Outtake Thirty-Seven: Hot Springs Paralogue – Widowed Princess

Game: Awakening
Spoilers: End of game
Summary: Days after Nykolai's sacrifice, Lucina is full of grief for her husband. Little does she know, it's more than just that...
Note: This is a request from our lovely Guest reviewer. Yes, I finally got around to posting it. Interestingly enough, I had already had this idea in my head before you requested it, but I wasn't going to really write it. So if you're reading this, thanks for the request, and I hope it meets your standards. Also, my other readers, I've got a question for you at the end, if you don't mind reading it...

Anyway, hope you enjoy!

"Ya want some?" the Vaike challenged.

"Let's see what you got!" Basilio replied.

The two sat across from each other in the mess tent, their right hands joined in a classic arm-wrestling position. Flavia stood next to them as the referee. "Go!" she exclaimed. The West-Khan and the Shepherd pushed against each other, while the Shepherds and the few Feroxi around them cheered. The contest of brute strength ended when Basilio managed to get Vaike's hand to touch the table, causing the Feroxi and several Shepherds to cheer. Vaike looked disappointed, but didn't ask for a rematch.

"Be proud!" Basilio told the younger man over the cheering. "No one's put up that much of a fight against me in an arm-wrestling match."

"Don't you start lying, oaf," Flavia said, sitting next to her fellow khan. "You could barely hold your own against me."

"I was going easy on you, woman!"

Vaike laughed and picked up his plate as the crowd dispersed. "Anyone up for seconds?" he asked. The others at the table shook their heads. Vaike stood and accidentally bumped into someone walking behind him. He turned, just in time to catch Lucina's elbow before she fell. "Sorry, there, Lucina. Didn't see ya."

The princess shook her head. "It's fine." Her voice was somber. "What were you doing to cause so much noise so early in the morning?"

"Just a manly contest to show off their muscles," Flavia explained, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah. Lighten up," Vaike said. "Grima's dead and gone! You should be celebratin'!"

Clearly, this was the wrong thing to say. Lucina's expression became a mix of sorrow and anger. Tears formed in her eyes. "Why should I," she snapped, "when it was my husband who sacrificed himself to kill Grima?"

"Okay, I'm sorry." Vaike held his hands up in self-defense. Lucina turned away from him, marching over to an empty table. She set her food down and put her head in her hands, letting tears roll silently down her face.

"Now look what you've done!" Flavia reprimanded Vaike. "You're worse than Basilio!"

"I said I was sorry!" Vaike replied, while Basilio protested the remark.

"Dear Naga in heaven! How insensitive can you be? She just lost her husband and you say she should be celebrating?"

The group quieted down, but Lucina continued to cry. Her breakfast looked unappetizing, and all she wanted to do was crawl back into her tent and sleep away her misery and the illness she seemed to have caught before the battle with Grima.

The Shepherds had crossed the Ylissean-Plegian border the day before, and Chrom had called for a rest day. It was a much needed break after the stress, battles, and marching of the past few weeks. They were still two days from Ylisstol, but they were practically home.

It had taken them three days to march from Origin Peak to where they were now. Lucina had spent very little time speaking to anyone but her immediate family. Sorrow filled her days, all because her husband, Nykolai, saved everyone's lives at the cost of his own. There was a chance he would return, but those chances were slim, and who knew how long it would take if he did return. What was worse was that he and Lucina had been married for almost eight months, and she was already widowed.

That thought sent a fresh wave of tears, and Lucina closed her eyes, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs.

She felt a hand on her back and looked up. Her father stood next to her. He sat down and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. She leaned into his strong embrace. "I miss him, Father," she said through her tears.

"I know," Chrom said. "I miss him, too."

It took Lucina several minutes before she calmed down, muttering an apology to her father for soaking his shirt yet again with her tears. Chrom waved off the apology and started on his own breakfast. Lucina's mother sat down across from her husband a few moments later. "Lucina," Sumia said, her tone sympathetic. "You should eat. You'll feel a bit better if you eat."

Lucina glanced at her plate and felt her stomach churn. She shook her head. "I can't get it down, Mother. I think I'm still sick because everything I eat in the morning makes me feel nauseous." She sighed, rubbing her face. "It's just one problem after another." She looked up at Sumia, noting the thoughtful look on her mother's face. Did the Pegasus Knight know something?

"At least drink something," Chrom said, offering her his untouched mug of water – they had long since run out of coffee, leaving the exalt to find another beverage. Lucina accepted it and took a sip. She listened to her parents talking, trying to ignore her nausea, which got worse by the minute. All at once, she couldn't handle it. She set down the water and got up, hurrying from the tent. She vaguely heard her mother calling out to her as she left.

The princess managed to get to the edge of camp before she doubled over, retching. Tears filled her eyes. What was wrong with her?

She leaned against a tree, panting and waiting for her stomach to settle. She closed her eyes. She missed Nykolai. Part of her wanted to hit the idiot for his rash decision to sacrifice himself, and part of her just wished her sorrow for him would disappear like he did. She remembered the last time she was sick, and how the tactician had tended to her every need, despite her protests.

The nausea increased once more and she bent over, trying to suppress the gagging feeling, which passed eventually, allowing her to stand up and lean on the tree again. "Lucina."

She turned and saw her mother approaching. Sumia looked concerned as she rested a hand on her daughter's forehead. "Let's take you to Lissa," the Pegasus knight said. Lucina nodded and let her mother guide her to the medical tent.

The large tent was practically empty, save for a couple of people who were still recovering from the battle against Grima. Lissa was finishing bandaging Ricken's arm in a sling while chatting with him in a soft voice. Ricken had taken a bad hit from a gryphon and had broken several ribs and his arm. Brady was sleeping on a cot nearby, his wife, Nah, sitting next to him. The war monk had stepped in the way of a marauding axman, saving his small wife from certain death.

Lissa looked up as Sumia and Lucina entered the tent. "What's wrong?" the Sage asked.

"Lucina's ill," Sumia explained.

Lissa nodded with concern and checked to make sure Riken's bandages were secure. "Come, Lucina. Ricken, rest."

"Yes, ma'am," Ricken replied. Lucina and Lissa moved toward the back of the tent where they sat on two of the empty cots. They began speaking in low tones. Sumia sighed and sat down next to Ricken.

"How are you feeling?" Sumia asked Ricken.

"Better. My ribs and arm still hurt, but Lissa thinks I'll be healed by the time we march tomorrow."

"That's wonderful."

Ricken nodded, rubbing his side. They sat in silence, only able to hear the barest of murmurs from the other end of the tent. Nah, sensing that privacy was needed, left her sleeping husband, stepping out of the tent saying she wanted to get food.

Suddenly, Lucina spoke up, her voice distraught. "No, Aunt Lissa, that can't be! Are you sure?"

"Pretty much." Lissa was barely suppressing a grin.

"What is it?" Sumia asked. Lissa burst into giggles, and Lucina covered her face, visibly shaking. "Lissa, tell me!"

"Lucina's with child!"

Sumia smirked. "I had a feeling that was the case. Oh, how wonderful!" She made her way over to her daughter, giving her a hug.

"It's not," Lucina protested, looking up at her mother.

"What's not?" Chrom entered the tent, looking confused. He walked over to his family. "What is it, Lucina?"

"She's with child," Lissa stated again.

"What?"

"You heard me. I'd say she's two months along. Symptoms start showing around this time." Lissa saw Lucina cover her face with her hands again. "I'll let you three talk." The Sage moved to the other end of the tent, sitting by her husband.

"Why are you so upset?" Sumia asked. "Be happy it's nothing worse."

Chrom nodded. "Besides, you're already Morgan's mother."

Lucina dropped her hands. "Yes, but I didn't give birth to her. At least, not yet. Surely you understand this…"

"We do," Sumia replied. "We felt the same way when we found Cynthia."

Lucina took a deep breath, fighting back tears once more. "I can't…I can't do this. Not without Nyk. I always thought I'd have my first child with my husband by my side."

"Listen to me." Chrom knelt down so that he was level with her. "You are not alone. You have us, you have Morgan, and your whole family."

"Plus all of the Shepherds," Sumia added.

"Exactly. And until that buffoon you call your husband returns, we'll be by your side. We'll get you through this."

Lucina nodded. "Thank you, Father."

"You're welcome. No more tears, okay?"

Lucina nodded again. Lissa, who had been talking to Ricken, looked up. "Go rest, Lucina. We'll talk later."

"Come on," Chrom said, extending a hand out to his daughter. "I'll walk you back to your tent."

Lucina nodded, and her father hauled her to her feet. Sumia stayed behind to chat with Ricken and Lissa.

It took only a minute to reach Lucina's tent. She and her father stepped inside, and Lucina had to fight back tears. There were several crates in the comer, most of which contained Nykolai's many books on strategy. Lucina sat down on the cot, rubbing her face. Chrom, too, looked saddened by the absence of the Shepherd's tactician. He sighed and moved over to his daughter, giving her a kiss on her head. "Try to rest, Lucina."

"I will, Father."

Chrom gave her a smile and left the tent, letting the canvas flap close behind him. Lucina sighed and stood, going over to the crates. She opened the one she knew contained the majority of her husband's books. She pulled out one she had seen him reading many times. It was a war history book, written by King Marth's own tactician. The book was old, but well loved. Lucina brought it back over to her cot and sat down. She opened the book, and saw something that once more brought tears to her eyes. A mini portrait of her and Nykolai stuck out of the pages. They both were grinning, and Nykolai had his arms around her. The picture had been done in a town they had visited soon after the visit to the Hot Springs in the Outrealms. Lucina sighed. I miss you, Nyk, she thought. Especially now that I know I'm carrying our child. Please, Nyk, come back! Come back to me!

And clutching the picture and the book, she laid down on the cot and fell into a deep sleep.

Author's note: There you have it! Hope you enjoyed it. I wanted to throw Morgan in there, but she just wasn't having it.

Now here's my question. I've got an idea for a multi-chapter FE story in Nyk's timeline, after his return from wherever he went after killing Grima. Basically, Grimleal are still around and trying to find a way to bring Grima back (despite the fact that Nyk killed him...) Sounds better in my head and I don't really want to spoil it, but I kind of want to write it. The thing is, FE Outtakes might not get as much attention. I still want to write Outtakes until I run out of ideas.

I guess what I'm trying to say is would you guys read it if I posted it? Would you be willing to deal with more infrequent posting here in Outtakes once I catch up? Tell me what you think! I'll let you know next chapter if I've decided or if you've persuaded me...

EDIT: No I won't be abandoning Outtakes, and a better description of the story would be that it's more of a 'Nykolai's no longer able to turn into Grima, but he's got two daughters (Big Morgan and Little Morgan), what if we can use one of them or both?' kind of story, and the Shepherds are trying to prevent that from happening.

Also, to those who celebrate it, have a wonderful and safe Halloween. Any of you dressing up as an FE character? I wish I could, but I'm going with Link again this year. And sorry for the long author's note. I don't usually have notes this long, and I don't really like having, or reading, long notes... Thanks to you all!

Published 10/30/3013