Roy had awoken from his slumber early in the morning. He had to catch up on his training. He assumed Lucina would already be awake, so he set out to find her.
Of course, she was by the training grounds.
Lucina had already been awake for a few hours. She had visited Ellen and Clarine to treat the minor wound on her hip. It was healed rather quickly, so she immediately went out to train.
"I thought I would find you here, Lucina." Roy said, approaching cautiously.
As he expected, she turned with her blade aimed at him, but soon relaxed as she saw who the voice belonged to.
"Oh, Roy. My apologies. How are you faring?" Lucina asked.
"Fine, but do you remember what you told me? You said you would train me when my wounds healed. I was hoping that you would be up for that at the moment." Roy said.
"I see. Yes, of course. I would be glad to." Lucina replied.
"Great! What should we learn today?" Roy asked with excitement.
Lucina thought for a moment. He had an okay grasp on her fighting style. While it would do him good to teach him more, it would also be good for him if she witnessed his speed, as that is what their fighting style focuses heavily on.
"How about a footrace? From here to..." She pointed from the east village to the west village closest to the castle. "That village over there." Lucina said.
"Um... Sure? Why, exactly?" He asked, slightly afraid he would get left in the dust by her.
"The fighting style we use is focused mainly on speed. I have seen your footwork, now I think I must see your running speed. Jogging daily will help build your stamina and strengthen your legs, which is crucial for swordsmanship." Lucina said.
"Right... I haven't really raced anyone before. When I was little, I used to play tag with Lilina and Wolt, but besides that, nothing else." Roy said.
"That is okay. We can start now." Lucina picked up a rock. "I'm going to throw this rock. When it hits the ground, we will run, understood?"
"Got it... I am so going to lose." Roy said.
Lucina smiled. "Don't worry, I will not judge you if you do. Just try your best, okay?"
"...Yeah, I know..." Roy mumbled.
"Right, here goes..." Lucina threw the rock high up into the air. They both got into ready positions. It hit the ground.
They both took off with a burst of speed, both equally matched in the beginning.
Roy was slightly struggling to keep up, but he was close behind Lucina. 'Lucina is so fast!' He thought.
Lucina was pleasantly surprised, she was going half speed and Roy was trailing close behind. 'He has potential to be way faster than me...' She thought.
They were nearing the village and Lucina started picking up her speed bit by bit. Roy was nearly shoulder to shoulder with her. Roy finally decided to use the last of his reserves for a final burst of speed. Lucina did the same.
They crashed into each other. It was a tie, but Roy lost his balance, falling on top of Lucina.
"Ouch... Ah! S-sorry Lucina!" Roy quickly got up from the ground.
"Ngh... It is alright... You were quicker than I had expected." Lucina said. Roy extended a hand, which Lucina took. She dusted herself off.
"Not bad, Roy. You surprised me! You will definitely surpass me in speed soon." Lucina told him.
"You think so? You probably were going easy on me." Roy said skeptically.
"No, I promise you, I was giving it my all... Near the end..." She said.
"Aha! I knew it!"
"B-but you honestly did great! Anyways, I think that is enough for now. I want you to jog a mile a day, at least." Lucina said.
"Very we- Wait, what!?" Roy asked, dumbfounded.
"You are to jog a mile a day."
"A mile a day... Damn. I better stop slacking on Marcus's training." Roy said.
"You will be able to keep up with me. I run at least five miles a day." Lucina said.
Roy stared at her, mouth agape. "Five miles a day!? Geez! Even one mile a day is a lot for me... I'm only fifteen, you know..."
Lucina rolled her eyes. "I am sixteen. You have no excuse."
Roy groaned. "Oh, crap..."
Lucina gave a soft laugh. "Do not worry, you will definitely be able to handle it. I believe in you."
"Yeah, but I don't believe in me..." Roy said.
Lucina crossed her arms. "Would you like to spar every day instead?" She asked.
Roy recoiled. "Ah! N-no, ma'am! I believe in myself, I swear!"
Lucina wore a satisfied look. "I will have to prepare something special for our next training session. In the meantime, I will be training, myself. Farewell, Roy."
"Alright. Do you want anything to eat, Lucina? You must be hungry..."
Lucina shook her head. "No thank you, I will eat when it is necessary."
"Promise?" Roy asked with concern.
"I promise." Lucina replied.
A little reassured, but not totally convinced, he made his way to his tent. The army was resting for another day, he would have to buy supplies from the shops.
When he made it to his tent, he sat down on a chair with a sigh. He felt slight echoes of pain from his leg, but Ellen said that it would go away after a while. Running the race didn't help, but it didn't make it hurt any more or less.
His thoughts drifted to his army. What was their next move? Was Lycia, the place where he had grown up in, a safe place?
As originally planned, they would head to Ostia. He took out his maps.
They would be passing by the mountains where people seldom wanted unnecessary trouble. They would most likely have to fight in another battle, but it was the quickest route to Ostia from Laus.
Setting away his maps, he decided he would look through the inventory. He arrived at the barracks and was surprised to see Wolt there.
"Wolt? What are you doing here?" Roy asked with slight confusion.
"Oh, I was just looking for a better bow, this one is about to break." He said.
Roy tossed him an iron bow. from the chest closest to him.
"There, now care to explain why you're really here?" Roy asked.
Wolt sighed. "Do I need a reason to talk with my best friend?
Roy rolled his eyes. "...No I suppose not. But what did you need?"
"Well... Word is, around the villages, there is a mysterious guy with blonde hair spouting nonsense. When I was looking through the armory shops with Cynthia, she squealed and said that the description of him sounded like her cousin." Wolt said.
"Cousin? Well, where was he last seen!?" Roy asked with excitement.
Wolt shrugged. "I dunno. He was apparently talking about some 'Fabled sword that was destined for him' or something like that."
"Thank you, Wolt. I will have to search for him. We cannot lose him, I must set out immediately. Care to come with me?" Roy asked.
"Boy, would I!" Wolt answered.
o - o - o - o
"So, this is where you last saw him?" Roy asked an elderly man who apparently saw him.
"Yes, young man. He was quite the odd fellow. He took off that way." The old man pointed to a secluded forest.
"I see. Thank you for your time." Roy said, regrouping with Wolt.
"Did you hear anything useful?" Wolt asked.
"He was apparently last spotted heading towards that forest..." Roy pointed towards the eerie scenery.
"Wow... Kinda sketchy." Wolt said.
"Yeah, you're not kidding... Very well, we shall investigate." Roy said with slight reluctance.
"Okay... Lay on, Macduff."
"What?" Roy asked, wondering where the strange phrase came from.
"Uh, Nothing. I got it from this weird text that some girl with red hair sold me." Wolt answered.
"I won't even ask. Let's just go." Roy said.
The two friends set out into the ominous forest.
As they trudged their way through the suddenly marshy grass, Wolt decided to make conversation.
"So remind me, why didn't we get the others to help?" Wolt said.
"Well, I wanted them to relax a little. We rarely have time to ourselves and I wanted them to have a little... Peace." Roy answered while swatting a fly.
"Hmph. And you wanted to come by yourself? You would have soiled your undergarments!" Wolt told Roy.
"Nonsense, I would do whatever is necessary to find this person." Roy said.
"Yeah, sure." Wolt said sarcastically.
They walked deeper in the forest, seeing no suspicious activity besides snakes, frogs, and bugs.
"Anything?" Roy asked Wolt.
"Nope." Wolt sighed. "Why did I agree to this?" he groaned out.
"Quit complaining and keep your eyes out for anything suspicious."
"Fine..." Wolt tensed.
As they stopped to look around, they heard a shout.
"What the hell was that!?" Wolt asked.
"Shh!" Roy quieted him. Wolt mouthed a 'Sorry'.
They heard a voice, they could barely make it out.
"--I hav-- fin-- Sacr--" The voice said from afar.
"Okay, who is screwing with us?" Wolt asked.
"Hush, Wolt." Roy investigated, moving closer to the voice while trying to remain quiet.
They hid in a few bushes. As they peeked out, they saw the figure was on it's knees, unmoving. It was made them uneasy.
'Risen?' Roy thought with fear.
"Roy look!" Wolt whispered.
The figure was getting back on it's feet.
"Ha! Maybe this just isn't the right one! I musn't be so down on myself!" The strange man said.
Roy gave Wolt a confused look, while Wolt shrugged.
Wolt decided to get up from the bushes they were hiding in. Roy was about to pull him back until the man spotted them from their noise.
"Who goes there!?" The man asked, turning around and drawing his blade.
"Ack! Dammit, Wolt! Don't attack, sir! We are friendly!" Roy quickly said.
The man raised an eyebrow. He suddenly gripped his blade in a reverse grip and threw it right at Wolt's face. Wolt had a shocked expression and had no time to react. His life flashed before his very eyes.
Until the blade hit something right behind him.
"W-wuh? Huh? I- I... What?!" Wolt sputtered.
"You two! Get over to me! Now!" He said.
"Right, let's go, Wolt!" Roy dragged a traumatized Wolt.
"Ha! Idiot Risen! You will be purged by Owain Dark! Prepare yourselves!" Owain said, unsheathing another sword.
Roy had no idea what he was talking about, but he confirmed his suspicions: they were Risen.
'Gods, just how far have they spread?!' Roy thought.
The three warriors' backs were against each other.
"Hmm! These Risen are stronger than the Risen from my world..." Owain said, parrying several blows from a few of the dark creatures.
"Roy! What the hell is he talking about!? What is a Risen?! His world!?" Wolt asked, panicking.
"Questions for later, friend! We must battle!"
Visibility was slightly poor, as the abundance of trees blocked out the sun. They worked together as best as they could. With Owain doing the heavy lifting. He struck with an incredible swiftness. His battle prowess rivaled that of Lucina's. But there was a roughness in his style. Little imperfections that needed to be corrected.
He struck them down, one by one. Roy was also doing well, as he relied on his senses to feel out where they were. It was a work in progress, but it was something Marcus tried to teach him. To battle without using your vision.
Wolt was still in a state of shock, but he did a relatively good job of calming himself. He eventually switched to his blade when the Risen started getting closer.
Owain slashed at a group of Risen, finishing the job. As they gathered their bearings, they spoke with each other.
"So... Who exactly are you?" Roy asked.
"Me? I am Owain Dark! The magnificent, astounding, ama- Gah! Down, sword hand! Forgive me, it wishes to do battle with you! I cannot let this meeting start off on the wrong foot."
"Right... Do you know anyone named Lucina or Cynthia?" Roy asked.
"What!? You've found my legendary cousins!?" Owain asked with astonishment.
"Yes. Ah, so it is true?" Roy asked.
"Indeed it is! Please, take me to them!" Owain said.
"Does that mean you will be joining our army?"
"Yes, I was told of a legendary mission I must accomplish, It is only achievable if I join you!" Owain claimed.
"Right... So then, shall we be going?" Roy asked.
The group set out, and Wolt walked close by Roy.
"So, care to explain?" Wolt asked Roy.
"Well... It's a long story." Roy said.
"I've got time." Wolt said.
Roy sighed. He then recounted the story of Lucina and her friends travelling from another world on the brink of destruction. He explained how they wanted to travel back in time, but had to travel to another world entirely.
"...That is quite the story." Wolt said with shock.
Roy gave a rueful laugh. "You're not kidding, Wolt... They have all been through a lot. We must make sure we find them all."
"I see. But wait... If the Risen are here too, does that mean Grima is as well?" Wolt asked.
"... I don't know. Lucina asked the same question. Grima produces the Risen, but a handful may have followed Lucina and her friends..."
"..." Wolt was uncharacteristically quiet the rest of the way.
As they made it back to camp, they saw that the sun was very young, only barely past dawn.
"Alright, Owain. We should show you around, but first, I think we should reunite you with your cousins."
"Of course! I would also want to do battle with them! My sword hand is twitching from excitement!" Owain said while holding his wrist.
"Um, yeah... So, if you son't mind me asking, what the heck were you doing in a secluded, creepy forest!?" Roy asked with confusion.
Owain stood straight and put a hand close to his face. "Hark! I've heard rumors of legendary weapons on this continent. I took the liberty of travelling through every mysterious place I could find." Owain paused.
Owain scratched the back of his head with slight embarrassment. "To be honest, that was the only mysterious place I found. But! I have found you and your army. So all is not lost!"
"I... Nevermind. Welcome aboard..." Roy said, at a loss for words.
Owain looked to the villages. "So, where are my cousins? Is she at one of the villages?" He asked.
"Oh, she's probably doing something Cynthia forced her to do." Roy answered.
"And that is...? Hm. No worries. I will find them myself. Farewell, young warrior." Owain said.
"Uh... Okay, see you later I suppose..." Roy trailed off.
Wolt finally spoke. "Roy, it has been quite a day. I think I'm gonna go take a nap."
"I understand. You shouldn't overwork yourself. Farewell."
Wolt waved to Roy after walking off. Afterwards, Roy had some free time, but he didn't know how to spend it. He spotted the ocean southwards.
Roy walked to the water's edge and gazed at the marvelous view. He sat down on the sand, staring wistfully at the horizon.
He laid on his back with his hands behind his head. His eyes were drooping. He was tired. Against his will, he dozed off into a peaceful slumber.
o - o - o - o
"Cynthia! Lucina! Gods, I am so glad I found you!" Owain said. He spotted them on the plains, heading back to camp for a meal.
"O-Owain!? Is that you!?" Cynthia asked with no small amount of shock.
"Cynthia!" Owain ran up to her. Cynthia gave him a crushing embrace, which Owain returned.
Lucina caught up with the two of them "Owain... Thank the gods..."
Owain released his embrace from Cynthia and gave Lucina a more loose embrace.
"My cousins... We have reunited!" Owain said with joy.
"My cousins, have you found any of the others?" Owain asked.
"No, unfortunately we haven't... But we're glad that you're safe!" Lucina replied.
"Where were you all this time, Owain?" Cynthia asked.
"Oh! I was looking for one of the legendary weapons rumored to be on the continent. I had no luck though." Owain answered.
"Well, we are rather famished. Would you care to join us, Owain?" Lucina asked.
"Ha! Of course! Even the great Owain Dark needs to refill his stomach. Any warrior knows not to fight with an empty gut!" Owain said.
As they made their way to the mess tent, Lucina had one more question to ask.
"Owain. How did you get here? Did someone find you?" She asked.
"Why yes, it was the Young Lion himself." He answered.
"Oh. So, Roy found you..." She made a mental note to thank Roy for his actions later.
"Yes, and his friend, Wolt." Owain continued.
"Wolt, too? Where did they find you?" Cynthia asked.
"I was in a dark forest. I figured that since it looked rather mysterious, that something was hidden there. More specifically, one of the legendary weapons I was talking about." Owain said.
Owain reluctantly spoke. "Er... You haven't found any Risen, have you?"
Lucina tensed. Cynthia bit her lip.
Lucina spoke first. "We indeed have... They are much more powerful than the ones at Ylisse... Did something go wrong? Did we unintentionally bring destruction to this world too...?"
Owain frowned. "It may just have been a few stragglers that followed us. It may not be anything serious."
"Yeah but-" Lucina froze.
'If Risen are appearing... If they followed us... Does that mean...?' Lucina let out a sharp gasp.
"Anna!" She exclaimed.
"W-what!?" Cynthia asked.
"I-If they followed us... Does that mean Anna has fallen!?" Lucina asked in despair.
Lucina's heart stopped.
"N-now cousins, we musn't think of the worst! It could be a different gate..." Owain said, hope slowly fading from him.
They were silent. Lucina excused herself, she suddenly didn't feel like eating. Cynthia decided to stay with Owain.
"We should probably give her some time. This... Is quite the revelation for me, too."
"Right... Well then, shall we go?" Owain said shakily.
Cynthia nodded. They made their way to the mess tent.
o - o - o - o
Lucina made her way back to the training grounds. She brought out a training dummy. Whenever she was 'dueling with unpleasant thoughts' as her father would say, she enjoyed using something to take her anger out on.
She bashed the training dummy with her practice sword mercilessly. She was told that she was as good at breaking things as her father. She thought better this time, though. She decided to quit early, as to not utterly destroy it.
She sat down on a crate, examining Falchion, then looked to the sky. The sun was gradually rising, slightly past morning. She was at a loss for what to do.
She then heard noises coming from nearby. When she looked to her right, she saw a man practicing with a dummy. It was Rutger.
He had a mix of skill, speed, strength, and endurance. He would make an excellent addition to the army. She must have been staring, because he called out to her.
"...So, are you going to practice yourself, or are you just going to stare?" He deadpanned.
"O-oh, my apologies. I was just curious about your fighting style. You remind me of the Chon'sin." She said.
"Is that so? Who are these 'Chon'sin?'" Rutger asked.
She cursed herself, remembering that they knew nothing about her home. "Nevermind, forget what I said." She eventually finished.
"Now that I think about it, I have never seen you fight. Would you be up for a sparring match?" Rutger asked.
"Of course." Lucina said.
Rutger wasted no time tossing her a practice blade from the chest. Any normal person would have dropped the blade, as she was looking in the opposite direction, setting down Falchion. But as soon as she turned around, she managed to catch it perfectly.
"Hm... Nicely done. I was testing your reflexes. You look like royalty, what with that circlet you have." Rutger said.
Lucina was silent.
"Not talking, huh? Fine by me." Rutger said.
"First to yield, got it? Begin!" Rutger said as he charged her.
She intercepted his blow with a parry, she retaliated with a horizontal slash to the chest. It missed her target, but managed to nick his arm.
He rubbed his arm, then stepped back into an offensive stance. He ran up to her with surprising speed and attempted to attack with a feint. She did not fall for it, as a feint was something she practiced countering and using with Cynthia earlier. Though it was still a work in progress.
Instead, she rolled to the side and slashed a surprise attack at his legs. It hit him in the back of his knees, causing him to lose his footing for a moment.
It was all Lucina needed to get behind him to sweep him off his feet. She wrestled the blade from his hand and threw it to the ground. Lucina put her blade to his neck.
"Whew... Not bad, lady. I yield." He admitted.
'My pride... It stings a little, being brought down by a princess...' Rutger thought.
"Just who are you?" Rutger asked her.
"..." She was silent.
"Fine... You know, I would be up for sparring matches, I am always trying to improve. Defeating Bern is my number one priority right now." Rutger said.
"I see. Very well, I accept your sparring match requests." Lucina finally spoke.
"Great. Now if you'll excuse me, I am starving. Catch you later." He said, walking away.
"..." Lucina kept quiet.
She sighed to herself. She felt uneasy around people she didn't know. Roy and Wolt tried helping her be more social, but it only helped so much. She was struggling to make simple conversation with other people. She even struggled talking with Wolt and Roy to some extent.
She felt close to Roy, but sometimes it was hard to look at him. She had no idea why, but she always felt a tingly feeling in her chest around him. It made her stutter and mumble when she talked with him.
She was slightly warming to Wolt. He reminded her of Cynthia. Loud, outgoing, and he had a love for talking about relationships, according to Roy.
'He sort of reminds me of Severa in that area.' She thought. She would never admit it, but Severa was supposedly experienced with that sort of thing, as well as Cynthia.
It may take time to forge strong bonds with the army, but Roy told her he would help her in any way he could.
She looked to the sky. It looked to be around noon. She was again at a loss for what to do. She decided to follow Rutger to the mess tent, it had been quite a while since she had eaten.
She shuddered. She remembered why she had lost her appetite. She tried to shake the thoughts away, but they kept coming back. Guilt, despair, and anger.
She reluctantly went to the mess tent.
o - o - o - o
Roy woke from his sleep. He groggily rubbed his eyes. He took a moment to process where exactly he was. Groaning, he stood up.
Roy took a second to stretch. His stomach growled. 'Yup... Time to eat.' He looked to the sun, which was around an hour into noon. The chefs were likely serving dinner by now.
Sighing, he made his way to the mess tent.
o - o - o - o
When Roy arrived, it was rather crowded, as nearly the whole army was present. Roy was greatly surprised to see Lucina there as well. She usually skipped mealtime with everyone else, she preferred waiting until everyone else had cleared out.
But no, there she was, sitting by herself. Roy grabbed a plate of food and immediately went to sit at an empty chair next to her.
"Hello, Lucina. Mind if I sit here?" Roy asked politely.
"Roy? No, not at all." Lucina answered.
Roy gave her a concerned glance. She had barely touched her food. Knowing something was amiss, he decided to have small talk with her.
"So, how was your time spent with Cynthia today?" Roy asked.
"Good... It was rather uneventful, but I enjoyed it nonetheless." Lucina answered.
"Oh, really? What did you two do?" Roy asked curiously.
Lucina picked at her food with her fork. "We just practiced our sword techniques and looked at some flowers. It was nothing much, but it reminded me of my home all those years ago..." She said, slightly tearfully.
"Lucina, if there is something wrong, you can tell me. Remember, I will always lend an ear." Roy said.
Lucina hesitated. She sighed. "I did not tell you exactly how I got here. May we move somewhere more private?"
"Sure."
Roy took their plates with them to his tent. They were silent on the way.
When they arrived, Roy put the plates on his desk and sealed the tent from prying ears.
Roy let her explain at her own pace.
She slowly began retelling the story of how she met Anna, and of the outrealm gate.
"...And if the Risen are here, Anna may have fallen!" Lucina said in despair.
Anna. That name struck a chord with Roy. Nevertheless, he tried calming Lucina. "Lucina, this Anna person sounds like she knows what she's doing. If she survived this whole time, how could she have died?" He questioned.
"Maybe Grima followed us..." Lucina said.
Roy sighed. She was pessimistic, but he couldn't blame her, coming from a world she described. "You said he was a deity, right? Maybe he had his own gate...?" Roy added hopefully.
"I don't know..." Lucina put her hands over her face.
Roy wished he could embrace her and tell her not to worry, that everything would turn out okay. Unfortunately, it wasn't within his boundaries. He figured she only saw him as a friend.
Regardless, he put a hand on her shoulder. "Lucina, we cannot let a setback like this keep us from pressing on. If she was truly... Killed, we must avenge her, right? She would want us to fight on, not to give up."
Lucina was quiet. Roy, knowing she needed time, gave her a quick farewell and excused himself.
He needed to find a way to cheer her up, or at the very least, make her forget about the recent revelation.
Reluctantly, he made his way to Cynthia, hoping to be informed of some of Lucina's interests.
o - o - o - o
When he was looking for Cynthia, he was thinking of the mysterious person Lucina was talking about. 'Anna, Anna... That name sounds very familiar. Didn't my father... I dunno.' He thought.
He managed to find Cynthia in the barracks, she was speaking with Wolt about who knows what.
"...And I was thinking of a more colorful approach to it. Maybe more petals..." Roy heard Cynthia say.
"Good evening, you two. I hope i'm not interrupting anything." Roy said while approaching them.
"Oh! Not at all, what's going on?" Wolt asked.
"I was wondering if I could talk to Cynthia for a second." Roy said.
"Of course! Shall we?" Cynthia asked.
Roy and Cynthia went outside while Wolt sat on a chair, waiting for Cynthia. However, Wolt had an idea...
"So, what can I do for you, Roy?" Cynthia asked.
Roy nervously scratched the back of his head. He didn't want to seem like a creep. "Well... I was wondering if you could tell me some of Lucina's interests."
Cynthia's expression brightened with a mischievous smile. "Oh, really!? So why do you ask?"
Roy blinked. "I just wanted to cheer her up, she told me what might have happened with Anna."
Cynthia immediately turned dour. "Right. I understand. She doesn't have too many hobbies or anything... She likes stargazing. I suppose she would like shopping. We would have gone, but we didn't want to waste the army's funds for frivolous things."
"I see. I will keep that in mind. Maybe I could pay out of my own pocket..." Roy said.
"You could also spar with her! She likes a good challenge." Cynthia said.
Roy cringed. "W-well, I don't think I am a challenge for her quite yet... I will consider it, though."
"Sorry, but that was all I could think of. She doesn't ask for much." Cynthia said.
"No worries. I think I will take her shopping. I appreciate it, Cynthia."
"No problem. See ya!"
After Roy left to search for Lucina, Wolt came out of hiding.
"So it's official, right? He likes her!" Wolt said.
"Perhaps." Cynthia said, expecting Wolt to eavesdrop. "But I am not so sure if she returns those feelings. She hides her emotions rather well, so it was kind of hard to tell."
"Ha! That rhymes!" Wolt said.
Cynthia facepalmed.
o - o - o - o
Lucina was sitting on the edge of a plateau. She looked at the marvelous view. The sun was low on the horizon. It appeared to be afternoon. She sat there, enjoying the view.
She heard footsteps from behind her. Her head quickly whipped around. She turned back around when she saw her guest.
Roy, after a little searching, found Lucina perched upon the plateau where the nearby village was in ruins.
"Roy. Did you need something?" She asked with little emotion.
Roy was a bit nervous of his request. "Ah... I was wondering if you wanted to go into one of the villages for some shopping." Roy told her.
She turned back around. "What? But isn't that a waste of the army's funds?"
"Well, I'm going to pay for what you want with my own money." Roy said.
"What!? Roy, you can't do that!" Lucina said, shocked at the idea.
"Well, why not? I'm not using the army's funds. I would be glad to buy you something.
"...Why?" Lucina asked.
Roy was reluctant to give the real reason, as it would defeat the purpose of taking her shopping in the first place. He gave the truth anyway, but he didn't mention Anna.
"Well... I just thought that you could use some cheering up... So, do you want to go?" Roy asked.
"...I would be delighted to go shopping with you." She complied.
"Great! Shall we, then?" Roy led her to the nearest village.
Meanwhile, in some bushes, two mysterious figures were tailing them.
o - o - o - o
When they arrived at the village, Roy asked Lucina where she wanted to go first.
"Hmm... Oh! How about there?" She asked, pointing to a clothing store.
"Sure."
The village streets were bustling with activity, and people were saying their hellos and farewells as they passed by each other. They didn't have to worry about attracting attention because there were so many people.
When they made it to the clothing store, Roy opted to help her look for anything she liked. But he didn't know much about fashion, so he decided to just let her do her thing. Lucina went into a changing tent with a dress she picked out.
What he saw afterwards made him regret letting her pick out her own dress.
"Well, Roy? What do you think?" She asked.
Roy choked back a gag. "U-um... It looks..." It was awful. It had the weirdest combination of colors that made his stomach hurl. Though it fit nicely on her. And she also took off the bindings on her chest...
'Gods! What the hell am I thinking!?' Roy pushed that thought away.
"Roy?" Lucina asked, afraid of his answer.
"Oh. It looks... Interesting." Roy vaguely answered.
Lucina sighed. "So you do hate it... My apologies. Maybe this was a bad idea."
Roy laughed. "Lucina, don't be silly, even if I don't like something, that doesn't mean you shouldn't like that thing. Maybe I can help you out this time. C'mon, lets look for something else."
They spent a while looking over dresses that looked rather dull and bland.
However, one dress in particular caught both of their eyes.
"Hey, Lucina! Look at this!" Roy said, grabbing the dress on the rack.
"Wow... That looks..." Lucina trailed off.
It was an elegant white dress with open shoulders and a decorative belt across the waist. It was nothing amazing, but it was the best they could find.
"Here, try it." Roy offered.
Lucina hesitantly took the offered dress and went back into the tent.
'That was quite the dress... I wonder how it'll look on her...' Roy thought with slight impatience.
Lucina was uneasy with the dress on. She felt rather vulnerable, which was a feeling she always hated. But she decided to endure it.
"R-Roy... I'm coming out..." She said.
"Okay. Well, let's see it."
Lucina reluctantly walked out of the tent and Roy was awestruck.
Thoughts and words failed him as he gawked at an uncomfortable Lucina.
"R-Roy, how is the dress?" She asked shyly.
"W-wha... I-It... Gods..." Roy couldn't muster a response right away. He was blushing, but he didn't care.
"It looks absolutely beautiful on you! We should definitely buy it!" Roy exclaimed.
"Th-thank you, Roy." She said with a smile.
Seeing she was uncomfortable, he told her to change back into her normal clothing.
When she came back, she gave Roy the dress so he could pay for it.
Roy was talking with the shopkeeper for the price.
"Right, so how much for the dress?" Roy asked him.
"Oh, about 65,000 gold pieces." He answered quietly, barely more than a whisper.
Roy recoiled in shock. He looked behind him and saw Lucina look up to him in confusion, she obviously didn't hear the price of the dress.
"Gods..." Roy said, running a hand through his hair.
He reluctantly took out bags of coins he brought from his tent. He gulped and set them on the counter.
Lucina arrived with a look of confusion. "Roy? Just how much was the dress?" She asked cautiously.
"Ah, Lucina... Um, would you mind waiting outside?" He asked.
"Roy? Tell me, please!" She insisted with concern.
Roy shifted his weight to his other leg. "Don't worry about it..." He said.
"Roy, I-"
"Here you are! An excellent choice, it was modeled after the Queen of Bern's dress during the scouring." The shopkeeper said while handing him the box with the dress inside.
"Right. Thank you." Roy said, while taking his bags back. Several were empty, while the others were full.
Roy led Lucina outside. She looked guilty.
"What's the matter, Lucina?" He asked, knowing she felt bad about the price of the dress.
"It's just that... You do so much for me... But I don't really have much to do for you. I want you to know that I appreciate it, and if you need anything at all, let me know." She said truthfully.
Roy smiled. "Well, we can go to a restuarant if you like. You haven't eaten, and neither have I. We just get something to eat."
"Roy... You don't have to..." She trailed off.
"Please, it's no trouble, I am quite wealthy, so I can pay for it. Don't feel guilty. You are a valued friend." Roy said.
Something about what he said made her disappointed for some reason. She frowned. "Very well..."
The two figures hiding behind houses laughed and fist bumped.
o - o - o - o
When they arrived at a decently sophisticated restaurant, they sat at a spot with little occupants.
They ordered seafood and a couple steaks. They were rather hungry, as they hadn't eaten since the day before.
"So Lucina, I hear you like stargazing. Is this true?" Roy asked, taking a bite of his salmon.
Lucina looked at him with surprise. "Did Cynthia tell you that? Yes, I do. I don't know why, but they felt like a symbol of hope. It was something Grima couldn't take from us. Though they do seem a whole lot brighter here..."
"I see. I like stargazing as well, it can be quite the sight." Roy said.
For hours, they sat talking with each other. They spoke of their interests and ambitions. Roy decided to order dessert. Lucina tried to protest, but Roy would have none of that.
As they finished their meal, they left after Roy paid the bill.
Roy saw the sunset fall upon the hill.
'Nighttime already? It didn't even feel like an hour!' Roy thought with surprise.
"Roy, I... Thank you. Words cannot express how grateful I am." Lucina said. She walked up to him and gave him an embrace.
Roy, rather dumbfounded, awkwardly returned the embrace. He wore a giddy smile. He hoped she couldn't feel his heartbeat rapidly pounding in his chest.
"Goodnight, Roy. Thank you again for today." Lucina said with a smile.
Roy blushed. "Y-yes, you're welcome. Good night, Lucina." He stuttered.
Lucina found his shyness endearing. She quickly shoved those thoughts aside. She gave him a small wave and made her way to her tent.
'Gods... She is truly... amazing...' Roy thought while looking to the astounding view of the sunset.
He sat on the grass, hoping to remember this day for the rest of his life.
Wolt and Cynthia walked up to Roy.
"Gods, Roy! What did you two do for so long that made you impossible to find for hours?!" Wolt asked with fake shock.
Roy recoiled. "Nothing indecent! Don't get any wrong ideas!"
"Yeah right! I saw Lucina walking to her tent with a box. Was that a dress?" Cynthia playfully asked.
"Yes." Roy answered. They laughed. "But! We are just friends, nothing more!" He continued.
Wolt rolled his eyes. "Sure, Roy. Tell me that dress she had didn't make you absolutely speechless. Tell me that dinner you had with her didn't make her smile and laugh. Tell me..."
"...You don't love her." He finished.
Roy bit his lip. 'So that was why I felt like someone was watching us... It was...'
"Why were you two spying on us?" Roy asked as calmly as possible.
"Well, she is my sister! I wanted to see for myself if you like her. And vice versa." Cynthia said.
Roy looked to Wolt. He put his hands up defensively. "Hey, don't look at me... I was just a little curious."
"So, that's all? You two..." Roy trailed off.
"That isn't a yes or no!" Cynthia exclaimed with a sing-song voice.
"And I'm not answering. I will leave what you think up to you two. Good day." Roy said, quickly walking away.
"Hey, wait! We were just kidding! We want to help you out! Right, Cynthia?" Wolt asked.
Cynthia groaned. "Just leave him be. We'll catch him red-handed another time."
"Okay. Well, now what?" Wolt asked.
"Um... Sleep?" She replied.
"Oh, right. Goodnight, Cynthia." Wolt said.
"Right..." She said, looking in the direction of her sister's tent.
o - o - o - o
A/N: Well, I hope once a week is okay with you guys.
I don't have much to say about this chapter. Sooo... I like chicken nuggets.
I don't know why, but whenever I read Rutger's lines, I picture Johnny Yong Bosch saying it. You know, Ichigo, Nero?Yeah, that guy. That voice kinda suits Rutger.
Wait... Now that I think about it, that voice also kinda fits Roy too. Huh...
The dress? Well, it is the dress from the official soundtrack art. I probably didn't describe it well... I got the idea from 'Cold Tea' A RobinxLucina fic. Go check it out if you haven't, it is my favorite RobiLuci fic, not gonna lie.
UNTIL NEXT TIME