Deliverance

Chrom paced fretfully across a lonely balcony. Each breath came loudly through his nose. His arms rose and fell, sweeping nervous hands through his hair for no reason other than habit. The king felt his back stiffen as he thought he heard shrieks of pain, and he glanced down the hall. It was foolish, and he knew it. Still, he could not help but wonder if he would see someone coming towards him. Chrom both hoped and feared for it. By chance, he looked towards the western skies: a soft orange glow formed across the horizon, and above it, he saw shades of indigo dotted with tiny specks of white; it was nearly nightfall. The king grew pale as he numbered the hours he had walked this path. Unless he miscounted, the number came to seven.

"How long does it take?" he asked the twilight.

"Relax, Chrom," said Robin, who sat just inside. "Sumia will be fine."

Chrom discretely snorted in disbelief, not at Robin's words, but at his demeanor. He wondered if the tactician could remain so calm if it were his first child. Even hours later, he could not rid himself of the image of his beloved Sumia clutching her swollen belly and a few servants whisking her away. Likewise, the sound of her cries resounding through the halls constantly filled his ears.

"Look, wearing a trench in the floor isn't going to make the birth go any faster. Why don't you sit down? I'll even get you a brandy to take your mind off it."

"No thank you, Robin," replied Chrom, shaking his head and never straying from the path he walked.

"What about a good pint of beer? That's more your taste." The king only shook his head again. "Well, at least eat something," Robin said in exasperation. "You haven't had a bite since this morning."

Chrom could not think of food, and his thoughts ran wild, far too wild; even liquor would not quiet them. Was it too soon? The timing seemed wrong. Was the birth going well? He prayed to Naga it was. Was the midwife capable? For her sake, he hoped so. Chrom froze suddenly as he recalled one of Sumia's maidservants dying in childbirth only one week ago. What if Sumia should die now? Before his eyes, he saw his wife's lifeless form soaked in blood, her blood. Would their child die as well? His mind conjured up two coffins, one large and one much too small, lying in the family tomb before the doors were shut and darkness claimed his queen and child forever.

Sweat formed on his brow, and his pacing resumed, now more ill at ease than earlier. When would he know? Gods, when would he know? When the sound of approaching feet reached his ear, Chrom turned quickly towards the hall. It was not the midwife, but one of the younger women who assisted her. With only a few strides, he ran to her and seized her by the arms.

"How is my wife?" he asked without even realizing the force within his voice. To Chrom, it seemed the seconds stretched into minutes, into hours, into even days as he waited for her answer.

"The queen is well, Your Majesty." Chrom breathed many deep sighs containing untold praises and unspoken gratitude.

"Thank you," he managed to say in between his own labored breaths. "Thank you."

"You aren't the first father I've met, Your Majesty, but please, with all due respect, let me go." Chrom only now noticed the look of shock upon the girl's face, and he withdrew his firm grip. "Now," she added, "why don't you go see your-"

Chrom sped down the hall before she could even finish, leaving Robin and the attendant behind.

He found Sumia reclining on the bed. Her sleeveless garment clung to her body, her face shimmered with the sweat of labor, her cheeks held a tinge of red, and her eyes, her radiant eyes, looked weary but indescribably joyful. In her arms, Chrom could see a tiny bundle of white blankets. Quickly, he crossed the room to his wife's side, and gazed at the tiny face and wisps of cobalt hair.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?" Sumia uttered, holding the baby to her breast. For a moment or two, Chrom found himself entirely lost in the sight of his newborn child; his little princess. At last, he looked to his wife, and he lightly kissed the top of her head.

"You both are," he softly remarked.

"Chrom," whispered his wife. "Tell me you love me. I just need to hear it."

"Oh, Sumia, I do love you. I love you more than I could ever say; both of you," the king added with a second glance towards the baby. His fingertips lightly brushed his daughter's cool skin, and a warm, thankful smile spread across his face. He could not begin to describe how happy he truly was at this moment. And when Sumia slipped into the sweet comforts of sleep, Chrom found himself unable to leave the sight of his daughter sleeping peacefully in her crib, not even to join his wife in slumber.

"My precious little Lucina," he whispered.

A/N: Once again, thank you for your support and Erudite for his assistance. I don't normally do this, but if there are any moments you'd like to see, I'd be open to consider them. I can't promise I'll use them, since I have my own ideas as well.