My body reacted for me, my rational mind taking a back seat as I heard that sickening 'hiss'. I grasped the handle of my sword, eyes trained on the future Princess. What followed was what could only be described as a very intense staring match; Lucina stared at me, I stared at her, Severa seemed to be glaring at us both. The other future kids were looking between the both of us like shit was about get serious. I could only imagine what they were thinking.

Lucina was silent for a few moments, before completely unsheathing Falchion. The blade seemed to glow in the sun coming through the window. I glanced to Robin, and nearly fumbled when I saw that he looked completely non-plussed. If anything, he looked curious.

In the end, Lucina did not try to strike Robin down. I didn't think she was even contemplating that. It was at that moment that I wondered if my future self ever told her about Robin's true nature; that he was the Vessel for the Fell Dragon. I'd long decided that that didn't matter to me, what mattered is what she thought, at that moment.

I didn't have time to ponder that for long.

"This is my father's sword, Grandmaster Tactician," Lucina stated, simply.

"So it is," Robin replied.

It was at that point that I finally let my guard down, and the tension seemingly melted away. I was sure Severa meant to hide it, but I could see her sigh in relief.

"I knew, eventually, that our secret would be found out. As long as I held and wielded this sword, it was always going to happen. Sir Alex always knew, of course, and since he is sworn to you…" Lucina shook her head. "Both of you were some of my father's most trusted allies and confidants. The three of you fought side by side in countless battles before… before father died."

Robin leaned forward, lacing his fingers together and putting them under his chin to hold his head up. "I would like to believe that hasn't changed. Chrom is and always will be a dear friend."

I took my eyes off the children to glance at Robin. "I'd follow you both into hell without question."

I did not miss the way Severa scowled at that. It was only for a moment, but it was there.

Lucina nodded at both of us, then looked down at Falchion, with one hand on the handle and the other on the blade. "Both of you had my father's trust, and so you shall have mine. If you believe that having our identities revealed would help us avoid the future ahead of us, then I will follow you willingly."

I felt a small sigh escape my lips at that. The hiss of Falchion being sheathed echoed in my ears. I had to hand it to Lucina, she definitely knew how to get people's attention. I could have gone without the near-heart attack she gave me. I could still feel sweat dripping down my back from that whole thing.

Robin nodded, smiling. "I shall endeavor to show you that your trust is not misplaced. But… what about the rest of you?" Robin continued, looking at the increasingly uneasy group of future kids. "I should assume that you all have opinions as well."

Some of them appeared to be surprised at that, while a few others, namely Kjelle, Nah, and Severa, made their opinions known, loud and clear.

"Here I was thinking that it would never happen." Kjelle pounded a fist against her breastplate. "I was getting tired, hiding it for these past few weeks. The sooner we do it, the better! Besides, it'll give me the chance to train with them more often."

"I never knew my parents…" Nah stepped forward. She began playing with her fingers like a nervous child. "They both died fighting when I was very, very young. I… I think I would like to meet them, not as a stranger, but as their daughter."

"My secrets been out since I met you, so, hell." Severa shrugged. "Go ahead and tell the entire world for all I care."

The rest seemed a little less keen on the idea. Yarne was fidgeting, but then again that was nothing out of the ordinary. He yelped when he saw me looking at him. Laurent seemed to be caught somewhere between excitement and trepidation. Either way, he was showing more emotion than his mother ever did. I had no clue who his father was, and maybe they weren't even together yet. That could certainly throw a wrench into things. Noire looked between both groups, seemingly unable to come to a decision. I expected her to explode at any moment. Lastly, Owain. The usually cheerful chuunib refused to look up; his eyes were downcast, as if he was reliving some painful memory.

You know all about that kind of thing, don't you, boy scout?

"We have a few more days until Mar- Er, Lucina, is supposed to be born." Robin explained, sitting up. "Give or take a few days, considering how drastically different this timeline is from the one you came from. For those of you who are unsure, we will meet again after Lucina is born. I realize that this is not a decision that you can make hastily; I'm sure all of you have been through a lot, and you may not want to place this burden upon someone else. Please, all I ask is that you think it over."

Murmurs of agreement rang from the future children.

"Thank you. All of you." Robin nodded, a genuine smile on his face. "If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to ask me. I'll be sure to answer as best as I can."

One by one, the future children left the room. Honestly, I felt kind of horrible. Their opinions were split cleanly down the middle.

The only one who didn't leave was Severa, who promptly marched up to Robin and placed both hands on his desk.

"Let me make something crystal clear, Tactician." Severa growled, glancing at me. "If you order my idiot of a father to do anything ungodly dangerous, alone, then nothing will be able to save you from me. Got it?"

Robin blinked before his eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." Severa replied, pushing herself away from the desk and walking towards the door. "Just a friendly warning."

And then she was gone.

Robin blinked again, as if what happened was merely an illusion. After a moment, he sighed again, and he turned to me with an exasperated expression. "Your daughter is certainly very strong-willed, isn't she?"

I laughed. "I wouldn't think too much on it, Robin." A fond smile appeared on my face. "She's just looking out for her old man."

Robin gave me the most done face I'd ever seen in my entire life. "'Old man'? Alex, you're twenty!"

"I'll have you know that I'm almost twenty-one, actually." My gaze fell a bit. "Oh God, I'm almost twenty-one."

"You are not an old man."

"Yes I am, can't you see the wrinkles?"

Robin looked just about ready to start slamming his face into his desk. "The audacity, to talk to your lord in such a way."

I shrugged, a shit-eating grin spreading from ear to ear. "Admit it, you love these little conversations."

Robin tried his best to keep his lips from curling up into an ugly sneer. "Oh yes, I do so love insubordination. Truly, you are a genius on par with only the mightiest of beings. Allow me to bow my head in deference to your supreme magnificence."

"Damn right. It's about time you noticed." I replied, desperately trying to not choke on my own laugher bubbling up from my chest. "Listen to me, son, you stick by me and I'll- Goddamnit, Robin, I can't fucking do this anymore-! Pfft-!"

What followed could only be described as a laughing fit of truly epic proportions. Robin joined a few seconds in. It felt like it had been forever since I'd heard him laugh. Not the occasional chuckle or bark of laughter, but honest to God, side-bursting laughing. The kind that makes tears stream from your eyes.

After a few seconds, we both calmed down. Robin stood up from his admittedly comfortable looking chair and stretched. "Gods, that felt good!" He gasped, as I heard several 'pop's from his back. "I suppose that concludes our duties for the day. Although that Lucina, Alex." Robin's expression became serious. "She confuses me. She's an enigma. Truthfully, she concerns me."

I raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not sure I know myself." Robin shrugged, gathering a few papers. "Just something about her alarms me. I realize I have no place to say this, but her social graces are lacking. Brandishing your sword in the middle of a room with a nobleman and his Knight is, well, I am glad you moved in to defend me, in any case. Even if it wasn't necessary."

I waved my iron hand. "Don't mention it, man. You just make sure you get some sleep tonight. Something tells me, in a few days, we're gonna have our work cut out for us." I remembered everything that was likely to happen within the next few weeks, and I had to stop myself from cringing. "We're really gonna have our work cut out for us."

The days shifted from agonizingly slow to blazingly fast, never staying in one or the other. April 20th grew closer and closer, and it made my heart pound just thinking about it. It wasn't every day that I was privy to when one of my friend's daughters will be born.

I couldn't help but slip into a routine, though. Wake up, snuggle with Cordelia for a while, train, help Robin with papers and crap, find someone to talk to to pass the hours I wasn't training, and so on and so forth. The inexorable march of time eventually caught up with us, and the day finally came.

Felt it in the air. That morning, something was happening. April 20th, 999 AS. The day Lucina finally entered the world.

I was not called for anything. I wasn't summoned.

"Robin, I can't help it! My wife's in there giving birth and I feel so powerless-!"

"Chrom, you aren't powerless. Relax. Sumia has among the best clerics and castle staff in there with her. The chances of anything going wrong that they cannot fix is incredibly small. Just, relax, okay? Everything is going to be fine."

I managed to find myself near Chrom's quarters. Seeing Robin and Chrom, along with a small gaggle of castle staff wearing white robes, I approached.

"Is there a party or something I wasn't invited to or…?" I trailed off, attempting to lighten the mood. I had to act like I had no idea what was happening.

Robin gave me a warning look, while Chrom slowly lifted his head up to meet my gaze. "Oh, Alex! I thought," He trailed off, shaking his head. "There will be a party soon, I have no doubt. But for now, I feel as if my chest is about to burst open. Damn these nerves! Robin, look at my arms! They've never shaken this much before!"

"What's he working himself into a tizzy for?" I asked Robin.

"Sumia entered labor this morning," Robin said, cleaning his coat. "Clerics and nurses were summoned almost immediately. They've been in there for several hours now." He shook his head. "I've been here since this morning too, making sure Chrom doesn't worry himself so much that he breaks down the door to see her."

Chrom looked at the floor, his lips becoming a thin line across his face. "I'm just nervous, Robin. I'm sure one day I'll be in the same position as you."

Robin patted him on the back. "And when that day comes, you will have to stop me from breaking through walls or vomiting. But for now, allow me to keep you from doing the same."

I looked from Chrom to Robin, unsure of what to do.

"Alex," Robin said, making sure Chrom wasn't about to break down any doors. "Why don't you fetch Cordelia? I'm sure Sumia would appreciate her presence."

I was able to grab Cordelia from her daily training exercises. She thought I was there for something completely different, and the minute I told her Sumia was in labor, her eyes widened almost comically, and the next thing I knew, she was dragging me through the halls. There I was, thinking it was going to be the other way around.

"Does she have everything she needs!?" Cordelia said frantically, coming upon the room where Sumia and an entire legion of nurses probably were. For all I knew there was just one giant nurse in there helping her out. Doubt I'd have my stupid thoughts quelled, though. "Hot water!? Towels? Perhaps I could-!"

Chrom and Robin looked at me as if I could actually do a damn thing. Sighing, I came up behind her and hugged her, locking my arms in front of her chest. "Cordy, calm down. I doubt Sumia wants her friend to worry about her like this.

For a second, it looked as if she was going to break out of my hold and charge into the room. Thankfully, that didn't happen. Instead, she did her best to relax. She closed her eyes and let out a few deep breaths. Her hand grasped at my arms, and held them in place.

"I know, Alex. But I can't help it. I never thought," She trailed off, probably trying to find the best way to put her thoughts into words. "I knew this day would come. Eventually. I just thought I'd be better prepared."

"If you think you're bad, just take a look at Chrom," I pointed out, holding in a chuckle. "It looks like his head is about to explode."

"That is a horrible thing to joke about, Alex," Cordelia lightly reprimanded me, before stifling a giggle herself. "Anyways, is there nothing we can do? Or are we to wait out here until we are called in?"

"The latter, Knight-Captain." Robin said, his voice level. Chrom was too busy looking at the very interesting floor to comment.

We waited there for hours, all our schedules for that day completely forgotten in the wake of the event. I switched constantly from calming both Chrom and Cordelia down, to shooting glances at Robin. Honestly, I was a bit surprised that Lucina wasn't there. It's not every day you get to see your own birth, after all. In the end, though, none of the future children showed up. After some thought, I decided that I couldn't blame them. It felt like a turning point, like nothing would be the same after that day.

And, in a way, for them, that was true. No longer would most of them be time traveling strangers; they would be the children of the Shepherds again.

Once it was closing in on the evening, with the sun hanging low in the sky, casting half of Ylisstol in a brilliant orange, and the other half in darkness, a single nurse, wearing a white robe, allowed us inside.

I didn't have the expertise to really describe the scene in front of me. In the middle of a large bed laid Sumia, her eyes closed. For a moment, I thought she died giving birth. My heart raced for a moment before I saw her chest rhythmically moving up and down. Nurses and maids gathered around the bed, where I saw a basin of water. Washing the infant, maybe? Either way, little Lucina wasn't there now. No, she was right up against Sumia's chest.

I looked away then.

Chrom practically broke through the gaggle of servants, calling Sumia's name.

"…Ah… Chrom?" Sumia whispered, cracking an eye open as Chrom knelt by her bedside. "Oh, and Cordelia, too. I'm sorry I… Gods, it's difficult to speak."

"Don't worry!" Chrom said, perhaps a little too forcefully. "I'm here, Sumia. Is our…?"

Sumia smiled warmly, turning her head to look down at the little bundle at her chest. "She's fine, Chrom. And so am I."

I could see some blue fuzz on the infant's head but didn't try to get a closer look. Instead, I looked to Cordelia, who had a hand to her mouth, like she was trying not to cry. Unlike the wedding, I knew those weren't tears of heartbreak and despair, but tears of joy.

You better hope you're not wrong about that.

I shook my head and put my arm around Cordelia. She offered no resistance.

Robin looked - well, it was hard to read him sometimes, and at that moment he looked caught between several different emotions. Sadness, maybe, and perhaps acceptance. Like I'd said, couldn't really tell. He simply stood behind Chrom, looking down. Eventually, however, a small smile broke out on his face.

I couldn't help but feel a little tension leave me at that.

I hadn't been paying attention to Chrom and Sumia's conversation, but when I listened again, I heard something that chilled my blood, for some reason.

"I've been thinking for a while, Chrom, but…" Sumia sighed. "…What do you think of the name 'Lucina'?"

Days went by, and as far as I knew, Ylisse was celebrating the new addition to the royal family. Parades and festivals were held across the Halidom. People were happy and glad, dancing in the streets at times.

Good for them. For those of us in the know, shit was going to become complicated.

The four future children who were reluctant to reveal their secrets gathered in Robin's office once more, their faces somehow more resolute than before.

"And so the day comes," Robin began. "Know that I will not judge any of you for not agreeing with this move. Gods only know what you're having to go through right now. If any one of you still think this is a bad idea, then please, step forward."

Without missing a beat, Owain moved towards us.

Robin sighed. "I see. Then I suppose-"

"Halt, noble Tactician," Owain said, for once in a voice suitable for the indoors. "I apologize for my reluctance. It was as if a foul wind had come upon me, staying my sword hand where it laid. But now? No longer!" He struck a pose that would not look out of place in a- Well, I couldn't exactly what I remembered it from, but it looked epic. To me, at least. God, I loved Owain. "Today, I lend you all that I am; body, and sword! I will follow your lead. If you believe that revealing our true identities will help us in our quest to save the world from the Fell Dragon, then you have my confidence!"

Robin looked absolutely taken aback. I could tell he wasn't expecting that sort of response. Had to keep myself from snickering openly at the sight of his expression.

"A-and me too!" Yarne said, taking a tentative step forward. "I-I told Severa, a long time ago, that I'd be less of a c-coward. I've gotten this far, and there's no way I'm gonna stop now!" He seemingly, slowly, gained confidence until he stood next to Owain, who was smirking all the while. "You have my faith, Robin!"

"Mine, as well," Laurent said, adjusting his glasses. "I have consulted with the others for hours. They believe that this is the best course of action, and I now agree with them. Er, besides." Laurent blinked, wiping at his eyes for a moment before his stern expression came back. "It will be good to see mother and father again."

"I-I don't know if my parents are even together," Noire began, holding a hand to her head. "But I miss them. Even my mother. I've always wanted to see them before everything… before everything went wrong." Noire shook her head, and for the first time, looked someone in the eye. Robin. "I'll trust you with this."

I looked to Robin, and nearly doubled over in laughter when I saw his jaw planted firmly on his desk. It was one of the funniest things I'd ever seen in my entire life. "W-well, Robin. Don't just leave them hanging!" I said, chuckling slightly while patting him on the shoulder. "Come on, make something of yourself!"

"Right," Robin said, his tone wavering. "I-I hope I can live up to the trust you have placed in me. It would be disastrous to just put all of you in one room, however. I think we will introduce you all individually, so that everyone has a chance to, er, take it all in, so to speak." Robin stood up. "And I believe I know just the person to start with. Alex? Please, fetch Marth for me."

"Lucy, it's gonna be alright."

"I know that, Sir Alex."

I crossed my arms as we stood outside the door to the courtyard. "Then why are we still here?"

Lucina became silent.

I sighed. It was going to be a long day, especially since I'd probably have to sit through a shit ton of reunions. Just sitting with the kid while they had cold feet. Not an ideal place to be.

"Am I frustrating you?" Lucina asked, turning to me for a moment before looking back at the door. "If so, I apologize. But you must understand, this entire time, he and mother have known me only as Marth, the wandering, time-traveling swordswoman. I am afraid that they might-"

"They won't reject you," I said vehemently. "Of that, I don't have any doubt. The minute they see your eye, when they put the dots together, they'll probably gather you up in a hug to end all hugs."

Lucina closed her eyes, hard. "I want to believe you, Sir Alex. Truly, I do, but I can't help it. This feeling, it is unfamiliar to me."

I put my good hand on her shoulder, looking her straight in the eyes. The Brand of the Exalt shown clearly in her left iris. "Lucina, lemme tell you something. Right now, you can walk away. Hell, if I'm honest, this is a little pointless. It probably won't change anything. Robin just wanted to tell you that so you all'd feel better. But, and listen to me on this!" My expression softened slightly. "But, will you really pass up that chance? To feel like a family?" I smiled, then, new and fond memories going through my mind. "Since Cordelia and Severa've come into my life, I've felt whole. Content. Will you pass up that chance because of fear?"

Lucina sniffled slightly. "Even now, you are like this." Lucina stood taller. "Alright. I've prepared myself as best as I can. I am ready for this."

"Damn right you are." I nodded, still smiling. "Let's go!"

I took my iron hand and pushed open the door. The sight that greeted us wasn't unexpected; the courtyard was mostly empty, with the remains of a party clearly being visible. Chrom, of all people, was there alone, hand tracing the edge of a table, and a bright and happy expression on his face.

Lucina froze again, but only briefly. She kept going, her face resolute. Chrom looked up, his expression brightening further at the sight of Lucina walking towards him.

What happened next did not surprise me at all.

"Hey, Sailor."

My eyes narrowed as I looked to my side. "Gaius," I greeted simply.

The orange-haired thief leaned back, his arms behind his head as he smirked. "So, the Grouch is yours, huh?"

I snorted. "You mean Severa? Jeez, Gaius, how long'd it take you to figure that out?"

"Two seconds," Gaius replied snappily, holding up two fingers. "All I had to do was hear her speak. That's it. I could tell the moment she did that she was yours and Red's. Ain't a single soul in Ylisse or elsewhere what uses 'Jesus Christ' as an expletive. And that red hair, yeah, it wasn't as complicated as a heist, Sailor."

"Still," I shrugged, looking on as Lucina started crying, and Chrom's face morphed from confusion to tentative acceptance. "Surprised you connected the dots so quickly. Most people wouldn't jump to that sorta conclusion."

"I mean, I've heard you say that damn guy's name so gods damn often, you'd think I actually scored-!"

"In your dreams, Gaius."

"Oh, only every night, Sailor." Gaius winked. "But that's neither here nor there. Already missed my shot, but losing to Red ain't so bad. She looks… damn, if looks could kill…"

"One of these days, I oughta throw you out of this castle."

"You know I'm way too slippery for you to kick me out. I'm practically covered in honey."

"That would just make you stick everywhere."

"Hey, I'm still sticking around, ain't I?" Gaius shrugged. "So the analogy works."

"It works about as well as my iron hand does when I haven't oiled it for two weeks," I deadpanned. "One of these days you're gonna drop dead from high blood pressure, I swear to the gods."

Gaius raised a brow at me, but I couldn't understand why. "Don't know what high blood pressure is, but if it's gonna kill me 'cause of my lifestyle, let it come."

I sighed. "Whatever, man."

"Actually, got a question for you, Sailor."

I turned to him one last time. "What is it?" I'm kinda busy watching this family reunion from across time and space."

For once, Gaius looked genuinely nervous; the perpetual lollipop in his mouth bobbed from side to side, and he stood up straight. "I gotta know, do I have my own kid? From the future? Just curious."

A question you don't know the answer to. Damn open-ended… what was it? Gaming?

I told him as much, and Gaius chuckled. "Guess it was too sweet to be true. I've had my eye on a few people for a long while now. But if these kids ain't gonna give me an answer either…"

"I wouldn't worry about it, man." I waved off, watching as Lucina jumped into Chrom's arms, nearly knocking him on his ass. I smiled at that. "Just give it some time. Be patient. All that good shit."

"If you say so, Sailor," Gaius replied, putting his hands behind his head again and walking out the door. "Lemme know when they get done; I still wanna eat some of those leftover sweets, but I can't take all this mushy crap."

I chuckled. "I will. Don't worry."

What followed was probably one of the longest days of my entire life. Those kids, I knew they'd gone through a lot. Hell, we all had and were going to continue to if Valm and Grima had anything to say about it. But I didn't fathom just how much the kids missed their parents. Missed being held by them, missed being loved by them. In a few cases, they'd never experienced either.

A few tears were guaranteed. Complete and utter breakdowns were optional.

The masks many of them had put on crumbled entirely, and much like Lucina, they jumped into their parents' arms. One that stood out to me in particular was Owain. His mask was probably the most obtuse, but the minute his parents, Lon'qu and Lissa, accepted, that's when the ugly tears started streaming.

It was absolutely and utterly exhausting, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.

And then, just like that, it was over. The secret was out. It wasn't one that would have a big hand in things to come, I didn't think. Actually, in the grand scheme of things, it was probably inconsequential at best. The best it would do, in my mind, was make our bonds stronger. Keep us as tight knit as we always were, instead of drifting apart like we had been after the end of the last war. Even though it wasn't essential that we got the secret out, I was still glad it happened.

At least it meant I could stop pretending. And, for fuck's sake, I was a dad. A father. I knew that before anyone else knew they were parents. Since they'd have that placed on them too, it wasn't a burden. In fact, if anything, it made me feel lighter.

I went to my room that night, feeling content.

Unfortunately for me, though, the day wasn't quite over yet.

Going towards my desk, I sat down and began scribbling down some notes in a small, leather bound book. It was more like a journal, really. Just something to clear my head after the long day I had. Ylissean Common was, well, it was more complicated than the English I used to write, but I'd gotten a hell of a lot better at it in the near two years I spent there. I kind of had to, considering my position. Who the hell would respect an illiterate knight?

I couldn't help but smile as I heard the door to my room open, followed by a sigh, and the sound of armor being taken off and hung up.

A few moments later, two pale, slender arms encircled my neck gently, and I felt someone lay their head on my shoulder. "How was your day, love?" She asked, quietly.

I chuckled, leaning into her touch a little. "About as good as you'd expect, Cordy," I replied. "But, well, the secret's out now. A lot of the Shepherds are now parents of teenagers. God, it feels so weird saying that."

"I think it was a good call," Cordelia offered. "One of the few Robin has made recently."

I frowned for a moment before closing my eyes. "Well, it's out there now. For better or for worse." I stood up, already missing her touch. "Anyways, I'm exhausted. Maybe it's about time we-"

"Erm." Cordelia stopped me, placing a hand on my chest. "I actually have something I need to talk to you about."

That tone of voice worried me. I held my hand out to her and she grasped it gently. "Well, alright then. Not ominous at all. What do you got for me?"

Cordelia avoided my gaze for a moment, a small blush on her cheeks. A moment later, she sighed and met my eyes with hers. "You remember how I invited my parents to meet you?"

I felt my stomach churning. "Uh, yeah?"

"They'll be here tomorrow evening. One of my recruits found them just north of Ylisstol."

I blinked. Nothing happened. It wasn't a dream.

The next day, the celebrations were winding down a bit. Even then, it wasn't hard to find Chrom. As always, he was out in the courtyard training. Just some simple exercises, from the look of it. Most of the décor was gone, leaving only what was always there. I walked up to him nervously.

"Ah, Alex!" Chrom greeted happily, wiping sweat from his brow. "Great timing; I could use a sparring partner!"

"Ordinarily I'd say yes, but, well, I've got something important to talk about," I explained.

His brows furrowed in concern. "What's wrong? Don't tell me you don't think you're up for it."

"Well," I began, adjusting some of the fingers on my iron hand. "You know how I'm courting Cordy, right?"

Chrom nodded. "I hate to say it, Alex, but there are very few people who don't know that. Heh. Especially with the news many of us have been given recently."

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," I deadpanned. "Anyway, uh, her parents- I haven't met her parents yet. A few weeks ago she sent a letter, inviting them up here and, well, they'll be here tomorrow. And I haven't fucking prepared."

Chrom held a hand to his chin. "I guess that has something to do with this?"

"Yeah." I rubbed the back of my neck. "Would it be too much to ask if I could, you know, borrow the dining hall? Just for an evening?"

"Of course."

"I know that usually everyone- wait. What?"

Chrom smiled. "Of course you can. I can't just leave you to drown, can I?"

I blinked. I was certain it'd actually take some convincing, but apparently not.

"I'm sure you know where everything is; you and Cordelia have been in the kitchens many times. Just make sure you clean up, alright?"

I blinked one more time, before nodding. "You're damn right I will. It'll be fucking spotless." I felt a grin grow across my face. "And you know what? I think I am in the mood to spar."

I watched as a carriage came up to the entrance of the castle, my heart pounding in my chest. It made it hard to hear. I knew how earlier I felt as if I was completely ready for anything, but in that moment I was, honest to God, scared. Realistically, I knew everything would be fine. Or as fine as it could be, considering I had no idea what was going to happen. Emotionally, though, I was nearly paralyzed with worry. Worry that they wouldn't like me; a foreigner, a scarred soldier.

Two people walked up the stairs, one with a noticeable limp. The one with the limp was a tall man, almost as tall as me, with short red hair. The same as Cordelia's. The other one, a woman, had long, flowing brown hair that reached farther than Cordelia's did.

I felt Cordelia grab my hand, and I felt like I could do it. The doubts weren't gone, but they were suppressed, for the moment.

"Castle Ylisse," The woman said, staring starry-eyed at the castle behind us. "Did you ever believe that we would see it so close, Edgar?"

"These past few years have been full of surprises." The man grunted.

Cordelia coughed awkwardly while I stood beside her. "Ahem. Hello, mother. Father."

Nice to know that this'll start off as awkwardly as possible.

In an instant, the woman eyes zeroed in on Cordelia, and the next thing I knew, tears streamed down her face. Cordelia wheezed as her mother gathered her up in a hug to end all hugs.

"Oooooh, Cordelia!" Her mother squealed. "It's been so, so long since I've seen you! Gods, you've grown up so much!" She pulled away, looking her up and down. "And so tall! It's so good to see you again!"

"Rosalind, let her breathe," The man chuckled, stepping forward. I was right; he had a limp. He didn't even try to hide it, or if he did, it was so bad that he was already doing the best he could. "She's not wrong. We've… We've missed you, honey. I feel as if I should chastise you for not writing home more often."

Cordelia laughed softly. "That won't be necessary, father. I've just been, er, busy, as of late."

"Oh yes, I've heard!" Cordelia's mom chirped. Upon a closer look, she was slightly shorter than Cordelia. "Knight-Captain of the pegasus knights! I can scarcely believe it!" Her gaze turned to me, soft brown eyes meeting my own. My stomach flip-flopped. "And, of course, you have him now, don't you?"

I gulped, finding my manners. "My name's Alexander Jameson Wright, my lord and lady." I said, standing tall with my arms behind my back. "It is a pleasure to meet both of you!"

Cordelia's mom, Rosalind, I remembered, giggled. "So polite, too! Well, I believe proper introductions are in order." She curtsied. "My name is Lady Rosalind Kindall. A pleasure to meet you as well, Sir Alexander."

At least she appears to be happy. Cordelia's father, on the other hand…

The man almost looked to be analyzing me; his gaze traced every movement, every breath. It felt like he was a hawk and I was just a field mouse, only able to run and cower under his gaze.

"Polite indeed," He said, his face betraying no emotion. "My name is Edgar Kindall. And you must be the man who is courting my daughter."

I tried my best to not look nervous, and I had a feeling I was failing horribly.

"Er, yes," I responded intelligently.

"Edgar, come now!" I heard a low voice. Turning slightly, I could see Rosalind give her husband a stern glare.

Edgar's gaze did not leave my own for several moments. Luckily for me, Cordelia chose that moment to get things rolling. She clapped her hands, gaining everyone's attention. "Well!" She began. "Now that introductions are out of the way, why don't we head in? Alex and I have prepared something that we all can enjoy together!"

"Cordelia, what is this?" Rosalind asked, inspecting the piece of pie as if it was some kind of alien creature. "It's not like any meat pie I've ever seen. And cheese? Such an odd combination."

Cordelia smiled as she took her own slice. "Oh, Alex taught me how to make it. It's a dish from his homeland. Come on, take a bite, mother! It's delicious!"

I couldn't help but blush from that. Either that or Edgar's stare was really starting to get to me. I swore the man never took his eyes off me. It was unsettling.

We had the entire royal dining hall to ourselves, which left a lot of empty space. The place could house well over fifty people, yet only four of us sat there, eating pizza like a typical suburban middle-class family.

Another wave of nostalgia washed over me. Not unwelcome, and not unexpected; I enjoyed it.

True to form, after I showed Cordelia how to make pizza, she could do it all by herself flawlessly. The one we were eating then was easily better than the first one we made, although that one would always hold a place in my heart. The first real act as a family was what it was. I'd never forget it.

There were a few other food items, of course. I'd liked to think I was getting better at baking; I'd even taken a few lessons from the kitchen staff on how to bake. It was strangely therapeutic, in a way that training and sparring never were. The bread in front of us was my own, a piece of which Edgar would eat in between bouts of gazing into my soul.

I still wasn't proficient; I had several of the kitchen staff looking over my shoulder while I made the dough for the bread. I hoped to get better as time went on.

I smiled to myself. If I was still at home, I would have never gotten into the things I was into then.

"Well, alright," Rosalind said warily, taking a tentative bite out of the slice of pizza. She blinked, her warm brown eyes brightening as she chewed. "By the Gods!"

Edgar decided to stop trying to burn a hole into my face and looked to his wife. "Rose? Is it-?"

"Gods, Edgar, take a bite!" Rosalind said excitedly. "It's a tad savory, but if this is the kind of food they have in Alex's homeland, we should take a holiday there!"

Edgar grumbled as he took a slice. He bit into the pizza and, well, nothing happened. His eyes didn't light up, no change in his body language, nothing. A second later, he swallowed. "It's not bad," He said, "I find myself curious. Is this dish common where you hail from, Alexander?"

I nodded, trying my best to appear at ease. "Yeah. You could go pretty much anywhere and find a place that'd cook one up for you. Uh, I wouldn't try and find it though. The United States is, er, very hard to get to."

Edgar leaned forward, folding his hands together. "And why would that be, Alexander?"

I have faced legions of Plegians, Risen, and dragonoid abominations, and yet you still find some way to scare the fuck outta me.

"Father," Cordelia whispered over the table. "Please. Not now."

Edgar merely grumbled something under his breath, taking another bite out his slice.

Either sensing the way the conversation was going, or being oblivious to it, Rosalind changed the topic. "Oh, there is one thing I was curious about! Cordelia practically gushed about you in her letters to us, Alex. I must ask, where did you two first meet?"

I gave Cordelia a look, and she turned away from me, blushing. I smiled, a warmth spreading through my chest. "Well, I think it was during the Plegian War. The Shepherds were escorting Emmeryn out of Ylisstol, but we were attacked at Breakneck Pass, to the east. Just came outta nowhere. Back then I was a bit of a klutz when it came to battle, you know? Wasn't properly watching my back. Then, comes down Cordy. She saved me from getting my head conked in half." I rapped my knuckles against my skull once. "God, she was like an angel."

"Aww," Rosalind said, smiling at her daughter. "That was so romantic of you!"

"He's embellishing." Cordelia quickly interjected, embarrassed. "I-I was just doing my duty at the time. Although that was really sweet. I-I mean, yes, just doing my duty as a pegasus knight! Hah. Anyways-!"

"Alexander, could you help me with something?" Edgar said suddenly, standing up. "My throat is parched. Do you know where they keep the wine in this castle?"

This is a trap.

I knew that. I felt it. I couldn't find it in me to refuse, though.

"Edgar," Rosalind said, her face blank again. "Please, tell me you are not going to do what I think you will."

"I won't, Rose." Edgar replied, chuckling slightly. "I promise. I just want a good glass of wine."

I stood up myself, flashing a smile. "Don't worry, guys." I turned to Edgar. "I don't go there often myself, but I can show you where they keep 'em. Not sure how much'll be left what with the celebration the other day, though."

"I'm sure we'll find something," Edgar said curtly, taking an empty glass from the table. "Lead the way, Alexander."

Taking one last look at Cordelia, I noticed her expression was somewhat worried.

I had to remind myself that everything would be alright. As I walked out the door and into the larder, I honestly believed that.

I knew Edgar wasn't going to kill me. My instincts told me so, but I knew better. He may not have been an old man, exactly, but he was past his prime. Even with my iron hand and no weapons, I might've been able to take him on. That was all in my head, though. I made no outward indication that I felt threatened. I hoped I didn't at least.

It only took us around five minutes to make it to where the wine was stored. As I suspected, much of it was gone. The honeycomb pattern of the storage area only had a few bottles of it. Still that would be enough. Edgar sighed, pulling out one of the bottles.

"These are an excellent vintage. Altean Red, eh?" Edgar said, apparently talking to himself. "My Lord never liked this kind. Don't tell him I said this, but he's a fool. Altean Red is easily the best wine produced on Archanea. Damn that Rosannean swill."

"Not a word, sir," I replied succinctly.

"No need to call me 'sir', Alexander. If anything I should be calling you that," He said, not looking at me as he popped open the bottle. He poured the wine into his glass before gesturing to me. "Would you like a glass yourself?"

I felt uncomfortable at that. Just a tiny bit. I remembered the last time I drank; it went well that time, but there was no telling how it'd go this time, especially in such a high-stress environment. I didn't want to say anything I'd regret.

A dark memory flashed through my head, of a man just come home with a flask of whiskey in his hand. His hoarse shouts as he cried about something I knew nothing about felt like fire in my stomach.

"Ah, no thank you," I replied. "Not to get too personal, but my father used to drink a lot. I don't want to follow in his footsteps. No drinking for me. Ever."

I'd already broken that rule. I had no intention of breaking it again.

Edgar hummed, raising a brow at me. "Is that so? Hmm. How restrained of you. Modest, even. Although, I still do find myself curious about you."

I pursed my lips. "Why's that?"

Edgar took one more sip before looking me dead in the eye. "Because you are an enigma, Sir Alexander." He put the glass on a table and stood closer to me. "I can find no record of your existence before May 1, 997 AS. Oh yes, I have done inquiries. Just a little research so I had some idea who you were before I met you. Then, just over a year later, you were knighted in a private ceremony, and have been active since. I've even found whispers amongst the common folk, of 'The Hero of Khadein'. All of this paints a picture, wouldn't you think?"

My mouth felt dry. "I don't know what you mean."

"Mmm," He hummed again, taking another sip. "I just find myself curious, Sir Alexander. Allow me to be completely upfront with you: what are your intentions with my daughter?"

I adjusted a few fingers on my iron hand. "What do you-?"

"I have been in a few battles myself. I'm sure you've noticed the limp," He continued on. "You are a soldier as well; I can see it in your eyes. You thought for sure that I was taking you here to kill or somesuch other reason, hmm?"

I looked at the ground, ashamed.

"It is nothing to be ashamed of. That's just how we operate," Edgar assuaged. "So I understand you, in some way. I just want to know what somebody, who I'd never heard of, who purports to come from a country no one has ever heard of, would start courting my daughter."

I licked my lips, trying to come up with something, anything to say. In the end, I decided to start with the honest to God truth. As best as I could summarize it, at least.

"Truth is, sir, I'm not all that great of a knight," I began, letting it all out. "I'm not. I'm really just a nobody from nowhere. Someone who was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time, if you asked someone else. Hell, I definitely don't feel like the 'Hero of Khadein'. I'm just," I gulped and looked up to meet his red eyes. "Truth is, I'm just a guy who's in love with your daughter." I shrugged. "That's it."

Edgar stared at me for a few seconds, his eyes unblinking. "Oh, I know who you are, Alexander," Edgar said, his voice low.

"W-what?" I said, feeling more uneasy with every second.

"I know exactly who you are," Edgar repeated, his stare becoming more menacing with every second. "Or, I should say, 'what' you are."

There's no fucking way-!

"You, Alexander," Edgar paused, "are a true romantic."

I blinked. For the millionth time that day, I had to say, "What?"

"A romantic!" Edgar said, honest to God laughing. "There aren't many men like you left in the world. I had a feeling, reading her letters, that you were like that. I'd almost say you remind me of myself!"

Despite the one-eighty the conversation had taken, I couldn't help but laugh. "That so?"

"Oh, very much so. That story you told?" Edgar reminded me. "It made me remember how I met my Rose. Gods, that must have been over twenty years ago now. She saved me from a horrible injury. The selfsame one that gave me this damned limp. That was even before the Crusades!"

"Jesus, man," I said, holding up my iron hand. "I think we could go on forever about this, heh."

"I'm sure we could," Edgar agreed. "I'm sure Rose and Cordelia will want to tear my head off if we stay here for another minute. Know this, before we leave though. I." Edgar took a deep breath. "I… approve of you, if that is what you wanted to hear. I hope we get to speak more often, though. I'm still curious about this continent you hail from. Only the Gods know where it is, besides you."

I nodded cautiously. "I'll be sure to do that, sir. Don't worry!"

"Good, good!" Edgar said. "Anyways, let us go. Before they charge in here after us."

I followed him outside, a smile on my face.

A million different thoughts blurred together in my mind, but one thing stood out. Acceptance. I wasn't sure about Cordelia's mother, but considering how she was acting, I wanted to believe I had her confidence as well. Either way, my path was clear now. All road blocks we'd put up had been taken down. There was only one more thing left for me to do.

Time to get a ring.

We're almost there. We are THIS close. The next Chapter will probably be the last of the completely happy ones, and if Alex's closing statement didn't clue you in as to why that is, well...

Hopefully I did the whole parents bit justice. Besides your units in the game, the parents of the first generation don't usually get anything said about them. I doubt they were all orphans. Most I can remember, though, is Stahl saying his dad was an apothecary. So I decided to do this little bit. They won't be here for very long, but hopefully Edgar and Rosalind made an impression lol.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed the Chapter!

Here's a link to our Discord server: discord .gg/9XG3U7a

See you next time!

Edited on 3/10/21. At the time, I didn't like the way I wrote Cordelia's parents. Now, though, I think they're great, even though they barely show up lmao.