She ran non-stop.

Could feel the moisture in the air, hear the leaves crunching underfoot, as the mist veiled her small, delicate frame. Reaching the stone wall, she once more sought refuge behind the rocks. Calming her breath and trying to steady her racing heart, she worked on devising an escape plan with her notebook. Obviously, the little sluice by the tree, which she used for its shade, wasn't an option. Maybe circumvent the courtyard? She knew it wasn't the most logical choice; she'd have to try and use the terrain to her advantage. Just as the cogs in her mind sought a solution, a pair of hands grabbed her waist.

She had failed again.

"Daddy!" Morgan cried, still in Robin's arms, who playfully pinched her cheeks.

"Darling! Found another little otter. What should we do?" Robin asked, glancing back. His wife rolled her eyes with a small smile while some of the maids helping her with their newborn chuckled at such an iconic scene.

"I don't know, maybe Emmeryn might want to see it? Is it fluffy? Though, if it's too feisty, we might need another little otter," she said, trying not to lose her composure or elegance at their antics.

Once more, just dreams where all she could see was her father's face; the faces and voices of others seemed blurred, like an unfinished canvas.

Still, Morgan frowned as she surrendered to her father's embrace. "Aunt Emm again? She loves putting ribbons on me along with Lucy. I want to play or read more books!" she said, puffing her cheeks.

"Aww, but you look so adorable in those dresses. Look, I think she's watching us," Robin said, looking up. Morgan followed his gaze; indeed, the castle was in view despite the mist, the windows of the west wing partially open. Morgan couldn't see anything, but by instinct, she tried to hide under her father's coat.

"Oh! Wait, if Aunt Emm sees me, she'll make me try on those dresses again," she said, while Robin laughed.

"Don't you like those dresses?"

"It's not that I don't like them, but I want to be like you, Daddy," she said, puffing her chest with pride. "A great tactician. The dresses don't let me move properly."

"Well... that might be my fault, you know, little one, because of my rank and all that," he said as they headed toward one of the nearby tables.

"Daddy, how do you always find me so easily?" Morgan asked when Robin sat with her on his lap, stroking her hair with a wide smile.

"That's because I know you very well, Morgan, just like I know your mother and your uncles. I take you right down to the root."

"To the root?"

"Yes, I mean I carry you everywhere, just like your mom and all the shepherds. I simply know them so well that I have them all here," he said, placing his hand on his chest.

"But is Uncle Chrom in there? What about Freddie?! He's a bit chubby, doesn't he weigh you down?" Morgan asked, placing her hands on Robin's chest.

"Hah! Sweetheart, don't say that to Freddie. He's not fat, he's robust with his armor, but it's... a figure of speech. I mean, I carry their memories, their experiences wherever I go, and these grow along with me."

"Do I do that too?" she asked incredulously.

"Do you love me and your mom more than anyone else? Lucina?" he asked, making her nod. "Then yes, you carry them with you too. If you can't imagine life without those people, it means you have them right down to your roots. Imagine you're a tree and those memories are your 'roots.' As long as you have those roots healthy, you'll grow fine, as you'll be strong against the wind and anything that wants to harm you."

"Ah... but I'm not a tree," she grumbled.

"Well, you smell like one, at least like the flowers of a sapling," Robin said, kissing her head, making her laugh.

"Dad!" She tried to push him, but honestly, she didn't put up much resistance because she enjoyed the warmth and security his embrace provided.

"Sorry, I can't help it, you're too cute."

"Gah, Dad, I'm already a big girl!" She puffed her cheeks, 'indignant' at being treated this way but secretly happy they still had time for her.

"Well, yes, you're already a big girl, an older and responsible sister."

Morgan rolled her eyes. "But Dad... you keep giving me these children's books..."

"Well, that's what you should be reading at your age," Robin said, scratching his head. "Besides... your mother won't let me back into the room if I don't set some limits," he whispered.

"What?"

"Nothing, dear, nothing," he said, picking up one of the larger tomes. "Let's get to it, Morgan. You have no idea how proud I am of you. You learn quickly, and I'll always let you be curious. So, I'll try to explain some things you're curious about from the more advanced stories."

"Will you teach me more?!" Morgan said, her eyes shining.

"Of course, but in your case, you've learned to run before you can walk, so let's review the basics."

"... Boohooooo," she pouted as Robin chuckled.

"Come on, don't be like that. In fact, this will answer one of your doubts. Remember when you were pondering why, in that ancient Valm story, one of the founders didn't want to fight despite having victory in hand?" Morgan nodded. "Well, that's because one of the basics as a tactician is to have all needs fulfilled."

"But Dad... in that story, it doesn't indicate they lacked anything..."

"It's not that they lacked something, Morgan. Up to now, we've managed to preserve parts of stories and legends, but something that becomes very clear here is that this leader lacked something as they neared the end of their story." He placed the tome on the table, allowing Morgan to see the fable. The strategy book she had read only had mentions of strategies but nothing personal. Seeing the leader mentioned in that book and the title of the fable matching, she easily connected the dots. Her curiosity got the best of her, and she quickly flipped to the end. Robin laughed while stopping her.

"The answer to this is easy, Morgan," he said, flipping to the page almost at the end of the fable. Morgan could see the image of the same leader, even in the childish illustrations, she could tell he looked sad, standing in front of a woman with red hair.

"Huh? Who's she?"

"If you hadn't skipped through the entire story, you'd understand she was the reason the leader strived."

"I don't understand... she..." Morgan turned back to the previous pages, but Robin stopped her, turning the pages further ahead to another fable with a different title but featuring the same woman with red hair.

"This is what I mean by 'needs,' Morgan," said Robin, now having the full attention of the young albino girl. "Everyone has needs, physical and mental. The mental ones are those things that motivate us. For example, you and our entire family motivate me to give my best. But if, for some reason, I lost that motivation, I couldn't do my job."

"But... I don't get it. Dad works for us, does that happen with everyone? Even with the bad guys?"

"Morgan, remember the assignment I gave you last week?" His daughter seemed conflicted. "I'll be more specific; there's a phrase that says 'everyone is the protagonist of their own story.' That also relates to everyone's 'needs.' You must understand that there are those who choose to help and those who don't. There are also those who can't help or aren't bad but have to do bad things to help those they care about. The point is, not everyone who does bad things is bad, and not everyone who does good things is good."

"Ugh... people are weird..." she wrinkled her nose.

"Hahaha, you have no idea how weird they are, sweetheart," Robin said while caressing her head. "But that's why I have you read these fables, Morgan. You need to find what makes you happy and understand empathy for others. I can only guide you to what I believe is the best option. My needs, like love and hope, are the lightest needs I carry. That's why I know the things I carry will never make me fall and place me where I am. That's why you need to find your 'needs,' so you don't fall like the leader in this fable almost did."

Morgan stared at him for a moment, trying to comprehend everything he said, though it was a lot to take in. She just made a face after a few moments of silence. "Dad... you've said a lot of cheesy stuff..." She stuck her tongue out, and Robin felt a bit hurt by her words. "Feels like what Uncle Henry said before you and Uncle Chrom is true... that sometimes you're not so cool and a bit cheesy."

"Haaahhh... Morgan..."

"Well... that's why I love Dad so much. If I have to be cheesy to be like you, then I will," she said, taking the tome in her hands. "I'll find what you're asking for... I..."

Morgan felt a pang in her head, blinking from the sudden pain. Once again, she could feel the dry air in her mouth with the warmth of the place, transitioning from a warm memory to that scene in Plegia, witnessing the tragedy she couldn't foresee again.

Before the dream even ended, Morgan couldn't bear the pain in her heart as she jumped up in reflex. She got out of bed, sweating and breathing heavily, looking around while regaining her composure. Rubbing her eyes and feeling her trembling hand against her head, sensing something wet, she couldn't help but think it happened again.

She headed to the bathroom to check her condition, lighting the candle as she closed the door. She felt the discomfort in her chest rising, ignoring the tremble in her hand. She thought maybe she'd been crying again. Before she could see her reflection, she felt another sharp and deeper pang in her head, holding back a scream of pain while clutching her head. It lasted less than a minute, but it was strong enough to make her fall to the floor. When this pain subsided, she slowly got up, breathing heavily, looking at her reflection.

"Ah, darn it..." she whispered while grabbing a towel and covering her nose, looking up, trying to stop the nosebleed.

"Morgan?" A timid voice behind the door made her panic.

"Oh, just a moment, sorry!" she said while taking one of the painkillers Libra gave her and using one of the talismans Tharja gave her, forcing the bleeding to stop. She quickly washed her face, making sure there was no trace of blood on her clothes.

Upon opening the door, she could see little Lucina, a bit stressed and worried.

"Morgan? Are you okay? Is... is it my fault?" she asked, her eyes becoming a little teary.

"What?! No! no no no, of course not," Morgan said, picking up the princess and extinguishing the candle, holding her as tightly as she could. Looking at the window, it seemed like the sun was just rising; at least this time, she had slept longer than the past week. "It's just, you know, I think your mom's pegasus got jealous that I had you all to myself tonight and came to lick my face."

"Yuck."

"Yeah, yuck!" she said while getting back into bed, gently laying them both under the covers.

"..."

"What's wrong, lucy?"

"You don't smell like pegasus saliva."

"How do you know what that smells like? Have you snuck up when nobody's looking?" she teased, scrunching her nose, making Lucina laugh for a moment. "I won't tell anyone, tell me."

"Nuh-uh," said the little Lucina, turning away. Morgan took the chance to hug her and make sure she was properly covered.

"Morgan..."

"What's up?"

"Promise me you're okay?"

"Of course, I promise," she said as they both yawned. "I promise I'm okay."


While waiting for her visitor, the empress couldn't help feeling somewhat nervous.

It was true that the situation in Valm was something they could control. In fact, for a long time, all the nations of the old continent had managed to dispense with the stress and turmoil of old quarrels and fears. Occasionally, there'd be a biting comment from a dissatisfied noble. But the reality was that they were on the threshold of a new era of peace and prosperity.

That is until a certain dragon initiated a revolt.

Well, at least not for the moment. The Manaketes had been hidden for some time, but with the fall of the fallen dragon, Grima, there were indeed reports of a couple or two appearing in the districts or prefectures of the continent. It seemed that Robin's suggestion to spread the news and enforce rules about harming endangered races and how heavily any offender would be punished was an incentive for some to leave their seclusion and join the Mila Tree, seeking protection from the most important kin they could turn to.

While her brother observed the empress acting like a child about to be scolded by her mother, Say'ri couldn't help but wonder what was going on. She had reviewed all the reports, all the news, even using 'Anna's' intelligence network to keep somewhat updated on what was happening on the other continent. So, she couldn't imagine a reason why Tiki would be upset unless, once again, it was something insignificant, which would make their conversation even more tedious.

"Your Majesty, please calm down," said one of the secretaries, taking her by the arm to lead her to the table, making her sit down, and taking a deep breath. "It's not good for you to be so nervous," she said, serving her tea.

"I know, it's just that I need to know what this is about. It's not common for Lady Tiki to come..." she said, taking several nervous sips.

"Is it so strange for her to come?" asked the secretary.

How could she blame her? This girl might seem barely a teenager, but with her slightly green hair and those ears, Tiki had found a girl who could keep up with her, having Mao'Mao in that place was both pleasant and worrying since she had the same playful nature as Nowi. And indeed, she would bother Tiki if something insignificant happened.

"Mao... it's just not normal," she said, taking another sip. "While I don't mind her coming, the fact that she does so with so little notice and without any reason... it doesn't bode well..."

"In my short stay in the Mila Tree, I never had the impression that Lady Tiki had a bad temper or was a danger to others," she said while pouring more tea.

"She control it, maybe you weren't in the war, but... it was bad, very, very bad," Say'ri looked upset, and her brother looked away. He could tell just from that that they were both thinking the same thing, that bitter memory.

She felt stupid, illogical, useless in the face of such a memory, thinking of how Tiki yelled amidst tears and complaints at Chrom in front of everyone, of how yet again someone she cared deeply for, vanished because of the dragon's lineage. They had to stop her before things escalated, even with the wounds the group had and Naga's voice own exhaustion showing in her from the fierce battle, certainly the anger in her face gave a bad feeling to anyone there.

She hated herself, yet she still had to use Morgan to stop Naga's fury, pointing out that she couldn't let herself be ruled by her emotions. Morgan remained catatonic, unresponsive to anything. Tiki restrained herself only to embrace the young girl amidst tears, apologizing repeatedly as she tried to get a reaction.

"Would you then say that she´s a nuisance?"

"No, she´s not. I'm glad to have some free time to talk to her, but..." Say'ri paused for a moment, noticing that Mao'Mao didn't ask further. She turned to see Tiki entering the room, as radiant as ever.

Despite Say'ri being a bit slow and rather ignorant on matters outside of culture, sword art, or strategies, she could certainly see what Virion meant every time he said things like 'My dear friend Robin must be quite obtuse not to see a woman so in love with him.'

Even after all this time without their presence, Tiki seemed equally kind and understanding when it came to topics related to Robin or Morgan. Despite being a millennia-old dragon with an affable character and little commitment to most relationships with humans, it was evident to her that the duo of albinos was the clear exception to this rule of 'non-intervention' that Tiki had imposed upon herself for so long in matters outside the continent, especially considering her nearly equally deep devotion as that of a certain black-haired witch who was obsessed with the tactician.

As she sat close to her, Tiki let out a slight smile with a chuckle. "Heavens, Say'ri, your piercing gaze almost drills a hole in my head," she said sarcastically. How could she not glare at her? It wasn't reasonable or even congruent to see someone with over a thousand years of experience acting like a lovesick teenager obsessed with the gallant knight wandering around doing good.

"Ah, no... it's just that... you haven't informed me of anything..." Say'ri said a bit embarrassed, looking at Tiki's left arm. She sighed, revealing what was beneath her long glove.

After the war ended, most participants suffered severe injuries, especially those involved in the fight against Grima. Many hoped to return to a condition almost similar to what they had before. Say'ri's own brother, Yen'fay, for example, despite hiding his face behind a Kabuki mask, had lost much of the vision in his right eye due to a mishap on the battlefield, along with injuries that had prevented him from eating properly for several months. His recovery was good, but he could hardly see from his right eye, only shadows and blurry figures.

Virion was another example. Despite being a great archer, he suffered damage to his body as one of the main focal points of the enemy during the conflict. It was fortunate that he was ambidextrous since his right arm and hand were so injured during the final fight that he could only use a bow for the time being, exclusively employing his left hand. It wasn't something he could use much, either, as part of his stomach was pierced, making it impossible for him, as the regent of Rosanne, to do much in the military realm.

Tiki, on the other hand, had received a very nasty wound on her arm while using it to shield Robin from a wyvern. Despite the dragon's tough skin and the use of her divine scales, in that fight against Grima, they were momentarily overwhelmed, and she didn't have the chance to transform. Despite all the healers' efforts, she was in physical therapy to regain mobility in her hand since her tendons were damaged in the incident.

"I'm glad to say that I can finally start doing things with my hand, not many complex or tedious tasks, but it's nice to be able to hold things again and apply pressure with my palm. Even if the priests scold me, I'd like to have my mobility restored as soon as possible," Tiki said, putting the glove back on.

"You know you don't have to push yourself for anything. Most of the hard part is over; all that's left is rebuilding and teaching everyone not to fall into the same mistakes," Say'ri said, regretting it when she saw Tiki's furrowed brow.

"We're barely halfway there. After a war, we must instruct future generations not to fight among themselves, recover the population, and make sure there are no more problems. The scarcity of resources is a problem that can easily arise, especially when many opt for paths... less virtuous than ours."

"Well, we're lucky to have you then," she tried to do something she was bad at, joke, to ease some of the tension in the air. "Let's just wait a little longer for you to regain some of your strength, and then we can do something about the Mila Tree. I still understand that you're bothered by suitors?"

"..." Tiki wrinkled her nose, averting her gaze. She knew it was a delicate topic, but the dragon didn't seem as upset as she expected.

"Always open to your feedback, but one of the few topics I want to discuss is those fellows who bother me every month," she said, her voice brimming with indignation. "I know the last war disrupted everyone, but it escapes my understanding how all these suitors want to sweet-talk, bring absurd and thoughtless gifts, even try to undermine some other close friend just to try and get on my 'good side,' being totally obvious and certainly vulgar in comparison to him..." She spoke, trying not to sound resentful.

When Say'ri noticed that Mao'Mao had left them alone, she sighed, knowing she'd have to play dirty. "...Do you still love him?"

"..." Tiki continued sipping her tea. To the empress's surprise, the dragon, who was a disaster in these kinds of conversations, social interactions, and especially matters related to love, would usually blush like a tomato, lose her composure, and typically end up with Tiki throwing a pillow at her face if possible. Instead, she remained solemn and composed in response to her comments.

"If I didn't, I would have gone back to sleep for another year or two before making sure everything was alright for a little nap after relinquishing my power back to Mother," Tiki said calmly.

"Then, I'll take that as a yes," she said, taking another sip. "...Hate to do this, but... I have to ask, is there any news?"

"How amusing, I thought I should be the one asking you that," Tiki replied, wearing a broad smile that sent shivers down Say'ri's spine at how she responded.

"Of what do you speak?"

"Do you really have nothing, NOTHING at all to tell me?"

"Milady, you know that I have stood by your side for so long, sought your counsel, and even in this new facet of yours where you yearn for that man, I've supported everything you desire. Even if it's not the best for my position to have you involved in these scandalous situations, be assured, if there was something relevant to tell you, I would."

Tiki stood up and walked toward her, facing her directly, locking her gaze with Say'ri's eyes. Say'ri didn't know what was happening, but seeing Tiki sigh in relief, the dragon gave a small laugh. "Well... thank you for being so candid..." she said, refilling Say'ri's cup. "Lately... I've been thinking about a lot. There have been so many historic events in the last few years that this little drama I have on my hands won't likely make it into the history books."

"Milady?"

"I apologize for doubting you, my dear friend... it's just that... some things happened that made me doubt you and some people."

"What exactly happened?"

"Where do I begin?" Tiki sighed. "Well... I guess I should start by admitting that I have to give that gloomy woman credit..."

"Gloomy woman?" Say'ri thought for a moment until those pair of maniacal laughs came back to her mind. "Ah... Robin's sorceress... Tharja?"

"Yes, although I dislike some of her words and thoughts... I have to agree with her, not in the way she says it, but in the context she says it."

"I'm sorry, I don't understand. Can you explain better?"

"Well, something happened a few days ago that made me remember what Miss Tharja said... about being an ancient dragon and all that it entails," Tiki said, sitting back down, frustrated. "That my perspective would likely be: 'Dating any human should be like dating a hamster' to me, as no one will live as long as I will, that the knowledge I possess and my personal experience would be what would prevent me from being a... hindrance to her."

"Milady..."

"Partly, she's right. After MarMar... I didn't think I could get close to anyone the way I did with him. He meant a lot to me... I mourned for almost a century after his passing... I felt abandoned...that i wouldnt like anyone or even trust anyone like him... but then... I met Robin... and it just felt... right, like it was the correct thing to be by his side..." She smiled, thinking about their time together "...I loved watching him sleep in the caravan... or even in the dining hall, seeing someone so dedicated to their work that they could go days without rest... sleeping like that... it just made me feel safe... if he could relax that way, then everything must be fine..."

"..."

"Just finding Morgan, who snuggled up next to him whenever she had the chance, how he dedicated time and never doubted she was his daughter despite her strange circumstances... it's unfair, even petty, just trying to compare all those youths. It's so obvious how some only come obliged to bring good name to their families, others come for status, even some who are sincere in wanting to get to know me... but..."

"But they're not Robin."

"BUT THEY'RE NOT ROBIN!" Tiki exclaimed, a bit flushed. "That's it, even if I exclude the few who are honest and sincere... they fall short of Robin simply because they're... not imperfect..."

"You don't like any of them because they're not imperfect?"

"I like Robin because he's not afraid to show he knows things, but he also admits when he doesn't know something, even if he makes mistakes, he knows how to acknowledge them and work on them. He listens and can even improve and adapt to what one needs... that's why..."

Say'ri looked at her, a bit jealous of how she raved about the tactician. "By Naga, how did Robin not realize that you're madly in love with him?! Give me back my first impression! Before him, you were a solemn and serene figure, but now, you seem like a lovesick teenager!" The empress thought.

"I feel like you're thinking something rude..." Tiki said, causing Say'ri to avert her gaze, coughing into her fist to distract herself.

"Well, milady, what were you saying about Tharja? Why did you think of her?"

"Haaah... it's not that I thought of her... it's that my mother spoke of her..."

"Excuse me?"

"Well, ever since Grima was banished from existence, Naga has been communicating with me every week. We talk about the world and how this chaos is developing. And even though I enjoy talking with her more... I feel... unhappy," she said with a serious face.

"Eh?"

"Mother has been reserved... but recently, I found out about a certain... event that made me rethink some things..." She crossed her legs while staring at the tea in her hands. "The followers of Naga always thought that I was a bit above certain human emotions, and unfortunately, it's proven wrong now because an interesting topic arose this week... while Mother was telling me how the Mila Tree was growing strongly after being damaged by Grima's influence, how the continent was being guided by nobles... how Tharja annoyed my mother, or at least she did a couple of weeks ago before a certain event happened in Ylisse..."

"Tiki? What are you talking about?" Say'ri asked cautiously.

"... Do you remember that promise I made to Robin in that oak tree?" Tiki asked, recalling that event where, before the final battle, Robin had prepared several things so that everyone would be ready. She remembered that pair in that old oak tree in the forest near Ylisse.

"I'm sorry... I... don't exactly recall what was said, milady."

"I had promised Robin at the time that no matter what happened, I would keep him and Morgan safe," Tiki said, finishing her tea with a sip. "Well, my promise wasn't limited to just during the war campaign. So, I plan to take a little trip to Ylisse to make sure Morgan is safe... and do what I have to do if necessary."


"Mister, I'll Make A Man Out Of You!" Morgan said, who was training with the new recruits.

Normally Frederick would be training them, but given the circumstances and since the command line was a bit ambiguous in the absence of the regent king and the tactician, who better than Morgan to start summarizing the morning training sessions?

Sully was there with her, although many were in favor of her being the one to train them, they didn't expect the pint-sized girl to be leading the training session that day. Many doubted and thought it was a joke, several protested following the albino's orders, so to fix it and prove her point, Morgan offered to have practice combats to start the day.

When one of the nobles who had come to boast about this training took a step forward to challenge Morgan, she puffed out her chest proudly, thinking she could prove her point.

They would be continuous fights until one of them surrendered, and since the guy was bigger, heavier, and had more reach, the first three rounds were the result one would expect, with four or five consecutive hits causing Morgan to fall due to the excessive force used. Initially, there were a few mocking laughs as Morgan bit the dust time and again facing him, but seeing that Sully didn't stop the combat they had with practice weapons, it seemed there wasn't much to do, as the girl seemed reluctant to give up despite making a fool of herself.

The fourth round was a bit different.

Despite fighting again and exchanging blows, the guy, even after having a winning streak, could barely knock down Morgan again.

The fifth round was when the sarcastic comments stopped, as this time Morgan, despite having a monstrous disadvantage, with a couple of well-aimed blows to the ankles and the stomach flex, managed to give him a strike strong enough to make him kneel, giving her the first victory. The recruits continued to encourage the guy, maybe he just let her win to give her some honor.

From there, the next ten rounds were totally one-sided, as the small and 'fragile' girl wiped the floor with the noble.

"Enough! Stop! I give up! Leave me alone!" the guy yelled, unable to even lift the wooden sword anymore, totally drenched in sweat and covered in dirt. Morgan stopped just as she was about to connect another blow to his heel, standing still, hopping towards Sully, and seeing her big eyes sparkling and her broad smile, she couldn't help it, so she just ruffled her head as she laughed.

"Okay, okay, stop abusing my guys, Morgan, that's enough for this demonstration," said Sully, who then turned to the guy being helped by other recruits. "Can someone tell me what just happened here?" Many looked at each other puzzled; initially, it seemed like a waste of time, but it's been a while since anyone had anything to laugh about when the little girl started to overpower the recruit.

"Can I answer?" asked Morgan of Sully, who, seeing the recruits puzzled, sighed, nodding. "Well, the answer is, they don't know how to fight, they're kind of pathetic if you ask me..."

"EXCUSE ME?!" exclaimed some of the recruits, angrily.

"Okay, calm down, I'll explain what happened," she said while picking up the wooden lance again. "The first mistake was not thinking about any strategy for this fight. He thought that just strength would be enough, and nothing else. His second mistake was not landing significant hits. Yes, he's bigger than me, but he only used his strength to knock me down. The position I took while receiving his blows was so that I wouldn't suffer much damage from the force of his blows, and he'd tire out more. In this test, it wasn't about 'who can defeat the other first' but 'who surrenders first.' That's why, while I was preparing to hit, I aimed at his joints. Even if I don't have much strength, constant hits and fatigue can make a light punch feel stronger than it is," she said, pointing to the noble's heels and wrists, which were red from the hits. "Not to mention, he doesn't know how to fall," Sully said when they looked puzzled.

"He didn't know how to fall, then you're dead on the battlefield. What he was doing was just giving in to his weight. But if someone smaller than you can redirect the force so that it doesn't hurt them, then you're just exhausting yourself. In this combat, if you paid attention, I was rolling backward to be in a kneeling position when using the force of the blow, not just slamming against the ground," Morgan explained, demonstrating.

"If you don't know how to fall, then it's highly likely you'll be pounced on in the battlefield, which brings me to another point," Morgan continued. "You don't measure your strength. In rural battles where there are usually only one or two bandits, finishing them off quickly is good, but that kind of mentality doesn't work. In the middle of a fight that can last hours, you'll be dead before you even tire out the enemy."

"It's easy for you to say! In a real fight with you, you'd be dead!" complained one of the recruits. Morgan frowned and looked at Sully, who rolled her eyes and threw the wooden sword to the recruit.

"Do you want to prove your point?" Sully asked. The recruit looked at the sword and then at Morgan, who was already in position to fight. It was odd; they saw the noble on the ground, sweating, and trying to catch their breath, but this girl seemed barely tired and not a drop of sweat.

"I..."

"Come on, you made a complaint, prove you're right!" said Morgan. The recruit took the bait, and when they started fighting, the guy tried to do the same thing, but this time Morgan, instead of taking the blows, managed to dodge them.

"The problem with these fights is that if your opponent is faster than you, it's better to wait for them to come to you and try to find an opening," said Sully as Morgan began landing light blows on the recruit. "Not to mention, I've noticed that many of you don't know how to breathe in a fight. If you just breathe the way you do, you'll run out of air in the middle of the fight. If you don't control your breathing, you'll start panting, and if you do that, you'll tire out quickly, leading to muscular fatigue. That will mak-" Just before finishing, Morgan struck the recruit in the stomach, causing them to fall to their knees like the previous companion. "-e easier for the other to dominate and knock you down. As part of the militia, you need to understand that you can't keep the same mentality from underground fights. You need to train and improve; as long as you keep this up, no matter how many times you fight, you'll never beat someone at Morgan's level."

"Meanwhile, from one of the balconies overlooking that part of the castle, at a small table attended by servants, a certain trio watched the scene with particular interest.

"You know, even if I don't like seeing Morgan training with the new recruits, I can't help but agree with Sully. She looks adorable, acting like a little puppy every time she does something right, expecting someone to reward her for her good deeds," said Cordelia while Sumia fed little Cynthia with Lucina by her side. Lucina and Cordelia were captivated by the tactician, hopping around from one side to another, following Sully.

"Shouldn't you be with them?" Sumia asked Cordelia.

"For now... no, I'd like to clear my mind for a moment to know what to do next... there's a lot to do and too much to think about..."

"I don't understand... didn't you say you wanted to teach Morgan a few tricks?"

"She's the one who's been teaching me!" Cordelia said, a little indignant at the particularly cheeky jokes from the girl. "She's good at strategy and combat, but when it comes to hand-to-hand fighting, I can't help but... feel a little disadvantaged..."

"Disadvantaged?"

"Have you tried grappling with her barehanded? You guys play with her as if she were really a little otter, but she's so flexible that sometimes I think she really doesn't have bones with the way she avoids my grip. Not only that, but many times I have to carry her from one place to another and she bends at strange angles when she's deeply asleep. I don't understand how Robin could carry her and take her from time to time without her looking like she was in a coma. I really don't understand why she's sometimes so careless that she seems to fall asleep wherever she goes if it's a relatively cool and comfortable surface, even if it's on the floor with just one blanket."

"Well, that's part of being a parent, although I must admit that he did a particularly good job of controlling Morgan in the sense of convincing her to go to sleep where she should be," Sumia thought. "You say it as if you don't enjoy it."

"Well... I..." Cordelia blushed a bit at the thought. Certainly, Morgan looked very cute asleep. Having her in her arms to take her back to her room when she sneaked away to do her work, finding her in the barracks on top of supply crates while doing inventory, finding her asleep on a haystack while feeding the pegasi, were scenes that certainly melted the heart of any fortunate girl who found her. But what happened after taking her to bed was what generally girls liked, to the point that it almost seemed like a competition that unfortunately, Lissa and Tharja seemed to be leading in this unofficial scoreboard among the girls. Still, Cordelia had a mix of feelings seeing her so peacefully cuddled up with the others—was it jealousy? She couldn't explain it, but somehow she could understand it. "I'm just doing my job, even if I get a few benefits... it would be good if Morgan didn't worry us all by sleeping in such strange places."

"I guess it's inevitable. If Olivia or Maribelle find her like that in their weekly visits in the afternoons, neither will ever have their fill with a Morgan who's so malleable to their will."

"And how!" Both women laughed as the servants brought them drinks.

"What about you, Lucina?" Sumia asked, but Lucina just stared fixedly at Morgan, occasionally sighing while playing with a lock of her hair. She had fallen silent while Sumia smiled broadly. "Hello? Ylisse calling Lucina, are you there?"

"What? Huh? Me? Yes, yes, I'm here, mother," said Lucina while adjusting the tablecloth. "I'm sure anything you ask for will be a good breakfast."

"That's not what I asked, Lucina."

"Oh no? W-well, I..." She looked a little embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Mother, it's just that... Cynthia has been bothering me lately... and with little Lucina's birthday coming up... I don't know what to do..."

"Well, that's a poor excuse," Sumia thought, rolling her eyes. "Daughter, please, it's pretty obvious."

"What's obvious?" They all looked toward the entrance to see Chrom arriving with Lissa, who seemed a little distracted. Quickly, Lucina approached her father to welcome him, but seeing that Sumia was occupied, they approached the table filled with fruits and small desserts. "It's good to be back, ladies, what did I miss?"

"Not much, my lord," Cordelia replied, and Sumia felt a little sad to see him return to his stoic command personality. "Just that some recruits have deserted, we've taken care of storing reserves for the winter and improved the equipment."

"Don't worry, Cordelia, I'm not asking for a formal report, I just want to be aware of everything," he said as Lissa approached the table. She grabbed a couple of desserts, although Sumia knew there were some of her favorites there, she looked a little downcast.

"What's wrong? Everything okay?"

"It's just that..." she sighed. "...I'm a fool... I failed..."

"Eh? What are you talking about?"

"She's sad because she couldn't find Robin," said Chrom, scratching his head. Normally, Lissa would return his lack of cordiality with a punch or a sarcastic comment, but this time the princess just took a seat next to Lucina to continue eating.

"What do you mean by that?" Sumia asked.

How could he explain it? For a moment, he too was excited by the scene. If he remembered correctly, that was the place where they found him for the first time. When they saw someone lying in that same space, they thought it was the albino, returning to their lives in the same way they found him. But upon realizing that it was just one of the workers taking a break in clothes strangely similar to what Robin wore at that time, it was a small confusion they had due to the excitement. Lissa tried to search everywhere for those who went to Robin, to no avail. "It's just that Naga's words are still very strong in our hearts, and I suppose that... we have quite high expectations."

"Well, it's not something we can do or influence, right?" Sumia said, trying to cheer up the situation. "We can only hope that Naga helps us and makes Robin's return easier. Meanwhile, jus-" Sumia stopped mid-dialogue when she saw a figure coming out the door. Lissa and Lucina had a slight chill upon hearing such heavy footsteps.

"Oh heavens... it seems someone else is frustrated today..." Lissa whispered as she saw Tharja, with such a furrowed brow that could even intimidate Wallhart or Yen'fay by her mere presence.

"Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed..." Sumia said as the witch scanned the area, finding Morgan.

"Or from the abyss, when was the last time th-" Lissa was about to make a sarcastic comment, but Tharja turned to look at her and approached the group.

"...You, girl, do you have your staff?" Tharja asked, annoyed.

"Eh? What? I'm not any girl, what's wrong with you?"

"I don't care how you identify yourself, do you have it or not?" Tharja asked even more irritated, Lissa just nodded. "Good, follow me."

"Uh?! B-but I..."

"FO-LLOW-ME," she said venomously. "NOW."

"Y-yes! Y-yes, ma'am!" Lissa quickly moved to her side to go with her.

"...Well, she was a good aunt while it lasted... we'll pray for her," everyone turned to Cynthia, who came with Frederick behind her.

"Do you know anything, dear?" Sumia asked.

"Nuh-uh, I just wondered if you knew where Morgan was, she's fuming."

"Are you sure about that?" Chrom asked.

"Yes, daddy, I'm sure. I just know she scared some servants this morning by snooping in Morgan's room. She sent little Lucina's nanny to fetch her and make sure she didn't interrupt."

"Interrupt? Interrupt what?"

"I don't know, maybe we shou-" Cynthia's eyes widened as she covered her mouth, following her gaze, the group caught sight of a rare act from her.

Tharja was squeezing Morgans cheek´s as she was scolding her

"Oh dear Naga, now what?" Chrom exclaimed, along with everyone except Sumia, who approached.

Sully immediately tried to stood between them, but Tharja´s grip was something the little albino couldnt escape from.

"Why do you insist on doing things by yourself?! Do you dont trust us?!" Tharja shouted at Morgan.

"Hey! What's your problem?!" Sully asked quite upset. They didn't take long to reach them; Chrom grabbed Tharja's shoulder.

"Tharja?! What´s wr—" Before he could finish, she saw blood coming from Morgan's nose.

"Oh great, this wasn't just now but earlier this morning, right?" Tharja said, furrowing her brow further and stretching Morgan's cheeks as if they were made of rubber. "You remember specifically when I told you that talisman wasn't for healing wounds, right?"

"Tharja! Calm down, im sure we can talk about this, just let her go" With that said, Tharja released the girl, Morgan seemed to be trying to stop the bleeding from her nose; the sorceress took one of the handkerchiefs she had to help Morgan."

"Girl, you shouldn't do this," she said as she took her by the wrist. "Come on, you too," she said somberly, looking at Lissa.

"Wait a moment, you can't just leave like this!" Sully complained, but Morgan raised her hand, looking defeated and sad.

"No, wait... she... she's right... I..." She looked distressed and sad.

"Right?! What are you talking about? I don't know what's going on, but that's no excuse fo-" Sully looked at Tharja, who was biting her lip, seeing her fist trembling. Although she looked angry, her facial expression was very similar to the one she put on when Robin disappeared.

"What's going on here? Explain!" Chrom exclaimed as he stood by her left side.

"Uncle Chrom... I..." Morgan looked embarrassed, unable to look him in the eye.

"Tch, this is not the time for this, if you'll allow me, I have to attend to and fix what she did, so if you'd allow us, we'll leave, NOW," said Tharja as she pulled Morgan towards the barracks.

"We haven't finished yet, w-"

"I'm taking your sister; that way, you can be sure nothing will happen. If anyone wants to follow us, it can only be Olivia or Cordelia, so leave us alone; I'll return them to you in one piece later," she said as they walked away, with Lissa behind.

"That was... strange," commented Cynthia. "Hey, sister, w—" Before she could say anything, Lucina began to follow them, followed by Cordelia and Sully.

When they reached the barracks, Tharja and company went straight to the infirmary section, and the witch removed the medical personnel to be alone, the three of them, and immediately lay Morgan on one of the beds, while removing her coat, the witch quickly took out some utensils from her bag.

Morgan, on her part, looked different. Few times had she seen the girl that way. Lissa knew when she faked pouts because she taught her, but now she genuinely looked embarrassed and dejected, like a child who had just been scolded for doing something wrong. Blood was still coming out of her nose, and Tharja didn't seem to be improving her mood anytime soon.

"..."I don't understand how she started bleeding from her nose just by squeezing her cheeks."" Lissa asked, unable to bear the silence.

"I slapped her to make her react, and she's not bleeding because of what I did but because of what she did," said Tharja as she prepared a small vial. When Morgan lay down and removed the handkerchief from her nose, Tharja put the potion in her nostril. "Don't you dare sneeze."

"...It burns..." Morgan murmured.

"Hah?! Are you complaining?!"

"N-No... I... I'm sorry..."

"...Stop apologizing so much, just don't do it again..." Tharja said as she began to use her magic.

"Can you explain what's going on?!" Lissa asked.

"Start using your staff now; she needs to exp-" Tharja withdrew the bottle, and Morgan sneezed. Part of what she expelled was caught with the handkerchief; Lissa was puzzled because it didn't seem like fresh blood at all. "...You should have warned me..."

"...I'm sorry..."

"...tch..." She bit her lip while helping Morgan clean up.

"Ugg... what is this?" Lissa asked as she started using her staff.

"Some coagulated blood."

"What?"

"I gave her a remedy for her monthly days, but she used them for a simple nosebleed. I don't know why she used them like that, but if she didn't expel that, it could be a problem. A clot made by misusing what I gave her could lead to worse things than just squeezing her a little"

"..."

"I won't apologize for taking care of her; besides, that was to counteract the effect of what she used."

"Awww... do you love me?" Morgan timidly asked.

"...shut up," she said as she pinched her nose, causing her to jump due to the sudden little pain."

"Stay still, I need to make sure you haven't hurt yourself more."

"Is it that bad?"

"Princess, please," Tharja said, trying not to sound irritated, without much success. "I gave her a couple of things because Libra asked me as a favor when he ran short on inventory. I gave her something specific and told her it wasn't for healing wounds," she said, biting her lip. "...I... I didn't want to give her something that could be dangerous."

"I'm so sorry... it was my mistake, I won't do it again," said Morgan, taking her by the wrist.

"You'd better not, although if you want to experiment with new potions, I'm always looking for a new guinea pig," Tharja said with a slightly sinister smile.

"N-No! Thank you very much, I'm fine."

"So... is that all? Are we done?" Lissa asked when Tharja finished, allowing Morgan to sit down.

"That depends, do you feel anything?" Tharja asked as Morgan breathed, shaking her head. "Good, I hope this serves as a lesson for you to follow the instructions I give you and not cause me any more worries," she said, pinching Morgan's cheek. "No misusing the things I give you or playing pranks with my stuff, alright?"

"Y-Yes, sorry!" Morgan sighed as she rubbed her cheek. Despite being surprised by what happened, she no longer felt any pain. Lissa sighed as she tried to calm down.

But what could she do? Lissa had just returned and already had a drama as soon as she took a few steps inside the palace. She had barely digested everything that had happened when another surprise occurred. Despite the witch's bad reputation, Morgan didn't hesitate to give her a hug, taking both by surprise. Despite the uncomfortable expression on her face, Lissa could see that slight grin Tharja always had whenever Robin praised her. Timidly, Tharja stroked Morgan's head.

"..." Tharja could only wait for the girl to finish; despite everything she had done, she couldn't understand what was going through her mind.

"Thank you, sorry for bothering you," Morgan said as she let go.

"...It doesn't matter, just don't do it again. Now go, I need to... do other things," with that said, Morgan nodded and then ran to Lissa, hugging her before leaving through the back door.

"..."

"..."

"Well, despite all you say, it seems to me that you enjoy her company," mischievously remarked Lissa. Tharja quickly booped her nose to stop her from saying more nonsense.

"I'll deny what happened here, so don't you dare say anything," Tharja told Lissa, who couldn't help but laugh.

"Why do you say that?"

"I say it because of that silly grin on your face."

"Well, i don't think it's good for you to do that, but I'm glad that Morgan is fine and safe, so i´ll let it slide this time"

"A corrective action is never a bad thing," she said, adjusting her cloak. "And... this time? i believe you´re

"Well, we'll talk about that later; right now, I just can't think clearly because of all the commotion," she said as she walked to the exit but stopped in her tracks. "Wait... How did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"All of it," Lissa put her hands on her hips. "You say Morgan used your things incorrectly, how did you know?"

"Please, don't underestimate me," Tharja replied with a somewhat haughty tone. "After the incident in the square, do you really think I wouldn't dedicate all my free time to that girl? I have my ways; even if she does her best, she can't easily outsmart me, at least not yet."

"Outsmart you?"

"... Tch... it annoys me to think that she forces me to act more like her mother every time," she said, biting her nail. "Even if Robin asked me to, I would be reluctant to act that way. But the fact that she shows me she's capable of briefly bypassing my hexes to get her way... it's somewhat entertaining to think there's someone so skilled around here." Tharja sighed as Lissa shook her head, hating to think about it, but the reprimand she gave reminded her of her own mother's words about how she might change if she had children. Tharja at the time thought it was an absurd comment, but the fact that something she gave to help Morgan could have seriously hurt her made her feel too guilty to leave it at a simple scolding. "Let's set this conversation aside; I've had too many emotions for one day," she glanced at Lissa's staff and sighed again. "That thing is about to run out; go change it and follow Morgan for a while longer, just to make sure everything is okay."

"Huh? Oh... yes, of course..." Lissa headed towards the storage room. Tharja took the opportunity to approach the door and lean against the frame.

"...by the way, this goes for all of you too. If you spread rumors about what happened with Morgan here, I can always silence you with an amusing rash in your throats." The three girls reacted when Tharja opened the door; Sully, Cordelia, and Lucina were outside the place, taken by surprise by her words. They barely had time to react before she continued with her diatribe. "I didn't know you enjoyed spying on me; there's room for improvement." They all fell to the ground. Tharja playfully placed her finger on her chin, "Although... I wonder why the garrison captain, the second in command of the Pegasus squad, and the princess are so interested in the private life of a simple, fragile girl like me."

"Can you tell us what happened? Why did you have to bring Morgan here?" Lucina asked first.

"Well, Morgan misused one of the little things I gave her, I fixed the issue, and now she's fluttering around."

"Ugh... thank Naga... I thought it was my fault..." Sully sighed in relief.

"Well, you could have said it wasn't something as serious as to leave us in doubt," Cordelia said.

"Goodness, why didn't you just help her in the field? If it was something so simple that took you only a couple of minutes to fix, there was no need to make this scene," Lucina remarked.

"Huh... interesting, I get the Miss Perfection and Miss Muscles... but why, out of everyone, is the Ylissean princess so concerned about Morgan?" Tharja lowered herself to their level, even with Lucina on the floor after the initial scare, she seemed nervous under Lucina's gaze.

"Well... it's because Morgan is my dear friend."

"Friend? Are you sure about that?" She looked at the other two. "You better think very carefully, as the delicate princess, the perfectionist, the muscle-head, the exotic, and I are the ones competing here. If you keep lying, don't do it to my face," she said, listing the girls on her fingers.

"Muscle-head?" Sully got angry.

"Perfectionist?" Cordelia sighed.

"DELICATE?!" Lissa got mad behind Tharja.

"Wait... exotic?" Lucina asked herself. "Ah... Miss Olivia?"

"There are too many of you, so my advice is to get it together before I get annoyed. I have fewer people to dispose of when inevitably my love returns to my arms," Tharja said, passing by the girls with a somewhat mocking air in her stride. "I suppose this is a declaration of war since from now on, I'll be much closer to her, so I suggest you sort things out or step aside." With that said, she moved away from the group.

"...By Naga, I hate it when she does that," exclaimed Lissa, her cheeks puffed out, gripping her staff tightly.

"...I think... she forgot about Maribelle," Cordelia whispered.

"Is that your concern now?" Exclaimed Sully, punching her in the shoulder, "And Maribelle? What did I miss?"

"If you came to the weekly sessions, you would know everything that's going on," retorted Lissa.

"Sessions where all they do is talk about books and eat sweets," added Sully as they all got up.

"And talk about Robin," Lissa said angrily, "That's the whole point of the club."

"Well, that's not the most important thing right now," Sully looked at Lucina, who seemed stunned by Tharja's words. "I guess we still need to talk?"

"Talk..." Cordelia bit her lip, looking at Lucina. "...now Lucina is in love with Robin?" She thought as she hid her face behind her hair. "...no... I refuse to go on with this, I won't allow myself to be left behind in love again."


"Nowi, Gregor is pretty sure it's rude to just show up like this."

"Nah-ah! I'm sure everyone will be excited to know what happened to us for so long," said the excited Manakete. "Besides, I felt a little bad seeing everyone so affectionate," she said, rubbing her hands together in a mischievous way. Gregor just sighed as the others behind him did the same.

"Gregor doesn't understand what that has to do with anything."

"Well, little Gregor, you go back to your woman, I'll go back to my friends, and I'll show them my gifts," she said confidently. "I can't wait to see the faces they'll make!"


Happy new year!