Hello, everyone! I'm back again with another chapter!
The reception for the last chapter was better than I expected, to be honest. I wasn't sure if you guys would like it because I switched the style so much with it not being locked in one perspective. I gotta say, having tried both now in the same story, I can see more clearly the benefits and limitations that each option has. While not locking perspective helps with how fast I can write since I can jump to another character if I feel stuck, I think you get much more of a character's psyche and personality across on a locked perspective.
This chapter was nice to write, but it did take longer to write than it should have. I wanted to get it posted at the end of last month, but I kept going over it again and again to fix little things that I lost track of time. Still, it's still early in the month. I want to try and push myself to post another chapter before the end of the month. Wish me luck on that!
Anyways, hope you guys like this one! Remember to leave a review to let me know what you guys think about it (what you think worked and didn't work). Also, if you haven't already done it and you really like this story, add it to your follows and/or favorites! The more it has, the more exposure it gets, and that just makes me happy, hehe. Enjoy~
Chapter 24: Preparations Needed
For being worlds apart, the differences between the Ylissean plains and those of Sacae were minimal; nothing but grass and the odd tree as far as the eye could see, or at least that was the case from the angle Lyn was sitting, as the town the army had stopped by could be seen some distance away behind her. It was a calming experience to be able to enjoy a relaxing time after everything that had happened since she joined Robin and the Shepherds in their cause. The sound of the breeze waving the grass and rustling the leaves of the tree she was sitting beneath was very calming. It greatly reminded her of the plains she grew up in. But what made it all the better was the man she was resting her back against with his arms wrapped around her in a tender, yet firm manner that added to the relaxing atmosphere.
This was one of the few times they'd been able to spend a morning together without having to worry about being interrupted or seen. In the case of Robin, he'd spoken with Phila, Frederick, Raimi, and Oswin the day before so that they could divide his work evenly, running them through all the logistics and paperwork that needed to be taken care of for the single day. As for Lyn, she had spoken with Chrom the day before, saying she would be missing sword practice, which the prince understood too well, and even teased her about going on a date with her now fiancé. Lyn wasn't embarrassed to admit it, however—the teasing didn't have much of an effect on her. If anything, she enjoyed hearing someone else refer to Robin as her fiancé. Thinking about it, it was surreal even for her to call him that given that only a few months prior she was still looking for him in Regna Ferox. And soon I will be calling him my husband.
There, beneath the shadow of the tree, the two lovers relaxed all the while their smiles wouldn't leave their faces. They cuddled in comfortable silence, enjoying each other's company and warmth—both had left behind their armor back in their tent seeing as how the perimeter of the town had been secured from any Risen threat, but taking their coats to protect them from the cold that had started to take over Ylisse. It was good to see Robin wearing his old cloak again, although she wondered if she would ever see him wearing a green one like the one he wore when they first met.
This was bliss for Lyn, who had never thought the two would share such a moment or even advance her relationship with Robin so much in a short time. While she was happy, she also wished they could have been like that back in Elibe, six years prior. Then again, if they had, it would have been much more painful to have Robin disappear without warning than it had been back then...
The greenette turned to look at the tactician, who was looking out into the distance. He looked serene. She was glad to see it. For weeks, even with the war over—work aside—it seemed that he'd been having a hard time in Ylisse. They spoke many times about it as she wished to understand what was bothering him so. He hesitated, but her persistence and stubbornness eventually won over. He explained that there were some Ylisseans that still resented Plegians. It wasn't the first she heard of it. Sully had shown as much during different occasions albeit not for some time now. Vaike didn't seem to like Plegians either, but he was better at not showing others his thoughts than Sully was. Robin said that even with the war having seen its end, its occurrence solidified the hate against Plegians that some people felt since the crusades. He tried to brush it off by reminding her that she too had it hard back in Elibe, with the discrimination against Sacaeans, but that didn't ease her mind. If anything, it worried her more. She understood how tiring and painful it could be to discriminated against for one's heritage. Unfortunately, there wasn't anything she could do about it except comfort him and talk to him about it in hopes that it would ease his mind.
She'd asked Chrom about it during one of their training sessions before, hoping that he would know a better solution. The prince seemed to be oblivious to it, saying that Robin nor Tharja ever said anything about it to him or anyone else and when they were with him walking around town, villagers and townsfolk wouldn't show any negative feelings towards the black mages. Still, he was not surprised to hear about it nonetheless. "Even if they both had a direct role in saving Emm, people won't see past their hate," the prince had said. "All they see are Plegians that are waiting for an opportunity to stab us in the back. I can't say that the hatred will disappear soon either. It's been a long time since the crusades ended and there is still animosity between our nations for it."
"Can nothing be done about it?" she'd asked, hopeful, but already knowing that the likely response would be "no".
"Emm has been thinking of offering the mantle of Grand Master to Robin, for all his efforts during and before the war. It is an important title and position in Ylisse that would grant him some authority, a sit in the council, and a small piece of land. Something like that could show the people that they shouldn't judge someone simply for being Plegian, at the very least. And if he named Tharja as one of his retainers, she too would be eventually accepted...I think. That would get them some respect from some folks, but others… I can't really think of any other short term solution that would solve the problem as a whole. And even this solution depends on Robin accepting the role of Grand Master. You and I both know how stubborn Robin can be when it comes to titles."
Noticing the stare of his beloved, Robin turned to face Lyn. His smile grew wider before he planted his lips lightly on hers and held them in place for a moment. She beamed at him, pushing herself closer to him and sighing in satisfaction as he pulled his lips away. She thought it best not to worry about those things for the time being. This was a rare opportunity—one she wished they would have plenty more of in the future—for them to be alone for a whole day. She refused to ruin the mood by bringing up the topic if she could avoid it.
Instead, she focused on something else as Robin went back to looking out at the plains and tightened his grip around her slightly, just enough that she could feel it, but not enough that it was uncomfortable for her. The ring that decorated her left hand came to mind. She'd worn the same earrings for most of her life—they were the same ones she was currently wearing—and even those were by her mother's insistence. It was safe to say that Lyn didn't think much about accessories or even fashion. And yet, she loved having that ring on her finger. It was of a simple design; a gold band with an emerald on top. "To match your eyes," he'd told her the day he kneeled before her to present it.
Offering a ring for an engagement wasn't a tradition that the Lorca held. Then again, arranged marriages were also common among her people. She had to count herself lucky to be able to choose who she would marry. She'd told Robin that he didn't need to go through the trouble of getting her a ring, but he insisted on it. No one would have expected it to become such a difficult task to obtain a ring. Four times he tried, and four times he'd been kicked out of the stores. It seemed that no one was willing to sell to a Plegian. She tried to convince him again to dismiss the idea, but it was in vain. "I'll try something else," he muttered to himself one morning as he left the tent after they'd broken their fast. Lyn wasn't sure if she should've worried or not for the brunette, but she decided to leave him be. If something happened again she could insist once again for him to forget about the ring.
Well, he did do something else. He'd crafted it himself! While the goldsmiths and jewelers wouldn't listen to his request, a blacksmith did. The blacksmith told Robin that he'd grown too old and that he didn't have the patience or finesse to craft the ring himself, but that he was willing to teach Robin how to make one from scratch. And so, the tactician went to purchase a necklace from Anna, who was more than happy to offer a selection of different necklaces. Robin said that he was glad he'd bought a necklace instead of a ring from the trickster seeing as she might've tried to get more gold out of him otherwise to keep the secret of the engagement.
For two whole days, she barely saw Robin. He would leave earlier in the morning and return later at night, too tired to do anything but lay on the bedroll and sleep. He also made sure to not let anyone see where he was going—she would ask if anyone had seen him, but they would only see him leaving and returning to camp like her. On the third day, he handed her the ring.
Yes, Lyn wasn't much for jewelry. But that ring, she was ecstatic to wear—so much so that she would only take it off when bathing. She would treasure it, not only because of its significance, its beauty, or the fact that it was given to her by the man she loved, but because he'd gone through the trouble of learning a new craft to make it himself and present it to her. From touching the imperfect surface of the ring she could imagine him working meticulously on the small piece. It was proof of how much he cared about her. It was her treasure.
She was brought back to reality when she heard a thunderous crunch. She looked to her left to see Robin chewing on an apple, still holding the fruit close to his mouth. He looked at her as he chewed and raised an eyebrow, offering her a bite. Without taking the apple from his hand, she too took a bite out of it. It was juicy and sweet. The two chuckled to themselves and then continued eating the apple between them.
"This place reminds me of home," Robin unexpectedly said, tossing the apple core a side and cleaning the juices left on his hand on the soft grass. Lyn was surprised to hear that. Though he had said before that he'd lived in a non-desertic area, she never expected him to be somewhere quite like that. "Well, except that it was much warmer and there were far more boulders around. When I was a kid, at times I didn't have that much energy to do farm work, I would always find shelter under a tree like this and take a nap or play with the other kids to see who could climb the largest boulder."
Lyn chuckled as she tried to picture a younger version of the tactician doing those things. From what he said, it seemed to her that he'd gotten a normal childhood, which shattered the picture she had of a young Robin surrounded by books, reading, much like she would find him from time to time in their tent. "It's hard to imagine you without a book by your side," she commented. "Don't take it the wrong way, but I can't think of a time when you were on your own and doing nothing, both during our time in Elibe and since we met in Ferox."
"It couldn't be helped." He shook his head as he turned to look up at the rustling leaves of the tree above. "When at war, you hardly find a moment to take a break. There are always things that need to be taken care of by someone. Back then I didn't fight. It was only fair for me to do those things to help everyone. Now I do it because I'm used to doing the work. Still, I think you are wrong. I've always been able to relax when I'm with you. That also goes for our time in Elibe as well as here."
"You never mentioned it back then…" She averted her eyes, a slight blush dusting her cheeks as she squeezed his forearms. She also felt the same towards him. That was why she sought him out so much back then and why she continued to do so after he'd disappeared. But now they were together. She could enjoy the calm of his aura wash over her while her heart fluttered in her chest by his touch or his voice.
"But I am now." He held her chin with one of his hands and moved to face her. He kissed her again, this time lasting longer and with more passion than the last. She turned her body around, wrapping her arms around his neck, a hand on his hair and the other touching the back of his neck. The two stayed like that for a while, deepening the kiss. They would separate every so often for a second to catch their breath, but ultimately, their lips would find each other again and they would continue to kiss. He would press his tongue against her lips, and she would gladly let it slip and tangle with her own. With no one but them around, they could finally enjoy each other's company to their hearts' content without worry.
This was bliss for them both.
Alas, they were only human, and with the hours passing by, hunger and thirst got the better of them. Having only packed enough for breakfast, the two were forced to head back to town, much to their disappointment. It wasn't all bad, though. They would still be able to spend their time together. The change of scenery wouldn't put a damper on their day, especially with the town they were currently visiting. The small town was the definition of peaceful. There were crowded areas, thanks in the most part to the presence of the Shepherds, the Feroxi and the Ostian soldiers that the town's people wanted to see, but they were orderly and not overly loud about it. This also helped in keeping the attention away from Robin. in other towns, he'd received hateful stares and comments from the locals if he was ever in a public place, which he would try to brush off with a laugh, but Lyn could still see those words cutting deep into him.
The large army's presence also made it difficult to find a place to have lunch. The stalls that lined the streets were empty, their produce long gone, not allowing them to buy something to take with them and eat elsewhere. The restaurants and cafes were full to the brim, some with waiting lists of over an hour long. It would seem like the pair would be forced to return to camp on an empty stomach and scavenge for whatever food they could have. Just as they were giving up hope, someone called out to them.
"Robin! Lyn! Over here!"
The two looked around until they found a certain pigtailed princess waving at them cheerfully. Next to her sat Emmeryn, who joined the princess in waving, although, in a much more refined manner—Lissa was standing on her sit, waving both arms up in the air, while Emmeryn waved at them from her sit. The lovers decided that the least they could do was walk over there and say hi.
"Wait a second!" Lissa exclaimed, her eyes widening as she looked at the two of them. Not understanding what was going on, Lyn stopped in her tracks, followed by Robin, who raised an eyebrow at the girl. He was about to say something when Lissa gasped. "You did propose! You proposed and you didn't even tell me you were going to do it?! And here I thought we were friends! Meanie!"
It took a second for Lissa's words to sink in. Robin had proposed long ago, but neither he nor Lyn had brought it up with anyone other than Chrom and Florina since Robin had said he wanted to get her the ring before telling the rest. The sudden reaction of the blonde made sense now.
"Come on, Lissa," said Robin with an apologetic smile. "I only gave the ring to Lyn this morning. We left camp to have some time to ourselves too. You two are the first people we've seen all day aside from one another."
Lissa squinted her eyes at Robin, but seemed satisfied enough with his answer. She nodded in approval as she jumped down to her sit, plomping herself down on the wooden chair with some difficulty because of her dress. "That's good enough of an excuse. I'll forgive you, but don't think I won't be asking for details, mister!"
Emmeryn chuckled, looking at the two standing before her and offered them a smile. "It seems congratulations are in order," she said. "I'm glad to see something so beautiful come out from the war. I hope you two have a happy life together."
"Thank you, Emmeryn." The Blade Lord bowed. "It is very kind of you to say that."
"Why don't the two of you join us for some lunch? It looked like you were trying to find a table when Lissa spotted you. That is, unless you don't mind us intruding on your date."
"Not at all! We'll be happy to take a sit with you both. Right, Robin?"
"Sure. Thanks for the invitation," said the brunette as he took one of the open sits, Lyn taking the other.
"Speaking of invitations~" Lissa sang as she leaned in closer to the table and rested her head on her hands. "When's the wedding! I need to mark it on my calendar. Oh, but I'm still expecting to get an invitation. It doesn't count if you just tell me the date, you know?"
"Then what's the point of telling you in the first place?" Robin asked, followed by him sighing and Lissa laughing, saying something about his face that Lyn couldn't quite catch. "We haven't had a chance to talk about the wedding much other than having it be a traditional Lorca wedding. I still have other responsibilities that take priority if we want to keep moving to Ylisstol."
"A Lorca wedding, you say? It sounds like it will be a wonderful experience for you both," said Emmeryn.
"You are familiar with Lorca weddings, your Grace?" Lyn asked, pleasantly surprised. Not that she should be. From the time she had spent talking with the Exalt, she seemed to know a great deal of things about every single topic that came up except for swordsmanship. For that, Chrom, Frederick, or even Lon'qu were better conversationalists. Well, maybe not so much Lon'qu, as holding a conversation with the man was close to impossible for a woman.
Lyn could clearly remember a time when she found the swordsman in a stalemate with two of the other notoriously quiet members of the army. The exchange back then, if it could be called that, was more through eye contact than words. Lyn had been looking for Florina—she wanted to tell her about Robin proposing—when she found Lon'qu, Florina, and Olivia staring at each other, but not saying anything. Florina and Olivia were blushing madly, while Lon'qu gritted his teeth. None of them said a word. Lyn, curious as to what was going on, also remained quiet to see things unfold… Nothing did happen, even after ten minutes came to pass. It was only when she made her presence know to talk with Florina that they came out of their paralysis.
Florina explained that she had been practicing her dancing techniques with Olivia when they stumbled onto Lon'qu. The three had shot away from each other immediately. Being embarassed to be caught like that, Florina said nothing. Olivia, who was also telling her version of the events, said that she too was too embarrassed to be seen dancing sloppily that she found her voice had left her. In the end, Lon'qu took the distraction as an opportunity to run away.
"I've read that the different tribes of the plains had different styles of weddings," Emmeryn explained. "There were mentions of some of the traditions of the Lorca in old story books I read as a child, but it seems that most of the knowledge was lost to time- Oh… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up painful memories."
Lyn shook her head. "Please, don't worry. It is nice to hear someone talk about the Lorca so kindly. As the last of the Lorca, it makes sense that the knowledge was lost. I witnessed a few weddings myself as I was growing up, but there are things that even I'm not able to recall correctly. We used to have a chest full of important documents that included texts on traditions back in my tribe, but it was stolen along with the lives of my parents and the rest of my tribe…"
As if sensing the sadness that she wasn't showing, Robin squeezed her hand gently. "Why don't you tell us about what you remember? We can try filling in the blanks of everything you don't remember as best we can."
"Yeah! Good idea, Robin," said Lissa cheerfully. "But before that, let's order some food. I'm starving!"
They went on to discuss the details while they waited for their food, during the meal, and even after it. It seemed that a Lorcan wedding was much simpler in terms of what was needed to hold one. Though many of the items would have to be custom made, they would still be cheaper over a traditional Ylissean wedding or even a Plegian wedding. But the one thing that stood out over the rest was the location for it.
"The outdoors?" Robin repeated as he picked at a piece of cake that Lissa had forced everyone to eat so they could stay on the table without annoying the waiting patrons. "Can it be anywhere outdoors?"
"I'm can't say for certain. Being part of a nomadic tribe, all the weddings took place in different areas, but they all had a view of the sky. Then again, the Sacaen plains are vast. You could go anywhere and still find a spot that would fit the description," Lyn explained.
Emmeryn hummed as she held her chin in thought. "It would be safe to assume that open plains would be the safest choice. I wonder… Have the two of you visited the outskirts of town yet?"
"We spent our morning there," Robin affirmed with a nod.
"Oh! I see where you are going, sis!" Lissa grinned before turning to the couple. "Then, you would agree that it is the perfect place to hold your wedding, right?"
Lyn gave it some thought. During her time with the Shepherds, she'd seen many areas that would fit the description she gave. The Halidom wasn't lacking in any of those. But from them all, she did have the best experience in that one specifically, be it because she'd been able to enjoy it with Robin or because there was peace at last, she didn't know. "I don't know if it could be called the perfect spot, but it does fit the description, yes."
"Theeeeen~ Why not have the wedding here!" Lissa grinned from ear to ear, looking like she had just made the most important discovery of the century.
"It is a great place," Robin agreed. "Maybe after things settle down, we can look into it some more."
"Wha! Why wait! You should get married while we are here! It would be a hassle to go back to Ylisstol and miss this perfect weather, wouldn't it? Besides, almost everyone you know are gathered here already. It's your best chance."
"Calm down, Lissa. Even if you say that, we don't have anything prepared. From clothes, to music, to tents. Not only that, I don't have that much pocket money right now. Combining what Lyn and I have, it would take us another month at the very least to pay for the bare minimum, and that is if we put every piece of gold we get into it."
"Then allow me to take care of paying for it," said Emmeryn.
"I-It's very kind of you, Emmeryn, but I couldn't-"
"You would deny me the honor of doing at least this much for the man and woman responsible for saving my life?" Lyn didn't know what to say… She certainly was grateful, but was it alright to allow the Exalt to pay for something like that? Back in her tribe, the wedding would be paid by the families of the bride and groom, though the guests would always pitch in with work or food to lessen the burden. "I think this wedding is long overdue, going from the stories I grew up with. The two of you have waited long enough. Why wait any longer?"
Both Robin and Lyn looked at each other and blushed. It was true that she had dreamed of something like that during her time in Elibe, though it was more of a literal dream than something she frequently wished for or sought. "I think… I think we should do it," Lyn whispered to Robin.
Robin rubbed the back of his neck. "I suppose you are right. If it's going to happen eventually, might as well be now. No time like the present. Though, with everything that has to get done, it would take at least a couple of weeks and I don't want to overstay our welcome in town."
"Don't worry, Robin," said Emmeryn. "I will arrange things to cut down on time. There are good seamstresses here, from the clothes I've seen with Lissa. We can start looking into making Lyn's dress tomorrow, as it will take the longest of all to make. For now, let us discuss this on the morrow." She made to get up. It looked like Lissa was about to protest, but then she stood up too and smiled. "I'm sure the two of you have much to talk about. Enjoy the rest of your day."
And they did. For the rest of the day, Lyn and Robin did talk about a great deal. It seemed that because they would need to take care of different things, which included a present to one another during the ceremony. They wouldn't tell each other what the gift would be, but Lyn already had something in mind to give Robin. When her mother and father eloped, she'd given him a sword, which he used from then to the day of his last battle. Lyn thought that it would be a perfect present to pay tribute to her parents. Also, Robin didn't seem to have any sort of attachment to his swords. The first had been lost in the sand, impossible to find. And the one he got after that was a common steel sword, but it's state left much to be desired. Not only that, but she found from seeing him and training with him herself that his sword didn't match his fighting style—a unique style he'd created for himself after training with many different people. All she would have to do was find a blacksmith that could make the sword in a short notice. Maybe the one that taught Robin to craft the ring could help.
"Is something wrong, Lyn?" Robin suddenly asked, catching the greenette off guard. "You've been quiet for quite some time now."
Lyn shook her head. "Everything is perfect," she assured him before planting a kiss on his cheek.
The night eventually came rolling in, meaning that they had to return to camp. There, during supper, the two announced to everyone (Lissa was quick to run the news through most of the camp since that afternoon) that they were engaged and were planning to marry in the next few days. With cheers and drinks, most everyone celebrated, especially those close to the couple, as Basilio and Flavia ordered for more drinks be brought to the mess tent. There were more than a few people ready to offer a helping hand for the wedding in whichever way they could, most notably Frederick offering to take over Robin's tasks around camp until after the wedding so that he could concentrate on other preparations instead. Lyn could see how happy Robin seemed to be.
"These people are the closest thing I have to a family," Robin had once told her. She understood completely, as she too felt the same way back in Elibe. And even in Ylisse, Lyn felt that she'd become close with a great deal of new people.
Robin did look surprised when Vaike came over and got him in a chokehold—he didn't actually choke the tactician—and congratulated him. Lyn wanted to see Sully do the same, minus choking her future husband, of course, but the knight never approached them. In fact, she had left the tent shortly after the announcement had been made. It worried Lyn. It was no secret that the redhead was close to Chrom, who in turn was Robin's best friend. Ever since Hector and the rest showed up, Robin and Sully had become more distant with one another, despite all the progress they'd made up to that point. Likewise, whether or not that was the root of it, Chrom and Sully didn't seem as close as they had once been since then. And there wasn't much Lyn could do about it… Sully would still be invited to the wedding, though her showing up was another matter...
"I don't blame Sully or anything," said Robin after Lyn had voiced her concerns. He'd taken her words to heart, it seemed. Lyn couldn't imagine Robin wanting things to remain the same, especially if Chrom eventually decided to propose to Sully—that is, if things did get better between those two. "It's difficult to approach her after what happened. That's all. The day we celebrated the victory against Plegia, when we sat together at the table? I couldn't even think of anything to say to her."
"She must be thinking the same thing," said Lyn. "I don't think anyone would like there to be animosity between themselves and someone they have to work with on a daily basis. From what I know of Sully, she can be stubborn. I don't think she will try to make amends on her own."
"I'm more than willing to extend an olive branch to her, but getting her to listen to me for a few minutes is easier said than done."
A few minutes… There had to be a way to have Robin and Sully talk with each other for a few minutes without interruptions. But how? If Chrom ordered her to do it, as a soldier, Sully probably would, but that would defeat the purpose. It had to be natural. That's when it hit her.
"You want me to dance with Sully?!" Robin repeated, his jaw dropping slightly. He looked stunned, which was kinda cute, Lyn had to admit. "I don't think you know what you are saying, Lyn. She is the last woman I can imagine dancing, let alone dancing with me. Besides, wouldn't that make you uncomfortable? It's supposed to be our wedding. Shouldn't I dance with you?"
"It's one dance, Robin. I'm not asking you to do any more than that. She won't have a way to escape if you ask for a dance. If you pressure her a little, she will give in. Then you can use that time to talk. As for dancing with me, don't worry, we will dance plenty with each other. Back in my tribe, the groom and bride would have a dance together and then follow it up with choosing a guest each to share another dance before going back to each other for the next and then repeating the process. Those who start dancing will also pick a new partner each time, which could give Sully some time to mull over what you say before Chrom asks for a dance."
Robin was giving it a lot of consideration. It seemed that he was putting things together on his mind as well. "And how will you convince Chrom to dance with her? I don't think if you've noticed, but Chrom isn't exactly the most...forward when it comes to romance."
Lyn already had her response ready. "After you and I dance, I will chose him as my first partner and convince him of doing so. And if you chose Florina, then everyone will think that we are dancing with each other's best friend and nothing else."
Robin raised and eyebrow and grinned. "Well, look at you? You have a mind for tactics too, Lyn."
"I learned a thing or two while I lived with my grandfather from the maids that worked there and nobles that would visit," Lyn explained with a cheeky smile, but inevitably shrugged. "But I still rather leave that up to you. I've never been fond of manipulating people, this being an exception since it directly affects your relationship with someone else."
"Then I better make sure to make the best of this opportunity and not let it slip by," he teased.
As the small celebration began to wind down and everyone started to head to their own tents, Robin and Lyn decided they should retire too. The day had been everything both of them had hopped it to be. Sure, Lyn hadn't thought about planning so much for their wedding so early on, but she was by no means displeased with it. And what better day to end what had been a perfect date than by ending it the same way it started, with her resting her head on Robin's chest.
The two had stripped their boots and coats, leaving them aside in an orderly fashion, before laying down on the bedroll. Robin ran his fingers through her hair, which normally would make her go to sleep right away any other day. There was so much in her head that was keeping her awake, though. Not wanting to fall asleep just yet, she began to stroke Robin's cheek, noting how nice his smooth skin felt.
"This is all...really happening, isn't it?" Lyn asked suddenly. She felt Robin's hand stop for a second before he resumed the motion.
"What makes you say that?" he asked.
"It wasn't long ago that I was alone, still holding onto hope that you were alive and well—that I would find you and you would recognize me… And that everything would be like the last time we were together… Being with you right now is… It's just...surreal. Enough so that I sometimes think to myself that I must be dreaming all of this—that I'm still back in Elibe, sleeping in some inn or some forest as I continue looking for you…" She could feel her eyes beginning to sting. So silly. To cry for something that was only on her mind. She was supposed to be an adult now, following his example from his time in Elibe, and yet, despite being older than he was she couldn't help it. She buried her head on her chest, her hand clutching onto the same, wishing that Robin would not see her in a moment of weakness like that. "...Please, let this not be a dream…"
Robin remained quiet for quite a while, still stroking her hair before he spoke. "When I was a child, I used to have these terrible nightmares. I would always wake up crying or too afraid to leave my bed. One day, my father told me that in dreams, everything you see is not real—you cannot feel anything physical. You sense things like the moisture or dryness in the air, the heat of a fire, or the pain of a great fall, not because it's really happening, but because your brain is telling you that's what you should be feeling.
"Tell me, Lyndis. What do you smell right now?"
She took a small whiff. "Many things," she answered, her voice somewhat muffled by his shirt. "I can smell the citrus coming from the scented candles that are burning, the dirt and grass from the outside, the smell of your books—that old paper smell that lingers around even if they are out of sight—and… I can smell you; the faint mixture of parchment, ink, ash, and sweat."
"Ah, sorry… I didn't think I sweated that much. That's embarrassing, but more to the point: why do you think I smell like ash?"
Lyn gave it some thought. From what she recalled, Robin had never smelled like that back in Elibe. The ink, parchment, and sweat had always been there, but ash? Had he been near a fire recently? No, he hadn't. She'd been with him the entire day to know that. If they had passed by a fire, the smell of ash would have stuck to her clothes too. Finally giving up, she said, "I don't know."
"I wouldn't expect you to. It is a smell unique to those that wield dark magic. Each school of magic has it's own unique smell. For anima casters, that further depends on which kind of spell the caster uses most often. Now, the reason I bring this up is because back in Elibe, I didn't use my dark magic. If I did smell like ash back then, Canas should have recognized it as a sign that I was a dark mage, and yet he did not. So, think about it, Lyndis. If this was a dream, how would you know about my smell?
"How would you know how me holding you would feel, if we never laid together like this?" He ran a hand up and down her back, putting enough pressure on it that she could tell what he wanted to say with it. She could feel it, not just sense it. She slowly brought her head up, noticing the dampness on his shirt where her eyes had been. With his free hand, Robin lifted her chin to allow them to see eye to eye. He smiled at her radiantly. "How would you know what it feels like when we do this?"
Like he'd done so many times during that day, he brought their lips together, sealing his argument with the most real kiss Lyn could've ever experienced. With that, all the doubts she had on her mind vanished instantly. It was true. She was there. He was there. They were together. The finger that was running through his hair had an engagement ring, proof that they were to marry. The warmth of his body welcomed her, as if she was always meant to receive it.
"I love you so much, Robin," she said between kisses.
"I love you too, my dear Lyn."
Another Lyn chapter. I wasn't expecting to make another one so soon, considering I made one recently. I thought it would work better if I had the chapter for their date in Lyn's perspective over Robin's, considering everything she went through to find him. We'll be seeing more Lyn perspective chapters in the future, but I can't say when the next one will be. Next chapter I will go back to multiple perspective, but this time it'll be different, with characters having their own, self contained, chapter plots. Already have a few ideas for that. It'll make for a long chapter, I'm sure. This also takes me to ask you guys for some help: who do you guys want to see dance together? I'll include as many couples as you guys can think of, but some of them will only be mentioned in passing. If I see one that catches my eye, I might make something more out of it.
I found an old chapter I made for this story way back when I first started it out. It's actually a chapter that was meant to take place after the Plegian war, actually. Though nothing from it is usable now, I think it would be a shame to delete it or forget about it. Since it's not that long, I'll include it as a bonus of sorts on the next chapter (I won't publish it as it's own chapter to avoid confusion to those that don't react the author's notes.
Lastly, my birthday is coming up! It's actually on father's day, so I was thinking of making a small father's day chapter for this story centering around Robin and his family. It wouldn't be chronological to the rest of the story, and because this story evolves with each chapter, some of the things mentioned on it could become irrelevant in the future, but I think I still wanna do it. I mean, I see a few stories on ff centered on mother's day, but I can't think of any that celebrate father's day. I'll see if I can get it done on time. Little less than two weeks to get it done.
On to reviews!
Greyjedi449t -hope you like it!
XenoEmblem4TW -I so wanted to play more with the whole Serra thinking about them doing naughty things. Would have been funny xD Thanks a lot! And this chapter and the next couple should satisfy that desire for more Lyn x Robin moments.
Sugouxxx -Silly things can happen when people don't see the whole picture, more so when they start jumping to conclusions. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it! She did pretty much admit it, but keep in mind that the politics of Elibe are very different from those of Ylisse. I'm basing a lot of it on the possible endings for characters, so at the very least it's my take on it. And Serra is married to Oswin. Those two made the most sense to me, to be honest.
Whatstoknow -Ah, those YouTube filled days. I'm very familiar with them. Too much so, I do admit. They are part of the reason why I take so long at times to get chapters done Dx Hope things are better over there!
Rayne Thanatos -A bit meta that the characters of a shipping simulator are talking about shipping, haha. When Lissa remembers "how things ended up for them" I wanted to include the actual events, but it would have pushed the focus too far from what was happening. Maybe it'll come up again another time. The number of manaketes on this story keeps going up. Can't forget about Nils! Yeah, Fae would be the youngest of them all by far. I do agree that she would get along very well with Nowi. As for Nowi, she did explain in the game that she was "like a thousand" years old. I always assumed that she had to be over a thousand, but that's just me. Hmmm, Karel as Saint or Demon? Both of them are good because of different reasons xD I think it depends on the picture you want to paint of him. There is still a chance that the characters from the Black Fang (dead or not) might show up in the future. I already have a few things planned for a couple of them, so we'll see if that will include Ephidel too. I tried reading the manga after you suggested it, but I dropped it after a few chapters. I was disappointed to see that the focus was some random kid instead of one of the main characters from the game :/
Yellowclover -Thanks a lot! I don't know if I would call it an ark just because to me, an ark should be pretty long. I know this will carry on for the next few chapters, but it will go back to a big ark sooner rather than later. Still, I'll have some fun with it, making the best of the chapters I do decide to overfluff. Because it was one of those things that had to be pushed aside for the sake of the main storyline, this is a good chance to bring it back. These chapters may have more fluff and silliness than the others, but they should all have some seriousness in them too.
JP I'm Italian -Don't worry about it. As long as you post a review once after you read it all, it's all good in my book. Can't say why you thought it was complete xD Still a long way to go before that. Thanks, I really apprecaite the kind words c: I don't think I've ever heard of that Fic. I might search for it when I have some free time since it has a bunch of chapters. I was going to do that part, but because I wrote the whole chapter while I was on a plane, I didn't get the chance to do it. I think it'll still come up at some other point in the future, though, so don't worry too much about it. You'll get to see it eventually. Elibe is a mystery right now. The absence of Hector could cause trouble or maybe not. At this point in the game, there weren't concerns yet about the increasing hostility of Bern. As for Legault, he explained that he got his orders from princess Guinivere. Why? Well, that's still a mystery.
animeandgamerlover2 -Well, the wedding is happening a lot sooner than you might think! I don't know if they will get drunk, but there will be a lot of sex...probably. This a T rated story. Don't think you guys will get to see most of that xD
Defcon Deceiver -The only one that I missed was talk about Florina being shipped with someone else. Oh well. I'm trying to keep both games true to themselves, despite the changes that I'm making. Based on the endings for Rekka No Ken, the society there is more like our own was during the middle ages, while Awakening's is much more modern. Those themes you mentioned will all be showing up more and more, especially when the story turns to Elibe. I can tell you that the dragonstone they are making is not a simple dragonstone. If it were, then they could just buy one or find one instead of making one. As for specifics, those will show up until Ninian receives the stone. Overall, I do think Aversa is an interesting character. I wouldn't mind bringing her back, which was why I left her fate open ended, but for that to happen I would need to plan for it, which to this point, I haven't done. I can see where you are coming from. Robin having a big family would be nice, I agree. Right now, I can say I'm not against the idea of a harem, though if it happens, I would want everyone on there to be accepting of each other and love each other too. When I see harems on other fics, it is usually all girls having a romantic relationship with the guy, but not with each other. I think I would want them all to be equals there. As for the sacking of Sacae and Lyn taking the title, it would make sense for her to do it if they knew that the events of Binding Blade are going to happen. As they stand, they don't know any of it, which leaves them tips the scales in favor or returning to Sacae over Caelin.