The castle is strangely silent on the morning after Robin comes back. Chrom exempts her from the council meeting for the morning, and leaves the breakfast room in notably high spirits. Robin takes herself to the bathing room, and runs a bath, hot and steamy, and sits there for hours, until the water has lost any relaxing traits. It's cold now, and the bubbles she poured in earlier have all but disappeared.
The night before was a strange experience for her. Dinner was held in the grand hall instead of the room the usually dined in, and most of the shepherds were present. Chrom made a speech, which really shouldn't have surprised her. She was still all out of sorts, and her processing times for everything seemed to take a lot longer than she remembered. She supposed that not eating for two years didn't help. It was hard to concentrate on anything for longer than five minutes, but Chrom was a patient man, and slowly helped her come to terms with all that had happened.
They stayed awake until the wee hours of the morning, with his arms wrapped around her and her head resting on his chest. He whispered stories of the intervening two years into her hair, and they lay, still, together, until eventually they fell asleep. This is the sort of Chrom that Robin remembered, and it is almost overwhelming to see him like this- so calm, and relaxed, and not the way she remembered during the war. The brief period of peace they had since they had in the period between the first war with Plegia and the war against Valm and subsequently, Grima was the time when most of her memories with Chrom were formed. To be in a time of peace again is both a blessing and a curse- there isn't the worry of either of them dying at the hands of an enemy soldier at any given moment, but Robin is getting antsy.
She hasn't even realised how long she'd spent in the bath until a loud hammering came from outside on the door. She curls her knees up to her chest, not wanting to get out of the bath. She is too tired, to worn, to consider moving, and she wants nothing to do with the person outside the room. She could tell it isn't Chrom- the knocking is far too light. However, it is persistent, and after a while the person starts knocking harder.
"Robin?" A meek voice calls, and Robin closes her eyes. It was Lissa- of course it was Lissa. The council meeting has probably ended, and Chrom probably wants to see her. He is too polite to come looking for her himself, and has sent Lissa, another woman, to fetch her.
"Robin, you've been in there for three hours. Are you okay?"
No response.
"Robin, I'm worried. Can you hear me?"
Again, no response.
"I'm coming in!" Lissa calls, a sense of finality about her voice. She's clearly still scared, however, and as the door swings open, she gasps lightly. "Robin, you look freezing!" She shuts the door again quickly, retreating back outside. Robin can faintly make out the sound of her rustling in the towel cupboard outside, and then the light footsteps of the boots her sister in law always wears coming back into the room.
Without any care for the woman's condition, the cleric grabs her by the arm, dragging her out of the bath. She's stronger than she looks, and since Robin is almost deathly thin, she has no problem lifting her onto the cold stone ground. Lissa wraps a toweling robe around Robin, tying it at the front. She snatches furtive glances at the tactician's face as she rubs her hair dry, placing the towel over her head. She drags a seat over, and pushes her down onto it, grabbing a brush from the shelf.
"You know, it wasn't just Chrom that was worried about you," Lissa admits quietly, running the brush through Robin's white locks. "Although I wasn't even sure if you were still alive, I missed you like hell. Even before you and Chrom were married, you were like a big sister to me. You were… are, even, like Emmeryn. You're kind, and you care about everyone more than you care about yourself. I guess that's why Chrom likes you," she smiles, sadly.
Robin still doesn't respond, staring numbly at the wall in front of her. Lissa words are going in, causing tears to well up in the corners of her eyes. It's so hard to respond, however. She doesn't know where to begin. There are a multitude of words that she has to say, and none of them are fitting. So she lets the tears fall over her face, dripping down onto clenched hands on her lap. She grips at the belt of the robe, and Lissa notices the crying, dashing round in front of Robin.
"Hey," she says, her voice soft and motherly. "It's okay. You'll be okay." She wipes the tears from Robin's cheek, albeit ineffectively, since they are flowing thick and fast. Robin holds her hands up to her face, furiously trying to stem the flow.
"I'm sorry," she sobs, her voice broken and shaky.
"You're okay," Lissa reminds, and wraps her arms gently around the older woman. "Cry. I know you won't do this in front of my brother, but you can in front of me. I won't tell him."
And she does. The tears don't stop falling from Robin's eyes for at least twenty minutes, her body wracked with sobs. Lissa's own eyes fill with tears after a while, and she can't tell whether they're of happiness for Robin being back, or if they're purely empathetic. But either way, she cries too, and she knows that at least she feels better after a while.
"I'm sorry," Robin whispers again, wiping the last of the tears away with an almost laugh. "I don't really know what came over me."
"I understand," Lissa nods. "It's good to… just let it out, right?"
"Is there any reason why you came to find me in the first place?" Robin asks, moving away from the younger girl to locate the smallclothes she stripped off earlier.
"Chrom wants to see you. He was in the garden the last time I saw him. They were organizing a big celebration party the in the council meeting this morning. It's supposedly taking place at the weekend."
"That's the last thing I want," Robin mutters, pulling her top over her head. Lissa snorts at her comment, running a hand nervously through one pigtail.
"That's what I said! But they voted majority in favour, so… my vote didn't matter. But I was on your side, if that makes you feel any better. Olivia and Lon'qu were too, and Gaius. But everyone else thought it was a wonderful idea."
"Nice to know that my husband doesn't know me as well as some of my friends do," Robin says, almost bitterly, before slapping a hand over her mouth. "Sorry. That was rude."
"No, it's fine. Sometimes, I feel like Owain knows me better than Chrom does, and he's not even two yet. That's just Chrom for you, huh?"
Once fully dressed, her hair sufficiently dried and her cloak hanging neatly on the hook in her bedroom, Robin makes her way through the familiar palace corridors and into the garden. They don't usually sit out there- the courtyard, with its small grassy area- was much easier to watch the children in. But since everything was a celebration since yesterday, Chrom has taken Lucina outside there. It isn't hard for Robin to find them- two spots of blue in a sea of green grass. She makes her way across the lawn towards them, and Lucina quickly spots her mother, throwing herself towards her.
"Good afternoon," Robin greets fondly, hoisting the child onto her hip. She is getting almost too big to do that with, but Robin doesn't complain, bearing the weight as she walks towards her husband. She notices Owain running around among the rose bushes, followed by a tiny Inigo, who can barely keep up. She sets Lucina down after a kiss on the cheek, and the young princess runs after her cousin.
"Are you feeling okay?" Chrom asks, absentmindedly taking one of her hands in his own.
"I'm fine," Robin confirms, a small smile passing across her face.
"I'm glad," he says, directing her towards a metal bench. They sit, and Robin leans forward, watching the children with a fond smile on her face.
"She's grown up so much. And to think, neither Owain or Inigo were born before I disappeared."
"I hope I did a good job of parenting," Chrom jokes. "Although, I did have a nanny to help me."
"I'm sure you did a great job," she smiles again, scooting closer to him. He wraps an arm around her fondly, before clearing his throat.
"We, uh… we planned a celebration for you. Saturday night. A banquet, and a ball. I hope that's okay- I should've asked you first."
"Lissa told me," Robin grimaces. "It's not what I want at all, but I suppose I'll have to attend."
"I can cancel-"
"No, it's fine. I heard some of the things Maribelle is ordering in, and I wouldn't want all that food to go to waste," she laughs.
"You'll have to get a new dress," Chrom comments, coughing slightly at the end of the sentence.
"I assumed you'd say that. I'll get one Lissa or Olivia to come with me, maybe. I only have my wedding dress, and I don't think that's really appropriate."
"You could wear it if you wanted," Chrom suggests, but she shakes her head.
A comfortable silence falls between the two, fingers still interlocked, and his arm thrown carelessly over her shoulders. Despite there being two years of stuff to catch up on, Robin finds herself not wanting to do so, rather instead wishing to enjoy what is happening now. Although she feels bad for missing so much of Lucina's life- two years is a long time in the eyes of a child, half the girl's life- she watches her with the same eyes that she looked upon the baby when she was first born. Her love for the girl hasn't changed at all, and likely won't until the day she dies.
"Chrom," Robin says suddenly, turning sharply to face her husband.
"What is it?" He says, reflexively gripping her hand tighter.
"You told me that Lucina went to live with Inigo in Rosanne," she comments, lowering her voice so the younger version of their child wouldn't hear. "But… what happened to Morgan?"
"I hoped you wouldn't ask that," Chrom sighs deeply. "I didn't want to keep it from you, but I also knew that telling you would also upset you."
"Chrom…"
"He left. Right after the war, he left. I'm not even sure if he made it Ylisstol with us, but Lucina says that he said to her that it was best if he left. I'm sure he was grieving just like the rest of us," he says, lowering his eyes to his knees.
"It's okay," she replies. "It's not your fault. Morgan was old enough to make his own decisions, and if that was the decision he made, then I suppose I'm okay with it. Of course, I would like to see him again, but there's not much we can do about that."
"You don't… blame me?"
"What could you have done?" She sighs. "Morgan was independent. Maybe we'll see him again in the future."
"I'm sorry from keeping it from you."
"Chrom," she chastises. "It's not your fault."
Robin struggles into her dress less than five minutes before the banquet begins, and Lissa places her crown atop her head and wraps her cape around her shoulders. It's all for show- once speeches have been made, they'll be able to take the extra garb off. The crown is heavy, and the clips stick into her scalp, although it looks amazing. She only got to wear it once before- on her wedding day, which also acted as a coronation. Chrom's proper coronation came before then, and she watched from the allocated family seats as his crown was set gingerly on his cobalt hair.
She thinks, not for the first time, that Chrom is much more suited to the royal job than she is. Of course, as a born royal, he was practically trained for the job, but he was never expected to take over, as the middle child. But unlike her, he is driven by his heart, and would do everything to help his people more than make the right economic or political choice. She is level headed, practical, and she supposes that's what makes them such a good pair. Also, who ever would let an amnesiac run a country?
Chrom, apparently.
"Are you ready? You were supposed to be there five minutes ago," Lissa reminds, fixing the strap of her dress. Parties weren't her thing either, much less fancy banquets like this one.
"As ready as I'll ever be," Robin sighs in response, and Lissa places a hand on her shoulder.
"I'll go ahead. I'm sure Chrom's waiting for you," she smiles, scampering out the door.
Even though Robin knew the girl had grown up a lot in the years since the war, nothing could shake the image of the sixteen-year-old girl who woke her in a field and healed her wounds whenever she was injured. Lissa would, in her mind, always be that young girl, and no matter how much she changed, Robin would always think that of her. With a smile finally on her face, Robin walks out of the chamber and down the cold stone corridors.
She can hear the chattering of the Great Hall before she rounds the corner, and the guards jump into a salute with a clatter of armour. She smiles, shaking her hands at them, and they move, back at ease. She turns the corner, her heels clattering on concrete. Chrom smiles at her from the opposite side of the door, nodding calmly at her. Libra smiles too, warmly, and walks into the room, heralding the arrival of the royals. Peeking through the door, Robin spots Lissa and Ricken, seated on Chrom's side of the table, and Tharja has somehow nabbed herself and Libra the seats on hers. The Dark Mage is the closest thing she has to family besides Chrom and Lucina- the only reminder of home and a time before the Shepherds.
"Exalt Chrom and Lady Robin," Libra announces as he reaches the top of the room, and Chrom takes that as his cue. He links one arm with Robin's, and they walk in, robes dusting the floor as they make their way through the long benches. Robin is surprised to hear the cheers, specifically of her name, and can't help a smile appearing on her face.
The royal couple separates at the top, making their way to their designated seats. They head the top table, looking over the room. Chrom lifts an already filled glass, and Robin grips onto the table, her once genuine smile quickly becoming forced. Tharja jabs one nail into Robin's wrist, forcing her to smile larger in an attempt not to show the pain she was in.
"It has been a trying two years," Chrom begins. "For myself, for Lucina, and for the other shepherds. But also for the population of Ylisse. To be without such a beloved woman for such a long time is hard for a country. A woman who is not only the tactician of the army, but also my right hand woman and best friend. So I propose a toast, to Robin!"
"To Robin!" The hall echoes, and Chrom sits down, prompting Robin herself to step forward. Speeches aren't her strong point. She could write them, but delivering one was a whole other story. So, like her husband, she decides to keep it short. She takes a deep breath in, and then Tharja stands up, grabbing her arm and shoving her back into her seat. The mage lifts a carefully stored tome from under the table, and flicks through it, before firing a Bolganone spell at the rafters. Vaike stands up from the bench he's seated at, lifting a concealed bow and firing an arrow on the opposite side.
"Clear the room!" Chrom commands, unsheathing Falchion in one swift movement. Robin sits stock still, overcome with shock, while guests scatter, directed by guards into the garden outside and the ballroom directly opposite. Two bodies fall from the ceiling where Vaike and Tharja attacked, landing with dull thuds on the ground.
"Robin you have to get out of here," Tharja commands, her well trained eyes scanning the room. "Chrom, you too. Your safety is paramount." She sashays in front of the couple, tome book still open in one hand.
"What is going on?" Robin demands, finally standing. She's defenceless, with no tome or sword at her disposal. "I can fight too, if needs be!"
"Lissa, you should leave too. We have this under control!" Maribelle calls, striding towards the table. Clearly, the shepherds had been placed around the room in such a way that if an event like this happened, they would be well equipped to deal with it.
"No way!" Lissa says, stomping her foot against the wooden floor.
"Is that all of them?" Chrom asks loudly over the bickering, as a soldier reenters the hall.
"We've swept the castle sir, and we can't find anyone else," he confirms with a nod. "We'll call in the others who are off duty to guard the hall while we continue our search."
"Thank you. Invite everyone else back in please."
"Right away, sir."
The party swiftly moves to the ballroom, with appetites largely spoiled over the incident earlier in the evening. Floating trays of bite size food move around the room, and waiters serve drinks, appearing out of nowhere to hand out and collect glasses. The royal couple stands at the head of the room, Chrom's hand carefully wrapped around Robin's. It's a protective stance, and even now, once they've shed their royal robes, Falchion is still hung around his waist.
"Are you okay?" He mutters into her hair, and she nods in response.
"I'm more offended that Tharja told us to get out, to be honest," she laughs. "Besides, I don't feel like they were trying to assassinate me. It was probably you they were after."
"I wouldn't be so sure," he says, a worried smile appearing on his face. "You're a target too- royal, queen, tactician, the list is endless."
"I don't think my life is that valuable, but I appreciate your concern," she smirks.
"By the way, you look wonderful in that dress," he says, not looking at her but raising his eyebrows suggestively. "If I had my way-" She almost spits out her champagne, and sets the glass down with a snort.
"Well you don't." An older couple is approaching them- dignitaries that she recognises from Maribelle's kingdom. The two separate, but Robin leans over to whisper in his ear. "At least not yet." His neck flushes red, and she laughs as the other man spins her away in time with the music.
The party lasts until the early hours of the morning, and with one (or two…. Or three) too many glasses of champagne in their systems, both Chrom and Robin stagger to their bedchamber, giggling like two teenagers. The guards usually positioned outside the room have the sense to avoid it for the evening, and luckily so, as before they even reach their destination, Chrom has Robin pinned against a pillar, hungrily kissing her, one hand on her waist and the other on the wall.
"Does this count as having my way?" He asks, moving his mouth down to her neck to plant open mouthed kisses along to her collarbone.
"I would guess so," she laughs, the sound as clear as ever. One of her hands is tangled in his hair, and one leg wraps around him, almost as if they're still dancing. "I expected you to be able to contain yourself, though. Really, you could've waited a few metres, but out here?"
"I don't care," he says, dragging one hand along her thigh. "I just want you. Now."
"Well I care," she smirks, and in a quick shift of power, she spins him around, pushing him into the pillar instead. His look of shock is almost adorable, and she lets him go, strutting away the few extra steps to their bedroom. "You can come with me if you want, or… you can just stay there all night."
"I wouldn't want to leave you on your own," he says, eagerly following her through the door.
A/N: Guess who was gonna write smut and then chickened out! This bitch! Well anyway, I apologise for no chapter last week, I had exams to finish and then I was at a con all weekend, but I'm back on schedule now and because it's summer I'll be able to stay on schedule! Please review if you enjoyed! c: