Chapter 4: Obsidian Blood.


While the fools acted like fools, she had more important things to do.

Society? Nobility? Economy? Garbage at the end of the day! Society always crumbled without a good source of food, nobility fell in the face of the numbers of hungry villagers, flaunting riches that commoners could only dream of. The economy was not a topic that passionate her; the national currency was simply a joke to her. She used gold several times, but the most valuable currency she had was medicine and knowledge. If that were the official currency of the world, then her family would be the most important noble family in the world. And as every future queen, she needed her king.

She needed to find Robin.

The days became monotonous many times. She got bored as she never did while trying to concentrate on her research, something that started with passion and high expectations but the damn divine lizard turned it into a game of tug-of-war, a game that she seemed to always lose.

Why did that thing try to monopolize Robin? There had to be some trick, some cunning in its plan. She could say with certainty that the man who drove her crazy wasn't dead, but he wasn't alive either. He was in a state of nonexistence, 'outside of time and space' of the world, which was ridiculous, even with other worlds existing. She could search for some trace, but it was simply something she couldn't achieve.

Bringing Robin back to this world was a herculean task.

"Goodbye, guys, I'll see you tonight!" A voice snapped her out of her trance, leaving all her curses equipment on the table, she watched as little Morgan left the castle, quickly pulling out her pocket watch to check the time.

"Hmm... strange, it's still early..." Tharja murmured as she quickly noted Morgan's departure time. Morgan was the only reason she was in that part of the world, watching what the girl did and taking care of her was to preserve the only thing left of him, the stupid buffoon she loved had left that little chinchilla to roam, so, it was her duty as his soulmate to take care of his little offspring.

No, she didn't have time to follow her that day; she was too busy. She could feel that the answer was within her reach, but it simply eluded her.

Returning to her worktable and taking one of Morgan's locks of hair, she began to experiment again, with a simple but effective spell. Magic for geo-locating someone was quite simple, but at the scale she practiced it, it was inhuman. A couple of relics from the Grimleal to amplify her magical power, a bit of the royal blood of a certain future princess who 'donated' it to evade Naga's constant gaze, and a pinch of dark magic to give it durability.

While performing the enchantment, the gem she used to channel these forces began to fragment again, clicking her teeth, she quickly used one of the steel bowls to cover the gem, feeling it explode again underneath her.

"Another failure..." she mumbled as she looked at the shattered gem and the burnt parchment underneath it, making sure there was no magic backlash from the spell she had used. The fragments went back into the flask to be reforged, while she took the parchment and analyzed it. She walked to one of the walls of her room to hang it up, a part of the room inundated with thousands of charred parchments. "...It seems the old lizard is losing her touch..." she muttered while she noted the surviving glyphs. From left to right she could see how her early attempts were completely burnt parchments, but gradually, the spell she was developing became more stable. "Although... I don't think I can do anything now..." she said, looking at the flask. She had ten more just like it, all filled with shattered gems. At first, she could repair them to use them again, but the closer she got, the longer it took to reconstruct them.

It was ridiculous.

She was treading on Naga's territory to find Robin, but the damn divine lizard wouldn't give her space to progress. Fighting a deity was a difficult battle, but if the prize was Robin, then she would do it as many times as necessary.

At least, that's what she wanted. Looking at the empty flask that once held Morgan's hair strands, she couldn't continue with her experiments. That was not to mention that, until she could clean the place, magical contamination would prevent her from using dark magic again.

She held a deep grudge against Naga. Several lackeys of her daughter would die just for feeling what happened in her room. The damn goddess, whenever she detected her, interrupted her spell and purified her personal room. The first time she tried to do that, she had to get more materials for hexes and potions, which delayed her work quite a bit. She couldn't believe she had to seal her room with her things so that Naga's blessing wouldn't spoil her belongings. That woman was constantly mocking her.

Why was she obsessed with her in the first place? It was simple: if he wasn't in the world of the dead and the living, he could only be in the plane where Naga was, or at least she could assume that the overdeveloped lizard would know where he was.

Until she had more materials, all she could do was wait and replenish for the next confrontation.

As the day passed, Tharja followed the same routine, waiting to see if her experiment would succeed, eating, bathing, going to the library, taking notes, asking for more 'donations,' and then de-purifying the room for a well-deserved night's rest.

Well, it would be a simple routine if some idiots didn't bother her from time to time.

The new recruits invading the Shepherds' barracks were a pest that, according to the king, was necessary to forge friendships. While she wouldn't publicly admit that Nowi and Cordelia were someone close to her, she was annoyed by the insinuations made by those hormone-filled teenagers.

In any case, she simply secluded herself in the barracks to have some space and not waste her precious time while taking notes.

"Ah, Th-Tharja, you're here!" A voice called her. Speaking of tolerable presences, Cordelia approached her. It was strange. Once again, checking her pocket watch, she noticed that most of the day had passed while she was immersed in her notes and studies.

"Don't bother me," she replied as she resumed her studies, and Cordelia only laughed a little nervously as she sat down next to her. Tharja could smell a familiar aroma, watching as the pegasus knight carried a bascket and pulled out a biscuit, offering it to her.

"I heard you've been locked up in here all day; you shouldn't neglect your health. Robin wouldn't like that." Grumbling, Tharja sighed as she left her book on the table and accepted the biscuit.

"...I feel like I'm the only one doing anything," she said as she began to eat. Cordelia handed her more food and some water to finish as she pleased.

"You know it's not like that; we're always ready to help you. Besides, we have to have a place ready for when he returns, right?" She smiled broadly.

Tharja, for her part, only looked at her for a moment, rolled her eyes, and sighed. "... Spit it out."

"Huh?"

"It looks like you're guilty of something, so spit it out already. What silly maiden thing have you done?"

"I-I haven't done anything! I swear!"

"Heee? He he he... sure?" Tharja said, watching her closely. "You know... Robin prohibited me from doing anything bad to you all... but it seems he didn't mention anything about removing inhibitions and putting you in a trance..."

"... heh, maybe..." Cordelia smiled.

"What? Are you making fun of me? If you keep bothering me, I'll do it."

"I know you won't," she said while offering more food. "I know you won't harm us like that; you care about us in your own way."

"... you're annoying," Tharja said as she ate her fruit. "I'm only here because it's convenient and nec-"

"I know you're here because you care about us, especially Morgan, and we always appreciate that."

"...Enough," she murmured as she continued eating. "I don't like it when you praise me so much. It just makes me think you did something stupid, so again, spit it out."

"Ahaha, no, I haven't done anything. I'm just here to see you and make sure you're okay, that's all, visiting a friend," she said as she left the rest of the dinner she had prepared from her basket. "But if you want me to leave, no problem, as long as you eat, that's enough for me."

"...I didn't say your company bothers me."

"Do you want me to be quiet?" Tharja nodded. "Alright, enjoy your meal," she said as she placed the basket on the floor and took out her small novel.

Cordelia both irritated and fascinated her. Of all the people in the Shepherds, she was undoubtedly the biggest threat in relation to Robin. Not only was she pleasant to others, but her polite and courteous manner reminded her a lot of that little chinchilla. Even if she puffed up her cheeks with a lot of effort, she could resemble her.

No, it was ridiculous. Cordelia was many things, but brave in love? No, she was sure that if she got ahead of her, she could captivate Robin, but what was stopping her? She hated to admit it, but of all the foolish women around, she was one she saw as a worthy 'rival,' so her womanly pride wouldn't let her move forward until this fool declared her intentions. Robin told her that the feeling she had for her was "friendship," the poor buffoon really thought he knew her. No, it wasn't that; it was respect.

While turning the page, Cordelia focused on her novel while Tharja finished eating. "...Is Morgan back yet?"

"Not that I know of. Lissa said she was going with Olivia and Anna, but she hasn't returned yet," she replied without looking at her.

Ah, the other spoiled prima donna, the dancer. If it weren't for her shyness, maybe she would have seduced Robin in Ferox. Fortunately, she was just as slow as Cordelia.

She hated thinking of them that way. It wasn't that they were inherently weak; it was part of what she would call "feminine charms." Two girls from different places who seemed to be in love with Robin. She just couldn't accept such an idea.

"Mmm... does what you did have something to do with her? I see more food in the basket." She immediately blushed. "Bullseye," she thought as she saw her reaction. "So, what was it this time? Did you lose her books again? Or can't you stand that your pegasus follows her when she frolics in the central gardens?"

"Wh-What? Of course not! It's just that... these days... I wanted to thank her for what she's done..."

"...I'm sorry," Tharja said, remembering that the anniversary of the fall of the pegasus knights had passed. After finishing her dinner, she decided not to ask any more about the topic. "Let's go."

"Huh? You finished so quickly?"

"Time is of the essence. You want to see Morgan, right? I can take you to her if you'd like."

"N-No need; I can look for her later or wait for her in her room. It's not urgent."

"Stop wasting time, and let's go already," Tharja said as she took the basket. "I also have to ask her for another donation of her comb, maybe it's better to take some from her robe, don't you think?"

"Haaaah. Tharja..."

"I'm kidding, somewhat," she said as they began their journey to the central square.


"...and here we are," Tharja said as they arrived at the amphitheater, checking the small device she had; she was sure Morgan was in the place.

"Has she gotten carried away again?" Cordelia asked as she tried to see through the sea of people gathered in front. "Do you see anything?"

"No, I don't have your heels; I can't see what's happening," Tharja replied, looking around. As she observed the signs, she could tell why. "...Are you sure she doesn't have a performance today?"

"Nah, it's not Bubblegum's turn for any presentations today," Gaius interjected, appearing behind them. "Although I have to say, she's improved quite a bit lately."

"Gaius! Do you know what's going on?" Cordelia asked.

"Of course, they're having a magic show tonight with a concert, and afterward, there's going to be a dance in honor of the first defensive maneuver when the war started. I also think there will be some interviews, so that's why I'm pretty sure there's nothing special happening today."

"I see, thank you... Is there any way to get through?"

"I'm afraid not," he shrugged. "I left when I saw Bubblegum was already on her way out with Olivia. I only joined you guys for this," he said, munching on one of the pastries he'd swiped from the basket. "Mmmm, these are sweeter than I expected... But, did you do something? You don't usually do this just because."

"Oh no, you too? I haven't done anything!" Cordelia blushed again. "I just want to thank Morgan and spend some time with her, that's all."

"There she is; you'll have to wait," Tharja said, noticing Morgan coming from one of the nearby streets, walking with Olivia and some other girls. "Is she guiding her back to the castle again?"

"It looks like it. Would it be weird to follow them?" Gaius asked.

"Well, nothing's stopping us from following them. Once they reach the castle gates, we can catch up. There are too many people to reach them quickly."

"Whatever you guys want," Tharja said as they tried to keep up with them.

Gaius began talking about trivial things with Cordelia, like choosing clothes for Morgan, maybe some pastries, or even some new books she wanted to , on her part, was content with just seeing her from afar.

Again, she felt strange. Watching Morgan smile with Olivia was something that gave her a strange feeling. She could see how much fun she was having talking to the girls, but she couldn't understand the obsession she had when she talked to Olivia.

In her experience, maybe the fluffy girl had enchanted her; could she curse people with her presence? It was ridiculous to think that, but there was certainly something that prevented her from staying away from her. It wasn't like Robin; it was a bit stranger.

Seeing her smile made her happy. WHAT KIND OF CURSE DID THAT FLUFFY CREATURE GIVE HER?! It was disturbing that, despite her magical defenses, that fluffy thing was so illogical, so ridiculously effective at affecting her.

She sighed as she tried to recover; she would just leave Cordelia and start fixing her room. The more time she spent with her, the more it hurt to fail the next day. A huge sense of dissatisfaction invaded her when she had to avoid her, even when sometimes she looked for her. Thinking that she was smiling at her despite failing her every day was just too good for her own good.

She closed her eyes for a moment; she didn't want to say goodbye to her so soon. Maybe she would just lose Cordelia and Gaius before they even realized. After that thought came a completely surreal and deranged world for her. Cordelia made a weird noise that made her open her eyes.

What was that approaching Morgan? Someone threw something, but she couldn't recognize what. Perhaps the silly girl had forgotten her keys again? It was possible; it wasn't the first time, but it wasn't a coherent thought. She was with her back turned; she could see out of the corner of her eye as Gaius began to move, and Cordelia dropped the basket. Were her eyes deceiving her? She froze as time passed slowly before her. Was this a new trick? Some nonsense from Olivia? No, the girls who were following her were already far away from them; it was just the two of them. That strange object continued to move slowly towards Morgan, who was oblivious to what was happening behind her.

It was when it connected with her head that her world fell completely silent. Seeing that object bounce and Morgan fall to the ground, something red coming out of her head... No, her mind refused to believe, to accept what her eyes were showing her. Cordelia and Gaius continued to move in slow motion. But when she saw Morgan let out an almost muted scream and fall to the ground, her beautiful white hair stained with blood, all she could see was that thing rolling on the ground.

Someone threw a stone at her? DID SOMEONE DARE TO THROW A VULGAR STONE AT HER MORGAN?!

Her heart stopped as Morgan looked bewildered. She couldn't explain it; for a moment, only the two of them existed in the world. She remembered how Robin had sacrificed himself for everyone, and SOME IMBECILE DARED TO HARM HER LIKE THIS?

Indignation? Frustration? No, what she felt deep in her gut could only be explained by one word.

Hatred.

A putrid and profane hatred for that unfortunate soul who seemed to ignore that their life would soon come to an end. Looking around, she saw that among all those present, a girl was preparing to throw another stone. She was about to repeat the same act?!

She didn't realize when she took out her tome, but the moment she felt the leather in her fingers, she quickly opened it to isolate the onlookers with a gust of wind. Such an action could not be allowed. First and foremost, there should be no such offense towards her child.

"Gaius! Go quickly to Guss! He should have some elixirs in his cabinet!" She could hear Olivia's voice in the background.

"But what happened?!" Cordelia was trying to ask, but when Tharja's wind attack hit the ground, that stupid girl who had thrown the first stone crashed to the ground. Quickly, the villagers ran in fear from Tharja's sudden action.

The moment that girl tried to flee, Tharja cast another spell, this time using Robin's Thoron tome, blocking her path and making her scream in fright.

"G-GO AWAY! YOU CRAZY WITCH!" the girl screamed as she crawled backward.

"Gaius, go to the amphitheater, call Guss and Lon'qu, we need help, now!" Olivia said as she tried to assess the damage Morgan had suffered. The thief nodded and quickly disappeared from view.

"... So... who are you?" Tharja asked as she positioned herself between Morgan and the girl, just to make sure she wouldn't try anything else. "Perhaps some Valm idiot? Or a coward from Ferox? Grimleal?"

"W-WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! YOU CRAZY BITCH! I DIDN'T-" another lightning bolt struck, this time near the girl, making her jump in fear and drop another couple of rocks from her pocket.

"... I'm confused... so just speak up..." Tharja said, raising her hand, displaying those sparks that danced on her fingers once again. "I won't ask the same question twice..."

"Hyaaaa!" she squealed as she tried to compose herself. "Y-YOU DON'T KNOW WHO I AM?! I'M LIA! THE DAUGHTER OF THE DUKEDOM OF EVERGREEN VINEYARDS IN ROSANE! Y-YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO TREAT ME LIKE THIS!"

Tharja stared at her for a moment, her furrowed brow breaking into frenetic laughter. "Really? Is that it?! A stupid brat? He... he he he..." With her hand covering her eyes, Tharja took a long, deep breath. "...I thought... for some reason, some idiot had broken through my hexes... that somehow they had crossed the border and were trying to harm Morgan... to think that... it was just a stupid, mindless brat... how disappointing..."

"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."

Tharja's heart was heavy as she heard Olivia's cries behind her, the smell of blood in the air. She couldn't help but think that just one moment of weakness and relaxation had led to this. Perhaps if she had focused more, she could have prevented it. Maybe if she hadn't been distracted, she would have noticed the girl and averted the disaster. Perhaps she needed to be stricter and disobey Chrom's orders to prevent any future contingencies.

Regardless, she needed to set things right.

"...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"

"YOU'RE INSANE! YOU CAN'T TREAT ME LIKE THIS! AND WHY ARE YOU DEFENDING A FILTHY PLEGIAN?!" Lia shouted, her voice quivering. When Lia looked Tharja up and down, she paled. "W-Wait... those clothes... ARE YOU ALSO ONE OF THOSE PLEGIAN R-" This time, Tharja interrupted her by blasting a gust of wind at her stomach.

For the next few minutes, everyone witnessed how Tharja cruelly applied small electrical charges to the girl.

"... You're right... this is wrong..." Tharja said as she put her tomes away and approached a panting Lia. She began to laugh uncontrollably. "You know... if you were a bit stronger, maybe I could have used some curses on you. I might even practice the basics on you. What do you say? Perhaps when I'm done with you, I'll feel less frustrated about all this." She said, getting down to her level. Her eyes, dark as obsidian, seemed to lack any reasoning, and her macabre smile made Lia tremble uncontrollably in her presence.

Under normal circumstances, there would be nothing or no one to stop her. She could hear the royal guard approaching and the cries of the villagers demanding her to stop, while others complained about what happened to Morgan. Perhaps they were common acquaintances of the girl.

In the end, she only needed to be judge, jury, and executioner. It's not like the Shepherds could punish her for dispensing justice, right?

"Th-Tharja... I..." She heard her voice, her weak and frightened voice. She turned around as Morgan called her. The girl simply fainted in Olivia's arms. It was unfair, very unfair what that white-haired girl forced her to do.

"... you´re so lucky..." She said, returning her gaze to Lia, quickly gripping her neck, just her nails digging in as she murmured some words. The girl coughed profusely when she released her, and Tharja simply got close enough to whisper in her ear with hatred, "You have a decapitating hex, if you try to leave the city, I won't take long to find your corpse." With that said, she quickly got up to help Morgan.

"Th-Tharja?" Olivia was confused. When she approached, Tharja caressed Morgan's cheek for a moment, before Olivia could say anything, placing her hand on her wound and with a faint blue light at Morgan's head, she managed to apply some ice to stop the bleeding.

"... Cordelia, help me," she said, making Cordelia quickly carry Morgan in her arms. "... Olivia, we'll meet later. Handle this; I'm not in the mood for anything else." With that said, she simply walked away from the scene while the villagers were still debating what to do with the girl.

Chrom, Lissa, and Lucina had just arrived at the scene, unaware of what had happened. They were alarmed to see Cordelia carrying Morgan. "W-What? What happened!? Hey! Where are you going!?" Chrom asked as Tharja continued to guide Cordelia, turning to Lissa and taking her hand.

"I need you. Don't speak, just follow me," Tharja said, angry.

"Wait! W-where are we going?! Morg-"

"Silence," she said, biting her nail. "I'll have to borrow that stupid lizard's energy."


An hour had passed since the incident. Tharja, the princess, and the chinchilla were in Tharja's room. Lissa was tired from using her magic so precisely to heal Morgan. Tharja, on the other hand, was watching Morgan as she slept, gently caressing her cheek. She could remember how her own mother used to worry about her.

Was this the curse they had warned her about? Her family was unquestionably unusual. To think that Morgan could have blood from that family was ironically ridiculous. But deep down, that little ball of hyperactive fur had proven to be more than worthy of belonging to her family.

When someone knocked on their door, Tharja simply dropped a blanket over Lissa to shield her from the change in temperature.

Before the person at the door could react, Tharja quickly left the room, carefully locking the latch. She could see Chrom, Sumia, Cordelia, Gaius, Vaike, Frederick, Lucina, Cynthia, Olivia, and Sully waiting for her next words, holding their breath as they stared at her.

"...What?"

"What?! We were just about to—" Chrom was about to complain, but Tharja covered his mouth with a piece of paper so he couldn't speak.

"Silence, they're resting, both of them," Tharja said, rolling her eyes. "If you've come for a social visit, it's not possible. They'll be back in the morning, but everything went well..."

Everyone sighed in relief, some of them slumping against the nearby wall.

"That's good... I thought something had happened to her," Cordelia said as she caught her breath.

"Geez, we were on pins and needles," Gaius commented, scratching his neck. "Bubblegum is certainly a tough one"

"What happened to that stupid girl?" Tharja asked, with Chrom still having the paper in his mouth, making it impossible for him to speak.

"Lia Evergreen is in the dungeon for now. There are too many witnesses who saw her leaving the amphitheater this afternoon and then wandering around. She got angry because Olivia fired her, and without any job, she took it out on Morgan," Sumia explained.

"She'll be pending trial. For now, we're waiting for Virion to respond to the letters we sent, so there won't be any information coming out of here," Frederick added.

"...I suppose that's acceptable," Tharja said. She looked at Sumia. "What about me?"

"Officially, you're under arrest for inciting public chaos, openly threatening a noble, and damaging private property. The central square is somewhat damaged... so please don't leave Morgan's side," Sumia said, while Chrom was still trying to remove the paper from his mouth.

"Heh... no, I won't," Sumia smiled as she leaned against the wall. The nervous glances from the others were evident.

"What's going on? I thought you'd be out for revenge. You're not acting the way I expected, Sunshine," Gaius commented.

"Nothing, it's just... there are several things... it's good that she didn't suffer permanent damage," she said as she leaned against the door, taking a small piece of paper from her pocket to play with. "I guess this isn't a social visit. Do you need anything else?"

"No, it's just... sorry, we were worried about her and you. To think that you let that girl go so easily is... strange," Sully commented.

"Morgan needed me. I helped her, she's safe, end of discussion," she said as she glanced away for a moment, then smiled as she did with Robin. "...that girl... is... very special." Everyone was stunned by such a statement.

"Well, we know Morgan is special. We all care about her a lot, so I don't see why we need to emphasize it at this moment," Lucina said.

"...mmm... I wonder..." Tharja murmured as she looked at the piece of paper she had taken out. "...so... does this feel like this?"

"Feel? feel what?" Sully asked.

"... I'm... very happy... and proud of that chinchilla," her smile widened even more. "...she manipulated me perfectly in the blink of an eye."

"Excuse me? Manipulated? I don't understand," Cynthia asked. "She's a good girl; I don't think she—"

Tharja showed the paper she had in her fingers to the group.

"I know it's futile to ask, but does anyone have any idea what this is?" Tharja asked the group, and they all shook their heads.

"If I'm not mistaken, it's one of your dream spell tags, right?" Another voice caught their attention. It was Miriel, who approached, adjusting her glasses.

"Well, I guess one of you must have a brain," she said as she looked at the paper again with a smile. "... I wonder where she got this slyness from? Maybe from me?" She blushed.

"Wha—" Lucina, Sully, Cordelia, and Sumia were about to shout in surprise at her statement, but several seals quickly flew to their mouths to keep them from screaming.

"It's... interesting how she managed to borrow one of your spells," Miriel commented.

"Yes, very impressive... that little brat... makes me proud," she said with a long sigh. "...she manipulated me to perfection."

"S-Sorry, but... could you explain?" Olivia asked.

"... Of course, why not?" Tharja said as she put the paper away. "I say Morgan manipulated me and stole it spectacularly. This spell tag is one of the ones I use to knock out intruders. The fact that Morgan managed to steal one of these just in case... is impressive."

"Is it really that impressive to take one of those from your drawer?" Cynthia asked.

"Tharja doesn't usually leave artifacts like that unattended, so I wonder if any of mine were missing. The few she allowed me to experiment with are still in my study, so the logical conclusion is that Morgan took it from her room." Miriel commented

"Do you know how hard it is to steal from me?" Tharja looked at the princess, who hesitatedly shook her head. "Let's put it this way, it's easier to take your sister's sword without her noticing than to steal from me. Not only did Morgan somehow take one of my spell tags, but she also hid it and made sure I didn't notice that one was missing. So when she saw that it was necessary, she used it on herself." They all looked confused, except for Miriel.

"Morgan had asked me for help with some information about different types of magic. With just the basics, she was able to unravel Tharja's complex spells and use one to her advantage," Miriel explained.

"Now, Morgan, being the naive little thing she is, knew I wouldn't leave without a good excuse. So when she saw that I was about to take it out on that girl, she simply used this spell to knock herself out after making sure I was watching. It was quite a coincidence that it happened just as I turned around, so after healing her wounds, I sent a letter to Miriel to investigate her room. The fact that, even when injured, she thought of ways to manipulate me into leaving the central square and didn't do anything wrong is the greatest kind of emotional manipulation I've seen in a long time," she said as she leaned against the door again. "This kind of flawless manipulation is what we often do in my family, so even if I didn't think it was possible before that she's mine, I'm proud of the fact that she could manipulate me like this."

"I assume my concerns about possible brain damage were unfounded?" Miriel asked.

"It's impossible for a little rock to hurt you so much unless you're someone who knows how to fight. Still, to be sure, I'll let her stay in my room tonight. Tomorrow you can take her out to continue running around after making sure she's okay." Once again, everyone sighed in relief.

"Ah, finally," Chrom said as the papers returned to Tharja's pocket. "So, we entrust Morgan to you?"

"Just for tonight," Tharja said as she rolled her eyes at Chrom, who bowed to thank her. "Your Majesty, I'm bothered by the stench coming from your sword. I kindly ask that you stay away from me and this place this time." Chrom contained a small laugh with Sumia, who instead of bowing to thank her, approached her for a hug.

When she let her go, Sully and Cordelia were about to approach, but Tharja raised her hand to stop them. "No, there's been enough physical contact for a lifetime; smelling like flowers for one night is enough." Both of them laughed as everyone slowly started to leave.

Everyone except one person.

"... It's not your fault," Tharja murmured when Olivia was looking at the ground. "... Robin used to say these things happen, so you can only prepare for the worst and hope for the best..."

"A-Are you not mad at me?" Olivia asked.

"Why? What good would it do?" Her eyes darkened. "You make Morgan smile. If you distance yourself from her or make her sad, that doesn't benefit me. Her safety was my job, so this is my fault; your job was only to make her smile a few days a week. That's all." She said as she walked back at her room. Only when she was about to close the door did she look at the bewildered dancer one last time. "If you really mean it, you'd better fix that damn piano. It's not letting my little Morgan use her full potential." Olivia was perplexed for a moment, but finally smiled.

"...I will, I'll tell Guss to make it a top priority in the morning."

"Good." With that said, she closed the door, letting a small piece of paper fall under it. Olivia was sure it had fallen accidentally, but when she picked it up, she smiled with tears in her eyes.

"Thank you for protecting Morgan," the piece of paper read, in the handwriting of a certain grumbling sorceress.

"... you pathetic buffon..." Tharja thought to herself as she approached Morgan. She once again caressed her cheek and, making use of all the space available, simply let Lissa fall asleep at the edge of the bed.

If she was going to take that part of the bed, then the sorceress would simply occupy the other side of the bed. Despite it feeling strange to her, being so interested in the young girl filled her with curiosity and a new fondness. Morgan muttered in her dreams as Tharja lightly pinched her cheeks. "... well, she's not Robin, but I suppose... this isn't bad at all..." She said as she continued teasing the girl in her sleep.

(the next morning)

Lissa groaned about her poor back as she slowly came to. She blinked a bit as her world returned, feeling the sheet covering her. She looked up to see fingers trying to get her attention, and she was surprised by those eyes pleading for her help.

"A-A-Aunt Lissa," Morgan whispered, trying to help her. "H-H-Help."

Lissa, on her part, could only watch a bizarrely tender scene. Despite being worried about Morgan the night before, seeing the young tactician being embraced by Tharja in her sleep was strange. Out of all the people who avoided physical contact, it was strange how Tharja rested her head on Morgan's shoulder. "B-But what..." Lissa didn't know whether to laugh or be surprised.

"H-H-Help!" Morgan tried to kick. "S-She's... taking my positive energy! H-H-Help!" She kept whispering.

"Awww, Morgan, you had us worried last night. I don't think Tharja would do anything bad to you. In fact, I think she was the most concerned. This is definitely unusual for her" Lissa said with laughter.

"I-It's not funny!" Morgan puffed her cheeks. "Her hand is rubbing my belly, and I can't escape her grasp!"

"You know, you should enjoy your potential last moments," Tharja whispered, causing both girls to freeze. "There's much you have to answer for."

"Aaaah... I-I have some... umm... t-tickets o-kyaaah!" Morgan tried to respond, but Tharja tapped her nose.

"...you, little hyperactive chinchilla..." Tharja began to pinch her cheek. "Will you be able to explain why you entered my room and took my things?"

"Ah... well..." Morgan looked at Lissa with her gaze, trying to plead for help. Lissa, on the other hand, simply clasped her hands and prayed for her soul.

"I was wondering... how you had the audacity to take something of mine."

"W-Wait, everything has a logical explanation!"

"Okay, I'm listening."

"..." Morgan fell into thought while Tharja waited patiently.

"Well?" She asked after several minutes.

"...what if... I give you one of the sheets my dad used?" Morgan suggested.

"Do you think you can bribe me with that? I—"

"I'll give you the sheet he used in Valm and some of his clothes as well."

"...I don't want a small item, alright?" Morgan nodded as Tharja turned to look at her. "Fine, don't take anything from my room again, understood?" She tapped her on the nose again.

For Lissa, such a scene seemed strange, in a good way. She was just relieved that everything was okay.


A week had passed since the incident.

Chrom had tried to contact Valm to inform Virion about the incident. There were some complaints from the nobles accompanying the girl, despite it being an "intercultural experience" between the noble houses of both continents. However, there had been no complaints about what had happened to the girl in the dungeon, neither from the Valmese nor the people of Ylisse. In general, the villagers were more or less accustomed to the eccentricities of the Shepherds.

"Now, open wide, dear," Maribelle said to Morgan, who complied as they examined her mouth. "Well, thank you. I don't see any issue with your teeth, your tongue looks as pink as ever... mmm... well, I don't see the need to continue examining if you're not feeling any discomfort," Maribelle said as Morgan closed her mouth, looking expectant. "What's wrong?"

"Well, every time they checked my mouth, they gave me a candy," Morgan innocently said, extending her hand.

"Darling, that's a bad practice. Besides, weren't you already an adult? Why would I give candy to an adult for behaving well?"

"...stingy," Morgan mumbled, puffing her cheeks and looking away.

"It's not polite to say such things about someone who's taking care of your health, is it?" Maribelle responded, a bit offended, with a visible vein pulsing as she spoke. "Although I do have something for you."

"Huh?! You're giving me something? What is it? What is it?" Morgan asked excitedly, bouncing in her chair.

"Come on, dear, settle down. It's not very refined to be bouncing like that."

"Who cares if it's refined or not? It's the first time you've ever given me something Aunty Maribelle. That's so rare!" Morgan said, seemingly glowing with joy.

"Well, calm down, my little ray of sunshine. Even I can be generous with these trinkets of gifts. Stay still," Maribelle said as she took a small ribbon from her bag. It took her a little while, but she had tied a small purple ribbon with golden details on the left side of Morgan's head. Morgan immediately jumped out of her chair to look in the mirror. "So, what do you think?"

"Ah! I love it! Thank you, Aunt Maribelle!" She immediately hugged her, surprising Maribelle and making her feel a bit embarrassed.

"C-Come on, it's not that big of a deal, Morgan. It's just a ribbon."

"Nuh-uh! I know you make your accessories by hand, so I'm sure you made this one specifically for me. Thank you so much."

"W-Well, if you put it that way, you're welcome, Morgan. Why don't you show off your gift to little Lucina?"

"I think she's playing with herself," Morgan said casually, causing Maribelle to grimface "If I remember correctly, Big Lucina was going to teach her how to use the wooden sword today."

"Well, that's true, but you really need to learn to choose your words carefully, Morgan," Maribelle patted her head. "For now, go flutter around somewhere else, just try not to make any sudden movements."

"Sure thing, Aunt Maribelle! I love you! Thanks, Uncle Libra, I love you too!" She said as she gathered her things and left the room. On her way out, she passed Chrom and Sumia, who had just entered.

"...Well... she's quite lively, even after everything that happened," Libra commented while trying to contain his laughter.

"Quite rough, not very refined, and very expressive for other nobles," Maribelle continued while using her fan to hide her blush.

"Other nobles? Aren't you one of them?"

"Ha! It's already known that if anyone dares to comment nefariously about my precious Lissa, Lucina, Cynthia or Morgan, they will meet my rage," she said, puffing her chest with pride. "I won't allow anyone to harm my girls."

"I'm glad to see you've grown fond of her," Sumia said with a chuckle.

"Well, she's Robin's daughter. It would be strange not to grow fond of her at this point."

"Everyone loves her so much..." Chrom cleared his throat when he said this. "...but let's get to the point. What's her situation?"

"Well, Lissa confirmed it, Tharja confirmed it, Maribelle too, and I agree. She's physically fine, there's nothing to worry about with her physical health," Chrom and Sumia looked very relieved at this point. "...you seem like worried parents."

"Well, in a way, we are," Sumia said somewhat annoyed. "Until her foolish father returns, it's my priority to take care of all the children who come from the future, especially our family. Morgan is the daughter of our dear friend, so we can't help but worry if any of our five children are hurt."

"Noble sentiments from our noble queen," Libra commented. "I'll just say you'll need to talk to her. Maribelle will provide you with the necessary information for those days."

"Those days?" Chrom asked.

"Yes, those days."

"...ah, right, I forgot about that. I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but it's not proper for a man to ask about that. I'll discuss it with Sumia later," Maribelle continued.

"Those days? you mean... oh, yes! I remember she saying something about it in the past few weeks, but i couldnt find anything suitable for her" Sumia inquired.

"No need to worry; you'll just need to visit the apothecary for some supplements, and that should be it," Maribelle said, jotting down notes. "I'd suggest talking to Cynthia and Lucina about it too so that everyone will be comfortable."

"I don't understand... I..." Chrom was about to ask, but Sumia elbowed him.

"My dear, it's not polite to ask such things, especially about someone else's daughters. Just tuck it away deep in your mind, okay?" Sumia said with a smile.

Meanwhile, with Morgan:

The young girl couldn't resist stopping every time she found a mirror, window, or any surface that could reflect her image.

Among all the things she had received, she felt particularly happy about that ribbon. Deep down, even though her dad had told her she was pretty, that small detail on her head gave her an extra boost of confidence to reaffirm her femininity and how truly adorable she was.

The maids couldn't help but stifle their laughter as they watched Morgan spend several minutes each time she stopped to admire her reflection.

On the twenty-fifth time she paused near the garden to adjust her ribbon, she heard some noises that caught her attention.

It was Lucina, helping the Lucina of this world with her training, showing her how to hold the sword. Meanwhile, Cynthia was carrying the Cynthia of this world, trying to entertain her younger self.

Morgan smiled as she watched them in the castle's private garden. She was truly delighted to have convinced them to stay. Right after her dad had sacrificed himself, Lucina had tried to swear to her that she would search for him and leave them alone, as guilt didn't allow her to look Morgan in the eyes. Morgan refused to lose one of her friends and even rejected Lucina's apologies. At one point, she had even tried to take her father's life. Morgan assured her that as long as she was aware of everything she intended and its consequences, that wouldn't break the bonds they had. Among all of them, maybe Lucina was the only one who could truly understand how she felt—lost and left behind for so many years.

When Lucina noticed her presence, she warmly greeted her, causing the little Lucina to follow suit.

"ALRIGHT THAT´S IT!" Morgan thought. "When father returns, I'll do everything in my power to help him find Mom, and we can be a family again! Even if it means I become the younger sister as a result." She thought with pride as she approached the princesses."Ah... but... do I really want my dad to do that?" She thought for a moment. "NO MATTER! IF I HAVE TO SEE DAD FLIRTING WITH MOM, THEN SO BE IT! THERE'S NOTHING EMBARRASSING ABOUT SEEING MY PARENTS FLIRTING!"

"Morgan! My sweet little thing! How are you?!" Lissa hugged her from behind, startling her, and even lifted her up for a moment and spun around before putting her back down. "Ah, I see Maribelle has already given you her gift."

"Oh, yes... thank you, Aunt Lissa. It's good to see you," Morgan replied while Lissa squeezed her even tighter. "Um... Aunt Lissa... I don't want to be... rude... but I need to breathe..."

"Oh! I'm sorry!" She finally let her go. "It's just... I need to recharge my magic with 'Morgan energy,' otherwise, I can't stay away from you for too long."

"Eh? So, in the end, you are leaving?" Morgan asked. They had told her the night before that Chrom would be going to check on the border, and she had offered to come along. However, due to the recent incident, Chrom didn't want to risk her needing something in the middle of nowhere. A head injury was serious, so for the time being, he, along with Tharja, was under house arrest. However, Chrom wasn't entirely sure if he felt confident leaving her behind, so he might take her along with the necessary personnel.

"Yup! We'll be gone for a couple of weeks. Maribelle will stay in my room, so if you need anything, just ask her," Lissa said, proud of the master plan she had concocted to keep Morgan from suspecting anything.

"W-Well, but you're not leaving today, right?" Morgan inquired.

"No, we're leaving early tomorrow morning, so... do you want to do something?"

"Ah... sure, I was going to see what the girls wanted to do... so..."

"Great! Let's go! Let's make the most of the day. I want to see their eyes light up when they see your beautiful ribbon," Lissa said, gently pushing Morgan towards the entrance of the garden. "If I can get Morgan to bond with Lucina and Cynthia, it'll surely affect her opinion of our family, and I can capture Robin's attention when he returns," she thought, chuckling. "I just hope Arversa can give me some useful advice, or one of the reasons for this trip will be in vain."