The Things Unsaid:
Lucina would never forget the cry that surged around her when the last of the Valmese threw down their weapons in surrender, their leader slain and defeated. She had only fought battles on this scale against waves of unending Risen that pulled back after deciding they had inflicted enough damage. There was no cheering – they would return once again to take away from the small semblance of society she led. No one was happy at the end of their battles – they only acknowledged that they were privileged enough to survive amongst those that had fallen.
And they would come back again. They would always come back again.
So to see men and women loudly cheer and be joyful that they had won was comfortably unsettling. From the battle-scarred veterans, knowing that they had triumphed over their foes today, to fresh recruits, whose goal was to survive, all contained an elation that rang out in their voice, and it reached deeply into her gut. Before she knew it, her own arm was raised, Falchion in her hand, and a voice bellowed out from her with a strength she did not know she commanded.
There would be time to catch up with others and see how they were. For now, there was mirth not for survival but in victory, and she had personally been at the front lines to earn it, covered in dirt, sweat, and blood that was not her own. It was raw and untainted from its source, unlike when she watched her mother and father triumph over King Gangrel, and she laughed not from humor, but for joy and relief.
That night, Lucina's face glowed with a different radiance and she knew it. The look from those around her, especially from Laurent and Gerome when she briefly saw them, were of pleasant surprise, and she let herself bask in it a bit longer until she laid her surprisingly weary body to rest.
The next day brought a bath and diplomacy.
Once again, she was in the command tent, where the map of Valm lay in front of her. In addition to the familiar faces of the khans, her brother, and Virion, this time Lady Say'ri's presence was requested. Like other times, she had removed her eye patch upon entering, knowing that those inside were already privy her background. The only one that did not seem to explicitly know was the Chon'sin princess, but she imagined that it would not last for long.
She had found herself hoping that Laurent was going to be called in again, but she knew that with his talents in bookkeeping and tracking supplies he was needed elsewhere. It was nice to have another person by her side, one that would equally and fairly represent the concerns of those from her time, should the need ever arise.
Gerome, however, might not have been the best choice for such a gathering, at least not yet. It became apparent very quickly to the Shepherds of this time that while the others were more than happy to spend time with their parents, he was on the other end of the spectrum and was reclusive. But the way he held her yesterday made Lucina wonder if he had at some point realized that he needed to let others into his life and was slowly doing so, starting with her.
Any further thoughts were pushed away when the meeting began. Robin introduced Say'ri to them and explained Lucina's particular situation, as well as the situation of many others. She noticed, however, that while she explained how she was Chrom's daughter from the future, she did not mention that she was her mother. It was an odd exception, but she remained silent on the fact. From what she observed from her mother, everything that was said and left unsaid was made with careful forethought.
If Say'ri caught onto that fact, she did not make it known as she began to speak of the continent's recent happenings, starting with Walhart's expansion, the alliance with her country, and how she had been in hiding ever since, doing her best to prepare an uprising.
And that was when she dropped the number onto them.
"One million men?" the surprise in her father's voice was rare. Virion looked besides himself, a rare grimace on his face. The khans turned and shot each other a concerned look – battle was the Feroxi way of life, but they were not about to put their lives at risk when it was clearly not in their favor. Only Robin remained relatively calm.
"Fie, it is only an estimate, but Walhart is as much a warlord as he is a leader, and a shrewd one at that. For every nation that bends her knee, he takes her men and adds them to his own."
Her mother, who had been reclining in her chair again, leaned forward at the mention of the number. "Conscripts, then?" It was more of a statement than a question, and her eyes did not meet the princess, focusing on the map that was on the table.
"Yes, conscripts," Say'ri continued. "There is a high likelihood that many of the soldiers you fought yesterday were not Valmese, but of other ethnicities."
"And do you happen to know how they are enlisted? And from what pool of candidates? Are they farmhands, or soldiers who have either been forced or given the opportunity to fight for Valm?"
"Forgive me," Say'ri leaned her head forward in a bowing gesture, "but my network is not so deep as to know those details."
Robin did not look displeased, but rather she remained indifferent to her response. "… You mention that it is an amalgamation of ethnic backgrounds. Are you aware of any discordance amongst them? I imagine that they cannot all be happy about working with some of their neighbors."
"I have been attempting to delve more into that. There are indeed rivalries and feuds between some groups within the soldiers." A look of disdain crossed Say'ri's face. "However, it is the natural affect that when some may side with me, it is often at the cost of another – additional demands are made, or sometimes they will refuse to cooperate entirely."
Leaning back into her chair again, this time Robin looked at Say'ri before speaking. "Have you been able to confirm that independence, to be their own nation again, is something that they wish to have?"
This time the Chon'sin princess breathed heavily – Lucina could tell that she was about to talk about unsettling territory. "Again, you speak truth. There are some who have benefited much by being under Walhart's rule and are reluctant to rebel, even hostile. Good men and women have gone to try and broker an alliance for me only to be captured and never be heard from again. We screen what we can, but there are times when risks must be taken."
"But now that Ylisse has entered the theater, I imagine that those who have allied with us will be bolstered. Furthermore, those that remained neutral or against us will be tempted to join our side."
Her mother continued to look at Say'ri, her gaze intensifying as she leaned forward once more. "Forgive me for such a pointed question, Lady Say'ri, but I must know. How well are you keeping tabs on your allies?"
Even Lucina was able to tell that this question incensed the princess. Her shoulders stiffened and she leaned back a little, hands folding in front of her. "Do you doubt my sources?"
The queen took a breath. "If you had deals that have gone sour, then Walhart knows you are planning a rebellion. While it does not seem to be in his character to broker deals and secure loyalties, that doesn't mean he is not or has not considered it. Any allies you have may actually be a liability, should they be offered a better deal."
"Please, do not play coy with me, commander." Her voice firmly said. "If you think that my efforts are in vain then say so."
Robin smiled, knowing that she was able to have Say'ri mention her own doubt instead of voicing it herself. It made for a powerful tool for Robin to hold against the princess – it meant that she acknowledged her own flaws and needed help. "I did not say they were in vain. We would simply need to make sure that two things happen. Those that are for Walhart do not move against us and those that seek to rebel do not harm us."
Lucina watched as Say'ri took a deep breath, a sign that, while she hadn't approved of her mother's idea, she was at least willing to hear it out. "You would suggest neutrality from all outside sources?"
"Oh, certainly not neutrality," Robin moved back in her chair and Lucina cautiously watched as she continued to speak. "Neutrality means that no one moves to harm or help the involved parties. I am suggesting that we convince Valm's allies into docility while keeping ours moving beneath the surface."
"Robin," this time her father spoke up. He must have sensed the tension between the two and wanted to bring the attention back to the map and away from each other's throats, "you are drawing a very fine line. How would we accomplish such a goal?"
"At some point in the near future, Chrom," her mother spoke again after a moment, "we need to score decisive victories against Walhart. What we've accomplished yesterday was just a foothold - we need to make him backpedal. Then we need to make a display of one of his allies. We need to either make them fear standing against us or see the real benefits of fighting with us. We're among a land of defeated nations that need a victorious image to cling to."
Robin then turned to look at Say'ri, whose face had paled just a little bit. Lucina wasn't too sure at what happened, but the princess must have realized something in the way Chrom and Robin spoke to each other. When she thought about it, she realized that it was a very casual way for the two to address each other. Not 'Lord Chrom' or 'Commander Robin' – just their names.
"Princess Say'ri, you mentioned that Chon'sin was one of Walhart's greatest allies, correct?"
The woman was positively shaking out of fear now, and Lucina realized what the princess was worried about. "… Before I dare answer," she carefully treaded, "may I know to whom I truly speak with?"
For all the tenseness of the subject, her father put his head into his hand, as if this was not the first time it had happened. "Really, Robin? You didn't tell her?"
A large smile broke out across her mother's face, and this time she bowed in apology to the princess. Though it was quick and short, it was sincere.
"Forgive me, Lady Say'ri. It is not my intention to belittle you. I am Robin, commanding officer and Queen of Ylisse."
"Fie!"
The rest of the talk went smoothly. Lady Say'ri, perhaps flustered for being made out to be a fool and that she had almost gotten into a fight with the queen of Ylisse, proffered the idea of moving to the Great Mila Tree, where the Voice of Naga resided. Lucina remembered her name, Tiki. Though she had never seen the manakete before, she knew of her importance. She commanded no true power, but she was described as holding influence over those that worshipped Naga, the primary, if not sole, religion on the continent.
In exchange, she received the promise of aid for Chon'sin. If it was not actualized during the course of the war, then it would be after it, though all parties doubted that the nation would remain hostile after Walhart's defeat. It was a simple promise, and the only way it could be recanted is if they failed in Valm. And though she still wanted an official statement from her mother, she could see some of the reasons why Robin chose to keep her title hidden.
It was well past midday when all was said and done. But before Lucina could file out of the tent, though, her mother called out to her.
"Dear, I know you must be hungry, but may I debrief you about your mission yesterday?"
She froze on the spot.
Oh no.
"Robin," her father had unwittingly come to her rescue, "we've been in here all day so far. We should eat before we continue." His tone seemed calm, wise even. It was the right thing to do. Anything but be left alone with her mother talking about- about-
About boys.
She wanted to leave the tent, but at the same time leaving now would tell her mother that something was going on. She had to have known already, but Lucina did not want to let more be known than necessary.
"But I have everything I need. It won't be long. Ten minutes at most." Her mother moved over to Chrom, straightening his clothes. "I suppose I ought to debrief you as well."
"Oh? When?"
"Mmm…" Lucina did not miss the way her mother's hands lingered on his chest. She did not miss the switch from a brighter tone to one that was a little more subdued. She did not miss how her fingertips just barely traced his side before falling away from him.
"I'm thinking later tonight."
She most certainly didn't miss that little innuendo, either.
"Hmm." Her father, for whatever reason, began to play her game as well. His head cocked a little to the side and his voice became slow and drawn out. "You may have to fight for my attention."
He was supposed to be helping her. Helping her. But now Lucina was watching her parents romance each other. She would admit that while she knew little about the more subtle nuances of affection, she could certainly recognize at least this much.
Maybe she could slip away. They were preoccupied with each other, after all. But when she finally found the will to unfreeze herself, Chrom had already broken contact with Robin. "Give me the report in detail later. I suppose it'll be good to see how she did on her first mission apart from the Shepherds."
And just like that, the tent flap closed and it was just the two of them.
"So," her mother was playful in her tone and pose, once again cupping one of her own cheeks while crossing the other arm in front of her, "you said you could explain?"
Her mouth felt dry, "Did… Did you just-"
"Convince your father with feminine guile? Yes."
It was like a dam broke. Lucina found that she wasn't so much mad as she was shocked and incredulous. Her infallible father, so easily swayed! "I thought you despised such things!"
"I'm not that much older than you, dear. Are you saying it's not natural for me to fool around with my husband?"
"… I am not here to see you two woo each other," Lucina choked out. "I'm here to win a war and defeat Grima. I don't need to hear about how you two… conduct your business."
"Good," Robin cheerfully said, "Because I want to discuss how things are between you, Gerome, and Laurent, as well as a shift of curriculum in terms of your lessons. I'm sure you'd agree that those two are a far more interesting topic than your parents, right?"
It was a tie down. Robin wanted her to agree on an obvious subject. Answering yes meant agreeing with her, that talking about Gerome and Laurent was the best course of action. A no meant that she wanted to hear about how her parents...
She gave a resigned sigh, trying to fight back the heat that was creeping up her neck as her mother gestured for her to sit. "Alright. Alright." She took a long breath, "What do you want to know?"
"I saw that look on your face when Gerome hugged you, dear."
"I was hugged by Yarne when we found him, too." She tried to lamely argue. When she looked up and saw her mother's expectant face, as if knowing that Lucina was attempting to shove the question away. she sighed. "… So I was hugged by him. What of it?" she did her best to play it off, but she knew her mother would see through it.
"You had the same type of look you had when you first discovered Laurent."
"… Am I not allowed to feel relieved to have found one from my time? The very first one at that?"
"Lucina, don't forget that before this conflict with the Valmese, I sat and watched as many of the men and women in our company fell in love. I know that lovey-dovey look. Even Sully has her own version." All the while her mother was still calmly smiling. "It's okay to be interested in the opposite gender. I'm just concerned of things getting out of hand. Jealousy is a dangerous emotion, and you seem to be involved with two men."
"Mother, just because I was hugged by two boys does not mean that I am suddenly enthralled by the opposite-"
"Men, Lucina." There was something about the way Robin said it that made Lucina pause and think deeply. "Not boys. Men. There is a world of difference." Her mother gently slid her hand across the table and held hers, warmth spreading over her skin. "Please, tell me about those two men and who they are to you."
And her mother was right. They weren't teenagers anymore. Perhaps they had seen themselves as such, since that was when many of them first joined her and she was at that age as well. They had all grown up, perhaps not even realizing it. She was now nearing her fourth year in this time. She had not been able to ask how long Gerome had been here, but he had always seemed the most grounded, if not distant. Meanwhile, Laurent had been here for almost six and had become a successful business owner over the years.
"They say you don't become an adult. You realize you're one," Robin softly said. It was the most serene thing she recalled her mother saying, and she was right. They were adults, now, and the thought made her shiver. What was first a game had become a focal point. When she first heard of it from the three, she scoffed and brushed it away. But once they had been separated, it was all she could hold onto. How much of her thoughts had been on them for the past years? Looking for them? Hoping that they lived? Even pining for them?
If she thought back far enough, she could see how her thoughts had changed over time. She had started with just trying to find the three, thinking that once they were all together, she could straighten things out. But how much her impression had changed. After three years, all she could do was let herself be held by their arms, a calming sense of relief washing over her.
She still needed to find Inigo.
When she looked up into Robin's expectant eyes, everything spilled out. She talked about how Gerome and Laurent gave her gifts prior to their journey to the past. She talked about the eventual game, that she would choose the one she fancied most at the end of the war and marry him. She talked about how at first she thought she didn't care, but how on her first real night alone she held their items together and cried.
And she talked about how after years of separation she was beginning to realize just how far the game had gone and that now she found herself wondering more and more not about who she would or should choose but rather–
"I… I don't know who I want to choose."
The words slipped out of her mouth and it made her pause. It was a sudden world of difference in perception. It was welcoming and yet frightening, suddenly catching onto the fact that for the past three years, aside from Grima, she had been thinking of nothing but men.
And then Robin blew everything out of the water.
"There is a third, isn't there?" It was asked so empathetically that she almost didn't realize what she asked.
"You-" How did she know these things? "You're kidding, right?" Lucina started. How did her mother piece that together? She was sure she left out Inigo. Two was more than enough. Her mother didn't need to know that she was being courted by three men at once. And what if they never found him? That was the foremost reason why she was hesitant to share about those from the future.
"Do you remember when we first fought in the arena in Regna Ferox? You had no idea how to use that shield of yours at the time." That was so long ago that Lucina had nearly forgotten. "It makes sense that there is a third, and from the way it sounds like, you care very much for all three of them."
There was no point in hiding things now. Lucina took a breath and closed her eyes. "Yes, there is a third." Robin's hands tightened around hers. "There is a third and we haven't found him yet."
Not two days after their victory at the port, a large majority of the forces began to march out. Those left behind were ordered to coordinate and defend supply lines, as resources were limited since they were on an entirely separate continent than Ylisse. And with time against them, quick and decisive movements were needed.
Yet for some reason, Laurent noted, the column was called to a halt a little earlier than usual. The scouting party must have located something that made Robin call for a stop. It didn't always mean a battle was nearing, but it did result high tensions that put almost everyone was on edge.
"Oh gods, daddy, is… is that CHOCOLATE?"
"Whoa there, squirt! Go get your own!"
"But I'm your Pega-Pony Princess!"
Almost everyone.
He supposed he should have been happy that Gerome and Cynthia had come to their aid. For all her rambunctiousness, her skills were invaluable and most had found her mood to be contagious. He noted that most could not at least crack a grin at how she conducted herself.
Gerome, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. He was as removed as he could be, focusing on his own strengths to fulfill Lucina's needs. Laurent was surprised, though, to see him pitch his tent at a closer distance to them. Oftentimes the rider placed his tent further away, and this was closer than he remembered it.
He tried not to let the fact that it was just a little closer to Lucina's half of the camp bother him, and yet it did. Their interaction with Lucina had been limited since landfall as the queen often requested her presence, but he found that his mind was often wondering if Gerome was with her.
Laurent had since found out that he did not do well with jealousy.
He took a breath before shaking his head. That type of thinking was not what he needed. What he needed was impartiality, as hard as it may have been at times, especially since he was assisting with monitoring their needs.
This meant that he would eventually need to visit Gerome. Perhaps then they would be able to have a civil discussion about how real the game had become for them. Did the rider have the same concerns that he shared? Was he just as jealous as he was, watching his every move from the sky, waiting for him to take a step out of line?
Gods, they really needed Inigo. He was the one that started it, and he seemed to have the natural ability to mediate between the two of them. But then that was an entirely different issue on its own.
He closed the ledger in his hands and walked away from the supply tent. He was getting nothing done worrying over all this-
"Laurent."
The mage turned around at the voice of his mother, Miriel. "Mother. It is good to see you."
"Likewise, son," it was a curt reply, much like he recalled it to be. "Robin has requested our expertise."
"For strategy?"
"She would not divulge the information, but she made it very clear that it required our utmost attention. Do you have your notebook and charcoal with you?"
"Always."
"And an armament?"
He felt his brow furrow. He didn't like the sound of that. "… Naturally."
"How fortuitous. We shall leave immediately then." His mother turned away and began to walk towards the more open outskirts of the Shepherd camp.
He followed after her. "Will it just be us two?" he found himself cautiously asking.
"I have no previous evidence to make a proper response," she said, making it towards the clearing. "Empirical evidence, however," she pointed at the group in the field, "would imply that it won't."
Following her gaze, he saw that Cordelia, Sumia, Cynthia, their steeds, and Robin had congregated in the field. The first two were more composed than the third, which was engrossed in carefully nibbling away at a small piece of chocolate.
It would appear that she had somehow convinced her father to part with the treat, which was no small feat.
The queen, however, had a particular grimace on her face and was gazing to their left with her arms crossed, and Laurent could see the long sheath of the Vogel pointing out beneath her cloak. Hearing them come closer, she turned towards them before settling her eyes upon him. Her countenance seemed to brighten, but her gaze still unnerved him.
And then she winked at him. He nearly tripped.
His mother turned around and shot him an inquisitive look. "Do you fare well, son?"
"I-I'm perfectly fine."
She knew. Robin, Queen of Ylisse, Grandmaster of the Shepherds, knew. She had to have.
"Come on, Laurent," Robin calmly said. "We don't have much time. Our scouts found something to the northwest and I want to investigate it." Without missing a beat, Robin had climbed onto Cordelia's pegasus. "Miriel, you go with Sumia."
The context clues were there, but Robin seemed to purposefully be giving him a hard time. Moving towards Cynthia, the girl seemed to snap to attention before stuffing the rest of the candy into her mouth.
"Guess we're moving out, huh?" she said with her mouth full. "Any idea where we're going?"
"Your assumptions are as good as mine," he glumly said. Without another wasted second, the two of them took off after the others. Slowly gaining altitude, they eventually caught up and Robin started speaking.
"Our scouts located a point of interest about thirty kilometers to the northwest. It's too far away for us to lead the entire army there, but I still want to investigate the area. I don't expect there to be much fighting – no enemy movements were detected by our scouts, but keep an eye open for anything that seems out of place. If we see anyone suspicious, we pull back. We don't have the forces to engage, and our fighting may attract enemies around us."
"Objections?" Robin looked around expectantly, and nodded a little when no one made a notion. "Then we're set." She looked towards Sumia, "You found it first, so please lead us to it. Cordelia and I will watch over both of you from above."
With that, the pair pulled up and the flight began. It was uneventful, of which Laurent was unsure if it was a blessing or a curse. While it meant that they had so far skirted past harm's way, he also found himself dwelling upon the queen's gaze. While it hid a myriad of meanings, it was that wink that worried him the most.
"Whoa… that…"
Cynthia's unusually dour voice picked him up from his thoughts and he looked forward. As they drew closer, he could see a black patch of land growing larger. A moment later Sumia began to descend into the center and they followed her to the ground, where they could see some more details of where they were. There was some cobblestone, but most of the roads going in and out were made of dirt. And what were at first black were in fact patches of black, separated by roads and what may have been alleyways. When they landed, a quick glance into the blackness revealed that they were not wholly black – medium pieces of foliage had begun to sprout. It had been like this for some time.
And at the very center of it all was a pole with a red flag with a stylized silhouette of a lion's profile. They had seen it before in the port. It was the emblem of the Conqueror.
Cynthia finally broke the silence, her eyes scanning around the area. "Holy shit."
"Indeed," he adjusted his glasses. "What happened here?"
Robin dismounted from Cordelia's pegasus before the woman took off into the sky again to keep an eye on them. Turning around to face him, she had that grimace on her once more.
"That's what you're here to find out."
A/N: One more chapter down, one more chapter closer to finding Inigo. I would feel bad that I seem to reeaaally want to write about Inigo, but I don't feel that it detracts from my efforts in writing the other characters. I do admit, though, that so far we've been mostly Lucina- and Laurent-centric. I will need to find a way to incorporate Gerome more.
Anyway, this chapter was a little less about things happening and more about determining the next direction. It was also an important step for both Lucina and Laurent to realize just what has become of their game. For her, it was realizing that she was actually more invested than she realized. For him, it was the onset of fear - someone might come in and really take Lucina away from him. Both very real and tangible feelings. My objective is that even though we are going to explore more of the feelings part of the relationship now, I hope to keep the action in the story coming at a good pace.
Reviews (and I'm glad to see so many for this story!)
Guybrush007: I'm glad you enjoyed it. It was a little difficult trying to find a good balance between technicalities and flow, but I think I did a good job back there.
Renascence-A: Laurent is great. I know I mentioned it before, but he holds a special place for me since he was the first child I successfully recruited.
SEESWildCard: I, too, would like to see Inigo win. But I also like to see Gerome win and Laurent win, too. Can't have that in this story, now can we?
Guest: Thanks! Actual aerial combat in the game is more of a "who has the bigger stat stick" thing. So when it comes to actual combat, I feel like we're not really doing it justice by emulating that direction in our writing.
Haribon: I won't say much about who will win. If it gives you any solace, though, I can definitely advise to stick to your guns.
On a side note, Inigo is winning the profile poll. In fact, he has five votes while everyone else only has one. I know that some of you consider this an error of grave magnitude, so go ahead and make your discontent known and vote!
Aside from that, I'm really enjoying how this is fic is starting to shape up now. I will say, though, that I'm not sure which story I will update next. All of them are at equally intriguing points, and the draw is real...
Still, see you all soon!
I do not own Fire Emblem and I appreciate all comments and criticisms.
PS: For some reason, I really enjoy seeing Cynthia swear. I don't know why, but I do. This probably won't be the last time she does it.