Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem

Lucina laughed as she ran down the hallways of the palace. One of the maids was hiding and Lucina had to find her. For a six year-old, Hide and Seek was the best way to spend any day.

Suddenly, she stopped. A group of maids in the corner were talking. "...Like her father everyday," they whispered the each other. Lucina knew they were talking about her. But she didn't know exactly what they were referring to.

She ran up. "What'cha talkin' about?" she squealed innocently.

The maids stopped chattering. "We were just discussing whether the sheets should be cleaned now or later," the tallest one replied. "Now's good."

Without a moment's dallying, they all hurried away. Lucina gazed after them curiously. What's a father? she wondered.

"Lucina! Dinner!" her mother called out.

Lucina forgot about what she was pondering and ran down the hall.

Lucina absently kicked the legs of the table as she waited for her food. Once again, her mother scolded her about ruining the table. Desperate for something to occupy her mind, she turned her gaze toward the tapestry hanging on the wall. She had to wonder why they had a tapestry that depicted a man she knew nothing about. He had blue hair and buff arms. He was swinging a pointed sword at some kind of inky darkness in the corner of the picture. On his shoulder was the same mark that was on her eye.

"Who's that man?" Lucina asked while pointing at the tapestry.

Robin looked at where Lucina was pointing and dropped the plate she was holding. "He's just someone I knew," she stuttered. "He was really good man."

Hurriedly, she began to pick up the shards of the dish and scurried into the kitchen.

Lucina looked after her and proceeded to kick the table again.

Robin felt that her chest was heavy. The longer she remained still, the heavier it felt. Surrendering, she sighed and rolled over. She buried her head in her pillow and exhaled softly. It had been a long time since she had shared a bed with somebody. Each bed in the palace was big enough for two people, but Robin and Chrom were the only ones who actually used that luxury. But now, that bed housed only one person.

Robin picked her head up at the sound of the door creaking open. "Mommy?" she heard a voice ask hesitantly.

She sat up a little higher. "Yes?" she asked gently.

Lucina walked in nervously. "Can I sleep with you?" she tittered. "I had a bad dream."

Robin nodded her head and waited for her daughter to climb onto the bed. Robin put her arms around Lucina and leaned her head against her neck softly. It's been such a long time since I've shared this bed with anyone. After a few moments, she felt the tears start to run down her face. She hugged her daughter tighter, careful not to wake her. "It's been such a long time," she murmured.

Lucina nervously stood in front of her mother's door for a few moments before opening it a crack. "Mommy?"

"Yes?"

Lucina took a breath and walked in. "Can I sleep with you? I had a bad dream."

Her mother nodded and Lucina climbed the bed. After a few minutes, Lucina realized her mother must have thought she was asleep, for she suddenly felt a warm wetness down her neck. She felt her mother hug her tighter and whisper something out loud. "It's been such a long time…"

Robin sighed softly while watching her daughter play. I wish I could do that, too, she thought wistfully. Seeing her daughter run around in the fields helped calm Robin. I remember the days long ago when Chrom and I would play in those fields. Promises from long ago. It's been such a long time.

On a whim, Robin got up and went to her bedchambers. Sighing, she grabbed a framed picture of Chrom and her. Once again, she had to marvel at the artist's talent. The depiction was extremely accurate, down to the most explicit detail.

Quickly, she hurried back… Only to find that Lucina had cornered one of the maids.

"Talk," Lucina insisted stubbornly.

The maid stuttered for a moment before sighing and giving up. "The man in the picture is your father, Lucina," she said.

Robin dropped the picture and it clattered on floor noisily, its glass frame shattering.

Both the maid and Lucina turned to face her. The maid's face lost all color. "If you excuse me." She scurried away before Robin could say a word.

Lucina looked at her mother. "What's a father?" she asked.

Robin trembled and shook, not knowing how to reply. All the possible answers she could have said would have shattered her daughter's beliefs like the portrait on the floor. Finally, she got up the nerve to reply. "A father is a person who loves your mother. If you didn't have a father, you wouldn't have been born. A father takes you out for candy and plays with you. He's there for you when you cry and he's there for you when you get hurt. He makes it better." Robin suddenly remembered Validar. "At least, most fathers do."

Lucina was crying. "Then where is he now? I thought a father makes you feel better when you cry."

Robin hugged her. "He's not here. He's gone."

"Where did he go?"

"I don't know," was all she could whisper.

In the cold hallways, the two could only huddle together and take comfort in the fact that they still had each other. And it's been such a long time since either had felt like that.

Fin

I was just too lazy to do the main edits before now (now as in 12/31/14). I just added page lines and fixed missing words that most people probably didn't notice anyway. Whatever, I'm just a half-assed perfectionist - whether that is an oxymoron or not. Hope you enjoyed~