A/N: Hello, Fire Emblem fandom. This is the fluffiest thing I have ever written, but it's meant to scratch an itch I can't get rid of.

When I first played Awakening, Lucina didn't figure high up on my list of favourite characters. I was pretty pissed during her canon confrontation with Robin and kept yelling "Stupid woman, stop and think things through before rushing headlong!" Along the way, reading so many stories on Lucina has converted me.

My interest in Lucina lies in the fact that she's had to grow up incredibly fast to shoulder the burdens placed on her. But through her social interactions and her support conversation with her sibling, you get the feeling she traded a good part of her childhood for it. It shows. She's a strange mix of child and adult, bumbling her way through social situations and feeling out of her depth. Which is why I find the lack of stories that explore her development as a wife and mother glaring.

Watching the generic interactions between Morgan and her other parent also always made me feel unsatisfied, especially if Robin marries a 2nd gen, and the other parent is obviously a child character. So this is my attempt at addressing that lack. It's not meant to be a long piece, mostly vignettes that take place after Demon's Ingle and running to the end of the game.

I hope you will enjoy this little side trip!

Chapter 1: Are You My Mother?

"Are you sure she is my daughter?"

She blurted the question without thinking.

Robin looked at her quizzically before shrugging his shoulders.

"Can't say for sure. She does have the Brand and her hair colour is the exact shade as yours." He gave her an evil grin, "Although that wouldn't discount Cynthia being her mother..."

Lucina's face scrunched into a grimace as she dropped down onto the log at the edge of the forest clearing.

Eyebrow raised, Robin sat down beside her. Knowing her dislike of public displays of affection, he settled for giving her a quick squeeze of the hand.

"Hey, I was kidding! You'll love her! She's beautiful, full of life, and an absolute terror with the blade. A quick cast with spells, too." He puffed up visibly with pride. "You should've seen the way she sliced through Risen. I know they're soulless, but I swear they were stumbling over each other trying to get away from her."

Lucina only paid faint attention to Robin's gushing. All around them, the Shepherds were setting up camp after their brief detour to the strange ruins rumoured to be harbouring bandits. The bandits turned out to be a false alarm, but the appearance of a daughter was the last thing Lucina could imagine emerging from the mission.

Mentally, she chastened herself. Here was proof once again that she had altered this timeline beyond recognition. She still clung valiantly to her goal of returning to her blighted future once they defeated Grima. No matter that it was a farce, a desperate plan that had rapidly shredded the moment she chose to seal a bond of marriage with her father's tactician.

Were you so foolish to think your marriage with him would not set off its own cascade of consequences?

"What have I done?" she groaned faintly, covering her face with her hands.

Robin frowned in concern.

"Are you worried that you've changed the future again?"

At her nod, he sighed.

"Remember what I said about lesser of evils? You can't reasonably change a big thing and expect everything else to stay the same. The alternative if you didn't come back in time is everything going to hell. And nuh uh—" he raised a decisive finger to the protest she was about to make. "Don't ever say the idea of us is a mistake. Wait till you see Morgan. She's more than proof it isn't."

Trust Robin to come up with new ways to distract her from her innermost fears. Lucina exhaled cautiously.

"Her name is Morgan?"

"She's about fourteen. Although, umm... she seems to have be afflicted with a bad case of amnesia. Heh, like father, like daughter? She does remember who I am, just not who her mother is," he looked at her apologetically before giving way to a grin, "It's definitely you though. Her sword moves are remarkably like yours and her gestures and actions remind me of you."

Fourteen? That would make Morgan just four years younger than herself. And why did she feel strangely relieved that Morgan remembered nothing about her?

Lucina had always taken great happiness at seeing her time-travelling friends reunited with their parents, the flummoxed receptions bringing a smile out of her when so little could. From the look of things, Robin had gotten over the flabbergasted stage pretty quickly. If she had to judge, he seemed ready to parade their newfound offspring to everyone in the camp.

"So are we good?" Robin's cheerful voice broke into her reverie. "Ready to meet her?"

Lucina's head darted up with alacrity.

"What? Now?"

"I promised Morgan I'd introduce you to her. Looks like dinner's ready; we can swap stories over food."

Few things had the power of causing her mind to go blank with fear, and it seemed a new one had been added to the list.

"I-I don't know what to say! What should I do?"

Robin drummed his fingers against a knee as he gave it some thought.

"Hmm... Do what you did when you told Chrom you're his daughter? It'll be easier for you; I've already done some icebreaking."

That didn't reassure her one bit. Instead, her brain ran mental laps wondering what Robin had told the girl. That she was always the last person in camp to get a joke? That her idea of fashionable was to lump three or four primary colours with seven pattern prints on one outfit? Her thoughts continued in a rigmarole until she finally latched on something useful.

"Wait. I-I just remembered I'm rostered for first shift patrol! I'm sorry, Robin, it will have to wait." Whew, she was definitely not unhappy with the conflict in schedule! Her attempt to walk away was thwarted when he reached out to grab her wrist.

"I knew you'd say that." There was a definite glint in her husband's brown eyes. "So I've taken the liberty of asking Frederick to do a swap. No duties for you to escape to tonight."

Before she could muster another protest, he went on more seriously, "Look, I know it's a shock, but if we put it off, Morgan might think we don't want to acknowledge her as our daughter. Besides, there's no way you can convince me that talking to a teenage girl is harder than fighting a war."

Frowning at him as he tugged her to her feet seemed to give Lucina the impetus, if not the courage she needed. Robin was right. She couldn't imagine how devastated she would've been if Chrom had rejected her after her confession. It'd be an experience she would never want inflicted on anyone else. With a shake of her head, she allowed herself to be led towards the mess hall.

It wasn't difficult to pick Morgan out from the crowd. For one, she was wearing an exact replica of Robin's tactician robes. Lucina's heart gave a painful tug when she saw how much of the man she loved was mirrored in the girl. She was indeed beautiful—from that tousled mop of hair so much like Robin's, to the way she wolfed down her stew with healthy abandon, oblivious to Inigo's attempts to chat her up. It was evident she relished a good meal as much as her father. Unconsciously, Lucina gripped Robin's hand tighter and received a squeeze in return.

Robin chuckled as Inigo gave a defeated shrug and left the row of benches.

"Hey, kiddo!" He called out.

The girl raised her head, her face lighting up immediately. It was like watching a sunrise crest the horizon and illuminate the land with light.

"Dad! What took you so long? I've saved you some of those breadrolls I know you like! Sorry, I was so hungry I started without-"

Morgan's enthusiasm and voice subsided abruptly as they came nearer, her eyes visibly darting between their faces and their clasped hands.

"It's all good," he said reassuringly. "I'd like you to meet your mother, Lucina. Lucina, this is Morgan."

Wide-eyed, Morgan scrambled to her feet, wiping her hands hastily against her pants. It was just as Robin had described, the girl had her eyes and hair colour. The Brand of the Exalt was clearly visible on the back of her left hand when it emerged from the oversize sleeve.

Oh gods, I-I have a daughter!? How is this even possible?

The enormity of it finally hit Lucina with a surge of panic that quite literally froze her on the spot. What was a brief moment of silence soon stretched to an awkward minute and then Morgan began to shuffle her foot. Finally and hesitantly, the young girl made an awkward curtsy, lifting the hem of her heavy robes in a spread.

"Milady," she mumbled half-audibly with eyes cast down.

Unfortunately, Lucina's default manner for dealing with things that fazed her was to revert to cold formality.

"Please do not call me that."

The moment the words left her mouth, Lucina knew it was a mistake. The effect was immediate. The young girl before her flinched visibly as if she'd been slapped. An involuntary wince flitted across Robin's face. Ever the people person, he quickly jumped to the rescue.

"Let me guess, you've met Chrom! Intense guy with passing looks who bears an unfortunate resemblance to you? Things have a mysterious tendency to break around him?"

Morgan looked at him in confusion.

"He told me he leads the Shepherds and welcomed me to the camp. He said Princess Lucina is his daughter, which makes me family. Should I not have believed him?"

"Sounds about right, but check that royalty thing at the doorstep. No tea and buttered scone parties here, unless Virion organises them."

Stupid, stupid, why did I do that? Lucina cursed herself mentally. As heir to the throne of Ylisse, she'd been taught a leader should never show weakness. That training had served her well in her timeline, but what she just did was as good as rejecting Morgan!

"I-I'm sorry. Let's do this again," Lucina said hurriedly. "Chrom is my father, but I came to this timeline to aid with the war. Who I used to be has no relevance here. And I'd rather we not be so formal," she tried to muster a warm smile which probably turned out ghastly. "Umm...why don't you call me something else?"

More foot shuffling took place. When Morgan looked up, it was not to her, but to Robin who made encouraging faces. Cocking her head to one side, the girl finally glanced at Lucina sideways.

"Like...?"

It was just too embarrassing to suggest that Morgan called her 'mother'. Not to mention the label still felt too alien for her to embrace. But somewhere deep inside, Lucina knew it would give her indescribable joy to be addressed as such.

"Uh, anything you like?" She threw out instead, heat rising to her face.

To her dismay, her response seemed to cause the girl to become even more withdrawn. Again, Morgan looked to her father in desperation. Except the target of her attention was doubled over, his shoulders shaking with laughter.

"Oh gods, look at the two of you! This is too funny for words!"

Finally, Robin subsided, wiping tears from his eyes as his wife glared at him.

"All right. If I make the call, nobody gets to complain, okay?"

He looked at both of them, his eyes lingering on Lucina, giving rise to the familiar feeling that she was being assessed. He'd always had the ability to read what laid closest to her heart. When no objections were forthcoming, Robin moved between them and threw his arms around their shoulders in a tight hug.

"'Mother' will do, Morgan. Bonus for adding terms of endearment like 'dearest' once you feel comfortable enough. Now, can we grab some of that delicious stew before Vaike finishes it all?"

"So what else did you and Chrom talk about earlier?"

Robin asked casually, his empty tray sitting on the table in front of him. Full darkness had descended on the camp. Candles lit the mess hall and on the far side, the Shepherds on galley duty were cleaning the place up. Chrom and Sumia had waved at them cheerfully as the Shepherds trooped in for dinner earlier. Sumia had made the attempt to join them, only to be stopped by her husband whispering a few words in her ear.

"Nothing much," Morgan mumbled around a mouthful of dessert—a second helping of apple pie. The girl could sure eat, Robin gave her that. "He gave me a quick tour around the camp and said he'd catch up with me once I've spend some time with you and—Mother," Morgan's eyes darted to give Lucina an anxious look.

She looked visibly relieved when Lucina gave her a smile and said ruefully from across the table, "It sounds like he is taking it better than I am."

"I dunno... Prince Chrom seemed anxious that I don't call him 'grandfather'. Something about too many generations to handle?"

Robin burst out into laughter.

"Oh ho, he's embarrassed, is he?! All the more reason you should do it. You have my full permission."

Morgan's laughter was like the pealing of bells.

"You're so evil, Dad."

"Not after he gave me hell for my strategy at Fort Steiger." He reached out to tousle Morgan's already messy hair. "No loving daughter of mine is going to let him get away with that, right?"

She gave him a sidelong look.

"I'll...think about it. I don't want to be tossed out of camp for helping you get back on your liege."

"That'll never happen with your grandmother and mother around." Robin predicted confidently as he stretched to ease out the kinks in his muscles. From the corner of his eyes, he watched contently as Lucina tried to hide her smile.

Things had been awkward at the start, but Lucina was slowly thawing to Morgan's presence. Levity never came easy for Lucina and Robin had to constantly remind himself to hold back on his more irreverent antics. He had instantly hit off with their daughter but it would take a while before she and Morgan became as comfortable with each other. Still, It was relieving to know that it wasn't an insurmountable task.

"Father was right though, Robin," Lucina pointed out. "You shouldn't have put yourself at such great risk on the battlements that day."

Morgan looked between them with curiosity.

"What did Dad do?"

"He had Lady Cherche drop him in the thick of enemies to lower the drawbridge for our forces," Lucina replied darkly.

"Pay it no heed," Robin said with a grin. "That's how my strategies win us our battles—by being unpredictable to our enemies."

Morgan frowned.

"I don't remember you being so reckless, Dad. You'd called me harebrained if I suggested something like that." She dropped her fork in a clatter. "Oh, I remember! I remember I want to be a tactician like you!"

"Is that so?"

"Yeah! I've read Tactics for Beginners from cover to cover. I can even quote you one of your favourite lines: 'Planning against superior forces is all about maintaining that element of surprise to keep your enemy second-guessing your intentions. No strategy survives contact with the enemy.'"

Robin didn't think the day could get any better. He was proven wrong. Clearing his throat, he tried to temper down his burst of pride.

"Not bad at all. And that rests my case with harebrained schemes. So you want to be a tactician, huh? There's no better way to learn tactics than on the battlefield."

Morgan's reaction was more than anything he could hope for. Adoration burned bright in her eyes until he felt like he was the centre of her universe.

"Really? Oh, thank you, Dad!"

"Robin, I don't think that is such a good idea..." Lucina interjected with concern.

"I'm not going to let her devise strategies in the middle of battle if that's what you're thinking. But she can observe me and help with team compositions and some of the simpler tactics."

"I promise I'll listen to orders! Please, Mother, please?"

If eyes could melt steel, he'd bet Morgan was doing her best to master the ability. The girl knew very well who she had to win over in this argument. Lucina shifted uncomfortably under what he silently dubbed 'The Look of Hope' their daughter was projecting with all her might.

"She'll have both of us to look after her," Robin supplied helpfully. "Why don't you test out her combat skills for a start and see how well she handles herself? You can also work out how to support each other in a fight."

Lucina's face lit up at the concession.

"I...guess that's acceptable."

With a squeal, Morgan turned and gripped Robin in a tight hug.

"Whoa, whoa!" Robin gasped. "Easy there!"

A polite cough nearby made everyone look up. Frederick gave a bow, still dressed in his full armour. It was a wonder they didn't notice him approach.

"Milady, Robin, I've had an additional tent put up next to yours. If the young lady has time, Cordelia is waiting by the wagons to issue her some supplies."

"I get my very own tent, too? That is awesome!"

"Thank you, Sir Frederick," Lucina got up quickly, her face flushing. "I'm sorry, we should be taking care of such things ourselves. Let's go, Morgan, we shouldn't keep Lady Cordelia waiting."

Robin perched his arm on one raised knee as he watch Morgan accompany her mother out of the mess hall.

"Is this what being a father is like?" He wondered out loud. "I could definitely get used to it."

"She seems to be the youngest of the children." Frederick observed, crossing his arms. "That might make things easier for you."

Robin raised his eyebrows.

"Having problems with your own kid, Freddie?"

"I told you not to call me that," Frederick muttered.

Robin moved his hands to his chest in a hurt motion.

"Hey, I thought we were friends. Friends call each other silly names all the time," he gestured for the knight to sit down. "Friends are also happy to lend a listening ear when you need one. So... what gives?"

Frederick looked as if he was about to demur before changing his mind to perch on the very edge of the bench, arms still crossed tightly.

"I just thought I might share my observations." He glanced at Robin with narrowed eyes. "In case you're wondering, I still find your affliction of amnesia to be terribly convenient. Your daughter's too, although I believe neither is your fault. No father would wish such a thing on his child."

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence," Robin replied wryly.

"It may be a blessing in disguise for the Princess and you," Frederick continued as though he hadn't heard Robin. "Severa is quite set in her ways. She has expectations of Cordelia and myself from her future that she refuses to share. It's hard to predict what ticks her off. For you, there are no disappointments to live down. Your daughter is young enough that you can still play a parent to her instead of settling for being her friend."

"You make it sound like being a friend to your kid is a bad thing," Robin said after a while.

"It isn't when you don't have to wonder if you've made a mistake in the future as her father."

Ouch.

Severa's irritable and pessimistic personality was well-known. But she wasn't one of the forerunners in the race for the most dysfunctional. Gerome was just as bad if not worse while Noire hovered on the brink of a split personality. Meanwhile, Owain, Cynthia and Inigo veered off to the other extreme end of the spectrum. None of the time-travelling children could be considered normal. Not even Lucina, especially not Lucina if Robin had to admit with himself.

"It's not all your fault, Frederick," Robin said with a sigh. "The blame falls equally on every one of us. We messed up and left our kids to pick up the pieces. It's a miracle they turned out the way they did. Now we have to make sure that their version of reality doesn't happen. Again."

Frederick looked at him intently. Giving a slow nod as if he was satisfied, the knight stood up and left the mess hall.

"Thanks for the advice," Robin called after him, the sole occupant of the mess hall with the leavetaking.

Three months of marital bliss was certainly not time enough for him and Lucina get used to each other as husband and wife. Gods knew, it had been a long and rocky path. Right from the start, she had resisted the idea of them. It had taken more than a few harrowing encounters on the battlefield for her to let down her guard and accept his advances.

Soon after, Robin had looked on wistfully as friend after friend became united with their children, knowing that such was not in the cards for him. Now he no longer need to imagine how a child of his and Lucina's would look like. Morgan surpassed everything his mind could conjure up. She was the sum and more of their best parts, a fierce and brilliant package of intelligence and life any father would be immensely proud of.

Morgan probably came from another timeline than the other children. It was the only explanation. Now that Frederick said it, it was impossible not to wonder what that future was like. What was the reason for her amnesia? Was it because the world she came from was so unbearable her mind chose to forget about it?

Was it a reality as bad as Lucina's? It'd been a sobering experience listening about the future Lucina came from. There was no doubt that he had to do everything in his power to prevent it from coming true. But he never told her what fuelled his resolve was the many nights waking up firsthand to her thrashing and holding her until the nightmare faded away from her eyes.

"Did Morgan get all the supplies she needed?"

Robin asked with a smile as Lucina stepped into their tent. He was at his usual space, a makeshift desk with a book opened in front of him.

"All settled. Although she will need spare clothing. Would we have time for shopping at the next village?"

"I don't see why not. We'll likely have to restock our supplies. And that'll take a few days at least."

She nodded and sat down in the edge of the cot, her hands moving to unbuckle her armour.

"So... what do you think of Morgan?" Robin asked after a while.

A laugh escaped Lucina as she set aside her shoulder pads. "She certainly doesn't lack for energy."

"Yeah, I swear she'll wear us down before we reach home."

"Heh, she takes after you strongly. She's smart and friendly, always ready with a joke. It has only been a day, but I can see how everyone is already warming up to her."

"She has a contagious laugh, I admit," Robin mused, the book in front of him forgotten. "The army could use more people like her to keep our spirits up."

Lucina had no response to that. There was a brief silence before she dropped all attempts at cheerfulness and said quietly, "I'm messing up, Robin. I don't know the first thing about being a mother."

"Well... I'm sure that's something most of the Shepherds had to deal with when they were presented with their future children. Your parents included." He smiled at the thought. "But they all seemed to have taken it quite well. It can only get better once you know each other."

Lucina remained silent, her eyes downcast.

It was clear Lucina's misgivings ran far deeper than the other mothers in the camp. So maybe he'd let elation override his better sense, Robin thought guiltily. Closing the book, he rose from his chair. She remained oblivious to his presence until he sat down and laid an arm around her.

"Something tells me this is more than just finding out you're suddenly a parent. Talk to me?"

After a moment, her arms went around to hug herself. "It still feels like a dream that I could have a family that's alive, a husband and now a daughter. Knowing that all this could be taken away if we fail, it's hard to bear. It makes me want to do my best, to hold on to everything harder."

She looked at him in worry. "Except I don't know how. What business does a woman who's lived her entire life fighting wars have being a mother?"

The conversation with Frederick still fresh in his mind, Robin decided to take the plunge.

"She has every right. Because she'd have won the future that makes it possible." He said firmly before taking a deep breath. "I'm not sure I'm father material either. Three years' worth of memories doesn't give much to work with. But meeting Morgan gives me hope. Amnesia aside, she seems happy and well-adjusted. She's proof that somewhere, somehow, we did it right."

Hope glimmered in her eyes as she absorbed all this.

"Do you really think so?"

"Frederick also thinks it might be a good thing Morgan doesn't remember you. You get to start your relationship with her on a blank slate."

He eyed her expectantly as a myriad of emotions played across her face.

"I didn't think of it that way," she breathed in wonder before she shook her head ruefully. "Gods, listen to me! Making it as if I am the only one with problems. I'm sorry, Robin, you are right as always. This means I have less expectations to worry about."

"There's just one catch..."

Lucina look at him questioningly.

"Remember you once told me that when this world is saved, you'd try to go back to your timeline?" He said as he gently tucked errant strands of blue hair behind her ear. "That you couldn't stay because you didn't want to cause problems for Chrom? Do you still feel that way?"

She was silent for a long time before she said quietly, "I haven't thought about that for a while."

"Poor Morgan will be devastated to know she'll never get to see her younger self." He waggled a cheeky eyebrow. "Or will you leave us a parting gift before you disappear from our lives? The best way to learn how to be a parent or a spouse is to keep working at it, y'know."

It'd seem a lifetime ago when Lucina had told him of her plan. She'd simply been the time lost daughter of a dear friend he'd kept watched over. Grimfaced and carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders, she'd slowly and painstakingly built ties to this timeline, gathering around herself an ever growing group of friends and family. He'd taken great pleasure watching the transformation she underwent; the rare smile that became more commonplace, the carefree laughter he never imagined she possessed.

Robin had always prided himself in his ability to read people. The woman who had declared her readiness to divorce herself from this timeline would never be fully gone, but just maybe he could convince Lucina to give another option a chance. Not tonight though; he'd fight that battle when it came.

"Well, I have another proposal for you," he continued lightly. "I've brought us here in one piece one way or another. Trust that I'll find a way to solve that problem for you. In fact, I've got one solution right off the top of my head."

Lucina laughed weakly as she rested her head against his shoulder. She may not know what he had in mind, but she was familiar with his idiosyncrasy of mixing irreverence with gravity by now.

"I am almost afraid to ask. So what is it, Sir Robin?"

"I'll make myself indispensible to the royal family and we'll make enough tactician babies that they'll dispel any rumours of your presence in Chrom's life." Robin gave her a wicked grin. "Starting right now."

He reached over to tickle her as she broke into giggles. When she tried to wriggle away, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her down on the cot with him.

"Hrrgngh!"

The dull clack of wood knocking against wood resounded in the pre-dawn silence, punctuated by grunts of exertion.

Morgan lifted her wooden practice sword in a training salute and commenced her attack again. Swiftly, Lucina lifted her own blade to block, sidestepping to create room to whirl around. Carrying forward the momentum, she executed a backswing at the young girl's unprotected back. As she had anticipated, Morgan parried but the defensive move came only just in time.

They had been sparring for about an hour now, and unconsciously, Lucina found herself beginning to frown. Morgan's forms were immaculate, and as Robin had described, remarkably similar to her own fighting style. There was sufficient variation that she could recognise some of Robin's signature moves. Not that there was anything wrong with that; in the course of the last year, she had adopted some of his techniques for herself.

Clack.

Their blades met again. This time, Lucina shoved back and crouched, swinging her leg in a wide arc meant to trip Morgan. She also made sure to leave herself exposed after the attempt. The girl lithely jumped out of the way, but instead of counterattacking, she broke off, holding her blade across her torso in anticipation of a strike that wasn't forthcoming.

Lucina had learned the art of fighting from Chrom's lap, swinging wooden slates far too heavy for her child self. After his death, she had faithfully preserved his moves in remembrance and homage to him. The Prince favoured a brute force approach, relying on upper body strength and forward momentum to inflict devastating injuries. What Lucina had gradually accepted was she lacked the same body mass and strength to be truly effective with some of his moves. It was a flaw made painfully apparent when he had annihilated her during the arena match in Regna Ferox.

Robin's swordsmanship was more fluid, relying on speed and reflexes to gain an upper hand. She had found she could utilise it better to her advantage. Somehow, it felt less like a betrayal to the memory of her father because he was still alive in this timeline. The adjustment also allowed her to line up her strikes with Robin's in perfect synchrony, making them one of the deadliest duos among the Shepherds.

No, Morgan's problem did not lie with her technique. As an adolescent, speed served her better than strength. Except she was not taking full advantage of natural opportunities and left herself vulnerable with needless openings.

Lucina stepped back from the brief bout and began circling Morgan once more. Between the break in the sparse line of trees that crested the escarpment to the east, the sun was breaking the horizon. It was time to bring this session to an end.

"Last round," she said to the teenager.

A second later, they met in combat again. This time Lucina struck, hard and fast as lightning. Tearing through Morgan's defences, she hit the girl in succession with the flat of her blade, landing blows on the back of the calf, the small of the back and the left shoulder. As coup de grace, she blocked an incoming wide swing, angling her blade to slide down, locking both pommels together before executing a hard torque, wrenching Morgan's blade of out her hands.

"Wow..." The young girl breathed as she stumbled back, her breath coming in gasps. Her hand moved to rub her back as she winced. "And ow..."

Lucina closed the distance between them anxiously, her hand going to grasp the budding tactician's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Morgan, did I hurt you?"

"I'm okay!" Morgan laughed and knelt down to pick up her sword. "But wow, how do you move so fast?"

Lucina was silent for a while before deciding honesty was the best course.

"I wouldn't have been able to if you did not leave yourself exposed so frequently," she pointed out as she grounded the sharp end of her blade in the grass. It was puzzling. Robin had mentioned that the girl accounted well for herself against Risen. As soon as she recalled that, a suspicion came to mind.

"Morgan, have you had to fight a human being before?" The question was distasteful, but it was important to find out. They were, after all, waging a war against human conquerors.

The young girl frowned as she acquired that familiar look that said she was wracking her mind to remember a lost memory.

"I don't think so. Or at least I can't remember."

"It seems to me your fighting style is tailored to deal with Risen. They are slower than living opponents and less likely to exploit opportunistic openings, wearing you down instead with unrelenting numbers."

Worry filled Morgan's blue eyes.

"Does that mean I can't join you and Dad on the battlefield? I promise I'll improve! I can close those gaps and tighten my defences! You'll show me how to, right?"

An involuntary smile flitted across Lucina's face. Interacting with Robin often required her to make logic leaps to catch up to his speed of thought. He arrived at the right conclusions far faster than anyone she knew, sometimes requiring him to slow down and explain the steps he took to reach them. It was evident Morgan had inherited her father's lightning-quick mind.

"Of course I will." Lucina declared readily as they walked side by side towards the fallen log where their water skins and towels awaited.

The idea of the young girl taking human life filled Lucina with aversion. She could remember her first kill; bile rising to her throat as she felt Falchion grate against cartilage and bone, the numbed horror of witnessing life departing from sightless eyes threatening to overwhelm her. The Valmese campaign was stepping up in heat and when it came to Morgan's turn to test her mettle on the field, Lucina swore she would be by the girl's side.

Morgan's spellbook and robes resting nearby caught her attention and she was compelled to point out regretfully, "I have no talent with magic though. You will need your father for that."

Her eyes travelled further and took in a nondescript sword encased in a worn leather scabbard. Easing the blade out made it clear that it was a standard-issue blade of average length and make.

"Is this your sword, Morgan?"

Again, that familiar frown.

"No... I think I lost my original. That's the one I picked up yesterday."

Lucina's brow knitted in thought. Since Morgan's swordsmanship was so similar to hers, the budding tactician would probably favour a long, double-handed blade like Falchion. It would take a few more years for Morgan to attain her adult height. In the meantime, she needed a slim and lightweight weapon to maximise her reach. The makeshift smithy had been packed and was awaiting the day's march. Luckily, they weren't likely to see combat today and the girl had her spellbook for backup.

"Let's get you a better blade this evening." Lucina promised as she took a long drink from her water skin.

All around them, the camp was stirring with morning activity and the grassy clearing they had been sparring in was rapidly filling up with Shepherds running through combat regimes. Capping her own water skin, Morgan gathered up her belongings and ducked her head in a quick bow.

"I'd like that! Thank you for training with me, Mother. I'm going to pack up my tent. See you at breakfast!"

Without waiting for a response, the teenager darted off towards the camp.

Letting go of a breath she wasn't aware she was holding, Lucina stared at the girl's retreating form. Things were much improved between them since their initial meeting yesterday, but it was clear Morgan remained more subdued around her. She wondered if she would have to accept that her relationship with Morgan would never be as warm and spontaneous as Robin's. Apart from their physical similarities, the girl seemed to take after Robin in every other way.

It echoed eerily Lucina's relationship with her own mother, a wave of guilt washing over her as she thought about it. Ever since she'd joined the Shepherds, she had tried to spend as much time as possible getting to know her father. Time spent with Sumia often took place when she accompanied Chrom about his duties. Cynthia was much closer to Sumia, but that didn't discount Lucina's complacency in her familial duties.

At least Morgan has the excuse of not remembering who I am. I have none. I am as terrible a daughter as I am a parent.

Breakfast wouldn't be for an hour yet. At this time of the day, the pegasus knights would be by the river, grooming their mounts. With firm resolve, she strode off in the direction of the tent she and Robin shared to drop off her equipment before making for the river.

Sumia was in the final touches of currying her pegasus when Lucina approached. Dropping the brush in her hand, a big smile across her face, the pegasus knight ran forward and flung arms around Lucina.

"Congratulations, dear! I know it's a little backwards, or forwards if you like, but I'm so happy you and Robin have Morgan!"

Taken aback by the reception, Lucina quickly returned the hug, trying not to squirm at the overt display of affection.

"Er...thank you, Mother."

"Winnie here needs her morning drink," Oblivious to her daughter's discomfort, Sumia stroke the neck of her pegasus as she prattled on, "She was so tired after yesterday's mission, the poor darling. Let's talk by the riverside while she quenches her thirst."

If Lucina had been worried about potential awkwardness talking to her mother, Sumia took that problem right out of her hands. Hustled towards the water edge, she managed to give a light wave to Cynthia and Cordelia before being pulled away by the deceptively strong grip on her wrist.

"Tell me, dear," Sumia's voice lowered to a concerned whisper the moment they sat down a ways from the other knights. "Did you anticipate Morgan's appearance?"

That was a very strange question even for her mother, Lucina thought. Had Sumia seen something in a petal fortune? She knew Sumia laid great store by her flower prophecies although she never had the heart to tell her that such vague portends could refer to almost anything.

"Why do you ask that, Mother?"

Sumia drew her legs close and hugged her knees as she got comfortable for a long talk.

"It's a peculiar thing to be looking forward to in the middle of a war, but it is such a happy event when another child from the future joins us! The rest of the girls, well, the married ones, anyway, have been wondering whose daughter or son we would meet. We haven't asked you along because we know you and your friends are reluctant to talk about the future, which is perfectly understandable!" Sumia looked abashed as she concluded, "And we didn't think we'd be visited by our grandchildren."

Lucina couldn't help her smile. Oh, how she missed her mother's oddly endearing but totally accurate description of things! It brought to mind the happier times they shared before the world went awry, before she was forced to put away a carefree childhood in exchange for stern leadership of an impossible task.

"It was a shock to me, too," Lucina confessed more lightly than she had in ages. "Cynthia, myself and the rest were the last generation in my time. We were too busy surviving to think about our own futures. Before coming here, I would never imagine such possibilities...possible."

Inevitably, her heart warmed at the thought of Robin, but the longstanding fear of changing the future beyond recognition brought a frown to her face. "I have only begun to explore them. It's hard not to and I can only hope I have not crossed a line somewhere."

Sumia's eyes grew wide at her words.

"Oh, Lucina, you should've been more careful!"

Lucina stared blankly at her mother who'd gotten up with more agility than was usual for her and was tugging her to her feet.

"Mother? Where are we going?"

"To find Lissa so she can check on you! It's best to keep this within the family for now."

"Why would I need Aunt Lissa's tending? I am perfectly healthy."

"Yes, but the battlefield is no place for a woman with child! It'll be months before this war is over. We need to know how far along you are and find some place safe for your confinement."

Wait, what?

A moment later, Lucina's mind caught up and she choked. Oh gods, this was embarrassing! She didn't know if she should stick her head into the ground or give in to laughter. Try as she might, it was impossible not to laugh at the absurd situation.

"This is serious, my dear," Sumia chided, hands resting on her hips.

Lucina apologised when she caught her breath again. "I'm sorry, Mother. I assure you I am not with child. It is true I didn't anticipate finding Morgan, but I know better than to take on more than I can handle."

The pegasus knight gave her a dubious look.

"Are you sure? Have you been taking those herbs I gave you? Do you remember how you had me all worried when I found out you were hiding your relationship with Robin from all of us?"

Lucina blushed red to the tip of her ears. How was she to know that there was a way to not get with child? It was customary for young women of marriageable age to be taught what they needed to know by older female friends and family members. But there was no one left to take on that role in her future. She didn't even know what was expected of her on her wedding night until she borrowed some of her mother's more lurid romance novels. And then she had walked around red-faced for a week as her imagination ran amok trying to figure out anatomical positions.

"Yes, I have," she hurriedly reassured Sumia. "I just had my monthly blood. That means I'm safe, right?"

"Not if you hear Maribelle's story," Sumia said judiciously. "She was telling us how her cousin twice-removed thought she'd gotten away until she started bloating up on the fourth month. The poor girl..."

"Mother, you are not helping! I am fine, I really am." She couldn't help her voice coming out as a squeak. "C-can we talk about something else please?"

That was the other thing. The married women in the camp liked to form these, well, calling them gossip circles was a little unkind but that was what they were, where they would discuss the most unbecoming of things in a shockingly candid fashion. At her mother's encouragement, Lucina had joined in one of these sessions and had been forced to listen to the sexual prowess of various husbands and what mattered the most for male equipment. She had excused herself before Sumia had a chance to input; the last thing she wanted to know was how her parents went at it.

"Honestly, dear, this is nothing to be embarrassed about." Sumia clicked her tongue and then relented with a huff. "All right, so will I be introduced to Morgan today? I really like what I see of the girl from a distance, but your father said we should give you and Robin first dibs."

Lucina let go of her breath cautiously.

Gods, I would need to have the same conversation with Morgan when she is older, wouldn't I?

The thought of it was enough to make her want to run for the hills.

Was it the mark of a grown woman to discuss such issues without impersonating a beet root? It was mortifying how self-conscious and flustered she often felt. Definitely not the model of parenthood she had in mind.

Just how did Sumia manage it? The pegasus knight wasn't that much older than herself. Maybe it was the fact that her mother was a real parent, having left the infant Lucina back at Ylisse. That couldn't be it though. The other women in the camp also shouldered on their parenting responsibilities with such panache she couldn't help but be envious.

"How do you do it, Mother?" Lucina asked curiously. "How do you learn to be a parent to Cynthia and myself? You had very little time to adjust to our existence but you act as if you have been doing this all your life."

"I do?" A look of confusion flitted across Sumia's face before she turned sheepish. "Uh, I think you overestimate me, my dear. Give yourself some time, you're a newlywed after all. In fact, just before you came, I was thinking to myself I have nothing left to teach you. Not that I'm not glad you are all grown up with a family of your own, mind you! But sometimes, it's nice to feel needed as a parent."

Was that it? The job of a parent being to coach and impart skills to their child? Lucina wondered, her thoughts going back to her training session with Morgan. The young tactician could definitely use the combat training. And she certainly had a lot to offer in that area! It was clearly a win-win situation.

"I'll introduce Morgan to you and Father over breakfast." She said happily, her daughter's carefree smile coming to mind. Come to think of it, Morgan would probably get along superbly with the rest of her family, especially Cynthia.

Wait a minute...

The more she thought about it, the more it spelt trouble. Knowing her younger sister, gods knew what trouble she'd pull Morgan into. Lucina made a silent resolution to watch over them carefully.