There is a younger, male version of her sitting across the table and Ceci is trying to look at anywhere else but him. He claims to be from the future, but none of the children know of him. He claims to have lost his memory, but he recalls her so vividly. He claims to be her son, but she has no lover in this timeline.

He claims that she is his mother, and the pendant around his neck is proof enough for the both of them.

Chrom, and the majority ( re: all ) of the Shepherds give her the evening off. After the skirmish over the ice land, and picking up this boy who claims to be their tactician's child, they say nothing to her. Chrom doesn't – can't – quite catch her eye, and Lissa seems to have a million and one things to say. Both are escorted by Frederick who nods at her solemnly, if only to acknowledge her out of respect.

Ceci earnestly wishes that they hadn't left her alone in the mess tent with this boy. At the same time, she is grateful that there will be no audience but this male version of her who claims to be her child to see her lose her mind.

The boy from across her clears his throat and gives her a bright smile. "My name is Morgan." He starts, and it seems as if this is a sentence he has practiced for more than a thousand times. "Hello, I'm your son."

A pause ( a beat ).

"I don't have a husband." She replies coolly, and yet her hands are fidgeting, fingers twitching, on top of the wooden table. Morgan pretends not to notice. "And I certainly don't have a son."

"I'm from the future." He counters, smiling still. The tactician's thoughts briefly drift to an eternally smiling , twisted Plegian mage. Henry has a similar hairstyle too, doesn't he? She shakes the thoughts out of her head when Morgan's fingers brush against the back of her hand. "And… you're the only thing… the only one I can remember."

A solemn expression quietly latches itself on the young boy's face, and suddenly he is not so young anymore. There is grief and hopelessness and a sliver of helplessness in his eyes. He blinks and all pitying thoughts move to the back of her head. Morgan looks down at their hands, her fingers securely wound around his own, and there is a small, beautiful smile that carves itself on his lips. Ceci flinches and retracts her hand quickly, clutching it against the other and wondering whenever and however did she get so soft. Morgan's expression doesn't change.

"Cecilia," he calls out and she snaps her head back to look at him, eyes wide and mouth agape. That is a name she has not heard of since what she feels is a lifetime ago. How he knows of the little girl from Plegia is beyond her. Her lips form a thin line before her shoulder's drop, exhausted.

They sit in silence before Morgan leans in, honest and earnest and repeats his earlier lines. "My name is Morgan." He starts again. The smile he wears is somber and makes him seem older than the rest of the children when he is practically the runt of the bunch. "Hello, I'm your son."

Ceci stands abruptly, surprising Morgan and herself. She opens her mouth and looks him in the eye before feeling as if her heart has dropped to her stomach.

She feels as if she has lost the ability to speak.

His eye, as if mimicking and mocking the exalted bloodline, bears the crest of the Plegian dogs' fallen god.

Her right hand twitches and her breathing is getting shallower by the second. Morgan stands up and reaches out, worry and concern written all over his face. "Mother –"

"Don't!" Both of them flinch at the volume of her voice. She swallows the lump in her throat and shakes her head, mumbling an apology under her breath. "Don't," she says, softer this time, more brittle than she's ever heard.

Ceci turns on her heel and dashes out of the mess tent, simply inches away from running headfirst into Sully and a stack of firewood. The night air is suffocating her. She prays to whoever is up there listening that she reaches her tent before she collapses.

a/n: aaaah. I think I finally worked out a schedule I can comply with?

updates will be on Mondays and Fridays~ ( it's late today because I was out yesterday. haha )

thank you for every support so far! /bows for an eternity.