Lady in Waiting

By psychored1911

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem Awakening or Fire Emblem Fates

Chapter 16: The Lass From Afar


"Okay, let's try this one more time before I punch you in the teeth… *TWEEWOOWHUU!*"

*PLEEEEEEEEBTTPLEBTPLEEEEEBT!*

"Motherf- It's a whistle! Are you daft?! IT'S A FREAKING WHISTLE!"

"I'm trying!"

"You have an entire library of obscure books in your head, but you can't whistle?!"

Inigo leaned over to Owain, "Do you think we should chime in?"

Owain shook his head, "No, my dear friend. I believe my comrade-in-law shall figure it out."

"Before or after Severa rips his cheeks off?" Inigo asked with a wince, eyeing the redhead all but throttling the poor guy.

Owain stopped and stared at the tactician's hilariously poor attempts at whistling. "...We should give him another few minutes before we step in."

"Whistle, whistle, whistle, whistle- GURK?!" The tactician played around before getting punched in the neck by Severa.

"You just said the word 'whistle' you dastard! Take this seriously!" Severa roared.

So, the younger generation of Shepherds have developed a code of sorts in the form of whistles, so they could communicate with one another without fear of interception or misinterpretation. The elder generation were exempt from this knowledge, but Robin wanted to learn it to impress Lucina. Now, if only Robin could figure out how to do it… preferably before Severa tore her pigtails out in utter frustration.

*TWEEWOOWHUU!*

*PHLEEEEEEEEPHLOOOOOPHLUUU!*

"Damn it, bird-brain! You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?!"

"Bird-brain?!"

"Stop being terrible at this and freaking whistle! This whistle will save your life! Now do it properly before I make my best friend a widow!"


"Good tidings, dearest comrade!" Odin greeted as he and Laslow entered Selena's personal apartment, one that she owned apart from her lodgings with the Nohrian army.

"...Close the door behind you." Selena said "Lock it."

"Why are we here?" Laslow asked as he pulled a chair for himself. "If you wanted to hang out, we could have done it at Cassita's bar, had a nice cold drink, Bring Mar- Okay, well… we'd make her drink juice or milk instead; she's doing a lot better lately."

"Owain, Inigo…"

The two Ylissians froze as their names were called. Whatever this was, it was serious.

More serious than she's been in a while.

Laslow- Inigo locked the door behind him and they walked over to their closest comrade.

Selena- Severa tossed a stack of files onto her table. "These are the details of the Dread Fighter's whereabouts and actions these past few months."

Odin- Owain took some of the files and started sifting through them. Armories, banks, private properties of major noble families. Everything. "I've never thought you were that invested in the Dread Fighter." He noted.

"It's the job, but that's not the part I care about." Severa pulled out another file and handed it over to them, "The Dread Fighter's actions were still random, nonsensical even, but then I looked at it from another angle."

"Another angle?" Inigo stared at the file, "What do you mean by this? This looks like-"

"This looks like plans to destabilize a kingdom." Severa clarified grimly, "Robin's plans to destabilize a kingdom."

The duo froze in horror, and Severa continued, "Robin and I used to talk. A lot. One time, we brainstormed this plan to take down Valm from within, hypothetically speaking. We thought it would have worked. Valm would've imploded from the inside, and Walhart would have nothing but a shattered and ruined army to deal with us. But, he never implemented them; too many civilian casualties, the potential chaos it could wreak would've been nigh-uncontainable, and Lucina's dad would've never signed off on it anyway; it would've been too much like his own father's handiwork. So, we destroyed the plans and went back to the drawing board. I hadn't thought about them since, but after realizing the patterns of the Dread Fighter's movement, I'm almost certain it's him."

"Madness…" Owain shook his head in disbelief, slamming his hands on the table. "This is madness! Severa, do you honestly think this can be Robin's handiwork?! The Robin we knew- our friend might I remind you- Would never do something like this to innocent people, enemy or not!"

"Right before the Dread Fighter executed the commander, they said 'Checkmate'." Severa stated glumly, "Do you know anybody else who would say that before finishing anyone off?"

Inigo paused in horror, trying to process it all, "So, is Robin working for the Hoshidans? Or is there some other play he's going for? Do you think he even knows Lucina-"

"If he knows Lucina is here, then he'd never even try it." Severa uttered, "That is, if he even knows she's here, or if he's even in his right mind."

The air went stagnant in their silence, the implications running wild right now.

"...What do we tell Lucina?" Owain asked. "She has every right to know-"

"We're telling her jack squat." Severa declared, "She's barely on the road to recovery as is. If we put them on each other's warpath now, I don't know how or if she will be able to handle it."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Inigo suggested, "We can't tell Lucina, and if we alert Lord Xander or Lady Camilla, then someone will die, and it may not necessarily be Robin."

"We have to stop him ourselves." Severa said, "From what we planned, he already made hits to their weapons supplies and has stifled the public's faith in the nobility. Morale is rapidly decreasing. He won't hit agricultural supply lines or stores because we deliberately made that the very last resort; too many casualties involved, and the civilian populace will starve out long before the nobility and military will. So, he will try to disrupt the economy instead; major industries, mines, banks, that sort of thing. The mines are too far from Windmire, so that's out. There are too many supply routes going through Windmire, and taking on one at a time will be too time consuming and will bring too much heat. So, he'll probably hit a bank. Destroying them will cause a panic, the populace will all withdraw their money at the same time in the chaos, which will cause the economy to further collapse in on itself and bring the value of coinage down into the gutter."

Owain shuddered, "Did you and Robin really think all of this through?"

"Yeah, but in his version, he wanted to rob all the banks rather than destroy them. We could've used the gold to help level the Grimleal." Selena shrugged, grabbing her sword. "Gear up. We're going on patrol tonight. Bring everything you can. Either we're taking him down… or we're taking him out."

Inigo shook his head, "I don't like this. At all. Maybe we can bring him to his senses."

"If we can, we will." Severa agreed, gathering all the files and tossing them into her fireplace, "But if we can't, then we'll just have to bury him a second time. Both for his sake, and Lucina's."


"She's just been lying over there for the past half hour."

"Yeah, and she clearly wants to talk to us about something…"

A week had passed since that day, and early that morning, Azura had ordered the others to leave and go about their own business for a while, leaving her alone in their suite with only Catria and Nagi for company.

But… she hasn't really said anything. She really just kicked up her feet and laid down on the couch, only occasionally glancing at the two curiously, opening her mouth as if to ask a question, but holding her tongue at the last moment.

After another awkward silence, Azura just shook her head, sat up and asked the one question that was buzzing around her head for the past hour:

"Do you lay eggs?"

"..."

"..."

And now the air was filled with a different kind of silence. The kind of silence that was significantly more uncomfortable to be breathing in. And for good reason too. Because now it got Catria curious, if her incredulous gaze toward the smaller girl was of any indication.

For what it was worth, Nagi was only stunned for a moment before her outrage set in, turning her face as red as the rising sun as she screamed, "What the- why is that your first question?!"

Catria tilted her head curiously, "But do you…?"

"NO!"

Azura reeled back, "I'm sorry… that I asked…"

Catria snorted, "I mean, you see the similarities, right? The scales, wings, and fangs, so egg-laying-"

"Don't. Just don't." Nagi massaged her temples, "Just… please, I already got the speech from my spaz of a mother, so just, please, Lady Azura, I know you have other questions that don't make my skin crawl."

"...I'm sorry about that. These questions have been festering in my mind for quite a while." Azura apologized. "I did not expect that kind of development at all."

Nagi raised a brow, "What, you don't have manaketes here?"

"Well, there are those who've descended from dragons, but never people who can actually turn into dragons."

Nagi shrugged, "Hey, they had to get their dragon ancestry somehow."

"Unless they get favor from a dragon god directly, like my family!" Catria added with a proud pout.

Azura just groaned, "You know what, I feel like I don't know you two at all after this time."

"That just means we can learn about each other now!"

Azura raised a brow. "You're gonna tell me your actual names now?"

Nagi gave her a cheeky grin, "Nah."

Azura rolled her eyes. "Fine, I guess that one can stay secret for now."

Catria giggled, "However, you could ask us anything else if you want."

"I'll even crack open some wine if you're up for it." Nagi offered. "

Azura paused, furrowing her brow, "It's not even noon yet…"

"So? We can still hang out." Catria said as she went over to the table, "Tell you what, until someone comes back and stops us, you can ask us anything you want, and in return then we can ask you anything we want! What do you say?"

Azura pondered on it for a moment, before ultimately nodding, "Get one of the cheaper wines. I have so many questions that I've been meaning to ask you two."


Marth laid on her back as she stared at the doll she made with her own two hands back in the Northern Fortress. To many children, it would be some terrifying abomination vaguely in the form of a stuffed animal. But to her little girl, well, she would've loved it. Perhaps she inherited such tastes from herself. Or maybe she outgrown such toys in her current age-

"Hiya, Marth!"

Marth looked to her side as Elise scampered in, not budging from her position. "Lady Elise. Do you need my assistance?"

"Nah, not at the moment. I'm actually done for the day, just like you!" Elise pulled up a nearby chair and plopped herself next to her, "So, whaddaya got there? A toy?"

"Yes… I made it for my daughter…" Marth said sadly.

And with that, Elise's smile slowly faded, "...Daughter? You have a daughter?"

"Her name is Morgan. She is only a few years old, if I recall correctly." Marth answered.

Elise bolted to her feet in alarm. "Wait, then why are you here and not with your daughter?!"

Marth paused, freezing in place as she stared into the eyes of the 'doll', "I suppose I should start from the beginning."


"So, you think that your sister should be somewhere in Nohr, right?" Azura summarized.

"Right. That's what Anna said." Nagi affirmed.

"Anna. Not the merchant Anna that Sakura met a few weeks ago." Azura further clarified.

"Yes and no. There are, like, dozens-DOZENS of nigh-identical Annas running around trying to sell people stuff, and they just happened to meet one of them." Catria replied. "And they're all related too, like a giant family of Annas. The Anna we're talking about just happened to run into my sister and pointed us in her direction, which is when we ran into you."

Azura pondered on the sheer absurdity of a clan of merchant women inexplicably named Anna. "...So, are they all working together as a network or-"

"Nope, they're all independent from each other, as far as I'm aware." Nagi deadpanned.

"What?! Then what's the point, then?" Azura asked incredulously.

"...To make money?" Catria tilted her head, as if the former asking the question was the confusing part, "From what we asked, nearly every woman born into the family is named Anna by tradition, with very, very few exceptions. Kinda like how a name is passed down dynastic lines, kinda like, say, Zelda or something like that."

"Ah, c'mon, you know that's just a legend! I mean how bad would it suck to also always reincarnate with an evil sorcerer bent on world domination?

"Those legends always include this silent hunk that saves the day, so it's not all bad."

The three of them hung out around the table, with a bottle of wine in the center. They were losing track of the time, and began to converse on their pasts and motivations for the future. Endless years of talking could have happened in the hours they merrily and enthusiastically spent together. Just like when they first met. Unfortunately, the conversation had since derailed, just like all their earlier conversations, also like how they first met.

Catria and Nagi wailed in laughter when they finally heard Azura's story about the suitors. Azura felt like she was never going to live it down amidst their howling cackles.

Nagi brought up her… ditzy mother and how she always ran around in skimpy clothing… or how her mother made her father a blushing wreck around her.

Catria brought up the one time she confused some random bandit leader with her father… despite the two looking absolutely nothing like one another.

Now they were talking about the merchant woman that Sakura and Hana met a while ago… and how there were tons of identical merchants running around the kingdoms, all named Anna. As curious as Azura was about the topic, she still had some more important questions that needed asking.

"We're getting off-topic. Again." Azura cleared her throat, "Catria, you were seeking your sister here in Windmire. The mother of your niece?"

"Ah, right." Catria snapped her fingers, "My big sister, the valiant hero, the pride of my home kingdom, the greatest swordswoman in all the land!"

"Your sister seems to be quite an impressive woman." Azura mused, "But that still doesn't answer why she disappeared."

Catria faltered a bit, looking down at her glass of wine, "Yeah, so, a lot of things happened, and it just got chaotic and weird between them for a while. At one point, my sister just ended up locking herself away for a while…"


Several years ago.

She had locked herself away from the world after his passing.

It was too much to bear. This world she fought for, bled for, even resigned herself to die for at one point, it was free. There was no more Risen. No more Fell Dragon.

And no more Robin to make her life complete.

She locked herself away in her room. Far away from anything else. She didn't want to to do anything but lay in bed and sleep for hours on end and cry her heart out.

Her friends had left to carve their own paths in the world, and few remained in Ylisse. They would've stuck with her until the end, but she all but ordered them all away. They all spent too much time following her; there was no need for them to waste any more when they had their own lives to live. As for her, she was wasting her life away in her room, wallowing in misery, sick to her stomach-

"...Hrrg…"

Really sick to her stomach, actually.

She didn't know how or why, but she felt weaker than she had in days past. She had also been having frequent stomach aches, and she felt nauseous with every step she took. It even looked like she put on a bit of weight around her stomach.

As she looked at her reflection, she noticed how much of a mess she became. Her clothing was crumpled and filthy, her hair was disheveled, her once-brilliant eyes were devoid of light and hope.

She almost flinched away from her reflection, barely able to recognize herself in the mirror.

She may need to be looked at by a healer. Yes, she just needed to be seen by her aunt Lissa. Perhaps that's all she needed. She will just give her some medicine and then she could go back to her room.

So, for the first time in recent memory, Lucina stepped outside of her room and out. It was noon, so her aunt Lissa was usually at the castle's training grounds, usually to train the healers with those inevitably injured by Sir Frederick's or Lady Cordelia's training. Assuming she hadn't left with her father in one of their fruitless attempts to find Robin. Yeah, she's probably in the castle. She just had to get to the-

"...Hrrg…"

Lucina gagged, stumbling to the ground, covering her mouth as the world felt spinning. She had to will herself to stand back up, swallowing down whatever bile threatened to spill from her mouth as she made her way to the courtyard. Everything was going to be okay.

It took a few more minutes, as well as a few more episodes of nausea, but she eventually made her way down from her room to the courtyard. She didn't even need to make her way to the training grounds, as her aunt Lissa was seemingly walking in her direction… alongside her father, Chrom, and her sister Cynthia.

Lucina ducked behind a pillar. She didn't know why she did. She was just feeling mildly ill, nothing wrong with that. Why was she hiding from them? They were probably just coming back from another trip-

"HRRRRRK- BLUUUURGH?!"

Vomit violently erupted from her mouth, and her partially digested dinner had spilled out and onto the ground before her. The world was spinning rapidly, and Lucina felt faint. She fell to her side as her vision began to fade. Her family running towards her in a panic was the last thing she saw before everything went black.


"Ohh, she's waking! She's waking!"

The next thing she knew, Lucina was back in bed, and her family was hovering all over. Not just her father, Aunt Lissa, and Cynthia, but apparently her mother Sumia had come in sometime during her fainting spell.

"...Hey there." Her mother said gently, "You really scared us back there, Lucina."

"...I'm sorry." Lucina apologized despondently.

Cynthia shook her head, "Hey, don't apologize! There's nothing wrong with getting sick!"

"Yeah," Her father folded her arms with a comforting smile, "I know things have been… chaotic recently, but you've been handling things at your own pace, and we want you to know that no matter what happens, we will be with you all the way."

Lucina couldn't help but feel touched. She thought she had pushed them away, but even now, they were still willing to accept her for who she was, even in such trying times.

"Ehem…"

Her aunt Lissa, who had been twiddling her thumbs in the corner, decided to clear her throat. "Umm… I know this is an extremely touching moment for all of us, but I kinda have to tell you guys something… Something important."

Chrom raised a brow. "What is it?"

"So, you know how I cast a healing spell to treat her nausea?" Lissa mentioned offhandedly, "So, her symptoms were a bit… suspicious… so, I also cast another spell… one that checked for, um… other things…"

Whatever she was implying went right over Chrom and Lucina's heads. "What other things?" Lucina asked in panic. "Am I sick?"

Chrom began to worry. "What happened, did Lucina get some sort of disease?"

"Well… no… Not technically… She just will be… incapacitated in a few months… " Lissa shuddered as she did everything in her power to avert her gaze. "Don't worry, though. She'll be okay… as will someone else…"

"What do you mean? Who or what are you talking about?" Chrom pressed.

Lissa gave a weak thumbs up, forcing her normally cheery tone to cover up her embarrassment. "...Your, um, little bun in the oven… is A-OK too, hehe…"

The room went silent. One could hear a pin drop as the implications were slowly beginning to dawn on them.

Lissa chuckled awkwardly as she strained an incredibly uncomfortable grin. "Congratulations, Lucy…"

Lucina was stunned, and could only utter a weak whimper. "...What…?"

Cynthia's face flushed red as realization set in. "...Oh…"

Sumia covered her mouth, barely able to hide an excited smile on her face. "Oh, my!"

Chrom's gaze went wide eyed as he realized what had happened to her little girl. "...Oh, that son of a bi-"


"Wait, that's how you learned your sister was pregnant?!" Azura asked incredulously.

"Yep! Apparently, a li'l-sump'n-sump'n happened between them!" Catria chuckled as she poured herself another glass of wine. "For what it's worth, she took her newfound motherhood all in stride!"


"Gods damn you, Robin! You did this to me, you rotten dastard! Come back to life so I can kill you for putting this little devil in my bod- *BLEEEEEEEUUUUUUUUURGH!*"


"...She might've freaked out once or twice during the pregnancy, though…" Catria admitted uncomfortably. "But when my tiny little niece was born, she was basically the best mother ever. She made sure that her little baby would want for nothing. Toys, bedtime stories, cookies before dinner: you name it. She basically never let the little rascal out of her sight."

"You make her sound like an ideal mother." Azura commented.

"She was." Nagi commented, "It makes her sudden disappearance all the more confusing."


"I was a terrible mother…" Marth uneasily admitted, staring into the ceiling. "I just felt like I was going through the motions, just copying what my mother and father did before me."

Elise leaned forward worriedly, "But, you were trying, right? You couldn't have just abandoned her for no reason."

"I didn't." Marth affirmed, "I love my daughter more than anything, despite my failures as her mother. That child held all the hope and joy in the world, and I loved her for it. But, she was… she took after her father… Too much after her father…"

Elise gulped, "What do you mean?"

Marth froze in place, almost immobilized in her reminiscence. "My husband… his bloodline was cursed. It led to his death, and I feared that my little girl had it too…"


"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"

Even when pinned against the wall, that woman's face was still irritatingly smug. The other woman towered over her by a head, and that sneering narrowing in her eyes inflamed all of Lucina's nerves.

"It's good to see you too, dearest sister-in-law." the woman replied, completely undeterred by the furious woman before her.

Lucina felt her blood boil as she pressed her sword even tighter around her 'sister-in-law's' neck. It was one thing for this woman to be anywhere near her, that she was alone with her sleeping daughter was another. "Give me one good reason not to slit your throat right now."

With an amused smirk, her 'sister-in-law', Aversa, answered. "Because killing me will only spark another war between Ylisse and Plegia. And you don't want that. Not after all the effort my brother, your husband, did to stabilize relations between our two kingdoms."

"What?!"

"You really are more muscles than brains, girl. With the previous king slain, someone must take the Plegian throne and bring all of its infighting to an end. And with the eldest son… unable to stake his claim, who better than myself?" Aversa seemed to relish in Lucina's visible distress. "So go on, take my head and ruin all the good work your father and husband made to finally bring the peace the previous Exalt so desperately sought."

Lucina's bloodshot cerulean eyes glared daggers at Aversa for what felt like hours until, reluctantly, she pulled her sword away from Aversa's neck.

"Should you need another reason, I also kept your child a secret from the masses." Aversa teased.

Lucina flinched, "How in the-"

"I noticed, but I kept my mouth shut. You said nothing, Robin said nothing, so I said nothing." Aversa pointed out off-handedly. "If I were to guess, you really didn't know until after he died? I can't say the same for your friends, seeing as none stuck around?"

Lucina rolled her eyes. This woman always knew exactly how to piss her off.

Aversa let out an infuriatingly haughty smirk, "Oh, don't be like that, little Lucina. After all, I come bearing gifts." With a flick of her wrist, a stage of pages appeared from a pitch-black wisp as a tome was pulled out from underneath the nearby crib.

"T-That's-"

"This is my contribution to my brother's legacy." Aversa cut her off as the pages inserted themselves into the latter end of the tome. "A gift of black magic, to the gifted child that came from your union. Don't worry, these bundles of curses are harmless to the practitioner."

Lucina grit her teeth, "What are you talking about?"

"You didn't notice it?" Aversa inquired, almost genuine in her tone, as the tome was haphazardly dropped onto the floor. "It's difficult not to notice the power that's coursing through her. My dear little niece will be gifted in the dark arts. She will grow into a fine sorceress in the future."

Aversa leaned over to reach into the crib, only for Lucina to all but tackle her away and snatch the baby Morgan into her arms, stirring the previously-slumbering infant from her slumber as she glared bloody murder at her counterpart.

"Goodness, once a brute, always a brute." Aversa harrumphed, more offended than injured. "I do hope my niece takes more after my brother than she does to you. At least then she will have at least a sliver of intelligence in that head of hers."

Lucina growled, glaring at her 'sister-in-law' until she felt her infant daughter gently tug at her hair, the oblivious infant giving her a comforting smile and an innocent coo.

"She will be more powerful than her parents, I can almost guarantee you that." Aversa smiled, "Oh, well. I'll be off. Plegia won't pull itself out of an economic depression by itself. I'll be visiting again sometime; perhaps next time we meet, you will be more inclined to allow me to spoil my adorable little niece."

"Wait."

Aversa paused as her gaze fixed upon her widowed sister-in-law. "Yes?"

"Is… she…"

"Is she what?"

"Is she… vulnerable to possession…?" Lucina hesitantly asked, feeling disgusted that she even had to ask. "Will she succumb to any form of possession, like you and Robin did…?"

"Hmm…" Aversa cupped her chin before outstretching her hands to her. Realizing what she wanted, Lucina swallowed her pride and reluctantly handed her daughter over to her.

Morgan, for her part, babbled happily as Aversa stroked her cheek, before the latter traced a small magic circle over the infant's forehead. The seconds felt like hours, and it took all of Lucina's willpower not to lunge at the de facto Queen of Plegia while the latter finished whatever witchcraft she was doing. "Your child will be fine. One as gifted as her will be quite resistant to all forms of curses; only the gods themselves would hold influence over her. And the only one that would bring her harm… well, your child will be blessed to know that god is no more…"

"Yeah… it is…" Lucina uttered weakly as she took her baby girl back, staring into her baby's crimson eyes.


"Wait, so your sister really thought her child was cursed?" Azura asked worriedly.

Catria nodded gravely, "Mhm. My sister-in-law was an expert in curses, and all but ensured that the curse died with my brother-in-law. But that still didn't convince her. She sought out everyone she could to check on my niece. Clerics, dark mages, basically everyone she could think of. They all said my niece was okay, but she was never satisfied with their answers. She always feared that her baby girl would turn out like her dad…"

"She didn't, though." Nagi pointed out, "That kid was a different kind of hellspawn."

"That's not very nice." Cynthia pointed out. "You love her and she loves you too."

"Of course I do. I'm her godmother." Nagi snorted, "But you have to admit she's quite the troublemaker..."


*TWEEWOOWHUU!*

It was a whistle, one that Lucina had taught to her followers specifically to call for help. It was a language of sounds she had devised for them to call for one another while ensuring others could now eavesdrop or sow confusion amongst her forces. Only Robin, Morgan, and the younger generation of Shepherds were privy to this knowledge, so she could only interpret the whistle as a plea for help.

So, while she knew there was one of her own calling for someone to help, she did not know-

"What the?"

Of all the things she would have laid her eyes upon, the last thing she would've expected was Nah dangling from atop a tree, suspended by her ankles by a long rope, swinging precariously over a large, deep pit. Just beside the edge of the pit was Nah's Dragonstone, far too out of reach for the short girl to reclaim and escape.

"I blame you for this." Nah deadpanned.

*TWEEWOOWHUU!* *TWEEWOOWHUU!*

And yet, it wasn't Nah calling for help. It was her unfortunate companion that happened to be trapped in the pit.

"You could've just gotten her another picture book, a toy sword, or those creepy stuffed animals she likes. But noooooo, you gave her a rope and a shovel." Nah folded her arms, grumbling.

"Shut up! How was I supposed to know that this was gonna happen?!" A feminine voice cried out defensively.

Oh, so Cynthia was the poor fool in the pit.

"Who even gives those kinds of things to a little kid?" Nagi folded her arms. "What, did you think she was gonna make a weird castle out of dirt or something like that?"

"Oh, come on!"

Wait. Didn't she ask those two to watch over-

Lucina's eyes glanced over to one of the nearby bushes, and saw a pair of bright red glints.

"Oh. I see."

Understanding exactly what had happened, Lucina finally decided to step into the clearing and make herself known.

Nah perked up, "Oh, Lucina's here!"

"Ooh! Lucy?!" Lucina peered down and found her sister staring back up at her. "C'mon! Get us outta here-"

"Didn't you two promise me you were going to look after her today?" Lucina deadpanned, eyes dull as they have been. "And you also promised mother you'd look after 'you-know-whom'?"

Cynthia forced a grin, chuckling sheepishly as she scratched her head. "Ehehe… about that…"

Oh, for the love of-

"Morgan. Come out. Now." Lucina called out, not in the mood to hear Cynthia's excuses.

Silence.

"Morgan, I said now." Lucina growled a second time.

More silence.

"I know you're here young lady. If you don't come out right this minute, you're not getting any dessert tonight." Lucina warned one last time.

*Rustle, Rustle*

A fop of blue hair popped out of a nearby shrubbery, grinning cheekily as the little girl scampered over and hugged her mother. "Hi, Mommy."

Lucina stared down at her daughter as her eyes seemingly regained their shine once again. "Morgan, you are not allowed to do that to your Auntie Cynthia or your Auntie Nah."

"Okay." Morgan droned, not sounding guilty in the slightest.

"Where are the other girls?" Lucina pressed.

"Up here."

Lucina's eyes darted upwards, finding the two other blue-haired little girls trapped in a net, suspended from an even higher part of the tree, just out of Lucina's line of sight. They were far from distressed, though, as they were swinging playfully back and forth within the net, suspended from a rope that was rapidly swaying back and forth, clearly having the time of their lives without any fear of the peril they were actually in.

"It's like we're flying!" The older girl cheered.

"Thanks, Morgan!" The younger one laughed.

Morgan snapped her head up with a grin and waved with both arms. "You're welcome!"

Lucina just stared up at them incredulously, "How in Naga's name did I miss that?"

Oh, she was gonna have some words with her daughter later…

No, she had to respond to this right now.

Lucina was never one to punish Morgan. She never had it in her to do anything too harsh, she knew Morgan was too young to understand it.

Lucina crouched down to her daughter's eye level. "Morgan, sweetie, how about this? If you can get everyone out of the traps you made safely, we can all go to that cake shop you like so much. How does that sound?"

Morgan's crimson eyes lit up, "Really?!"

"Really." Lucina patted her daughter on the head. "But get them down first. Now."


"I hate my sister-in-law." Marth spat, "She was an absolute nightmare to deal with when she was possessed, just as much of a horrid wench when she wasn't. All over some inheritance my husband didn't even ask for. Even after that, she made amends with my husband, but she still found amusement in getting a rise out of me. What was I supposed to think when I found her alone with my daughter? Still, she was unmatched in the dark arts, and when I asked if my daughter was cursed, she said that my child was untouched by the curse that ultimately took my husband's life."

"Well, that's a good thing, isn't it?" Elise weakly suggested. "She's totally curse-free! She'll live a long and happy life, right?"

Marth shook her head, "I'm afraid it's not that simple. I was still fearful for my child's future, enough that I brought her to everyone that might purify her from any curses. But every time they said she was fine, I did not believe them."

Marth suddenly sat up and curled into a ball, "My fear of that curse, that same fear that drove a wedge between myself and my husband, it almost made me make the same mistake again."


Morgan slept soundly in her bed, blissfully unaware of her mother hovering over her, staring down at her.

She was growing up so fast. It felt like it was almost yesterday since she spoke her first words. Now, she was speaking full sentences, playing pranks on anyone nearby. She was so smart. She was so much like her father.

She was too much like her father.

Robin's blood ran through their daughter's veins. She was the last member of the Fell Bloodline. The bloodline that housed Grima's will, the one that brought annihilation to her time and nearly destroyed everything in this one. And she was the last one who will have that blood.

And it would be so easy to just snuff that life right now, and ensure that the Fell Blood will never harm another soul ever again.

"Do it. End my bloodline. You're only delaying the inevitable."

Grima's voice, no, Grima using her husband's voice, rang throughout her head. Mocking her. Goading her. Enriching her very being with the dread that he instilled within her over and over again all throughout her life. She thought she was free from such wretched mockery when Robin destroyed him. But now it has haunted her. No, it always haunted her, but now his sneering laughter echoed louder ever since her child was born.

Fear rapidly overtook her as her hands drifted toward the handle of her sword. The Falchion was a sword forged by a goddess of camaraderie, one that celebrated bonds between valiant souls and the power those bonds brought forth. It was not a coward's weapon. It was not a murderer's weapon. It was not meant to be wielded by a fearful soul. It all but cursed her when she used it to pierce through Robin, and it will surely curse her again if she repeated the same sin unto her own daughter. And yet here it was, once again in Lucina's hands. She barely even realized she drew it at all. But there it was. Her breath hitched. Her vision blurred. Her hand trembled.

Did she draw the Falchion to protect her daughter's life? Or did she draw it to end it?

"...Mommy?"

Lucina looked down, and her daughter's red eyes met her own.

Her oblivious gaze and innocent smile drove daggers of guilt right into Lucina's chest.

"Hi, mommy." Morgan giggled, somewhat groggy, oblivious to all the danger she could have been in, "Did you come to give me another bedtime story?"

Lucina flinched. That voice was gone.

The door creaked open, and suddenly Lucina's fear spiked a second time as she whipped her head towards the intruder of her daughter's room, bringing the blade up instinctively.

A pair of pigtails popped out through the gap, and then the head of her sister Cynthia. Her usual smile was gone as she looked into the room warily.

"Lucy…" Cynthia cautiously entered the room, eyeing the drawn Falchion in her elder sister's hands. "What are you doing here?"

Morgan sat up, fearless and oblivious to the maddened thoughts that plagued her mother and the growing pit of panic that sat within her aunt. "Mommy was gonna tell me a bedtime story!"

Cynthia let out a sigh of relief that she didn't know she was holding onto. "Oh, is that all? Do you mind if I sit in and listen?"

"Okay!" Morgan chirped happily as she. got out of bed and scampered over to the bookshelf and pulled out a book, presenting it to her mother to read with an innocent smile, "Can you read this one to me, mommy?"

Lucina, numb from the horror of her thoughts, let the Falchion slip out of her hands, eliciting a startled yelp from Cynthia and a confused glance from Morgan as it clattered onto the ground. But she didn't care at the moment. Leaving the sacred blade where it lay, she picked up her daughter and sat on the bed, letting her daughter sit on her lap. She then wordlessly offered the picture book to Cynthia, who took it and sat right next to the mother and daughter, telling the tale in all of its splendid wonders.

It was a children's version of the Valentian saga, more specifically the part where the newly crowned King Alm and Queen Celica used the Valentian Falchion, the long-lost sister sword to their dynasty's Archanean Falchion, to slay the evil Fell Dragon for the very first time. Lucina didn't pay the children's story any attention, as she just hugged her daughter tighter and tighter, tears pouring down her eyes as shame engulfed her and her horrific thoughts truly settled in.

She was about to kill her own daughter. Out of unfounded fear. The same unfounded fear that took Robin away from her.

What is wrong with her? What kind of madness would drive her to kill her own daughter? Was she so afraid of the Fell Dragon's power that she was willing to shed an innocent life, her daughter's innocent life, for her own piece of mind?

"Mommy… too tight…" Morgan complained as her mother squeezed onto her tiny body.

Cynthia paused the tale midway to grab onto Lucina's arm, giving it a reassuring squeeze rather than attempting to pry it off. "Luce, calm down. You're doing great. Just take a deep breath and we can get through this."

Lucina wordlessly nodded, and sucked in lungfuls of air as her daughter giggled, looking up at her innocently. "Don't worry, mommy. I promise to protect you from any evil monster when I grow up."

That smile of hers hammered more terrible feelings into Lucina, who forced another smile in turn as she loosened her grip on her daughter, prompting Cynthia to resume her storytelling.

Eventually, Morgan went limp from slumber, and Lucina eased her back into the bed, tears still pricking from her eyes. Once her little girl was tucked in, Lucina planted a little kiss on her forehead, before picking up the Falchion and following Cynthia out of the room.

Once the door was closed behind them, Cynthia coughed into her hand, "...Maybe you should put that away for now."

Lucina's tearing eyes wandered over to the Falchion, still unsheathed, still held in her hand, its blade still open to the air. She didn't even recall picking it up from the floor.

"Ah, right."

Instead of properly sheathing the Falchion in a practiced flourish as she had time and time again, she half-heartedly slid it back into the scabbard, almost dropping it in haphazardly.

Cynthia concerned leaned over, "Lucy, are you okay? What was that about?"

"Nothing, nothing." Lucina lied, mostly to herself than to her sister.

"Lucy," Cynthia stopped Lucina before the latter could leave, grabbing her by the shoulder. "I don't know what's going on with you lately, but I just want you to know that you've been doing a really good job lately. I know it's been tough, but you're doing great. Especially with little Morgan! You're probably the best mother any little girl could ask for!"

Despite Cynthia's reassurances, Lucina was still despondent, looking down at the ground almost apathetically. "Cynthia… if something happens to me, promise me you'll take care of her…"

Cynthia's face immediately dropped, "Don't you talk like that, sis."

"Cynthia, please…"

"Don't you talk like this!" Cynthia cried. "Don't you dare-"

"Cynthia!" Lucina all but screamed as tears poured down her cheeks, "Promise me, please."

The younger sister paused at her elder sister's scared, desperate tone. Lucina, the Last Exalt. Was scared. She wasn't a noble Lord ready to face the darkness. She was a terrified woman worried sick for her daughter. A mother reaching out her hand, begging for someone, anyone to help her.

And what kind of person would refuse her?

Cynthia swallowed and gave her a nod and clasped her hands over Lucina's. "I promise, Lucina. I'll treat her as my own."

Lucina teared up, embracing her little sister, "Thank you…"


"Elise, tell me," Lucina droned out, almost in a trance, "do you know that sensation when you're afraid? When you panic and do something without thinking? Now have the knowledge that you might hurt those you love when it happens; how does that change? Have you ever been so terrified that you will do something bad? Now have that sensation for a minute; sixty whole seconds. And then two minutes…"

Elise gasped as she covered her mouth in horror. "My gods…"

"Had my sister not been there. I don't know what would have happened." Marth tearfully admitted. "I might have killed my daughter. My own daughter, I could have spilled her blood as I did with her father. And for what? Some unfounded fears? Some lingering paranoia? I'm no knight in shining armor, and I'm certainly no wife nor mother. I'm a monster. That's all I am. A fearful, shameless monster."

Elise sat up and leaned over towards the knight. "Tell me, Marth: do you miss your daughter?"

Marth chuckled sadly as tears began to form in her eyes. "There isn't a moment that goes by where I don't miss my daughter. But, I can't go back. Not in my current condition. I fear if I go back now, I may do something that I can never take back. I can't do that to my daughter. I can't do that to anyone I love."

Elise scooted closer, reaching to clasp her hand over Marth's. "You're not a monster, Marth. The fact that you feel guilty at all proves that you're not a bad person."

Marth scoffed, "What kind of person would stab their own husband and nearly do the same with their own daughter?"

"Well, yeah, that first one sounds pretty bad if you take out the 'protect your father' context," Elise admitted awkwardly, "but from what I hear, you wanted to protect your daughter from everything that could bring her harm. You drew your sword because you were startled, not because you wanted to kill her, right?"

"...I don't know…" Marth shook her head.

"You need to stop letting your guilt control you, Marth." Elise clasped her hand over Marth's, "You might not be well now, but you will recover. And one day, you're going back home and you will give your daughter the biggest hug she could ever hope for."

Marth sniffed, holding back her tears, "I would like that…"


"Part of me hoped that it was a one-time thing, but the next thing I knew, she was gone." Catria said despondently. "I think she had way more skeletons in her closet than any of us ever anticipated."

"So, that's it? She abandoned her daughter, just like that?" Azura asked.

Nagi shook her head, "I don't think so. At least, she didn't do it without a second thought. She loved her daughter. Maybe that little episode scared her. She probably thought that if she kept thinking like that, maybe she'd do something she would regret."

"So, it's for her daughter's own safety…" Azura looked down at her empty wine glass, "I guess I can understand that."

"We're not gonna let her keep running away, though." Catria stated, "First thing I'm

gonna do is hug her, then punch her in the face. Not necessarily in that order. After that, I'm gonna drag her back home. We don't give up on family where I come from, and I'm not giving up on her either! I'm bringing her home and saving her from herself! Because that's what heroes do!"

"Here, here!" Nagi agreed, clinking her glass against Catria's. "Her sister practically raised me too, so it's only fair that I return the favor!"

Azura chuckled as clinked her glass against theirs, "I'll gladly drink to that."

The three drank from their glasses of wine, downing their drink in perfect unison.

"Alright, so now that that's out of the way," Catria turned to Azura with a mischievous grin, "What's your relationship with Lord Kamui?"

Azura gagged on her wine as her face flushed red, "A-Ah… umm…"

"Azura and I are gonna share him!" Nagi giggled. "Lady Azura can be his wife, while I can be his mistress!"

Azura's face somehow turned redder as she snapped toward the shorter girl, "No, we are not!"

"Ooooooh!" Catria squealed in delight, "Does that mean you want him all to yourself-"

"ANYWAY!" Azura redirected the conversation before the two could corner her, "What about your niece? You're certain she's in good hands?"

"Eh, the little squirt will be fine." Catria shrugged dismissively, "Now stop dodging the question and tell us about your blooming love life!"

Azura looked down at the empty wine bottle, "Corrin- Kamui won't be an issue. Our main concern is Lilith, the queen's firstborn. I don't have any idea how we could evade her."

"You could just let me kick her butt into next week." Nagi suggested.

Azura shook her head, "No, as we've discussed before, I can't see any resolution where inflicting violence upon her will be a viable option." Corrin would never forgive her if anything happened to his head maid, nor will Mikoto should her long-lost firstborn end up dead on her orders.

"Maybe we can just have Nagi talk it out with her, manakete-to-manakete." Catria suggested. "Perhaps we can give her a new perspective, or even persuade her out of her revenge."

Nagi nodded along, "I'm down for it. Beats having an epic dragon fight that levels the city."

Azura pondered on the idea, giving it a moment of thought, before ultimately slowly nodding, "Let's do it. The worst that could happen is that she could say no,"

The door swung open, "We're back!"

Sakura and Hana walked in, finding the trio sitting in a circle with empty glasses and wine bottles.

The duo was dumbfounded, "Were… were you all just drinking wine the whole time we were gone?" Sakura asked hesitantly as her gaze drifted to her inebriated elder sister.

Catria picked up one of the wine bottles and offered it to them, "Yeah. Want some?"


"Azama? Setsuna? Where did you two go?"

Hinoka sighed. Those two retainers of hers were really something. More often than not, she often found herself taking care of them rather than the other way around. Knowing them, Setsuna, the airheaded archer that she is, will be in some spot of trouble while Azama, the lazy monk that she kept around for whatever reason, will be hanging out nearby, not even putting out any ounce of effort to save the former. They were undoubtedly loyal to her, but that didn't stop them from giving Hinoka the occasional headache. She really hoped that the two weren't making any trouble. After all, they were still guests in Azura's estate, and her retainers were still in the process of renovating-

"Greetings, Lady Hinoka."

…Wow. She did not expect to be so… accurate in her assumptions.

When she reached the courtyard, the first thing she laid her eyes on was Azama hanging from a tree by a large net, swaying lackadaisically in the air. And right beneath him was a giant pitfall… where Setsuna probably was.

Ignoring the carefree monk above her, Hinoka peeked down into the pitfall, spotting her blue-haired retainer curled up into a ball, just relaxing, clearly having no problem with being trapped in the ground for the umpteenth time that week.

Setsuna spotted Hinoka above her and had the gall to wave back at her cheerfully, "Hey…"

Hinoka sighed, "Who did this?"

"Me." Setsuna said, "I fell."

"Yeah, I can see that." Hinoka rolled her eyes. "I'm asking about who made these traps in the middle of Azura's property."

"Oh." Setsuna yawned, "The kid."

Hinoka raised a brow in disbelief, "The kid? You mean Azura's five-year-old retainer, that kid, dug a pitfall trap?"

"Yes." Setsuna answered with a lethargic tone in her voice.

"Without anybody else knowing?"

"Yes."

"And I'm supposed to assume that she made the trap that Azama's caught up in?"

"Yes."

"...Am I also supposed to assume you also gave her the shovel and rope to pull this off?"

"Yes."

Hinoka buried her face in her palms as she tried to process the idiocy that she was caught up in, "WHY?"

Setsuna tilted her head in confusion, "Because she asked for it?"

"You gotta admit, though. The kid's got skills." Azama complimented, reclining back into the net as he traced his fingers on the rope, "Look at this; she made this net from scratch. Not only did she make it hard to escape from, it is incredibly comfy. I could just stay up here all day."

Hinoka groaned, "And why didn't you try to get out?"

And now it was Azama's turn to be confused, "Why would I want to get out? I'm so cozy up here, and the view is just phenomenal. When I get down from here, I'm gonna go out and get her whatever she wants. Candy, books, toys; she names it, I'm gonna give it to her."

Hinoka fought the urge to just leave the two stooges there and put a hand on her katana as she approached the rope keeping Azama suspended, "Alright. Gimme a minute to- AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH?!"

The next thing Hinoka knew, a rope ensnared itself around Hinoka's legs and dragged her across the ground before launching her into the air, upside down, forcing her to lose her grip on her katana, her sidearm planted right into the ground, just out of her reach.

As she dangled up there helplessly, Setsuna looked up and said, almost in an afterthought, "Ooooooooooooooooooooooh, so that's where she put the snare."

"A snare?!" Hinoka balked as she grabbed the edges of her skirt to preserve her modesty. "You gave her a snare?! Why didn't you two say anything?! And don't you dare say-"

"You didn't ask." Azama chortled as he stretched in his makeshift hammock. "In all seriousness, that kid has talent. I bet she could hold off an entire siege all by herself if she wanted to."

"I like her." Setsuna complimented. "She's fun."

"And where is Azura's final retainer?" Hinoka was going to have a lot of words with that fool once she got out of here. Though she was not looking forward to the conversation ahead; she was embarrassed to say that she forgot their names, despite knowing them for months, after all.

"Working on renovating Lady Azura's estate." Azama answered.

"And what did he tell the kid?" Hinoka growled.

"Oh, nothing. We just volunteered to hang out with the kid while he was finishing up boring paperwork for Lady Azura."

Hinoka raised a brow. Those two volunteering to work sounded wildly out of character for them. "And?"

"We are." Setsuna said.

Azama shifted his position to a more lateral side-lying one, "If it makes you feel any better, we were telling her stories about the mythologies of the First Dragons. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that she actually had a good grasp of the inner philosophies pertaining to the-"

"THAT DOESN'T MAKE ME-" Hinoka held her tongue as she spotted a mop of blue hair hiding in one of the nearby bushes. Sighing, she called out to her, "Come on out, kid. I'm not mad-"

"Yes you are," Azama interrupted cheekily. "That's your mad voice."

"NOT. HELPING." Hinoka grit her teeth as she kept her eyes open for the child in hiding, "Look, I know you're over there, so just come on out."

"She won't come out if you sound mad," Setsuna commented. "You're scaring her."

"I know, right?" Azama commented, "You see, Lady Hinoka, this is why you're still single."

"SHUT IT!" Hinoka growled.

"There, see? You did it again." Azama replied 'helpfully'. "She's like what, five? You think a kid will listen to an angry adult? No, she'll run and you'll probably be here all day until Lord Takumi realizes you're missing, finds us hanging up here, and cuts you down."

Hinoka was fuming. But not at the kid. She couldn't be mad at the kid. She could see a lot of potential in her. Hinoka had to admit, it takes a lot to catch her off guard, and the one who caught her off guard couldn't have been older than five years old. The kid will be going places.

Hinoka took a deep breath, practicing the breathing techniques that she mastered long ago. With her anger gone, serenity took its place, and with a long exhale, she eased every tense muscle in her body and relaxed, "Look, I've calmed down. I'm not angry anymore. I'm in no position to punish you anyway. You're Azura's retainer, not mine. I'm not gonna tell her, or, y'know, him about this, I promise, but I would like you to let us down now."

It took a moment, but the child popped out of her hiding place. Her menacing red eyes held an innocent, childlike wonder as she giggled mischievously. A violet hooded shawl that covered her blue hair draped regally over a blue Nestran dress, and there was a toy sword at her hip, swinging freely with each hop in her step. That child was the youngest of Azura's four retainers, but she was also the most mischievous. Although definitely smart and studious, she was this hyperactive bundle of energy that was nigh impossible to contain. Still, though, she had a good heart, and even Hinoka could recognize that a little training would bring this kid a long way.

"Hiya." The kid waved cheekily, "How's it hanging?"

Hinoka sighed, waving back at the kid. "Hi, kid. Do you mind cutting me down from here?"


A/N: Hooray! I graduated! So did my brother! Oh, and I finished this chapter too, I guess. Seriously, though, this chapter took forever to write. I was supposed to get this chapter out before I finished the 16th chapter of my other fic Moon Cell Irregular, but things didn't turn out that way. Eh, it's just the way it goes sometimes.

So anyway, it's very obvious who the kid at the end was. My brother is down to keep calling her by her birth name, because she's still a little kid and might get confused. However, I want to give her a nickname like Mark or Caeda because she's a SMART little kid and would totally get into it. What do you guys think?

Anyway, that's all for now, please review!