Invisible Ties | Fire Emblem Awakening (Novelization)

Chapter 10: The Exalt and the King

Chrom

Chrom had been having nightmares about Plegia invading ever since the first village had burned. Every night, they became worse. War was declared sooner, the Plegian army defeated the Ylisseans quicker, and the dead citizens were of a greater number. Emmeryn had chided him for them at first, and eventually he'd just stopped telling her. She thought that the ruler of Plegia, King Gangrel, would soon become bored. He'd see that Ylisse would not retaliate when bandits were sent into her territory. Nothing would become of it.

But Emmeryn hadn't seen the villages as they'd burned or fought the brigands who had set them alight with smiles on their faces. She hadn't heard their threats or seen the look in their eyes.

Yes, Gangrel would get bored. And then he would make them play.

Five days after the Shepherds had reached Regna Ferox, they arrived back in Ylisstol. They spent the next week training hard and trying to monitor the Risen. Thankfully, there were few reports of them, and it was easy for the army to dispatch small groups of soldiers to quell the disturbance. Most of them came back alive. The situation seemed to be in hand.

The Shepherds were itching to put down some Risen themselves, but Chrom wouldn't hear of it. He needed himself and his militia to be in the castle at all times now, guarding Emmeryn. He knew that a war was coming, even if she denied it, and he knew that it was close.

That knowledge didn't stop the sinking feeling in his stomach when he was urgently summoned to the Great Hall one morning. He'd been on the training grounds with Robin, alternating between sparring with her and watching her use the pell. She'd never seen one before, so he'd started the training session with a demonstration that had sliced the damn thing in two. They were taking a break and laughing over the damage when the messenger arrived.

"M-milord!" someone shouted from behind.

The laughter died on Chrom's lips. He turned to see a frenzied boy running towards him.

"Milord, the exalt wishes to see you in the Great Hall with no delay!"

The messenger had started to run back again before Chrom could even open his mouth. His muscles locked in place; his legs frozen.

Robin touched his arm. Her hands were covered in gloves now, a pair of fingerless, soft leather ones that were Lissa's cast-offs. He knew it was to hide her mysterious brand, but neither of them had never mentioned it.

"Chrom?" she said. "Go."

He looked at her. Those brown eyes were blazing fiercely, as if she already knew what he was going to hear and was determined that she would fix it.

"Come with me," he said.

When she hesitated, he took her hand and pulled her along before he could think the better of it. For a moment, she resisted. Then she was at his side, and their quick walk turned into a run towards the castle.

Their entwined fingers made the raging storm in his head seem calmer. He did not know for certain that Plegia had declared war. This could be something else. But when they stepped indoors and he dropped her hand, it was harder to think that way.

He took the lead through the castle, letting the pounding of her feet as she ran behind calm him. And, stupidly, when he came to a stop in the doorway of the Great Hall, he let her gasp alarm him.

Messengers and soldiers were flying in and out. Emmeryn was standing in the middle of the room, looking smaller than he had ever seen her. Phila was shouting to be heard over the racket, gesturing with her hands wildly. Chrom had never seen her talk to the exalt in such a way before. Beside her, Harvey, Frederick, and Lissa stood, all looking equally upset.