Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem Awakening, all rights to the owners.
This is probably a case of an idea that needs more than once chapter, but I think I can get a solid story out of just one. Inspired by Bonefish and Rotciv557's suggestions for Grimleal Robin.
Chrom's eyes scan the hillside. Gangrel is easy to spot, his bright yellow garb is a sharp contrast to the dull orange and browns of the others. Beside him stands Maribelle, safe albeit bound, and a unknown Grimleal in a longcoat who hides their face under a deep hood.
"The Exalt in all her radiance? I fear I must shield my eyes!" The Mad King cackles.
"King Gangrel, I've come to settle this misunderstanding between us." Emmeryn responds calmly.
"Bwahaha! Of course you'd call it a misunderstanding!" The King laughs, sneering down at them. "You see, I understand exactly what happened, there's not misunderstanding to clear up!"
"Then you will return Maribelle to us?"
"Oh yes, of course." Gangrel chuckles. "In exchange for…"
Chrom is expecting something unreasonable. Half the treasury, the Fire Emblem, Falchion, something absurd.
"...the prince, your brother, serving in my court."
Emmeryn blinks, and Chrom takes a step back. That's not even close to what they expected. "Whatever for?"
Gangrel grins, but it looks nervous. It's a far cry from his usual manic persona. The covered individual next to him steps forward, and speaks in his King's stead. "Ylisse had many things Plegia, and the Grimleal, want. We hope that by talk with the prince, and through him yourself, we may obtain that which we want."
Chrom isn't stupid, he sees exactly how slippery that wording is. They never specified what exactly they wanted. However… the prince also realizes it's not a totally one-sided offer. Sure, Gangrel can to interrogate him about Ylisse, but Chrom can also learn about Plegia by serving in the King's court.
"I'll go Emm." He murmurs to the Exalt. "We can make use of this too."
Emmeryn nods, though she doesn't look happy about it. This might be a false offer, and Chrom may just become prisoner to a foreign power... but if the offer is genuine it will be incredibly useful. Chrom is willing to take that chance, so Emmeryn will allow it. "As you wish. However, he will not go alone. I insist he be allowed to bring personal guards and servants."
"Pah, that's fine." Gangrel scoffs. "You have two weeks to arrive at my castle. My advisor will accompany you during that time to ensure your cooperation and answer whatever questions you might have concerning your new occupation." The king gestures to the covered individual standing next to him. "Men! Pull back! I have what I wanted…"
On that ominous note, the Plegian army picks itself up from its ready position and slowly draws back. The only exception is the figure in the longcoat and two dark mages. The figure cuts Maribelle's bonds and escorts her down to the group with the mages trailing behind.
"Maribelle!" Lissa cries, dashing forwards as soon as the girl reaches the bottom of the hill. "I was so worried!"
"Now dear, there was no need to fret." The noble lady says with a smile. "I showed those brutes what was what."
"If by that you mean you made a total nuisance of yourself, than yes." The figure says in a calm, distinctly male, voice. He pulls back his hood, revealing a shockingly young man with snow white hair, incredibly pale skin, and ghostly blue eyes. He also wears darkened glasses, something not visible with his hood up. "Though how you could mistake a military setup for a bandit camp is beyond me."
"Because obviously your soldiers dressed as bandits as a flimsy disguise!" Maribelle huffs, turning her head away from the man and sticking up her nose.
Chrom expects this to escalate, but the boy doesn't push it further and just shakes his head and murmurs: "no point arguing with those who won't listen." He then turns to Prince, and gives a small nod of his head. "Greeting Prince Chrom, my name is Robin. King Gangrel has entrusted me with guiding and advising you for the duration of your time with us."
"And how long will that be?" He asks tersely.
"Indefinitely." Robin responds camly.
###
In the end Chrom takes Vaike and Emmet with him. Frederick stays behind, someone needs to command the Shepherds until Lissa has enough experience to lead. Lissa needs Frederick's incredible skill far more than Chrom, and Vaike and Emmet are far from incompetent anyways.
It only took a day to have everything prepared to go. The people chosen to leave have very little to take along, with the largest thing being Chrom's sword collection which can be fit into two large crates with precise packing. The next three days are spend saying goodbyes, and doing 'one last sparring match' with most of the Shepherds. The third night is spent at a tavern enjoying a good party because they don't know when or if they'll ever do it again.
Robin is polite enough to wait for Chrom's hangover to clear up before they leave. They travel in a cart, having no need for speed with a week and a half remaining to get to the castle. It's an awkward ride, but made slightly better by Henry's (one of Robin's retainers) cheery attitude. He and Vaike get along rather well, and their loud conversation keeps the awkward silence at bay.
Then again judging by Tharja's scowl and Emmet's pursed lips Chrom thinks they'd prefer the others keep it down.
The Prince is determined to try and speak with Robin, but he can't think of a good subject. Maybe he could just ask about Plegia? But that's impersonal, he wants to try and understand Robin and maybe make a new friend.
Well, friend might be a stretch, but at least he'd like to know Robin doesn't hate him or something. So, in an attempt to say something, Chrom just blurts the first thing that comes to mind.
"Your glasses are different." Brilliant Chrom. Just brilliant.
"Different from what?" The man asks, apparently not offended by the comment.
"From Miriel's. Hers are clear, yours are dark and I can't see through them."
"They're sunglasses." Robin explains, tapping the lense. "They're meant to block out sunlight. I keep my hood up most of the time for the same reason. I'm photophobic you see, and photosensitive. I don't mesh well with light."
"You're scared of light?"
"Pardon?"
"Photophobic."
"Ah, that just means my eyes are sensitive to light."
"But arachnophobia is a fear of spiders, so why is photophobia an actual medical condition and not fear of light?"
"Beats me, I didn't name the condition." The man shrugs.
"So what's photosensitivity?"
"It means my skin is especially vulnerable to light." Robin murmurs. "Basically, I burn easy."
"Oh."
"It's all due to me being albino. Kinda annoying." The man shrugs. "I got used to it though. None of it is a real major problem."
"Is that why your eyes are ghostly?"
Robin blinks. "What?"
"Your eyes have a cool ethereal blue colour. Kinda what I think a ghost would have…" Chrom admits.
The man snorts in amusement. "I'm flattered. Also yes, that's because of my albinism. I suppose the one advantage it gives me is 'looking cool'."
The rest of the trip is actually quite pleasant. After breaking the ice, Chrom finds his new guide to be quite a good conversation partner. Tharja and Emmet do not look happy to have another conversation ruining their quiet though.
###
"Bwahaha! My new courtier has arrived!" Gangrel cackles, leering down from his throne. "I trust you had a good trip Prince Chrom?"
"It was acceptable." The boy says calmly.
"Good…" The man says. "Be ready for council tomorrow Prince, we have much to ask of you. Robin!"
"Yes my King?"
"Have him prepped on the nuances of court. Especially those concerning your sect."
"Of course my Liege." Robin murmurs with a bow.
As Robin and Chrom walk out of the throne room, the Prince asks, "what exactly is your sect?"
"I am our King's religious advisor." The spectacled boy explains softly. "A high ranking member of the Grimleal."
Chrom blinks, he never expected a Grimleal to be so… normal.
"As you may be aware, the Grimleal have a reputation of being violent and unreasonable… and that's because they are." Robin admits. "My main job is to help King Gangrel find ways around their unreasonable demands. Did you know they wanted us to start a war with Ylisse on the border? Taking you as a courtier was our counter-offer; we claimed it would give us leverage over Ylisse without the need to waste troops."
"Wait, why do you need to work around them?" Chrom asks, frowining. "Doesn't the king make the rules?"
"Technically yes, in practice no." Robin grimaces. "The Grimleal have immense power in Plegia due to the majority of the clergy being dark mages or warriors rather than priests. They also have a massive influence over the populous, and insite fanatical devotion. In truth they are far more powerful than the King, and as such the King must find ways to work around or with them to get anything done."
"And Gangrel is working around them?"
"Yes, but they are pushing hard for war with Ylisse, and we can only hold off their demands for so long." The boy explains quietly. "That's part of why we wanted you here. Our King wants help from the Ylissian royal family, but can't ask formally at the risk of the Grimleal discovering it."
This is a lot more complicated than Chrom originally assumed. "Aren't you Grimleal too?"
"Technically yes. I'm lucky I was chosen as the King's advisor at all, I shudder to think of what might have happened if someone else was whispering in his ear. Most Grimleal aren't nearly as nice as me."
Chrom takes all this in, brow furrowed. "What exactly does Gangrel need help from the Ylissian royal family for?"
"We need control of the country back." Robin says bluntly, looking Chrom in the eye. "The hierophant is planning something big and even I don't know what it is. What we do know is that eventually the Grimleal will try to force a war on Ylisse, and we want to be sure the people will follow the word of the King, not them."
The prince nods slowly. This is a very complicated situation, but he thinks he understands. "Alright, you can count on me. I think I know what to do…"
###
Plegian council sessions are a very delicate dance. Chrom often finds himself being poked and prodded from many different sides as the numerous courtiers try to pry information out of him. Chrom, however, follows a very specific set of rules: don't give exact numbers or dates, never give out personal details, and never say more than asked (preferably say less if you can).
Chrom's real job isn't council at all though. No, his real job is helping Robin try to undermine the Grimleal he supposedly represents. They crown can't go against the organization publicly, so the two need a plan to build the power of the crown without causing trouble… for now. A reckoning will come eventually, but it won't be today... or tomorrow... or anytime in the next month.
With any luck that reckoning will come years down the line when the Crown has enough power to stand up to the Grimleal and win. Chrom doesn't know if he'll be around for that, maybe he'll have returned to Ylisse, but it's something he can help start.
So how do they build up the Crown's power without challenging the Grimleal? The Church of Grima controls basic education which is a powerful tool, and has much more influence over the common people. The Crown, however, controls trade… and Chrom and Robin have a slightly complicated idea to abuse this.
Plegia has frequent food shortages, that's half the reason for the people's willingness to go to war and the bandit raids against Ylissian villages. Give the people of Plegia a stable living, and they won't be as willing to give up what they have to go fight. Ylisse has food surplus, Plegia has food shortage, the math isn't hard.
The Grimleal will obviously not tolerate a trade deal with Ylisse, so Chrom sends a message to Flavia. Ylisse will send food to Ferox, Ferox will send it to Plegia, and the Grimleal will be none the wiser.
Of course trade can't be one way, merchants won't travel from Ylisse to Ferox to give away food with no compensation. The Feroxi will trade furs to the Ylissian merchants in exchange for the food, and then trade the food with the Plegian government for gold. Plegia gets food, Ferox gets gold, Ylisse gets furs. Perhaps the deal is not totally in Ylisse's favor, but Chrom knows Emmeryn will be more than happy to allow this if it means helping those in trouble.
The best part: it will be the Crown distributing food, not the Grimleal. It's a small detail that will start building up the Crown as a reliable figure in the minds of the people whereas they used to be distant and irrelevant.
There needs to be some long-term work done to find stable crops and farming methods so the common people can eventually provide for themselves, but this trade deal should be a temporary fix (and certainly better than nothing).
###
Chrom had assumed bandits only raided Ylisse because they were sent by the Plegian military in disguise, he is very wrong.
"The merchants are complaining of bandits." Robin explains to the King as the lanky man peers over the map. "I suggest we assign some soldiers to guard the main route."
"Hold!" General Campari barks. "You're suggesting we move men away from the border? We'll give up our position of power!"
"Not so." Robin says calmly, he gestures to Chrom. "As mentioned by the Prince, the Exalt is still hoping for peace. Her soldiers on the border are minimal to begin with, mostly scouts. We'll only be in a worse position if we intend to push all the way into Ylisse without waiting for reinforcements, which would be foolish even if we did have the bulk of our army on the Ylissian border because the Feroxi could sweep in from their side and cause massive damage. Relocating the soldiers protects the trade route, yes, but it also guards our other border."
Chrom stays silent through this discussion. Having the Ylissian representative agree with a plan would immediately draw suspicion, so it's best he say nothing. The Prince has gotten used to being quiet in most meetings, and when he needs to make a suggestion or point he has Robin to say it instead.
Although he's gotten used to court Chrom sorely misses the casual air of the Shepherds. Everything in the castle is so formal and stifling. The prince certainly misses the battlefield as well, he feels like all his training is going to waste.
Being a foreigner though, there's no way he'll be allowed to lead troops or even undertake a military mission. Such is life unfortunately. At least he can spar and go out for drinks with Vaike.
###
"To success!" Chrom cheers, raising his drink. Robin rolls his eyes, but obliges and raises his own.
"Remind me why I let you drag me to this bar?" He snorts.
"Because we passed the first hurdle, and we need to reward ourselves." The prince chuckles.
"Then why are they here?" The tactician shoots back with a grin, motioning to Vaike, Henry, Tharja, and Emmet.
"Hey! Teach ain't gonna miss a chance to drink his rival under the table!" The blond man bellows, smirking. He throws an arm around Tharja, who glares at him. "And I ain't lettin' this one get out of a party! She don't get out enough!"
"Nyahaha! I'm just following her!" Henry laughs, also putting an arm around Tharja. The girl growls and shrugs the two off.
"I'm making sure you all don't get into trouble." Emmet sighs, stabbing a sausage with his fork. He's the only one without a drink, and stares pointedly at Chrom. "Naga knows you and Vaike get out of hand with your little competitions…"
"Careful Emmet, you're starting to sound like Frederick." Chrom jokes. The man gives the Prince an unamused look and goes back to his food. The blue-haired boy does appreciate the older man looking out for them though.
The six of them spend a few moments in quiet, and then Robin speaks. "You do know this is only the beginning right? One act won't solve everything."
"But it's a start!" The Prince laughs.
Perhaps his smile is infectious, because Robin laughs back. "Fair enough, so it is."
Yeah, this idea definitely needs more than one chapter. Still a relatively complete story out of just one though. First draft too, why is it only the female Robin stories that take seven drafts?
WarriorofLight: Noted.
TheJasoMaster: So Runaway King Robin? Interesting…
Lord Commissar Bernn: That's an odd one… and not really Robin if they're basically Anna. Saying no to that, sorry.
ScorinVoidseeker: Totally agree, don't worry. I needed a better way to write the clones it, but it was an incredible hassle so they ended up taking a backseat. I think I should have just stuck with one, like actual Replicate. I like how the chapter turned out otherwise though.
Never played the Archanea saga, I've only ever done Awakening, Fates, and Echoes. Interesting power…
So two different Grima Robin ideas with little additions. Gotcha.
Consistent Amnesia Robin has already been suggested.
Dancer Robin might be workable, but it's a stretch. I'll write it down, but don't expect to see it anytime soon if ever.
Deathclaw: So Heroes but not Heroes? Sorry, no. I don't know enough about the various Fire Emblem character to write that sort of story, and honestly it sounds like a hassle to make in the first place.
Invisible Prince: That's not really a trait that can carry a story, it's like saying "Robin but with purple eyes!" or "Robin but with tanned skin!" It doesn't make a story on its own. I'll keep it in mind, but military work requires physical fitness so it might be hard to use.