Huge apologies for the delay. In exciting news I started going back to school, and vastly underestimated the workload for one quarter (hence the hiatus). Having finished that quarter however, and having no intention of doing that to myself again, I hope to finish these last few chapters without months delay between each one.
And an equally huge thank you for all the recent reviews, they serve as constant reminders to chip away at editing whenever I have a moment.
Now, prepare for love.
Rubicon
Word reached Chrom that they wouldn't be getting the Feroxi reinforcements a day after the Walhart's attack on Valm harbor. Survivor tales spread of the Valmese strike force appearing out of thin air, each set of blood red armor an impregnable fortress. Whispers of the giant that bested both Khans in single combat spread throughout the army, and there were some doubts even their dragon could match it.
Scouting reports followed the strike force's tracks to an open field further inland, where all traces of them ended. Evidently, they could come under attack at any moment, and morale was appropriately low.
"Yes, but now you have ghost problem - not only war problem. Gregor's men don't deal with ghosts, many consider desertion in face of such enemy," Gregor spread his arms imploringly as he paced the command tent set up where the army made temporary camp. "Were only more gold to make them stay."
"You're exploiting the situation. Your mercenaries don't fear ghosts any more than their own shadows," Frederick replied, meeting Gregor's disarming grin with stony expression. "Your fee is unchanged. If you don't like the arrangement, make others."
"Ah, but you need men now. Good, strong men - to replace Khan's army not-coming." Gregor raised a finger at him, and looked to Chrom, "Not unreasonable! Demand go up, price go up."
"Honor your contract, or Gregor's Dogs will receive a black mark," Chrom sighed, seeing the man's faux-sadness already setting in. "If your men perform admirably in the coming battles, I'll consider a bonus for excellent service."
"Ah, all Gregor wanting to hear," the large man beamed, frown dissipating in an instant as he patted Frederick's breastplate. "We only do excellent service, you will see."
Frederick removed the hand. "Leave."
Gregor's twinkle never left his eye as he bowed dramatically to Frederick, and departed.
"Mercs…" Chrom muttered, looking back to list on his table, "Any word from our group in Mila? I could really use some good news."
"None yet, milord. But we'll be arriving at the city in few days time. We should focus on the possibility of being attacked before we arrive."
"Marching in formation is slowing us down," Chrom sighed, running a hand over his face, "And now Walhart knows we're without reinforcements, he can take as long as he needs to prepare for a siege."
"The alternative being we're attacked en route, out of position, and our army is decimated before ever reaching the capital."
Chrom closed his eyes, nodding yes yes, I know, with a wave of his hand.
"The gods will have to be on our side in the coming battle, if we're going to have hope of victory… I just hope wherever Robin and Lucina are now, they're safe."
"Riiight, in-To- The, Danger Zone!"
Robin sang to the room, tying the dark purple neck sash before mirror. He checked his teeth and ran a hand through his hair that fell messily back into place.
"Never thought I'd see the day you cared what you looked like to strangers," Lon'qu said from the door, and Robin looked over at him.
"I care what I look like to people I care about," Robin adjusted the sash and turned to him, arms raised questioningly, "Is this thing tied right?"
"Why would I know that?"
"Does it look good?"
"Why would I know that," Lon'qu repeated unhelpfully, and Robin rolled his eyes as he turned back to the mirror.
"Got something for me or are you just here to make me second guess this whole thing?"
Lon'qu narrowed his eyes. "I can understand your anxiety."
"Yeah, you get me." Robin nodded to himself, frowning slightly as they spoke at the same time.
"You're infiltrating the enemy's stronghold-"
"You've never been on a date before."
Lon'qu blinked, but Robin was distracted by a fold in his cuff.
"Unarmed and risking everything for precious intel, with the weight of our future on your shoulders," Lon'qu finished slowly, and Robin nodded.
"Sure. Hey can you smell my breath? You can't, right? I brushed like four times but I'm worried the onions from that salad might come through."
"Some might be worried that your focus may be misplaced," Lon'qu spoke slowly enough for Robin to understand without explicitly calling him out.
"Lon'qu, I do all that other stuff every day. If I got a gold for every time I infiltrated an enemy stronghold unarmed and risking whatever-else-you-said, I'd be about to make a gold. But this is Lucina…" he sighed, scratching his hairline.
"I just want it to go well and… For her to have a nice time…" Robin thought for a moment, "Preferably with me."
"... And to learn what you can about the enemy tactician."
"Who?"
Lon'qu sighed, and shrugged when Robin look at him, "Whatever's gotten you this far, I pray it holds out a little longer."
"Ugh, wrong..."
Two walls over, Lucina stood before her mirror, butterfly mask clasped in her hands. She took a deep breath, staring into her own eyes. She concentrated, frowning.
"Hah," she exhaled, trying to mimic the sound that came so easily to Robin.
"Hah, hah! Hah?" She attempted different enunciations, trying to find one that sounded the least-unnatural.
"Hahah… Hehah…" She winced, running a hand through her hair in frustration.
'How did people make this look so easy…'
She wanted this evening to go well. For the sake of the war effort and their futures and such, but she'd also spent the whole day realizing it was an evening, at a ball, with Robin, and the growing weight of that realization had been making her increasingly flustered as the day carried on.
He liked her dress, he'd said so himself. But what about her? She wanted to smile at his jokes, show him she could appreciate his humor even when she had no idea what he was talking about.
That was it, she could practice smiling. Laughing would come later - baby steps.
She straightened her face, looking seriously into the mirror and narrowing her gaze.
'The lips move up, reveal teeth but not too much gum. Like this?'
She caught her expression in the mirror and quickly straightened her face again, mortified. Gods, is that how she looked every time she smiled? She vowed to herself, then and there, she could never smile in front of him again.
She shook her head miserably, looking down to the mask. At least she could hide half her face behind this old friend. Unfortunately it wasn't the half she wanted to hide, but she'd make do. No smiling, simple. Just be her usual…
This was a ball. Did people dance at balls? They did, didn't they?
Renewed panic set in. She didn't remember the first thing about her dance lessons as a child.
"Why did I insist on this…"
A knock on the door made her jump and she quickly fumbled with the mask before remembering it didn't need to be on yet.
"Y-yes? Coming!" she called, almost tripping on her way to the door and opening it.
Say'ri stood against the doorframe, slow smile spreading her features.
"I want to wish you luck on tonight, but it appears you will not need it."
"Say'ri!" Lucina moved to help her into the room but the woman waved her off, "The healers have been taking care of me, but I couldn't stay laying down for another minute. I heard you were going tonight, and I wanted to see you before you moved to the safehouse."
"I'm so glad you're well," Lucina began, "Your wounds-?"
"Fie, my wounds, my wounds, it's all anyone talks about to me. Tonight's missions are more important and interesting, we'll be staging a large operation while the ball is underway. So if you two decide to spend the evening enjoying the festival in the streets together instead, I would understand. My people will take care of the groundwork…" Her half-joking smile faded as she took in Lucina's expression. "... You seem distracted."
"I don't know how to dance, laugh or smile. I'm a terrible choice of companion for tonight's mission," Lucina uttered, looking back to the mirror in disappointment.
Say'ri tilted her head to the side. "Did he say that?"
"N-no, of course not."
"Then don't assume that's what other people think."
Lucina looked over, unaware of the perfectly natural smile that spread her features. "Okay."
"And be sure to confess soon. There will be many highborn women there tonight, one might snatch him away."
"Unless there's a queen, I think I'm the highest-born woman he'll meet tonight."
"Tch, and don't forget that."
Lucina recognized Say'ri's teasing smile, and felt her chest swell. Her friend was right. This nervousness was a new battlefield to her, the dance of romance wasn't one she knew any steps to, but she was still Lucina. She'd take on this challenge as she'd done countless others.
A door opened further up the hall and footsteps made Say'ri lean back to check who was coming while Lucina glanced once more to the mirror.
"Wow."
She looked to the door where Robin stood, staring. The sudden boost to confidence she'd just received was tempered somewhat by the butterflies in her stomach when he looked at her like that.
"A-are we ready to go?" she asked, glancing to orange sky outside, sun already out of sight behind the city walls.
It took him a second to hear her, and he nodded.
"Y-yes. I mean, if you're ready." He extended an elbow playfully.
She felt herself blush and made across the room, taking his arm and bidding farewell to Say'ri and Lon'qu who stood behind Robin.
"Make contact with us tomorrow morning, you know the house," Robin said to them, and they nodded; Say'ri with a knowing smile, Lon'qu with an unreadable expression.
They made down the stairs and stepped into the crisp evening air, crowded streets already bustling with masked citizens. The hanging red lanterns illuminating the roads, darkening evening sky glimpsing through parted clouds.
An armored fist knocked on the door. No one answered. Gerome let out an annoyed breath and Inigo glanced to Severa, then Cynthia.
Whatever Gerome was feeling was mirrored by Severa, which meant one foul mood perpetually counted double. Cynthia shared Inigo's look sympathetically.
"Gaius."
Gerome tried the knob to discover it unlocked. Opening the door revealed Vaike on the other end of the room doing crunches, Gaius laying across his bed, head hanging over the side upside-down, crocheting. The thief glanced at him, then returned to his needlework.
"'Sup."
"Why didn't you answer?" Severa demanded, striding into the room followed by the others.
"Didn't need to."
"Where's the invitation?" Gerome asked. Even through his mask his annoyance was clear.
"On the table." Gaius pointed with a needle between motions, and Inigo found the paper.
"Just one?" Inigo asked, looking to Gaius.
Gaius glanced to him, then Gerome.
"I only asked for one," Gerome explained, holding out his hand. "I will be faster alone."
Inigo's eyes narrowed, but he handed the paper over. "Staging a heroic solo-rescue?"
"Like - that?" Vaike asked, finally looking at their half of the room between every-other bicycle crunch.
Gerome wore his usual attire without the breastplate, a mixture of practicality and fashion, but he was saved a response by Severa.
"What's your problem with Gerome?"
"His hair," Tharja announced her presence from a corner of the room, turning a page in her book.
"His wearing gauntlets with a vest," Gaius answered, pulling more yarn.
"And he's-" Vaike turned away for another crunch before returning, "An ass."
Severa bristled as Inigo pretended to cough, failing to hide his grin, but before she could retort Gerome spoke to the room.
"That's enough, Severa. Everyone," he paused to look around, and even Vaike paused to watch him now, "I'm sorry. This has been a long journey, for all of us, and I'm not the leader Lucina was. I've done my best in her stead, and I know that hasn't been enough. We've been too long without her, and tonight I'm going to correct that. I'll find her, and bring her back. I don't know what's next for us," he looked around, "But I know she will."
"Gerome," Inigo spoke, moving to put his hand on Gerome's shoulder, "You've been a friend of the family forever, and as a friend, I want you to know: I will not miss your leadership."
"Or your speeches," Cynthia agreed with a beaming nod.
Gerome smirked under his mask and he returned Inigo's gesture.
"Then I'd better get to it."
The stroll through the streets was a pleasant one, and Robin and Lucina stopped at several stalls to play various games children had set up.
Lucina turned from tossing the final ball into the last wooden cup floating in the tub a meter away, missing the gasps and cries of delight from the children as Robin approached carrying something steaming, wrapped in cloth. He revealed a hot yam, and she'd never tasted anything so naturally sweet.
The city was a hub of culture, predominantly Chon'sin, but with hints of other nations sprinkled in. Feroxi wrestlers had set up a ring in the middle of a street where contestants tried to force each other out of the circle, beside a Plegian merchant peddling wooden figure carvings with incredibly intricate designs etched across the entire surface. The streets were alive with festivities, a glimpse of what the city used to be, and would return to once this war was over. For one night, the people could celebrate their culture festival, and forget about the war. Lucina never wanted this night to end, and it was with a heavy heart that they finally reached the stretch of road leading to the castle.
"We have nothing like this back in Ylisse." Lucina caught her breath, smiling broadly over her shoulder as she took in the colorful street behind them, "This must change. I will implore father to begin an annual festival."
"So you're sticking around, then."
She looked over to see Robin smiling as he donned his mask that covered the top half of his face, and she quickly did the same with her own.
"I-I didn't-" she stammered, realizing she'd spoken without thinking as they approached the courtyard gates.
"Invitations, please."
Robin produced the papers and they continued into the courtyard and past the gardens. She grew very conscious that every couple they passed, were a couple. Should she put her hand around his arm? The other couples were doing that. She'd done that earlier at the hotel but somehow this was much more… Intimate. Her eyes glued to his sleeve and just as she reached forward he spoke, pausing just before the large open doors.
"You remember where the safehouse is, right?"
"Y-yes," she answered, clearing her thoughts to the mission at hand.
"If we get separated, or I get caught, make your way back there. Lon'qu will send someone in the morning to check on us, and you can explain what happened - but we can't go back to the HQ any more."
"Why would we be separated?"
Robin thought for a moment, looking momentarily unsure. "They caught me off-guard the other night. If… This is all a trap, and I don't see it…"
"Then I'll get you out," Lucina stated simply. She took his elbow and faced forward, and he glanced at her with an appreciative nod. She wouldn't allow him to feel uncertain, a leader always had to inspire confidence. "You didn't bring me along to dance."
He grinned and placed a hand over hers on his elbow.
"Night's not over yet."
They entered the great hall, taking a moment to process it all.
Intricate masonry wound up the pillars supporting the high ceiling, design clearly inspired by the east. Tall slim windows revealed night had fallen outside, and most of the guests had returned to the well-lit interior of the castle. Musicians played string instruments from a connected hall, crowds mingling around the open floor, grand staircase in the back leading to the upper levels where more distinguished members of society meandered. Staff bustled from a never-closing door leading to the back kitchens, ferrying trays of food and drinks in various stages of emptiness.
As Robin and Lucina slowly made their way forward, they couldn't help but notice the glances others stole in their direction.
"That is… Ghastly..." Lucina heard a man say, and she frowned. She didn't think Robin was that inappropriately dressed. Lacking color, perhaps, but she thought he looked fine.
Her grip tightened on his arm and he looked over to meet her stoic gaze. She gave him a thumbs-up. "You look dashing."
He repressed a grin. "Thank you."
"Ladies and gentlemen, please clear the center of the hall," a loud voice called out and the music paused so the portly woman could be heard, "We will begin the dance in a few minutes."
"I don't know how to dance," Lucina whispered in the quiet aftermath as people began moving to the sides of the main hall.
"Good, then you won't dance with anyone while I'm away," Robin muttered, eyes narrowing on the staircase where guards ushered people away from the upper levels.
"Where are you going?"
"They're moving people from the upper levels, further in the castle there's probably a war room or study… That's where I need to be."
"I hope you're not looking for a distraction," she uttered quickly, knowing his style. The crowds packing around the sides of the room would make for a messy diversion.
"The guard at the top of that flight keeps watching the woman across the room with the substantial bust. That's my distraction."
"That sounds far less destructive that your usual plans."
"That's because you don't wield your bust to its full destructive capabilities."
"Night's not over yet."
Robin stared at her with an expression of pleasant surprise, and her face began radiating heat. That just came out automatically, she hadn't even thought of it. What in the gods' realms was she thinking?
"Alright. I have to go, but we're so continuing this conversation later," Robin promised, sliding his arm free with a wink before disappearing into the crowd.
Lucina turned away covering her mouth. Was she flirting? Was that flirting, did she do it right? It just seemed like something quick-witted to respond with, using his own words from earlier, she hadn't… Gods she sounded ridiculous. Those words were neither appropriate nor befitting her station, she sounded crass and… Like Robin.
She'd heard about couples that spent much time together beginning to adopt one another's mannerisms, but why couldn't she have inherited his quick wit, or silver tongue?
Robin pushed past some tall dark prick wearing a ridiculous hero mask and grunted a half-apology, not looking as he continued towards the staircase.
Gerome watched the rude guest with white hair move towards the staircase, before turning his scowl to the room. She was here, somewhere. He'd find Lucina, he had to. They'd come to this world together, and though separated for too long, he vowed he'd return to her side. Tonight was that night, he would find her.
His eyes traveled over each guest, analyzing each before arriving on a dress that shone brighter than any light in the room, with a horrid torrent of dyes that would have made his mother, or any other sane person, weep at the genocide of fabric used to weaponize color against the human eyeball.
He looked towards the owner's face, but found the center of his vision blotched as though he'd been staring into the sun. He cursed, clenching his eyes and finding the spot still there. He'd need to avoid looking in that area of the room if he had a hope of finding Lucina.
He had so much to ask her. How she'd survived that ocean storm; he'd scoured the dark waters, shouting until his voice was hoarse. He'd given up hope, sorrow hardening his heart until that single resistance message informed them she was alive. She was alive, somehow. And with Robin, of all people.
He didn't understand why Robin was still alive when they'd returned to the past for the sole purpose of ending him, but he knew she must have her reasons. He'd ask her that too.
Someone bumped his elbow and he shook his head, glaring around. Focus. All his training led to this, now he had to scan every face, pierce every mask to reveal her.
"Excuse me, Mr. Hero?"
He looked around, spotting a teenage girl watching him. Her features were familiar, somehow. Thick locks of dark hair bobbed just over her shoulders, fair skin complemented her rounded face, bright eyes brimming with intelligence. There was something equally compelling and detestable about her.
"Your collar's inside out," she said simply, tilting her head at him as he felt around his neck. "Do I know you?"
"My collar is fine," he answered, frowning. "And no."
"Oh…" her large eyes narrowed, then she shrugged, "If you say so."
Morgan turned from the handsome stranger and proceeded through the crowd, weaving through gaps easily.
That guy wasn't resistance, far too uninterested in her. But she had a job to do, and she wouldn't be distracted by tall handsome strangers giving her deja vu.
She'd ignored the advisor's insistence that she wear a dress tonight. She hated dresses. Instead she'd opted for a butler's attire. It wasn't traditionally Chon'sin, but nor was it Valm, and that would instill a sense of security to any resistance she sought out. Foreigners were sympathetic to the resistance cause.
That's what she told the advisors anyway, to their agreement. Really though, she was just adorable. Like the world's cutest butler, ever. She couldn't even think of wearing a mask to cover this up, because it would ruin everything.
Then she saw her. Like the moon in the night sky, if the moon could damage her retinas.
"Genius," Morgan muttered to herself, using her hand to obstruct vision of the dress so she could only see the woman's head. "Camouflage through deterrence..."
But it was more than the dress that drew her attention. How she carried herself, the eyes behind the shuttered mask. True regality, unlike most of these wannabes rubbing elbows to climb the social ladder. No, this woman was the real deal. A noble by blood and mind. Incidentally, she was also the woman assaulting the castle gates the other night.
After a couple seconds Morgan determined she was alone and approached from the side.
"Funny seeing you here," Morgan spoke quietly enough to be heard, though not loudly enough for the guards along the walls to catch her. "You make a bad wallflower, by the way."
Lucina looked down, stomach dropping as she recognized the girl now watching couples pair off for the dance. She looked around, but couldn't spot any figures moving towards them through the crowd.
"I'm not calling the guards," Morgan assured her, "At least, not until I catch your boss. Is he here tonight?"
"He's not my boss," Lucina replied, watching her now with a frown, "Why are you doing this, Morgan? Why help the Valmese?"
"So he is here," the girl's face lit up with excitement, "I've been wanting to meet him for so long, huge fan of his work. What's his name? I wanna be in the tall chair when he enters the room so I can spin around slowly and welcome him."
Lucina opened her mouth. Even the girl's eccentric enthusiasm seemed terribly familiar, but then Morgan's expression sombered.
"How's… Your friend?"
Lucina saw the uncomfortable look of shame fall across the girl's features and felt a pang of sympathy. "She will make a full recovery."
"Good." Morgan brightened immediately, smile in place, "I've never killed before, a record I'm proud of. I even write all my battle plans to avoid casualties where possible - I recently developed a new prototype weapon, blunted arrowheads designed to concuss rather than pierce! Right now they're breaking more bones than I would like, and if we could lower the number of skull fractures all the better - they need some fine tuning before seeing mass production. Their range is abysmal, but I'm optimistic!"
"You're…" Lucina breathed as realization dawned, "The Valmese tactician."
"Oh…" Morgan's face fell and she winced, "I wasn't supposed to tell you that. You're pretty sneaky!"
"You're a child!"
"You're a…!" Morgan looked her up and down, "...Child."
"How did you come to Valm? Why are you the chief tactician?"
"Walhart found me after a battle. I was lost and couldn't remember where I was or how I'd gotten there. Just my name, pretty pathetic, right?" Morgan rattled off, watching the dancers move about the room. "So he took me with him, and after proving myself, I'm head tactician!"
"But why? Why do this?" Lucina pressed, trying to reach for the girl's conscience she knew existed, but Morgan only shook her head.
"It's a bigger picture than you'd understand. But trust me, the resistance doesn't know what they're doing. We're the world's best hope right now, and in time you'll see that. Now if you'll excuse me I have to go wait in a dark room for however long it takes for your boss to find me. I was hoping if I stuck around long enough he'd appear to rescue you from the dashing suitor, but given he hasn't showed…" Her eyes settled on the upper landing, and she grinned. "...He's looking for me, isn't he?"
Her excitement faltered, "I'm not in position! If you see your boss tell him to wait!"
"He's not my…!"
Lucina watched her disappear into the crowd. What would she do? Robin was clearly in danger of capture, all Morgan had to do was tell the guards to close off the upper levels...
How was she going to get him out of this?
At the moment Morgan was entertaining her whims of meeting her apparent hero, but the Valmese cause was one she truly believed in. When it came down to it, Morgan would turn her and Robin in the moment she thought it served Walhart's interests.
She couldn't help from here, but she could start planning their escape. He'd just need to make it back to her...
"Don't do anything stupid, Robin," she whispered, starting to analyze exits.
Robin spent several minutes wandering the halls and sneaking past guards. He leaned around a corner, watching as a couple of romantics snuck away from the party into a private room and closed the door.
Why didn't he pitch that to Lucina as their cover story? Missed opportunity there.
"You there!"
He turned towards the voice, seeing a guard approaching from the other end of the hall, gauntlet tight on the shaft of his lance.
"Please move downstairs, guests are not permitted on the upper levels."
"Really? I'm pretty sure my invitation mentions I could go…" Robin trailed off, fishing around in his breast pocket before taking out his electrified hand and placing it on the guard's plate armor. "Anywhere I want."
The man shuddered for almost ten seconds before Robin let him collapse to the floor. He frowned, realizing he'd have to do something with the unconscious body. It took almost two full minutes to drag the limp suit of armor to the nearest closet, and another minute to try to keep all the limbs from falling out as he squeezed the door closed.
He panted, leaning against the door until he heard it click, and sighed in relief. Stealth unbroken.
"You there!"
Another guard approached, and Robin exhaled.
"Five-thousand," Vaike counted, panting and lying out across the floor.
The open window provided a cool breeze that met the light sheen of sweat across his body, and he sighed.
"You doing that for anyone in particular?" Gaius asked, embroidering the finishing touches on a doily and checking it against the light.
"All me," Vaike answered, arching his back to stretch his abdomen.
"And whomever's attention you catch."
"Her too," Vaike admitted.
"Surprised you haven't made a move on any of the girls downstairs," Gaius commented, satisfied with the doily and tossing it to the table where it blended in perfectly with those of the hotel.
"Eh, they're like, our friends' kids, right?" Vaike asked, wrinkling half his face, "Feels weird."
"They're our age, not that weird."
"'Hey Cordelia, I know you haven't had her yet, but I'll have a thing for your daughter. Can you betroth her to me now, before she's taken?'"
"You're not asking to marry their babies, you're interested in their fully adult, kinda-sorta children from another world."
"You're interested maybe, I'm still weirded out by them. What if one's my kid?"
"I'm preeeetty sure she'd say something."
"What do you think, Tharja?" Vaike asked, turning to the window sill where the dark mage sat in the sparse moonlight finishing her book.
"I doubt you'll have the opportunity to reproduce."
"See," Gaius gave him a thumbs-up and terribly offensive Chon'sin accent, "Chansu!"
But Vaike was saved a response as the door to their room opened, and Inigo stuck his head in.
"We're going to do a few rounds of cards, if you guys are interested..."
Ten-minutes-and-another-guard later, Robin squeezed the closet shut. The door visibly bulged, straining to hold as he stared around. He would kill the next one that appeared.
He was getting nowhere, he needed to find the war room quickly if he didn't want this trip to be a pointless exercise in body disposal.
"No need to check the war room, the tactician instructed us to keep it open in case she returned during the ball."
Robin looked around the corner to see a pair of guards pass, gesturing to the room the romantics had disappeared into earlier, and he rolled his eyes. Once the guards were gone he strode for the door, pushing it open and waving his arms.
"Seven minutes are up, put your pants on and get the hell out," he spoke calmly over the surprised shriek and indignant yell, not looking as they two awkwardly covered themselves with remnants of clothing and shambled towards the door.
He was already distracted by maps laid out across the table and wasn't interested in whatever the couple was explaining about, brushing aside a garter to better read the numbers in a report. He spotted a tome titled "The Codex" and opened it.
Troop placements, resource allocations, estimates of Ylissean strength across a number of fronts. This was exactly what he was looking for. He found a bookmarked section in the back titled Tactics and thumbed through it.
Phalanx they'd already encountered. Next page, The Flank.
"Really? These guys are working with the barebones…" he chuckled to himself before looking around, seeing the room was empty. He took the chair by the fireplace and tossed a ball of flame onto the logs to provide more light, lifting his feet onto the desk.
He found a series of pages of magic equations, tracing some he recognized and others he didn't. They seemed to be components to a greater sum, and on the following page was an intricately designed magic circle. The page had been added to the book, making Robin think this was the final product of some work. At the bottom, a single footnote: Teleport.
"That's interesting…" he murmured, skipping a few pages to Flyers, pausing and raising an eyebrow.
The Darkshot
Two dark fliers use utilize the power of the galeforce in concert to travel great distance in short time.
He scoffed. That was his idea.
Next page, The Earthquake
The pegasus rider equipped with a weight-dispersion harness shuttles a heavily armored general to drop right into the midst of enemy troops.
In the margin: 'Tactical effects threefold: Distract, demoralize, destroy.'
His indignant smirk faded. That was his idea. He turned the page.
Battle Cats.
Robin stared, grip shaking. That was his idea!
This was a Codex of Copyright Infringement, is what it was. Minus the teleportation thingy, that was new.
Valmese didn't even have pegasus riders, they'd have no need to invent tactics using them. But some of his best ideas were right here for the enemy to see.
'Don't panic, just because they know what they're facing doesn't mean they have answers to it,' Robin thought quickly, thumbing to the last section of Tactics: Answers.
"You son of a bastard."
"Impressed?"
Robin looked over his feet. The door was closed, but he couldn't see anyone. He tilted his boots apart and saw a girl in a butler's suit, arms folded, watching him smugly.
"You're short," Robin stared at her, then turned back to the book, "Shouldn't you be in time out or something?"
Her smug expression became irritated. "I'd hoped we could have a conversation, as equals."
Robin tilted his feet again, one eyebrow raised over his mask. "I think you're mistaking you for someone else."
"My name is Morgan,"
"That's a stupid name."
"And I am the Tactician-Primus of the Valmese military," she finished, staring at him with a scowl that demanded recognition and apology. He stared at her. "You're reading my book. What do you think?"
Robin flipped to a random page and pretended to read. "I like the Ylissean Slingshot."
"That's not a thing," Morgan replied immediately, clearly annoyed she wasn't being taken seriously.
Robin pursed his lips, then closed the book, deciding to entertain her. He thought for a moment. "I've had this idea for a while, of a harness that could allow a pegasus rider to carry a horse over short distances-"
"The Stead-Stead? Page 287," Morgan chirped excitedly, and he stared in response.
He flipped to the page. Sure enough, his prototype harness from months ago, realized. Dimensions calculated, costs of production and utilization in the field accurate. And far above his initial estimations.
"You… You…" He stammered at her buoyant expression, "You mind-thief!"
"Wouldn't a mind-thief be someone who thieves minds?"
"You idea-stealer! This, these," Robin dangled the book near the fire, "These are all mine!"
"I mean…" Morgan started slowly, gesturing to the book as though it were obvious, "Clearly they're not."
"You won't have my battle cats!" Robin declared, dramatically throwing the book into the fire with a flair.
Robin panted victoriously. Morgan stared.
"Was that your master plan?" Morgan asked, clearly disappointed, "Break into the castle, burn my book, and then I wouldn't know how to tacticalize? I've had those memorized since I was… Way young."
And now she was making up words! This child didn't have an original bone in her body! How was he supposed to create the tacticest plans when she was a clone working for the other side?
Robin stared at her as she took a seat on the other side of the table and tucked a lock of messy hair over her ear. He really stared at her. Something about her was disconcerting, like he should know her, like she was the sum of an equation he was well familiar with. Her perfect smile, thick dark hair, kind and bright eyes… Who was this kid?
"Morgan..." he said calmly, gathering himself, and she nodded happily at hearing her name, "What would you like to talk about?"
"You! Duh! Where did you study, how did you get so good?"
He narrowed his gaze. What was wrong with this girl? Where were her priorities? She had the enemy in her lap, and here she was talking… He casually looked over her shoulder towards the door but she shook her head.
"No one's coming. Yet."
Morgan really was the Valmese tactician, and as he was quickly discovering, she was much, much more clever than he'd guessed. She was a dangerous mix of enthusiastic zeal, with a mind backed by a lot of horsepower, and he had not been taking her nearly seriously enough. He cleared his throat.
"You caught me at the warehouse the other night…"
"Ugh, I know right?! I didn't stop you, but I knew what you were up to," she promised, pointing to her temple and him with a grin, "I only just became chief tactician so up until now you've been dealing with idiots, but I hope I can turn this war around on you."
"I hope you… Don't do that," Robin replied lamely. "How do you know so much about warfare?"
"I dunno, it just sorta comes naturally to me. I improvise, and come up with new ideas-"
"You don't, you steal my ideas!"
"How would I steal ideas from someone I've never met? Do you have them written down somewhere?"
Robin scowled at her. She brightened, "The way I figure, we're just two geniuses on opposite sides of the war, and it's a race to come up with the newest, bestest ideas firstest! You're my rival!"
"This is ridiculous."
"Oh you're right, I should call the guards now."
"Or we can be rivals!"
"Nah, I'm gonna get in big trouble if Walhart finds out I let you go," Morgan thought aloud, standing. "I really should have you in the dungeon until this war is over."
"If I'm in a cell somewhere, you don't have an opponent to go up against. You won't learn anything, no more surprises or close calls, just plain old, boring victory after victory."
Morgan pretended to pout. "But I like learning."
"You won't learn from me. 'Cause even though I'm better than you, I'll be in a jail."
"You're not better than me," Morgan objected flatly, amusement fading as she folded her arms.
Robin stared. In this light, in that voice, she could have passed for Lucina. He shook his head, regaining focused.
"Prove it!"
Morgan pointed at him, biting her lip with narrowed eyes. She nodded, "I don't need a handicap to win. Go, and I'll see you on your next op."
Robin hid his relief as he stood, moving towards the door.
"Before you go, can I see you without your silly mask on?"
Robin thought about it. "You wouldn't rather have a mysterious rival you don't even know the face of?"
Her mouth formed an O and she nodded silently, clearly excited by this development. He grinned at her, opening the door and slipping into the hall.
Closing the door behind him, he caught his breath. That was unbelievably stupid of him. Nothing was more dangerous than a capricious opponent who cared more about personal motivations than winning. He'd thought the enemy tactician would be some wizened old man, not Robin2.0.
This would take some recalculating.
"Call for backup, we have wounded in this closet!"
Robin heard raised voices around the next hall and tore the other direction.
Lucina declined another offer to dance, not even looking at the man as she watched the stairs. More guards were lining up along the banister. The entry hall's doors were closed, and she suspected more stood outside. This wasn't looking good. She doubted it could be a trap, there were simply too many people here to interrogate. But if anyone acted the least suspicious, they would be noticed. And her standing by the wall refusing multiple advances seemed to be drawing some attention.
One guard on the upper level leaned towards his companion, nodding at her without pointing, and they quietly slipped away from the line to move towards the stairs.
She casually made her way through the crowd, trying to get enough space to lose them in the masses, but with the doors closed and surveillance on high she knew there was nowhere to run. A quick glance over her shoulder saw the first guard sidling along the wall in her direction, looking everywhere but at her. Ahead she spotted the second guard, waiting by the far wall for her to emerge from the clusters of people around the entry hall floor.
Lucina wanted to be around as Robin's backup, but she wouldn't be of any use to him captured. One of her escape routes had been the nearby window, and she inched towards the table she'd use to make the opening.
"Excuse me, fair maiden."
Lucina turned, ready to reject the next offer until she recognized the soft grip on her arm guiding her towards the dance floor and he spoke again, "May I have this dance?"
"R-Robin?!"
"Relax, we're okay," Robin reassured as a couple moved aside so they could enter the floor. "Just gotta blend in with all these rich people who know what they're doing."
He lifted her hand, his pinky extended and she quickly pressed it back down. Her glare turned to embarrassment as he smiled, her realizing she was holding his hand.
"I fear I won't blend in much better here, I don't know how to dance." She took a calming breath, placing her hands awkwardly on his arms.
"Me neither, this will be fun!" Robin exclaimed quietly as a new song started and the other couples embraced for a slow-swaying tune.
"Or really, really awkward," he added, blushing now as he looked around and seeing all the other men with their hands on their partner's waist, women with their hands over their partner's shoulders.
He cleared his throat as she stared around, realization sinking in. Her hands rose hesitantly to his shoulders and she avoided all eye contact as his palms hovered over her waist.
"Er, is this… I mean can I…?"
Lucina glanced up to see his reddening cheeks and knew what he was asking. She loved how quick he was to say things with full intention of making her blush, but the moment any physical contact might make her genuinely uncomfortable, he became a choir boy. She nodded.
His hands rested on her waist and they began to move in time with the others, looking like they had half an idea of what they were doing. She knew her face was crimson right now and fought hard to keep her thoughts in line.
They were here, they were on a mission, focus. Right now their objective was to avoid capture, not enjoy every second of this moment. Pay attention to her surroundings, guard placements, escape routes - not Robin's lips or the feelings of his hands, which seemed to grip her hips teasingly. The expression on his face said that was unintentional, but she found it hard not to think about his fingertips pressing lightly into her skin, or his scent, or wondering what it would feel like to have his lips on hers right now.
"Are you… Okay? I can go back to hover-mode," he asked tentatively, hands on her hips going light.
"They're fine," she uttered quickly, glancing over his shoulder. The guard had stopped in the crowd, watching them. Her finally entertaining a suitor seemed to alleviate suspicions, and he eventually turned and disappeared into the masses.
"You're sure? I don't want to make you uncomfortable and your face is… Really red."
She looked up to see his own face a veritable crimson.
"So is yours."
"Y-yeah, but I have an excuse. I'm dancing with the most beautiful woman on either side of the great ocean, it's a lot of pressure!" he explained, cheeks somehow going darker as he peered down at her through their masks, "What's your excuse?"
"I'm dancing with you."
"O-oh," Robin chuckled, unable to look at her now. "S-so I've been thinking more about what you said."
She blinked and he clarified, "About the time-cease-to-exist thing, not the… Bust."
Lucina wasn't sure if she should be disappointed. She'd almost prefer the latter of the two topics. He misjudged her expression and spoke quickly.
"Hear me out. You think setting history on a different path will create a time when you'd never be forced to go back, so this you would cease to exist, and I don't buy it."
Lucina looked down to his chest, speaking quietly, "I appreciate your vote of confidence, but it isn't up to you or me."
"What if it was?" Robin pressed in a hushed tone, stepping in the flow of the dancers' slow rotation about the room. "You claim your place was in that terrible time, but what if you were bound by something so inexorably that you'd be rooted here, in this time?"
"This should be good."
"I'm just brainstorming here, I'm not suggesting anything!" Robin explained in a whisper, shirking her suspicious gaze, "Or recommending that we do anything like getting for-real married."
"That's fortunate, because I would almost certainly refuse."
"What? Why?"
"Because that's the silliest reason I've ever heard for two people to get married," she answered with a raised eyebrow. "A lifelong bond should be born out of love, and loyalty."
"Or to avoid shame in a traditional village in a foreign land?"
"Or that. But I wouldn't accept a proposal born of desperation."
"What about an earnest proposal thinly veiled behind an attempt to take advantage of a situation?"
She smiled, looking to his shoulder.
"I'd consider that."
"Oh good, because the next thing I wasn't going to recommend was going straight to having a child."
She snorted and leaned her forehead into his collar as nearby couples glanced over.
"Don't draw attention," Robin whispered in mock-irritation, "You're gonna get us caught!"
"Then stop being ridiculous."
"I can't help it," Robin muttered, turning slightly to shield her from a guard's view. "I love your laugh."
Lucina had rarely been one to smile, and rated her sense of humor among the least developed of her skills, but she'd probably smiled more in Robin's company over the last few weeks than she had her entire life. He just made life so simple to enjoy, his light-heartedness disarming even the most stressful situations, how could his boyish charms do anything but bring a smile to her day?
One of his hands hesitantly moved up to rest on the small of her back, and she suppressed a shiver of excitement at being the target of such open affection from him, while simultaneously feeling isolated from the world. It was just her, and him. He wet his lips, then reached up to remove his mask.
"After all this, I'd like to make you laugh every day."
Lucina looked up at him, and sincere grey eyes betrayed his usual masquerade. Her heart ached in her chest at the expression of anticipation he wore, full of hope. He made it look so easy to just say what he wanted, without thought to duty or position. Was it really so simple? It was a rare moment of undecorated honesty for him, and with it she found the strength to be honest with herself. She lifted her mask up to rest on top of her head.
She took a deep breath, looking up and meeting his eyes. Her voice caught in her throat but she pushed past it, encouraged by his words.
"I want to be with you, too."
The slow smile spreading his face made her heart feel like it would burst, and his hand returned to the back of her waist. She'd expected to feel guilt over giving her desires voice, but speaking so plainly was actually relieving.
"Well… Good," he finally responded, unable to contain his grin. "So after all this, you tell me where we're going, and I'll be at your side."
She decided, for one evening, she would entertain the possibility that there could be a happy ending to this tale.
"Okay."
She realized he was watching her closely, and her attention shifted to their position. In an instant she forgot about the other couples around, or the guards, or the mission. No longer was she aware of others in the room. This moment was only her and him.
Her eyes fell to his lips once more and her own slightly parted, and she knew exactly what she wanted now. Not a repeat of the other night, that impulsive reaction to relief she felt when she saw him alive. But a calculated decision, based on understanding what she was feeling; that she cared for him deeply and hoped to be more than just a companion, and praying with all her soul she wasn't damning them to tragedy.
She glanced up to his eyes and his gaze locked on hers. His half-grin was gone, sober expression reading her carefully for any signs that he could be misunderstanding the situation. She gave none, hands slowly moving up to his neck as his forearms came around her lower-back. She felt safe in his arms, she wanted to stay in this moment, his warmth, forever… But first she needed to tell him something. Not with words, but in action. It couldn't be misunderstood.
His eyes widened as her hands gently pulled. She rose a little higher on her feet to close the distance between them as her eyes closed, and his head slowly tilted opposite hers as the grip around her waist tightened. Her heart was pounding in her ears, all other senses numb save the warmth felt from his approaching lips, when a voice rang through the hall.
"Lucina?!"
Her heart skipped a beat as the moment shattered and they broke apart to see Gerome across the hall, staring at them until another voice called out.
"Gerome?!"
Everyone looked to see a young blonde man rip the mask from his face dramatically, throwing it to the floor where it exploded.
"O-Owain?!" Lucina stared in disbelief between them.
"Cousin!" Owain shouted, beaming at her.
"Robin?" Robin asked timidly, looking around in confusion until a paunchy jewelry-heavy man on the upper landing pointed to them, and guards began to move in from the walls.
"The resistance are here, we're under attack!" Robin screamed in mock-panic, and the result was as effective as it was instantaneous.
The crowds began to stampede, tables thrown aside, maids and butlers knocked to and fro trying to balance their trays as people pressed towards the exits, pushing the guards back like a tidal wave. Robin took Lucina's hand and pulled her with the crowd, Gerome and Owain appearing beside them.
"A clever diversion, stalwart suitor! Yet fear not, the resistance will not harm you nor Lucina whilst I, Owain Dark, draws breath!... You can let go of her now."
"Y-your last name isn't 'Dark,'" Lucina exclaimed, staring at him as they pushed alongside the throngs for the exits where the guards were overwhelmed by the waves of bodies pressing against them.
"Owain, where have you…" Gerome started, barely audible over the sounds of chaos, but finished by gritting his teeth. "Nevermind. We'll talk after this," he muttered, glaring down at Robin's hand still clutched around Lucina's.
The bottle was passed around before being forcefully intercepted. Gaius sighed, laying his cards down.
"Fold."
"Jus… 'm jus' sayin', she doesn't even love him," Severa slurred, glaring at them all to challenge her claim before taking another long draught.
"Think maybe you've had…?" Inigo stopped when she slammed the bottle down, cheeks full to bursting as she stared at him, daring him to finish that question. She swallowed twice as he cleared his throat, "Fold."
"Not like I do, like I've always done! But nooooo, it's always, he's saying, 'Lucina says,' and, 'Lucina says,' and, 'I love Lucina so much and she's so much prettier than meeeee,'" Severa wailed, forehead hitting the table.
"He said that?" Vaike asked, raising his eyebrows as he looked over his cards once more before pushing his scraps of paper in. He pointed to the bottle, motioning for it silently.
Severa went under the table to sob as Cynthia pat her shoulder, examining her own cards.
"All in."
"Yeah? Wanna go toe-to-toe with me, eh?" Vaike grinned, meeting Cynthia's resolved expression.
"Y-yeah!" Severa resurfaced, pounded her fist on the table and sweeping her arm wide. Gaius rescued the bottle. "I'll fight her, and him, and then I'll fight…" Her unfocused gaze slid from one target onto another, setting on the biggest one she reasoned she had the best chance of hitting. "I'll fight you."
"I don't want to fight-!" Vaike objected, looking around to the others for help and meeting averted gazes, before facing the roar as Severa launched herself over the table.
Tharja emerged from a dark corner, nose in a new book as she strode past the noise and flying cards to sweep up the bottle to depart for her room, when the door opened before her.
Cynthia pulled Severa back by her arms as Gaius helped Vaike up, and Inigo looked to Gerome standing in the doorframe shaking his head.
"Pack your things. We're moving."
Robin, Lucina and Owain sat around the kitchen area of the safehouse. It dwarfed the living conditions of Chon'sin they'd seen so far, three stories tall and neatly furnished, built with modern architecture over traditional style. They'd changed back into their usual attire and now conversed about how Owain had come to Mila.
"So after Gerome sent word explaining to gather who remained and await your arrival, I naturally sought to move ahead of the group and position myself deep amongst the upper echelon of Valmese hierarchy," Owain finished, folding his arms impressively.
"... Which you've now undone, having revealed yourself along with us tonight," Robin said slowly, trying to understand the man's thought process. Mostly, it appeared there wasn't one.
"T-to create the diversion that enabled our heroic escape from the clutches of evil," Owain explained, regaining his momentary loss of composure.
"That you did," Robin conceded with a nod, deciding simply agreeing would be easiest. Owain's smugness returned.
The guy was weird, but charming in his own way. Robin liked him.
"And now, with my quest turned in, I shall rejoin your company, Lucina and… Who are you again?"
Robin opened his mouth, half-frowning, when the front door opened.
"Gerome!" Lucina rose from the chairs, moving across the room to meet her companions.
Robin stood to the side awkwardly as Lucina embraced her friends, then saw Vaike and Gaius enter and moved to stand slightly less-awkwardly beside them.
"You're the rescue party?" he asked, looking them up and down, "Thought you'd be taller."
"Chrom asked for volunteers," Vaike explained, shrugging as Gaius nodded. "When no one did, we drew straws."
"Two out of three."
"Flattered." Robin smirked, looking them over, "It's good to see some friendly faces."
"Oh, then you're gonna love-"
"Robin!"
Robin felt chills run down his spine as the front door clicked shut. Even in a room full of people, the impossibly dark, cold eyes fixated on him made him feel very alone. She passed through the people between them like a cloud of mist, somehow arriving on his back.
"I've missed you."
"Th-Tharja, it's… Adequate to see you again."
"Robin?" Owain's voice called their attention to the other group, seeing them stare at Robin's half of the singular entity Tharja was trying to morph them into.
"Robin," Cynthia repeated, blinking. She looked at Lucina.
"Robin-Robin?" Inigo echoed, staring between them.
"Yes- n-no! He's not…" Lucina tried to explain, but Gerome stepped in.
"Lucina will explain everything to you later."
Robin noticed the mask tilted towards Vaike, Gaius and Tharja, before he continued.
"For now, we are here under orders to support you in your current mission. Our weapons are yours to command, Lucina."
"It's good to have everyone back," Lucina answered, looking to their travel packs and pointing to the stairs, "There are spare rooms upstairs."
"Can you show us?" Severa asked. Her cheeks were flushed and speech slightly slurred, and the following awkward silence indicated that the implication they needed to talk was not lost on anybody.
"Of… Course."
"Where are we sleeping, husband?" Tharja cooed from behind Robin, arms coming up his torso as the others picked up their things and moved towards the stairs. Lucina stared at them. "I think we should take the top floor, with the best view..."
"We - aren't - sleeping -" Robin heaved, bewildered by her strength.
"Even better."
Lucina eyes met Tharja's, and the woman's nails dug deeper into Robin's collar. Tharja's dark eyes narrowed.
"... Problem?"
"I don't think he likes that," Lucina stated, facing them.
Robin tested the grip to find Tharja might have been suction-cupped on. She didn't notice his attempt, but she wrapped closer like a python guarding its kill from another predator.
"Why do you care?"
Lucina bristled as all eyes turned to her, and a faint flush colored her cheeks before she turned towards the stairs. Her friends gave them one final look before following.
When they were gone Robin renewed his struggle to free himself, and Vaike turned to Gaius.
"That got… Super weird."
"Yeah," Gaius muttered back, glancing to the tangle of Robja forming beside them. "It still kinda is. Robin, can you guys do that later?"
"Seriously man, your basic human needs disgust me."
"Tharja," Robin panted, ignoring them and giving up, "I can't breathe."
"That's how I've felt for weeks, being away from your embrace."
"Can we talk about this later?"
"You're right, we can talk later. I need you now," Tharja announced, ignoring Vaike and Gaius as she dragged Robin towards the stairs.
Vaike looked towards the younger man, then around the living room. Gaius cleared his throat.
"Good to see everyone again."
"Yeah. They seem well." Vaike scratched the back of his head.
"Guess we should find our rooms too."
"Let's make sure we don't share a wall with them."
Tharja threw Robin into the room and slammed the door behind her.
Robin looked around for something to put between them and moved to the other side of a chair as Tharja removed her cloak, revealing clothes that left little to the imagination. Everything below her considerable chest was covered by a full-body stocking, save for the sash clinging to her wide hips. He swallowed, eyes traveling up her body that promised everything warm, to her eyes that promised everything but.
"Do you like it? Traditional clothes, to entice the man into performing his husbandly duties." Tharja explained, holding her arms out as she approached, inviting his gaze.
"You had to travel light," Robin commented, trying to stretch the conversation, "You shouldn't have packed that just for me."
"It doesn't take much space."
"It… Does not," Robin agreed, backing away as Tharja leaned over the chair.
"You've been reluctant in the past," she recalled, pouting as she moved the chair aside to find him on the other side of the coffee table, "And I thought this may offer some encouragement."
"Ahh, well, you know. Headaches, and ah…" Robin flustered, leaning forward to place his weight on the table as she tried to move it aside. "You scare me."
"Aw, I can help with that," she spoke quietly, lifting her knee onto the table. Robin backed away as she crawled across, trying to not stare at the substantial cleavage sucking his gaze in.
His back hit the wall and he looked away as she straightened on her knees, reaching to draw his face forward.
"I have traveled a long way to see you, husband. The least you can do is look at me."
"A-about that..." Robin cleared his throat and looked straight into her eyes, determined to maintain altitude. Lucina could walk in at any moment, and the more Tharja was clothed the less he had to explain. "It's not a good week for me?"
The prospect that she may not get what she wanted seemed to dawn on Tharja, and a dangerous glint entered her narrowed eyes.
"After everything I've done for you," she began, standing before him and folding her arms, "After how worried I've been, I think you could show me a little gratitude."
"Gratitude and sex are not the same thing!" Robin insisted, sliding past her. "And if our genders were reversed, you would be coming off as super rapey right now-"
She shoved him. The back of his knees hit the bed and she was quick to pounce after.
"H-hold on, I don't-!" Robin struggled to keep his pants around his waist when she ripped his shirt down the collar. "I need an adult!"
"No more talking." Tharja resumed her attacked on his pants and Robin became genuinely afraid he wouldn't be able to stop her. She was frighteningly strong.
"Wait, Tharja, for real," Robin panted, hands entangling with hers. "Stop!"
"Why?"
"Because I don't want to have sex with you!"
Silence filled the room, and the candle burnt out. Robin wondered how loud they were before. Tharja stared at him, then sank to straddle his waist, groin meeting his. They were still holding hands, and she met his gaze as her hips rocked against him. Her eyebrow raised.
"Are you sure?"
Robin wet his lips, glancing down. Her wide hips contoured to his perfectly, every subtle curve of her flat stomach catching the moonlight, warmth radiating from her thighs enough to stave off the chill from her eyes. It's like their bodies really were designed with the other in mind.
'Lucina, Lucina, Lucina, focus on Lucina. We're trying really hard not to mess things up with Lucina.'
"Because it feels," Tharja muttered, rocking her hips once more to be sure, and a satisfied smile curled her lips, "Like you do."
Robin swallowed. "Okay yes I do. But I absolutely shouldn't."
Tharja eyed him, like a cat a pinned mouse, weighing entertainment to indulgence.
He took the window of opportunity to continue. "I know we did before, but that was different. You helped me, and I shouldn't have led you on if I didn't feel the same way, but I didn't think it would hurt anybody if we did that and…"
Robin stopped, sensing her stiffen. He realized in that moment he understood little about Tharja, the lengths she would go to, to achieve what she believed was their destiny. He seemed to be the only person she cared about, and if she viewed anyone as a threat to them being together…
"Go on."
He looked up into dark eyes that made the shadows behind her seem grey.
"And I don't want to hurt you," Robin finished, looking away. Tharja smiled.
"You really are perfect. Your strength is matched only by your kindness, but you don't have to worry about hurting me." She leaned forward, purring in his ear, "I was bred to take everything you could give me."
Her hips gyrated against him and he tried to stop them, hearing her gasp when his hands gripped her waistline, his fingers pressing into soft skin.
"Just like that," she breathed into his ear, "Feel me, I'm yours."
Her words brought vivid images to his mind, warmth from her body inviting physical responses beyond his control, sight of her supple form pressed against him enacting involuntary motions.
He clenched his eyes as her warm breath met his neck, and the scent of her hair brought light into the room as she whispered.
"I'm yours, forever..."
Robin stared, looking around the simple candlelit room from where he sat on the bed. It was dark outside the window, rain softly falling against the glass. It wasn't where he imagined this would happen, but… Romance was the first victim of practicality.
Colors blurred, images fading.
Something pushed at his mind, forcing him away. Robin dug deeper, focusing, sharpening the visage.
He looked down, brand on the back of his hand burning brightly.
"It's time…" he exhaled, nodding to himself and looking to the door. "Right?"
Lucina's jaw clenched, no amusement behind her expression. She was steeled, as she'd needed to be. He wasn't going to try to convince her. He couldn't imagine how difficult this was already. He'd done his part in investing her emotionally, the least he could do now was make this painless.
"Okay." He nodded again, meeting her eyes and seeing he'd already failed. "Yeah."
Robin made a wry grin, rising and letting his cloak slide from his shoulders. He folded it and set it at the foot of the bed. "Hold onto this, it'll be a collector's item someday."
He heard a sharp breath from the other side of the room and looked to see her lip tremble. He wasn't helping.
"H-hey," he uttered, making towards her but stopping halfway across the room when he realized how selfish it was. Her embrace was the last thing he wanted to feel, and his was the last thing she needed to.
He took a shuddering breath, looking down and feeling helpless. "It's okay. You'll be okay."
"I won't."
Her voice cracked when she finally spoke. He looked up and she shook her head, tears welling. "I never will be again."
Robin bit his cheek, hating himself more with every passing moment. How had he allowed this to happen. This wasn't what people did, not to someone they loved.
"You were the only time I ever was," she spoke, exhaling a pained chuckle as she held herself.
Robin opened his mouth, wanting to say more, wanting to stretch this moment with her forever. She stared at him hopefully, eyes begging him to let the moment become minutes, or more… But it was time.
His chapter in this tale was complete.
He broke eye contact, sinking to his knees and loosening the collar to expose his neck. He stared at the floor.
After almost a minute he heard her belt loosen, scabbard hitting the floor.
Did he tell her now?
He heard a steadying breath before boots took measured strides, stopping before him.
Should he? It was beyond selfish. But it was also the truth.
Falchion's tip entered his vision, wavering slightly.
Did it make things better, or worse?
"Robin… I..."
His head rose, seeing her silent tears flow. She shook her head, struggling at putting her feelings to words, and his heart ached at knowing what she needed to say. He knew he could save her one last time.
"I know. And if I lived a hundred lives, across a hundred times, I would find you in each. It could always end the same, and I wouldn't change a damn thing, because nothing would be worth trading my time with you."
Falchion trembled and he reached forward, bringing the tip to the top of his neck.
Something forced his mind reeling backwards, vision blacking out as he was shoved forward to the present, words echoing after him.
"I love you, Robin. Forever…"
"...and always."
Robin's eyes shot open as he bolted upright, Tharja crying out in surprise as he thrust her off onto the bed beside him.
"O-oh, rough…?" she asked, eyeing him excitedly.
Robin caught his breath, holding his head. What was…
He looked over, remembering Tharja whose expression had shifted to curiosity. He needed to get out of here, he needed to see…
"Are you well, my love?"
"Y-ye- no, I need to get some air," he explained, rising and sitting down immediately with a wince. He cleared his throat, glancing at her.
"Please don't do anything sexy for a few minutes."
"I don't know if I can help myself..." she purred, leg extending to run a foot over his lap. "What do I get for it?"
"Anything you wan- no, wait!"
"Done," Tharja agreed immediately, eyes alight as her leg retracted like a tentacle.
Robin grit his teeth, blaming his quick mouth and short sightedness on the current lack of blood in his brain.
"And you don't want to break a deal with me," Tharja reminded him playfully, eyes glinting under her bangs.
He clenched his mouth shut before it dug him any deeper.
Minutes later he stood in the hall, looking around before adjusting himself. He'd escaped fate this time, but he needed to find a permanent solution to the Tharja conundrum. One that wouldn't set her wrath on Lucina, the genuine reason for rejecting her advances.
Robin slapped his cheeks. He'd deal with that later, right now he needed to find Lucina. That… vision. This time had been different. Where others had been an open faucet of sights and sounds, this one had been a tap he had to pull every drop from. As though he wasn't supposed to see it.
He had no idea what insight Lucina could offer, but she was the common thread in these. It was his only lead.
Moving down the stairs to find which room was hers, he popped his head into one to find Vaike planking and Gaius leaning out the window. Another room had belongings but no people, and he heard voices from the room next door down. Making towards the end of the hall he was about to open the door when he heard his name. He paused, hand hovering over the handle.
"-and, just in case you'd forgotten that world, it was hell on earth. Dead babies, five-gold-a-gallon-of-water, hell on earth. And he causes it."
"No, that was Grima, Robin would never-!"
"Lie? Say what you wanted to hear to stay alive?" Severa's voice interrupted, and the room fell quiet before Gerome's gravelly voice was heard.
"When we spoke before crossing the ocean, you explained you'd granted a stay of execution until the war against Walhart was won. He is still useful. But look at us, Lucina. Each of us is a living testament to the world we came from. And we're the lucky ones."
"I know that..."
"Do you remember Yarne?"
"Of course I-"
"He thought he was lucky, dying to starvation. Do you remember what that's like?"
"I remember."
"Do you remember Brady? Nah?"
"I remember!" Lucina spoke out, voice raising. "Do not speak to me like I'm a child, Gerome. I remember our friends."
"Then why are you wasting what they died to give us?"
"They didn't need to die so that we could kill!"
"They didn't need to die at all," Gerome snarled, and boots sounded across the room. "They still don't."
"We aren't having this conversation."
"We are," he argued, "Because I need to know, right now, if you can do it."
Silence filled the room. Robin held his breath, waiting to hear her reassurance. The promise to find another way. Gerome hadn't been through what they'd been through, Robin had proven himself a dozen times over-
"I will, when the time is right."
Robin blinked, certain he'd misheard. That was her voice. Lucina said that.
"I'm the only one who can."
His chest hurt. Bad.
Eavesdropping didn't suit him. The last few days had been a pleasant vacation into paradise, but it was time to return to reality. Lucina and her friends were here for one reason, and apparently the only thing keeping him alive was that he might save a few lives in the final days to come.
He walked back towards the stairs, raising one foot before remembering what awaited him in his room, and took the stairs down instead. He felt numb, a more than a little heartbroken. Anger rose briefly, indignation that his life was worth little more than a few words and quiet moments, before sadness quickly overcame it.
That wasn't all… Fake, was it? There had to have been some moments, a time when she'd felt what he'd felt. Or was this the master plan all along? After frontal attacks had failed, another approach. One he'd never see coming. The hand had become the pawn.
Quite the actress, indeed...
It mattered little. Regardless of what she felt, his feelings for her were true. He would die for her if it meant her future was safe. If that was his role in all this… He accepted it.
He loved her. The last few weeks made that much clear. He really, really didn't want to die; but he also didn't want to imagine a life without her presence. Her smile. Her laugh.
It didn't look like those two spheres had a hope of coexisting.
"They didn't need to die at all," Gerome snarled as he walked towards her. "They still don't."
"We aren't having this conversation," Lucina uttered, turning towards the door before he grabbed her arm.
"We are. Because I need to know, right now, if you can do it."
Tense silence filled the room. Lucina yanked her arm free, staring up at him defiantly. Her gaze moved onto her family, and friends. Each stared at her with some combination of uncertainty and confusion. This wasn't at all how she'd intended this reunion to go.
The faces of those she once counted as closest friends watched her as if strangers. She was the outsider who didn't share their views. The heretic who saw the truth of the light and had chosen darkness. If they viewed her with such suspicion, they might take the mission into their own hands. She'd been compromised, and had she been in their shoes, she would have already assumed command. It was a testament to their faith in her that they hadn't already, but if she said the wrong thing, defended "heresy" once more...
They were still unaccustomed to the ways of this world, the idea that second chances extended past themselves. They didn't have the time to learn what she had learned. She needed more time.
"I will, when the time is right. I'm the only one who can."
She hated the lie as she spoke it. Falsehoods uttered to closest friends to protect the man she loved. She would keep him safe, and in time they would see him as she knew him.
"Why?" Gerome argued, visibly unconvinced, "The solution is simple, eliminate the root. Why are we waiting for him to fulfill his plans?"
"Why is it difficult to believe I know him better than you do, Gerome?"
"Because I haven't been corrup-!" Gerome spat, then caught the dangerous look in her eye and calmed himself, folding his arms, "Influenced by him. I'm abiding by your vows, what you told all of us we were here to do."
"I was wrong, and now I'm telling you something different. Robin is not the man we believed him to be. He's kind, and caring, and good-"
"And how do you know he's not manipulating you?" Severa asked before Lucina rounded on her.
"Because Robin would never do that to me!"
Even the crickets outside stopped chirping. All eyes widened, silence setting as realization dawned. Lucina fought the blush creeping into her cheeks and took a deep breath to calm herself.
"Oh…" Cynthia murmured tugging on Owain's sleeve, Inigo becoming very interested in a spot on the floor as Gerome stiffened, mouth open.
"You've got to be kidding me…" Severa breathed, staring at her in disbelief.
"Enough," Lucina uttered, shaking her head, "From all of you. We're to lend aid to the resistance and Ylissean army, that's all. If the time comes and Robin proves dangerous, I will answer him, as I once vowed. If any of you," she paused for emphasis, staring around them as her hand rested on Falchion, "Attempt to harm him… I don't care if you're family, or friend... I will not rest until his fate befalls you. Am I understood?"
Silent nods from all but Gerome whose unreadable mask faced her blankly.
"I explained why I had to do this alone, and I'm sorry I left you all," she continued, expression softening, "But things are different now. This time isn't as simple as we believed. We will bring an end to Grima, and we'll do it the right way, without any more needless death."
"We were given a second chance…" Cynthia spoke softly, glancing up at her before looking to her feet. "You're sure we're not blowing it?"
Lucina moved towards her, and Cynthia looked up when she rested a hand on her shoulder.
"We were given a second chance, and that's exactly why we have to make sure we get this right," Lucina affirmed, smiling.
"This is a mistake," Gerome declared flatly. "You speak of needless deaths, while all I see is needless risk."
"My decision is final." Lucina stated, facing him squarely. "And I will not allow threats to the people I care about, not even from you."
There was no more question about being understood or if anyone had a problem with it. The implication was clear as day, and Gerome's nose twitched before he turned, departing and slamming the door.
"I'm gonna… Make sure he doesn't tear up my pillow," Inigo remarked, winking at them and making to follow. He would keep an eye on him, Lucina knew she could trust her brother.
"I must meditate on the rooftop in the moon's light to master the darkness within me," Owain announced unprompted, striding for the door without looking back.
An awkward silence fell over the girls as Cynthia wrinkled her nose.
"So… Isn't he married? The pale one doesn't stop talking about it."
Lucina sighed and moved for the door, bidding them goodnight.
She stopped outside the hall, leaning against the wall and hearing distant footsteps, a door on another floor close. After a minute of quiet, she ran a hand over her face. This hadn't gone how she'd wanted, at all.
Truthfully she hadn't even planned for Robin meeting her friends, and she felt more foolish now than ever for not having done so. How was she going to keep him safe, with Gerome's uncompromising attitude or Cynthia's enthusiasm for heroics?
She would need to keep a closer eye on him at all times, starting now.
Lucina took the stairs up, intending to check up on him, before remembering where he'd likely be sleeping. Her foot stopped on the landing as her heart pounded.
Tharja had laid with him once before, Lucina recalled with a twinge of jealousy she knew she had no right to entertain. She had been openly hostile at the time. But that was before… Before everything they'd been through. Before he'd ever held her hand or lay in her bed. Before he'd promised to be by her side. She'd heard that some men would pursue multiple women, but Robin wasn't most men. He wanted her, he'd said it himself.
She shook her head, Robin wasn't like that. He'd found some way to placate Tharja's advances, he was clever and loyal and…
A voice was heard up the hall and Lucina held her breath, stilling herself to hear. She couldn't make out words, only a woman's voice. When silence filled the hall she moved closer on the balls of her feet, notions of propriety vanished. She needed to know what he and Tharja were discussing.
Almost to the door she could hear Tharja's husky voice, tone pleased.
"Oh Robin, now you want to…?"
Lucina frowned, curious what she was overhearing. What did Robin want to do?
"Are you feeling well…? You're quiet."
She blinked, having absolutely no idea what was going on.
"O-oh, oh! Oh. Oh? Oh… No, that's not right."
Lucina decided she wasn't interrupting anything and made to knock when Tharja's voice stopped her again.
"Just a kiss, then… We can start slow..."
Now Lucina's heart skipped a beat, anger and jealousy compounding in her chest as mental images of them before the window raced through her mind; the silhouettes closing in an embrace as Robin tilted Tharja's chin upwards, leaning in to-
"Yes… Yes! That's perfect. Robin, you'll be mine, forever…"
Lucina's stomach felt hollow as she stepped away from the door, feeling hurt and dejected. It was worse than having him reject her feelings, knowing he'd chosen someone else.
Someone whose existence didn't come with a timer.
Someone who hadn't tried to kill him.
Someone better.
She descended the stairs, passing the landing to the extra rooms, not feeling ready to sleep yet. She needed to take a walk, idea of "someone better" eating at her. It was true enough, Lucina wasn't the smartest or the strongest, but after all the quiet moments between them, the unspoken words and silent vows, she'd believed… In a fantasy.
But this wasn't a fantasy. It was reality, neither good nor bad. In the real world there were only lessons, pain their only instructor. She would learn from this, grow stronger, and…
Lucina stopped at the bottom of the stairs, staring. The fire in the living room hearth filled the room with warmth, man standing before it facing the flames. She blinked, but he was still there.
"Robin?" She stared. "You're here…?"
He turned, raising an eyebrow. "I am here. So are you."
"Who was Tharja speaking to?"
It was Robin's turn to stare, answering slowly. "At… This very moment?"
"Nevermind," Lucina dismissed, unbelievable weight off her chest upon seeing him alone, and not imagining him in the arms of someone else. Someone better. "What are you doing?"
"Ah," Robin looked back towards the fire. "I'm brooding. Weight of the world on my shoulders, future uncertain. How do I pull it off?"
"If I didn't know you, well." She appraised him, "But I'm going to guess you're more preoccupied with the lack of food in the safehouse."
"The inconsideration! How is any place without food 'safe?'" he exclaimed, "Safe from everything but starvation, maybe. If the venators come knocking how convincing is it that we live here if the shelves are completely empty?"
She smiled as he played off her humor, but in truth he did look troubled. A sadness in his eyes told her the light words he spoke were masking something heavier. She'd been around him enough to know that, at least.
Lucina still felt buoyant upon discovering him alone, and took a step towards him but he turned to face her, bend in the knees giving her pause.
"Are you alright?"
"I-I'm okay. How are you?" he asked nonchalantly, mirroring her next step forward with another away.
"I'm… Fine. Robin, what are you doing?"
"Just… Stretching," he explained, extending one leg back, then the other. "What are you doing?"
"I'm trying to approach you," Lucina replied, stopping in the middle of the room. It dawned on her that he may have run into Gerome, or Inigo. "Is something wrong? Did one of my companions threaten you?"
"No no, they've been… Cordially absent. I just, ah…" His expression shifted to one of rare genuineness, "My head's killing me. I'm having these visions, and I'm all confused."
Lucina took another step closer, watching him with concern before he extended an arm to stop her.
"Robin…"
He hissed, closing one eye and rubbing his temple. "It's okay, I just need a few minutes to… think."
"Let me help," she insisted, ignoring his objections and taking another step closer, raising her own hand to reach for his. It pained her to see him like this.
"N-no, not you."
"What do you mean, not me." She smiled, attributing his words to the pain and moving forward again. "Who else knows you better-"
"You're going to kill me."
Lucina froze, hand still outstretched.
"I know how it ends," Robin muttered, hands falling to his sides as he turned back to the fire. "I've seen it."
"I don't know what you think you saw," Lucina spoke slowly, almost indignant by the accusation, "but I am not going to kill you."
"Not even when the time is right?"
She blanched as he turned to meet her gaze, hurt eyes holding no hint of jest.
"I mean, you're the only one who can. Right?"
Lucina shook her head, a physical rejection to the situation she found herself in. How much had he heard? He didn't seriously think she would… But why wouldn't he? If he imagined her alone with her closest friends, thinking they were away from prying ears, anyone would assume that to be the truth. That everything she'd said or done had been an act. That she didn't love him.
"No, Robin, that's not what I-"
"Wanted me to hear?" He raised his eyebrows, "Yeah, I could imagine this is pretty awkward for you."
"That was a lie, to my closest friends, who would see you dead," she explained quickly, glancing to the stairs to make sure they were alone, "I'm trying to protect you!"
"Which… Would be what you would say, when caught in this situation," he suggested with a shrug, and her breath caught.
"Don't look at me like that, not you," she begged, voice cracking as she took a pleading step forward. "I saw the way the Shepherds looked at me - like I'm the killer who's going to steal you away from the world. Now I face ostracization by my own comrades, the people I relied on most in the world, looking at me the same way the Shepherds did, for not killing. You're the only person who's ever looked at me as something other than a killer, so please… Please don't look at me that way."
Robin's expression softened, visibly regretting his words. He turned back to the fire.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that… Or overheard your conversation. But it's okay. I saw it, and I think it was for the best. I didn't fight it."
"What are you talking about?"
"I think I die… For a better world."
"Stop. You're not being funny."
"I don't believe there's a better cause to be serious. We're coming up to the end, but something doesn't feel right. This shadow in the back of my mind, these… Things, I'm seeing, that I shouldn't be. Something bigger is happening, something I don't understand yet. But I know if I'm gone, you're safe, and nothing is more important than-!"
Falchion's scabbard hit the ground with its belt, and Robin began to turn before arms came around his torso, securing him in place. Lucina pressed against him, burying her face in his back. Robin stared over his shoulder to where Falchion lay forlorn.
"Stop talking."
"Lucina…"
"Stop talking, Robin. I just lied to the men and women I survived hell with, people I've known my entire life, to protect you. I threatened them, to protect you. I don't care about visions or fear for the upcoming battle, because this," she squeezed, fingers digging into his clothes as her arms held him close, "This is what's real to me. So stop talking like you're going anywhere. We are going to finish the journey together. When we stand before Walhart and change the fate of our world, we will do it together. And when all this is over…"
Her voice trailed away as her face burned. Her heart pounded against her chest, and she doubted he couldn't feel it on his back. Lucina was sure-footed. Around Robin she felt clumsy and awkward. Lucina was serious. Around Robin she wanted more from life. She was never good at talking, and even worse about feelings, but around him she needed to try.
He rested a hand on her arm. "Can I talk now-?"
"No."
She squeezed tighter, letting her heart pound as her knees shook, and feeling his warmth unburden her. Feeling his warmth allowing her to forget the heaviness from Falchion far exceeding its weight. Feeling it permitting to her believe, for one night, that this could last forever.
"I've done terrible things to be where I'm standing," she whispered. "And I've done terrible things to you. And if I could take everything back, I would, because I've made so many mistakes and you deserve far more than I've ever given you. You deserve far more than I ever could give you. And it isn't right that I ask for anything, but you promised me you would stay by my side. So if you go somewhere, I'm coming too…"
Robin said nothing. She couldn't see his face, and from this position it was impossible to gauge his reaction to her words. After a moment of nothing but the crackling fire, she gave him a questioning squeeze.
"...You can talk now."
His arms rested over hers, taking her wrists and pulling himself free. She let go, staring up as he turned to face her, expression unreadable. Her face felt hotter than she'd ever felt before, and it took all her nerve to meet his gaze.
Robin's hand came around the back of her head to pull her into his arms. After a minute of feeling his strong heartbeat she nestled closer, resting her head against him. Her arms came up his back, and they returned to that moment in the dance hall. This moment in time that existed solely for them.