Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem Awakening, all rights to the owners.

More Morgan!

If Nathan asks, I did not fall out of the top bunk four times on our trip back to Ylisse. I can hear the jokes about me rolling into fire right now. Father unintentionally rubs it in every time by being concerned that I got into a fight or fell when the ship lurched.

Fine universe, I swapped with Noire to the bottom bunk! Happy now?

With less irritation, I'll admit that I've been making use of the heating stone Nathan gave me. Not because I'm cold or anything, but because sleeping by myself feels very… lonely. I don't know exactly why the feeling is only starting to strike now, because I've slept without Nathan literally in the same bed as me plenty of times, but for some reason I feel lonely and having the warm stone next to me sort of simulates the heat of another body being there.

I'm pretty sure "sleeping aid" was not something the stone was intended for, but that's what it's doing.

In other news, Nah has been shooting me annoyed looks fairly often lately, and I have no idea why. She's been poking her head in on Miriel's work fairly often too, though she never stays.

There's something afoot here, and I want to know what it is. I can't have my magic lessons (or more specifically: me taking meticulous notes of what Miriel and Laurent are doing) interrupted by a mildly peeved dragon girl.

So I investigate. Every time she shoots me a grumpy look, I call her out on it and ask why. Every time she pokes her head in on Miriel's work, I greet her and ask why she's there rather than just ignoring her like before. When Nah doesn't answer and starts hiding her glares and subtly peeking in on Miriel's work rather than being overt, I have to take other measures.

By other measures, of course, I mean asking the other future kids about it. Why do your own research when you can just get the information from other people? I could be sneaky about it, watching her every move and become super detective Morgan… or I could just ask.

Kjelle's response to my questions is to sigh deeply. "Again? This happens every time… and you already have a boyfriend too."

I don't immediately understand what that means. "She has a crush on me?"

"No. Naga no. That would make things way too simple." Kjelle grumbles. "She likes Laurent, and has for two years at this point, and still hasn't done anything about it but glare at other people she feels are "stealing" her time with him."

Ooh, okay. So her poking her head into the room has nothing to do with Miriel's work at all, it's just that Laurent is there. That's really cute and sort of creepy at the same time. "Does he have any idea?"

"No. Somehow." Kjelle sighs. "He's sharp as a nail, even when it comes to romance, except when it involves himself."

I can't help but grin. I definitely need to keep an eye on the two of them, if just to watch the show. "Thanks for the info."

"Don't go messing with them." Kjelle warns in a tired voice. "It just causes more trouble. We'd know. Inigo has tried."

"Trouble meaning drama, or trouble meaning people's hair catches fire?"

"Drama. Lots of shouting from Nah." Kjelle says. "It's not worth it."

"I'll take your word for it." I say. "But I'll be the judge of that. I might push a little bit, just to see what happens."

###

Kjelle is wrong. It's absolutely worth it. All I had to do was mention off-hand to Laurent that Nah "seemed concerned about something" and watch as he started to notice all the times she spied on us. He would then try to talk to Nah to see if something was wrong, and of course Nah always tried to come up with an excuse for why she was "just passing by" the room, which only made Laurent more worried because he thought she was hiding something, and so he becomes even more aware of the little things she does like shooting glances at him, and confronts her about those, and the whole cycle keeps going.

It's wonderful to watch Nah bumble through talking to Laurent. Her serious, somewhat haughty demeanor completely goes out the window (even though it's clear she's trying really hard to look dignified and calm) and she ends up bumbling and stammering and it's the best entertainment a girl could ask for.

Kjelle gives me the stink eye exactly one day after I give Laurent the nudge, and all I can do is shrug guiltily and smile.

###

"M-Morgan." Noire stutters. "D-Do you want to play a game?"

Those words might sound unimportant, but I'm here to tell you that they are. Noire very rarely talks to me. She doesn't dislike me or anything as far as I'm aware, but we don't talk much. We're not similar. I think I have too much energy for her. That's what makes this important, because I have no idea why she's suggesting this at all.

Not that I'm about to refuse or anything. "Sure! What do you want to play?" I ask, and lean forward. "Chess? I have a copy. Did Nathan ever teach you chess? I also have barrels, or checkers, or-"

"Ch-Chess works."

"Okay!" I dive into my pack and pull out the small chess set. "Do you want white or black? White is better, because the first move grants you an advantage, so maybe you should take that because it will even the playing field a bit, though if the skill difference is big enough it won't matter, so maybe I should take a handicap, or-"

"I'll take white." She whispers. "Let's play normally."

I quickly set up my side as Noire hesitantly fumbles the white pieces into place. I think it must have been a while since she played because she gets the position of king and queen wrong.

I play through the first few moves quickly. I've found a set of opening moves I happen to like, so against an easy opponent like Noire I can just throw out those moves without any consideration for what she's doing.

"So." Noire says quietly after the fifth turn. "A-Are you and Yarne getting along well?"

"Yarne is fun! He plays with me sometimes, but I don't think we have all that much in common." I say. "I want to touch his ears, they look so soft, but he won't let me."

"I… right." Noire says. Her expression shows surprise though.

"Did I say something weird?"

She starts to shake her head, then hesitates and says. "Not for you."

"So it would be weird for someone else?"

"Slightly." Noire admits. "It's not all the time I hear someone talking about how much they want to touch someone they don't know that well."

"When you put it that way, I guess it is weird." I admit. I'm so used to voicing almost anything that comes to my mind with Nathan, I guess it didn't occur to me that it would be odd to say it otherwise. Not everyone is a close friend and I can say whatever I want in front of them and have it be normal.

"I-I don't want to sound mean though." Noire says hastily. "Maybe I shouldn't have brought it up."

"No, it's fine. It's probably good that you did." I admit. It does make me miss Nathan though. There's currently no one in my life that I can run my mouth in front of as much as I want.

You know, because I could probably walk up to Nathan and say something completely random and lewd like "hey, Laurernt has a nice butt" and Nathan would just nod and smile and poke me on the nose and it would be completely unremarkable, but around anyone else that comment will raise eyebrows.

"Sorry." Noire mumbles. "I was trying to help you not be lonely."

"Lonely? I'm not lonely." I say. "I'm doing things all the time! I have no time to be lonely!"

Noire's silence says everything. She obviously doesn't believe me, but is too polite to say so. She's also right, and I know she's right, we both know the reason I'm always doing things is precisely to stave off loneliness, but I don't want to think about it.

Also, my loneliness is a bit petty. I'm lonely because I'm used to constant attention almost every waking moment of my life, and I mean that quite literally. It was rare that me and Nathan would be apart for more than an hour. Even those three months or so when I was out with the Shepherds and Nathan was back in Ylisstol were mostly spent thinking about what I would do when I was back in Ylisstol. I guess that's the problem with having only one close friend and nothing else that holds your attention aside from that friend.

Now that I think of it, the only reason I got into analyzing games was because it made my time with Nathan more fun. It's only recently I got a hobby (studying magic) that I actually did for myself and which he wasn't foundational to. So much of my life was- is- based around him. It's not that I suddenly don't want him, of course I want him, but just maybe I should have more than one pillar in my life.

I suppose I also have Father now, so not just one pillar.

"Morgan?"

Ah, I've been spacing out while thinking. "Thanks Noire."

"Oh, uh, you're welcome?"

"You're a good friend, you know that?" And I mean that. She's proven herself to be very observant. She noticed I was lonely despite the fact I was actively trying to hide it from even myself, and she was quick to offer comfort to Nathan after he learned he was stuck in this world.

"Thank you?" Noire says, looking very confused.

"I'm having too many deep thoughts." I decide. "What's something frivolous we can talk about?"

"I don't know." Noire says honestly. "I'm used to talking about inventory and camp tasks. It's been a long time since I had something unimportant to talk about."

Right. Ruined future. "Then what do girls usually talk about? I don't know girl things."

"I don't know either." Noire admits sheepishly. "S-Severa used to talk about fashion when we had just started running away, and she'd complain that other girls only wanted to talk about boys. I mostly spent time with Brady when I was growing up, so I wouldn't know from personal experience."

I suppose boys is a topic I could do, but I feel that would be a bit lopsided considering I'm in a relationship and Noire probably isn't even considering it at the moment. I know nothing about fashion, so that's also a no. "I don't think either of those are going to work, unless we want a one-sided ramble about Nathan from me."

"Yeah…"

"So how about this: have you picked up any new hobbies since you got back? I've started to learn magic. Practical magic I mean, not just combat magic. I'm studying what Miriel does, at least until we get back to Ylisstol and I can learn properly."

"I-I haven't been doing much." Noire says. "I've been helping Mother with her work, and also helping the Shepherds with repairing things, but not much else. I really don't know what to do even though I have so much freedom now."

"I feel the same in some sense." I say. "And how are things going with your mother? Also, what is it that she does exactly?"

"It's going… well enough." Noire says hesitantly, and there is clearly more to it than she's letting on. "Mother likes making new curses. It's not a job though, it's a hobby. So I shouldn't say anything more."

"Ah, yeah, don't reveal anything you shouldn't." I say.

"What about your father?"

"It's great! He plays with me!" I say cheerfully. "I don't think he's used to having a daughter yet though."

"Mmm." Noire nods slightly. "Mother is the same."

"Father really wants to know who my mother is." I add. "I haven't told him, of course, but…"

"Mother wants to know as well." Noire says. "Though I think it's because she wants me to leave her alone sometimes. It's not that she dislikes me or anything, but I think she's used to being alone and having me around all the time is beginning to wear on her."

"It's the opposite for me." I say. "Though I can't speak for Father, at least for me it feels like we don't get to spend much time together. Only an hour a day, and that's if he's not busy."

"Have you been able to talk with your mother?" Noire asks. "I-I can't really talk with Father, it would be weird, but it wouldn't be strange for you to talk to anyone because you're… you."

I think that's a compliment. She's basically saying what Nathan did before, that I'm good at talking to people. "I haven't, but that's a good idea!"

Putting that on my list of things to do for sure. Learning to dance is not something I considered, but if it lets me spend time with my mother, then I definitely will.

Noire is predictably terrible at chess, but I'm thankful for the conversation she provides at least.

With the addition of Noire and eventually Mother to my schedule (Mother is delighted to have someone to teach) the trip back to Ylisse isn't nearly as lonely.

###

I have the choice, when we get back to Ylisse, to see how Nathan's transformation is progressing… and I decline. As anxious as I am to know he's alright, I also don't want to see his mostly-deconstructed body. He's probably just a cluster of organs hanging in a pod by this point. That's not something I need to see.

Additionally, once we get back to Ylisse, there is a decision I need to make. While the Shepherds are needed in peace time to a certain extent, it is also true that certain people have more important duties than running around the country. Maribelle, for example, has to busy herself with rebuilding Themis after the damage it took in the war, and Chrom is busy with paper and political work now that our little rescue mission is done. While many of the Shepherds are still going around dealing with missions, some of the members that hold important positions have other duties.

I'm bringing this up because Father has one of those important positions. His official title is "High Deliverer" (whatever that means) but in practice he's high-ranking military personnel. At the moment he's in charge of figuring out how we're going to deal with Valm. His work is theoretical, technically, because Emmeryn doesn't want to imply that we're going to war, but it's fairly clear by Father and Chrom's conversations that Ylisse (or at least the Shepherds) is going to join sooner or later, and while we were away Emmeryn already struck a deal with Rosanne to provide them a large amount of high-quality metal "for construction purposes" (and totally not weapons and armor, nope) in exchange for "exotic goods" like Rosannite poetry and other artsy things along with a variety of ingredients and foods from Rosanne. Emmeryn also clearly gave more value than she got back. It's a thinly veiled donation of military supplies in the form of high-quality metal in exchange for a pittance of literature and a few shipments of food just so Ylisse can claim it was an economic deal and not a military one.

As much as Emmeryn is a pacifist, she's thankfully not an idiot. She knows the Valm war will involve Ylisse at some point and isn't going to stand-by.

Got off topic. So, anyhow, I have a decision. Father is one of those people that is going to have to stick around Ylisstol, and while I'm technically a Shepherd, because I'm also a future kid no one will complain if I choose to stay here too. I'm not really needed in the main force. One Shepherd more or less doesn't make a whole lot of difference against generic Risen forces, and honestly they don't even need a skilled tactician (and Gregor is surprisingly competent in that regard anyways, probably due to leading groups of mercenaries on occasion and his extensive career, not to mention Cordelia is no push-over either) with them to deal with Risen.

Basically, this is my way of saying I'm staying in Ylisstol. I don't just lay around being lazy though, I do things, and by "do things" I mean I dive head-long into court life.

That might seem like a sudden shift in direction for me, and to an extent it is, but I sort of had this in mind for a while. I didn't arbitrarily learn persuasion from Anna. I was always vaguely aware that politics was open to me due to my position (or more accurately due to Father's position), and after that small interaction at the royal wedding where I messed with the noble boy and learned I might have enough smarts to throw my weight around, well, I had court life in mind as a possibility. It helps that I might be able to make a significant difference in Ylisse by dealing with all the higher-ups.

I should admit, however, that there is a steep learning curve to dealing with court life. The worst part for me is just learning how the court functions in the first place. I can get some information from Father, but he's wary about letting me get too involved with politics, mostly because he recognizes that a lot of the people within it are manipulative and don't necessarily have the best of intentions.

Still, I do get the basics from him: the court is a collection of nobles and royals and/or their representatives that advise the Exalt, help run the country, and perform other administrative duties. There are some parts of court that anyone can have access to, and some that require you to have a certain position or level of authority.

That's a woefully insufficient explanation but if it's all I'm going to get then I'll work with it and just get the info I need out of other people. I don't mind ignoring Father's wishes to do my own thing.

Thankfully, there are a few easy entry points I can take advantage of. Mostly because of Father's position, admittedly, but I'll take advantage of whatever I can.

See, some people in court are known for their sociability, and by that I mean they throw parties. Now, they're not technically called parties, they're always referred to as "social events", but it's obvious it's just an excuse for whosoever is hosting them to show off their wealth and make connections.

Conveniently, I have a high enough social position that I can get into one of these. Granted, I have no idea what the dress code is, I'm completely unescorted, and I'm wearing my cloak so I'll be walking around Ylissian higher-ups with blatantly grimleal clothes. It's not that I don't have other outfits, but my cloak is genuinely the most fancy thing I own, even if it's my all-purpose outfit. I made sure to sew up holes and whatnot beforehand using the thread Nathan bought for me… how long ago was that?

Getting into a social event is rather easy, though I'll admit I wasn't particularly discerning about which one I went for. I just need some entry point. Maybe that's why the event I ended up at was rather… well you'll see.

The person hosting this event is Duke Crius. He's a minor duke that controls a relatively small bit of land on the north west of the country, bordering Ferox and the lake in between all three countries in Archanea. Technically that means he broders Plegia too, but the lake is between his land and Plegia. His dukedom is also the newest dukedom in the country, though it's still a few hundred years old and consists of land won from Ferox in a prior war. Duke Crius is the fourth duke of that territory, so again, in the grand scheme of things it's a new territory.

I don't know enough to be aware of if that's a defining factor as to why the door guard only raises an eyebrow when I tell him who I am, and then lets me inside. No questions, nothing. Just a raise of an eyebrow and a quick opening of the door.

The room I walk into is crowded. The lighting is dim, not quite making up for the setting sun outside, and it lends the room a dingy look. There are lots of tables with lots of drinks and some small snacks, but it's clear that this gathering is all about drinking.

Bleh, okay. At least that means it should be easy to listen in on people if they're too drunk to pay attention to what they're saying.

There's a wide mix of people here, just judging by the clothes. Some people are clearly aristocrats, some people look distinctly like merchants and even have some goods with them (and are clearly trying to make deals), and some people are obviously dressed above their station with clothes that might look nice from a distance, but if you get close you can see the cheap cloth and lack of detail.

I doubt anyone here is too important, but that's fine. They're more likely to be impressed by me, which means it will be easier to get information out of them.

I made sure not to come here at the start of the event when everyone would be mingling and seeing who's here. I want to be unnoticed.

There are too many people here for me to go totally unnoticed of course. A few people raise their eyebrows or whisper to others about me, but only one person approaches me.

"Lady Morgan!" The man says. He's middle-aged with grey-streaked, dark orange hair, he's tall and admittedly rather good-looking for someone his age. He's dressed ostentatiously with deep, rich, and dark burgundies, crimsons, and other off-red colours. Surprisingly, there are no stains on his clothes, and his wine glass is filled with something that doesn't look like any alcohol I've seen before. I'm fairly sure this is Duke Crius. "I'm surprised to have the pleasure of playing host to your second outing, not that I'm complaining!"

Interesting. He actually knows who I am. I didn't assume I was well known. Also, he apparently knows this is only my second outing into courtly events? Has he been keeping track of me? "Oh, you know me?"

"I know of you." He says. "It's hard not to. Your father is quite the pariah. A Plegian, potentially grimleal at that, who has become High Deliverer and is close to the prince? The court is naturally intrigued; and to hear that he has a daughter, and one that seems surprisingly close to him in age… well that's a curiosity, isn't it? It doesn't help that your father seems to avoid the rest of the court like we're a plague. Never coming to any event he doesn't have to, and only staying among the Shepherds and military personnel. Always talking business. It's like he doesn't want anything to do with us."

That's because Father doesn't want anything to do with them. Crius is entirely correct. I'm not going to admit that though. "Either way then, thank you for not minding my intrusion. I didn't exactly get an invitation."

"As I said before, I'm more than happy to play host to such a curious young lady as yourself." He chuckles. "As this is your first proper outing so to speak, and the guard made no mention of an escort, perhaps you'd permit me to act in that capacity tonight? A young lady should not be without proper introduction and fanfare to the court, yes?"

I recognize the power play for what it is. This is an easy way for him to assert some sort of authority over me and play at being in good graces with Father. That said, I get someone who will teach me about court life, which is exactly what I'm looking for. I don't want to potentially put Father in an awkward position though, so… "Well I'd certainly appreciate it, but do be careful what you offer. Father might not take kindly if you flaunt such a thing." I lower my voice a bit. "He's not exactly on board with me taking part in court life. Protective. You understand."

"Ahh…" Crius nods. "You wish to be discreet."

"At first." I nod. "Until I have some results to show."

"I understand perfectly." Crius says. "Many thanks for the warning."

"You are still willing to help me?"

"But of course. I do this out of kindness."

"Not self-interest?" I ask, arching an eyebrow in obvious disbelief. "I am no fool. While I may not have experienced courtly life yet, I'm well aware of the games that are played here."

"Blunt, aren't we?" Crius murmurs. "Well then, I shall be as well. I am not solely doing this out of kindness, though that is a factor. I am interested in the possibility you represent to increase my influence. Playing patron to the daughter of a politically significant newcomer to Ylisse's political landscape is a potentially highly-rewarding move for me to make. You must be aware I am the least of the dukes in Ylisse. You represent a possible boost in my standing that is sorely needed."

"You're seen as pitiful, aren't you?" I ask, dropping my facade of nicety. "Because you're new and small, relatively speaking."

"Yes." Crius says equally bluntly. "And you are a potential solution."

"I see." I say. "Well, let's make a more explicit deal then, now that your cards are on the table. You show me the ropes of court and help me learn how to push my agenda, and I'll make an active effort to further your agenda as well, providing there is nothing too abhorrent in it of course. In, say, six months time when I am more settled, we renegotiate."

"That's a hard bargain. You're asking me to put a lot of trust in you."

"Yes." I say honestly. "But as you said, I'm potentially significant. Besides, let's be honest, in the last five minutes I've proven myself less air-headed than most of the young women you usually talk to, haven't I?"

"Yes." Crius admits.

"So you have at least some inkling of my intelligence." I assert. "So, let me put the deal in a new light. I am a potential ally, and one you likely wouldn't have even had a chance to access if I hadn't come to you before anyone else. The other dukes would be all over me if I gave them the chance. So yes, I'm asking for you to put a lot of faith in me, but the potential return on investment is significant."

This is part of why I chose to try and get into this particular event. I knew I could flex the only thing I have to offer at the moment: my potential. If I don't have a reputation or assets to abuse, I can at least solicit an investment with the promise of future payout, using my (hopefully) obvious intelligence to make that payout seem more lucrative than it would be otherwise.

Also, Crius hasn't instantly rubbed me the wrong way unlike most other nobles I came across at the royal wedding. That's why I'm willing to be so upfront in what I'm offering, otherwise I absolutely would pull out some trickery here and been less forthcoming.

Crius sighs and holds out a hand. "You're too shrewd for a young lady. I better not regret this."

"Don't give me a reason to hate you, and you won't." I say, and shake his hand. I try not to let my grin get too self-satisfied or predatory. "Now then, let's talk…"

###

My suggestion from Crius for the night is very simple: talk. No fancy deception, no trying to put words in the right ears or get information out of someone, just make myself known, and specifically have my intelligence be known.

"Be smart." He says. "Sarcastic, witty, sharp. Don't antagonize people, but don't be afraid to take a light jab at them either. The more interesting you are, the more people will want your attention, and that's something you can leverage. Make sure your story stays consistent, whatever you're going to say. People might talk about you behind your back after this, so you don't want to cast suspicion on yourself, especially if you don't want anything negative to get back to your father."

To be frank, most of the night is mundane. It's interesting insofar as learning who everyone is and watching as some of them try to impress me (as if I needed more people stroking my ego, even if it's insincere) when they hear who I am, but the specifics of each interaction don't bear repeating.

I get the feeling that I'm actually one of the most politically significant people here, beside Crius of course. There are merchants and some rich store owners here and all that, but me being the High Deliverer's daughter is somewhat of a big deal apparently.

I'm totally going to abuse that in the future.

Unfortunately for me everyone at this event isn't exactly the youngest, so I don't have the best testing ground for seeing how much I can mess with young men, because that was actually part of my plan.

Again, I didn't learn from Anna for nothing.

Something else Crius mentioned was that I might consider getting a proper outfit and not wearing my cloak; and… yeah, that's probably a good idea.

Here's the thing though: I don't know fashion. I don't think I'd do a terrible job or anything, but I should ask someone with expertise just in case.

Lucky for me, the Shepherds aren't gone for very long, so they're back in time for me to find the person I'm looking for. It's not one of the future kids in case that's what you were thinking. It's actually Lissa.

I know Lissa doesn't deal much with court, but she's at least on top of fashion to a certain extent, so I can rely on her not to lead me wrong, and she's excited enough to have Father's kid asking her for something that she doesn't question why I want nice dress.

Maybe there's an assumption that I'm a young girl so of course I want a nice dress. Either way, I won't complain.

"I'm basically an aunt!" Lissa says cheerfully as she leads me down the street by the hand. "I've always wanted to be an aunt!"

"Wouldn't that require Father to be your brother…?"

"Details, details!" Lissa sings. "Don't ruin this for me! Pleaaase!"

I don't spoil the surprise that she'll get to be an actual aunt soon enough. Baby Lucina is born at some point in the two year intermission between wars after all. "Well, I guess I can be your niece for a day then, Auntie."

Lissa's smile is radiant, and she practically skips from shop to shop.

In the interests of not burning all my money I was going to settle for two outfits… but Lissa offered to pay for more, and I'm not about to argue with free stuff.

"But it looks good on you!" Lissa insists. "It's so cute!"

"I guess…" I say. I'm not going to argue that this fluffy, light-purple dress doesn't look nice, but it feels slightly oversized on me. I feel like I'm showing off the dress rather than the dress showing off me, and that's not quite what I'm going for. "I look like a doll."

"Dolls are pretty!"

She's not wrong, but… "I think it's a bit fluffy for me to be honest. Too many layers."

"But it swishes when you walk!" Lissa says excitedly. "And it makes you look like a fairytale princess!"

"I'm afraid I'm not a princess like yourself." I say. "Thanks but no thanks, it's not a look I can ever see myself using."

Lissa is disappointed, but I don't want to get something I won't use, even if it's free. That would just be a waste of Lissa's money.

"If you like it so much you should try it on." I suggest. "It would probably look good on you."

"I already have one like that, or two, or five." Lissa admits.

"Spending spree?" I tease.

"No, I just get a lot of gifts on my birthday." Lissa says. "Perks of being a princess. When I'm not getting marriage proposals as "presents" at least."

"That actually happens?" I ask.

"Yeah…" Lissa sighs. "I'm a royal though. That's just how it is. Chrom got them too before he announced his marriage, and Emm still gets them on the regular."

"Everyone wants to marry the Exalt, huh?" I say as I struggle out of this obnoxiously fluffy dress.

"Yeah." Lissa says. "It would be a major boost to their standing you know? It would also tie their family into the royal line, which is a huge boon to everyone. So even if someone isn't trying to court her themselves, they're usually trying to nudge, or shove, a male family member in her direction."

"She has no interest?"

"Not…" Lissa frowns, gesturing with her hands as she tries to find a way to explain it. "She's not opposed to finding someone, but she has other priorities."

"Like running the country."

"Yeah." Lissa nods. "Though honestly, I'm worried that she'll never find someone at this rate. It's not that she can't live without someone, but… I don't want her to be lonely. Chrom is going to be busy with Maribelle, I'll find someone eventually, and as much as I'm sure we'll still visit and talk with her and all that, it's not the same."

"Won't you still live in the castle?" I ask.

"Probably not me. Usually the wife goes to live with the husband." Lissa says. "And Maribelle is a special case because she's the heir to the Themis duchy, so it's likely Chrom will go live there when Maribelle inherits that."

"Hmm…" I hum. "Well, she'll have Phila, right?"

"Phila is… well…" Lissa sighs again. "Phila is a friend, but she's busy with her own job. She's not like Frederick where he can be around all the time."

"Ah." I nod. "I get it."

"Yeah…" Lissa says.

"So, on a more fun note, do you have someone in mind for yourself?" I ask. I already know who that's going to be, but that doesn't facilitate conversation. "From what Nathan told me about you before, I would have expected Maribelle for you, not your brother."

"It's not the first time I've been told that." Lissa admits, with a minor blush crossing her face. "I don't know why everyone thinks I was into Maribelle! We're just good friends, I swear!"

I think that very reaction has something to do with it. The blush and smile really isn't helping her case. "So do you have someone then."

"That's for me to know." Lissa huffs, and tilts her nose up just a bit. "Maybe I want it to be a secret."

"Lissa, I already know who all the future kids' parents are, remember?"

"Oh." Lissa's shoulders droop. "Meanie."

"Just to make sure it's the same in the future as this world…" I say. "Who are you thinking?"

"Vaike."

"Ah, good."

"So that means we're going to work out then!" Lissa instantly brightens up.

Maybe I shouldn't have said that. Ah, whatever. "Just don't forget to still put in effort. You don't want something going wrong because you take the outcome for granted."

"I know, I know." Lissa huffs. "Okay, so if that dress isn't quite good enough, maybe this one…"

"That one has even more layers."

"I know! Isn't it great?"

I shake my head slightly as Lissa helps me into it. Our tastes are very different.

###

"-and that is why putting extra taxes on the poor is a stupid idea." I say cheerfully, looking down my nose at the fuming lesser noble. "And really, if you want that argument to be even vaguely plausible, you might want to put some effort into actually making good use of the taxes you do get rather than wasting it another redecoration of your mansion. If you actually did something useful with that money, then you might be able to justify more taxes."

The nobleman, old and slightly overweight, but with well-kept hair and clothes, was actually trying to impress me at the start of our conversation. He had nothing but compliments for my outfit and curiosity for my occupation… for about two minutes, and then after he decided he'd payed enough attention to me to justify my needing to listen to him, he started talking about about the barony he owns, and how he has this really nice mansion in the capital, and bla bla bla, and the peasants aren't putting in enough effort and are being lazy, because how hard could farming be anyways? You just shove seeds in the ground and water them and throw food at animals. Also-

You get the point. He's an ass. I listened politely until he was mostly done talking, and then I politely deconstructed literally everything he said.

"But the peasants-"

"-are hard-working and you're a privileged ass." I reply bluntly. "You try working long hours of physically exhausting labour that's at the mercy of weather on a shoestring budget with insufficient nutrition every single day of your life. See how "easy" it is then."

"Anyone can farm." The man huffs. "Exhausting or no, it is simple work."

"Simple doesn't mean easy, and even if it did, easy doesn't mean effortless." I say. "Your arguments are incorrect, and even if they were correct, they're irrelevant to your conclusions. Farming being simple or easy does not justify higher taxes."

As much as I feel incredibly smug rubbing this guy's bad logic in his face, It's surprising at the same time that he's so blatant about it. Maybe his point of view isn't unusual. That's a disappointing thought.

With that out of the way, I wave my fingers at him in a dismissive goodbye and I find someone else to talk to.

"Making more enemies, are we?" Crius sighs when I saunter back over to him. "I'm starting to think you're more trouble than you're worth."

"I'm only making enemies of people that aren't worth our time." I say. "If you want to get in good graces with the current royal family, making allies with corrupt nobles isn't in your best interests anyways. Emmeryn and Chrom and whatnot are very moral individuals."

"I am aware." Crius says. "I simply don't wish to make enemies, I did not say I wished to work with Baron Vulk."

I shrug unapologetically. "He deserved it."

Crius shakes his head. "You must be more cautious than that Lady Morgan. There are many spiteful individuals in the court. You can't mock so many people and expect to get away with it."

"Oh, but I will." I think smugly. I don't want to undermine my patron though, so instead I say, "I'll keep it in mind."

The rest of the event (some birthday celebration of a lesser noble that several important people are nonetheless attending) is mostly uneventful. I think the dress I'm wearing is doing its job in attracting attention, but it's hard to tell.

For all I know people are interested in me because of my emerging reputation, or maybe it's still just my status, or it could indeed be my appearance. How are you supposed to tell without asking someone though? I can't ask without conveying that I'm unsure, and my entire persona revolves around being super confident, so I can't do that.

This is why I need another ally in the know. I need someone that can tell me if I'm doing the right thing in the appearance department. Lissa was a lot of help, but it's clear she was going mostly by our personal tastes rather than fashion trends or anything.

So, I should preface this next part with something Crius told me: "Two of the most dangerous locations in any building are the lavatories and the hallways right outside them. If someone has a grudge against you, it is here they will wait away from prying eyes if they wish some form of revenge."

That's why, when I'm exiting the lavatory, I'm not terribly surprised to see the lesser noble I annoyed earlier standing on the opposite wall.

The dress I'm wearing isn't bulky enough for me to hide a sword, but I do have a long knife strapped to my leg, and it's possible to use magic without a tome (though it is a bit more magic-intensive). This is why I said I could get away with annoying people. I have absolutely no fear of this man. If it comes to a fight, he's the one walking away with something broken, not me.

"Ah, Baron Vulk." I say in a sickly sweet, sarcastic voice. "To what do I owe the honor?"

"You know full well what that is." The baron growls. "Don't play dumb with me girl. You're overstepping your bounds."

"I have no idea what you could be referring to." I say with an exaggerated gasp and a hand on my chest in mock surprise. "Why, we only had a polite conversation!"

"Don't mock me!" The baron snaps, and I can't resist letting a smirk cross my lips. It's so easy to get under a noble's skin. They're so full of themselves. He steps menacingly in my direction, and I stifle a laugh. His footwork is all wrong, I don't see a weapon on him, and he doesn't have backup of any sort. Has he forgotten that I was part of the Shepherds? It's not exactly a secret. I mentioned it to him earlier. "You can't get away with insulting a man of station, no matter who your father may be."

"My father won't be happy with you~!" I warn in singsong, not bothering to hide how absolutely unafraid I am.

"I'm doing your father a favor by teaching you some manners."

"By all means." I say, putting my hands on my hips and leaning forward, smiling in his angry face. "Enlighten me."

I think he was expecting me to be at least a little intimidated, because he seems significantly less confident in the next step he takes in my direction. Maybe he was hoping I'd cower and apologize and that's all that would happen, but now that I'm actually standing up to him he feels compelled to take further action. I wait for him to actually reach out in my direction before I fight back. Don't want to attack someone over mere intimidation after all. I want to be sure he's serious.

He has no weapon, so I don't bother drawing mine. As soon as his arm is close enough I grab it with my opposite hand, step to the side, then quickly turn around while jamming my other hand into his elbow.

The sickening crack and the howl of pain tells me my move was effective. I doubt I broke a bone, but I might have dislocated his elbow or a few fingers. I release Vulk and step back. No need to take this further.

"You might want to see a healer about that." I say cheerfully at the man as he shakes in place, staring at his arm that doesn't seem to be bending properly anymore. "It should be a simple fix. You can afford it with all that tax money you're wasting, right?"

"You bitch…"

"Maybe try not being a terrible person next time, and this won't happen, hmm?" I say. "Until next time, Baron!"

I can't say I feel even a little bit of remorse for what I did. He's the one who cornered and tried to intimidate me, and then decided to try and get physical. If anything, I feel satisfied.

I wonder if this is one of those situations where Nathan would give me a disapproving look if he were here. Did I overstep, or did I not? He's got more of an eye for moral judgement than I do.

Crius only shakes his head in exasperation when I return and Vulk goes running out of the building. I give him the sweetest, most insincere smile I can manage, and set about actually making myself useful to make up for the trouble.

Crius is trying to gather support for when he appeals to Emmeryn about "the importance of diverse weaponry and tactics in Ylissian forces", which is to say that since his dukedom is the only one to have a dedicated group of axe users (he calls them "axemasters", which seem analogous to the "warrior" and "berserker" classes from Nathan's game), encouraging weapon diversity in the army means his dukedom's expertise with the weapon relative to the rest of Ylisse will be valuable, meaning that he can possibly make a profit of selling this knowledge or training other people's troops, but it also increases his own status for being an expert in a rare weapon type.

It's a smart play, if an obviously self-benefitting one. It is good for Ylisse to know how to use axes though, if only to better understand how to fight against them, so Crius' suggestion isn't without merit.

By Crius' own admittance, the only reason he has axe expertise in the first place is because so many of the people living in his territory have heavy Feroxi ancestry. His land used to belong to Ferox less than a few centuries ago, and they're experts with the axe. His great-grandfather decided, smartly, that rather than trying to force new recruits to use Ylissian weapons if they didn't want to, he'd encourage and learn from Feroxi techniques to cultivate a unique military niche in Ylisse… which is exactly what Crius is trying to take advantage of right now. Aside from some great knights, there are no dedicated axe regiments in the Ylissian army and also very few archers (which, coincidentally, is also something Feroxi tend to prefer).

This is also something I specifically can help argue. I'm a tactician, and I know full well the benefits of axes and the consideration that has to be taken when using them. I'm well-equipped to argue that, if someone likes Crius or not, there's a valid reason to back his proposal.

I just have to swallow my distaste for some of these people and focus on my arguments. That's honestly more difficult than making the arguments themselves.

###

"Morgan." Father says firmly.

I cross my arms. "Father."

"I told you-"

"I don't care." I cut him off. What he told me is irrelevant. I'm an adult.

"You broke someone's arm Morgan."

"Dislocated, and he deserved it. Nothing magic couldn't fix anyhow."

"You got attacked."

"By a single, unfit, untrained, old guy with no weapon." I retort. "I had a dagger, and I can use magic. I didn't need it though. Would you rather I stab him next time?"

"I'd rather there not be a next time."

"There will be." I say. "Both me attending events, and getting attacked."

Father sighs deeply. "You're getting involved in something far too dangerous Morgan."

"Father, four months ago we were on the far side of Plegia fighting elite soldiers, and you didn't complain then." I point out.

"That's because the other Shepherds were around." Father says in frustration. "You're not alone. But when you're going to events and dabbling in court politics, you have no one watching your back at all."

"Not true." I say. "I have Crius."

"Crius?"

"Duke Crius. He's the duke of a northern duchy, the smallest in Ylisse. He's mentoring me." I say. "Not a terrible guy actually. Much better than most of the other nobles I've run into."

"How did you even get a duke on your side?" Father says and rubs his temples.

"I made a deal. I help him push his agenda, as long as I can't see anything abhorrent in it, and he shows me the ropes. There were a few more details, but that's the gist." I say, preening myself in pride. "He saw my potential and my intelligence, and I was very persuasive."

"I'm sure…" Father mutters. He lets out a deep sigh.

"How did you even hear about this anyways?" I ask. "I made a point not to tell you, because I knew you'd be annoyed."

"And I resent that." Father says sharply. "I'm annoyed you ignored me, but as you've established before you are an adult and can make your own choices. That's understandable. Not telling me you were going to do it anyways is insulting though. You don't trust me enough to think I'll respect your decisions apparently. I could have, would have, watched your back."

"Maybe." I say. I'm well aware of how haughty my tone is. "But maybe not. There's a chance you would have just complained and kept telling me not to do it. By going behind your back, I could actually get some connections and results before you found out and started trying to berate me."

"You really did expect me to stand in your way."

"I expected you to be unhelpful." I assert. "Not "stand in my way" exactly."

One of Father's hands tightens into a fist out of frustration. "Have I really left such a poor impression on you?"

Those words strike a bit of doubt in me with those words. Am I being a brat? Did I make a mistake in judgement? I didn't tell Father my plans because I didn't want him to nag, but was that petty of me? Did I actually think he'd stop me if I went ahead anyways? "No, I just wanted to do my own thing without worrying about nagging."

You know, now that I say it out loud, "I went behind your back and did something potentially dangerous because I didn't want you to voice disapproval." isn't exactly a convincing argument.

"Sorry." I say after a moment. "In hindsight that's petty."

Father lets out a long, tired sigh. "Just a little bit. I worry about what you don't tell me Morgan."

"Sorry."

"Just keep me in the know next time, alright? I want to help you, even if it's for something I don't approve of."

"Okay."

There's a small silence as we let that topic sit in the air for a moment, and then Father pushes it aside to say "We got a letter from Virion."

"Oh?" I perk up. "News about the war?"

"In part." Father says. "But that's not the interesting part. Here."

He hands the letter to me, and I read through it with eager eyes. "Owain, Cynthia, Inigo, Bardy… they're all coming here? Virion found them so quickly!"

"They weren't exactly hard to find." Father says, flipping over the letter in my hand so I actually can see that there's a back side. "The future children are rather… distinct."

"You can say that again." I agree. I run through the list of future kids in my mind before I realize something. "Huh, I guess Gerome is staying. That makes enough sense."

"Why so?"

"Cherche's kid, remember?"

"Ah, of course." Father says. Of course, neither of us know who Cherche is exactly. It's weird to know that she's a future Shepherd, but that we've never met her. "So yes, they'll be here in less than a month's time. This message was sent on ahead."

I can't help but bounce in my seat in excitement, just a bit. "Ooh, finally."

"Eager, hmm?"

"Yep." I just realized Inigo is going to be a problem potentially. Olivia is his mother, but I'm his sister. That means he's either going to have to reveal himself to Mother and try and be natural with me, or reveal to Father and not deal with Mother, which is equally problematic because by Nathan's account he has much more in common with Mother than Father.

This wouldn't be a problem if Father had any inclination that he was interested in Olivia, but from what I'm aware father and Olivia aren't particularly close. I don't want to try and push them together considering they're not involved at all, but at the same time it's going to make things really inconvenient.

Whatever, we'll deal with the Inigo hurdle when it happens. I also have to remember the gift I got him when he inevitably fails at getting a date. I can't wait to see the expression on his face…

I would hesitate to call this chapter serious exactly, or super plot-important. It mostly exists for future context and so you know what Morgan is up to in the year downtime. I could have just glossed over everything until the other future kids arrived, but it didn't feel right.

I'm realizing comedy is a lot more difficult for me to write without Nathan. I took for granted how much he facilitates Morgan. It doesn't help that this Morgan is a lot different than goofy, smash-tome-on-head, game Morgan.