A/N

To the guest reviewer who asked if Lucina's age was a head canon: Yes! I personally choose to interpret the Gen 1 Shepherds in their mid twenties and the Gen 2 Shepherds as in their early twenties. Aside from Nowi, who is actually 1000 or so years old.

To clue everyone in so we're all on the same page: None of the paralogue characters involving bringing back dead characters are canon to my story. Gangrel, Emmeryn, Walhart, Yenfay, and Aversa won't be here, nor will Priam (nothing against Priam though). Death has more staying power when the characters are actually dead, so only the future children paralogues will be canon to this story.

I also won't be quoting the game line for line (and in fact will not be doing that at all when flashing back to certain scenes), or leaning too heavily into canon outside of Awakening. It's incredibly tedious on my part doing the former, and the latter gives me much more freedom in writing. As far as I'm aware, the only canon part of the timeline in Awakening presented to us in the game is the two years of peace between Gangrel's death and the fight against Walhart, as well as the birthdays of the characters. Everything else is up for interpretation. Working around the canon (or for certain writers, ignoring it) is part of the fun of writing fanfics.

This is a romance fic first and foremost, and that's what I want to write and give to you all.

That said, if anyone wants to shoot me some suggestions for what they'd like to see in this story, please do so! Pairings, specific scenes/conversations, jokes - drop them in the reviews or PM me and if it fits, I'll happily add them and give you a shoutout!


"Robin!? Robin!" She pounded on the door to his office, having checked his personal room and found it empty. "I'm coming in!" She didn't wait for a response, throwing open his door with such force it crashed against the wall and vibrated in place.

Sitting at his desk, he'd barely had time to call out before she'd strode in with such a furious look on his face that for a split second he was genuinely afraid she would attack him again.

"Is it true!?" Lucina stopped in front of his desk, slamming both hands against the top and making ink spill from the inkwell with the force she used.

He leaned back in his chair, giving her a nervous smile. "I-Is what true-"

"That you intend to sacrifice yourself to stop Grima!" She cut him off before he could completely finish.

Her eyes bore holes into his, and he cleared his throat while looking away. "Yes." He said after a moment's silence. "Now that we know there is a way to stop Grima forever, and break this cursed cycle."

Lucina stepped around his desk and forced him to look up at her. "What kind of madness has overtaken you?!" When he tried to turn back to his desk, she grabbed his chair and spun it toward her, placing both hands just above his shoulders. "You would truly choose to die and leave behind everyone you love after Father has completed the awakening ritual?! He can end the battle himself, and one of his descendants will be ready to face Grima should he ever return!" Her voice was practically at a yell, and her expression equal parts enraged, confused, and upset.

Robin took a deep breath, then gently hit Lucina's hands away from his chair. As he did so, he turned his wrist and held up the Mark of Grima so she could see it. She only gave it one glance before looking back at him. "Are you telling me you're fine with a temporary slumber, one he'll wake up from and potentially bring ruin to multiple times again, rather than a permanent solution?" He stood up and crossed his arms as he looked down at her.

"You're supposed to be an incredibly smart tactician." She cocked her head to the side. "Or did you think dying somehow negates my family's pact with Naga? We have a permanent solution. Father has the awakened Falchion. He will lead us to victory."

"There's no guarantee of that. Assassins could kill him. Any number of accidents could happen between now and the final battle. Grima could kill him like he did once already. And what then? You'll be targeted next. You might not even survive the awakening ritual." He leaned against the wall. "Grima wants me. He'll try and make me part of him, as his heart. That's the only reason I was born. And that's when I can turn his power against him and end this once and for all."

"You fool." She muttered. "This is how you would repay your friends? Those who took you in, who did everything to protect you? You would leave them all behind?"

Robin scoffed. "What difference does it make to you?" He rolled his eyes. "As I recall, you tried to kill me. Don't act like you wouldn't have done it if we were just strangers to one another." Her eyes widened. "And now what? Just because I'm going go through with it, you have a problem with it? Finish it yourself, then." He pointed at Falchion, and his composure broke as his face darkened. She saw in his eyes guilt and loathing and hatred, all directed at himself, and couldn't find the words to argue with him.

Worst of all, she saw that he meant what he said - he wanted her to draw her sword and end him. He had no desire to live.

"No." She whispered once she found her voice, closing her hand Falchion's hilt as she took a step back. "I only wanted to protect my father. Now that he's in no danger from you, I have no reason to raise my blade against a friend."

"Some friend."

Those two words cut through her like a knife. They stood in silence; Lucina, completely unsure of what to say or do, as though she were standing in front of a stranger, and Robin because he had nothing else to say.

"Robin? I was- Oh, Lucina!"

The silence ended when Chrom appeared in the doorway.

His daughter looked up, then pushed past him out of the room. He saw the distraught look on her face as she turned into the hall, then frowned at Robin. "Well, I'm sure I can guess what that was all about."

Robin sat back down his desk. "I thought we agreed not to tell anyone."

"And I thought I told you I'd break your ankles so you couldn't come with us if I ever heard you bring it up again."

"Yeah? Well, good thing you didn't hear me bring it up." He rested his chin on one hand as he looked down at his maps. "Did you need something? Regardless of what happens in the final battle, we need a plan drafted." He muttered.

Chrom grit his teeth. "No." He said after a moment. "It slipped my mind. If I remember, I'll come back." He headed down the hall to find Lucina.

In his office, Robin scratched at the Mark of Grima on his hand. 'I don't get what's got them so worked up. It's the life of one monster against the lives of everyone else. If they had known before they met me, I bet none of them would have hesitated to do exactly what Lucina did.'


Slowly, Lucina opened her eyes.

The voices of past arguments and images of past battles slowly faded from her mind as she stared up at the roof. It was still dark out, and she sighed. 'Another night lost.' She thought solemnly. Turning from side to side and readjusting her covers did nothing, and with an annoyed groan she stood up and dressed. Peeking out the window, there was no sign of daylight, and she shook her head and quietly slipped out into the hall.

As she made her way to the training grounds, she heard the sounds of a wooden sword striking the wood and straw dummies, and was surprised to see Chrom standing there. "Father?" She called out.

He turned with a raised brow. "What are you doing up so late?" He recognized the look that flitted across her face before she looked away. "What were your dreams this time?"

"Nothing." She muttered as she grabbed a wooden sword for herself and began moving through practiced motions. 'One, two, three, four... And again...' She stepped, swung, guarded, then stepped again. As she felt her father looking at her, she cleared her throat. "It's nothing, really. I've woken up from worse dreams."

Chrom sighed. "Well, I'd hoped now that better days were upon us, nightmares of the future would stop tormenting you."

She stopped mid swing. "It wasn't the future." Her arms dropped to her sides. He put a hand on her shoulder and she turned to him. "...I haven't the faintest clue why my falling out with Robin interrupted my sleep. These past few days have been filled with such pleasant delights. Now that he's back, I'd hoped not to be troubled by the past." She admitted.

"Well, you two were close. And it wasn't like the two of you had a simple of difference of opinion when you fought, either. I wish I had better advice, but all I can tell you is to give it time. As the years pass, all the sorrow you experienced in your youth will fade away as you make new, happier memories. Ones which will last you a lifetime." He said gently.

"I hope so, Father. I'm so tired of shadows plaguing me." She yawned and covered her mouth with one hand. "What I wouldn't give for a peaceful nights sleep..." She looked away as her face flushed at the memory of the night she'd shared Robin's bed. For the first time in what felt like months, though in reality had only been a few weeks, she'd slept all the way through morning without her dreams turning into nightmares. She shifted her weight from foot to foot. "Father? How... What did mother do to get your attention? I mean, didn't she do anything that made you realize you wanted to spend your life with her?"

She'd asked him once how they'd met, and had been given the unglamorous story of Chrom visiting the Pegasus Knights, only to see Sumia trip and fall over a stool as he'd watched from a distance. For as in love as they had been in her childhood (and now), she'd expected more, and after feeling let down had decided not to peer further into her parents love life.

He snorted, and she turned to him quickly. "Sorry. I was just thinking about how long it was gonna be until little Lucina asked me that." Chrom cleared his throat and looked up at the night sky in thought. "Hmm... She didn't really do anything, per se. She was just there for me, whenever I needed her - whether it was with fresh food she'd cooked, or insisting I get rest, she was always by my side, often in ways I didn't realize or think of. At some point I looked at how I felt about her compared to the other women I was close friends with, and I realized she was the one I wanted marry."

"I see..."

"Heh. Sorry to disappoint you." He blinked as he looked at her, then scratched his cheek with one finger while he looked away.

"What?"

"Nothing." He said quickly.

Lucina stepped in front of him. "What?" She asked again.

"It's just... You take after me, and Cynthia takes after her mother... Well, er..." He shrugged. "They're both more feminine than you." He mumbled after a moment. "Not that you aren't feminine! You're a fine young woman. It's just with your focus on swordsmanship -swordladyship? and some of your other mannerisms... Uh, well, when a man is looking for a woman, he looks for her more feminine side. Not that you don't have a feminine side! You just - You're more of a tomboy than Cynthia is." He explained quickly.

She couldn't stop her eye from twitching. "Right. Well, it's not like I've ever taken great pains to be girly like Severa or Cynthia. And I'm sure I could act more feminine if I tried."

"Well..." He smiled wryly. "Not every man is looking for a girl like those two. And somehow, I get the idea that putting on an act wouldn't work well for you. Especially if you're trying for a certain man's attention."

"I... What should I do? Mother's advice was simply to be there for him, and to let him look after me. I fear I have nothing to offer him. So much of my life was spent struggling against impossible forces... Everything I know how to do is related to battle in some way. I can sew up holes in clothes, but I'm not a seamstress. I can cook game by a campfire, but I'm no chef. I've fallen so far behind in my studies that I fear I may have to sit in classes with my younger self to catch up. I've always hoped for a brighter future, but now that it's upon me, I'm terrified I may not fit in with it."

"Lucina, you have few faults, but one of them is that you worry too much." He placed both hands on her shoulders. "Think, how many women is Robin as close to as you? Has he ever shared his bed with anyone else? Have you ever seen him hold hands with anyone else?" Her eyes widened and he nodded knowingly. "Don't think I haven't seen you two hand in hand these past few days, or that word doesn't get around town then back to me." His hands fell down to his sides. "Perhaps you aren't the picture perfect princess, but surely you don't think someone else is in his heart? Give him some time, I'm sure he'll confess his feelings to you. Or maybe you should confess to him first."

"F-Father!"

"Oh, come on. Both of you can't be in denial about it."

'My face is surely red. I haven't had enough sleep to deal with this.' She thought.

"Besides, you've lit up like the sun now that he's back. I'd prefer to keep it that way. If anyone deserves it, it's you."

She swallowed thickly. "Y-Yes. Thank you, Father." It was never easy to accept her parents desires to ensure she took part in the better future she'd helped create. Perhaps it was because for so long, she'd been adamant about returning to her time, and knew that only ruin awaited her. Perhaps because she'd spent so many years without them, that parental affection was something she could never be used to. She looked at her wooden sword and smiled. "Would you like to spar? I have the feeling sleep will come to neither of us for a while."


As night turned to morning, to the west of Ylisse, in the capital of Plegia, the sound of excited footsteps could be heard echoing throughout its halls. A young woman with tan skin, long white hair, and red eyes with a wide smile on her face was racing to the throne room. "Fatheeeerrr!" She called out, her voice high pitched with excitement.

The king of Plegia turned to his daughter. She took after him in many ways, save his height as she stood barely level with his chest, even in her heels. With his height came a much larger build, though his garb clearly showed the muscles in his arms and legs. "Gwynevere." He said. His gruff voice and stoic expression were hidden mostly behind his white beard and permanently furrowed brow. "What has you so energetic this morning?"

She leapt forward and wrapped her arms around him, looking up at him excitedly. "You haven't heard the news!?"

He didn't return her hug. "What news?"

Just as she was about to answer, a messenger came running forward. "Lord Gwyn! Lord Gwyn!" He knelt down on one knee. "I have an urgent report! Robin has been sighted in Ylisstol! Our spies have confirmed that he has returned!"

The king's eyes widened. He pulled Gwynevere off him. "You're certain? It shouldn't have been possible..." Like many others, he'd heard the words the Exalt of Ylisse told his people: Believe in Robin, and he shall return. But there was no way that could be true, he'd thought when he took the throne. 'No one should have been able to kill the fell dragon either, yet his bones rot upon the mountainside to the west...'

"You know what this means, right Father?" Gwynevere asked excitedly. "It means I'm finally gonna get married! Yaaaay!" She let out a high pitched squeal as she hugged her father again.

This time, Gwyn wrapped one arm around her. "Yes. Send word to the Exalt of Ylisse. We will meet with him. Robin will return home, and fulfill his obligation to Plegia. Our line will continue."


"The Plegian king is on his way here?" Chrom asked in disbelief. "What for?"

"He said he wished to meet Robin, milord." The messenger said. "However, he neglected to mention why."

'He's coming all the way here for him?' Chrom pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. "Very well." He turned to Frederick. "Take whoever you need with you, and ride to the border to meet him. Ensure his travel here is without troubles. We've had peace with Plegia since he's taken the throne, and I'd like to keep things that way." Frederick bowed, and left to gather troops.

Sumia wrapped her arm around Chrom's. "I wonder what he wants with Robin." She mused. "Usually, Plegia comes after the Fire Emblem."

"I suppose we'll find out when he gets here." His hand drifted to Falchion's hilt, and he sighed as he let it drop. "Perhaps we should take it as a good omen that he has declared his intentions, rather than sending bandits and Risen into our borders to provoke war."

"Well, let's go find him and let him know."


Lucina sat across from Robin, staring at her tea cup as Chrom explained the situation.

A foreboding feeling rose within her as Robin took in the news and tried to figure out what the king of Plegia could possibly want with him.

"We've only had a handful of dealings with him since Validar fell." Chrom informed him. "He's a sensible man; not insane like Gangrel or delusional like Validar. Plegia nearly fell into civil war after Validar and Grima were killed, and many Plegian citizens, especially those on the borders of Ylisse and Regna Ferox, hold resentment to us for what we did. There was a small conflict in central Plegia fought between the nobles, and King Gwyn was the one who claimed the throne. Since then, he's urged his citizens to choose peace rather than hold resentment in their hearts, and we've worked to solve many issues between our two countries to ease tensions these past few years. It hasn't been perfect, but relations between our countries are better than they have been in almost half a century."

In an effort to break from her usual pessimistic tendencies, Lucina smiled at him. "Perhaps he intends to thank you for clearing his way to the throne?" She suggested, gripping his wrist gently for a moment.

"One can hope. But surely a letter would work just as well? He would not need to travel all the way here to say such a thing personally." Sumia looked between the three of them.

Robin frowned. "Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see."


As the days passed and gave way to one week after the next, more and more of the Shepherds showed up.

By the end of his first week back, Vaike, Donnel, Gauis, Libra, Anna, Cynthia, Kjelle, and Laurent.

Cheers and crying and attempts to pull him into many different directions followed suit. Lucina watched with a small smile as their friends started filling him in on their lives in the past three years. She continued struggling to sleep as guilt plagued her mind over her past actions.

Gwyn and Gwynevere were halfway across Plegia on their way to Ylisse.


At the end of his second week back, Cordelia, Gregor, Nowi, Nah, Panne, Yarne, Maribelle and Brady had returned.

Robin had noticed that as his friends began to crowd him, Lucina was around him less and less. She was still a part of their group, though almost always off to the side and contributing little to conversations. It was such a stark contrast to his initial reunion with her that after their friends had gone their separate ways, he tried to seek her out before turning in for the night, but he usually couldn't find her.

Even when he did, their conversations seemed somewhat strained. He tried not to look into it, hoping not to start an argument, but he couldn't help but be concerned.

Gwyn and Gwynevere met with Frederick at the border, and the Wary Lieutenant began escorting them across Ylisse.


Three weeks after he'd returned, Lon'qu, Olivia, Tharja, Cherche, Henry, Basilio, Khan Flavia, Owain, Inigo, Noire, Severa, and Gerome returned to Ylisse.

"Now we're just missing Say'ri and Lady Tiki." Lucina noted as she watched an extravagant drinking game between half of the Shepherds take place while the other half cheered them on.

"Surely they can't be too far behind. Cherche and Gerome arrived here from Wyvern Valley in near record time. They were lucky to have the wind in their sails and to avoid the storms in their way." Chrom noted. His daughter nodded, but said nothing. He followed her gaze to Robin. "Go on." He nudged her shoulder. "Go have fun with him."

She opened her mouth, then shook her head. "No. All of our friends miss him, they should all be able to spend time with him before they return to their daily lives."

Chrom frowned as she clutched her arm with one hand and looked away.

Gwyn and Gwynevere were getting closer to Ylisstol every day.


One month and three days after his return, Gwyn and Gwynevere were welcomed into Castle Ylisstol.

"Father! Father! That's him!" Walking behind her father, the Plegian Princess peeked past his arm to see the tactician standing beside Chrom, Sumia, and Lucina.

"I see him." He muttered as he approached. "Exalt Chrom." He greeted formally, bowing his head.

"King Gwyn. It's been too long." Chrom reached forward to shake the other man's hand when he lifted his head. "Over a year, I believe."

"Yes, yes." He stroked his beard thoughtfully. "I believe you've only met my daughter once, though only briefly." He turned to the rest of the Royals. "This is Princess Gwynevere."

Gwynevere curtsied. "Milord." She looked up at Robin and smiled. He blinked in response.

"Nice to meet you." Chrom said, drawing her attention back. Rather than draw out the awkward small talk he turned back to Gwyn and said, "In your message to us some weeks ago, you said you wanted to meet Robin." He turned to his friend, who stepped forward.

"I'm the former Grandmaster Tactician of Ylisse's military. It's nice to meet you." Robin bowed his head politely.

"I know! We've heard so much about you!" Gwynevere smiled as she approached him. "You're amazing! You lead Ylisse to victory against Gangrel and Walhart! You killed Grima! You've - You've come back from the dead! And you did all of that while a total amnesiac, how much more awesome can you get!?"

Robin gave an awkward, forced smile. "Y-Yes, well..." He looked between Chrom and Gwyn.

The Plegian King's deep voice drew their attention. "My family has no ill will towards you nor Ylisse for what you did. As I've spoken about with Chrom, Gangrel and Validar both brought their fates upon themselves." He tilted his head slightly as he saw Robin's coat. "Nor are we fanatical Grimleal, intent on raising the dead or other such nonsense. We have only Plegia's best interest in mind."

"I see..."

"What is your business with Robin, milord?" Lucina asked as she frowned at Gwynevere, who had looked Robin up and down and was now circling him.

Gwyn reached into his robe and pulled out a parchment. "His duty to his house calls him, not I." He handed the paper to Robin, who untied the string keeping it rolled up and extended it, reading as he did so.

"I, Validar, leader of the Grimleal and high king of Plegia, do hereby agree to enter lawful contract with Gwyn of the noble house of Lordran, that should my firstborn son Prince Robin not have married by the age of twenty five, or is currently widowed, he is to be married to the firstborn daughter of Gwyn, Gwynevere of the house of Lordran, to ensure the future prosperity of the kingdom of Plegia. WHAT!?"

His shout was only matched by the look of shock on his face as he finished reading, he looked up to see Gwynevere grinning at him.

Sumia gasped, covering her mouth with both hands. "A-An arranged marriage!?"

"It can't be true..." Lucina whispered.

"Hello, dear." Gwynevere smiled as she looped her through Robin's. "To be married to the man of legend, he who brought low the fell dragon..." She sighed as she leaned against him.

All of Robin's attention, however, was on the signature line at the bottom of the parchment. First was Gwyn's, with letters written in way that reflected the man himself - bold lines with the strength he used, slanted slightly to show his past as more than a weak noble. Second was Validar's signature - curved letters, with trails that went into many different angles in spite of how little ink was used, showing how much of a snake he was even in simplistic matters. Third was a single name: Robin, with the six eyed Mark of Grima drawn beside it. Finally, it was stamped with the royal seal of Plegia.

"That bastard!" Robin grit his teeth, his vision turning red. "The both of them! What kind of sick joke were they thinking of when they signed MY name onto this!? Gods damn you, Grima! I hope the both of you are burning in the deepest pits of hell!"

"As you can see, the paper is genuine." Gwyn stated.

"Its authenticity is not the problem here!" Chrom protested, struggling to keep his voice level.

"Let go of him!" However, Lucina's shout drew their attention as she pushed Gwynevere away.

"Ow! Hey!" She protested, barely avoiding falling as her father caught her. "Who do you think you are!?"

"I am Exalt Lucina of the Halidom of Ylisse in my time, and future ruler in this time." She announced, standing between Robin and Gwynevere. "And Robin never signed this paper; nor did he ever agree to its terms!"

Gwyn stared down at her, eyes narrowed. "And how would you know?"

"Because this is Grima's mark, not mine!" Robin lifted the paper to point to the six eyes. "When he traveled back in time with Lucina, he stood at Validar's side, not me! They signed this to keep up appearances while they plotted to destroy the world, nothing more!"

"Time travel or not, you are the heart of Grima. Or am I mistaken in assuming the Fell Dragon could have been killed by just any man, when the Exalt himself could only put him to slumber?" Gwyn nodded at Chrom. "My spies in Chrom's armies did not lie. You are one and the same, meaning Grima's signature is your signature."

"That's-" Lucina protested, but was cut short as Gwyn raised his voice.

"And you are a Plegian citizen, are you not? Born into a noble house in Plegia, to Plegian parents - even now you wear the coat of the Grimleal, the most commonly practiced religion in Plegia, shunned elsewhere in the world. Perhaps you ran from your destiny for a time before you changed it, but you cannot change where you come from."

"The hell I can't! I may be an amnesiac, but I can tell you I've never once wanted to be a part of your mad kingdom! Not since learning Validar was my father, not since learning I was supposed to be Grima, never! Why do you think Chrom found me in Ylisse all those years ago? I was trying to get away from Plegia!"

Chrom stepped between Lucina and Gwyn. "Robin's not going with you. No matter his origins, he's a trusted ally of Ylisse, loyal to her people and her rulers, and the schemes of a beast and delusional king will change none of that, paperwork be damned."

Gwyn's expression did not change as he looked between the three.

Gwynevere stood off to the side, giving Lucina the evil eye.

After a moment in which everyone calmed down, Gwyn spoke again.

"We've had amicable relations in the past, Exalt. I wish to continue on that path. Robin must return to Plegia."

"Never." The tactician spoke before anyone else could.

"Oh, that's a shame." Gwynevere drawled beside her father.

A vein throbbed in Lucina's temple. "Why is that, you-" She held her tongue to offer the other princess insult, but barely held it back.

"Because my people do not wish for us to have amicable relations." Gwyn answered, holding up his arm to silence his daughter. "When I announced I would be riding to Ylisstol, many held flags with Gangrel's visage on them, wishing for us to burn it down when we got here."

"And how would forcing Robin into marriage with your daughter improve their disposition towards us?" Sumia asked.

"Because for the first time in a long time, the ruling houses of Ylisse and Plegia would be united, and have shared interests. My people are starving. My people are poor. My people are angry. And they have but one person to blame for it." He raised his hand to point at Chrom. "First, your father waged a self righteous war against Plegia out of hate and paranoia. And though the Mad King brought you to our doorstep, many Plegians believe his actions to be justified after what your father did. Then, you took our gold and resources to rebuild your nation, as did Regna Ferox, leaving us with poor widows and sand. Afterwards, you took our boats and burned half of them at sea, and when you returned victorious from Valm, what did you do? Share your wealth from conquest? Did you repay us at all? No, you assassinated the ruler once more. All the people who sacrificed themselves at the Dragon's table did so in the hopes that Grima would save them. I said once before that my daughter and I are no fanatics, but for those who believed, the rotting corpse of their savior next to a plaque installed by you has only rubbed salt in their wounds."

"So after Gangrel and Validar tried to bring an end to our kingdom and our entire world, ruining their kingdom and the lives of their people in the process, you would turn around and burden us with the guilt for the destruction they caused?" Chrom asked angrily.

"Not you. Nor would I lay down the punishment of one man at the feet of another." Gwyn answered calmly. "But I must look out for the interests of my people. Do not think my court is not filled with snakes; as resentment towards you grows in their hearts, the more likely my assassination becomes. And you can be sure that the next king of Plegia will not ask for a chance to unite our nations by fulfilling written contract. I am not blind, Exalt; I have seen and heard the love Robin holds for your people. But that is precisely why I have come here - through our combined efforts, we can improve relations between our peoples, and stop the needless cycle of war."

Lucina scowled. "You mean Robin would be your bargaining chip - Father would not attack Plegia while his best friend resides in its castle, and through him you would extort my people to help your own."

Gwyn scoffed lightly. "Quite the cynic, aren't you? I have worked with your father before to help both of our people. The borders between our countries have changed ever so slightly on our maps as land was ceded to one another. We have both rewritten trade agreements to ensure prosperity flows in both directions. The damage done to Plegia will not be undone overnight, or perhaps even within our lifetime. But the scars of war will never heal through peace agreements alone. I am not asking Ylisse to rebuild Plegia. I am asking Robin to help his people rebuild the relationship with Ylisse."

"He's. Not. Part. Of your people." Lucina said through grit teeth. "You cannot take him."

"It's not up to you though, is it anger issues? It's up to him." Gwynevere lifted a finger to point at Robin.

Before another argument could take place, Gwyn lifted his hand. "Robin, take some time and think on my offer. And before you decide it simply isn't worth any thought, consider this - the citizens of Plegia may blame the Exalt for their troubles, but he isn't the only one they could direct their hatred at. A turncoat, heretic, and kin killer are titles easily laid at your feet, just as easily as it was for me to convince Plegia that Validar stole the throne and his actions were unjustifiable. Plegia will have its prince back, or it will have justice."

"Threaten him again, and we'll make sure nothing remains of Plegia." Chrom spat.

"Hmph. We shall see." Gwyn turned, placing a hand on Gwynevere's back to make her follow with him. "My men and I have set up a camp to the west of Ylisstol. We will wait there for your response."


After Gwyn left, Chrom and Sumia looked over the parchment.

Robin closed his eyes, but opened them a moment later as Lucina took his hand, pressing her free hand to her heart as she spoke. "We won't let them take you. I won't let them take you. I give you my solemn oath, here and now, that I will do everything in my power to save you from this arranged marriage."

"That bastard - to threaten you and my people if he doesn't get his way..." Chrom let out a frustrated sigh. "It looked like things were finally starting to go well. Lord Gwyn was the first Plegian ruler in nearly two decades to have a good head on his shoulders, at least from what I understand. For him to turn around and do this to us..."

"...It's my fault."

Everyone immediately turned to Robin as he spoke.

"No!" Chrom reached over and gripped his shoulder tightly. "He came here and threatened us - this has nothing to do with you."

Lucina let go of his hand and wrapped her arms around him. "We've all told you before - don't burden yourself with the crimes of Grima!" She looked up, sorrow visible in her eyes.

He looked down at her, an echo of familiar guilt washing over him - then he slowly wrapped his arms around her.

"I won't let them take. I won't." She thought over and over.

They stayed that way for some time, until Chrom sighed and brought their attention back to him.

"Well, our first order of business is to find a way to get Robin out of this contract. And if that doesn't work... Our second order of business will be to prepare for war with Plegia."


"Lucina, please stop!"

She swung her sword at him, again and again, grunting with exertion as she continued to attack him with ferocious blows. Falchion gleamed in the setting sun, and his Levin sword crackled with energy as he countered each blow. But not once did he swing back, nor did he draw his tomes.

"I told you - I have no choice!" She yelled as she crossed blades with him. His panic stricken face made her hesitate for a moment, and she pushed him away.

"I won't kill Chrom! I won't let Validar control me! Please, believe me!"

She didn't, couldn't - not after the hell she'd seen when it had happened once already. With an anger filled yell, she twisted his blade with her own, pulled back, then cut his Levin sword into two with a mighty horizontal blow. He fell to his feet, panting with the exertion of defending himself. "Please, stop..." He gasped, raising his hands.

He looked up at her with desperate eyes, and suddenly she had to blink rapidly to hold back tears. "Do you think I want to do this!?" She cried out roughly. Her free hand clenched into a fist. "I've explained myself once already - the fate of the world is at stake. The Fire Emblem is lost, because of you! We are now one step closer to damnation for all mankind, do you not understand!?" Tears fell from his face as he looked up at her. She turned her head, unable to look at him. "I have no choice."

Robin sniffed, lowering his gaze to the ground as his hands dropped. The nightmares, the visions - all of it made sense now. He didn't want to hurt his friends, or to play a part in the dark future Lucina had come back in time to stop. But the next time they faced Validar, he would kill Chrom. He had seen it in his dreams a thousand times.

"Okay. I surrender. My life is yours."

Lucina swallowed thickly, turning back to him.

Despite his tears, he smiled at her. "Just promise me one thing - that you won't try to leave for your own time. That no matter what happens, you'll stay with Chrom and the Shepherds, and be a part of the better life your trying to create for everyone. Find someone to be happy with."

Her eyes widened at his request, and tears began to fall despite her efforts to hold them back. 'No one has made me as happy as you.' She thought.

She thought of her father, young and happy and strong, so unlike the Chrom who'd been wounded in her time and grew distrustful of the world after losing his older sister.

She thought of the young Lucina in Ylisstol, waiting for her mother and father to come home and take care of her, and the memory of anguish filled her when she thought about how instead of her father, Falchion had come home to her instead, with Hell following soon after.

"You bastard!" She screamed, screamed at everyone and everything - Robin for being the traitor, Validar for forcing him into this, the gods for giving her the closest confidant she'd ever known only to take him away, the world for its cruelty, and herself for what she was about to do. She lifted Falchion with both hands, and aimed for his neck.


She bolted upright in bed as she remembered her father charging in to protect Robin, stopping her blade with the flat of his and pushing her back, cursing at her for what she'd almost done and refusing to give up faith in the bond between himself and Robin.

Standing up and heading for the door so quickly she almost forgot she was only in a nightgown, Lucina began changing, leaving behind her cloak and sword as she quickly and quietly made her way through the halls.

She had to see him.


There was a knocking at his door that woke him up, but before he could fully get out of bed, the door opened. "Lucina?" He asked, voice groggy as he reached for a shirt to pull over his head. "What are you doing here?" He rubbed on eye, putting both feet on the cold stone floor and sitting on the edge of his bed as he looked up at her.

"I... I'm sorry..." She whispered.

His brow raised in alarm - there was a heavy emotional layer to her voice he'd never heard before. "What?"

She sniffled and tried to brush a tear away before he could see it before she repeated, "I'm sorry!" Lucina leaned forward, wrapping her arms around him as she sat beside him, clutching at his clothes like he was in danger of being pulled away into the void again.

"For what?"

"For what I did - I tried to kill you!" Her breath hitched as she looked up at him. "And I- And I never apologized!" More tears rolled down her cheeks. "I made excuses, I said 'I would take it back if I could' or 'I wish things were different', but I never apologized for what I did or said. The guilt has been eating me alive-" She stopped as she started to cry once more, and he wrapped one arm around her as she rested her head against his chest.

Robin gently ran his fingers through her hair, holding her as she tried to regain her composure.

"And I won't let them take you." She said between sobs. "I can't lose you again!"

"I made you a promise, remember? I told you I would never leave you. And I won't." He tilted his head to kiss the crown of her head. "You don't have to apologize for trying to fulfill your duty to Ylisse and the world."

"No - but I have to apologize for being a terrible friend. I-" She hesitated as she looked up, rubbing her eyes with the back of her sleeve. "I cannot imagine what you must have been going through, to consider ending your own life. And I did not make things any better, turning my back on you when you needed me most. I'm so sorry."

Her tears had stopped briefly, but she continued to hold onto him as she tried to even out her breathing.

Robin rubbed small circles into her back with one hand. He swallowed down his emotions, and pulled back with a small smile. "I made a promise to come back then, too. It's not your fault." He reached up to cup her cheek, brushing away her tears with his thumb. "And if you can't accept that, then you can accept that it was your desire to see me again that brought me back."

She finally smiled - a small one, but it only made his own smile bigger. A last tear ran down her cheek and onto his hand, and she took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"We're here now, and that's what matters." He pulled back, but with a small tug pulled her back with him. "And nothing is going to come between us."

She lay down beside him, one palm flat on his chest as she felt his heartbeat. She rested her head against his shoulder as he pulled the covers up over them, then sighed.

It was as though the floodgates of her heart had opened at the thought of losing him once more, and she was finally unable to hold back what had been stopping her from truly enjoying his company these past few weeks. Letting him be happy with the others was just an excuse - deep down, she'd felt he wouldn't be happy with her after her betrayal. Not once in her blighted future had she considered giving up. Not lack of food nor torn clothing or loss of close comrades or her kingdom had made her give up hope. To see her best friend spiral down a dark hole he could never come out of had been heartbreaking, but not nearly as much as when she'd found he'd planned to end Grima along with himself.

Retreating to her own time had been an excuse to justify how she had treated him back then, but now that she was here and staying here, all she could think of was the pain it had caused. Her mind was drawn to the words he'd spoken when they'd first shared his bed: "I missed you."

"I'm by your side." She promised him, before closing her eyes and falling asleep with him.


A/N

What a doozy of a chapter. 7.5k words before the authors notes. Well, it's four a.m. here and I'm tired and probably misspelled a bunch of words, so I'll check this when I wake up later. Hope you enjoyed!