Fire Emblem: Before Awakening

I Will Fight

Chrom
6 Months Later...

The sounds of carriage wheels running over gravel filled the silent ride. On the floor was Lissa, now eight years of age, playing with her dolls. Emm and I sat across from each other.

Emm was called to a small town in Themis regarding a bandit problem. Ever since the death of Sully's brothers six-months-ago, they've seemed to pop up more. After much investigation, it was concluded that the Plegians were behind all of it. Though attacks are reported about once a month, it still caused worry in the kingdom.

The presence of the Exalt calmed even the more worried of souls. Emm was always asked to make an appearance to each victimized village to reassure the people, bringing Lissa and me along. 

It was exciting to see more of the kingdom, but it was hard to feel joy when a cloud of guilt and pressure hung over me. I was yet to tell Emm about my training. It was getting harder and harder to keep this secret in, let alone hide it.

People have definitely noticed that I was a lot stronger than the average twelve-year-old who does not train. My reflexes are as sharp as a soldier's. My skills in ballroom dancing were not from practicing the steps over and over but from constant swordplay. Plus, the excessive amount of broken objects left in my wake were too frequent to be just from running into things.

I had to tell Emm and fast.

"Chrom? Is something the matter?" Emm asked me.

I flinched as she spoke, my heart racing faster. "Wh-what?"

"You've been staring at the ground since we left Ylisstol," she sighed, "and you haven't said a word. Something is on your mind and I can tell."

I gulped, suddenly feeling very sweaty. Lissa looked up from her toys. "Is Big Brother sick?"

I dug my nails into my palms. "I have something I need to tell you." Oh, gods. This is it. "You're not going to like it, and you'll be very mad at me, but I can't keep this a secret any longer."

Emm's face turned into a slight frown. "What are you talking about?"

The only thing I could hear was my blood pumping in my ears. "I've been training in secret for the past five years. I've been taking books about swordplay from the library and teaching myself."

She did not say anything for a good while, her mouth agape. Then, she released a shuttering breath. "I told you that you were forbidden from learning how to fight!"

I could see hints of tears in her eyes. "I know, but I couldn't help it! I promised Mama that I would protect you and Ylisse!" I said, my voice holding more confidence than I thought. "I promise that I'm not turning into Father, I want to use my strength for good!"

"That's not-" She drew in a breath and composed herself. "What you have done is...gods, I cannot even find the right words!"

My heart sank. "Emm, I'm so sorry-"

The carriage came to a sudden stop. "Milady, there is trouble ahead that requires your assistance." Someone spoke, knocking on the carriage door.

Emm sighed, standing up. "We will talk about this later. Now is not the time or place." She looked down at Lissa, who was watching us with worried curiosity.