Epilogue: Triumphant Return

The Shepherds returned to Ylisstol a week later. Chrom had asked the khans to return with him as well. Both had agreed, and travelled along with the Shepherds. They set a leisurely pace; for the first time since the Shepherds set off towards Regna Ferox to negotiate an alliance, there was no reason to hurry.

The march back to Ylisse was enjoyable for most. Fresh from their latest victory, the Shepherds had returned to their comfortable routines, enjoying their meals together and sharing tales, recounting their triumphs, and sparring with one another lightheartedly. Chrom and Sumia had not announced their engagement yet, but many of the Shepherds must have suspected it already, as the two now spent most of their day together, whether in dismal shared attempts at cooking, reminiscing of the past, or simply imagining their future together.

Several of the Shepherds were rather amused when, at last, one of their number succumbed to Virion's philandering antics. Of course, he had been rather subtle about it this time, and every Shepherd was rather surprised to see Virion join Olivia in one of her dances. Outside of her dancing, Olivia was spectacularly shy, but somehow, she was surprisingly comfortable around Virion, and the two danced gracefully together, entertaining the other Shepherds. Even crusty old Basilio found himself impressed.

Robin had tried to reach out to Cordelia, but his friend was clearly not ready to speak. She had been avoiding him ever since they left the Border Wastes. After a few failed attempts, Robin decided it was best to give the woman some space.

Besides, Robin found himself preoccupied. Lissa had noticed a bit of glumness in him, and had taken it upon herself to cheer him up, and several unfortunate frogs had mysteriously found their way into his torn robes one morning. Only upon removing the amphibians did Robin realize the state of his clothing. He sought out Gaius, bribing the rogue into patching them with his portion of that evening's dessert.

And so the journey went, the victorious heroes filling the pleasurable days with little, simple everyday things, as the Shepherds made their way home.

Their mood dampened considerably upon arriving in Ylisstol. As the castle came into view, the excitement of victory had worn off. Exalt Emmeryn was gone, and Prince Chrom would have to ascend to the throne. The kingdom had been ravaged by war. The arduous task of rebuilding would begin immediately, but winter was just a few short months away.

On top of that, they received messengers from the Feroxi army that had returned to the north, indicating that the risen remained, as did the remaining bandits that had taken to living in the wild. Refugees from a razed village were set upon by the undead as they made their way to their neighboring town, and saved only by the intervention of the homebound Feroxi army. The Ylissean armies in the south sent word as well; as Chrom had feared, they had suffered many losses at the Border Pass despite the short and one-sided battle. It was a grim reminder that rebuilding the peace would not be easy.

It was almost enough to change Chrom's mind about his announcement. But Robin recognized his friend's fears, and insisted that a bit of bright news was desperately needed. And so, the day after they returned to the castle, Prince Chrom announced his engagement to Sumia. He also officially accepted the throne, succeeding his sister, but forswore the title of exalt. Chrom declared the wedding to be held in only a week, in deference to the khans, who were naturally both invited. The khans were needed back in their own kingdom, but neither wanted to miss such a grand occasion. Both announcements brightened the mood considerably, for both Chrom's companions and the Ylissean populace.

As the wedding preparations began, many of the Shepherds began to consider their own futures. Several of them had been Ylissean knights to begin with, and clearly intended to remain at Chrom's side during the reconstruction. Stahl, Sully, Kellam, Vaike, and Frederick returned to their training immediately, knowing they would have to be at their best until new recruits and guards had been trained. Donnel had remained as well, deciding that his kingdom needed him more than his village.

Olivia and Lon'qu would be returning to Ferox with the khans after the wedding, although Lon'qu swore, in a surprisingly eloquent show of fealty, to stand by Chrom should the future exalt ever have need of his blade. Gregor expressed interest in returning to Ferox, having apparently spent some time there before, and Flavia pounced upon the opportunity, claiming her new champion for the next tournament. Virion, too, asked to accompany the Feroxi home after the wedding, as did Nowi, filled with childlike eagerness at the thought of the exciting happenings and new experiences.

Miriel returned to her study, bearing her new title of royal consultant. Robin thought at first that Chrom would lay the title of hierarch upon the scholarly woman, but he supposed the betrayal of the last hierarch must still have stung. Ricken joined her in the study as her assistant, while furthering his own studies. More surprisingly, Tharja asked to remain as well, offering her knowledge of dark magic. Apparently, she was none too attached to Plegia, and had no interest in the reconstruction of her own homeland.

Libra planned to return to the church of Naga, the divine dragon, in Ylisstol. Most of his brothers and sisters within the order had perished on the road in their attempt to aid the exalt, and Libra willingly shouldered the responsibility of rebuilding his order.

Chrom offered Captain Phila's post to Cordelia. She had been among the most competent of the Pegasus knights to begin with, and was the only survivor among them now. The woman did not accept the post immediately, to Chrom and Sumia's surprise, and asked for some time to consider it.

Maribelle and Lissa, of course, remained in the castle with Chrom. To Maribelle's annoyance, they were joined by Gaius. Chrom had asked Gaius to stay, in deference to the thief's understanding of security, and the rogue graciously agreed. Anna insisted on staying as well, and set up shop within the castle grounds, bringing exotic goods to Ylisstol. Chrom didn't truly believe her story about the many sisters with the same appearance, name, and profession, until one morning when he found three of Anna's sisters at the makeshift market stall, each of them introducing herself as "Anna, the Secret Seller." They really did look identical.

That left Robin, wondering about his own place in all this. Strangely enough, though he was clearly welcome, and hailed as the hero who had dealt the final blow to the Mad King on top of the laurels he had already earned as the legendary strategist and tactician, Ylisstol didn't feel much like home. Besides, what use did Ylisse have for a tactician now that the war was over?

But, three days before the wedding, Chrom summoned Robin to his side, with two surprising requests.

"Will you by my best man?" Chrom asked, as Robin approached the throne. Robin's eyes widened.

"Best man? Wouldn't Frederick be more suitable?" Robin asked, shocked. "He's been at your side all your life, and I've known you for only a couple months."

"Those couple months were among the hardest of my life," Chrom explained. "And you were there for me throughout it. Even though it hasn't been long, already I feel as if I've known you forever, and besides, how many times have I placed my life in your hands?"

"I guess for me, it really has been forever," Robin remarked. "But what about Frederick?"

"Frederick would refuse," Chrom said. "It's not an appropriate appearance for his station as a knight, no matter how close we truly are. And besides, Frederick would agree that you have earned this honor."

"I… alright then, I guess," Robin said. "Thank you."

Then Chrom laid an even more surprising request on Robin. "Also, if you're willing, I'd like to make you Ylisse's hierarch."

Robin's eyes widened. "Chrom, I don't know the slightest thing about ruling a country, I'd be a terrible hierarch."

"You can't be worse than the last hierarch," Chrom said with a smile. "I have faith in you. You've never truly let me down before. Even when… even when Emmeryn was captured, you still got us further than any of us could have imagined, and helped us escape with our lives."

"I… I'll have to think about it," Robin said weakly, not entirely sure what to make of the offer.

"Alright. Nonetheless, take that with you," Chrom said, gesturing towards a small wooden coffer on the table. Robin opened it, and his jaw dropped when he found the coffer full of gold coins. Before he could protest, Chrom explained, "Don't worry – we can afford it. The messengers have returned from Plegia's new king, a man named Validar, and he seems quite agreeable thus far. And Flavia was right, Plegia does have quite the treasury, enough to rebuild all three of our kingdoms with a few fortunes leftover. This is the Shepherds thanks for your service these past months. If you do find yourself walking a different road, we owe it to you to support you however we can."

Robin shook his head, trying to find the words to reject the generous offering, but Chrom forestalled his protests. "Please, Robin. It's not as much as you think, certainly not considering what you have done for all of us."

"A-Alright," Robin stammered, closing the lid of the heavy coffer and lifting it. "Thank you, Prince."

"Chrom," the Ylissean sovereign corrected. "I've never been much for formalites, remember?"

The wedding ceremony itself was extravagant and beautiful. Robin felt rather uncomfortable, present in a fancy nobleman's outfit that Frederick had insisted he wear. But no one looked or felt more uncomfortable than Chrom himself. Part of it was the nervousness, which Frederick assured every man claimed to feel on his wedding day. But part of it was guilt, relating to the enormous expense of the wedding, with a difficult winter closing in for Ylisse. "It's not for you," Robin reminded. "It's for the people, a joyous occasion to remind them that our future is bright." That set Chrom at ease a little, but only a little.

Sumia had chosen her best friend from childhood, Cordelia, as a bridesmaid. To Robin's surprise and relief, Cordelia seemed to be quite cheerful. It had been days since he'd last seen her, but now she looked as pleased as anyone else in the audience, happy to take part in her best friend's beautiful day. The ceremony went off without a hitch, without anyone tripping or stuttering over their lines.

Then the feast began, and the Ylissean chefs and pastry artisans put on their best show to impress the nobles and the visiting khans. As Chrom and Sumia made their way through the crowd, each of the guests greeted and congratulated the happy couple as they enjoyed the fabulous food and drink that crowded every table in the great banquet hall.

An hour later, Robin's collar began to itch, and the air of excitement began to feel stifling. The food had been appetizing, but he found that he wasn't really hungry despite not eating at all that day. Somehow, he just felt out of place here. It wasn't that he was alone – some of the Shepherds waved to him as they passed, others sat down to talk, and plenty of the Ylissean nobles were fascinated with the tactician and begged for tales of the war. More than one of them even offered him a career in political consulting, offers that Robin rejected graciously. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Tharja staring straight at him. He was well-liked, and could certainly live a good life here, but somehow, he still felt like something was missing.

It was then that he noticed Cordelia leaving. The beautiful bridesmaid had casually made her way across the banquet hall, around the edges, without disturbing the other guests, and Robin turned just in time to see her step out. He clashed with his own thoughts for a moment. He no longer entertained any romantic notions regarding Cordelia. Not because he didn't like the woman; a sense of longing still nested in his heart. But Cordelia didn't need any more emotional complications right now, Robin knew. She needed a friend she could talk to.

Robin shrugged, his heart heavy, as he, too, rose to his feet and quietly excused himself. Robin didn't know if Cordelia would be ready to talk. But if he wanted to call himself her friend, at the very least, he had to try. With that decided, Robin made his way to the door.

He found himself accosted by the princess herself, just as he stepped into the quiet hallway.

"Where are you going?" Lissa asked suspiciously. "It's a wedding, Robin! People don't leave weddings early!"

Robin shrugged. "I just need to get some air."

Lissa rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, mister gloomy pants. You're turning into Frederick. It's time to relax a little and goof off! You can be all serious later."

"I thought you liked Frederick," Robin remarked lightly, as he set off, wondering where Cordelia could have gone. He then realized, he still didn't really know his way around the castle very well. Thankfully, Lissa was following him, so at least he would be able to make his way back later.

Lissa rolled her eyes again. "I do like Frederick, but I can only stand one Frederick in my life. If you start ignoring all my pranks too, I'll probably die of boredom. Nobody else does that rubbery thing with their face like you do."

"Rubbery thing?" Robin asked, confused. "I do a rubbery thing with my face?"

"Uh-huh," Lissa confirmed. When Robin didn't say anything further, she realized something much heavier was weighing upon her dear friend. "What are you really doing out here, Robin?" she asked, noting that the tactician was looking around every corner, searching for something.

"I was hoping to find Cordelia," Robin admitted, absentmindedly. "She looked a bit upset, seeing Chrom getting married to her best friend and all, and I thought she might want to talk about it."

Lissa looked confused. "Why would she be upset about that?"

"Wasn't it you and Sumia who were telling me about how big of a crush she had on Chrom?" Robin reminded, a harsh edge creeping into his voice.

"Yeah… but that was a long time ago. And I guess while she was a Pegasus knight. And I don't know if she ever really loved him," Lissa admitted. "She was just infatuated, I think. She never even found the courage to talk to Chrom when we were little. She didn't really know him at all. Years ago, she used to talk about Chrom all the time, but she's barely talked about him since she joined the Shepherds."

Just then, Robin spotted the lovelorn Pegasus knight, sitting alone out in the training yard. "Sure looks like she's over him," he commented wryly. Lissa frowned, wondering if she should say something, but Robin didn't wait for an answer, and slowly made his way across the yard, over to where Cordelia was sitting.

Cordelia didn't even seem to notice the platinum-blond tactician approach. "What does she have that I don't?" Cordelia quietly mumbled to herself. But Robin was close enough to overhear, and shot Lissa a sad look before sitting down besides Cordelia, startling her. "Robin? What are you doing here?" Cordelia asked, surprised to see him appear suddenly by her side.

"You looked pretty upset. I thought you might like someone to talk to," Robin offered quietly.

Cordelia turned, noting Lissa's silent arrival. "I'm fine," she said shortly. "Sorry to worry you."

"You're not fine," Robin said with a heavy sigh. "You haven't been yourself since we killed Gangrel. Since you saw Sumia run up to Chrom that day. It was pretty unexpected, after all."

"It was?" Cordelia asked, with a frown. "I thought everyone already knew Sumia had feelings for him. And you said…" she began, but she paused, seemingly unable to complete the thought.

"Well, even if you knew, it doesn't make it hurt any less, does it?" Robin asked kindly. Cordelia remained silent.

Lissa groaned. She couldn't help it. Her friends were both really quite oblivious. She found it quite cute, but they definitely needed a nudge in the right direction. "Cordelia, Robin thinks you're still pining after Chrom."

At that, Cordelia turned and looked at Robin blankly.

"You aren't?" Robin asked, returning the blank expression. When Cordelia shook her head, he was more confused than ever. "Wait, then… okay, I think I missed a turn in this conversation somewhere. What has you so upset if it isn't Chrom?"

"I… I saw how you looked at her, back at the Border Wastes," Cordelia stammered. Then she fell silent.

"Her?" Robin found himself completely bewildered. He racked his mind frantically, trying to figure out just who he was supposedly looking at, and why it would bother Cordelia in the slightest.

After several moments of awkward silence, Robin put the pieces together, and clarity dawned upon him at last. He remembered his own cryptic riddle, the source of this miscommunication, and groaned at his own obliviousness. This wasn't about Chrom, after all.

Cordelia's eyes widened, as she began to understand Robin's evasive answers and strange behavior over the past few days. "You… you weren't talking about Sumia?" Cordelia asked hesitantly, but in a hopeful tone. "You thought I was in love with someone else? With Chrom?"

Robin tried to put his thoughts into words for several heartbeats, but the sudden surge of emotion made it difficult. Finally, he settled for wrapping his arms around the surprised woman in a tight embrace, his lips brushing against hers.

Cordelia, shocked, remained still for a moment, before returning his kiss passionately. When they separated a few seconds later, a rather awkward expression had made its way onto Robin's face. He could still feel his heart pounding. He turned to see Lissa beaming at them both.

"Everything sorted out now?" Lissa asked brightly. Cordelia and Robin both nodded numbly. "Great. Let's head back to the party then. Maybe the dancing isn't over yet."

"I don't remember how to dance," Robin protested.

"I'll show you," Cordelia offered, leaning forward and tugging at his arm insistently. Robin didn't really need much convincing.

"Well, alright then," Robin said with a shaky smile. The couple stood and followed Lissa back into the great hall, hand in hand.

The food and drinks had only just been set aside, the tables pushed to the walls, and most of the guests were already dancing when they returned.

It was a rather amusing sight to behold, especially for the noblemen spectators who were accustomed to grand celebrations. Some of the dancers were clearly too drunk to remain standing for long. Flavia and Basilio held their liquor rather well, but the Feroxi style of dance was faster paced, with many sharp turns and movements, and clashed terribly with the elegant steps of the Ylisseans. Virion and Olivia, on the other hand, were practically a work-of-art with their carefully rehearsed and delicate movements. The two had even worked a sword into their dance routine, flipping and passing the weapon back and forth gracefully.

To Robin's amusement, Lissa managed to drag Frederick onto the dance floor. Though his face remained stoic, there was no trace of his usual stern, tense demeanor. Frederick actually seemed to be enjoying himself for once.

Sumia and Chrom were there as well, and when Sumia spotted Cordelia and Robin together, her expression became one of pure delight. For a moment, it looked like she was ready to stop dancing and race over to hug and congratulate her best friend, but Chrom didn't seem ready for their dance to end quite yet.

The first few steps were rather awkward for Robin, but he was a quick learner, and soon he found himself following Cordelia's lead gracefully. As he noted the serene expression on her face, he realized that even though Ylisstol still didn't quite feel like home, the strange, hollow feeling had left his heart.

Robin awoke rather late the next morning. It was actually rather nice to wake up in a soft bed each morning, covered in warm sheets, he thought. But something about it still felt a little unfamiliar, after all the evenings he spent in tents on the road.

When they returned to Ylisstol, Chrom had ordered a room set aside for each of the Shepherds. The room was far more inviting than the rooms Flavia had offered them back in Plegia, on that first journey. It even had a tub of water for bathing. "It almost feels too luxurious," Robin remarked, as he cleaned himself off.

Now that the wedding was over, he was reminded of Chrom's offer from a few days before. The feeling of awkwardness during the wedding confirmed his uneasiness about getting embroiled in politics, but Chrom certainly deserved an answer. And even if he was uncomfortable here in the castle, Robin still hoped he could assist Chrom in rebuilding Ylisse.

An idea formed in his head as he dried himself and donned his normal clothing and robe, and he set off for the throne room.

As he made his way towards the throne room, he was joined by Cordelia. He blushed slightly, remembering the dancing from the night before, and their kiss in the training yard. "Good morning, Cordelia," Robin said with a smile.

To his relief, her expression mirrored his. "Good morning," she said warmly. "Where are you headed?"

"I need to see Chrom," he said. "He made me an offer a few days ago and I think I'm finally ready to answer."

Cordelia nodded, understanding immediately. "I should probably do the same," she admitted.

"You'd make a great captain," Robin remarked lightly. "No one handles a Pegasus quite like you do." Cordelia shrugged, and seemed lost in her own thoughts, and Robin decided it was best to leave her to her thoughts a little longer.

When they arrived at the throne room, only Miriel, Chrom, and Sumia waited within. Chrom was finally sitting upon his throne, and a smaller throne had been added at his side for his beloved wife. Miriel sat at the conference table, which had been moved back to the side of the room. There was no sign of the cots that Sumia had dragged in there before, Robin noted, ruefully remembering the time he had spent essentially living in this room. Cordelia politely waited at the door, motioning for Robin to enter first, but Sumia had spotted them and gestured enthusiastically to them both, bidding them to approach together.

"I can't believe it!" she said excitedly, as Robin and Cordelia stepped closer, abashed. "You two are so adorable together!"

"Good morning, Robin," Chrom greeted, a wide smile on his own face. "You enjoyed the evening, I hope?"

"I did," Robin admitted. "Thank you."

"So, did you make a decision?" Chrom asked, correctly guessing the reason for the tactician's visit. Sumia and Cordelia both looked at them curiously – apparently, Chrom had kept the offer to his tactician friend private.

"Maybe," Robin replied. "But Chrom, you know what I am. I'm a tactician, a swordsman, and I dabble in magic. None of that will guide you in ruling a kingdom at peace. I would make a terrible hierarch."

Sumia and Cordelia's eyes both widened as they understood the offer Chrom had made. "Robin, you have everything it takes to make a good hierarch. You have my trust, and the trust of my friends and our people," Chrom reminded gently. "You hold a love for the Ylissean people, even though you yourself might not even be from Ylisse. And, if you accept the post, I'm sure you would be as determined as always to help however you can."

"The hierarch is a political position, first and foremost," Robin protested.

"Our last hierarch was a political man," Chrom corrected. "And look where that got us. If you don't feel comfortable with it, I won't push you, but I don't expect you to become anyone else if you accept the position. You'll still be Robin, our brave friend and tactician, and you would be perfectly welcome to do whatever you think is best for our kingdom."

Robin smiled slightly. Maybe Chrom's offer and his intended counter-offer could be one and the same. "What will become of the Shepherds?" Robin asked. Chrom looked startled by the seemingly abrupt change in subject. "Ylisse will still need them, with the risen and bandits on the loose," Robin explained.

"I hadn't thought of that," Chrom admitted, looking uneasy. "See, this is why I need a hierarch," he added with a self-deprecating laugh. "I need someone with a good head on his shoulders to keep me from overlooking the obvious."

Robin nodded, silently accepting the compliment. "I know it's a lot to ask, but as you probably can't lead the Shepherds yourself any longer, at least for the time being… may I have the honor of leading the Shepherds in your place? As hierarch, captain, tactician, or whatever other title you would lay upon me."

"Done," Chrom said without hesitation. "Hierarch Robin, I leave the Shepherds in your care," he said, with a dramatic air. At his side, Sumia giggled at the mock formality, and pretty soon, all of them were laughing, even Miriel, who had been eyeing them curiously from the side. "Thank you, Robin," Chrom added, in his normal voice, as the laughter subsided. "I'm not too cut out for this job either, to be honest."

"You're welcome," Robin said quietly. "And thank you for the offer. To be honest I had been wondering about my own future for some time now, and this makes things way simpler."

"No matter what, you'll always be one of us," Chrom assured. Then he turned to Cordelia. "What about you, Cordelia? Have you made a decision? I still think Captain Phila would have been proud to have you as her successor."

Cordelia glanced at Robin. Then, after a few seconds, she shook her head. "I'm sorry, milord. It's kind of you to offer, but I don't think I'm ready."

"Cordelia, you're the best Pegasus knight in all of Ylisse," Sumia protested. "And you're an amazing teacher too – most of what I know about Pegasi was stuff you taught me years ago when we were little. And my flying only improved when you joined us. You're as ready as anyone could ever be!"

"That's not what I mean," Cordelia clarified, shaking her head. "I don't think I'm ready to leave the Shepherds yet. When I found the Shepherds, I found my friends again, and a real family. And maybe something more," she added, with another shy glance at Robin, who smiled. "So I'd rather stay with the Shepherds for now," she concluded.

Sumia's expression seemed to melt at her words. Chrom smiled and nodded acceptingly, then turned to Robin. "I can't believe you. You've been hierarch for less than five minutes and your first act is to steal our best candidate for a new captain of the Pegasus knights?" he said, with a laugh.

"I humbly apologize. It won't happen again, milord," Robin said, mimicking Chrom's dramatic, formal flair from a moment earlier. All the friends shared another laugh.

"We'll notify all the Shepherds that remain," Chrom said finally. "We'll announce Robin's appointment formally tonight. In the barracks, I think, since that would be more appropriate. In the meantime, you both should relax while you can. You know how busy a Shepherd's life can be." Robin turned to leave, but Cordelia, to his surprise, seemed to have something more to say. He shot her a questioning look.

"Actually, I wanted another word with our prince and queen," she admitted. "I'll see you later, Robin."

"Alright. See you later," the hierarch answered, stepping out of the throne room, wondering whether he'd bitten off more than he could chew. Chrom had always been an inspiring leader to the Shepherds, holding their unwavering loyalty, but Chrom had a country to rule. They would just have to settle for an amnesiac tactician, it seemed.

"Robin needs a new weapon," Cordelia said, once the tactician had departed.

The story of the Mad King's enchanted Levin sword and magic-resistant clothing, and Robin's clever ploy with the lantern oil had spread far and wide, embellished with each telling, until it became a legend of its own. While the part where Robin's shoddy weapon had yielded to Gangrel's might made the story more exciting for the bards, Chrom hadn't been too pleased when he heard his best friend had nearly died to something as simple as carrying an inferior, damaged weapon. "Definitely," Chrom agreed.

"We could ask Anna," Sumia proposed. "She said she might be able to find a Levin sword, remember? That could be fitting."

"Robin can use magic without an enchanted sword," Cordelia remarked. "I think he'd prefer a more conventional weapon."

"Hmm… it wouldn't be anything extravagant, but you could check our armory," Chrom offered. "I know it's not much, but there were a couple weapons that looked too rusty to use. Maybe we could find a smith and have one of them reforged. I would commission a brand new weapon for him, but Miriel informed me earlier today that we are suffering from a shortage of metal right now." Chrom glanced deferentially at the mage, who was now poring over large charts and spreadsheets.

"That will work," Cordelia said, nodding. "Thank you. I'll go take a look and let you know if I find something suitable."

Chrom shook his head. "Take whatever you need," he said graciously. "And some coin to pay the smith. By the way, do me a favor and look after Robin for me. Sometimes, I worry that he isn't taking care of himself."

"I'm pretty sure he learned that from you," Sumia teased, poking Chrom gently.

Most of the weapons in the armory were in rather bad condition, but Cordelia did find a silver sword that seemed promising. It looked like a stock weapon, but it was in fairly good condition. Strangely enough, the hilt was more worn than the blade, indicating it had probably been used as a ceremonial weapon. Most Ylissean soldiers didn't care for their weapons particularly well, and wear and tear along their blades built up quickly.

With the sword in one hand and a small pouch of gold that Miriel had given her in the other, she set off to the blacksmith's shop nearest to the castle. The blacksmith there had lent her the forge before when she was creating javelins. Cordelia knew she wasn't an expert smith, but still, she found the thought of re-forging Robin's blade herself rather appealing.

She ended up spending the bulk of the afternoon working on the sword, reshaping the blade slightly and Some of the gold was spent on the new leather grip and the small, flawless ruby that she had encrusted into the weapon's pommel. Finally, she had quickly carved a small seal and with it, added an inscription on the guard: Eternity.

She traded the rest of the gold to the smith for a fine, decorated leather scabbard. Then, noting that the sun was beginning to set, she thanked the smith again and set off for the castle barracks.

Several of the Shepherds were gathered in the barracks already when Cordelia made her entrance. The knights: Kellam, Sully, Stahl, and Frederick, were in attendance of course, as were Vaike and Donnel. To Cordelia's surprise, Lissa, Maribelle, Ricken, and Gaius were also present. Chrom was standing easily near the wall, with an uncomfortable Robin standing beside him.

Upon seeing Cordelia, Chrom stepped forward and clapped loudly, quickly gaining the attention of everyone in the room. The Shepherds instantly fell silent.

"Hey everyone," he began informally. "I called you all here to thank you once again. Without all of your help, even those who have returned to their own lives and thus aren't with us tonight, we could never have come as far as we have. But I'm afraid I have a kingdom to attend to now." A chorus of soft laughter rang out at that last remark.

Chrom continued with a smile. "Even though the Plegian threat is ended, I'm sure you've heard of the risen and bandits still plaguing our people. The kingdom still needs its Shepherds. Since I won't be able to lead the Shepherds myself, I came here to make a few last announcements. Lissa, Maribelle, Ricken, and Gaius will be joining you on the road once more, rather than staying in the castle as initially planned. Cordelia, too, has chosen to remain with the Shepherds."

Chrom gestured for Robin to join him, and the tactician stepped forward with a nervous smile.

"Finally, Robin has been named the new hierarch of Ylisse. But he will remain by your side, leading in my stead," Chrom explained. To Robin's relief, every Shepherd gathered shot him encouraging looks. Robin waved hesitantly to his friends, as Chrom gestured for Lissa and Cordelia to approach.

Lissa was carrying a large package wrapped in dark cloth. She laid the package down on a nearby table and unwrapped it, revealing a suit of light armor crafted from thin gold-leafed plates. Beside it, Cordelia laid down Eternity.

"Your new sword and armor," Chrom explained with a smile, seeing Robin's startled expression.

Robin stepped forward and examined the gifts. The new armor and weapon seemed oddly familiar to him. The armor was of undeniably fine make, custom-tailored for him. Just looking at it, he knew it would fit him perfectly, and could be worn underneath his robe. The sword was remarkably beautiful, and he drew it from the sheath, inspecting the gleaming silver blade with awe.

"T-Thank you," Robin stammered to Chrom. Then he turned to the other Shepherds. "Thank you all for trusting me, and for giving me this chance. I know I may never be as great a leader as Chrom was, but I promise, I will do everything I can to make him, and all of you, proud."

At that, there was a round of cheering. Chrom nodded approvingly before stepping out, leaving the Shepherds to their celebration, as Vaike dragged out a large keg of wine and a large basket of leftovers from the feast the night before. For hours, they drank and they ate, and they told stories of the memories they shared, both good and bad.

Robin wasn't much of a drinker. He sat near the edge of the room, swirling a glass of wine that he had barely touched, but it was clear he was as happy as anyone else in the room. As the night grew late, some of the Shepherds began to filter out, congratulating Robin one more time. Some of the Shepherds had simply passed out after a particularly competitive drinking contest.

Cordelia gestured to him as she, too, got up to leave, clearly wanting Robin to follow. Robin smiled and stood as well, but took one look around the room before he left. None of the discomfort he had felt upon returning to the capital remained.

Robin had found a home and future, after all.