Sometime after the Endgame. Lissa

"Mommy! Mommy! Can we go play!" Owain shot up from my lap, scampering over to the carriage window.

I exchanged a glance with Lon'qu. He shrugged in response. My eyes narrowed, fingers impatiently drumming on my skirt. Nice to know that after four years of marriage, he's still the most unresponsive person in the world. My son was gazing out the window, admiring the sunny fields of Ylisse.

Ever since I moved to Regna Ferox after the return of my dear sister-in-law, I had made sure to make frequent trips to Ylisse throughout the year. My family and I were heading there for the Spring Festival. Since Ferox was a country with constant snowfall and cold weather, the Spring Festival wasn't really a popular tradition there. I may love Lon'qu and my new home, but I would be dammed if I ever missed a Spring Festival, especially since Anna was finally able to convince my brother to dress for the occasion. Seeing him in bunny ears fills me with younger sister pride.

These trips were also some of the very few times Owain could play outside in the warmth. Even on days where the snow hasn't fallen and the temperatures are a comfortable degree, it's always muggy or rainy. I knew my son was happy with the life he had and he absolutely adores playing out in the snow and mud, but the thought of not being able to play in warm sunlight on a regular basis shocks me. Naga knew I could never grow up that way. But, he was happy, so I suppose everything is all right.

I laid a hand on Owain's little back. "Sweetheart, you can play when we get to Ylisstol! I'm sure your cousins and friends will be delighted to play with you!" I said.

My son turned back to me, lip stuck out in a pout. So far, I've noticed that a myriad of Owain's expressions came from me. Then again, I don't think I've ever seen some of the faces my boy make on Lon'qu. They have the same scowl, though. "But Moooooooom!"

I pulled him back into my lap. "Just a few more hours, little one. I promise."

Lon'qu huffed a chuckle. "You're forgetting he's your son, Lissa love." He smiled. "He does not know what the word 'patience' means."

"Hush! I too have a lot of patience!" I stuck my tongue out at him. "How do you think I waited all that time for you to visit me back when I was living in Ylisse, hmm?"

For the first couple of years of our courtship, I lived in Ylisstol and Lon'qu in Ferox. By the time he proposed, he was spending more time in Ylisse after Khan Basilio stationed him there. We married a few months before the start of the Valm War and still stayed in Ylisse (especially because Anna was expecting my first niece and I wanted to be there the entire time). After the whole Valm and Grima War debacles, I stayed in Ylisse with my brother for the year that Anna was gone, Lon'qu splitting his time between our two kingdoms. Then, after Anna returned, I was comfortable moving to Ferox for good. Everything after that is history.

Owain rolled his tiny head, dark-brown hair brushing against my chin. "Too loooong. I wanna play now!"

I chewed on my bottom lip. "Owain, we have to-"

"You know, I don't see the harm in going outside for a little while," Lon'qu interrupted. "We've been stuck in this carriage all day, and the days before."

We've made stops during our five-day journey, of course, but every single day had been rainy or cloudy. Today was the first day we saw the sun for more than an hour. However, suffice to say, I was beyond shocked that Lon'qu of all people would reason to go outside and play. He was a loving father and uncle who was always willing to play with the children, but usually by their request.

I cocked my head to the side, confused. "Are you sure?"

My husband stood up, crossing over to me. "If we go outside and let him run around for a bit, he'll tire out and sleep the rest of the journey," he whispered.

Suddenly, I was fully on board with this plan. "Yes. Great idea." I love my son, but I also never understood the wonderful things that are peace and quiet. I don't know how Emm and Chrom grew up and raised me without going completely insane, I was just as if not more energetic than Owain.

...But considering his future self, I take that back.

"Mommy? Daddy? We going outside?" Owain asked, looking up at us with his pleading green eyes.

I giggled softly, petting his hair. "Yes, sweetie. We're-"

"YAYYYYYYY!" My son hopped off my lap, bolting to the door. "Outside! Outside! Outside!"

Lon'qu scooped him up quickly. "Just a moment, son! We have to let the driver know we're stopping before we do anything!"

I leaned against the wall of the carriage, smiling at my boys.

...

We laid out a blanket, along with a few some food; might as well make a picnic out of our stop. I was getting hungry, anyway. I was finally able to appreciate the beauty of this location, my homesickness reviving. The vast, open field seemed to go on for miles, soft breeze rustling the grass. Flowers and greenery decorated the scene, eagerly budding for spring. I missed these sights.

Lon'qu and I sat down, allowing our son to run free. He'll be fine. We just have to keep an eye on him. "Be careful, Owain!" I called out to him.

"Kay!!!" he called back, not really paying attention to us anymore.

"I'm surprised you're not running around with him," Lon'qu sighed. "You're usually all for that."

I waved him off. "I know, but I'm not as young as I used to-"

"You're twenty-two."

"And you're three years to thirty!" I rolled my eyes. "I still love running around with the kids, but I'm just tired today. I don't know why."

My husband wrapped an arm around me. "That's called being an adult, Lissa love. Especially when we have a young toddler in the picture."

I leaned against him, resting my hand atop the one on my shoulder. "Are we getting too old to be cool?"

He pondered the question. Then, he pressed a kiss to the side of my head. "No, we're just adults who have been sitting down in a carriage for the past five days."

"True." We watched as Owain ran around, chasing butterflies, picking up sticks and deeming which ones would make the best swords, and tumbling over his own feet every so often. I laughed softly, a warm smile painting my lips. "Seeing him toddle around kind of makes you want to have another, right?"

Lon'qu nearly doubled over. "Lissa..." he groaned.

My body shook as my laugh crescendoed. "Kidding! Kidding! I know you want to wait!" I exclaimed, wiping away a tear. "Owain won't be getting a little brother or sister anytime soon, I know."

He exhaled, annoyed. "Gods, woman..."

"Mommy! Daddy! Look!" Our son came running up to us, fist closed around something. As soon as he reached us, he opened his palm, revealing a bunch of squished clovers.

I picked up the most intact one I could find. "Wow, Owain! You found some clovers!" I exclaimed.

"Crowvers...?" he asked, eyeing his discovery.

"Clovers," I giggled, amused. Gods, I keep forgetting that he doesn't know what some plants are! The only greenery we have in Ferox are trees and houseplants!

Owain shoved his hand in his father's face. "Look!"

Lon'qu smiled, taking the clump of abused plants away from him. To my not-so-surprise, his hand was faintly green. "I see them, buddy."

I twirled the tiny plant around in my fingers. "You know, Owain, you can do a lot of things with clovers!" I looked around, spotting a patch of them right next to our blanket. I picked a few of them, making sure to keep the stems as long as I could. "You can make rings..." I fashioned a small clover-ring, placing it on my son's tiny finger. "You can use them in flower crowns, to make medicine, all sorts of things! But you want to know the best thing about them?"

He stared at me, eyes wide with wonder. "What!"

"See how these clovers have three leaves?" I showed him the plants, counting out the leaves. "Well, there are some clovers with four leaves! Those ones are really rare!"

Owain gasped, his toddler mind absolutely astonished. "Really?!"

I giggled. "Yep! Not only that, but people say that if you find a four-leaf clover, you can make a wish and it will come true!"

My son's world had just changed, based on the look on his face. "Wow!!!" He bent down, rustling through the clover patch. "I wanna find one!"

Lon'qu chuckled. "Have fun with that, son. I'm sure you'll find one someday."

"I gonna find it now!!!"

My laugh echoed throughout the field, heart warm and content. "He certainly has your determination, love."

"That he does, Lissa love." My husband kissed my temple. "How long until you think he tires out?"

"I give him fifteen minutes, all or nothing."

Lon'qu smiled. "It's a deal, then."

I've missed Ylisse soooooo much! Being away from my home kingdom really stings at times. But, Lon'qu is my home. As the future Khan, he has responsibilities here. And I am more than willing to follow. Ylisse may be where I'm from, but Regna Ferox is my home, no matter what. I can bare the cold as long as I have my family.

*****
Smol other exalted family. Yeah, so if you haven't figured it out, this month won't be very Chrobin centered. (But there will be some Chrobin dammit). I am currently embracing my inner Irish peasant and consuming a loaf of bread for breakfast. My dog is crying cuz she wants my bread. Thank you so much for reading and look forward to reading more!

Next Prompt: March 7th - "Dog"

Link: https://youtu.be/YheL8e63Erc