Chapter Text
It has been a long day.
The exalt was running on what one would generously call an hour of sleep and was up before dawn. He knew that this job had never been easy, there were always a hundred things to do, he could never fully rest. The moment he did, an emergency would rear its ugly head or a crisis would be laid at his feet. He knew how it went, he’s been in this role for over half a decade by now and it hadn’t gotten any less demanding.
As the prussian haired man sat at his desk, littered with quills and nearly crinkled parchment, he felt his head spin. He couldn’t recall the last time he ate. Perhaps it had been that orange last night? Or was it a fig? The hours have begun to blur together. At least it was quiet, a peaceful apricot hue shone in from his only window in his royal study, he couldn’t believe it was already sundown. How the day had flown.
Yet, he welcomed the thought of nighttime, a chance for him to get some rest and curl up back in bed with his wife. Though a pounding in his head kept him brutally awake, the idea was enough to give him some relief as he began to close his eyes.
“You should be careful.” A voice resurrected him from his respite, but given the harmonious and tender tune to her words, he couldn’t bring himself to be upset about it. “One more minute and you’ll never wake up.”
Slowly, Chrom opened up his eyes again, but this time to the greeting of his queen. It was his favorite sight, she was easily the most beautiful thing in every room she walked in, and now she gave life to his stiff office as she closed the door behind her. Chrom couldn’t resist the smirk that danced across his lips as he watched her pink hair bounce when she walked, closing the distance between them. The familiar clinging of her golden bracelets lulled him in an instant and he suddenly couldn’t remember what he needed a break from in the first place.
It was a breeze to her to push back his anxieties, it always had been. From the minute they met, she could settle the storms thundering inside him. The storms nowadays weren’t quite so bloody, but heavy all the same and well, he was beyond grateful that it hadn’t changed that.
The swordsman extended out his hand as she approached him, a spring in her step. From the moment her hand locked into his, Chrom felt his worries drain, he could scarcely recall what they were about now that she was near. As expected, Olivia fit idly into his lap, the soft of her skin dulling the sharp edges today has carved. Even the silk of her clothes brought a sense of comfort with it; while it was still summer, autumn was fast approaching and so today had been quite windy and she wore a warmer attire he had requested be handmade for her some odd years ago. Maybe it was a bit narcissistic to say, but it delighted him to see her wearing it.
To neither’s surprise, the dancer wrapped her arms around his neck as soon as she was situated in his lap, almost making the grown man purr like some kind of housecat. It used to be quite embarrassing how she could make him do that, but since she’s the only one privy to such a sound, he’s found himself accepting it little by little over the years of their marriage. “I’m not sure that’s the threat you think it is the way my day’s been going.” he dryly remarked, the lazy slur to his words the only indicator she needed to understand how in fact his day has gone so far.
Pursing her lips, Olivia let out a dainty sigh, mindlessly permitting her head to lay sideways in the crook of his neck. “Oh no. What is the matter this time, my love?” She sounded so sweetly mundane; it was not the chatter of an exalt and queen, but a husband and wife as though they were contributing to the rumor mill.
Perchance however, that was the reason it felt less daunting talking about it with her. He huffed his reply, leaning stray strands of his rebellious hair against her temple with the most leisure he’s had all day. “Agh, it’s two of my ministers; they are quarreling again. To be quite honest, I don’t see why they are choosing this hill to die on, it could be an easy compromise if they will it.” The young ruler shook his head, cringing at the return of his headache merely discussing it. After everything else he’s dealt with today, those dastards chose now to bring this to him.
It wasn’t what he was hoping to end his day with.
Olivia joined him with an eye roll. It took a lot to aggravate Olivia, but slights against her lover were not taken lightly. Still, she remains his outlet to talk about all this with, somehow even with her irritation she always manages to quell his own. It was nice knowing he could count on her to aid him that way even if she didn’t grow up in nobility, she was rather adept at grappling it. He used to worry about her at the beginning of their union, but now he couldn’t remember the last time he doubted her - on anything. “Those two again, well at least it’s spontaneous. Last time they bickered for weeks.” She almost asked, but they both knew she was right. In truth, they should consider themselves lucky they haven’t been relieved of duty yet. “What are they discoursing now?”
Chrom smiled. It took a few years for her to gain confidence in royal affairs. She used to constantly double guess herself, never feeling as though she had a hold of all the intricacies of the aristocracy. He couldn’t blame her, it was all rather overwhelming when he was forced to step in for Emmeryn, but he had grown up around most of it. He could hardly imagine how foreboding it must have been for her. Still, he was impressed to see her navigating it all now with a steady hand and the occasional amusement.
“They appear to disagree on how to handle a proposal from Valm. The matter doesn’t require my direct authority, so they attempted to settle the proposition on their own - to no avail. Now I must step in. I’m aware they simply want me to pick a side, you know how little they favor a compromise, so I’m struggling to find a middle ground I know they will be content with.” Chrom narrated with some difficulty, putting his thoughts on a discord into words has never been his strong suit. That had always been Emmeryn’s area of expertise. If Chrom had it his way, he would just order them to be okay with whatever he decides, but he knows that’s not how diplomacy works.
Olivia nodded at this, Chrom reading a hint of something droll ghosting over her delicate features. “Yes, I know. You always did prefer settling disputes with duels.” The purple eyed woman declared jestfully, making Chrom chuckle at the sound of her holding back a laugh of her own.
“It sure as hell would be a lot quicker. Sometimes I feel like I was better at making decisions during the war.”
“Could be worse. They at least kept the disagreement private this time, t-that’s refreshing.” She rivaled his deadpan with her own wry retort, but sprinkled in with classic Olivia fashion was a sliver of hope. She still believed everyone could get along if they tried hard enough. While Chrom doesn’t share her belief, he could appreciate the sentiment all the same. If his officials were capable of such civility or not, having someone around who had faith that they could was never a bad thing.
Chrom scoffed, making her grin widen, but both fell back into their own thoughts after a short while. The silence was tranquil and left his shoulders a little lighter, but he still held onto her. Holding her close, his hand at her thigh keeping her pressed against him made him feel like he wasn’t alone. He knew he wasn’t, in any form of the word, but on days like this he knew very few could relate to how he was feeling; he was glad she had always been one of those people. “Maybe I should just give them both a sword. A good non-lethal throw with one another might just satiate their displeasures with each other; could be cathartic for them. Frederick would approve.” The warrior debated with himself more than with her, knowing he could never, but entertaining the thought anyway. Perhaps the idea was cathartic for himself.
Olivia giggled with a hand over her mouth, dropping the various papers scattered across his desk she was meddling with. He didn’t mind, it was nothing she hadn't seen before. The one in her hand was a letter he was writing to Robin and Say’ri in Chon’sin. He was almost finished with it, but he had to let the kids scrawl their names at the bottom before he could send it out. They always get upset with him when forgets; Robin is like an uncle to them and they miss him when he’s not there. Chrom misses him equally as much, they were as brothers and when he married Say’ri and moved to Chon’sin, he grieved not having him around all the time. It has been a few years since, but he’s still not used to it yet himself.
Soon although, her snicker turned into a shake of her head, clicking her tongue in a form of light-hearted chastisement. “You know how I feel on the subject, love. Let Lissa pitch in every now and again. She’s always asking if you need a hand and she did a great job on her own when we went on our honeymoon, remember? I know you aren’t fond of the idea, but she is Ylisse’s princess. She wants to be more than just a pretty face, I can understand that.” Her words drifted as she pondered, the two sister in laws have grown close over the years and he knows how much they talk.
“I know, I know.” Chrom answered back at a murmur, nesting his chin on her shoulder in defeat. He knows she’s right and that his fear was an irrational one, but it wasn’t something he could so easily shake.
Back during the war against Grima, when an older Lucina told him that it was Lissa who ruled over Ylisse in his absence, it had bruised more than his heart. The thought of her surpassing both her siblings so young, the people who took care of her, watching one by one as all her friends perished in a horrible ever-lasting war, it was soul-crushing. How she must have mourned. It was hard enough being exalt before such a beast had tarnished the world, but after? He doesn’t know how she did it, she must have been so strong and though he was proud of her, he didn’t want her to have to bear that burden. That was not the life he wished for her.
So now, he does all he can to give her as much freedom as possible as if that would make up for a version of herself that she’s never lived having too little, sacrificing too much all because he couldn’t save himself. He knows it was silly, but he never wanted to put her in a position that resembled that future, not even a little. “She does love bossing people around.” The jape slipped past his tired lips nonetheless, perhaps finally starting to come around.
Chrom knew Olivia was partial to his answer when he felt her begin to play with his hair. She never could keep her fingers still, not since he’s known her anyhow. If he thought she had relaxed him before, this kind of solace was the stuff of miracles. “You can bring her to your meeting with them tomorrow. I’m sure Gaius won’t mind.” Her ear was now flush against his chest, though his shirt went up to his chin, he could feel his heart warm at her touch, gently composing itself to a rhythm that would soothe them both.
The captain puffed, staring back at her. She knew he could hardly say no to her when they were like this. He wasn’t sure if that had been her plan since the start or if it merely played out that way, but his sapphire orbs adored her either way. “I can do that.” He whispered his agreement as he tucked her hair behind both ears. Who said he couldn’t play with her hair too? He could guarantee it felt much better than his.
“Good.” Her smirk was inviting, the way her face lit up with victory and bliss reminded him of a flower blooming under the sun.
The woman gave her husband a peck to his cheek, seeming to Chrom like an ending statement to their conversation before he could change his mind. “How has your day been? I’m sure you must be a little restless without another show for a few weeks.” He wondered aloud, feeling guilty for not having checked up on her all day. What a lousy husband an exalt can sometimes make.
The dancer pulled him in for an embrace, a gesture that was second nature to them by now as she huffed. “It was fine. I missed you, but the kids distracted me plenty. Lucina went to watch Frederick train new recruits for most of the day and came back a little muddy. Inigo provoked Owain again during lunch. For a one year old, you would think he’d have less ways of doing that, but it seems he will always find a way to tease his little cousin. Lissa found it amusing though.” She told him breathlessly, perhaps they were both feeling the day’s tribulations wear them down now that it was nearly dark.
Chrom had to laugh at her retellings however. “Sounds like him. We’ll have to talk to him about it when they get older. Lissa won’t keep finding it funny forever.” Still, he thought to himself as his laugh fizzled out, it was nice to hear about these kinds of things anyway.
If things had turned out for him the way they were supposed to, he wouldn’t have been around for moments like that. Why, he wouldn’t have even met his son at all.
As the quiet emerged over them once again, Chrom felt Olivia lift up her head to gaze out the window. He didn’t need to though to know it was now night out, the sunset was no longer bleeding into his office and if he listened for them, he could already hear the crickets. Without saying a word, Olivia got up and gave him her hand. “Are you ready to come tuck them in with me?”
All Chrom could do was grin as he let her pull him up and out of his seat. When they first met, she was there for him during the hardest time of his life, he was honestly surprised he was able to charm her in such a state, it couldn’t have been pretty to watch. True, they soon ran into some obstacles once she decided to join the Shepherds. He couldn’t understand how it was hard for her to hold a conversation with him after that night in Regna Ferox when he couldn’t get her off his mind. Part of him still doesn’t understand even following her explanation - something about closer proximity and getting in her own head for someone so esteemed - but he was just happy beyond belief that she had felt as he did.
All he knows is that it’s been seven years being her husband and each one has been better than the last. After all the roles he’s been giving and living out destiny after destiny, the one he lives with her is by far his favorite.