Chapter 32: For difficult decisions

There was a certain peace outside the walls of Ylisstol that could not be found anywhere within the mighty city—not even in the famously beautiful and extravagant gardens that were housed within the castle grounds. They were nice, as expected of work from a royal gardener, but despite them being made up of a variety of flora that would paint the view with colors not often seen by those less traveled or less fortunate, it couldn't compete with what nature could do—untouched by the hands of man, allowed to do what it did best.

In the outdoors, it felt like time stood still at times and yet kept moving swiftly just the same. The loss in time didn't feel like a waste. Every minute spent there, no matter if it felt like a second, a minute, or an hour, was made all the more enjoyable when spend in good company. And what better company could a man ask for than his loving wife, who'd arrange on their little rendezvous to help them clear their minds; away from all of their everyday distractions that had become part of their hectic daily lives. Really, it was much simpler than that. She wanted to spend some time alone with her husband without distractions getting in the way and just like he did.

Robin had to give it to her; Lyn had been well prepared for it from the beginning. She'd not only convinced others to take the burden of small parts of his daily work without him noticing (he thought that people were being nice or wanted to be helpful), but also enlisted the help of Philia and Florina to carry the couple out of Ylisstol, dropping them off just far enough so that the grand capital was still within view and they could make their way back on foot if need be, but far away enough that it felt like the troubles within were a world apart. After agreeing on a time and place to meet for the pick-up, the two knights flew their pegasi away into the distance, leaving Robin and Lyn truly by themselves, something that hadn't happened since their wedding night and the few days that followed before they marched onwards towards the capital.

The pair had been strolling for a few hours—not really knowing the area—chatting away about whatever came to their minds as they navigated the terrain; jumping over fallen logs, finding a way across a small river, and taking twists and turns to avoid other large obstacles. They only stopped when they reached a nice area to rest on.

Spreading a blanket out under the shade of a tree, the two sat looking in the direction of a bed of flowers in full bloom a short distance away. Robin quickly let his back hit the blanket-covered ground without any grace to speak of. Not that he really cared. Here, there was no one to judge his actions other than Lyn, but she knew him well enough. And, going by the small giggle coming her way, he knew she didn't think any less of him for doing such a thing. He felt quite tired already, but the good kind of tired.

The relaxing man took a deep breath of fresh air, looking up to the clear, blue sky above them. It felt like an eternity had come to pass since he'd last taken some time to look at the sky without reason. He usually only looked up now during moments of frustration when he let his work or people get to him; their words or his inability to do something or other slowly weighing down on his shoulders. Learning about Lucina's escape had only added fuel to that fire. He'd become more wary and jumpy since that day, something he knew but couldn't do anything about. Making him worry about his surroundings—about what could be hidden behind every corner—made him miss opportunities to appreciate how nice it was not to think about anything and enjoy oneself during times of (relative) peace.

At some point, Lyn joined him down on the blanket, her head brushing against his as she laid down next to him. She reached out and took Robin's hand in hers, seemingly more than happy from the small touch. She gave it a small squeeze and brushed a thumb over the back of it. Even without looking her way, the tactician could tell they were both sharing the same kind of serene smile that was mostly reserved for one another. And just like that, it was as if the burden he'd been feeling for quite some time was lifted from him when he looked over at her.

Robin hadn't been the only one who'd changed after being informed about Lucina's escape. For the days since, he'd caught Lyn more than a few times looking worried and cautious—a hand on the pommel of her sword during times that one wouldn't even think of carrying a weapon in the first place (though he himself always carried his tome with him). He knew that it was all for his well being. He'd been overworking himself lately and then there was someone out there out to kill him for something they claimed he would do... or perhaps she was being more cautious because she thought Tharja would try to put another hex on them without their consent.

Their privacy aside, Tharja had good intentions when she did what she did, which was why neither of them could blame her over her actions. Robin did have Tharja dispel the hex, however, as he didn't feel the use of the hex was...appropriate or all that necessary given the heavy security provided by the guards inside the city and the Knights of Ostia outside of it. That's why the smile Lyn was showing him was such a welcomed sight. That smile was something he'd promised himself he would protect, but somehow he'd already failed at it miserably, and so soon after marrying that it made him worry about how good of a husband he could possibly be.

As if reading the air around them, Lyn turned to face Robin, catching his eyes.

"You are thinking about something you shouldn't be, Robin," said Lyn with an air of security that left little space for doubt; not a question, but a firm statement. Her smile had dropped, but a frown hadn't quite yet formed. That wasn't surprising. If anyone knew what was going through his mind without him saying a word, it would definitely be Lyndis. It wasn't as if he had to or even wanted to hide anything from her either way. She was free to read him like an open book set in front of her. More so now that they shared a connection with each other that went deeper than anyone could imagine. "You'd been calm all day until now. If something's bothering you, I'm always here to listen to you. I'll help you in whichever way I can."

For a moment, all Robin could do was get lost in her eyes, his mouth slightly ajar as if to speak, but no words came out. If the discussion and her tone didn't seem so serious maybe he wouldn't need to respond. However, the situation called for him to say something in return, that much he was certain of. "I appreciate it, Lyn, but I'm just overthinking things as usual," he confessed as he mulled over whether to say more about it or not. Given the nice atmosphere they'd been sharing so far, he didn't really want to think about those things, especially knowing that Lyn wouldn't admit that he could be doing a better job as her life partner. But then, she could also easily catch him in his lie. His thoughts were always open to her, after all. So, instead of that, he thought it would be best to forget about it and worry about something that had been bearing down on them for quite some time. Looking back up to the sky, he asked, "What do you think we should do?"

She turned to her side, propping her head up with the hand she'd been using to hold his, her brow furrowing somewhat. "I thought we were going to relax and then have a nice meal," she said simply, her other hand finding its way to his chest in a teasing way, which her eyes and knowing smile seemed to reflect. "Did you have something else in mind?"

Robin half smiled at her and chuckled. The invitation was enticing. He would be lying to himself if he said the thought hadn't crossed his mind. But even if they did have privacy—likely more than in the castle—those thoughts could wait for now.

"I meant more along the lines of what we'll be doing in the future," he explained, Lyn's brow softening and then shooting up in realization. "I know we've talked about it before, but it's mostly been in passing. And now with Hector and the others leaving so soon, I feel like we are running out of time to make a choice… The right choice for ourselves. If we don't do it soon, our choices are reduced to half."

In truth, most of their conversations on the subject had only been in passing, not really weighing in the pros and cons of each choice. Still, it came up every once in awhile, whether when they took a walk around the gardens or they laid in bed or in the bath together at the end of another exhausting day. It was not something as simple as wistfully thinking about what kind of home they wanted, even if their decision would ultimately affect that choice too. It was more about where they would settle down and call "home".

They'd been dancing around the topic long enough to not have come up with a definite decision yet, or at least that's how Robin felt. But then Hector, Farina, and Kent had to spring yet another choice on them that had to be seriously considered… The tactician had to wonder how long those three had been conspiring together, keeping their hand close to their chest before playing their cards.

"I could accept Emmeryn's offer and become Grandmaster," Robin began, deciding it was best to go with the obvious option first and then work their way from there. "It would be the same work I already do, more or less, so not much would change other than getting a new title.

"Doing all that paperwork is no fun to be sure, but someone has to do it, and I don't see Chrom ever wanting to put himself through all that. He wouldn't sit behind a desk all day when he could be out there training the new recruits."

Lyndis hummed in agreement before adding, "Lissa wouldn't do it either. I can imagine her trying to sneak her way out of it. Most Shepherds would rather teach others or train themselves than focus on politics, myself included."

With Robin working most of the day and not having all that much to do, Lyn became an instructor for the new Ylissean defense force early on. While at first she'd been assigned to teach swordsmanship along Chrom and Lon'qu, when Virion returned to Rossane it became clear that someone else would need to take up his position as archery instructor. Lyn was more than happy to do it, given her new bow hadn't seen much use since Robin gifted it to her.

She'd been doing quite well for herself, gaining the admiration of the recruits and nobles alike, after all, not many could claim to hit a target with a bow and arrow while riding a horse at full stride. Though many lost a special kind of interest when they noticed her ring or saw her exchanging a chaste kiss with her husband whenever he came around to see what kind of progress was being made, something that as the de facto tactician to all the Ylissean forces he had to be informed about and had nothing to do with being jealous, of course...

"I like it well enough here," Lyn admitted, but almost instantly her eyes flooded with concern. She bit her lower lip softly for a second. "...But I can't take the way people treat you outside of our circle of friends. I can see how tired you've become from not being able to leave the castle. I'm worried that you'll get worse if that goes on for much longer."

"It's not so much that I can't leave the castle as it is that I choose not to do so," he quickly corrected in an effort to dispel her concern. To Robin, It wasn't fair to say it any other way. "That was my decision, no one else's. Besides, it's for the best. If I stay out of sight, it keeps the peace, so—"

"Trapped within walls of stone, not being able to walk freely; that's no way for anyone to live, my love" Lyn's eyes sharpened and her tone grew more firm. Using her free hand, she ran her fingers over the bags that had been forming under his eyes. "You've grown more tired each passing day because of it. Doing all this hasn't done you any good, Robin. The bags under your eyes say as much.

"I know that if I didn't go looking for you, you would work yourself to sleep at your desk every night, or worse, you would keep going until you fell over from overworking yourself. You've always done that, going as far back as when we first traveled Sacae together. Back then I would check in on you on cold nights to make sure you were under a blanket."

The tactician looked down at his feet, not being able to meet his lover's eyes. "I won't deny it… If this is what it'll be like once I take the position… Not getting recognition isn't something that's ever bothered me—gods know that I would like people to recognize Emmery's efforts more than they pretend they do—but being ignored and insulted by the same people you are trying to help isn't exactly what I imagined my life to be like.

"At the same time, maybe things will change in the future...?" His words were hopeful as he looked up to meet the young woman's gaze once more, but his tone was anything but; he meant to sound confident, but even he could hear doubt in his words. He'd run the idea over and over in his head. Maybe if he worked hard enough the perception of Plegians could change for the better. Maybe if he proved himself worthy, commoners would start to accept him and, eventually, so would the nobles. "If we start a family here, our children could have good opportunities for their futures too."

Lyn nodded. "That's true, but what if things don't change by then?" she contested. "What if we have a child that grows up in a world where they are hated simply because of their heritage? I don't want that, Robin. I've lived through that myself, you know that, and though things are slowly changing in Elibe, who's to say the same thing will happen here?

"I understand that Ylisse is still dealing with the Risen threat, but we need to think of what's best for us too. We've been through too many wars already. We deserve some rest. You deserve it more than anyone else. It's easy for the rest of us to forget, but all of us coming from Elibe had years to rest and the Shepherds hadn't really fought in any wars until now. You had only a few months before the war with Plegia started. You should try to put down your roots while you can and live a life without having to worry about war looming over you."

Robin sat up so that they could meet eye to eye more easily. Lyn spoke the truth. Sometimes he lost count of how many wars he'd already been involved in. Still, it made him wonder if that meant that one of their options was truly being put aside already. To confirm it, he said, "it sounds like you are against the idea of staying here, Dear."

"I'm not completely against it…" She shook her head, her ponytail swaying from side to side. "We've made good friends with the rest of the Shepherds, not to mention Khan Basilio and Khan Flavia. I would feel bad for leaving, even if we do end up seeing them again in the future. And, after everything that Emmeryn, Lissa, and Chrom have done for us, I feel like we owe it to them not to discard the option so easily..."

"I don't think any of them would like it if we did end up staying because we felt like we owed it to them, though," Robin pointed out. The royal family of Ylisse had stubbornness running through their veins. It ran especially thick when being thanked for everything they'd done. Then again, how would they feel if Robin and Lyn decided to stay only to be constantly harassed for gods knew how long...? What would they do then? What could they do? Even a leader didn't have absolute control over their subjects and decisions ultimately alienate one party or another. "Well...at least we know where we stand on that one for now." There was a pause as they both silently agreed that they should move onto the next option.

"Maybe we could go back to the town you grew up in," Lyn put forward after pondering for a moment. "You said there were good people there. And as far as you know, your old master could still be living there, no? Wouldn't it be nice to be back with the people you once considered to be your family and grew up with?"

Robin looked down at the ground for a moment, the corner of his lips following suit. There were a hundred and one reasons why that wasn't a good idea, so he rather not spare it much thought. "Not possible. I left in self-exile, joined an enemy army, guided their troops against my homeland, and even killed one of my old friends who lived in that town… Not to mention that I had a hand in the Mad King's death." Lyn's eyes widened in realization. "I don't think I would be welcomed there anymore. Besides, I still don't know why my master decided to...give me away to Validar, who I'm sure is still out there looking for Tharja and I… "

The young woman looked dejectedly away from him. "I'm…sorry I brought it up…" she said, her voice not louder than a whisper.

This time it was Robin who had to reassure her. "I know you didn't mean wrong by it, Lyn. I've come to accept that I may never get a chance to go back there at this point. There's no point getting sad about it anymore." He tried to sound as reassuring as he could, even showing a genuine smile, which was enough for Lyn to relax, if only enough for her to meet his eyes. Her once stiff shoulders relaxed little by little. "How about we go over some other options, hm? There's still Hector's offer to consider…"

She nodded. "I was surprised he even brought it up, especially after I'd told him I wasn't interested in taking over Caelin after Grandfather's... The lands belong to Ostia now. That was the deal we made back then."

"Maybe he thought you would change your mind with everything that's happened here."

"Maybe he did… But I was really surprised nonetheless. Kent looked relieved about it and even a little eager with the idea." Thinking back on it, Kent talked very little about his time in Caelin since Nergal's death. Even in passing did the knight seldom make mention of the lands that once belonged to Lyn's family. It made one wonder if he was truly happy with his position or if he just found it awkward to talk about it with the rightful heir there. "I never wanted that life for myself. Even while taking care of my grandfather, I made him aware of it. That didn't stop him from bringing it up on a daily basis. I think, deep down, he saw it as a way to make amends for what happened, especially after what happened with Mother and Father…

"Still, every time he brought it up, I told him that I would stay with him in Caelin, but I would only call it home so long as he was there with me… I still stand by my decision of abdicating. After all, we wouldn't be here, together, if I'd stayed in Caelin."

"That's true," he ran a hand over her waist while she struggled to hide the small smile she was starting to show. "But that was a long time ago. For one, we are together now."

"I know that Caelin is as much a part of me because of my mother as the Lorca is because of my father. My brain tells me I should give it a chance. It would be a good opportunity to learn more about my mother—things that even my grandfather couldn't tell me and my mother never had a chance to teach me. I still have so many things that I want to know… But the plains are all I've ever known! They are the place I called 'home' for most of my life…"

It was that moment that made it clear to Robin what it was they should do, though it would come with its own set of challenges. "We can't return to my old home," he said as he stood up and stretched, the sound of his tired bones popping back into place filling his ears, "but there's nothing stopping us from returning to yours."

After a brief moment of surprise in which Lyn's mouth hung open, it took her an instant to stand and look at him with bright eyes like shining stars in the night sky as her smile began to grow. "Are you saying…"

Robin chuckled at her reaction, but was able to nod. They were having a serious conversation that would change their entire lives. He had to act the part or else it wouldn't feel right. "You'd asked me before if I would go back with you to the plains, Lyn. Isn't this the perfect opportunity to do just that? We could try joining Rath's tribe… Maybe we'll meet Guy again as well. Or...maybe we could try rebuilding the Lorca..."

It was easy to see how excited his wife was about the idea. She was practically jumping in the spot at that point, glowing, sporting the largest smile Robin had ever seen her show. He was half prepared to catch her in case she launched herself at him. However, just as quickly as the wind had come to pick up her sails, her excitement died down. "But we would need a chieftain for that…" Robin was confused by the comment, which was enough to make Lyn elaborate on it. "A tribe is generally lead by the strongest man of the tribe. It was the way my father got the position, and his father before him. Without that, the chances of making a tribe that would be acknowledged by the others is..."

Robin could only shake his head. "You don't give yourself enough credit, Dear," he chastised her. "You are among the strongest people I've ever met! By far the most skilled. What does it matter whether the chief is a man or a woman? Look at Flavia! She leads a whole nation! The only reason why the tribes of Sacae don't choose women as chiefs is because there is no precedent. Besides, between you and I, and everyone that could possibly join us, you are the only one that has the blood of the Lorca. We can just make it a new tradition for our little tribe! I'll admit, it won't be easy, but I know we can make it work; I'll be there with you every step of the—"

Suddenly, something bumped into Lyn. It was so fast that Robin was only caught mid sentence because of Lyn's sudden yelp, not quite sure what was going on. The bump wasn't enough to knock the greenette off her feet, but it was enough to make her lose her balance, especially with the added weight that was cling to her legs. Thankfully, Robin was there to keep her in place. Looking down, all she could really see was a head of purple, short hair, a tan-colored cloak, and a yellowish dress.

"What's a child doing this far away from the city?" Robin wondered out loud. To his knowledge, there weren't any towns in the vicinity, which meant that either the child had lost their way while traveling to Ylisstol or gotten lost after a small field trip of some sort.

In a swift movement that neither of them were expecting, the child let go of Lyn only to present her with a small bouquet of wild flowers of all colors and shapes, pushing it well above their head. "Look at what Fae found, Mady!" The child—presumably named Fae—rocked on the balls of her feet back and forward as she continued to move the flowers as close to Lyn as her arms would allow her, obviously proud of her work. "Aren't they pretty?"

"...They are very pretty," said Lyn with a small, tender smile. She even went ahead and smelled the flowers. Robin was reminded of a similar scene he'd seen when still Elibe, with Florina showing Lyn a bouquet, although the circumstances for that were quite different. It was true that this arrangement seemed to have been done to bring out the beauty of the flowers as a whole rather than to emphasis the beauty of a single flower, but that didn't stop Robin from wondering what exactly was going on.

"That's what you're going with?" Robin asked as he looked between Lyn and the child, not quite sure if he should find it amusing or worrying.

Lyn turned to look at the brunette, shrugging. "You have to admit that they are pretty, though…" she repeated, holding true to her word.

Robin sighed. "That's beside the point—"

"Mady's friend is a meanie," declared the child as she took cover behind Lyn and then proceeded to glare daggers at Robin as if he was a monster from some fantasy book or children's tale while puffing out her cheeks.

Robin felt more hurt than insulted by the comment, for some reason. "Hey now…" He scowled for a second, ready to say something before he realized that it would make him look even meaner. He opted to go with a smile instead, leaning down somewhat, supporting much of his weight with his hands over his knees so as to look less threatening. "Who's this 'Mady' person you keep talking about, by the way?"

Fae, once again, looked at Robin as if he'd grown a second head and was now spewing fire up in the air. "Mady is Mady! Are you trying to trick Fae? Fae was told not to trust strangers." Fisting a handful of Lyn's sash in her tiny hands and shaking it, Fae turned to look at the greenette. "Mady, who's your friend?"

Lyn smiled down at Fae and said, "this is my husband—"

"Mady got married!?" Fae practically shrieked, looking between Lyn and Robin a few times in shock—perhaps it was horror—before pouting. "Why is everyone growing so fast except for Fae? Mady even grew so much taller and her hair is super long!"

"Well, I can tell you this 'Mady' you keep speaking of probably hasn't grown as much as you think she has," Robin chimed in after taking some pity on the way the girl looked so sullen. Going back to stand at his full height, he scratched the back of his head. "I'm sorry to say, but I think you got the wrong person. That woman you are clinging to? My wife? Her name is Lyndis, not Mady."

"Lyndis?" Fae repeated before taking a step back to take a better look at the woman before her. It took her squinting her eyes for a few seconds, but finally she had to notice something that wasn't quite right because the little girl's eyes widened and she pointed at Lyn's head. "It's true! Your hair is very silky and straight, Mady's isn't that straight! And your eyes are the wrong color!"

"I'm sorry I'm not who you were looking for," said Lyn with a tone that sounded almost motherly. "Are you lost? Where you perhaps meeting with this friend of yours around here?"

"Fae got separated from her friends some time ago," Fae confessed, looking at the ground and kicking a pebble away. "A lot of people told Fae before that if she ever got lost, she should stay put until someone finds her."

Robin rubbed his chin. It seemed that the girl had been lost at least for a few hours then, given that she didn't seem all that scared as someone that age would be if they'd been lost for longer than that. That was as good a news as they were going to get. If she was truly lost, then someone would come around looking for her any moment.

She must be hungry, he thought. Spotting the basket by his feet reminded Robin that Lyn had prepared some food for them. With the girl being quite young, the both of them could spare some of their portions to share it with her without a problem. "Then, would you be okay if we waited here with you?" he asked. "We were planning on staying here for a while and have lunch. You are welcome to join us, if you like."

The girl stared up at him in thought. Though she was quite young, the way she looked into Robin's eyes was enough to send a chill down his spine. It was strange, because for some reason he couldn't quite look away either. For a moment, not one of them said a word. Robin was beginning to get worried when Fae's gaze softened and she smiled at him. "Fae's happy to see someone like her is here," she says excitedly before hopping closer to Robin, turning to look at Lyn once again. "Fae can't remember the last time she met someone like her!"

Robin arched an eyebrow. It would seem that he had quite a common face around these parts if Fae knew someone else that looked like him. If the girl had been a little older, then maybe he would've been more cautious about it all—images of the first time they met Nino popped into his head for an instant—but because children would usually say the strangest things, he dismissed it entirely.

Just as he was about to say something, Fae's attention got caught by something else. "Oh! A butterfly!" Before he knew what was happening, the girl skipped away, giving chase to a butterfly that was passing by, all the while singing "la, la, la, la, la~" in rhythm with her skips. Robin wanted to call her back, but stopped himself when it seemed that she wouldn't listen either way. She was also close enough that he and Lyn could keep an eye on her without worrying. For the time being, the brunette decided it was best to start getting the food ready.

Lyn sat beside him as they both took out the contents of the basket and set it all out on the blanket. Her eyes would often wander to where Fae was, making sure she was still there. "I'm worried about her," she suddenly said. "A child out here on their own… We should stay with her until her friends return. We have enough food for the three of us to stay here for a while."

"Yes, I think that would be for the best," he said with a nod, looking towards Fae, who'd seemed to have forgotten all about the butterfly and gone back to picking flowers.

By the time the couple had everything ready, Fae returned with something hidden behind her back. Before either of them could ask what she was up to, the girl placed a small flower crown upon Lyn's head. Lyn looked surprised, but pleased all the same, more than happy to indulge the girl by wearing it. Robin couldn't help but smile, remembering that a similar thing had happened with Florina as well back then. And later that day I was beaten bloody and then chastised by Lyn about it, he thought with some strange sense of fondness. She never had a chance to take it off before the fight broke out.

As the three of them ate, there was some small talk going on between them. Mostly, Lyn and Robin found it amusing to see the wonder in Fae's eyes as she tasted the food they'd brought as well as listening to her describe the flavors as if they were somehow exotic to her. Not once did she complain about the flavor or the quantity she got. Despite the tactician's first impression, the girl seemed to be quite nice, at least when she was being fed.

"The food is yummy," Fae repeated as she took a bite of a meat pie. "Did you cook this, Mr. Husband?"

Her words made Robin aware that with everything going on, he'd never had the chance to introduce himself by name. "I'm… not allowed to cook… Lyn was the one that prepared most of the food, while the rest was made by people back at the castle," he said between bites. He felt some pride in being able to tell just which of the dishes were the ones his wife had prepared, having tasted some of them in the past. "And, if you don't mind, you can call me Robin."

"Robin?" the girl half mumbled with a mouthful of food. Still munching, her eyes turned to look over at Lyn. "Lyndis…?" She swallowed, ready to take another bite of her food. But before it could reach her mouth, her eyes went wide.

A snap of a twig was enough for the trio's attention to turn towards a figure approaching them from the edge of the clearing. A young man clad in a mage's robes walked towards them quite calmly, offering a formal greeting once the distance was cut in half. With Fae's circumstances being what they were, Robin assumed that the young fellow had to be one of her friends. He quickly stood up with a smile.

"Good day to you as well," the Plegian greeted back. The mage stopped at a comfortable distance away, allowing Robin a chance to really get a good look at him. Red, short hair that seemed to be brushed to perfection framed his face, while the eyeglasses he was wearing seemed to bring attention to his eyes. More notably, while the mage's outfit he was wearing seemed like any other Robin had seen, there was something oddly familiar in the hat, though the tactician couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. Robin's smile faded as he brushed everything aside and remember what Fae had been put through. "You better have a good explanation as to why you left one of your friends all alone in the woods, young man."

A small tug at his cloak made the tactician tear away his judging gaze from the mage to look down at the small fist that held the edge of his cloak. Fae was looking up at him, pouting and with her brow furrowed. "That's not one of Fae's friends," the girl whined, almost seeming insulted at the whole notion of being friends with the stranger. "Fae would remember a funny hat like that!"

Lyn lifted herself up to stand next to Robin. Keeping her eyes on the mage and her voice low, she asked, "what are the chances of meeting two people out here on the same day?"

Slim to none, Robin responded, though his lips didn't need to move for Lyn to hear it. The Blade Lord gingerly secured her blade, Mani Katti to her belt and her sash. Robin couldn't be more glad she'd decided on bringing along one of her swords in the end, as a precaution. We can't be sure if we can trust him, Robin explains, but there's a chance that it is all a coincidence. Lyn nodded discreetly.

"My apologies," the mage said after a moment of silence had passed. "It seems there is some sort of misunderstanding." He quickly adjusted his glasses. "Like the child said, I do not have any type of connection to her nor did I mean to come off as seeming like a friend of hers. Perhaps introductions are in order? Social norms dictate for such a thing. My name is Laurent."

"Well met," Robin answered. "My name is Robin, tactician of the Shepherds." He put a hand on Lyn's shoulder. "This is Lyn. And down here," his other hand pointed at the girl that still sat on the ground, "we have Fae. Now, tell me, Laurent, what bring you to this part of the woods?"

Laurent did not seem to be bothered by what could've been taken as a hostile question. Instead, his only reaction was to adjust his glasses once again. "I could say many things that would make all three of you feel more at ease, like how I just happen to be walking by the area when I spotted you," he began, "but the truth is—"

"Far from it, aye." Robin was surprised by a new voice that came from another young man that walked towards the group. This one, also a redhead, walked towards them calm and confident, though the tactician couldn't help but notice a bit of hostility was in the mix too, which seemed to be directed at Laurent specifically. The weight Robin had been feeling on his cloak since Fae took hold of it disappeared as the girl ran towards the new figure, throwing herself at him. The swordsman looked surprised, catching the girl in his arms just barely. "Fae?" he asked incredulously, all feelings but that of relief leaving him instantly as the girl hugged him tighter. "I-I can't believe it! It's really you!"

"Of course it's Fae," said the girl with confidence. "Fae is Fae! Fae waited for everyone like Sophia told her to!"

Lyn looked on at the small reunion, her eyebrows slightly raised. Mayhaps she too had noticed a certain resemblance between the new arrival with one of their old friends. From the way he carried himself, to some facial features, Robin felt like he was seeing another version of a younger Eliwood. But that could not be, or at least he didn't think so. No, there was a more logical explanation than that, as odd as it was to even consider… Lyn shifted by his side.

After speaking in whispers with Fae for a moment, the young swordsman looked back at Laurent, who seemed to freeze in place at the cold glare being shot his way. Already, the young man had his hand on the handle of the sword he carried at his side. "Step away from them, Mage. I will not allow you to bring any harm to either of them."

Laurent's blank face had turned into a slight frown, but he still stood motionless. "I did not expect to meet you here, milord," said the mage, keeping a flat tone. "I assure you, I have no ill intent towards mister Robin nor miss Lyn."

"So you say, but last time we met that was not the case." Those words forced the mage to turn mute, his lips pressed hard into a thin line. The suspicion Robin had of the man increased tenfold. With the distance between them, it would be easy to overpower the younger mage before things escalated, but Robin was hoping it wouldn't turn out that way.

Lyn's patience had run thin, however. She stepped forward, taking the spot between the two redheads. "That's enough," she said with the same voice she used to use back in Elibe when giving out orders during the time of Lyndis' Legion. She first looked towards the swordsman. "Though we do appreciate your warning, Ser, we are more than capable of defending ourselves."

The swordsman flinched. "O-Of course, my lady, I did not mean… But you don't understand. He is part of a certain group... The others could be hiding somewhere, getting ready to ambush us as we speak!"

Lyn glanced over to Robin, who nodded in return. He didn't have to move a muscle to use his Eagle-Eye. With his battle experience, the tactician had quickly learned of the telltale signs of people hiding. It took less than a minute before Robin had checked the whole immediate area, being completely satisfied and certain that there was no one else but them there, which he let them all know. The brunette expected the swordsman to show some doubt, but to Robin's surprise, his shoulders relaxed and the hand that had been on his sword relaxed, instead laying on top of Fae's head. Robin let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, glad that for the time being there wouldn't be any unnecessary bloodshed.

"My apologies, my lady, my lord," Fae's friend said, his words seeming genuine. "An explanation is in order, no?"

Lyn nodded and said, "that would be best."

"Very well. You see, some days ago, a group of my friends and I were scouting the area when we stumbled upon a small group of individuals. Amongst them was the mage that stands with you now." He signaled towards Laurent to make emphasis. "Though not a completely rare occurrence, given the proximity to the city, it is what they were discussing that piqued our interest. They spoke of attempting an assassination on a man named Robin." He looked over to the tactician. "And I know for a fact that that man would be you, my lord."

It was hard for Robin to believe that the bespectacled man had been conspiring to kill him, so much so that he had to turn and take a second look at the younger man as if to confirm it. The redhead didn't really look like the type, but then again, neither had Lucina when he'd first seen her. While Robin waited with a dry throat for Laurent to deny the accusation like any sane man would do, Lyn was looking at the mage now with sharp eyes, ready to cut him down if necessary.

"We were taking a vote to decide whether we should continue with any further attempts on Robin's life," Laurent casually said, his face still remaining expressionless. "I believe that the vote would have turned in favor of him being left alone had we gone through with it, despite what Lucina said."

"Lucina…?" Robin scowled as he repeated the name. "You wouldn't happen to be from...?"

"The future? Indeed, as ridiculous as it may sound. I believe you know my mother, Miriel?" Just like that, everything about the bespectacled man made a whole lot more sense. From the way he talked to his mannerisms and the way he dressed, it all reminded Robin of the research-driven woman. Even the hat, ignoring it's wear, was almost identical to Miriel's. "But that's a conversation for another time. I came here when I learned of your departure from Ylisstol, triangulating your location between the capital, the closest river and the spot you were drop off by the Pegasus Knights. But I digress. What I wanted to say originally was that Robin's life shouldn't be in danger any longer now that the Exalt has safely returned to her position on the throne. However, no one has seen Lucina since she was injured during our last encounter with Lord Roy and his friends. I expect her to switch tactics to force Un—" A pause. " ...Lord Robin to leave his position as the tactician for the Shepherds."

Lord Roy...? Robin wondered for a moment if perhaps it wasn't just looks that the young swordsman shared with Eliwood. Before departing Elibe, he remembered speaking with Eliwood and Ninian, both of whom had already decided on what to name their child should it be a boy...

Robin pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. This was all too much for him. On the one hand, he was glad that he wouldn't need to worry about someone trying to murder him (other than Lucina), but now he would need to fight for his position as tactician of the Shepherds? His mind turned to the memory of Lucina speaking over him back in Ferox. She'd said back then that she could easily take over as tactician given that she'd learned from him…

"Robin…" Lyn let out, her features having softened.

Roy seemed to ponder about Laurent's words, not giving away much about what he thought of the mage. "If you speak the truth, then you wouldn't mind heading back with me to where the rest of my group is to inform them of such. This is not a decision I can take on by myself, and there are a few things I would like you to answer before we agree to anything." Turning his attention towards Robin and Lyn, he continued, "I also have other things I would like to discuss with Lord Robin and Lady Lyn, if at all possible, but I would like to take Fae back first."

"Agreed," answered Laurent without a moment's hesitation before walking towards Roy and offered a hand in truce, which Roy struck with a half smile. As soon as they let go, the bespectacled mage offered his tome to the swordsman, surprising the latter. "I would think it wise to hand this over to prevent any misunderstanding and the shedding of unnecessary blood," he explained before Roy took the tome and tucked it on his belt.

Fae shivered, looking as jolly as a child who'd just received a present. "Fae is excited to see everyone else!" she exclaimed. "Are Sophia and Sue there? Maybe Fae can show Sue all the flowers she's collected and how much better she's gotten arranging them!"

Roy looked at the ground and away from Fae, which didn't fare well for what the child was expecting to do. "We… haven't found Sophia and Sue yet, Fae," Roy explained as best he could. The girl's smile quickly vanished, turning into a frown with her lower lip quivering. "But Wolt is there! And Fir! You remember them, don't you? There's a few more of us there, don't worry. It's only a matter of time before we're all back together again."

Fae seemed to cheer up a bit, or at least put on a front that she wasn't disappointed.

Robin nor Lyn thought of it twice when they decided to follow along the two redheads and the girl. After quickly packing the leftover food they had and the blanket that was laid out back into the basket, the group set off with Roy guiding them. Even without a set path to follow, the young swordsman looked confident in his step as he kept moving forward. Every now and again he would exchange a few words with someone, but Robin ended up tuning it all out as he kept searching with Eagle-Eye for any signs of people—mainly Lucina, if he was honest with himself—following them or waiting to ambush them.

When they were finally in sight of what looked like ruins of a forgotten keep, Robin was taken aback. Though he couldn't say he knew the area that well, the tactician had been studying maps of the surroundings of the capital to look for possible outlaw outposts. In not a single one of these maps had there been a note of a keep in that relative location. Then again, there always seems to be small abandoned keeps or buildings wherever we go, he thought as he recalled of the few times he'd directed some of the Shepherds to take cover from enemy troops by entering said abandoned buildings.

"This is fascinating," said Laurent from behind the brunette, as the bespectacled man looked to the fortress with intrigue. Robin turned to look at him, an eyebrow raised. Once Laurent noticed some eyes were on him, he elaborated, "as the tactician for our band of fighters back in my timeline, I spent a considerable amount of my free time studying the lay of the land of Ylisse thoroughly as a way to make up for my lack of strength, being the youngest of the group. I even found a map made by yourself, Lord Robin. Yet, this keep is a new discovery to me."

"I made maps back in your timeline?" Robin asked, genuinely curious.

"Hundreds of maps from all over the world," Laurent confirmed. "You had a number of books as well, though those were more personal and I never had a chance to read one. I believe one of my companions carries with her one of your books, though I've only ever been allowed to look at the cover of said book."

"I… see," said Robin, not really knowing how he was supposed to respond to that. Did that mean he'd published a sort of autobiography? That certainly didn't sound like something he would do. Then again, the future Laurent came from seemed to be vastly different from the present they were all living in now.

The keep looked almost as desolate inside its walls as it did outside them. While much cleaner and clearly in use, he could only spot a handful of faces out there, with Fae running towards a man with purple hair and hugging him. They didn't get to see much more of the reunion as Roy guided the little group into some sort of solar or dinning room. The table was long and had many different chairs around it—likely they were salvaged from different parts of the keep.

What?!

Robin stopped in his tracks and looked around the room in surprise. Roy eyed him curiously, likely taking his actions as if the tactician suddenly felt threatened. "I am sorry," the young man said. "But this is the only room we can easily discuss things without intruding on the shared quarters we have."

Lyn turned to look back at Robin. It would seem that she felt it too. "It's fine, Roy," she said with an easy voice. "We just felt something odd. Nothing more."

"I see…?" The young lord seemed confused by her statement, though he didn't attempt to pry anything out of them. "Well, I hope you don't mind me stepping out for a moment to gather some of my friends? We can discuss everything when I come back with them."

Laurent, Robin, and Lyn all nodded in agreement. When Roy leaves, Laurent quickly took a sit on the long table, closing his eyes almost as in a meditative state. It was good that he thought he needed to get ready. The situation was more and more sounding like peace talks between two warring nations. Calm was key. Robin followed the younger man's lead, sitting directly across him, with Lyn taking the chair by his right side.

It's too soon!

Robin didn't get a chance to look around before the doors to the room were opened again. This time, a young lady with blonde hair and fair features walked in, showing them an easy smile as she closed the doors behind her. The tactician couldn't quite pinpoint what it was, but the lady gave off quite the regal look. She exchanged pleasantries with Laurent, who responded in kind, before turning her eyes onto the couple and doing a curtsy with such grace that Robin didn't even think was possible.

"My lord, my lady, it's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance," said the girl once she stood tall once again, her hands resting modestly in front of her. "I've heard so much about you from my friends. It seems that your presence here has brought up everyone's spirit, and for that you have my thanks. My name if Guinivere."

"Guinivere?" Lyn repeated, testing out the name. Memories of a name she'd heard before rushing her. "You wouldn't happen to be Princess Guinivere of Bern, would you?"

Guinivere's smile looked sad at the mention of her title. "I am flattered to know you know of me."

Robin furrowed his brow. As far as he knew, Princess Guinivere hadn't advocated her titles. He was sure Legault would've made mention of it seeing as he was supposed to be working for the princess. Then again, the politics of Elibe were not really much of the tactician's concern, so perhaps he had missed a detail or two. For the time being, he decided he would ask about that later. "We've heard much of you from a dear friend, your grace. Legault has been helping us in your name for quite some time. He even saved my life," Robin said, hoping to ease the princess into conversation.

"I'm happy to hear that, my lord," though surprised, Guinivere was able to say it with a smile.

No! I-I'm not ready yet!

The princess' eyes looked between Lyn and Robin in worry. "Are you both feeling quite alright?"

Neither of them got to answer the question before the doors are opened again and in came Roy and two new faces, though perhaps they weren't quite as new either, given how familiar they both looked. "I'm sorry to interrupt," said Roy as he looked between all present with a smile before finally setting his eyes on both Lyn and Robin. "I would like to present to you my friends, Uther and Lilina."

Robin was already rubbing his temple before Roy had a chance to finish the introductions. The memory of the conversation he had with Hector and Farina before leaving Elibe… He felt Lyn's hand come over his free one and intertwine their fingers before he finally took a good look at the two bluenettes standing before him.

"So it is like that then," Lyn said with a beaming smile. "We had our suspicions, but the three of you really do look like your parents."

The three looked taken aback by her words, but almost simultaneously they all let out a sigh of relief. "It's good to see you both again, godfather, godmother," Lilina said with a beaming, heartfelt smile. She half turned towards her brother, but instead of seeming happy, he was glaring daggers at the mage sitting at their table.

"You weren't kidding when you said he came here!" Uther gawked at the mage, turning back to look at Roy. "I half expected him to have run away before we got here. Must be insane to come in here…"

"I was invited," explained Laurent, again, his tone neutral. "I'm here to parlay, though I can't say I speak for the entirety of my group, as whatever is said here I will share with them and then take a final decision with them."

"So more listening than an actual parlay," Uther corrected.

"I'm not entirely convinced about this, Roy," Lilina said. "What if he was being followed? What if it's some sort of elaborate trick?"

"I can guarantee that no one followed us ever since we met up with Roy," Robin quickly cut in, trying to keep the peace as best he could. He half expected to go ignored, but Uther's shoulder did seem to relax, if only a little bit. It was hard to tell with the armor he worse… just like Hector, that one.

Roy seemed more than satisfied with the answer, turning towards Lilina. The girl let out a breath before saying, "I suppose that's as good a confirmation as any. And given the circumstances, we should at least give Laurent a chance to explain things if he went through the risk of disarming himself to be heard."

And that they did once everyone took a seat. Laurent went on to explain the recent history of his timeline, mainly a second war against Plegia, the murder of Chrom, and the rise of Grima. The story itself wasn't all that different from what Lucina had already told Robin all that time ago when she'd been captured. The main difference was the skepticism Laurent showed about Robin's involvement in the whole thing regarding his role as Chrom's supposed murderer and then as catalyst for Grima.

"That's certainly quite a tale," said princess Guinivere once Laurent was done. "I am sorry for your losses, Ser Laurent."

Laurent, however, remained quiet.

"I can see why your group did what they did, though I cannot say that I approve of your methods," Roy put in. "Given that you'd done things already that altered things here significantly as you knew them, then there doesn't seem to be much point in pressing on the idea that Lord Robin would do half the things you suspect he would. For one, not only was your Exalt saved once, but twice! The fact that she lives seems to be a great divergence between this timeline and yours."

"I agree," Laurent said quickly. "Those are the same points that I brought up to our group time and again. To some of us, it was clear that we did not need to continue having a direct hand on events… Some of us disagreed, however."

"If anything, this timeline is much closer to ours," Lilina pointed out, all eyes turning to her. "Apart from the attempt on Lord Robin's life, which I assume never happened in our timeline, though there is no way for me to confirm that, it seems like things are shaping up as they should."

"...Someone said that the marriage between Lord Robin and Lady Lyn came sooner, though," Roy recalled, raising an eyebrow to the memory. "I can't say how that would affect thing, but I read somewhere that even the smallest choices we make on our daily lives can make the biggest difference in the long run."

"Well, knowing all this does put my mind at ease, somewhat," Robin confessed. He felt a gentle squeeze of his hand when he looked at Lyn, who smiled at him. He turned back to look at the rest of the group when something that was bothering him came back to his mind. "But while that is the case with Laurent's story, I'm curious to know what the rest of you are doing here."

Roy, Uther, Lilina, and Guinivere looked at each other, almost as if asking themselves that same question. After a while, it was Uther who decided to speak up. "It sounds to me like Laurent and his lot had a more control approach than we did when deciding when in history they should appear. As for us, we didn't get much of a choice as to when we landed."

Laurent shook his head. "Not quite. Our circumstances are much more similar than you suggest. I myself have been in this world for close to ten years, while some of my companions have only arrived a few months ago."

Robin felt his jaw drop a bit, though he tried his best to look composed. Ten years was a long time, especially considering that the young mage looked to be well into his teenage years. Many questions crossed Robin's mind, like how the boy had survived and such. But more than that, he felt a pang at his heart. A boy had somehow crossed over time and met up with old friends that hadn't aged a day…

"...That's a lot longer than any of us," Roy admitted, looking sympathetically over at the mage. "I believe that Maddy and Uther were here the longest of us all—"

"A couple of years doesn't sound so bad now," said Uther, clearly feeling uncomfortable with the notion. "Though we should ask Fae how long she's been here…"

A passing comment, but both Lyn and Robin caught on to it. Had they got the wrong idea about Fae? She certainly didn't look all that old. Neither does Nowi, Lyn thought as she glanced towards Robin. It could be that she has some draconic blood in her, like Ninian and Nils.

"This is… quite a lot to take in," Robin admitted, looking between the familiar faces that reminded him of his old friends. "I'm sure there is much more that we need to discuss, but before that, would you mind if I get a moment alone with my wife? I think we need a bit of time to go over things."

"Of course," said Guinivere, who made to stand, followed by the rest of her companions. "I understand this can be quite confusing. We did not mean to spring everything upon you this quickly. Please, accept our apologies."

Lyn shook her head. "None of you did anything wrong. Don't feel like you need to apologize for any of this. We'll gladly hear what more you have to say and help you as best we can." She turned to look at Laurent. "If we can prevent things from happening as they did in your future—" she returned to stare at the rest of those present, "in everyone's future, then we'll work our hardest on it. You have my word."

With satisfied faces, one by one the others left, including Laurent, who Roy would take to speak with the rest of their group. The door clicked behind the last one of them, leaving only Robin and Lyn inside the room.

The tactician was the first to stand, pinching the bridge of his nose as he began to pace around the room. "And here I thought things were finally going to start winding down," he said more to himself than to Lyn. "But there is no rest for the wicked. I can't even start to imagine why Roy and the rest are here. Whatever it is, It's not likely anything good if even princess Guinivere is with them. And with the way Uther avoided the question… It doesn't bode well."

A warm, comforting hand landed on his shoulder, Robin opening his eyes to look at who it belonged to. Lyn looked back at him in concern. "Do you think it has something to do with the Fang?" she asked. "Maybe they tried something in their future." The blade lord's eyes sharpened, her face growing serious. "I won't let them do anything to you. Not after we finally have a chance to be together."

Robin smiled, his hands going to rest on this fierce woman's hips. Instinctively, Lyn wrapped her arms around his neck in response, her expression softening somewhat, but still looking as determined as ever. "My life couldn't be in better hands, then," Robin half joked, a crooked smile on his lips that Lyn seemed to mirror. "We will stop them, Lyn. if they are really planning to attack, we'll stop them just like we did all that time ago. Together. We're sword and shield, remember?"

"Sword and shield," Lyn repeated, slowly smiling fully as she nodded. When he felt her pull him down, he did not hesitate to capture her lips with his own, basking in the sweet bliss of the moment that was to share a kiss with the most beautiful woman in his world.

Perhaps it was that joy that made them unaware of the sound of the door opening and someone taking a step inside. They broke from their kiss when a gasp escaped the lips of a third party. Neither of them got a chance to turn around before their mind were flooded with thoughts neither of them could recognize, similar to those they'd been hearing earlier, yet, now it all came rushing in at once.

They'reherethey'reherethey'reherethey'rereallyhereEarthMotherthey'realiveandhereandreallyhere—

The first thing Robin saw was the girl's hair—long and a familiar green, kept in a ponytail. All like Lyn's. That was except for how it curled ever so slightly at the ends.

Next came the clothes. They were, again, the same colors and style as Lyn's. A nomad's outfit that spoke of Lorcan heritage. The girl wore white trousers that went into her boots, though. Then there was the familiar armor. It seemed to have been hand painted, but he could recognize the patterns of the beaten metal anywhere. Though it might have been modified somewhat to fit the slimmer and smaller frame fo the girl, there was no doubt in Robin's mind that the carefully painted armor was identical to the dull gray one he wore; the one he'd left behind in his room back in Ylisstol. This set was not complete, though, as the girl wore only the chestplate, vambraces, and greaves.

Everything he was seeing screamed to him "Lyndis". A miniature version of his beloved. That shouldn't have been all that surprising, for if there was a miniature Eliwood and Hector running around, then surely it made sense that a Lyn would be out there too. But what made this girl so different from the Lyn Robin had met in Elibe were her eyes. Scarlet eyes. His eyes.

The name Mady immediately came to his mind. Fae had called Lyn by that name. But that…

Madelyn, he found himself thinking, and just like that all those thoughts that had been flooding him stopped. It was a name of great significance. It was the name of Lyn's mother. The girl—Madelyn—looked at him and Lyn both with wide eyes.

All at once, the three of them took a step, then another. Madelyn extended an arm as if trying to reach out for them when she stumbled on her own foot. She didn't hit the ground, though. Robin and Lyn both had their arms on her before that could happen…

Madelyn was struggling with words when she looked up to them, Robin could see. She didn't let go, holding onto them as if they were a lifeline. There was no need for words, nor a chance to form them. Before there was a chance to say anything, Lyn hugged the girl tightly. That was all it took for the flood gates to open.

Madelyn was sobbing openly, clutching at Lyn's back and Robin's cloak. Following Lyn's lead, the tactician enveloped the two in a hug as well. And Madelyn's sobs to turn into muffled wails as she tried to smother them against Lyn's shoulder and Robin's chest.

"I… I," the girl finally said between breaths, "I n-never thought I would see you again…!"

"It's okay," Lyn said soothingly as she rubbed the girl's back. "It's okay… You're safe now."

"You're home, Mady" said Robin, squeezing the two even more.

And that's that. I said this was going up before the end of the week, and got it with some hours to spare! I actually finished the whole thing on Friday, but decided to wait until Sunday to post it so that more people had a chance to read chapter 31 before jumping into this one (I know a lot of people tend to skip some chapters if I post a couple back to back). I wanted to post this in the morning, but things came up and well, now it's some 12 hours later...

As I said on the previous chapter's AN, this is the chapter I've spend the most time working on. So much editing… Drove me insane. I kinda wanted to keep going a bit more and explore some of the conversations between Lyn, Robin, and Madelyn, but I think that I'll leave them for next chapter. It'll make it easier to get that one going if I already have a lot of those things already figured out. I actually have the whole chapter already broken down into bullet points, as I usually do. Just gotta expand on those.

In any case, I hope you guys like the read. Let me know what you think!

Onto the reviews:

Greyjefi449t —Happy to see you're still around!

Whatstoknow —It really has! Way too long, in truth, but oh well. Appreciate the well wishes. Can't blame you for forgetting hahaha, been quite a while. The good thing is that maybe by th time you catch up again I'll have another chapter close to ready!

Guest —That is is! And that's certainly one way to put it.

GuestWithIdeas —I think that either I ready that story or maybe I've just seen it around cus the title does sound familiar. I do have to agree with them, Noire's past for comedic effect does leave a bad taste in my mouth. Stranger still because, even if Tharja has the S Support with Robin in the game, she still goes hexing him (Noire's father) again and again and again, and they aren't nice hex eithers. It's just so weird. Yes, I do agree that being able to show Lucina's group overall in a way were the reader can understand their actions better can only be a good thing. Well, not only the reader but other characters in the story. Like with Roy in this chapter, I doubt they would agree with the approach taken, but at least they know there is so much more behind the actions of Lucina's group than they might think.

Man, tell me about it. Hope you're having better luck than I am on that department. Every place I've applied in the last two years were hit with BIG layoffs, so no luck there. Nothing else to do than keep trying, I guess.

Transfigurator —I'm hoping that in the future I can also kinda give the backstory of some more future children (from both timelines) and show why they are doing what they are doing despite everything. What's for sure is that Noire probably has the greatest attachment to Robin than all the other children from her timeline because, as you said, she sees him as a father figure. Still, some good stories there that I could end up doing smaller, one-shot style chapters in between larger chapters like this so that I don't get super rusty.

All your questions regarding what Robin said are very interesting and I can say that maybe a couple of them are closer to the truth I'm planning as of right now. But in the end, I guess you're just gonna have to stick around and see what happens. Aww, shucks!

VampireDraken —Happy to hear you liked it! I hope you enjoy this one as well.