As much as Robin would have liked to stop and think about his past, the rest of the day had not allowed him to do so. Instead, he needed to watch the other opponents left for Lucina to fight in the tournament. At the start of the day there were six other competitors, but that dwindled to three as the other warriors finished their duels. Lucina would now enter the semi finals facing a man like no other. His origin's were uncertain, but rumors favored him like a dueling hurricane, and as Robin watched him fight he soon realized that it would be possible.

Although, like all people, he had strengths and weaknesses that could be exploited. It was only a matter of finding them, and Robin had an idea or two that could work. He told his wife as much during their briefing before the battle.

"Keep left when he raises his sword, and be careful with sweeping attacks. He can counter those."

Lucina nodded as she listened intently. Robin was never much of a traditional tactician. Especially with his wife, he never told her how to fight or where to strike. She was more than capable of making those decisions herself. Even during the middle of a battle, it would be foolish to expect a battle to go to plan. Instead, Robin adapted quickly enough to counter the threat. It was more about knowing when to apply pressure, and when to avoid traps. Eventually an opportunity would present itself. So as usual, Robin debriefed on what to look out for, and left the real strategy up to Lucina.

"Also, there is one more thing." Robin stressed.

"What's that?" She asked curious.

Robin leaned over the edge of the stadium wall and kissed his wife in front of the packed arena. "Remember that I'll be fighting next to you in spirit."

Lucina smiled back while bracing herself for the fight. Robin's actions were more than enough to give her an extra source of energy. "Thanks love. I'll remember that."

"Alright, then I better head back to my seat before Morgan destroys it." The tactician joked. "Good luck sweetheart. Not that you need it."

…

Soon after, Lucina took her place in the middle of the arena and faced her opponent. He was a tall figure who wielded a golden sword, intentionally blunted for the fight so it would not kill, and shining silver armor to go with his blue hair. Not to mention, he seemed to have an unusually peaceful nature about him.

"Strange. It is rare to see a coach be so friendly near his champion's perch. A bold action like that is liable to get him killed." He said calmly with his eyes closed. It looked as if he was meditating despite the battle he was about to face.

"He is my husband." Lucina said proudly. A hum in her voice as she felt him supporting her on the sidelines.

"Interesting." The man pondered for a moment with great thought. A small smirk emerging from his lips as he said, "Then you have my sincerest congratulations. Love is a battlefield of its own. A duel that can be won with words rather than steel, but it is as lethal if not more. Truly, it tests ones resolve and brings about great hardship if done wrong."

She thought it was strange how he spoke, but ignored it and said happily, "Or great joy when you meet the right person"

"Indeed." He affirmed and opened his eyes for the first time. "Ah, but pardon me. I have yet to introduce myself. The name is Priam. It was bestowed upon me by my parents, to whom were also named by their parents. Thus continuing a cycle that descends down my ancestry line long before recorded history.

"And I am Lucina. Daughter of …" She had to stop herself because she almost accidentally said Chrom, which wouldn't make sense because the cover story was that they were siblings. "Actually, if you don't mind, I would like to shy away from using titles. They are of little use here, and the only important one to me is wife.

"Ah, yes. I understand. For some strange reason the good citizens of this town have come to call me the man who stormed a hurricane, which is odd. I merely charged at the hurricane. I do not possess the ability to create a storm of my own. Only mother nature herself is capable of such a thing. "

"I still find it difficult to believe you would knowingly run head first into a hurricane." Lucina said skeptical.

"Unfortunately, my former ship would disagree with you. The vessel entrusted for my safe passage was lost by the turbulent sea. Even I only survived by ducking underneath the water and swimming five miles to shore. Luckily, my time spent training in the ocean facing the bitter waves was well spent to endure such an occasion. Even still, it was only through the hidden forces of nature that protected me from a violent end."

"Five miles?" Lucina said surprised. She then made a mental note to herself that she would have to learn to swim soon. She was able to stay afloat, but it was still a foreign feeling to be surrounded by water. It would also be embarrassing to ask, but she hoped that Robin would help teach her. Truth be told, she almost liked the idea of not knowing some of the common things about this world. It meant they could try new things together and that each day was an adventure of its own.

"Anyways. My aquatic experiences are not the reason to which we are entangled in this upcoming battle of skill." Priam said while changing from his tranquil stance to a battle hardened warrior. "I trust you are ready?"

"Yes." Lucina nodded while she took her battle stance. The determination in her eyes was unrivaled by any other, and she had two people giving her great strength from the sidelines.

…

The battle began in a thunderous way. Priam charged at Lucina with great speed and slashed at the area she had been. The pure strength behind his attack meant that she could not block it. The amount of energy it would take would sap her strength before long. Instead, she resorted to her speed. Dodging to the left she escaped the first strike, but she barely had time to react before Priam unleashed a second and third attack. The sheer power was matched by his lightening speed.

Lucina tried to distance herself from her opponent, but he quickly made up the ground. His golden sword gleaming as the sun pierced down on the arena. Robin had warned her beforehand not to think of Priam as a power type. Priam was as agile as he was strong, and that was showing as he unleashed three more devastating quickly attacks near her legs. The third one she had to block with her sword or she would have lost her footing.

The two swords loudly pinged through the stadium leaving the spectators with ringing in their ears. Lucina could also feel the power of the strike vibrating through her arms and shoulders, but she held strong and used the force as a way to push herself back. She then darted to left and slid underneath a slash attack. Her momentum pushed her away from her attacker, but she managed to swipe her sword backwards and hit Priam near his ankle.

"Impressive." Priam said in heavy tone. "It has been a while since someone has managed to evade my attacks. It has been even longer since an opponent managed to strike me."

Lucina then quickly went over her options. She did not have the strength he did, and he could match her speed. Both of them were also in peak physical condition. It would take hours before either would succumb to fatigue by running around the stadium. Lucina however could not hope to last if Priam managed to connect enough strikes against Falchion. Her shoulders would break first. Doing the only thing she could think of, she circled around Priam. If the warrior could match her speed, then she would force him to fight at that pace.

"Hyrah!" Lucina shouted while she struck at her opponent. She knew the blow would not connect, but she had to change the tempo. She could not win if Priam kept leading the pace. Again she attacked, and again he deflected, but the audience watched in awe as the two warriors clashed. At their high speeds, Priam could not summon enough energy to send heavy strikes. His feet were constantly moving and the only power he could draw from was his arms. This allowed Lucina a fighting chance. As long as he could not balance his feet, she would be able to block his strikes without taking the brunt of the blow.

As the fighting continued, both Lucina and Priam were running at full sprint around each other. Each was trying to out pace the other to reach their flank. However, the crowd had never seen this type of fighting before. From the crowds perspective, they could only see the blur of their swords. It was difficult to keep up on their movements, let alone track who was attacking who. Lucina could hardly keep up with what was going on either.

In one instant a sword would come from her left, and then her right. Up, and then back to her right. At times the only thing she could do was react to the hell fire of sword strikes, but there was something else guiding her. She had spent so long fighting next to Robin's side that she could still hear his words while she fought.

"Peel left!"

Instantly, without even thinking, her body circled to the left. It was almost as if Robin said the words next to her despite being on the opposite side of the arena. The princess then struck with an uppercut. Priam blocked it, and she tried again with a diving attack. In less than a second, the two warriors exchanged three blows and swapped positions once more.

"Keep Pressing. Don't stop."

Back when she fought next to Robin's side, it amazed her how in sync their movements used to be. Now she could even hear his advice in her head. She did not know if she was recalling his words from their fights long ago, or if he really was there next to her. Whatever the case, she knew what she had to do.

"Keep steady. Not yet. Not yet. Now!"

"Now!" Lucina shouted urgently. In the blink of an eye, Lucina twisted around to stop her momentum and planted her feet solidly on the ground while dust kicked up from below. Priam, who was trailing her from behind could not stop in time because of his extra weight and charged forward.

However, that would be his undoing. With Priam running at full speed combined with the power of Lucina's strike caused a massive impact against Priam's left shoulder. His silver-white armor buckled from the vicious attack and left bruises underneath. How the warrior even managed to keep himself from falling to the ground was an impressive feat. Meanwhile, Lucina's hands stung as the vibrations of the swing rippled through her arms. It was like she tried to smash through a dragon's skull with a hammer while it was flying directly at her.

"Very impressive." Priam replied gasping for breath. Parts of his shoulder guard fell off and what was left had buried itself into his skin. Even now it would be a risk to use his arm without jabbing metal shards inside. That is, assuming he could even use it. Even for a man who challenged hurricanes, the attack would surely have dislocated or fractured his shoulder.

As for Lucina, she too was exhausted and her hands felt numb. Even her strongest attack was not enough to send her opponent to the ground. Unfortunately for her, the fight was not over yet.

Priam laughed heartily. "I haven't been hit that hard since the last time I tried to challenge my father. Ah such good memories those were. He wanted me to fight with Ragnell, but in those days I was stubborn and wanted to fight with a crossbow. Hah, what a naive boy I was at the time."

Winded, Lucina found it difficult to speak but that name rang familiar with her. "Ragnell... as in, the Radiant Hero's sword?"

"The one and the same." Priam nodded. "As I mentioned before, naming children was a common occurrence in my ancestry. One of them bore the name Ike."

"So you're-" Lucina stopped to catch her breath and said in wonder, "A descendant of him. It is an honor."

"Hah! Nonsense. The honor is mine. Never before have I met someone with such determination in their eyes. It is a sight beholden to see."

"... I'm not sure I understand." Lucina said confused.

"It's simple." Priam said strongly. "What is a candle without flame? It holds wax, and the potential to bring warmth, but without spark it will not show the light. In my years I have seen many candles catch fire. None so much as yours. Not even my attempts to be a candle maker could produce such a strong flame. Even when I thought I found the proper wick and wax, the intensity of the flame could only last as long as there was wax left. But alas, it is a trade I could not master when I was seven."

"I'm sorry. I still don't follow."

"Ah yes. I wasn't able to follow the candle making business either. It is a shame, because it is difficult to read a book in the dark."

Lucina half thought about pursuing this line of questions. The longer he spoke, the more rest she could get. If she could conserve her strength long enough maybe she could find another opening.

"Ah ha! That is precisely what I am referring to. That persistence. That resoluteness to never give up. It burns bright in your eyes. Brighter than I've ever seen before." Priam nodded and said, "It is troubling. I will never become the greatest swordsman in the world if someone else's candle burns brighter than mine." Grimacing, the warrior ignored his shoulder and strengthened his footing. He then firmly grabbed his sword with his good hand and said, "So show me that determination of yours. I intend to study it if I am to earn my place as a champion of the sword, and perhaps some day the crossbow."

Gathering herself, Lucina gripped Falchion with both hands. She would fight, but not to the last breath like she used to. She was no longer fighting for the world. Only for the people she held dear. One of which was probably cheering at the top of her lungs.

"En garde!" Priam shouted as he rushed towards her. Once again, he attacked with lightening speed.

Lucina swooped around to strike Priam from behind, but he countered and the two legendary blades screeched as they struck against each other. Even with only one arm he still packed a punch in his strikes. Priam then sent another volley immediately after, but Lucina was ready for it. Instead of dodging, she used her momentum to rush forward. The two swords rang out again, and Lucina felt a great weight on her arms. Knowing she could not stay in the sword lock long, she dashed closer towards Priam and tried to press his arm further.

"Over the underpass and under the overpass." Priam smirked to himself. "I like your creativity. Never attacking the same way twice."

Lucina wasn't sure how he was able to speak during the middle of a fight. It required all of her concentration just to stay on solid footing against him. Meanwhile Priam kept up his assault. Only, now his attacks were almost coming exclusively from the right and left. It was strange. Earlier he attacked in every direction. Each time he tried to catch her off guard, and she narrowly fought off her attacker. Now, he alternated between her right and left side. The speed of his attacks had also quickened.

Trying to break the cycle, Lucina jumped back. Without hesitation Priam charged forward and once again struck on her right side. She could feel the wind gust across her face as the sword swiped through the air. However, she was not the only one struggling to keep up. Sweat was dripping down Priam's face, and he looked incredibly tired. Only the will power of both warriors kept them going at this point.

"This is how a battle should be!" Priam shouted while he spun around and crashed Ragnell into Falchion. By this point lesser swords would have broken or chipped from their fight. "The heart and soul clashing against the force of another. Both passions unwilling to yield in battle."

Lucina whipped around using every ounce of her energy to keep the pressure on Priam. His movements slowed, but he still packed a powerful punch. This was it. She had to do it now. Her muscles were cramping and the strength in her body was fading. Whatever she had left she would put into her next attack. There would be no other way she could win.

"Tell me. I must know. What do you fight for? What makes your candle burn so bright?"

"My family!" Lucina cried back. The force behind her strikes made it difficult even for Priam to keep up. Left, up, right, up, down, forward. Each strike nearly making contact with the titan in front of her as she continued to put the weight of her family behind her.

"Ah. I see now." He smiled despite being under heavy attack and nearly being struck on multiple occasions. It was almost as if his mouth was disconnected from his body and unaware of the danger he was in. "I know of no force stronger, with the exception of compounding interest."

Pressing forward, Lucina jumped in the air. Her sword glistened in the sun's rays and reflected into Priam's eyes. Effectively blinding him. "Take this!"

Priam rose his sword to defend, but she feigned where she would strike from. Half blinded, Priam could only rely on his instincts to guard him.

Soon, the sound of metal being torn apart echoed through the stadium. A clean hit struck Priam against his chest and the blunted damage of her sword collapsed the armor he was wearing. The audience paused in disbelief. A dreary silence went over the crowd as they could not believe what had happened.

…

"Impressive. Most impressive" Priam smirked back. His smile widened further as if he was not hit by an anvil.

Despite everything, he still stood. His feet did not move from their place after taking the heavy blow. He was like an iron wall, only a hundred times stronger. Even more bizarre, he maneuvered his body to accept attack at its full force.

"I … I have nothing left." Lucina gasped unable to continue. The arena was getting dizzy and she could barely keep from collapsing.

Seeing that his opponent was losing consciousness, he withdrew his sword to its scabbard and said happily, "You fought well. Too well I fear. Had you been at your best the outcome would have been different."

"Come again?" Lucina asked tiredly. Even speaking proved to be a challenge.

"Your footing. It is off." Priam remarked plainly. "Each time I struck from the right, you would not anticipate an attack from the left, or vice versa. It was if you were expecting there to be someone else fighting next to you."

"...That would be a problem." Lucina replied fatigued while lowering herself to one knee. She had noticed it earlier in the tournament herself, but it wasn't a problem she knew how to fix. She became accustomed to the idea of Robin fighting next to her.

"But I am glad I entered this tournament. It has been a long time since I've fought in a duel this close. I felt alive, and like a bird who had been thrown off his tree by his mother. Only learning to fly saved me from a grisly end."

Too tired to speak, Lucina nodded as she felt the pain growing in her arms. They had been pushed to their limits, and her legs were also in a similar state.

…

"Lucina, are you alright?!" An urgent cry came from behind her. Unnoticed by the princess, Robin came rushing towards her as the match finished. While the crowed was stunned from seeing Priam withstand the blow, Robin had hopped over the wall and ran at full sprint to check on his wife.

"Yes." Lucina replied faintly.

Not satisfied, Robin leaned over her and gently placed his hands on her arm. He then felt the tension in her muscles as she winced in pain. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

"No dear." She lightly shook her head. "Just incredibly sore."

"We still should get you to a cleric to be safe." Robin urged.

"It's fine dear. It's fine." Lucina smiled weakly to reassure him. "We've both been through worse."

"Still, I don't want to-"

"Be at ease." Priam said calmly. "She'll need rest, but my sword never hit her armor. She is too quick even for my skill."

"You were wonderful out there." Robin replied sincerely to his wife.

That earned him a smile as she said, "Thank you."

"She was a fierce opponent. Although, one day I hope to spar with you again when you are at your strongest." Priam nodded back to Lucina.

She returned her gaze to the warrior and said, "That will prove difficult. I am at my strongest when my husband is fighting next to me."

"I see. Then I must train even harder even if I ever should hope to defeat you both. There is no other way I can hope to claim the title I covet."

Curious, Lucina asked, "What makes you want to be the greatest sword fighter so badly?"

"A number of reasons." Priam replied promptly. "But to keep it short, it is my calling. I have felt it since I was but a young child in my youth. From candle making to crossbow training, nothing stuck so clearly with in me or felt so right as the hilt of the sword in my hand. It was like we were both forged to wield each other. Not as master and servant, but as equal partners. The day my father placed Ragnell in my hands everything changed. Ragnell, the strength and elegance she holds is the finest thing I have ever felt in my life. She was betrothed to me when I was seventeen, and we have not parted since. She is the extension of my hand and carries swift justice to those who dare try to break our soul. The harsh winters did not brittle our resolve, and the grueling heat would not temper our bonds. We have faced many trials, and endured those that tried to attack us. I owe my life and soul to Ragnell, for there is no reason to live without a sword that holds true and strikes with an unyielding dynamism that-"

Priam would have continued but he fainted in front of the two with a loud thud. His energy had been sapped to its limits. However, even that would not stop him. Despite being unconscious, Priam continued to mutter to himself. His words slurred and inaudible as he went into a deep sleep.

…

"Easy. Take it slow" Robin said while Lucina rested some of her weight on him. She was using him as a crutch as she struggled to move forward. They managed to exit the stadium, and were now outside looking for their daughter who would almost certainty arrive soon.

"I'm okay Robin. You don't need to worry about me."

He chuckled and said, "I know. Still, you can't blame me for wanting to help."

Lucina sighed and said, "I suppose not."

"But, you really were amazing out there. I've never seen anything as incredible in my life. The way you fought was mesmerizing."

Lucina blushed a red hew as she suffered her husband's intolerable praise. "I lost, dear."

"I would hardly call it losing. That man was one of the strongest fights in the world, and you held your ground against him. You truly are amazing." Robin said wondrously. Almost like a school boy.

Ignoring his comment and her growing smile, she said, "I just hope Morgan is not disappointed. She really wanted me to win the tournament."

"I have a feeling she won't mind." Robin replied confidently.

"What makes you say that?"

…

"Mom!" Morgan shouted as she sprinted towards them. Her eyes were wide in pure excitement as she said in a hurried tone. "That was amazing! Priam couldn't touch you. He tried, but you were like "You shall not defeat me!" and he was like "We shall see about that!" And then boom! The two of your blades sparked against each other with the thundering speed of a thousand dragons. You should have seen the way you fought mom! Dashing, slashing and attacking. I could barely keep up! It was like watching a lightning storm, with you as the grand conductor!"

"Oh, well. I'm not so sure about that." Lucina said embarrassed.

Morgan heroically raised her arm in the air and said with a great vigor, "I am. It was unfathomably spectacular, fantastical, and momentous! It was greatest moment I have even seen in my entire life! The way you held off his hurricane attacks and ran at him with two, no, three times the speed of a war-horse! No mater what he tried, you countered and dished out a thousand different attacks in return. Even Grima would have been scared to death witnessing your unbelievable power!"

"Sweetie, I think you might be exaggerating a little."

"No, I agree." Robin chirped in. "You were breathtaking to watch."

Feeling her cheeks heat up, she wasn't sure what to do as the two of them praised her. Didn't they realize that she had lost the battle?

"Oh man! I can't wait to tell everyone I know about this. Severa and Cynthia are going to be so jealous when I tell them all about how you broke through his armor and held strong against a ten foot behemoth!"

"I think Owain will be more interested in hearing about how Priam spoke. He had that same colorful tone about him." Lucina replied back.

"He did seem to have a dramatic flare." Robin said curious.

"But not even that could save him from the raw speed and power of my heroic mother!" Morgan beamed wildly. "He's lucky he even came out of that fight alive!"

"... But I lost" Lucina whispered as she looked over to her family bewildered. Both of them were glowing with pride, and Robin was even encouraging Morgan to continue. The two of them seemed enthralled by her duel, and she didn't know why.

Perhaps it was because Robin was used to fighting next to her. He never really saw her fight at her best from a distance. Morgan was also unfamiliar with seeing her fight with such intensity. Whatever the case, she would have to endure their praise, and hide her smile. She feared if it grew any wider then the rest of her muscles would collapse from the strain she put on them.