Robin steadily progressed through the metaphorical mountain of tomes he had collected on government and law. If he was going to train the next Exalt, he was going to do a good job. It also had the added benefit of letting him forget his own grief for a time.
It had only been a few days, and he had not yet fully come to the realization that they were gone. No more evenings jumping from idle chatter to deep subjects of contemplation seamlessly with Chrom, no more comparing thoughts on novels both good and bad with Sumia, no more prank wars with Lissa, no more training sessions with a curt nod of respect with Lon'qu, no more of Cynthia and Owain's antics. Then…the children. They were the most tragic loss. They had so much in front of them.
Robin suddenly slammed his fist into the table causing the librarians on duty to look at him before returning to work quickly upon realizing who had caused the disturbance. Robin sighed and shook himself out of that line of thought and got back to the books. There was a lot of research to do. Chrom had let him know that there were some less than noble nobles in the court, and Robin intended to make sure Lucina could go toe to toe with them.
Lucina. She had been so shut up lately. Not that he blamed her, but this was clearly unhealthy. He had asked around, and he was apparently the only one she had spoken to much at all, and even then it was only during the briefings that he had delivered. He was worried about her. She was expected to say something at the service tomorrow, and he was afraid that she may not be able to make it through it. He was dreading his own part at the Shepherd's service enough as it was. However, try as he might, he could not imagine the depths of her pain. He had lost friends, a brother even; she had lost her parents, again, as well as the entirety of her family.
Sighing, Robin packed up his books and ordered them moved to his study. In the meantime, he decided to see if he could help Lucina.
Lucina stared blankly at the open book before her. It was some tome on government which was likely very important, but she was having a hard time focusing. Unlike before, now she did not have the fall of humanity to keep her motivated in addition to the fact that before she had lost echoes of people. She hardly remembered most of them, even her father. Her mother was a bit clearer, but, still, it was easier not knowing what she had lost. And poor Cynthia too…
"Lucina?" She heard Robin call out for her. She was conflicted. He had a knack for making her feel better which she could really use right now, but she was also not keen on being close to anyone at the moment. Gerome's old mentality had seemingly been vindicated. Letting people close was to allow the chance of being hurt. Besides, she did not want to worry him nor did she want to face the feelings he brought to the surface.
In the end, her own desires barely inched out a victory, "Come in."
Robin carefully entered the room. It was not dark at least and it looked like Lucina had been reading. Now that Robin was there though, he was at a loss as to what to say. "What are you reading?" He asked lamely.
Lucina seemed a bit confused but answered nonetheless, "One of the books on government Maribelle recommended."
"I see," Robin shuffled, "I've been working on your, uh, training regimen. I should have a preliminary plan ready soon."
"That's good," Lucina replied in full regality. This was not what he had in mind.
"So, uh, do you know what you're going to say tomorrow?"
Lucina's regal façade showed a crack as she quietly replied, "What can I say? How do I put their lives into a few words?"
"I'm afraid I don't have that answer. Just…speak from the heart. Tell the people who their royals were."
"Let them know," Lucina murmured, "Thank you, Robin."
Robin gave a small smile, "Anytime. I'm here to help. If you ever need anything, just let me know."
"I…will keep that in mind. Thank you."
"Of course," Robin gave a slight bow and retreated leaving Lucina to wonder why he had bowed before turning back to her desk. She closed the book and pulled out a blank parchment.
Robin filed in with all the other military officials. The only ones he personally knew well were Frederick and Cordelia, but neither were seated near him leaving him between generals he hardly knew. The brass was not exactly overly fond of how quickly Robin had ascended the ranks, but most at least respected him so they could work together well enough. There should be no problem sitting with them.
After everyone was seated, Lucina stood and approached the podium on the dais overlooking the caskets. She was dress formally, but it was nothing particularly extravagant: a simple black dress suited to the occasion.
Lucina looked down at the closed boxes surrounded by flowers briefly before looking back at the expectant audience and then back at the notes she had made. Finally, her eyes briefly found Robin's as his word rung through her mind, "Just…speak from the heart."
"Exalt Chrom…was a wonderful man. He never stopped caring for others and putting them before himself. His death…is a loss for us all. Few could match the intensity of his passion or the depths of his love. Trusting to a fault, he had faith in people when most may not, and without him, the halidom will never be the same.
"Likewise, Queen Sumia held a gentleness which greatly complimented the Exalt. She was a true friend to those who knew her as well as someone that you could tell your problems. She was a kind soul who will be dearly missed. Together, they formed a monarchy which I believe truly cared for the common people, and a legacy not easily matched.
"Princess Lissa, she had an innate ability to make people smile. Few people could light up a room like she could. She brought a happiness that cannot be replaced, but it will be remembered.
"Finally, the young princesses," Lucina faltered for a moment, "Gone far too early. While they were just here a short time, they were highlights to all who knew them.
"However, despite our grief. Despite our pain. We must continue on in remembrance of those who came before. We will not forget those who were lost, but we will also press forward for their sakes as well as our own. It is what they would have wanted. So let us press on in remembrance of a great Exalt, a great queen and princesses, and let us build a world which they would be proud of."
Lucina returned to her seat feeling like a failure, but at least she had tried to honor them.
The Shepherds met at the graveside where they would hold their own service. Many of the former Shepherds had also been able to make it, and Robin was mentally preparing to address them looking out over the forlorn faces as they prepared to lay their friends to rest.
"Today, we say our final good byes to some dear friends," Robin started slowly, "Many of us would not be where we are today if not for Chrom. Whether he picked you up from working the fields or sleeping in them, he would not turn anyone in trouble away, and, while many around him may have questioned the wisdom of that, I can certainly say that I am grateful to have had such a friend.
"Likewise, Sumia was a true friend. She wasn't always the most graceful person around, but she eventually conquered her own clumsiness and grew into a kind and eloquent queen. More than that though, she was a dear friend to those around her. I remember chatting with her about recent books we had read. She was just the kind of person you could talk to and let time slip away.
"Lissa and I had a sort of…rivalry as she tried to prank me, and I tried to thwart her. I won't go into too much detail, but I remember one time she had a plan that involved a copious amount of frogs. Not my best day. Still, when she wasn't tormenting me, I enjoyed her cheerful presence. She had a way of making people feel better. A truly special skill.
"Lon'qu, well, he was not the most open of people, but we eventually grew to have a mutual respect of one another. I know that he pushed me to be a better fighter as I'm sure he did to many of you. He may have not liked to show it, but he really cared for his comrades making sure that they were ready for whatever they might face.
"Now, Lucina will say a few words about her sisters and cousins," Robin stepped aside for Lucina to take his place. He flashed what he hoped was a reassuring smile and stood back.
Lucina walked up and steeled herself. She was at least glad that she had already let the tears flow or else they might well up, but she had experience keeping a professional outer appearance. Experience which had been put to the test.
"Owain may have seemed like a jokester who never took anything serious, but he distracted others from an otherwise mostly bleak existence. He was one of the few bright spots of my world. He was always handy with a blade and one of the few people I explicitly trusted. He was surprisingly good with secrets after all.
"I did not know the young princesses that well. In truth, I tended to avoid them as it brought up uncomfortable thoughts of my place in this world, but I could already see that Lucia was her own person. I was looking forward to seeing her and Cindy grow into their own women, but…that will never come now. I can simply try to honor them by doing my best in my coming role.
"Cynthia was," Lucina paused. She was supposed to stronger than this, but…this was her baby sister. The one she had looked out for almost their entire lives. She loved the rest of her family, but this was her sister. Looking over the crowd, she saw a mixture of pity and awkwardness and she collected herself. She was not supposed to have outbursts or breakdowns. She had to project an air of strength.
"Cynthia was my little sister. For the longest time, I watched over her as a guardian, though I often rebuked her antics or rebutted any attempts to get me to participate. Now…I wish I had. I will never get those opportunities again, but I will still have the memories I did make and I will cherish them always.
"As I will with the others. We must all move on, but we must also remember those good times. As we lay them to rest, we mark a new section of our lives. One without their presence, but one with their influence."
Lucina quickly yet regally stepped back allowing for the burial to finally proceed. Part way through, Robin looked to Lucina in concern. He could tell she came close to letting her emotions break lose. Her control was impressive, but he wondered if maybe she should have let them. Not that he was one to talk, he noted absently as the almost rhythmic sound of the shovels rang out.
Eventually, the Shepherds started to depart, but not before offering comforting words to Lucina. Cherche managed to drag Frederick away after Lucina absently gave him the rest of the evening off. In the end, only Robin and Lucina remained.
"We, uh, we should go," Robin walked up behind her but made sure to keep a respectable distance from her, "It will be dark soon."
"Right," Lucina pulled herself away and finally seemed to notice that everyone else had gone as well as the late hour, "How long have you been there?"
"I never left," Robin admitted.
"You did not have to do that."
"I didn't want to leave you out here alone," Robin did not look at her.
"Thank you, Robin."
"You don't have to thank me."
Lucina did not reply, but instead enjoyed his presence as they walked back. In the midst of her turmoil, he seemed to provide some calm. It was appreciated, and she chose to not think about her feelings for him. She would deal with those later. For now, she would let him provide comfort by his presence.
A/N: Okay, I don't really like doing speeches. Hopefully the rest is still emotional though.