I heard the footsteps running towards me. I heaved myself to my feet. "About time you showed up. I was beginning to get bored." I could feel my full powers coursing through me. I'd missed that feeling.

Chrom and Lucina stood side by side at the entrance of my throne room. I smiled at him. He was still so handsome.

"It's a bit late, but congratulations on the birth of your second child. A son from what I hear. He's what? Six? Seven? It's too bad his mother was recently murdered."

Lucina stiffened.

"Because of your assassin!" Chrom snapped. "You've robbed my children of their mother and took my wife from me."

I snorted. "I did no such thing." I pointed to Lucina. "She did."

"You're lying." Chrom whipped his head towards her and she looked away. "Tell me he's lying."

"Oh, yes, out of all the terrible things I've done, I'm going to lie about that." I rolled my eyes. "Honestly."

"I told you she couldn't be trusted. I told you she would lead the world to ruin." Lucina turned and glared at her father. "And yet you married her anyway?!"

"Robin would never have done anything. She was a good woman. We loved each other."

"She was Grima's vessel!"

"And yet here I stand." I finger waved at them. "I was revived anyway. Her death was for nothing. How tragic."

I could visibly see Chrom getting angry. "You killed your own mother!"

"Sully's my mother!" Lucina shouted. "I was appalled when I heard that abomination was the mother of this timeline's me. The blood of the first exalt and of the fell dragon. You should be ashamed of yourself."

"Robin's heritage doesn't matter. She was herself before she was any man's daughter."

I yawned loudly. "This conversation is boring and pointless. With Robin dead, you insignificant worms can't kill me." I laughed. "You blew the one chance you had at stopping me." I started to shift to my dragon form. "Now I shall devour you!"

I reverted to my human guise, the building around us had collapsed. Chrom lay barley clinging to life at my feet face down in the rubble. Lucina was dead. I'd crushed her with my own claw.

With what little strength he had left, Chrom reached for his sword. I stepped on the back of his hand.

"It's over. You've lost, just like you have dozens of times." I kicked Falchion aside before crouching in front of Chrom. I looked at him curiously. Of all my timeline jumps, I'd never met a Chrom that had married their Robin. What was different about this one? "Why is your Robin so special?" I asked. "Why couldn't you have been my Chrom?" I lifted his chin with the tips of my fingers. "You'll love me, won't you? You love a Robin. I'm a Robin, so you should love me."

Despite his current state, Chrom glared at me. "You're…nothing like…her."

"We're exactly the same." I protested.

"She'd never…give…into…Grima."

Was he calling me weak? The absurdity of it all! It didn't matter.

I grinned at him. "You'll love me. Once you're one of my Risen, you'll adore me." I ran my thumb across his bleeding cheek. "Yes, my Risen King. We'll rule this pathetic world together." Chrom tried to jerk his head away, but I held on tight. "Don't worry. I won't kill your precious little blueberries. Well, I will, once little Luci gives me a new world to conquer, but then I'll make them into Risen. We'll kill all the worms and maggots together. As one big happy family." I kissed his forehead. "Won't that be fun?"

The cool Plegia night air chilled Robin's sweat as he stood outside his and Chrom's tent creating goosebumps. He rubbed his arms through his coat sleeves.

Another dream. No. A memory. Grima's memory.

It had been both a relief and a burden to know what he was seeing was not his future.

He hadn't told Chrom all of his dreams. Only the ones pertaining to their campaign. Chrom loved him no matter what, he fully believed that now, but…

Some of his 'dreams' were too real, too terrifying, to put into words and the implications…those scared Robin the most.

"It could have been me." He said softly to himself.

Everything Grima had done could have been his fate as well.

Robin touched his chest. His heart ached. An all-consuming love that warped over time into an obsession. A dark, burning need.

He found himself wondering what all the other Robins had been like. Grima had mentioned other Morgans being born so those Robins, if they had loved Chrom, were able to move on.

'Or settled for someone else'. A small voice in Robin's mind chimed in.

He shook his head violently to dislodge that thought. He would not go down that proverbial road. Not now. Not ever.

A heavy sigh escaped his lips.

What was he going to do?

The Chrom he'd seen in his 'dream' was not only the Risen King following Grima, but the father of Lucina and Morgan.

He couldn't tell them. It was depressing enough knowing Risen King was a Chrom. They didn't need to know that's what befell their beloved father and judging from what Grima said, it was their intended fate as well should the fell dragon succeed.

The very notion made him shutter.

"Mother?" Lucina called softly.

The tactician forced a smile when he moved to face her. "Can't sleep either?"

She shook her head. "I've had trouble since…since the Risen King." She swallowed the lump forming in her throat. "It's hard to believe he's my father." Robin stiffened. "In a way." He relaxed. "To think, such a fate should befall a Chrom. Why would Grima even do that? To show Naga he could?" She paused. "Do you think he's made the other Shepherds into Risen before?"

"What would be the point? Taking Naga's champion and turning it into his own is the ultimate show of superiority. Using the Shepherds would lack satisfaction."

"Like he took the bond between Robins and Chroms and tainted it for his own twisted purpose." A sad smile formed on Lucina's lips. "It's a bitter sweet thought, isn't it? That no matter what, Robins and Chroms are fated to be intertwined."

He agreed. His daughter had no idea just how deep and twisted that bond could get.

Robin eyed the practice sword she held. She followed his gaze. Her smile turned sheepish. "I was looking for a spot I could train in without disturbing anyone or breaking anything. It helps me feel prepared."

"May I join you?"

Lucina's face brightened. "Really?"

"I'm nowhere near as skilled as you or your father, but."

"I'd love to spar with you, Mother. I have a practice sword you can use." She grabbed his hand. "Come on."