When Robin woke up in the morning, the pain had faded considerably but his body was still sore. The candles had gone out overnight, leaving the morning sun to illuminate the room alone. The tactician was content for a day of rest, needing it after the beatings he took over the past few days. He took up the one of the books Sumia brought and got back to reading, having finished about half of the book before sleeping last night.
Lon'qu was up before Robin, sitting in his bed with his legs crossed. He took a quick glance at the fighter, seeing the mixed emotions on his face. The tactician could only wonder about what thoughts were going through his head. The warrior was likely annoyed by being confined to a bed while he recovered. Yet, by resting, he delayed the eventuality of becoming bodyguard to Lissa. Maybe he could get up and start moving around. The real question was if he really wanted to.
Stahl, fully recovered after the battle at Breakneck Pass, was the first Shepherd to visit the two, carrying two trays of porridge. While they ate, the knight explained that as of now, they were the only two Shepherds still on bedrest. Robin smiled at the news in between bites. Unless anything else happened on their way to Ferox, the Shepherds would arrive battered but in full force. It was a feat that did not come easy but they were fortunate enough to not suffer any major casualties fleeing from the invading forces of Plegia.
After Stahl left, Donnel came to visit, somewhat exhausted by staying up late in the night. He mainly talked to Robin, pitching the idea that the farm boy buys bilberry bushes to plant in pots for the journey. The tactician was hesitant on the idea, unsure of if the plants would survive in the frigid kingdom of Ferox. Yet, seeing the youth's determination and the claim that he was paying for it all himself, he saw no reason to stop him, and even encouraged him by saying that they could serve the berries when they bloomed.
Sometime passed with no visitors, Robin realizing that the Shepherds are likely beginning their training session. A few hours passed before the next round of visitors arrived. Robin smiled and sat up on his bed when he recognized Chrom stepping through the door, followed behind by Frederick. The prince took a seat on one of the chairs with the knight standing at attention right behind him. The tactician was elated with joy upon seeing his best friend coming to visit and closed the book he was reading, putting it on the nightstand.
"Good to see that you are trying to be active," Chrom smiled at his friend. "Everyone was worried for you after the battle."
"They have nothing to worry about," Robin assured him. "What are the rest up of the Shepherds up to?"
"Rest and recreation, mostly," Chrom answered. "I'm giving everyone the time to rest until you and Lon'qu are ready to leave. It'll be another day's march to reach the Longfort, and after we reach Ferox and meet with the Khans, we'll be back to fighting once more."
"It's good they get to have some peace for now," Robin nodded, agreeing with Chrom. "After all they've been through, they deserve a break, even if it is a small one like this."
"I hate that for the most part, you'll be stuck in this inn for that break," Chrom told him.
"Well, with all these books, I'll be fine until I can walk without my body being in pain," Robin replied, motioning to the stack of books. "I'm more than content enough with."
"Gaius told me during our morning spar that the two of you had plans and that your injuries meant that they changed," Chrom revealed. "I'm surprised that you two are friends."
"I'm friends with most of the Shepherds though," Robin pointed out.
"Yes, but for the past two battles, you fought alongside him," Chrom reminded the tactician.
"M'lord, he also fought with Cordelia recently and rode with her for a scouting mission, yet you don't mention their possible friendship," Frederick joined in.
"I didn't dwell too much on that," Chrom shrugged. "Still, it's good to see that you're open to the new members of the Shepherds, but try not forget about us. I think it would be grand to fight by your side once more."
"If it is best for us in a strategic sense, I shall make it happen," Robin nodded. "The reason I've fought with Cordelia and Gaius for the past few days were because it was best to do so."
"Of course," Chrom stood up from his chair. "I should get going. Vaike challenged me to another round of sparring and he's not going to wait for too much longer."
"Try not to break anything this time," the two chuckled at Robin's joke. "Before you leave, do either of you know about what happened to my robes? I woke up without them and it's been on the back of my mind ever since. I just wasn't sure who to ask."
"I think Lissa has them," Chrom told him, taking a moment to think.
"That she does," Frederick confirmed. "I believe she was going to try to sew it together. It's pretty damaged up."
"I see," Robin frowned, remembering the stories he heard of Lissa's tailoring skill. "Oh, and before I forget, I just wanted to thank you for saving my life yesterday, Frederick. If it wasn't for your intervention, that Risen would have struck me down."
"Think nothing of it," Frederick replied dutifully while following Chrom out of the room. "You have proven your worth to the Shepherds. It was just following my duty, that's all."
Chrom and Frederick left, but before the door closed, a hand grabbed onto it and pushed it open. Gaius stepped into the room, placing his hands in his pockets and kicked the door closed as he walked past it. Robin could not help himself but sigh upon seeing his friend, already having so many questions for him. The thief sat down and the tactician immediately took notice of something different about him. They sat in silence while he tried to think of what was new about him. Finally, the answer came to him as a surprise.
"You cleaned your clothes," Robin commented, somewhat shocked. "I don't see a single piece of candy stuck to it."
"Thanks for noticing, but I can't say I'm not too big of a fan," Gaius grinned despite what he said. "Cordelia all but ordered me to clean up when we talked yesterday after the battle."
"You talked with Cordelia?" Robin asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Ayep," Gaius nodded in confirmation. "Let me warn you right now that she's a perfectionist not just for herself, but for everyone. So, if you two do end up together-"
"Gaius, hold on a moment," Robin interrupted him. "You do realize that we're not alone in here, right?"
"You're right," Gaius looked towards Lon'qu. "Hey Q. Bubbles is in love with Cordelia."
"Gaius!" Robin screeched loudly.
"And this concerns me how?" Lon'qu glanced briefly towards them.
"We want you to tell her how Bubbles really feels about her," Gaius continued while Robin bit his tongue.
"No," Lon'qu turned away.
"There, not a problem," Gaius winked. "If anything, it revealed more about what's going on inside your head."
"I just think that love is a bit of an overstatement," Robin looked up towards the roof.
"Oh, so you do admit that at the very least, you have romantic feelings for her," Gaius leaned forward.
"Well, maybe," Robin drew out his answer before sighing. "Fine. I suppose I do have a crush on her."
"The first step to winning the girl of your dreams is admitting that you have feelings for her," Gaius told him, leaning back on his seat. "We're on the right path already! Step two is-"
"I like that you're trying to help me, but now isn't a good time," Robin sighed, shaking his head. "If you really want to help me, I need your help to get over her."
"Trust me, Bubbles, but once she gets over Chrom not liking her back, she'll realize what a great guy you are," Gaius assured him. "There's nothing wrong about acting on your feelings."
"That's where your wrong, Gaius," Robin argued. "I'm a tactician. It's my job to come up with plans that could risk the lives of any one of the Shepherds. If I am distracted even in the slightest, the plan is flawed and someone could die. I have to use my mind to think logically so that we can all live to see the next day. The longer I have this crush, the more distracted I am. Don't you see my point on this?"
"I do, and I think that in the end, if you do wish to pursue Cordelia as being more than a friend, it will actually help you think rather than distract you," Gaius shrugged and stood back up. "Fighting for a cause is alright, but fighting for that special someone is what really drives a man. Come find me when you are ready for step two. I need to find Princess before she ruins those fancy robes of yours."
"How long were you waiting by the door?" Robin asked.
"Blue beat me here by just a hair," Gaius revealed. "Even if we won't fight together again, we'll be talking again soon enough."
With that, Gaius made his way out of the room, the door closing shut behind him. Lon'qu let out a sigh of relief, getting up from the bed and limping towards the door, locking it before painfully returning to his bed. As he passed by, Robin swore he heard the fighter muttered under his breath. The tactician was too focused on his thoughts to hear clearly what he said and knew that he would not want to talk about it.
Much to his surprise, Robin was actually relieved that he finally confessed that he held some feelings for Cordelia, even if it was to someone who already knew and someone who did not care. It was a burden on the back of his mind that he realized he needed to get off his chest for quite some time. For a moment afterwards, he could think clearly. Unfortunately for him, there were no battles to plan and the clarity faded away soon afterwards. The tactician grabbed the book on the nightstand and started to read. At least for now, talking about his feelings were enough to get him back to thinking properly.
A/N: Back when I first started writing, I brought up the idea of one day revising this story for the errors I made. Although I hoped to do that after I finished, one of my readers, csihawk, has kindly pointed out that I've been spelling "Shepherds" as "Shepards." This is present in most chapters and is a change I intend to make as this week progresses. I extend my public thanks to csihawk for pointing this out to me, as I thought I had the original correct spelling.
Warrior of Six Blades: Just like you brought up, Lon'qu does indeed need to learn to work with others when fighting tougher enemies. The Shepherds are a team, and although he is a skilled warrior on his own, there are some fights he can't win alone. If anyone can break his lone wolf attitude, it'd be Lissa.
Wingzerojrod: Thank you for the praise. To this day, I'm still amazed at how supportive this community is. I've written for other games and such, but this story is the one I look forward to writing because I know that there are people who care about reading it.
Until next time.