Chapter 4: Confessions under the Starlight; Hearts Unveiled
The night watch had grown quiet, with only the gentle crackle of the dying campfire breaking the silence. Lucina sat at the edge of camp, her orange eyes reflecting the starlight as she absently touched her pointed ears – a gesture Odyn had come to recognize as a sign of her deep contemplation.
He approached quietly, though he knew her elven hearing would catch his footsteps regardless. "Your watch ended an hour ago," he said softly, settling beside her.
"I couldn't sleep," she admitted, not looking at him. "Too many memories. Too many fears."
"Of what's to come?"
"Of losing everything again." Her voice caught slightly. "Of losing you."
The words hung between them, heavy with meaning. Odyn waited, sensing there was more she needed to say.
"I..." Lucina drew a shaky breath, finally turning to face him. "I'm not the only one who came back. My friends – the other Shepherds' children – they're here too, scattered across this time. Each of us carrying our own burdens, our own missions to save our parents." She smiled faintly. "But I'm the only one who has to face this particular challenge."
"What challenge is that?" Odyn asked gently, though something in his orange eyes suggested he already knew.
"Loving someone I've already lost once." The words tumbled out in a rush, as if she'd been holding them back for too long. "I know you're not him – not exactly. The Odyn who protected me, who died saving Robin... he belonged to that timeline. But sitting here with you, I feel the same way I did then. Like a young girl whose heart never quite learned how to let go, even after seven years of thinking you were gone forever."
Odyn was quiet for a long moment, processing her words. When he spoke, his voice was tender but steady. "Tell me about him – about me, in your time. Not how I died, but how I lived."
Lucina's eyes softened with memories. "You were... kind. Strong, but gentle. You used to let me win our sparring matches sometimes, until I got old enough to call you out on it." A small laugh escaped her. "You taught me how to track by starlight, how to recognize healing herbs, how to braid my hair to keep it out of my face during battle. And when Father died..." Her voice wavered. "You held me while I cried, and promised me that as long as you lived, I would never be alone."
"And now?" Odyn asked softly. "Are you afraid that loving me in this timeline means betraying his memory?"
"No," Lucina whispered, surprising herself with the certainty in her voice. "I'm afraid of watching you die again. Of failing to change fate. Robin was – is – your brother in all but blood. In my time, losing you broke something in him, made it easier for Grima to take hold. I can't... I can't be the reason that happens again."
Odyn reached out slowly, brushing a strand of blue hair behind her pointed ear. "Lucina," he said, her name like a prayer on his lips, "you aren't responsible for the choices any of us make – not in your timeline, and not in this one. The other me chose to try to save Robin because that's who I am, in any timeline. Just as you chose to come back and try to save us all, because that's who you are."
"But—"
"But nothing," he interrupted gently. "Your love isn't a burden or a curse. It's a gift – one that's apparently strong enough to echo across time itself. And if you're brave enough to offer it twice, knowing the pain of losing it once..." He smiled, touching her cheek. "Then I'm honored to receive it, and determined to prove worthy of it."
Tears spilled down Lucina's cheeks as she leaned into his touch. "I'm still scared," she confessed.
"Good," Odyn replied, surprising her. "Fear means we have something worth protecting. And this time, we're protecting it together. We'll find a way to save Robin, to stop Grima, to change the future – not because fate demands it, but because we choose it."
Lucina looked up at him, seeing in his orange eyes the same strength and gentleness she'd loved in another time. "Promise me something?"
"Anything."
"Promise me you won't smile at him this time. If... if it comes to that moment again, don't try to ease his guilt. Fight. Live." Her voice broke. "Stay with me."
Odyn pulled her close, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I promise, little princess. This time, we change everything."
As they sat together under the stars, their pointed ears catching the whisper of the wind through the trees, Lucina felt something shift in her heart. The weight of her past timeline's grief didn't vanish, but it transformed, becoming not just a burden to bear but a guide to a better future – one where love might finally win out over fate.
To be Continued in Chapter 5: A little girl's Dream; A Love Rekindled