A/N
Hello everyone. So, I thought it would be fair to warn everyone that there is two chapters left in this story after this chapter. In other words, this story will be finished in Chapter 67. However, that does not mean I am done writing. Currently, I have plans to write a (shorter) piece called the 'Untold Stories.' As the name implies, it will refer to events before, during, and after Bed Time Story that could not be shared for various reasons. It will also be rated T and feature the lovely family, and a variety of other shepherds. So be on the look out for it in the coming months.
I would also like to thank everyone for being here on this journey with me, regardless of how long you've kept tabs on this story. Last month this story reached its two year anniversary, and it has been a massive undertaking. Even this chapter comes in between studying for exams and writing essays. So I can only hope that this work was able to improve your day or bring a smile to your face.
...
"Are you sure we can't convince you to stay a little longer?" Robin asked sincerely
"I'm sorry, but I've already stayed more than I should have." The woman in green frowned.
"So a little longer couldn't hurt, right?" Lucina asked knowing the reasons she would have to leave, and hoped she would change her mind.
"Yeah! Come on Sarah!" Morgan tried to follow in and convince her to stay.
Regretfully, she said, "I really am sorry. Although it was a pleasure to meet you all. It's good to see that our fireball has only grown stronger away from the manor, and with such a sweet family to support him."
"And it was wonderful to know more about his adorable childhood." Lucina nodded back.
"I suppose it would be." Sarah stopped for a moment and said, "But I doubt it's as exciting as the adventures the two of you have been on. Fighting in wars, and slaying dragons. Those aren't the typical things you hear about everyday. Not even from heroes."
"Well, we didn't really have much of a choice." Robin said shrugging it off. "We did what we had to, and thankfully we had friends to support us. In the end I am just a tactician that relies on everyone else to help me."
"I would have to disagree." Sarah replied skeptical. "There is definitely something special about you two. How else could you explain all of those fantastic feats? It all seems too incredible to be a coincidence, and I doubt it is the product of luck. So don't sell yourself short."
"Exactly! My parents are the best in the world" Morgan cried happily. "And one day I am going to make a name for myself just like my parents did!"
"I'm sure you will." She smiled back and said with a sigh. "Now, if only I can travel back in time to reclaim my youth to do the same. Unfortunately, it doesn't sound like it works that way."
Robin rubbed the back of his head and said with a faint laugh, "What makes you think that?"
Sarah glanced over to Lucina and then Morgan. "The queen had an engaging conversation with me about time travel. She seemed to know the mechanics of it well. Apparently, Naga uses it to send back strong warriors during dark times. Sometimes, they even fall in love, and create very close families."
"Ha, well Sumia does like to exaggerate at times." Robin said nervous, "She has always been the romantic type."
Sarah smirked and said playfully, "It seems that way. Although, I'm not so sure. I think there might be some truth in her words. Wouldn't you agree Morgan?"
"It's definitely possible! Especially if the two of them are amazing parents!" Morgan chirped with a wide grin.
"Indeed, it would take someone very special to catch the eye of a princess, and a beautiful one at that." Sarah smiled while catching the parents off guard. "Not to mention the surprise of having a fully grown daughter. That would have to take some time to get used to." She turned back to Robin and said, "But then again, like you said, her grace does tend to exaggerate things."
"Heh. Yeah. Good ol' Sumia and her stories ..." Robin muttered lowly. It was odd enough that Sumia told a stranger about time travel, and even more bizarre that she actually believed it. It seemed to him that this woman was always full of surprises.
"But I trust you are feeling better Morgan." Sarah asked politely. "The last thing I heard from the castle was that you were still sick."
"Not any more!" Morgan cried energetically. "I beat that sickness the same way my mother crashes into her opponents!"
"Sounds like an unfair fight." She commented watching the girl's grin widen in pride.
"Yeah, it was! That stuff never had a chance against my amazing power!"
Sarah smiled and said, "Good. I doubt it would be the same if you were not running through the castle halls."
Robin shrugged and said, "Funny. I guess my past came back to bite me. You spent so much time chasing after me, and now I have to do the same with this little devil over here when it is her bed time."
"Hehe." Morgan laughed quietly while trying to maintain an innocent an angelic composure. The result was an evil smirk.
"And I'm afraid I also gave my mother quite a hassle when I was younger." Lucina said embarrassed.
"I think we all did at one time or another." Sarah nodded looking back at Robin one more time. The man she saw before her had grown to be so strong despite her inability to take care for him. It was a great relief to see he never lost the fire in his eyes, or the determination to be around others. "Sometimes it is even the mother that is the hassle ..."
"Oh! I almost forgot!" Morgan said alarmed figuring that she was about to leave soon. "The letter!"
"What letter?" Robin asked confused.
"Well, hypothetically speaking. In the future I came from, you just missed Sarah before she was about to leave. So she wrote you a letter instead."
"R-right." Sarah nodded nervously. "I was actually about to give up on my search when I noticed you three in the park. I thought it was a miracle."
Robin looked skeptically back at his child and said, "Speaking of which. You did want to go the park yesterday for some strange reason. And you also knew what fireball meant."
"Sorry father. I told you I couldn't ruin the surprise."
"I see. I'm glad you didn't either, but what did the letter say?" Robin asked interested.
"Nothing important." Sarah glanced down at the ground while trying to maintain a calm composure, with little success. "Most of it was already covered now that I had a chance to meet you in person."
"What about the part that wasn't?" Morgan asked hoping she would relent.
"Oh, forgive me. It seems to have slipped my memory." Sarah lied while quickly trying to think of an excuse to change the subject.
"But maybe if you thought about it more then-"
Lucina put a hand on Morgan's shoulder and said, "She's already been kind enough to share so much. It was be rude for us to press her any further."
"... I suppose." She said disheartened.
Sarah then moved from her seat and said hastily, "Anyways. I really should be going. I'll just go get my bags from the inn and be on my way."
"It's okay. I'll get them for you." Robin insisted not wanting her to go through the trouble.
"No. I couldn't impose on you like that." Sarah shook her head.
"Please. I insist."
...
Once Robin left and went upstairs to get her luggage, there was an awkward silence hanging in the air. Especially since it seemed that Morgan had read the letter Katherine had wrote. But not wanting to miss the opportunity, Morgan was the one to speak first and said. "You don't have to go. You can stay longer."
"If I do he will figure out who I am." The woman said sadly. "And I am just not ready."
"Perhaps we could help." Lucina asked concerned while she rose from her seat. "We are here for you Katherine. You wouldn't be alone facing him."
She shook her head and said, "It's quite alright girls. Seeing Robin again was more than enough for me. Since he left, I have wanted to see him one more time. To know that he is doing well in life and can handle things on his own." Katherine rubbed her eye and found it difficult to speak. "So I am very thankful for the opportunity I was given. Especially to see him so happy and free of worries. It means a lot to me."
Gently, the princess said, "You know, he would forgive you for what happened. It's not too late to be his mother."
Katherine looked down at the ground in sorrow with a large sigh. "It would be just like that boy to forgive me. He would probably even say it was Validar who was responsible. But I can't accept his kindness anymore, and I don't want to be forgiven for what I have done to him."
"We all make mistakes." Lucina said tenderly.
"I know, but even now I can't look him in the eye as his mother. I am far too afraid. Especially now that he has a new start on life. He no longer needs to remember the burdens of his past. So why ruin the opportunity he was given to forget?"
"Even still, you will always be his mother. Nothing can change that, and I can tell you care greatly for him. It sounds like he also was very close to you back then as well."
Katherine gave a faint smile and said, "I'm not so sure about that anymore. I've been replaced, and by a beautiful princess no less."
Lucina blushed and said, "I don't think I could ever do that."
"I do." Katherine nodded. "Robin boasts about you with the same fascination and wonder that he had when he was a child. It really is special to see."
"He is a special person." Lucina whispered not sure what else to say.
Katherine then turned to the younger one and said, "So, I take it you know a lot about me."
"Actually. No." Morgan frowned. "Unfortunately, all I know about you is in that letter you wrote."
"Hmm. I see." Katherine sighed with some regret. That meant Morgan did not know what happened to Robin when he was a child. The aspiring tactician could only guess that something bad happened in the past.
"I take it this is the letter you were referring to earlier?" Lucina asked wondering more about it.
The Elibean woman sighed again and reached inside one of her pockets. She then pulled out an envelope that had a worn yellowish tint. "I'm not good with words. At least, not since I was kidnapped. It took me over three weeks to write this, and even still it is only a measly four pages. Hardly enough to say to the son you haven't seen in years. I guess I just don't know what to say to the boy. I never did, really."
"I see. So you told Robin about yourself in this letter."
"Somewhat, it is mostly me rambling on not sure what to say. Even mentioning that I was his mother took me days."
Lucina nodded and said, "It must have taken an even greater courage to want to meet him in person."
"I guess ..." She shook off the thought and said, "But forgive me, I have a favor to ask."
"Sure. I'll help anyway I can." The princess said reaching out to the woman.
"Could you-" She closed her eyes and said, "Will you be sure to give him this letter a week or so from now? Any sooner and I fear he might track me down."
Lucina nodded back and said, "I will. Unless you choose to give it to him in person."
She cringed and looked away again. Just the thought made her uncomfortable and she said lowly, "I couldn't. But … there is one more thing I must ask of you. Could you not tell him about what happened? There is no sense in digging up such awful memories, and I'd rather he believe he grew up with a kind and caring mother."
"Don't worry. I won't tell him." Lucina replied respecting her wishes. "However, you have to do us a favor too."
"Oh?" Katherine said surprised.
Lucina smiled and said, "Promise you will come back and visit the castle. You will always be welcome, and I know Robin would be thrilled to have you."
"... I don't know."
"Please Katherine. We would all love to have you" Lucina pleaded back.
"Yeah. Come on!" Morgan encouraged while raising a fist in the air.
She shook her head and said, "I can't make any promises, but I'll try. Someday."
"Thank you."
"I'm not making any promises, you know." She insisted while clasping her hands together.
Lucina smiled and said, "I know."
Undeterred, Morgan smiled and said, "So when you do come back. Would it be okay if I called you grandmother?"
The woman stopped and looked back at the child in wonder. Never had a word seemed so foreign to her before. "In all my years, I never thought I would ever hear someone call me by that name."
"Neither did I imagine I would have a child call me mother." Lucina nodded knowing how strange it would feel.
"Morgan I ... If I come back someday, I would very much like to call you my granddaughter."
"Awesome!" Morgan beamed. "Then one day we can play games and you can bring me presents. Oh, and we can even bake a big cake that is loaded with tons of sugar and frosting. We will make the cake so big, that we can fit another cake inside the cake's cake."
"Sounds good." Katherine nodded.
"And don't forget my future sister! She will want to see you too."
"Future sister?" Lucina asked surprised.
"Yeah! My future little sister. Colonel Morgan!" Morgan cried excitedly. "The colonel part will be so we can tell the difference between me Morgan, and future me, Morgan."
"I'm not sure how well that would go with your father." Lucina said unsure about the idea.
"You're right. She will need a cooler name like … Captain Morgan!"
Katherine turned to the older princess and said, "I'm not sure how well I would be able to adjust to being a grandmother. I doubt I could keep up with one, let alone two granddaughters."
Lucina smiled warmly and said, "Neither am I. But I am looking forward to it. After fighting for so long, the thought of having a big family with my husband makes everything seem worth it a thousand times over."
Katherine closed her eyes and pictured the idea of a little Morgan running across the manor at blistering speeds. Laughter echoing through her as the butlers and maids tried their best to corner her. The image then turned to her son. A wide grin was on his face as he explored the forest with his trusted dog by his side. The fireball of energy that passed on his own curious and bombastic nature to his own daughter.
…
"Alright. I think I got everything." Robin said unaware of the conversation or that he had been the main subject of it. Instead, he carried a bag of clothes and a worn suitcase that he found at the side of her bed.
However, Katherine was still too fixed on her thoughts to notice. The only thing she could do was look back at the man in front of her in wonder thinking about the day she didn't regret.
Feeling a little uncomfortable by the stare, Robin shook it off and said, "Anyways, I'm really glad you could shed some light on my younger self, and I am sorry for all the hassles I caused back then."
"It was no trouble." Sarah paused for a moment realizing she had lost herself. "And it was an absolute pleasure to see you and your lovely family."
"It was great to see you as well." Robin nodded. "Oh! And we will have to meet again sometime soon."
"Yeah ..." Katherine paused and said, "So be sure you take care of these girls until then, alright? I don't want to hear about you mistreating them while I am gone."
"Don't worry." Robin said strongly. "I will protect them with my life if necessary if it means keeping them happy."
"Nonsense!" Lucina's tone sharpened as she said, "If anyone needs protection, it will be whoever tries to hurt you. You're not leaving me anytime soon, or ever for that matter!"
Katherine smiled seeing the princess tug on her husband stubbornly. The fierceness in her eyes showed how close they had grown in such a short time. It meant a lot for the Elibean woman to see. To know that her son found someone special, and that for once the future looked bright for him.
"Robin..." Katherine paused for a moment as she looked her son in the eyes. A large sigh bottled up in her mouth as she swallowed it back down. She couldn't face him yet, but she couldn't leave like this either.
"Hmm? Yes Sarah?" Robin asked strangely anxious. He didn't know why, but something about her always made him nervous.
Finding the courage to speak Katherine said, "I'm not sure if it is my place to say this, but if your mother were here right now, she would be so happy to see you. You grew up to be such a talented son with a loving family to whom Ylisse owes a great debt. I also know that she loves you very much, and wishes you the best. Your mother … She is proud of you Robin. Very proud."
"T-thanks." Robin stuttered back.
Without saying another word, she smiled faintly and turned away. The urge to cry was only surpassed by the fear of making him worry again like he did when he was younger. "I ... suppose this is where I say goodbye."
"No." Lucina shook her head and said, "Goodbye is only used when we will never see each other again."
"Right. It is not a word I am fond of." Robin said knowing he would never say it again. At least, never around the people he cared about.
"I see." The disguised woman nodded and said. "Then, I'll see you again sometime … soon."
"I'll look forward to it." Robin smiled back. "And maybe someday I could visit the manor. Maybe say hello to Mark if he is still around."
"Y-yes. I think he'd like that."
With a few more parting words, the three said there farewells to the housekeeper, but only one still thought of her as Sarah. It had taken the woman all of her strength to not break down, but she remained silent on the matter. Of course she knew Robin would forgive her. She knew that from the start, but she wasn't ready yet.
After all, how do you face someone and tell them that you used them as an umbrella when it rained. Or that during the cold nights she would force him to sleep far away from her. It was never a matter of Robin forgiving her or the fear of what he might think of her. Rather, it was a problem that she could not forgive herself. She could not forget the image of that boy shivering as he tiredly found her after their game of hide and go seek. Instead, she could only cling to a single word. Soon.
It was a strange word. There was no time frame. No direct window of opportunity. Soon could range anywhere from a day to many years. Sometimes it was even the last words of good friends who would never see each other again. But she held hope. The word offered her more comfort than the last few years did. She did not know how long it would take or when she would be ready. Still, she would do it. She told herself that she would see him again. And next time, it would be as Katherine. Not Sarah. And with any luck it would be sooner; rather than later.
...
"Oh gods." Robin's eyes widened as a revelation crossed his mind. Something that terrified his soul to the core. He had spent a great deal of time thinking about who he was, and his past that it had distracted him. It was only now that he realized he overlooked something. Something horrible.
"Everything okay dear?" Lucina asked worried seeing Robin's face turn pale.
"I just realized something." He grimaced as his heart sank. A spear had run through his stomach as he said in fear, "Sarah told Sumia all about my embarrassing stories as a child. Dear Naga, does Sarah realize the madness she unleashed by telling your mother about my childhood?!
"Maybe it won't be so bad." The princess said encouragingly. She guessed that if she could figure out her identity, then her mother would have picked up on it ten times quicker.
"No, you don't understand. This is Sumia we are talking about! She is never going to let me live that down. Every time she sees me she is going to be thinking about the silly things I did back then."
"Trust me dear. It is not as bad as you think." Lucina reassured happily.
"And what makes you think that?" Robin asked afraid. The thought of Sumia tormenting him was an almost certainty.
However, Lucina playfully bumped into him. A giant grin on her face as she said, "Because my mother won't be as nearly as bad as me. From now on I'm going to be the one to remind you of how cute you were, and how you still are in my eyes. "
"Oh boy." Robin said not sure whether to be happy or terrified.
"And don't forget!" Morgan cried. "I'm never going to forgive you for naming me after your dog either."
"How was I supposed to know?" Robin defended as the two women cornered him from both sides. "It doesn't seem like I ever met Sarah in the old-time lie."
Morgan was secretly happy that she had managed to change that. Like her mother, she originally had one mission. To save her father from the curse that Grima had placed on him. However, it felt great to know she could give her father an opportunity to meet his mother as well. Although, she figured she would get in trouble for not telling him too. "I don't care. I don't walk on four limbs, most of the time, and you should have known better."
"I guess so, but I hope that doesn't mean you want new name." Robin frowned back
"What?! Of course not? Why would I ever give up the awesome name that my parents gave me?" Morgan cried back with a dramatic tone.
"But didn't you just say that-"
"I love my name, and I am proud of it." Morgan nodded back. "That doesn't mean I can't be mad and hassle you for it. Besides, I'm sure Captain Morgan will bug you for it too!"
"Come again?" Robin asked wondering what his daughter was going on about now.
"You know. Little me of this time. Captain Morgan. That's what we are calling her."
"We are?" Robin turned to his wife confused. She in turn raised her shoulder to say she didn't know either.
"Yeah. I can't wait to meet her in a couple of years!" Morgan cried excited.
"Hmm? But didn't you say that it took around three years for us to have you in the last time line?" Robin asked puzzled. He remembered that Tiki had told him something about how Grima's curse damaged his ability to have children.
"Right, but that was the old-time line. This time around, I have a feeling I'll get to see my little sister sooner." Morgan smiled optimistically. "Maybe someday in the future I will even have a brother too!"
"... I suppose it is possible." Robin replied not giving it much thought before. He wasn't exactly sure how he would be able to handle multiple kids. Let alone another fireball of energy like his daughter. "But let's not get to ahead of ourselves."