Another chapter done! I felt like I blew through this one without rushing it out. I also feel like I should have pointed out the other children that were already in the party aside from Lucina and the others I've mentioned, such as Kjelle, Nah and Laurent, but it didn't occur to me until typing this chapter. To add even more problems, my laptop broke down just as I was planning on finishing this chapter AND got hooked on Bravely Default. Anyway, I hope you guys all enjoy! Keep the reviews coming and thank you all for making this my most popular story!
After almost an entire hour of marching, the Shepherds had finally arrived at a town. It was decided that they would take this opportunity to relax for the rest of the day. Once the Shepherds had set up the tents on the town's outskirts, they were free to do whatever they wanted for the rest of the day. The only people that didn't seem to relax in the normal way were Frederick, Cherche, Sully and Kjelle.
Meanwhile, Robin was busy trying to figure out what to wear for his date with Cordelia, if he needed something specific to wear. After several minutes, he gave up and just laid on his cot.
"Ugh…" He groaned.
"Robin, it's Lucina. Can I come in?" Lucina's voice requested from outside.
"Come in." Robin replied.
Lucina entered and noticed Robin in his current state. "What's wrong?"
"I'm just… I have a date with Cordelia today, but… For some reason I feel completely confused."
"Why would you be confused?"
"I can't quite explain it. I feel like a part of me is telling me to do it and another part is telling me the opposite. Lucina, I want you to be completely honest with me. Do you know who Morgan's mother is?"
"I'm… I'm not sure. I was too young to remember anything about you. You seemed to vanish around the same time father died, so I can't say."
Robin sighed. "Well, it's at least better than 'I can't tell you about the future'. Thanks, though."
As Lucina left the tent, Cordelia then came in.
"Hello, Robin." Cordelia greeted him. "Are you ready to go?"
Robin looked to see Cordelia was still in her pegasus knight armor. "You're going to wear that? I wish I'd known that, otherwise I wouldn't have spent the last ten minutes trying to figure out what to wear. Honestly, I only have this and a suit."
"Maybe we can find you some new clothes in town." Cordelia said as she grabbed Robin's hand and helped him off of the bed.
Say'ri had walked Tiki over to a nearby tree as the latter started yawning and laid her back against the trunk.
"Even after an entire night of sleep… Aaaahhh…" Tiki yawned again. "I'm still tired…"
"I truly hope you are able to regain your strength soon, my lady." Say'ri said. "In the meantime, you may rest here. I promise to look after you while you rest."
"Thank you, Say'ri."
Say'ri then looked around and saw Robin and Cordelia walking together down one of the roads. Say'ri's eyes started to glisten as she saw those two together.
"Say'ri, is something wrong?" Tiki asked.
Say'ri looked over at Tiki. "Sorry, Lady Tiki. I promise to be more attentive in protecting you."
"Do you find yourself fascinated with him?"
"Pardon me, my lady?"
"I noticed the look in your eyes whenever Robin is around. You also seem far less tense in his presence."
"Robin is certainly a reliable and open-minded comrade. He seems quite curious about Chon'sin culture as well."
Tiki stood up and looked closer at Say'ri's face by being outright in her face.
"L-Lady Tiki?" Say'ri got uncomfortable with Tiki not respecting personal boundaries.
"I know that look in your eyes." Tiki said, finally moving away from Say'ri. "You're infatuated with Robin."
"Wha-My lady, how did you come to such a conclusion?!"
"Because I've felt that way before… How I felt toward Mar-Mar… Say'ri… I do not wish for you to experience the sadness that I do, but only if your feelings for Robin are truly deeper than you think."
Tiki started lying down by the tree trunk.
"But-"
"Zzzzzzz…"
Say'ri just looked at Tiki and thought about her words for a few minutes.
At around midday, Robin and Cordelia stopped at a small restaurant. As they sat at the table, there was a tremendously awkward silence as the two kept moving their eyes around and twiddling their thumbs while trying to think of something to talk about.
*Well… this is going well so far…* Robin sarcastically thought. *I nrrf yo find some way to break the ice somehow.* "So…"
Cordelia waited for Robin to say something, but after several more seconds of awkward silence, things weren't looking any better than before.
"… Have you ever dated anyone before?" Robin asked, but then realized what he just said and face-palmed himself. "I'm sorry. That was very rude of me."
"That's quite all right." Cordelia chuckled, nervously waving her hands. "You were only trying to break the ice."
"I just panicked. The awkwardness was so thick I could cut it with a knife. Speaking of which, where is our food?"
"We haven't even ordered yet. I wonder what's taking the waiter so long?"
A dark-haired waitress walked over their table.
"I'm sorry for making you wait. May I take your order?"
Robin looked at the waitress and had a very strange look on his face. "Tharja, what are you doing?"
The waitress was definitely Tharja wearing a uniform.
"Where is the real waitress?"
In one of the rooms in back, there was a locked door that a person inside was banging against and screaming as if they were gagged.
Several hours later, Robin was back in his tent and lying on his cot facedown.
"Robin, it's me." Chrom's voice spoke from outside the tent. "We need to go over our next plan of attack."
"Okay…" Robin responded with a groan.
"By the way, how did your date with Cordelia go?" Chrom asked.
"Tharja ruined it, so it ended almost as soon as it started."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
As he heard Chrom's footsteps walk away, he got up from his bed and scratched the side of his head.
"Maybe talking strategy will help clear my head of today's mess." Robin muttered as he made his way for the strategy tent.
As he walked, he noticed that Severa was walking around and she noticed him.
"Daddy!" Severa ran up to Robin and hugged her, but then blushed and quickly let go of him.
"What do you want, Severa?" He asked.
"I don't want anything." Severa insisted. "... Not yet, anyway. I just wanted to say hi."
"That's a relief. I'm on my way to a strategy meeting... But before I go, can I ask you something? Do you know who Morgan's mother is? Your her sister so you should know."
"Why would you assume something like that?! It's definitely mother! I was there when she was born!"
"I-I'm sorry. I guess that was an inconsiderate and asinine question. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
Severa nodded and Robin continued toward the strategy tent.
*I guess that rules out that theory...* Robin thought.
Upon entering the tent, he was greeted by Chrom, Flavia, Basilio and Say'ri.
"Ah, you're here." Basilio said.
"Before we start, I would like to tell you some good news." Chrom said. "Earlier today, Vaike proposed to my little sister, Lissa."
"Congratulations." Robin said. "How does it feel that your rival is now going to be your brother-in-law?"
"I'm not particular comfortable, that's for sure." Chrom answered. "But I can't choose who Lissa marries and I do support her decision. Anyway, on with the meeting."
"Any ideas yet on where we should strike first?" Robin inquired.
"That is still being decided." Say'ri answered. "Walhart commands the armies to the north while my brother commands the south."
Robin noticed a small area in the middle of the areas Say'ri spoke of. "What about here?"
"There lies Fort Steiger." Say'ri replied.
"Hmm..." Robin pondered the tactical possibilities that laid before him. "If we could divide their divisions by disrupting communications, supplies, et cetera... Then introduce misinformation to add to the confusion... a whisper here and there... The panic would spread on its own... and all the quicker for their great number. Such a giant force could collapse under its own weight."
"Say'ri, how far is Fort Steiger?" Chrom asked.
"It is not far from here." Say'ri answered. "We might stand a chance against them... But it would take speed and luck. I wager Walhart and Yen'fay will hear of our exploits soon, if they haven't already. I suggest sending the bulk of our army to the north and south to mask our plan. An elite force led by Sir Chrom might then quietly slip through to Fort Steiger. What say you?"
"I say 'aye'." Chrom replied.
"Aye." Flavia nodded.
"Fie!" Say'ri said. "We could all be dead before nightfall, yet not one of you so much as hesitates. Your courage is... an inspiration... Aye, we will win this war yet, by gods!"
A couple of hours later, Robin was busy planning out the movements on a map of Valm.
"Robin, may I speak with you?" Say'ri's voice spoke from outside the tent.
"Come in, Say'ri." Robin answered.
Say'ri entered and noticed the map and chess pieces on the table.
"Planning tomorrow's battle strategy?" Say'ri inquired.
"Yeah..." Robin let out a sigh. "I know that our forces will inevitably see casualties on both northern and southern fronts, but I do hope those soldiers make it back home in one piece."
"Death is unavoidable when there is war."
"I'm aware of that... After all, I AM in command of every life in the Ylissean army and the Shepherds. If someone dies, their blood is on my hands. Sacrifices might have to be made, but I just hope that I'm never put in that position."
Robin then remembered his crowning failure when he and the Shepherds failed to save Emmeryn two years ago.
"I think I understand how you feel." Say'ri expressed. "As leader of the Resistance, I too am responsible for the lives of many. Each time one of my comrades dies, I feel that loss. These men and women have families or lovers that they may never see again."
"Exactly." Robin agreed.
"Never have I thought I would meet another who values the lives of even the smallest of men in his army. It might be why I'm so fond of you." Say'ri's cheeks became a bit flushed upon saying that last sentence.
Robin kind of blushed when she said that.
"Oh!" Say'ri realized. "I forgot. How was your day with Cordelia?"
'... It was a flop." Robin answered. "It was nothing either of us did, it's just that I... have a stalker among the Shepherds."
"A... stalker?"
"Yeah, she's obsessed with me, follows me around and keeps details on every single move I make."
"That is... frightening..."
"What's even more frightening is that she actually disguised herself as a waitress to spy on me and Cordelia."
"Robin?"
"Hm?"
"Do you actually... like her? Cordelia, I mean."
"I certainly care about her just as much as anyone else in the Shepherds, but I'm not sure if I love her. I'm even starting to doubt that Severa is really my daughter... at least not here."
"What makes you think that?"
"I thought about the concept of time travel and I've come across several different theories. You know how a plant's roots start at its tip, but as it grows and matures more branches grow from it and the process continues? That idea got me thinking that maybe Morgan and Severa are from two different timelines; one in which Cordelia and I are wed and another where I'm with someone else."
"What other theories do you have?"
"Well, I did have a theory that Morgan and Severa might be step sisters, in a timeline where I wedded Cordelia first, something then happened that separated us, found another wife and had Morgan with her. However, when I questioned Severa who Morgan's mother was, she not only insist that it was Cordelia but had a fit that I was thinking that I would be with a woman other than her mother. Even though she acts like she doesn't care, I can tell she loves her mother very much."
"That is certainly good to hear."
"You want to know what isn't good to hear? Another theory I have is that Tharja places a curse on me and-you can guess the rest. There are just so many variables, I can't keep track of it all."
"Maybe the only way to know is the simplest. You just have to wait."
"That takes the fun out of it, but I guess there's no choice, is there?"
"Robin, would you care for both of those girls regardless of who their mother is?"
"Of course I would. Even if Severa isn't my daughter in this timeline, she still considers me her father and that's reason enough to still treat her like a daughter."
"You are a caring person, Robin... I, uh, should let you finish your... I'm sorry."
"Don't be, Say'ri. I enjoy talking with you. Hope you sleep well tonight."
Say'ri left the tent and as she walked to her tent, she held onto her chest as her heartbeat was starting to slow down after beating so fast.
*Perhaps Lady Tiki is right...* She thought. *Maybe I AM falling in love with Robin... Then perhaps...* Say'r recalled how Morgan was carrying a blade that she recognized as her brother's. * Maybe Morgan... is my daughter...*