Chapter Four: Meeting

"Beautiful evening isn't it Your Grace?" King Validar said to Exalt Emmeryn in a sickeningly sweet tone.

"Yes, I must agree." She said solemnly. Emmeryn wasn't in the green and cream-colored robes that she wore when they first met her. Instead, she was dressed in a modest cream and white gown with long bell-shaped sleeves and a short train hung just behind her ankles. Her long platinum blonde hair was tucked to one side and she wore a simple gold circlet on her brow.

Robin stood just behind her father, a little wary of the royal siblings, especially the dashingly handsome one who stood just beyond the exalt. Luckily for her, he didn't quite notice her and was chatting animatedly with his guard, Frederick, and what appeared to be one of the Feroxi khans.

"Hi there!" a cheery voice erupted from behind her, causing her to nearly jump out of her skin.

"Oh, my goodness! You scared me!" she gasped, clutching her chest.

"It's Robin!" the owner of the cheery voice, a young woman with blonde hair and golden- brown eyes that mirrored those of the exalt, grabbed Robin's hands and bounced up and down.

"Princess Lissa! Please! Not so loudly!" Robin urged.

"Huh?" Lissa's eyes traveled up beyond Robin and she saw her brother. "Ohh…he doesn't know you're here?" Robin shook her head.

"I'd like it if you please pretend I'm not here." Robin pleaded. Lissa's face fell at the suggestion.

"I was hoping that you'd come see us again, especially with Lucina coming of age and all." Lissa whispered.

"Shh!" Robin placed a finger to Lissa's lips. "Not while he's close!" Her eyes darted to Validar, who was busy schmoozing the Exalt.

"Don't worry. I won't say a thing." Lissa smiled and winked at her before hurrying off to greet the other guests. Robin sighed. "I certainly hope so."

Chrom scanned the crowd to see if he could find who he thought he saw earlier that evening. It can't be her can it? No that's impossible. Every summit after that, I don't remember seeing her, so why would she come now? But what if that was her? What would I even say? I mean, could I say something to her? His thoughts were racing as quickly as his gaze was as his eyes darted over all the people in the room. Suddenly he thought he saw a flash of gold out of the corner of his eye. Someone had rounded the corner out of his line of sight just then and something was telling him that he needed to follow.

As he made his way to follow whoever that was, a boy came running out in the opposite direction, almost colliding with him. He jumped out of the way and his eyes followed him. Something about this boy felt oddly familiar to him, but he couldn't place what it was. He was staring after him until he heard his daughter call him.

"Father!"

He turned around and she was running from the same direction that the boy was.

"Lucina! Do you know that boy just now?" he asked. It seemed like she was following him as well.

"Well I just met him. His name is Morgan. He's the apprentice to the Plegian hierophant." Lucina was unsure of whether she should reveal her suspicions of Morgan's identity to her father just yet. She decided that until her suspicions are confirmed, that it would be best to keep it a secret.

"Oh." Chrom replied. He was a little confused. Why would a young Plegian boy be familiar to him? Maybe his eyes were playing tricks on him.

Lucina peered around the corner where Morgan disappeared.

"And what are you doing?" Chrom asked.

"Oh!" she jumped. "Um, nothing. Nothing at all really. I was just…" Lucina considered lying, but she knew her father would see right through it. She was a horrible liar after all.

"I just thought…I'd talk to Morgan some more!" Well it was the truth, so she wasn't lying.

"Oh ok…" Chrom raised an eyebrow. She was hiding something but he decided not to press the issue. She ran off in the direction that Morgan went shortly after blurting out something about "being back in a minute!" He shrugged and decided to just let her be.

Something was bothering Lucina about the Plegian princess. If Morgan was indeed her father's son, then that would make him her brother, right? But as far she can remember, her father never took any interest in any women, claiming that she is "the only girl for him". She ventured to guess that perhaps her mother was the only woman he would be with romantically, but he always cut off or avoided any conversation about her. Her curiosity burned like a white-hot flame as she followed Morgan and his mother/master down the hall to the guest chambers.

She crept into the hall just outside of Robin's bedchambers.

"Morgan, can you get me a glass of water?" she heard Robin ask her son.

"Yes ma'am." Morgan walked out of the room holding a wooden cup and nearly colliding with Lucina.

"Lucina? What are you doing here?" he asked in a loud whisper.

"I just…I wanted to…" Once again, she was considering lying, but this time, if she did, there could be a chance that he would believe her. But her words died in her throat when she heard Robin speak again.

"Morgan? Is something wrong?" This time, Robin stuck her head outside of the room and her eyes widened when she spotted Lucina. "Lucina?" she nearly choked when their eyes met.

Suddenly put on the spot, Lucina made a hasty curtsy. "Milady. I'm sorry if I disturbed you." She tried to think of an excuse, but none came.

"No...no you're fine. It's just…nothing." Robin found a tear had begun to journey down her cheek. The last time she saw Lucina was when she was being ripped out of her arms by her father the day that he found out about her and Chrom.

"I just thought that I should come and greet you milady." A stupid excuse, but maybe it was better than saying nothing at all.

"Yes…yes p-please won't you come in?" Robin gestured to let the girl inside, trying her hardest not to throw her arms around her and sob openly. How beautiful her daughter had become! And more beautiful still with her long blue gown that perfectly paired with her eyes and her navy hair. Her strong features echoed her father, but the softness in her eyes and the grace in her stride was entirely Robin's.

Morgan followed Lucina inside his mother's room, forgetting to fill her cup. He couldn't understand why his mother was looking at her like that, and almost asked her about it, but something inside him told him not to say anything.

Lucina was beginning to feel a little awkward with the way Robin was staring at her until she suddenly remembered something. Robin said her name! She certainly didn't remember introducing herself, so how-?

"If you'll excuse me asking milady, how did you know my name?" she asked. "I didn't introduce myself to you yet."

Robin realized her slip of the tongue and she looked at both of her children. She closed the door to her room and locked it but not before making sure the area was free of eavesdroppers.

"I have something I need to tell you. Both of you." She announced. "But I don't want anything I say to leave this room. At least not for the time being."

Confused, both children sat in front of her.

"Do you understand me?" she demanded.

Slowly, both children nodded. Robin took a seat across from them and cleared her throat.

"Lucina. I am your mother." She said at last.

Lucina froze in shock. Morgan's gaze darted over to Lucina and back to his mother. He voiced what both of them were feeling.

"You're her mother?!" he whispered loudly. Robin nodded solemnly in response. She wrung her hands waiting for Lucina's reply. Lucina, for her part, was staring at a spot on the wall just beyond Robin's head.

"M-my mother?" she finally whispered. Her eyes met Robin's. "You're my mother?" she asked again.

"Yes Lucina."

"I don't understand. If you're my mother, then why-?"

Robin knew what she was going to ask. "Why did I leave you? Why did I never come back to see you?" She finished for her. Lucina felt tears pricking the backs of her eyes. She nodded silently.

"It was because my father never approved of mine and your father's relationship. When he found out, he nearly had you killed and I was imprisoned. It was too dangerous for me to come see you then." She smiled sadly and gently caressed Lucina's cheek. "But I am here now and just look at how beautiful you've become. You've made me so proud my sweet girl."

Lucina's lower lip trembled and she balled her hands up into fists on her lap.

"B-but if you're her mother, then that means…" Morgan spoke up.

"Yes, she's your older sister." Robin finished.

"And what about my father?" he asked.

Robin swallowed hard. If the truth was coming out, it might as well be the whole truth.

"Your father…is her father." She answered. Lucina's head whipped around to Morgan. She didn't expect her suspicions to be confirmed so quickly!

Robin sat back and looked at both of her children, fully and completely. How beautiful both of them were and how wonderful it was to see them both together at last! She couldn't help herself anymore. She gathered both of them in her arms and began to weep. Lucina and Morgan both clung to their mother and wept until they couldn't breathe.

Unbeknownst to them, someone was listening to their little reunion. Someone who Robin feared would know about them. Someone who had the power to destroy their lives forever.