Chapter Three: The Opening Ceremony

The grand ballroom was bustling with the guests and attendees of the summit as Morgan, Robin and King Validar entered the room. Validar and Robin headed toward the area designated for the representatives, and Morgan decided to do a little mingling of his own. From between the cavorting and chatting guests, he spied someone that he felt was oddly familiar. A girl around his age was idly chatting with some other guests, but what caught his eye wasn't her age, but rather, how she looked. She had a small face with large blue eyes and dark navy hair identical to his own. She had a dignified air about her that reminded him of his mother and even the way she spoke was just like Robin. He couldn't help but want to talk to her.

"Hello there." He said meekly. "I'm Morgan. I come from Plegia with my master and the King Validar."

"Hello Morgan. I'm Lucina. I'm the daughter of Prince Chrom." She replied.

"O-oh! You're the princess? Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry Your highness! I had no idea!" he hastily bowed with an arm draped across his stomach.

"Oh please, there's no need for that now Morgan. You can just call me Lucina." The girl placed a hand on his shoulder as he looked up at her face.

"A-are you sure?" Morgan asked, fearfully.

"Yes. I'm sure."

Lucina pulled him up by his arm to make him stand at his full height and he got a perfect view of the brand in her blue eye.

"What is that?" he asked. His shock was clear in the way that his voice broke over his words. That mark looked identical to his own! He gingerly placed a hand over his left shoulder as if he could feel his own mark burning.

"Oh this?" Lucina gestured to her eye. "All of the Ylissean royal family has this mark. It's a sign of a direct relation to house Ylisse."

Morgan swallowed trying to clear the sudden lump in his throat. He grabbed Lucina by her wrist. "I-I have something important to show you. But I can't do it here." He whispered hoarsely.

Lucina's eyes grew wide as she tried to pull her hand away. "What is it you want to show me?" She asked suspiciously.

Morgan could see that she was not going to follow him easily, so he sidled up to her and whispered in her ear. "I have the same mark."

"What?!" she gasped. Morgan quickly put a finger over her lips. "Please, you can't tell anyone this! If my mother finds out I told, she'll be furious!" he begged.

"Okay then, I won't say anything." She promised. "Show me where it is."

"Is there any place where no one will see us?"

"Yeah, follow me." This time, Lucina took his hand and led him down an unused corridor and into a room at the end of the hall near the entrance to the private gardens. "No one will see us here." She promised.

Morgan slowly removed his jacket and unbuttoned his shirt enough where he could poke his shoulder out. He turned around so Lucina could see it. There it was plain as day, wrapped around his left bicep. The Brand of house Ylisse.

Lucina's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "But how-?" she stammered. "You said you were from Plegia? How is it that you have the Ylissean brand?"

Morgan shrugged, putting his coat back on and buttoning up his shirt. "My mother told me it was a birthmark, but she always told me I should never tell anyone about it. She never said why."

"And who…is your mother?" Lucina said, choosing her words carefully. Morgan paused for a second, remembering what Robin said about calling her "mother" but he figured, he already broke one rule today. And besides, somehow, he felt he could trust Lucina.

"Her name is Robin. She came with King Validar today."

"The Plegian princess? And you called me royalty." She scoffed slightly. "But if your mother is the princess of Plegia, then how is it that you have the brand?" She paused and thought for a second. Morgan only mentioned having a mother. "Do you know your father?" Lucina thought she might be pressing too much when Morgan didn't answer right away, but decided that she needed answers.

"…. no. My mother never talks about him. She always seemed very sad whenever I asked, so I stopped asking." Morgan's voice grew quieter with each word. For some odd reason, he was beginning to feel ashamed.

Sensing his shift in mood, Lucina put her hand on his shoulder. "That's okay. I know how you feel. I never knew my mother either. My father always tried to avoid the question whenever I brought it up."

Then, she got an idea. "But if you have the brand, then that means that your father is a member of the Ylissean royal family. You may be able to find out who he is!"

Morgan perked up at her words, his earlier gloom replaced with hope.

"You really think so?" he asked.

"Yeah! I know so!" she answered, grinning widely.

"But if only the Ylissean royal family carries the brand, then that means we could be related!" Morgan added.

"You're right! But where do we start?" Lucina pondered for a second. "If only the direct relatives of the royal family may carry the brand, and we know that your mother isn't an Ylissean royal, then that means…" Lucina trailed off as she looked up at the young boy in the light of the lantern. It was like she was seeing him for the first time again. Her words died in her throat as it dawned on her. Morgan looked like the spitting image of someone she knew. Someone she herself was close to. Someone like…her father.

"Lucina?" Morgan asked, concern rising in his voice.

"I…I think I know who your father might be." She swallowed as she gently took the boy by the arm.

"Really? Who?" he asked, eagerly.

She pulled him out of the room and into the corridor to the ballroom and pointed at a tall man with navy blue hair who was wearing a long white cape.

"Him. Prince Chrom."