Work Text:
The weight of a crown.
A Fire Emblem: Awakening fanfiction.
The door behind him creaks shut and Chrom takes a deep breath.
Finally. Room to breathe.
He still isn't used to all the noise, the...talking. Eyes watching his movement, footsteps that weren't his sisters', his own in the hallways.
The people. His subjects.
It was almost...weird referring to them as that. Without tension, edge, fear in their voices.
Maybe not all of it.
He looks out the balcony, feeling the slight, cold breeze against his face.
Emmeryn still smiles these days, voice unwavering and gaze steady, even as she surveyed her subject up close.
Not from the protection of her throne, nor her podium. Up close, eye to eye with them.
Her scar still hadn't healed.
And she remembers that.
He notices the way her hands clench.
Her body, shrinking away from their touch.
The door behind him creaks open, startling him.
"...?!"
"Oh...sorry."
From behind him, a quiet voice.
He looks behind him and sees a figure behind the curtain.
"Uh?"
"S-sorry, I didn't think anyone was out here."
The voice...was young. Sounded young, like a child's. Like him.
"Oh, no. Uh, it's fine. You can come out here if you want to."
"N-no, no, it's fine. I'm, um, okay over here."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah."
And Chrom looks back over the balcony again.
....
.....
.......
...How exactly was he supposed to relax with someone peering over his shoulder, like this?
"Hey..."
"Huh?"
"You can come out here, if you want to. I'm about to go back inside anyway."
"You are?"
"Yeah."
"Oh." The voice...it sounded young. Like a child, probably his age. "Are you...are you sure?"
"Hm?"
"You looked like you needed some time to rest."
"Rest?"
"...Yes? Well, you looked somewhat strained."
"I did?"
"Er, you did?" The child repeats.
"Were you just questioning my question or something?" Chrom asks, with a giggle. It's kind of funny.
"Uh. Sorry??"
The child's confused tone makes him laugh even more. And once he started, he found it difficult to stop.
His shoulders shake, laughter escaping from him in short bursts.
Behind him, he hears the curtains rustle again.
"...Was it that obvious?" Chrom asks finally.
"No, not really. I just thought of it for some reason."
"You did, huh." Chrom looks at the sky again. "...I'm not used to having so many people inside the castle."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"It seems nice."
"It does?" Chrom asks. He turns around at that and he notices the shadow of a head peeking out of the drapes.
He still couldn't see the child's face.
"It's...what's the word? Fun, maybe?"
"Fun? Probably."
"Lively, yes." He hears laughter. Just a little, "I haven't seen many castles like this. Open to the townspeople."
"It wasn't like this all the time."
"I heard. Only when your sister started to reign."
Your sister. Not the queen.
Chrom tenses a bit.
"Yeah." He says, "I didn't even meet anyone from the outside until recently."
And he keeps talking anyway.
For some reason, he wants to keep talking to him.
"You too?"
"What do you mean?"
"I can't really go outside much." The boy pauses, "I...mommy...I mean, mother took me along today. Because I'd never seen a party or gathering before."
"Is that so?" Chrom smiles a bit, "Well, I hope having the host's brother spill his guts to you didn't make it uncomfortable for you or anything."
That got a laugh out of him again, a bit louder than before. It was kind of nice, to hear.
"I feel more relieved, if anything." The boy says, and Chrom can hear the smile in his voice, "I think talking helped a little."
"Hey, if you want, we can make it even and I can listen to your life woes."
"Pfff, no. It's fine." The boy says, giggling.
"Are you sure? The way I'm talking, it's almost like you're my therapist or something."
More laughter. And the curtains rustle again.
"You sure you don't want to come out?"
"...No. I'm okay over here."
"Hm."
"...You'd make a good king, you know?"
"What do you mean?"
"You were looking out for the Queen. Your sister. And even then, you talked to the citizens alongside her."
The boy pauses. His voice is serious now.
"No matter what your concerns were, you listened."
That doesn't mean I'm necessarily a good ruler.
Something in the boy's voice prevents Chrom from saying that, though. Instead, he says, "You noticed?"
"Well, you're the centre of attention today."
Right. With how many hands he'd had to shake, people he'd had to talk to, he'd almost forgotten that. Note the sarcasm.
"You should be going back. Enjoying the party."
"I will. Once I've caught my breath." The boy responds, "It's a lot more hectic than I was expecting."
"Same here."
"...The stars are prettier than I realized."
"You could see them properly over here."
"I-I'm fine over here."
"...You don't want me to see you?"
"Huh?"
"Nothing." But Chrom is pretty sure he heard the question.
It's confirmed when the child mumbles, "I'm still not used to meeting other people." as way of explanation.
Fair enough.
"Sorry."
"It's alright." Chrom responds.
They stay like that, until he hears talking, muffled, and soft footsteps behind him.
And when he looked back, the boy was gone.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
He doesn't know why, but he remembers it sometimes.
The words that the boy said, all those years ago. It sticks with him, even past Emmeryn's death, years even after the wars.
It doesn't take much to remember it, when it happens.
Standing underneath a starry sky, and closing his eyes. The wind ruffling through his hair.
"Isn't it cold, standing out here?"
"Not really."
He doesn't even open his eyes, he hears Robin walk up next to him.
"Can't sleep?"
"No, just needed...a private moment."
"I can leave if you..."
"No, it's fine. Stay."
Robin's warm hand in his own and their shoulders rub together.
A starry sky, the wind ruffling through his hair.
For some reason.
That's all it takes to remember.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x