If a lady is prim and proper, perfumed, and pretty, then Robin was not of them.

The women of the Ylissean army are all gems in the eyes of the male hunters. Each shine in their own womanly graces.

Lissa, the bubbly princess of the halidom, is a ray of sunshine in the midst of the dark throes of war. Her pranks may be pestering any man to insanity, but she is without a doubt one could not get mad for long. Her friendliness reaches abound and anyone would gravitate toward the cheerful princess. Whether she is aware or not, her presence is like glue that binds her friends strong.

Sully, the surly cavalier, is a force to reckon with. She may lack the graces of nobility, but her strength is a subject of respect from both men and women. No men foolish enough would dare cross blades with the red-haired cavalier other than those who wished for a world of pain.

Sumia, the dull-brown haired pegasus knight, might be clumsy and trips on her feet even without a pebble a size of grain on her path, but she is a woman of beauty, gentleness, and kindness. Her cooking skill is like a key to any man's heart, and any man would be tripping themselves over to win her hand.

Maribelle, the fierce heir to the duchy of Themis, is an epitome of nobility and grace. Though her sharp tongue may intimidate men, her lineage is a boon to any man seeking power and fame. If there is any woman who can win any bloody argument and maintain her noble grace at the same time, this troubadour would take it with a slice of cake and a cup of Earl Grey.

Miriel, the ever-stoic mage, is a woman of eccentric intelligence. Her restrained disposition might put off a man but her curiosity to the world and her endless pursuit for answers is a perfect complement to any man of brawns.

Cordelia, the red-haired pegasus knight, is perfection incarnate. Her versatility brings awe to men and women alike, yet it is her humble disposition to her accomplishments that wins the hearts of men. Despite this, no men have asked for her hand out of fear being usurped by her perfection.

Panne, the last remaining member of the Taguel, is an odd addition to the Shepherds. Despite the beastly appearance, one could agree that she is still a beauty in human standards. Though she harbors a general hatred to humans, she proved to be loyal to those she deemed to be good and worthy.

Tharja, the eerie dark mage, is one not to cross with if you value your own life. Putting aside her dark tendencies, the men could agree she has the best assets among the women. Men would be throwing themselves to her feet, if only she would be cured of her unhealthy obsession toward a certain tactician.

Anna, the travelling merchant, is cunning as a fox. She is a woman with siblings identical to her face and a capable fighter on her own. She knows her way in the art of trade and would be a good wife to another merchant if her greed for gold was not as many zeroes as the ones found in her prices.

Olivia, the shy dancer from Regna Ferox, was a beauty to behold in her dances. A small flick of her hips as she swayed with the music sends men panting after her. If she weren't guarded by the Khans of the East and West, many men would be crowding at her door with adoring praises and flowers as sweet as her.

Then, there is Robin. The enigmatic tactician of the army who remembers none of her past before the prince of Ylisse found her resting fitfully on a grassy field. Her wits and prowess in battle brought her to ranks of the well-known Shepherds and earned her a place as the right-hand advisor to the Ylissean prince. She bears no interest in the ways of nobility and cares only so much of womanly charms - all of which hidden beneath the bulky coat of hers. That is, until a certain prince brought the subject up.

Robin sighed as she placed back her quill pen to its wooden holder. She blinked blearily at her writing on the parchment before her, barely noting at how it seemed to be more of scribbles at the end. The first rays of the morning sun peeked at the curtains above the desk. She has stayed all night to revise the new laws Chrom requested her advice for. In times of war, she would rather sink her head into strategy books rather than getting involved in politics. It is not her forte. At least, it was not. Now that the war has ended, Robin devoted her wits in helping the soon-to-be Exalt in rebuilding the weakened halidom. It was taxing at first but Robin is versatile. Soon, she was going to and fro the Royal Archives to study the history and customs of her new home and joining Chrom in assemblies with the counselors and other nobles to provide consultations whenever needed. She empathized with the prince – being thrown to a role he doubted himself to be prepared for. Unlike the late Exalt, Chrom usually prefers the sword over words. Once he sensed danger, he is quick to draw Falchion to protect his comrades. Of course, that never ends well. That's why, Robin take it up to herself to handle that part of task for him.

Robin pushed her chair back and stood up. She stretched a bit, wincing at the loud CRACK! from her bones for sitting for hours. After rolling and sealing the parchments securely, she debated whether to drop dead on her bed or join the Shepherds for breakfast which most likely end up her dozing off without warning. Without a second thought, she chose the former. Better than slamming my face on a plate of mashed potatoes.

She did not know how long she has slept but judging from the clamoring around her, she might have taken more than her average. The sun glared brightly on her face and she shuffled and turned to veer away from the light. The temperature was a bit hot for her preference and she kicked the covers off. Soft footsteps approached the edge of her bed and voice whispered at her ear.

"Lady Robin, it's time to wake up. The others are waiting for you."

"Mmm…" Robin mumbled and shuffled, shying away from the voice. "Five more minutes…"

There was a huff of annoyance. The bed creaked as another weight added on it and the source of the voice leaned in closer once again to the sleeping tactician. There was a deep breath and then, "LADY ROBIN!"

"GAH!" Robin yelped as she jerked awake. She sat up and looked around with bewildered eyes before landing on a girl now standing at the side of her bed. She blinked at her blearily before rubbing her eyes. Robin recognized the purple-haired girl who is a servant to the palace. She often would see her cleaning the hallways of the eastern wing of the castle and would speak to her given a chance. "Millie? What are you doing here?"

"His Highness has been requesting for you for already an hour. It would do no good to make him and the others wait for any longer." Millie answered, clearly pleased that the woman has finally awoken.

"Chrom did?" She frowned. "Why would he…?" She trailed off before her eyes went wide in realization. "Oh gods! Naga! Today's the day, isn't?"

"Yes." Millie nodded. "The royal tailor has arrived four hours ago. Princess Lissa has checked on you minutes prior the start of the fitting and Prince Chrom has asked for you an hour ago. I believed it will be your turn soon."

Robin swore under her breath as she hopped off the bed. She grabbed her coat draped on the back of her chair and hurried toward the door but Millie stopped her.

"That won't do, Milady. You know that the royal tailor can be…particular at things." She reminded her. "It'd be best to take your time."

"But-"

"Worry not." Millie assured her. "I will tell His Highness that you have finally awoken. I already prepared your warm bath beforehand."

"I…" Robin sighed then, smiled. "Thank you, Millie."

Millie smiled. "Anything for our future queen." She bowed down and excused herself.

Robin took Millie's advice to clean up but decided not to take too long. After half an hour, she was already trudging through the hallways of the eastern wing where she has taken residence in with some of the Shepherds. It was empty, saved for an occasional palace guard patrolling or a maid cleaning. The Shepherds must all have gathered in the western wing for the fitting. Normally, Robin would wave off that kind of event but not this one. Chrom has called for the royal tailor to assist the Shepherds for the Royal Engagement Ball. It is a mandatory ball where the heir to the throne will initially introduce his or her future spouse to nobility and closest confidants before the incoming wedding will be announced to the public.

Neither she nor Chrom looked forward for the ball, but Chrom has been eager to throw off suitors the noble houses have been sending to him. He was clearly uncomfortable how the court ladies would swarm around him and try to win his affection. Robin was not happy of it either, but it was necessary to keep their relationship a secret. They have been keeping it that way since Chrom proposed to her a month before their final battle against Gangrel. The couple agreed to put the army and the rebuilding of Ylisse first before pushing their relationship to the next level.

They usually meet in secret; sometimes, putting on disguises to hide their identities from the public eye or going as themselves under the pretense of Chrom touring Robin around the halidom. The looks, the touches, and the kisses – all of them were stolen in the briefest moments. Sure, it was guilting to deceive their friends, but it has to be done. Before they made a promise for each other, they made one for Ylisse.

Now, it has been more than three months since their victory over Plegia. Ylisse has mostly recovered from the horrors of the war and was eager for the ascension of the next Exalt and his new queen. Everyone was prattling about the prince's possible matches and guessing who he might choose. There were rumors circulating that ladies presented interested him not thus, him choosing a wife will be taking for quite a while. Some said that he was already engaged and showed no interest to the noble ladies. Whatever these hearsays might be were finally silenced when Chrom finally declared the coming engagement ball two weeks ago. Her fiancé consulted her days prior the announcement. Robin mulled over it before finally giving her approval. As she expected, the news sent the halidom into a buzz and the Shepherds threw questions to Chrom's way. Chrom answered them all but shut his mouth when asked of the identity of the lucky woman. He would only smile fondly and say, "She is one of a kind and I can't help but keep falling for her over and over again."

Being the level-headed tactician she is, she would hide away her blushing face or slamming her face to whatever comes handy, all the while reflecting how Chrom can go from a clueless dork to a silver-tongued flatterer in seconds. She could only thank Naga that her comrades were busy flocking over Chrom to notice how she was restraining herself to snatch the prince away, push him against a wall, and kiss him senseless. Now, that would be a spectacle.

She could only think of it as a miracle that they managed to keep up the charade for so long. The only people who knew about the truth were the two of them, Millie, and the royal tailor. She was expecting Frederick to find out immediately or Lissa, considering how nosy she can be in her brother's business. She has suspicions, yes, but her attempts in making both of them slip up have been failures. Lissa might have her confirmation soon.

Stopping before the double doors of the fitting room, Robin pushed them gently and peeked. She expected it to be jam-packed with the Shepherds but instead, only the royal tailor was waiting for her. She hesitantly stepped inside and pushed the doors shut behind her. Tipping her body forward in a bow, she approached the royal tailor who was checking a fabric of forest green.

"Where is everyone?"

The imposing woman looked at her up and down. "I rid of them before you arrived. Surely, you do not want the surprise to reveal soon, hmm?"

"Ah…no…" Her eyes flickered at the racks of clothing lined up next to the walls. A loom was placed at one corner with rolls of different colored fabrics on the ground. "It's just that I'm wondering if they're done fitting."

"Most of them." The tailor draped the fabric over a chair. "I have to deal with one complaining that there is too much cloth covering himself. Gods know that this is a formal event."

"That's Vaike for you." Robin shrugged, stepping away from a rack of ruffled clothes. That's too much ruffles! Her eyes travelled to a lone set at one of the racks. The white, royal blue, and gold were a sight to behold. She bit her lip, trying to push away the temptation to imagine its owner wearing it.

The royal tailor pushed the other racks at the other side as she pulled another from the shadows. There was single dress of purple and gold hanging from it. Robin held her breath as the tailor presented it to her.

"This is the dress you'll wear for tonight." The woman said. "It was requested by the late Exalt to be made a gift for you before she departed from the living world."

Robin's eyes went wide. "L-Lady Emmeryn did?" She gingerly touched the fabric. The top of the dress was off-shouldered with a layer of golden-line ruffle at the top. A belt of loosely-woven gold hugged the waist. Glitters of gold showered the purple fabric, making it sparkle as light hit it. Golden laces secured the v-shaped cut at the back. It was simple, yet beautiful. It was nothing compared to the dresses Robin have seen and she love it. She blinked the tears at the corner of her eyes as she gazed at the dress.

"It'd be best to try it beforehand." The tailor suggested. "The ball is still hours away. I will come to your room for your preparation before dusk."

"I…I will." Robin nodded, clutching the dress as if it was her lifeline.

"Good." The tailor said. "And please, Milady, try not to wrinkle it before you and the prince go for an escapade tonight."

Robin was about to retort when the royal tailor pushed her out of the room and closed the door shut behind her. She looked back at the closed doors with a look of disbelief before deciding to drop it and go back to her room.

The barracks was livelier than usual. The air crackled of excited conversations as the Shepherds crowed about tonight's ball. Leading the parade was none other than Chrom's younger sister, Lissa.

"Oh my gods! I can't believe it's really tonight!" Lissa said. "We'll get to know who my dorky brother's fiancée is."

"I'd say," Maribelle sipped on her tea. "Lord Chrom has done a good job hiding this fact for some time. It seemed he got a help from a…" She casted a look at the tactician. "…brilliant aid."

Robin almost choked on her food. Thankfully, Stahl noticed and handed her a glass of water. She glanced warily at the noble. I almost forgot that Maribelle can be perceptive.

"You don't happen to know anything, did you Robin?"

Robin raised her palms in surrender. She has prepared for this kind of situation a long time ago. "I did help, Chrom…" All eyes turned to her. "…but I know nothing how his fiancée. Believe me, I tried but he's stubborn as a mule."

"Maybe because you are his fiancée." Lissa prodded with a teasing tone.

Robin sighed in exasperation. "Again, Lissa?"

Lissa raised her hands to placate her. "I was just kidding."

You aren't. Robin thought.

"But that's still a possibility, you know." She added. "I mean, you two always meet and spend time together."

Robin raised an eyebrow. "When did discussing about war ever become a good bonding moment?"

"Righttt." Lissa exclaimed. "It's not too late to 'fess up, Robin. Might save my brother from doing stupid things."

"I'd rather not have court ladies at my door wielding parasols and murder in their eyes." Robin turned to Maribelle. "No offense."

The noble waved it off. "I believe that's enough, darling. If it is as Robin said, then, let it be. We can at least trust that His Highness has chosen a woman of excellent birth and good education to take over the halidom with him."

"Knowing my brother, he might have proposed to a random maiden from a random village." Lissa grumbled. "I'd rather have any of you as my sister-in-law. Well, more if it's Robin." She winked at the tactician.

Robin rolled her eyes with subtle chuckle. Oh, just you wait.

"The Vaike says it will be Sumia!" The blonde fighter said. "Chrom sure has the hots fer ya."

Sumia blushed at that but shook her head. "I'm afraid it's not me." She answered. A hint of sadness in her voice. Her next words were barely a whisper. "I hoped it was me…"

Cordelia rubbed circles around her fellow pegasus knight's back to comfort her. "You'll be fine…" She murmured, albeit hesitantly. "I did hope for Chrom to choose me but…" She took a breath, then smiled sadly. "It seemed that it's not meant to be."

Sully slammed her glass down with a loud thud. "Damn! Chrom's breaking hearts now, huh? Did not expect that from him." She gestured at Vaike to refill her drink. Vaike grumbled but refilled it anyway. "He did not propose to me and I'm sure as hell he did not even consider it. Not I want to. Do I look like the kind to go for fancy? Geh! More ale!"

"Woman! Take it easy, will ya?" Vaike shouted. "The Vaike needs his ale too!"

"Oh, shut it, you big oaf!" Sully yelled back. "There are pure-hearted maidens mourning here! Bring a round here for these two! Make it double the bite!"

Robin half-heartedly watched them yelled back and forth. Her eyes flickering at Sumia and Cordelia. She was well-aware of their affection for Chrom and felt guilty for being the one to capture his heart without much competition. She did not know how she will approach them after the ball nor how she could ever look at them in eye again. She considered asking Chrom to call the ball off but the pressure was high and they have been putting it off for a long time now. Ylisse is still in a fragile condition and a royal wedding can be a show of strength and a moral support to the halidom. His, no, their people needs it – a beacon of hope that is the Exalt.

Robin ran a hand through her locks and groaned. She hoped she won't make a fool of herself tonight.