Robin POV

Mama guides us to a mess hall, still empty but for a few of the Shepherds and chefs running around. I inhale the amazing smell of the room, trying and failing to guess what is being cooked at the moment.

Lucina then takes my arm and pulls me away from Chrom, pulling me over to a seat. "So, what would you like to drink, water or juice?" she asks, pointing to a couple of pitchers in the center of the table.

I pull out the notebook and flip to a clean sheet. What type of juice is it?

She reads it with a smile. "It's orange juice today." I nod and she pours me a full glass, which I find to be cool and refreshing.

Mama then walks over with a bowl of soup for me and a plate of meat and vegetables that makes my mouth water. "You still need a gentle diet after that slop you've been eating, but I'll let you taste some of this, okay?"

I pout and write to her, But they've let me have more than soup on our way here.

She frowns at Chrom as she finishes reading, a bit of anger flashing in her eyes making me scoot away with my soup. "You let her have solid food that fast? You've only had her for three weeks, and you're already messing up her system!"

He puts his hands up defensively and widens his eyes. "Lissa and Maribelle cleared her to eat the same stuff as the rest of us, and she hasn't been getting sick!" Mama sighs and sits down next to me as Chrom settles down across from me. "Really, if you go about it that way, Robin will never get to try all the good foods when the summer festivals come around."

She points her fork at him threateningly. "You had best not feed her everything in sight, or you'll be answering to me." Lucina laughs and I stifle a grin by eating a spoonful of the plain soup. I make a face at the tangy flavor, and give Mama a look. "It's got herbs in it to help you gain your strength, so deal with it."

Doesn't taste like any herbs that I like. She frowns at my response, and I quickly take another mouthful of the soup. But it's better than what I used to choke down.

She nods in approval. "I much prefer that answer."

Chrom laughs, and I give him a light glare. "She made me eat that stuff when I got sick a while back, and it worked wonders, so just deal with it so she gets off your back." Mama tries to kick him under the table, but he dodges to the side. "So why aren't you having any of that soup? I thought you were the one who was sick."

She growls and stabs her fork into a piece of meat on her plate. "I got over it last week, while you were taking your own sweet time getting back here."

Lucina, are they usually like this? I scoot the book over to her, and she shrugs.

"They are like overgrown children fighting over a new toy at times, but your mother always manages to silence Father in the end."

"As his tactician, that is my job." She grumbles loudly as she takes out her anger on her food.

Chrom POV

I escort Robin to her room in the guest wing, close to my own and her mother's so she may be more comfortable. She clings loosely to my arm, yawning repeatedly even though the sun hasn't fallen close to the horizon yet. I nudge her elbow with my free hand as we near the room. "A bit of excitement wear you out already?" She rolls her eyes and squeezes my arm slightly, leaning on me for a moment before poking my side with a blush. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it. I've never had a boring day around the Shepherds, and they've already accepted you."

She smiles as I stop and open the door to her small suite, containing a sitting area, a rather large bed and hearth, and a connected washroom. In the sitting area, she is immediately drawn to the bookcase, running a finger across the spines of many old books I wasn't aware were in here. She turns to me and pulls out her notebook, scribbling hastily, If you're trying to bribe me with all of this, it's working.

I let out a small chuckle at her teasing, and shoo her away from the books. "You can read tomorrow. For now, bed, or Lissa will have my head on a silver platter before the moon rises." She grumbles a bit, but leaves the books in favor of leaping onto the fluffy bed, the sheets extra soft and pillows recently stuffed for her. She immediately grabs a small pillow like a child would hold their favorite doll and stares at me with one eye peeking out from under her mop of long hair. I just shake my head at her childish antics and leave, looking back one last time to see her crawling under the blankets, slippers placed neatly next to her bed, eyes already drooping shut. "Sweet dreams, Robin." I close the door and head to the meeting room, finding Lucina and Lissa with knowing looks.

Lissa casually strolls over to me, that mischievous glint in her eye matching the smirk on her lips. "I think someone's interested~!"

I feel the blood rushing to my face and stutter wordlessly for a moment. "I-I hardly know the girl, for crying out loud! Lucina, back me up on this!" I turn to my daughter from the future, pleading silently for her aid.

She, however, has already made her loyalties clear to my little sister. "I agree with Aunt Lissa, Father. You have been spending most of your time with her lately, finding one excuse after another, more and more daily just to take care of her, when someone else could clearly do the same." She pats Lissa's shoulder and grins wickedly. "Besides, I don't know who mother was, but I think the name rings a few bells~."

I groan and bury my fingers in my hair. "So my only hope has failed me! Lissa, why must you do this to me?"

"I'm your sister, it's in the job description to torture you in such a manner." She giggles as I make a swipe at her, trying to catch her, but she dances back and out of my reach. "Besides, I think she may like you too."

I stop chasing her and look between two of my three favorite women, and realize Robin wouldn't be putting up with me if she didn't like either me or the constant attention. "Do you think so?" I mumble, somewhat hopeful.

Lucina nods, a small smile on her face. "Show her around the palace, maybe try helping her to bond with her mother again, just spend time with her. Show her that you won't leave her alone; that's what she's afraid of- that someone she's grown so fond of will leave her alone again, abandoning her."

I nod, fully understanding why she would have abandonment issues. "If that's what you think I should do, then I'll try my best. But for now, where is Frederick? I thought we had a meeting scheduled for after dinner?"

Lissa backs towards the door. "Uhm, about that… we just wanted to corner you about this. The meeting isn't until next week with the lords when they get back from their estates."

The girls charge out of the room as fast as their feet can carry them, and I just watch in amusement for a moment before leaving after them. I stop by Robin's room, peeking in to find her sleeping peacefully on her side under her mountain of blankets. Her white hair blends in with the sheets, barely discernable from the cotton.

I leave her to her rest and go down the hall to my own room, hoping to find only a small stack of paperwork to take care of tonight. I open my room, stepping in to find the place in pristine condition, compared to the disaster I would normally come into. I make my way over to the large oak desk, finding a larger stack of paper than I would have liked to find, and sit down to work, picking up a random quill and opening the inkwell.

One Month Later

Lucina POV

I walk down to the training grounds, pulling out one of the more damaged dummies to practice with. Pulling off my cape, I draw Falchion and begin with a series of slashes, adding a few thrusts in to make a pattern. Slowly, I work up a sweat, grunting with each pass of the blade, closing out the rest of the world as my focus falls solely to improving my grip and stance on the holy blade.

The dummy shatters with my final swipe, and I let out a sigh, wiping my face with my sleeve before applause echoes out from behind me. I turn to find Kiandra standing there, her hood down and a smile on her face. "You've improved a lot Lucina. I would dare say that you could give your father a good challenge if you wanted to."

I look down to the ruined dummy. "I think he would still not have to put that much effort into the victory."

With a soft chuckle, she shakes her head and helps me to clean up the mess of the destroyed dummy. "But he would definitely need to work for the victory, there is no denying that simple fact."

"Why are you here?" I ask, wondering what would have brought her to visit me when she ought to be doing the paperwork with Father.

She shrugs. "I did my work and found myself a little restless, and decided to watch you practice awhile." She then looks at me with concern. "Do you still worry over my allegiances?"

I shake my head. "I don't personally, but I know there are some who still feel that notion. Besides, you never told us how you got out of Plegia with your life."

Her eyes, shining for a moment, lose their spark, and she seems to shut down a little. "I did it through great sacrifice, and that's all you ever need to know, Lucina."

The mess cleaned up, she leaves the practice court, I assume heading back to her rooms for the night. With a little sigh, I sheathe Falchion and pick up my cape, heading in to see if Father needs any help before I go to bed. I pass the guards as they patrol in the rapidly darkening halls, the rich light of the dying sun fading quickly to almost full darkness as I traverse the halls, giving the place a dreamlike quality. The halls seem almost too quiet as I reach the royal suites, but I have grown used to the silent way Father and Kiandra work.

I knock on Father's door, to which I hear a mumbled, "Come in." Rolling my eyes at the unfocused tone, I walk in to find him bent over a pile of paperwork, adding a finished document to the top of a stack of finished ones with one hand, while the one holding his quill reaches for the smaller stack waiting to be finished. He looks to me as he sets down the new document. "Lucina? What is it?"

I hold back a smile as I eye the papers scattered around. "I was wondering if you wanted some help finishing your work, or if there was anything else you would like before I went to bed."

He raises an eyebrow. "Early night, for once. What brought this on?"

"I've had a long day, and I was planning to read a book tonight, if nothing else needed my attention."

He looks dejectedly towards the remaining work. "Would you help with this? I know it could get put off until the morning, but then I won't be able to sleep in like I am hoping to."

I sit down across from him and grab an extra quill he always has lying around on his desk. "I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't going to help." I grumble, pulling a couple of documents over and settling down to work silently.

An hour passes, and Father signs the final document at last, and we both let out small cheers, knowing most of the palace is asleep by now. "Thanks a million, Lucina. I wouldn-" he stops midsentence, hearing something, eyes and ears focused towards the door. I then hear a faint whimper, an unfamiliar voice echoing through the hall. I turn to Father, rising from my seat as he does, a hand on Falchion's hilt.

"Father, where is it coming from?" I ask quietly, trying to listen as he opens the door and checks the hallway, right on his heels.

"I think it's coming from Robin's room. I'll go check on her." He keeps a hand on Falchion as he walks the short distance to Robin's door, and I follow, clearly as he didn't really plan on me doing. He knocks gently on the door, and the whimpering is muffled. "Robin, can I come in?" he calls, and a small shriek echoes out. Father crashes through the door, drawing Falchion as he charges in. "Robin!" he shouts, and I barge in right behind him, finding a man trying to strangle Robin, pulling out a knife to try stabbing the girl clinging to life.

"No!" I shout, dashing forward to tackle the man, knocking him to the floor on the other side of the bed and pinning him down with Falchion to his throat. "Who sent you here?!"

He laughs as a choking wheeze sounds from the bed. "The avatar must die for her sins!"

The bed creaks as Father climbs onto the bed, pulling away the blankets and cutting something away with the fallen dagger. "Robin, look at me." He whispers delicately, and a sob echoes from the blankets. "Shh, it's alright." I feel his gaze land on me as I keep my eyes on my captive. "Lucina, call the guards."

I nod and stand up, sheathing my sword and pulling all weapons away from the assassin. I then tie his hands with his own rope, gagging him with a spare rag I had in my pocket. I turn to look at the bed, finding Robin crying in Chrom's arms, bruises forming already on her neck, wrists, and along her arms. I step out with one last glare at the man bound on the floor, finding several guards running down the hall towards us, Frederick in the lead. "Milady, we heard a disturbance! Are you alright?" the Great Knight asks, eyes flicking between me and the open door to Robin's suite.

"We just had an assassin make an attempt on Robin's life. The culprit is inside, bound." I lead him into the room, where he immediately grabs the killer and tosses him to the guards. "I want him interrogated as soon as possible, and keep him bound and gagged at all other times."

A sergeant salutes me. "As you wish, milady." Two men drag the man away, whose eyes begin to take on a note of panic.

I refocus on the occupants of the room; Frederick is examining the window, and Chrom is doing fairly well at calming down Robin, though she seems to keep her strong grip on him. I sit next to Father on the bed. "Where will she sleep for the rest of the night? If they got to her in here, she needs a different room."

He shakes his head. "Somehow, I think she won't be getting much more sleep tonight." Robin curls her legs up a bit, taking ahold of Chrom's shirt and whimpering. "It's alright Robin, you're safe. I won't let anyone else hurt you, and if they do hurt you somehow, I'll make sure they never do it again."

She seems to take some comfort in his words, and relaxes her grip slightly. She opens her mouth, and seems to be attempting to form words, but only a weak sound escapes her lips. Disheartened by her inability to communicate, she mimes something, like she is tipping something over.

I fail to understand until Frederick passes a half-filled glass of water to her, earning a weak smile. "Robin, would you be able to inform us what happened here tonight?" She nods her head, but shrugs her shoulders. "You're not sure of everything, just some?" She nods fully this time, and takes a drink from her glass. I realize she's shaking so much that the water is sloshing around in the glass, and realize she's more shaken than I had thought.

Okay, done there. Let me know what your thoughts are, please? If you give me an idea I like enough, you'll either get a one-shot if it's unrelated to this story, or I'll make a future chapter dedicated to your idea!

I do not own Fire Emblem Awakening