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“Father said I’d find you in here.”
Startling from his current studies, Robin glanced behind him to find Lucina leaning against the library entryway, her smile fond. Blushing lightly, the silver-haired strategist sheepishly scratched the back of his head before setting down the quill he was holding. With a quiet chuckle, the princess walked over to him, “You missed lunch.”
Glancing down, Robin watched as his wife placed a bowl in front of him, being mindful of the papers he had scattered about.
“So, I thought I’d bring you some of the leftover carrot stew you had made for everyone last night,” Lucina spoke kindly as she pulled up another chair to sit beside him.
Robin smiled softly at that before he leaned over and pressed a tender kiss to the other’s cheek, “Thank you, love. You didn’t have to.”
Cheeks dusting a light pink, the princess tucked back a loose strand of hair before smiling shyly at the other, “Well…I also didn’t want you eating alone.”
With a raised brow, the tactician watched as his wife presented him with two spoons before handing one over. Giving a small laugh, Robin went ahead and closed his quill into the current history book he had been reading before pushing it aside. He then gratefully took the spoon before looking up at Lucina again.
The younger woman was looking back, her smile warm and her eyes bright. Robin would never get tired of that look. That smile. That happiness in his newly wed’s eyes. Grima was defeated and they were finally free to live their lives how they pleased. Lucina remained with him and Chrom, and they truly felt at peace now. Even though he and the recently-crowned Exalt were working to rebuild Plegia after everything that had gone down, Robin still felt relief from the heavy weight of war no longer on his shoulders.
And, getting to see Lucina smile more and more with each passing day made their new life all the merrier.
Suddenly, a soft kiss was lain upon his lips.
Which had a faint taste of carrot.
“You know, the…ahem…the bedroom is usually for when you look at me like that,” Lucina whispered quietly, amusement in her tone as she gave a small blush before taking another sip of the stew. Robin’s cheeks reddened, not having realized he was staring before also noticing the other had begun eating without him. Quickly, he fumbled with his spoon before joining his wife in enjoying their meal.
With a fond smile, Lucina quietly admired her husband for a moment before glancing around at all the paperwork on the table, “So, how goes the research?”
Swallowing down his own bite of soup, Robin frowned as he rested his spoon on the side of the bowl, “Exhausting, I admit. I’ve done all I could so far to look up Plegia’s history to see if they had any form of structure that was beneficial to their people in the past. I thought it would shed some light on how we can restore their country and make sure no other disagreements and the like come up again. And, if they do, there will be a more civil way to go about them than declaring war…”
Lucina nodded in understanding before quietly adding, “But, of course, that also requires that whoever is to take on the rule of supremacy must have a level-headed mindset, and not…”
“Be another Gangrel or Validar.”
“Correct.”
The two sighed heavily as they briefly thought back on their past conflicts before taking another sip of the stew together. Lucina then glanced over at Robin again, noticing the tired look in his hazel eyes as he continued to frown at his pile of notes on the table. Biting her lip, the princess wanted to do something to relieve her husband’s stress, especially with all of the hard work he had done—and continues to do—for her and her father.
That, and…
She loved seeing Robin happy.
She wanted to take away his burdens just like he has done for her. And, Lucina knew with how stubborn she was that it wasn’t a very easy task. But, the silver-haired strategist was always there for her when she needed him, whether it be him waking her from a troubling nightmare in the night, or being an extra sparring partner during their training sessions. Lucina loved Robin with all of her heart, and wanted to do all she could to help him, too.
“Now, who’s the one who’s staring?”
The princess blinked at the question before blushing as Robin was now smirking at her. Clearing her throat, Lucina sheepishly pulled at her dress tunic before fiddling with her soup spoon, “A-Ah… My apologies, dear. I was just lost in thought.”
Robin smiled softly before he kissed her cheek again, “No need to apologize. What were you thinking about?”
With another nibble to her lip, Lucina swirled her spoon in the almost empty bowl of stew for a moment before an idea suddenly popped into her mind. She then turned to Robin with an excited smile.
“Let’s go for a walk!”
Brows furrowed, the tactician looked at his wife questioningly before glancing back over at all of his work, “Um… Perhaps after I get in a few more hours of—?”
“Nope. I’m doing that thing where you take my training sword out of my hands and pull me back to the castle when I don’t want to. Except, I’m taking you away from…books? No matter. Come along,” Lucina interrupted as she stood from her seat before she tugged at her husband’s coat, attempting to remove it, “You also need some…sun? That silly saying Father says to you whenever you’re cooped up in here too long.”
Huffing quietly, Robin obliged as he stood from his own chair and allowed the other to pull off his coat. However, he couldn’t help but smile at Lucina’s own smile of triumph as she took his hand before using the other to reach for their bowl of stew. But, before she could take it, Robin reached for his spoon before scooping up what was left of it, “There’s enough left to have one more spoonful. And, I had more than you.”
Lucina looked down at the spoon her husband was now holding up to her lips. Giving the other a small pout, the princess reluctantly took a sip before watching as Robin dropped the spoon back into the bowl and picked it up. He then gave her a playful kiss to the nose and a squeeze to her hand before he allowed Lucina to lead the way over to the castle stairwell.
Hand-in-hand, the two made their way through the castle, politely dropping off their empty soup bowl in the kitchen for the chefs to retrieve before Lucina excitedly pulled him outside. And, Robin had to squint at the bright sunlight, not realizing how long he had been indoors as his eyes struggled to adjust. However, he couldn’t help but laugh as the princess tugged him along, seeming to be quite eager as she led him over to the castle gardens.
“What’s with all the excitement? We’ve walked through here plenty of times before,” Robin commented curiously as he admired all of the flowers they walked past before looking up at the trees of the small forest path they were about to enter. Lucina looked back at him, her smile beautiful and bright as they finally came to a slow stop. She then pulled him closer to her, her smaller hand a warm comfort in his own as she gave it a tender kiss.
“I just thought you could use some cheer.”
Eyes softening at the knowing look on his wife’s face, Robin leaned forward and kissed her.
“You really shouldn’t worry about me so…,” he playfully whispered back.
Lucina giggled fondly as the two exchanged the old words they had spoken to one another when Robin had opened up his heart to her for the very first time. And, the silver-haired strategist laughed quietly along with her as the younger woman kindly kept their hands intertwined while they began to walk.
It was a beautiful day, Robin had to admit.
The sun was peeking in through the trees as its rays shined down on the grass and blooming flowers below. The chamomiles, especially, were freshly ready for picking. Their white petals were shimmering in the light, and they added a touch of color to the shrubbery bushes that lined the dirt path. And, Robin couldn’t help himself when he leaned down to pick a few. Lucina followed suit, watching her husband with adoring eyes as she continued to hold his hand while he carefully plucked a few flowers from their stems.
Before he fondly tucked them into her hair.
Lucina blinked in surprise, her cheeks pink as she reached up to touch them. Upon feeling the soft petals, the princess couldn’t help the gleeful giggle that slipped from her lips as she continued playing with the flowers in her hair, “Oh, Robin… They’re lovely!”
The tactician grinned at that, giving his wife’s hand a loving squeeze before he picked a few more flowers, leaving their stems on this time, “Aren’t they? I think I’ll pick a few more for us to take back to the castle. We have plenty of vases to choose from that we can put them in.”
The princess smiled softly at her husband’s own excitement, glad to see the underlying tension within him beginning to dwindle as he happily held the small bouquet of chamomiles in his hand. He then stood back up before presenting them to Lucina. Then, together, the two of them breathed in their sweet scent as a small breeze blew by.
With a gentle smile, Robin admired the other for a moment, enjoying how relaxed Lucina looked as she carefully poked at the flowers. He then quietly pulled them back before tugging on her hand, wanting to continue their peaceful walk.
Happy to do so, Lucina kept in step with him, content in the silence that soon fell between them as she glanced around at all the forestry. Although it did well in captivating her attention, the princess couldn’t help but look down at their intertwined hands.
Being intimate with another person was still something she was getting accustomed to. It was a strange feeling at times, especially in the mornings when Lucina would forget for the smallest moment that she was no longer struggling and fighting to stay alive in her apocalyptic time. And, although incredibly grateful her friends had also made it safely into this world along with her, the swordswoman still felt the pain of leaving those remaining survivors who didn’t get the opportunity to escape with them. Even if she couldn’t return to the future, Lucina prayed to Naga to give her people a better way of survival than she ever could.
A gentle thumb gliding along her palm suddenly interrupted her troubling thoughts.
She quietly glanced up at Robin, but he was still looking ahead. However, Lucina soon realized how tight her grip on him had become. Even when she was doing all she could to ease her husband’s own struggles, she still ended up being overcome by her own. It was selfish of her, and yet, she couldn’t help it. She should be fine now. Her father was safe and the wars were over. There was no reason for her to worry over the past when she had the most beautiful present in front of her. Right beside her.
Hesitantly, Lucina pressed a shy kiss to Robin’s shoulder before resting her head upon it as she gently wrapped her other hand around his arm. She then looked up at him again, ready to apologize before the soft lips pressing into her own beat her two it.
“My hand can handle it.”
Lucina blushed darkly at the sudden kiss before she frowned at the other’s words. Silence fell between them once more as their walk came to a slow stop. Robin then playfully tilted his head at her.
“Get it? Because ‘hand’ is in the word—.”
“Yes, Robin.”
“Oh… Well, you don’t look very amused.”
Lucina didn’t say anything. But, the blush didn’t leave from her face, either.
“It…was humorous,” she finally spoke.
Sighing softly, Robin squeezed her hand, “You’re upset.”
Lucina’s frowned deepened, “N-No, I’m not. I… You’re upset.”
The silver-haired strategist stared at her in confusion, “…No, I’m not. Yes, I’m quiet worn out from all the work I’ve done this past week. But, I’m not upset, love. I’m actually…very happy you brought me out here.”
The princess blinked at that before she shyly looked up at the other, “You are?”
Robin smiled brightly at her, and it calmed Lucina’s anxious heart.
“Of course! Gods, I was nearly blinded by the sun when we first came out here, but that only proved to me how badly I needed this. I’ve felt more relaxed than I have been… And, it’s all thanks to you.”
Lucina allowed herself to return his kind smile before she felt Robin kiss her hair.
“And, I know you’re still hurting. Even with such a beautiful world around us, I know you still think about your…home,” he whispered softly.
The younger woman quietly rested her head back on his shoulder as she fiddled with their intertwined hands, “Yes, but…I brought us out here to help you. Not for you to comfort me and be reminded of…well…”
“You are not a burden, Lucina. Nor will I tire of reassuring you that you’re not. I love to be of comfort to you as you do to me... We’re holding hands, aren’t we?”
Lucina glanced back down at their hands before raising a brow, “How does that have any relation to this?”
Robin chuckled as he brought them to his lips, “Because, it allows us to ground each other. Letting us know the other is right here, whether it be a stressful mindset that’s clouding our reality, or a fearful memory. No matter what, we’re still holding onto one another—a comfort that can pull us from any unhappy place in our mind.”
Lucina nodded slowly at that, “…A comfort.”
Robin smiled softly at her as he kissed their intertwined hands.
“A comfort.”
