"It's been bugging me..." I heard Cynthia say when I went back to the party floor. "But isn't everyone just a bit tense? It's so high-tension that I can't even drink this in peace!"

"Maybe they're all distracted by something..." Noire said doubtfully, casting her eyes around the room. "This feels like camping in the middle of a march..."

"Perhaps this means they know?" Nah wondered. Everyone was gathered at one table. Without the presence of Chrom at his table, Lucina had no choice but to bring a seat over. Little Lucina sat atop her, goggling at all the faces above.

This was turning troublesome. What I'd thought to be a simple gathering of old comrades has turned into a witch's boiling pot. I looked up at the witch herself lurking in the upper balcony. She couldn't completely hide the smirk from her face. For a person tasked to hold Ylisse together from the shadows, she sure could get childish.

If it weren't for my old memories of Minervykins carrying mother over to the healer's house, from where mother emerged holding a bundle that was to become that witch, I'd have thought we didn't share blood at all. I wouldn't have blinked if someone told me Morgan had been Tharja's, or even the Lady Lissa's daughter.

It was an older brother's duty to rein in an unruly sibling. This was especially true of Morgan, whom even Father personally placed in my care—both in our world and in here. I don't doubt that he sensed her latent instinct for mischief if the opportunity presented itself. He wanted me to watch over her, to make sure an idle prank did not become a nation-ending conspiracy. As this now appeared to be. But mostly, to make sure she grew up.

This foolish scheme was no doubt hatched months ago, when we'd circulated some good news amongst ourselves, to be kept a secret from our mothers and our comrades until a better time. Thinking back, it was already a mistake letting Morgan know, as she couldn't resist exploiting her unique position as spymaster to her own ends.

Spearing a small bone through his teeth, Brady said, "Ain't gonna be much of an announcement without Chrom here. Let's just everyone wait for a sec."

I crossed glances with Lucina, whose piercing gaze never faltered, even after effectively giving up her claim to the one sitting atop her lap. She tilted her head in inquiry, to which I had to reply.

"Unfortunately, I know what's going on. It's my sister again," I announced, sighing. Everyone looked at me.

"You sure? But wasn't it Morgan's idea to organize... this..." Kjelle trailed off, eyes widening.

"Curses," said Owain. "To think this Imperial Eye wasn't able to see through the the fine web the spider spun—" I saw the mug in his hand. "Old" Owain, the delusional one, rarely came out anymore, except when he was drunk.

"No, it's not like you would've seen it..." said Inigo. "I mean, it's Morgan right? The moment you realize it, it's already too late. You're already down the pit trap, waist-deep in horse dung."

"Or an anteater colony," Yarne said, picking at the greens on his plate.

"I think you mean an ant colony," Laurent corrected.

"No, an anteater colony," Yarne insisted. "Or 'nest' or whatever. Anteaters were literally down there."

"...But the creatures do not form colonies..."

"The only one who could've seen it," Severa said, ignoring the brewing argument and pointed lazily at me. "Didn't."

I frowned. "I can't even predict the weather. And there is more to that idiot than mere tempests."

"Well said, comrade!" Owain exclaimed, then burped.

"While it's true that Morgan is unpredictable," Lucina now said, a smile sent my way. As Exalt, her voice had the peculiar quality of making people listen. "Calling someone an idiot certainly isn't gracious at all, isn't it?"

I blanched, then tilted my head. "My apologies, that was uncalled for." Inigo patted my shoulder patronizingly. I shrugged his hand off. What would he know?

This wasn't good. Now that I've revealed Morgan's hand in this situation, even this table's mood had gone down. What was once an oasis has now been overtaken by this charged, awkward atmosphere pervading the room.

Where was Minerva when you needed her?

"Blast it Morgan, enough with the jokes!" Someone shouted. Little Lucina ducked under the table. Everyone else looked towards the direction of the voice.

Frederick had stood up from his seat, having upset the table furnishings in his rage. Stahl and Kellam held his arms back, restraining him. Morgan stood before their table, blissfully oblivious to the knight's anger.

I didn't need Lucina's bark of "Gerome!" to instantly rush over there.

"... know what you're talking about," I heard her say when I came over. "I did say they rumors."

Frederick's voice echoed through the room. "Even a fool could see through those lies. If it had stopped there, then it would have been fine. But you had the gall to spread those lies, involving everyone here! This is no simple prank anymore, Morgan! This is wretched mud-slinging! You're no better than Chrom's courtiers!"

"Calm down, Frederick," she said, her hauteur intact. "It was not my intention to deliberately misdirect anyone." She blew on her fingertips. "But you all kept insisting on an answer, an answer I couldn't possibly give, so..."

"So you tricked us," said Cordelia, indignant. "You could have chosen to speak nothing at all, Morgan. And yet you decided to do this." Everyone gathered around the table began to murmur, either staring disappointedly or angrily. I glanced askance at Morgan, who still looked completely unperturbed by the hostility. You reap what you sow, sister. It's time to apologize.

A hand laid on my shoulder. "Everyone," Lucina announced, her voice loud enough to quell the noise. "It appears we here are completely missing the point. What has gotten everyone so upset? And what role did Morgan play in it?"

Morgan snorted self-satisfyingly. "Well you see, dear Exalt—"

"Please let someone else, speak, Morgan." The way Lucina said it was in such a way that Morgan literally bit her tongue and stopped.

Maribelle, looking on the verge of a very strong headache, sighed. "It has been a long month, you understand. Your Father, Chrom, had us all worried for not being himself."

"Not being himself? Is he sick?"

"One might call it that, but nay, not sick of the physical manner. Ah, what word can best... oh, perhaps I can simply call it lethargy. All his energy seemingly sapped, Lucina, and we thought it would spell doom for the kingdom." Some of the Shepherds nodded assent.

Lucina seemed to consider this seriously, before turning to gesture at a glowering Morgan. "Then, how does the Queen of Plegia enter the picture?"

Maribelle covered her mouth and coughed, then looked to the side, as if hesitant to answer. I could tell her face had reddened, although I had no idea why. When Maribelle didn't answer immediately, Frederick spoke.

"We believed, that after Lady Sharle, milord would be better. He didn't. Not for a long stretch of months. In fact, I am even surprised, milady, that you only now learned of this." He looked pointedly at Morgan. "I had thought you were aware."

Morgan "hmphed", and then opened her mouth to answer. She could have, had not my hand instantly slapped itself over her lips. "Mrgr!"

We glared silently at each other.

"...surprised when it all changed not too long ago," Frederick continued. "We thought of many other possibilities, but the one major answer we kept thinking of was that your father had found..." Here he hesitated, "—someone else."

"It is alright," Lucina said with earnest sincerity. "I expect my Father to be happy, same as everyone. Besides, it is not like Lucina won't be loved."

"Well, we all naturally thought Morgan would know." Maribelle, regaining some of her composure, shot my sister a venomous look. "But we were all misled, led to think that... to think that..."

"To think differently," Frederick completed. I rather suspect what they actually thought was something completely different. "In retrospect, the mere suggestion that Chrom was having an affair with Tharja was already suspicious in itself."

"What?" Someone near-shrieked from behind the crowd.

"Great, now I need to calm her down before she hexes everyone..." I heard Noire say beside me.

"Ah, I see," I now said, to fill the silence. I slapped a hand on top of Morgan's head, squeezing it as if it were an orange. "Everything fits now." Morgan slapped me away. Before she could speak, I yet again sucked her into a gentle headlock.

Looking down at her livid expression, I then realized I haven't done this in over ten years.

"Shush, 'Queen'. This is your punishment: to let someone else close the curtains over this farce of yours." I nodded at Lucina, then continued in a louder voice. "We all feel that you should know, right now, the real reason behind the change in Chrom's behavior. As he already knows, it wouldn't hurt to tell you all." A stray thought came to me: if Chrom had known all along, then why didn't he tell the others? It disappeared when Lucina stepped up the stand beside me.

"I'm getting married," she announced.

Silence. Then that side of the room erupted into cheers. The gloom and suspicion had been blasted away with just those three words. Most of the women suddenly surged forward to surround Lucina.

"Congratulations!" "Good for you, you two!" "Really? I can't believe it!"

"Hmph," Frederick said wryly, nodding at me. "Congratulations. I can see why milord would be happy."

I raised my eyebrow. "What?" Then, suddenly realizing, ignoring Morgan going into peals of laughter, I waved my hands desperately. "Wait. No! No! You misunderstand. I'm not the one!"

Another moment of silence. "Huh?" The collective of well-wishers gasped.

"It's none of us," Brady said flatly.

"Not even the ladies," Severa said.

"It's someone from Valm," Lucina said, cheeks rosy red. "Someone I met."

"Ehh? It couldn't be Virion, right?" Lissa said.

"Chrom wouldn't'a been happy," Sully pointed out.

The room had again erupted into a frenzy. I backed off from the storm of female bonding. I turned to Morgan, shaking my head.

"Happy now?" she said ruefully. "You all ruined the climax."

I smacked her lightly. "Be glad the Exalt was here to sprinkle dirt on the fire you started. And also," I straightened, looking back at the rest of the Shepherds. "This isn't over. This is going to bite you hard little sister. I hope you're ready to weather the storm."

"It was worth it," she asserted. "And I can write all the apologies, give out all the gifts, do an unlimited amount of favors if I have to. I can honestly say it was worth it."

"Hey, it's Chrom," someone said. I turned to look, and there was Lucina's father, garbed in the most formal of Ylissean suits. He smiled openly, though his eyes carried a question at the mess of people gathered onto one table. He descended the steps carefully, greeting each person with a silent smile.

"Good to see everyone... well, mostly everyone." The noise quited down as everyone regarded the star of the party. "Before we begin, I have a very important announcement to make."