A/N: Thank you all for the kind words! Just a heads up, this is a fast update because I happened to have written two chapters in advance. Still, I thought I'd post it out so there's a meatier chunk for everyone to read. Do feel free to drop me a note or a review if you have suggestions or criticism to offer. Enjoy!
Chapter 2: A Wrinkle in Time
That evening, Lucina was rostered for kitchen duties with Nah. It had been a good day, the Ylissean League having covered a decent amount of ground with scouts reporting a clear way ahead of them.
Nah was late, which was unusual for the solemn, half-blooded manakete, but Lucina paid it no mind. As was her usual habit, she had kept herself busy, filling barrels of water for cooking from the water wagon and assisting with setting up of tents. Practice had sped up the task, and she was glad that by the time she had to report to the kitchen, the tent she'd shared with Robin was up and standing, all their belongings arranged inside. The tactician had been deep in discussion with her father and the other war leaders during the march, and she knew he'd make a beeline for his books and maps the moment he could.
Lucina dropped a bucketful of diced potatoes into the boiling pot. It had been surprisingly easy to slice the vegetables, she thought, inordinately proud that the potatoes were perfectly sized cubes. At least her swordsmanship was good for something other than killing.
Just as she began seasoning the vegetable stew with salt and sprigs of rosemary, Nah ran into the tent kitchen in a fluster.
"Lucina! So sorry I'm late!"
"It is not a problem, Nah."
"You'd think a grown woman would have better sense than to goad a group of hunters with bows. What if they were Walhart's spies? What if she gave our position away?" Nah went on in deep vexation as she busied herself hauling out cuts of venison from the salting barrel.
Lucina looked up in concern from stirring the pot.
"Did something happen?"
Ignoring her, the young manakete continued her litany as she slapped the meat on a cutting board and began slicing strips with a vengeance. "She's lucky she got away with a hole in her wing! If she had flown lower, she'd have been peppered with arrows!"
"Uh...hello, Nah?"
Nah finally looked up from her slicing and muttered, "I'm fine. I just had to get that off my chest. You know, I never got to know my mother in our time. It was something I dreamed about when we came here. Now that I have, I'm not sure that's such a good idea after all..."
Frowning, Lucina reached out to grasp Nah's shoulder.
"You don't mean it, Nah. Surely you cannot think that losing our parents is preferable to being in this timeline."
The young Manakete conceded with a sigh.
"All right, I take it back. But it's so frustrating! I had to support her weight all the way so we could return to camp safely and the moment Mr Libra finishes healing her, she runs off to find someone to play her silly games with!"
It'd become an old complaint since they arrived at this timeline. In dragon-years, Nah was not much more than a babe in swaddling cloth, yet she displayed a remarkable maturity beyond her age. Lucina was no stranger to Nowi's antics but she wasn't inclined to question anyone's eccentricities as long as they did their jobs. Still, she could understand why Nowi's childlike personality would irk Nah.
"Are you disappointed with your mother?" Lucina asked softly.
Nah looked up, startled. "N-no, nothing of that sort. She's much more powerful than I am. It'll be many years before I can stay transformed for as long as she does. It's just I expected someone of her age to have more sense! What if she had died today? We came back here to change the future, and she's not making our job any easier!"
Lucina couldn't help her smile. Trust the young manakete to hide her real feelings behind an officious reason. Well, far be it for her then to expose Nah's facade and cause embarrassment for her friend.
"Nobody said our task would be easy," she mused instead as she began cracking eggs to make a custard for dessert. "But I can't believe we thought we could change the fate of the world by ourselves. Seeing how my father and Robin work together has been an eye opener. It's the same with the rest of the Shepherds. They lend their strengths to make up for each other's weaknesses and they do it so unconsciously."
"Hey, I thought we did pretty well! Don't sell yourself short, Lucina." Nah said briskly, shoving the cut meat into the frying pan and scattering crushed peppers all over it. "You were great as our leader."
"You flatter me, Nah. The truth was half the time, I only had a basic idea of what must be done, a far cry from the level of planning that goes on around here. It's a miracle we managed to survive so long."
"Well, we didn't have the luxury for refinement. Gotta admit though, food's definitely better here. No more weed masquerading as veggies, desserts actually taste sweet and there's real meat, yum!" Nah brandished her skillet theatrically, flipping the slabs of venison with a masterful flair, much to Lucina's amusement. "Although I kinda miss being just the few of us. Now we have to figure out how to fit into a big group. How do you talk to someone you have nothing in common with, anyway?"
The smell of caramel filled the tent as Lucina stirred sugar and butter into the simmering custard mix, a line forming between her brow as she considered the question.
"Hmm... I have found training offers to be a good ice breaker." She offered after a while. "Our business is war, after all, and sometimes we are paired up with the most unexpected of people. It's good to learn how to fight alongside different people."
"Right. Except much of my training involves aerial tactics, dodging arrows and javelins—that kind of thing. Not many options there."
Lucina smiled sympathetically. "I suppose you could find out what else your mother likes apart from games? Or what about Lady Tiki? I'm sure she has many things to share from her past."
The young manakete shrugged as she ladled the last of the cooked meat on a serving tray.
"And we're back at square one. To be fair, my mother's not the only one, she's just the worst offender. For the life of me, I still don't get how our parents find the time or the mood to joke and relax in the middle of a war. Not when there's so much work to do." Hoisting the heavy platter with both hands, Nah made her way towards the mess tent. "And on that note, time to serve dinner! This smells so good I bet there's a queue waiting for it!"
"Careful, Nah! I'm almost done here, let me help you with that."
"Pfft! I've carried far heavier loads, including two grown men at once!"
Lucina shook her head as the young Manakete tottered around the corner and disappeared from view. She resumed whisking the custard mix before turning away to retrieve a stack of bowls from their packing crate.
"Psst... That smells promising. Give me a taste test, Blue Junior?"
She looked back to see Gaius couched at the level of the table, eyeing the big bowl of custard. It was disconcerting how silently he appeared, but it wasn't wholly unexpected when dessert was involved.
"Uh, go ahead, Sir Gaius."
The former thief dipped a finger into the mixture and into his mouth.
"Decent, but not enough of a spicy undertone. Happen to have some sticks of cinnamon on me. How about a double serving in exchange for a sprinkle of that precious stuff?"
Lucina laughed and stood back.
"Be my guest."
With deft movements, he shaved a generous portion from his private stash with a pocket knife. Tossing the spice into the bowl, he slipped out of the kitchen with a wink.
Intrigued, Lucina tried the custard herself and found the taste much improved. While she didn't have a sweet tooth, this was certainly food fit for the royal halls of Ylisstol. Just as she was done doling out the custard into wooden bowls to set, Stahl and Donnel entered at just the right time to help carry the pot of stew into the mess hall.
The atmosphere was boisterous and just as Nah had predicted, a line had already formed and was snaking out beyond the tent entrance. The mess hall was soon filled with hungry Shepherds with requests for second helpings, which made Lucina feel inordinately happy.
She almost didn't feel a quick tap on her shoulder. Spinning around, she found Gaius who grinned at her in expectation. Oh, right, he was promised a double helping of the dessert. Whistling happily, she watched as he carried his share to join Sully and Kjelle, his wife and daughter, at their table. The food was fast disappearing and at Lucina's urging, Nah had taken her own share to eat with her parents. It was with relief when she finally saw Robin, accompanied by Morgan, enter the mess hall, the last of the Shepherds.
The tactician looked tired, but he smiled warmly and stole a quick peck on her cheek as she handed over his double servings on a laden tray. Walking beside them, Morgan giggled as Lucina became flustered at his show of affection. That was until she saw Sumia waving cheerfully at them from the back of the tent and began tugging Robin in that direction.
"Hey there. Cynthia has decided to abandon us to dine with Owain and Lissa tonight." Chrom said from beside his wife as they took their seats.
Lucina craned her neck to find her sister who waved at her, right on cue, from the far end of the mess hall. Perhaps that was for the best. As she had predicted, Cynthia and Morgan had hit off spectacularly, taking to each other like they were long lost siblings.
Chrom made a face at the giant portions on Robin's tray. "You're gonna finish all that? We'll have to roll you onto the ship with the barrels once this campaign is over."
"Yeah well, strategising is hard work, especially when you leave it all to me," Robin muttered as he started digging in. "Gods, I'm famished!"
"How is the work getting along?" Lucina asked as she began on her own meal.
"Busy. Winning our last two battles at the Fort Steiger and the Ingle has convinced some of the resistance forces to defect. For real this time. We'll be joined by fifty thousand more troops before the week is out."
"That is good news, isn't it?"
"Assuming we can trust them this time, yeah. But that throws my plans for the castle assault out of the window so I have to redraft my strategy again."
Morgan who had been shovelling food into her face looked up with interest.
"What kind of troops are we getting, Dad?"
"Mostly foot knights and infantry units," Robin's movements slowed down as he laid out the details for the rest of his listeners as much as the young tactician. "I was originally thinking to use them for backup. Didn't want a repeat of Fort Steiger. But we'll be going up against Walhart's finest so we'll have to give everything we've got."
"What's their discipline and morale like?"
"They're men from Chon'sin interestingly enough. Yen'fay's defeat probably did a number to their heads. Say'ri will be busy whipping them back into shape for the assault." The tactician frowned as though something just occurred to him. "Chrom, one of us should accompany Say'ri when she does her inspection. So her men knows we're totally behind her."
Elbows on the table, the Prince tented his fingers thoughtfully. "I could do that. It'll have to be handled delicately if we don't wish to undermine her authority."
"Here's to hoping you don't accidentally break Chon'sin's national treasures," Robin lifted a spoonful of stew in salute before shoving it into his own mouth.
"You should split the Chon'sin forces up and have them support other units in the army. That way they'll be less likely to have ideas of their own," Morgan piped up. "We have an abundance of archers and they could always use a bigger shield wall."
Robin smiled and tousled his daughter's hair absent-mindedly.
"I suppose we can deploy the foot knights for that. What about the regular units?"
"Chon'sin infantry can cover ground relatively fast. They could be used for flanking and divisionary tactics. We'd want to cut off the enemy forces from the castle gates once the battle meets. Since they'd need to adjust to quick orders, Lady Say'ri should be leading them personally."
From across the table, both Chrom and Sumia regarded the young girl with raised eyebrows.
"Sounds like a solid plan, but wouldn't our mounted knights be better for that?"
It was clear Robin was testing Morgan, but the girl remained unfazed as she rattled off her thoughts.
"Not unless our knights have decided to take up archery for a hobby. Chon'sin infantry also carry bows. They can keep enemy reinforcements at bay while we save our heavy units for the main assault."
Chrom laughed as Robin finally sat back with a look of satisfaction on his face.
"Looks like someone has been hitting the textbooks. It's good to know you'll have someone to share the workload with, Robin."
"We'll see about that. It's one thing to be pushing pieces across a map, it's another to command those pieces in a real battle. Don't forget we haven't factored in terrain yet."
The elation on Morgan's face turned to sober consideration.
"Although if you like, we could go over the scout reports and refine our strategy for the assault," her father offered with a smile.
It wasn't the first time they'd seen Morgan light up like a beacon, but Lucina suspected the effect would always bring a smile out of her.
"I'd like that! Can we do that after dinner?"
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Robin tapped a finger on the tabletop. "You're supposed to go to the armoury with your mother to get a new sword, right?"
For the tiniest moment, Morgan looked crestfallen before perking up again.
"How about tomorrow then?"
"One thing at a time, little grasshopper," The tactician said as he attacked his meat hungrily. "We'll be stopping by a village tomorrow to resupply for a few days. Plenty of opportunity to refine the plan then."
Gods knew Robin was overworked and could use some help. It wasn't the first time Lucina felt acutely her own uselessness in this respect. With every passing day, it became clear that Morgan was blessed with her father's rare mental brilliance. It was plain for all to see that the young tactician was the best person to make his life easier.
But Lucina couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy. All she could share with Morgan were her melee skills. In comparison, Robin had so much more to offer—spellcasting, tactics, a love for books and knowledge. It was such a silly thing to be jealous of her own husband, to be keeping a tally of the advantages he had over her.
There was nothing to it. She had to find something else to bond with Morgan over.
How do you talk to someone you have nothing in common with, anyway?
How indeed?
When she had been younger and had just taken over leadership of a kingdom reduced to a band of refugees, she had believed that survival was the only thing that mattered. Never once had she felt that something was missing until she came to this timeline.
But life wasn't just about fighting, was it? Lucina cast her memories further back into her childhood and recalled the smell of baking in the morning, the ringing of temple bells calling the faithful to prayers, attending etiquette lessons and wishing she was elsewhere, visiting the marketplace on a warm summer afternoon...
She could only hope she wasn't too rusty with things that didn't involve fighting or taking lives. Looking up, she noticed that Morgan had already cleaned her tray, her eyes darting to look wistfully at other people's portions. With her voracious appetite, Lucina had to wonder where Morgan packed her calories.
"Here, Morgan." Lucina said, passing the young girl her own dessert.
"I get extra, too?" Morgan quickly took in the items on Lucina's tray. "But that leaves you with none."
"It's all right. I don't really fancy custard."
The teenager was about to demur when Robin elbowed her gently.
"Just take it."
Morgan took a deep breath, visibly wrestling with temptation, before giving up. Digging in with great relish, she gushed, "Thankhs, Mom! Thish ish soo good!"
"The food is good." Sumia commented with a smile, her first words for the evening. "You were on cooking duty tonight, my dear?"
Lucina gave her a sidelong look. Her mother knew full well who did what, being the camp roster planner.
"It's not that great. Nah did her fair share of the cooking, too."
"You've improved tremendously though. I'm glad you have some talent in this area. Unlike Robin or your father." Sumia laughed at both men who were devouring their desserts.
Chrom looked up in mock indignation. "Hey, I'll have you know we play very important roles. A good cook needs an appreciative audience after all."
"And now we know who we can count on when we need to throw a party." Robin added with a grin. "Thank you for the wonderful meal tonight, Lucina."
"I-It's no problem. I'm glad you like it."
Three months of being together, and praise from Robin still brought a blush to her face. Somewhere deep inside, Lucina didn't want that feeling to ever go away. As she basked in the warmth of her success, she made a mental note to ask Gaius if he had access to other condiments that could help improve her cooking.
The trip to the armoury and the smithy turned out to be quite fruitful. Morgan was the proud owner of a brand new rapier and its accompanying scabbard when they walked back to the camp.
The teenager began swinging the naked blade in front of her, relishing the sound it made cutting through the air.
"You might hurt yourself or somebody if you do that, Morgan," Lucina couldn't help but caution. She did her best to keep her tone as light as possible, their rocky introduction made her acutely aware that the last thing she wanted was to rebuff the young girl.
As it was, the blade wavered in Morgan's hand before she returned it to the sheath.
"You can swing it all you want when we train. You'll need to get used to the feel of the blade," she offered hurriedly. "Just don't do it in the dark."
"Okay," came Morgan's noncommittal response after a while.
Lucina suppressed a faint sigh. How was it that even a simple conversation could be fraught with so much implication and awkwardness? Would she ever be able to mimic Robin's ability at doling out concessions without making them sound like admonishments?
Full night had fallen, and torches and camp fires lit the area in a warm glow. Ahead of them was the command tent, brightly lit. Although it was a standing order to make sure the place was always ready, there should be no one inside tonight. No war council had been convened and its most regular user, Robin had indicated he would be working in their tent tonight.
Which was why it was a surprise to hear a scream followed by Cynthia bursting from between the flaps and running frantically towards them.
Always on alert, Lucina drew Falchion quickly and ran to meet her sister.
"Cynthia, are we under attack? What happened back there? Are you all right?"
"H-help! Save me, Lucy!"
In the dim torchlight, she could see the whites of Cynthia's eyes. Lucina's heart lurched to her throat in alarm and she gripped her sister's shoulder.
"Breath, Cynthia. Calm down and tell me what happened. I'm here to help."
The young pegasus knight gestured wildly back towards the command tent she just fled from.
"B-b-bug! A bug!"
Wait a minute.
"...A bug? ...As in...an insect?"
"Not just any insect! This one's huge, and hairy! I-It's horrible, like out of a nightmare!"
Lucina slammed Falchion back into its sheath in disgust.
"You're telling me all that screaming and flailing was over an insect? Honestly, Cynthia, you could have sent the whole camp into a panic."
Cynthia's lips thinned in impatience.
"Oh yeah? Well if it's just an insect to you, then help me get it out of there. For all we know, it could be chewing up the maps right now."
Beside them, Morgan's brows furrowed with thought. "There are insects that live off paper, or so I've read."
"Uh oh, all our assault plans are in there! Plus the scout reports that just came in today."
Morgan's eyes widened in response.
"Dad promised me we'll look through those! No way I'm gonna let a bug spoil that!" The teenager declared, running into the command tent. At a loss over what to do, Lucina followed along with Cynthia coming up close behind.
Nothing seemed out of place apart from several rolls of paper scattered across the rug floor. Fresh candles burned brightly in their stands. A large map of the Valmese continent with different coloured flags marking troop movements took centrepiece on the table in the middle. Surrounding the perimeter were a series of makeshift racks and shelves filled with assorted maps and reports. In one corner, a stack of camp stools stood neatly.
"Where is it, Cynthia?"
Cynthia's eyes darted around the room as she peered from behind her older sister. Her face paled as her finger pointed towards a rack of scrolls at the back of the tent.
"It's over there!"
It was a monstrous thing. Lucina didn't even think it could qualify as a bug. The creature was as big as her palm, with a jet-black carapace and thick appendages covered with hair. In all her life, she had never seen an insect so big. It stared at them with its black beady eyes and waved its antennae in a menacing fashion.
"Whoa..." Morgan breathed in wonder. "That's really big. I wonder what else does it eat?"
"Us?" Cynthia hazarded with a squeak.
"That's just silly." Lucina frowned and looked around for something that could be used as a bug swatter. Her eyes landed on a tactics manual and mouthing a silent apology to Robin, she heaved it up and approached the target.
"I don't see what the fuss is all-"
Suddenly, the carapace split open and the bug took to the air with rasping wings.
"EEEEEK!"
Never in her life would Lucina imagine she could pirouette with such speed.
"See, see? It's the stuff of nightmares!" Cynthia yelled from the side, seizing things and throwing them indiscriminately. "Hurry up and kill it! Kill it with fire magic!"
Braced against a rack to avoid the projectiles, Morgan shouted back, "I didn't bring my spellbook!"
The bug began buzzing drunkenly around the room, knocking into shelves and books. It was too much to bear. The three of them ran out of the tent as fast as they could. Hands on knees, they gasped for breath by the entrance.
Cynthia glared at Lucina accusingly.
"What happened to no fuss? How are you going to save the future if you can't even smoosh one stupid bug?"
"Did you see that thing? It's huge! And those two things are not related in the slightest. How do you plan to be a hero if you're scared of a bug?"
"Bugs are not mentioned in the hero manual! Besides, you're the oldest here. Shouldn't you be leading by example? Hmm?"
Lucina glanced down at Morgan who was listening to their conversation avidly. It was true. How did she expect to teach the teenager to hold her own in battle when all it took was a bug to undo her?
Reluctantly, she unsheathed Falchion. Something at the back of her mind told her it was overkill, but all she wanted was to get this over and done with.
"I knew I could depend on you, Lucy!" Cynthia squealed. "Three cheers for the once and future Exalt!"
"It wouldn't hurt you to show some spine, you know." Lucina muttered as her sister darted behind her once more. "You were groomed for royalty too."
The tent was dark when they entered, the candles having been knocked off their stands.
"I can't see anything. Does anyone have a tinderbox?"
"Make Falchion glow!" Cynthia's disembodied voice sounded unnaturally loud, almost causing Lucina to jump. "Then when you see it, Ker-STAB!"
"Falchion isn't some common pitchfork or a pageantry torch, Cynthia. It's a blade of legend!"
"Luminae." Morgan incanted and a small flame danced into existence on the tip of her finger. It was just enough light to avoid tripping over obstacles.
"Sorry. That's the best I can do without my spellbook."
"Don't be," Lucina said ruefully. "It's certainly more useful than anything the rest of us have done so far."
Just as she finished speaking, the horrid buzzing sound began again, and she felt something brush past her ear.
"Ahh! It's flying! It's flying again!" Cynthia screamed and ran into her.
"Stand back! Give me space to swing, Cynthia. I don't want to hit you by mistake!"
"Mom, it's over here!"
"Finger, Morgan, finger! You're setting the tent on fire!"
"Oops!"
"Ow, my toe! Ow, Ow! Bring back the light!"
Suddenly the tent flaps flew wide open. Bright torchlight flooded the space in time for them to see the bug skitter towards the entrance. Before it could make a timely escape, demise came in the form of a boot crunch.
"What in the name of...? What's going on here?" Chrom demanded to stunned faces.
When there was no answer, he lifted up his boot and grimaced.
"Does this have something to do with the smear I just acquired?"
"F-Father!"
The evidence was indisputable—Falchion naked in her hand, the tent in absolute disarray. She was his oldest child, a grown woman and yet she couldn't even handle such a silly thing as a bug encounter.
Beside her, Cynthia piped up in awe. "You're amazing, Father! It took us forever to try and kill that bug and you did it accidentally!"
With an explosive snort, Morgan burst into laughter.
Chrom surveyed the room, looking absolutely flummoxed. Lucina took a deep breath, waiting for the outburst from him.
It never came. Instead, he gave a strange cough as if trying to contain his amusement.
"And it so happens I came in time to stop the place from burning down?"
Fresh peals of laughter emerged from Morgan as she squatted on the floor and clutched at her stomach. Cynthia collapsed on the ground howling.
"I-I'm so sorry, Father." Lucina said, her posture ram-rod straight, face bright red. "It was my fault. I should have handled this better."
"No harm was done," he waved a hand, chuckling. "But ah, don't destroy any maps or reports please. Or Robin will get mad and quit his job and we'll be out of a tactician."
Imagine what would've happened if they did set fire to the war documents! All the months of hard work, gone. She wouldn't be able to face Robin, knowing the anguish she'd caused him. Cyntha was right. She should have led by example.
"There is no excuse. I should have known better." Lucina muttered in deep mortification as she moved to pick up the fallen items. Chrom clearing his throat made her stop short.
"Cynthia, Morgan, why don't you two clean up? Try not to wreak anything this time, eh? Come, Lucina, take a walk with me."
Bracing herself mentally, Lucina sheathed Falchion and followed her father out of the tent. The cool air outside was a relief, easing both her heart and mind. As her thoughts gradually settled down, she chanced a curious look at him.
Despite months spent with him, she still couldn't get used to his more jovial and easygoing nature in this timeline. Chrom from her own future was a broken and crippled man towards the end of his life. He loved his children dearly, but he was a stern taskmaster and laughter didn't come easy to him.
If anything, her father from this timeline fought, loved and played just as hard as the Shepherds he led. Perhaps he was the reason for Nah's gripe. Everyone else was simply following the example set by their liege.
They walked in companionable silence into the main part of the camp. Her father's expression was warm and inviting, but Lucina had no idea what was expected of her and so she kept quiet.
Finally, Chrom gave a bark of a laugh.
"You know, I've always thought I'd do one of these heart-to-heart talks with my children someday, but what we'd talk about always eludes me." He shrugged. "I'm probably projecting here because I remember wishing I could talk like that to my father. Or maybe watching you with Morgan is like seeing my life flash past before my eyes."
It was true. If she had to handle the shock of having a grown daughter, imagine what he would be feeling. But outwardly, he seemed to have taken everything in stride in his usual way.
"What was Grandfather like?" Lucina asked instead to fill the silence. What she knew of the man was commonplace knowledge. Distraught by the death of his wife, he had waged a bitter and misplaced war against Plegia. When he had died and left Emmeryn to take over rebuilding the nation, Chrom was just six years old.
"I was very young then. But from what I remember of him, he was a harsh and cold man. So maybe it's fortunate for you that I never got that heart-to-heart talk with him." He gave her a wink, determined, it seemed, to make light of the topic.
"What I do regret," he continued, "is that I have no fatherly example to fall back on. Shortly after you were born in this timeline, I had a panic attack. What in the name of Naga was I thinking bringing a new life into this world? Thankfully, your mother pulled me through. And now that I look back, I can say it was one of the best decisions I've made in my life." He smiled at her. "Have you ever wondered why your mother and I got married so quickly after the war with Plegia?"
It was something that had never occurred to her. Ylisse had lost Exalt Emmeryn in a tragedy that shook the entire continent. And although they had won the war, the casualties were staggering on both sides. It had been a long time since her lessons in statecraft, but she hazarded a guess.
"Because Ylisse needed to know its new ruler was capable of reviving the kingdom and carrying on the royal legacy? The people needed a sign of hope and a reason to celebrate?"
She almost giggled at the satisfied glint in Chrom's eyes. He and Robin were alike as brothers in so many ways.
"Correct, but it's more than that. Your aunt's sacrifice taught me not to take anything for granted. For many years, Emm set her own happiness and future aside for the sake of Ylisse. You could say that it made her passing easier to bear but I keep wondering if she might have chosen a different path had she more personal ties in this world."
They approached the middle of the camp where a large bonfire was burning merrily. It was a communal spot to relax in the evening. Wood was plentiful around here and a healthy stack sat next to the fire. Now and then, someone would toss a piece in to keep the light and warmth going. A few Shepherds were sitting on fallen logs strewn around, chatting quietly. Waving to them, Chrom led her to an empty spot and settled down.
"It's not in me to be a martyr like Emm," he continued, elbows resting on his knees. "I prefer to live life to the fullest and go down fighting if I must. There's no room for regrets or lost chances. It's also why I didn't knock the living daylights out of Robin when I found out about the both of you."
Oh gods. That had been one episode she would never forget as long as she lived. It wasn't a tryst if they were married, Lucina kept reminding herself, although Sumia had fainted right on the spot. The news had travelled like wildfire and poor Robin had suffered the brunt of the Shepherds' reception. In a way, it was to be expected. The tight-knitted group shared a strong sense of guardianship towards her and her time travelling friends.
It was only after the debacle that Lucina realised her father hadn't taken sides. He simply insisted that they held an official wedding at the next village they stopped at so he could give her away properly. It was likely he and Robin shared words behind closed doors but she had been too overjoyed to find out.
"Did you feel nothing at all when you first heard the news, Father?" Lucina asked curiously.
Some of the women in the camp even went so far as to ask if she had joined in the union of her own freewill! She knew the Shepherds meant well, but when the dirty looks and name-calling directed at Robin showed no signs of stopping, she had finally snapped and told everyone to mind their own business.
"It took getting used to," Chrom admitted as he found a stick and began digging the ground with it. "But you are an adult with the right to make your choices. And there's no better man I'd entrust my daughter to. If Robin has one bad habit, it's that he's incapable of not taking care of others. You have chosen better than I could ever do for you."
Lucina stammered in embarrassment and pride. "I-I believe he was the one who did the choosing. Very persistently too."
Chrom laughed heartily.
"Well, I'm glad for both of you! You should also try and relax. You're still very young, Lucina. I'm sorry you've had to grow up fast, way too fast. Trust Robin and I to get things under control in this timeline. Put down your burden and have some fun now and then."
She hesitated before confessing slowly, "I have been trying. That was until Morgan showed up and I feel obliged to be a good parent to her. Except I'm not sure how to..."
Chrom blinked in surprise, his hand arrested as he dug ruts in the packed earth.
"Having the same problem, are you? Guess that shouldn't come as a surprise. Frederick actually had some good advice. He told me to be your friend first and foremost, and to work on everything else when time and opportunity permits."
At her puzzled look, he went on to explain, "It didn't make sense to me at first. But I'm beginning to understand that being a good parent doesn't happen overnight. You need to work on it and that takes years. We don't have those years, you and I, so there's no point forcing the issue."
He clapped her on her shoulder reassuringly.
"Don't get me wrong, I'm very proud to have you as my daughter. But I value our friendship equally. Hopefully from there, I may become a good father to you one day."
It was just dust in her eyes, she swore, trying not to sniffle. There was absolutely no doubt on her part. If a distinction had to be made, she loved this younger version of her father as much as the one she'd lost in her future.
"You already are, Father."
"Aww, thank you, Lucina." He wrapped his arms around her in a quick hug. "Promise me you won't wear yourself down trying to do too many things at once, okay?"
"I won't." she said, wiping her eyes against her sleeve. "I do envy Robin though. He juggles so many roles effortlessly."
Chrom chuckled.
"Thank the gods there's just one of him then or he'd put all of us out of business! Oh, and I take it back. I remember thinking something when I heard the news—I swore if Robin ever looks at baby Lucina funny, I'd kick his teeth out."
It took a while for Lucina to understand what he meant. But when she finally joined in his laughter, her heart felt lighter than it had been for a while. It would take time to sort out all the advice offered by everyone today. Chrom's suggestion to take it easy was a good place to start as any and so she resolved to relax and be herself around Morgan.
It had been a day of revelations. Far too many. But the best thing was ending it with a heart-to-heart talk with her father.