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“Some nights, I feel like crying.”
He poked his head up from the drawer containing his clothes. “What was that?”
Embarrassed, she pulled the sheets over her chest, even knowing her white gown underneath was nothing to hide. “Oh! N-Nothing, dear.”
“Lucina, Lucina…” Robin shook his head as he rose to full height, only missing his coat. “I think you and I have been together long enough to know that-”
“-we finish each other’s sentences?” She said with a forced smile.
“Heh.” Robin sat along the bedside. “You can tell me what’s troubling you now.”
“I…” Lucina’s gaze fell off of him. “I don’t know what reasons I have to feel despair anymore.”
The tactician cocked his head to one side. “The internal scars don’t heal as quickly as exterior ones.”
“You are right. And even still…” She looked up again. The two of them were rooming in Ylisstol Castle, about to get some well-needed sleep together. But the reason she had come here in the first place was far different.
-----
A few days ago…
“Yours will be a happy one.”
In her cradle, the sleeping child did not hear the words of the woman, though she curled her small fingers around those of her counterpart. She stayed until the infant let go, turning over to the same preferred side she did when asleep.
Pulling the hood up over her cloak, and taking the small satchel of items in her hand, she left. With the cover of dusk, no one would see her depart. Of course they would learn eventually, but she expected them to understand.
They had to understand! This wasn’t where she belonged, not anymore. Her mission was successful, and so it was time to return. How the princess was to return, she did not know. Her idea was to return to the Divine Dragon Grounds in hopes that Naga would again grant her the ability to leap through time…
Clonk.
She came to a halt just before passing the room belonging to her parents. No, she hadn’t given them a proper good-bye so much as a thinly veiled one at dinner. Good-byes weren’t her strong suit; most that had occurred in her life were the result of tragedies. In her mind it was best to just move on before any strife could be caused. Still, she found her head turning over her left shoulder to see what that noise was. Call it instinct from many a night of staying aware of her surroundings.
“You’re leaving?”
Wall lamps were still burning, illuminating the man behind her, who had dropped his bundle of books in apparent disbelief. They were in a crumpled mess along the ground, one open to a page of magical symbols with a bookmark included.
“I am.” Stick to the plan. Remain calm. She had to remain calm. She had to…
He shook his head at her.
“Do you disapprove, Robin?”
Under the moon rising into the windows, backed by the lamps, he could faintly make out the birthmark in her left eye. He frowned a bit selfishly, for the dull brown cloak was hiding her beauty underneath.
“To be honest, no.”
That surprised her, even as she kept most of her back to him. She had to remain calm.
“I get why you think this is the logical choice for you, now that Grima is no more. And you clearly planned it well, since I only caught you by chance it seems.”
He didn’t suspect me…?
Robin folded his arms while they were free of tomes to carry, though his face curled into a smile for her. “I’ll look after Morgan, no worries. Chrom will pick up where you left off with her sword training.”
She had to remain calm…
“Sorry, I don’t want to keep you. You’ve probably got a way planned back to your timeline, right Lucina?”
I…
Her tactician sniffled. “Go on ahead. I won’t tell a soul.”
Lucina took a step forward. And then another step. And then another. And another.
And then she wrapped her arms around the man she loved.
“Farewell Robin...I...I love you…”
He reciprocated her affections. “I love you too. I hope you find the happiness you’re looking for.”
Already she was going off-plan. But she was still calm. She could do this. Just let go of her husband and walk away…
“Oh, hey Mother! Father! What are you two doing out here?”
Hearing herself be called ‘mother’ again jolted Lucina in ways no Risen’s howl ever could have done. Both parents turned to see a sprightly young girl, full of freedom and joy, waltzing towards them.
“Morgan!” Robin happily scratched the head of his daughter, the two of them laughing together. Her hair colour matched that of Lucina’s. “What are you doing up so late?”
Morgan chuckled playfully. “Just because the war is over, doesn’t mean I can slack on my training! I’ve been doing sword and magic practice before bed for a while now, in fact.” She spoke with pride in her tone.
Lucina fell silent.
“But do you get enough sleep still?” Robin nagged.
“Sure do, Father.” The young lass turned her attention to the cloak covering her maternal guardian. “Er, Mother, what’s with the cloak? It’s not supposed to rain.”
Lucina tried to keep her satchel of items hidden, but Morgan spotted them anyway.
“Oh! Were you going to take a late shower?”
No, she wasn’t. She was going to- supposed to -leave this all behind. That had been her plan from the start. Save her father. Defeat Grima. Return to the future. It was all she had planned for.
Being married and having a daughter was not part of that plan.
“Well! I won’t keep you, Mother.” With more energy than both her parents combined, Morgan could speak for hours. “I’ll be in the training hall before I turn in. Good night!” She jogged off, bubbling with vigor to hack away at some dummies.
“Look at her go.” Robin laughed as they watched their progeny practically dance away. “She’s already becoming so independent, just like you were.”
Were…?
Robin seemed more aware of things than he let on. Clever. “I suppose that counts as a good-bye of sorts. You should probably hurry before Chrom stumbles over here, heh!”
I should...I should…
------
Now…
“...I should be grateful. I have a family again. I have a life again. I no longer have to fight every waking second for the survival of my people.”
“Mmhm.” Robin listened intently, as he always did no matter who was speaking to him.
Lucina twiddled her fingers childishly. “Is this what it means to be...happy? If I cried now, would it be tears of joy? Or am I still afraid?”
Hearing this, Robin stroked his chin in deep thought. There hadn’t yet been a problem he couldn’t solve, least of all winning her heart.
But he was more quiet than usual. Had she stumped him?
“I-I’m sorry for bringing this up now, dear.”
“It’s quite alright.” He wore that same smile that she’d seen when he dealt the final blow to the Fell Dragon; the sparkling smile of a man who never lost his confidence or faith in the people of his life. “I think it’s healthy for you to be asking these questions of yourself, Lucina.”
That got her to give him a child’s gaze. “Healthy? I do not follow.”
“Consider this then.” Robin shifted himself on the bed to be more comfy, as he began making hand gestures to illustrate his points. “Since your childhood, all you knew was sorrow and fear. Your mind was forced into becoming an adult far before your body was, so you experienced abnormal growth in that regard.”
Lucina nodded. His use of large words could be difficult to follow at times.
“Now you’re a mother before the age of twenty, suddenly able to settle down with your family properly after years of unending discord. It must be a shock to you, to be relaxed for once.”
“That...that could be it.”
“Heh.” Robin stretched his fingers a little. “Given Grima was only defeated recently, I believe it’ll take a few days more for you to settle in better.”
“Oh…” Lucina’s gaze fell down to the bed sheets again. “I apologize in advance for being difficult…”
Because Lissa was still the princess of this time, Lucina hadn’t been publicly involved with royal duties. But she refused to do nothing, having been helping around the castle while aweing at seeing it intact again. Robin meanwhile had been swamped with paperwork; as the royal tactician he had duties pertaining to Chrom’s Shepards that could not be ignored. Morgan helped as best she could.
“Nonsense. If anything, I was worried you’d be acting differently.”
Again she gave him a confused glance. “How do you mean?”
Robin shuffled himself closer towards his wife. “You have a strong sense of purpose, Lucina. You could have drifted away without an aim for your abilities, but you chose to stay here.”
“My old plan fell through.”
The man grasped her hand with a wedding ring into his own, bearing a matching one. “For the better, I’d say.”
Lucina let a laugh come out preemptively.
“There’s the woman I fell for.” Robin grinned with cheer. “You’re one of a kind, Lucina.”
Heat arose in her cheeks. “Oh, stop it. I did not marry you for your teasing, Robin.”
Robin climbed under the sheets with her. “But you do enjoy it.”
“I do.” She hadn’t noticed her own smile until now. “I love you, dear.”
“I love you more.”
“No, I love you more.”
“Hah!”
“Hush dear, you’ll wake up our daughter across the hall.”
Robin lowered his voice. “Sorry.” He blew out the candle on their nightstand, as darkness enveloped their room. Had Lucina been alone, she might have curled her knees up to meet her forehead and hoped for Naga’s blessing. But tonight she was with her husband, who warmly embraced her as sleep overcame their tired bodies.
She was safe, she was happy, and she had a future. Her own future.