A man and a woman laid on the ground in a forest. The man wore a black robe, the woman blue armor. Neither opened their eyes.
Time passed. The man groaned. The woman remained immobile, save for ragged breathing. More time passed. Men approached the pair on the ground and shook them awake. Men without robes or armor, without sign of allegiance or trade beyond several very large axes. Each.
"Hey! You!"
The man opened his eyes. The woman shook herself to her feet. One of the bandits moved an axe towards the man's neck.
"Yeah, you. In the robe. Your lady looks like a lordling. Not a bad ransom. Wouldn't want to scratch her, cut into the payout. Of course, I doubt they'd pay much extra for a jumped up courtier. So, you tell me who'd be best to ask for the money, or she'll be sobbing over your corpse pretty soon."
The woman pulled a sword.
"It's a fair wager there would be more than one corpse."
The man in the robe stepped back.
"I think we all need to calm down. This is just a misunderstanding. This is my wife, Lucina. My name is Robin, and we're just trying to find an inn."
"Robin, you said?"
"Yes?"
"You wouldn't happen to be a tactician, would you?"
Robin raised his hands.
"I try, at least."
"Oh. Then that's different."
The head bandit turned to his men.
"Kill them. Now."
TWO DAYS EARLIER
Robin sat in the chair of honor at the Castle Ylisse banquet table and tried to keep down a rash of vomit.
It was good to be among friends again. It was good to have a massive banquet. It was, to cut to the point, good to be alive.
It was good enough to be alive that he tried something Sully prepared, just to be polite. After that, staying dead became much more appealing.
"To the noblest man I ever had the pleasure of calling a friend!"
"CHEERS!"
"To the little sprog who cheated the old reaper more times than I can count."
"CHEERS!"
"To my #1 customer!"
"Cheers!
The constant toasts didn't help matters. Good mead killed some of the agony on the tongue, but it didn't help the stomach. And refusing them would be rude.
He wished he'd eaten a little more before coming back to the castle and the closest thing he had to home. Barring that, he wished he was outside in the latrines, where he could empty his guts in peace.
If nothing else, he wished the toasts would stop.
"To the best dad in the entire world!"
Well, most of the toasts. He made an exception for two people. Morgan was one.
In the shadows, Lucina nodded at him, smiled, and tipped her glass.
She was the other. And a very good reminder that, no matter what else happened, he was the luckiest man in the world. He smiled back. When he turned back to the table, Chrom was looking at him.
Robin gulped. Okay, yes, he was, well, married to her. But she was Chrom's daugher, and Robin was planning to do things with her a married man will do with his wife after an extended leave of absence. With enthusiasm.
A father could take offense.
But Chrom nodded instead.
"I know all of you want to congratulate our beloved tactician personally, but it's getting late. And there's someone with more claim on his time than the rest of us put together. So, uh, thank you all."
Robin knew someone would want a speech. On the other hand, someone else would give a speech if he didn't, and they'd be much less likely to make a mess on the floor in the middle of it. He dashed up the stairs for his room, two at a time, and relieved himself into a bucket. When he looked at it, it was empty again.
A note on the side mentioned Anna deliveries. He'd have to thank her later.
Lucina came into the room a minute after. Robin shoved the bucket aside.
"I said I'd find a way back, didn't I?"
"I'm sorry I doubted you."
"To be honest, I would have doubted me too. I'm glad you stayed around. You only promised until death. I couldn't expect more."
She smiled.
It was, despite everything, a wonderful night.
Robin fell into sleep with a smile on his face. Then dreams came. They were less pleasant.
It started with a feast, just like the night that lead to it. But the guests were different. People he couldn't recognize mixed with heroes of legend. All talking, laughing, treating him as one of their own. His mind couldn't match them to his life, but something deeper put them as old friends. He laughed. Smiled. Listened to stories.
Then it all vanished. And he was alone in a graveyard. He'd seen this, or one close enough to be its twin, in a thousand nightmares before. But this was different. The old graveyard had names he recognized. Chrom. Sully. Frederick. Lucina. Then Grima rose, everything burned, and so on. Here, he didn't recognize a name. Until he found his own grave.
It was a relief more than anything. A familiar name. A reason to be sure Grima wouldn't return. Then he looked lower.
The dates were right enough. But the epitaph mentioned, well, it was wrong. He couldn't remember any of it. For good or ill.
But it felt like the truth. And it felt like a betrayal. He'd failed everyone, and not even done them the courtesy of remembering the failure. He'd even betrayed himself, forgotten everything he stood for. If he'd made the choice on his own, it might have been a fair trade. (No. Trading the world for Chrom and Lucina would have been a bargain.) But here, he failed without even trying.
Angry ghosts emerged from the tombs, of course. But they couldn't do anything to him that his guilt couldn't match. Robin woke up with a sick feeling in his stomach.
Lucina noticed.
"What's wrong?"
"Lucina, in your time… did I ever talk about what my life was like? Before the Shepherds, I mean."
Lucina bit her lip.
"He never talked about his past that I can remember. Not that I knew him very well."
"Of course I didn't. That would make things too easy."
"You can't blame yourself for someone else's actions. I never knew him, but I know you. You aren't him. You proved that to anyone's satisfaction."
"That isn't the issue. No matter what else I am, I'm still me. And that means I'm missing decades of my life. Aversa didn't know anything past my early childhood, and no-one even remembers what I did between then and finding Chrom."
"Does it matter?"
"Maybe. Probably. I must have left friends behind. Or enemies. People with no idea what happened. I didn't mean to betray them, but I did it all the same."
"You can't know that! "
"I do. Remember the outrealms? One of the einherjar recognized me. Not even "you remind me of". She knew my name."
"It… isn't the MOST common in Ylisse."
"And I recognized her. Like Morgan remembered you. I can't just abandon that. People may need me."
"Of course they do."
"I'm sorry. You come first. Always. But once we've done what needs to be done, I have to set this right. I can't ask anything from you, but I can't forget this either."
He smiled.
"Well, I can't forget it again."
Lucina shook her head.
"Because you're still the man I married."
"Thank you?"
"And that means I can't very well leave you to struggle alone. You gave your life for me. I think that spending a few days in the outrealm helping you find a few old friends is a fair trade."
"Thank you. It's more than I can ask."
"Would Morgan be alright if we left today?"
"What? I mean, yes, I think so. She hasn't spent much time in Castle Ylisse, and she's enjoying the library."
"I should rephrase it, shouldn't I? Will everyone else be alright if we leave Morgan with them?"
"Maybe. I don't think she could destroy the whole kingdom in less than a week."
"Then it's settled. I'll pack our supplies. You can say your goodbyes to father and Morgan. We can be halfway to the gate before nightfall."
"I don't know what I'd do without you."
Robin paused.
"No. I do. Which makes you matter even more."
Lucina was as good as her word. They were gone from the castle in almost no time, even counting the time reminding Morgan that great uncle Henry was not to be listened to under any circumstances short of the apocalypse (and probably not even then.) In less than two days, they were at the outrealm gate.
Robin approached the entrance.
"Anna? I have something to find in the outrealms."
"That's great. Everyone should have a goal in life."
"I need to go through the gate to do that."
"I can understand that, handsome, but no-one gets anything for free. If they did, I'd be out of business."
"Your sister let me through without paying."
"Was the fate of the world on the line?"
"Yes?"
"Well, it isn't now. Sorry, but you can't get by on looks, either."
Robin sighed and reached for a bag of gold.
"You know I only had the budget I did before because I was managing funds for a whole army?"
"Well, that's why you get a frequent customer discount. 5,000 gold."
"You don't even know where I want to go!"
Anna smiled almost as wide as Morgan's standard.
"You want to go to Lycia, right? Home of the legendary Roy, Lyn, Eliwood, and Hector?"
"How did you even know that? I didn't know that two days ago."
"We pride ourselves on customer satisfaction."
Robin reached for a large bar of gold.
"Just to be clear, this is highway robbery."
"No, you're thinking of our upcoming mobile service. We'll bring the massive price gouging right to your horse, wyvern, or pegasus!"
"What?"
"Just a little joke. Thank you for shopping with Anna Sisters Limited. Service with a smile! Also, by proceeding through the outrealm gate, you agree to absolve Anna, Anna, and any other Annas of all legal, social, and moral liability. Please distort time and space to the dissolution of all objective reality responsibly."
Lucina and Robin stared with their mouths open.
"Hint. That's your cue to walk through the gate."
Lucina closed her mouth.
"Right. Of course. I'm sorry for being rude."
"We both are. Thank you. Although I'd be a lot more grateful if you had halfway reasonable rates."
"Sorry. Couldn't stay in business if I did! Good luck!"
The couple entered infinity. And fell.
NOW
Lucina wiped blood off Falchion.
Robin patched his tactical manual with paper and quill from his pack. Keeping a magical tome in perfect order was bad enough in peacetime, and the time after a battle was worse. But the reduced kit to carry made it worth his while.
"Well. That could have gone better."
The bandits that weren't dead were gone, fear propelling broken and bleeding limbs to heights they couldn't sustain. If they were lucky, they might live. If they were smart, none of them would pick up an axe again as long as they lived. Robin and Lucina were nicked and battered, but none of the injuries would even scar.
"Is this how you always wake up?"
"No. Pretty much every time before now, I've been lucky. Kind, well connected strangers. No axes in my face."
"The first time I found myself in a new world, I was pursued by armies of risen. It was worse than this."
Robin smiled.
"So, we met in the middle."
"What?"
"I mean I'm used to kindly royalty, and you're… you know what? It's not worth the explanation."
"Oh. We should try to find a town, shouldn't we?"
Robin nodded.
"My woodsmanship's never been as good as I'd like, but I think the dirt paths here look more or less like roads. We should find a town if we head north in a few days at most."
"That sounds reasonable. And I don't think we'll have to worry much about bandits for the rest of the trip."
Lucina smiled and slid Falchion back into its sheath.
It was half a day's walk before they saw any signs of civilization beyond isolated huts, and longer before they reached a town, but the forest had berry and bear enough for two, if they weren't picky and knew how to hunt. The town was small, but walled and guarded. Robin thought it would have been a sign of bandits in the area, if he didn't already have the better sign of a dozen of them trying to kill him. He shot a bolt of lightning in the air from a tome, after angling it to not point out his exact location. Best to check how twitchy the locals were before walking up to the gate, especially late at night.
One arrow shot for the bolt, but the lack of followup said it was just a paranoid recruit, not a full attack.
"Present yourself, in the name of Lord Eliwood, marquis of the realm!"
The main path to the gate was illuminated by flickering torches. Robin could almost make out five small archery towers. Well, Eliwood was a good man according to the legends, and his instincts said to trust him. Besides, they didn't like the local bandits. Which meant there was a chance they didn't hate him.
Robin prepared to step forward when Lucina grabbed his arm and shook her head.
"You're less armored, and people might know you already. It's safer if I take the risks."
Robin didn't argue. It was pointless when Lucina decided on something.
"Just be careful. For me, if nothing else."
"I'll try."
She walked into the light.
"Two travelers seeking lodging."
"Then let's see both of you."
Robin stepped forward.
"Alright, both of you. Now no sudden...WOOF!"
A woman's voice came down from the tower.
"It can't be!"
In the shadows, Robin could almost see someone clambering down a tower.
"Hold fire! Hold fire!"
Before the tactician could process the events, a green haired young woman was in the light and closing distance fast. She was carrying a bow on her back, and looked to know how to use it. Robin knew a professional soldier when he saw one, and she qualified. She also seemed to know him.
"Robin! It is you! You know how long it's been?"
"More than three years?"
"You know that Bern and Etruria have been tearing up half the continent looking for you? And you know how Eliwood gets about it."
"Yes. That Eliwood. Hahaha?"
"You're just laughing it off?"
Robin looked around. He'd assumed that this was just a life or death situation. Things were much worse than that already.
"No? I'd never laugh about something like that."
"You just left us for three years. And now you're back like you never did?"
"Well, a lot happened."
"A lot happened? That's all you have to say?"
The woman was on the verge of tears. And her fist was tensing up, which did not bode well.
Lucina looked towards Robin.
"I trust you. Implicitly. But I still have... questions."
"If it makes you feel any better, so do I. I'm sorry. I've had some difficulties."
Robin sighed.
"You wouldn't believe half of it if I told you."
Her fist tensed.
"Try me."
"Well, I had amnesia. And that's the most believable thing that happened to me. I can't even remember your face. Or your name."
She blinked.
"Not you too!"
"Uh, yeah. Me too."
"Rebecca. I'm Rebecca. You were our tactician."
"I guessed that much. You know me already, so I should introduce Lucina to be fair. This is my wife, Lucina. The fellest blade, the most honest lord, and the most beautiful woman I've ever met."
"Lord? She's… should I courtsey?"
Lucina shook her head and blushed.
"No. An accident of birth could never elevate one person over another. I'm sure your archery talents are just as worthy of praise."
Rebecca blushed back.
"Well, Lord Eliwood thought it was good enough to teach these NUMBSKULLS how to protect against some bandits. I've done okay. BUT I WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER OFF TEACHING A GOAT, BECAUSE MAYBE IT COULD TAKE SOME BASIC DIRECTIONS, ANDREWS!"
"Bandits?"
"Had a few. Wish we could be done with the lot of them. Got things to do back at the castle, but..."
Rebecca shrugged.
Lucina spoke.
" There were about a dozen of them? Armed with axes?"
"Don't know the numbers. Maybe that many?"
Robin coughed.
"We might have solved your problem. We buried the bodies, but if you needed proof, I think the gods would forgive us a little desecration of the dead if we had to to put your people at ease."
"You and one swordswoman?"
"I said Lucina was the best fighter I've met."
"Well, Lyn said you helped her do the same thing when you first met her. With fewer bandit, of course."
"Lyn! I need to see her. Where is she?"
"Wow. You really did forget everything. I guess you did miss the wedding!"
"Wedding?"
"To Lord Eliwood, of course! You said you'd name their first child. They'll want to see you. If the bandits are as dead as you said, these COMPLETE INCOMPETENTS should do alright without us. And, well, if you're married, without telling any of us, to some foreign royal? Well, they'll want to yell at you. It wouldn't be fair to keep it to myself."
"Which means?"
"We're leaving in the morning. I can pack our supplies, and hunt for most of our food, so we can travel light."
"And for the night?"
"You can sleep in the guard barracks. It's nothing special, but it beats staying out under the stars."
Lucina shrugged.
"If the stars are always this beautiful, I'm not sorry to spend a few more nights with them."
Robin shrugged at Rebecca in reply.
"She had a rough childhood."
"Like Nino? Poor kid…"
"Probably worse."
Rebecca whistled.
The barracks were about what was advertised. A roof, beds, and bedding that all more or less could be identified from that description. No rats or other vermin brave enough to show their faces. Beyond that, there was nothing worth remembering. The Shepherds weren't, for the most part, the most domestic minded of people, but they still had higher standards for their bunks if they were staying indoors.
"Sorry we don't have bunks big enough for two people, lovebirds. You alright with that?"
"We're just grateful for the room. Thank you."
"Don't worry about it."
Robin fell asleep before his head hit the pillow. And he dreamed.
Eyes opening. A woman. Or a girl. No older than nineteen, and probably south of that. Bruises. Strange tent.
The glowing gate wasn't that bad an idea, then. A beautiful girl about his age, no assassins, and not a grain of Plegian sand. Robin smiled. Didn't think he would be safe for long, but it was a step ahead of the ruins of his childhood.
"I found you unconscious on the plains. I am Lyn, of the Lorca tribe. You're safe now. Who are you? Can you remember your name?"
"Robin. Just Robin."
"What an odd sounding name."
He winced.
"But pay me no mind. It is a good one. What brings you to the Sacae plains?"
"A very long story. And not a pleasant one."
A noise outside. Swords? Axes?
Lyn heard it. She nodded. Stepped outside.
"Bandits! They must be planning to raid the local villages. I… I have to stop them. You should stay here. You'll be safe."
"I can help."
Before he even thought about it. Noblesse oblige, then. Or whatever insane sense of it was left for the supposed avatar of a mad god.
"You're a swordsman?"
"No. Strategist."
"An odd profession, but…"
"Not odd where I'm from. A good strategist is the difference between a mountain of the dead and a clean victory. And I've always had a gift."
Gift. One way to say it. His birthright, or the first downpayment on it. At a glance he could see two men draw blades, and know which would live and which would die. Tell lovers from the looks in their eyes. See how close a man was to the reaper's embrace without spending more than a second in his presence.
Father was so happy. Then Mother told Robin why father was so happy. Why they had to run.
So much for his gift.
"Very well. We'll go together!"
"You won't regret this."
"I'll protect you, so stay close to me."
Then battle. Real fighting, the flow of blood. The girl from the plains was a natural. A few nudges, a little coaching, and she killed men with years of experience.
When the fighting ended, Lyn shook.
"Sorry if I worried you. I'll need to be stronger if I'm going to survive... Strong enough that no one can defeat me."
Robin tried to smile.
"Don't worry. Life or death, success or failure? It's already written."
The next day, he woke in Lyn's tent.
"That last fight must have taken more out of you than I thought!"
Robin smiled.
"Yeah, I guess so."
Lyn paused.
"I want to talk to you about something. You have some experience in the ways of war, I can see. Would you allow me to travel with you?"
"Well, I don't know where I'm going, for how long, or what the risks are. I wouldn't want to take you away from people who care about you without at least getting the decision approved. Who would I…?"
"What? You... want me to get permission from my parents?"
"I didn't say that. But if you think they need to know, then yes."
"My mother and my father... died six months ago. My people—the Lorca—they don't... I'm the last of my tribe. Bandits attacked, and... they killed so many people. The tribe was shattered. My father was our chieftain, and I tried to protect our people. But I'm so young, and our people were old-fashioned. They wouldn't follow a woman. No one would follow me. I'm sorry. I've been alone for so long... No. No more. I will shed no more tears."
Robin blinked.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know."
"I'm jealous, Robin. You must have family still."
"My mother's dead and my father would be better off that way. I haven't seen my home country in more than a year, and I don't think I can ever go back."
"Oh."
Robin covered the silence.
"So, I suppose we're a matched set! I'd be honored to travel with you."
"You will? That's just wonderful! Thank you! Oh, thank you! We'll be better off working together, I know it. You'll be my master strategist, and I'll be your peerless warrior! We can do it! Right?"
"How could I turn a peerless warrior down? I've seen what happened to the last people who argued with you."
Lyn blushed. Robin blushed. Life was looking up.
Then everything died.
Robin woke up in a sweat.
"Lyn of the Lorca. How did I forget?"
Lucina turned to him.
"Hmm?"
"I dreamed of here. I mean, I remembered something. My first days here. Lyn. Bandits. Running and hiding while others fought for me."
"Are you sure? I can't imagine you leaving others to fight your battles for you."
Robin half smiled.
"No man is born a warrior, Lucina. We learn to fight to defend others. And it's mostly failure when you start."
"My dashing husband, a failure?"
"Laugh all you like. Most of us weren't trained from the cradle."
"I wasn't trained… is that a joke?"
"More or less."
Lucina laughed.
"It's very funny?"
"It's… always nice to see you smile. You can't blame me for trying to see it more often."
"I never would."
Rebecca stepped into the room and rolled her eyes.
"I thought Lyn and Eliwood were lovey dovey."
Robin turned red.
"I thought you were gathering supplies."
He'd forgotten all about her. But the cover story was much more polite, and came just as easy.
"We're ready to go when you two are. If you don't get lost in each other's eyes, I think we should be moving pretty soon."
"Errr, right. Sorry."
"We're almost ready to go now."
"Great. We have some horses for all of us to ride, courtesy of the local villagers, but they're not combat trained. Just a few years ago, we'd probably lose them to bandits. But Hector, err Marquis Ostia, made sure that people know the roads are protected. Now any bandits stick to the deep woods."
They rode for days without much of interest. Even if bandits had been on the roads, they would have been careful about a procession bearing royal crests and armor. And the nights were too tired for dreams with any detail. They stuck to vague guilt, which Robin had lived with too long to even notice.
They reached Castle Pharae on the fifth day. Rebecca nodded to Robin.
"Brings back memories, doesn't it?"
"The castle?"
"Never felt so far from being a proper lady as I did when I carried my bow and my armor into that fancy dinner. But you and Lord Eliwood made me feel right at home."
"I did?"
"And all the time after, cooking the deer I brought down in the woods outside, and you joked about how you wanted bear instead? So Hector walked out of the hall, and came back with a live bear on a leash? And then Lord Eliwood just didn't say anything for almost ten minutes?"
Rebecca laughed. Robin slowly joined in. Then he shook his head.
"I wish I did. It sounds amazing."
"Well, Lord Eliwood will just be glad to see you again, memories or not. And Lyn? I haven't seen her quite as much much, but every time I've talked about you, she's said how much you meant to her."
Lucina coughed.
"I'm sure she did."
Robin began to sweat.
"I don't, I mean… oh gods. She's the first woman outside of my family who saw me naked."
"I didn't need to know that."
"I didn't either! It came up on its own!"
Rebecca shook her head.
"None of us did. Let's try to forget it before we see her."
"Agreed."
"Agreed."
Rebecca walked closer to the guard towers.
"Rebecca of Pharae returning to speak to Lord Eliwood."
"Ah, Rebecca. A vision of loveliness even now. Your very breath draws me more than perfume. Your voice makes birdsong much the lesser by the comparison! If there could be a portrait that captures your magnificence, how could the painter live with himself knowing that he would never again match his work?"
"Sain."
"Sorry. But how could I resist? There is nothing that could distract me from such a perfect model of the feminine form."
"Except any other woman who passes your way."
"You wound me! By the way, Rebecca, who is the woman in blue with you? I may wish to make her acquaintance in the future."
"She's Robin's wife. And, as always, you're a pig."
"Ha! Your tongue is as sharp as ever. And your jests as merry! For I can almost imagine you mentioned a long lost friend and companion in an attempt to dissuade me from talking to a woman."
"Hello, Sain."
"Robin! That is, I mean, how long has it been?"
"Years."
"And that, I see you, well, that's…"
"She'd probably stab you, Sain."
"I wouldn't!"
Rebecca shook her head.
"You would. Anyone in their right mind would."
"And yet, you haven't! More proof of your unequaled magnanimity."
Rebecca looked at Robin.
"This has to bring back memories."
"No. And is he always like this?"
"Sometimes he's worse. IT ALMOST MAKES ME WONDER WHY I MARRIED HIM!"
"You… and him? You married him. You… this didn't happen while I was here, did it?"
"No. Just last year. In A FIT OF TEMPORARY INSANITY!"
Robin winced.
"Sounds like the foundations for a happy relationship."
"It has its ups and its downs."
"And I knew Sain."
"Sadly. He had some stories about you. They don't do either of you any favors. He says you go way back."
"Knowing my luck, I can believe it."
The drawbridge lowered and Robin trudged inside. Sain met him inside, a knight in green with a broad smile.
"Robin! It's been too long. How long has it been since we last saw the taverns and tickled the fancy of many a fair maid?"
Robin and Lucina responded in unison.
"Nowhere near long enough."
"Funny. That's what you said last time."
Lucina smiled.
"Some things, it seems, never change."
"Ah, always practical minded. A shame. Lady Lyndis and Lord Eliwood will be returning shortly, and… no one has informed them that you've returned."
"Not yet. I haven't seen anyone other than Rebecca from the old… gang."
"Well, you haven't seen the sights! In the benevolent reign of Lord Eliwood and the lovely Lady Lyn, peace and prosperity have blossomed. And the peasantry knows how to honor its heroes."
"I'm married, Sain. My wife is in this room. Right now. Listening to us. Even if I wanted to be part of whatever inane attempt to recapture the old times you were planning on, she would know, and probably kill me. I think I asked her to in my wedding vows."
Lucina winced.
"You mean 'If I ever act like Inigo, run me through'?"
"It was funnier before… well, what's past is past. I'm sorry I reminded you of it. The important thing is that I'm not here to go to taverns. Even if I remembered where the good ones were."
"A few drinks would jog your memory. As for marriage?"
Sain leaned in conspiratorially.
"I only flirt with other women to rile Rebecca. No one else in the world comes close. A little argument now and again adds spark."
"Or all the time."
"Or all the time. What's life without a little risk?"
"Much longer."
Sain frowned.
"You had a better joke last time I asked. Are you slipping?"
Rebecca slapped her head.
"Sain, he doesn't remember anything."
"What?"
Robin shrugged.
"I can remember Lyn, and everything for the past three years or so. Before that, blank. In between, blank. I was hoping that she could fill in some of the details."
"Amnesia? Really? I haven't heard a story that unlikely since the last time I spent time with a comely maiden."
Rebecca laughed.
"What was it? I think there was a dragon god, a plague of the undead, and time travel?"
Lucina and Robin winced in tandem.
"You know, I think I'll leave the details of the last three years for some other time."
"A shame. But the hour is late anyway. Well, it would be best if our guests were to take their lodgings."
Robin nodded.
"Is there a room for the night?"
"Would you believe they kept your room a perfect museum to your time here?"
"No."
"Good, because they didn't. And you didn't even have a room here. I think you slept in the stables. But we can't leave you there, because Sain needs it."
"Horseman?"
"His HORSE has better manners."
"You wound me, milady!"
Rebecca shook her head.
"So, the stable is out. Fortunately, we have servants quarters."
"That sounds more than adequate. Thank you."
Rebecca winked.
"Or we have lodgings for foreign royalty. Didn't you say something about a lord? Never heard of a duchy with a Lucina in charge, but I'm not the most traveled. Would be a real shame, having royalty here and not treating them right."
Lucina shook her head.
"The servant's lodgings are fine."
"For a lord?"
"My father is Exalt. I'm not even…"
Rebecca's eyes sparkled.
"A princess? Beg your pardon, ma'am! I've never even talked to a proper princess."
Robin leaned closer to Lucina.
"I don't think we're going to talk her out of this. Just smile and nod."
"It's an honor, of course, but…"
"Smile. Nod."
Lucina smiled. Then nodded.
"Thank you."
"No, thank you. A princess! Our Robin married a princess."
Sain nodded and winked in Robin's direction.
"All learned at the feet of the master, of course."
Robin smiled.
"Apparently, I learned everything I shouldn't do. Thank you."
Robin and Lucina followed the winding paths to the guest chambers. And Robin fell asleep again.
Another castle, much like this one. With an inconvenient corpse in armor on a throne. A sword, a holy relic, jutted out of the man's chest. Robin turned to Sain.
"I think we won."
Lyn was gone, reunited with her grandfather. Even Sain had the tact to realize she'd need to be alone with her last living family. The company drifted to separate corners of the castle and surrounding battlements. Robin was left with Sain.
"And without even a kiss from Lyn to celebrate our victory. Some days, I wonder if it was all worth it."
Robin rammed Sain in the ribs with his elbow. Sain didn't notice. Robin's elbow did. Noodly tactician arms were not built to take an impact with a knight's armor.
"You'll just have to be content with the safety of your country, your reputation with your sworn lord, a comfortable position for the rest of your life…"
"Ha!"
Robin shook his head.
"I had you wrong. I'll admit it. Head full of knightly fantasies, eyes full of any woman you passed? I thought you were going to hold us back, or run at the first real trouble."
"You never said that."
"Because Lyn and Kent trusted you, and I trusted them. They were right."
"I could have told you that."
"And I should have listened. Heh. A dozen soldiers, a few noncombatants, and still we triumphed."
"Thanks to the finest mind working for Pharae, and her most heroic cavalier."
"Well, thanks to the outcome of prearranged historical… you know what? Gods below, I think I'll take the credit for this one. For all of us. Destiny may have helped, but it was our bonds that won the day. Well, bonds and talent. I'll give you that we were better than most of the rabble."
"It's a question of motive. Coin or the heart of a beautiful woman? One inspires the spirit to valor. The other…"
"Puts bread on the table. But I see what you mean. We had a leader to inspire and a cause to fight for. Morale's a cornerstone of warfare. And on that note, Sain, I'm about to do something I'll regret."
"What, oh tactical genius?"
"You're dismissed. Everything that needs doing has someone to do it. Meanwhile, no-one is in the surrounding village telling them that all is well. Letting them know the fighting is over."
"Enjoying the company of relieved farmgirls?"
"Now you know why I regret telling you."
"Say no more!"
Sain charged out the door and mounted his horse.
Robin cleared his throat.
"If you want to talk to me, we're alone now. If you want to assassinate me, it seems a little late.
A small boy with green hair emerged from the shadows.
"Oh. Nils. Where's your sister?"
And why did they always give him the creeps? They were good kids. Everyone else liked them.
"That's not important right now."
Okay. Off on the wrong foot.
"I'm sorry if it seems like I want to cause trouble. I don't. We all care about both of you, and I'm sure Lyn would let you stay…"
"It's not what you want. It's what you are."
Crap.
"Not while I have a choice about it."
"Oh. It's just… it's been so long since we met, um, anyone else like us."
"Anyone else pursued by death cults for mysterious evil?"
Nils shook his head.
"No. Um, something else. You know."
"The reasons why?"
Nils nodded.
"That."
Creepy. Definitely creepy. But that was to be expected with what the kid was hinting at. Raised by mad cults, born for some horrible destiny, and doomed to gods only knew what. If Robin didn't have his mother, an anchor on sanity, then he would have ended up with the same issues. Then again, that didn't explain why everyone else had no issue with them.
"Well, everyone has gifts. Lyn's good with a sword, better than either of us will ever be. Rath's an amazing horseman. Serra can drive anyone insane in half an hour. The source matters less than how you use it."
"Do you believe that?"
"I'd like to."
"Do you think anyone else would believe it? If they knew what we were?"
Heralds of the walking apocalypse? Robin had his doubts.
"They don't need to know. They let us be people. That's better than we'd get anywhere else."
Nils frowned.
"I agree. It's the only way. We've probably told them too much already."
Nils walked away, and Robin felt a chill. Here there be dragons.
A woman died for his negligence. Worse would come.
Robin woke up. Beautiful wife sleeping next to him. Clean bed. Dream ended. The day was off to a fine start.
Then he looked up. Lyn. Red haired man that had to be Eliwood. Pants… not present. The fine start was over.
"Robin! I can't believe it's you after all these years!"
"Lyn! It's good to see you. Really...good."
"When Sain said you were here, I almost, well…"
"Yes. Sain. I wouldn't have trusted him either without checking for myself."
Robin tried to think of a way to extract himself from the situation without exposing more than anyone would be comfortable with. He looked to Lucina. She was not having any more luck.
"It's been too long. You promised to attend the wedding."
"I did? It slipped my mind. With a lot of other things."
"That's not much of an excuse."
Lyn was smiling. So was Eliwood. Robin pressed on.
"The other things include pretty much everything except my name."
"Sain told me. We're just glad to see you again."
Gods. There wasn't a better option, was there? Well, fortune favored the bold.
"I'm naked from the waist down, and would like to put on some pants without anyone I'm not married to in the room."
"Oh. Oh? Oh! I'm sorry to bother you."
Lyn and Eliwood disappeared out the door and Robin breathed a sigh of relief.
"Lucina, that was Lyn and Eliwood. I think they're old friends."
"They looked pleasant. Do you remember anything about them?"
"I think I owe Lyn my life a half dozen times over. And I was able to help her in exchange. "
"She sounds like a wonderful person. I'd like to know her better."
"So would I."
"And Eliwood?"
"If Lyn trusts him, well, it's not much of a judgement. She trusted me. But I think I know him. Or knew him."
"Father told me a legend once about a knight named Eliwood. The finest man ever to draw a blade his country had seen. If this is that man, then I think we can more than trust him with our lives. And you shouldn't be so harsh with yourself. I know the monster that nearly destroyed the world. And I know you. It's easy to tell the two apart."
"I won't argue with you, then."
Robin stood and stumbled through the motions of his morning routine, and Lucina performed hers. At the end, Robin walked to the door and knocked.
"Lyn?"
He had to step back when the door slammed open.
"You had us worried. Three years."
Eliwood shook his head.
"And married. I thought Hector broke many a maiden's heart when he and Farina were wed. Then Sain. And now you!"
Robin smiled.
"And you married Lyn. We're all getting old.."
"Ah, but I've been… you remember. I don't think there was weeping in the streets at the loss to tavern hall girls."
Robin frowned.
"I can't remember."
"You can't… You can't remember?! I pour my soul out for you, you talk about the most grievous breach of trust between us, and you don't remember?"
Lucina placed her hand on her scabbard.
Robin spoke quickly.
"I can't remember anything beyond a few brief flashes before three years prior. I thought you knew! I'm sorry, Eliwood. I wish I could have been a better man. But I can't take back the past. All I can do is try to make amends."
Eliwood sighed.
"No. The wrong was mine. So, married. How did you meet? I don't recognize her. Did another lord happen on a traveling tactician sleeping in a field?"
"I appear to have made a habit of it. I can't think of a reason to stop."
"And you fell for her more than Lyndis? She's a fine woman, I'm sure, but I can't agree with the decision."
"Well, I met her father when I woke up in the middle of a grassy field."
"Ah."
Robin almost corrected Eliwood. Ah didn't cover half of the details. "Ah" didn't bring up plagues of Risen, children from the future, or dark gods. Then he stopped. "Ah" didn't bring up plagues of Risen, children from the future, or dark gods. In the interests of time, "Ah" was much better for everyone.
"Well, there's a few other details left off, but that's more or less the story."
"I'm surprised you found a way to keep so far from the action. Between Lyn and me, you managed to hit every major political event for more than a year."
"The few other details included two major wars. I've kept busy."
"Of course you have. I was amazed that trouble stopped following you with just three dragons."
"Three? I must have forgotten some amazing stories."
Robin didn't bring up that Chrom's shepherds had three dragons of their own by the end of the war. Local attitudes weren't as kind towards non-humans, if the last dream meant anything.
"And you? I know I missed the wedding, but it's been three years. I'm sure I missed more."
"Bandits, politics, the ordinary business of running a country. There's a peace conference between Bern and Etruria. They nearly went to war."
"That sounds worth knowing about."
"It should be. They were looking for a mysterious 'master tactician' who could reshape a whole battlefield."
Lucina smiled.
"You found a second one?"
"Was that a joke?"
Robin shook his head.
"She's not much for jokes. I'm amazed as well. A second mysterious tactician in that short a span, at best it's a coincidence. At worst, it's suspicious bordering on paranoia inducing."
"And if I said it was you?"
"It's still not reassuring."
"You don't trust yourself?"
"You wouldn't either, if you were in my position."
"It's just rumors you were in Bern. Then in Etruria. Old rumors, but they almost boiled over. Well, you're here now. It should help set things to rest."
Lyn lifted a hand to her mouth.
"Oh!"
Eliwood turned to her.
"Oh?"
"Hector. I heard from Florina that he was officiating the peace conference."
"Hector! Ha! That should end the bickering. And replace it with full brawling."
"He's become quite the ruler."
"I don't doubt it. But he's still the same Hector of our childhood days, and I doubt his temper is that much improved."
Robin turned to Eliwood.
"How well did I know Hector? He reminds me of another friend."
"The four of us were inseparable! He asked you to be his daughter's godfather."
"Oh. Good."
Robin looked down. His life did need to get more awkward, didn't it?
Lucina turned to Robin.
"He sounds a little like Chrom. I'm sure he's a man worthy of a throne if he's half the man my father is."
Lyn nodded.
"Well, you should be able to pass your own judgement soon. We'll have to meet him."
Eliwood turned to Lyn.
"What?"
"Robin will need someone of standing to testify for his position, and it's been three years since we've seen Hector. Not since he married that mercenary."
"But…"
"I'm sure your mother and the royal knights can manage for a few days without us. It can be like the old days. You remember, Robin? Heading into the unknown. You were my tactician, and I was your sword. Well, I see you still needed that."
Lucina shook her head.
"I've seen him fight. He has a gift."
"Not when I knew him."
"Oh?"
"I think he tripped over his own robes when I tried to teach him how to hold a blade."
Robin blushed.
"I don't think I need to hear that story."
Lucina shook her head.
"I think I would like to. After all, we all started somewhere. And a gifted mage learning to use a sword is unusual."
"Gifted mage?"
Robin shrugged.
"I know enough practice to get by, and I can discuss the fundamentals with anyone fairly well. I'm not a master, but…"
"You've improved a lot since practicing with Lord Pent?"
"I don't remember that."
Eliwood smiled.
"I don't think anyone else is that lucky. He said you had potential. But Athos himself would break down in tears before it came to the surface."
"I was that bad?"
"I'm still not sure if his eyebrows will ever grow back."
Robin winced. Lucina smiled. And Eliwood shook his head.
"I wish we could have known each other in a better time. Well, time enough now."
"Of course."
"We ride in a few days time, but until then, we can pass our first meetings again, under better circumstances."
"I think I would have taken the opportunity if it came up then. I can't think of a reason to turn the chance down!"
"Well said. But first, I should send a messenger to Hector. I think he deserves to know as much as anyone. More."
"And I want to see him again. I'm sure I owe him my life a time or two as well. I guess I need to let him rub it in."
Robin laughed. Eliwood laughed, and Lyn. Even Lucina after a few more seconds.
The days leading to the travel to Ostia in Castle Pharae passed lightly. Robin shoved his dreams to the side, and a few old memories came to the surface at the best times. Jokes found their source, the food was excellent, and Lucina and Lyn bonded like old friends. Eliwood and Robin were able to talk strategy while they sparred in the halls. A few tapestries were a small price. A wall was a higher price, but everyone agreed that, all things considered, the outside air was a good change of pace.
Robin wished it hadn't ended so soon. Within a week, he was riding again with Lucina, Eliwood, Lyn, and a handful of royal guards. He didn't recognize a single face, even in an echo.
Robin turned to Lyn.
"So, those guards?"
"The royal knights?"
"Did I know them?"
Eliwood rode alongside them.
"I doubt it. We've had to recruit from the local peasantry over the past year, after the losses to the Black Fang."
Robin squinted for a second.
"They're trained well enough to get through drills, but I don't think they'd last long in actual combat. They'd be good at filling a crowd and looking intimidating with a lance, but their armor's too bulky to allow for quick evasion in combat and too fragile to protect against a good weapon."
"You said the same thing about every country's military you saw, with the exception of Bern."
"It's not my fault that the local militias value appearances more than results! Look at the formations, they present a strong front, but give them a little shove, everyone breaks. You need trust in a unit! If you can't rely on the soldier next to you in combat, then you can't do anything."
Eliwood shook his head.
"You said this before. Word for word."
"And you didn't listen?"
"You said it to Lyndis as well. And we did listen. But most new recruits don't want to go through sixty hours of team building exercises every week while you stared into their eyes trying to guess who they'd have the most productive conversations with."
Lucina smiled.
"At least you didn't say anything to father like this."
Robin tugged at his collar.
"I might have. Once or twice."
"Well, everyone…"
"Or seventeen times, eight of them in succession."
"At least you stopped?"
"After five complete reorganizations of the Shepherds."
"It worked?"
"Sully threatened to "Shove her boot so far up my arse that my tongue would be leather for the rest of my short life.". Then someone said it'd still be better than her cooking."
Lucina winced in sympathy.
"So, once everyone had stopped bleeding, Chrom asked me to never try a team building exercise again without making sure it wouldn't tear the team apart and end in horrific tragedy."
"That sounds unpleasant."
"Still better than the time Kjelle prepared a meal for the whole camp."
"It wasn't that bad."
"You are the only person who says that. Including Kjelle."
"We all have our gifts."
"And hers isn't cooking. But I don't think Eliwood needs to hear everything about life in the Shepherds."
Eliwood shrugged. Lyn smiled.
"They can't be much worse than Sain, Erk, and Sierra when we started out."
"You'd be surprised. Some days, with the exception of Lucina and her father, I think everyone in the army is clinically insane. Even my daughter, and she's…"
Lyn's eyes opened wide.
"You have a daughter?"
Lucina nodded.
"Morgan. She's… a handful."
"I'm amazed! A daughter, and you never told us. How old is she? Three months? A year?"
Robin held his tongue before it could pass on "Sixteen or so."
"Old enough to be a handful. Let's leave it at that. She's smart, and everyone likes her, but some days, well…"
"I just wish we could have met her."
"Maybe some day."
"When she's old enough not to need a wet nurse?"
"Some day."
"Well. Hector will be surprised."
Eliwood smiled.
"Pleased, I imagine. He wouldn't want a godparent of his child to try this kind of thing without practice."
Robin lifted his hands in surrender.
"Well, I've benefited from a practice round. I'll say that much."
"I'd imagine. So, you had a story about your comrades?"
"Several. Dozens. Hundreds. And Lucina has a few of her own."
"Let's stick to one for now."
"Fine. If you insist. But I want to hear something about Hector in exchange."
"I think there's one or two you'd want to remember."
The miles passed to tales of heroism and insanity. Even Lucina laughed from time to time. By the time they reached Castle Ostia and the royal protectors (Who Robin admitted were decent enough, after a few minutes.) they were old friends again, complete with incomprehensible in jokes. The guards on the convoy did not share the fondness, and vanished into the surrounding villages to drink peace on their weary feet and ears.
Robin lowered his hood as they approached. It was not the best idea for an internationally wanted man to march in proclaiming his identity.
The bridge lowered after confirmation of proper station, and the group rode into the courtyard. The guard on duty nodded.
"Marquess Pharae. Marchioness Caelin. We were informed you would be present. Marquess Ostia desires your presence at dinner this evening, and your pardon for the delay. He and King Desmond have been in conference for some time, and the matter cannot be delayed."
Robin cupped his hands.
"We're honored to accept his invitation, and understand the difficulties he must be facing."
Eliwood laughed.
"Does Hector know about this?"
"What?"
"I just can't imagine him leaving matters so formal."
"Marquess Ostia merely has proper respect for his station, as did his brother before him. And I assumed from reports I could expect as much from Pharae."
"My apologies to you and to Hector. I was just.. caught off guard."
"Such informality. If I wasn't..."
"Hey!"
A blue haired woman in armor stood on the tower with the guardsmen and shoved him aside. Robin's eye twitched of its own accord.
Lyn's eye matched. Lucina looked back and forth for a moment.
"You know this woman?"
Lyn nodded.
"Farina."
"She's… familiar."
"A mercenary. You hired her. For 20,000 gold."
"TWENTY THOUSAND?"
Lucina winced.
"That sounds like more than most mercenaries demand."
"Five. Times. the going rate."
Farina yelled down from the balcony.
"That included hazard pay!"
Robin shook his head.
"I thought everything for mercenaries was hazard pay. Even Severa didn't want 20,000. I've hired some of the best mercenaries in the world for less."
"And the absolute best for that exactly."
Farina paused for a moment.
"And fighting a dragon definitely qualifies for hazard pay. Besides, a girl has to have something to retire on. Can't travel the world looking for clients when you're stuck living in a castle."
Robin smiled.
"Of course. How can you live with that kind of squalor."
"Are you making fun of me?"
"A little."
"Heh! Well, you told Hector to hire me. Can't be too mad at you."
Lyn frowned.
"The feeling isn't mutual."
"I said that not everyone from Scarae was a booga booga tribal who couldn't figure out how to live in cities."
"I don't remember that."
"Pretty sure I did. Anyway, nice to see you all again. Hector's bored out of his skull. Just the five of us again, like old times. "
"It was four."
"And then it was five. The five of us against the world!"
Robin looked to Lucina for a second before he responded.
"Six."
"You're letting someone else in?"
"I already did. Married. This is Lucina."
"How much did you have to pay her?"
Lucina turned red.
"HOW DARE YOU?"
"Wow. That much? You lucky dog!"
Lyn scowled.
Lucina scowled more.
Robin tried to defuse the situation.
"What are you saying?"
"Aw, she's got to be a pro. I know you wouldn't go with anyone else."
"WHAT?"
Farina rolled her eyes.
"You always said you liked a woman who could take care of herself. Besides, she carries herself like a professional."
"You can't be serious."
"Hand on a sword? Always itching for a fight? Come on. Lyn's not exactly standard. Anyone that violent has to be a mercenary. And you wouldn't settle for someone cheap. 5,000 gold, easy. "
"Oh."
Lucina's face faded to a lesser shade of red.
"No."
"No need to be modest. Come on. Who'd get that excited for a fight if she wasn't getting paid for it? A girl has to see opportunity, nothing wrong with that. Or maybe they didn't pay you enough back when you were working? Because I'm a good judge, and I could get you double that."
Robin looked from his wife to the tower.
"Not a mercenary at all."
"Oh. So, she just likes… killing people that much?"
There wasn't a good answer. There wasn't anything close to a good answer. Robin went with the first bad one that came to mind, and prayed for what mercy a dead god could find.
"Not just people."
"What?"
"Dragons, gods, the undead, spirits of legendary heroes. If it fights, she's good at putting it down."
"She fights those things for fun?"
"Duty. Protecting the innocent. Noblesse oblige."
And fun, but Robin didn't want to burn any bridges he had left.
Lucina smiled.
"There are worse ways to spend time."
Farina shrugged.
"Sounds like bad judgement. But Hector says the same thing. Let me know if you ever want to take things more sensibly. I could give you a few pointers."
"Thank you. But I doubt that will be needed."
Robin exhaled for several seconds. He didn't notice the breath when he took it in. Now it took up most of his world.
"You'll have to introduce us again later. She seems pleasant enough."
Lyn raised an eyebrow. Robin rode ahead and mouthed a silent prayer of thanks.
The halls were filled with visiting nobles and their guards. Mages, knights, and mercenaries shoved into each other and argued, with stops for any noble that looked in at the fracas. A wyvern yelled at Robin in the halls when he stepped too close, and the rider shoved him.
"Listen whelp! If you think that a Lycian bit of street trash can get near a Wyvern just because someone claimed him a title, you have a lot to learn."
"I'm sorry?"
"You're sorry? The little idiot is sorry? You're lucky that Hector would frown on killing a guest. I'll accept the apology. Never do it again."
She turned to look at him.
"Wait. You?"
Robin sighed.
"Probably. I've been 'you' for half the country recently. Where do I know you from?"
She steamed.
"You don't even remember my name? Vaida! Dragon fang of Bern!"
"Still nothing. I'm sorry."
Eliwood rushed over.
"He has amnesia. A pleasure to see you again!"
"Eliwood."
"Look at that! Hector insisted that we can't delay. Sorry we can't talk, must run."
Robin followed Eliwood around the corner.
"Did she try to kill us? Did I try to kill her? She didn't seem to like me much."
"Yes. Yes. But no. She still likes you as well as she likes anyone."
"How can you tell?"
"You're still breathing. Come on. Lyn and Lucina say they've found our lodgings. We should prepare before dinner. I don't think we'll have much time after."
The rooms were about the same as the lodgings in Pharae. A little more money, a little less talent for decoration (Eliwood's mother had a gift that money couldn't match.) It would be a good night's rest, if the night allowed it. Not much space when taken for four, but with all the dignitaries, pomp, and miscellaneous inconveniences managing to fit unexpected guests at all was a miracle. Robin made a note to thank Hector later. If he could remember.
And the bed was inviting. A few hours would keep him ready for the night to come. At least, the sleep wouldn't hurt.
Ninian was dead. And it was all his fault.
Robin looked at the body. At Eliwood sobbing, clutching the blade. At Eliwood, sure the guilt was his. Not with Lyn's friend, the one who pulled them through so far with so little cost. No one could blame the tactician.
They might blame the dragonblooded little worm who wouldn't tell his supposed best friends that his girlfriend was a dragon just because he'd put his own arse on the line in the process. So, like a coward, he wouldn't say anything.
He looked at the green haired boy near the body. Nils. Ninian's brother, the one person who could reveal everything. But Robin knew he wouldn't. He'd just keep a grudge.
"Eliwood. I'm sorry."
"You couldn't have known. No-one could have known."
"I should have. I'm supposed to be this army's tactician. To plan for the impossible and the unknown."
And the definite. And the known.
Lyn stepped in. Robin stepped back.
"I know. You want to talk to Eliwood."
"No. This is his mourning. And in time, he'll have his vengeance. I need to talk to you."
"I'm"
a monster who doesn't deserve to draw the same breath as any of you.
"Fine."
"There was nothing you could do."
Lyn tried to smile. It didn't come easily.
"It's like you always say. It was already written."
"Robin!"
Lucina and Lyn were looking at him. Robin snapped to his feet.
"What was wrong, dear?"
"Nothing but memories."
He turned to look for Eliwood.
"I think I have to make some apologies. Where's Eliwood?"
Lyn shook her head.
"You'll have time for that at dinner. He's with Hector already, probably making excuses for you."
Robin snapped to his feet.
"Gods! Already? I need to find something."
Lucina smiled.
"We don't have time. I'm sure he'll just be happy to see you."
Lyn nodded.
"Happier if you aren't in something formal. Come on."
Robin followed Lyn along crowded hallways to a massive dining hall. The rows were lined with dignitaries and nobles. Robin felt awkward in his robe, stained with grass, mud, and blood through years of campaigns. Then he looked to the head of the table. A blue haired man in massive armor looked back at him. Then he smiled.
"Robin! I can't believe it! How long has it been?"
He matched the face to a name he'd heard in a dream not an hour gone, and buried the guilt that surfaced with it.
"Too long, Hector."
"And you promised to be godfather to my son!"
Farina stood next to him. Robin risked a joke.
"I thought I had a little time to spare. It could be years before Farina would spend a night with you."
"Ha!"
Lucina frowned.
"I thought you had a happy marriage."
"We do. Err, Robin? Who is this?"
"Lucina. My wife. "
"And you had a wedding without me on top of all of that? Farina, can you believe this? So much for a best friend! Might as well let him mentor Eliwood's little son. Let my boy fend for himself!"
"And you're sure it'll be a boy?"
"Of course! How else could Eliwood and I know whose son is strongest?"
Robin and Farina shook their heads in unison.
"Or you could train your daughter to fight. It's been done."
Lucina's hand pulled closer to her sword and her mouth pulled closer to a smile. Hector looked past the whole discussion.
"We can talk about it later. Take a seat! The guest of honor is here. Which means, for those of you who forgot the whole purpose of this skirmish, that neither of you were right, he was in Pharae all along, and you nearly started a global war tracking down a man who wouldn't work for you anyway."
Eliwood winced.
"So much for political delicacy."
Lyn shrugged.
"I didn't expect any. Did you?"
Hector continued his speech at the front.
"Now, if any of you have any important business, I'll listen. If it's the same bickering from the last three days, I think I'll meet with a few old friends who I haven't seen in far too long."
A man at his side coughed.
"Are you sure?"
"Dammit, Oswin. I haven't seen Eliwood and Lyn since my brother's funeral. I think there's catching up for all of us. And Robin's been gone for longer still. I doubt leaving these idiots alone for ten minutes will do any more harm than they would with me watching them."
"If you insist, sire."
"I do. You can manage while I'm gone, I think. Come on, Eliwood! Just like old times."
Robin grumbled as he followed, but his heart wasn't into it. Lyn and Eliwood took the same position.
So, a missed meal? Well, it wasn't bear meat. Now that would have been a loss.
Hector met them in an armory that felt like one of a very large set.
"Robin! Eliwood! Lyn! And…"
"Lucina."
"Robin managed to ask a woman out. And she married you? You old dog. You have to tell the story."
"I worked for her father as a tactician. Saw her carry a blade in battle. I'd never seen anyone as perfect with it before. Haven't since. I married her two years later."
"Two years gap? Eliwood worked faster."
Robin smiled and took a risk.
"If memory serves, Lyn worked faster. Not Eliwood. And they had more opportunity."
"You were always good with an excuse."
"One of the first rules for a tactician. Always have an exit strategy. I wouldn't be much good at what you needed from me if I could be cornered that quickly."
Hector turned to Lucina.
"You should keep an eye on this one. He's a slippery devil."
Robin smiled.
"Not as much as I used to be. She pinned me down for life."
"Good. I'd hate to think of you enjoying the bachelor life without me."
"I didn't enjoy it that much to begin with."
"That's because you did it with Sain."
"Gods. The memories come back. I wish they'd stay away."
"Yes. You would have gotten a different impression if he wasn't there. Trust me."
"I do. If only because I can't imagine it being worse."
"Neither can I."
Hector's eye fell to Robin's side.
"Carrying a sword now? Is it ceremonial?"
"I've learned since last time we met. A little."
"Well, I can't imagine you being worse. We'll have to cross blades some time."
Lucina stepped forward.
"I would like to try now. If it's not too much trouble."
Hector turned to her.
"Well, you're a…"
Lyn glared.
Farina glared.
"I'm sure your father would…"
"I've gone more than a few rounds against him. I see a little of his style in your stance. I would love to compare it with you."
Hector sighed.
"Well, I don't think I have much of a choice. Just don't complain if you get hurt. I'm not good at holding back."
"I won't."
Farina smiled. Lyn leaned over to Robin.
"Won't complain, or won't hold back?"
"Knowing Lucina, I'm not expecting either."
Lucina looked at the room.
"A shame to wreck this armory. And a poor fight if no one has the room to maneuver. A stray blow could get caught in the shelves."
"I was thinking the same thing. But you probably have a delicate style like Lyn's. It was offering a handicap."
"I take my style from my father. If he was here, there wouldn't be a room before the fight ended."
"Sounds like a man after my own heart. Come on, then! The central hall has a ring for duels."
Lyn, Robin, and Eliwood winced in unison. Lucina paused.
"The hall where the assembled dignitaries of the continent are waiting for you?"
"They could use some distraction."
Lucina smiled. Lyn cleared her throat.
"Hector?"
Robin and Farina spoke in concert.
"It won't work. You can't argue with (him her) when they're like this."
Robin and Farina locked eyes then looked away.
By the time their eyes returned to Hector, the combatants were falling through the halls to the central arena. Robin, Eliwood, Lyn, and Farina ran after them.
Hector rolled back as they entered the main arena. His axe strained under Lucina's sword. A kick forced her back, and he slid onto his feet to press the attack.
In the crowd, someone gasped. A grey haired man in a sage's robes stood and blasted Lucina with wind. She staggered and recovered. Falchion glowed.
"Assassins!"
Lucina twisted on a string.
"Where?"
Hector laughed.
"I think they mean you."
"Oh."
"We should have thought this through better."
"Still. It's been an honor to fight with you. I've seen echoes, but never the real thing."
"Echoes?"
"Err.."
"What kind of echoes are you talking about?"
"Others imitating your style. The stories spread far and wide."
"Well, I haven't heard many of them. Or seen many people fighting like me."
"I have."
"Also, I've never seen anyone who fights like you. And there isn't a sword like that anywhere."
"I've seen… one like it?"
Lucina looked out at the crowd.
"But there are more important things. I think you should explain things before they get out of hand."
"Right. Everyone? Robin is working for someone else. His daughter is here to discuss treaties, and it got a little heated. Still, I'm sure Lycia and…"
"Ylisse."
"Will have a mutually beneficial relationship in the future."
Someone stood up towards the back of the room. A man in massive purple armor.
"And why haven't you told the rest of us about it?"
Robin leaned to Eliwood.
"Who is that?"
"Desmond. King of Bern. The teenager near him is his son Zephidel."
And Robin's mind started spinning.
Hector waved goodbye.
"Remember, I'm expecting you to be my son's godfather!"
"And Farina's expecting a girl. Someone's going to be disappointed."
"Well, I'll apologize to her then. Don't be gone for too long."
"I won't. Give Eliwood my best."
Robin left. It wasn't that long since he arrived, but it was still more like home than home ever was. People he could trust. Some real benefit from his presence. And no prophecy of doom hanging over his head. He smiled. All his sins, not forgiven, maybe, but forgotten. Even the girl came back. Not perfect, gods knew that much, but he did well. And he could come back. Forget destiny, forget where he belonged, and drift to peaceful old age and die. Maybe even find a girl, settle down...
You think it's over?
Robin shook. It wasn't his thoughts.
They'll die. They'll all die.
Everyone died eventually. It was a tragic fact of life.
Then the images came. Lyn dead. Eliwood dying. The whole country burning. And Hector being killed by Zephiel. Someone he saved. Someone who was his fault. And the images kept coming. Kept pummeling his mind.
You have an escape. You have a birthright. Burn the world, and you can avoid it all. Embrace your destiny. End the usurpers.
Robin ran. Zephiel's face mocked him. He didn't know where he was going. He didn't know what he could do. But he knew he failed.
Every second burned. He'd saved the destroyer. He'd killed his closest friends. By omission, and now by action. And the alternative was worse.
Damn him. And damn Zephiel.
Well, they were all damned already. No point in adding to the pile.
And now he had another chance. Zephiel was in front of him. The man who would make this place burn. The source of his nightmares. And he was still a child.
Robin shook his head. Not THAT much younger than he was when he first arrived. But still. Not the man he would become.
In other words, he still had time.
"Zephiel! We helped with his ascension ceremony, didn't we? Something about the Fire Emblem?"
Hector half smiled.
"Something about assassins and bad parenting."
Eliwood stepped forward.
"Hector?"
"Don't worry. I won't call visiting noble a cur to his face. And I'm sure all the family problems are sorted out."
Desmond snorted.
"A fine host. I'm sure your brother would be proud."
Robin squirmed in place. He knew this would be a disaster. He had hoped that he could manage it. So much for that. Well, damage control, then.
"I'm sorry, King Desmond. If I wasn't otherwise occupied, I would have looked into your generous offers."
"You should."
"I received a better one first."
Robin nodded towards Lucina.
"It's like the bards say. Never for money. Always for love."
"Oh. A common harlot. I thought you had more sense."
Robin bit his tongue before he could say anything he wanted to say. He had something important to do, and arguing wouldn't help.
"I won't argue with you. But that's not what I was thinking about. I heard your son has a natural knack for the sword."
"You can't trust peasants."
"I didn't say I could. But, um,"
Lie fast, and lie confident. It's the only way.
"Either way, I've been needing a sparring partner. I've been trying to learn the basics, but practice makes perfect. Fighting you, I'd just learn how quickly I'd lose. But Zephiel might still be new enough to let me learn."
"Hmm."
"I know you're worried about accidents. He's your only son. But there's no way of learning without risks. And I'm sure you'd step in before anything too serious could happen."
Robin felt sick. He was acting as an assassin, and hiding the task on top. He'd be killing a child. And all for a future that wasn't guaranteed.
It came close enough. And he'd been willing to give his own life for less.
"You should, then."
Lucina cleared her throat.
"Amateur?"
Robin turned back to her.
"Just trust me on this. And no matter what happens, I love you more than anything else in the world. "
"That's not encouraging."
"Trust me."
Robin nodded to Zephiel.
"Well, Hector tested the arena for us. I think it should work for our purposes."
Zephiel hesitated.
"You saved my life. I wouldn't want to…"
"You're a king in the making. I think a few nicks and scratches would be an honor."
"If you insist."
"We can even make it a safer duel. Points. Tap with the blade, and score. First to three wins."
"Is that the custom here?"
"No. But Hector sets the customs, and I don't think either of us would be up for his hobbies. He can judge."
Another smile. Just try to be friendly. Ignore what needs to be done until the time comes.
Step into the arena. Nod. No words. Words are traitors when you need them most. Just stick to muscle memory.
First point. Careful parry, exaggerated caution. Look like a rookie. Get his guard down. Find his strengths.
Zephiel went for a few scouting blows. Let them come, deflect a hair too slow, aaand…
"First point, Zephiel!"
Smile. Not a broad smile. Awkward. Just tell him that you're still new at this. That you aren't someone to worry about.
Second round, show a little more caution. Don't force the point. Make him work a little, but give a few clumsy mistakes. Then…
"Second point, Zephiel."
Hector looked confused. Lucina looked confused. Fine. Set them at ease with the next round.
Robin kept the awkward stance right until Zephiel leaned just right. Stumble. Tap.
"First point, Robin!"
Zephiel smiled.
"I thought you were an amateur."
Robin smiled back. Not talking would look even worse than talking this time. Not too many words, not too much given away. Just keep the smile from looking planned and the wordcount low, it should all come close enough to clean to excuse.
"Amateurs get lucky. I guess watching Lyn for all those years taught me something."
Hector looked like he was about to say something. Farina jabbed him in the stomach with her elbow.
Nod. Blade out. One more sound, one more syllable, and it might give the game away. Careful timing. Careful positioning. Make Zephiel think he was a rookie still. Show Hector and Lucina he was playing it, holding back so as to not embarrass the visiting royalty. Careful timing, trip to fall into a dodge, and when he looks down to see if you're injured…
"Second point, Robin. Tied game. Match point"
"I need to watch you more closely!"
"Turning disadvantage into victory is the first mark of a good tactician. I learned that much already. Unfortunately, that about exhausts my training. I'm at the flailing and wincing stage now."
Well, not quite. But ten, fifteen years down the line, that would be a rough summation of his plan for fighting the Prince one on one. Robin recognized genius when he saw it. Not a common thing. Oh, anyone could become competent. Most people even had the potential to be elite. The gap between the Shepherds and the Ylissean army was much more commitment, training, and trust than natural talent.
But there were those rare people who had an extra bit of spark. Lucina, Hector, even Morgan showed it where he didn't. It must have come from her mother. (Presumably, Tacticians had the same limits, but Robin made it a goal to study harder than anyone else born. No risk of competition yet, except maybe his daughter. And there, he'd be proud to lose.)
Zephiel? He could be one of the best. No wonder he'd take on the world. A man like that, with a good army?
Walhart taught him where that would lead.
Third point would have to be final. For everyone's sake.
Dodge. Tap. Dodge. Keep mobile. Keep alive. And look for a real opening.
In combat, it would be easier. A half second's gap would be enough. Here, Robin needed something he could trip into. He needed to be able to claim it was an accident after, even when he talked to himself. He needed to lie and believe it.
Well, he needed that if he ever wanted to sleep sound. And that needed a big opening. After what felt like an eternity, one came.
Robin fell forward, his sword towards Zephiel's neck. It wouldn't take much of a push to kill. And then it would be over. The world saved. Everything made right.
And innocent blood all over the floor.
Robin paused with the blade a half inch from Zephiel's throat. It would be easy. It would be for the best. It would remake history in the image of heroes and kings, not tyranny and death.
It would be murder. He couldn't do it.
"Third point, Zephiel!"
Robin dropped his sword with a clatter.
"I've still got a long way to go, then. Thanks."
He turned.
Failure, then. And more severe than any before. He'd saved his world. He lost everywhere else. And the win wasn't even his. Left to his own devices, he'd have damned that as sure as he lost here.
"Sorry, but that last round took more out of me than I thought. I'm going back to my room, if that's alright with everyone."
He didn't wait for a response. Hector had already ruined any propriety the whole damned mess had. Why pretend it was still around?
His feet knew the route, which left his mind free to run through the details of the world to come. It was a simple little formula. He'd seen it before, in Valm. He'd seen the damage a man could do with will and an army at his beck and call, without an opposing force strong enough to stop it.
Robin looked at the wall. The wall, to its credit, did not look back.
After a few more seconds of staring and considering the benefits of just breaking down and sobbing on the floor, Robin felt a hand on his shoulder.
"What's wrong?"
Lucina. Of course.
"I lost."
"Well, everyone has off days. It was kind of you to allow Zephiel a victory. "
"It was kind of me to let him live. And I shouldn't have."
"What?"
"In ten years, twenty at the outside…"
Robin sighed.
"Look. It's all dreams and half remembered… but I know it's true. He's going to murder most of the people in this castle. Plunge the world into war."
"Oh. Well, you're right. Something should be done."
"And I'm not the man to do it. Too weak. Too cowardly."
Lucina punched Robin in the face.
"Too decent to murder a man in cold blood!"
She looked at her fist, and back to her husband.
"I'm so sorry! I just, I mean…"
Robin chuckled through an injured jaw.
"Your mom did the same thing when Chrom was moping. I guess it runs in the family."
"I had to do something. You almost made the mistake I nearly did."
"I was fine with it then."
"That doesn't make it right. The world would have lost a great man, and Grima would return eventually. All on fear."
"I still think…"
"I don't. I know I almost did something I could never live with. You wouldn't have done any better."
"Thank you? But that doesn't solve the problem. Zephiel's an innocent now, but…"
"But he needs someone to remind him what's right from time to time."
"And he won't have you."
"No, but he will..."
"I'm not exaggerating here. If you hadn't been there, if you hadn't changed things, it would have all gone wrong again."
"He'll have you."
"Thanks for the permission, but he's not my type."
"That wasn't what I had in mind. At all."
Robin smiled.
"It was a joke."
"Oh. Ha. Hahahahaha?"
"Thank you"
Lucina cleared her throat.
"I think he just needs someone to warn him what he could be. That was more than enough to stop you. If he's half the man you are, then it should be enough to save the world."
"If he's only half the man I am, then he's not much at all."
"Don't sell yourself so short!"
"Fine. But only because you asked! How wonderful should I admit to being?"
"The finest man in the world? At bare minimum, in contention."
"Well. That's a lot to live up to. I don't think I can handle the stress. Still, I'll go and talk to Zephiel. If you think I can help."
Robin walked into the hall. To his surprise, Zephiel was waiting right outside. At least it saved him a walk.
"Um. You did well?"
"That isn't what you're here for."
The prince swept his foot.
"You could have won. Did… did my father tell you to throw the match? I know we've been trying to understand each other better, and I'm grateful, but I just wanted to be a family."
"He asked me to kill you. And it's going to get worse."
Robin slammed his jaw shut. Things were bad enough already. No need to speed up the timeline.
"He couldn't! Mother had been..."
Robin sighed.
"Lied to. Your father's going to try to kill you until you kill him."
"But that can't be right. There has to be something I can do."
"There isn't, short of killing him."
"I don't want to believe that."
"I don't either. But it's true. Some people are monsters. You can't change them, not always, not if they want to go wrong. All you can control is you."
"It's easy for you to say."
"No. I remember my father's blood running down my arm, a sword in his heart to the hilt. Look. I'd love an alternative. If you find one, I'll help. But sometimes, people betray you. Things go wrong. There's nothing you can do but try to minimize the damage. You just have to get through."
Zephiel's face was a mask of terror.
Robin raised his hands.
"And here's why. There's people worth living for. There's going to be another day once you're through hell, and there's going to be people who need you to be a good king and a good man. I know you can do it."
"You killed your father?"
"I killed myself too. It's a long story. And you're the first person I've brought it up in front of who wasn't there. Do you know why?"
"No. I don't want to know."
Dammit. Don't terrify the kid.
"Because you're meant to be something horrible. And I know you can do better. I was meant to be the dragon that ends the world. You're meant to be the tyrant that murders Hector. We can be better. I know we can."
Still terrified, but something else was in Zephiel's eye.
"A dragon? I've always wanted to meet a dragon."
"Well, pleased to make your acquaintance. But there's better dragons I've met. I can tell you about them over desert, assuming Hector hasn't had it burnt to a crisp. Just a minute."
Robin walked back to Lucina.
"I think I'm ready to meet back with everyone. Thank you. Again."
The rest of the night passed well. And for the first time in months, Robin slept without dreams.
(Author's notes: Okay, this chapter barely fits within the stated perimeters for the story. Sorry if that disappoints. I had something else in the works, but it's been ballooning a little, and won't be ready for a while. This is kind of a stopgap. Hope it's of acceptable quality.
As for the story itself, came from taking Lyn at her word in the DLC. Combine Robin wanting to confirm the first concrete information on the time between leaving Plegia, the way legends seem to drift through the outrealms, and a guilty conscience (because if anyone in the game has an overactive conscience, it's the avatar) and here we are.
Oh, and, with all due apologies if this feels needy, I wouldn't mind more reviews. It's sometimes difficult to know what works and what doesn't in a vacuum, and having twice as many chapters as reviews is a rather limited amount of input.
So, as is the tradition, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the show.)