Chapter 3: Love? What's it made of?


Ah, love! What a delightful feeling, what a kind word. For years, Sumia had immersed herself in books, her only hobby in life since a very young age. But due to her noble title, it became difficult to read after she turned fifteen and dedicated herself to her family's military life.

Well, that was until a certain kind man entered her life.

Robin had, in many ways, helped all the Shepherds one way or another. His help came indirectly at first; being such a capable man, the mountains of paperwork, receipts, and reports were dramatically reduced, giving her more time for her hobby.

It might have seemed like a trivial thing, but for her, having time to read was her way of de-stressing. Robin, noticing her passion for reading, joined her. While he mostly read strategy books, he was an avid reader and a brilliant critic of literature. He always provided a professional opinion that never sounded awkward or out of place. They spent many hours together, to the point that even some nobles and servants began whispering that the "Plegian rat" was trying to meddle in Ylissean politics by marrying her. They couldn't have been more wrong.

Robin understood her very well, and in fact, he had driven her to her wit's end several times by telling her he could help her win Chrom's heart. She had tried for years to gain the prince's attention. Anyone else suggesting that they could do something she hadn't attempted would have received a scolding from her, but then again, it was Robin who was offering a helping hand, and what a hand it was! Before she knew it, the war had ended, and she had followed his advice, resulting in her marriage and pregnancy within a blink of an eye. That man could perform feats that seemed like magic, even though they weren't.

So, having Cordelia struggle for half an hour to get the words out of her mouth, still embarrassed about what she wanted to say, while Sumia patiently listened, might be her chance to repay the favor to Robin. But there were several problems with that.

First and foremost, any woman who tried to get close to Robin was completely and utterly driven away by his shadow, Tharja. When noblewomen approached him to whisper sweet words, she made them 'forget' how to move their tongues, seemingly unconsciously. How in the world did that even make sense?! There were several accidents with those girls for weeks after they persisted. Some women tried to show off their cleavage and take the easy route? Tharja cursed them to break out in rashes if they got within 5 meters of Robin. Someone used a perfume to entice his nose? She would casually drop a few drops on their heads so that the amount of dandruff accumulated on them forced them to bathe every couple of hours to avoid looking unkempt. Perhaps a snack to win his heart through his stomach? Tharja always intercepted the gifts, and when the women dared to eat near him, whether it was pastries, cakes, or a simple fruit, the indigestion she caused them was of such horrible proportions that they couldn't leave the restroom until the event was over.

Robin's kind and very dense spirit that never saw these actions as flirtatious behavior not only made the girls suffer but also made Tharja double down if they tried to be reciprocal.

However, the Shepherds were different.

Up to this point, Robin had strictly forbidden her from doing anything to the girls in the camp, interfering with any military tactics, or causing any harm. The cost? In her opinion, a very high one, considering they usually slept in the same tent. She called it "sleep toguether", but it was actually Robin sleeping while she freely watched him. Sometimes she dared to play with his hair or make him react in his sleep to smile manically.

Let's say, for argument's sake, that Tharja decided to pardon such an "offense," and Cordelia's pursuit of her feelings was allowed in the witch's eyes, there were still some minor issues.

"Mother... what do you think of Robin?" Lucina, her daughter who had traveled from the future to warn them, behaved like a lovestruck maiden around him. Honestly, she couldn't blame her. At one point, when she considered giving up on pursuing Chrom, Robin was one of the potential candidates.

"N-No! Of course, I enjoy spending time with Robin... BUT DON'T TELL HIM! I don't want... I don't want it to get to his head, or for him to think badly of me, and I certainly don't want to lose my buddy for pranks..." Lissa had the same expression. Sometimes, when she watched Robin train or talk to the recruits, she sighed a little too much.

"W-Well, he helped me a lot... I feel like the fact that he helped me with the amphitheater... I don't want it to look like he's buying my hand in m-m-m-marriage... I'm not that kind of girl!" Olivia tried to say without her face turning completely red, thinking about the possibility of being together with him. In fact, several times, she had suggested that Morgan wear her old costumes, a kind of mother-daughter ritual to showcase the beauty of dance.

And speaking of Morgan.

"I-It's just... I don't know if I'm worthy of being her mother... or if I'm even her mother..." Cordelia said, timidly hiding her face behind her hands, out of all the girls, she was the most conflicted about her feelings.

"Oh... well... maybe we should start by talking about your feelings and how you see him, right?" Sumia said cheerfully, trying not to think that Tharja might hex her and that she was 'betraying' the girls from the 'matchmaker Robin' club. "What do you say we start with you telling me exactly what you think?"

"By the goddess! I don't even know where to start!" The pegasus knight said excitedly. "It was wonderful training with him; in fact, I loved being with him during our morning practices."

"Because he was the one who gave you the most challenge?"

"No, anyone in the group with coordination and skill was good to train with... it's just that..." she blushed with her hands on her cheeks. "I had read those stories, you know, the ones where the heroic king practices with his future wife before he knows he's going to marry her, how it looked like they were dancing instead of sparring... honestly, I hadn't noticed it, but during the war in Valm, many said we were an unrivaled pair, that our training inspired others. I'm stronger than Robin, but he wasn't bad at what he did. The way he moved, how he blocked my strikes, and every time he took me by the waist when I was about to fall from a quick push... it was something I hadn't realized until Cynthia pointed it out... that we seemed like a... lovey-dovey couple..."

"By Naga, Cordelia, that's exactly the nonsense I thought with Chrom," Sumia thought. "W-Well, what else?"

"He encouraged me to... goddess... this is embarrassing," she blushed even more. "Do you remember those holidays we had at that beach?" Sumia nodded. "Well... Morgan was playing on the beach shore... and she pulled me to collect seashells and conch shells... I thought Robin would scold me for stealing time with his daughter... but instead, he encouraged me to continue... he even let me take several shells that he picked up to decorate a lance.."

"...Wait, is that the hideo-ehmm-that beautiful lance in your private room?" Sumia asked as Cordelia timidly nodded. "You're not making this easy, Cordelia," she thought again.

"Also... I realized how much I missed him... a few weeks ago..." She said, sounding melancholic.

Trying to remember, Sumia tried to think of the events of the past few days. That's when it hit her. "...the anniversary... of the fall of the Pegasus Knights..."

Cordelia nodded sadly. "He was always... there for me on those days... The royal family and my fellow Shepherds never let me down, and no soldier forgot their sacrifice... but he was the only one who comforted me when I broke down, remembering my comrades, my battle sisters... during those days, I always woke up in his bed while he took care of me, as if I would shatter with any light push..."

"You never told us... why?"

"I was ashamed of myself... I felt miserable, seeing so many of my sisters fall so that I could live... I felt like a burden to everyone. But Robin... he consoled me so gently... and then there was Morgan!" She said as she laughed and cried. "Before going to awaken Falchion, the same date passed, and they both comforted me again at that moment. I asked Robin if he had said anything to her, but he said no, that she simply 'knew' I needed a shoulder to cry on..."

"That... is a lot to take in..." Sumia sighed.

What advice could be given to this girl? Certainly, Cordelia wasn't dealing with a simple crush.

She played with her daughter, enjoyed being with her daughter, by the goddess, she LOVED the idea of having her daughter by her side?! She seemed more like a maiden ready to say "I do" than anything else. Even though she had just confessed some private things to Sumia. Cordelia was serious, too serious for her own good. In fact, they looked more like a happy family than anything else. Why was Robin so dense?

"So, what do you think?" Cordelia nervously asked.

"Honestly... whatever you do, I will support you as best as I can..." Sumia sighed. In the end, she would have to talk to Lucina and Lissa about this as well. She would also have to meet with Olivia to explain what was going on with Cordelia.

"Does that mean... I'm that bad?"

"No! Of course not! It's wonderful that you have someone so close to support you," Sumia replied, a bit too loudly, regretting it a bit as she saw her baby being startled by the sudden exclamation. "But this isn't the place or time for it. How about you go support Morgan first? For now, we can't... do anything for Robin, but as the goddess said, if our bonds are strong enough, he will return to us."

"Of course, yes, I'll do that first," Cordelia felt more motivated, with a vibrant smile, she felt more confident than ever before. "Oh, I need to talk to Morgan then. I think I saw her leave... so, it's b-better if I prepare something for her return."

"Yes, do that, be careful with what you prepare."

"And maybe she can tell me more about Robin."

"Sure, it will be a lovely evening. You know you have my full support."

"Oh, but I'll need help. I need to calm down... maybe I'll talk to Lissa or Lucina, they might understand."

"Of course, that's..." Sumia stopped abruptly. "W-Wait, wh-what? C-Cordelia, w-wait a m-"

"Thank you, Sumia, you're a great friend, I won't bother you anymore." With that said, Cordelia left before the queen could say anything else.

"...I think... I've created a monster... or a war..." She was about to follow her, but little Cynthia interrupted her with her crying. "Ah, sweetheart, you must be hungry. Forgive mommy." She said as she took her daughter into her arms. "Well, there's still time, first this and then Cordelia."


Lucina had been practicing early in the morning, still contemplating the possibilities of the day.

She hadn't trained so much that she needed a break, but she couldn't concentrate well enough. She was simply too restless to focus in the morning.

"You seem distracted," Frederick said, interrupting her thoughts.

"Ah, I'm sorry, it's been a tough week. I'll correct my behavior," she replied as she reached for the wooden sword, but Frederick stopped her with his hand on the hilt.

"The dummy won't take away your stress or clear your mind... Can I suggest something else?"

"Are you going to ask her to practice with you? That's unusual, Frederick," Sully interrupted with a laugh. "Come on, if you want to practice, why not a friendly sparring match?" Frederick was a bit reluctant, but when Lucina nodded and joined Sully, he had no choice but to go along with the suggestion.

"Thanks, I just wasn't... paying much attention," Lucina said as they prepared. As Sully had suggested, for close combat, they didn't need their conventional armor, just gloves and basic protection.

"No problem. Freddie can be a bit rigid sometimes," Sully said with a laugh. "He's got a one-track mind, but that's just how he is."

"Thanks," Lucina said as they exchanged fist bumps to start.

"So, what's bothering you, princess?" Sully said as she delivered light punches that Lucina blocked.

"I don't know, it just... it feels so unnatural," Lucina replied as she returned the punches.

"You mean not waking up before dawn, marching while starving, and fighting in a battle where you don't know if you'll survive?"

"Those feelings disappeared the day I joined the Shepherds" Lucina said with a smile. "I struggled with the concept of 'abundance' in food and water at first, but Robin helped me not feel guilty about taking any sips of water or small bites of food."

"Oh? Is that why you used to snatch things in front of us and run away to eat them in secret?"

"Don't tease me, please," Lucina blushed. "Robin used to call me 'sweet little mouse' whenever I did that."

"Sweet? Oh, wait, now that I remember, Gaius used to give him sweets, and he'd share them. Don't tell me those peach and apple pastries were for you?" Sully laughed, making Lucina blush even more.

"He always said we needed to be well-nourished, though I initially declined what he offered. They tasted wonderful."

"Do you still ask Gaius for the same treats?"

"At first, I'd request them when I was feeling down, but strangely, they don't taste as sweet anymore. I don't know if he changed them or if Robin added something to make them taste so good."

"Girl, you're..." Sully was trying to think of what to say but just continued with their training. "So, what do you do for fun now?"

"Train?"

"Are you asking or telling me?"

"I'm saying I practice and train for fun, but..."

"Isn't that the same?"

"No, it's not the same," Lucina sighed, briefly stopping her light punches. "Frederick is an excellent and competent instructor, and I can hardly think of anyone else to train us, even in times of peace. But..."

"Robin?"

"Yes, Robin," Lucina resumed her light punches. "Without him around, it's not the same. I loved it every time he pointed out my posture mistakes when necessary. It wasn't a scolding or criticism like Frederick does; he made it sound more like advice from a friend. He even had us practice our posture, and the way he corrected my arm and stance so I could wield Falchion properly..."

"He taught you how to use a weapon that only your family can wield?"

"He gave me some practical advice," Lucina smiled at the memories. "First, he finished my training. In my timeline, he trained me in the very basics of swordplay. Then he told me that due to my physique, wielding Falchion as my father does wasn't advisable; it would only break my wrist sooner or later. He said I should also be careful with my ligaments."

"Robin criticized your physique? That doesn't sound very... chivalrous."

"What? Oh... no, he was quite kind," she laughed shyly. "No, he said that since my father had more muscle mass, he could wield Falchion more easily with one hand. But he also thought that, given my agility compared to him, I should focus on rapier-style sword tactics, using both hands."

"I see... and here I was thinking of scolding him when he came back."

"Why?"

"Well, I thought he might be taking an inappropriate interest in you, you know, that way. But if he taught you just that, then he must care a lot about you," Sully said with a laugh, she was in the middle of delivering a light jab, but she instantly regretted it when Lucina didn't react in time and received the impact, throwing her off balance and causing her to fall. "OH, DAMMIT! SORRY! ARE YOU OKAY?!"

"I-I-I'M F-F-FINE!" Lucina raised her arms to signal to anyone nearby that everything was fine. She simply accepted Sully's help to get up.

"...Are ya sure?"

"Y-Y-Yes... sure... why do you ask?" Lucina wiped her nose and saw that it was bleeding, prompting Sully to take her by the wrist and lead her to the infirmary.

"Sorry, Frederick, we'll have to stop for a moment here!" she yelled at the stalwart knight and waved at him. Frederick just sighed as he watched them leave so early.

Upon arriving at the infirmary, they found a smiling Cynthia who was happily resting in one of the beds.

"Sis? What happened to you?" Lucina asked as Sully helped her sit on one of the empty beds.

"It's nothing, just a bad hit, that's all," Lucina said as she lay back.

"More than just a hit, I think it was a revelation," Sully laughed as she searched for the first-aid kit.

"It was nothing, why are you here, Cynthia?" When she asked that, Cynthia pouted, lifted her left leg, and showed them how her heel was bandaged.

"You were right; chasing little Lucina around the garden is dangerous. The little rascal is much more agile than anyone else."

"She stole your sweets again?"

"THEY'RE MY SWEETS!" she turned her head indignantly. "Besides, it's not that I mind; I gladly give them to her. What bothers me is that she takes the bag specifically given to us by Robin."

"Bag?" Sully asked as she wiped Lucina's nose.

"In our world, Robin took care of us a lot. He gave us these cloth bags with our names on them as a gift, so... they're a special gift."

"Oh, so you've been in love with him since you were a child?" Lucina turned beet red at Sully's words, and Cynthia gave her a teasing look.

"Uncle Robin? You still haven't gotten over him, big sis?" Cynthia asked playfully.

"Still haven't?"

"I remember Dad getting jealous because whenever Lucina got mad at him, she'd run to Mom or Uncle Robin for comfort. He'd say she was going to marry Uncle Robin because he never made her cry."

"Cynthia!" Lucina couldn't be any redder hearing this from her sister, who wagged her tongue teasingly.

"That's the truth, even now, you still have that bracelet he made for you, right?"

Sully whistled when she heard this. "Wow, it looks like Lissa wasn't joking."

"What did she say?"

"That maybe she could join the 'Matchmaker Robin' club," Sully said with a laugh.

"Wait, is that serious?" Lucina looked at them, and they both nodded with laughter.

"My counterpart from this world was doodling... WAS THAT WHAT IT WAS FOR?!"

"Of course!" Cynthia said proudly. "A few weeks ago, Lissa asked to make those cards to make it official. Now we can protect Uncle Robin's chastity and prepare the ground for future-Robin wife-." She said proudly.

"But it seems we have a couple of candidates who are interested," Sully said with a chuckle.

"What?! Seriously?! She?" Cynthia asked, but seeing Sully looking at Lucina, her jaw dropped, and her eyes started sparkling. "NO!" she laughed out loud. "TELL ME THIS ISN'T SERIOUS! THIS IS THE BEST THING I'VE HEARD!"

"W-What? Why are you so happy?" Asked Lucina

"Isn't it obvious? If Uncle Robin becomes my brother-in-law, that would make me Morgan's cool aunt!"

"Excuse me?!"

"Well, you're heroic, and I love you, big sis... but you're... kind of boring."

"Just a little bit, now I think she's pretty cute," Sully scratched her head.

"E-ENOUGH! LET'S GET BACK TO THE TOPIC! STOP DIGRESSING!" Lucina said, clearly irritated. "W-Why do you think I want to join that club? And why would I want to be Robin's wife?!"

"Don't you want to?" Sully asked.

"I-It's not about whether I want to or not; IT'S INAPPROPRIATE!" She stood up, still with the handkerchief on her face. She continued, placing her hand on her chest, "I hold deep respect and admiration for him, I won't deny that. I'm eternally grateful because he saved us all, and his sacrifice is a debt I can never repay. But the f-fact that you think that I could be... like lovebirds... or together... is... is..." She just couldn't bring herself to say the last words.

"We didn't say anything about you being all lovey-dovey~" Cynthia teased playfully.

"And it certainly doesn't seem like you mind it being 'inappropriate' in any sense. You blushed earlier when I mentioned that he might have been interested in you while training," Sully commented as Lucina's lips began to tremble. "Heh... it seems like she's madly in love, don't you think?"

"Yup!" Cynthia giggled as her sister tried not to blush any more.

"It's a shame, really," Sully continued, catching Lucina's attention. "I suppose you already have a way to break this to Chrom?"

"Oh, right! Dad would never..." They fell silent when they saw the sadness in her expression. "...oh..."

"Right... Father... he would never... allow us..." Lucina said, her voice filled with sadness.

"Wow... that was quick..." Sully said awkwardly. "Look, I don't think Chrom would be the main problem. Sure, he might object, but I'm pretty sure the bigger obstacle is ´er, you know who..."

"Y-Yeah... let's not get depressed, Lucina..." Cynthia tried to cheer her up, but the more she looked at her, the worse she felt.

"Come on, kid, don't give up so easily, alright?" Sully patted her on the shoulder. "What do you think Robin would say if he saw you so down? In fact, what would he do if he saw you like this?"

"...I suppose... he'd first ask me what's wrong... and then he'd try to cheer me up with one of those fruit tarts. After that, he might take me out of the castle for a walk, maybe to the fountain at the center of the plaza, where we'd watch children playing and see everyone living their happy lives... I think he'd even say something like 'all of this is for you, thank you' while consoling me..."

"That sounds... quite normal..." Sully thought.

"He might take me to the riverside to watch the fish under the bridge... or perhaps buy me some clothes or a coat I liked... and make sure me that any sorrow is fleeting... as long as I have my family and friends nearby..."

"Well, that's sweeter" Sully couldnt help but think that Robin had a knack for cheering up people, seeing Lucina brighten up a bit, she commented "It seems like you never really thought deeply about it, huh?"

"Well, Uncle Robin is to blame for that," Cynthia chimed in, crossing her arms. "We never knew why things happened the way they did in our timeline, but he won everyone over with his understanding and affection, so I'm not surprised that my sis fell in love with him at his best."

"Robin is a womanizer?" Lucina asked.

"No... not consciously," Sully tried to hide her own blushing face. Sully was teasing the princess, but she didn't have a better position to argue. "It's just that among all the guys around us, many of us found him attractive."

"You said it!" Cynthia put her hands on her cheeks. "Uncle Robin is quite mysterious, with that air of danger from his unknown past, even though he's such a great hero. His rough way of talking is quite cute."

"Heh... well, I won't deny he has his charm," Lucina finally admitted, feeling a little more cheerful. "Despite having table manners, I've seen him in his study eating like a child. If Aunt Maribelle saw that, she'd surely give him a scolding with her parasol. He's also someone you can have a straightforward, yet gentle conversation with."

"Don't forget how he goes crazy for food," Sully laughed. "We tried many things together, but I never understood how his taste buds can handle eels and bear meat the way they do."

"Huh? Isn't that normal? Robin doesn't have a refined palate, so I don't see him eating much more than his coffee cup and some sweets during his free time."

"Uncle Robin had peculiar tastes, but that's part of what makes him charming, right?" Cynthia replied.

"Well, let's not tease poor Robin too much," Sully said. "After all, he's always been good to us."

"Yeah! Even Lucina gets jealous of her 'me' from this world," Cynthia teased while Lucina tried to maintain her composure.

"Cynthia!" Lucina exclaimed as she attempted to hide her face with her hands.

"Oh? Why is that?" Sully asked curiously.

"Well, when we returned from Valm, little Lucina missed everyone, so when Uncle Robin fell asleep under that old oak tree in the royal garden, she couldn't resist curling up with Morgan and him."

"Oh! Was that why Chrom was so grumpy that day?!"

"Dad couldn't believe that after coming back, little Lucina sought out Mama and Uncle Robin." Cynthia giggled. "That's when, in his jealousy, Chrom insisted that Uncle Robin should have that camping trip with Morgan. And before nightfall, Uncle Robin fell asleep by the tree, then Morgan snuggled up to him, and little Lucina got all jealous when she saw them from the balcony and decided to join them."

"I can't believe my 'me' from this world is so... forward," Lucina said, her face turning red again as she remembered the scene. She had to admit that the cheeky little one had done something she had secretly wanted to do.

"Now that I think about it... I don't really believe you think it's inappropriate," Sully said with a mischievous smile. "After all, Cynthia calls Robin 'uncle,' but you have no problem just saying 'Robin,' do you?"

"Oh! That's right!" Cynthia laughed. "I hadn't noticed before! You used to do that too! Whenever she got mad at dad, she'd go to Uncle Robin and say 'I just want Robin' while pouting."

"OF COURSE NOT!" Lucina replied, embarrassed. "A-And besides, he told me to call him Robin; I do it because he allows me to."

"Are you sure you're not doing it because you feel something?" Sully asked, to which she only crossed her arms and looked away.

As the girls summarized their conversation, just next to the door, a figure listened to everything.

Hesitant and somewhat sad, she had started the club as a joke, but the thought that her niece had feelings for Robin was something she couldn't ignore. Feeling the small box in her pocket, she wondered if she could snatch her own blood's happiness in exchange for hers.

She needed advice, and she couldn't believe who she had to ask.


Later that night.

Chrom was relieved after accomplishing a colossal feat he never imagined doing. To be honest, he thought Robin would handle everything, which made him feel guilty. But finally, the crisis they were facing was about to end. Just as his friend had said, Plegia had fragmented, so they sent Aversa to control the situation. If they learned anything from Valm, it was that the refugee situation could destabilize a nation very quickly. "The end of the world is only three meals away," Robin's words echoed in his head. When Plegia fell along with the fallen dragon, many Grimleal left the world, as well as others who refused to succumb, mixing with the refugees. Aversa had one of the toughest jobs, along with Henry: finding and neutralizing these individuals.

Now that Aversa had finished establishing the new city-state on the western side of the continent, several people had arrived to find something to eat and, hopefully, work to support their families affected by Validar's madness and his attempt to plunge the world into death.

With the good news from Aversa, ensuring the border was secure and having a decent supply of goods and food, they could begin rebuilding the area. Hopefully, even if Aversa ended up creating a city-state or satellite state, it would be enough to help the people of Plegia rise again.

This meant they could now start the campaign they wanted to do! Search for Robin! With Panne, Stahl, Gaius, Cynthia, Kellam, and himself, they would embark on a journey across the continent to begin searching for their tactician. Finally, they could correct their mistake.

Finally, he could start helping Morgan. She needed her father, and it embarrassed him every day to see her so depressed. To think that he had failed the daughter of his best friend so terribly, that Robin had sacrificed himself for her and everyone else, the guilt he felt with the helplessness of doing something, it broke him every day.

But now he could finally have peace. Once they started searching for Robin, he could finally give Morgan the well-deserved peace of mind she needed. While he finished filling out the paperwork, someone knocking on his door interrupted his thoughts.

"Come in." Hearing his voice, the head of his beloved younger sister appeared.

"Hi, good afternoon, Chrom, everything okay?" Lissa asked, a bit nervous as she approached him.

"Oh, Lissa, yes, everything's fine, I'm just a bit tired after spending hours doing this," he stretched his arms while leaning back in his chair, "I don't know how Robin can stay in one position for so long; he must be some kind of cat."

"He used to say that it gave him peace to fix the world by just moving his pen and a little of good will," Lissa said as she sat nearby, "Anything new about the border?"

"I was just finishing that up," Chrom said with a smile. "We can finally—"

"Ah! I'm going with you!" Lissa said with a huge smile on her face, "PLEASE!"

"C-Calm down, Lissa, we're just going to the southern villages; I don't think we—"

"It doesn't matter!" she insisted with determination and hope in her eyes. "Even if we start with the villages near Plegia, we can look for him. Besides, an extra pair of eyes is always helpful, right? The help of your precious and lovely little sister is never a bad thing, RIGHT?!"

"W-WOW! Wait a minute, Lissa, you're quite intense all of a sudden. Why the sudden interest? I mentioned we could go to Plegia for the supply check, and now that we can move on to the next plan, you want to come with us?"

"Huh? Ah! No reason!" She cleared her throat while trying to pretend everything was fine. "It's just that... you know... girls can be as changeable as the weather! And I'd like to see Aversa to check if she's still as gloomy as ever," she said with an innocent smile.

"...Are you sure there's nothing else you want to tell me?"

"Nope!" She said, kicking her legs on the chair. "I just want to go out and see what's new while helping them heal. Libra is still tending to the refugees, and Maribelle will be back next month, so I thought I'd help."

"...What kind of trick is this?"

"For the goddess's sake, Chrom!" Lissa put her hand on her chest, offended. "Can't you accept that your little sister wants to help you in th—"

"You said, and I quote, 'At this time of year, I'd rather stay in to play with Lucina and watch Cynthia grow while I prank my future nieces.' You've repeated that several times this month."

Lissa looked away in embarrassment, cursing her own carefree nature. "Well..." she cleared her throat again, "Remember all those times i beat you in chess and gave me several 'do as I say, no questions asked' tickets that Robin made us sign to get along as good siblings during the war?"

"Yes?"

"Well..." She took the tickets out of her pocket. "I have... seven free pass tickets... how many do you need for you to take me and not ask any questions?"

"..." Chrom stared at her, trying to guess what she wanted. To think she was willing to give up something related to Robin just to avoid questions and have him accept her request, it had to be something serious. He couldn't imagine what she wanted to do. "No, keep them."

"Huh?"

"Keep them. We'll leave in a couple of days."

"Wait, are you serious?"

"Yes, I'm serious," he continued as he approached her. "I think it's time for both of us to grow up a bit. I can't force you to tell me your reasons, but I don't think they're bad if you're willing to give me that. I'll just take my sister's goodwill, that's all," he said as he patted her head.

"...Thank you..."

"You're welcome. Besides, we need someone to cheer us up on the journey, right?" He chuckled as he hung his cloak on the back of the chair. "Are you sure you can get up early again?"

"Of course!" She stuck her tongue out. "It's just annoying that Frederick wakes me up two hours before sunrise for practice. Not even Robin used to get up that early. As long as I get my beauty sleep, everything will be fine."

"And won't you miss the girls?"

"Won't you?" She turned serious suddenly, her hands in her lap, trying not to show sadness. "You haven't told anyone yet, have you? What will Sumia say? Lucina? Cynthia?"

"I'll tell them... that we're just going on a trip."

"Chrom! Seriously, you haven't told anyone about your plan? Just the ones going?"

"It's necessary. Saying that we're going to look for Robin will raise too many red flags. Besides, I don't want to give Morgan false hope that we're going to Plegia. We'll take a detour through the southern part of the continent to look for him and if we come back empty-handed... I don't want to make things worse." He said as lightning flashed in the background. They both turned to look at the window, but it didn't seem like it would rain soon.

Lissa sighed, somewhat tired of hearing the same excuse. She understood not wanting to give Morgan false hope, but she didn't understand why there had to be so much secrecy. "What about Panne?"

"What about her?"

"Well, we found her son, actually, we found more children, but she's distressed by what Yarne said... for your future son to tell you that his dad died of an unknown illness, it doesn't seem normal."

"Donnel seems to be in good health, and the plague Yarne mentioned doesn't appear in any medical books. So for now, I doubt what he's saying." he scratched his neck "a plague of 'red dots around your body' is not something you can miss in the medical books"

"You mean because he knows nothing about our world?"

"He doesn't know Lucina, Ylisse, or the Shepherds. The fact that he only knows Robin and a few other members suggests that he might be from another timeline. If that's the case, then it's possible that more will arrive until Grimma 'phase' in our world ends. So we might have more arrivals."

"...Poor Yarne..."

"I know, poor guy. That's why I'm not taking Donnel. He needs to spend more time with his father than his mother. Plus, she offered to help us if we thought about searching for Robin. The fact that Yarne told them it was thanks to him that the Taguel have hope... she insists it's a debt of gratitude she can never repay."

"Speaking of them... what happened to Nowi?"

"I still haven't heard directly from her. Gregor only said he'd follow her because she 'sniffed something' in Ferox and wants to make sure it's nothing serious. They haven't sent any messages themselves, but Flavia assures me that she'll keep us informed if anything happens."

"Are there still some Risen appearing around?"

"From time to time. Henry insists it's only temporary until Grimma power disappears. Maybe a couple more years after Robin ended it."

"...It's frustrating to just have to wait..."

"Tell me about it... this is what Robin used to say many times... 'the uncertainty of the unknown' if I recall correctly."

"Why did Robin have so many sayings? What was he, a bored erudite tactician?" Lissa laughed as she recalled some of the things the man she loves used to say.

"Maybe? Do you remember where we found him?"

"On the ground, lost, with no memory, and the face of a lost puppy. He was adorable," Lissa laughed.

"Adorable?"

"A-ah, well, adorable the way he talked to Frederick, trying to convince us that he wasn't someone dangerous and Frederick saying, 'You can't be near Chrom; it's dangerous. I´m a dense' while clearing the stones from the path." Lissa tried to mimic Frederick, making Chrom laugh.

"Please, don't make fun of him. He's had enough with all the ´Robins´ he had to lock up. The fact that he got so mad at so many idiots trying to convince him is already tiresome."

"Well, it's fun to see him get so stressed," Lissa laughed. "He says he doesn't care much, but even he worries that they'll give false hope to Morgan. Remember when that bald-fat guy arrived saying he was Robin and came for his lover, Morgan?"

"Oh, by Naga, I remember that. What was it, a month ago?" Chrom asked as he tried to contain his laughter. "We were outraged at first, but it was Frederick who punched him, saying, 'You don't know what Morgan means to him, should i show everyone how unworthy you are to even set foot where he's walked?' with his axe ready to split him in half."

"Hah... yeah, that was pretty funny. Then that guy had to clean up what he messed up..."

"Not everyone can withstand Frederick's threatening words without fainting," Chrom said, remembering his loyal knight. Perhaps he needed to give him some time off, although he would probably be right behind him if he didn't give him some kind of job. "...So... adorable?"

"Well, cute and quite funny to watch when he gets nervous!" she said, her hand hiding her blush. "Although I want to know where he gets so many crazy phrases."

"Heh... I don't know, but rest assured th—"

"FATHER!" Lucina burst into his office, looking disturbed and worried. "COME QUICKLY! WE NEED YOU!"

"Lucina? What's going on? Why are yo—"

"THERE'S NO TIME!" She approached, taking his hand. "WE CAN'T WAIT, WE NEED YOU IN THE SQUARE, NOW!"

"L-Lucina? What's happening? W—"

"IT'S THARJA!" She said as she pulled him. "SHE'S GOING TO SET EVERYTHING ON FIRE IF WE DON'T STOP HER NOW!"


five minutes ago

Morgan could barely react, her vision blurred for a moment, seeing the ground, hearing voices around her but unable to understand what they were saying. She had a horrible feeling in her head, she could barely stay conscious, touching the back of her head, she noticed something warm and wet in her fingers, looking at her hand and illuminated by a light on the place, she could notice the blood on her skin, next to her a stone soaked with the same blood.

She heard someone Squealing behind her as she felt someone hugging her and putting pressure on her wound, she could see Olivia's hair from the edge of her eyes next to her as she spoke words she couldn't understand for a moment.

"Morgan! My little one! C-Can you hear me?!" Blinking a few times, she finally came to her senses, trying to get up, but Olivia held her in her arms. "No, wait, don't move, let Guss arrive, we'll heal you right away."

"...any last words?" Morgan turned to see Tharja between her and the girl who yelled at her in the morning. "Before I send you home in pieces, or would you prefer I send you like a fish for them to eat?" She said as sparks emanated from her fingers around the tome in her hand. "HOW DARE YOU THROW STONES AT HER?!" She said as she closed her tome forcefully, causing everyone around to startle and move away. "No, those punishments are too merciful... prepare yourself to suffer"


Happy October, everyone! Shidesu here!

I apologize for the delay with other fics. For those new to my stories, just a few quick things:

Sometimes, I post very frequently (I can post 10 times in a month, while in others, I may only drop by to say hello and wish you all happy holidays xD). So please be patient because I sometimes experience manic episodes of creativity, and other times, I go into "hibernation mode."

Well, anyway, this fic is being translated by a friend, so it's easier to check and revise than other fics that go through beta readers. That's why you might notice that this fic gets updated more quickly than others.

No, I haven't abandoned my other fics. In fact, thanks to this one, I can keep going. You know, have you ever felt an itch that you couldn't scratch, and just when you're about to scratch it, it moves somewhere else? No? Am I the only weird one? Well, sometimes, I'm thinking about writing my other fics, but when I get stuck, I look for something else to work on. This fic is kind of "stress-relieving" because the others can be a bit (a lot) more serious at times. So, I need something light from time to time to get the words flowing.

Some questions have come up about this story, so let me clarify: In this "timeline," Lucina was born roughly a year after the Plegia War. Then, when they went to Valm, it was about two years after Lucina's birth (a year plus a little more for her growth and the planning period for the Valm campaign). This might "justify" why in the first episode of the series, Morgan says it was "two years after Gangrel defeat" just in case there were any doubts, she also says that the timeframes of both wars are weird, that applies to the space between wars, maybe i wasnt clear enough, sorry.

Another thing, some of you are wondering what will happen with this story. I think around 20 long episodes of this series should be enough to de-stress, depending on how it's received, I might make more chapters. So, if you like it, please share, leave a review and comments; they are very welcome. If something is unclear, don't hesitate to ask. I usually address some questions in the following episodes.

Lastly, some people have pointed out that this story is possibly another MC x Harem fic, as is often the case in my stories. I honestly hadn't noticed, but some of you have said that the exposition is more "organic" and that my only issue is grammar. You've mentioned that you're looking forward to seeing what this story will be about or if it's just about who wins over the protagonist. I think it's pretty clear that while Robin is the main theme, he's not the focus, and he hasn't appeared yet. It could be considered an "afterstory," but we'll see what happens next. Please don't worry, I'm the nervous one here xD. I know it's not an excuse, but English is my second language, and these things happen. I appreciate your patience with me and I'm grateful that you enjoy my work. Thank you so much, everyone!

Sorry for the long note, without more to say, i hope you have a great week and nice day/night!

SHIDESU! OUT!