; no, his sister couldn't truly be here—

"Chrom? Brother?"

"Sister!" Lissa raced over and wrapped her up in a hug. The bluenette gasped, shock transforming into tentative hope into overwhelming joy.

She was real! She was here! She was alive!

He had saved her!

Emmeryn hugged Lissa back and slipped over to him, offering her hand. "Chrom, it's me," she said, helping him up. "Do you remember me?"

"Yes!" he breathed. "Oh, gods above and below, yes!" He sobbed and embraced her, burying his face in the crook of her neck. She clutched him to her breast and stroked his hair as Lissa joined in, the two younger siblings bawling with relief and joy. Oh, sister! Oh, sister! You're here! You're here! You're here you're here you're here!

"E-Emm?"

Chrom disengaged from the group hug and turned to find a white-faced Frederick entering the throne room. The knight gazed at the Exalt, shock and fear and hope warring in his eyes. He took a step towards the three, and the bluenette tugged Lissa free from their sister. "Emmeryn?"

Emmeryn sucked in a breath. "Oh, Frederick!" She ran towards him, and he met her in the middle. They embraced, looking into each other's eyes, and then kissed, her hands cupping his head and his pressing her body to him. Lissa grinned and cheered, and Dad let out a wolf-whistle as Chrom cheered too, laughing. Emmeryn and Frederick pulled back, pink-cheeked as they glanced at the other three.

"Took you darn long enough, Big Sis!" Lissa called, cackling. "I almost thought you were waiting until you were crotchety old people!"

Dad had the smuggest look on his face. "Over eight hundred kilometers, and he lands her perfectly in our house of all places. Ladies and gentlemen, my son teleported his big sister to safety just in the nick of time! My teleportation spell, and the second time he uses it, on another person, no less, he pulls it off without a hitch!"

"I-Is this true?" Frederick pinned his gaze on Chrom, who nodded and wiped the leftover tears off his face.

"I u-used the mana i-in the environment a-and the dragon skel-skeleton… I-I pulled when she w-was falling… I guess I-I succeeded!"

The albino laughed. "Aren't you glad I decided to pick up a few things at home? Although we might have to work on your teleportation skills, apparently her robes didn't make the trip."

Chrom squeaked and flushed, hiding his hands in his face. Emmeryn buried her face in Frederick's shoulder, her shoulders shaking with embarrassed giggles. The brunette knight turned bright red and coughed, clearing his throat. Lissa facepalmed and snickered. And Dad smirked, enjoying himself. "Well, now that you're here, you can go back to ruling the country and Chrom can focus on his girlfriend."

"Dad!" the bluenette squealed in a high-pitched voice.

Frederick smiled at them, then down at Emmeryn. "I realize I have put this off far too long, milady, but since your brother has returned and you have as well…" he clutched her hands and pulled out a diamond ring from somewhere in his armor, "would you do me the honor of making the happiest man alive… and marry me?"

"Yes! Of course!" the blonde cried. The knight slipped the ring onto her finger, and the three others cheered again. "Frederick… I love you!"

"And I love you, Emmeryn."

Chrom could not say how much of a relief it was to have Emmeryn back. Of course, his favorite moment the next day was when he was running a council meeting and invited her in. There was complete silence from the nobles for a good three minutes. Emmeryn had taken her seat and dismissed Chrom, and he caught looks of horrified outrage on some of their faces as he exited. Ever since then, his duties had been lightened significantly with his sister returning to the throne and Frederick taking on several responsibilities as her betrothed. Finally, he could breathe and live some semblance of a normal life. He spent his free time training with the Shepherds and his father (who now worked part-time as a Shepherd along his new job), training Ciel in magic (the younger bluenette was surprised at his own competence in the skill), and hanging out with Olivia and sightseeing around the capital. His relationship with the dancer grew and blossomed, and the two began to talk about marriage and starting a family.

Frederick and Emmeryn's engagement seemed to spur an avalanche of engagements among the Shepherds. Kellam and Sully were next, followed by Lissa and Vaike, Stahl and Cordelia, Robin and Sumia, Virion and Panne, and Donnel and Maribelle. Ricken and Nowi decided to date until Ricken was older, and Gaius and Tharja constantly teased a "will they-won't they" with Tharja flip-flopping between indulging the thief and ignoring him. (Most of the time she spent trying new hexes out on him, although she did attempt to help mitigate his low blood sugar issues with a Plegian treat here or there.) Miriel, surprisingly enough, became interested in Libra and spent her free time debating science, magic, and religion with him. Robin, of course, tried setting Dad up with multiple people, but the dragon was never interested.

The wedding of the Exalt and Ylisse's new king was the talk of the nation for months afterwards. Chrom thought Emmeryn had never looked more beautiful than in her white dress, and Frederick couldn't seem to stop smiling the whole day. As big as the event was, the bluenette and Lissa made sure their sister and new brother-in-law had the best day of their lives, and Chrom fell asleep that night exhausted but happy for the newlyweds. The next week he went out on a date with Olivia and proposed to her, and the elated dancer accepted.

Perhaps he was getting too excited—but it was supposed to be the happiest day of his life, of course he was meant to be excited! Still, his stomach tied itself up in knots in the hours before the ceremony. He did not regret asking Olivia to spend the rest of his life with him and have children with him, but first he had to get through this particular rite of passage. At least this wedding was smaller than Emm's. He took a deep breath, smoothing out the front of his blue-trimmed white suit and adjusting his golden circlet. When Frederick had suggested his royal robes, Chrom had retorted that he didn't want to potentially outshine his own bride, and the knight had left it at that. Pinning the blue and pink boutonniere to his lapel, he stepped back and took in his reflection in the mirror. How different he seemed from the small-town teen he had been several months ago! He couldn't believe how far he'd come; it almost felt like he was in a wonderful dream, and he didn't ever want to wake up. He nodded, turned, and took in a deep breath.

"Let's do this."

Standing to the right of the aisle was even more nerve-wracking, but his father, who was sitting in the front row with Frederick and a four-months-pregnant Emmeryn, gave him a grin and a thumbs-up, and Chrom relaxed a bit. Robin stood nearby as his best man, and Lon'qu, Kellam, and Vaike waited as his groomsmen, all of them clad in navy suits. The maid of honor, Cordelia, and the bridesmaids, Lissa, Sumia, and Maribelle, looked amazing in their light pink dresses. The rest of the Shepherds sat in the audience, except for Libra, who would be officiating the ceremony; Gaius sat next to Tharja, whom he'd managed to cajole into wearing a flattering navy sundress, and the strawberry-blonde looked fetching in his own bronze-colored tux. Sully had insisted on wearing a dark red suit, Ricken and Nowi wore outfits of soft green, Stahl and Donnel looked sharp in their black tuxes, Miriel wore red robes matching her vibrant hair, and Virion wore a soft teal suit while Panne sported an elegant purple dress. Dad looked especially spiffy in his dark violet suit, Frederick wore a black tux (of course), and Emmeryn glowed in her pale yellow maternity gown. Even the Feroxi who were attending the occasion had dressed up as well, though most of them, including Flavia, wore smart suits.

The doors to the cathedral opened, and Basilio, in a black tux, strode through with Olivia on his arm. Chrom's breath caught in his throat. The pinkette wore a shimmering white gown with a puffy skirt and a sweetheart neckline. Instead of sleeves, thin white bands wrapped around her upper biceps and wrists with sheer white flowing gauze connecting wristbands to armbands. Her soft pink hair was drawn up into an ornately braided bun, with strands left free in front of her ears. A long lacy veil flowed from underneath her bun, and cherry blossoms adorned the silver circlet that rested on her head. She smiled at him, cheeks a soft pink, and he smiled back, captivated by her beauty. Truly, no one could ever measure up to his sweetheart!

When the two got to the altar, the West Khan handed Olivia off to Chrom with a nod and a grin, and the dancer passed her white bouquet to Cordelia. The bride and groom stood before Libra as he gave the wedding sermon.

"Do you, Chrom Lowell, take this woman to be your wife; to live together with her in the sacred covenant of marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful unto her so long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Chrom replied.

Libra turned to Olivia. "Do you, Olivia Atticus, take this man to be your husband; to live together with him in the sacred covenant of marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful unto him so long as you both shall live?"

"I do," the pinkette replied.

"The bride and groom will now give their vows," the priest announced.

Chrom gazed into Olivia's eyes with love. "Olivia, when I first met you, I felt an instant connection to you. Whether it was our similar circumstances or personalities, something just slotted into place for me. You understood what I've been through and offered me your own troubles in sacred trust. You've been at my side through thick and thin, through battle and hardship and loss, and you've never wavered. You're my rock, my foundation, and my soulmate. I give you everything that I am: my mind, my body, my strength, and most importantly, my heart. I love you, and I will always cherish and protect you, no matter what."

Olivia smiled, eyes shining with joy. "Chrom, I knew when we first met that you were special. You wanted to know me as a person, and you were considerate of my needs and feelings. You're honest and loyal and so very, very kind. You helped me through some of my most difficult issues and aided me in building my confidence and self esteem up. I'm a better person because of you, and I look forward to weathering whatever life throws at us together. I give you my heart with all of my being and vow to protect and cherish yours in return. I love you, and I am yours till the end of time."

They exchanged rings, Chrom giving her a sparkling gold band with a diamond set into the Brand of the Exalt and Olivia giving him a lovely gold band engraved with teardrops on either side of the circular diamond. Then Libra continued, "Having borne witness to these sacred vows of love to one another, it is my joy to present to you Prince Chrom and Princess Olivia Lowell, husband and wife." He turned to the bluenette. "You may kiss the bride."

Chrom and Olivia looked at each other, holding each other's hands, and leaned forward towards one another. The bluenette closed his eyes and kissed for the first time in his life, feeling the soft plush of his new wife's lips against his own. A surge of love and joy shot through him, and he opened his eyes, pulling away to find hers mirroring the emotions in his own. A great cheer went up from the crowd as a shower of cherry blossoms and white rose petals fluttered down around the newlyweds. Olivia giggled and held out her hand to catch one of the falling blooms, and Chrom smiled in delight. The pinkette leaned over and tucked the flower into the bluenette's hair, making him laugh. Then he held his arm out to her and she took it, and together they strode out of the cathedral.

In a private room they signed their marriage license, and then the couple was off to the reception. They arrived at the castle in a gleaming white and gold-trimmed carriage, and Chrom helped Olivia out, leading her down the bedecked main hallway to the ballroom where the wedding guests awaited them. Cheering greeted the new husband and wife, and they waved to all of their family and friends as they were ushered to their seats at the wedding party's table. Libra gave them another speech wishing them well, and then the meal began. Chrom loved all of the foods that were served and found to his delight that the chefs had put out bubbly sweet rosewater in lieu of champagne. He leaned over and kissed Olivia on the cheek, making her giggle.

"You have a smudge near your lips, sweetie," the dancer pointed out, taking her napkin and wiping off a spot of sauce on the boy's face.

Chrom blushed and chuckled. "Oh, thank you, darling."

"This is amazing," she sighed, "like a fairy tale, you know?"

"Or a dream, except we don't need to ever wake up from this one."

"Mm, you're right." She rested her head on his shoulder, and he wrapped his arm around her, leaning his head on hers as Robin got up to give his best man's speech.

The younger albino stood on the little platform between the wedding party and the musicians. Everyone's attention fixed on him as he cleared his throat. "Well, as all or most of you know, I woke up several moths ago with no memory of my life, and that very same day I met Chrom. Now given that I have amnesia, I probably didn't have much to compare with at the time, but I knew right away he was an amazing person. He had originally come to Southtown with the goal of helping the people there boost their anti-bandit defenses, and he stayed to help us fight off the brigands. I found out later that he and his dad were widely known around the area as the Blue Magician and the Platinum Demon for their efforts to protect the surrounding villages.

"He immediately proved he is a talented mage and healer, and he's had my back in too many battles to count since then. He developed his own spell at age fourteen—" that got a lot of gasps from the guests who didn't know, "yeah, I was shocked, too. Again, he's insanely talented. This guy could probably figure out how to walk on water for all I know." The audience laughed, and Chrom shook his head, grinning. "I mean, he teleported his own sister to safety without practicing the spell first!" Cheers went up. The bluenette blushed bright red and caught Emmeryn laughing in his periphery.

"But not only is he talented, he is incredibly kind and empathetic and funny." Robin chuckled. "Those first few weeks, even though he was worried about his dad, he still went out of his way to make me feel accepted and at home. He introduced me to his friends in the Shepherds and bantered with me like it was the most natural thing in the world. He even lent me his precious spellbook to read that first night in the barracks. When I was under suspicion because of my lack of memory, he put into perspective for everyone else what it was like not to remember where or who you come from." Frederick nodded, expression apologetic. "He didn't care what race or religion I was from, he just cared about me as a person.

"Chrom has had a pretty good life, but he's also been through some stuff. He was separated from his birth family at age four, and it was only thanks to his foster father, Raven, that he's here with us today. He grew up having almost not enough and knows what it's like to go hungry. At age fourteen, something happened to him which I am not at liberty to divulge, and he suffered from bullying as a result." Oh good, he wasn't going to go into the Risen Sarah incident. "He was separated from his father the day we met, and during our journeys he endured a severe panic attack. He even witnessed the apparent death of his older sister and only found out afterwards her relation to him.

"But these hardships have only strengthened him. He's still kind, and sincere, and empathetic, and he's the type of person I would willingly follow into hell. He's my very best friend and the best confidant one could ask for. He's the most amazing man I've ever met, and I wish him and Olivia all the happiness in their marriage." He lifted his glass. "To Chrom and Olivia!"

"To Chrom and Olivia!" the guests cheered and toasted.

There were several more speeches: Basilio, Lon'qu, and Flavia all spoke about Olivia in glowing terms; Kellam shared a funny story about Chrom that had everyone laughing and the bluenette blushing; Cordelia talked about both the bride and groom, having been a friend to both; and Dad shared some of his favorite memories of Chrom and the impact he'd had on the dragon's life. The last one left everyone wiping tears from their eyes, and the bluenette gave his father a heartfelt smile, which the older man returned. Then it was time for the first dance.

Chrom stood up and led Olivia to the center of the floor as the music began. They started out slow and simple, but then the bluenette led his wife in a twirl and a dip, and she obliged, laughing. The two whirled around the ballroom in a swirl of white and pink and blue, loving gazes locked onto each other the whole time. By the time the master of ceremonies announced that the dance floor was open to all the guests, the couple was slightly out of breath and held each other, foreheads touching.

"I love you," the boy murmured to his wife.

"I love you," the girl whispered to her husband.

"Sir, news from Archanea."

"Finally! I've been waiting for months since my last chat with Validar! How is he?"

"I-I'm afraid he's dead, sir. He was killed in the attempted assassination of Exalt Emmeryn."

"Attempted? Killed? Pfah! How pathetic! Well, that's extremely unfortunate. Did Gangrel win, or did he lose? Is he dead?"

"King Gangrel lost the war, sir, but he was exiled to the Outrealms."

"… Why is he still alive?"

"Well, um, it appears Prince Chrom spared his life, and the Plegian army voted for his exile."

"They found the prince?! Really, truly found him?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well, well now! This is quite the interesting development. Hmm… I wonder if he really was that same brat that followed our lord around fifteen years ago… What else? Ah! Did you bring that manakete I asked for over?"

"I-I'm afraid not, sir, Chalard lost her to the Shepherds."

"Oh. Did you bring her dragonstone?"

"N-No, sir."

"… Did you at least bring the information I wanted gathered on her dragonstone?"

"Yes, sir, I have it with me, sir."

"Excellent! Let's see… Oh, this will work perfectly for what I have in mind! Wonderful! You may go now. Why, this is so very exciting! Pity Validar isn't here to help me, I'll have to do all the work myself… Oh well, best get started! I have loads to do to ensure our lord's plan goes exactly as desired!"

"He's so… tiny!"

Chrom laughed. "Yes, Dad, newborns usually are."

"He certainly didn't feel like it," Emmeryn quipped, leaning back on several pillows as she cradled the new lifeform in her arms. "He has his father's strength if his kicks were anything to go by."

Grima gazed down at the latest addition to the Exalted family—his family—enraptured by the baby's diminutive body. If he'd thought a four-year-old Chrom was the cutest that humans could get, this little boy was something else. "I had no idea humans could be this small."

The bluenette laughed. "You really haven't been around babies before, have you, Dad?"

"Before, you were the tiniest one I'd ever met. Now I find out newborns exist?!"

Chrom shook his head. "Dad's one weakness: small children."

"You mean small children who are you or related to you," Olivia corrected, chuckling and rubbing her own pregnant belly. The pink-haired dancer was about five months along, and the Fell Dragon couldn't wait to meet his grandchild in person. Even though he knew Inigo was roughly two years younger than the Name-Thief Spawn, he hoped it was the sweet mini blueberry first. If it wasn't… well, he just hoped they picked a name other than hers.

"What are you going to name him?" the blue-haired prince asked, running a finger through the baby boy's soft blonde hair-fluff and stroking the lone strand of brown.

Frederick shifted closer to his wife and child, touching a contemplative fingertip to the Brand of the Exalt that showed plainly on the infant's cheek. "Well, Emm liked the name Peter while I preferred Christopher, so we decided to use them both. His full name is Peter Christopher Lowell."

"I like it," Grima decided. "It's a good, strong name. Makes me think of both his mother and his father." He shuffled forward. "Can I, um… can I hold him? Please?"

Emmeryn laughed. "Of course. Here, just be very careful," and she showed him how to hold the little one. "Lissa's going to be furious when she returns and finds she missed the birth of her nephew during her vacation."

"She was trying to keep training with Falchion! I wasn't about to let her injure herself and her baby!" Chrom protested. "Wouldn't want to be Vaike, though, she's terrifying even without pregnancy hormones."

"And I'm not?" Olivia teased.

The albino rolled his eyes. "You are about as terrifying as a cherry blossom, Olivia. Chrom is very lucky compared to Vaike." The babe stirred in his arms, and he gently reached in and booped the tiny nose. Little Peter squinched up his face and opened soft eyes, brown like his father's. "Aww, who's the cutest little baby in the whole world?" he cooed.

He's so adorable… I wonder what you're going to be like, little one? I'm gonna need to figure out a nickname for you… Hmm…

"Robin, I'm not going on a date with Tharja, now please drop it!"

After a tremendous amount of reservation, Grima had eventually resurrected Validar due to the fact that Plegia still didn't have an official ruler after all these months. Mustafa had effectively put the country back together before coming down with a debilitating illness that left him unable to lead, and no one else had stepped up to the job—except, of course, Aversa. Thanks to her ineffectiveness, however, the Fell Dragon decided she needed a bit of guidance. Validar was not his best choice, but the albino had placed magical restrictions on the former Hierophant that prevented the Plegian man from harming the Exalted family before raising him back to life. As much as he didn't want to be responsible for the desert country, Grima preferred a puppet he could (relatively) control over the kingdom descending back into its old chaotic state. Hopefully there would be no need for the new king to ever meet with his little blueberry and his family.

Except he was forgetting about the war with Valm. Fine, then, hopefully there would be only minimal contact between Validar and his little blueberry.

He'd returned from Khidara near the Border Sands, where he'd performed the ritual, to find Robin trying to set him up with another potential date, this time with Tharja—again. Whenever the dark mage wasn't seducing Gaius, she fixated on Robin or, more often, Grima himself. Why that was, he had no idea, but it was getting obnoxious, compounded with the brown-eyed tactician's attempts to find a suitable partner for the dragon.

"Aww, come on!"

"No. How many times—she likes Gaius, not me! She just obsesses over me for no apparent reason." Although maybe she'd figured out his true identity? That seemed like something the sharp Grimleal would do. He'd have to confront her and swear her to secrecy if that was the case.

The human sighed. "She's bored, and she nearly blew up Miriel's lab working on a new hex. Now she's looking for me. Can you please take her off my hands?"

"Ask Gaius."

"She's back to ignoring him again."

"Of course she is." Grima sighed. "I'm not interested in dating her, or romance period for that matter."

Robin pouted and opened his mouth, but a servant rushed into the room just then. "Master Raven, Master Robin," she huffed out, panting, "Princess Olivia has gone into labor! Prince Chrom asked me to alert the two of you as soon as I could."

The two albinos glanced at each other, then turned to the woman.

"Where are they?"

"Oh, darling, she's perfect," Chrom breathed.

In his arms he held the fruit of his and Olivia's love, the creation of their bond, the union of their flesh and blood. The tiny baby girl slept in his arms, little tufts of blue hair sticking up from her head. Over in the bed, his wife gave him a tired smile. "Do you mind taking care of her for a bit?" She yawned. "That really took a lot out of me."

"Of course, Livvie, rest for now. In the meanwhile, little Luci and I are going to go meet her Uncle Robin and Grandpa Raven~!"

The pinkette chuckled before snuggling down into the pillows and falling asleep.

Chrom slipped out of the room and quietly shut the door, then stood in the hallway admiring his newborn daughter. Thank goodness he'd had practice helping Emm take care of little Peter beforehand, he thought. Two figures rushed towards him from the other end of the hall, both albino. "Can I see? Can I see?" Robin called out.

"Shhhhh, she's asleep." The two older men stopped in front of him and gazed down at the baby princess, delight filling their eyes.

Dad grinned. "What's her name?"

"Well, Olivia chose a name that she really liked, and I picked one from my family, so, um… say hello to Lucina Raven Lowell."

The dragon's eyes bugged, and then he began giggling uncontrollably. Robin gave him a concerned glance as the man laughed harder and harder. "Uh, is he okay?"

Chrom shrugged. "This does happen on occasion. It's usually just an inside joke or something else only he finds funny." He furrowed his brow. "I tried asking him to explain to me what he was laughing about once, but he said to wait until he gave his say-so."

"… Ohhhhhhhh-kay, then. Wonder what he finds so funny this time."

Dad chuckled, wiping tears out of his eyes. "I'm okay now, I'm okay." He giggled again. "Oh, gods. Haven't laughed that much in a while. Oh, has Ciel seen her yet?"

"Not yet." The bluenette smiled. "I was gonna show you two fir—oh, hello there! I see you're awake now, Luci Goosey~!"

Lucina blinked two sleepy blue eyes at him. Chrom gasped. "Oh… look! She has the Brand in her eye!" Clearly delineated in the baby's left eye shone the Brand of the Exalt. "Oh, that's kind of a relief. The council won't bother me over her legitimacy now. Here, look." He teased her right hand out of the blanket and held it for the other two to see. "She's got your Mark, Dad."

The older albino grinned like an idiot. "That's it, she's officially my grandchild." He gave another giggle and covered his mouth with his hand, looking stupidly smug. Robin just rolled his eyes and shook his head.

Chrom kissed Lucina on the forehead and basked in her presence. I can't wait to see who you become, my little princess!

The blonde troubadour kept a sharp look out, his brown eyes scanning the town before him. So, this was Southtown, where his uncle had met his aunt and father and began the journey towards the discovery of his true identity. As a child, the young man had begged to hear the story over and over again; it was his favorite tale, of the young prince who had grown up a pauper and joined his younger sister's militia to protect Ylisse from the threat of the Mad King Gangrel. Father never much liked telling it himself, but Uncle Chrom loved to oblige. All of the Neo-Shepherds would gather around and listen to the blue-haired man's tale—Owain especially loved it and thought it perfect material for his reenactments.

"Huh? Eyyy, Petey, it's you!"

"What the—?!" The blonde whipped around and pointed his staff at the intruder, then relaxed at the sight of the boy in front of him. "Morgan, must you constantly sneak up on me?!"

"Hey, keeps you sharp," the younger boy pointed out, leading his black pegasus into the hilltop clearing. "You know, for a guy who has a dad with 'wary' in his title, you're really not all that cautious."

The troubadour sighed. "That is Mother's fault, please stop pointing that out. Besides, I am acting perfectly cautious, as you can see by my mask." He frowned at Morgan's black hair. "Your dye is washing out again, your ends are fading."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." The boy fingered his white tips and then shook his head out.

"You know, I won't say I told you so."

"Anna's is expensive!" Morgan whined. "Come on, Peter, there have got to be better alternatives than buying from her! Ooh, I wonder if I could get Granddad to hex it—"

Peter rolled his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Anna's dye is not expensive and you know it. You're just frustrated that Avery wouldn't supply you with endless Thoron tomes, which is a waste of resources, by the way."

"… Touché."

The two stood looking out over the town before the younger boy spoke again. "Sooooo, didja figure out when we are?"

Peter nodded. "We have arrived in the two-year peacetime period between the second Ylissean-Plegian war and the war with Valm. Since I am not entirely certain whether we have been born yet, I have taken to calling myself 'Jagen' so as not to influence my parents by mistake. I suggest you take up an alias yourself and either procure a mask or dye your hair again." He gave a critical glance at the dark flier's coat. "And you may want to put an illusion on your cloak as well, the villagers might shy from you otherwise."

"Okie. Hey, you know what, I should call myself 'Linde!'"

"… Morgan, Linde is a girl's name. If you want to use a famous mage's name, Merric or Arvis—"

"Arvis was the bad guy."

"—or Saias or Soren are perfectly acceptable names of male mages."

"I like Linde. I'm using it."

Peter sighed. "Why do I even bother?"

"'Cause you care, Cap. What's our strategy?"

"That's your job."

Morgan giggled. "Oh, right, just checking to make sure you gave your input first. Okay, let's trek around and see if we can find any of our friends, maybe stop a few bandits or Risen if we run across them."

"After you prepare yourself."

"Yeah, I know."

Peter's lips twitched. "You know, I am glad you're here. It was getting rather lonely with just myself and Camus."

"Aww, love you too, Petey Bear!"

"… Please stop calling me that."

"Never! Onward!"

And that's a wrap! Next up: Bringing Up Grandbaby! The Shepherds expand with their newest little members. Chrom experiences all the joys and trials of fatherhood. Grima is a smug granddad who spoils his grandbabies. Inigo goes adventuring with Grima. And then Valm makes its presence felt on Ferox's shores...

Feel free to review or feed me concrit! Anything to let me know I'm brightening your guys' day!

"U-Um, M-Miss Vio? Gram-Grampa is really, really ex-excited. D-Do you know w-why?"

Oh, he probably just found out Chrom is coming to Dragalia Lost in a few days! I'm super excited about it too, I can't wait to have him go with my Marth!

"D-Do you think Grampa w-will get in, t-too?"

Who knows, baby Inigo, who knows. I'd absolutely summon for him if he did, though... now would he be a dragon, or an Adventurer, or both, like Mym? Hmm...