Let's flip the perspective here, shall we? I figure it's high time we do so, don't you? Certainly. This is a sort of lead in since I need to go through and reread some support conversations between the kids. But I really wanted to give Lucina a little time, since I gave Inigo plenty of time. We'll see if it continues onto the next chapter.
Put Your Faults To Bed
Lucina was not one for frivolity. Even at her most laid back she did not allow for many worldly pleasures. Spending time with her mother and younger brother were the most she allowed for herself. There was not time to relax. The time may come, but now was not that time. She suspected that was why Inigo frustrated her so much.
With his constant smile and his flirting she couldn't decide which of the two made her more frustrated. She watches him spar and trade insults with Owain and feels something akin to jealousy flair up in her chest. How was it that they could be so light in such an important time? The conflict with Valm was almost settled-and she knew what she was going to have to do after that.
They don't know that though, do they? Stop trying to force your problems onto them, you fool.
"We were never sure you know. They could have been wrong. It could have been anyone. You shouldn't think about it. This is our second chance after all."
Inigo's words weigh on her and she wants to heed them but the sword on her hip is too heavy to ignore. Her grandfather's influence lingers in her thoughts. She has turned the options over in her head too many times to even count. She catches Inigo's eyes and he sends her a cheery grin and she scowls immediately. Something flutters in her chest at his smile and she stands and makes way to the weapons tent instead of watching the sparring in the morning.
"Hey, Lucina!"
Inigo calls after her and she stops and turns. He beams down to her and points towards the nearest village, "Me and few of the rest of us were going to go into town and see what we can scrounge up for food and comforts. Want to join us?"
"No, I'm sorry Inigo, I've got a strategy meeting in an hour's time," Lucina doesn't add that she isn't expected to go to the meeting. She watches as Inigo's face falls slightly and he scratches the back of his head.
"Oh, well…Do you want me to look for anything for you? Since you've got to do business things?"
Lucina blinks, startled by his generosity. She hadn't remembered him being this way in the future-but then most of them had changed since coming back to the past. They were happier, hopeful. He stares down at her, and she can tell he isn't lying. She searches her mind for something she may want but then squashes the thought before it can go anywhere. It was always better not to get your hopes up.
"No. Thank you though, Inigo. I'm fine."
Inigo frowns and his eyes flicker about her face for a few moments, "Are you sure? You're really okay?"
Lucina feels her stomach roll, but she stands tall and nods, "Yes. I'm fine, truly. You had better hurry up Inigo-Or they'll leave you behind."
He lingers for a moment, but the sound of Owain's loud exclamations draws him back to the group. He shakes his head and waves as he backs away, "Ah well, looks I'll have to find some other girl to accompany me around town. See you soon Lucina!"
As the group walks away Lucina has to fight the urge to call out to them to wait. She instead turns back around on her heel to go back towards her tent to prep for the meeting. She mulls over Inigo's parting words and why they seemed to bother her.
"He has always been a flirt. You have known that for a long time," she reasons with herself, sitting in her tent with a frown on her face, "He's just being himself."
Find some other girl-
Lucina shook her head, attempting to banish the dancing boy from her mind. She did not have the time to be getting distracted from the war. Especially not over someone like Inigo.
"Lucina, I told you that you didn't have to be here for this meeting, didn't I?"
Robin's face is concerned as she stares over the map table towards her daughter. Chrom's eyes flicker to Lucina's face as well and Lucina shakes her head.
"You did, but I would rather like to help out whenever I can," she explains, a small smile on her lips. Robin looks like she is ready to protest but Chrom shakes his head and her mouth shuts. The look that her mother gives her though tells her that she is going to have word with later. She feels ashamed of herself and her thoughts only make her feel worse.
You should have just gone with them. You're parents don't want you treading underfoot.
By the end of the meeting, when Frederick and Chrom leave, Lucina is feeling so terrible about having come to the meeting that she almost blurts it out to her mother. But Robin stops her before she even starts.
"Your younger brother went into town today with everyone. I thought that you would be joining them, Lucina," Robin smiles at her, "Are these meetings really that interesting? They're more up Morgan's alley, you know."
"I just thought it might be prudent to know what is going on on the fronts," Lucina muttered, averting her gaze.
"Oh Lucina," Robin took Lucina's face in her hands to make her daughter look at her. Lucina's hearts swells at the gentle look on her face, "You should enjoy yourself sweetheart. You're only young once. Let your father and I worry about the war. That is our job. Your job is to live."
Lucina flushes and nods mutely to her mother. Robin's smile grows and she places a kiss on Lucina's forehead before she leaves to rejoin Chrom outside the tent. Lucina stands in the tent alone, feeling as though she has been scolded even though she knows that her mother is just looking out for her.
She sits around the fire pit for an hour after the meeting before dinner, sharpening a knife she hadn't used in months. She hears the sound of laughter and bantering and looks up to see her comrades and friends approaching camp again. She feels a pinch of guilt when she realizes even Gerome had gone with them. She attempts to make herself scare but is foiled by her brother.
"Lucina! Lucina wait until you see what I got!"
He runs up to her, a bright smile on his face, his cheeks rosy. He pulls a new book out of his bag, displaying it proudly, "'Tactics of the Hero King'! This book is full of stories straight from his tactician! I'm going to go show it to Mother right away!"
Lucina smiles down at her younger brother, unable to fight his enthusiasm, "That's great Morgan. It certainly looks like an interesting find. So I wager you had a good time in town?"
"Oh yeah, it was great! You should have been there Sis! Inigo got slapped!"
Lucina frowned, glancing around the group, "He did? Is he in trouble? I don't see him with the group…"
"Oh no, he's fine-I think he's just embarrassed is all. He didn't know the girl he was hitting on had a fiancée," Morgan shrugs but then perks up, "Oh! That's right, he gave this to me to give to you when we got back," he rifles through his bag for a few moments before producing a small bag. He passes it onto his sister and then bounces on his feet for a few moments, "He wanted to give them to you himself but he said you would get mad if you saw he had gotten slapped. Listen Sis, I'm gonna go show this to Mother-Bye!"
Lucina barely has time to bid her brother goodbye before he is gone. She looks down at the bag in her hands for a moment before slowly pulling on the strings to open it. Nestled inside are a clutch of assorted sweets she hadn't eaten since she was young. She remembers fighting over them with other children and getting scolded by Aunt Lissa for not sharing. It had been years since she had thought about eating sweets.
"Oh, well…Do you want me to look for anything for you? Since you've got to do business things?"
She had told him not to worry about her. He had seemed like he wasn't going to. Had seemed as though he was ready to move onto another woman. She reaches into the bag and pulls out a chocolate and puts it in her mouth. The sweetness spreads across her tongue and she can't fight the smile that comes to her face. It tastes like childhood and happiness.
She holds the bag close to her chest and looks over the horizon to see if Inigo had come back after all, but he was nowhere in sight. As the chocolate melted in her mouth she ran to her tent to stow the sweets away, lest she be seen standing around smiling like a fool. It's only fair to share them with him. He must have spent most of his money on this. Sweets are rare. She savors the taste as it fades in her mouth, smiling still in the safety of her tent. She remembers her mother's instructions to enjoy herself and as she goes out to join the rest of the company for dinner she feels lighter than she has in quite a long time.
She catches sight of Inigo stealing away with a bowl of the stew they are serving and he smiles at her as he leaves. She smiles back and she watches as his eyes widen and something passes over his face that she cannot identify. He's gone before she can name the expression, but her heart is pounding in her chest and she isn't sure why.
I found that the song "King" by Lauren Aquilina really suits Lucina well. I took a lyric from it for the chapter title. But in any case, I just want to flesh out their relationship because support conversations only give a person so much. Also I wanted to write Robin being a good mother because she really is. Didn't describe her much since everyone has her designed differently and I wouldn't force my version of her onto you.
Anyways-thanks for reading. And leaving reviews. They're lovely. Now I'm going to get to work on that next chapter while I still have free time. Cheers.
