AN: Finally, after all this time, it is finally here! Like I said before, starting from this point on wards, I'll be making chapters a bit shorter so that I can post much more often. I'm trying to get it to a weekly schedule, but we'll see how that works out. Might be that there will be times I post more. Or others, like this one, that take a few days more.

With this being such an important chapter to me, I wanted to make sure it was as perfect as I could get it. I was supposed to get a vacation from work and thought I would be working more, but that didn't happen, plus my weekend was spent with family because of Christmas, so not much time to work then.

But that's besides the point! I'm not gonna hold you any longer. Go on, read the chapter! Let me know what you guys think by leaving a review! Remember to follow and/or favorite the story if you really like it (it's freeeee!) Enjoy!~

Chapter 27: A family of two

From the moment he woke up, Robin's emotions entered a cycle that kept repeating itself over and over again. They ranged from excitement, joy, and cheerfulness to fear and even doubt—doubt in himself, not the situation he was in. It was a strange day for him, that was for certain; a day that would change the course of his life even more than the day he escaped from Validar with Tharja and left Plegia in self-exile. One could even say the day was more important than the conclusion of the war, at least for Robin and his soon-to-be wife. It was the day of their wedding, after all; a day he was meant to be nothing else but happy. However, as he paced around his all but empty tent, he couldn't help being worried about how the day would turn out. They'd rushed the wedding quite a bit, and though he trusted Lady Emmeryn, Lissa, and the rest of the people that helped him and Lyn organize everything, he still had to wonder if it was enough.

"Could you stop pacing around already? You're going to be out of breath before the wedding even starts." Chrom was looking over at him from a chair the prince had originally brought over so that Robin could sit, but when the tactician didn't take it, the bluenette seized it for himself. This was the first time that Robin had seen Chrom wearing something formal in royal colors, and it showed that the bluenette wasn't all that comfortable wearing a shirt and coat with two sleeves. As Robin's best man, he couldn't attend the wedding wearing his usual attire, which the tactician was convinced his friend would've done had it not been, again, for Lady Emmeryn and Lissa. He was still silently thanking them for that. "Relax, Robin. Everything's gonna to be fine! I guarantee it!"

"We went into battle many times before, and yet, this is the first time I've ever seen you so nervous, Mark," the bearded bluenette, who stood by the entrance of the tent, said. Hector too had traded in his armor for his "lordy clothes" as Farina liked to call them. If looking at Chrom wearing two sleeves was strange, seeing Hector in anything but thick, plate armor was that much more, even if Robin did see the man wearing something similar the day he married. As Robin's third, Hector was also required to wear something other than armor, according to Lorcan tradition, as it showed trust between the families that were uniting. Normally the positions that would be filled in by friends in a traditional Ylissean, Plegian, and even a Lycian wedding were reserved for family in Lorcan wedding. However, considering that neither Lyn nor Robin had any living blood relatives, they choose their own. While Robin chose Chrom, Hector, and Lon'qu, who sat quietly to a side, while Lyn had gone with Florina, Isadora, and Lissa. "If you rub your chin anymore than you already have, I'm worried you'll start rubbing off your own skin too. Stop that."

The brunette hadn't noticed his own actions, but now that someone pointed it out, he was trying hard to stop himself, being content with scratching at one of his fingers with his thumb instead. He knew they were right. He had nothing to be worried about. Lyn seemed very pleased with everything so far. She'd told him that she never really worried about a wedding before. All that mattered was that they would be there, together. But Robin knew that this was important in a different way too. Carrying on Lyn's traditions meant the world to her, and hence, they were important to him as well. He wanted to give her the best he could, and he knew that what they had was as good as it got, but it still felt… lacking in some way. Perhaps the involvement of family was the biggest factor. The topic of families came up a lot when they were planning the wedding. Therefore, the lack thereof made the tactician feel like things weren't right. Realising he'd been quiet for too long, Robin spoke up. "It just feels like I didn't do enough, you know?"

Chrom frowned, but didn't seem like he had anything to say about it, likely not understanding the origin of Robin's concern. Hector closed his eyes and gave a single nod, as if he did understand where Robin was coming from, but not really knowing how to respond. These reactions were the complete opposite of Lon'qu's, who crooked an eyebrow as he look up at the groom. "You are marrying. So long as you are there and she is there, nothing else should matter. Weddings are formalities. Don't concern yourself over minor details you have no control over."

Robin had to stop himself from staring at the myrmidon for too long, for he meant no disrespect, but from all those present, he never would've expected Lon'qu to be the one to put him at ease. Lon'qu was right. A wedding wasn't like a well planned battle, where one should worry about everything. The fact of the matter was, there was only one thing that was important, and that the union of two individuals, like Lyn and now Lon'qu had reminded him. Taking a deep breath, Robin tried to push any worries to the back of his mind. He was getting stressed out over nothing. It was good to have people around that kept reminding him of his own limitations to put him at ease.

"Yeah, you're right," Robin finally agreed, letting his shoulders finally relax as the words came out. "I suppose that with the war now over, my brain is trying to cling onto something else to worry about. Thank you, Lon'qu."

Of course, even though he mentally was a bit more at ease, that didn't stop his hands from sweating. Robin would constantly have to rub them against his coat. Having known that something like that would happened, the tactician had opted to wear his coat until the very last moment possible before changing to the clothes he would be wearing for the ceremony. When they were brought to him, Robin found them quite interesting. They were very similar in design to those he'd seen Rath and Guy wear back in Elibe, except these were obviously not meant to be worn into battle by swordsmen, not only the overall design and materials used, but also how it would restrain some of the freedom in movement necessary to wield a weapon. Much like the cloak he wore from day to day, this coat was also a shade of purple that looked almost black in the shade. The golden trimming had a triangle pattern to it similar to that of the sleeves of his cloak and went over each edge of the coat. There was also a lighter purple sash that was meant to be worn over it, on his waist. All in all, a nice looking piece of clothing. Robin was glad that the eye motif from his cloak didn't make it onto the coat, as he always found them slightly disturbing, more so because of the mark on the back of his right hand that shared the same symbols.

"Okay, I think it's just about time," said Chrom as he gave a single clap to bring Robin back to reality once more. With those words, everyone but Robin made their way out of the tent as to given the brunette a bit of time alone to get changed. It wasn't as if his clothes were hard to get into. He'd heard Lissa complaining multiple times before that getting into her dress was impossible without someone giving her a hand. If that's the case for a normal dress, Robin thought, I can't imagine what it will be like for Lyn right now.

Once changed, there was still one last thing for the dark mage to do before he left the tent. Taking a piece of polished silver from the pocket on his cloak, he used the metal as a mirror. It wasn't that he was vain, but more to do with his hair always being messy. No matter how much he tried, it always went back to looking like he'd just woken up. The day before, he'd gone to Cordelia, who knew her way around hair, or so Gaius told him. He hoped to get her to share some secrets, but even she couldn't fix his hair enough for it to look decent. In the end, she offered to give him a trim. Looking in the mirror now, Robin was a bit disappointed. The haircut was great—it was significantly shorter to the point that he could now see his ears completely, but he still liked it—the problem was that it still looked messy. At least I shaved, he thought as he ran his fingers from cheek to cheek. He could still remember Lyn's comment from when they first kissed, and though she said it was mostly teasing, he wouldn't want that to happen on this special occasion.

With everything set, Robin left the tent after taking one last look around to make sure he wasn't forgetting anything. Just outside, Chrom, Lon'qu, and Hector stood. The three were having a small conversation Robin had been hearing Chrom complain about in the past.

"As a prince, you'll need to marry sooner rather than later, Lord Chrom," Robin caught Hector saying. The marquess didn't seem to notice how uncomfortable Chrom was about the conversation. The prince only sighed, almost as if he already knew what the conversation was going to result in.

"You sound like my sisters, you know," Chrom complained as he crossed his arms over his chest and avoided looking at anyone. "Emm keeps telling me that, but then, isn't that a bit hypocritical coming from her? She's not married either despite being older than I am and she's also the Exalt! If someone needs an heir, it should be her. I just don't feel like I'm at an age to marry just yet."

"But you have someone in mind?" Chrom's cheeks flared. It was a good thing he'd been looking away, otherwise it would've been even more obvious to all of them that he did in fact have someone in mind, someone that Robin already knew very well, even if his friend never actually came out and said it.

"Hector here married in his late teens," Robin cut in, giving enough of a break for Chrom to breath with relief, but just enough for Hector not suspect anything of the regression of the conversation. "And as I recall, your brother never married either, did he?"

The Great Lord shook his head. "Uther was too stubborn of a man to look himself a wife, even when his whole counsel and myself advised him to do so. That's all the more reason why you should look yourself a wife, Lord Chrom. If time has taught me anything it's to always plan ahead. Had things turned out differently during the war, your kingdom would be left with no one to lead it. Should I remind you that it was not only the Exalt who was in danger, but yourself and Lady Lissa as well?"

"That's not to mention that if you wait too long, you might miss the opportunity," Robin quickly added, noticing that the conversation could work to his advantage. If he pushed the right buttons, then it would be easier for Lyn to convince Chrom to talk with Sully later on.

Hector smirked. "Says the man that met his fiancee eight years ago, and yet, only confessed his feelings to her recently, despite everyone knowing how she felt about him, oh Master Tactician! What would the world think of you if word were to get out, I wonder?"

The jab was enough to get everyone to smirk at the brunette, who flinched in response. Comparing his love life to Chrom was hardly fair! "We're talking about very different situations here! Not to mention that it's only been about three years for me since I first met Lyn…"

Chrom was showing a cocky smile, much to Robin's dread. Thankfully, before any more teasing could be done, Lon'qu, the savior that he was, spoke up again. "Enough talk. We'll run late if we keep standing here. Let's move."

The camp itself felt somewhat desolate without the Shepherds walking around, despite it being a nice, sunny day out. Even most of the soldiers, Feroxi and Ostian alike, had made themselves scarce, going to the nearby town to drink or enjoying the small break in their tents. It was as peaceful as it could ever get in the hectic war-camp—though it couldn't be called that anymore given that the war ended. Without anyone stopping them the whole way, it only took the group a few minutes to find themselves at their destination.

Instead of a church as was common practice for Ylisseans or a house as it was for Plegia, the whole thing had been set up outdoors. That's not to say that there weren't any decorations or that people would need to stand or sit on the grass. The few trees around them had been decorated with ribbons of multiple colors and pieces of crystals were strung on their branches, refracting the light of the sun towards the surroundings, giving off an almost surreal feeling because of all the different colors that would change as the crystals swayed with the wind. A good part of the ground was covered by rugs of different sizes and colors, that defined the guest's sitting area. All those in attendance would also have a cushion to sit on as to make it more bearable for those who weren't used to sitting on the ground. And is turned out, those cushions made for decent chair stand-ins. Plus, it was much more affordable than getting everyone a chair. It was simple, and yet, it had quite a charm to it, dare say, a natural elegance to it. There was something quite nice about having an outdoor wedding. It was as if the small breeze helped put everyone at ease, especially Robin. The rustling of leaves was also calming to an extent, but that was overpowered by the sound of people talking.

Thinking back at it now, seeing most of the people there dressed so formally was quite strange. Since he'd met most of them, he could count the days in on hand of the times he'd seen some of them without a piece of armor on them. Frederick looked a lot bulkier than Robin had ever imagined the man to be, which should have been a given with the size of the armor the knight wore daily. Stahl was a bit more lanky. Vaike looked like a dork with his sleeves rolled up to his biceps, but it was as good as it would get with the axe-man. Nowi looked even younger with the puffy dress she was wearing, all smiles as she laughed at something or other. Matthew acted natural, likely used to wearing such garbs from his days at Hector's court. Robin could make a comment about every single one of them, but that would have have to wait.

As they approached, people started turning over in their direction. One by one, Robin greeted everyone and thanked them for coming. Sully looked uncomfortable when her turn came. She didn't smile at him, but at least she didn't frown or anything else either. I should be happy that she showed up at all, if what Miriel said is anything to go by, he thought. Her responses were short, but Robin supposed that it was better than her not showing up at all. With greetings over, he moved to the very front, standing at the center, with his three friends to his side. Serra was there, waving at him joyfully. The priestess had offered her services for the ceremony. She was the only one from Elibe that could unite them in matrimony, after all. The girl— no, woman (Robin had to remind himself that every time), was instructed by Lyn on how to conduct the ceremony since the nomadic tribes of Sacae had their ways of doing things. They respected Saint Elimine and the gods of the other countries in Elibe, to be sure, but they were people of Mother Earth and Father Sky.

"How are you feeling, Lord Mark?" The pinkette asked as she rocked from side to side, looking at him with a clear glint of mischief on her eyes. If he didn't know better, Robin would think she was trying to poke fun at him for looking so nervous, but despite first impressions, Serra was a sweet one. And the best way to deal with one such at her was to not try and hide the truth, especially about something that was plain to see.

"I'm a bit nervous, to be honest," Robin confessed, rubbing at the back of his neck. "I was never one to think about marriage before. Standing here now, it's quite nerve wracking. I feel like I'll wake up any moment now and be back in Ylisstol. Or worse yet, Plegia."

Serra chuckled, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. "Well, I can assure you, Lord Mark, you are quite awake. It's quite common for men to be nervous on their wedding day. My dear husband was too, though he would never admit to it. And don't get me started about Marquess Hector! There are many stories I could tell you about that one. Worry not. It'll pass once you lay your eyes on your bride. I guarantee it!"

"Thank you, Lady Serra," Robin said, giving a small bow as a show of appreciation.

"You are very welcome, Lord Mark!" She showed a genuine smile, likely more having to do with him referring to her by title, as the priestess was always one to give too much importance to such things than to him thanking her.

"Oh, but I feel I should remind you of something now."

"What could that be?" There was intrigue in her eyes. For a second she looked nervous, as if she'd forgotten something or there was a slight change of plans. Robin chuckled at her reaction. Fortunately, it was much simpler than that.

"During the ceremony, please don't call me 'Lord Mark'. No need for titles. And above all else, remember that my real name is Robin, not Mark. If you called out for Mark, I'm not sure my brain will react at all. I'll stand there like a fool, just waiting."

Serra chuckled nervously, not rocking anymore. "O-oh! Right! Robin..." It was clear that Serra had forgotten all about that little detail. Robin counted himself lucky that he had the chance to talk to her once more before things got started. "But enough of that! I believe you would rather look over there than talking with me."

Robin raised an eyebrow, not sure if this was Serra's way to hide her embarrassment, but as she continued to insists, he finally turned to look in the direction she was pointing. His eyes widened as he found Lyn. She looked… incredible. Despite her body showing very little skin compared to her usual attire, there was something entrancing about her dress. The colors worked well together and made her natural beauty all the more prominent. The shape of it enhanced her curves all the more. It was like nothing he'd ever seen before or expected, but no one would call the dress anything but beautiful. This was also the first time Robin could recall ever seeing Lyn with her hair out of a ponytail or hanging loosely. Two small braids were fashioned into a sort of circlet, ending at the back of her head in a tight bun. She was also wearing makeup, which Robin hadn't never seen her wear before. Her eyelashes never looked longer nor her lips more enticingly red. Whether the blush she was showing was the real deal or makeup, the tactician couldn't tell from that far away, but he suddenly felt like the luckiest man alive to be marrying such a beauty and wondered if she knew she was getting the shorter end of the deal my marrying him.

Chrom nudged him after a couple of minutes, leaning in close to whisper something into his ear. "If you open your mouth anymore, you're jaw will hit the floor."

The groom hadn't noticed at all. It was embarrassing to be caught by Chrom gawking at his bride, but it was even more so when he noticed that his friend hadn't been the only one. Already he could see a few people snickering as they tried to avoid his gaze, Lissa being the loudest amongst them… and she wasn't really hiding it either. To make matters worse, she whispered something—likely Robin's reaction—to Lyn, who turned to look over at him. Their eyes met, and no longer did Robin care about anyone else but her. His mind went completely blank, his cheeks already hurting from the wide smile he was showing her. Likewise, she smiled back at him, her cheeks flushing an even prettier shade of red. It was torture having to wait for her to finish greeting everyone before she would come to his side, but Robin endured it, his eyes not leaving her for a second.

By the time she walked to him, it felt like an eternity and a half had already come to pass. Robin had to restrain himself from kissing her right then and there, crowd be damned. If he had, he would've gone back to messing up the usual steps people took in these kinds of things. No, he had to resist the urge and wait. It wouldn't take too long anyways. With both of them in place, they were ready to begin the ceremony.

Instead of the usual arrangement of the priest being at the very back with the bride and groom showing their backs to their guests, in this case, Serra would stand between the guests and Robin and Lyn, leaving the bride and groom front and center, facing the crowd. Chrom, Hector, and Lon'qu sat slightly to his left, while Florina, Isadora, and Lissa sat to Lyn's right. There was also no musicians present to play during the ceremony. They weren't needed there, as the sound of nature and the chiming of the crystals hitting one another as they swayed with the breeze were more than enough to give a calming effect.

Before Serra began, she had Robin and Lyn face each other and hold hands. They would maintain that position for the entirety of the ceremony. Robin was happy about it, as Lyn was the only one he really wanted to look at, but it also came with a noticeable problem. He lost himself so much in the nomad's eyes that he was only half listening to what Serra was preaching. He already knew most of what she would say anyways since he'd been present most times when Lyn had told her about what would normally be said. Of course, Serra being Serra would put her own twists here and there, but that was besides the point. What struck him the most was the idea of uniting not only two tribes, as was common for the nomadic tribes of Sacae, but two worlds, and how despite being apart for so long and by unimaginable distance, they'd found each other again, showing that they were destined to be with one another.

Before he knew it, the time had come for them to exchange bows. Serra turned to first Robin and said, "now, if the groom would speak from his heart, let his words reach for hers so that she may be his."

Robin swallowed hard, finding that his throat had dried up quite a bit. He knew what he wanted to say. He'd practiced for days and days, hoping not to mess up, but at that moment, those words he'd written weren't coming to him in the same way. He cursed himself for not bringing with him the pieces of parchment. It would've been embarrassing to have to read his vows, but at least he wouldn't mess them up. Did the Lorca know that this would happen? Was that the reason why they had them "speak from the heart"? He would have to think about that another time, as they were all waiting on him. Taking one last breath, the Plegian was prepared to push on.

"Lyn. When we first met, I was a very different man from the one that I am right now. I lived through many hardships time and time again, and it felt like the world had always stacked the odds against me. I'd lost my family and friends to war, I was taken from my second home to a cruel a cold place… I felt like I was in a dark cave, slowly suffocating. I had lost all hope not only in myself, but in those around me as well. The world was always cruel to me, so I wasn't sure how to react when I met a young woman that had a spark in her that I lost years before despite us sharing a similar past. You shined in my eyes like beacon, signaling the ship that was my life to safety. And though I hesitated to take you with me when I was leaving, I was at the same time glad you came. As we traveled together, I subconsciously clung to your light. I'd been drowning and suddenly I had fresh air. I wanted to protect you; to keep you from becoming what I became.

"Little by little, you broke down the walls I constructed around myself to keep others out. I began to see things differently. I experienced things that I can say I never had before. I have you to thank for that. You made me into the man that I am today. Had we not met, I'm not sure I would've ever had the guts to leave Plegia in the first place. I would've resigned myself to my fate, whatever that would be. But now? You gave me control over my own fate. You… quite literally gave me my life back.

"I no longer spend my time thinking about my past in disdain. No, I spend my days thinking about the future we will build together, you and I. I think of having a home we can call our own. Starting a family. Growing old together… I'm no longer afraid to face my tomorrow, because, at the end of the day, I know you will be there with me.

"I don't have much to offer you, Lyn. What I do have is my heart and the rest of my life. I love you more than anything in the world, and if it takes me the rest of my life just to show you how much you mean to me, then that is something I'm glad I can do. I would be honored to be called your husband. And know that, no matter where you go, I will be with you. Forever and always."

A small tear was threatening to overflow from Lyn. Robin was worried that he'd started thing with a dark tone, but seeing the way Lyn was smiling at him, all his worries were washed away. His heart was beating as hard as a drum in his ears. Time seemed to slow down for a moment, for which Robin was glad. He gave Lyn's hands a squeeze, rubbing his thumbs over her knuckles. There was nothing else he could do now but wait.

"The groom has spoke," said Serra before turning to look at Lyn. "Now, may the bride's heart speak true so that her words may reach the groom's heart."

Lyndis looked down at the ground for a second as if to compose herself. Taking a deep breath, she looked back up at Robin, looking much more confident than before, though her eyes were still soft and full of caring.

"I didn't know how dear you were to me until the day you left Caelin. I knew we would go our separate ways eventually, but I wasn't prepared for how empty I would feel inside. At first, it was easy to put up with it. I invested my full time and attention taking care of my grandfather and getting to know him better. I also had friends with me that made it better, like Florina, Wil, Kent, Wallace, and even Sain. But as days became weeks and weeks became months, I knew something wasn't quite right, and it took others to point out what it was. I missed the conversations we would have every day. I missed seeing those rare smiles you showed every time we won a battle or we ran a scenario correctly. I missed you teaching me about tactics, even if I wasn't the best of students. But more importantly, I missed you being there no matter what I needed, be it to talk about something on my mind, to lend a helping hand, or just to keep me company. I didn't know it at the time, but I'd missed my first chance…

"And then a year passed, and against all odds, you came back to aid me in my hour of need once again. I was overjoyed to see you again! I would get my chance to tell you how I felt… But with everything that was going on—one thing after another—I didn't think it would be good to distract you with such things, and so, I decided to wait. It was hard, especially because you would still make time to come talk to me, even when there were so many other people joining us. Before I knew it, we'd won the battle against Nergal, but I still hesitated. I told myself that I would tell you once you came to visit Caelin, after Hector's wedding… but you disappeared. And so I missed my second and third chance…

"I went out looking for you instead, hoping that someone would know what happened to you. Years went by and I tried to stay strong, hoping that one day I would find you. And I did! The day I found you in Ferox was the happiest I'd ever been to that point. Except for you clothes, you looked exactly as you did when I first found you on the plains of Sacae. I didn't care about why that would be, just that you were there once again. But once more, though my heart told me to confess my feelings for you, I was too afraid. I wasn't sure you felt the same way, and if you didn't then I wouldn't know what to do anymore… So I stood by, not knowing what to do—hoping that I would come up with some plan that would make things worked. I could feel my fourth opportunity to tell you how I felt slowly slipping away. That is until you showed me how you felt with a kiss… And now, here we are! Years later, but here we stand, together again…

"You said that you clung to my light, but I clung to yours as well. There wasn't a single day that I didn't ask myself 'would he approve of my actions?' or simply wondered if you would do the same. And now that I have you by my side again, in front of our friends, I'll tell you now what I've always wanted to say.

"Since the moment you woke up back in Sacae, I fell for you. I've loved you more than I've ever loved anyone else. You reminded me that there was more to the world than my own past. You pushed me forward every step of the way to become who I am today, and that makes me love you all the more. I too would be honored to be your wife, Robin, and to be able to call you my husband for the rest of our days."

Robin felt a warmth in him grown with every word Lyn spoke. How he'd wished he'd known back then. Maybe then he would've tried harder to stay in Elibe or find a way to return. Yes, he'd thought that all of it hadn't been an illusion—a part of the training Validar had put him through—but that didn't mean he couldn't look for a way back.

Those thoughts were broken when he heard a sniffle coming from his left. Both the bride and groom turned to look at the priestess, who was trying her hardest to hide away the tear that was rolling down her cheek. Robin and Lyn were both understanding, not wanting to push her forward. She already knew it was her turn to confirm everything.

Coughing into her fist to conceal her state, Serra said, "you've heard your words. It is clear how the two of you feel about each other, but I am still required to ask," she turned to Robin first. "Do you, Robin, take Lyn of the Lorca, daughter to Mother Earth, as your wife? Do you promise to protect her, to defend her, and to stand by her side for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," said Robin, his voice firm, showing no hesitation. He'd never been more sure about anything in his entire life.

Serra then turned towards Lyn and said, "Do you, Lyn, take Robin of Plegia, son to Father Sky, as your husband? Do you promise to protect him, to defend him, and stand by his side for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Lyn said as her smile grew wider, her voice just as firm as his.

"Then, I pronounce you husband and wife! And though I know it isn't part of your traditions, Lady Lyndis, I think we all will want to see it done still." Lyn furrowed her brow slightly in confusion, likely wondering what the priestess was referring to. Robin, for his part, looked at his bride— no, to his wife. "You may ki—"

The tactician couldn't wait any longer. He laid a hand on Lyn's lower back and the other at her neck before giving her a kiss that tasted wonderfully, her lips feeling softer than he remembered. It didn't take long before Lyn returned it in kind, wrapping her arms around his neck as their friends laughed, clapped, and whistled at them. If they'd been anywhere else, it would've been enough to make Robin pull away, but he really didn't care anymore. He was happy, and he would very well enjoy the moment.

AN: So I'll start of with something that made me a little sad. I'd said before that I wanted to base the wedding around some Mongolian tribe weddings and such. Unfortunately, I couldn't find much at all about them online... So I had to be creative, using whatever pictures I could find online as inspiration as well as thinking about tid-bits of what it would be like based on what little we do know about the Lorca. Lyn's wedding dress (described on the last chapter) and Robin's suit are based both on images I found online as well as the look of Lyn's clothes on Rekka No Ken, in case you are curious. In Lyn's case, I also got some information from a great manga called Otoyomegatari (A Bride's Story), so as far as the skirt goes, it is a lot puffier than what she normally wears, which I thought was a nice contrast. But because there is some Chinese and Japanese inspiration on some of the nomadic tribes' clothes, I had to find a middle ground I was comfortable with.

As you can see, I took advantage of the bows to kinda go back to their stories a little bit. I especially wanted to do it with Lyn because there have been very few chapters with her perspective showing up, and in the cases that they do, she is not expressing her past to anyone, because who would do that during a normal conversation? It helped to also weave in a few extra details in there that either hadn't been mentioned before or were mentioned so long ago some people might've forgotten them.

Last chapter I said that I wouldn't be doing the dancing/reception scenes, but I'm going back on that. Next chapter will be all about the wedding reception. It'll help me put a few things into gear as well as finish others for the next arc, which should "start" the chapter after that one with the army finally reaching Ylisstol.

Poll: The site had a problem a few days ago and I lost about 4 of the votes that were put in on the poll :c But it's fine! The poll will be up until I post next chapter. With 10 votes, I'm pretty much convinced that you guys are cool with a lemon one-shot, so I've already started work on that. Of course, the more votes there are, the longer I'll end up making the chapter... or something like that. I have about 3k words so far as a draft that I'm pretty happy with. I'll let you guys know next chapter what the name to the story will be so that you can look it up, just in case.

Reviews:

Sugouxxx —I'm glad to see you around here again! I'm assuming your talking about the one-shot I mentioned? I'm already working on it, actually c:

Whatstoknow —That was fast! I've barely touched it since last chapter. I was gonna play it earlier today while I was cooking, but man, I was like "naaaah". As soon as I turned on my 3ds, I set it down, didn't touch it again. The start has been sooooooo slow! Everyone tells me it gets better and all, but so far I can't get into it the same way I used to get into earlier version, you know?

potatoman098 —That's how I like my stories! Foreshadowing is always fun, but if you take too long to bring something back up, you might forget. With how long it's been since I started this story, I need to go back a read through it to remember just what is already in place, haha! Very true that they all have normal lives too! Because of the way the game begins, it's hard to imagine them taking breaks to just fool around too much. I think stuff like that will be easier to happen once the Valm arc starts just because there will be a lot more traveling involved.

JP I'm Italian —I forgot that guests can't vote on polls. I wish there was a way to let it, but I guess then people would vote form multiple PCs or something. I honestly don't remember using Kellam all that much. It would be interesting to give him a class switch, but then the team would lose someone big on defense. Plus, there are enough thieves/assassins if you also count in those of Awakening that can take up the class by default. There will be a big mixer to see what characters go where. Just because one ends up in a different world doesn't mean that they'll have to stay there forever either. The scroll is... well, it'll come into play soon, as in a two or three chapters soon. But no, it isn't the Emblem Scroll. For Libra and Lucius I find that in most Japanese games, male priests are made androgynous and most of the time blonde too. It's pretty weird, now that you mention it... As for Florina, that was the plan from the start, but even given that position, I feel like she would be a bit insecure.

dragoon109 —In the opening cinematic for Rekka No Ken they give a little history for the world, mostly The Scourging. They explain that it was humans who struck first. You can find the info on the wiki too, in case you want to check.

Greyjedi449t —Thanks a lot! Glad to hear you like it!

Yellowclover —Nobody knows it, but Nowi is... a mastermind?! That is some food for thought right there! It's like you said, Sacaean tribes are based more around Mongolian nomads, but it's just the clothing that doesn't fit in so well, which was why I'd said I might mix it up with Japanese and such. Didn't do that much in the end. The only thing that might seem Japanese is the sash, but Lyn is wearing one with her normal outfit, so it didn't seem out of place to me. Well, I do have a background with roleplaying on other sites that does lend itself better for lemons, in my opinion. Like you said, I've read a few on fanfics here and... well, they felt very one sided and... awkward? Unrealistic? For me it has to do a lot with pacing, I think. In most cases I see it just BANG (hehe) it happens! No build up whatsoever. I've done one before on the first chapter of Uncertain Times that I was confident in, but saying it would turn out like that would be wrong simply because the situations are so different. For that story, it helped to build the world and characters. In this one, it is more to explore the connection two characters have. Besides, practice makes perfect! Can't really grow as a writer without critic!