Hamearis Lucina
"I have just the perfect name for you, my dearest."
"And four more drops, there we go." Miriel said with a satisfied voice. "Truly milady, this should not have become such a menial task."
Robin's face soured up as she placed the small vial of cherry plum essence on the tray Miriel brought along. "Can I be faulted? Every day now I am treated as a child! I understood being removed from the front lines, but is it truly necessary that I'm under constant medication?"
The red-headed woman hummed thoughtfully as she lifted her glasses. "May I remind our sensible tactician that the request for this treatment came from no other than herself?"
"Ngh... alright. But that was only for the cherry plum. I never requested anything containing Mimulus or all these varieties of Chestnut!" she gestured to the several other vials on the several other trays scattered around the room. In truth, they perfumed the room with their fresh aroma and that often put Chrom in a state of tender relaxation... which was always good and a welcomed change during these busy times, but still...
From within one of Miriel's pockets came out a small white card. "Cherry plum. Prunus cerasifera. Pattern of Imbalance- This is for the person who fears losing the control of oneself that could lead to destructive behavior including suicide." Miriel continued, putting the card away. "In my colleague's words: '... For those with a fear of the mind being over-strained, of reason giving away, of doing fearful and dreaded things, not wished and known wrong, yet there comes the thought and impulse to do them'."
Warily, Robin gestured with her hand for her friend to elaborate. "Your point, if you'd be so kind."
In her seated position, Miriel moved herself so she could put away the tray full of vials away from the Queen's bed. "It is not my claim to be an expert in this specific field of study, however, with the help of my colleague-"
"Tharja."
"Yes," Miriel nodded. "Quite the intriguing mind. In any case... thanks to the research we've lead together, we have concluded that the person who seeks to alleviate the symptoms co-related with the cherry plum essence may not be ailing from one affliction or malady alone. The nature of your ailments, milady, may branch other disorders of the mind in stressful times such as these. The war against Plegia is over and done. However, the duties of royals are never light and never done. A woman with child already bears a crushing, back-breaking burden. Now, the Queen of a nation with child-"
"I get it Miriel. I absolutely do. I greatly appreciate that you and Tharja care enough to go to all this trouble. I would simply like for you to confirm something."
"I shall strive to clear any and all doubts milady has."
"Chrom is in on this, is he not?"
Miriel smiled that almost non-existent smile of hers that conveyed how pleased she was upon making a ground-breaking discovery, or in this case, at finding a worthy opponent. "The King was right; we wouldn't be able to keep you in the dark for an extended period of time. I thought myself to be a worthy challenge to your analytic genius. My lacking in this territory of deception has been proved, nonetheless. I've let down the King."
"Come now," Robin panicked, feeling guilty for exposing her effort as inefficient. "It's not that big a deal. I'm not mad with Chrom or anything like that. I just can't understand why he'd... Okay, maybe I get why he would lie to me about not being worried and keeping watch on me all the time."
"The Queen's fluctuating mood swings being ever desultory and bloodcurdling is common knowledge at this point. No offense intended."
Robin laughed sheepishly at that. Whatever Miriel had just said about her recent moods sounded kind of... abominable. "Don't worry, I know you are not the offensive sort. I actually very much enjoy the blunt truth of things. That's one of the reasons I enjoy your company. ...Still, I didn't think I was so bad."
"The state of parturiency, milady-"
"Please stop that. You never called me milady," Robin accentuated the word with something akin to childish disgust. "before when I still traveled with the Shepherds. I do not remember most of my past, but I do know I've never been much for formalities."
"Mmm, yes. Very much the same as the King. Sir Frederick, however, has found it suitable by necessity that formality be imparted in a most stern fashion these days. He claims the duty of a soldier under the service of Ylisse's exalted royal family demands the utmost solemnity of customary rite."
"Rite?! Dear Naga! I'm beginning to believe Frederick to be a near-worshiper of House Ylisse!"
"As one who fully appreciates academism and rubric, I daresay I understand Sir Frederick's motivations. But in the interest of milady's wishes to be treated as an equal, and not an out-of-reach noble with delusions of grandeur, I shall refrain from indulging the decorous speech. Lingual froufrou is more Virion's forte than my own, after all."
"..."
"Something amiss, Robin?"
"...No, just... Never mind. Whatever you just said... thanks. A lot. I needed to hear that... I think?"
"My pleasure, Robin. Now, if you'd be so compliant..."
Miriel lifted the next vial containing a concoction of walnut and white chestnut essence. Chrom had requested this one fearing that pulling Robin from the front lines would have her fretting with a hyperactive mind. The walnut, in addition, would serve to alleviate any leftover anxiety or feelings of being unsettled upon having the scenery of life change so abruptly. Chrom might have been subtle about it, but he clearly felt he deserved being blamed for putting Robin in the position of a Queen and mother is such short notice. Not to mention that Robin is by nature a lively person, not some slothful noble who wishes to remain in bed and have things handed to her.
"Aww, shucks!"
Miriel allowed herself a concealed chuckle. It seems she'd been stuck caring for a immature child, rather than the impassable tactician of House Ylisse.
"Please Robin, be a charm." she said playfully.
Whatever had Robin done to make her this whimsical? This phenomena needed further looking into.
"Yes mom."
That's it! But only for this chapter. There'll be two other random ones to come.
...If I receive any comments, of course. If not... well I tried. But I better do get the comments cuz I spent half the day with my nose buried in a thesaurus! Miriel is just hard to portray like that.
If you're wondering about the title, I'll tell you that I was always curious about Lucina's name so I went and researched some. What I found made the mind reel with imagination. So here's the random bits of what I came up with when I thought of Robin during her pregnancy. Chrom will make appearances later, but this is mostly Robin being kind of crackish. Hormones, right?
Also, if you wonder about that experimental flower essence treatment Miriel mentioned, it is a thing. And it's not experimental, I just made up the fact that it was still undergoing study. Serious. Google it. Bach Flowers, it's called. When I read about the cherry plum essence I thought "By God, Robin needs this!" So I made her take it. And also the walnut and chestnut essences. Again, her hormones.