"I can do this." Morgan said taking a deep breath. She was holding a cane in her hand as she looked down at the floor trying to will herself on.
The few traces left of the dark substance were fading and very soon Morgan would be back to her old energetic self. The problem was that Morgan had remained lifeless in her bed for what seemed like ages. Her muscles had weakened during that time and her physical therapy was about to begin to correct that. Thankfully, it wouldn't take long for her to fully recover, and the news that she was out of the worst of it absolutely thrilled her parents. She just had one final obstacle to overcome
"Ennng." She groaned as she struggled. Her parents were ready to catch her if something went wrong, but in the next moment Morgan pushed herself out of bed and began walking for the door. Not for the bathroom, but to the garden.
The young tactician used her cane to help relieve some stress on her legs as she walked out of her room and into the corridor. Her muscles started to nag her already, and there was a dry feeling in her lungs that made it seem hotter outside than it really was, but she pushed forwards anyways. "It will be nice to take in the fresh air again."
Her mother nodded and said, "Yes, it will be a great change of pace from your stuffy old room."
"And pretty soon you will be running in no time." The tactician added cheerfully.
"Ennnnng." Morgan groaned at the thought. "Don't mention running again. It hurts just thinking about it."
"What about sprinting?" Robin laughed at her expense.
Morgan shrugged as her cane clicked and clacked across the marble floor. "When I get better I am going to get back at you."
"When you get better all three of us are going to celebrate." Lucina replied sincerely. "It is the least I can do to thank you Morgan. Knowing I'll be with you and Robin for a day more, let alone many years is something that I am eternally grateful for."
"Oh um, you're welcome mom." Morgan replied unsure what to say. She was the one that wanted them desperately back. "And the memories are coming back too. It's funny, I can hardly believe how little things have changed."
"Hmm? What do you mean?" Robin asked curious.
"You two act so similar. Always next to each other and smiling. Even worse, the longer you were married the more the two of you seemed to grow closer. I swear, the only thing that is missing is the rare fights."
"... Robin and I don't spar that often in the future?" Lucina looked at Morgan with a new interest and said, "Not even while he was healthy?"
"Oh no, not fight as in spar." Morgan corrected her. "Fight as in arguments."
"Arguments?" Lucina repeated in confusion and horror. "You mean there were times where we hated each other?" She asked worried.
"Hehe, no mom." She laughed and moved forward forgetting to use her cane as she walked more upright. "You two got along just fine. In fact, many people at the castle said you got along too well."
"But then why would we get in fights?" She asked royally confused and afraid at the idea of yelling at her husband.
"My guess is I said or did something really stupid." Robin added with a laugh.
"But I do stupid things too. I don't understand why we would yell at each other." Lucina frowned and reached over to hold his hand.
"Lucina, the two of us are going to spend the rest of our lives together. During that time we are bound to disagree on a few things. I would be more worried if we hid our problems from each other."
"I know, but I hoped we wouldn't resort to yelling." She said disappointed. "We always promised to work things out together."
Morgan smiled to reassure her mom and said, "There wasn't much yelling, it was more like dad would sleep in a different room and you wouldn't speak to him for a day or two. After that you two would fall madly in love with each other again, and I was left to suffer for four or five months while you two paraded around the castle together."
"See dear? In the future we are even worse than we are now." Robin kissed her on the cheek.
Lucina gave a slight blush and smiled while squeezing his hand a little tighter.
Morgan shook her head and said, "You can imagine how hard it is to live as the daughter of two love-struck parents, but somehow it worked out."
The trio reached the entrance to the garden a few minutes later and Morgan used her cane as a support while she walked down the steps. While the distance was short, it was a challenge on her to get this far. So she was very relieved when a stone bench came into view.
"Anyways, that is my story for the day." The young tactician placed a hand on the bench to steady herself while leaning down to take a quick rest. "Now, while I take a minute to catch my breath, I want to hear your story.
"Okay." Robin nodded. "But if your memories are coming back then haven't you heard this before?"
She shook her head and said, "You've only told me bits and pieces when I was younger so it is nice to hear the full thing. Plus you skipped a lot of stuff since I was so young."
"Yeah, perhaps that was for the best." Robin agreed thinking about the more gruesome times of his life. Those were not the best moments to tell a ten or eleven-year-old girl. "Although, I'm fairly certain Lucina has told this part to you before. Considering how important it was."
"Then you can tell it so I can get your perspective." She smiled back.
"I suppose that makes sense." He nodded. "But are you sure you want to hear about us falling in love after experiencing it in person for so many years?"
"I've gotten use to it by now dad." She laughed and said, "I would have suffocated to death if I hadn't. Besides, it is sorta cute in a way."
"Haha, yeah, I guess it is." The tactician chuckled.
But the next part begins a few hours after we parted ways. Proposing was not something I had planned for and I still struggled to believe it.
...
"Married..." I trailed off looking over my charts. At first I tried to get some sleep, but two incredibly long hours passed thinking about the prospect of being together with Lucina. After that, I gave up on the chance of getting any rest and decided to work on my strategy against Validar instead.
For the next six hours I planned the upcoming attack just to keep my head clear. Our scouts relayed information about some commotion near the Grimleal's great alter, and it looked like Validar fell for the bait. It would not be an easy assault, but things were looking manageable. It was still a two day march to get there, and we might be stopped by some of his guards, but I knew we could make it through. Even those horrible dreams I had about stabbing Chrom seemed to have some potential as part of my plan.
*Screech*
The sound of an ear-piercing wail that was like nails scratching on a chalk board bombard my ear drums. I had to cover my ears or else I feared they would bleed to death as the unmistakable cry of a wyvern yelled next to my tent.
"Gah!" The wail lasted for what seemed like an hour, and I ran outside my tent to see what was the matter. That is when I saw one depressed dragon whimpering as her tamer tied to console her.
"Sorry Robin, I hope Minerva didn't wake you." Cherche said seeing me exit my tent.
"It's okay." I replied back having some trouble hearing myself. My left ear was still deaf from the cry. "I was already up, but what's happened to her?" I asked referring to the gigantic flying dragon that could eat me any time it felt like it.
"She is upset. Things didn't work out between her and her potential suitor. The poor girl is distraught."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." I replied as Cherche rubbed the side of Minerva's face. "I thought for sure Bryan would have been a good match for her."
"We did too, so we were surprised that it didn't work out." The dragon tamer shrugged. "We both appreciate your help in our search though, and I am sure we are getting closer to finding the right one. After all, you are the best to ask when it comes to matchmaking."
"Pardon?" I asked confused.
"You are the one that recommends who pairs with who in battles. Are you not?"
"Yeah … What does that have to do with matchmaking?"
"Sumia and Chrom got together because of it. Not to mention Frederick and Cordelia, Stahl and I, and even Lucina seems to have taken a liking to you after fighting side by side."
I blushed embarrassed at the comment and said, "Come on, you don't really think I am responsible for people falling in love just because I thought they might fight well on the battle field?"
"How else would you explain it then?" She asked quizzically
"Well, for one, Chrom and Sumia are practically soul mates from the start. It doesn't matter what I did, because they were already a thing before I even arrived. So they don't count. Plus, I recommended you fight with Gregor, not Stahl."
"Hmm, I suppose that is true." She pondered it for a moment. However, Frederick and Cordelia seem very happy, and I also hear that a lot of other shepherds are getting along well. Not to mention the looks that Lucina gives you when you are together.
For the record, I tried to avoid fighting with Lucina because I knew I had feelings for her.
"Suuure."
"It's true!" I cried back. "But um, can you keep a secret for a few days?"
"I can, but I don't know about Minerva over here."
*Screech!*
"Well um." I laughed a little anxious. "I just proposed to her, and she said yes."
"Really?" Cherche's eyes lit up and she said, "Congratulations! That makes you two for four in the matchmaking department.
I covered my head and said, "You are still going on about that?"
"Of course, why else would you volunteer to help me find a match for my sweet little Minerva."
I interpreted the 'sweet' and 'little' phrase into a giant man-eating monster and said, "Because you are a good friend and I wanted to help."
"How touching. Clearly Lucina fell for your charms." She smiled back with a mischievous grin.
"Heh, I think it is the other way around." I laughed thinking about how often she had control over me. "To be honest, I am really nervous about it."
"Oh? How come?"
"It's a life commitment." I said feeling a little uneasy. "A lot can change as time passes, and I don't know how differently we will be in five years or so."
"That is good isn't it? Life can get a bit repetitive if nothing ever changes."
I shrugged saying, "I know, but I'm still anxious. I'm engaged to a girl I am madly in love with, and I should be happy. However, I feel queasy and off-balance thinking about it."
"You are just adjusting to the idea is all. I heard Chrom went through the same thing."
"... We did have to drag him to the altar." I muttered thinking more about it.
"See? It seems natural to second guess yourself afterwards, but I think things will work out. You two do have a lot in common."
"Yeah … You're right." I nodded back. "I'm just being silly. I have a lot to look forward to."
*Scree eeech* The wyvern started sniffing in misery as Cherche went back to coping her.
"Poor girl, it seems all this talk about marriage is too much on her. I'm sorry Robin, we better go before she starts rampaging again."
"Er, yeah. That might be a good idea."
She smiled back and said, "I wish you two all the best, and make sure we get an invitation to the wedding!"
"I will, and thanks." I waved good-bye feeling a little better. Oh and Minerva! I wish you luck in finding your partner. I may disagree about the matchmaking thing, but maybe I can help a little."
*Screech!*
...
The thoughts about Lucina continued to fill my mind as Cherche left, and they would not cease now that I had nothing to occupy my mind. I decided to wander around camp in an attempt to distract myself, but like a compass pointing towards north, my feet carried me to the place Lucina was. She was packing up our camp and getting things ready to travel since we would be marching soon. However, she must have spotted me because she waved over with a radiant smile.
"Good morning Robin. Are you ready for the march?"
"We will see. I didn't sleep very well." I shrugged knowing why. "You?"
She shook her head to say no and looked back at me in wonder. "... Robin, did I dream the whole thing? I fear that yesterday was nothing more than a fantasy I didn't want to wake up from."
I rubbed the back of my head and said, "Maybe we shared the same dream. I find it difficult to believe myself."
Her eyes glimmered in hope as she said, "Robin I … I dreamed that everything was okay. That we are still one step away from stopping Grima's resurrection and that you ..." She blushed a stark red while looking away nervously. "That you forgave me for not trusting you, and um, well you -"
"Proposed?" I laughed anxious.
"Y-yeah." She gulped and looked back at me unsure. "I … would understand if you are having second thoughts. I mean, it was all so sudden and I wasn't quite myself." She looked down heavily embarrassed.
"I promised I would get you a ring." I reassured her as I said, "And while I'm a little nervous at the idea of getting married, I don't have any second thoughts. I want to be with you."
Lucina smiled warmly with a radiant glow, "I do too, but I'm scared of waking up. Especially because I can barely believe it. I know we've talked about it before, but now I … I can't grasp it. It's one of those things that seems far beyond my reach even though it is right in-front of me."
"Ha, I assure you that you're not alone." I reached out to touch her on the shoulder to suppress my own doubts. It felt so surreal, and I unknowingly moved closer to her which made her even more antsy.
The princess took a deep breath and tightened the grip in her hands. "I wouldn't risk getting closer if I were you." She closed her eyes and held a hand over her heart. "I fear I might try to squeeze the life out of you if I were to hug you now."
I chuckled and said, "Dear Naga, if we are like this now, can you imagine how jumpy we are going to be when we have the ceremony?"
"I can hardly imagine." She shook her head as she laughed cheerfully. "But it makes me happy just thinking about it." Lucina hummed as she looked me with her heart piercing eyes. "And even if this is a dream, then it is the best one I've ever had."
"Well then, we should probably buy rings while we have the time. That way we have something on our fingers to remind us about it every time we wake up."
She looked back at her left hand and smiled endearingly. "I'd like that, and maybe it will finally hit me that I am getting married. Until I met you, I haven't thought about the idea since I was six."
"Let me guess, you wanted to marry your father, right?"
Lucina blushed heavily embarrassed and said, "I was a child. I didn't understand what it meant, and my mother was always such a romantic." She defended herself as she looked at the ground. "You can't expect me to know everything when I was that young."
"Were you as adorable when you were six as you are now?" I laughed as her flushed cheeks and embarrassed face made me want to scoop her up and hold her in the air.
"Hpmh!" She huffed and immediately latched her hands on my arm. "Says the man who sleeps like a baby cub. If you weren't injured, I would've held you and never let you go because of how dashing and innocent you looked asleep."
I laughed and said, "I would rather be awake while you did that."
She smiled again, "You're going to regret saying that one day, because I mean it."
"I do too" I replied while she rested most of her weight on my arm. "So shall we get our rings so we can make it official?"
"Yes, let's." She nodded and hummed cheerfully. "Although, do you really think Anna will have them in stock?"
"Knowing her, she probably has a warehouse full of them and she will try to sell us everything she has."
...
With no second thoughts, Lucina and I walked side by side with our arms locked together as we passed through the camp. Our trip was short so we didn't encounter many people, but we gained a few looks as Vaike whistled in our direction. A couple of minutes later Lucina picked up the pace seeing Anna's tent in the distance, and we went from a leisurely stroll to a face paced walk.
Soon the red-headed merchant's hair came into view and I could bet she was already counting the coins as the two of us stopped at her stall. "Hello Anna, can you spare us a minute?" I asked as I took a look at her stock.
"Anything for a customer!" She chirped while quickly placing some of her most expensive wares in front of the table and withdrawing a few novelty items. She must have expected a different clientele today because she changed the display at lightening speed. Lucky amulets, talisman, and 'speed' feathers were quickly changed to expensive hand guards and gilded battle equipment.
"What can I get you two today? Would you like to think about new options for weaponry, or perhaps a composite shield that was made by the finest blacksmith would suit your tastes better? After all, you want to do everything possible to make sure that your special friend is safe in battle.
Lucina opened her mouth to say, "Actually, we were hoping you might have some-"
"Ah! I got it." Anna pulled a sword with a gold-plated and ruby encrusted hilt from a barrel next to her and placed it in front of me. "This is a sword befitting a master tactician. It's blade is sharp enough to cut through anything and its elegance would shine through the darkness."
"Hmm, now that I think about it. Would that be something you are interested in?" Lucina asked inspecting the finely craft sword. "I would like to buy you something for everything you've done for me."
"It's too flashy Lucina. I want to conceal my importance in battle so we don't get targeted." I informed her while looking back at Anna's wares. "Besides, you already know what I want."
The princess smiled and nodded, "Right." She turned her attention to Anna and said, "Do you have any rings for sale? Robin and I were hoping to purchase a set of them."
"Ooooh, getting married huh?" Anna's eyes lit up as her mind instantly converted that phrase into a mountain of gold. "My goodness, what a special occasion! There is nothing more beautiful than two people who wholeheartedly love each other getting together.
"You've said to me multiple times that there is nothing more beautiful than gold." I remarked back skeptical of her selling strategy.
"Nonsense!" Anna countered as she cried very enthusiastically. "Getting married is the most monumental occasion in any couples life! It holds a special place in every bride and groom's heart and it is the beginning of a whole new journey."
"I can hardly wait." Lucina tugged on me and said, "Once we defeat Grima, I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my days with Robin by my side.
"Yes, yes. You will have a happy life and all that stuff." She mumbled removing a wooden box from underneath her table, "However! Think about the important message a ring signifies. A love that lasts the end of time can only be carried by the finest quality rings. The diamond itself represents the ever lasting and unbreakable bond you have. That is why the bigger the diamond, the more special the relationship is."
Lucina scrunched her eyes in doubt and said, "I never heard that before."
I glared back skeptically at the merchant and said, "Neither have I."
"How weird, it's common knowledge across all married couples. Luckily, I happened to be carrying the best of the best with me!" She placed a large host of expensive looking rings with finely cut diamonds next to us. Each was neatly arranged from left to right with the caret size and price increasing exponentially.
"Wow, there are so many." She marveled in wonder.
"Pick anyone that you'd like." Anna replied overly enthusiastic. "And remember, you can't put a price on cherished memories!"
...
"Hmm." Lucina glanced at the rings and then looked back at me, "What do you think Robin?"
I shrugged and said, "I think I am going to be broke after this."
"Oh." She frowned and looked at me in regret. "I'm sorry. I had no idea that rings were so expensive, and I don't want to place any extra burdens on you."
"No, no. It's fine Lucina. Pick whatever ring you like the most and I'll find someway to afford it. I do get paid to solve problems after all." I replied knowing that I could always ask Chrom or Sumia for a loan if need be. "Besides, the most important thing to me is that you are happy."
Hesitantly, she returned her eyes to the selection in front of us and she tried on a couple of rings to see how they fit. Meanwhile Anna kept pointing out rings with price tags that would take me years to pay off under normal conditions.
…
"Oh!" Lucina's eyes rose as she picked up a ring tucked away in the corner of the box like it had been forgotten. "How much is this one?" She asked rubbing her fingers across the smooth surface and smiled with a growing admiration the longer she held it.
"Huh? Where did that come from?" The merchant asked perplexed as Lucina looked over it with great care.
"It even fits well." She cried in delight placing the ring on her finger and looked over to me with a giant grin. "Robin, if it's not too expensive, can we get this one?"
I paused for a moment confused as she glowed with a large amount of excitement. The ring she had on her finger was a simple golden band with no diamond or markings. It didn't even have a tag on it like the others did. "Um, Lucina, that is just a plain ring."
"I know, its perfect!" She replied marveling at it.
"B-but, but wouldn't you rather have a nicer ring with an expensive diamond?!" Anna questioned trying to compose herself. "They look pretty ... and they are shiny too!"
"I suppose they do look nice." Lucina thought it over for a moment before returning her gaze to the golden band on her ring finger and smiling in content. "But I never want to take off my ring, and this one will fit perfectly under my gloves when we are fighting. Not to mention, every time I wake up it will be right there so I can see it."
"But that is just a wedding ring!" Anna yelled in dismay. "What you want is an engagement ring!"
"... What's the difference?" She asked confused.
"The engagement ring is the biggest and most expensive thing you can afford. You wear it at parties and special events to show how rich, er, I mean how happy you are."
"But what about during the night when I am trying to sleep? I fear I might poke a hole in the sheets with a big diamond, or worse, I might hurt Robin with it." She shuddered at the thought.
"Which is why you buy a second ring that is more practical for daily use." Anna replied with a hint of anger as she thought this was basic knowledge.
"Two rings?" Lucina replied even more confused. "That doesn't make any sense. The ring is supposed to symbolize us being together forever, so I would never want to take it off and exchange it for another."
"But you are missing the point! You are a princess, and it's all about wealth and stature! What would the nobles think if their princess wore a simple little wedding band?"
"They would think I am married." Lucina replied not understanding the situation. "Besides, this ring looks beautiful. Don't you think so Robin?"
While I was a bit confused, I could not deny that she seemed overjoyed when she put it on her finger. Even now she was rubbing her thumb over it while she waited for my response.
"You make anything look incredible." Her grin widened even further as I said that, "And if that is what you want, then I will be glad to buy it for you. However, I will always be willing to buy you something bigger too. For once, Anna is right. This is a very big moment for both of us, and I want you to have the best."
"Then it is settled." Lucina replied elated. "I would like this one."
Anna's face was dumbstruck as Lucina asked for the price a second time. This was supposed to be an extremely easy sale that she didn't need to work for. "You have to be kidding! Do you want your wedding to be tarnished forever with such a flimsy ring?! At this point, you might as well ask Libra to preform your wedding ceremony in this Naga forsaken desert."
"... Have Libra perform our wedding here?" Lucina whispered in deep thought as a new idea popped in her head. "That's a wonderful idea!"
"What?!" Anna and I said in unison.
"I always figured we would get married after the war was over." She gazed over to me with a warm grin. "However, now that I think about it more, I want to get married as soon as possible. Plus, having the shepherds attend our ceremony seems all the more fitting. Almost all of my friends are here, and so are yours. It's perfect!"
"No! No, no, no, no, no, no!" Anna shouted in hysteria. "You want expensive flowers and fancy jewelry. Invitations that are gold-plated and a dress that costs more than most houses! It should take three months of planning for the color of the decoration because of how essential it is! What would people think if you just eloped in a barren wasteland?!
"The only person's opinion that matters is Robin's." She replied looking back at me with a fond grin. "Granted, I don't want to rush you into this either, but I love you beyond words. You mean everything to me, and just the thought of having this ring on is making me smile like a little girl."
"Lucina, you don't mean to say?" I asked in shock.
"We could get married tonight after we finish our march." She blushed a bright red as she said, "... If that is okay with you. I'd understand if you wanted to wait a little longer for it to be more traditional, but I am ready."
"I... Are you sure you about this?" I asked unsure.
"Yes." She nodded as she held my hand with her ring still attached. "I could borrow a wedding dress from mother since I know she carries it with her, and I am sure we could find a suit for you. The rest of the stuff doesn't matter to me, because we can always get those things later."
"You can only have one wedding! Why waste the opportunity?!" Anna shouted back.
"How is it a waste?" Lucina asked brushing up against me. "I have what I want right here, and our friends and family will be there to see it. I love you so much Robin, and I know we will be happy together."
"Well I …" I stood there in awe as her gaze melted my heart. Those big blue puppy eyes followed by the endearing look that placed a spell over me. "You know I can't refuse you when you are like this, and it does sound very nice."
"Hehe." She wrapped her arms around me threatening to send me toppling to the ground as she pushed her weight against my body. "Thank you Robin. I promise you won't regret it."
"I know I won't." I smiled while placing my hands on her back. "Tonight will be the beginning of a wonderful future."
"Yes." She hummed. "One I will do everything to protect."
...
...
"But what about the money!" Anna cried out loudly.