Ever since the arrival of Chrom's daughter, Frederick was thinking about his future more often than usual. He couldn't help wondering how his own family would look like in a few years, or when he would get to meet his own kid. Months had passed, many other Shepherds were gradually building relationships with their future children.
His own never appeared, though. The knight became considerably more touchy, miserable, likely to burst out on someone for no reason. One day, after he raised his voice on none other than Chrom, he decided it was time to confront Lucina.
"Milady," he greeted her with a nod.
"Frederick?"
"Could you perhaps spare a moment of your time?"
Lucina blinked. She wasn't expecting to be bothered. "Yes, please. What can I do for you?"
The knight sat down by the camp fire next to her. He leaned forward, looking at his joined hands, and forced himself to speak.
"I must confess, milady, that ever since your appearance at Chrom's side, one thing has been constantly bothering me." He sighed, suddenly not sure whether he truly wanted to hear the answer.
Lucina put her hand on his arm.
"Let me guess. You were wondering about your future child, weren't you?"
The knight silently nodded.
"No worries, it's okay," said the woman with understanding. "I can tell you some things about him if you want."
A hopeful expression appeared on Frederick's face.
"Him?" he asked.
Lucina smiled.
"Yes, him." Feeling a little embarrassed to speak directly to the man, she stared at the fire. "I can't tell you his name, I'm afraid, but I can tell you this: I've never seen a boy that admired his father more than your son admires you. And his mother, too. His battle stance, actions, manner of speaking… In everything he does, he constantly reminds himself and his friends that he is proud of who he is and to whom he is connected by blood."
When silence greeted her, Lucina's eyes shot back to Frederick. His only reaction to the news was to slowly get back to his feet. She caught a glimpse of him rubbing his glassy eyes.
"You cannot tell me who his mother is, I presume?" he said, his voice cracking slightly.
Chrom's daughter shook her head.
"No, I can't. I'm sorry."
Frederick nodded, accepting her answer. "I see. Thank you for telling me all this."
Lucina felt sympathy towards the man. When he turned to leave, she figured there was little risk in adding just one small detail,
"She loves you too, you know?"
The knight stopped dead in his trace. It was hard to read his expression in half-darkness. From the outline of his face, however, Lucina could tell that the last sentence came as a shock. Apparently, the present tense was not lost on him.
Once again, Frederick nodded and disappeared into the dark. His throat was too constricted to say another word.