Chapter 12: Where is the Green Sheep?

One of the holiest sites on the continent, Mount Prism sat tucked away in the corner of Ylisse's north-eastern coast, its sole peak sequestered from the hubbub of politics and secular conflicts. The journey there took all of two days instead of a week, flying on the back of pegasi amidst darkened summer skies and driving rain. Wet and cold, the small group spent the night in the village at the base of the mountain before trekking up to the secluded clearing which fronted the temple built into the mountain.

It was disquieting, carrying the urgency of war into one of the few sanctified places where Naga was known to manifest. News of increased risen activity had trickled in and already they'd had to stop several times during this trip to deal with Risen groups on the roads. There was no doubt the creatures' presence was linked to Grima's resurrection, making this trip all the more urgent.

As she crossed the smooth flagstone floor of the temple, Lucina's thoughts went back to the last time she came to this place, at the end of days, seeking a way to perform the Awakening without the complete set of gemstones. Naga had appeared only to announce regretfully that the ritual was the only way she could assist humankind against Grima. Despite being the Divine Dragon, she had no power to circumvent the rules; she was not a god.

Would Naga of this timeline even recognise her? Or remember that she'd sent the younger Shepherds through time, an act that was as good as proclaiming their own world a lost cause? These thoughts and more roiled through Lucina's mind as the mother of divine dragons manifested before the altar in her favourite form—a swirl of magical energy dissipating to reveal a breathtakingly beautiful woman with flowing green hair.

Awe and wonder suffused many of the faces seeing Ylisse's patron deity for the first time and as one, the whole group fell to their knees. Despite painful memories, Lucina couldn't deny there was an overwhelming sense of peace and rightfulness to this place, a feeling of homecoming that said she belonged here. The look of serenity on Chrom's and Lissa's faces told her they felt the same thing. Curiously, she turned her head to Robin to gauge his reaction. To her surprise, there was a distant frown on his brows. On his far side, Morgan was no better, trying to scratch the back of her neck unobtrusively while wearing a look of irritation.

"Welcome."

Lucina's attention was wrestled back when the Divine Dragon graced them with a smile. Heartened, Chrom rose to walk forward with the Fire Emblem in one hand and Falchion in the other.

"Thank you for your presence, Mother of Dragons," he began, a slight quiver in his voice betraying his nervousness. "The time has come for me to seek the power to defeat the Fell Dragon-"

Naga raised her hand and the prince collapsed on his knees with an agonised cry. Lucina's first instinct was to run towards her father, but he flung his arm up, urging everyone to stay back. Heart hammering in her chest, she watched as Chrom remained crouched for a few moments more before rising to his feet shakily.

"Your heart has been tested and deemed worthy, Awakener. Cleansed in my fire, your desire has proven to burn the stronger."

The words resonated in the intimate chamber as Naga inclined her head at Chrom with a smile.

"T-Then you will grant me the power to defeat Grima?" Chrom whispered, "...The power of a god?"

"Yes."

It was as if the entire group drew breath and exhaled relief in one accord. At Naga's upturned hand, the Shepherds slowly rose to their feet.

"But know this, I am no god," the Divine Dragon continued, "I possess not the powers of making or unmaking. And neither does Grima. Neither of us bears the power to destroy the other utterly."

"T-There's no way to put him away for good?" Lucina blurted the question out before she could stop herself.

Naga shook her head.

"Sleep alone must be your victory. Just as your ancestor put the Fell Dragon to sleep a millennium ago. But you must weaken him first. Only as the final blow can my power be used to bind his."

Chrom turned to the rest of them, his eyes apologetic as his gaze fell on Lucina. She could only look back at him helplessly. She should've known better than believe an awakened Falchion would be enough to put Grima down once and for all.

Perhaps sensing the change of mood, Naga murmured, "There is, perchance, a power that could end Grima. However... 'Twould be his own."

Silence and confounded looks greeted this revelation.

"Uh...he has to kill himself...?" Lissa's slow drawl suggested she was just tossing the option out into the open.

"Yes. And never would he do so of his own volition. He seeks only to add to his power, and set ruin upon the world..."

The Mother of Dragons shook her head, giving the most accurate assessment of the snowball's chance in hell that they had of that happening. She gestured at the altar instead.

"Place the sword and the emblem on the pedestal, Prince Chrom, and I will imbue them with my power. There is little time..."

As Chrom strode towards the altar, the tension holding everyone in suspense broke. Murmurs grew as the small group split up, either to confer with each other on the revelations or approach the altar to watch the ritual.

Lucina exhaled slowly, trying to wrap her mind around their impending task. Putting Grima away for a thousand years would have to be enough. It was hubris to think they could vanquish the Fell Dragon when her forebear had failed. But gods, to imagine another generation several centuries from now, suffering as they did, racing desperately to pull the world back from the precipice...

She didn't know what to make of Naga's suggestion that Grima might choose to kill himself. It seemed like such a shot in the dark, or at the very least, requiring subterfuge or an elaborate plan beyond her devising. But if there was anyone who could come up with such a plan, it would be Robin. Looking up, Lucina scanned the small confines of the temple, frowning when she found both Robin and Morgan missing.

Where did they go and why didn't they say anything before leaving? She looked towards where her father stood by the altar with Naga. The urge to stay was strong, but Chrom's relaxed expression said that everything was under control and all signs pointed to a long-drawn ritual. Hand clasped firmly around her Falchion's hilt, Lucina made her way out of the temple.

She found Robin and Morgan sitting at the bottom of the stairs that led back to the clearing. The sky was dark and rumbling thunder threatened more rain, but both father and daughter paid none of that any heed. Even from behind, their animated gestures were clear, their lively conversation drifting into earshot as Lucina approached.

"—but it was just a teeny-weeny dent in the ground! You didn't even respect my work enough to fall right in!"

Robin twirled a grass stalk around his finger and batted the seed head playfully at his daughter.

"I've seen village wells shallower than that chasm, kiddo. And you might have better luck if you weren't so intent on steering me to the exact spot. Remember what I said about subtlety of intention?"

"Digging it doubled as my cardiovascular workout so I went all out!" Morgan declared before exhaling in a huff. "But I guess I should've filled it up before we left. Hope nobody falls in and breaks their leg. We're going home soon, right?"

"That depends. You feeling any better?"

"Yeah. That awful prickling sensation went away once I came out here." The teenager scratched her arm absentmindedly and then sat up in attention. "Say, shouldn't you be inside trying to get juicy tactical scoop from Naga herself? You don't have to babysit me, y'know. I can take care of myself."

Lucina smiled involuntarily. Morgan's head was in the right place even if the rest of her wasn't. While Robin was an ever attentive father, it wasn't like him to miss out on such a prime opportunity. As she was about to call out to them, a familiar look of pain flitted across Robin's profile.

"Pretty sure your grandfather will fill me in on what I'm missing," he muttered. "Don't really want to crash a family party."

"Like that's ever stopped you, Dad. Besides, you are family—through marriage and sheer awesomeness!"

"Yeah, well, sheer awesomeness doesn't make the air inside any more agreeable with me."

The young tactician cocked her head at her father.

"You felt it too, didn't you...?"

Morgan's voice was soft but penetrating. Robin tossed away the grass stalk and gave a noncommittal grunt, his refusal to look at Morgan obvious even from behind.

The teenager's figure became smaller as she hunched over to hug her knees and lower her head, the sudden hush between father and daughter causing Lucina to hold her breath unconsciously.

"Dad...?" The young tactician spoke again in a small voice.

"...Yeah?"

"Is...something wrong with us? A-Are we monsters...?"

Even from Lucina's vantage, her husband's look of shock was unmistakeable. He opened his mouth and then closed it again, at a loss for words. His reaction was lost to Morgan who continued to stare at the ground.

"I mean…this is the holiest site in Ylisse. People come here on pilgrimages," the teenager mumbled. "Back there, the look on everyone's face when Naga appeared—you'd think they've fulfilled their life goal or something. But all I got was this hostile feeling that said I wasn't welcome and I had to get out before I go nuts scratching out the imaginary bugs under my skin…"

Lucina's heart lurched at Morgan's confession. She had no idea Naga's presence would have such an effect on her husband and child. In hindsight, it made sense that their Grima ancestry wouldn't take kindly at being near the Mother of Dragons. But before Lucina could make a move, Robin reached over to pull off Morgan's glove, raising her marked hand into view.

"What's this mumbo jumbo about being a monster? You bear the Brand of the Exalt! That puts you in the same exclusive club as the great King Marth and all the illustrious kings and queens through the ages."

Looking up, he noticed his wife for the first time. "I'll bet your mother agrees with me that there's no nobler lineage in this world to belong to."

Morgan followed Robin's gaze to look at her mother as she rubbed the brand on her hand uncertainly. On her part, Lucina continued to stare at Robin, troubled.

What about yourself? That's not fair to you at all...

The words were on the tip of her tongue, but the slight frown and tiny headshake he directed at her made her swallow them.

With difficulty, Lucina tried for a smile as she walked over to sit down beside Morgan. She'd always believed that vagaries of birth didn't entitle anyone to special treatment, but it was much harder sell to someone on the disadvantaged side of the equation. Nonetheless, she had to try. Covering the young girl's hand with her own, she took a deep breath.

"You're not a monster, Morgan. The Brand of the Exalt doesn't appear for every member of our family. While those without it certainly aren't unworthy, its presence is proof that Naga acknowledges you as part of our bloodline. And there's no doubt in my mind that you belong with us. It's only been a year, but you've brought much joy to our lives and made such a place for yourself in this world I can't imagine a reality without you around."

Lucina paused and continued carefully, "But remember too, this fight is not ours alone. Naga isn't omnipotent, she said so herself she's not a god. It's fortunate that our family's pact with her grants us the ability to stop Grima. But should we succeed in defeating the Fell Dragon, it's because all of us, royalty or not, believe the world is worth saving and use the abilities we've been given to protect it. Neither of those require a special birthright."

Lucina looked at Robin as she said this, daring him to disagree. As former exalt, making light of Ylisse's patron deity was the closest thing to blasphemy she'd ever uttered, but she couldn't help her indignation at how Robin felt he had to erase himself entirely from Morgan's life history.

Sensing an undercurrent she wasn't privy to, the teenager looked at the both of them with confusion until Robin gave his wife a wry smile.

"Couldn't have put it better than your mother. So there you go, grasshopper, in the order of things, this isn't something you need to lose sleep over." He cleared his throat here, "Think Chrom's done adding a sparkling effect to his Falchion?"

Lucina looked back at the temple just in time to make out her father leading the rest of the Shepherds towards them. The puzzled look Chrom gave the trio was quickly replaced by his triumphant smile as he raised Falchion aloft.

"We have what we need to send Grima to bed without supper! Naga has also revealed that he's holing out in a chain of volcanic islands between Ylisse and Valm. Put on your thinking cap, Robin, we're heading back to Ylisstol tomorrow and making preparations for the voyage."

"Not ships again..."

The grimace on Robin's face was genuine this time. "Tough luck, Chrom. Morgan will have to fill my shoes while I get intimately acquainted with the barf bucket this time."

The young tactician perked up at the opportunity and then became crestfallen.

"You're forgetting something, Dad. I inherited your seasick genes, remember?"

"Damn, slipped my mind. Right, your mother can double in for us then."

It was clear that she needed to have a few words with Robin in private. If this was his attempt to lighten the mood, Lucina could only hope the frown she gave him had the effect of bringing the message across. Robin's response was a sheepish grin before the skies opened up again and hard-falling rain forced all of them to make quickly for the village.

"It's not like you to put yourself down, Robin. You've always had more than enough optimism to spare for the both of us." Lucina began softly when they had retired for the evening to their room in the village inn. The rain continued to fall in earnest outside with the skies rumbling discontent every now and then.

"Hmm...?" Robin threw her a glance as he hung his damp robes up to dry. "What do you mean?"

He was behaving too nonchalantly to convince her that he didn't know what she was talking about. They'd spent the last week reconnecting with each other, slowly rebuilding their battered bond. And Lucina couldn't help but notice how his smiles came more slowly, his laughter more forced. It was as if the events in Plegia had left an indelible mark on Robin, leaving her to wonder if he'd fully recover from it.

He had to know that she was beginning to twig to the fact that he was putting up an act, which made his decision to hide his real feelings chaffed Lucina more than she cared to admit. No more dancing around the issue, she decided.

"What you chose not to say to Morgan was as good as admitting that you are a monster. We both know that cannot be further from the truth."

Robin's back stiffened, his hands paused at unbuttoning his shirt.

"Am I not?" His voice was deceptively mild. "Regardless of everyone's best intentions to hide or whitewash my identity, it doesn't do away with the fact that I am Grima. There's nothing worth salvaging from my side of the family and we both know that."

Be careful what you wish for.

Robin typically tried not to let his problems bog him down. His amnesia had always been a cause of low-level anxiety and more recently, his estranged relationship with Validar had brought out a bitter edge Lucina didn't know her husband possessed. But usually his infectious enthusiasm and self-confidence were abundant sources of strength he could draw on to keep going. It dismayed her to realise that this wasn't something he could so easily brush off.

Robin finally turned around to meet her worried gaze. He sighed before sitting down beside her on the bed, taking her hand in his.

"I know you're trying to stand up for me, Lucina, but I just wanted to set Morgan's mind at ease. First, it was the headaches she had to suffer along with me and now this. She deserves Naga's full favour like the rest of your family, not punished because she's related to the Fell Dragon."

"Neither of you asked to be related to Grima," she reminded him. Thankfully, the headaches that'd been plaguing both father and daughter had stopped. It was possible that Grima no longer saw the need to reawaken their memories now that he had regained his full power, but Lucina realised she didn't really care to know the real reason. The entire episode was a taunting reminder of her personal failings and she still had trouble reconciling with it.

Biting her lip, a flush suffusing her cheeks, she confessed, "And I know better than most a birthright means nothing without conviction behind it. When I was fumbling in the dark over losing the Emblem, you wasted no time trying to get it back. You're not oath-bound to fight the Fell Dragon. unlike Father and I, but you've proven you had what it took to do the right thing."

She gripped his hand hard to emphasise her point. "You are the most intelligent, most self-possessed and driven man I've ever known, Robin. That's the legacy you're passing down to Morgan. You shouldn't doubt that, not after all you've achieved."

Robin showed no signs of being reassured by her argument. His shoulders slumped as he moved to cradle his face in his hands.

"I wish I'm who you say I am, Lucina, I really do. I don't even know what I'm supposed to be. These last three years have been one whole exercise in figuring that out. And the goalposts just keep moving..."

He took a deep breath and turned to face her, anguish clouding his brown eyes.

"I wanted so much to be Ylissean when Chrom first found me. Emmeryn's sacrifice, the senseless war against Gangrel—the idea that I might be Plegian was so unbearable. And then when I thought being one was the worst thing that could happen, I find out that I'm responsible for murdering my best friend in your timeline... Now to top it off, I'm also the incarnation of an evil dragon that wants nothing more than to turn the world into a wasteland..."

Lucina stared at him, her voice caught in her throat. Chagrin filled her when she recalled how she'd been so ready to declare that birthright didn't matter without knowing the real reason behind Robin's reticence.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't know..."

Her words trailed off in a self-conscious reminder of how useless they were. Anything else her mind struggled to conjure up sounded like platitudes, surface dressings that did little to stem a haemorrhage.

"...You're freed from the role you were supposed to play killing my father and destroying the world," she pointed out softly after a while. "Does that not count for something?"

Robin laughed mirthlessly, a look of revulsion twisting his face.

"Can you be sure of that? I couldn't even fight Validar over something as simple as control over my own body. And now there's a monster inside of me, a creature that's the furthest thing possible from humanity. It doesn't care for what we want and it cannot be reasoned with. What happens if one day it decides it doesn't need my permission to take over?"

In all the time Lucina had known Robin, he'd never been one to complain over foregone conclusions, preferring instead to make the best of a lost cause or find a silver lining. It was sobering to realise that the man she thought had all the answers in the world was more lost than she'd ever been, his self-identity and sense of worth in tatters from the recent revelations. And he was telling her all this because she was possibly the only one he trusted enough to share the burden of such knowledge.

Silently, she rose and hugged him from behind, arms encircling his neck, her cheek resting against his. Within her embrace, she felt Robin draw a shuddering breath as he leaned gratefully against her. Lucina felt acutely helpless, but it was nothing compared to what Robin felt. Especially when this was a battle she knew he had to fight on his own. The only thing she could do was ease his mind by standing firm behind him so he could concentrate on besting his personal demons.

"Y'know, I keep going back on what you said that day to your friends," Robin murmured after a while, a susurration that thrummed through his chest. "I wish so much I could be that Robin you did such a wonderful job defending. He seemed to know exactly what he's doing and what it is he wants. Do you think I could borrow him for a while? Until this is over...?"

"Of course, my dearest..."

"Thank you."

Lucina had no idea how that would work, but she decided to settle for being grateful that she could give him some inspiration at least. Time went by as they sat there, with her holding him close, simply enjoying each other's nearness. The noise filtering from the common room below had discernibly lessened when Robin raised his head again, a familiar rueful smile back in place on his face.

"Sorry about that. Promise I won't make it a habit."

"Don't say that. I'm...glad you could tell me your problems-" Lucina added faintly. "-even if I can't help..."

He held on to her hands, unwinding her arms from his neck, and shifted around to face her.

"You already have, Lucina," he gave a breath of a laugh, his cadence suggesting he still found it difficult to believe. "You're still here. That's more than I can ask for."

Before Lucina could open her mouth to protest, Robin sat upright and straightened his shoulders.

"Looks like I got my work cut out for me. It'll be the best challenge I've gotten for a while." His voice dipped low here, carrying an undertone of savagery that was totally unexpected. "While I may not find sanctuary in Naga's temples, I have Grima's memories. And if I look deeply enough, I might be able to find a way to make him do us all a favour and kill himself."

He took in Lucina's wide-eyed look and smiled at her.

"Don't look so surprised, love, you know I'm never one to overlook a tactical advantage."

In retrospect, Lucina realised that she couldn't expect Robin to just accept the hand he was dealt. Anger was certainly better than despair; still, his reaction unsettled her in a way she couldn't describe.

"I'm not. It's just... Would you do something for me?"

At his raised brows, Lucina bit her lip and continued, "Promise me you won't lose your way trying to bring down Grima. Don't…ever stop being yourself."

As much as Chrom wanted to take the fight to the Fell Dragon immediately, troops had to be mustered, ships drafted to carry soldiers, and supplies assembled to feed everyone on the voyage there and back. The consolation was it was only a two-month journey both ways this time, but even so, a full two weeks had to be spent on preparations.

Robin was adamant that Morgan got a good grasp of disciplines like logistics, procurement, military training and seamanship to complement her knowledge of tactics. The result was the teenager was all over the place during this hectic period. In the span of one day, she would be in the tactics room helping draft strategies and deployment plans, at the sparring grounds monitoring troop training, at the warehouses figuring out food and equipment logistics, and by the supply wagons, ticking off the barrels and bales to be consigned to ship holds.

Freed from his regular duties, Robin threw himself into research, pouring over books and manuscripts in the library. Lucina accompanied him on the first day, thinking that he could use the help of a native Ylissean. But by the second day, he'd plunged past everything she knew. Robin caught up on Ylisse's history with dragons and the Awakening ritual by the third day and then spent the rest of the week holding discussions with librarians and historians, debating over the details of particular passages written in archaic languages.

She'd teased her husband on being an incorrigible knowledge sponge and moved on to help train the troops instead. Never mind that this muster was much smaller than the last and most of the soldiers accompanying them were pegasi knights which would be deployed to bring the Shepherds within striking distance of the Fell Dragon.

Dutifully, she spent two hours daily drilling them on melee scenarios, preparing for the unlikely event that they had to fight on foot. The rest of the time, she attended war councils, ran errands for whoever needed them, and generally tried to make herself useful. Mid-days were sometimes spent preparing and bringing lunch to Robin and Morgan, much to the fluster of kitchen staff getting used to the fact that the queen, and now the princess-from-the-future, thought nothing of peeling spuds at the dishwashing station or sweating over a pie crust by the ovens.

Dinner was one meal both father and daughter came back for, a routine Lucina put in place to maintain the semblance of family life. Which was why it came as a surprise when Morgan returned on the eve of the day they were to travel to Port Ferox and announced that Robin would be late and that they shouldn't wait for him.

"He dropped his message at the front desk before leaving the library in the afternoon. I've checked other Dad-centric places like the tactics room, the barracks, Grandpa's office—zero sightings. Oh, Grandpa sends his love by the way."

The teenager eyed the sumptuous spread on the table, hugging her midriff as a low growl issued from her stomach.

"So umm...we're gonna wait for Dad to get back before we can start?"

Hiding a smile, Lucina declared, "There's no reason why we can't begin first." She lifted a finger to forestall the teenager's dash to the table.

"But first, a spot check."

Morgan adopted an affronted look and took a step back.

"I'm clean, I swear!"

"I'm sure you are," Lucina tilted her head innocently. Never mind that she'd notice the young tactician trying to slip past the vestibule to get to her room undetected. "I just want to satisfy my curiosity over how your pockets seemed to be weighed down with stones."

The teenager blew out an exasperated breath. Reaching into her capacious robe pockets, she drew out two thick tomes, waving them around.

"If you must know—I'm in the middle of a Tome Stackers match with Laurent. Final round's tomorrow and I wanted to reserve the best building blocks!"

If there was one thing Lucina learned over the last year, it was her daughter's knack for hiding outrageous antics behind seemingly plausible explanations. This time, she noticed that Morgan had her fingers conveniently covering the book spines. Her hand darting out quickly, she plucked a tome free of the young tactician's grasp.

"Supply Log II?" She cocked her head to read the other title as her daughter tried to make a grab for the purloined book. "Ship Manifest—the best tomes you could find were work-related...?"

"W-Well, these contain classified information," Morgan spluttered, "so I-I'm killing two birds with one stone bringing them home and keeping them safe!"

"That's why they are kept under lock and key in the records room once the day's work is done. And when would this final round take place when we are to set off for Port Ferox tomorrow morning?"

She was getting better at seeing past her daughter's lies. Lifting the book well beyond Morgan's reach, Lucina walked over to the mantelpiece, placing it there as an example before raising her eyebrows at the teenager.

The budding tactician looked as though she was going to argue further before heaving a sigh of defeat. Trooping over, she dug out the rest of the books from her pockets and piled them on top of the first.

"Aww, Mom, can't we make an exception today?" The teenager grumbled, butting her head against Lucina's shoulder as she underwent a pat-down. "I've gotta finish tallying some last minute stuff!"

On Sumia's advice, Lucina instituted a ban on books at the table and the habit of bringing work home. If she didn't do that, Robin and Morgan would happily work themselves to exhaustion. She didn't have the heart either to tell the teenager that Robin had instructed that all preparations had to be completed independent of Morgan's involvement. Still, the young tactician had performed admirably this last week, so Lucina decided to offer some conciliatory news.

"I have it from Sir Frederick that most of the work is done and what remains can be completed before we board the ships." She said, taking the opportunity to smoothen out the tangles in the teenager's tousled hair. "And shouldn't you be packing? It's a two-month journey there and back, surely you aren't wearing what you have on you the whole time."

Morgan covered her head with her hands and ducked out of reach.

"I'm probably fine with that. It'll be like all those times I forget to take a bath when there's too much to do…"

The young tactician looked up to see Lucina's shocked expression and began laughing.

"Oh gods, that look on your face! Comedy gold!" The teenager was soon doubling down, wheezing for air. "Can't stop laughing… Owwie, my sides!"

What's so funny? Lucina frowned, crossing her arms. But after years of being teased for not picking up jokes fast enough, she'd learned to turn a table or two. Seizing Morgan's shoulders with both hands, she swivelled her daughter in the direction of the bathroom and pushed the young tactician through the door.

"Bath and a change of clothing. Right now."

"M-Mom, I was kidding! I'm squeaky clean, for real this time! Check behind my ears if you don't believe me!"

Lucina retrieved a fresh towel from the cupboard and dropped it into the teenager's hands.

"Not until you have pruny fingers and toes to show for it." She declared sternly, trying her best not to laugh at Morgan's growing panic. "There are no baths on board a ship, so you might as well make it a good long one."

"B-But Mom, can't it wait till after dinner?" The teenager's wail echoed through the suite. "I'm starving!"

The sound of splashing water and Morgan's vigorous off-tune singing kept Lucina company as she returned to her packing. Those sounds soon subsided, and when Lucina returned to the dining room once again, she found the teenager, dressed in her flannel pajamas, losing no time stuffing her face with food.

Tonight's fare included Morgan's and Robin's favourite dishes, much to the young tactician's delight. The dinner conversation, once Morgan had taken the edge off her hunger, revolved around light-hearted topics, punctuated by appreciative noises over the food. It was only when the teenager returned to her room to pack, leaving Lucina to set aside Robin's share of dinner, that she began to wonder what happened to him.

It wasn't like him to come back so late on the eve of a mission, she thought as she covered the dishes, placing them on the warm stones of the fireplace and hanging the pot of stew over the glowing coals. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to hit Robin's favourite haunts in the palace again, she decided.

Entering Morgan's room to make known her intention, Lucina stopped at the sight of the teenager perched on top of her overflowing suitcase, trying to close the two halves and failing. Through the generous gap, stacks of books could be seen taking up most of the space with clothing wadded around them like an afterthought.

"Morgan, filling your suitcase with books isn't packing for the mission…"

"Sure is, Mom!"

Morgan jumped off the suitcase and reached into the gap to pull out a strategy guide on aerial combat.

"Who knows? I might just come up with a genius plan after reading this and save the day! That's way more useful than packing yet another shirt, don't you think?"

Lucina took in the burgeoning piles of books in the room and the eclectic range of subjects they covered—military tactics, logistics, healing magic, animal husbandry, law, history, architecture and many, many others—their pages carefully tagged with pieces of paper and organised according to a mysterious system known only to the young tactician.

Morgan was dead serious, Lucina realised; it was entirely in keeping with her daughter's goal to absorb all possible knowledge and become a better tactician than her father. And with the spectre of their last major confrontation still hanging over her head, Lucina could only be thankful that the young tactician had taken her comeuppance earlier with good humour.

"I'm not gonna have to take another bath, am I?" Morgan asked worriedly as if sensing her mother's thoughts. "Because I'll shrivel into a raisin if I touch so much as another drop of water, and then you'll have to trawl the bathtub to fish me out."

"Pass me a few of those books, grasshopper," Lucina said instead, "I have space to spare."

The young tactician blinked at the unexpected offer.

"Really? Wow, thanks, Mom!"

The teenager looked over her shortlisted titles and selected a few books to hand over.

"Here, I'm bringing these along for lighter…but equally educational reading! You may like them; they come highly recommended by Grandma!"

Lucina glanced at the titles in her hands—they were adventure stories promising hair-raising, gravity-defying aerial fights guaranteed to turn your stomach inside out, or so the blurbs claimed, and swashbuckling tales of piracy and high seas action set around the chain of volcanic islands where their final battle with Grima would take place.

"Thank you… I think?"

"Don't mention it!"

She could probably lose herself in these, Lucina admitted privately. It was a two-month trip there and back after all.

The sound of the outer door opening interrupted them. The welcome sight of Robin appeared in the doorway shortly, hands behind his back, eyebrows pitched at the height of gentle inquiry.

"What's going on?"

"Hi, Dad! Mom rocks! She's agreed to take some books off my hands so I'll have lots of reading material on the trip! Watch me come up with some amazing tactic to get Grandpa close enough to put that smelly lizard to sleep!"

A small smile filled Robin's face.

"Knock yourself out. Just don't take advantage of your mother, you hear, kiddo?"

Without waiting for an answer, he wandered away from the doorway. Emerging from Morgan's room, Lucina found her husband had come to a stop in the middle of the sitting room, staring into empty space.

"Robin?" Uncertainty coloured her voice.

Robin turned at the sound of his name and mustered an apologetic smile.

"Hey, didn't mean to come back so late. Sorry about that."

"Are you hungry? There's food kept warm for you."

He slipped out of his robes and hung it over the coatrack as he'd done days past.

"I could use a feast right about now. Did you manage to save enough of my share of dinner from Morgan?"

Even while he exclaimed appreciation at his favourite dishes, Lucina couldn't help noticing that Robin began his meal with the attitude of a man eating because his body demanded it, a far cry from his usual enthusiasm. She filed her concern to the back of her mind as she sat down at the table to keep him company.

"Morgan mentioned that you left the library early. Did you manage to find a new lead?"

"There wasn't more I could glean from the books and I had to get out of the vault or risk growing mould." He replied between bites before looking up with a glint of mischief in his eyes. "Do you think Chrom would mind if I had holes blasted through the library floor for skylights?"

Lucina thought for a moment and couldn't resist saying, "You could probably do it. I don't think he knows the library has a basement."

Her husband guffawed.

"Is that a joke at your father's expense? Oh boy, wait till Chrom hears it, he'll think I'm such a bad influence on you."

"Sounds to me like you might enjoy it too much," she teased gently.

"Damn straight," Robin smirked as he spooned another mouthful of stew, the improvement to his mood powering a better appetite. "Can't have him thinking he's got the monopoly on your affections."

Lucina shook her head with soft exasperation.

"You know as well he doesn't. Not since we made our vows to each other."

"I was kidding. Well, sort of. It's just something Chrom and I do for each other—complimentary reality checks. And I'm still trying to even the score after he said he was sick of my roleplaying a guilt-stricken Grima and that it was past time to pull my head out of my ass."

All this was delivered as a conversational grumble as Robin scraped his dinner plate clean with his fork and spoon. Lucina bit her lip and looked down at her clasped hands. She had no desire to witness the depths of Robin's anguish again. Which made her doubly grateful to her father for working the stick to help her husband recover from his funk.

"I'm sure he's glad that you took the spirit of his message to heart," she murmured as she returned her gaze to him.

Robin leaned back against his chair with a shrug and a wry smile.

"Waste not, want not, I guess?"

Standing up, he gave her a conciliatory wink as he pulled her chair back, assisting her to rise.

"Well, this Grima wannabe had better start on his packing and not let his wife do all the work if he doesn't want to give his father-in-law more ammunition to make the point."

Lucina giggled despite herself, but quietly, she was heartened that Robin's old, irreverent self was still alive and kicking. Whatever happened to dampen his mood today seemed to just have been a passing cloud.

Things settled down to a comfortable silence as they resumed final preparations for the mission. As Lucina worked to make space for Morgan's books in her luggage, she saw from the corner of her eyes her husband going through the same deliberation as her daughter did – frowning at his pile of shortlisted books, wondering how to fit everything into his suitcase.

Wordlessly, she took a few books off the pile and transferred them to her luggage.

"Thanks, love." Robin said gratefully, a sheepish look on his face.

Taking in the state of Morgan's room and the overflowing shelves in the study room, Lucina had to wonder if they could find a place of their own big enough to accommodate her husband's and daughter's voracious reading habit. Already, she'd had to put a stop to stacks of books that appeared mysteriously in the bedroom every now and then.

As she looked to make even more space in her suitcase, a piece of paper fluttered free from one of the books. Picking up the note, she saw that it contained a list: Morgan, Marc, Maia, Miles, Micah, Maximus. It was a proposed list of names drawn up by Robin for their future children almost a year ago. A smile came to Lucina's face when she remembered how he'd been so enthusiastic for an army of tactician children, even insisting that they should be armed with similar-sounding names, the better to confuse the enemy.

"Look what I've found."

A wistful smile filled Robin's face as he took in the list of names.

"Seems like a lifetime ago when I wrote this," he said, tucking the piece of paper back into the topmost book in his pile.

Lucina placed the last item in her suitcase, her fingers moving to trace the lid clasps as the words, and then the courage to voice them took form in her mind.

"Robin… Do you think we are ready…?"

"Ready for?"

"Do you think it's time for another child…? Lady Cordelia will almost be due when we return and Lady Cherche just announced that she's expecting a few days ago."

She knew for a fact her mother's friends were actively planning motherhood. Their talks, revolving around moving out of the barracks and finding new homes to settle in, was what inspired her to do some house-hunting of her own.

A number of interesting properties on the outskirts of Ylisstol had caught her eye, discoveries made during the course of exercising her mother's pegasus. Apart from her wages as an army commander, she was also granted a monthly allowance as a member of the royal family. Together with Robin's generous salary, they could certainly afford a decent-sized house with ample grounds—room enough to settle and grow a family.

"So you finally realise you don't make such a bad mother after all?" Robin teased her gently, rolling up a shirt for his suitcase.

Lucina flushed with embarrassment as she recalled her blind fumbling on the first few days of Morgan's arrival.

"Being a parent is challenging," she admitted, a smile playing on her lips. "But I think I can handle it. And it would be nice to experience the whole process from the beginning, instead of the middle. If we have a baby soon, Morgan will also get a sibling she can bond with before she gets too old for such things."

Morgan had been such a source of pride and joy that Lucina found herself wondering more and more often of late what the teenager's brothers and sisters might have in store for Robin and herself. Her daughter was on her way to becoming a formidable tactician. What other paths would Morgan's siblings choose? Taking cues from the wide range of books the teenager devoured on a daily basis—might they become architects, healers, generals, historians instead?

Robin chewed on his lip, a frown creasing his forehead as he looked at her.

"What about all those things we were hoping to do? Travelling around Ylisse to take in the sights, or even your plans to become a magistrate?"

She laid out her thoughts, no stranger to them after weeks of pondering over the ramifications.

"My mother oversees the palace management, helps my father with state affairs and still manages to spend quality time with my youngest sister. I believe I can do just as well. It might take a little longer to pass the magistrate exams, but the delay is acceptable. And I'm sure our duties, whatever form they might take, will bring us to new, interesting places. That's good enough for me."

The clasps of her luggage connected with firm clicks as she finished with, "As a matter of fact, Mother has been very encouraging; she has promised she'd babysit for us if we wish to take a trip every now and then."

Sumia had been positively gleeful about the prospect of raising the next generation of Shepherds together, to the extent of promoting the palace as a free day-care centre. The place could do with more life and excitement, her mother had declared, an infectious enthusiasm Lucina felt strangely happy to accommodate.

She wrestled her thoughts back when she gradually realised that Robin had stopped packing, a clouded look masking his eyes.

"Robin?"

Reservation was written on his face when he finally looked up.

"I don't know. Seems to me it's rather premature to be thinking of having a baby before Grima is dealt with…"

"O-Of course." She replied, taken aback. "Still, there is no harm to making plans. Like how we'll need to decide if we want to keep staying in the palace or find a place of our own."

Robin was silent for a moment before he conceded the point with a shrug.

"If you prefer a place of our own, I'm happy to go along with it. Somewhere in the capital outskirts so we can get more space might be a good idea. As for a baby…"

He turned away to put the last item in his suitcase before closing it slowly, the speed of his movements matching his considered words.

"So much hinges on eliminating the threat that is Grima my stomach turns when I think of the ways things could go wrong. We have only the roughest idea how weaken Grima sufficiently for your father to land the finishing blow. Not to mention coming up with a strategy to get him close enough to do that and survive to tell the tale. And even if we succeed, there are still questions which there are no answers for. Like once the Fell Dragon is put away, does it mean the Grimleal won't be able to resurrect him again for the next thousand years?"

He shook his head, the look he gave her starkly sober. "Sorry, Luce, but I just can't give any serious thoughts about the future until we're done with the task."

Lucina bit her lip. She didn't need to be reminded that they had yet to defeat Grima. The pang of guilt was always around the corner, waiting to rear its head any time her heart dared to skip ahead, planning for a future she thought she could never have.

"All right," she said after a moment, "we can talk about it again after the Fell Dragon is dealt with."

He favoured her with such a grateful smile containing no small degree of relief that she almost felt bad for broaching the subject.

That sentiment didn't last. To Lucina's surprise, the strength of her disappointment at Robin's reluctance to go along with the idea gnawed at her as she laid on her side of the bed later. They'd moved the suitcases to the vestibule to await transportation before bidding Morgan goodnight. That was followed by a quick wash up before the decision to call it an early night.

Sleep was definitely not forthcoming when her thoughts kept returning to Robin's turnabout. She certainly didn't anticipate it; he had always been the one who couldn't wait to have a bigger family. Was she being hasty in wanting another child now? Her father would be the first to say she should seize the opportunity to do the youthful things she couldn't in her own timeline before the responsibilities of adulthood became impossible to ignore.

But try as she might, Lucina couldn't rid herself of the niggling feeling that she was an interloper to this world and the bounties it offered. Was this an attempt to grasp for more ties, a stronger anchor to this timeline in the hope that they would grant more legitimacy to her presence? She didn't know.

Gradually, she became aware that beside her, Robin was tossing and turning as though he also had difficulty sleeping.

"Lucina…" he whispered into the near darkness at length. A lone lit candle sat on a table by the corner, casting just enough light to make out shapes and silhouettes in the bedroom.

"What kind of a person was I in your future…?"

His question dashed what semblance of sleep Lucina had. She turned around to face her husband and found him lying on his back, hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling.

Of the people from her father's generation, Robin had been the most respectful of her reluctance to divulge details about the future, despite his strategies having the most to gain from it. Their working arrangement often saw her doling out what information she thought safe, the transfer eased by a profusion of apologies from both sides.

Robin had never once asked for details of his personal life until now. But at this late date, it was probably safe to say that his fate in this timeline had diverged so much that whatever she had to share would just be an academic exercise.

"You were one of the kindest men I'd ever known." She took a deep breath and began. "You were very patient with children and had a soft spot for them. Maybe it's because you didn't have any of your own."

"No kids, huh? I'm guessing I didn't marry?"

"No," Lucina confirmed, hand moving to pillow her cheek as she warmed up to the subject. It was surprisingly cathartic unloading information she never expected to reveal. "From the time I was old enough to understand such things, you didn't seem to show much interest in the women trying to get your attention. Although… Father used to joke that you had a favourite lady friend in the merchant quarter you paid regular visits to."

She only understood the salacious implication behind Chrom's comment when she was much older. As a child, Robin's bachelor status had added considerably to his mysterious and dashing allure. That he wasn't officially answered for in her timeline made it far easier for her to accept his advances; she could never have brought herself to steal another woman's husband. In her mind, it wouldn't be any less of a transgression even if she was the first woman Robin fell for in this timeline.

Robin barked out a laugh even though it was clear his heart wasn't in it.

"Sounds like quite a carefree life."

Lucina had no idea what her husband was looking for, but it was clear he wasn't getting the answers he wanted. There was a piece of knowledge that she'd been given in confidence and had always kept it to herself. She hesitated, but decided if offering it could help lay to rest any doubts Robin had, then so be it.

"Father also mentioned that you and Aunt Emmeryn were close. Apparently, her death affected you so much that you were never the same after she passed away..."

Her words hung in the darkness, unsure of their welcome. It was hard to see Robin's reaction except for the bobbing movement of his Adam's apple. After a long while, he cleared his throat, bedclothes rustling as he turned around to face her.

"Do you think it's possible… future-me might have casted his lot with Grima because he'd lost his last tie to the world after Chrom's death?"

It was a good question. She had expected the knowledge of Robin's betrayal in her future to taint what memories she had of him, but the man she remembered from her childhood was so congruent with the one she married in this timeline that she had to wonder what drove him into the Fell Dragon's arms. And as much as she didn't want to admit it, it was all too easy to imagine future-Robin as a lonely man, his life frozen, locked in stasis through loss and missed chances, while the people around him happily moved on, leaving him behind.

"It is possible…" she allowed finally, swallowing past the lump in her throat that protested vindicating a man responsible for so much pain in her life.

As if sensing her thoughts, Lucina felt Robin lean in, his hand enveloping hers like a warm glove, followed by an eloquent tightening of his fingers.

"Just trying to connect the dots between myself and the man who destroyed your world, Luce, not finding excuses for what he did."

Filling in the blanks to discover a possible tactical advantage—Robin's line of thought was suddenly made clear. The fact that he made a distinction between himself and his alternate-reality twin also reassured her immensely. She did understand where he was coming from then and replied with a squeeze of her own.

Miscommunication averted, Robin eased away and returned to staring at the ceiling, the frown on his brows the product of introspection more than anything else.

"I have a suspicion that losing my memory might very well be the best thing to happen in this timeline."

"Why do you say that?"

Lucina snuggled into the bedcovers, happy to slip into the habit of prompting him once she recognised her husband in his professional analytical mode.

"For the life of me, I don't get how my evil twin thought bringing about the end of the world was a fair exchange for the pain he suffered. The biggest difference between us is he had his memory intact. But the gods only know what's in my past that could make that a good idea. As for other not-so-big differences…"

He turned to look at her again, closing the gap between them as his warm callused fingers flexed against hers. "No pressure, love, but you probably rescued me from the fate of a bitter old man in this timeline, you and the grasshopper."

Lucina's eyes widened in surprise. Was he implying that she'd already saved this reality from the fate suffered by her own world? Not by show of force or knowledge of the future, but through bedroom politics, as Tharja so derisively put it?

Slowly, she shook her head, unwilling to take the credit.

"I can only hope Grima doesn't think he needs to make another attempt on Father's life now that he has regained his power," she said instead. "And everything would still be for naught if we fail to put him down."

Without a warning, Lucina found herself folded into Robin's embrace, his arms pulling her close until she was nestled against his chest.

"I won't let that happen." His voice, a reassuring rumble beside her ear. He loosened his hold just enough to look at her.

"And you'll take care of yourself, right?"

She looked at him quizzically.

"My track record when it comes to protecting you has been nothing to write home about," Robin explained ruefully. "Which is why I'm going to need you to look out for Morgan and yourself."

His anxiety seemed out of proportions, Lucina thought as she wrapped her arms around his neck, bridging the distance between them.

"Of course, my dear."

But Robin didn't seem assured as he took a deep breath that translated as a chest heave against her cheek.

"Does this include considering marrying someone else if something were to happen to me?"

She looked up at him with a frown, convinced now that something wasn't adding up.

"Robin, I don't—"

"I mean, you don't have to, but I'd like to know that you can move on in case something happens to me. I'd do anything to put down the threat of Grima once and for all. To fail when we've come so far would be unthinking."

Did Robin learn something new that would make a sacrifice inevitable? The familiar sense of dread that she could lose everything she'd worked so hard for in this timeline began to seep in again, and Lucina sought his hands, gripping them to secure his attention.

"Is there something you're not telling me, Robin?"

As if he realised that he'd cause her undue anxiety, Robin chuckled and moved her hands to kiss them.

"Professional hazard. You know me, love, worst case scenarios are never far from my mind."

Slipping his fingers out of her grasp, he moved to encircle her arms, his hands slipping under thin fabric of her camisole to rub slow circles on her back.

"Just wanted to make sure that I got all grounds covered, if you get what I mean…" He murmured, lowering his head to brushed his lips against the soft skin on her neck.

Lucina arched her body to his ministrations, the half-formed protest in her throat forgotten as her pleasure centres kicked in. The rational part of her mind saw the distraction for what it was, but it was hard to hold on to the realisation that Robin didn't once answer the question of what he was doing the whole afternoon.

Sorry for the long wait, but I'm not done with this story yet! Won't say more but watch this space. ;)