"Say Ah."
"Awwwhh." Robin echoed through his mouth and felt a small wooden stick press down on his tongue.
When Robin and his family returned to Ylisstol, it was time for Lissa to do a routine check up on him and make sure that the medicine he was receiving was working. Lissa knew it had only been a few days since she prescribed the medicine and figured he would probably get mad at her for being so over cautious, but surprisingly Robin agreed to it without any resistance.
"Everything looks okay." Lissa smiled and removed the tongue depressor from Robin's mouth. "How have you been feeling?"
"Good. Right now I feel like I could run a marathon, and I have had some very peaceful nights sleeping."
"That's great!" Lissa said ecstatically,
Yeah I know, and if I didn't know better I would say everything is perfect, it is just that" Robin trailed off and looked down at the ground.
"Something feel wrong?" Lissa asked to fill in the gaps.
Robin sighed and muttered under his breath. "I had another coughing attack."
"What?!" Lissa's mood instantly changed to concern. "When did this happen?"
"... Yesterday, I was hiking alone in the forest so Lucina and Morgan could spend some time together. But when I reached the spot where we first met Marth all those years ago; I felt a sharp pain in my chest. I also felt incredibly weak and my legs felt like they wanted to buckle underneath me. Next thing I know, I am on my knees and struggling to breathe." Robin said depressed and shook his head. "... while coughing up blood."
"Blood?!" Lissa cried and her eyes widened in fear. "Oh my. That's not good!"
"I figured as much."
Without delay, Lissa hurriedly ran over to the other side of the room and grabbed three staffs from her storage bin and rushed back over to her patient. She then motioned for him to lie down on the table while she turned on the glowing orb on her first staff and placed it over Robin's chest. Within a few moments she saw his heart beat through the crystal ball at a steady and normal pace.
"Does Lucina know about this? " Lissa asked as she carefully began inspecting his heart.
"I know better than to hide something like this from my wife." Robin said while looking up at the ceiling. "Though I wish I could have spared her the worry. She has had enough burdens to live through a hundred lifetimes."
"...What about Morgan?" Lissa asked and stared vigilantly and the heart valves and arteries. She was trying to find any damage or anomalies in the tissue, but everything looked fine.
Robin grimaced at the thought of his daughter panicking over him, "...No sense in stressing her out about something that is out of her control. Even if it is for one day, I would rather her spend it enjoying herself than worrying about me."
"But she is going to be even more concerned when she finds out you've been hiding it."
"Yes, but hopefully by then you will have found the cure." Robin muttered nonchalantly.
...
Lissa shook her head and said while examining her staff with rigid focus. "I don't understand, your heart is in perfect condition."
"Um, is that a bad thing?"
"Well no" Lissa replied slightly distressed. "But that means it may not be Grima's absence in your blood that is the problem like I thought it was. If you are coughing up blood, then there could something wrong with your lungs."
"... I see." Robin said calmly. "So what now?"
Lissa grabbed her second staff and placed it over the left side of Robin's chest. "Now I check every inch of your body until I find the problem!"
Robin paused and thought over her words for a moment before hesitantly asking "When you say every inch, do you also mean...?"
"If need be, yes."
Robin instantly went pale and he stammered as he tried to say, "B-but."
"Oh relax Robin, I am a professional, and will only look there as a last resort so you have nothing to worry about." She smiled sincerely. "Now hold still while I jab you with this stick."
...
Two hours went by as Lissa tested Robin with every type of staff she had in her clinic. She checked his brain, heart, lungs, and other vital organs over a dozen times as she searched for the problem that ailed him. However, despite her insistence, there was one area Robin refused to let her see no matter how much she yelled at him.
Though, it was the longest two hours of Lucina's life as she spent it constantly worrying about her husband. It felt agonizing that she could not help Robin in any way as he dealt with his invisible sickness. At least with Grima she could devote all of her energy to stopping him and deal with the problem herself, but with Robin, all she could do was pray.
"Hey mom!" Morgan called out as she ran over to her.
Lucina instantly broke out of her trance and looked back at her energetic daughter. "Huh? Morgan, what are you doing here?"
"Well its been awhile and I still have not see you or dad. I know you said it was supposed to take a while, but I didn't think it would be this long " Morgan asked somewhat concerned
Lucina gritted her teeth and looked away from her daughter. "...I am sure Lissa is just being overly cautious."
"I hope so." Morgan murmured. "I don't want him to get sick again."
"Nor do I." Lucina sighed quietly and held in her emotions. She didn't want to worry Morgan so she changed the subject and said, "But I am sure he will be fine. So tell me, did Noire show you any tips for your bow?"
"She showed me a couple of things, but I still can't hit the target. I guess the problem is that my arms are too short for the bow so I can't pull it far enough back." Morgan frowned and sat down next to Lucina on the bench outside of Lissa's clinic. "I can't wait for my growth spurt to finally come around. "
"It will come soon. The exalt lineage is well known for it's tall heroes."
"Yeah, I want to be just as tall as you when I am finished!'
"Like me? I thought you would want to be more on level with your father." Lucina said surprised
"Well that works too." Morgan laughed. "But I mean you are only an inch shorter than him. So it's not that big of a difference. But at this point I just want to reach the top of the kitchen cupboards without a step stool and-
Before she could finish, the door slowly swayed open and the two women instantly looked over to see Robin push it open.
"Father!" Morgan cried energetically and ran over to hug him.
"Whoa..." Robin struggled to regain his balance as he looked down at the blue haired tactician holding tightly onto him. "Haha, hey there little one."
"How are you feeling?" Morgan asked while pressed against Robin's chest.
"Great, Lissa says that I am in a perfect bill of health. She says she has never seen anyone in her life with stronger lungs or a healthier heart... But I guess I owe that to Lucina's lovely cooking." Robin smiled and patted Morgan on the back.
"That's great news!" Morgan said enthusiastically. "So that means the problem you had was just like a short cold right?"
"Yeah, that appears to be the case." Robin tried to say calmly, however his wife could hear the small trace of lying in his voice.
Lucina paused and looked at Robin and wanted to ask the question that was on her mind, but she did not want to alert Morgan who was still hugging him. So Lucina did not make a sound when she opened her mouth, but the way she moved her lips was enough for Robin understand what she was asking, "What is wrong?"
Robin let out a small sigh while careful not to alert Morgan and replied back in the same fashion. "... I don't know."
"What took you so long father?" Morgan let go of her dad and looked up to see his expression change to a smile.
"Oh, you know how Lissa is. She spent half the time talking about random things and the other half yelling at me.
"Hehe, that sounds about right. But you had me worried! I don't have any memories of you ever getting sick before."
"Hmmm." Robin looked down curiously at his happy daughter before replying. "I'll tell you what, since I am in a good mood and I do feel bad for worrying you, how about I tell more of the story to make up for it?" Robin replied cheerfully.
"Okay!" Morgan smiled and rushed back over to a seat in the hallway.
The next day was the day we set sail for Valm. It was a long journey and thankfully we were well supplied for it, but I would have to get used to spending the next two weeks struggling to find my sea legs. I was not looking forward to the ship swaying back and forth which would make it even harder to do my desk work.
However, as Chrom and I were just getting ready to board the flagship, we noticed a figure in the distance running at top speed puling a large wooden wagon and yelling at the top of her lungs.
...
"HEEEEYYY WAIT UP!" The person yelled while pulling a large cart of supplies behind her.
"Huh?" Chrom and I looked out in the distance at the bright red-headed figure rushing towards us. "Did we forget someone?"
"I don't think so. Last I checked, all of our soldiers including the shepherds were accounted for" I remarked and tried to think of who this person was. The only people I knew with red hair were Gaius and Cordelia and they were already on the ship. "Maybe it is one of the khan's soldiers."
"Maybe, but I have never seen anyone in their army dressed so brightly red before."
"Now that you mention it, she does look a little familiar."
We both watched very confused as the figure closed the large gap and drew near us. She was very quick on her feet and sported a red and yellow checkered attire which appeared as anything but cheap.
*Huff* *Huff* *Pant* "I can't believe you people were going to leave without me!"
"I'm sorry, do I know you from somewhere?" Chrom asked unsure of this strange lady.
"No we have never been acquainted before.
"...Then who are you?
"I am a merchant."
"A merchant?"
She quickly recovered from her fatigue and bowed while saying, "Anna the Mercantile Extraordinaire at your Service my noble King, and do I have a deal for you!"
"A deal?"
"Yes sir-ree. And you would be a fool to turn it down!"
Chrom crossed his arms in doubt and said, "...I'm listening"
"As a long and devoted citizen of um ... Ylisse. I would like to serve under your command."
"You want to serve under us? ... What's the catch?" I asked skeptically.
"Catch?!" Anna asked appalled. "I have no alternative motives other than to serve my beloved country!"
"Is that why you are carrying an entire warehouse of supplies behind you?" Chrom pointed to the vast array of merchandise in the cart she was pulling.
"Oh this?" Anna asked innocently as she set down her large two wheeled wagon. "These are just my traveling supplies. It is a long journey after all and I like to be equipped for whatever we may face...Though if your friends are interested in my wares, then who am I to deny them the opportunity to buy them?" She put a finger to her chin and smiled devilishly.
"Right." Chrom shook his head and looked over to me. "What do you make of this Robin?"
"Hmm...I don't know. Merchants aren't exactly the most trustworthy people." I said very doubtful. From past experiences I had dealt with people like her before and you didn't need to know much about merchants to know that they would sell their family for a gold coin. But on the other hand we did need every last soldier we could get to win this war.
"If by untrustworthy then you mean someone who works long hours day and night to make sure that my clientele are satisfied, then yes, I am very untrustworthy!"
Chrom turned to me and laughed. "I see what you mean."
"Oh come now! I can be a valuable asset to your cause. Don't be fooled by my beautiful feminine figure. You will find that I can cut through bodies just as well as prices."
"Uh huh." I said unimpressed. "And what happens when our enemy bids a higher price for your skills."
"Hmph, I am not common mercenary. I actually have loyalty to my employers!" She declared valiantly and placed her hands on her hips. "...Besides, if words spreads that I betrayed you then no one would buy from me. My reputation is what brings customers after all."
I shook my head and replied. "I'm still not convinced."
"Erg you drive a had bargain." She paused and grabbed something from one of her crates. "I'll tell you what. As a sign of good fortune, I'll even through in this Noble Rapier for 60% off of the marked down price."
"For free." I responded back and saw Anna's eyes widen in fear.
"frah?- frah- fra... Sir Robin, how could you even suggest something so hideous?!" She yelled in distress.
"Well, if you are as loyal as you say. Then you should have no trouble donating something to help ensure the safety of my lord."
"B-but for frah, frah ... that is FAR to low for such a valuable item! I can't make that deal!"
"Alight. Then I guess we have nothing else to say since your profits come before Chrom's safety. Though it is a shame when you think of all the potential money that could be made for selling exotic weapons in a different continent, but nevertheless I bid you a good day Anna." I nodded at Chrom and we both turned around to board the ship."
"Wait!" She yelled desperately and gulped in hesitation. She looked like someone had stabbed her in the heart when she said. "f-f-fine." She gave Chrom the sword and sighed heavily. "Cah-consider it my admission fee."
I smiled and turned back around to say, "Welcome to the Shepherds. Once we set sail I'll have Lissa give you a tour of our members, and thanks again for your generous donation to our cause."
"Donation my foot! You know I should have you arrested for extortion!"
"Hmm, that is a serious charge." I turned to Chrom and asked. "What is the penalty for threatening commerce in Ylisse again?
"Five years in prison" Chrom responded
"Interesting. So that puts me up to what?"
"3049 years in incarceration and 78 death sentences."
"Ha ha, really that's it? After how many times I have insulted or disobeyed your orders I thought it would have been higher."
"Well, Sumia has been insistent that I pardon you of your crimes."
"Oh really? Well that makes sense then. I'm sure she can be very persuasive in changing your opinion after a certain amount of long and passionate kisses."
Chrom twitched and his face contorted in embarrassment as he looked back at me with glaring eyes "Make that 3084 years in prison and 79 death sentences."
"Hmph, you must think this is funny." Anna said annoyed and offended at our banter. "But don't expect any good deals the next time you come crawling to my store!" She stormed off with her gear and went up the ramp to the ship
...
"Oh, Anna wait. I almost forgot something else." I snickered and looked at the depressed and greedy merchant. "As added incentive to protect your already unwavering loyalty. If any of the royalty should be severely hurt or worse in battle, whether by your hand or someone else's, then Ylisse will seize all of your assets as well as your gold to pay for their medical bills.
"What?! That is highway robbery!" She yelled back in disgust.
"Very much so." I laughed. "But if you intend to make any money in this campaign, then I suggest you get your allegiances in order. The Exalt's family comes first, and if you truly do value your gold, then you better value the royal family's lives more.
...
Despite my warnings and intimidation tactics, Anna did not waste a second when she reached the ship. Within an hour she was already trying to sell something to every member of the shepherds, and the most notable purchase was a wedding ring. It would find its way to Cordelia's finger, and it must have cost Frederick a fortune considering the size of the diamond, but I imagine it was one of the happiest moments of their lives. Of course, on such a small ship the news spread very quickly and the shepherds spent the rest of that day toasting the happy couple. It was a great distraction seeing as how the war was looming on everyone's minds.
But once the party was over and night had fallen, I found it very hard to get any sleep. I tossed and turned in my quarters for over an hour, and eventually I decided to go outside and try to find some solace in the night sky. But the moment I rose above deck, I felt the cold ocean breeze blow past me as I walked over to the side of the ship. While my eyes adjusted to the night without torch light, my entire vision was engulfed by the black water as only a sliver of white light cast down from the crescent moon above. Meanwhile the waves violently crashed at the ship's hull, and I let my thoughts travel as I stood out there.
There was so much more at stake than just winning a war, and the toll was weighing heavily on me. The biggest question that often frequented my mind was if I was qualified enough to be leading this war. Because if the only requirement was waking up in a field next to a prince, then that probably meant there were other more capable people for my job. It also didn't help that every night I had vivid visions of watching one of my friends die. Each night it was a different person, and every time I could see the pain in their eyes. It was like I was just watching them be viciously murdered, and every night the dreams only got worse.
"Don't let my father catch you up at this hour." Lucina warned as she walked near me and rested on the railing.
"Oh, Lucina, what are you doing out so late?" I replied and shook my head to break out of my stupor.
"I could ask the same of you."
I sighed and looked back at the ocean. "...I'm just battling some nightmares and I thought the ocean air might calm me down. Lately I have had a lot of trouble staying asleep and I am willing to try anything new to help."
"Do you have insomnia?"
"No, not quite that severe. I usually don't have trouble sleeping, but every once in a while I do have some nightmares that feel so terrifyingly real. ..Though since I have been stressed so much as of late, that is probably why they have been more often."
Lucina lowered her head and grimaced "...I see, but just be careful. If my father sees you out of bed he may think you are trying to work without his permission."
"Heh, don't worry, if he does then I will just throw myself overboard and save him the trouble."
Lucina's eyes instantly widened and she looked at me in horror. "Robin! How could you say such a thing?"
"Huh?"
"My mother and father would be devastated if you did that." She raised her voice and said very worried "You can't just-"
"Whoa, hold on there a second." I raised up my hand and tried to calm her down. "I was only joking. I wasn't actually serious."
Lucina froze and blinked repeatedly as she stared at me in awe.
"Er, you know, just like when I make fun of Chrom. I am only teasing when I do it."
"...You mean when you make Chrom feel uncomfortable it is part of a joke?" she asked bewildered.
"Of course" I laughed at the ridiculous question. " I make a point to harass him every time I see him."
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"...Why would you tease my father?"
I paused and did not know how to respond her. The question seemed so obvious that I found myself struggling to put it into words. "...Because ... that is how we get along. If I am not making fun of him, and he doesn't threaten my life in response then something is very wrong."
"... So you are saying that my father threatening to kill you is just another part of the joke?"
"Haha, yep."
She sighed and looked down while slowly shaking her head. "I don't think I will ever see the logic behind that."
"That's just it. There is no logic behind it. It is a way for us to laugh and relax. Or more recently, find a brief moment of refuge from what there is to come. Like right now, there is nothing any of us can do but wait until we reach the shore. So we can either spend it worrying or trying to escape from our destination. Personally I prefer the latter, but my work does not allow me the time to joke around unless I am in public."
Lucina thought over her what I said and she squinted her eyes when she asked "What do you mean in public?"
"Well morale is one of the most important things in an army, and if my friends see me constantly exhausted then they will start to worry about me. Your mother and father have made that very clear. So that means I have to change my appearance around them or else they will constantly fear about my safety... Something I failed to do last week."
"I see." Lucina lowered her head and appeared to have a thought circulating in her mind. "Perhaps that is why some of my friends acted so immature in front of me. "
"Hmm? You mean your friends that traveled in time with you?"
She nodded her head and sighed. "Yes, they are all three years younger than me, and rarely did they ever focus on the task at hand unless we were actually fighting. They were always doing things that never made any sense."
"...That must have been their way of coping with the troubles they faced. I imagine they were around 14 right?" I asked unsure since I didn't know her age, and felt uncomfortable asking.
"They are 15-16 now." she replied lowly. "I turned 19 about a month ago."
"Oh! That's right. Little Lucina was born on April 20th." I said frustrated for not connecting the dots earlier.
"Right. " She muttered under her breath and gritted her teeth. No doubt it must have been awkward to have been called little Lucina and I made a mental note to never say that again. "Since I was the oldest, and the Exalt's blood ran through my veins ... It was up to me to lead the rest of the people." She sighed and I could see the huge weight resting on her shoulders. "And I too have had a lot of sleepless nights because of it."
"Right, that is the trouble with being a leader. We have to give up so much to make sure that others are safe."
"Yes, and I worry about my friends. I thought by now that I would have met up with one of them."
"Maybe they were accidentally sent to Valm or Elibe during their trip through time. But don't worry we will find them. I have no doubt about that."
Lucina sighed and said, "You know Robin, you don't need to pretend in front of me. My morale is not something you need to be concerned about.
"I'm not pretending." I replied with a strong and commanding voice "You say that they are really close friends right?"
"Yes, I would do anything to see that they are unharmed."
"Then we will find them. The bonds that connect us are stronger than this the giant world we live in. One way or another, we will find them."
...
"And that is how we found each other right?" Morgan asked happily.
Robin smiled and said, "Yep. Our family bonds are even stronger than that of friends."
"And nothing could ever separate that bond!" Morgan yelled heroically and rose her hand in the air.
"...Actually." Robin interrupted "We are going to be separated for a few days."
"Wuh?"
Robin glanced back to his wife with a huge grin on his face and said. "Since we still have some vacation left, Lucina and I are going to spend the next few days together at a luxurious ski resort"
What?! Your going to a ski resort and you're not taking me?! You know how much I love to ski and live in luxury!"
"I know." Robin laughed. "But I spent some time together with you fishing, and Lucina did the same thing with the bow. So it is only natural that Lucina and I spend some time alone together as well."
"So you are just going to leave me all alone?!""
"Well yeah, you are old enough to take care of yourself you know, but if you have any problems then you can always ask Chrom or Sumia for help... Though you probably should not call Chrom gramps if you want something from him.
"But who is going to tell me more of my story?"
"Oh relax Morgan." Robin laughed. "We will be back soon enough. You will just have to be patient for once in your life."
"But Daaaaaaad!"
"No buts Morgan. Now run along and go play. Lucina and I have to pack a few things for our trip.
Morgan sighed and said gloomily "...fine." She walked away hunched over and her parents could hear her sigh the entire time. But eventually she was out of ear shot and Lucina turned her attention back to her sick husband.
"Robin, what is wrong?"
Robin shook his head "...I don't know. Lissa doesn't even know how I coughed up blood in the first place. There is no sign of any lung damage and nothing is cut. According to Lissa, I am in perfect health.
"But someone in perfect health doesn't feel like they are dying." Lucina said frightened.
"I know, so it could be that I am cursed. Those things are usually hard to trace even for a physician. Which is why Lissa sent a messenger to Henry to ask him check it out"
"... I see." she replied half halfheartedly
Robin could feel the huge amount of concern in her voice and he touched her shoulder to try to comfort her. "Lucina, listen to me. I know you are worried. But it is going to be okay. I promise you that everything will be fine."
"How can you be so sure?"
Robin smiled sincerely and said "Because of a 110 pound energetic girl who takes after her beautiful mother. She has very vivid memories of me throughout her life and she even said that she can't recall a time where I was sick. That must mean that whatever is ailing me now is cured in the future. Right?"
"I suppose."
"Then please don't worry. It ruins your smile."
"I-I'm sorry Robin." She said on the verge of tears. "It's just that I love you so much. I don't ever want to lose you."
Robin wrapped his arm around her and kissed her on the cheek. "I'm not going anywhere love. We still have a lifetime of happy memories to make and I want to be there to see it. Now come, let's get our things packed for our trip. We have some memories to create. "
Lucina felt a wave of relief come over her as Robin held onto her. Whenever she was concerned his touch always made her feel better and his words only helped relieve her of her stress. "But wouldn't it be better to wait until Henry comes and makes sure you are okay?"
"No, it will take at least three days until the message reaches Plegia and another four until Henry reaches us. So we have plenty of time to relax and enjoy each others company."
"Still, it is very cold up there. What if you have another attack or need Lissa's help."
"Lucina." He whispered and said very tenderly. "I can't think of a better cure in the world to a sickness than spending the greatest moments of my life with the person I love. The only one I will need is you. And as for it being cold, I believe that sharing our body heat will be the best way to fight off this threat. In fact, we should probably practice that now just to be safe."
Lucina cracked a smile and she wrapped her arms around his back. She held on tight and never wanted to let go as she felt his strong embrace. As long as he was there with her, than nothing bad could ever happen