A room where the red's all red.
Every five seconds, the ship rattled. Robin noticed it hours ago. It wasn't the waves. Too uniform. The waves had a pace, of course, a natural give and take, but they didn't care for his schedules, and they broke them from time to time just to remind him that the nature world was less reliable than any mercenary.
Also, on a more minor note, the waves didn't come from inside the ship. Front cabin, one of the few private rooms left after everyone crammed into half the ships for the last few weeks to Valm.
The Queen's room. Right where Robin was headed already.
Twelve reminders a minute what he was walking into. Not the ideal way for a man to get his nerves in order.
He knocked on the door.
WHUMP.
Gods. It was even louder at close range.
"Sully? I… needed to talk to you about something."
The door slammed forward and nearly knocked Robin off his feet.
"Robin? Damn, it's about time. I was going insane in there."
"I… heard. What happened?"
Sully nodded to the back corners of her cabin. The decorations and fineries in the room were all gone. A training dummy stood in their place.
Barely stood, it looked like. Either an army had spent six years working away at it with axes, Sully spent a few weeks hammering it with any tools available, or Chrom tried to play gentle with it for an hour.
"Ah."
"Yeah, I've been kicking the crap out of the training dummy. Husband's too busy being seasick for anything, and it seems the kid took after him. Heh. Figured she'd be bad at something eventually. Guess this is it."
Robin nodded. Sully stepped back and he walked into the room past battered walls and trashed training swords. His eye lingered on the dummy for a few seconds. It was new a few weeks ago. He suspected his limbs wouldn't last as long if they faced the same abuse.
"Well, I admit I'm not here to tell you we're arriving. We have a few days left."
"So, what's the story?"
"I wanted to talk to you about, err… your daughter."
"Huh. I guess that's why you're the tactician. I thought she did pretty damn well for someone spewing over the side half an hour before we got to the fight."
Robin shook his head.
"She was perfect. Better than perfect, even. Perfect used to be you or Chrom on a good day. I need to revise perfect just to keep pace."
"Huh. Why are you talking to me, then?"
"Well, um, it's…"
Gods. Robin couldn't get the training dummy out of his mind. Well, fortune favored the bold, even if tactics favored the prudent. Move fast enough, and he might get out alive.
"I'd like to…"
"Just spit it out!"
"I want to marry your daughter."
Sully turned from the training dummy back towards Robin.
"You what?"
"Err… Lucina. The older one. I would like to marry her."
Sully shook her head. Leaned over. And laughed.
After a few seconds, she wiped a tear from her eyes.
"Guess I had that coming. Asked a stupid question, you get a response like that. So, what do you really want to tell me?"
Robin sighed.
"I just said it. I've already talked it over with Chrom."
"Huh."
"I guess... that's not a ringing endorsement."
"Hell no!"
Robin slumped, but Sully shook her head.
"It's just a damn huh! I just didn't think I'd have to think about crap like this. I mean, Sumia would talk my ear off about how you could see the kid growing up beautiful so's guys would be fighting for her, but I figured it was a few decades off when I was old and grey. Now one of my best friends is asking about her."
"If it's awkward…"
"It damn well is."
"I can ask you later."
Sully looked around the room.
"You're more of a bookworm smart guy than I am. Do you think it's going to be less awkward later?"
Robin winced.
"Honestly? It might be worse."
"How?"
"Well, Vaike could find us talking about it and start making lewd comments, Lucina could be here and be reminded of some embarrassing story from her childhood, Nowi could… well, Nowi being around is an exponential increase in how awkward a lot of things are. And that's just the first set of scenarios to come to mind. I could find a dozen more with a notepad."
"Huh. Didn't think about that."
Robin heard the subtext. 'Because there's no way I would want to.'
"I do, unfortunately. Part of being a tactician is constantly seeing the worst case so you can head it off at the pass. Most of the time I'm glad it helps me keep friends alive. But there are times when it's a bit of a social liability."
"Sounds like a real pain in the ass."
"As I said, it can be. So, do you want to get this over with now?"
"Hate to think of Vaike hearing about this. Might as well. So. What made you go and try to hook up with Lucina?"
"Why do you need to know?"
"I'd be your mother-in-law. I need to know what kind of crap I'm going to be getting into with you in the family. Awful lot of shady motives when someone wants to marry a princess."
"You found me out. I was really just going to marry into the family for the cooking."
Sully punched Robin's arm. He winced.
"Sorry."
"Hell, it's not about the joke. It's just that you don't have to worry so much about the damn nobles. Chrom's kept you out of it."
"And for that, I am forever grateful."
"Had people asking about Lucina already. Talking about their damn babies, like one of 'em's good enough for her."
"They're weaklings?"
"Damn right! Crybabies, the lot of 'em."
Robin shrugged.
"Well, it's not like arranged marriages have been a particularly strong tradition in Ylisse. Less than a dozen for monarchs in the whole history of the country, and most of those… you're bored."
"Sorry. I get enough of that griffon dung already. Turns out, people expect the queen to know that kind of crap. And when I don't care…"
"They expect you should. I'm sorry for even bringing it up."
Sully shook her head again.
"That what Lucina likes about you?"
"What?"
"All the talking about all those old kings and crap! I know she didn't get it from me, so I figure she never had much of a chance to blab about it."
Robin scratched the back of his head.
"It is one of the things we've talked about. She's more enthusiastic than knowledgeable most of the time, but I can't say it's dull for me. It's something to talk about while drilling, at least."
"How's she doing? Haven't been able to spar with her as much as I'd like."
Robin tilted his head in thought.
"Do you remember our training sessions?"
"When you got that damn seaweed and we both…"
Robin lifted his hands to head off the argument.
"Let's not talk about that part. Ever again. I think we're both much better off forgetting any of that happened."
"Not going to argue."
"Thank you. I was thinking about the rest of the training. And how you nearly worked me to the bone."
Sully smirked.
"It wasn't that bad."
"It was Frederick's Fitness Hour, every hour. I'm grateful, of course, it's one of the reasons I'm still alive, but it was terrifying for the first few weeks."
"Heh. You were pretty scrawny back then."
"Sad but true. If you weren't one of Chrom's best friends, you would have scared the, ahem, hell out of me. As it was, you still put the fear of the gods right in."
"Huh. Thanks. How's Lucina doing?"
Robin smiled.
"Some days, she makes you look like an amateur. I'm going halfway insane trying to keep up enough to be a training dummy. I saw her throw a match against Chrom, and we both know how many people have done that."
"Almost did the same thing to me. I tried to break her nose for it."
Robin squinted in concentration.
"I don't remember seeing her nose…"
"Gods. I said I tried. She's too damn quick on her feet. Glad to see I'm not the only one she's humiliated."
"Nowhere close. I'd say, one on one, she's the most… well, I haven't met anyone who can take her down in a fair fight. If we have a chance in Valm, she's going to be a large part of that."
Robin shook his head.
"But that doesn't change anything. I mean, it doesn't really matter."
"Don't give me that fatalistic crap! We just kicked Walhart's arse off Ferox and out of the sea. Chrom keeps talking about how you're going to keep us alive somehow, and you're not going to make him a liar."
"That wasn't what I meant. Although I'm trying my best to keep him honest. It's that… I respect her talent, of course. But it's just as much because it's a part of her. I'm not sure I could be objective. I love her. All of her. The talent, her compassion, her drive, the way she smiles when she sees something growing in the dirt, so fast you almost miss it, gods help me, I even like her cooking."
"You're joking."
Robin shrugged.
"It's not like I complimented her fashion sense. It's not the best food I've had, but she knows how to cover the basics, and it's… efficient. Combat rations, with just enough flavor to keep you going."
"Huh. I'm beginning to think you and Chrom were lying to me back in Plegia…"
"Well, it's important to remember how people describe my cooking. I'm certainly not qualified to judge these things."
Sully chuckled.
"Well, you've got my blessing, whatever that's worth. If she's willing to go for it, I'm rooting for you."
"Thank you!"
"Hell! It's not like I could find someone better for her."
"Do you mean that?"
"Isn't like she could marry Chrom, for more reasons than I can count. You're decent looking, smart, and at least willing to try to keep up, unlike a lot of the weaklings around here. She's going to be lucky to have you around."
"She'll need to be. We'll be arriving in Valm in less than a week. I don't know how much stock to put in rumors, but if the early landing party was a sign of what Walhart's bringing to the war, we're all going to see our limits very, very soon."
"So you're going to pull a few more wins out of your damn robe."
"You think I'm a miracle worker."
"You're going to marry my daughter. You damn well better be."
Well versed in etiquette (extraordinarily nice)
"Much better. Although you misplaced the fish knife."
"My apologies, mother."
Maribelle smiled.
"You've been improving, at least. Considering what I was able to impart before I… passed on, your progress is more than tolerable. Now, if only your brother would..."
"Brady tries his best."
"I dearly hope not. I expect better from a man of his breeding. If his only failure is effort, we might manage, in time. If he can't do better… well, I will still love him, but that hardly remedies disappointment. Now, I suppose that's enough dinner setting talk for one evening. Gods know I find it tedious."
Lucina looked down at the table and back at her mother with one eyebrow raised.
"Then why are we…"
"It's a matter of expectations, dear. We stand as the heart of the country. If we cannot keep order, the whole country would fall into chaos. Gods know the legal system is no help at all. Please tell me I made some progress in your time."
Lucina shook her head.
"I fear we were much too focused on survival at the time to attend to legal minutia."
"A pity. Without the law we hardly rise above the animals. Especially here. It seems Frederick let the tea grow cold. I hate to..."
Lucina was already slurping away. Maribelle sighed. She had a beautiful, talented, and elegant daughter. It would be petty to curse the gods for giving her a few of her father's habits.
After a few seconds, Maribelle cleared her throat.
"I assume you had some other motivation for coming here."
"I spend so little time with you…"
"That I assume there's a reason when you come out of nowhere to insist on an afternoon of mother daughter bonding."
Lucina tried to smile.
"I… hoped I wasn't that obvious."
"I'm your mother, dear. If I couldn't tell what you were thinking, I would have failed miserably at my job."
"I've managed to fool father on occasion."
Maribelle gave Lucina A Look. Lucina paused, then nodded.
"I understand it may be… somewhat less difficult."
Maribelle nodded.
"What did you want to ask me?"
"...What would you say is the proper form for a marriage proposal?"
"Well, traditionally it would be the groom's concern. But the most important part of any proposal is that the intended understands that you mean what you say sincerely. A public declaration may face more intense scrutiny, but if you and your intended are alone, a simple request is sufficient, if it comes from the heart."
"Thank you, mother."
"Of course, dear. Now, who are you intending to discuss the matter with?"
"Err… he discussed the matter with me. I just felt…"
"You felt that if you could find a way to secure my approval beforehand, it would make both of your lives easier."
"Well, yes."
Maribelle reached for her tea. Even if it was an unpleasant temperature, she could manage her thoughts much better with a reasonable dose. Some brute of a man had proposed to her precious child while she was looking away. And now she was in a difficult position.
Just telling Lucina she couldn't see whoever she was thinking of would be heavy handed and, worse, ineffective. She was a grown woman, and asking her mother for permission was a token courtesy,not a real opportunity to keep things sane and on course. Maribelle sipped the tea and tried to keep from spitting it out in disgust, at either the cold drink or the thought of some lowborn, ill mannered barbarian pawing at her angel.
Of course, her angel could take care of herself, there was no worry on that front. But Maribelle remembered the time she went shopping for dresses with Lucina, no matter how she tried to forget. Her daughter was a fine woman, one any mother would be proud of, but she knew better than to trust her judgement on… well, fashion at a minimum, humor as a secondary, and in all likelihood, romance as a third. Lucina had too much generosity in regards to the… eccentricities of others, after all.
Maribelle felt the chill against her throat as she worked through the stages of a plan. One Robin might not approve of, but he was a tactician and she was a mother. The rules were somewhat different.
"So, tell me about him. I'm sure I would love to meet this… individual."
Maybe it was that irritating mercenary that was around the camp recently. Olivia's son. Gods knew he would try for anyone who would listen, and Lucina was too… well, she hadn't seemed to take that attitude towards him, but Maribelle had to assume the worst.
"He's a fine man."
"I assume you've known him for some time. Now, I understand that childhood friendship can lead to almost amorous feelings. I could see some of my own impulses being mistaken for that kind of thing, if I had a less disciplined mind."
Lucina shook her head.
"I would hardly call him a childhood friend. I suppose you've known him almost as long as I have. Err… allowing for circumstances."
Maribelle allowed herself to smile. Well. That was the worst case out of the way. She should have known her daughter would never fall for such obvious and pathetic flattery, any more than she felt the need to marry the boy's father. Virion may have been more noble than her initial estimates, but the man was still several steps below what she'd consider the minimum to be worthy of her daughter, and his son was not in any way an improvement.
Then a memory flashed through her mind. A coarse laugh in one of the Feroxi tents and the words "That Lucina is quite a dish".
It was a disgrace what passed for royalty in Regna Ferox. Less of a disgrace, perhaps, than the mad king Ashnard, but that hardly said anything. Feroxi nobility would be acceptable guests at a Ylissean tavern or scullery hall. Not company for anyone of breeding, but with a place in the world that they could appreciate in their own way. Ashnard's only place was the grave.
But… Lucina had worked for the man before Maribelle met him. She had social graces closer to her father when she arrived than Maribelle would have hoped for her daughter. And she appreciated martial skill a good deal. It was a horrifying thought, even ignoring the age gap, but it lodged in Maribelle's brain. Worse, it was the sort of thing that could ruin a perfectly good piece treaty if she tried to disrupt it. Maribelle could already envision the wedding. See herself choking down bile as the priest (probably a member of some mercenary sect, even *shudder* one of those Altina worshipers.) went through some rites that had nothing to do with proper ceremony.
The gentle touch was more important than ever at this point. She would need to ease her daughter out of whatever madness gripped her, carefully remind her that this was no longer a post apocalyptic wasteland where only strength mattered, and instead was the wonderful world of the present, a place where some brilliant thinker had invented table manners. But in a polite way.
"Well. I can't say I approve of a rushed relationship, of course…"
"I have known him for more than two years now."
"You've known OF him, dear. I suspect you haven't spent enough time together to understand the full measure of the man. Not that I entirely blame you for being taken in by his charm, or that I think your relationship is a farce..."
"I never said you did, mother."
"Of course not, dear. I just wanted to be very clear from the start that nothing I said should be taken as a criticism. Merely observations. I want my daughter to be informed, after all."
"Thank you?"
"You're welcome. Now, I understand that there are a number of people in this camp who must appeal to you in one way or another. I admit, even I have had fantasies about some... individuals other than your father."
"Who, mother?"
Lucina's eyes were entirely too bright to be trusted. Maribelle shook her head. She'd said too much on that front already.
"Oh, certain individuals. I can't recall the details of every passing fancy. But I can see chasing after a man who might not be… ideal for your needs, and thinking it seemed quite reasonable at the time."
"Who are you thinking of?"
"Oh, just a certain musclebound barbarian. Oh, he might have a certain experienced charm, some women, even of our standing, might fall for that kind of thing. I understand he's one of the strongest people in the camp. And he does hold political office. Now, I know you wish to treat men and women of all standing as equals, but you are my daughter, and you must recognize certain… traits that come along with power."
"Mother?"
"What, dear?"
"I… don't know why you think I'd want to marry Basilio. I'm sorry if that disappoints you, but I assume the opposite would disappoint my… fiance more."
Maribelle's face faded to a pleasant shade of blank.
"I see."
Lucina tried to smile.
"I suppose it's true. There's no accounting for taste?"
"No, I suppose not."
Maribelle smiled and nodded. Her mind buried the waves of relief under even more images of terror. Perhaps that plegian necromancer, or the Vaike, or…
"If so, I'm fortunate indeed that no woman tried to marry our tactician before I could."
"Tactician?"
"Err… Robin. I understand you two have had disagreements in the past…"
Robin. Maribelle nodded.
"Ah. Well, I suppose…"
Reliable.
Unlikely to cheat on anyone, let alone his best friend's daughter.
Not a serial killer.
Capable of learning table manners.
A frequent bather.
Good taste in tea additives.
Royalty.
Maribelle couldn't remember what issues she had with him in the past, but she'd just been running through the other possibilities. Whatever faults Robin had, he was much, much better than any alternative she could name.
"I suppose I would approve, if he has proper respect for decorum at the ceremony, and understands exactly what will happen should he damage Ylisse's greatest treasure."
"Of… of course, mother!"
Lucina was beaming. Maribelle blinked. She'd never seen anything like it before.
Maybe there was a man worthy of her daughter after all. Of course, it wouldn't be in anyone's best interests to tell him that.
It just wouldn't do for a man in his position to get complacent.
She Drives Me Crazy
"We'll just talk to Sumia first. We can talk to your mother, and she'll be reasonable, and then we can all talk with Chrom without anyone getting emotional. We'll just… work things out."
"Of course, dear."
Lucina smiled. She had to admit, it felt good to see Robin in a panic. The fearless, almost insane tactician of the Shepherds may be enough for most of the army, but she was more fond of the man in private. Foibles and all. The army could keep the master tactician and tenth best swordsman in the world. She had the cook who could hardly manage a stew, the artist who couldn't manage a stick figure, and the panicky mess in front of her.
Well, she'd have him if her parents didn't object, at any rate. Part of her hoped they would. Hoped she could find an excuse to abandon the firmest tie to the world of the past and leave without regrets.
But the better part of her already knew she was in too deep. No matter what, pain was waiting for both of them. There was no point in accelerating it and losing the few moments of peace they could snatch from the war and what was coming after in the process.
And it would mean missing out on Robin's amazing panic. It was too adorable for words.
"Sumia is sort of reasonable, at least. She and I had a book club."
"I know, dear."
It was one of the more awkward things about their relationship how she did know, of course. A minor detail story from her mother when she was growing up about her 'uncle Robin' who she'd hardly known. One of her father's closest friends. And, like too many of her father's friends, like her father, more a story than a person by the time Lucina was grown enough to even think of romance.
Then she came to the past and found the stories undersold him, and here they both were.
Robin took a step towards the door, and then back.
"What are we going to say?"
"I thought we could just tell her the truth."
Robin winced.
"What truth? There's a hundred ways to tell any story without lying once. I've read enough of the old chronicles to know that."
"I imagine it's possible for a few variations to stay, but at heart…"
"The hearts weren't the same either. I could find as many people calling Marth a merciless genius as a naive child, as many stories painting resistance to a kind as heroism and as treason. And that's before we even touch on real revisionism."
"Perhaps you could explain how any of that impacts us now?"
Robin smiled and shook his head.
"We just need to coordinate our plan of attack. This is Sumia. The honored queen, one of Ylisse's finest pegasus knights, and of course, your mother. We know her, so we can make plans to avoid areas of weakness for our request and lead with strength."
Lucina opened her mouth to suggest again leading with the truth, but one look in Robin's eye spoke volumes. He was in full tactician mode, and everything was a battlefield. Even, perhaps especially things that were nowhere close.
"Now, what can we offer?"
"A relationship based on mutual respect and admiration? I'm sure mother…"
"Fine. We can use that somewhere. But I doubt it's enough on its own. What do we have that's tailored to your mother specifically? What kind of offer can we make that won't set off any alarms?"
Lucina shook her head. As charming as all of this was, Robin did sometimes take things a little far.
"I'm sure mother won't need that level of…"
"How sure? Because if there's one thing I've learned, in battle there's no such thing as sure enough. We can trust each other, but that might be all we can trust. Maybe we can do something with traps."
"Traps?"
"Of course. Some kind of basic pitfall setup, where I help rescue her from a 'Valmese' sabotage plan, putting her in the best frame of mind to trust me before you suggest things to her, flanking and…"
Lucina shook her head again.
"Robin, you know I love you. You know that in my eye, you are the most dashing and talented man in the world."
"I know. I might not be worthy of it, but I know."
"Then you know that anything I say is meant with the deepest affection."
"Yes. I know."
"We don't need any of this. I'm sure mother will approve WITHOUT an elaborate plan to fool her into accepting you."
Robin looked at Lucina and smiled.
"I'm going to hold you to that, you know. If this fails, and she mentions that if only I'd saved her from a pit trap… well, I can't promise I won't gloat through the sobbing."
"I don't imagine she would say anything like that, even if she refused to…"
Robin shook his head.
"It was a joke. Just not a very good one. Well, fortune favors the bold, even if wisdom favors the prudent. You've spoken with Naga, haven't you?"
"A few times, but that hardly…"
"Then ask her for all the help she can give. I'll need it."
And he opened the door.
"Sumia?"
"Robin! I was just reading the new novel Say'ri found for me! It's a classical Chon'sin romance. The princess of the moon…"
Robin shook his head.
"I'm afraid I have something more important to discuss right now."
"Oh. I've been keeping up my training. I know I'm not as useful as Chrom or Lucina, but…"
"But you're much better than any flying cavalry Walhart's fielded yet. Don't undersell yourself. If your performance was a problem, I would have mentioned it earlier. Although I was…"
Robin shook his head.
"I was here for something more important. Your daughter and I have been spending a good deal of time together and…"
Sumia's eyes were wide. Lucina looked from her to Robin. The tactician was sweating ballista bolts now, an upgrade from the earlier arrows.
"And?"
"And I was wondering, if it's… that is to say… gods. I should just say it. I would like to marry your daughter. I understand if…"
"YES!"
Sumia was on her feet.
"YES! YES! YES!"
"Err… thank you?"
Sumia was practically bouncing.
"You're going to give me grandchildren! As soon as possible. Oh, this is so perfect!"
Robin froze.
Sumia kept shaking.
"We can have Tiki perform the ceremony! She's the voice of Naga! Oooh, and then…"
Robin coughed.
"I… think we still need to ask Chrom for permission. Your husband? Lucina's father? I'm glad you approve, and I'll…"
Sumia stopped, looked at Robin, and smiled even more than she had been. Lucina recognized the smile, and felt very glad it was not aimed at her.
"Don't worry about Chrom. You're his best friend. I'm sure he'll be as thrilled as I am when he hears about this. There's no-one else in the world I'd be happier to hear had married my daughter."
"Err, that's good to know, but I'd still like to check with him before doing anything rash. I mean, he's my best friend. Gods know I owe him at least a basic…"
"I'll talk to him about it, Robin. All you need to worry about is Lucina. I'm sure she has all kinds of plans for the wedding, and you'll both have a wonderful time talking about them."
Lucina coughed.
"Mother, I hardly expected any of this. I'm sure a simple ceremony would be more than enough. Asking Lady Tiki to officiate would be more than I'd dare. And anything beyond that would feel wasteful."
Sumia's grin turned to face Lucina. Lucina remembered all the times she'd seen the grin. It wasn't like it was the worst thing she'd seen. A risen's axe, the mad king, and Naga have mercy on them all, the massive jaws of the dark god Grima were all much worse. On a grand scale, her mother's smile was almost, almost, pleasant in comparison.
On a personal scale, she'd be much happier if she never saw that smile again.
Lucina tried to smile back. Sumia kept smiling.
"I'm sure you had some dreams about this when you were a child. And really, you have time to plan! I'll let you do that. Oh, this is just perfect!"
"If… if you insist, mother. Robin, perhaps it would be for the best if we left? Immediately?"
Robin looked at Sumia, and back at Lucina. He gulped and nodded.
"That sounds like an excellent idea. I suppose I was worried about the wrong thing this whole time."
We've got everything we need
Inigo winced as he looked in the mirror. He'd assumed that it would get easier every day since he arrived in the past, but so far, he had no luck. It always felt like he was being judged and found wanting. He had enough trouble from everyone else on that count without his reflection added into the mix.
But women loved a charming wink and a smile. They'd do anything for it. And Inigo was just the man to supply it. ...In theory. If he could just get the wink right, everything else would follow. Right now, he just needed to make eye contact. Any second now, he'd get up the nerve. Any second now. Once there wasn't anyone looking at him.
There was someone looking at him. Inigo tried to think of a convincing story when he noticed the coat.
"Ah, Sir Robin!"
"Inigo. Still working on the wink?"
"You know me. A tireless champion working to bring a smile to the world, one woman at a time."
Robin smiled.
"Well, a few of them laugh at you. It's a start."
"Laugh all you like. They can laugh too. After all, a woman's laugh is halfway to her heart. But I suspect you didn't come to me for romantic advice. Your..."
Robin sighed.
"Actually, I am."
Inigo turned and looked at the man. Ha! After all these months, all this mockery, someone recognized his genius! It was ill becoming a prince to be treated more like a court jester, but now everything had turned. About time.
"I believe you once told me that, when the student was ready, the master would appear. And now you see your weakness. So, what do you need? A primer in what a woman needs in a man? A guide to the local venues where some beautiful maiden waits for her prince? A…"
"None of that."
Inigo could almost hear the unspoken 'fortunately' before Robin pressed on.
"I just want your help talking with the woman who comes closest to respecting you."
Inigo lifted an eyebrow.
"Who might that be?"
"Your mother. And even then, I think she has her moments of doubt."
Inigo winced.
"I think there are several more…"
"Well, Lucina sometimes pities you, but I don't think that counts. You're a fine soldier, Inigo, and I'm not sorry to count you as a friend. But being a friend means telling you that your pick up techniques do much more harm than good."
Inigo shook his head.
"If that's all true, why are you coming to me for help?"
Robin tilted his head.
"I'm assuming that's a rhetorical question."
"Of course. I know you've envied my winning…"
Robin grimaced.
"Gods. It wasn't. I thought you would have noticed already. Then again, I thought everyone in the camp knew. Paranoia has a logic of its own."
"Knew what?"
Robin took a deep breath.
"Inigo? I want to marry your sister."
"Lucina?"
"Yes. Unless you have a third sister I haven't been told about who's been wandering around camp in disguise."
Inigo felt a curious sensation, a bit like looking into a mirror. No. More like looking OUT of a mirror. He suddenly understood a fragment of the irritation that dozens of fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, bodyguards, employers, and in one case a particularly aggressive butler had shown him. It was one thing for him to tell a girl that she had a beautiful body before asking if she would hold it against him. More or less the way of the world! But here someone was bold enough, insane enough to ask Lucina the same thing.
Oh, he might claim that he didn't, but Inigo was an expert on the hearts of women. If he hadn't succeeded yet, that was more an incident of the cruelties of random probability than a judgement of his technique. And this man had tried every one of the best strategies on his sister!
...Also Chrom's daughter. Also the greatest swordfighter in the world.
Bold man. Bolder to admit it to Inigo. Inigo skewed his face. He just had one question.
"How did you convince her?"
"Lucina? We just… talked."
"That can't be it. I know my sister had a will of iron. If she melted like clay in your hands, I think you did more than talk."
Inigo nudged Robin in the ribs.
Robin coughed.
"I may have brought her some flowers. But that's it. Mostly we just talked."
"Flowers? You sly dog. Girls, as a rule, love flowers. And if I know my sister, for all her stern words, is still a girl at heart. Did she blush?"
Well, even if she didn't, Robin was making up for it.
"I can't say. I really can't say. Look. We should find Olivia. I want to do this right."
"And Chrom?"
"Lucina said she'd talk to him. I trust her judgement more than I trust mine."
"Well. I'm sure you have a good deal of other stories about Lucina and… trust. We could exchange techniques, after all."
"No. We can't. And I'm beginning to think I should have never came here."
"Talking to me is never the wrong choice. If you're the man for Lucina, then I'm sure mother will approve."
"If?"
"Well, if not you'll have me to deal with as well as mother. You know she's dreadfully shy. Not the type of person to prefer a confrontation. I can help her manage those unfortunate details without undue fuss and bother."
"I'll do my best not to disappoint her, then."
"And as for me?"
"I know where you practice dancing, Inigo. I think we'd both like to keep that private."
"Unfair!"
"I'm a tactician, Inigo. Words like 'unfair' stopped meaning anything a long time ago."
It was a short walk across the camp to find Chrom and Olivia's tent. Inigo took the lead. It would be awkward for everyone if mother was giving one of her… performances when they arrived. She was a gifted dancer, of course, but she never liked to be watched, and it would leave her too panicked to properly judge any situation, let alone one this pivotal to everyone's future.
"Mother? Robin wants to discuss something with you."
Inigo didn't hear anything for a few seconds.
"Err… is anyone else with you?"
"No. Just your beloved son and your..."
Robin stepped forward and shot Inigo a look that cut off his next sentence right in the throat. Obviously, the time with Chrom had taught him something. Enough that Inigo was afraid to ask what.
"Husband's best friend. It's not urgent, but I thought you would want to get this out of the way as soon as possible. No matter how it goes."
"Alright… I just need to put a few things away."
"That's alright. Take as long as you need."
Inigo heard a few short, sharp breaths. He recognized the pattern. Mother wasn't putting anything away, unless you counted the awkwardness that came with extended conversation.
"Come in!"
Olivia was smiling. It was a good smile. The kind of fake Inigo recognized from his childhood, the kind he learned young. Not the awkward kind he'd seen when he first arrived.
Or… it might even be sincere. It sometimes happened.
Robin took a few steps forward into the tent.
"Is that the stage?"
"Err…"
"I'm sorry. I just heard Chrom talking about an amazing routine you'd been working on a month or so ago. I talked with Anna about getting some supplies to help you practice. I'm glad that it's arrived."
"Thank you…"
"It was the least I could do for the Queen of Ylisse."
Olivia blushed almost as bright as Robin had when Lucina came up.
"You really didn't…"
Inigo decided to cut the conversation off before things got worse.
"Robin, didn't you have something you wanted to ask? We're both men of the world, after all. Men of action, but also men of passion."
Robin winced.
"That's one way to describe it. I…"
Breath in. Breath out. Breath in. Breath out.
Olivia coughed.
"Err… am I making things too awkward? I'm sorry…"
Robin kicked at the dirt and shook his head.
"No. I'm making things awkward with every second I put off saying what I came here to say. Olivia… gods. There has to be a better way to… I want to marry Lucina. And I think she feels the same about me."
"I can see why you would. She's beautiful…"
"And brilliant. Commanding. Confident. A master with a sword. Brave."
"Not much like…"
"No. Not much like her brother. But I suppose you love them both."
Olivia looked down. Robin shook his head.
"I can see where she gets it from. I wouldn't… If she didn't respect you.. gods. If I didn't respect you so much, neither of us would bother with this."
"You're just…"
Just a fool in love. Inigo recognized the type. Oh, fine. The man was trying to marry his sister. But so many women were some man or other's sister. He'd been abused for that fact too often to ignore it. But Robin was a friend and clearly a devoted lover. It would be cruel to deny him.
It would also be foolish to avoid a chance to take a potential rival off the market.
Inigo gave the room a dramatic flourish.
"I'm afraid our dear tactician is nauseatingly sincere. He insists that he would rather destroy a stained glass window that dare malign the finest treasure in all Ylisse."
"I didn't exactly…"
"No sense in backpedaling now, Robin. I heard everything. Something about the only woman more perfect being her daughter, and even then only by a hair?"
Robin opened his mouth, but Olivia was staring at him, and responded too quickly for him to manage a plan.
"Did you mean it?"
"Well…"
Robin scratched his chin for half a second. Olivia looked less confident. Robin stopped scratching his chin.
"I don't think of you in the same way as your daughter. I never have. But I've never met a better dancer, and if Lucina and I were half as happy together as you and Chrom are, I'll be far more blessed than I deserve."
"You probably haven't seen that many dancers…"
"Only a few, but I heard they were world class, and you leave them all behind. But we're getting off topic. Do I have your blessing?"
"Of course."
"Thank you! Thank you!"
Robin dashed out the door before Inigo could even state his opinion on the whole matter. Rude, of course, but Inigo was a man of the world. It would be far ruder to keep a woman waiting.
As for Inigo's part in the whole mess, his mother was blushing and looked on the border of tears. Which meant he should leave too.
Honestly. It was amazing how people could get so emotional over such simple things. He'd have to show them how it was done.
He'd need a date first, but that was merely details.
Stay Sweet
"My queen?"
It still took her several seconds to recognize that the man in the hall was calling for her. Even after two years, it hardly made sense. She was born in a small farming village. Grew up in it. And she had, until the Plegian invasion, planned to die in it.
At first, the Plegians merely meant she thought she was going to die a little more quickly. But then a handsome knight rode through the village to liberate it. Then the handsome knight turned out to be a handsome prince, the ride through the village turned to regular visits, and a view from a distance turned into love.
It was straight out of the old stories. Soon they had a daughter, a beautiful baby girl. Life was perfect.
Then the stories took their payment. Her husband, his sister, his friends, all vanished across the ocean to fight against a madman who meant to bring down the gods. He kissed her goodbye, and all she could do was wait. No warrior. Not even a healer. Just a humble maiden who was such a fool as to think she was worthy of a prince's love.
"My queen!"
She turned. With power came duty. When Chrom was in Ylisse, duty came easily. A small price for a great love. Now that he was gone, it weighed heavy. But a queen couldn't stoop under any pressure.
"Yes?"
"Your husband has returned. And with him…"
WHUMP.
The door slammed open, and a blue haired young woman charged into the room with more force than the average cannonball.
"GRANDMA!"
A handful of other figures trudged in after her. Robin, Chrom's closest friend. Another blue haired woman, a little older and a head taller, with tired eyes. And at the tail of the procession, the man she most wanted to see. Chrom, rightful heir to the throne of Ylisse, champion of the people, and best of all, her husband. She looked in his eyes. He looked back.
They lit up in unison and covered the distance even faster than the strange girl in the robe charged in. Everyone else in the room had the courtesy to avert their eyes as Chrom and his bride embraced. The older of the two strangers blushed red. The younger peeked through her hands.
After a few seconds of… enthusiastic embrace, Ia pulled back.
"It's been too long."
"Longer for me. Days spent worrying about Walhart's armies. Nights spent worrying that you'd finally seen the man under the title and ceremonial garb and fled for the hills."
"As if I didn't worry about the beautiful women of Valm."
"None to match the treasure of Ylisse. Honestly, I didn't even notice the way the light reflected off…"
She jabbed him in the ribs.
"Liar."
"Well, you do outshine the lot of them."
She smiled, then shook her head.
"All of them but one?"
"What are you talking about?"
"You… brought some of them home with you."
"I don't see what… Oh!"
Chrom slapped his forehead.
"Gods. I still don't know how to explain any of this. There were always more urgent matters. Err… Robin?"
Robin took a step back.
"Remind me. When did I agree to handle this?"
"You were my best man. I think you agreed that you'd deal with this kind of thing three drinks in at the bachelor party."
Robin sighed.
"Damned Feroxi wine. I should have let Sully have the honor. Let me think. There's no easy way to put this, is there? And by saying there's no easy way to put it, I just accidentally implied a thousand things, all of them awful."
Ia must have looked as horrified as she felt, because Robin waved his hands like a madman.
"And more importantly, none of them true. Of course, they're also all much easier to believe. Gods. A million man army lead by a maniac, that's nothing. Greatest mind in the history of Ylisse. But try to introduce your best friend's wife to her daughter…"
Ia tilted her head.
"I spent sixteen painful hours meeting her already. Hours YOU spent out in the hall, vomiting."
"Don't remind me. And, preemptively, don't remind me of this. Do you see the tall blue haired woman holding Morgan by the collar?"
"Morgan?"
"The… questionably sane bundle of energy who burst into the room a minute ago. She's another story. An… even longer one. The taller woman is…"
Robin took a breath.
"Her name is Lucina."
"The same name as my daughter?"
"Not the only thing she has in common. It would take too long to explain the hows and whys, but she's the same daughter. Just… two decades older, and with some tragedies we intend to prevent."
"Do you expect me to believe that?"
Robin sighed.
"No. Hoped? Yes. Prayed to Naga you would? Yes. Expected? Gods no. But you can see the evidence yourself. Look in her eyes."
"What do you expect…"
"I expect the truth to come out. One way or another."
Ia sighed. If it was anyone else asking, she might pause. But, despite occasional eccentricities, Robin was the smartest person she knew. If she could trust him with her husband's life for months at a time, she could trust him long enough to look in one pair of eyes.
She looked at Lucina.
The mark of Naga stared back.
It was all she could do to keep her feet level. Lucina kept her position. Her daughter kept her position. After a second, Ia rushed forward and embraced Lucina.
She didn't know what to say. It didn't matter. A few seconds more, and Lucina was leaning down onto her shoulder, sobbing as loud as she had that morning when her milk was late. Lucina sputtered out something about how it had been so long, how she'd missed her mother, and more like it. The details didn't matter. She was home.
After a time, the sobbing went from a flood to a trickle on both ends, and Morgan coughed.
"Um, mother? Weren't you going to ask Grandma a question? Kind of an important one?"
"Not now, Morgan."
"Important."
Robin nudged the younger woman in the ribs.
"Morgan, it can wait for a few more minutes."
"Easy for you to say."
"No. I'm terrified too. But it. Can. Wait."
"Fiiiiiinnnneee."
Ia turned to face Morgan, and back to Lucina.
"Lucina, who is this?"
"Err… it's a rather long story. I'm not certain now is the best time."
Morgan bounced from one foot to the other.
Robin grabbed her shoulder.
Lucina sighed.
"I suppose it won't get any easier. Robin?"
Robin smiled like he was seasick.
"It's rather a long story. Remind me how it became my responsibility."
"She recognized you first, dear."
Morgan paused.
"It's not my fault. Probably."
Robin shook his head.
"No-one said it was, Morgan. It's just an excuse to leave a little more on my shoulders. Some day, I'm going to collapse under the weight.."
Chrom smiled.
"You did volunteer for most of it, if I remember right."
"Oh, laugh at my suffering, Chrom. Just because it's all my own fault. So, where should I begin? Gods, there hardly seems to be… Ia, did Chrom ever talk to you about 'Marth'?"
She nodded.
"Of course. I was a little jealous sometimes. A beautiful warrior, appearing in the hour of greatest need… there's more than a few stories like that. Almost like Chrom had to settle for second best."
"Well, you can set your mind at ease. I was the only one writing love poetry there. And before you ask, by the grace of Naga I remembered to burn all of it. I took every chance I had, and they were damn rare, to talk to her. To spend time with her."
Lucina was blushing. Robin was blushing. Ia looked back and forth.
"...Marth."
Lucina turned even redder.
"Err... "
Robin smiled. Compared to his earlier smile, it was a mere seven on the awkwardness scale, but it was already climbing.
"Gods, I was afraid I was going to have to explain that too. Well, I didn't know at the… we… err…"
He turned towards Chrom.
"How did I ask you about this?"
"Mostly, you two blushed and stammered while I guessed at the details and told you how happy I was for you."
"Also you threatened to kill me if I did anything to hurt your daughter."
Chrom smiled.
"Because I knew you never would. And that wasn't a threat."
"Ha. My nerves…"
Chrom's smile vanished.
"It was a promise."
Robin gulped.
"I can't see why I ever worried."
Ia blinked.
"You married my daughter."
Chrom nodded.
"He married our daughter, yes. The voice herself presided over the initial ceremony. I was hoping you could talk them into having something a little more formal soon, but for the moment, it can wait. Of course..."
"Of course you want my blessing."
Robin nodded.
"If you'll have me for a son-in-law."
"And none of it explains who the Morgan is, or why she thought this was so important."
Lucina tried to smile. It didn't work out as well as she might have hoped.
"My… daughter?"
Morgan nodded.
"And, if I was illegitimate, I'm pretty sure that would be traumatizing. It might even create a time paradox, erasing me from existence or something. And look at these eyes! Those are adorable eyes! A national treasure! You wouldn't throw them away, would you? How could you live knowing you destroyed the dreams of your first and best granddaughter? I know I couldn't live with myself if I did that, and I'm me! How much worse would you feel?"
Ia turned to face Robin.
"Is she always this enthusiastic?"
"Sometimes she needs to sleep."
Morgan glared at her father.
"A temporary weakness."
Ia smiled.
"That's my granddaughter."
Chrom coughed.
"Apparently. Gods know how she got here, because no-one else does."
"Is there anyone else I should be introduced to?"
"Not at the moment. If things go any madder, I'll try to make sure you're the first to know."
"It's almost a shame. My parents would have wanted a grandson."
Chrom shook his head.
"We're still young. And fate isn't written in stone. "
"Well, I'll hold you to that soon."
Robin took a step forward.
"Would a son in law do?"
"Well, for now. Of course you have my blessing. With all of this over…"
Morgan grimaced.
"Err… not quite?"
"Not quite."
Morgan slowly nodded.
"We just have a tiny ancientdemondragonproblem. Really, it's not that important. We just need to talk to my other grandpa, get a gemstone, and everything will be fine."
"You're leaving again."
Chrom frowned.
"If I had any other choice, you know I'd never leave your side again."
"But duty calls. I'm just relieved you came back here."
"A little time together…"
"Not just that. Now, I know someone responsible is keeping an eye on you. If I can't be there for you, at least our daughter can look after you in my stead."
"And your granddaughter...?"
Morgan raised an eyebrow.
"Uh, grandpa? I can't even pretend I'm responsible."
He'll deceive and discover
Stahl was stacking the woodpile. It was a fairly simple chore. Someone else might have used words like "dull" or "tedious". Someone else probably wouldn't have bothered with a minor task like that when there were more interesting things going on
Which is why Stahl was doing it. What had to be done had to be done. Best if the task was left to someone who liked it, and who wasn't going to excel at something else. Someone like him.
He didn't expect applause. He just liked to help. Which made the applause something of a surprise.
He turned to see Robin smiling at him from the top of a log.
"Another perfect stack. Is this natural talent, or does practice make perfect?"
"Practice."
Robin hopped down and walked closer to Stahl.
"Well, I appreciate it either way. You don't get enough credit, Stahl. Some days I think the Shepherds would have fallen apart a long time ago."
"I'm just trying to keep things going smoothly. I'm not exactly Chrom."
"Speaking as his wife, no. You aren't even close."
Stahl winced. It wasn't much of a wince, but Robin caught it all the same, and smiled.
"And also speaking less as his wife and more as unofficial camp quartermaster, gods I'm glad we only have one Chrom. He's broken more of our equipment than the enemy. Meanwhile, you're the most reliable person in the army. Someone like Vaike has good days when he can take on the world, and bad days when he's almost a liability. You were a rock through the entire Valm campaign, and if anything else comes up, I know we can still count on you."
"Thank you. But…"
"But nothing. We're lucky to have you."
Stahl rubbed the back of his head.
"Just thank you, then. Did you want to talk to me about anything else?"
"Well, I'd say that the pleasure of your company was enough, but I'd be lying this time. I do have something I need."
"I'm always ready to help."
"That's more or less what I was counting on. Now…"
Robin paused and looked over her shoulder before diving into a nearby cluster of bushes. Stahl took a step closer to her. Then he saw the new visitors.
Morgan and Nah, hand in hand. Morgan nodded to him.
"Hey Stahl! Guess what?"
"I'm not sure I can, Morgan."
Nah rolled her eyes, but Stahl noticed they were smiling for the whole rotation.
"Most people can't."
Morgan shrugged. His mouth grinned almost as much as Nah's eyes.
"I was just looking for mother. I wanted to give her the good news!"
Stahl opened his mouth to ask what the good news was. Then he saw a small ring on Nah's finger. No need to ask.
Nah blushed a little when he looked down.
"Naga approved."
"That's… you talked to her directly?"
Morgan nodded.
"Nah said she's really excited for us! We… err… got a room."
Stahl coughed. A bush rustled, like a woman was silently screaming inside. And Nah jabbed Morgan in the ribs.
"I mean, we didn't do anything without asking our parents, despite being adults!"
"Well, I'm happy for you two."
"I just want to tell mother the good news. I'm sure she'd be thrilled!"
Stahl opened his mouth and looked towards a nearby bush. It rustled in disagreement. He closed his mouth, then opened it again.
"I'll keep an eye out for her, Morgan."
"Thanks, Stahl. Gotta go! Who knows where mother is hiding?"
Nah coughed.
"Maybe we should talk to your father too, Morgan."
"Right! I have a father too! He'll be even more thrilled, right?"
"Morgan."
Morgan looked over to Nah and grinned in apology. Then he turned back to Stahl.
"Bye Stahl!"
"Goodbye Morgan."
After a few moments, Robin emerged from the brush, grimacing.
"I think you have some idea of my problem now."
Stahl considered all the times he'd been called scatterbrained, and felt a deep pulse of sympathy for Morgan. It wasn't a choice, was it? You just did the best with the cards you had.
"I'm sure he means well."
Robin shook her head.
"Meaning well isn't the problem. The problem is, while I was busy juggling plans for half the army, my son went and… why am I explaining this to you? You saw it."
"Maybe so you can sort out what you thought?"
Robin squinted one eye and tilted her head.
"Probably. I'm not sure I'd call you a genius, but you have your moments. And I suppose I have mine. Right now isn't one of them. I'm just trying to cope with the fact my son is marrying a pleasant, charming young woman who I have seen rampaging through the forests like a maniac before I could even talk to him about… any of this. And, with all due respect for my wonderful husband, he's going to be no help at all with this."
"So, you want to talk it out with me?"
Robin grinned.
"Stahl, I'm a tactician. I don't worry about coping with problems I can't change. I make sure they won't ever happen again. I still have two daughters. I'm going to do it right from here on out. And you're going to help me."
"Er… how?"
"Simple. We're going to run through a few practice scenarios. I wrote them up already."
Stahl felt the air evacuating his lungs as Robin shoved a small book into his chest.
"You wrote all of these up in…"
Robin smiled.
"I wrote them all last night. They're pretty basic, and I've had a lot of free time recently."
Stahl remembered a single candle burning in the camp at all hours.
"Did you stop sleeping?"
"Do you really want to know? Now, again, these are fairly basic. Two roles. I'll be Queen Robin of Ylisse, since I've had more practice with the role. You'll be… well, pick one of them from the stack. I can adjust. The important thing is you want to… 'spend more time' with Lucina."
Robin glared. Images of dark gods and horrifying undead flashed through Stahl's mind. He looked down at the scripts and began to flip through them.
"Robin?"
"What is it?"
"This script ends with my character being devoured by Minerva. Both Minervas."
Robin looked at the papers in front of Stahl.
"Oh. So it does. In my defense, I wrote that one pretty late at night. Some ideas seem better…"
Robin picked up the paper and incinerated it in her hand.
"We're probably better off without that one. So, pick one of the others, and we can get started. It shouldn't take too long."
Stahl shuffled the list, with his eyes wide for words like 'incinerated', 'devoured', 'impaled' and pretty much anything else that would make Henry smile even more than usual. After a few cycles, he found something that looked more or less acceptable, and handed one of the two copies to Robin.
She looked it over and nodded.
"I remember writing this one."
"You don't remember writing all of them?"
Robin looked at the pile of scripts, and back at Stahl.
"As I said, I was up late last night. There are things you forget between midnight and sunrise, and there are things you're be much happier if you forgot. Let's see, how does this one start... "
Robin flipped to the first page and adjusted her stance. Stahl went to the opening page of his script.
"Hello Robin. We're having some nice weather today, aren't we?"
Robin looked down, then looked back at Stahl.
"Yes! Unless-it-rains-which-would…"
She paused and looked down at her script again.
"I'm not sure if I can read my handwriting here. I think it says something about wolves. I might have written this one later than I thought."
"Well, if you don't think we can finish, then I could come back another time…"
Robin shook her head.
"We might not get another chance like this, Stahl. I can muddle through my own handwriting well enough for this. I think I'd say something like… 'what brings you here'? Let's go with that."
"Well, I wanted to talk to you about Lucina. I have been spending a lot of time lately thinking about her. In fact, many of the young men in my age bracket have been discussing Lucina in a light that you might not think was entirely proper."
"I am curious why you bring this up in front of her mother. I am not the kind of person who would approve of such things."
"Oh no! Panicky improvisation."
Robin looked down at her script.
"I think I meant that to be a stage direction. You're meant to say something about how you didn't mean any of it, or make vague noises of fear, or something like that."
"I'm not sure I have anything to add. I'm not much of an actor."
"Well, then we can keep going. I think… ah. 'Well, I won't say anything then. I disapprove, but I have spent time around the Vaike. I understand how you would get into hijinks.'"
"Thank you, Robin! You are as generous as you are wise and beautiful. No wonder Chrom married you over every other woman in Ylisse."
Robin winced.
"Definitely wrote this later than I thought. Err… Stahl? If there's any mentions later of my… just skip over any compliments about me. I think they were a mistake."
Stahl flipped forward past several… purple bits of prose.
"I think I can do that."
"Thank you. Ahem. 'Why are you here? I know you must have a question for me. I do not have time to waste as a very important person.'"
"I, a generic Ylissean soldier, have feelings for your daughter. I know that she is much more talented than I am, and I have shown no particular traits that would make me worthy of her love, but she is suffering from temporary brain damage and thinks I am special."
"Hmm. That is interesting. Why do you think I should not chase you out of town on a rail? I am a very dangerous person when I am angry."
"Eeep and other noises of panic. I am reconsidering many things. Boy. Robin, Queen of Ylisse, is certainly convincing when she makes an argument. But wait. What will I tell Lucina, who is a wonderful young woman and may worry about my decision?"
"Hmm."
Stahl looked at his script. It had Robin going into a quick speech. A speech that didn't begin with the word Hmm.
"Uh, I don't think you were supposed to say that. Are you having trouble with your script again?"
Robin shook her head again.
"Only on a conceptual level. I'm not sure I'm doing the right thing here."
"I'm always glad to help. And it's not like…"
"Gods, not that. I mean, if you have any problems, let me know, but you were doing fine. Or as close to fine as anyone could expect with the script at hand. It's… micromanaging Lucina's life."
"You're trying to be a good mother."
"Yes. And sometimes the road to hell is paved with the best of intentions. She's not my little girl any more. Or… she is, but the other her isn't. Time travel and verb tenses do not play well together. She's a grown woman, and she has the right to make her own choices. I can hope that I'll like those choices, but that doesn't mean I get to ignore them when I don't."
"So, we're going to stop?"
"What? Gods no. I just needed to adjust my excuses. This isn't about how I'm going to deal with whatever man or woman Lucina might choose to date. This is blowing off stress from it preemptively. Here's one of the Inigo scripts. Skip straight past 'what if Chrom finds out' to somewhere around 'Oh no! Chrom found out!', and make as good a dying noise as you can. If we're doing this, we're hitting the highlights."
Stahl paused and reached for another script from the pile. Well, if he considered all the times Robin had saved his life, this wasn't so bad. He cleared his throat.
"Robin. I had just one more…"
Then he stopped.
Robin lifted an eyebrow.
"What is it? You know I don't easily forgive slights against my daughter's..."
Behind her, Lucina coughed.
"Err… Hello, mother."
Robin swiveled and froze while Stahl tried to imitate Kellam. If you considered all the good Robin had done for Ylisse, all the lives saved, and how sound a friend she was…
They were probably about even.
(Author's Notes: And here we go. Maybe not the same long chapter as I initially planned, but it is a long one, and the other idea didn't work out, so... here we are.
There are a ton of stories covering Robin talking to Chrom about Lucina. Somewhat fewer covering him talking to her mother, which, considering Lucina's mom can be Sully or Maribelle, seems a similarly intimidating prospect. Not sure all of these worked, weaker endings than openings for most of them and I am pretty sure I can't write Olivia worth a damn, but here they are, and I hope they satisfied.
Until next time, take care and thanks for reading.)