Meiwa Says: I was planning to post 'The General and His Tactician' next but since I needed some time to read it again, I decided to post this one up. This was actually supposed to be a one-shot that's separated from this story but I'd forgotten it in my dusty old archives. Oh well! This is a two-part story focusing on Robin and Chrom and the adorableness of my OTP!

Warning: Spoilers! Also unbeta-ed...sadly.

Disclaimer: This fanfic is written solely for the purpose of amusement. I don't own anything related to the Fire Emblem franchise.

"Are you sure you're going to be alright? I could spare another Shepherd or two -"

She smiled as she fixed the mount on her horse. "I'll be fine, Chrom, I promise. Besides, I have Gaius to back me up if needed."

"I don't fully trust him," Chrom explained, eying the Trickster with an uneasy gaze. "Make sure he doesn't try anything, alright? Once we return from Valm, I'll be sending Sumia and Cordelia for back-up."

"I told you Chrom, I won't need any. It's not like I'm marching into a battle. If I would, I would've brought more than three men with me."

"Marching into Plegia Castle Grounds is like marching into a war, Robin. You know how I hate that place."

"Trust me, okay?" Robin smiled a heart-melting smile that made his cheeks flush. "Stop acting like a worried husband."

He grumbled. "I should be."

"C-Chrom!" Despite all of Ylisse knowing his courtship intentions towards her, and how she willingly accepted it, Robin was still relatively shy with his advances. After the war had been settled, they decided to wait for Ylisse and its people to get back on their feet before they would get married. They only talked about their true feelings once, and both of them made sure to keep their hands to themselves - which was becoming increasingly difficult, given that they knew their feelings were reciprocated. "We - we'll talk about that when I get back."

Chrom sighed and ran his hand over her cheeks, his gloveless fingers relishing in its smoothness. He felt her cheeks warm up at the affectionate gesture, no less in public. Robin then heard his heartbeat, and found herself wrapped in his arms with her face buried in his blue shirt. He rested his chin over her hair and she felt him tremble.

He was worried - how could he not be? The very same place she was going to was where Emmeryn had fallen, quite literally. Which was why she needed to go. She felt, in her heart, that Chrom could never be completely happy unless he was given closure from his beloved sister's death. Robin understood. Which was why she refused to marry him just yet. Two months after the war, he asked her again but she had to refuse. What kind of future wife or sister-in-law would she be if she just left Chrom and Lissa's hearts partly damaged?

"If you wanted me back so badly, you should've allowed me to take a pegasus," Robin murmured.

"Well we don't want a repeat of last time now do we?" he chuckled. He was obviously referring to the incident where she tried reclassing into a Dark Knight. Her tome and lance abilities had already been honed due to her past as a Grandmaster and a Knight, but it was her first time on a pegasus. When she tried it out, she was barely off the ground when she slid off, breaking her right ankle.

"That was embarrassing," she muttered, pouting. Pretty soon, they were both laughing their hearts out, relishing in the moment of being together. It wasn't everyday the king and his tactician could act so lovey-dovey in public. This was also the first time they'd be taking two opposite separate trips - since his confession, Chrom had indeed made sure that she was always beside him.

"You still haven't told me why you insist on going to Plegia."

Her smile was dazzling. "I did - I told you before. It's a secret."

Chrom snorted, not much like a dignified king. "That doesn't help my cause, does it?"

"You have my word that we won't get into much trouble, if any at all. I just...want to retrieve something missing, that's all."

"Alright, fine. But I don't understand why you're taking Gaius, of all people," he pouted, and sensing his jealousy she laughed.

"I'm only taking him for picking locks or chests. I've heard there were quite a few that popped up on the journey there, so we might as well stock up on bullions while they still magically appear from the sky."

"You're right, you're right," Chrom sighed, "sorry, I just wasn't thinking logically."

"It's okay. You promise to take care of yourself too, okay? I'm worried about you too."

He kissed her forehead, and she closed her eyes in contentment. "We'll be fine, we've handled enemies without a tactician before. Although we might sport more than a few injuries or take longer than usual, none of us will get too hurt whether we encounter brigands or Risen."

"Won't kill to worry," she whispered, lifting her eyes to look at his.

"You've been stalling," he whispered back. She gulped, making herself courageous.

"I'll miss you."

He lowered his head. "Me, too." Then he kissed her.

It was their first kiss. Given that they distanced each other, their only physical contacts were brief hugs or hand-holding. Not to mention, kissing with the notion of war over their heads didn't seem right at all when their devotion should be to their people, not to each other. It would be a lie to say Robin hadn't thought about it - he was proposing marriage after all. But never had she expected him to be quite the fantastic kisser.

"Woo looks like Chrom's finally gettin' sum!"

The two broke apart, realizing that the Shepherds and Robin's two other companions were all watching. They were in their own little world until Vaike brought them back to reality. Both the king and his tactician blushed deeply under the teasing gazes and the snickers. Robin felt extremely flushed all of a sudden, trying to control her temper as Vaike was endlessly teasing her.

"I'll see you in a few days," Chrom tugged her hand and kissed her again for good measure. He looked to Gaius. "Keep her safe, please."

The orange-haired Trickster smirked. "I will."

Robin mounted on the horse, bringing up the hood to cover her face. Plegia was facing some harsh weathers during this time, and Lissa all but fussed over her health and demanded her to wear her hood at all times.

She waved goodbye as they left Ylisse to go north to Plegia. Of course, the whole intention of going there was a secret to everyone but her, Gaius and Frederick. Although some people may disagree, the three of them knew that what they were doing was a good thing - for their king and their princess.

They were half a day away from their destination when a band of Risen attacked. Robin stood next to Gaius at all times, both of them watching each other's backs. She did expect to be ambushed, but Robin knew that the Risen around these parts weren't quite skilled and had low health points, meaning her magic and Gaius's sword were enough to take half of them down. Her two other companions, a War Cleric and a Great Knight, were also formidable, destroying the other half. The War Cleric had healed their wounds, but Robin could still see the large scar that her arm had. It was only a moment of clumsiness, where she'd lost her footing and let the Risen get the upper hand. If it weren't for Gaius, she would have been dead.

But the wound was nothing Lissa couldn't fix with her trusty staff. After all, she was the best healer in the country.

Finally a big stack of bones and lots of sand entered her field of vision. The chances of their mission succeeding were slim - it had been quite a while since the incident happened, and perhaps her body had already been hauled off. But the reason why she came here was of the little knowledge that Plegians were ruthless, and that proper burials of their enemies weren't practiced. She had a feeling Emmeryn would still be where she died.

"We'll leave the horses," she said, knowing that they would just slow them down. The four of them tied the horses to a tree post and set foot to the Plegia Castle Courtyard, trying to look inconspicuous. Robin was thankful no one was there. Plegia was too busy stirring over their new ruler.

She told them to search the grounds, every bit of it. Emmeryn's body wouldn't be covered in sand, not when there were no recent sandstorms.

Robin crept towards a small flight of broken stairs, surveying the ruins around her. Terrible memories washed over her, remembering Chrom and Lissa's horror at their sister's sacrifice. Even Robin's heart cried that night, and though Chrom didn't blame her, the guilt was still there. The overwhelming emotion of not being able to save a person precious to the ones she loves. She should have thought of all possibilities, should have looked through loopholes and made counterplans. But she didn't, and Emmeryn's life paid for it.

She looked up at the jutting piece of rock where she had uttered her last words and fallen. She remembered being struck with fear and guilt, whereas Chrom was the only one who snapped out of it and dashed in his last hopes of saving her. Robin clutched her chest, feeling terrible and hurt. No one knew, but she'd have given her own life if it meant saving Emmeryn that day.

She lifted her gray eyes to see that yes, Emmeryn's body still lie where she fell. There were no signs of death on her, no blood staining her clothes. Instead, she was leaning against a rock with a handful of daisies. She remembered seeing her in the same prayerful position, and the peace was evident on her face. Robin took a deep, shuddering breath, her knees going weak as tears erupted from her eyes.

"Your Grace," she whispered. Whoever put those flowers must have held a deep respect for her - Robin also noted that her robes were not in disarray, which was to be expected seeing as she did fall quite a height. Whoever had lain her there did so with utmost care. It felt like she was not dead, but sleeping.

Robin kneeled in front of her, bringing her hands together in prayer.

"I'm sorry we only found you now," she whispered, feeling foolish but content. "We've been quite busy, and strolling into Plegia a few days back would have been suicide. Chrom and Lissa are doing well, much better than before but not the same. They've missed you...they wanted to see you so bad. I hope you don't mind, but I'm bringing you back home to where you belong." Tears fell down her face. "We'll give you the proper burial you deserve, I'll even plan the whole thing myself."

"B-by the way...I know this may or may not come as a shock to you but your brother and I are engaged...sort of...I hope you don't mind. I love him, your Grace, I really do. And I swear in my name that I will take care of him and make him happy. I...I may know nothing about ruling a kingdom, and truthfully it scares me so much that I wonder if I deserve him at all. Marrying him...marrying him would also mean being married to Ylisse, and I'm not sure if Ylisse loves me back." Robin sighed. "But...I promised myself that I would fight for his love. I will do everything in my power to bring peace with him. We may not live up to your legacy but we'll certainly try.

"Exalt Emmeryn," Robin bowed her head, "I pray you watch over us."

"That was quite the speech." Gaius remarked silently, no hints of teasing in his tone. Behind him were the War Cleric and the Great Knight. The latter bowed to the body and picked her up gracefully, not letting the flowers fall off. Robin glanced one more time at the spot Emmeryn had been resting for a few months and turned to her horse. She had finally gotten her closure.

The sound of wind passed by, and she could almost hear Emmeryn's voice through the air. "I...will."

Preparations for the funeral had already been planned, and most of Ylisse had already been informed. When they entered the gates, carrying their beloved Exalt's body, everyone seemed to be in shock. Some scorned at Robin for her apparently sick idea to remind them of what they'd lost, others cried for they still had not accepted it, while many of them smiled sadly. They were at least happy that their former Exalt had been brought home.

Chrom and the others would be arriving in a few hours. Robin had asked him where they buried their past relatives and he said that there was a graveyard quite close to the castle where the royals rested. Robin had used a rather beautiful piece of land where Emmeryn was going to be buried, a little far off from the others but surrounded by flowers that had unintentionally bloomed in that area. Trees had provided decent shading for it. Libra, who had stayed behind, offered to do the ceremony in between his tears. The other Shepherds, too, were speechless but Robin did not worry for their opinions, not when two people's mattered the most.

She intercepted their arrival at the castle gates, where Chrom's eyes had greeted her in relief. Then he noticed the gash on her arm.

"What happened?" he asked, brows furrowing. She waved it off, more important matters still at head.

"Ah I got careless, it's nothing. Anyways - there are more important things to discuss...or um, show you."

Chrom dismissed the Shepherds while Robin led Lissa and Chrom to the graveyard. Each step she became increasingly uneasy. Lissa was healing her arm all the way there, but even the soothing effect of the staff couldn't calm her nerves.

"What's wrong?" Chrom noticed her jumpiness. "Are you finally going to tell me why you went to Plegia on such short notice?"

Robin took a deep breath, pushing the small fence open. "Better yet...I'll show you."

She led them to a gorgeous white casket that was elevated over the area Emmeryn was going to be buried in. Lissa and Chrom approached it with an air of hesitance, before Chrom sprinted his way to see the glass.

Emmeryn lied peacefully, a small smile on her lips while she held beautiful daisies in her hands. Tears flooded his eyes and when Lissa finally got there, she broke down into sobs. Chrom took his sister in his arms, trying to blink away the tears.

Robin wondered if this was a good idea, seeing how the masks they'd built up for months crumble. Her breathing increased each second that passed, but she didn't move from her position as she felt like she was intruding on a family matter. Would she be hated for bringing back painful memories? Would they not want to do anything with her afterwards? Would she be ridiculed?

Well she expected a lot of things, but not from Chrom to lift her up and kiss her so passionately she was left breathless. Instinctively, her fingers wove through his blue hair while his strong arms supported her waist. Lissa was still staring at her sister through the glass, smiling softly.

He finally broke from the kiss when he noticed how shallow her breathing was becoming. Robin blushed under his intense, loving gaze, averting her eyes to their feet.

"Gods, I love you." He kissed her temple.

"It..." She breathed in. "It isn't much, Chrom."

Chrom shook his head. "I...I hadn't come to terms with her death, I didn't think I'd ever be able to. Even Lissa was trying to mask her sadness."

"I know," she chuckled sadly, "I'm sorry, but that's why I..."

"That's why you didn't want to marry me yet. Because I couldn't be truly happy. You've..." he buried his face in the crook of her neck and began shaking. "You've...made me so...so happy. You've brought peace to my and my sister's lives. Even E-Emmeryn's. I love you. Damnit, I love you."

He began crying again and Lissa eyed her with a thankful smile. Robin reached out with what she could and Lissa, too, fell into her embrace. Both the king and the princess stayed there in her arms, letting their last remaining bouts of sadness flow out of their system. Robin had never remembered having a family she loved - but she guessed, this feeling would be the same.

The Exalt's funeral had a private and a public viewing. Seeing as the grave site couldn't accommodate the thousands of Ylisseans, they brought the casket to the public viewing area where the villagers paid their last respects. The next day, the memorial service was held when her body was lowered to the ground. Lissa's hands shook but she did not cry, nor did Chrom, who stood next to her with her hand in his. Robin stood a little further away, not knowing Emmeryn quite like the other Shepherds.

"You're selfless," Frederick said next to her, "despite not knowing how anyone in Ylisse would react to bringing painful memories of the Exalt's death, you decided to bring her back. Even with the risks."

Robin shook her head. "On the contrary, my intentions are selfish. I wished Chrom to be happy with me before I married him."

"No -" Frederick shook his own head. "You wished for both their happinesses. Even without you in the picture. For all you knew he could have pushed you out of his life - despite getting closure for her death. And yet, you pursued it with utmost dedication. Stop telling yourself that you are selfish, because deep within you, you agree with your real intentions."

They were silent for a while.

"I would've waited, you know. Waited for Chrom to be happy before I married him...even if it took forever. His and Lissa's happiness over mine."

"Our debts to you keep piling up, don't you think?" he said with a bit of humor.

"Ah, I wouldn't say they're debts. More like favors."

"You cannot expect to pull a stunt like this and not get anything in return. Nearly everyone in Ylisse absolutely adores you for what you've done."

"Then I hope I'll make a fine queen."

"So you've decided to answer His Majesty's proposal?" Frederick said slyly.

Robin bit her lip, turning away. She didn't make her intentions with Chrom clear before - whether she'd married him or not. Only that she told him that their relationship could only be possible after the war. He knew she loved him, but not exactly how much.

"Yes, I think...I think I finally will. He and Lissa finally deserve a new kind of happiness...hopefully from better things in the future."

The knight chuckled. "I hope you are talking about children. Ylisse will require many heirs, after all."

"W-We'll work on that later!" Robin pouted as he began laughing at her expression.

Frederick turned to walk away to where the Shepherds had been standing to get a final look of their Exalt. He stopped and said, without turning around even the slightest bit,

"For what it's worth...I think you'll make an excellent queen."

Lissa walked up to her, avoiding her eyes.

"Lissa?" Robin asked. Lissa suddenly threw herself into her arms, shaking but not crying.

"T-Thank you...my sister."

A large banquet was held in the Great Hall for those closest to the former queen. Dignitaries and other political figures were not invited, only Flavia and Basilio were the ones who did not belong to Ylisse. It was a bittersweet occassion, all of the Shepherds finally letting loose and having themselves a good time. Though her death would be hard to get over, they at least saw a light at the end of the tunell, which had given them newfound hope for a better future.

Robin, who was exhausted from the past few days, stayed in a balcony that overlooked the halidom. Because their party was more private, the townspeople had their own celebration at the center of the town. The night was beautiful, a full moon glowing over them as if it were Emmeryn herself, still watching over her people.

She felt a new presence approach her from behind, leaning against the balcony's railing next to her.

"I don't think I could ever repay you, Robin." Chrom's voice was thick with emotion.

She smiled. "I never expected anything back, Chrom. I only wished for you to be happy."

"How I came across a wonderful woman like you," he brought her closer and kissed her hair, "I'll never know."

"I do hope you don't say that to every woman," Robin teased with a small but loving smile. The way he looked at her left her breathless. Could she truly be marrying this man? This man who held so much compassion for his people? If anything, she didn't know what she did to deserve him at all.

He leaned closer to her and her own eyes closed in anticipation. "I wouldn't dream of it."

Chrom kissed her with a newfound passion, much different from before. This time, she could feel that he wasn't holding back and that he was finally letting her in. Her lips parted in sync with his, her toes curling as his tongue explored the new territory. He had her cornered against the railing where she felt herself being pressed onto. His hands supported each side of her, each resting on her waist. Chrom's touch sent shivers down her body, which she felt him smirking as he felt it.

They parted, flushed and breathless. Chrom buried his face into her neck, taking a deep breath. She, in turn, kept her fingers on the back of his neck, massaging it with care. They both wanted each other - loved each other. She could hardly believe how their relationship escalated from a man finding a woman in a field, to lovers who had infinite passion for each other.

He then whispered, "Marry me...please."

She paused, grinning teasingly.

"Only because you said please."

Meiwa Says: Finally, some Chrom and Robin action! I think that the story is so much better when you marry Chrom, there's just so much feels. Or maybe it's just me, that being my OTP. I always thought of their relationship as something awkward, sweet yet light and teasing since Chrom is so clueless and Robin is so witty but shy when it comes to lovey-dovey stuff.