"Dad! Are you ready to train me today?!"

Robin glanced towards his shoulder to see his daughter abundantly filled in anticipation for her lesson as she burst through the door to his office. "Sure, just give me a minute." He muttered, while he concealed a few papers on his desk and rubbed his eyes.

"Hmm? Dad? You look awfully tired today, what's wrong?"

He yawned and said, "I guess I didn't get much sleep last night, but it's nothing."

"Are you sure?"

"Ha, I have been through much worse." He said knowing this wasn't even close to some of his previous bouts. "Now, what would you like to learn today?"

She closed her eyes and tried to search for what she wanted to know the most. "Hmm...so much to choose from! Espionage, mobilization, oh and tactics of course!"

"How about we do all three then?"

"Wow! Really?!" She cried in jubilation.

Robin motioned his hand to the tactics boards and said, "Sure, after all it is just the two of us today. Your mother was swept away by Sumia and the old man. From the sound of it, they wanted to spend some time today as a family away from everything."

"Oh really? And they didn't think to invite me?!" She cried in horror.

"My guess is they actually wanted to have some peace."

"Hmph!" She cried back pretending to be hurt. "I can be plenty peaceful! At least, when I don't get bored that is."

He laughed knowing that all too well. "At any rate, they left us in charge of the castle. So with any luck, we won't burn it down to the ground while they are gone."

"Come on Dad. You know that is impossible, the castle is made of stone." She remarked back.

"Ha ha, trust me Morgan, between your energy and my skill, we would find a way."

…

The afternoon flew by as the two discussed spying, strategies and all manners of how to transport weapons and supplies from one battlefield to the next. Morgan's mind was like a sponge and soaked up the vast knowledge that her father taught her without losing focus once. However, the one thing she could never seem to master was time management. It was already five in the evening when the two finally called it a day, and by then both of their stomachs were rumbling.

"Morgan, by any chance do you know how to cook?"

She stopped and tried to search her memory to see if she had any experience before falling flat. "Uh, no. But that is why we have servants who can cook, right?"

"That may be the case, but we should probably be self sufficient every now and then. How about we give it a shot since it is just the two of us today? I am sure we can make something."

"Okay!" She said in excitement to try something new.

Once at the kitchen, Robin grabbed two cookbooks and started to look through one of them as he skimmed the pages briefly. "Hmm, now what is it that we should make?

"Chocolate Cake!" She shouted happily.

"While that does sound good, I doubt your mother would be happy with us after."

"Aww, how about turkey then?"

"Hmm, let me see." He turned the pages in the book until he reached the T section and found what he was looking for, "Wow, it takes that long?! Um, unless you want to wait six hours, we might want to try something else."

"Chicken?" She quietly suggested.

Robin switched out cookbooks and picked up the A-L version. His fingers tracing along the tabs as he had picked it up backwards. "Hmm, how about this one?" He pointed to a picture at the top of the book, "It doesn't seem too hard to make ..."

She peered at the book and saw a delectable grilled chicken with a tasty side of "Okay, let's get to work, I am starving!"

Robin smiled back at her before he examined the ingredients needed. "Alright, now listen up because this is important and I'm not going to repeat myself. The first thing we need to find is; a pair of chef hats!"

"On it!"

Thirty minutes later, and a kitchen left largely in disarray, they finally reached the last step. Robin was sprinkling the bird with seasoning as he hummed to himself. When he was finished he called to his assistant, "Chef Morgan, can you check the book for the last part?"

"Sure!" She ran back to the counter while holding on to her hat so it would not fall off. "We need to stick it in the oven until it is golden brown!

"In the oven?" Robin asked in surprise.

"Yep, that is what the book says!"

"Well alright, I know better than to question the book."

He then picked up the plate and walked over to the oven where he put the chicken inside and gathered some wood to light it. After that, he searched around for a match while his daughter stared at their dinner with a gnawing hunger.

"How long did the book say it would take?" Robin asked as he found a match.

"It didn't say, I guess we are supposed to watch it until it looks like the picture."

"You sure? That seems like an important step to leave out." Robin said as he lit the firewood.

"Oh! Here it is! It says to cook for 15 minutes. It was hiding underneath the picture and I didn't see it because I am starving!"

Robin felt his own stomach rumble and realized that their cooking took longer than he expected. This area of his life never being one of his strengths. "I am too, but the best thing is to not think about it."

"How?!"

"Just focus your mind on something else."

Morgan closed her eyes and tried to think about tactics, but found herself imagining a nice juicy steak instead. "Grah! It's not working!"

"Well, how about I continue our story while we wait. Will that take your mind off of it?"

"Yeah! That would work." She exclaimed while immediately forgetting about her plight as her father looked on and laughed at her rapid swings in priorities.

…

Where was I again? Oh right, Lissa walked me back to the old man and the gang after my chance encounter with Marth. That is where we stepped outside to the freezing unwelcoming air as we approached Chrom and a man he was talking to that I did not recognize.

"Ah, Robin you're back, I was worried that we lost you, and there are no grassy fields in this land to search for you."

I glared at him and replied sarcastically, "Ha, ha, I am dying of laughter." I deadpanned. "But I am sorry for falling behind, I got a little distracted."

Lissa agreed and said in her high-pitched voice, "Yep, I found Robin gawking at the arena. He was just merrily talking to himself too, like some kind of chatterbox."

My cheeks started to blush and I said embarrassed, "I can explain that!"

Chrom raised his hand and said, "Peace. More than a few of us have our novel habits. I catch Frederick talking to himself all the time. It just makes our band all the more lively as far as I am concerned."

"Really?" I slouched my body in relief that I didn't need to make even more of a fool of myself. My focus then turned to the new man in front of us who watched on silently. "Ah, I don't believe I have met you, my name is Robin."I extended my hand and smiled but he stayed still as if to ignore me entirely.

Lissa waved her hands in the air and said. "Don't mind him Robin. He doesn't talk very much or shake hands, but he likes to swing his sword around like a ninja!"

I squinted my eyes in confusion, but Chrom explained it to me. "This is Lon'qu, he is a man of action, not words, and he is the West Khan's contribution to help stop the Risen."

"The West Khan? I don't understand. Why is he helping us since we dethroned him?"

Chrom shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, but he was adamant that his former champion help slay the Risen."

Former Champion? I thought curiously before moving on from it. "Well, I won't turn down any help we can get against those things. Thank you for joining us Lon'qu."

He grunted and said in a low voice, "Are we done with idle chatter? We should be marching by now."

"Oh! Wait." Lissa said, trying not to break into laughter. "Just one more thing before we go!" She ran forward and stopped right in front of Lon'qu. They were so close that their noses almost touched. "Boo!"

"AH! Stay back you...you woman!" He cried, panicked and fell flat on his back.

"He he he ah ha ha haha, the look on your face! Ah ha hah ha."

Chrom looked over to me and tried to hold in his own laughter and said, "He is petrified of woman."

At that, suddenly talking to myself didn't rank that high up there on oddities which was a relief. I could only imagine what would happen when he met Sully. Meanwhile, Lissa continue to laugh so hard that she snorted repeatedly and Lonqu's face was completely red with a mix of fear and embarrassment.

Afterwards, we marched back to Ylisse to bring the good news. Feroxi soldiers would soon be marching into Ylisse to help defend against the horde of beasts we saw earlier. However, the events back in the arena with Marth were still plaguing my thoughts for most of the trip.

"Ah, it's good to be out of the frigid wasteland." Lissa cried from behind me once we crossed out of the mountain trail.

Chrom also relaxed as the sun showered us with its warmth for the first time in the day. "Indeed, once we deal with those abominations, then we can finally enjoy this weather. It is far too be nice to be hunting monsters"

"Right. About that." I said in deep thought. "Where do you think they're coming from? They must be reaching Ylisse from other methods than just the portal you mentioned in the forest."

He shook his head. "I don't have the faintest idea. No one has seen or heard of these things before."

"Do you think they are being summoned?"

"Maybe, but who would do such a ghastly thing? And how could they do it in the first place?" The Exalt said troubled.

At that my mind raced again. Lissa had mentioned that Plegia had renowned magic users, and from what I learned we would likely be going to war soon. I reasoned they must have found a way to raise the dead, or whatever the hell those things were. The question then became how Marth was involved in this, and why he would go through all the secrecy on such an important matter?

"Robin?"

Hearing my name broke me out of my trance. "Huh?! What?" I turned around to see that everyone else was behind me and walking in a different direction.

"You are going the wrong way. We are stopping at the town for the night, remember?"

"Oh, right." I scratched my head and glanced back at the town I overlooked, "It seems I have a bad habit of talking to myself and forgetting things."

...

When we entered the town, the place seemed to come alive. Everyone was eager to meet the prince and princess of the realm, and they spared no expense for their royal guests. They also insisted we stay for a feast, and we agreed since we were planning to stay the night in town anyways. Stahl's eyes practically widened in delight as he looked at the banquet in front of him after preparations were made. The rest of us could not wait to dig in either, but before we could stuff our faces with food, Chrom stood up and hit his wine glass with a fork to get our attention.

"I'll make this short, I am not good at speeches and I am hungry." He grinned and everyone laughed in turn. "I would like to thank everyone for aiding me today, and the town for supplying this delicious bounty. We still have a lot of work to do before this threat is over, but tonight we can celebrate our victory."

At this point, Stahl was drooling just thinking about it.

"I am proud to say that our first mission as Shepherds was a resounding success. Regna Ferox should be marching as we speak, and we will stop the Risen from invading our lands before they trouble us any longer. Because of everyone here today, we can sleep well knowing that the world will be a better place tomorrow for everyone in Ylisse. We may be young, inexperienced, and reckless, but I wouldn't have it any other way." Chrom said with a toast. "Here is to the best damned group of fighters and friends in the whole world. I toast to our victory and the first of many to come!"

"Here, here!" Everyone said simultaneously and raised their glasses.

"Alright, now let's eat!"

Stahl lunged into the table hearing this and grabbed the biggest piece of lamb meat he could find. Unfortunately for him, Vaike was sitting next to him and had also grabbed the same piece of mutton. Inevitably, they started fighting over it with both refusing to let go as the situation escalated until they resorted to flipping a coin for it. Meanwhile, everyone else watched on as the two failed to notice their lamb slip away from them as Lissa stealthy picked it up during their dispute and took off with it. By the time Vaike and Stahl knew what happened, Lissa had already taken a bite of their prized meal as they looked on in horror.

"So Sumia." I took a second to swallow my food and said, "How was your first experience in combat?"

She looked over to me and gave a timid frown, "I was really nervous, but once I started fighting, it felt weird. Something came over me fighting back at the arena, and after that things clicked."

"Good, I am glad to hear you are adjusting. If it helps, you had a very good form back there, and I never saw anyone get close enough to strike you."

She smiled and modestly said, "Well, I owe that to my Pegasus. She was kind enough to get me out of trouble."

"Right, I still can't believe how well you tamed her. It was like she instantly fell in love with you."

Sumia blushed, "It was nothing special, I just wish I had that gift with men."

I chuckled, "With men, or with Chrom?"

She was now blushing a bright red. "I ... it's just a silly fantasy...I mean there are hundreds of women that would want to be with him. Besides, I have nothing special to offer." She sighed and played with her food.

"Pfft, nothing special? Lissa was right, you do sell yourself too short." I waved my hand in the air while holding on to my chicken bone. "Have you ever tried just telling him?"

"I don't know. I could embarrass myself, and Ooo I'm getting nervous just thinking about it."

"Relax. You just need to play on your strengths, what is something that you're good at? And don't say nothing."

"Well I can cook." She said hesitantly

"There you go!" I smiled cheerfully. "Just make something for him."

"...I dunno."

"What do you have to lose?" I asked as she thought it over for some time before I got pulled into another conversation.

From there the feast continued for an hour and there was plenty of singing and celebrating. Someone managed to spike Miriel's drink, and at one point she recited the elements in a face-paced song. Another minute later, she was teaching Vaike math while standing on the table and yelling at him for some mistake he made. Our morale and confidence could not be higher as we spent the night laughing at each other's antics. Even Frederick the Wary managed to show a smirk on his face from time to time. Eventually, though, everyone went to bed and some would have better luck than others in the morning with the drinks that were shared.

We then reached Ylisstol at eight in the evening the next day. Everyone was either incredibly tired or nursing a migraine by then. Chrom, Lissa, and Frederick had one more stop to make before they could call it a night, but for the rest of, we headed to the barracks where I was introduced to a spare bunk that I could use until I was more settled at the castle.

…

"Robin! ROBIN! Wake up!" Someone yelled, fiercely shaking me back and forth. I struggled to open my eyes, but before I could react I was dropped off of my bed and fell onto the floor.

"Unngg." I looked at my attacker to see Lissa panicking and in distress, "Lissa? What is going on?" I asked groggily.

Lissa started yelling words as fast as she could, "Plegia has attacked one of our towns! Their King is at the border and threatening...MARIBELLE WE ARE COMING JUST HOLD ON!" She started breathing heavily and in hysteria. "Robin hurry up, we have to get going!"

"What? I can't understand you, you are talking to fast." I asked in confusion while trying to pick myself up from the floor. She tried to start back from the beginning, but she failed to say two words without panicking.

Chrom then sprinted into the room hearing her wails, and immediately grabbed a hold of her shoulders.

"Sis, it will be alright, just take a second to calm down. We will save her."

"But, But-"

"Just take a deep breath" Chrom said in a strong tone as he looked his sister in the eyes and comforted her.

Lissa let out a loud exhale and said, "I, I am okay."

I was clearly confused when Chrom turned to me and answered the question my face was asking. "Plegia's King has kidnapped the Duke's daughter, Maribelle. A longtime friend of ours. He's demanding to speak to Emmeryn as a result, and she has agreed to a meeting. We are to act as her personal bodyguards in case it is a trap, which it obviously is."

I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out. This was clearly a sign of war. Just as Marth predicted."Wuh-when do we leave?" I asked Chrom with a dry throat.

"In ten minutes, grab what you need and meet us in front of the gate."

We then raced outside with our weapons and met with the other Shepherds at the front. Everyone was ready to march at once, and we were anxiously waiting for Emmeryn to come out with her escort while Chrom paced for some time before using some of his extra energy on a nearby training dummy.

Seeing as I still did not know much about the situation, I went over to him and said, "Chrom, based on what I know so far, this meeting will not bode well." I mentioned carefully while mindful not to break my promise with Marth.

He shrugged his shoulders, "Follow me over here." He motioned with his arm as he stirred me away from the gates and our party. Once we were out of ear shot he whispered to me. "I tried to convince my sister to change her mind, but she insists on going. She will do everything she can to prevent a conflict from arising"

"Why is that?"

He glanced around to make sure no one was listening in on us, "Plega's king is claiming that we stepped on their land, and is demanding that we pay reparations. This is obviously false, but it is my suspicion that he is looking for an excuse to declare war." He took a deep breath and looked very guilty about what he was about to ask. "Robin, if Plegia attacks, then we may have to risk our lives to make sure Emmeryn escapes. Since we only just met, I have no right to ask you to do this but-"

I waved my hand in the air. "I am going. My life would have been forfeit anyways if you didn't find me, and for that I am indebted to you."

"You don't owe me anything Robin. I helped you because it was the right thing to do."

"Then allow me to return the favor and do the same. Besides, we need to rescue Maribelle. How will you do that without a tactician to come up with a plan?"

Chrom put a hand on my shoulder and held on with a firm grip. "Thanks friend."

"Don't mention it, now shall we get back to the group?"

Before Chrom could answer a little boy ran straight to him. "Captain! I'm all packed! When do we leave?!"

"Ricken? How did you- Go back inside. You're not old enough for this mission."

"But, Captain! You know my skill with magic! You know I can handle myself!" He pleaded with his high-pitched prepubescent voice

"I'd feel safer with your magic here, protecting the garrison. All right? We're off, then. Be good."

"Be good? Gods, how young do you think I am?"

Chrom smiled and patted him on his head which caused his wizard hat to crinkle up, "I think you are a 15-year-old boy who needs to use his skills to protect the capital from bandit attacks. Now run back and help protect the garrison before the brutes try to pillage our people."

"But-but!"

Chrom and I walked away from the boy as we saw Emmeryn come down from the castle stairs. We then nearly sprinted to the border from there in a brisk march. So much was at stake, and now a shepherd's life hung in the balance beyond the haunting fate that Marth had predicted would happen.

…

When we got there, King Gangrel and his men stood atop a small cliff about ten feet above us and a half click away with Maribelle being held captive about 200 feet away on another ridge. Meanwhile Chrom, Frederick, and Lissa stood next to Emmeyrn prepared for anything to happen.

"What's this, then? The exalt herself, in all her radiance? I fear I must shield my eyes! Bwa ha ha ha!" Gangrel's laughter only foreshadowed the obvious, and Chrom was already fuming with anger.

Despite this, Emmeryn maintained her calm and peaceful demeanor and said, "King Gangrel, I've come for the truth of this unfortunate incident between us."

"The truth? I can give you the truth." The voice echoed from a witch in purple and black armor.

"Perhaps milady might first share her name?"

"You may call me Aversa."

"Very well, Aversa. Is Maribelle unharmed?"

"Who? Oh yes, that little blonde brat."

"Psst, Virion do you have a shot?" I asked as we saw Maribelle tug against the hold of a brigand.

He picked up an arrow from his quiver and hid it behind his back. "Of course, the renowned Virion has an eye like an eagle and an aim like a sniper. My arrow shall fly true and-"

Okay, okay, just be ready."

The witch was continuing her rant, "This girl crossed the Plegian border without our consent. And what's more... She wounded the brave Plegian soldiers who sought only to escort her safely home."

"Stahl? Do you see that archer hiding in the bushes?"

"Yeah, I can take care of him. Sumia will have a clear route to Maribelle."

Gangrel had returned to his own putrid speech "Such a violent temper speaks to her guilt. This will call for a weighty punishment. And if she were to later confess to being an Ylissean spy? My goodness! It would take an act of CONSIDERABLE good faith to repair our relations."

"I have done nothing wrong! It is they who should confess! They are the ones who invaded Ylisse. They razed an entire village! When I attempted to intervene, they took me and dragged me across the border. Let the plundered shops and charred homes of that village serve as my proof!"

"That would only prove Ylisse has a bandit problem—something I hear oft of late... But indeed, tonight I shall weep salty tears into my pillow for your dead villagers."

"Sumia, how are you holding up?

"Fine, I know what I need to do, and you can count on me."

"I'm within my rights to have her head this instant and be home in time for supper."

"You black-hearted devil!" Chrom yelled in anger.

"Control your dog, my dear, before he gets someone hurt."

"Rrgh."

"Now then, Your Graceliness. Perhaps we can arrange a trade? You give me the Fire Emblem, and I return Mari Contrary here in one piece."

"You would ask for Ylisse's royal treasure? But why?"

"Huh? Whats a fire emblem?" I whispered to myself

I heard a voice call from behind me and I turned pale fearing the worst, "It's an heirloom that has been passed down in Ylisse for generations."

I took a second to catch my breath after recognizing the voice, "Oh...Kellam, there you are... ... Are you ready to be our shield in case of an emergency?"

"Yes."

I want what every Plegian wants—a grisly end for every last Ylissean! What could be more noble than that?

"What?" Emmeryn gasped in horror.

Surely you have not forgotten what the last exalt did to my people? Your father named us heathens! His 'crusade' across Plegia butchered countless of my subjects and my kin!

I signaled for everyone to be on their toes, and I grabbed the hilt of my sword.

"I have never denied Ylisse's past wrongdoings. But I have sworn to never repeat those mistakes. Ours is now a realm of peace."

"Ugh... Taaaaaalk talk-talk. It's time to speak louder than words! This negotiation is over, Your Luminosity! I shall have the emblem if I have to pry it from your shiny dead hands!"

One of the brigand charged at Emmeryn, but Chrom killed him before he even stepped near his sister.

"Stay back! Or you'll all suffer the same fate!" Chrom cried across as another soldier hesitated to approach.

Gangrel smiled admiring his successful ploy, "Now that's a declaration of war if I've ever heard one... A big, messy war that will bleed you Ylisseans dry. Bwa ha ha!"

I yelled at the top of my lungs, "Plan A, EVERYONE GO!"

On command everyone ran into position. Stahl was charging towards the enemy archer, Virion had let his arrow fly in the air, and so was Sumia's Pegasus. However, before Virion's arrow could connect, a violent wind storm attacked the the guard who was holding on to Maribelle. He died instantly, and a boy sprinted to Maribelle.

"Maribelle! Go! You're free!"

"RICKEN?! What are you doing here?"

"Oh, is this your little boyfriend? Isn't he just precious." Aversa laugh maniacally.

"Stay back you witch!" He raised his hand and tried to cast his wind spell again.

One more time magic flew in the air and hit with a violent force. But it was the tome Goetia that ripped through Ricken's chest instead and sent him to the ground. Aversa had cast her spell first, and Ricken could not handle the dark tome once it sunk in.

Maribelle panicked seeing him get hit. "RICKEN!"

Sumia arrived to pick up Marribelle and Virion managed to send another arrow in the air. It hit Aversa in the shoulder and she dropped her spell book in pain.

"Maribelle grab Ricken and let's get out of here!" Sumia yelled over the flapping wings of her Pegasus.

She sprinted to him and picked Ricken up in her arms. He wasn't moving and she would have panicked if Sumia did not stress they hurry up. They then flew away before Aversa could recover, and Maribelle got out safely holding Ricken in her hands.

Meanwhile everything else was in chaos. Chrom and Frederick were fighting off soldiers coming from the right and left while Lissa helped Emmeryn run to safety. Miriel and Kellam ran over to help Chrom, while everyone else defended Sumia from an oncoming Horde. Still, when the dust finally settled, the enemy was nearly defeated and Gangrel ran for his life with his accursed witch following in pursuit.

Lon'qu and I dealt with the few remaining soldiers that came after us, and afterwards we scanned the area for any more enemies to be safe. When I was satisfied that everything was okay; I turned around to see Maribelle and Lissa working as fast as possible to heal Ricken.

Unfortunately, their hysteric and scared faces told of Ricken's condition as a profuse amount of blood spilled from his chest. Maribelle looked at Ricken whose eyes were closed and screamed "Don't you die on me you son of a-" Maribelle stopped when she saw Ricken open his eyes

"Mari...you're...saf...g-good..."

"Ricken, you stick with me, you hear me!"

"saf...e.." He closed his eyes and smiled.

"Ricken! RICKEN! RICKEN!" She cried frantically, but to no avail.

Emmeryn then hung her head down and mourned. The rest of the shepherds reacted in various ways, but Chrom, Emmeryn, and Maribelle took it the hardest. Many tears were shed for the boy, and our once proud and eager heart fell to misery.

At some point, we finally stopped grieving and prepared to march back home. However, we had one thing to do first. Emmeryn blessed the young man before he would meet his maker, and a few people spoke on his behalf who knew him while Frederick and Chrom dug a pit six feet deep. Then, we picked up the heaviest rock we could find and carved the words: Ricken, a youth full of infinite potential who sacrificed his life during the evils of war. Ricken, the bravest man you will ever know.

Lissa never left Maribelle's side the entire way home. She could only help her best friend get through the excruciating pain as she mourned. Meanwhile, we said or did little on the way home. Preparations were made. War councils were held. But at the end of the day I couldn't sleep a wink in my bed despite all that transpired.

It was around midnight when I left the barracks. I needed to move around or just do something. So I roamed the courtyard of the castle and sighed. I only knew Ricken for three or four seconds, and his death did not affect me as much as it did everyone else. Still, he was just a kid who was killed before his time. It then reminded me that it could happen to anyone here. A duty I took on knowing I was charged with their safety.

These thoughts then brought my attention to an even more important matter. We were at war, and much more blood would be spilled before the dust settled. "Marth was right, who will remember the Risen with an entire country trying to kill us?"

I was lost in my thoughts when I heard a noise come from across the way. I moved past a few bushes and walked to a paved cobblestone walkway to see a figure hanging his head down.

"Having trouble sleeping too?" I asked as I approached him

"Eh? Oh, hey Robin. Just...dueling with some unpleasant thoughts... I should have done something to stop Ricken back at the castle gates."

"No one could have known that he would have tried something so crazy."

"...I know, but it doesn't make the guilt go away."

Some silence passed as we both reflected on it without much else to say. After some time, Chrom took another step forward and said after a deep breath, "We are going to war with Plegia again."

"I am sure Regna Ferox will lend us aid."

"Seems history is doomed to repeat itself" He turned to me in deep agony. "Twenty-five years ago, we declared war against Plegia. The last exalt, my father was unwell at the time. He called Plegia a vile land of heretics, and cultists. Years of brutal fighting later, both sides were nearing collapse... Our people nearly starved because the poverty was so bad, and the death count continued to rise. Farmers who could barely wield a pitchfork were conscripted and sent to their deaths. It only stopped when my father died fifteen years ago."

"So there has always been bad blood."

"My sister Emm, she was nine years old when she was given the power to the Haildom. When our father died, he left her quite the legacy... Our people's suffering... My sister became a target for the blame. Her own subjects began to hurl insults...and stones. She still bears the scar from one... "

"I am sorry Chrom, but you wouldn't know it by looking at her. She radiates peace just by looking at her."

"...I cannot claim to know how she does it, Robin. I could never greet such hatred and scorn with warmth and patience. While our people mocked and vilified her, she reached out and healed them. She ended all the hurt and the suffering... Even now she would forgive Gangrel if he reconciled."

"She's an inspiring leader"

He sighed and said, "She is. But Gangrel, he will do anything to see her head on a pike. The only way peace can return is when he dies. Emmeryn would never order him killed, nor would I wish her to. This world would lose the most precious person in the world if she did that. Her undying devotion to peace is Yllise's greatest assets. But now...now we must fight. Not to win this war, or to kill Gangrel...but for peace. It is our duty to preserve our greatest resource, and its burdens weigh upon us all.

"Well spoken, sir." a voice called from the shadows

"Marth." Chrom barely managed to mutter as we both looked on in surprise..

"What are you doing here?" I asked knowing this was not a good sign.

"I've come here to warn you."

Chrom hesitantly asked, "Of what?"

"The exalt's life is in danger." Marth answered coldly.

Chrom and I stared in disbelief "What, Emmeryn? That's absurd. She's guarded at all hours."

"What if..." She shook her head, and grimaced, "What if I told you I have seen the future? Would you believe me? A future where Emmeryn is killed. Here. Tonight."

"Seen the future? Have you lost your wits?" Chrom asked completely baffled

"Yes, I expected you wouldn't believe me. So allow me to prove it!"

Marth pulled out her sword and pointed in at Chrom, and he scrambled to unsheathe his blade.

"I'm about to save your life." Marth said while glancing at the bushes "...From him."

Next thing I knew, there was a man in a brown cloak sprinting out of them and charging at Chrom. Before either of us could react, Marth jumped in the air and dealt a fatal blow to the assassin. The man fell face forward and dropped his sword on the ground behind him before either of us could react in time.

Marth then turned around and looked back at Chrom. "I trust this proof will suffice?"

Chrom was completely shocked, and he barely managed to nod his head.

Before any of us could speak, another assassin was speeding towards Marth. It caught her by surprise, but she took a step back and turned around to face the thief. Unbeknownst to her, there was a slippery sword coated in poison behind her. She nearly slipped on the sword and reeled back struggling to regain her balance.

The assassin attacked with his blade and a loud cling could be heard through the courtyard. The rogue barely missed hitting Marth in the head as the sword collided with Marth's mask and sliced it into two identical pieces that fell to the floor. Chrom then rushed to attack the assassin and I followed behind him, but time completely stopped for me when I looked back at the masked figure.

It was like gazing at a realistic portrait. There was no movement, and time completely stopped when I saw Marth's real face as the two metallic mask pieces slowly fell from her visage. Her beautiful blue cerulean hair falling to her shoulders now that it was no longer held in place by her mask. And her face. It was the most incredible sight I have ever seen. Perfectly smooth and flawless, not even a diamond could compare.

WOW. I stood motionless, lost in the charm of her appearance. I knew she was a woman, but I never imagined she looked anything like the view before me. Only the reality of battle took me away from staring further, which was for the best given the dire circumstance.

...

"... Morgan, do you smell smoke?"

"Only from your head overheating." Morgan teased.

Robin blushed realizing that he was just as captivated with that face now, as he was back then. "Heh, er well..." Robin coughed twice then choked on more fumes as he realized what the culprit was. "The chicken!" He yelled in concern.

The two tacticians scrambled to the stove and opened the stove to have a giant cloud of smoke attack them. When it finally cleared, they saw their meal completely burnt and blacker than the night sky.

"NO! We worked so hard on that, and I am sooo hungry!" Morgan yelled in frustration. "What did we do wrong? We followed the recipe exactly like the book!"

Robin walked over to the counter and saw what happened. "Morgan...you looked at the M-Z section, that was the wrong cook book. We were supposed to grill the chicken, not cook it in the oven.

"Oh."

Robin chuckled knowing she came from the same tree as he did. "It's a good thing I have a plan B." Robin smiled back.

"Huh? What's that?" She raised her head

"Lucina packed us sandwiches before she left. I hope you like turkey."

"What!? We could have eaten this whole time?"

"...Yes, but I wanted to see if the two of us could work together and make our own meal. Broaden our skills, and learn to take care of ourselves." He glanced back to the black corpse of a chicken with smoke coming from it. "It looks like we better stick to tactics."