#lonbin

“There’s no time.” Lon’qiu barked, “It’s bad enough I had to leave Robin alone to get you out of that damn carriage.”

“Hey, if we could’ve gotten here easier, you know I would have! But the snow is just crazy this time of year. Even Feroxi transport struggles! I don’t know why you sent for me, anyway.”

“There are healers that have traveled from Plegia to try and alleviate the demand because of this illness.” Lon’qu explained briskly, “I don’t want to wait for someone to show up. You’re the only one I trust with Robin-”

“Wow, that’s so nice-”

“-That’s available. Libra and Maribelle are already working with others in Ferox.” He continued, earning an annoyed scoff.

“I see your arrogance hasn’t changed! That’s no way to talk to a woman who just risked life and limb to help your wife.”

Lon’qu brushed her off, pushing open the gate to the home he’d left for far too long. The smoke billowing from the chimney still seemed steady, which was odd. He’d been gone for an hour. The smoke should have thinned out due to logs burning away, unless…

“Damn that woman-” Lon’qu grabbed Lissa’s hand as she trudged through the gate, practically yanking the poor princess up the hill to the house.

“W-whoa!! Slow down, you can’t just grab at me like that, you ass-”

“Robin!!”

Lissa stalled when Lon’qu’s hand left her, finding the house in disarray all around her. It looked as though it hadn’t been cleaned in days.

Worse yet, the subject of his exclamation was on her feet, poker trembling over the fire held by shaking, pale hands. Glassy eyes passed over the princess’ face, but Robin didn’t seem to register that she was looking at her dear friend.

“What the hells are you doing?? You’re supposed to be in bed!” Lon’qu snapped at his wife, taking the iron poker from your grasp and quickly directing you away from the flames. His ire quickly redirected to the princess. “And shut the door!!”

It jolted her back into focus, the door hastily shut and latched to prevent the ice from blowing in. Lon’qu busied himself with his wife. 

“You know what, I don’t even want to know why you’re out of bed.” He grumbled, throwing a blanket over you that was lopsided on the recliner. “You swore to me that you’d sleep.”

“I…woke up.” You swallowed thickly, wincing at the pain down your throat. Lon’qu shook his head, carefully lifting you off your feet. He carried you from the den, jerking his head to motion Lissa to follow.

The princess set her outerwear aside, snow and ice dripping into a puddle on the floor. Lon’qu had yet to change out of his freezing clothes, but it was clear his own health was the lowest priority.

“It got…cold…” Your voice was trembling harder than your hands were. Lissa quickened her pace, hurrying into the bedroom just as Lon’qu settled you into the quilts.

The bedroom was in just as rough a state; it was clear Lon’qu had been neglectigng just about everything except for his wife.

“I‘m sorry. I tried to get back before the fire burned out. But you should’ve stayed in bed, regardless.” Lon’qu added with a growl, tucking the blankets around you as tightly as he could.  “Lissa’s here to take care of you now; so don’t even think of getting up until you’re better.”

He looked up at said royal, who was swift in joining you at the bedside. She pressed her hand to your forehead, testing for temperature. Calling it a fever would be an understatement.

“Naga…how are you that hot but still so pale??” She was incredulous; this illnesss was severe in every sense of the word.

“How long has she been like this, Lon’qu?” She pulled the pouch around her waist to the front, digging for the vials of dried herbs she needed first.

“It started a week ago, and it’s only gotten worse each day that goes by. She started deteriorating about five days ago,when I first sent word to you.”

“Thank goodness you called when you did…this isn’t good.” She mumbled, “Five days of fever and goodness knows what else. I’m starting to understand why the healers are preoccupied.”

He stood back to give her needed space. “This season is always hard for our clerics, but this year’s spread has been especially brutal. Seven people died in the last two weeks, alone.”

“Well, Robin won’t become one of them. I promise.” She assured him, popping the cork on her vial of dried moringa. “I need a mortar and pestle, and hot water.”

“Understood.”

She’d barely measured the ingredients out on the bedside table before Lon’qu was back, a piping kettle in one hand and the heavy stone bowl in the other.

So the work began. Lon’qu lingered at the foot of the bed, switching between pacing and looking over Lissa’s shoulder to make sure she was working hard.

For a couple of minutes, it seemed to be effective. Your face relaxed as Lissa gently smeared some sort of ointment along your neck, and your breathing deepened.

He noted that your doctor seemed quite pleased with the immediate response, before she got back to work grinding herbs away in the mortar. She cast her gave back at your husband, who seeme dincapable of calming down even for a second.

“So, what’s going on, anyway? You’re talking about this like it’s some sort of seasonal disease. Is it common in Ferox?”

“It is; the common name is Feroxi Flu.”

“Creative.”

“It has a proper title, but since it’s a strain that only hits this region due to Ferox’s set up, you’ll hear the common name a lot more.”

“Well, the ‘flu’ part is quite accurate in her case. All the symptoms are pointing to a severe infection, but it’s nothing that can’t be reversed with rest, constant care and a wathcful eye.”

“Tell me what she needs.”

Lissa smiled softly, seeing determination burn brightly in his eyes. She couldn’t think of the last time she’d heard him utter anything with that level of emotion, except for the day she and Chrom brought you back to your husband’s side in Ferox after your sacrifice.

The reunion was an ocean of tears and promises never to abandon him again, and he had been quite bashful about the royals witnessing his outburst when he regained himself.

So to see him with that same fire in his eyes again made her realize that this was very serious…at least, to him. From what Lissa was able to see in the medical examination suggested otherwise.

“Well, if I’m being honest it’s a lot worse than it should be given her age and general health. So I’m fairly confident in saying it’s this bad because of Robin pushing herself too hard.”

“I haven’t been-”

“She’s gotten out of bed nearly every single day since she got sick.” Lon’qu confirmed, glaring sharply at his wife. She wilted under his reprimanding gaze, amusing to the healer.

“So Robin, you’re going to start with some good, long rest and penty of fluids. Vegetable and chicken broth will be best. Ginger tea will be a good drink option…she hasn’t been eating a lot, right?”

“She throws up nearly everything she eats. I’ve been able to get her to keep bread and some tea down. I’ve had trouble with anything hardier.”

“Then let’s do ginger tea first, and then introduce the broth. So long as she can eat, she’ll regain her strength. As for the congestion and other symptoms…”

The princess rattled off a number of remedies and herbal mixtures he would be tasked with grinding and preparing for you while you recovered. The state of you was certainly concerning, but nothing that you couldn’t bounce back from.

You coughed through a thank you, knowing what a trek it must have been just to tend to one patient. You offered for her to stay the night with you, but she had already prepared accommodations in the city courtesy of the Khan (who also demanded to know how you were doing when they found out the reason for the princess’/ visit).

Lon’qu led her to the door, and once again the house fell silent against the whipping winds of Ferox’s blizzard.

You nestled back into the pillows, fending off another coughing fit. The soft thuds of your husband’s feet caught your attention, and he passed back into the room with a number of warm-looking dishes on a tray.

“I’m sure that all smells delicious, if I could smell.” You joked, pushing yourself up some to sit up properly. Lon’qu set them on the bedside table one by one, before he sat down beside you once more.

“Eat this. Lissa said it will help ease the congestion.”

The gentler, softer side of Lon’qu was always such a sweet thing to experience. Even in your currnet state, a smile crept up your lips as you watched him spoon a mouthful of soup from the bowl for you.

“I could feed myself, you know.”

“Lissa said rest was key. That means you’re not lifting a finger, if I can help it.” He replied gruffly, holding it up. Obediently you accepted the food, earning a satisfied expression. “Good. Once you’re done, take this medicine-- then you can sleep.”

“I’ll take it on one condition,” You held up a finger as he presented another spoonful of broth. His eyes narrowed, suspicious.

“Are you seriously trying to bargain with me right now?”

“You have to read to me until I fall asleep.”

“Tch.” He clicked his tongue, pressing the spoon to your mouth. You tried not to splutter a laugh, knowing he’d only be more agitated if you spat out the food. “Why would you want me to read to you? I’m no good at it and I have half the speed you do.”

“But you really do such a good job… I love listening to you read. It gives me joy.” You spoke earnestly, watching his ears burn brighter with every word. He looked away with a groan, the glare sharpening over his frown.

“Damn you…fine, if it matters so much to you, I’ll do it just this once! But only because you’re ill, got it??”

“Thank you, my love.”

“Gh…! S-shut up and eat.” He snapped, all but shoving the next spoon into your mouth. You grinned behind the wood utensil, finding delight in how easily you could fluster such a prickly man. 

You finished the rest of your food promptly, and without any further bartering. And of course the bitter medicine came after, but as promised, Lon’qu reluctantly trudged back to the bed with your latest novel, opened to the page you last read and started stumbling through the paragraphs.

If you were bothered by his lack of literary skills, you didn't say it. Instead you leaned into his side, and threaded your fingers with his, listening to the tale that unfolded while Lon’qu continued on.

He did not know when you fell asleep, but he did not stop reading until dark…and not beccause he liked holding your hand for so long, or anything.

No, that wasn’t it at all.