Chapter 17
Ylisstol, Mid-Afternoon
The weather had been growing even more harsh with each passing day. The once cool winds of before were now freezing blusters, and it was very rare that anyone would see the sun from under the thick blanket of clouds. Winter was slowly knocking at the door and everyone was surely prepared for it.
Everyone except Robin at least. He hated the brutal cold. Autumn was perfectly fine, but the moment the season began the change to Winter was when his optimism would evaporate. Morning training routines were murderous on his stiff joints from the cold, and because the days grew shorter and the nights grew lengthy, it was easy for him to lose his sense of time if he was out during the day.
That said, the sun was already beginning to set, and it was nowhere near supper time. It felt as if the entire day was wasted on training alone. The only thing keeping Robin from going crazy inside was Maribelle's company. Just having her near was enough to keep his complaints internal.
Once the word spread about the tactician and noblewoman officially being an item, they were practically showered with unanimous approval. Everyone had their eyes on the two and wondered if the most caste members of the army would wind up together. So much so that a pool was made just for when it would happen. A pool that Stahl had one, since his prediction was the only one that was for the current year.
At the moment though, the two were separated. Maribelle was, surprisingly being social with the other women of the army. Of course, Lissa was there, and it was her word that the noble come out and spend the afternoon, but she was welcomed warmly by her peers. A far cry from the old Maribelle that would rather spend her time with the princess, and the princess alone. As for Robin, he was tending to his usual royal advisory duties.
Scribbling down one last signature on the final document of the day, Robin neatly stacked the papers together and placed his quill pen back into his desk. Chrom was handling a majority of the paperwork, as per Robin's suggestions, but the tactician still generously lent a hand. After all, he knew the mental agony that came with handling all of these issues and going-ons about the realm.
Rising from his seat and bound towards the throne room, the tactician was greeted on the way there by Gaius of all people. How the thief managed to get into the castle walls Robin had to ask.
"Gee, thanks. You make it sound like I'm some sorta shifty brigand." Gaius joked, the white stick of the sweet in his mouth trailing along his crooked smile. "Anyway, I was gonna ask if you and Twinkles had any plans tomorrow?"
"I know I will be, that's for sure." Robin happily announced, proudly patting the stack of papers he carried under his arm. "Why do you ask exactly?"
From the wrist of his glove, Gaius pulled free two thin slips of paper and handed them over. Robin briefly looked over them before returning his eyes to Gaius. "I got some tickets from Olivia today. Turns out she scored a gig at being a background dancer for a performance tomorrow in the theater district. She gave me two extra, so I figured I'd hand 'em off to you and your girl."
"Wow, that's quite generous of you, Gaius, thanks. I'll ask Maribelle and see what she thinks."
"Alright then, I suppose that's all the business I've got. Hopefully we'll see you tomorrow." Gaius began walking back to the entrance, and heard Robin call out to him before he left.
"Gaius, you didn't answer my question; How did you manage to get in here?"
"I used the front doors, genius." Gaius looked back to his friend while pointing his thumb to the large doors behind him. "Don't forget I'm one of you guys too, y'know. The guards don't have a problem with other Shepherds inside the castle. By the way, you look weird without your coat."
"Fair enough. I just figured you were more likely to climb in through the window." Robin tucked the two tickets away in his trouser pocket and returned to his path to Chrom's side.
"Wait a second... 'we?'" Robin turned back to ask Gaius to clarify his words, but the man had already walked out the door. He would follow after him, but he did not want to risk a late Autumn breeze scattering his papers about. Oh Gods no. Not after all the hours he spent thumbing through them.
...
"Lissa, dear, does this make me look thicker in any way?" Maribelle stood before a mirror at a clothing shop with the other women looking for a new coat to wear for the cold weather. Her old one was no longer providing the proper warmth and it was going out of style as it was.
"That's sort of the point, isn't it?" Lissa looked up from a cute set of petticoats to respond to her friend. "If the coat were too thin, what would be the point of wearing it?"
"I mean does it make me look thick?" The noble motioned her hands in front of her body to accentuate her point. Suffice it to say, the young princess shook her head in confusion. She wasn't quite understanding what Maribelle was getting at.
"Um, if I could ask..." Olivia chimed in meekly. "Why the sudden concern about how you look? As long as the coat serves you well enough, that should warrant a buy, right?"
"I think she's trying to look good for Robin." Sumia, who was rifling through a set of nice dresses on display called from across the store.
Turning back to the mirror, Maribelle turned a full rotation for another look at her figure in the coat. "The coat is nice and it keeps warm enough but... The padding on the chest is a bit excessive..."
Standing apart from the other girls was Miriel, scribbling down notes into a leather-bound journal. She was originally called to join the girls for a possible change of wardrobe, but instead found it far more stimulating to sit and document the social activities between female acquaintances.
"Perhaps it is for the better that the garment displays such endowments?" the bespectacled scholar added while writing down another sentence in her book. "Upon further scrutiny of our male companions in the Shepherds and research of old societal norms, it serves a woman well to appear to have large bosoms as the male gaze will see their potential mate as a fitting mother to nurture their young. Data suggest that Robin would be that much more enamored with your form, thus leading to further physical attraction and quite possibly even copul-"
"I think Miriel is trying to say that the coat looks great, and you should get it!" Olivia interrupted before the mage could finish her sentence with a volume in her voice normally rare for anyone to hear. Miriel only pressed her glasses back upon the bridge of her nose and scribbled another note down in her book.
Most of what the articulate woman was saying still got through to Maribelle. The coat itself was out of necessity, but if Robin would find her more attractive in it, all the better. Along with Sumia, Maribelle brought the coat to the clark. She was also kind enough to purchase Sumia's item just as a kindness between friends. Of course, being a fellow noble, Sumia had no problem paying for herself, but who was she to turn down such a generous offer?
With the girls' latest outing coming to a close, they all decided to return to the barracks before the sun set completely and turned the night into a miserable sprint through the frosty cold. Maribelle even wore her new coat on the walk back up to the garrison.
"Hey, Maribelle, are you and Robin doing anything tomorrow?" Sumia asked as they started up the palace road.
"I do believe I am free, but I cannot say the same about Robin. His duties tend to tie up his time more than I'd like."
"Oh, a-alright then. Just thought I'd ask for fun." Sumia looked off in the other direction, slightly feeling as if she may have jumped the gun.
The blonde noble raised an eyebrow at the question, and at the following reluctance. Perhaps she meant to invite them to some other outing? Maribelle made a mental note to go straight to the tactician when they reached the palace to confirm his schedule.
...
"...and this is the documentation of the restoration process for the towns around Ylisse. I already put Southtown as top priority. It'll be up to you on who is sent there" Robin handed off the last of the papers to Chrom, who was carefully reviewing the other forms he had gotten.
"Perfect. And with Plegia's treasury financing the repairs, it should be no problem. Very nice work, Robin." the prince proudly smiled and arranged the papers for future use. "That should be all of it then. Thank you for all the help, Robin. Without you I fear this process would have taken twice the time it normally would have."
"I figure I had to make myself useful in some way. Besides, I have to earn my stay under your roof somehow, and I doubt I could afford the rent otherwise!"
"Nonsense, you know I consider you family."
"Yet you refuse to let me make any royal decrees?"
"Forgive me if having all my subject's meals be replaced with hefty servings of bear meat sounds like an awful venture." Chrom scoffed.
"Aw, you're no fun!" Robin shot back and crossed his arms, pretending to be upset.
"Hey, if you'd like, we can have a spar in the training yard and let the winner decide the next royal decree." Chrom absently tapped Falchion's hilt while sporting a smug grin.
"On second thought, I like having my bones in one piece, so I think I'll pass."
"Ha! I would have let you win anyway. I'm more afraid at what Maribelle would do to me than whatever damage you would cause to the Halidom if I so much as bruised you!"
"Smart man. She was this close to probably beating me to within an inch of my life back when I got wounded during the war." Robin made a show of squeezing his fingers closely together to emphasize his point.
"Huh. She failed to mention that part when she requested I have you pulled from the campaign."
"Of course she would leave that part out. It sort of tarnishes the noble bearing to kick a man when he's down... Or in my case, punch. And slap. Multiple times."
Chrom criged a bit at the thought of someone as pacifistic as Maribelle would do something like that. "Ouch."
"Yeah,'ouch' is a word. Speaking of Maribelle, I have to end this wonderful meeting of ours and have a word with her. I'll just leave you to your work." Robin bowed respectfully to his friend and turned to leave.
"Don't make her angry with whatever it is you have to say!" Chrom called while waving good-bye.
"If I did, could I count on you to protect me?"
"Hell no!"
"Nice to know you've got your family's back, Chrom." Robin chuckled as he left the throne room.
After departing, Robin made his way back to his chambers to grab his coat for the cold weather outside. After retrieving the black garment, he threw the hood over his head and walked out of the palace to the garrison.
Oh, how the biting cold was enough to make him swear with every gentle gust of wind tickling the tip of his nose. He would run, but the wind chill would only make it worse, so the tactician committed himself to the unpleasant walk until he reached the wooden doors of the building.
Stepping inside was a godsend, as supper was being prepared and the heat, along with it practically being filled with members of the army gave the area a cozy, warm atmosphere. Not long at all, Robin noticed Maribelle waving to him and patting an empty chair next to her at the table with her group of friends. More than happy to oblige, Robin walked over and seated himself between the noblewoman and the shy dancer.
"Good evening girls. And that's a really nice coat you've got there, Maribelle."
"You like it, darling? You don't find it overcompensating anything...?" The noblewoman leaned forward slightly to see if he would take notice of the 'additions' of the coat.
"No, nothing really catches the eye." Robin replied. Miriel discretely made a footnote in her journal after observing the two. "So, Maribelle, if you're free tomorrow, would you care to come to a show with me?"
"A show? As in on another date?"
"Sure." Robin reached into his pocket and held out the two tickets he received earlier that day. "Gaius came by today and handed me some extra tickets to see Olivia perform in a show tomorrow. I was hoping, if you weren't too busy, that you could go with me?"
"Oh my! That sounds wonderful, darling. And all the better if it means seeing Olivia dance again." Maribelle looked from the tickets up to the blushing girl next to Robin. She was slowly sinking into her seat out of sheer embarrassment, but it made her feel much better that Maribelle of all people would be there.
"I-It's nothing special. I'm just a background dancer. You'll hardly notice me anyway..." The orchid-haired girl swirled her locks around her index finger as she spoke.
"Nonsense, Olivia! I'm positive that performance would all that much better with you there. Don't forget to stay confident, just like I taught you, remember?"
"Oh, I do! That shock therapy was a big motivator for me to enlist for the job. I probably wouldn't be there if it wasn't for you. That's why I gave Gaius extra tickets to the show, because I knew he would invite you and Robin."
"Hm, it seems everyone around here is becoming a tactician in some way or another." Robin mused aloud.
"Perhaps, but the Shepherds will always have one master tactician." Maribelle kindly reassured Robin of his superiority and placed her hand over his.
"Oh just hurry up and make out already..." Lissa mumbled rather loudly with her head planted on the table.
"Right then. So it's a date?" Robin held one of the tickets for Maribelle to take, which she gladly did indeed.
"Just let me know when to be ready."
"I'll be sure to have Gaius tell you when curtain time is." Olivia added.
...
The next afternoon, directly after the Shepherds daily training, the tactician and noble had gone their separate ways to prepare for the following night. While Maribelle had briefly gone to her home to find something suitable to wear, Robin labored over his own choice of attire. Outings were not something he did very often and his wardrobe was very limited. Above that, his familiar coat obscured whatever he would be wearing anyway. Not out of his stubborn refusal to go without it, but because it was too cold now to not have it.
'If only I had done some clothes shopping of my own...' Robin lamented while deciding on whether to stick with his traditional cotton, beige shirt or a more form fitting black one with a high neck collar. This was going to be a high-profile gathering and he wanted to make sure he would look his best. If there was anything Maribelle made sure he would not forget anytime soon, it would be that a gentleman must always look presentable in public.
After careful thought, Robin decided it was best to go with the black shirt for the neck collar in the face of the cold weather. To compliment it, he also decided to go with dressy black pants and shoes to match instead of his familiar trousers and boots. Despite mixing up his attire, his cloak would always grace his shoulders.
A quick few brushes of the hair and stuffing a book into his coat before heading out the door, the tactician was set to begin the night after bidding the prince and princess a farewell.
Waiting right outside, Gaius was dressed on equal footing as the tactician. Rather than keeping with his usual rags and cape, the ginger thief went with a sharper look, even going so far as to leave his bandanna behind. Although, he still wasn't without his fair share of sweets, which he kept hidden away in his lapel.
"Still wearing those old rags, huh?" Gaius mocked, referring to Robin's coat.
"They can hardly be considered 'rags'. Besides, I think it compliments my dapper ensemble for tonight." Robin gripped at the hems of his coat at his chest in way to make him looked dignified.
"Well that's a surprise. Here I thought a rich gal like Twinkles to have high standards. I suppose even the wealthy can find attraction with a bloke that dresses as if he escaped from the slums."
"Keep radiating your jealousy for my style of fashion, Gaius. The heat of your envy will keep us both warm enough in this cold weather."
"Hm. I think I might have trained you too well. I can't even take a stab at you anymore without a comeback anymore."
Both jokingly exchanged a good punch to one another's arms before starting down the path. The theater district of Ylisse was thankfully not a long trek from the castle, however they needed to await their company for the night in the plaza before continuing on.
Though nightfall had a habit of coming all too early now with the seasonal change, a clear sky was much too rare. Because of this, Robin took great notice in seeing the glowing orb of the full moon in the sky tonight. The entire face of the celestial body illuminated the nightly streets and brought about a bit of mysticism. In fact, the entire time the two men stood waiting for the late-afternoon carriage to make it's rounds, Robin's attention was exclusively on the moon.
"You okay there, Bubbles? You're not gonna sprout hair and glowing red eyes, are ya?" Gaius swirled a candy about his mouth while staring at his skyward-facing friend.
"Ask Panne if I could borrow her stone and we'll find out." Robin scoffed. "I don't know. I just like staring at a full moon. It always seemd like an omen to me."
"Should I take that as good or bad?"
"Good, I'd say. It seemed like the day after a full moon, we would always have a successful mission the next day during the war. I still remember the night we stopped Emmeryn's assassination attempt the first time. That night was a full moon."
Gaius joined in the moon-gazing and recalled that night. That was a night to remember. "Wasn't that when I first joined up with the Shepherds?"
"Yeah." Robin nodded.
"And... wasn't that the same night you were beaten horribly and nearly dragged off by that kook? I know Twinkles threw a fit and had to stitch you up right after."
"Yep."
"So an outlaw, albeit a handsome one, joins your merry band and you lose a pint of blood. Oh yeah, what a lucky night."
"And, that outlaw happened to become one of my good friends."
Sighing, Gaius put a hand over Robin's shoulder. "Bubbles... You need to get more friends." He laughed to himself and gave the tactician a few pats on the back.
When the sound of hooves clopping against the stone path of their location rang behind them, the two men stood at attention, waiting for the coach to make it's stop. Once it rounded the circular area, Gaius and Robin stood at either side of the coach doors and opened the doors for Sumia and Maribelle respectively. In addition, they also held a hand out for them to hold as they descended the coach.
The blonde noblewoman was clad in a captivating pink dress and a scarf. Robin quite preferred this dress over her last one. The color pink just seems to really suit her.
Sumia's garment was largely the same, although with an exposed back and a boa rather than a scarf. Her choice of color was also unique to her, going with a dark violet color that contrasted very well against her light skin and brunette hair.
"It would appear that you have retained some manner of knowledge that I have taught you., Robin." Maribelle remarked as she admired the new wardrobe he chose.
"Would it be cliche if I said I had a great teacher?" the tactician chuckled as he offered his arm for her to wrap hers around.
"Mmm... Perhaps. Although I still enjoy hearing the praise."
"Ooh, Gaius, you look very nice in that outfit!" Sumia chirped in as she and her date walked alongside the other couple.
"You like it? It's great at concealing those nasty bee stings I got a little while ago." The thief patted his chest, which was still quite sensitive from the event. Sumia nodded happily and eagerly wrapped her hand around his.
While the group was making their way to the theater district, Robin inquired Sumia of how she and Maribellle happen to find the same coach. As it turned out, the rookie Pegasus Knight was a resident of Themis as well. Nearly everyone of high society lived in Themis. Even Ricken lived there as well, although his House was quite a few steps down from his female noble compatriots.
"What a coincidence. Sumia, you never told me you were of nobility." Robin said, a look of genuine surprise on his face.
"Sorry. It never really came up whenever we talked." she sheepishly admitted. "Whenever you weren't locked up in your tent or talking with Chrom-"
"Or receiving first aid from me." Maribelle chimed in.
"Right. Or that, the only times we ever talked was when you and I were trading books."
"Don't feel bad, Bubbles, it actually took me a little while to figure it out too." Gaius followed. "That joke I made back at the palace? I didn't make that idly."
"Looking back, I'm actually surprised I didn't see it before: The expensive first edition of those books you had, hunting for those bee larvae 'delicacies' with Gaius. Now it all makes sense with the proper perspective."
"Hm, it seems peace-time has dulled your superior mental edge, Mr. Tactician." Maribelle teased, playfully tugging at Robin's arm.
"So be it. Better than what we all had to go through... Besides, even if my tactical skills have gotten a bit rusty, being with you keeps my wits sharp." he quipped back.
"Alright kiddies, stow the small-talk. Looks like we're here." Gaius interjected.
The theater district was home to plenty of entertainment venues, but as the name suggested, performers were the most plenty. Be it performing on the street corners, those with perfectly usable instrumentation skills played wonderful music that could usually be heard throughout. None, however, could hope to stand up to the caliber of the stage plays that all but ruled over other activities. It was where the best of the best of performers could go. Only the most exceptional became part of any production. Perhaps it was no surprise that the dancer from Ferox had earned a role.
As of the four's arrival, people were beginning to line up just outside of the building that housed the theater. Word of mouth had gotten around about a certain dancer's abilities and the rest seemed to sort itself out. Thankfully, with the tickets that Olivia had graciously provided her friends with, they gained access into the theater in no time and found decent seats for the whole event.
No one had really been familiar with Olivia's style of dance. Her only service in the army was in their final mission against King Gangrel, wherein she was put to very little use, and Robin was not even part of that battle, so for him, this would be a blind experience. The only one who seemed to have any opinion on the matter of her skills was Maribelle, however briefly. She reassured the others that her dancing was well worth the view.
With the raising of the curtains, the performance began. It was a musical depicting events that took placed quite a long time ago. Events that would become legends in today's history books. Each transition through the narrative was accompanied by a dance number, which Olivia had stolen all the spotlight from. To Sumia, Gaius, and Robin, every word of praise they had heard from Maribelle was all that and more. To the noble herself, she noticed a new flair to her steps. A certain boldness that she hadn't seen before. Perhaps it was just her imagination, but the swift rushed movements and jittery hesitation from twist and turn was likely done away with her 'shock therapy' aid.
When the final act for the performance was coming to a conclusion, and the performers took their bows, there was a standing ovation from nearly everyone in the theater. Many yelled for an encore and a reprisal of the eye-catching dancer to repeat her performance from the second act. The shy violet actually obliged and did indeed do a repeat performance which was met with even more praise, some even showering her with coins and roses.
As the patrons exited the theater, there was already talk of coming for a second viewing and bringing more companions to enjoy the show. Although the two couples wanted to see Olivia backstage, that was somewhat of an impossibility. The number of fans knocking at her dressing room practically killd any chances of seeing her tonight. Instead, they would have their words of praise with her the following morning during their morning training regimen.
"Wow. Just... wow." Gaius expressed as the four walked through the city streets. "I have to say, the performance was good, but Olivia's dancing stole the show."
"I agree. I was anticipating her segments much more than the story itself... What was the protagonists name again?" Robin added.
"I think it was... Huh. I forgot." Sumia replied, scratching her head. She was also more enthralled by her friend's performance than anything else.
"I must say, I was actually quite surprised at her more bold movements." Maribelle finally shared her input. "I have been a witness to her previous exploits but this was an exceptionally fine feat."
Making their way back to the main plaza of Ylisstol, the four waited for the last carriage of the night to return the girls to Themis. In the midst of their weight, Sumia had whispered something to Gaius and the two were sharing a private conversation a few feet away from Robin and Maribelle. Of course, that didn't go by unnoticed, but they decided not to pry on what it was.
Soon, the two rejoined their friends, but Sumia was absently rubbing her shoulder. "Um, Maribelle? I think I'll spend the night here in Ylisstol. You're okay going home alone, right?"
The blonde noble raised an eyebrow at the odd question. "I suppose, dear, but you really intend to have me return by myself with no company?"
"W-Well, that is..."
"If you'd like, Maribelle, I could escort you home." Robin interrupted.
Maribelle turned to the tactician with the same quizzical look. "I do appreciate it, Robin. But you are aware this will be the last transport of the night?"
"I'm sure the Halidom won't catch fire if I'm late the next morning. I'll just catch the first ride back, that's all."
"Well then, if you insist."
"Great!" Sumia exclaimed nervously. "That settles that then! I'll see you tomorrow, bright and early!" Without a response, Sumia quickly went back to Gaius' side and the two went their own ways, separate from their friends.
Robin simply waved good-bye to the couple and walked to the wooden bench to wait for their transport, patting the spot next to him for the noblewoman to occupy, which she did without further input.
Conversation between the two of them was, for the most part, nonexistant. Robin was again consumed by the beauty of the moon. He was aware of the silence between them though and decided to make an effort to communicate.
"Hey, Maribelle."
"Hm?"
"Those dance moves Olivia showed off tonight. They were quite something."
"Indeed they were. We have already established that quite clearly."
"Right, right. But I was thinking about something. Do you remember that time when you taught me how to waltz?"
"Oh, Gods. That was months ago, wasn't it?" Maribelle thought back to that day. She did indeed remember those 'gentleman lessons' she shared with him. Something that, regrettably, had tapered off as time went on. "But, yes, I remember. You were quite the natural."
Robin sat up from the bench and reached an arm out to her. "I think I may be getting a little rusty. Would you care to see if I still perform well?"
"Absolutely. Don't disappoint me now." Maribelle graciously took the tactician's hand and walked up with him to the center of the wide open area of the plaza. The lighting from the full moon almost seemed like a special spotlight, meant only for them. Both placed a hand around the others midsection while their other hand met with each other. Just like before,they began moving in unison with each other. This time, Robin was the one leading the two of them and for someone claiming to be 'rusty' in the art, he was performing quite well.
Their dance was in synch with each other, and the underarm turn, Maribelle's favorite part, was done with such aplomb. Obviously, Robin knew he was no worse from before. This was just an excuse to dance with her. Either that, or to be physically close to her. Either way, she wasn't going to complain.
Unfortunately, the sound of horses trotting near them was the signal that their dance had to come to an end. They ceased their movements, but when Maribelle wanted to return to the wooden bench, she found that Robin hadn't let her go quite yet. She looked up to him, silently questioning the delay.
In his head, Robin debated on if it was probably the time... It seemed like a good opportunity. The moonlit night, the dance, despite it being a bit short. The way she was looking into his eyes. He wanted to, but at the same time, he was much to nervous.
All of that came crashing down when he felt Maribelle had made the move he wanted to. Her pillowy lips had pressed against his own in a very quick motion that he hadn't expected. The initiation was quick itself, but the woman still lingered there. Her russet-brown eyes still open, stared into his own with a playful look that said to him 'Oh yes, this is happening.' She wrapped her arms about his back to give her a good grip as she pressed herself against him. Robin, having gotten his thoughts straight, finally returned her affection and placed one of his hands at her neck, her twirling pigtails lightly brushing against the back of his hands.
Again, the sound of their carriage growing ever nearer meant that this blissful moment ad to end. Both begrudgingly separated from their first kiss. When the carriage finally made it's stop, Robin continued to show the fruit of the noblewoman's gentleman lessons and again held her door open. Once she was safely inside, he follwed in after her and directed the coachman to Themis.
The nightly travel to Themis was unlike the tactician's previous visits. The roads at night werebarren of any life, and what little light was provided by the moon, even in the open fields, had a bit of a creepy, unsettling feeling. No wonder Maribelle didn't want to be alone for the trip back. The entire time, the both of them sat very close to each other, with Robin's hand always around her in a protective embrace.
After the long ride from city to city, the carriage arrived at Themis, but with a little extra gold on Maribelle's part, they were able to convince their coachman to see them dropped off right in front of her home.
"Robin, would you care to come inside?" Maribelle asked.
"Sure, but I can't stay for too long. I do have to find an inn for tonight."
Maribelle opened the door to the coach herself, rather hastily actually, and eagerly tugged on Robin's arm to exit and walk with her to her front door. "Nonsense. You can stay in our guest room tonight. We would be very happy to have you."
"Of course you would." Robin deadpanned. He could tell that any further resistance would be shot down. At the very least he would be able to save some money if he stayed here.
As quietly as she possibly could, Maribelle knocked on her front door to make sure she wouldn't alert her mother and father of her presence. When the door creaked open, she made sure her servant would keep things quiet with proper hand signals.
"I see you've brought a guest tonight, Mistress." the young steward commented dryly.
"Robin will be staying with us tonight. Please escort him to the guest chambers, if you please... Quietly."
"Yes, madam. I shall be as silent as a church mouse." The steward signaled Robin to follow him up the stairs from the foyer to the guest wing of the manor, opposite the direction where the owners' bedchambers were found. They stopped at the end of the hall of many rooms and the servant lead Robin inside. "Pardon me for being presumptuous sir. But you appear to be quite dear to milady, so I have taken the liberty of escorting you to the most accommodating room reserved only for the most important of guests. I trust that is satisfactory?"
The room was quite something. Although nothing like his own room at the castle, it was very nice. A sizable bed, a window with a nice view, even a sizable bookshelf with plenty to choose from and a fireplace with a chair in front of it to boot. "This is perfect, thank you." Robin responded.
"Then I shall bid you good evening, sir." The steward bowed respectfully and left Robin to himself.
Robin shut the door and settled into the cushioned chair. He looked at the fireplace, which had a new, untouched log of wood nestled right inside. He reached into his coat to grab his Thunder tome he usually had on his person. He would rather use quick and easy magic to set the wood alight rather than bother anyone for alternative methods. Once he gripped onto the tome, he remembered he also placed another book within his garment.
"Whoops. Forgot about this." Robin pulled free both books, the magical one and the literary one he was going to give Maribelle as a gift today. It was something he had seen in the castle library more than once, and it was a rare first edition as well. He flipped through some of the pages, reading its contents. The subject matter didn't appeal to him and he cared little for what the pages held within them, but at least he was able to make sure there were no imperfections within the book itself.
Placing the book back into his coat pocket, Robin sat up and prepared to his use magic tome to get a fire going. Using Thunder would take more than one use, but it was much more safe and precise than using a Fire tome. However, a downside would be that the loud crack from the bolt it summoned would probably be enough to alert someone. Before he could get started, a knock at the door pulled him away from his task. He stuffed the tome into his coat with the other book and answered the door to see who it was.
Standing just outside of his door was Maribelle in a nightgown and her hair had been unfurled from it's usual swirling pigtail look to neatly combed straight locks without her bows. "I take it you find the room to your liking?" She asked in the same dutiful tone of her servant.
Robin was admittedly stunned at seeing Maribelle dressed in something other than formal attire for once. Seeing her wearing her nightwear was the last thing he thought he would ever see her in. "The room is great, I appreciate you lending me a place to stay." He tried to not stare too much at her figure beneath her clothing.
"Would it be alright if I came in...?" Maribelle asked nervously. She knew asking a question like that in the manner of her appearance would probably send some signals to Robin. Then again, whether those signals were deliberate...
"Sure, I actually wanted to give you something." Robin stapped back and allowed her to walk into the room before shutting the door. He walked over and sat onto his bed and reached into his coat for the book. Maribelle also sat next to Robin, and watched as he handed her a fairly thick book. The cover and author's name was immediately familiar to her.
"Robin this... This book. Where on earth could you have found a book like this?" She asked in disbelief. The book she was handed was penned by a very well-known magistrate that currently was retired from his career. His written works were among the best when it came to learning the many ins and outs of a job such as his. Maribelle had some of his books to herself, hidden away in the manor's library. This book, however, not only did she not own this one in the set, but it was one of the first few printed copies before circumstances lead to a decline in production quality.
"Don't worry about how I got it. Just enjoy it for yourself." Robin chuckled lightly. He reached into his coat one more time to bring forth his Thunder tome to start that fire. Before he could though, Maribelle reached a hand out, silently asking for it. "Uh... You want this one too?" he asked with a puzzled look.
"Not to keep. I simply want to be the one to try and set a small fire for us to enjoy together."
"Together?" Robin repeated.
"Mhm. Sumia tells me you and her used to spend free time together reading when you had the time. It wouldn't be too much to ask if I wanted to share that, would it?"
"Not at all. Here." Robin graciously lent his tome to Maribelle. Although she wasn't an expert with using magic just yet, she knew enough to at least use the basic spells with little issue.
Opening the book, Maribelle leaned forward to have a good close view of the target, so she would have less chance to miss. What she wasn't aware of, however, was that she was inadvertantly giving Robin a very clear and up-front view of her backside. At first, Robin pretended not to notice. It was impolite to stare. Then again... it wasn't as if she could even tell he was watching. On top of that, and despite his better judgement, Robin noticed just how short her nightgown was. Again, he tried shifting his eyes left to right and pretended not to notice, but he would continue to stare out of the corner of his pupils.
It was a bad idea, and he knew it was, but Robin reached into one of his pockets for a copper, or any sort of coin. While Maribelle was still busy trying to get the tome to work, Robin 'accidentally' dropped a coin from his pocket that landed onto the floor after rolling just a small distance forward. He bent down just enough to pick the coin back up, all the while getting an eyefull of what Maribelle had hidden underneath.
"Wow. White with pink frills..." Robin whispered. He quickly caught what he just said and covered his mouth, snatching the copper back up and returning to his position.
"Did you say something, darling?" Maribelle asked, turning her head.
"N-Nothing. I just said this cold is giving me chills."
"Hold a moment, I've almost got it..." After some struggle to get the tome to work for her properly, Maribelle was finally able to get a small bolt to strike the log. Nothing more than a black singe was shown for her efforts, but she tried it one more time and her second attempt appeared to have gotten the job done and the log was crackling with a sizable fire beginning to spread across its bark. Closing the tome shut, Maribelle handed it back to its owner and once again sat beside him.
Robin cleared his throat and placed his tome back into his coat. "So, that book, then?" Frankly, the book was dreadfully boring for someone like him who held no interest in it. With Sumia, it was different since the stories they shared were more fantastical. A book detailing politics couldn't be any farther on the other side of the spectrum. Anything else in the world would hold his attention longer. However, if Maribelle would be the person he was going to share a book with, it didn't matter what it was to him. Just having the time to spend a moment with her like this was what he wanted.
They sat closely, with Robin again holding the woman close to him as she verbally echoed the writings of her book. None of it was terribly interesting, but he hung onto every word she said. He even offered to alternate with her when the subject changed between chapters.
Eventually, they had gotten so well into the book, and both were starting to doze off. Robin, having caught Maribelle's head nearly fall into his lap more than once, closed the book and shook her awake.
"You were nodding off again." Robin whispered.
"Was I?"Maribelle yawned shortly after. She was undoubtedly sleepy, but she immediately sobered when a knock at the door alerted the two of them.
Robin quietly rose from the bedside and opened the door to see the young steward again. "I apologize for any interruptions, sir, but would you please let milady know that her presence is needed in the foyer?"
"Uh... sure." the tactician was confused on the way he was addressed. Did he expect Robin to walk all the way to Maribelle's room and tell her? Or did he know that she was here in his room? Whatever the answer, Robin allowed the steward to return to his post. He turned back to Maribelle and pointed towards the door. "I assume you heard that?"
"Unfortunately..." Maribelle nodded and picked herself up from the bed. "I'll be back after I see to this matter." As quickly as she could within reason, Maribelle walked a brisk pace down the hallway to the foyer of her home. Whoever they were, they had better have a damn good excuse for visiting her home at this hour. Short of a family member dying, the guest would receive quite an earful from her.
Upon descending the steps, her steward reopened the front door into the cold night to reveal a single man standing at her doorstep. He wore a grey coat and a matching scarf around his neck. The moment he laid eyes on the woman, he bowed courteously to her.
"You are Maribelle I presume? Heiress to this House?"
The way he identified her easily made it clear to the noblewoman who this was: The suitor her father had sent for without her consent. Already closing her mind to the idea of ever accepting this man's advances, it took everything within Maribelle's being to not immediately act sour to him, lest a foul impression forever mark his opinion of her and word spread through the noble grapevine.
"I am. And if I am correct, my father had sent word to you that I was looking for a husband." She responded as respectfully as she could.
"Indeed he did, milady. My own House had received word of how the heir to the House of Themis was indeed looking for a suitable candidate for you and I eagerly answered the call."
Despite Maribelle not wanting to humor the man and waste his time, the weather was proving colder than her indifference in the nobleman's courtship. So, without rwanting the chill to enter the warm home, she invited him in for a spell. "And exactly what House do you hail from, sir...?"
"Ah, forgive me, milady. Where are my manners? You may call me Nathaniel, if you please."
"Nathaniel." Maribelle echoed. A short pause filled the air before she thought of a subject to bring up. On the one hand, she was more than ready to announce that her heart was with another, but to throw the man out into the cold weather like that would be the complete opposite of noble. And at this late hour, all the inn houses and hotels around the city had locked their doors for the night. Against her better judgement, it seemed like the man would need a place to stay for the night. "Nathaniel... we can talk about my father's 'arrangements' in the morning. For now... would you care to take up residence here for the night?"
"Your offer honors me a great deal, Lady Maribelle. I humbly accept. I apologize if this is any imposition." Again the nobleman bowed respectfully to express his genuine gratitude. "I promise you I shall seek my own housing in the morning."
"Right then. I would ask that you follow my faithful steward to your quarters for the night." She extended her hand to the young man in question who's response was a surprised expression. "I would escort you myself but I was stirred from my sleep and I simply must return to my beauty rest."
"I understand fully, and apologize twofold for my rude interruption."
Cautiously, the House servant began leading Nathaniel up the stairs before he was halted by Maribelle grabbing his arm and whispering into his ear. "Be sure to use the long way around to the guest room Robin is staying in."
"I assume you don't plan to kick Master Robin out onto the street, Mistress?" he asked.
"No. I'll simply arrive there first and lead him to his replacement room."
"Then I shall be sure to walk at a snail's pace, madam."
Having relayed her message, all three of them ascended the stairs of the House and while they initially walked in the same direction, they eventually separated, one of them following down one hallway, and the other two down another. Although confident that her servant would indeed make the trip slower on his part, Maribelle immediately bolted down the shorter hall once she was sure she was a fair distance that they would not hear her rushed footsteps tromp madly in her sprint to her destination. As opposed to the other direction, which had a somewhat scenic route to it, Maribelle's own path was a straight shot and a quick turn down one hallway to get to where she needed to go.
Once she arrived to Robin's guest room, she quickly thrust open the door, not bothering to knock and witnessed Rubin sitting in the sole chair of the room before the fire reading some random book he picked from the shelf.
"Welcome back." Robin greeted, resting the book on his lap. He examined Maribelle closely and noted her heavy breathing and slightly pink face from her body heat. "Were you in some sort of rush to get here?" he joked, chuckling at her exhausted posture.
Rather than addressing his question, she walked up to the tactician, and pulled him up to his feet by his hands. "Change of plans, dear. You'll be staying in a different room tonight."
"Um, okay? What's wrong with th-" He was cut off by the noblewoman practically pulling him out the room. The book on his lap topped down to the floor, laid askew and open.
"I will explain when we get there!" Just before leaving the guest room, Maribelle made sure to grab the gift she received from off the bed and closed the door. With one hand, she had been pulling Robin down the hall, telling him to keep his voice down or mouth shut as he kept inquiring where exactly they were going.
While they were making their way elsewhere, the steward of the home deftly guided the new nobleman through the home, making sure to move at an adequate pace. Eventually they had made it to the room where Robin had previously occupied. Upon opening the door, the warmth of the still-burning fire had already lent a cozy feeling to the room. Exchanging a word of gratitude, Nathaniel stepped inside and removed his cote, draping it over the single chair in the room. As he walked, his foot slightly kicked a book that was left on the floor. Picking up the lone tome, he examined the front cover. A simple book with yellow red binding and little else on it. The noble rubbed his chin as he contemplated why a book like this would be so carelessly dropped here.
Their mad dash finally ended at a door which had a similar moniker on it, one that Robin noticed was on the same door of the room Maribelle occupied in the Shepherd's garrison. He was prepared to ask for her confirmation if they were indeed where he thought they were, but when the noblewoman opened the door and the scent of her favorite perfume wafted from the chambers inside, he was positive of their location... and his new room.
With the utmost of care, Maribelle lead Robin by one hand into her bedroom. The first thing the tactician immediately took note of was her decor. Most everything was of some shade of pink or white. The plush carpet that adorned every inch of the floor was a shade of hot pink, her dresser and beauty mirror were white, the canopy for her pink bed was white, and the walls shared a softer shade of pink, matching, but also perfectly contrasting each other. A sizable table, more than likely meant for her daily tea-hour was also white, all of this, surrounded by the aforementioned pleasing scent that she wore, which was housed atop her dresser in a bottle colored, of course, pink. The only think that did not conform to the color norm in the room was the bronzed lantern that kindled a large flame by her bedside.
With his assessment of his surroundings taken into account, Robin realized the gravity of this situation: He was in Maribelle's room. Her ROOM. Not only that, but she was the one who brought him here on top of that. Robin's mind quickly jumped to the obvious conclusion of why he was brought here.
The sentiment, especially coming from her nearly made his heart jump out of his throat, but then again, they HAVE officially become an item, and it was public knowledge. Added to that, this night marked their third outing as a couple. If memory served, Robin remembered Virion telling him what the 'Third Date Rule' was when it came to men, women, and dating. At first, he took it as a stupid joke his friend drunkenly spat one day, but it looked like this was no joke. Although, this WAS Virion. Perhaps he wasn't such a fool after all.
Having gotten the tactician into her quarters, Maribelle closed her door as quietly as she could and locked it. It appeared as if they made it without being seen, or waking anyone. Backing away from the door, she turned to Her bed and sat upon it, cross-legged and twiddling her thumbs, trying to find an explanation for Robin on why she brought him here.
"Odds are, you are wondering about the change in location." The noblewoman finally spoke up after keeping silent the entire way there.
Clearing his throat into a balled fist, Robin sat next to Maribelle and tried to speak calmly. "It's fine. I already understand why we're here."
"Y... You do?" Maribelle asked, a puzzling look painting her visage.
Scooting just a bit closer, Robin held Maribelle's hand in both of his. "I do. I understand that we have grown so close these passing months. And although this is happening much earlier than I have ever anticipated, If you really think me worthy of you, I will gladly share a night with you, Maribelle."
"Wha...? Are we on the same page...?" Maribelle leaned away from Robin. Given his turn of phrase and speech, he was in the wrong. That reluctance and visible retreat was enough to make Robin breifly rethink her motivations.
"Um... Are we?" He asked, completely unsure of what was going on now.
"I was talking about how the suitor my father had contacted has just arrived. What were you referring to?"
'Oh... crap.' The words flitted across Robin's mind and nearly threatened to pass his lips. "Actually, nevermind what I was thinking. -ahem- So that suitor is here, is he?" He righted himself and stood back up from the bed, facing away from Maribelle so she wouldn't see his reddening face.
"Unfortunately, yes. I was so caught off guard when I saw him. I... had been so occupied with our relationship that I completely disregarded this situation." Maribelle wrapped her arms about herself and leaned forward a bit. She was thoroughly enjoying her time with the tactician, and now all of that had to be put on hold until this was taken care of. "I'm sorry."
Sighing and returning next to her on the bedside, Robin held Maribelle's hand once again for reassurance. "You don't have to apologize for anything. We can get through this. I'll find a way, somehow."
"Robin, you do realize this will not be something as simple as saying 'So sorry, I am already interested in another man. Get out.', right? We are in a special circumstance here. I'm an only child, a woman at that, and you are..." She trailed off her sentance, reluctant to use that word. She had long dropped that habit of referring to anyone by that word again, least of all, Robin.
"I know. A commoner. A lowborn who has no right to consort with someone like you." Although the description was grim, the tactician forced a smirk to keep the mood between them light. He would admit he was no noble, but being looked down upon was far worse than any insult for him.
As much as she disliked to say that phrase ever again, she hated it even more to have someone such as Robin do so for her. It had only been just over half a year since the two met, but his influence on her could span years with how her views have differed. When looking back at the 'old Maribelle' she honestly wondered why she thought the way she did. "Please don't say that. You know I don't think of you, or anyone else, that way any longer."
Robin draped his arm over the noblewoman's shoulder and rested his had against hers. Her warm cheeks felt nice against his own, and he could feel them heat up even more through his contact. "It's alright. Even if you don't see me that way anymore, society certainly will. But that doesn't mean I'll just abandon you."
"Forgive me if my optimism is not quite up to par with yours, darling." Maribelle huffed in response. She was thankful at the very least that Robin was not going to simply allow what they have to wither away, but then again, the odds are destined to be against them. Still, even if her judgement told her that things would probably crash and burn, she still wanted to believe very much that it would all turn out okay for them. "But, I suppose, the least I can do is believe."
"It's a start." Robin grinned for the first sign of positivity from Maribelle throughout this ordeal. What happens from here on out would be up to her, and he could only hope to be her pillar of support. Unlike her father, he knew he could not take a direct approach, but just like the noblewoman at his side, he would put his faith in her. After their discussion, he stood up to his feet. "I suppose that will end our chat for tonight, right?" he asked, looking back as he started towards the door.
"Robin, where are you going?" Maribelle asked.
"To see if I can find another free guest room. Why?"
"I was hoping that perhaps you would like to stay the night here?" The blonde noble patted the side of her canopy bed, inviting him to stay. "With me?"
The man had no idea how to take her offer. Was she only inviting him to stay simply for a night of rest, or perhaps was the intention to ensure neither of them would be sleeping this night? There were other guest rooms in the manor after all...
"By that look on your face, I can guess a myriad of doubtlessly unpleasant thoughts are coursing through your head." Maribelle remarked with a crooked smile. "Allow me to put your mind at ease by saying that we will simply be sharing a mattress... and nothing else."
"Oh, of course! I-I knew all along that's what you meant!" Robin laughed meekly while rubbing his shoulder in self-contained embarrassment, body language telling a different story than his words.
"Right. Then you should nave no objections to keeping your attire on for one night's rest, I'm sure."
"Perfectly fine by me. It's cold out tonight anyway."
Still flustered from the mental images he had given himself, Robin simply advanced towards the bedside, removing his coat and boots and folding the former neatly and placing it at the foot of Maribelle's bed. The noblewoman had already taken her own favored spot at the right end of the bed, leaving the other for her guest. Though primarily for one person to occupy, the bed was certainly big enough to accommodate two bodies.
Once both were under the warm blankets, Maribelle reached over to her lantern and extinguished the flame, leaving the room dark save for the rare moonlight shining between the curtains of the large windows. The last thing said between them was a final exchange of words, wishing the other a good night's sleep.
A/N: Ah, a new year. New beginnings for us all, and for me to continue to procrastinate on updating this story!
Okay, but serious talk time, I have been waiting to get into this subplot for a looong time now. Like, back when I was writing the end of the war part. I just needed to write in all of the key characters that would play a role for the bigger parts of this story. Suffice it to say it was a long road, but thankfully I made it here. So, in this chapter, we finally get a quick glimpse at the noble who would potentially ask Maribelle's hand in marriage. The question is, how the path to that end goal will be... I suppose we'll find out, eh? Oh, and GaiusxSumia is totally a thing now, at least for this story.
As always, thanks to all of you who continue to read this and in advance for any reviews and critiques you may have!