Snow-Kissed Swords | Fire Emblem Awakening (Holiday Shepherds Book 3)

Chapter 6: A Divine Mystery

Robin: 24th December

I woke up with a start the next morning, my skin clammy. The robins were singing again outside, but my stomach was uneasy. That must have been what had woken me.

I could smell breakfast being cooked downstairs, and the Shepherds were starting to move around in the rooms next door. I slowly pushed myself upright and lit the candle on my bedside table.

Chrom stirred. "Mmm...Robin?"

I forced myself to smile. "Happy Divine Eve, sleepy. Everyone's getting up."

He opened his eyes and looked at me. "You're pale."

"I feel fine." I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and stood. "It must be the light."

As I only had two dress options, I put the green one on again, along with my cloaks, stockings, and boots. Chrom watched me for a while. Then he got up and dressed himself, leaving his hood down.

As I started towards the door, he caught me by the waist and turned me around in his arms. "Are you certain that you're all right?"

"Yes, Chrom." I eased away from him. "I suppose if I really look pale, then I must be tired after yesterday. But all we're doing today is sitting around and wrapping gifts. I'll be fine."

He sighed. "All right, then. Shall we go down to breakfast?"

I opened the door and took his hand. "Let's."

***

After witnessing my survival of breakfast, Chrom appeared to grow less concerned. We all disbanded to collect our shopping from our rooms, and then we came back downstairs again. As the village didn't sell cards, Frederick distributed equal amounts of parchment to us along with a few quills and pots of ink. Lyle found some more utensils, and then we all split into smaller groups at different tables to get started.

Chrom and I stayed at the table where everyone usually sat, the closest large one to the fireplace. Torin's seat next to the fire remained empty. I wondered who he was spending Divine Eve with.

We'd bought some paper and string to wrap the presents in at the Divine Fair yesterday, and so we spread everything out and got started. Like most of the Shepherds, we decided to write our Divine letters first. We tore the parchment up into smaller scraps and folded them over so that they vaguely resembled cards. Then we began to write.

Chrom and I mentally ticked off everyone's names together and wrote their cards in synchronisation, until, at last, we reached each other. Chrom moved to the other end of the table while we wrote our messages. I'd had to tear my pieces of parchment up so small that he had no great speech like I'd given him last year, but I hoped that he would like my heartfelt greeting all the same.

Next, we unveiled our presents together, taking care to compare them quietly. These, of course, were not identical for each Shepherd -- except one. As I had suspected, Chrom intended to give his Divine jar to the same person that I was intending to give mine to. After a quick discussion, we decided that she would probably appreciate the sugar overload, and so we pressed on with the wrapping.

I'd never actually seen Chrom wrapping presents before, but somehow I was hardly surprised when he instantly got himself into a mess.

"Oh, Chrom," I laughed, pulling his Divine jar towards me. "Should I do it? You haven't even covered all of the present in paper."

His head fell into his hands. "I don't know how. I tried."

"You could cut the string up for me, ready to be bound around the presents."