Edited in August 2017.
I don't own Fire Emblem Awakening.

fandom: fire emblem awakening
characters/pairings: emmeryn, female robin, minor virion and chrom
summary: robin knew that emmeryn was not only a kind queen, she was also a tactical one.

Queen in her glory

Robin and Virion had nothing in common except for their love for chess. He was a noble and she was a nobody, he fought from the rear while she fought in the front. Despite his strict upbringing, he had a very laidback personality while she was more earnest yet they bonded over the chessboard like two peas in the same pod. Spending time with him playing chess when she had some time off taught her the way one played chess mirrored the way they thought. As a case in point, while she had lost many times against him, it was she who had the most pawns left standing on the chessboard.

It demonstrated, Virion once explained to her when she had lost against him and had felt dejected, that while he cared more about the end—victory, that is—than the means—the pawns, Robin was on the contrary far more concerned about keeping the most pawns on the board, preserving the lives of her soldiers like she would have done had she been in a real-life situation.

It showed how fitted she was to be the army's tactician, Virion had told her with a reassuring smile, because she would never let one die under her care.

It was weird, Robin realised, to remember his words now, or perhaps it was because of the very situation they were in that she recalled this singular conversation. Either way, Virion was wrong. The current situation obviously proved him wrong. She had done nothing to stop Emmeryn from falling off the cliff when she knew she could have avoided this tragic outcome. Instead, Robin had stood in grave silence as she watched the queen fall. The cries, the anguish of her saviors still echoed in her ears and she almost felt guilty for letting Emmeryn die.

Almost.

She should have helped her—Lissa and Chrom had found her, helped her when she had no one to turn to, given her shelter, offering her friendship and trust. They had given her so much that the least she could do to repay their benevolence was to save their beloved sister and yet, Robin let her die knowing she had the power to rescue her. She was a damned brilliant tactician, and what a disgrace she made of her class!

No, that was not true. It was exactly because she was a brilliant tactician that she let the queen fall. Her death was inevitable—no, she corrected herself, it was necessary.

Robin knew Chrom would never understand his sister's decision. Neither would Lissa nor the rest of the Shepherds. They were all good people, fighting for a cause they believed in but they were impulsive and oftentimes reckless. The sort to be easily led by emotions and stronger were these emotions, frailer their hearts could become. It was not a bad thing per se but were they led by negative emotions, Robin knew they would at one point destroy themselves along with their enemies.

Vengeance should not be the trigger to allow them to kill Plegian soldiers. Emmeryn entrusted her siblings and her people to her because she knew she would never let her emotions take over her rational mind. She would not let Chrom and the Shepherds kill any Plegian that would cross their path under the pretense of justice because it would not be justice, merely selfishness. The king was at fault, not its people.

She would lead them onto the right path instead of their queen and she will make sure her sacrifice would not be in vain. Sacrifice… indeed, everyone would call the queen's last act a sacrifice but Robin knew better.

Her final act, Robin would call it a winning move. A blessing in disguise.

Emmeryn's death made emerge a path that would lead them to victory—Robin was sure that she saw it too when she stood on the cliff. She had also seen that path that would lead Ylisse to peace and that was exactly the reason she chose to forfeit her own life.

For Ylisse.

Victory always tasted sweet when she played against Virion.

This time, victory will leave a bitter aftertaste.

.

.

"I promise you, Chrom," Robin said, clutching his hand. "I promise you that Emmeryn's death will not be in vain."

She met his eyes, lost in madness, "I promise you Gangrel's head. I swear."

"Good," his answer was curt and furious, and he squeezed back her hand so roughly Robin barely stopped herself from whimpering in pain. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

.

.

"What would you choose between your queen and your pawns, Robin?" Emmeryn once asked, a warm smile blossoming on her face when their eyes met above the chessboard.

Robin raised an eyebrow, a little taken aback at the unexpected question. "The queen is the most powerful piece on the board, more powerful than the king himself," she pondered as she took her black queen in her hand, staring thoughtfully at the piece as she played it between her fingers. "However, any pawn, even the weakest can be as useful as the queen when one knows how to play. Therefore, I would choose to sacrifice my queen rather than my pawns to win."

Her companion chuckled softly and Robin looked up at her, startled. Emmeryn eyed the board, tactfully ignoring her inquiring eyes.

"I, too, would choose to sacrifice my queen because this piece," she admitted as she took her white queen in her hand, staring at it blankly. "This piece can be replaced by any pawn on the board. The pawns are more important than the queen."

She looked up, meeting Robin's gaze and smiled serenely. "I am the queen, Robin."

Emmeryn did not give her time to ponder over her confession and continued on. "What do you think Chrom is, Robin?"

It hit her, then—the epiphany. Robin's eyes widened and she forced the answer out of her lips, a mere murmur barely audible but the queen heard it anyway.

"King."

("I can be replaced.")

.

.

The king may finally move.

Checkmate.

.

.

Thank you for reading.