Fire Emblem: Before Awakening

Branded

Chrom
8 months later...

"Chrom... Chrom! It's time to wake up!"

"Five more minutes..."

"Nope! You have to get up now!" Emm opened the curtains and filled the room with light.

"Owwww! Emm! The light hurts!" I whimpered, sitting up and rubbing my eyes.

Emm smirked and strolled over to my bedside. "Happy birthday, ya doofus." She ruffled my hair.

That woke me up. "Oh yeah! It's my birthday!" I crawled out of bed in excitement and ran towards the door. "I wanna see everyone right now!"

"Not so fast!" Emm grabbed me and picked me up. "You have to get dressed! We can't have the prince looking like that on his third birthday!"

"What's wrong with my pajamas?"

"They're not normal clothes," she said, kissing my forehead. "Get dressed and meet me in the Dining Hall." She put me down. "I trust you can do all of that yourself?"

I nodded. "Yep!"

Emm smiled. "Good boy."

...

After three attempts: I finally managed to put on my shirt. I was used to Emm or a maid doing it for me.

As I pulled the shirt over my head, I saw a weird mark on my right shoulder...

"Huh, it kinda looks like Emm and Papa's mark! I'll ask them about it, later!"

I finished pulling the shirt over me and headed out of my room.

...

"Happy birthday, my little prince," Mama said, hugging me tightly.

"Yes, happy birthday, Chrom." Papa patted me on the head and went to sit down.

Emm helped me into my seat and sat down next to me. She was smiling the whole time. I liked that.

I remembered the weird mark on my shoulder. "Emm? Can I show you something?" I asked, ready to roll back my sleeve to show her.

She made me put my arm down. "Now is not a good time to flex, buddy," she sighed. "You can show me after breakfast."

"But-"

"Later, Chrom."

I sighed and sat back down. "Ok..."

...

"Chrom, darling, don't eat like that! It's not proper!" Mama complained as I ate a sausage with my hands. Everyone else was using a fork and knife.

"Let the boy eat how he wants, Lucia." Papa rolled his eyes. "If you train him to be nothing but a proper noble: then he won't grow a backbone and become a strong warrior like me."

Mama gave him a strange look. "Well, Matthias, maybe he doesn't want to be a warrior. He can become whatever he wants."

"Nonsense. Once he's old enough to wield a sword, he's joining me on the front lines."

Mama and Emm dropped their forks and stared at Papa. "No, he's not," Mama breathed.

Papa groaned and rubbed his forehead. "I'm not in the mood for this conversation, Lucia. I get to decide what Chrom does with his life. I am both his Exalt and Father so he has no choice."

"Don't listen to him. Don't listen to him at all," Emm whispered. "You can live your life however you want. I promise."

I nodded and looked down. "Yes, Emm..."