Robin sighed to herself, looking out of one the many windows in Ylisstol's castle. She could see the construction going on, wooden beams and lifts carrying materials to where they needed to be. Citizens were all working together in complete harmony, sharing each other's burdens and pain. The war was over, but wounds still needed to be healed. Some would recover while others wouldn't.

She fingered the tattered and bloody navy-blue fabric in her hands. No amount of washing would remove the blood stains and the giant hole couldn't be repaired. It was a shame too. It was handwoven with a dexterity that no tailor in Ylisse had ever seen before, so much so that none believed they could ever replicate it. One mentioned she had come across similar handiwork from a place called Chon'sin, but it still wasn't exactly the same. Whoever made the clothing was a master and it was made with love. Robin could tell just based on how soft and durable the material was, the design meant to accent and fit the archer who owned it. She didn't want to get rid of it. It was the only thing Takumi had connecting him to his past now, his Fujin Yumi locked away in some part of the castle along with Siegfried.

The white-haired tactician couldn't bear to think about her fellow comrade, wasting away in one of the dungeons as the Ylissean royal court decided on his punishment. No amount of support from her or Chrom was able to sway the bunch of old farts. Much like Frederick, they were practical about everything they did. The advisors believed the "evidence"—she scoffed at the word—more than the word of their future Exalt. It wasn't looking good for Takumi based on what little she had heard from Chrom about the topic. What was worse was that Takumi pleaded guilty in front of his persecutors, practically condemning himself to whatever horrendous fate that awaited him.

"Why would you do that!?" she had shouted at him, the jail bars between them being the only obstacle that was stopping her from knocking some sense into him. "You're innocent! You know that!"

"Not according to them," he answered. "Unless the real culprit is apprehended, the blame will fall to me. That's just how the system works."

"We won't know for sure unless we try. You shouldn't give up before the battle has even started."

"Robin, use your head," Takumi snapped. "In their eyes, I played a part in what happened. Even if they did see me as innocent, they'd suspect foul play from another source. I alone should bear the accusation. I'm not going to let Ferox take any responsibility for this mess just because they took me in. I owe Basilio and the others that much."

She bit her lip. She hated how everything turned out. Takumi didn't belong behind those bars, Ylisseans treating him as if he were some dishonorable scum that deserved to be locked away for life. Even with Chrom's word, life in prison would be the most likely outcome of the ordeal. Takumi didn't deserve it after everything he did between their meeting in Ferox till now.

Takumi looked out of place among the dreary stone walls and cold chains that were clamped to his limbs. The guards had neglected to return his original clothing to him. A simple white shirt covered his lithe figure and loose brown pants remained. They lost their puffy effect when he wasn't wearing his boots and she felt a bit disappointed by the sight. It just didn't look right. He was meant to be free, a snarky frown on his face whenever she spoke with him. The spark of determination and concentration igniting in his eyes as he wielded the sacred Wind God's bow, the iridescent green light reflecting off his silver hair. It gave him a strange sort of majesty that she had never noticed until it was gone.

He was such a proud individual, so strong and stubborn at times. She could understand it to an extent. After witnessing Brynhildr choosing Lissa, she now knew that Takumi was a descendant of Hoshidan royalty; a testament to his ability to wield Fujin Yumi and the mark of the Dawn Dragon on his shoulder. She saw it when she was changing his bandages, watching and waiting for those amber eyes to open and look back at her again. She also knew what Chrom was looking at that day in the bath tent. She smiled at the memory before reality came crashing down on her once again. To see Takumi reduced to such a state broke her heart.

Gods, how she wanted to fry the entire court with her Thunder tome. The desire only grew as each day passed by. Robin couldn't find it in herself to look at Frederick for any lengthy period of time. Whenever she had to talk with the butler, she could feel her rage building deep inside her gut. She had to keep their conversations short and to the point, lest she blow up and release the beast within that wanted to kick Frederick right where it hurt the most. That or line his entire quarters with bear meat. Granted, it wasn't entirely his fault—there were others who came to the same conclusion—but he was a Shepherd. She would've thought he'd be a bit more supportive of his fellow men, even if three of them were from Regna Ferox.

"Robin?"

She perked up at her name, turning her head and spotting Chrom in the doorway. She smiled at him as he made his way over to her, sitting down on the windowsill beside her and looking out over the capital. Two books were held in his arms, each distinctly thick and dusty. He must have pulled those from the library, Robin mused. He had been going through stacks of them ever since he returned to Ylisstol. Chrom looked over to her, his eyes sparkling like sapphires in the sunlight. How he managed to be so improper and yet so handsome at the same time still amazed her.

"I never believed you to be a reader," she quipped in response.

Chrom scratched the back of his head. "Neither did I. Now I understand how you can spend hours on end reading. You get hooked and then time just slips away from you."

"It took you that long to realize that?"

"Unfortunately, yes," he answered guiltily. He placed one of the volumes down, opening up the other and flipping to a bookmarked page. "I've been looking for information about Hoshido and Nohr, so I've been grabbing as much as I can every time I visit the library. Even if it's just a passing mention of them, I want to know about it."

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? Why the sudden interest?"

"Stuff that Gaius told me after I bribed him with candy. I refuse to play his game again…that is, unless I have no choice."

Robin snorted, attempting—and failing miserably—to stop the snickers that were escaping from her mouth. As hilarious as it was, she wasn't surprised that Gaius stooped that low. An honorable ninja in name only, the thief was as tactless as ever. "What have you learned so far?"

"Well, I discovered why the two kingdoms went to war. A kidnapping exacerbated the problem between the two kingdoms, but the original intention was so that Nohr could acquire the resources it needed to survive. Hoshido had a surplus of almost everything they could need, but Nohr's poor climate had negatively affected the plant life enough that food became scarce. Conquest became their only choice, though I doubt King Garon was thinking of his people at the time."

"Oh wow."

"I'm still angry that I'm distantly related to that scum, but at the same time I'm grateful. If not for him, Emm, Lissa, and I—and potentially the Hero-King as well—wouldn't exist."

"Getting a bit philosophical there, Chrom. It doesn't suit you."

He chuckled. "Maybe so, but it does make me wonder about my ancient Nohrian ancestor. I'm hoping I can find something—anything—about him or just Nohr in general in these books."

"There is a lot we still don't know. Ever since these legends started becoming real, it's made me all the more curious about the two kingdoms. What was the culture of Hoshido like? What survived the passage of time to reemerge in today's society? Who were the original wielders of the sacred weapons during that time? Who made those weapons and why? Are there more descendants out there? Where are Raijinto and Yato now?"

"Who knows? We'll have to dig around if we want to find out." Chrom's eyes shifted over to the clothing dangling from Robin's hand. A blue eyebrow arched in confusion. "Is that what I think it is?"

"Don't get any ideas, Chrom. I'm not that perverted," Robin deadpanned. "I've been all over Ylisse trying to find a tailor to either fix or duplicate it, but I had no luck. All I did find out was that it was custom made and no one knows who the original designer was."

I suppose that's one more oddity to add onto the ever-growing pile of mysteries, thought Chrom. Having anything custom made isn't cheap. And an unknown designer of unparalleled skill? I wonder how he paid for it?

Every time Chrom felt like he took a step closer to unraveling the enigma that was Takumi, another five steps were added to the path towards the answer. As if being a descendant of Hoshidan royalty wasn't enough, Chrom felt like there were bigger pieces missing to the puzzle. Those crucial facts were the ones that would reveal exactly who Takumi was; information like where he was born, who his family was if they were still alive, if he had any friends beyond the Shepherds, and if he was anyone important in terms of social standing. Until he found those answers, Takumi would remain a half-solved riddle.

Then there was the issue of the strange murderer that had appeared before Takumi. That was a new development no one had expected. The rage and disgust on the archer's face was palpable when he described what he heard the being say that day. It was unnerving to think that something worse than the Risen could have followed Lucina and Kiragi into their time. However, Chrom couldn't help but feel like that stranger was connected to Takumi somehow. It certainly seemed to know Takumi, based on what was exchanged between the two. However, there was no way to know for sure. If Chrom wanted to find out more, apprehending that person was key.

The sound of happy laughter brought him out of his musings. Both Robin and Chrom turned towards the door, finding an ecstatic Lissa bouncing on her feet. She had joyful tears in her eyes as she rushed over to Chrom and threw her arms around her brother. Chrom grunted when she squeezed too hard.

"Big bro, I love you!" she squealed.

Chrom let out a soft wheeze. "So he finally asked?"

"Yes!"

"And what did you say?"

"YES!"

Robin pouted, feeling left out. "Excuse me? Can I intrude upon your sibling secrets? What's going on?"

"Oh, Robin!" Lissa gleefully began. "Remember when you told me that I didn't know how complicated it was to have feelings for someone outside your station?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, ever since Chrom assigned Lon'qu to protect me, we ended up spending a lot of time together. More than we ever thought possible. When those assassins did show up, he protected me. I think it was at that point when I realized what I was feeling; when my first thought wasn't of my own safety, but his. I never felt so strongly about anyone before. But…he seemed to think that I deserved better since I was Ylisse's princess. He didn't think he was worthy because of who he was."

"So what happened?"

"Lon'qu just proposed to me!" She cheered as she twiddled with a beautiful silver ring on her finger, a small diamond-encrusted snowflake settled perfectly in the center of the band. "Apparently Chrom talked some sense into him and gave him his blessings at some point during the past few months. I feel like I could fly right now!"

"Lon'qu actually went into a women's jewelry store and bought an engagement ring?" Robin exclaimed in surprise. "I'm so proud of him!"

"I was surprised too, but I'm happy that he's willing to fight his greatest fear for me. That means he really does care."

"So when's the wedding?"

"Well…I don't know," Lissa replied with a shrug. "But it'll definitely be a while before it can happen since Ylisse is still going through reconstruction and Chrom has his coronation coming up. Lon'qu hopes by then the 'situation' will be resolved so a certain someone can attend."

"Oh," Robin sighed. "I hope that happens as well. But congratulations all the same, Lissa. It's about damn time too."

Lissa deviously winked. "So when's Big Bro gonna propose to you, Robin?"

Robin froze while Chrom sounded like he choked on his spit. She felt her cheeks heat up, but not in the way they normally did. She would usually feel a fluttery feeling in her chest, but the butterflies seemed to be absent this time. Instead, she wanted to hide behind one of Chrom's books. Actually, she hadn't considered the possibility of marrying Chrom ever since her talk with Takumi that one night in the courtyard. With the war over, she had been taking the time to ponder about her relationship with her commander more than ever before. After Emmeryn's death and the resulting pep talk she gave him, Robin knew he was a very dear friend. One she was willing to help and support whenever he needed her. She cared for him, but it wasn't a deep, longing, and burning passion; the kind of desire that would compel her to walk to the ends of the earth and back for her true love, much like the princes in her favorite romance novels.

Robin looked over to her prince, seeing him coughing and blushing as he attempted to find his voice. He gave Lissa an annoyed glare. "Don't joke about that, Lissa! I know everyone's expecting me to take a wife soon, but there are more important things to deal with right now."

Lissa giggled. "Lighten up, Chrom! Besides, everyone knows that you really pine after Olivia. Those hips are hard to resist, am I right?"

Chrom was reduced to a stuttering mess, his face as red as a tomato. Robin snickered alongside Lissa. It was true that he had developed an interest in the dancer. Whenever Olivia was alone, Chrom would make his move and try to converse with her. Most of the time he only succeeded in making her run away. Not that he was a creep in any way—Chrom was quite the gentleman to her. Olivia was just too shy to be in his presence for longer than ten minutes. She would always apologize the next time they met, only to avoid his gaze and hope to get away from him in whatever way she could. Robin smiled to herself, remembering how Chrom came to her and his future brother-in-law for advice on how to woo the shy woman. Needless to say, Lon'qu's word proved more fruitful than Robin's since he had known Olivia far longer than Robin had.

Poor Olivia, Robin thought. She had been worrying herself sick about Takumi's condition ever since the decision to lock him away was made. The guards had denied her access to the dungeons, proclaiming some stupid reason about fraternizing with the enemy. With surprising courage that appeared from nowhere, she had angrily yelled at that guard before storming off in tears. She really cared about Takumi if a simple comment gave her the strength to do something like that. Robin gained a whole new respect for the pink-haired dancer that day. Heck, Robin would've done the same thing if she was in a similar position—or better yet, she would have devised a way to put itching powder down the guard's armor.

Robin sighed to herself as Lissa and Chrom continued their sibling spat. She wondered how Takumi was doing at the present moment. Even though she was Chrom's trustworthy tactician, she had been allowed limited access to Takumi's cell. He had been placed in solitary confinement, which was no doubt a lonely existence when the only company you had was the dimly lit torches down in the dungeons. At least he was separated from the hardened criminals that did deserve to be locked away. She had brought him various novels and other literary works to help pass the time during those sparse visits, but words could not replace the simple pleasure of having another person to talk to.

The one with the most access was Chrom, but even he couldn't visit as much as he wished due to his duties as the upcoming Exalt. There was an entire kingdom to run, villages that needed to be protected, information he needed to explore, and a wife he needed to find before the royal council picked one for him.

"Chrom?" Robin looked pointedly at the blue-haired teen. He perked up at his name. "Do you think you could check up on Takumi for me?"

"Of course. I was actually hoping to do that today. It's been too long since I last saw him," Chrom replied, a concerned look on his face as he stood up. "I'll have to apologize to him for that. Is there anything you want me to tell him for you?"

She paused, thinking for a bit before looking up into Chrom's eyes. "Tell him I will get him out of there, one way or another."

"That sounds very…cryptic. What are you planning?"

"Hopefully a last case scenario. If those rotten, old sons of—I mean, if the council members refuse to release him, I will find my own way to make them see reason."

A humored smirk. "Something tells me that it involves you, your Thunder tome, and sensitive body parts."

"Maybe," Robin slyly replied. "They better hope that's all I'll do to them."

Naga have mercy on them then, thought Chrom as he exited the room. It's not like they don't deserve it.

Takumi's situation always bothered him. It was a painful realization that his title could only do so much. As light turned to darkness, orange glows becoming his only source of illumination, he descended deeper into the catacombs of the castle. He soon came upon the heavy wooden door leading to the jail cell he wanted. Chrom scowled when he noticed the guard sleeping on the job. How he detested the man. He was of the many who believed Takumi to be guilty in causing Phila's—and indirectly, Emmeryn's—death. If Chrom wasn't overwhelmed with work to do, he'd find someone else to do the job. He did not trust the guard to do even the most essential things—like making sure the prisoner ate and didn't attempt suicide while imprisoned. It was painfully obvious that the man didn't care what happened to his assigned captive.

Chrom cleared his throat, his voice echoing loudly in the quiet corridor. The guard awoke with a jolt, immediately trying to compose himself before his prince. "M-M-Milord Chrom!"

"It seems you're not taking your job seriously enough," Chrom scathingly replied. "You're supposed to ensure the wellbeing of the accused until proper judgment has been given, but I guess sleeping is more important to you."

"F-Forgive me, sir," the lancer replied worriedly. "But it's not my fault! The damned brat has been keeping me up at night again. It was so bad that I commissioned that Dark Mage of yours to put a silencing spell on the room."

Chrom raised an eyebrow. "Keeping you up? What's he been doing that you needed to go to Tharja for help?"

"Screaming. Very loudly, at that. So much so that his throat has bled a couple times," the guard answered as Chrom's face paled. "Nothing a vulnerary can't fix, but the frequency has only gotten worse and I haven't been able to get him to stop."

"Did you find out why he's been screaming like that?"

"Nightmares, I presume. Many prisoners suffer from them. Don't worry yourself over something so trivial, milord. He has to get over them eventually."

"…And how long has this been happening?"

"It started when I was stationed here, sir. Ever since then, it's been sporadic."

Chrom felt sick. That was months ago. How was he only finding out about this now? He snapped at the guard to let him inside the room. The moment the door opened he was greeted by the familiar sight of crossed bars and the cold stone walls that were seen in every cell. Chrom squinted in the dark, looking for the silver hair he was so accustomed to seeing. He found it on the floor, the person it belonged to quivering as if he was freezing. Takumi's back was facing him, but Chrom could hear soft whimpering coming from the other teen. Chrom swallowed thickly as he carefully made his way over to the bars, clutching the metal tightly in his hand. Nervousness prevented any words from being formed, afraid that he was intruding on a moment of weakness that he knew Takumi would hate for anyone to see.

"Mother…"

The word, spoken so softly, had a much larger impact on the listener in the silent room. Pale fingers dug into the stone floor, gripping for something that was not there as the word was repeated over and over again. Each time it became more pained, more desperate.

Is he…dreaming about his mother? Chrom wondered. He remembers her?

Chrom should've been happy that Takumi remembered someone as dear as a mother. But the pain and sorrow in Takumi's voice while saying that word conveyed a different meaning. Something awful was happening to her in his dream. The body on the floor curled up as the whimpering became worse, turning into wretched, aching sobs that revealed a deeper torment hiding in the depths of the lost soul. Hidden cries of loneliness that reached out, hoping that someone—anyone—would hear them. Amplified and echoing across the empty room, the sound racked his heart.

Chrom couldn't continue watching. He found the keys to the lock, quickly shoving the object into the keyhole. He didn't care if he wasn't allowed to handle the keys under normal circumstances. All he cared about was waking Takumi up so he could be freed from whatever demons that were plaguing his dreams. There was a loud click and the door screeched opened. Chrom rushed over to Takumi's side, shaking his shoulder firmly but gently.

"Takumi, wake up!"

The other teen seemed to stir at his voice as the sobbing died down. Takumi sluggishly lifted himself off the floor, dirt and grime staining the clothing he had been forced to wear since his imprisonment. He refused to face Chrom even after he sat upright, matted silver hair masking his face from the blue-eyed prince. Chrom frowned at the behavior, gripping the other man's shoulder in a sign of compassion.

"Look at me."

The proud male bit his lip. After several tense seconds, he complied. Chrom felt a lump form in his throat when he saw his friend's condition. In the span of a few months, the isolation and solitude had done its work too well. Takumi looked like the confused and frightened teenager he truly was, dealing with guilt and other insecurities that had been plaguing his mind ever since Emmeryn's death. He had been alone while sorting through those feelings and Chrom knew those thoughts only led to more self-hatred that Takumi didn't need. Tears freely fell from shadowed, raw-red eyes, down rosy cheeks that looked too bright against his pale skin. The brilliant amber orbs looked ruby red in the dim orange light of the room. In those eyes, a haunting, biting despair took root. It looked like the poor boy hadn't gotten a good night's sleep in months, which was quite likely with the obvious lack of concern the guard showed towards his detainee. Unable to look Chrom in the face any longer, Takumi turned away from him.

"Tell me what happened."

"It…" Takumi hoarsely mumbled. "Nightmare."

"I know. Do you feel comfortable enough to share it with me?"

"I don't want your pity. It's not like you care."

"I do care, Takumi. I wouldn't be asking if I didn't."

A long silence passed before Takumi spoke again. "Then promise you won't speak a word of this to anyone. Not even Robin."

"I swear it on Falchion. I won't say anything unless you deem it necessary."

"…I couldn't—I tried to—but I was too…" Takumi sounded like his world was crumbling apart. He placed a hand in front of his eyes to hide his tears while the other clutched his chest, as if his heart was feeling the pain as well. Chrom had never seen someone so broken, so haunted by their own faults and fears. "My mother…I keep seeing her die and I can't stop it. She says that she never—and that I was too weak to save her…"

"Don't cry, Takumi," Chrom said, remembering those dear words Emmeryn would use to calm him down when he was a boy. "And don't believe in your nightmares. They aren't true."

"But I'm—"

"Stop demeaning yourself. You're better than you think you are."

"That's…That's a lie. Look at me. I can't sink any lower than this. I'll never be anything but burden to everyone."

"I wouldn't lie to you. And if I have to prove that to you every day, then I will. Don't think I won't."

"But—"

"I don't want to hear any more 'buts' out of you! Your prince commands it!"

The barest hint of a smirk threatened to spread across Takumi's face as he dried his tears, his eyes seeming to regain a bit of their normal amber hue. "You're not my prince."

"There we go. That's the smirk I was looking for." Chrom gave Takumi a rueful smile. "Takumi, you've been suffering needlessly this entire time. I'm sorry it took me this long to realize it. I won't let this continue. I promise you that."

"Don't make promises you can't keep."

"I fully intend to keep this one. After all, Robin is confident that she'll be able to get you out of here soon." Takumi looked skeptical, but there was the barest hint of hope returning to his eyes. Chrom channeled all the reassurance he could possibly give into his voice, hoping that the silver-haired teen would trust his words. "She said she would do it, one way or another."

"…That sounds exactly like something she would say and it worries me more than it should."

Well, that's understandable. I wonder about her sometimes, Chrom thought as he let out a chuckle. Robin, whatever plan you have cooked up, I hope you spring it soon.

More angst because Chrom and Takumi need to become bros and this was a great opportunity for them to share a bonding moment that's not on the battlefield. I figured the nightmares would worsen due to all the stress and guilt Takumi went through, plus being alone in the dark and dreary atmosphere of a prison cell doesn't help either.

And if you haven't figured it out yet, it's going to be Chrom X Olivia. They're my next OTP after Chrom X Female!Robin. I don't care how much the game forces Sumia on him, I just don't like pairing her with Chrom. In fact, I'm going mostly by my OTP list for Awakening. You'll see the rest eventually.

Hope you liked the chapter and I hope I can keep releasing a chapter every week or so since my motivation is at an all-time high right now. What does Robin have planned? Stay tuned to find out!