New AN: Poor Chrom! But honestly what else could Robin do? She didn't want to ruin an engagement. Again this chapter will be redone a little differently in the new version.
AN: Hey guys! Got another chapter out for you! Hope you like it! Keep answering those polls. So far, older twins is the prefered choice. The name for the female twin is still bouncing all over the place. I'm so sorry that this wasn't up for a while. Other events came up that I was too busy to write. I'm going to try to get at least four more chapters out after this in the next two days. Thanks again for your guys support!
*Disclaimer: I only use the characters from Fire Emblem, I only own my story. Don't own anything expect that.
Chapter Eight
~Chrom~
'Why did you leave me?'
Chrom's thoughts kept ringing with that one question throughout the next two weeks. He had folded Robin's note carefully and tucked it inside a secret pocket in his armor near his heart. Even though Robin told him not to, Chorm knew that he would search for her. Before he could however, he had a duty to his people, he didn't want to marry anyone except Robin but he couldn't break it off without an explanation for the people.
So, the royal wedding was a joyous occasion, attended by thousands from near and far. Finally, it seemed that the last lingering wounds of Ylisse's history had healed. People everywhere rejoiced that peace was finally returning to the country. But all the happiness and the joy of his subjects couldn't heal the gaping wound that had been created in Chrom's heart.
'Why did you leave me?'
Chrom thought through a fake smile as he swore vows of eternal love with Sumia.
'Why did you leave me?'
The question hit him like a stone hammer as he went through his wedding night.
'Why did you leave me?'
The question hit him as he told the Shepherds that they would never see Robin again.
It continued to haunt him as he watched Ylisse slowly rebuild itself.
'Why did you leave me?'
Chrom couldn't answer that question, he could only speculate. Robin's note only expressed her love for him, and even though the words were dear to Chrom's heart, the only thing he wanted was an explanation.
He felt that time had frozen for him the minute that Robin had left. Chrom became an empty shell, a mere ghost of the man he used to be.
The Shepherds were all struck with grief when Chrom told them that Robin had disappeared. Robin had been close to all of the Shepherds but the gang quickly noticed that the person most affected was Chrom. While most of the Shepherds slowly accepted that Robin had left, Chrom couldn't forget Robin.
'Why did you leave me?'
Perhaps Robin had planned to leave all along? Perhaps she had planned on never confessing to him? Perhaps she regretted it? Fleeing to avoid the consequences... But Robin was not the kind of woman to run away.
Perhaps Robin had only been toying with him? Trying to get one of the most powerful men in the region wrapped around her finger?
'No...that can't be it...I believe that Robin's feelings were true...She couldn't have acted all of that...She loved me...'
Chrom had gone out to search for Robin multiple times but could never figure out where she was. He vowed never to give up searching for Robin, and planned to go out by himself the very next day. Chrom sighed as he thought about what would happen if he found Robin tomorrow. The prince stared out into the sunset, completely lost in thought.
A year had passed since Robin's disappearance and these kind of thoughts still regularly filled the prince's head so he was often very distracted. Although, Chrom would have his moments where he would get lost in a fond memory, he never failed to complete his duties to his people. He was a kind and fair ruler, and a good husband to Sumia. Chrom sighed to himself and wished he could change the path that he was currently on. Chrom was so distracted that he didn't hear Sumia come up behind him.
"Chrom," Sumia said. "Are you okay? You didn't eat much at dinner."
"Ah, Sumia," Chrom said, snapping out of his trip down memory lane. "I'm sorry I didn't hear you come over. What did you say?"
"I'm concerned that you aren't eating enough," Sumia said gently.
"Oh, no, I'm fine," Chrom insisted. "I just wasn't very hungry tonight. I, uh, had a large lunch."
"Ok, if you say so," Sumia said, but it didn't look like she had believed him. "Anyway I have something to tell you."
"Oh, what is it?" Chrom asked.
"Um...welll...it's good news," sumia said. "I know you will make a great father."
"Oh, really, that's good, that's good," Chrom said absently until he took in what Sumia had said. "F-f-ather?!" he exclaimed.
"Well, yes," Sumia said happily. "I am carrying our child."
Chrom's face paled for a second then he quickly hide his true emotions and smiled warmly at Sumia. "And you, my dear, will make an excellent mother."
Sumia blushed and said, "Oh, I don't know. But thank you, my love. It is comforting to know that our child will have such a good father."
Chrom nodded along with Sumia but inside he was dying. 'A...child...a...c-ch-child...Forgive me Robin, I never meant for this to happen...Although I wonder...is Sumia's child really going to be my firstborn...Robin...I wonder if you are caring for our child at this very moment...it would comfort me greatly to know that our child could look after you when I can't.'
~Robin~
Robin kept running even though the hot sun kept beating down on her head. She felt exhausted but all she knew was that she had to get as far away as possible before Chrom came to search for her.
Just thinking of Chrom caused all sorts of warm memories to flood her.
That fateful night, they consummated their love, and he told her that he would right his mistakes so that they could be together, forever.
But that wasn't what Robin had wanted at all. She had never wanted to betray Sumia and she hated herself for being selfish and putting Chrom in this position.
She had tried so hard to keep her love to herself. She knew that once Chrom had promised his life to someone else, her love was hopeless. But being the selfish human being that she was, somewhere, deep in her heart, there would always be a persistent longing for him. A longing for him to know her feelings for him and love her back.
When it happened so suddenly, when she heard the exact words that she wanted to hear from him spill from his mouth, Robin felt a huge rush of different emotions.
She wept. She raged. She envied. She hated. She hated Sumia so much and was extremely jealous of her courage to approach Chrom. She hated the stupid, dense prince for being so damn oblivious and accepting Sumia. She hated them.
But most of all, she hated and despised herself for feeling this way.
She thought that she was special to him, that he saw her as more than just a friend. Robin believed that she could live the rest of her life with him. She had all this pent up love and it had nowhere to go. She wanted to get over him and move forward.
But then, Chrom just had to step in, like he always did. His gentle prodding that turned into slightly forceful yet still concerned demands. Chrom had this special talent that he unknowingly used to constantly break down her walls.
Robin had confessed her love for him with the complete expectation of being rejected, which she would someday accept. However, the prince surprised her yet again by returning her affections.
This was the point where Robin entered an alternate reality with Chrom and betrayed the world. She just couldn't reject the man she had always loved. They had consummated their love because they desperately needed to satisfy their hearts and bodies.
But that was wrong. Robin knew it was. Chrom was not hers. It was a simple as that. She knew that Chrom would find the note that she had left him, feeling heartbroken and devastated that she had left without saying goodbye in person.
'Chrom is strong. He'll move on. He would keep being his kind and compassionate self and someday learn to forget about her.'
This is what Robin told herself as she ran further and further away from the love of her life.
'I am forever yours, Chrom.'
Robin truly meant that when she said it to Chrom. Her heart would always desperately reach out for him even if her feet walked in the other direction.
Robin's goal was to settle in a remote village by the sea in northeastern Ylisse. However, she had lost track of how long she had been running and what direction due to fatigue. She was pretty sure she had been running for at least a week by now and Robin could feel her muscles getting weaker and weaker as her brain screamed at her to stop and rest. Robin tried to push the thought out of her mind because she was sticking to a strict schedule. It was a very rare and very short occurrence that Robin ever stopped running to eat or to sleep.
'I need to rest...but I can't...I have to get as far away as possible...I'm...I'm sorry Chrom...Please...Please forgive me...'
Those were the last thoughts that came to Robin's head before she passed out from pure exhaustion.
~Kira~
It was just another day for twelve year old Kira in her small village home in northeastern Ylisse. She had got up from her warm bed, just like always. Kira got dressed and ate a lovely breakfast of cereal and milk with her mother, just like always. She went a little outside the flowers to sketch the beautiful nature around her, just like always. Kira saw a woman lying in the grass near the apple tree, just like...wait what?!
'What is a woman doing there? Is she just sleeping? Or did something happen? Is she okay?'
Kira instantly ran over to the young woman and put two fingers on the woman's wrist. Kira breathed a sigh of relief when she felt a steady heartbeat.
'I wonder where you are from? Your robes...they look Plegian...but underneath the tunic looks Ylissean...hmm...she also has a medium sized bag...it looks like it is filled with clothes and tomes...huh, wait...what is that...'
Kira gently took the woman's left hand in her tiny one. She gasped when she saw the ingraving in the pretty blue stone.
'That...that's the mark of the exalt...what? what is it doing on this woman's ring...it's on her earrings too...my mother told me a story about a ring like this...it was made to celebrate Prince Chrom's birth...why...why does she have it? Who is she? It in the place where an engagement ring would be...is this...is she...the future wife of Prince Chrom?! Even if she isn't...I have to help her...she looks a little pale...and her purple hair looks a little dirty and ratted...I'll fetch my mother...she's a healer...she will know what to do...'
With that little Kira got up and ran back to her cottage, and she flung the door open.
Her mother, Selena, looked up at her daughter with a concerned look. "Kira, my dear, is everything alright? Weren't you going to go pick flowers outside the village?"
Ignoring her mother's questions, Kira raced over and grabbed her mother's sleve and said quickly, "MOTHER! Ifoundawomanoutsidepassedoutinthegrassshelooksalittlepale..."
"Whoa, slow down, kiddo," Selena said. "Deep breaths and then tell me slowly and carefully exactly what happened."
Kira slowly breathed in and then told her mother, "I found a woman outside passed out in the grass and she looks really pale. She is really beautiful and you just have to help her mom!"
"Alright," her mother said with a kind smile. "Just let me grab my staves and supplies and then you can show me where you found this mysterious woman."
Kira jumped around impatiently waiting for her mother to gather her supplies. "Come on, mother, the strange woman could be gravely injured."
Her mother smiled down at her little girl and said calmly, "Don't worry, Kira, I'm coming. I'm sure the young woman will be just fine."
Kira hurriedly pulled her mother out the door and out into the field near the apple tree. "Look. Look. Look, mommy, look, there she is!" Kira exclaimed.
"Now, Kira, just sit here and watch while I look her over okay?" her mother asked, gently.
"I want to help!" Kira exclaimed.
~Selena~
Selena laughed and said, "Okay, just hand me the supplies I ask for okay, Kira?"
"Yes, Mom!" Kira exclaimed enthusiastically.
Selena kneeled down next to the young woman and moved her healing staff over the young woman to check for injuries.
"Hmm...no physical wounds...it seems like that she is just purely exhausted...Hmm...one more test for internal damage. Kira, can you hand me the stave that has the purple gem on top?"
"Hmm...Yes! Here it is!" Kira said excitedly, handing the staff to her mother.
Selena waved the staff over the young woman and almost dropped it in surprise.
'Oh my goodness...this young woman...she...she's pregnant?!'
"Mother, what's wrong?" Kira asked, noticing her mother's shocked look.
"It's nothing Kira, just help me and carry my stuff back to the house. Can you manage carrying the young woman's bag as well? I'm going to take this woman back to our house and watch over her until she wakes up."
'And maybe find out why she's all the way out her, alone, with no husband in sight. I hope she isn't planning on raising that child alone. I was able to get by with my healing abilities when my husband died. Hmm it looks like she is wearing an engagement ring, but I don't see a wedding ring...'
"Okay!" Kira shouted cheerfully.
Selena hoisted the young woman up and braced the young woman on her shoulder. She could only walk slowly with the young woman's weight on her shoulder so it was slow progress getting back to town. On the way there, Selena and Kira ran into a young man who also lived in their village.
The young man immediately walked over and said, "Hey, Selena? Who's that? Do you need some help there?"
"Terrance?" Selena asked. "Oh, my daughter found her passed out underneath the apple tree. I'm taking her back to my house so I can keep an eye on her until she wakes up."
"Here let me carry her," Terrance offered, picking up the young woman with one hand underneath her legs and the other bracing her back.
"Ah, thank you," Selena said.
With Terrance helping them, Selena and Kira made it back to their house much faster. Selena opened the door and gestured to the guest room. "Set her down on that bed please. I'm going to make some food for her for when she wakes up. Kira, put my supplies in the guest room and then can you grab me some cold water and a clean towel."
Terrance nodded and went into the guest room. "Yes, Mom!" Kira exclaimed, following Terrance to put her mother's supplies in the room.
Selena swiftly moved into the kitchen to prepare some salmon and eggs. She knew that the young woman would need protein and vitamin B to support her baby.
~Terrance~
Terrance carefully set the young woman down on the soft bed in Selena's guest room. Kira followed him and set the supplies down and then skipped happily out of the room. He wanted to turn around and follow Kira so he could ask Selena if she needed any other help, but his feet wouldn't turn. Terrnace couldn't tear his eyes away from the beautiful young woman. She had a fair face that was framed by soft, beautiful, purple hair.
'She's...beautiful...'
Terrance furiously shook his head and turned away.
'Foolish Terrance...you know nothing about this woman...she looks Plegian because of her cloak but her tunic underneath is clearly Ylissean... you can't like her...even if she is extremely beautiful...she's a stranger...well you could learn more about her...later though...after she wakes up and is healed...'
He exited the room and went over to Selena's kitchen. "Do you need any help with anything?" Terrance asked.
"Oh, um, yes please," Selena replied without looking up from her cooking. "Could you grab four bowls down from the top shelf of the left cupboard."
"Ok," Terrance said, getting the plates down, while looking curiously at what Selena was cooking. "Salmon and fish?" he asked, confused.
"Ah, yes, to help the young woman's baby," Selena said.
"B-ba-baby?!" Terrance exclaimed.
"I know, I was surprised too," Selena said. "When I was checking for internal injuries, I found out about her pregnancy. She has only an engagement ring on her finger and there was no one else in sight. That's why I brought her back to my house so I can take care of her."
Terrance nodded slowly. "Oh, yes, um I'm going to head home for now. Send Kira over to get me if you need any help."
~Selena~
"Do you not want to stay for lunch?" Selena asked.
"No, I'm fine," Terrance replied. "Could you send Kira over to get me when she wakes up?"
"Ok, I will," Selena promised. The door opened and closed shut as Terrance left. Selena put the finished meal in three of the bowls and placed them on a tray.
"Kira! Lunchtime!" Selena called.
"Ok, Mom!" Selena heard Kira reply.
~Kira~
Kira sat down on a plushy chair in the guest room and silently ate her lunch while she watched her mother wet the young woman's forehead with a towel.
"Mom?" Kira asked.
"Yes, dear?" her mother replied.
"Will the strange lady be okay?" Kira asked.
"Yes, she will be fine. She will be staying with us for a while so I can look after her," her mother said.
"Ok!" Kira exclaimed. "When she wakes up, I can show her around the town!"
"No, Kira, I think it's best if she stays in bed for a while after she wakes up. She needs to think about her baby after all?"
"Baby?" Kira questioned. "I don't see a baby."
Her mother laughed and explained slowly, "Kira, you are my daughter, and I was what you would call pregnant with you. It means you are carrying a child. This young woman you found today is pregnant with her child."
"Oh..." Kira said, with her eyes wide with wonder. "Does that mean there will be another kid in this house for me to play with?"
Her mother laughed again and said, "Yes, eventually, but that will be some time off."
"Mommy, did you notice the young woman's ring?" Kira asked suddenly.
"Huh? Oh yes, of course, it has a very pretty blue stone on it and she has gorgeous matching earrings," her mother said.
"No, no," Kira said. "The engraving on the ring...it's the brand of the exalt!"
Her mother looked at Kira surprised and then picked up the woman's hand to closely inspect the beautiful blue ring.
~Selena~
'Huh?! Kira is right! That is the brand of the exalt on her ring and earrings...does that mean...she is the future wife of Exalt Chrom?!'
"Hmm...I guess it is," Selena said. "Well, we will find out more about the mystery woman when she wakes up okay?"
"Okay, Mom!" Kira exclaimed. "I'll help you care for her in any way possible!"
Selena ruffled a hand through Kira's bouncy brown curls and said, "Okay! Thanks kiddo! For now, I'm okay, so go play in your room."
"Okay!" Kira said, excitedly, dashing out of the room.
Selena watched her daughter go and then turned back to the strange young woman.
"I hope you wake up soon..." Selena murmured.
~Three hours later~
~Robin~
'Uh...my head...w-where am I...what is that shuffling noise?'
Robin slowly cracked open her eyes and attempted to sit up, using her arms as support. However, she was still weak with exhaustion so she collapsed back onto the bed she was lying in. She looked around and noticed that she was in a small bedroom inside a wooden cottage. The bedroom had a small dresser, a desk, a nightstand, and the bed which she currently occupied. A young child was soaking a towel in a bowl of water that was on the nightstand. When the young girl looked up and saw that Robin was awake the girl's eyeballs got as big as saucers.
"Ah! Mommy she's awake!" exclaimed the girl with her brown curls bouncing.
"Nhn..." Robin tried to push herself up again, only to be given a gentle push back down.
"Oh no you don't, miss," a woman who looked to be about forty years old said firmly. "You will be staying in that bed until you regain your strength. You exhausted your body's energy and are very ill."
"No...I'm really sorry for imposing on you like this...I'll be leaving shortly..." Robin mumbled as she shifted to get up again.
"Now look here, young lady," the woman said firmly. "You are going to be staying put." The woman brushed some of her wavy brown hair out of her face and pushed Robin gently down back onto the bed. "Kira, lay that towel across her forehead," the woman directed to the young girl. Then the woman picked up a staff that had a purple stone at the top.
"You're a healer?" Robin asked.
"Yes, my name is Selena. My little assistant here is my daughter, Kira. Kira found you earlier this morning passed out underneath an apple tree in the orchard. I examined you and you are extremely exhausted which is a complete no-no for an expectant mother. Even if you won't think about your own health, think about your child, for Naga's sake. Anyway, you will be staying with us until your baby is born."
"B-baby?!" Robin exclaimed shocked, sitting straight up in bed.
"Yes," Selena answered, fixing a pillow behind Robin to support Robin's back. "I won't ask any questions about you, although your ring there gives pretty big hints."
"Oh, um my name is Robin," Robin said before processing the second part of Selena's sentence. "R-ring?!" Then Robin remembered that she was still wearing Chrom's ring and the earrings. They had the mark of the exalt engraved on them for Naga's sake.
'Oh no...they definitely saw the ring...they know that I know Chrom...'
Robin was torn from her thoughts when she felt a tug on her sleeve. Robin turned and looked down at the little girl, Kira, who looked up at Robin with wide brown eyes.
"Are you Prince Chrom's future wife?!" the little girl asked excitedly.
"Kira!" Selena exclaimed before rushing over to hurriedly escort Kira from the room. "If Robin wants to tell us about herself then she can, otherwise don't ask personal questions. It's rude, little one. Come on, let's leave the young woman to rest a little bit." Turning to Robin, Selena said, "I'll bring by supper for you when it's ready."
With that Robin was alone in the bedroom and the weight of the information that Selena had revealed to her came crashing down. Robin took in deep breaths but she was on the verge of hyperventilating and the brink of tears.
'Oh my gods, what have I done?! Can I even raise a child all on my own? The very idea of having Chrom's child kinda frightens me a bit...if I'm being honest... My child will have an incomplete family...Can I bring them happiness?... Am I worthy to be a mother?...What...What if...my child hates me for the way that I am? Chrom...Chrom...Chrom...Chrom!'
Robin bit back the tears and clutched at the bed sheets.
'He can't hear me...He can't help me...He can't save me...I...I will do my best...on my own...I have to...I must.'
Robin relaxed her hold on the covers and lightly placed her hand on her abdomen.
'My child...I...I love you already. Mother will do everything and anything she can...for you.'
Robin closed her eyes, and settled into the bed, falling into the first peaceful slumber she has had since she left Chrom.
~Selena~
Selena quietly opened the door to find Robin reading something from a rather large tome that must have come from her bag.
"Supper time!" Selena announced gently holding up the tray that had a bowl of ramen on it. There was boiled eggs in the ramen and a small bowl off to the side had the salmon and eggs that were left over from lunch.
Robin looked up and smiled at Selena, "You are much too kind, making me dinner."
"No, no it's no bother," Selena insisted. "You are our guest."
'Hmm...how to bring up the questions about who she is?'
"Um...what are you reading?" Selena tried as an icebreaker.
"Hmm, oh this?" Robin asked. "This is one of my favorite tomes called Treatsie on Tactics. I'm a tactician you see."
"Oh...really, that's interesting. What kind of tactics did you plan?" Selena asked politely.
"Mostly war plans," Robin said. "But I can tell that's not what you really want to know."
"Huh, what?" Selena asked. "N-no...I really am interested."
'Crap. How can she tell? How much does she know? Does she know I want to ask about who she is?'
"You want to ask about who I am," Robin said. "Go ahead, I'll try and answer most of your questions."
'What?! She just read my thoughts?'
"Um...how did you know that what I wanted to ask?" Selena asked.
"Hmm? Oh, I guess I can read people really easily, being a tactician and all," Robin replied.
"And I can ask you anything?" Selena asked.
"I do owe you for taking care of me, so I will try to answer all of your questions," Robin said.
"Who are you?" Selena asked.
"Robin, tactician for the Shepherds," the young woman replied.
"Then you do know Prince Chrom?!" Selena exclaimed with her eyes wide.
"Well...um...yes," Robin said, blush coloring her cheeks.
"Oh?" Selena asked. "Is he your lover? The one who gave you the ring? Are you to be married? Is the child his?"
"Um...I can't answer that...it is my secret...though the ring is his, yes. Though that is pretty obvious isn't it?" Robin asked nervously.
"Hmm...I can respect that," Selena said. "Well you are welcome to stay here if you are trying to make a fresh start."
"Yes," Robin said sadly. "There were circumstances that happened so that I needed to leave. I also can't let Chrom find me. Being the stubborn person he is, he will try and bring me back even if it would hurt others."
Selena put a comforting hand on Robin's shoulder and said, "I won't pry into your reasons and I will keep your secret from the rest of the village and from Prince Chrom if I have to, should he come looking for you. I can pass it off that you are my long lost niece or something and this way I can keep an eye on you until your baby is born."
"T-th-thank you Selena," Robin said gratefully. "In exchange for your hospitality, I would like to help this village with any problems anyone might have."
Selena laughed and said, "Ok, you will fit in perfectly here."
~Robin~
Robin stayed in the small sea village ever since that fateful day. The kind healer, Selena, and her daughter, Kira, became a surrogate family of sorts. Robin was pained to hear the story about how Selena lost her husband to some of the Plegian bandits. Selena assured her that he had died bravely and offered Robin any advice on what it was like to be a single parent. Robin in turn, came to love Selena like a mother, and Kira, like a little sister. The energetic girl always kept her on her toes with her mischievous ideas and her infectious smile. Kira was fascinated by all that Robin could do and constantly asked the tactician to teach her things. Whenever Robin wasn't teaching Kira, she was helping anyone in the village.
She would help the other children to pass the time by telling them stories of her adventures. Robin would also let the older children join in with Kira's lessons. She taught the adult villagers how to increase their yield when they went fishing, how to make better traps when hunting, and how to rotate crops.
She also taught any adults who were willing to learn, swordplay, magic, and tactics. Now whenever, bandits attempted to pillage the town, the villagers were able to stand their ground and give the thieves a nasty surprise. Robin was well-received and loved in the small village and she quickly became part of their beautiful little community.
AN: Sorry! This one is shorter than the past two that I put up, but I wanted to make sure that this chapter was up today. I am really behind with my writing and will do my best to catch up. It looks like the results of the poll and comments from reviews are older twins and Melody as Morgan's twin sister's name! See you soon for the next chapter! 3