Title: Castle Standing
Prompt: Oct 5 / I bet I only remember these things 'cause I want to forget them
Character/Pairing: Chrom, Lucina
A/N: So…I've finally managed to write something these past few months. =) And more importantly, a Fire Emblem story. Of which I have about 300 I want to write, so let's see how many I can manage.
Summary: She can still hear Lissa's wail, smell the smoke from the rubble. Her castle has always been more broken than not.
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"You should come home more often," Chrom starts, somewhat awkwardly. As though this isn't the question he wants to ask.
Lucina wishes she took more from her mother in this aspect, but she has ever been her father's daughter. "I've been busy. There are a lot of towns that need rebuilding."
"Yeah, there are. I don't know how my sister managed it when we were younger—and she was only ten, with no experience!" Chrom runs a hand through his hair, a proud smile on his face as he thinks of his older sister. "And I'm a grown man and I'm still figuring this out."
"How is my aunt?" The words feel awkward. Aunt. Lucina has almost never referred to Lissa that way when she was alive, and Emmeryn wasn't there in the first place.
Aunt. Lucina smiles. To think she made a future where she can have aunts and family, friends and loved ones. To not worry about war and death and the futility of life.
"Emm's getting better." Her father (her father, she savours the word, the feeling, her father) expression saddens somewhat. "She can talk quicker now, almost full sentences even."
"That's good."
The silence falls between them, thick. She almost turns to leave before Chrom stops her. "You should come home more often. Little Lucina misses you, and your mother…you don't always end up on the same campaigns so she was hoping to see you."
"I've been busy but I'll…I'll try."
Chrom looks away and Lucina bites her lip. So he noticed then. Or her mother did—she is the more perceptive one of the pair.
"You…it's not just the castle. There are some spots…some people…that you avoid." Chrom tightens his grip on his sword, a nervous tick of his. "I…is there anything I can help you with?"
"I…" What can she say? That every time she sees the castle, she can only remember the smouldering ruins. The blood that permanently stained the bricks? There are some places in this present that she knows only for destruction, for death, for grief.
"The other children too…" Chrom's other hand rises, gripping her shoulder lightly. "I know…I know there are some things I can't fix. Some memories I can't wash away. That none of us can. But if there's anything I can do, anything at all, I'll do it. In a heartbeat."
Lucina smiles softly, her hand coming up to cover his. His warm skin, his words, she can't even began to explain the effect to him. "You're here. It's enough. It's more than enough."
"We're all here for you." Chrom puts his other hand on top of hers, sandwiching it. Pulling her close, he hugs her.
As always, it's clunky and awkward, a father more used to a smaller child than an adult. "We'll always be here for you."
She can still hear Lissa's voice breaking down, the news of Chrom's death almost destroying her. The castle she's known is half-broken, the plants surrounded it more dead than alive.
But…she's seen Lissa's smile here. Lissa's smile and her mother's laugh and more flowers than she can even name.
And her father, her father she knows now. She knows how cocky he is right now, can see the experience tempering him more and more into the father she knows. But he smiles more too now, laughs deeply, and there aren't as many lines of sorrow in his face.
The castle still stands, strong and whole and proud. Pushing away, she nods. "Okay."
He still looks worried and she supposes she's given him ample reason. As have her peers. "We're done today, right?"
"Yes."
"Then let's go home."
Chrom smiles broadly—the worry still there, but she thinks she's assuaged it enough for the moment.
It's time she got used to this present.