Archive of Our Own ^beta

A light breeze brushed over Robin as he laid out on the grassy field, staring up into the bright blue sky. He blinked lazily, not able to find it in himself to move. It had literally been weeks since their small ragtag army had had such beautiful weather, and none of them wanted to take it for granted. So, they stationed themselves in the field for the day to rest up and stock up on supplies before heading back to Plegia.

While everyone else was busy readying their weapons and training, Robin took that as an opportunity to gather his thoughts and get the huge weight that had been lingering around off of his shoulders. He didn’t need to come up with any plans as of right now, as both Chrom and Frederick were out scouting the nearby area. And in a way, he was grateful for that.

The past few weeks had been excruciatingly difficult for their entire group, but especially for Robin. Hearing that Validar was his father, that Validar was planning on reviving Grima, and knowing that his father had the power to make him do anything that he wanted, whether Robin wanted to or not, left the Grandmaster in sour spirits. Of course, many of his friends had tried to pick him back up, telling him that they still trusted him and that it wasn’t his fault. Robin appreciated the thought, he really did. But…he just couldn’t find it in himself to believe what they were saying.

How could they trust the son of Validar, the one who would end up betraying their king (albeit, against his will) and bringing despair across the land? It just didn’t make any sense to Robin.

Gritting his teeth, Robin clenched his eyes shut and let out a rough sigh. A part of him wished that Chrom had just listened to Frederick back when they had found him abandoned on the ground and just let him go. Maybe then, he wouldn’t be causing him all this trouble. But then again, if they had never met, Robin may have ended up being used by Validar, perhaps without question.

It was a precarious situation either way.

Slumping against the ground, Robin opened his eyes again and watched as the clouds slowly went past. He really hoped that things turned out alright. He couldn’t bear the thought of being the reason that Grima is brought back.

A shadow suddenly blocked out the sun, causing him to raise his eyebrows in question. Looking up, Robin narrowed his eyes as he tried to make out the figure standing over him. It took a few moments, since the change in lighting cause the figure to appear blacked out. But once his eyes adjusted, he saw that the figure was actually Stahl.

“Hey there, Robin. What are you doing down there?” Stahl asked with a bright smile on his face.

Not able to resist the urge to smile himself, Robin pushed himself off of the ground, brushing the grass off of his clothing. “Just gathering my thoughts. What about you? I thought you were training with the rest of the guys.”

Stahl chuckled and nodded his head, walking around so that he wasn’t standing behind Robin. His armor creaked as he walked. Once he was in front of Robin, the Paladin knelt down to the ground, maneuvering himself until he was comfortable. “I was. We just finished training for the day. Although, I should be asking why you weren’t there. Normally, you jump at the chance to practice with us,” Stahl pointed out.

Humming in agreement, Robin just shrugged his shoulders and looked away from Stahl. He could feel the Paladin’s questioning gaze, but he didn’t say anything in response. Truth be told, he probably would be more of a hindrance on the training ground, since his thoughts were consumed elsewhere.

The feeling of a hand on his shoulder shook robin out of his thoughts, cause him to snap his head back towards Stahl. There was a concerned expression on his friend’s face, a look that he was more than familiar with nowadays.

“What’s wrong, Robin? You’ve been caught up in that little head of yours ever since we saw that new Plegian king,” Stahl stated, frowning in thought.

Robin winced at the mention of his…father before sighing. Stahl was one of the few people left who still wasn’t aware of his upbringing, as he wasn’t at the battle at the time. “What exactly has Chrom told you about the new Plegian king?” Robin asked hesitantly, wringing his hands together.

Humming curiously, Stahl tilted his head to the right for a moment before shrugging his shoulders. “Just that he’s dangerous and needs to be taken down as soon as possible. Why? Was there something else that we’re supposed to know?”

Robin opened his mouth before stilling, looking at the Paladin in front of him. There was an expectant look on Stahl’s face, along with that childlike innocence that always hit Robin right in the gut. It was a wonder that the older male was actually someone who could cut down an army of enemies with ease, given his innocent smile and demeanor. And because of that innocence, it made it hard for Robin to keep quiet about the situation.

Out of everyone in the army, he trusted Stahl the most. Behind Chrom, of course. Stahl was always there for him, defending him at a moment’s notice and helping him out if he was about to die. He could recount several times where he would have died had Stahl not been there to intercept or deflect the attack. He owed his life to the Paladin, for he knew for a fact that he would be lying feet beneath the ground if it wasn’t for him.

He just couldn’t lie to someone that he felt so close to. So, giving a defeated sigh, Robin bowed his head down. “I didn’t mean for this to remain in the dark for so long…I didn’t even know about this until a few weeks ago…,” Robin trailed off.

Stahl remained silent, letting Robin continue on with his thought. There was no judgment on his face, only concern. Robin continued to wring his hands together, chest growing tighter and tighter by the second. He saw the Paladin walking towards him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. Robin released a harsh breath, giving a small smile in thanks.

“I…the new Plegian king…actually happens to be my father…,” Robin confessed softly, turning his eyes away so that he couldn’t see Stahl’s reaction.

The silence was deafening around him. The air felt thick around Robin and he felt as though he was going to throw up. In all honesty, he hadn’t wanted to tell anyone else about the horrid truth concerning his father. However, the Grandmaster had never been a good liar. He couldn’t keep something to himself if it ended up endangering the lives of his friends and comrades, especially to those he felt particularly close to.

Taking in a deep breath, with some difficulty, Robin blinked his eyes rapidly before looking up to the sky. “I can understand if you no longer trust me. I wouldn’t blame you, to be honest. Being associated with such a horrid man…it’s unthinkable.” How Chrom could even bare to keep him as his tactician, Robin had no clue.

“I really do hope that we can continue to be comrades in battle, Stahl, if you will allow that-,” Robin continued on, only to be cut off by a hand grabbing his wrist.

Eyes widening, Robin looked down to stare right into Stahl’s shocked eyes. “What are you talking about?” the older male asked in confusion.

“What…?” Robin asked back, just as confused.

Piercing his lips together, Stahl stared down at Robin with a serious expression, tightening his grip around the Grandmaster’s wrist. “I asked what you’re talking about. Why are you talking like I don’t want anything to do with you or something?”

Robin said nothing in response, about to break eye contact with Stahl. But before he could even turn his head, Stahl’s other hand shot out, grabbing the back of Robin’s neck and holding him in place. Robin’s eyes grew even wider, not quite sure how to react. On one hand, there was a small pit of hope in his stomach, thinking that maybe, just maybe, Stahl wasn’t actually mad or disgusted at all. But on the other hand, there was still the chance that Stahl didn’t quite understand just how dire the situation was. He was a bit innocent in that respect.

“Because I wouldn’t. Stahl, I’m the son of Validar. The same Validar who supposedly wants to resurrect Grima by using me as a sacrifice. The same Validar who can apparently control me at will, no matter how hard I fight back! Stahl, getting involved with me is a death wish! I could end up being the reason that we lose this war, just because of the blood running through my veins!” Robin shouted, quickly becoming distressed by the second.

Stahl flinched back at the sharp tone of his voice. Robin watched as his eyebrows furrowed in confusion before he released his breath roughly. He was quickly reaching the end of his rope and he wasn’t sure what to do or say anymore.

Seeming to understand his frustration, Stahl moved his hand away from Robin’s neck and reached down to grab Robin’s other wrist instead. The Paladin looked right into his eyes, face completely serious. “Robin, I don’t care if you’re Validar’s son, his nephew, or even his long-lost brother. I don’t care if you have Grima’s blood inside of you either. Sure, it’s pretty darn scary, but that doesn’t mean that you still aren’t our friend. We’ve been through thick and thin, so don’t you think that this is just another battle that we get to fight together?” Stahl asked with that darn smile of his.

Robin opened his mouth to protest, only to find himself suddenly being pulled forward by his wrists. Gasping, Robin stumbled into the Paladin’s arms, eyes wide in shock. His mouth was opening and closing, no noise leaving at all. After a few seconds of staying stiff in Stahl’s arms, Robin slowly relaxed, his eyebrows turning upwards before he clutched at the other male’s armor.

“Stahl…,” Robin trailed off, not quite sure what to say. He wanted to disagree, to call Stahl an idiot, and tell him that he shouldn’t want to help the guy who may end up getting Chrom killed. And yet, there was a small part of him that refused to let him do that. So, he just chose to remain silent, piercing his lips tightly together while clenching his eyes shut.

A hum left Stahl’s mouth before one of the hands around his wrist left and moved up to cradle the back of his head, bringing him closer to the Paladin. Robin rested his forehead against the cool metal of Stahl’s armor, shivering a bit.

“I’ll always be there for you, Robin. Even if you end up falling down, I’ll be there to pick you right back up,” Stahl said softly, wrapping his arms tighter around Robin’s small body. A faint smile could be seen on his face as he felt the younger male scoot a little bit closer to him and he bent his head down a bit to rest his cheek in the Grandmaster’s soft hair.

The two remained sitting there for the rest of the day, just basking in each other’s company until Chrom came upon them hours later in the same spot.