Allow me only to back up what Halfpenny has said. The fic is beautiful, well-written, and poignant. Its portrayal of Fred, Emmeryn, and Phila in particular are the best I've seen. It will wrench at your heartstrings.

For anyone stopping into the reviews to scope out the fic before reading, the lazy, immature commentary below isn't at all reflective of the quality of the piece. This fic is an absolute wonder and remains one of my top favorites of all time: spell-binding, poignant, and beautifully written. I'm still a little heartbroken that it's been abandoned, but what's here is still more than enough. I wish I could review it a thousand more times for all the joy it's given me.

"He must be in pain."

It's no wonder Gangrel hated Emmeryn when she was so condescending.

I love how i'm supposed to be enthralled by how noble and altruistic these people are with their first world problems but...i'm not.

I hate the way you portray the Feroxans. As if they're rude because they're not some tree hugging hippies who stupidly disbanded their nations army for some childish ideal about what peace is. I agree with the Khan, Emmeryn is a terrible leader.

The way you write FrederickxEmmeryn is so saccharine. Emmeryn needs someone to shove a boot in her ass and break her free of her childish delusions. Not someone whose gonna lick her boot.

Breaking an arm isn't a death sentence.

Emmeryn's too naive to be a good leader, it's why she met her end the way she did in the game.

This story was so thoughtful and well-written! I loved all the anecdotes about their childhoods, and I feel I understand both Frederick and Emmeryn better now that I've read this. :)

Ugh as someone who lived in America I totally relate to the "why don't you guys talk about sex" thing. You wrote the explanation really well! Why shouldn't we talk about sex? It's only natural. And hell, we're all products of it if nothing else.

I'm loving this story so much it's not even funny. And I totally agree with not being able to ship Frederick and Lissa! I've always thought of him as more of a brother or father figure for hero

I can honestly say this is the best piece of fanfiction I have ever read. I've adopted almost all of it's contents as headcanon because you write the characters in a very believable way. This is everything I've ever wanted in a story and more; I beg of you, please do not abandon it!

... I've been dragging my feet on this, because I knew the effort of trying to pack all of my Feels into a cohesive review that didn't dissolve into "THIS FIC OH GODDD NUGHHH;OIHASODH;OHI" was going to be an Olympic trial, but I can't undersell my love for this story. It has become its own element. There's something about the way you handle both the weighty topics and the seemingly insignificant topics that give them the exact same amount of gravitas, because all of those little side scenes and character notes eventually get woven up into the greater tapestry. I have a hard time pinning down exactly what it is about this writing style that resonates so well in me, but I think it has to do with your ability to include just exactly the right amount of detail in each scene. You handle everything with a deft touch, never staying longer than necessary, but never needlessly withholding details for the sake of drama, either. Everything comes exactly as it should, when it should.

I could go on and on about your success making Lissa realistically childish but not insufferably so - specifically, that 100% accurate observation of how a small child will sob inconsolably at a personal loss and completely forget about it the following year - and showing us hints of the man Chrom is striving to become under the shadow of his father, how even early on there are indicators of the greatness in him that men will follow in the future.

That said, you really pull out all the stops when you write Emmeryn, Phila, and Frederick. Emmeryn in particular is an amazing accomplishment, because that kind of Messiah-type character can become burdensome very quickly if not handled with a light touch. Somehow you make Emmeryn both imperfect and perfect in ways that aren't abrasive at any point, without ever overselling either quality. She is untested and makes mistakes, but those mistakes are products of her gentle heart, and we love her all the more for them. Both personas she uses - her public face and her personal one - are so very *human* that we end up loving her unconditionally as both a strong, compassionate leader, but also as an uncertain, inexperienced young woman, and never for a moment doubt why others might do the same.

Similarly, there's something about that way you write Phila that absolutely 100% jives with me. She is just so endlessly pitch-perfect here as the stern, no-nonsense captain that has been so militarized she has to be coaxed into admitting personal bias. The way she cautions Emmeryn against recruiting Frederick for the royal guard is a great example of this, because she argues first and foremost as a soldier, referencing Frederick’s youth and inexperience as the official factor for disqualification, and only very reluctantly admitting that she’s more concerned about the indications that he might be 'unwell' than she is about his age. In particular, the fact that she’s concerned enough to take note of a potentially dangerous character flaw in a soldier under her command, but distanced enough from his plight to let him either sort himself out or self-destruct trying, is so hardassed it’s almost kind of funny, especially when you consider that Frederick is only 15 at the time he’s first introduced. At the same time, it makes the half-exasperated, mostly-concerned way she deals with his illness later on more compelling, because we see as an audience that she’s gotten to the point where she cares enough for him to finally try to interfere somewhat with his self-destructive behavior. That progression of affection would’ve likely never occurred if it hadn’t have been for Emmeryn’s interference, and is a great example of how Emmeryn’s kindness has just as many tangentially-related consequences as it does direct ones.

This review is already monstrous, but I can’t stop without getting to my favorite part of this fic by far: your portrayal of Frederick. Honestly, it is spooky just how closely our perceptions of him match up. Specifically, the fact that he clearly Has Issues that the game enjoys making fun of, but it's evident to anyone who shares issues of similar hues that they are Real and Diagnosable Problems, and a lot of them can't be handwaved by his role in the game as foil to Chrom. What confirmed it to me was the s-rank between Frederick and Chrom, because that helpless, emotional crisis of 'I am worthless as a human being if I'm not helpful' is such a common indicator of childhood abuse that I felt uncomfortable they were making it into a joke. So when I read the chapter in which Frederick finally admits to it, it felt like the wind was knocked out of me, because YES. Yes. Even more heart-wrenching that he tried to defend the abusive parent, as so many children do ("I deserved it", "they only did it to toughen me up", "it wasn't really that bad") EVEN AS AN ADULT, even though his father is gone and can't hurt him anymore, because that’s the reality of abuse, and that’s the reality of the issues he's carrying with him as a result of it. The fact that your Frederick has tried so very hard to build himself up on that flawed foundation, and has had to do it with literally no support from anyone, even his fellow knights, is so achingly sad and wonderful and terrible and beautiful.

I’m not even sure ffnet will allow this behemoth, but I’ve gotten what I needed to say off my chest for the most part. THANK YOU A THOUSAND TIMES for creating this artwork, and for my primal desire for Frederick/Emmeryn to happen even though it will never, and for making me momentarily confused as to why there was no Frederick/Emmeryn social link available in the game until I remembered why, all because THIS FIC IS MY CANON. Whether you continue or not, know that you’ve already made a world of difference to this reader, and she's grateful for it.

Penny (hour_hath_struck )

Oh my goodness! Chrom and Lissa are the cutest little siblings ever! So kawaii! w

Why do you make me ship them so hard, Tiquis, why?!
I know they're just friends but, oh god, that moment when Fred sobs on her lap!
Good going, as always. I think the most important part about writing is to make the reader feel something. And you definitely do make me feel.