Beneath the Threads
VII.
It had been two weeks since Robin had been taken by Gangrel. They hadn't locked her in a cell like she had thought. She had her own tent, but she wasn't allowed to leave it. Guards stood post in front of it at all hours. The tent had a few comforts, mainly a bed and a small desk. She had tried to devise a plan of escape, but it was no use. She couldn't run and risk getting caught. She thought perhaps she could seek out an Ylissean spy she knew could be lurking in the camp, but she wasn't allowed out to find them. If there was a spy around, then Chrom knew of her whereabouts.
It had been a long two weeks waiting for something to happen, and often she cried quietly to sleep at night. She was sixteen weeks along and her midsection had swollen more since since she had been taken. She was able to hide it, only because no one bothered to take a good look at her throughout the day. They fed her scraps of whatever the soldiers didn't want and left her be. She hadn't seen Gangrel or Aversa since the day they captured her. If they decided to take her out of her confines and take a good look at her, they'd notice. Robin squeezed her eyes shut at the thought, hoping Chrom would find her before that happened.
A soldier popped his head into her tent and told her to prepare to be escorted somewhere else. Her heart pounded in her chest as she waited. When the escorts came and got her, her legs wobbled with every step through the camp. She appeared in front of Gangrel and Aversa again. She wanted to try and suck her stomach in, but there was no use.
"Well, well, did you have a nice beautyrest?" Gangrel chuckled. "I thought your measly prince would come find you by now, but I guess not. No matter. He had his chance. Now you work for us."
Robin said nothing. Aversa laughed.
"You'll be our tactician, girl. You'll tell us the best ways to run the Ylisseans into the ground. We know you've got skill, now it belongs to us," she said. Her long, black nails click against each other.
"A-As you wish," Robin stuttered. Her voice was hoarse. It was the first time she had spoken a sentence to someone in weeks. She whispered to her womb every night so she wouldn't go mad from the social isolation. She wondered if her child had been able to hear her.
"What obedience! You'll do well here," Gangrel praised in a dark tone. "Guards, take her to the strategy te-"
"Sire, wait," Aversa said. She walked a few paces in front of Gangrel.
"What is it, Aversa?" Gangrel questioned curiously.
"A woman can't fool another woman, especially not when it comes to the feminine form." She clicked her tongue and stepped forward again. Robin clenched her fists at her side, her heart speeding in her throat. Aversa put her hand out and placed it on Robin's midsection, feeling the bump there. Robin's breath hitched and she flinched.
"I thought so," Aversa said with a devious chuckle. She turned back to Gangrel. "Sire, she's with child."
A few gasps were emitted from soldiers before Gangrel hushed them with a step forward. He stared intently at her midsection, then grinned.
"What a surprise! You're full of them, aren't you, girl?" He laughed.
Aversa chuckled. Robin swallowed her tears. She couldn't try to fool them, it was too late. The lump in her clothing was prominent, though not extremely swollen quite yet. She tried to inhale a few breaths, but she couldn't hold them in.
"Well, now, you ought to be clever enough to know what questions come next," Gangrel said. "You want to keep this child safe, correct?"
Robin nodded.
"Then you'll do exactly as we say, whenever we say it. You'll provide us the same quality that you gave those Ylissean rats. If you do, maybe I'll be gracious and merciful and let you keep the child after it's born. Just maybe. So you better be on your best behavior," Gangrel chuckled.
Robin swallowed and nodded. She knew she couldn't say anything. She was helpless and hopeless.
"Who's the father?" Aversa asked.
"Remember our deal, girl," Gangrel added with a grin.
Robin inhaled, a tear falling down her face she couldn't hold back. "C-Chrom…"
A few more gasps came from the soldiers around them. Gangrel stared at her as if in shock, then grinned the widest he had the whole meeting.
"Wow! I agree with my soldiers. This is quite the shocking turn of events!" he exclaimed. "Who knew I had captured the woman carrying the measly prince's child?!"
"I praise Grima for blessing us with such a gift." Aversa smiled. "He is placing fate in our favor."
"I agree, Aversa. He must want us to squash the Ylisseans like the rats they are. The Fire Emblem will undoubtedly be ours soon. He'll surrender no matter what our terms are, all for his pathetic kin." Gangrel called a soldier from the side. "Send a message to the measly prince: tell him we know his secret."