Title: Robcina Week Day 3 - Cooking

Description: It had been a long day and having missed Lunch, Lucina set about making something for herself. A simple task all in all. Once she should have had no problem doing it herself. If only she'd been allowed to.

Words: 1107

Lucina carefully plopped the handful of chopped carrots and potatoes into the cooking pot bubbling away before her. While she was certainly not the most skilled cook among the Shepherds, living in her desolate future without the usual comforts royalty would have provided her had forced Lucina to become proficient in such skills. At least, enough to make a simple meal such as this without fear of messing it up.

It was late in the afternoon, too early for the cooking tents to be starting on supper but too late for there to be any lunch left. Having been out on a scouting mission earlier, Lucina hadn't been able to get anything to eat since sunrise. So it was that she'd set about making something in the meanwhile.

"Lucina? What are you up to?" So intent was she on her work, Lucina nearly leaped in surprise at the sudden sound.

"Robin, you startled me. I didn't hear your approach,." Lucina said, letting out a nervous laugh as she turned to look toward he husband as he. "I mustn't get so complacent in the future, not when next time it may be a foe instead of you."

"Sorry, should have said something earlier," Robin apologized. He peered over her shoulder, trying to determine what she was making. "Still, can't say I expected you to be cooking. At least not this time of day."

Robin patiently listened as Lucina explained her day, an understandable if thoughtful expression crossing his face as she finished.

"I see. Mind if I lend you a hand? I have not much else to do right now, and I'd hate to leave you with the chore yourself when I could've made myself useful," Robin asked.

"No!" Lucina blurted out, nearly shouting the reply such was her alarm. After all, Robin was quite possibly the worst chef amongst the whole of the Shepherds, with the vast majority of the things he cooked coming out vile and quite inedible. However, she quickly checked herself, not wanting to hurt his feelings. "I mean, no, it's quite alright dear. I greatly appreciate the thought, it's not necessary. I can manage myself and two of us would be, well, more than is needed and…"

"No, I insist. You're always working so hard, Lucina. I'll gladly take some of the load you saddle yourself with," Robin argued, his voice sounding what would have in any other circumstances been gentle and reassuring. But, given what he was suggesting, this time it only filled Lucina with complete and abject terror.

"Robin, please, really, I don't need any…" she trailed off, seeing her pleas falling on deaf ears. Robin was already rummaging through their supplies, pulling out handfuls of vegetables, dried meats, and bundles of herbs. Already he'd picked out many times the number of ingredients that Lucina herself had used.

I just wanted to make a simple stew, Lucina thought to herself as dread sunk its fingers deep into her very soul. To say that thought aloud, or even protest in any way, was truly futile. Once Robin had it in his mind that he was helping, there was no dissuading him. Even when he should know better.

At least it couldn't get any worse.

"Father! Mother! Whatcha doing?" came a cheerful and all-to-recognizable voice from behind, followed by hurried footsteps rushing closer.

"Oh no", Lucina silently whispered, eyes widened as dread became complete and utter despair. Why? Why must I always tempt fate so?

"Your mother was cooking dinner so I figured I'd lend a hand," Robin said, glancing Morgan's way as she bounded across the remaining distance.

"Ooooh, that sounds fun! Whatcha making? Can I help? Stew? Oooh, I have an idea, let me see…" their future daughter exclaimed, bouncing on her toes before diving into the supplies, tearing out yet still more ingredients at a frightening pace.

Lucina sunk back, slumping against the old stump behind her, expression unnoticed and unheeded by both husband and daughter alike. Instead, she only watched as Robin began tearing off handfuls of herbs to cast into the pot, while Morgan searched for a knife to begin cutting vegetables.

"Hey Mother, mind if a barrow this. Okay, thanks," Morgan said, snatching Falchion from where it lay next to her without waiting for a reply. Now Lucina could only look on in dumbfounded amazement as her daughter proceeded to use the powerful and ancient divine weapon as a common kitchen knife. Not well either, as the pieces of vegetable that resulted were of completely ununiform sizes and shapes.

"Morgan, you can't-" Lucina started to say, deeming the use of Falchion in such a manner beyond what she could bear.

However, before she could say anything there was a sudden flash of light and a roar of crackling flame. She turned, seeing the small fire underneath the pot had transformed into a veritable inferno, the result of the magic Robin had just conjured into it. For the flames were now an unnaturally vivid red that greedily gobbled up the additional fuel her husband was now flinging onto the rapidly consumed pile of firewood.

"Robin, why?" Lucina could only manage to squeak out those words, the whisper so soft there was no chance Robin could have heard her.

Now Robin was added the poorly chopped vegetable Morgan had worked on, while Morgan herself went to collect more firewood. And all Lucina could do was watch the chaos unfold.

. . . . .

"I don't get it, how could so many yummy things together taste like nothing?!" Morgan exclaimed, staring down at her bowl of stew with a look somewhere between confusion and suspicion.

Thank the gods for that, Lucina thought, content with the unexpected outcome. For once something Robin had cooked was actually edible, an accomplishment in itself. The fact it had come out bland and nearly tasteless, however, was something Lucina couldn't even begin to explain. Though perhaps it was best she neither complained nor contemplated it too hard. Better to just take the unforeseen victory.

"I'm sorry, Lucina. I just don't know what happened," Robin apologized, rubbing the back of his neck as he regarded her with a sheepish look. "I know I'm not the best chef… at all really, but I've been practicing and I thought-"

Before he could finish Lucina leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek that sent both of them blushing red. Morgan instead stuck out her tongue, mouthing 'yuck' at her parents' display of lovey-dovey affection.

"It's okay, Robin. I do appreciate the thought," Lucina assured him, deciding to keep the 'and it didn't go as poorly as I feared' to herself.