lucina's mother is the prettiest woman she's ever known.

she knows that all of her friends say that about their mothers; owain, inigo, cynthia, even severa confided that she thought her mother was the prettiest once, when lady cordelia wasn't around to hear. but while she would agree that yes, they were awfully pretty, her mother was the prettiest.

even when she looked tired and worn—which, the young princess notes, she seems to be more often, lately—she was still beautiful.

lucina doesn't have hair like her mother, although she wishes she did. her hair is blue, like her fathers. her mother's hair is a dark, dark black that reminds her of sir henry's birds. her mother's hair is softer than feathers, though, and thicker. often, the princess clumsily tries to plait her mother's hair, when they have time to themselves. they don't have much of it anymore, but when they do, she and her mother sit in the gardens, and her mother listens to her talk about what mischief she and her cousin, owain, caused among the castle. her mother is always the best listener; always smiling, nodding, and laughing when lucina hopes she would.

lucina likes it best when they sit under the big tree near the castle wall, though. her mother lets her lay her head on her lap, runs her fingers through lucina's hair, and hums nameless melodies that always seem to make her sleepy.

her father used to join them in the garden, but he doesn't anymore. not often. she wishes he could, and she knows her mother does, too. she notices when her mother looks up at the windows with a sad look on her face, and it makes her sad, too. her mother is too pretty to look so sad, so lucina always tries to catch her attention again. she jumps up, runs, sings, spins around, anything to get her mother to look away from the window. she always smiles, but lucina is too young to notice that it doesn't always reach her eyes.

she doesn't have her mother's eyes, either.

everyone she's ever spoken to in court always mentions the brand in her eye, or tells her how much she looks like her father. they never mention how she looks like her mother, and she notices the glances they give when her mother isn't looking, so she doesn't like their compliments. lucina wants to stick her tongue out, but sir frederick always tells her it's not becoming, so she wrinkles her nose, curtsies, and hurries off. she's tried to ask her aunt why the courtiers don't seem to like her mother, but lady lissa always gives her a look, and never tells her why. she doesn't like that look, and she likes the silence even less.

severa tells her it doesn't matter, that the courtiers are just ninnies, anyway, but it still bothers her.

her mother tries so hard to help, so why don't they like her?

the questions always at the back of her mind, like an itch she can't scratch, but sometimes, she can forget it.

especially on the days when she's sitting in the gardens, pressing her ear to her mother's growing belly with her father beside her. she's going to have a little brother ("or sister") very soon, and lucina knows that being a big sister is a big responsibility, so she wants to get to know her younger sibling as soon as possible. she looks up when her mother giggles, smoothing her wild hair back with gentle strokes, and grins toothily.

and when she sees her mother, really sees her, with her blue eyes shining in the midday light, the wind rustling her hair, cheeks aflushed, and her smile lighting up her face, lucina knows, for sure, that her mother is the prettiest woman in the whole world.

im sorry i know its been forever since i posted orenda

life and things

realizing that i probably shouldve tried to outline it first

you know how it is

i promise im working on the next chapter rn tho

so for now have this unedited thing i whipped up at 5am