Robin smiles to herself at the sight of the twin Morgans playing with the younger Lucina, the one they'd immediately nicknamed Luci upon first sight. Morgan the second grins at something the little girl says and pokes her in the belly, immediately rolling to the side to avoid the revenge poke from his twin. Morgan the first grins smugly at her twin, who observes her with a betrayed look. Luci descends upon them with her own poking fingers, and they grin and yell and laugh as they wriggle away from her and attempt to get her back at the same time.
Lucina the older, having been walking crisply across the length of the hall to reach her mother, can't help but let a small, fond smile out as she observes the situation. "I missed them."
"Ah- Lucina!" Robin exclaims, turning to her eldest with a happy start. "When did you arrive?"
"Just now. I would have returned earlier, but Frederick wished for my report as soon as he saw me." She frowns, brows furrowing. "I had no issue with it, but... does he not usually give us some time to settle back in?"
"That may have to do with those two," Robin says, nodding to the squirming, noisy bunch in the courtyard. She pauses and shakes her head. "Come to think of it, those three. Lucina's learning their tricks at an alarming rate..."
"So that's why-" Lucina's eyes widen and she turns aside, valiantly struggling to conceal her laughter. The coughing doesn't sound particularly convincing. "Er, Mother- you are aware of the pit trap on the east side of the castle, aren't you?"
"The twins crafted it just before you left. It's their finest yet. Why do you ask?" Robin had nearly fallen into it herself, a feat that had both of them clamoring for days. They'd perfected the traps into an art form ever since Morgan the second had failed to trick her into the first one. A proud smile steals across her face.
"Well, er- h-eheh- there was a trail of sweets leading toward it, and Gaius- well-" She can't help it any more. Lucina breaks into laughter, a sweet, joyful kind of laughter that she'd never had the luxury of before. In the courtyard, the Morgans and Luci look up.
Robin hums thoughtfully, eyes bright and an involuntary grin creeping up her own face. It's fiendish. "So that's why he's been hanging from his ankle for the past hour, eh?"
"Y-yes," Lucina manages.
But that's all she gets out before Luci barrels into her at full speed, heedless of how she's almost knocked her unprepared elder counterpart to the ground. "Lucina, Lucina! You're back!" Luci exclaims, excited beyond belief. Lucina is always a little bemused by the difference between the girl she had been and this little girl, but then again- she figures that in this world Luci isn't the oldest. Lucina carefully returns Luci's enthusiastic hug, lifting the child up to her hip. "I missed you so much, Sister, and listen! Listen! You'll never believe what Morgan and Morgan and I thought up!"
"Oh?" Lucina asks, and Luci nods. "What is it now?"
Luci opens her mouth to answer, but the twins have caught up with her now. "Lu-ci-na, Lu-ci-na!" Morgan the first singsongs, draping an arm around her sister's waist. Morgan the second does the same on Lucina's other side, despite Luci on Lucina's hip.
"Welcome back, Lu-ci-na," Morgan the second grins. "We want you and Mother's opinions on something!"
"Oh?" Robin asks curiously, comfortably slipping her arm around Morgan the first's waist. She's sure they must make a strange picture, standing next to one of the courtyards in this group hug- but it's ever so rare that Lucina stops by for an extended period of time, and Robin misses the delightful chaos that all her children cause. The castle has been quiet for far too long. "Do tell."
"Well, you see-" Morgan the second begins.
"-We were thinking of making something for Father!" Morgan the first finishes.
"And, and," Luci chimes in, "I thought we should make a cake!"
Morgan the first scratches her cheek. "And we know that Father likes spicy things, but..."
This will be an adventure, Lucina thinks, remembering the last time Morgan the first was allowed in the castle kitchens. It had also been the first time she'd ever been in there. The cooks now watch the spice racks like a hawk whenever anyone else from the royal family ventures in- royals they may be, but spices were never intended for that kind of use.
Cooks are deadly serious about their spices.
"That'll be tricky," Robin comments. "Morgan, you know you're not allowed in there." Morgan the first has the good grace to look a little sheepish. "But!" Robin continues, one finger raised, a familiar glint in her eyes. "I think I can figure out a good strategy for this."
"You shall have my aid," Lucina says solemnly, the only thing revealing that she's lightened up ever-so-slightly from the war being the identical glint in her own eyes.
The Morgans brighten. "Perfect!" they chorus, making little Luci giggle.
"This is what we were thinking..." Morgan the second says, pitching his voice to a whisper.
Chrom, listening to the dispute of two Ylisseans, shivers slightly. Why do I get the feeling that my children are up to something again...?
Gaius stares forlornly at the one remaining sweet confection at the bottom of the pit trap. It mocks him from his upside-down place against the castle wall, shimmering gloriously in the autumn sun. "Why can't I reach you?" he asks it. "You're so close, yet so far away. Of all the days to leave my knife at home!"
The breeze blows silently, rocking him a little. Gaius sighs, ignoring the soldiers hurrying by as they try to conceal their laughter.
What a way to end a day.