Chapter 8
Ylisstol Palace: Front Gates.
Uneventful. One of many ways to describe the afternoon. Peaceful, drab, quiet, boring. Any word would do it justice. To normal city folk, it would be a run-of-the mill day. Kids would gather together and muse on what to do. Shop keepers having an easy time of it with slow businesses. To each and every one of the Ylissean Royal Guard, it was a blessing beyond words. Boring and uneventful was what everyone could hope for after the absolute hell they had gone through. It had only been one month, and still no one had begun to tire of the quiet days where the only time they needed to wield a sword was during training. And after training, everyone would retire to the Garrison to eat, drink, and share friendly conversation.
On the subject of conversation, after the war had ended, Robin continued to see Maribelle almost every day for her 'slang lessons'. It was starting to work, too. She was using contractions more frequently, and she was beginning to drop some of her bigger and hard-to-pronounce words. For some reason, the word "salacious" happened to be her favorite, and she used it with great frequency when speaking to or about Robin or Virion. Neither knew the definition of the word, but they seemed to take it as a compliment. It wasn't as if Maribelle would ever reveal the true definition to them. She said it would, in her own words, "ruin the fun."
Nevertheless, the noblewoman had learned some new material a few days ago, and feeling confident in her abilities, began to use her expanded vocabulary. She started with Sully. Who else to start with than the only woman among the Shepherds that cursed so much it would make a sailor blush? It certainly proved fruitful, too. She picked up a few new words or two. From there, she would periodically walk about town, where she would conveniently run into one or two of her comrades, whereupon she would begin to speak as she thought a plainspoken woman would. Miriel and Stahl would give her a few odd looks though, but that may have just been a natural reaction to seeing her speak much more freely.
She didn't dwell very much on the reason behind their stares at first, but as she happened across more of her friends, they also shared the same reactions. Even Chrom was blown away a bit, and he was no man to easily show when something shocked him. This had to be more than coincidence. Perhaps she wasn't speaking right? Either way, she would be sure to consult Robin on it at her earliest convenience. At the moment, she was due to meet with Olivia for some "shock therapy".
In the marketplace, the streets were uncharacteristically low in citizens walking up and down the cobbled road. Business seemed to drop quite a lot with the end of the war. No need to ship weapons or rations to the troops abroad. One would think it was ample reason to complain since merchants and store owners were no longer making the gold they previously were, but the truth was that with precious little to spare as it were, everyone was thankful for the war's end. After all, the Halidom was still recovering from the scars of the previous war, some 15 years ago.
Among the townsfolk that scurried from shop to shop, Lissa walked briskly down the road with a list of things Chrom asked her to bring back to the palace. It was nothing extravagant, simply a restock of the palaces food storage. The royal wedding that was held almost immediately after Ylisse's victory over Plegia was accompanied by many different choices of exotic meals. It came as a surprise to no one that a trip to the market was near. Robin walked right behind the princess, a list of his own, tracking the finances they had and the places they had yet to go.
"Lissa? How much more do we have before we're done for the day?" Robin yawned, rubbing his eye. He was absolutely exhausted having been walking around the marketplace all day. Coming off of training, and doing math in his head was also piling onto his mental state. He was at least thankful he didn't have to carry any boxes or bags. He would have simply collapsed on the road right then and there.
Checking off the last place they had been to, Lissa addressed Robin's question, though continuing to walk forward and rounding a corner. "Not much more left. We should be done in the next half hour."
'A half hour...' Robin thought. They had been at this for the past 2 hours already. It was a wonder how Chrom neglected to hire maids to do something like this. He could be using his time for better things. Typically, reading came to mind, or continuing his training, in a nutshelll, he could even help Maribelle out with her vocabulary lessons. Really, anything sounded like a Godsend than having to put up with this. Ultimately, it couldn't be helped, and with the tactician graciously being offered housing in the palace, he would take part in whatever meals would be crafted from this shopping trip, so complaining about it would make him seem ungrateful in his mind. At the very least, he wished something could break the tedium of all this walking. If only for a moment.
While Robin and Lissa tended to their chores, Olivia and Maribelle were walking about Ylisstol with a pair of gentlemen. At least, they were. In accordance with Maribelle trying to forcibly break Olivia of her unhealthy anti-social habits, the noble attempted to expose her to members of high society. Most of her techniques came from a book she had found in the Shepherd's garrison just the other day. She only skimmed a few passages of its contents, but enough for a proper gist on how ladies should act when confronting a potential conversation partner and a few choice lines to assist the mood. Whatever it was she researched, it certainly worked. The two women had been about town with escorts and were treated to tea. The whole event ended with them receiving diamond-tipped canes. A bit lavish for a simply attempt at breaking Olivia's outer shell, but the venture was a successful one.
The two stood before each other in the town square in front of the central fountain, reflecting on their efforts for the day. Maribelle planted her newly acquired cane before her as she ordinarily would with her parasol, and took a noble stance. "Well... It appears you have made friends with a gentleman..." she said, clearing her throat.
Olivia twirled her own cane around, smiling to herself. Maribelle may have acted a bit nervous right now, but the dancer was very proud of herself for being able to look at someone in the eye and not turn into a quivering mess. "Yes, and he bought us all that tea! And these diamond tipped canes!" she squealed. Her proud smile turned bittersweet though. They were given those canes with the implication that they would continue to see their 'friends'. "I don't know, I feel a bit guilty though. Don't you?"
A hand ran through Maribelle's twisting ponytails in a fashion as if to accentuate her appearance with a smug grin about her. It was obvious now that she felt nothing at all for their actions. In fact, in her eyes, this was proper compensation. "Certainly not. Such things are a small price to pay for the company of two charming beauties like ourselves!" The two shared a mutual laugh at the expense of the gentleman who they more than likely won't see again.
Meanwhile, Lissa and Robin were finishing up their business for the day, checking off their lists in front of the local butcher. "...and 5 pounds of bear meat... Great." Lissa mumbled as she scribbled a cross over the last name on the list. "Who eats bear! Seriously!" Robin pretended he didn't hear her question, hiding his face behind his own list, whistling a tune to himself. He covertly added that last item on the list just before they left the palace. He developed a predilection towards that particular meat over the course of the war. He honestly couldn't tell why Frederick and Lissa had such an aversion to the stuff. In truth, he actually had some left over from the first night he spent with his friends, and the leftovers were still edible, albeit a bit dry to the point they resembled jerky. Somehow, that only endeared the meat even more to him. "Well, whatever. That should be the last item on the list then. Ready to head home, Robin?"
"Absolutely." sighed the tactician. He folded up the list of finances that he kept track of and placed it in the inner pocket of his coat. He stretched his arms and back in various ways to work out some of the stiffness in his muscles. Even if his feet were moving the whole time, he barely moved his upper body or his arms from the same position the entire time, ending with a quick crack of the neck for good mesure. The sound made Lissa cringe a bit though. "Remind me to tell Chrom that he should hire someone to do this instead of us. I think I'd rather go toe-to-toe with another Plegian Mage than do this again..."
"Oh please." Lissa shot back with a dismissive hand wave. "Don't be such a princess about it. Chances are we may not have to do this again for a long time anyway!" she giggled. The princess comment was a bit off though. He wasn't sure what level of offense to take that at. Lissa was the only princess here and she took it all in stride. "Anyway, let's just get back home and tell Chrom we're done."
The tactician nodded in agreement and the two began walking in the direction of the palace. They cut through some of the narrow alleyways to shorten their trip from the marketplace. It seemed safe enough anyways, with not too many people around, they were clear enough for a quick walk through. Along the way, the two chatted with each other about various subjects. Nothing of interesting came to mind though as life had gotten very slow and uneventful since the war's end. It would seem ridiculous to ask about what they were going to do in the future as if they would be lucky enough to see it. Instead it simply fell upon their experience with training sessions. Lissa reported that her training with Frederick was beginning to get a bit stressful as of late, with little to no levity between days. Robin agreed, but chalked her stress up to the fact that she had not done very much exercise beforehand, so it was probably just a case of her needing more training and to get used to the intense workouts. No one else seemed to mind them except for her.
Passing through the last alley, they walked directly into the main square. From there it was just a walk through the plaza and then the road to the palace. The activity here was much more lively than in the marketplace. Townsfolk and children alike dotted the streets and doorsteps all around them. It was a nice contrast to the more empty streets the two had spent their entire day in. Among the townspeaple, Robin spotted from the corner of his eye Maribelle and Olivia before the town fountain conversing about something. They were still within earshot, so he could make out a bit of what they were saying. Something about wolf whistles. Maybe Maribelle had engaged in a joke because Olivia seemed to be laughing quite a bit. By the looks of them, they had probably spent their time shopping together. They had a sizable amount of exotic, and very expensive tea leaves with them. Besides that, they both carried a set of fancy canes. Absently, Robin walked ever so slightly towards them as he walked passed the fountain. He wasn't going to intrude on their conversation, but he at least wanted to know what Maribelle had said to get Olivia of all people to laugh the way she was.
He feared though, that he may have strayed too close. While he and Lissa walked passed them at a fair distance, he did see Maribelle's gaze briefly set on him. It was only for a second, and that one second made Robin's heart skip a beat. She had that same stare that she had when she walked in on him and Lissa back in Regna Ferox. He'd never forget a look like that. Quickly, he averted his gaze and hoped to Naga she hadn't noticed his eyes staring upon her. Soon enough, Maribelle's attention returned to Olivia. Robin was still reluctant at first to look back, but his curiosity overtook him. When his eyes fell upon the noble and her companion, he noticed Olivia with a blush about her face and bending over in a bow, cane tightly in hand. Since he was a bit closer, he could hear what the dancer was saying. "So then, would YOU care to join me for tea, O fairest of nobles?" she giggled, with an exaggerated accent. Sounds like she had been getting quite a lot of practice since the last time he spoke with her. She didn't sound like a bee stung her tongue at least. He briefly wondered if everyone around Ylisse had been taking some sort of common language lessons from someone or another. "Methinks heaven should count its angels, for there is one standing in front of me!"
"Oh my..." Robin thought aloud when his ears picked up on Olivia's latest sentence. His eyes widened a bit. It seemed Maribelle and Olivia had surely been spending some sort of quality time with each other. Before his thoughts wandered too far into the realm of possibility and misunderstanding, Lissa snapped her fingers before the flustered strategists nose.
"Hellooo? Robin, are you coming or what?" Lissa beckoned.
"Huh? Oh, sorry. Yeah, I-I'm coming..."
Lissa's eyes narrowed at Robin in suspicion. "What are you so worked up about?"
"Worked up? Whose worked up? I'm not worked up!" he quickly retorted.
Lissa remained unconvinced. She pointed a slender finger at his face. "Then why are your cheeks blushing?"
"Am I? Gods, it must be the wind chill, what with Fall just around the corner!"
"But it's the middle of Spr-"
"Right then! We'd better get back home and inform Chrom about our shopping! Mustn't be late, we've gotta run!"
Robin then quickly began walking at a brisk pace to the palace road, leaving Lissa behind, confused and speechless. She couldn't help but feel as if something was amiss. Regardless, she was letting him get away and chased after him, closing the distance. "Hey! Don't you just walk away! What happened!?" she yelled all the way down the street.
Following Day: Training Grounds.
"Now, we focus on parrying your opponent." Frederick barked as he directed the Shepherds daily training regimen. Everyone began pairing off into groups and practiced with mock weapons on dodging and counterattacking; par for the course of any routine the lieutenant would come up with. Typically, Robin and Lissa paired off with each other. Each was the other's go-to for training, it started to become second nature at this point. Once everyone had found their sparring partner, they began their routine. During the middle of the session, Maribelle had arrived a bit late this day, an oddity as she prided herself on being earlier than most. Her hair was also visibly unkempt, but to a small degree and bags were forming under her eyes. Unfortunately, she had to sit out the current routine as there was no one for her to practice with. Well, almost. The only other person that could assist her was Chrom.
The prince would normally keep to the back and keep an eye on his troops training. He used to direct the Shepherds himself, but that had to cease because, as Lissa put it, "there isn't enough brick in the world to replace the walls he constantly smashes." That being the truth, he contracted Frederick to do so in his stead after training the Royal Guard. His eyes wandered from place to place as he watched everyone's progress. The young village boy, Donnel, seemed to be coming into his own as a fighter lately. It astounded him how fast he grew as a soldier from a simple farm boy who never even held a pitchfork. Soon enough, though, he couldn't help but notice Maribelle walking in late. Moving around the training yard, he approached the noblewoman.
"Good morning, Maribelle, Are you well today?" he asked, though as anyone could tell, she was anything but 'well'.
Maribelle brought a hand up to her face and rubbed her eyes tenderly, then ran her hand through her blonde hair, attempting to straighten it out a bit. "Good morning, milord. Forgive my late arrival. I had been up quite late the previous night..." she murmured, yawning afterwards, but cut her yawn short as she was in the presence of royalty.
"Were you reading about law advocacy again?" Chrom asked. It was no secret to most in the army that Maribelle had been striving to become a magistrate before the war broke out.
"You know me well, sire. That I have." she responded. She stifled another yawn in an attempt to look more capable than she physically was. Running a hand through his navy locks, Chrom contemplated that it was probably not a good day for her to train with the others. She would only hurt herself and be no use to her partner... Not that there was one that could be her partner in the first place anyway.
"Alright, I think it would be best if you had sit today out. You're barely able to stand in your normal posture. Why not just rest today and observe?"
"As you wish..." Maribelle responded, shuffling past Chrom, eyes half open. Chrom watched as the blonde noble nearly bumped into one of the columns before finding a bench to set herself down on. The moment she sat down, her head began to slump forward. The poor woman had probably not even gotten a single wink of sleep.
While Maribelle caught up on some sleep, the Shepherds continued their practice routines. From parrying to dodging, learning to read an opponents move and the like, the Shepherds ran through their drills, taking up the entire morning and well into the early afternoon. Finally, Frederick saw fit to dismiss his troops and fellow soldiers for the day, grown pleased with their progress. Robin wiped his forehead with the sleeve, gasping for breath. That last combat drill was quite taxing on the body, and he desperately needed some water. Lissa forced herself upright off the ground and dusted off her apron. She ran her fingers through her pigtails and adjusted her headwear, then stretched her arms in various places to loosen up her taut muscles. As always, she was really not fond of growing so sweaty and sore from these exercises, but she didn't dare quit now after reaching parity with the others.
The two would normally go their separate ways from there for the day, either to wash up or pursue other activities, however, this time they were halted by Chrom. The prince didn't say what he wanted with the two. With a half-smile, he nodded his head to the right, where Maribelle lay curled across a bench, sleeping soundly. To the tactician and princess, that was an uncommon sight. They wondered why Maribelle had not shown up once during training, but to think she would actually be sleeping through it was a shock all its own. Lissa quietly walked over to her sleeping friend and knelt before her. She turned her head back to Chrom and Robin, wondering what to do. They couldn't very well leave her there. The prince and tactician sauntered over to the two girls, treading carefully to not make too much of a ruckus and wake Maribelle. Though, why they even bothered since she slept quite soundly through the sound of training drills was beyond anyone's ken.
Upon their approach, Robin knelt down next to Lissa and rubbed the back of his head in thought. "Can someone explain to me why Maribelle is even asleep?" he asked. "From what I've seen, she's not one to fall asleep... anywhere, really."
Chrom scratched at his chin, eyes wandering off to the side. "Poor Maribelle's been studying quite hard these days. Since we've returned home, all she seems to do is hole herself up in her manor."
"Yeah, she's been hard at work trying to become a judge advocate lately." Lissa chimed in. "Looks like she went a bit overboard yesterday."
"I see." Robin said, nodding his head. He of all people could empathize with her predicament. It wasn't all that long ago that he was under the same responsibility as well. All those days he spent in the palace library reading book upon book detailing militaristic content to better serve his duties as tactician. Since the war's end, however, he had set aside all that for now. After his friends' explanation, he noticed the noblewoman shifting subtly on the wooded bench and a light snore from her. This was surely not the best place for her to be. Without much warning, Robin immediately took the initiative and gently lifted Maribelle off the bench in his arms. Her weight was much lighter than he had thought, making it a bit easy to carry her as a groom would to his newlywed wife. "It's probably not good for her back if she continued to stay here. I'll take her to rest in the garrison."
Wordlessly, Chrom approved of Robin's decision, not that he himself could come up with a better alternative. He certainly wouldn't advise Robin to ferry her all the way back to her home in Themis. Lissa snickered at seeing her friend being cradled in Robin's arms. It was absolutely adorable. Rarely did she ever see Maribelle with her noble exterior dropped, so it was actually somewhat funny to see her being handled in a way a delicate, normal girl would. "Ooh, look at the stud!"she teased.
Robin rolled his eyes at the princesses taunting. "Shut up." he responded distantly, only for her to laugh at his sensitivity. He only did this as a friend helping another friend. The two have not been anywhere close enough for this to be considered romantic on any level. However he would be lying if he said he didn't find the situation a little charming on his end, even if Maribelle would probably take her parasol right to his teeth for being held as if they were on more familiar terms.
Some few hours had gone by since the morning's training drills and most everyone in the Shepherds had gone on to pursue their own agenda for the day. Lon'Qu had ceased to train his hand at other forms of combat. Vaike was challenging Cordelia for a shot at one with Chrom, as always. Panne was around somewhere, she was never too far from her companions, but not always close enough that one could find her easily. More than likely she was avoiding Ricken, who had become quite interested in her. Whoever else was left just spent their time in town, doing whatever it was they pleased. Meanwhile, Maribelle was stirring from her impromptu nap. A heavy groan escaped her as her eyes creaked open. Raising her head from a pillow, she instinctively combed her hair back into neatness with her gloved hands. After blinking her eyesight into clarity, she scanned from left to right wondering how in the world she got to where she was. Last she remembered, she had fallen asleep in the training yard.
Inhaling deeply, she planted her feet firmly on the stone floor and rose to a stand. She stretched her arms out then pressed a hand firmly on her lower back to abate the twinge of pain there. Her sleeping positions were growing extremely poor lately, causing her to toss and turn in the night which was beginning to manifest into chronic shoulder and back pain. After a somewhat painful and audible snap of her back, she walked outside of the barracks. Judging by the position of the sun, it was mid afternoon. Maribelle mentally kicked herself for unceremoniously dosing off the way she had. No doubt she would never hear the end of this for a long time from Lissa and her other peers. She could only imagine how she looked, sprawled on an old bench as a homeless person would. The very thought made her skin crawl.
Walking along the outer palace walls, Maribelle watched the town from where she stood above the buildings, just before the gates. It was much more lively today than usual. It was quite easy to tell why, too. Her eyes were caught on a small scene taking place in one of the more populated areas where a small group of her companions had gathered together and were having pleasant conversation with the townsfolk. Of course, she happened to spot the familiar duo of Robin and Lissa, participating in a small ball game with some kids. The tactician sure was popular among the children especially. They were always asking him to tell them stories of what it was like commanding a small army. Naturally, he embellished some truths to make them more fantastical for their entertainment, and quite a lot of the kids had idolized him for his feats. Some even going as to claiming they wanted to be tacticians when they grew up. Never being one to glorify war in any way, Robin was flattered by their sentiment but urged them to take different routes in life. All the glory in the world couldn't compare with the pain and suffering that was brought about.
However, the charm of the whole situation was lost on Maribelle. In her head, she wasn't seeing a man indulging children and simply trying to have a nice afternoon. It looked to her as if Robin had been putting on a brave facade for them so as to butter up her dearest friend. Her eyes narrowed at the devious tactician. Pretending to be a humble hero to sweep Lissa off her feet like some new-age knight in shining armor. What brought her noble blood to a boil was the fact that it looked like it was working! The young princess would have this look of adoration when he would present himself as he did. What exactly was it that he was trying to achieve? Was it some sort of devious tactic to woo Lissa? He was an expert in that respect on the battlefield after all. More than likely a way for that weasel to take advantage of Lissa's innocent nature and do Gods know what. Her teeth were gritted in frustration at the very thought of it.
"Tsk! The pool of suspects grows larger by the moment!" she growled. She clenched her fists, as if ready to strike anyone who would so much as ask her about what she thought of that white-haired rat. Her temper had began to cool a bit when she heard footsteps behind her. She refused to turn around to greet whoever it was, her mind was still dangerously focused on what was in front of her.
"Er, sorry. Who's a suspect now?" spoke Chrom, scratching the back of his head. By no means did he wish to eavesdrop on the noble, but he couldn't help but be a bit concerned of her antagonistic wording. The familiar voice of Chrom made Maribelle straighten up quickly. What was it with him sneaking up behind her anyway? Quickly, she turned to meet his gaze, once again assuming her noble posture.
"Oh, milord! I didn't see you there! I was just going over my... list." Maribelle's eyes gravitated back to their original point when she spoke her final word. A gesture made none too subtle as Chrom could easily see her furrowd brow and piercing gaze avert from his. A look that she never seemed to show before. What caught his attention even more, however, was the mention of some sort of list. It probably wasn't in a literal term, as she had no pen and paper in which to write one up, but something that probably mandated questioning.
"Uh-oh, this can't be good. What list is that?" he asked, with a hint of sarcasm.
Turning completely to her original positions with crossed arms, Maribelle continued. "I've been keeping track of men who may be getting too close to Lissa! My darling is a bewitching vixen after all, even if she doesn't realize the power of her charms. So when these lecherous men get too close, I drive them back from the ramparts!"
'Bewitching vixen...' Chrom thought. Not the exact words he would use to describe his younger sister. The two stood in silence, waiting for one or the other to respond. Actually, Chrom was waiting for some sort of follow up response from Maribelle. Something along the lines of 'I only jest!' or the like, but she remained silent, still turned away from him. It took him longer than necessary that she was serious about this list she had supposedly been making. "...You aren't joking, are you?" he asked, still hoping for any sort of response from her. Still nothing. "Maribelle... why on earth would you do such a thing?"
"Well, isn't it obvious?" she asked rhetorically. "Lissa is your sister, and princess to the royal house of Ylisse! It falls upon me, her bosom friend and true companion, to save her from scallywags!"
"Hmm... Scallywags?" Chrom repeated. First ramparts, and now scallywags. Had he not known any better, the prince would have figured that Maribelle stayed up the previous night reading a chapter straight out of the Shanty Pete books than law advocacy. "er, look, Maribelle. I think my sister can guard her... 'ramparts' just fine."
"Ha! Don't be so naive!" scoffed Maribelle, haughtily running one of her hands through her hair. "It seems even great men are blind when it comes to matters of the heart!"
"Blind? I am NOT blind! And you're being paranoid" the prince shot back defensively. That comment was probably made off-handed, but blind was something he certainly was not. Out of the two of them, he was the one married. Although, upon retrospect, Sully did say he was thick in the head when it came to catching onto her feelings for him. Perhaps he wasn't as perceptive as other men when it came to that matter, sure, but blind? That seemed a bit overboard. Shaking his flustered head, he returned the subject back to its origin. "Look, there's no harm in Lissa having a few friends among her former comrades-in-arms. You above all people would know what it's like to be alienated from friends, right? All I ask is that you don't do the same to Lissa."
"You wound me, milord. I would never do such a thing. I do agree that companionship among our old war comrades can prove to be a healthy thing, indeed, however, that they are comrades makes them all the more dangerous from the outset! Snakes in the den, says I!" she declared, facing Chrom once more. "As such, I've decided to put a strict screening process in place. Any man who would speak to Lissa, must be interviewed by me. Many times. AND provide supporting documentation of course!" She beamed with the utmost confidence in her words. By her tone, this was no idle banter, she took this very seriously. Although, the proud smile she wore throughout her speech did lessen the sincerity to an extent.
Her points did have some validity to them, as paranoid as they might have been. Although, Chrom trusted each of his troops like he would a family member, at least someone was looking after Lissa. Big brother or not, there are times where she would be beyond his sight and protection. If nothing else, the noblewoman would always be there, and Chrom always trusted her even back in their childhood years. "Well... I guess in a way it's reassuring to know that Lissa has you watching over her." he conceded. "You've never given me any reason to doubt you otherwise, so I admit I can trust you to keep her safe for me. Just... Please don't take it too far."
"Oh, of course, milord, you have my word! A woman of my position would offer no less than her best... within reason."
"Good. In that case, I'll be off then. Oh, and be sure to get some sleep tonight please. I understand your goals are important to you, but don't forget you are a member of the Shepherds as well. I need you in top form when we train. Can't very well have Robin carrying you to bed every day now, right?"
"Of course, of course, I under- Wait... Excuse me?" Maribelle asked, her formerly proper tone sinking quickly into a blunt and serious one. "Did you just say... Robin carried me after I fell asleep... And you LET that barbarian touch me!?"
The confused prince scratched at his ear after her outburst. It probably wasn't a good idea to tell her that... "Well, he wasn't barbaric in doing so, I assure you."
A hand went to Maribelle's chest to still her beating heart. Just the thought of Robin, of all people, actually having the audacity of holding her as if they were some lovestruck couple, nearly made her head spin off her shoulders. She could practically see his face now, no doubt plastered with some perverted look carrying such a fragile and defenseless thing. "Oh Gods... I feel I must lie down again..."
"Would you like me to call Robin and have him carry you again?" Chrom joked.
"That's NOT funny!"
A/N: Boy, I sure missed a great chance at updating this on Valentine's day, huh? Would have been a great coincidence, but nope! Got too distracted playing Bravely Default to finish... Oh well, at least it didn't take me 2 months to update, right?
So here be a chapter revolving more around Maribelle's viewpoint of how she sees Robin. To me, she came off as the type of person that was too proud of her heritage to associate with lower class on a normal basis. When it came to war, where she had no choice, she would let her barriers down for the sake of duty, but in her personal life, she's a run of the mill noble snob. Also, since her utter devotion to Lissa is one of her most prominent character traits, I decided to make fun of that and, being the perv that I am, had Robin eavesdrop on her conversation with Olivia. Needless to say, he may call her preferences into question. I suppose you'll just have to wait and see where THAT goes, right? (shameless attempt at teasing the readers is shameless.)