Chrom was still unsure of what to make of Lucina's new husband. It was awkward for both of them, he imagined, to hold a real conversation considering the nature of their relationship. Trunks had married his daughter, in the distant future, and had come back to set things right. It had taken two years to realize the truth behind Lucina's identity, and a part of him still couldn't believe that it was truly his daughter.
But to think that she was married on top of that made him absolutely mad. How could she not have mentioned this before? He had no idea what to say to Trunks about this.
Trunks, however, to his credit, seemed to understand how he was feeling. "My father was the same way." He said, when Chrom admitted this to him.
"Your father?"
Trunks nodded. "Did Lucina not mention it to you?" He asked. "I was a time traveler who ended up in her world." He said. "I had met my Father on my trip, and he..." He laughed, shaking his head a little. "He did not take to me well at all, even after he realized who I was, until a year afterward."
"You came from the future as well?" He asked sharply. "Even farther than the future than Lucina?"
"I..." He shook his head again. "I'm not sure." He admitted. "It's possible that I completely changed the world when I set out what I wanted to do... but... well..."
He looked troubled.
"I think I may have ended up somewhere else entirely." He said. "Nothing here resembles where I came from at all."
"How so?"
"The people are much different, the land is different, maps show a continent that I've never seen before, the history here is different..." He shrugged. "I'm somewhere else entirely. Not where I wanted to go."
"But how is that possible?" Chrom asked. "If you were only trying to travel through time, and had succeeded before..."
"Time travel is tricky." Trunks said. "We were never sure, going into it on how it would effect the future I came from. I'm sure Lucina has talked about this before..."
He nodded.
"Well, my theory... and understand that this is just a theory... is that my future simply doesn't exist anymore." He said. He sounded distant. Chrom wondered whether just how confident he was in his theory. "But I think it's impossible to know for sure."
He looked away from Chrom, deep in thought. Chrom thought it best to press him further. "Have you no family?"
"I have my mother." He said. "Nothing else." He clenched his fist. Clearly, something was bothering him. "But once I met Lucina, I... had to help her." A faint blush touched his cheeks. "And then we just sort of... ended up married."
Chroms stared at him, trying to work out what he wasn't telling him. Why would Lucina choose him, out of all the others? Someone who wasn't even from this world?
Lucina was not talking either, although she was more than willing to... if he bent to her will and told the story of how he had met her mother. Needless to say, he was anxious to get the answer out of Trunks rather than submit to... THAT option.
"Trunks, I would like to fight you."
He looked taken aback. "What?"
"You haven't drawn your sword at all since you came here." He said. "I'd like to get the chance to see how skilled you are."
"Oh, no, I couldn't..." He said, a little too quickly. "I... umm... I have other things to be doing."
Was he frightened? Of him? If anything, that knowledge emboldended him to act out. "If you are going to be a part of this army," He said, rising to his full height. "You're going to have to pull your weight. You can't run away from battle, Trunks..."
"Oh, no, I'm not running away." Trunks said quickly. "I just don't... Well..." He looked sheepish, casting a glance at his hand, where he was already gripping Falchion. "I don't think that's necessary." He said. "Lucina can give you an idea of what I can do."
"Nonsense." Chrom said shortly. "I have not seen you fight firsthand, and I think we need to settle this now."
"Forgive me, Lucina..."
Chrom had already turned around to get some distance. He looked back at him, puzzled. "What did you say?"
"Nothing." He said, dejectedly. "Let's get this over with, then."
Chrom drew the Falchion and stared Trunks down. "Well?" He asked. "How about we make this a little fun?"
"Fun?" He repeated. Despite his previous reluctance, he had taken hold of the sword on his back as well.
"That's right." He said, pleased that he had steeled himself. "How about we make a little game of this?"
"How do you mean?" He asked.
"If I win, you tell me all about how you and Lucina met." He said. "And if you win..."
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." He said quickly. "I am... uh, not going to lose."
He said it in a surprisingly matter of fact way, but Chrom paid no mind to that. "Overconfident, are you?" He asked. "Is not telling that story that important to you?"
He frowned. "Well, you could have just asked." He said. "But sure, I'll take the bet."
"Alright." Chrom said. "Prepare yourself... Here I come!"
It was over before he had even blinked. Trunk's punch had caught him right in the stomach. His armor plate shattered into pieces as he fell backwards, his eyes wide. "What... happened?"
His sword clattered to the side as he fell over. Trunks stood over him, looking down at him pitifully. "Are you alright?" He asked.
He laid his head down on the ground, trying to wrap his head around what had just happened.
"Father!"
And Lucina was there, cupping her hands around him. "Oh, Trunks. Tell me you didn't..."
They spoke for a while. Chrom not registering the conversation, although she could tell that Lucina was upset with him.
"If you had hurt him, Trunks..."
But over time, he had managed to calm her down.
"He had to find out eventually, I suppose." She said, looking down at him. "Are you alright, Father?"
"I'm fine." He said, sitting up for a bit. "But Trunks... I think we need to talk again sometime."
"Once you are feeling better, we will."
...
The two of them ate in silence, a far cry from the night he had returned. They had spent the whole night sitting up and just talking. Had that really only been last night?
"What do you think of my father?"
He looked up, surprised that she had finally spoke. "I'm not sure yet." He replied, honestly. "He's not being himself around me."
"Yes, I thought as much." She said. "I did not mention him to you at all."
That kind of hurt. He would have thought that she would have mentioned their marriage to her parents immediately once she had the chance to do so. "Why not?"
She set her cup down. "I'm sorry." She said. "But it has been two years since I arrived, and you were not my priority."
He knew her well enough to know what she meant. She had spent the last two years working to avert the death of her family. And she had not succeeded.
The Queen, Lucina's aunt Emmeryn, had already been murdered by the time Trunks had arrived. And as such, he had no way of knowing where Lucina was hiding. He had had no choice but to wait until the Valmese invasion before searching for her.
She had been a little younger than him when they had first met, but time travel had aged her a year older than he had. She had grown a little bit. Had become much stronger. He noticed she was eating better as well. She had often gone without meals in her future in order to keep her soldiers fed.
"I know." He said. "I know what's it's like to be in your situation."
She smiled at him. "Yes, I tried to keep what you told me in mind... meet my father first, I mean. He actually recognized me!" She seemed pleased at the fact. "I mean, I had to be born first before he understood, but once he looked at my face he just... knew."
Vegeta had not known Trunk's identity until Piccolo had referred to him by name. She was much more fortunate than he.
"I think he's a good man." Trunks said. "We're lucky to have met him."
"Yes." She said. "I think he likes you, it's just..." She giggled, a rare thing to see from her. "Well, he didn't expect to see me married so soon!"
They actually both laughed at that, and Trunks felt himself relax.
"It's so nice to be with you again, Trunks." She said sincerely. "I mean that. I feel as if we have spent more time apart than together."
He nodded. He felt the same way. "Indeed." He said. "But I'm not going to let us be pulled apart again."
"I believe you."
