Jealousy

Friendship isn't the only invisible tie that binds them together. Robin, Cordellia, Severia, Morgan, and even Chrom are connected by less noble ties as well.

I do not own Fire Emblem.

It's not all so bad as that, of course. Jealousy does silly things to people: it makes us forget what we have, it colors our perceptions of what is real, it makes us forget about what we care about, and why we care.

Jealousy, after all, can't exist without love to feed it… and sometimes there's more to love than what we notice. Consider the less biased perspective:

Cordelia may sigh for Chrom, but she smiles for her husband who always returns. She herself is a woman with split affections, but her loving marriage is genuine.

Robin may be Chrom's man by day, but it's for the wife who loves him back that he leaves at night. His best friend and his beloved may be different people, but he can cherish them both.

Severa may feel neglected in her father's attentions, but she is not ignored or forgotten. He may not be able to teach her, as is her way, but his small gestures show his sentiment, and he can only rely on her to look after Morgan because he knows her and trusts her.

Morgan may see Severa's current behavior towards their family and be upset… but she has forgotten the tears wept long ago, the years her sister looked out after her in the darkest of times. Morgan may feel the loss of memories of family, but Severa and the rest are helping build new memories of family.

Chrom may feel he is losing a friend, but in truth his friend is gaining a family… just as Robin had to understand when Lucina came from the future. Their friendship has changed with time, but it is an evolution, not atrophy.

Love, in all its forms, is a tricky and powerful thing. It can lead us or deceive us. The invisible bonds the bind are not just the warm and noble feelings of friendship, camaraderie, and affection, but the other sort as well: anxiety, envy, and jealousy. Not because we don't care or love, but because we do.

Over time, this will show. When the war is over and a tactician not needed, Cordelia will see her husband attend her more often. When adversity is overcome and devotion proven, Robin's insecurities will fade and accept the simple truth. When acceptance allows her to open up and admit her frustrations, Severa's family will compensate and affirm their love for eachother. As Morgan builds new memories, she will ease her own fears and realize that her sister cares just as much as she does. When the war end and Robin keeps Chrom close, rather than leave with his family, Chrom will realize that rather than lose a friend he gained a family.

These problems, these errors in perception and mistaken beliefs, are not permanent fixtures. These are trials people overcome each day, trials fueled and solved the same thing. These are difficulties, caused by love, that can be solved with more love and understanding.

In other words, this story of envy and jealousy and familial anxieties… is actually one with a happy ending.

The other invisible ties that bind them wouldn't let it end any other way.

FIN

Author Note: The post-jealousy round-up. I made it expecting that some would find the previous five pieces dark, depressing, and certainly not optimistic.
In some respects, it reads like a family about to tear itself apart.

I disagree with that. Jealousy is rarely pretty, but it's certainly normal. Plenty of people deal with jealousy towards loved ones... and plenty of people remain with their loved ones despite it. I wanted to leave off with something similar, and so here it was.