Chapter 5: Reassurance

She had been only six years old when the Shepherds returned from Plegia, carrying the sword of their fallen prince. The crowd had gone utterly silent as Severa's father Frederick, his face gaunt from grief, knelt before the eight-year-old Lucina and wordlessly offered up the Falchion.

The image was graven into her memory: in fact, it was the earliest memory she could still recall. She could picture every detail of the scene: her father's shoulders shaking as he silently wept. Her mother, head bowed, pale as death, unable to offer any comfort to her daughter. Lissa, sobbing into West-Khan Lon'qu's shoulder, their small son clutching at the hem of her robes in confusion and fear.

And Lucina, standing rigidly straight, fighting back tears despite her trembling, accepting the weight of the sword into her small hands. Even then, she had been strong. Despite the crowds around her, Severa had never seen anyone look as utterly alone as Lucina did in that moment.

Her father was dead, and her mother missing. Ugly rumors soon began to swirl about—that it had been Lucina's mother who had killed their prince, and that murdering Chrom had been her goal from the beginning. That her mother had been a worshiper of Grima, a heretic who scorned the true faith. That her mother was the offspring of King Validar of Plegia, and had married Chrom in order to take his throne. That Lucina bore the same traitorous blood, and blood will out...

She had awoken one night to noise from her parents' room. Bleary-eyed, she rolled out of bed, tiptoeing on bare feet towards the connecting door. Though the door was shut, she could see candlelight filtering in from the cracks in the door, and hear her parents' indistinct voices. Curious, she knelt down, pressing one ear up against the worn wood.

"How is Lissa?" That was her father's voice, deep and steady. The sound of it had always reassured her, but there was an undertone of concern to the question.

"Not well." Severa's mother sounded as if she was stretched to the breaking point. Her voice was strained, ragged. "She's still in shock."

"We all are. I had never imagined..." Frederick's boot-heels clacked on the ground; a sure sign that he was restlessly pacing the room like a caged beast. "I am to blame. Had I been more vigilant—"

"You mustn't speak that way!" said Cordelia, seeming almost angry. "None of us could have predicted what happened. For his own wife to turn on him..."

"I could have protected him."

"But if you had—"

"I should have protected him!" Frederick practically shouted the last words, and Severa put her hands over her mouth to suppress a surprised squeak. Her father had always been calm, controlled, invincible. This kind of vulnerability was utterly unfamiliar.

"Dear, don't shout," pleaded Cordelia. "You'll wake up Sevvy."

She heard her father let out a breath. "...I am sorry." Then nothing.

The silence stretched on. Frederick had stopped pacing, and in the emptiness, Severa hardly dared breathe, afraid that they would hear her.

"I am being appallingly selfish, aren't I?" her father said at last, with bitter humor. "Compared to Her Highness's, my own grief is as a candle before a blaze. I cannot allow myself to—"

"For the gods' sakes," snapped Cordelia. "You are allowed to grieve!"

"Perhaps, but I have no time in which to do so," said Frederick. "Lissa is Exalt now, and she will require my services. We must determine where the Grimleal will strike next, so that we may properly distribute our forces." The clacking of his boots resumed. "Lissa is no strategist, so I must do all that I can to ease her burden."

Cordelia's voice was soft. "We must be strong, for Chrom's sake as well as hers."

Frederick continued on. "If Libra's prediction is correct—and I pray that it is—then they will avoid Ylisse as long as they can. Naga's power is strongest here, where the first Exalt performed the Awakening, and it will deter them from advancing until they are sure of their strength."

"Then their most likely target will be Ferox, or perhaps Valm."

"Valm has the Narrow Sea to protect her from the Risen, at least for a time. Virion and Say'ri are already returning home to warn them of the danger, and rally them against the Grimleal. As for Ferox... Khan Flavia's troops are some of the most hardened we have left," Frederick mused. "They won't yield their land easily, to be sure. And Khan Lon'qu will do anything he deems necessary to protect his wife's homeland. If their armies can stall the enemy long enough..." His voice trailed off.

Cordelia waited a moment before asking, "What are you thinking?"

"Lady Lucina has the Brand. She's one of Falchion's chosen. When she comes of age, she may well be able to perform the Awakening."

"But the Fire Emblem and the Gemstones are in the hands of the Grimleal. Without them, we cannot invoke the rite."

"Enough of the Shepherds still survive. If necessary, we'll spend our own lives to ensure that the Awakening takes place." Her father's tone was businesslike, flat, as if he spoke of mundane matters—not the sacrifice of lives.

"My dear..."

"You disagree?" said Frederick flatly.

"...no. But I have a condition. When you go, bring me with you."

There was a long pause. "I cannot do as you ask."

"I'm not asking you, I'm telling you. I'm not about to let you throw your life away!"

"No! Absolutely not!" Frederick's voice rose again, and this time, rather than admonishing him to be quiet, Cordelia's rose with him.

"Why? Because your honor demands that you avenge your lord personally?" Severa's mother was indignant, and made no effort to hide it.

"No, it's not—"

"Or is it that you feel guilty that you didn't die yourself? Are you going to throw your life away that easily, just because your beloved Lord Chrom is dead?"

"I wouldn't—"

"Then what is it?" There was an almost scornful note in Cordelia's voice now. "Are you trying to protect me? I can fight for myself! You know that I—"

"THINK OF OUR DAUGHTER!" Frederick's outburst stunned Cordelia into momentary silence, and he didn't give her a chance to speak further. "Do you want Severa to grow up alone, just because you insisted on dying with me?"

There was a long moment of silence.

"...I want Severa to live to grow up," said Cordelia at last. "I would give... anything to make that happen. Anything..." She sounded on the verge of tears.

Frederick let out a choking sob. "Oh, my dear... I'm sorry. So... sorry..." Hearing even her father break down, Severa could hide no longer. She flung the door open, running into the room with tears of her own flooding her eyes.

"Daddy... mommy...!"

Her father was kneeling on the ground, his face stained with tears. Her mother knelt in front of him, holding him close as he cried into her chest. Both of them looked up, stricken, as she burst into the room, wailing.

"Severa... sweetheart... I'm sorry. Did daddy wake you up?" said Frederick. The catch in his voice, even as he tried to keep it steady, set Severa to bawling even harder.

"Daddy... please... don't go..."

Frederick hugged her and pulled her close. "Don't worry, darling," he said, voice ragged. "I promise... I'll stay with you as long as I can. I promise..."

"I don't care if I d-don't grow up, as long as you're s-still with me," said Severa.

She felt him stiffen guiltily. "Darling..."

Her mother wrapped her arms around both of them, enfolding Severa and Frederick in an embrace. "It will be all right, Sevvy. Mommy and daddy love you very much," she whispered, kissing the top of Severa's head.

The little girl sniffled. "I love you too."

Wrapped in her parents' arms on the floor of the room, with their warmth surrounding her like a blanket, Severa cried until she could cry no more. The trio stayed like that for a long time before Cordelia finally rose, reluctantly.

"Well, I think we should all get some sleep before the sun rises, don't you think?" She gave her daughter a bright smile, which Severa tried to return. Cordelia held out a hand to help her to her feet. "Come on, let's get you tucked in again."

Frederick smiled wanly. "Goodnight, Severa." He hugged her once more, then planted a kiss on the center of her forehead. "Sleep well, now."

"'Night, daddy," said Severa. Hand in hand with her mother, she walked back through the door and into her room. As Cordelia tucked the covers back around her, she spoke up. "Is daddy going to be okay?"

"Daddy is... he's feeling really bad."

"If we give him kisses will it make him feel better?"

"Oh, darling," said Cordelia, wiping at her eyes. "I'm afraid that a few kisses won't be enough to make daddy feel better. But we're going to keep being here for him, just like he'll keep being here for us. So promise to be strong for him, okay?"

Severa nodded. "I promise." As Cordelia bent down to kiss her goodnight, a thought occurred to her, and her little face contorted in concentration. "Mommy... what about Lucy? Her mommy and daddy aren't here to kiss her goodnight..."

"Lucy's going to need people to be strong for her, too," said Cordelia. "Sevvy... Can you make me another promise?"

"What promise?"

"That no matter what happens, you stay by Lucy's side. She's needs people just like your mommy and daddy to watch over her and help her, and when you grow up, you'll be able to do that. But right now, what she really needs, more than anything else, is a friend. And that's something that you can do right now, even better than your daddy or me."

"You really think I could be a better friend than you, mommy?" said Severa, disbelievingly.

"I know you can," said Cordelia. She kissed Severa on the cheek. "Now sleep, darling. Goodnight."

Severa let out a long yawn. "Goodnight, mommy..."

Severa heard Cordelia close the door gently behind her. She stared at the ceiling, thinking. Mommy says Lucy needs a friend. She seemed really lonely, and I don't think that anyone should have to be that sad. Maybe a hug will help her feel better...

I'll find her and give her a great big hug. And I'll tell her that "it will be all right."

In the morning...