fiction-box

[fiction-box]

Idk if you’re still writing anymore but i just wanted to say your writing is so beautiful and I’ve reread so many of your works already!

Thanks so much! I haven’t stopped writing, don’t worry, I just finished a large paper for one of my professors that was really weighing me down. I hope to get back to it again soon, though it annoys me to keep taking breaks.

It makes me so happy to know that you love my work! Thank you so much for your kind words. ❤️

[fiction-box]

Hello! I would like to request F!Reader x Felix

It is the Winter Ball. One of them is weary of the dancing, the crowds and the merriment and decides to take refuge in the Training Grounds - only to find that the other had the exact same idea. They decide to do something that's more fun than dancing - a sparring match. Bonus points if reader is wearing a fancy gown the whole time.

Whenever your time allows - thank you in advance!

You are very welcome, and I would like to thank you for being respectful of my time.

I seem to be on a roll with these longer stories. I don't know why - more ideas just keep pouring into my head, and of course I want to do every conflict justice.

Thank you for giving me freedom with perspective! I wanted to write something from the view of Felix since I had yet to truly write for him.

Requests are open. The story will continue under the cut.

You stood by yourself on the sidelines of the great hall, your purple dress sparkling against the downward lighting of the chandeliers. There was nothing particularly interesting about you right now; you simply surveyed the dancers on the checkered floor. Dimitri led Mercedes through an elegant twirl, Ingrid talked Ashe through the steps of the waltz, Annette and Sylvain engaged in a heated discussion over something that probably wouldn’t matter in about fifteen minutes…

…and Felix was staring at you.

The swordsman had refused to do any more than the bare minimum for the ball. That meant that despite his suit - one required by the Archbishop’s insipid dress code - his hair remained up off his neck, and his back pressed against the wall.

Dorothea had been making eyes at him from across the room for the past three minutes now. Felix told himself that was the reason he kept staring at you. If he and the songstress never made eye contact, she wouldn’t do anything stupid. Besides, she didn’t seem interested in asking anyone to dance; the brunette would only be accepting such invitations tonight.

Why the hell did he even care?

He didn’t, but he followed your line of sight to Dimitri. The boar switched partners to lead Hilda around the floor, an exchange initiated by the up-tempo of the cello and Mercedes’ apparent request for a break.

Why the hell did you even care?

…did you-?

“Jeez Felix, you’re so obvious.”

Sylvain.

“Trying to find the courage to ask her to dance?” the redhead teased. “I could help you out, you know. I’ve heard I’m an excellent wingman.”

“Do I look like I’m interested in moving right now? And since when have you ever helped anyone but yourself?”

“Ouch. I mean, you’re certainly not helping yourself- your suit coat will get wrinkled if you keep leaning against the wall like that.”

“As if I care!” Felix pushed off the wall to contest Sylvain at his full height. He did care. “There’s no point in this - we shouldn’t even be having a ball right now.”

“No- No- No- Hey look, no sweat, okay?” Sylvain verbally backpedaled, putting an arm around his friend’s shoulder to guide him toward the refreshments. Subtly, he ran his hand along the wrinkles of his coat to smooth them out as they walked, “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to, but soirées like these don’t happen very often.”

“So?”

“So, you have just as good a reason to be here as everyone else in this room. You can wait however long you want before asking anyone you want to dance, but it’s pretty frowned upon to return to a party once you leave, you know?”

The heir of Gautier knew him too well. Nonetheless, he did make a good point. There was no need to rush to be flustered - he probably had an hour before the final dance of the night.

A drink found his hand, and the two nobles took up a space several paces away from the table. Felix couldn’t stop his eyes from searching for your shimmering gown.

You were still standing alone, still watching the dancers.

At least your eyes weren’t fixed on the boar this time. The son of Count Gloucester glided a blue-haired lady across the floor, her dress trumpeting as he gracefully led her back and forth. Your attention followed their sweeping motions.

Maybe you really did just want to dance.

His classmate’s hand came to rest on his shoulder again, “I’m just saying, you hate to see it, Felix. A beautiful girl like that, standing all by herself. You better make a move before someone else does - or before I take too much pity on her and ask her myself.”

He had called you a girl, “Stay away from her.”

“I’ll put in a good word for you, kay?”

But he headed the opposite direction. The bluenette watched him connect with a pouting Dorothea, immediately starting some banter he was sure he couldn’t care less about.

Felix found himself growing impatient, despite everything his friend said moments ago. If he was going to do this, he might as well get it over with now. That way the two of you would either get as much time as possible to spend together, or he could end his attendance at this event because the one reason for which he cared to stay wanted nothing to do with him.

Only, there was no place to put his drink.

Since you were standing by the southern entrance, and he loitered near the drinks at the western wall, you could see him out of your peripheral. That meant you could catch him too easily if he were to look at you again. Not that it wasn’t already considered rude to stare.

Taking a sip of the cool, vanilla drink, his mind began to think it through a bit. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad thing to make eye contact. It would give him an excuse to approach you.

And another thing - although you hadn’t been alone the whole ball, you hadn’t been approached by any men, either. Even working to put his bias out of the way, you were objectively attractive. It didn’t-

Goddess, and you belonged to a house in the kingdom, too. A young, available, attractive noblewoman standing by herself at - judging the crowd - the largest social event of the season.

A mumbled ‘What the hell…?’ parted his lips as he surveyed the room again. He might actually understand Sylvain, for once. Logically, this whole scenario didn’t connect.

Finally finishing his drink and handing off the glass, he found it in himself to turn to face you.

You were not there.

His heart skipped a beat before his gaze scanned the dance floor for your dress, your hair, anything. Upon coming up empty, his mind shoved one thought to the front of his mind.

You left the ball.

Again, why? There were too many important people here for you to just up and leave. You hadn’t tried to mingle this whole time, content with simply watching everyone else twirl about the floor. Then, the moment he became too preoccupied with his drink and with Sylvain to pay attention, you vanished.

In light of recent events, it looked like Felix was about to copy you.

With no further reason to stay, he tried not to make a show of striding to the southern entrance. The last thing he wanted was for someone to chase him out or call him back in, especially if that person had red hair or…or connections to the Mittelfrank Opera Company.

His feet instinctively wound the path to the training grounds. He needed to blow off some steam and get out of his head so he could get some proper rest tonight. Even so, if his mind wouldn’t relent, he would work his body so hard that he’d sleep as soon as he finished bathing himself.

Music trailed him, but it couldn’t compete with the creak of the doors to the training grounds. Once the door shut behind him, Felix was well and truly alone. The notes of the orchestral violins couldn’t penetrate the thick wood and metal, and no one else had any reason to come here tonight.

Still, his actions quickly caught up with him. What was he doing here? Why did it feel like he was running away?

Get a grip.

He wasn’t running away, he just wasn’t wasting time, either. Heading to the rack, Felix grabbed a steel sword. It didn’t matter which one, so long as it was heavy.

The sand of the center pit caved beneath his feet. There was no need for a training dummy to warm up. Routinely, Felix swung the sword over his head. His arms needed to be steady even while his attacks retained momentum and strength.

…10…11…12…

Any time a thought of the ball wormed its way into his head, Felix would shove it out. No point in dwelling on his failure to act - the two of you were far too young for anything serious to happen. No need to worry about Sylvain finding you - after what he said earlier, there was no way he would leave all the other ladies in that room for the one he knew Felix was interested in. He knew Sylvain that well, at least.

…57…58…59…

Why the hell wasn’t this working? Usually he could focus on this. This one thing that belonged to him, that he had done endlessly before that insufferable ball, and that he would continue to endlessly pursue after it. His training should belong to him! This was supposed to be how he grounded himself.

Felix was having a very difficult nig-

The doors to the entrance groaned, a delicate piano solo floating in through the opening as the moonlight guided a figure into the facility.

Upon recognition of the shimmer of your gown, the swordsman lowered the weapon from above his head.

…82…?

Thoughtful of the ongoing formal, you pivoted around the door, slowly and mindfully closing it in an apparent attempt to make as little noise as possible. Finally, you exhaled and turned to the center of the grounds.

“Oh- I- Sorry! Sorry, I’ll go.”

But your eyes hadn’t adjusted to the light of the torches from the darkness outside, so your eyelashes fluttered as you reached past the door.

“No need,” Felix frowned. “You chose to come here, I don’t own the place.”

“Wait, Felix?” you marveled, turning back around only to blink against the light again. “I didn’t recognize you. I thought you were someone on maintenance.”

What. “What kind of maintenance staff wears a suit?”

“I didn’t get a good look, okay?” you defended, your eyes finally staying open and guiding you to where he currently stood.

Being this close to you now…it felt strange. Your makeup had been expertly applied, supposedly with help from Mercedes and Annette, the tailoring of your dress was much more obvious…

“But why are you here? You’re dressed for the ball, and I remember seeing you when I walked in.”

“You first,” he countered. “What did you think you were going to accomplish here in an evening gown?”

That caught you off guard. Your eyes found a spot on the ground beside you before trailing to the wall.

“I don’t know. I didn’t really have a plan. I’m not even sure why I’m here - I just feel like I’m supposed to be.”

His eyes narrowed, “What, are you trying to trick me into thinking this was fated or something?”

Your gaze drew back to him, confusion etched across your face.

“What?”

“Sylvain must have said something to you then, is that it?”

But you only looked more lost than you did before, “I’m sorry, I don’t follow. Sylvain and I haven’t spoken since…” your line of sight shifted above his head and slightly to the side, “…two days ago…? Professor Byleth puts us on stable duty every few days.”

The bluenette’s knuckles turned white as he clenched the hilt of his sword. Sylvain never said anything about this. Felix had no clue you were spending so much time together.

“Forget it,” he insisted, “you’re here, so we might as well do something productive. Spar with me.”

“In an evening gown? You practically said it yourself, I can’t do anything wearing this.”

Goddess save him, he did not know how to handle this situation. In terms of guiding the conversation, he did not think this through. There didn't seem to be a way for him to keep changing the subject or coming up with an idea for you to stay here, either.

All his defense mechanisms were failing, and he was becoming frustrated.

“Okay, your turn,” you crossed your arms, saving him for a moment. “Why did you leave the ball to come here?”

“There wasn’t a reason for me to stay, anymore.”

Some of the light in your eyes dimmed, just enough for him to catch it happening. Just enough to make him wonder why.

“Hang on,” he recovered, “you know I left to come here.”

“That’s not a question,” you affirmed.

“But you didn’t leave to come here. So why weren’t you at the ball?”

Your brows furrowed slightly, “I was at the ball-“

“No, you left before I did,” he asserted. “What were you doing in the time before you arrived here?”

Perhaps he was revealing too much. It shouldn’t matter anyway, and a normal person wouldn’t care this much. Even so, if you wanted to say you were just “called to be here”, he could reasonably contest that any information was up for grabs.

The way you stared at him had a way of making his neck warm. It was like you thought the answers were hidden in his eyes, your gaze focused as you supposedly retraced your night.

“Well, I did leave the ball for a little bit…” you recalled slowly.

After allowing you a moment, he pressed a bit, “Why?”

“Oh- Well, um…I needed to use the ladies’ room? At least, that’s the only other time I can remember leaving.”

The ladies’ room…?

Goddess, he was such a fool.

It was his turn to turn his head to the side, “I see.”

If his eyes could have burned the sand, the whole pit would be glass right now. 

His thoughts were quickly interrupted. Out of the corner of his eye, Felix noticed you slipping off your shoes.

“What are you doing?”

“Well,” you started, kicking the raised flats to the side before picking up a training lance from where someone had discarded it, “this dress doesn’t have sleeves, and I figured that if I took my shoes off, it would be easier to move. The slit up my leg should keep me mobile enough, so long as I don’t have to run.”

Damn, you were actually going to do this.

You lowered into a fighting stance upon returning to the pit opposite him. A smile lighting up your face.

“The sand feels so weird. It makes me wonder if this is what the beach feels like.”

But the two of you lived in Faerghus your whole lives, so he couldn’t tell you.

“Don’t think I’ll go easy on you just because you’re dressed differently.”

“Right, then let’s get started.”

You looked prepared to assume the defensive position; a smart move, considering that too much movement might mean you would slip on the long fabric of your clothing.

Felix far from opposed. He was used to being the offense, anyway.

Placing one foot in front of the other, he crossed the grounds and held his sword up to strike. Quick and easy - the point would go to him before you could even-

Your eyes widened, “Felix, wait! Don’t-!”

He hadn’t registered your words fast enough to stop himself. Intuitively, you held your lance up to defend yourself, and that’s when Felix realized what you were so worried about.

The weapon he was using wasn’t meant for sparring.

Breaking above your head, the wooden pole of your lance gave in. Felix stumbled forward, fighting for his balance as you rolled to the side in an attempt to protect your head.

He hissed, cursing himself for making such an amateur (and deadly) mistake, “Damn, my bad.”

“Goddess,” he heard you breathe, your eyes wide from your position on the ground, “I thought I was about to die.”

That was a thought. His eagerness to train and avoid an awkward encounter with you nearly...well, it wouldn’t have been pretty.

Leaving you to get yourself up, he moved to trade the steel sword for a wooden one. The noble also elected to take off his blazer and leave it behind, giving his arms better range of motion.

Turning back around, he noticed you were still struggling to rise to your feet.

“Seriously? It can’t be that hard.”

But just watching you made him want to take it back. The sand had become uneven from when you dodged toward the ground, and your dress kept finding its way under your feet whenever you tried to stand. Whenever you pooled the fabric out of the way in one area, it only gathered in another to slide under you. Not to mention that after so much struggle, the yellow grains were all over your skin and gown. It looked uncomfortable, at best.

Frowning, Felix approached, “Hang on.”

With your consent, he placed his hands at your waist and lifted you to the point you could stand again. You thanked him, a light flush on your cheeks that he tried not to think too hard about.

“I’d say that was embarrassing,” you started, “but considering I very nearly earned a trip to Manuela a moment ago, I don’t think I should care.”

“Sorry about that.”

“Nothing bad came of it, so I don’t mind. Still, you should work on your etiquette.”

The swordsman raised a brow, “Excuse me?”

“You left me to fend for myself in the sand for two minutes while you went to exchange your sword and take off your coat. It’s like I’m not even here,” you teased, approaching the training racks. “And then not only did you prioritize your sword over helping me, but you couldn’t even grab me a new lance.”

“I’m here to fight, nothing else. If you have a problem with that, no one’s forcing you to stay.”

In all fairness, you were right. He was too wrapped up in being with you to register that he was about to hurt you, and then he was too worried about how he almost hurt you to remember to help you back up again.

Why was he so bad at this?

Thankfully, you seemed to ignore the more bitter parts of his previous statement and took it for what it was - a proposition to rematch.

You found your places opposite one another, preparing for a genuine spar. Felix watched you sink into your defensive position again, nodding to confirm you were ready. 

This time when he charged, his sword remained in a lower position. He wanted to slice upwards, reading your potential roll to the side while still being ready to follow up swiftly.

The moment he brought the sword up into you, you pivoted and thrust the lance forward. It would have technically impaled him, but you were courteous enough (and skilled enough) to angle the weapon so it slid against his side instead.

Felix halted the momentum of his arms, bringing them down slowly and preventing the hit he would have landed on you.

“That one goes to you.”

Switching sides with you, the second son ran his hand along his side. A warmup, nothing more. You wouldn’t go down easy, and neither would he.

You were once again prepared, and Felix signaled that the second round had begun, but he did not rush forward. If you wanted to hit him, you would need to put yourself at risk.

It didn’t take long for you to catch on, though you make a point to approach at a casual walk.

“Are you serious?”

“Are you? You think I’m foolish enough to run at you after I couldn’t stand on my own? If you wanted to go fast, you should have taken up offense again.”

Once you were close enough, you suddenly lunged twice and brought your lance down and across his body. Felix lept back before charging forward, but you came in with a block.

You held strong against his resistance, but your feet couldn’t find a proper stance thanks to your limited range of motion. He probably had your fear of slipping on the fabric again to thank, as well.

Deliberately, Felix stepped on your dress.

A gasp parted your lips as the heels of your feet slid forward. You fell backward only for Felix to step forward and catch you, one arm around your back, one hand holding his sword to your throat.

“Th-that’s not fair, and you know it,” you protested, breaths quickened from the adrenaline of almost falling.

“You chose to come fight in this. You think your opponent is going to care how you’re dressed?”

After a moment, you relented, “Fine, you win this one.”

Usually, Felix would be okay with the “whatever means necessary” ideology. When it came to you, however, it only worried him. Did he really need you to have a disadvantage for him to win?

He lowered you to the ground before picking you up again, presuming you would take longer to regain your footing if he left you on the sand. You were set upright on your feet at the solid edge of the pit.

As he reached the other side of the sands, he noted that you still looked bitter - probably about the last point. Perhaps that could work in his favor.

However, even after several seconds, the emotion in your eyes didn’t go away. You appeared almost…insulted?

In the back of his mind, he retraced his steps. You yielded the point how you normally would, and you weren’t a sore loser. You appeared more baffled than anything when he had tripped you…

Shit.

Felix had completely manhandled you out of the training area.

And that would explain why you were simultaneously glaring daggers into him and scanning him up and down.

“Don’t worry, I’ll attack this time,” the bluenette managed. In fear of being wrong and coming off egotistical, that was probably the best apology he could give right now.

“Whenever you’re ready.”

No, you were decidedly not happy.

He approached, trying to build as much momentum as possible before choosing to open with a block. If you were looking to parry an attack, he would be left with an opening. If you were looking to block him too, he would likely knock you to the ground and gain the point.

Maybe then he could offer to help you up properly.

No, he needed to stay focused. He was training right now, not apologizing.

Effectively distracted, neither of his plans came to fruition as you reached out and grabbed his cravat, pulling it down and causing him to run past you.

“Wh-!”

A dull stab at his back shoved him out of bounds, taking away any chance he had at regaining his balance. He tumbled to the ground.

“You’ve been impaled, that’s mine.”

He wanted to be mad, but he was more shocked than anything. After all, he could hardly complain after doing a similar thing to you last round.

A hand in his peripheral offered to help him to his feet. Accepting it, he rose, picking his sword up off the ground.

At least that seemed to get everything out of your system, “Maybe you were right, we can’t really accomplish anything serious while we’re dressed like this.”

“It’s not like we…”

A song loud enough to be heard from within the training ground bounced against the walls. It caught him off guard, especially since he hadn’t been able to hear any music since you closed the doors earlier. Whatever they were playing now, the whole orchestra was involved.

“The last dance already?” your head turned to the entrance, as well. “There’s no way…”

“Did you promise someone a dance?” he guessed.

“Something like that,” you worried. “I told Annette and Mercedes that I would be sure to dance with at least someone tonight after all they did for me. I…kind of got carried away watching earlier, and then I got scared I would forget the moves, and then I left to come here.”

He didn’t know what to say, but there was no way you could go back now. Sand covered your slightly tousled hair, your gown, and he was sure it found its way into your shoes. Your cheeks were still somewhat red from earlier, and…

It was all his fault. He even stepped on your gown without thinking.

Goddess, he really needed to start using his head.

Tossing his sword into the sand, Felix took the lance from your hands and threw it aside too. Swiftly, he retrieved your shoes and placed them in front of you.

“Felix, there’s no way…” but you slid them on anyway, “…and the song already began. It will be over by the time I get there.”

Face unreadable, your classmate extended a hand to you. “Do you think it would count if we started now?”

“Wait, what? You…want to dance with me?”

“If you don’t want me to be your partner after everything that’s happened tonight, I’ll understand-“

You took his hand, placing your own on his shoulder and facing him completely, “You lead. I’m still not certain how this one goes.”

It was a lie. It must have been. The moment the pair of you felt the music together, you were off. The strings followed a simple waltz - an accessible dance that even most commoners could perform. An obvious choice for the last dance of the night.

He knew his frame to be stiff, but it didn’t matter. Especially not when you were so blatantly stealing the hypothetical show, swaying and leaning back as the two of you spun gracefully around an invisible point on the ground. Your arms barely ghosted his own.

In a rare moment, he wished his dance partner were less aware, less experienced. He wanted you to lean on him so he could lead you through the dance, but he knew that was not in your nature.

You were charming, assured, and independent. The dance belonged to you, so much so that he felt like a mere prop. He supposed that was how it went in the theatres Sylvain had always dragged him to in the past. The women stole the spotlight while the men were evaluated on how good they could make their partners look.

There was no doubt. You deserved a better partner.

“Hey,” his voice was unsure. It had been several measures since he last used it. “I…you shouldn’t be dancing with me.”

“What are you talking about?” you smiled, coming back to his chest and resuming your normal posture.

“I mean you should be in the great hall, dancing with someone that would actually do you justice,” he suddenly didn’t want to face you. “I feel like I took that away from you. I spend all my time here working with a sword - my last dancing lesson ended when I was twelve.”

He stopped himself, spinning you away before he could say too much. This was about you. You had missed what could have been one of the biggest days of your life. He pulled you back in and met your eyes. Felix missed an event he already planned on skipping.

“...it’s nice. I prefer it. This way it’s just us.”

“Just us?” he hoped you couldn’t hear his heartbeat.

“Oh- I only mean- I don’t have to worry about anyone staring at me because I don’t know the steps or anything.”

It was beginning to make him angry, if only because it made no sense, “Why do you keep saying that?”

You were caught off guard, slipping up for the first time tonight. Felix finally felt useful, steadying you enough to fall back into the orchestra’s rhythm.

“Well, it’s true, isn’t it?” you lowered your voice like you were telling him a secret. “That’s what my sister told me. She and everyone that visited the manor.”

Blinking a bit, you turned to the side, “I’m doing it wrong. My steps are too wide. My arms are too heavy. I must be repulsed by my partner if I’m leaning back that much. Those kinds of things.”

Your partner merely scoffed, “Jealous.”

He hadn’t meant for it to slip out, but he knew.

“They can’t do what you can. There are nobles all over Fodlan like that; people who don’t like being shown up. They’ll say anything to make you give up or feel bad about yourself, but they lack the ambition to do any better themselves.”

“You really think so?”

“Have you met anyone better at dancing than yourself?”

“Well, I…I’ve never seen myself dance before.”

“Then take my word for it. Show Professor Byleth if you doubt it, but just be prepared for her to demand a rematch for the Heron Cup.”

Honestly, Felix didn’t know why he was being so forward about this. It was just another unjust part of the world they were all tripping over themselves to fix, he supposed. Still, if dancers could be trained for the battlefield, he saw no reason for his house to settle on an amateur.

The piano slowed to play a few high notes and end the song on a major chord. Accordingly, the two of you came to a stop.

“Thank you,” you stepped away timidly, “for the dance…and…”

“I wasn’t trying to make you feel better. Manuela could teach you - you could do this on the battlefield much better than whoever actually won the competition.”

You hummed, probably pondering the thought.

Presuming it was time to head back before you both could be found and accused of something mindless, Felix picked up your weapons from where he had discarded them. He caught you brushing the sand off your skin and down your dress before he left to put the items away. The blazer he set aside earlier found its way to his back again, his cravat tucked in appropriately.

You waited across the hall to hold the door for him. Once you both walked through, it shut with a final thud, sealing away everything that happened in the training grounds that night.

He saw you talking to Professor Byleth after class the next day. Although he couldn’t hear what you were saying, some part of him hoped you chose to take his words to heart.

Perhaps it had been a good time to host a ball.

[fiction-box]

Blood From A Stone

Blue Lions Boys X Fem!Reader

Hello, my lovelies! I wrote this in an attempt to psyche myself up for these next few days as I will be traveling for a job interview. I hope you all have been staying warm these past few weeks (the temperature has been consistently negative where I am now). I will attempt to start working on my inbox once I return. This work was not originally going to go this far in-depth, but this is where the story wanted to go. Nonetheless, please enjoy!

Requests are open. The story will continue under the cut.

After what might have been a ten minute walk, Professor Byleth halted her Blue Lions in the middle of the woods surrounding the monastery. You felt the warmth of the late spring sun shining through the trees; an experience made more pleasant by the soft breeze rifling through your hair.

You and Ingrid had been speculating what exercise you might be coming outside to do, taking an opportunity to make conversation during the walk. Each Friday, the professor enforced some group activity - shopping relays in town, competitive hunting, blindfolded sparring matches - to let everyone better learn the strengths of their classmates.

Sure enough, you watched the former mercenary pull the infamous blindfolds out of the satchel sitting on her waist. A hefty exhale resounded next to you.

“Aw, come on! Not this again…” Annette whined.

No one could blame her; Dedue had hit her uncharacteristically hard in the confusion of his blindness during their match. She might even still be sore from last weekend.

“Now, now - repeating the same exercise two weeks in a row wouldn’t be much help to us. This is meant to build our sense of camaraderie, not our dread for the end of the week,” Byleth corrected. “Line up, please.”

You did so, shuffling into a spot between Annette and Ingrid as your teacher scrutinized the class.

Dimitri caught a green bandana in the same second Dedue was handed a brown one. Green for Ashe and Mercedes, brown for you and Annette.

“Teams,” Dedue noted.

“Please tie them around your foreheads. I’ll explain in a moment.”

A brown scrap of fabric landed in Felix’s palm, the bluenette bringing it to his forehead before Ingrid and Sylvain received their green cloths. Silently cheering, you watched Professor Byleth fix the final brown textile to her own head.

“Today’s activity focuses on both stealth and strategy. Everyone received a color responding to their team. Your objective is to steal all of your opponents’ headbands - the first team to lose all of which will lose.”

Immediately, Sylvain reached over Ashe’s head to pull Felix’s bandana off his head, dangling it in the air.

“One down, everyone!”

“You know damn well we haven’t started yet!” the swordsman snapped.

Dimitri grinned, “I must say Felix, I never saw you as someone to be so easily caught off your guard.”

Ingrid hardly held back a snicker, Ashe’s body practically trembling with a similar sentiment as he reflexively moved out of the way of the two nobles.

Felix clenched his hands into fists, “I’ll tear that cloth into tatters while it’s still wrapped around your insolent-”

“That’s quite enough.”

Professor Byleth eyed Sylvain, prompting him to quickly return Felix’s band. Not without receiving a moderate punch to the arm in retaliation, of course.

“The forest will be split down the middle in regards to starting positions. Those with green bands will begin on the east while brown will start on the west. Each team will be given one minute to conceal themselves, come up with a plan, and do anything else they see fit before I sound the whistle.”

“Your opponents’ accessories can be taken by any means necessary. While use of stealth is encouraged, feel free to use weapons and other advantages as you see fit. The goal is to win, first and foremost. Once you are eliminated, you are to return here until we finish.”

“Prepare to sit on your ass for fifteen minutes, boar.”

You couldn’t help the sound that came out of you at that. Dimitri’s eyes flashed over to discern your reaction before his face promptly flushed a light hue of pink.

“Wh- Sylvain took your headband, not me!”

The redhead frowned, lightly ghosting his hand over his new injury, “Throwing me to the wolves so quickly, your Highness? Maybe-”

“Oh, enough already,” Byleth huffed. “Off to the woods with you all. Right now. Sixty seconds!”

Newly motivated by the time constraint, everyone shifted to group up before rushing to their respective sides.

You weaved between the trees, Professor Byleth following close behind as you trailed Dedue and Annette. Not long after you reached a central-western location, Felix instantly pulled the two in front of you aside.

“...-ce at the northern end of the forest where the dirt is…”

A bit confused, you shifted your eyes to meet those of your professor. Apparently, neither of you were invited to this strategy meeting.

That meant you weren’t needed then, right?

It was all the same to you. Better than the same, actually; an archer flying solo on a stealth mission in the woods didn’t sound like a terrible assignment in the least.

To top it all off, Professor Byleth on her own elsewhere in the forest at the same time? The anticipation would surely kill you. Maybe you would even see her skills more personally than you had on the few traditional battlefields your class fought on so far.

You were brought back to the present as your professor turned to you in real life, nodding at you before slipping into the shadow of a thick tree.

Sticking around just a little longer, you gathered enough snippets of Felix’s conversation to understand his plan. He wanted to make a hole in the ground on the northern side large enough to hold as many members of the opposing side as possible. It sounded a bit ambitious, but you supposed that was nothing new concerning the second son.

In any case, your team seemed to masquerade as the better part of a mess. You wondered how things were with Ingrid…

…45, 46, 47…

After a moment, you strengthened your resolve. The best way to see what the other team was up to would be to go see for yourself, right?

Swiftly working your way counterclockwise around the forest, you snuck over to the eastern side, crossing over only upon hearing a shrill note knocking against the trees. It was now imperative to stay hidden in whatever darkness would conceal you. Having a bow certainly made this easier in terms of mobility since you could just sling it across your body.

Even the animals seemed quiet. Accordingly, you were on high alert. Your movements became more careful, more deliberate as your heart began to race in anticipation. No stepping on branches or leaves; just grass and dirt. No bumping against the trees or sudden movements; just liquid flow and shady cover. Soft, swift, and silent.

Once you believed yourself to have rounded the terrain far enough, you stopped, climbing the tree with the best vantage point in the area and scanning the shady path where your opponents must have started. That is, if the ruined leaves on the ground served as any clue. Prepared for action, you took your bow off your back and pulled an arrow out of the slim training quiver you had been given. Patience was a game you were sure to win, especially in such a good position.

Nothing happened, though. You detected no movement, no flash of colors, and you eventually concluded that the other group must have had a similar idea. After all, most people are right handed, so they might have felt more comfortable countering on the northern side than from the south.

You were somewhat discouraged at your failure to help, but it was no big deal. Especially not when you heard the sound of branches snapping back the way you came. Felix’s strategy must have worked - there was nothing else you could imagine that might make that kind of sound. It must have been effective, too; you recalled an offhanded comment he made about Leonie teaching him something about traps.

Resigning yourself to picking off any stragglers that might have strayed from the group near Felix, you lowered yourself from your tree. Perhaps enough time remained for you to return to your side and assess the damages to see who was left.

Progressing back the way you came would be simple enough. Although you were intent on remaining undetected, you heard several branches snapping and some shouting up ahead.

Felix must have really gotten to them.

You grew close enough to the commotion to recognize Dimitri and Ashe’s voices as the ones yelling, but it made no sense. You had hardly moved a few paces past the tree you were in, and you were still circling the southern side of the forest.

Why were they being so loud? Did they lose, or did they forget this was meant to be a stealth exercise?

But that didn’t make sense, either. They were the best listeners in Professor Byleth’s class, barring Annette; there’s no way they would slack off now of all times.

Silently, you crept toward their shouts until you were brought to a wall of greenery. If you went through…

You didn’t have enough time to hide before they came barreling through the bush.

“Woah!” an ambush? And you fell for it, no less?

Ashe’s eyes widened, his natural agility allowing him to dodge you just in time. Dimitri, with no such skill, slammed into you. The two of you crashed into the ground, the prince scrambling to the weapon you knocked out of his hands as Ashe pulled you onto your feet.

“Come on, get up!” the archer begged you.

 Dimitri frantically shot off the dirt while Ashe started to guide you in the direction they were running. You didn’t have a moment to collect your thoughts or ask questions.

The crown prince’s longer legs carried him past you before he grabbed your left arm with his free hand. Your right hand still connected to Ashe, the three of you formed a chain for a moment as Dimitri lent you his momentum.

A terrible roar emanated from the bush where the boys appeared, prompting you all to detach and pick up the pace. The sounds of three sets of feet slamming against the dirt bounced off the trees in the forest. 

Two crest beasts barrelled through the shrubs, snapping branches in their pursuit of you and your friends.

“How?” you pleaded, your legs moving impossibly faster with the new adrenaline rush.

“No clue,” Dimitri weaved between the trees, his breath heavy, “where they came from.”

A wave of terror pulsed through you. All you felt were eyes on your back, on your friends, and there was nothing you could do about it. They approached, so much larger and covering so much more ground.

Naturally, your smaller size and unfamiliarity with the area caught up with your group. The demons pursuing you could simply demolish the forest in their path, but Dimitri could only get so far before his height forced him to fumble through a group of low-hanging branches.

Unable to slow down, you crashed into him, sprawling to the forest floor. Ashe had once again been attentive and agile enough to change course, but you and the prince lied prone on the ground.

A sound of anticipation came in the form of an unearthly squeal from one of the monsters trailing seconds behind you. If you did nothing here, you would surely die. 

Upon noticing Dimitri had again dropped his lance in his fall, you snatched it and flipped over to face one of the beasts, contesting a well-timed snap of its jaw by holding the weapon up and angling it to act as a pike. It worked just well enough to force the creature’s mouth open…

…until the beast’s maw clamped down on the training weapon, struggling over it with you before it splintered and snapped.

Knocked backwards, your shoulders never got the chance to hit the ground. Dimitri had been given enough time to stand, placing his hands under your arms and dragging you back while Ashe shouted from another direction.

The archer’s cries were enough to split the horrific hunting party, though the only thing you and Dimitri did was continue running.

This is hopeless. All our weapons are meant for training, Ashe is on his own, there are no other fighters with us…

“We can’t keep running,”  you breathed, looping around a tree to throw the monster off your trail, “something has to change.”

…Felix…

You curved around the forest, switching to head back to your group, “Follow me.”

The two of you determined that zig-zagging was the best way to outrun the monster, though if you slowed down, you would no doubt be back on the ground again.

Intuitively, you followed the path you were fairly certain Dimitri’s teammates must have taken to get to the western part of the forest. All the while, you silently prayed that your legs would continue to carry you at a pace fast enough that the beast wouldn’t gain too much ground.

Not that it could be helped; you took two strides for every one of the beast’s.

“Felix! Felix, where are you?”

“Felix!” Dimitri followed your lead.

A figure appeared in the distance, his fair skin and blue hair giving him away, “Why the hell are you two-?”

The shriek from the beast trailing you and the prince drowned out the rest of his sentence.

“Felix, where’s the trap?!”

“Shit,” he cursed, though you couldn’t hear. “This way!”

Pushing yourself just a bit further, you forced your mind to ignore the screams of protest from your body. Felix sprinted just ahead of you, his lack of fatigue allowing him to match pace with your adrenaline spike before he rounded a bush.

“Get the professor!” your teammate ordered someone you couldn’t see.

Dimitri rushed past you to follow the bluenette. Upon leaving the beast’s line of sight, however, he was yanked into the large shrub. You recognized Felix’s hand wrapping around your arm before you stumbled into him, entering the branches as well.

“Thank you, Dedue,” you heard Dimitri’s voice next to you, the phrase uttered out between gasps for air.

It was in the split second before the beast rounded the shrub that you turned your head and recognized the trick. The covering on the pit was placed in the path next to the bush you four were in. If someone hadn’t known to stop and take a route through the hedge, they would have fallen through the dirt.

And upon seeing Professor Byleth appear at the other end of the pit, creator sword drawn to lure the crest beast toward her, you recognized how smart your teammates really were.

The pit wasn’t big enough to hold a crest beast by any means, but it certainly did the trick to immobilize it as the monster lost its footing. A well placed strike to the crest stone on the back of its neck shattered the source of its power. You could only stare at the crumbling animal, its bony limbs reduced to dust. The only thing lying in the crater at the end was…

“A person?” Dedue balked.

You moved to get a closer look before realizing Felix still had his arm around you.

“Um…”

Absentmindedly, he released you, throwing an apology over his shoulder before going to examine the woman lying dead in what very much could have been her grave.

Unbeknownst to you, your body was beginning to shut down. Running all that way left you exhausted, and having done so at a sprint certainly didn’t make matters any better. Yet the second you sank to the ground to truly catch your breath, you remembered.

Ashe.

“P-Professor,” you coughed, “...Ashe-”

“...What?”

“Damn, we left Ashe in the forest!” Dimitri agonized.

Byleth’s eyes sharpened, “Understood. I’ll go find him.”

“I’m coming, too.”

“What?” Felix questioned. “No, there’s no way - you’re way too tired.”

“Dimitri and I are the only ones who know where he is!”

At this, the prince attempted to rise from his position bracing on his knees “Then I’ll go.”

“Are you kidding me? You’re a worse candidate than I am - you’re still bleeding from the trees!”

“Bleeding? I’m not-”

“Your highness,” Dedue cut him off, “your chest.”

Certainly, his uniform was ripped in places, blood pooling out from the cuts he received when he scraped himself on the branches, earlier.

“You must not have felt it due to the adrenaline. We should get you to Mercedes.”

Sure of yourself, you began to walk backwards in the direction you came from, “Professor, there’s no time! You have your sword, so if push comes to shove, I’ll be fine. Ashe doesn’t have a proper weapon, though, and he must have been running for a long time!”

Professor Byleth wasted no words, “Fine then. Lead the way.”

As the two of you picked up the pace, she turned to call out, “Be sure to clear that girl out of the pit! Get her to Mercedes!”

The dull ache in your legs became impossible to ignore once you ran back into the forest. Still, through a mix of retracing your steps and following the sounds of roaring and trees snapping, you managed to get close to where you and Ashe had parted ways.

Sure enough, several trees had been reduced to splinters and fallen trunks. The damage created a small clearing, through which you could see your friend. He looked really out of it, the forest around him a mess from the beast’s rage. 

“Ashe! Over here!”

The professor hit the creature a few times with her sword, extending its reach to divert its attention to herself. Recognizing her attempts to hurt it, the beast reared its head and focused its efforts on Byleth.

She had provided enough of a distraction that Ashe could make it to you. Allowing himself a moment’s respite, he braced himself on his knees similar to how Dimitri had earlier. Breathless, the two of you watched your mentor’s skills at work.

The creator sword would wrap around the wild creature’s neck; Byleth’s obvious attempt at trying to break the stone. Each time, the tether was countered by a snap of the beast’s teeth, or her attack missed entirely. The angle was impossible from where she was standing.

“Fall back, you two - I’ll be right behind you!”

Ashe began to protest, “But-”

“You’re both tired, you’ll need whatever headstart I can give y-ngh!”

Her opponent had grown impatient, swiping its claws at the chain of her sword before her next attack could connect. The weapon was yanked to the side, knocking the professor off balance for a moment and sending the weapon flying out of her hand.

“Just go! I promise I’ll be right there!”

Willing your legs to move, you grabbed Ashe’s wrist and pulled him up, guiding him the first few steps of the way. Once he managed to find his footing, you took a position to lead him back to the group in the west.

You didn’t think you would be able to do much of anything tomorrow, after this. The taste of blood stained your every breath, your throat felt dry to the point it hurt, and you were surprised you could even lift your legs anymore. The adrenaline had worn off by the time you left Dimitri with Dedue.

The noise increasing behind you cut off your train of thought. The pounding of paws much heavier than your own feet thundered against the forest floor. Leaves crushed so loudly you could have sworn they were snapping logs, and the veil of the safety you thought you still had was quickly torn away.

What about Professor Byleth? She should have been on her feet, should have caught up to you and Ashe by now if-

“Keep moving!”

The voice next to you startled you almost enough to make you lose your footing, but a steady hand at your back and the sight of a flash of green hair at your side kept you upright.

“Over here, Professor! This way!”

Annette waved her arms over her head, signaling a new location nearby. They must have created a separate trap in the time you had been away.

But why…?

A snap at your backs inspired the three of you to round this new shrub at record speed. This time, you were ready when Dedue pulled you into the bushes.

“Woah!”

You supposed you had forgotten to warn Ashe.

Sure enough, everything else was the same story, just with different people. The Professor pivoted out of Sylvain’s hold in time to pull the sword she retrieved from her hip. The beast fell in the trap upon rounding the hedge, giving her a more advantageous angle to properly fracture the stone, reverting the creature to the body of a young man.

“I don’t understand,” Felix’s brow furrowed, Ashe ducking out of his hold and falling to the ground to finally breathe.

You were beginning to feel similarly. Were it not for Dedue, you doubted you would be standing. Your classmate seemed privy to this knowledge, as well.

“I will bring you to Mercedes.”

A nod was all you could muster while Dedue bent to put an arm beneath your legs, lifting you off the ground. The air you were practically drinking filled your lungs with more oxygen than you thought they could hold, and your resulting breaths sounded almost raspy. Respectfully, you ensured that your head was turned away from Dedue (though it was also to ensure you could get as much air as possible).

Even still, you managed to catch the final words of those behind you.

“Why didn’t you just take that girl to Mercedes and reuse the last trap?” Professor Byleth wondered.

“Well…” Sylvain, “there wasn’t really a point...she was already dead.”

“...then…this boy…?”

You tried not to focus on the silence that followed her final question.

A few paces later and Dedue had made it to the outskirts of the woods. It was where you all met at the beginning of the exercise.

Mercedes approached the two of you before you cleared the trees, guiding Dedue to set you down on a patch of soft grass in the shade next to three green scraps of fabric. She must have anticipated your arrival.

“Will she be alright?”

“Oh, yes,” Mercedes assured him, though her light tone didn’t match the furrow of her brows. “She’s mostly dealing with fatigue, but the strain on her lungs should be soothed before she tries to go anywhere.”

A moment of silence.

“Where is his Highness?”

The glow of soft magic hovered over you before you felt inclined to close your eyes. You tried not to focus on the strange feeling coursing through you - you still weren’t used to healing spells, yet.

“He and Ingrid went back to the monastery to consult Lady Rhea about all this.” She sighed, and you felt a pause in the flow of her enchantment, “I don’t really understand everything that happened today. It all feels so wrong.”

“I agree. There should not have been any crest beasts this close to the academy. The knights should have noticed.”

Another pause led to a stronger wave of magic passing through your lungs; it was all you could do to focus on breathing next to this weird feeling, but you opened your eyes just to make sure you were still okay.

 “I will head back to the monastery as well.”

The healer nodded, “I’ll let the professor know.”

“Let me know what?”

It seemed the rest of your class made it out of the forest. Professor Byleth approached at the lead, followed close behind by Annette, and finally by Felix and Sylvain supporting a pale and winded Ashe.

As Dedue filled your teacher in on everything, Mercedes abandoned you to go help Ashe. Annette replaced her, kneeling where her friend sat just a moment ago to continue her work. Fortunately, you didn’t feel like there was much left to do.

“Right. You can head back. Take some of the training weapons with you, please - I have a feeling everyone else will have their hands full by the time we head back.”

Dedue removed the brown band wrapped around his forehead, adding it to the pile lying about a meter away from your feet. Picking up the discarded wooden lance, bow, and sword lying in a pile closer to the woods, he turned and wordlessly took the path leading back to Garreg Mach.

“My bow…” you remembered, testing out your voice from your position on the ground, “I think…I dropped it somewhere in the forest?”

Felix scoffed, “With the amount of trees those beasts managed to fell, I don’t think a bit more wood lying around would hurt anyone. The Church can just buy a new one. They replace training weapons all the time.”

“Take it from Felix, they’re used to broken weapons,” Sylvain grinned. “Repairing a broken bow can’t be much different than replacing a missing one.”

A small huff of air came from the swordsman’s nose at his classmate’s remark. Rather than respond, however, he just turned back to you.

“How the hell are you still awake after all that? I expected you to have passed out by now.”

“Me? Shouldn’t you be more worried about Ashe? Whatever running I did, he ran and then some.”

“He did pass out.”

Turning your head to where Mercedes knelt, you found your friend sleeping on the grass, uneven breaths heaving from his chest.

After everything he went through by himself, you could only think that he deserved to rest.

“Professor? What is it?”

Annette’s inquisition immediately led your mind to drop the subject, turning instead to see Professor Byleth lost in thought.

“I’m just…trying to understand something. Those people that came from those monsters - did I kill them, or were they already dead? How did this happen so close to the monastery without anyone coming to help us? And…”

No one knew what to say. You hadn’t recognized the people that died, not their clothing or their faces.

“Nevermind. We need to head back in case anything else unexpected is looking to find us.”

“That should be just fine, Professor,” Mercedes agreed. “I’ve made sure these two are stable. The best thing for everyone now would be to rest.”

“Very well,” your teacher began circling around to everyone, collecting their headbands to place in the bag she had left here earlier.

Annette extended her hand out before Professor Byleth made her way over to the two of you. Taking it, you attempted to get up only to be frustrated by the fatigue of your legs. A sharp inhale followed by a hiss of pain accompanied the feeling of Annette lowering you back to the ground.

“Yeah…might not be ready for that yet…” you gritted your teeth.

Byleth walked over, tugging the brown textile off your head in a fluid motion, “Sylvain, please help her get back to the monastery. Felix, you can carry Ashe.”

“What?!”

Sylvain barely contained his laughter, approaching you with easy footsteps and lifting you off the ground bridal-style.

“You’re sure you want Sylvain of all people carrying the woman that can’t walk? Or fend for herself right now, for that matter?”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got plenty of experience with this sort of thing.”

“...with carrying people?” you raised a brow.

Sylvain winked, “...with carrying women that can’t walk.”

Professor Byleth hit him on the back of the head so hard that Sylvain dropped you on the ground.

You landed, reeling with a small squeak and a light curse. Your breath came labored through your teeth from the incidental blow to your legs. Not that it could have hurt as much as whatever she just did to Sylvain.

“Agh- What the hell, Professor?!”

“You and Felix have done an excellent job of changing my mind. I think we would all feel better if you volunteered to carry Ashe back with us, instead.”

Now it was Felix’s turn to fight a smirk, though he was hardly trying. After making sure you were okay from your slight fall, he picked you up in much the same way Sylvain had mere moments ago.

Meanwhile, Sylvain seemed to be making a point to carry Ashe over his shoulders.

The seven of you headed back to the monastery together, Professor Byleth calling off her lessons for the beginning of next week just to make sure everyone was well rested. Annette tried to reason that taking the weekend off would be plenty of time for most of the Blue Lions. After all, you, Dimitri, and Ashe were the only ones that really suffered any fatigue. Your teacher countered that if she were holding class, you three were the most likely suspects to insist on attending regardless, no matter how badly you were injured.

Perhaps you left too good of an impression on the professor today for her to think such things of you. Regardless, you agreed with her, if only to save Annette from the pointed glares of Felix and Sylvain at the idea of rejecting a day out of class.

[fiction-box]

This absolutely takes my breath away and makes my heart soar! I am so happy to have received such a wonderful gift from such a talented artist! The colors are breathtaking, the expressions on the characters are so vivid, and their body language tells such a beautiful story. The starry night is such a gorgeous touch. Even after paying so much attention to detail, you have filled this prompt in ways I hadn't imagined. I must have stared at this for hours - the prompt is communicated so passionately. Your work has made my holiday so special. Thank you so much!

My @nagamas gift for @fiction-box

When I saw your Alear/Alfred prompt my heart-melted and I tried my very best to convey it into an illustration!

[fiction-box]

Solstice (F!Robin X Chrom)

Hello everyone, and happy @nagamas! I would like to wish a very special holiday season to my recipient, settphels, over on X. May you have a healthy 2024, and I hope you enjoy my work!

Requests are open. The story will continue under the cut.

“Lissa! Slow down!” Robin begged as the young princess dragged her through the snow.

“I wouldn’t have to go this fast if you hadn’t taken so long to get ready! Honestly, Robin, I’m surprised the sun hasn’t melted all the snow yet!”

It was the first day of the cold season that the snow stopped falling in Ferox, leaving the ground covered in a soft, clean sheet of white powder. Regardless, the tactician tugged her coat tighter to her chest with her free hand. The Feroxian cold chilled her to the bone; an idea solidified in the fact that this was the first winter she could remember.

Robin liked to think she came from somewhere nice and warm.

The women slowed to a stop a few yards from the large estate that Khan Flavia so graciously provided her champions. Frederick and Chrom were probably inside, writing up reports on their progress and deciding how next to move the Shepherds. Robin originally intended to join them, but Lissa talked her out into the snow before she even knew what was happening.

“Remind me why we’re standing out here, Lissa?” she shivered. “It’s freezing!”

“I told you, we have to make a snowman! Normally, Em would be here to help me, but since she couldn’t come with us, you get to be my assistant today,” Lissa smiled.

“A snowman…? But I don’t know how - I didn’t bring a tome with me or anything,” Robin frowned, glancing back at the estate.

The youngest princess of Ylisse giggled, “You don’t need magic, silly. I can’t believe you don’t know how to make a snowman.”

“Rubbing it in isn’t helping,” Robin muttered sheepishly.

“Here, watch.”

The blonde bent toward the snow, picking up a handful of powder and shaping it into a ball between her gloved hands.

“The trick is to apply a bit of pressure so the snow sticks together and forms a sphere. Then,” she added, setting the snowball down as she lowered herself to the ground, “you’ll keep patting more into it until it grows into a giant snowball.”

Robin watched silently, her breath forming clouds in the air as Lissa used her arms and hands to pull snow toward her. Soft crunching sounds accompanied her light taps on her creation as the original sphere tripled in size.

The princess paused, looking up as if to gauge Robin’s understanding. Or maybe just to see if she was paying attention - Robin didn’t know Lissa well enough to tell just yet.

“Okay, now it’s your turn.”

So the woman with hair the color of the winter around them knelt to the ground, scooping nearby snow into her gloves before pushing her hands together.

Upon opening her hands, flakes of white fell between her fingers and out of her palm.

Robin pursed her lips, determined to give it another try as she brushed off her hands and picked up more snow. This time, she added more pressure and held slightly less in her hand.

The result presented itself as a small, almond-shaped pile. It looked fragile even before Robin set it down, the “snowball” cleaving in half upon impact with the soft layer blanketing the grass.

A stifled snicker came from Lissa’s direction while the tactician huffed. How could anyone stick the snow together when it just brushes against the other flakes? Whenever she got enough snow onto the ball, it just crumbled to dust.

The fifth time she failed to make the snow stick together long enough, Robin simply stretched her neck to the sky and closed her eyes.

Meanwhile, Lissa appeared happy to show her support in the way she rolled on the icy ground, overtaken by a fit of giggles.

“Ah, yes. I’m glad you find my failure funny,” Robin glared, turning her head back to her companion.

“I- I’m-!” the girl gasped, “Ha! You can’t even-!

“What are you two doing out here?”

Chrom’s footfalls crunched loudly in the snow as he approached, eyeing the areas where the snow no longer looked even.

“Oh my goodness! Chrom!” Lissa managed. Her smile still went from ear to ear. “You have to see-! Robin can’t even make a snowball…”

The woman in question felt her ears going pink as blood rushed to her face, “Well I’m sorry I’ve never done this before! I don’t even really understand what it is that we’re doing!”

The prince of Ylisse simply sighed before taking a seat in the cold next to Robin.

“Don’t be so mean, Lissa. You should have been helping her instead of laughing.”

“Hmph. We were only having fun - you don’t have to lecture me.”

“Really?” Chrom teased, “What do you think Em would say?”

“Sh-she doesn’t have to know!”

He laughed, turning back to the newest Shepherd before picking up some snow of his own.

“Here, this way is easier,” his hand and palms were cupped closed, interlocking perfectly. “The way Lissa likes to do it can be a bit harder since she keeps her fingers splayed open - try keeping them close together.”

“Wow, you don’t even have gloves on. Aren’t you cold?”

The blue-haired prince shook his head, “I just came from inside, so I’m not too cold yet. Besides, using the heat from my palms tends to make it easier to make snowballs.”

“Lucky you.”

“You certainly seem like you wish you were inside,” Chrom chuckled. “You look so unacclimated.”

Robin chose to lightly ignore him, instead focusing on copying his movements exactly as she watched them performed earlier. After applying what she deemed an appropriate amount of pressure, she tilted her hand open…

…only to watch it crumble again.

Her result did not improve the next two times she tried.

Her fourth attempt for Chrom almost yielded a snowball; save for a few light angles here and there, the shape formed a ball well enough.

“There you go,” he encouraged.

Her breathing grew shallow as she turned her palm upright, removing her other hand to let it stand on its own.

Of course, Robin should have known not to expect much as she watched it split in three upon supporting its own weight in her hand.

“Agh-! Are you kidding me? I’m completely hopeless at this.”

A short exhale came from Chrom’s nose. Robin looked up quickly enough to see him fighting a smile before he cleared his throat.

“Here, let me help you.”

Easily, Chrom took one of her hands into his own. The tactician’s palm faced the sky as the prince used his other hand to lift a small pile of snow. Guiding her hand to his other one, he pressed the snow between their palms with much more force than Robin had been using to make her snowballs.

Transfixed, she watched Chrom’s hands envelope her own as the snow grew more firm upon her palm. He rotated her palm once more until it faced the sky again. Finally, he lifted his hands away and released her glove.

A perfect sphere.

“Showoff,” she smirked at him.

“I try.”

Robin returned her eyes to what they made together, admiring the ease he brought to something that stressed her out just moments ago.

Things were just easier with Chrom in general.

“You guys are so slow!” Lissa whined from behind Chrom, rolling a sizable snowball back to where she originally sat with Robin.

“Oh my-!” Robin gasped in awe. “Lissa, how did you do that?”

“What, this?” she gestured to the snowball.

Chrom put his hand on Robin’s shoulder and shifted to block her view “Gods, don’t stroke her ego. We’ll never hear the end of it.”

“Hey!” the princess interjected. “I can’t help being better at this than you two! I’m naturally gifted at this sort of thing.”

Her brother gave a quick laugh before crafting a snowball and throwing it at her. It made contact with her coat, prompting her to quickly bend over and make a snowball of her own. She threw it at Chrom, though he anticipated her attack and moved out of the way just in time.

“Ah! Hah! Cold! Cold!” Robin shivered, the snow from Lissa’s throw sliding down her neck to her chest. Reflexively, she set the snowball she and Chrom made down before tugging her coat tightly around her chest.

“Why is it so cold in Ferox?” she whined as the snow melted, drenching her undershirt.

“Now look, Lissa. You hit Robin!”

“It wouldn’t have hit her if you had just stayed still! Besides, what makes you think I’m not freezing from when you hit me?”

“You deserved it though,” Chrom raised a brow.

“Fine then,” Lissa huffed. “I’m going inside!”

“What? You’re the reason we’re out here!” Robin argued.

“I know...I’m just…I’m going to grab some things for our snowman. It needs a nose and some eyes, you know.”

“Right now?”

“Why not?” the princess stretched before turning toward the estate, “Someone has to get it eventually, I might as well go right now. Have fun taking forever to finish the snowman.”

Before either of her companions could get a word in otherwise, Lissa ran away to the warm shelter.

“Sorry about that,” Chrom sighed.

“It’s just Lissa being Lissa, you don’t need to apologize.”

“Still, I wouldn’t have moved out of the way if I knew you’d be hit by that snowball,” he frowned. “Here, let me.”

Swiftly, the prince unwrapped the scarf from his neck before putting it around Robin’s. The blue fabric went around one, two times before he left it to drape down her chest.

“If you’d like to tuck it underneath your shirt or your coat, feel free,” he remarked, suddenly enamored with the small snowball in front of them.

Robin took a few seconds to do just that before Chrom cleared his throat again.

“We should probably finish this before she comes back out though. I can hold the snowball if you’d like to pack more onto it. We’ll roll it around once it gets big enough.”

The tactician shook her head, “I think it might be better if I hold it while you do all the complicated stuff.”

“Complicated?” Chrom’s eyes found hers, a small smirk on his face.

“You saw me earlier! Besides, I’m the one wearing gloves. At least your hands get a break if you’re patting the snow.”

He nodded, handing her the snowball before he lifted more and more of the powder to press into it. Occasionally, he would grab her wrist or her arm for leverage, but the process mostly felt like a game to the woman. Chrom applied more snow, and Robin guessed where she’d have to apply resistance to the pressure.

The two finished in a matter of minutes, though Robin gave the prince most of the credit. Their creation landed on the snow beneath them as they stood to roll it around the untouched areas on the ground.

“It’s traditional to stack snowmen three layers tall back in Ylisse,” the prince remarked. “Feroxian tradition is a bit different; they use two layers. I think it has something to do with the two Khans, but Lissa knows more about it than I do.”

“They have more than enough precipitation here to make them four layers tall,” Robin speculated.

“True,” Chrom chuckled, “but it would probably start snowing again in the time it would take to make that many snowballs.”

With that, they finished rolling the ball in the snow. The pair worked together to get it back to Lissa’s snowball, lifting theirs to place atop hers.

“Gods,” Robin huffed, “definitely a group activity.”

“We aren’t finished quite yet. Lissa said she would grab the eyes and nose, but we should probably find branches for the arms and something for its mouth.”

“Hmm…” Robin looked around. A small forest of trees stood tall several yards away, so branches wouldn’t be too hard to find.

“I can go grab some rocks from the main road by the estate. Do you think those would work?”

“Oh, I didn’t think of that,” she responded. “Sure. I can head toward the forest for branches.”

Walking against the wind, Robin began to realize just how cold she had gotten from spending so much time outside. Her gloves were soaked through from handling so much snow, and although Chrom’s scarf helped, she still wore her damp, frigid undershirt.

At least the snowman only needed a few more items. Once they wrapped this up, Robin would curl up in a chair with a blanket and a book until she could feel her toes again.

As her feet trudged along the edge of the forest, she began to wonder if Lissa planned to come back outside any time soon. Surely, she would at least help decorate their new friend.

Robin glanced around the uneven forest floor. Most of the branches that fell to the ground looked too thick for a snowball - their work would probably fall apart if she tried to use anything as large as the hilt of her sword.

Out of nowhere, her foot failed to find purchase as the ground crumbled away beneath her. It seemed the snow hadn’t landed in the exact shape of the forest, thanks to the branches blocking the precipitation from earlier.

“Woah-!”

She blindly tumbled down what was either a large hill or a small cliff - Robin wasn’t sure - as the shock of the frigid snow caused her to cry out. The tiny crystals invaded her coat, gloves, pants, and boots, her fall absorbed by the powder and a mix of her shoulders, knees, and hips.

At least it was soft. Well, as soft as plummeting through a forest could be.

Her momentum abruptly halted as she reached the lower level of the woods. Covered in snow, it was all she could do to thank Naga she hadn’t slammed into a tree and passed out.

Panicked and still high on adrenaline, Robin managed to lift her head out of the powder. Her chest had slammed into the ground, and she could hardly breathe. Though the Shepherd gasped for air, she couldn’t feel it entering her lungs.

“...-bin…?”

That was Chrom, though he sounded a bit far. As much as she wanted to call back to him, she couldn’t find her voice. Hopefully he could just follow the tracks she inevitably left behind.

“...Robin! Where are you? Are you-”

Once the voice grew close enough, the tactician turned her attention to the top of the hill. Sure enough, the prince of Ylisse stared back at her.

“I heard you scream,” he commented lamely, confusion on his face after scanning over her snow-dusted form. “Hang on, I’ll be right there.”

Chrom staggered his feet on the slope, using his arm to brace himself as he steadily slid down toward her.

In the seconds it took him to approach her, Robin attempted to brush herself off as well as she could with her shivering hands before struggling to stand.

The young lord arrived on solid ground, hastening his steps to get to his tactician, “Gods, Robin, what happened to you? You fell all the way down here from up there?”

“Not my proudest moment,” her teeth chattered.

“Nevermind then,” Chrom rushed to wrap her arm around his shoulder and support her. “Let’s just get you back to the shelter so you can warm up.”

“Yeah, I think I’m done with snow for today. Maybe we can take a different route back?”

The pair circled the small cliff, looking for a hill that appeared decidedly less steep. Thankfully, there appeared to be a safer option in the western part of the wood.

“We could probably get back faster if I carried you,” Chrom offered.

Robin liked to think that, in any other scenario, she might have hesitated before politely rejecting his offer. In the moment, however, she immediately welcomed the idea of giving her body a rest.

Unwrapping her arm from his shoulder, the Ylissean turned and lowered himself just enough so that Robin could climb onto his back. He was always lightly wary of how steady she was on her feet, encouraging her to balance using his arm until he safely lifted her off the ground.

“You’re lucky I was able to find you in the snow with that white hair of yours,” he started as he continued their trip back to the estate. “Things could always be worse.”

“Could be much better, too,” she frowned.

“I won’t argue with that.”

It didn’t take Chrom as long as Robin thought it would to return to the upper level of the forest and exit the woods. She supposed her original guess was influenced both by the pain in her limbs, the cold, and how much she slowed Chrom down.

She felt him let out a soft breath of air as they finally arrived to see Lissa doing their job for them.

“About time! I was thinking you were never going to-”

Once her eyes absorbed the sight of how disheveled her brother and her friend were, the princess dropped the buttons she was adjusting on the snowman and rushed to guide the two inside.

“There are some blankets on the couch, but I should probably help Robin out of those wet clothes first. And I was hoping to surprise you with cocoa when you came inside - it’s already prepared and sitting on the coffee table.”

Once the three made it through the door, Chrom lowered the woman off his back. He offered his arm to help her stand as Lissa took off her coat and boots. The princess led her to a spare room while her brother began to take off his own outer layers.

“Gosh, Robin. You need to be more careful - it’s only a matter of time before you get in over your head.”

“It wasn’t on purpose…”

Lissa sighed, pulling her drenched friend in for a hug, “I’m just worried about you, that’s all.”

Just as quickly, the youngest princess pulled away with a shiver.

“You’re way too cold! Let’s get you into something warm so we can all stop worrying, okay?”

Once everyone was finally warm in the common room and Frederick started a fire, it became much easier to laugh about everything that happened that day. Then, after a short argument that Lissa had no intention of losing, Robin surrendered her drenched coat for the day so Lissa could put it on their snowman. After all, if it had a coat, their wintry friend would have no need for branches as its arms.

Perhaps everything turned out right in the end.

[fiction-box]

Fortuitous Company

F!Alear x Alfred

Requests are open. The story will continue under the cut.

“Emblem Corrin, how would you describe your family?” Alear asked, running a soft cloth over the draconic princess’ ring.

The cozy space of the ring chamber granted peace and respite from the clamor of life on the Somniel. Here, Alear felt like she could breathe. The emblems tended to be much more relaxed and forgiving when it came to socializing, and silences never felt awkward in this place; it provided a safe escape. 

“Each and every one of my siblings possess their own strength. My older siblings take on swarms of enemies without so much as flinching. My younger brothers are incredibly smart and dedicated, and my younger sisters love sharing their kindness with everyone.”

“Wow,” the Divine Dragon furrowed her brow, working at a particularly stubborn strip of tarnish on Corrin’s band, “you have so many siblings.”

“Yes, though it wasn’t always that way. My father locked me away in a fortress for much of my life, keeping me away from half of my family.”

“How awful!” she paused her motions. “There seems to be a lot about you that I don’t know.”

“There is no better time to strengthen our bond than the present,” the Vallite royal smiled. “In fact, I believe there is a place in Firene that reminds me of my time with them.”

“Really?” the Divine One’s eyes widened, her hands folding the cloth neatly before resting it back in its place. “Then we should go there - maybe we can jog your memory a bit more. You might even find a new power in the same way Lucina and Lyn could.”

Corrin placed her hand to her cheek, “I must admit, it does sound like fun. Not to mention I would be more helpful to you with that kind of power.”

“Great, then let’s do it! I’ll gather everyone else.”

Finished with polishing the ring, Alear slipped it onto her own finger and strode out the door.

~~~

“Is everyone ready?”

A small portion of Alear’s army gathered under the open sky at the center of the plaza, ready to depart to Firene.

“I did a head count,” Framme placed her hands on her hips. “Everyone is here and accounted for, Divine One!”

“Emblem Corrin, could you please describe this place to me one last time? I want to be absolutely certain,” Alfred frowned.

“Of course. It is a plain with a winding river dividing it in three. There are two bridges, and small patches of trees on the outskirts of the plains.”

The blond gave a polite smile and a nod, “Got it. I know where we’re going. Thank you, Corrin.”

“By all means, lead the way,” Princess Ivy urged.

So it was that Alfred left the Somniel first with Lucina at his side. Alear followed a moment after him, landing on the soft grass and getting her first look at her surroundings.

Unfortunately, any pleasant view she had anticipated was currently blocked by a band of corrupted.

There were way too many for it to be a coincidence. For them to have been located exactly where Alear’s group planned to touch ground…

“Divine One, look out!”

Ducking and rolling before she could think, the Divine Dragon managed to dodge just in time as a lick of violet lightning scorched the ground where she once stood.

“Oh dear, I missed.”

A familiar white-haired mage soared just out of reach, her tome balanced between her hand and her arm. Beneath her, a horde of corrupted soldiers wheezed and moaned, waiting expectantly for a command. The sea of red eyes unnerved Alear, though the pressing discomfort eased slightly at Corrin’s presence beside her. Aware of the danger in which she found herself, the heterochromic royal rose to her feet once more.

“Zephia!” Alfred called, his eyebrows lowering, “What are you doing in Firene?”

She frowned, “So much for my little surprise. No matter. I suppose nothing has been ruined yet, seeing you don’t know why I’m here.”

“You won’t be staying long. Take your army and leave,” Alear drew her sword.

“Oh, I won’t be letting you off that easy. You’re meddling in my affairs, children; I think you’re the ones that ought to be punished.”

“Lucina!” Alfred called, the warrior princess appearing only to vanish in the next moment, melding her powers with Firene’s prince.

Zephia smirked, letting out a single laugh before lazily waving her dark army to attack.

Groups of corrupted rushed the two. Defending themselves proved difficult, though it became considerably less challenging when more friends funneled down from the Somniel. Each gave the same reaction: surprise, then determination. Thankfully, they knew now was not the time for questions. First Diamant touched down, then Alcryst and Ivy followed with Framme not far behind them.

The group gradually began to spread out as they covered more ground, their safety assured by Lucina and Alfred’s bond. If anyone found himself in trouble, the prince of Firene rode to his side in a flash.

Regardless, Alear couldn’t keep her mind off the steady beat of wyvern wings in the distance. Zephia hadn’t moved from her spot, yet the Divine One could feel eyes on her no matter where she fought.

Why wasn’t she doing anything?

Clangs of metal and flashes of magic swirled about the plain. Slowly, they progressed, and Alear took to cutting down strays while Diamant and Ivy insisted upon charging ahead. Corrin would help her when it came time to rejoin the others.

The passage of time and the difficulty of the battle took its toll on the emblems, just like always. Alfred’s time with Lucina ended after the fourth wave fell to Alear’s army.

Apparently, that’s all the invitation Zephia needed.

“Celica!”

Everyone’s eyes snapped to the dragon mage at her outcry. She remained in their line of sight for mere moments prior to vanishing, wyvern and all.

“Stay aler-!”

Prince Diamant never finished his warning. Sombron’s right hand woman materialized just paces away from Alear. The Divine Dragon froze in shock.

“While we’re here, I have a new spell I’d like to try,” the tome in her hand darkened, wispy shadows spiraling from the pages and shooting into Alear’s chest.

With a shaky gasp, the swordswoman staggered back a step.

“You wouldn’t mind being my subject, yes? Certainly not now that you are isolated from your friends?”

What did she…?

Looking up, Alear caught a glance of Ivy racing toward her location. The Elusian’s eyes darkened, lips in a thin line that parted only once.

“Lyn!”

A green flash tore through the sky, dividing into five streaks that each landed upon Zephia’s wyvern. The beast lost its balance, flapping wildly in the air and releasing a horrible screech.

Unfortunately, the woman regained control just in time to dodge a follow-up strike from Diamant.

…I don’t feel anything. I feel completely fine…?

Stepping forward, the Divine One pointed her blade to the sky.

“Return Celica to us,” she ordered. “Take off your ring and surrender.”

Zephia’s only response sounded in a click of a tongue against the teeth, “You will not be in a position to demand anything soon enough.”

Immediately, she yanked the reins of her wyvern. The wings of the beast flapped mightily through its pain, every remaining wave of corrupted enclosing upon Alear’s army seemingly to assist the mage’s escape.

“She’s getting away!” Alcryst cried, firing at the horde targeting Alear while Lapis covered his flank

Alfred called back, “She’s retreating to the coast!”

Nobody could do anything, though. There were too many bodies between them and the ocean to even think of cutting her off.

“Why would she be so eager,” Diamant grunted, cutting down another humanoid monster, “to abandon not only her mission, but her army too?”

“Perhaps she values her life more,” Ivy supplied.

It took time - much more than Alear would have liked to admit - before the numbers subsided. Weapons and shattered vulneraries sprinkled the ground, scattered from either breaking or from their wielder’s death. 

Corrin turned to Alear only after the last opponent fell, worry written upon her features, “How are you feeling?”

“Tired,” she grimaced, “but I’m glad we intercepted Zephia today rather than let her go through with her plan. Who knows what awful things could have happened with an army that size?”

The silver-haired princess looked no less worried at her response. Her eyes scanned over Alear, a light frown pulling at her lips.

“I promise, I feel nothing out of the ordinary. Whatever Zephia did to me…she did say it was a new spell. Maybe it failed to work?”

“Sometimes things are not always as simple as they appear,” Corrin responded. “The things we fight against…though they are not always visible to the eye, you should never let your guard down. That’s a lesson I had to learn very well.”

“Right…we should at least head back to the Somniel to rest. We can try for the plains again some other time.”

“Good idea.”

~~~

“Well, it appears nothing is wrong. I ran every test imaginable, as I am certain Framme can attest to. If Zephia’s spell truly harmed you, I see no symptoms or evidence that you’re in danger.”

“Thank you, Ivy-”

“Nonetheless, I suggest that you rest. While I am…unsure…what Zephia did, one can never be too careful when it comes to a woman like her.”

The fabric of Ivy’s orchid dress ruffled at Alear’s bedside when the princess lifted herself from her chair. She put a hand to her lady’s shoulder, guiding her head to her pillow before turning to the door. Framme picked up the seat, setting it aside before leaving to walk out with her.

“Sleep now. I will run through the tests again when you wake.”

With Alear’s nod, the door shut with a light click.

A moment passed.

Then, another moment.

A sigh.

Alear turned onto her side. Her eyes faced the door, and her knees were pulled toward her chest. It was strange; her body felt heavy with fatigue, yet her eyelids refused to remain closed. 

It became especially difficult when a flash of silver and blue light flared against her eyelids.

“Is there anything I can do to help you relax?”

“Oh, Corrin!” her eyelids fluttered, “I’m so sorry! Please, allow me to return your ring to the chamber.”

A small giggle faded into the night, “I don’t mind. If it would make you feel better, I was actually about to suggest that I stay with you, just in case. Would that put you more at ease?”

Realizing she had subconsciously twisted the white sheets of her bed between her fingers, Alear frowned.

“I suppose I have been a bit on edge ever since Zephia hit me with…whatever that was,” she agreed. “Thank you, Corrin. I promise I’ll clean the ring thoroughly as soon as I get up tomorrow.”

“After Ivy checks in on you, you mean,” the Vallite smiled warmly. “There’s no need to rush. I’m here with you.”

For how many allies Alear accrued, hearing such phrases came to be a surprisingly scarce event. It made her feel safe, and she considered herself both happy and lucky to have someone like Corrin by her side.

“I do think it would be best if you got some sleep, though. The best thing you can do for yourself right now is rest.”

It was worth a shot, especially now that she knew someone nearby would support her if anything happened.

“Right. Good night, Corrin.”

“Sleep well.”

Luckily, after a few minutes, exhaustion finally caught up to Alear’s mind. Sleep claimed her, and she drifted into slumber.

~~~

“When the sun is almost a quarter of the way across the sky, you can wake the Divine One,” Ivy had lectured him last night. “Please no earlier than that. She needs rest tonight, understood?”

Alfred didn’t think he had that strange of a sleeping schedule. He would always count the number of hours he slept, and the prince always double-checked when it came to the Divine One’s rest.

Unfortunately, seven hours of sleep never seemed to cut it for his friends.

“Maybe it would be better if she woke up naturally, today,” Framme shrugged at her breakfast, Alfred sitting across from her.

“But Framme, if nothing really is wrong, there should be no issue with waking her up at a normal hour,” he argued. “Besides, it’s been more than enough time for her to have gotten proper sleep.”

She sighed, “Coming from you, Alfred, I’m not so sure about that.”

It was true, though. Ivy even told him - just under a quarter of the way across the sky.

Well, the sun crossed more than a quarter of the sky. Waking Alear up now could count as late.

Firene’s first prince stood with furrowed brows, excusing himself from the table. Clearing his plate prior to returning it to the countertop, Alfred made sure to thank Clanne, who happily accepted the dish. One step after the other, he crossed the dining area to reach the stairwell. The stairs clicked lightly underneath his feet until the blond found himself in front of the Divine Dragon’s door.

Politely, he knocked once, receiving no response just like every other time. Alfred’s hand latched onto the door as he let himself inside the room.

“Divine One?” he called, approaching her bed. “It’s time to wake up now.”

The following silence formed her answer, and Alfred couldn’t help but smile.

“Should I go grab my flute again?” he teased. “Or maybe you would rather I do some more training?”

Arriving at her bedside, Alfred paused. 

Alear appeared abnormally still. In fact, the cavalier was unsure if her chest even drew breath.

“Hey,” he extended his hand to grab her own, “It really is time to get-!”

She felt colder than death.

The prince recoiled, “Divine One? Alear?” 

No matter how he tried, she would not stir.

“Alear! Please, wake up! You can’t go back to sleep - not now! We all need you, and I can’t…”

Gathering his thoughts, he turned and raced out of her room, careening into the balcony railing and calling for help.

~~~

She had been trapped here since her consciousness had awoken. Her body was asleep, she knew, but her mind was aware and fighting.

Black and purple tendrils of darkness threatened to pull Alear into the wispy ground beneath her, which formed a darkness she had not yet come to know. Her only thought was that it might be death, and she thrashed with all of her being to avoid it.

“Help! Please, someone help me!’ she called. The Divine One never imagined she could sound so desperate. Death leaves one vulnerable to all sorts of new experiences, she supposed.

“Can anyone hear me?” fighting it exhausted her. “Help!”

I’m here!

“Princess Corrin?”

I’m here! I’m with you, Alear! she called back.

The emblem was there, and she was not there. Something prevented her from reaching through the darkness, but she told the truth, Alear knew. Corrin’s presence remained with her.

In taking that small comfort, her body felt invigorated. A familiar power flowed through her as the Divine Dragon committed herself to continue clawing and pulling at the coils clasping at her limbs.

The Vallite royal’s essence bled through the void, Don’t give up! I’m lending my strength to you, so keep fighting! I’m sure I can think of something and get you help!

Alear could only pray that she would hurry.

~~~

Prince Alfred, Framme, Princess Ivy, and Prince Diamant were the only ones allowed in the upper chamber. Clanne volunteered to place himself on duty outside the door while the others went to work.

The women examined Alear’s limp form, attempting to find some rational explanation as to what the draconic mage inflicted upon their leader. The men remained in the room in case of an emergency or complication. If extra materials were needed, they could run to get them, and if Zephia intended to try anything nefarious, they stood at the ready to fight.

“Well,” Framme concluded, “the Divine One is still alive, at least. Her pulse is strong.”

After a few minutes, Ivy frowned. She pressed down on Alear’s torso before watching the dragon’s ring flash and her chest extend.

“I believe it’s Lady Corrin we have to thank for her survival. Zephia…she stopped her lungs.”

“What?” Alfred panicked.

“Fear not; her emblem seems to be manually pulling in air. Our leader will continue to survive so long as she keeps her ring, and so long as Corrin continues to help.”

If Alear had chosen not to wear her ring to bed…

“Lady Corrin, can you hear me?” Framme tried. “Could you come out and talk to us?”

One moment of silence turned into three before a flash of light yielded the silver-haired princess to them.

“Good, I’m so glad her friends are here to help her,” Corrin gave a sad smile. “She’s in trouble.”

Diamant stepped forward, “We figured. Do you know what’s going on?”

“Not exactly - it’s so dark. There’s something preventing me from reaching her. She’s practically suffocating in black magic. I’ve been doing my best to lend her my strength, but it won’t last.”

The plum-haired princess sighed, “It is times like these that I lament the loss of Celica. She would have known how to expel such darkness.”

A heavy wave of despair blanketed the room. How could they stand around the Divine One’s deathbed doing nothing while she suffered?

Suddenly, Framme perked up, “Wait, Celica told me about something! The rings she helped us forge - her friends were infused in them. She said someone from her world known as Mae grew up with her and learned similar magic.”

“Really?” Alfred pressed, “Do you have Mae’s ring?”

Framme nodded, “It’s in the Ring Chamber. Surely Mae knows how to expel the darkness from Alear like Celica does, right?”

“Only one way to find out,” Firene’s first prince called on his way out of the room. He apologized to Clanne for almost hitting him with the door as he practically fell down the stairs.

The cold breath of the Ring Chamber sharpened his senses as the blond scanned his eyes over the displays. In his haste, he forgot to ask Framme what the ring looked like.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

“That one!”

Lucina’s voice shocked him only for a moment when she materialized at his side. He shook himself out of the small stupor, his gaze following her finger to a ring with an amethyst hue.

“...Mae?”

The small halo beamed in reply; the only answer Alfred permitted himself the patience to wait for prior to snatching it off its stand.

Out the door and back up the stairs he strode, thankful for all the training he committed to each day if only to get him back to the Divine One sooner. Clanne, recalling the incident from just a minute ago, opened the door for him this time to avoid getting hit again.

Slowing down, Alfred held out the jewel to Framme, the steward urgently slipping it onto her finger.

“Mae?”

Framme’s eyes flashed before she began recounting their situation. After a moment, she placed her hand over Alear’s pulse.

“...Okay…yeah…” the girl turned to Ivy and Corrin. “Mae says she can’t fully expel this magic, but she can remove it from the Divine Dragon’s body. The only issue is that with nowhere else to go, it’s going to appear in front of us.”

Lucina turned to Corrin, “Do you have any idea what we might be up against? Any warning we might heed?”

“I’m sorry, but Zephia’s magic prevents me from tangibly interacting with it. I really don’t know - no!”

Gasping out her liege’s name, Corrin disappeared, presumably back into the ring.

Alear’s complexion had paled rather noticeably; still filled with life, yet untouched by nature. It was as if she had never experienced the sun, the breeze, or the plants…as though she had never taken water nor tasted food…

Like a painted doll never taken out of its parcel.

Diamant drew his sword, “If she is dealing with this alone and losing, we may have better odds of winning by working together.”

“Right,” Ivy assented.

Alfred turned to Framme, “We can do this. Tell Mae we’re ready.”

The petite girl pursed her lips together, bobbing her head once and holding her hands out.

Purple magic gathered in front of her before surrounding Alear to expel the darkness. The dragon’s body seemed to resist at first; Alear’s torso the only thing initially rising as the spell lifted it off the bed. 

Eventually, a stream of darkness protruded into the purple, the colors dancing as the darkness trailed from her chest. When all was said and done, Alear fell limp onto the mattress, and a massive, horrible void formed between the Elyosians and her bed.

“This is what Zephia conjured to consume the Divine One?” Diamant balked.

“Ugh, it reeks of emptiness,” Ivy brought the back of her hand to her mouth. “So much energy, and yet…nothing.”

The void thrashed and tremored from its spot on the ground. Moving quickly, Ivy struck it once with her magic, then again. The spells collided with the darkness and disappeared just as quickly.

“What the-?”

Diamant grit his teeth, “It’s just absorbing your attacks.”

The room watched as Ivy continued her fruitless onslaught. Flares of light danced between the princess’ book and the dark matter occupying the center of the Divine One’s chamber.

“I’ve never seen such an uncontaminated shadow without a host,” Lucina worried.

Alfred tensed, “There must be a way to get rid of it for good.”

If Zephia’s claim had been true, then it must have been experimental magic. The prince found it difficult to believe that even she could create a perfect curse on her first attempt.

Then again, maybe she had tested it on others prior to this incident.

“Of course!” the Ylissean princess’ blue eyes widened. “Prince Alfred, with Naga’s blessing, my Falchion should be able to purify the void.”

“How do you mean?”

“In my world, Falchion possessed the power to seal away even the fell dragon,” she rushed to explain. “I am certain it must be able to seal this darkness away as well - especially if it was merely created by man.”

Her reasoning seemed sound, though he had to admit he felt a bit timid in regards to launching himself at the thing.

Unfortunately, Ivy had halted her assault in favor of searching for a spell that might work more effectively. Their amorphic opponent lashed out, looking to cling to something after supporting itself alone for so long. Called to its original host, it began crawling back toward the Divine One.

“Now! Lucina!”

Alfred charged forward, his form glowing upon the emblem joining with him. Now brandishing Falchion, he attempted to cut through the black shape and prevent it from reaching Alear.

With one slash of the blessed sword, the black magic recoiled and shrank, the newly purified tendrils transforming into light and dissolving into the air.

There was no time to celebrate; a faint cheer from Framme faded when the remaining fragments dragged themselves beneath him and latched onto his leg. They merged, wrapping themselves up Alfred’s body and forging a path directly to his ring.

“H-Hey-! -ngh!”

The curse forced him to disengage, ripping Lucina from him as he fell to his knees.

“Prince Alfred!” Diamant called.

Amidst the chaos, a sharp inhale resounded from the Divine One’s bed.

“She’s breathing again! But how?” Framme cried, rushing to Alear’s side.

Her breath clung to Alfred like a pulse, his own inhalation timed perfectly with her own. It felt like he could no longer control his lungs at all…

Lucina…I need you…please…

It was driving him crazy…and leaving him a bit dizzy. He needed to fight to stay conscious. If he fell under…well, wouldn’t he end up just like Alear? Only he didn’t have an emblem to save him - not anymore.

I can’t die here! Not now!

It was all he could do to keep calling out to Lucina. Alfred had no intention of losing himself, but even so…

…

…

…I’m here! I found you, Alfred - I’m right here!

“...Please…stay with me…”

Always.

“Lyn!”

The blond barely made out a feminine voice, but at that moment it didn’t matter. The air around him trembled until his senses came flooding back to him all at once.

Gasping for breath, his body failed him and he fell to the ground. Thankfully, Prince Diamant rushed to support him before his head could strike the marble floor.

“Are you alright, Prince Alfred?”

“I…I’m still awake, right?” he gasped. “Am I still…?”

“Yes, it is finished. That spell took quite the hold on you.”

He lifted his head, black spots forming at the edges of his vision to punish him for being too quick. Alfred didn’t care.

“What of the Divine One?”

“Sleeping,” the Brodian prince reassured him, “Corrin said she would be alright.”

It was then that he finally allowed himself to scan the room. Ivy and Framme were rushing about the Divine One, the princess splitting her attention between Alear and Alfred now that he had awoken while the steward elected to remain at her liege’s bedside.

“Forgive me;” Ivy clarified, “I needed to utilize Lady Lyn’s bow to free you. I never intended to actually strike you with it.”

The prince gave a weak grin, “No worries. Besides, there was no way to guide the arrows without hitting me through that thing. I think it took the brunt of your attack.”

Extending the stave over Alfred, Princess Ivy took her time mending everything as best she could. With Diamant’s support, he found his footing and rose to stand, the three of them migrating to Alear’s stirring form.

“Her breathing is normal,” Framme confirmed, “and isn’t synced with Alfred’s anymore. She should be just fine on her own.”

The group gave the mattress more space as red and blue strands of hair tangled together.

“...hello…?”

“Good afternoon, Divine One,” Ivy greeted her calmly. “How are you feeling?”

“My body feels fine…my head…not so much.”

“I know how that feels,” Alfred frowned.

After a moment of cursing the light entering the room, the woman’s eyes flew open, and she shot up as though she had just snapped out of a trance, “Wait, I-I’m awake?”

Alear’s eyes trailed over the room, assessing the damages in her confusion.

“...what exactly…happened?”

Diamant kindly filled her in to the best of his ability, patiently answering her bewildered questions. At the end of the story, her gaze caught Alred’s.

“Are you okay?”

His mouth almost dropped open, “Me? You’re the divine dragon! You were out cold for hours, fighting this thing by yourself, while I could hardly hold on for a few minutes, and you’re asking about me?”

“He does have a point,” Framme meekly piped up. “Everything we did was for you. We had each other, but we really thought you were going to die, Divine One!”

Alear shook her head, “I would never overlook someone else’s pain just because I suffered too. We both endured Zephia’s curse, so it’s important that we’re both taken care of.”

Prince Alfred sighed, bringing a hand to his face, “Honestly, Divine One, you’re too selfless. If you must know, I’ll be fine. You should let Framme and Princess Ivy tend to your head for now. Then, if you’re still concerned, we can talk later.”

It was clear that she didn’t like that answer, yet she resigned herself back to the bed nonetheless. Resting her head upon her pillow, the women continued working their staves and monitoring her vital signs.

Eventually, Framme helped Alear right herself on the mattress despite protests that she really should be resting.

“Framme, I’ve been lying down long enough. What I really want is to stretch my legs and to get some food and water.”

“Even so, perhaps it is best Lady Corrin stay with you - at least until tomorrow morning. One can never be too certain,” Diamant supplied.

Ivy nodded, “Yes, and I would recommend you keep Lucina with you as well, Prince Alfred. You have been through quite a lot today, despite what you say, and I would hate for anything to happen because of anyone’s carelessness.”

“Oh,” he turned to Lucina. “Would you be alright staying with me a while longer?”

The emblem’s hand found its way to her heart, “Of course.”

Alfred received his own checkup at Alear’s insistence; however, she had to practically force him to swap places with her since he was adamantly against sitting upon her bed. Fortunately, he relented once Framme began to complain.

Ivy sent Prince Diamant to get Bunet to start cooking, Alfred’s checkup commencing without so much as a hiccup before the Divine One’s chamber emptied out. Clanne clandestinely snuck in and cleaned up the place, leaving things as though Zephia’s experiment had never happened.

Perhaps it didn’t, Alfred thought. Maybe when something is spoken of for the last time, it dies.

Of course, his mind was not so kind to him. His dreams the next few weeks were plagued with her pale form and the pulse of their synchronized breaths.

Those were the nights he was glad to have Lucina with him.

[fiction-box]

Hello! Here is an idea if you are up for it. Separate fics for Felix & Reader and Marianne & Reader, please.

Near the end of an arduous battle, one goes missing. The other one defies a direct order to stay with the group - instead returns to the battlefield alone under certain danger, to find and retrieve their missing comrade. I will leave it up to you what the results and circumstances are.

Thank you in advance!

Hello there, my lovely! Because you specifically stated the results/circumstances were at my discretion, I did have a bit of fun and make things difficult for the characters. These types of scenarios are not typical ones that I write often, so completing them also helps to complete my understanding of a character. The more I learn about how they would react, the more I grow.

I enjoy all types of writing and scenarios though, so please don't hesitate to ask for something else if inspiration strikes. Thank you for sharing with me!

These are Gender Neutral as you later specified.

The story will be continued under the cut. Requests are open!

“Are you crazy? There are mages back there!”

Those were the last words you uttered to your friends before rushing back onto the underground battlefield. The Blue Lions were being overwhelmed by TWSITD, pushed back far enough until Professor Byleth had deemed it optimal to retreat.

But upon your headcount just outside the facility, Felix was not among the ranks of your army.

So off you went, despite Dimitri’s direct orders for you to hang back. It felt as though you were the only one that actually cared - the only one to come to your friend’s rescue after all he had done for the Kingdom’s cause.

Off you went, running down the winding corridors, past corpses both friend and foe, all the way into the furthest room the Blue Lions had reached before being pushed back.

…yet there were no enemies standing in your way.

It was as though the seemingly limitless forces you found yourself struggling to defeat earlier had vanished into thin air. No, you knew damn well this organization was not one to be analyzed under normal circumstances. Where they met a dead end, they would blow a hole into the mountain blocking their path.

They could be admired for that; their cunning and their determination.

Unlike your friends, who seemed determined to choose inaction when a vital member of their team went awol.

Passing through a steel gate, you entered the memtallic room in the back to find a bubble of dark energy floating at its center. The structure teemed with life despite its unnatural appearance.

You approached, only to realize Felix had been trapped inside. He was floating too, but he was also…unconscious?

‘“Felix?” you called quietly, “Felix, please - can you hear me? You need to break out of there!”

What were you meant to do? To mess with a power you didn’t understand sounded like a bad idea on its own.

Not as though I have avoided such a trial by coming here to fight in the first place. Besides, I came back for Felix. I can’t return without him.

An idea sprung to mind. This bubble was made of dark magic, so you would attempt to combat it with light.

The faint glow of Nosferatu shone upon your hands as you approached the orb, “Felix, I’m going to try to get you out of there. I don’t know why they left you here all alone,” you allowed your hands to touch it, “but -”

Instantly, the bubble dissipated, the energy flowing down and underneath the Mortal Savant to set him upon the ground safely.

There was no time to celebrate or pull him toward the door. Instead, the tendril of energy swirled from beneath him into the area surrounding you. Covered before you could blink, you found yourself in a personal ecosystem with zero gravity and air taking the form of black smoke.

“Help!” you cried uselessly, a response of confusion more than a call to action.

You should have known an army unseen was at its most deadly.

The smoke suffocated you, taking away your strength though your mind felt unaffected. Thanks to the weightlessness, you were unable to even touch the energy trapping you, let alone free yourself despite your best attempt.

Your eyelids lowered, your body weakened, and your outstretched arm returned to your side before you lost all feeling to your body.

How strange it was; you could think and hear, take in the temperature surrounding you and the smoke flowing over you, but other than that, there was only emptiness.

~~~

First, he felt a tingling sensation on his whole body; the same kind he would feel when he gripped his sword too tight as a child, only all-encompassing rather than just within his hand.

Since he couldn’t reliably move his body, the only action Felix trusted himself with was opening his eyes.

He was lying on the floor. You, true to what his ears told him, had taken his place in the enchanted prison.

The numbness would fade from his body soon enough. No one else was here, from what he could hear and see anyway. The swordsman would be on his feet in a moment, so why were no mages interfering?

He could escape as soon as -

Shit.

Felix wouldn’t be escaping; he’d be abandoning the only person that came for him.

What was he meant to do? The man possessed no power to help you, no magic to set you free. If he left to go find help, there was no guarantee you’d be here upon his return.

And as though on cue, the Blue Lions rushed in through the gate moments later.

The timing felt too perfect, but he would hold off on foreshadowing curses until they revealed their true form.

“Felix, what - “ Ashe choked on his words, “...um…why are you lying on the floor.”

…can’t speak yet without the risk of biting my tongue off…

“Is he dead?” Annette worried.

“No. He breathes.”

Dedue and Mercedes filed into the room last, the healer rushing to her fallen comrade’s side.

“Oh dear, his whole body is undergoing a severe case of parasthesia.”

Just shut up and fix me before someone else injures themself.

“This won’t hurt a bit, I’ll just be a moment,” the blonde promised before setting herself to work. Graciously, she began with his head, so he could speak while she did her job.

“Thank you,” he began before emboldening his voice, “If anyone touches that thing, they’ll be encapsulated by it too. White magic seems to have some effect on it, but I haven’t gotten to learn much from inside before I befell this state.”

Annette nodded, turning toward the bubble, “Are they okay?”

“Yes. They can’t move, speak, or feel much of anything, but I promise they can hear you.”

“Got it! Hey, I’m going to try casting a spell to counteract the magic, okay?” he watched Annette call out to you before she took a few steps back. “Don’t be startled when it hits!”

Sure enough, ranged faith magic was enough to do the job. Mercedes had Felix back on his feet, and you were lying on the floor in the same position he “awakened” in.

“Good, now let’s get out of here,” Felix nodded.

Sylvain came in from outside the gate, hurriedly scanning the room, “Hey, has anyone seen the professor?”

“What do you mean has anyone seen the professor?” he snapped, “Don’t you all keep track of each other? No, actually, you don’t - a lesson I know all about after being left behind in a sphere of dark matter for ages!”

“Felix, I’m sorry,” Ingrid frowned, “we were overwhelmed, and we couldn’t see where anyone had gone. Now, we can see, and everyone is here except Professor Byleth.”

“She was right next to me when we came in…” Dimitri pondered.

But there was no more time to dwell on the matter. Some of the smoke that resembled what had been present in his bubble began to spread itself along the ground of the room.

“Get them off the floor,” the king gestured to Dedue. “Everyone, we need to evacuate, lest these villains incapacitate us all.”

“But what about Professor Byleth?” Ashe fretted.

Felix grabbed his arm before swinging him toward the door, “No time! We need to get out of here or else we’ll all meet the same fate. Nobody can help her if we die here.”

So it was that the Blue Lions retreated to Fhirdiad without their beloved mentor. You were brought back to good health, and life went on. It had to.

Though you never found the professor nor the underground hideout again, there were seldom any more troubles with TWSITD in both your and Felix’s lifetimes.

No, rather, you had doomed your bloodlines. It was not your children, but your grandchildren who would pay, fighting legions of warriors with crests that seemed to keep them from death.

But really, how could any of you have known?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marianne had a very important job.

She established herself quickly as the best healer of the Golden Deer. In any case, she was certainly the most devoted cleric.

Once someone had been brought in to see her, they would be back on the front lines in moments. It could all be attributed to her years of experience, and her extreme focus.

Focus that broke at the frantic cries coming from outside.

Concerned, Marianne rushed out of the tent only to see Alliance troops retreating from the Great Bridge of Myrrdin.

Lorenz and Leonie breezed past before Ignatz caught sight of her.

“Marianne!” he grabbed her wrist to lead her, “We need to go - we aren’t strong enough to hold the bridge!”

“Wait, but, I haven’t seen -”

“There’s no time! Come on!”

But she couldn’t leave. Not yet. Not until she knew you would be joining everyone else.

“I’m sorry, Ignatz!”

Without giving him any time to process what she had just said, Marianne ripped her arm away and tore down the hill toward the bridge. It was as difficult as swimming against the current; soldiers fleeing in the direction she was headed barely dodged her as she forced her way through.

Holding up her skirt, she was out of breath by the time she actually made it onto the bridge. A group of enemy swordsmen had seen her coming though, and thus a small force prepared to take her down upon her arrival.

A small force would not be enough to hold her back.

 Magic was a ranged weapon, and something these men could not hope to compete with as she threw blasts of light into the path she intended to take.

There you were, gravely wounded on the ground with an enemy general looming above you.

Did she want to kill you? You were bleeding out, but she never moved to finish the job. Were you to be taken prisoner then?

No, the blue-haired healer could not allow that to happen.

In her breathless state, she had attracted the attention of this enemy general. Perhaps it was for the best.

“Who the hell are you? Shouldn’t you be helping the others?”

Only after she gave Marianne a once over did the General finally seem to understand.

“Oh, I see. Your colors…you don’t belong here, do you?” the intimidating warrior approached, “So what, you’re another prisoner coming to plead for your life?”

The Golden Deer’s medic swallowed, unsure of what exactly to say.

She loosely gestured her axe back at you, “Not a bad idea. This one refused, and we’re pretty sure they know something we would really like them to share with us,” she chuckled. “Here’s an idea, maybe you could -”

“I won’t. I’m not going to do anything you say. Now get away from them.”

“In case you haven’t noticed,” her axe straightened, pointing directly at Marianne’s throat, “you don’t have any power here. I am in control, and what I say goes.”

As if on cue, the groups of soldiers, knights, and other assorted warriors began to press forward on you, the general, and Marianne.

No! I didn’t come this far just to be captured!

In one last, desperate attempt to save you, Marianne allowed her magic to run through her veins once again. Only this time, she would need to take everyone down.

And with a loud cry, she did the best she could.

Casting Fimbulvetr, a wall of ice arose in front of the enemy fighters. The frozen sculpture twisted and turned about the bridge, piercing the necks or eyes of all it came across and causing more death than the woman ever would have dreamed of. Trapped motionless within the ice was none other than the general herself.

Whomever Marianne failed to reach had either frozen in shock or taken to attending to their comrades; the two of you had been blocked off by the ice barrier.

At your weak groans, she brought herself to her knees at your side.

“Please,” she worried, “promise me you’ll be alright.”

The beginnings of healing magic stretched through her wrists and into your body. She needed to move fast; who knew how much blood you had already lost.

“Marianne…you’re weak…” you coughed.

“No, no! Not as much as you’ve grown to be…”

She trailed off once you began shaking your head, “...this was reckless…you should have left me…now you’re tired and…and we’re both at risk…”

“Enough,” she breathed, stubbornly pouring more of her energy into you. Already, your color had returned, but out of her desperation, she was beginning to lose the color in her own face, “I’m done with people telling me what to do. I could never run while you were trapped here. The fact that no one was doing anything, I -”

“Marianne!”

How poetic. To die of an arrow through the heart. Had she not cared so much for you, she would never have met this fate.

~~~

You launched up, looking to the walls along the bridge for a hidden sniper.

Nothing.

At least her death was quick.

Gathering Marianne in your arms one last time, you softly pressed your lips against her forehead before reluctantly leaving her body behind.

You were so, so tired. She had healed you and restored some of your strength, but it wouldn’t be enough to set you right forever. You needed to find Lysithea.

“I’m sorry, Marianne,” you whispered.

Finally, you returned the way you saw Marianne come, walking to safety upon the path she cleared for you.

[fiction-box]

DSJFHSHFJS okay I just read your "kidnapped together" fic w Dimitri and I left my reaction in the tags but I had to come and scream about it here too bc omg????

The scene where he's like "you either heal her or let us go" "you're not letting us heal her" "then what choice does that leave you" sdhfgsjdj *chef's kiss* I literally gasped out loud lmao

Bc like??? It's so in character for him!!! Of course he wouldn't bow to the demands of his captors he's a prince he knows how to negotiate!!! >:0

I feel like I'm learning things about my own writing from reading your fics lol I always struggle with writing characters that deviate too much from my own personality bc my first thought is always "what would I consider to be a good idea in this situation?" but sometimes He Would Not Fucking Do That! It's a real skill to be able to understand a character well enough to figure out how they would act in novel situations that didn't happen in canon and I think you do a wonderful job of it :3

Also I love accidental confessions after someone gets incapacitated whether from alcohol or blood loss hehe I was giggling twirling my hair kicking my feet at the ending <3

I am so glad you felt that way! I will admit that of my most recent works, this is the one I keep coming back to. I love what I did, and I kept reading it over again and grinning.

Rarely do I write a work that I am that attached to. Of course I am proud of all my work, or I would never post it. All in all, this is one of them that takes the cake for me.

The concepts I wanted to play with were a marriage of “No one has to do anything.” and “Running out of time.” What do you do when you have the advantage, but you go bankrupt if you fail to close the deal in an hour?

Dimitri is no fool; if they are reluctant to have you die, then they sure as hell do not want to kill him. That means his life is not in danger at the moment, but it will be if they heal you and successfully lock you both away.

That means the best way to keep you both safe is to put your life on the line. He hates it, and he sure as hell isn’t letting them in on that secret. Dimitri can apologize once you both get out of there.

Thank you for telling me all of this, I am always happy to know when my pieces are appreciated!

[fiction-box]

Omg you're playing FE echoes rn???? Lmk when you're finished so I can request something with my boy Lukas <3 I've had such a hard time finding x reader fics for this game probably bc they don't have a player insert :')

It will probably take some time to get there. For some reason, Celica’s group is struggling to manage the Sonya/Deen fight and Alm’s team is just…

It has been a struggle, but I will get through it eventually. I can’t wait to write for Lucas for you!

[fiction-box]

Hi there! I found your blog through your Claude x Asexual!reader fic, and I loved it so much! (Both as an asexual myself, and a Claude lover 😅) You write for FeTH(ouses) right? Would you do three hopes as well or not? I don't want to force you to play the game, or anything I just wanted to know since the character's appearances outfits and potentially personalities are changed between the two.

But all that aside, could I possibly get a Claude x Fem!reader that were separated during the time skip for whatever reasons and are reuniting during/after battle?

Also, is it okay with you if I go by Ace anon?

Hello, lovely Ace anon! I have not consumed enough material from FEWTH to reliably create material for the game, and I am not likely to play the game in the near future either. That said, I will happily write for the games I have already played. I have been moving backward rather than forward in the Fire Emblem series; the game I am currently playing is FE Echoes: SoV.

Hopefully, this doesn't hold you back from sharing your ideas with me. It is always exciting to hear from others and indulge both them and myself in material that we love.

The story will be continued under the cut. Requests are open!

Following Professor Byleth’s disappearance, the Golden Deer became more of an idea than an army. There was no need for such a force when the Church and Kingdom were already deploying all of their troops against the Empire. To top it off, the Leicester Alliance couldn’t come to a decision on which side of the war they would support.

The Leicester Alliance’s system was doomed to fail from the start; this was simply the push it needed.

In any case, your sister, a renowned animal doctor, had funded your education at Garreg Mach in hopes you would grow to become a pegasus knight in the Alliance’s Guard of Derdriu. No doubt the pay would be more than enough to set you for life.

…but you technically never graduated.

That took quite the toll on your family. Tuition had been expensive, to say the least. Not only did Garreg Mach not give you a title that would land you anywhere in this world, but they also denied refunds in the name of the war effort. The very war effort that strained mountains of commoner households across Fodlan, specifically.

So your family had settled on the next best thing. You would become an apprentice under your sister, studying what you had not already picked up just from being around her and supporting her dream in your youth.

You were surprised to learn that business was booming during the war. Your sister practically toured the continent, going wherever safety was guaranteed and money was abundant to train, strengthen, and heal all types of war creatures. Wyverns, pegasi, horses, dogs, falcons…and you were along for the ride.

Just being around such a renowned practitioner allowed you to come to truly appreciate both her work and her dedication. She was intelligent, compassionate, witty, and ethical; any time you had a question, she was right next to you with an answer. There was just no parallel for the amount you learned in such a short time.

The money went back to your family, for the most part. There was enough to go around and then some, though the two of you urged your parents to do whatever they could to help your community with the funds. No reason to be stingy when higher salaries came with every job.

It went on like this for years. Your sister would be called, you would follow, and the animals would find themselves in peak condition after about a month. Then the two of you would move on, your travel accommodated in advance by your next patrons.

Such repetition was easy to fall into, especially when it meant luxury for you and the ones you loved. It almost made you forget about something important.

A promise you had made to your friends 5 years ago.

Discussing your plan with your sister, she was at first adamant that you remain with her. Any affiliation that wasn’t strictly neutral with a territory would certainly lead to you being marked for the war effort, after all.

But you assured her that you had been training for this. She had sent you off to become a knight, so why was it wrong to follow through?

In the end, your place was on the front lines while hers was to play support. No amount of playing doctor could change your mettle.

So when she reluctantly let you go, releasing you to carve your own path, the two of you prepared for it to be your final goodbye.

“Please, be safe,” she enveloped you in a hug, “and don’t forget resolutions forged in the hour of fear. You are who you are; this war must never change that, you understand?”

“I do. I’m going to miss you more than you could know.”

“I’ll write often, I promise.”

“...”

Finally, you mounted the saddle of your pegasus. You had enough rations to get to Garreg Mach, according to one of the knights, and your weapon was sharp and ready should you need it.

“No holding back out there. Don’t let anyone forget who you are, no matter what.”

Neither of you had the heart to say you loved each other.

“Make the world a better place.” Goodbye, sister.

Off you went, wind blowing past your face into your hair. You would not look back, and you would not look down. This would be the path to your future.

The trip lasted what felt to be an eternity. Eventually, your rations lowered to a dangerous level, and you weren’t quite sure how far you had yet to travel. Geography was not your strong suit, despite your travels, and you landed your pegasus near a stream before dismounting.

Your steed, built differently than a horse and needing to use far more strength to carry you and your equipment, would require more food than just grass. Not to mention you were hungry for something fresh, tired of the bits of meat preserved by copious amounts of salt.

Naturally, your mind had come to fish as its conclusion. Meat without much fuss, and you would always know where to find it.

There was another reason.

After all your work these past several years, you doubted you had the gall to kill an animal outright. A fish was the furthest removed thing on the food chain from what you worked with in terms of meat, from the top of your head anyway.

So you primed your spear, peaking into the stream. Today’s meal would be perch if you were skilled enough.

“I’m so sorry,” you whispered, just off the top of your breath.

It was repeated like a mantra as you tried to think of a way to kill the animal as painlessly as possible. No way you could stomach watching it flop around in its final moments.

“Please forgive me, I’m so sorry. I’m sorry. I don’t want to do this.”

Even your horse, it seemed, was giving you a judgemental look. Really it was just a fish, right? You could do so much more good to the world than a-

“Well, I never thought I’d see the day.”

Quickly, you spun on your heel to face the new voice. It was one you hadn’t heard in half a decade, but you could never forget that tone.

“Claude? How did you end up out here?”

He chuckled, moving in closer, “We all met back at Garreg Mach the day of the Milennium Festival. Unlucky for us, a group of bandits beat us to the punch, and we had to clear them all out. I came out here looking for stragglers in a haphazard perimeter check when I saw something strange by this stream.”

Your pegasus, moved by its stomach, approached Claude after observing your reaction to your previous house leader. It sniffed at its bag before nipping at it impatiently.

“Woah, easy there!” he grinned. “You two must have been on quite the journey if you’re this demanding. That, or maybe you’re just a spoiled little thing.”

Grinning, you watched as Claude gave in, opening the bag on his hip and holding out bits of meat for your companion.

“Won’t your own wyvern be jealous?”

“What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her. We landed yards away to be stealthy, so she shouldn’t come snooping around here if she’s being good-”

“Wait a minute!” you interrupted, “I missed the Milennium Festival? But how? I was told I had enough rations to get to Garreg Mach, and that I’d be in the area the day before.”

Claude sighed, petting the pegasus with his now-empty hand, “We wondered where you were; I’ll admit there were rumors something had happened to you since you’d last been with us, but I held onto hope.”

Still, that didn’t answer your question.

“Based on the direction I think you’ve been heading, you probably would have passed your destination too far to the east. It’s a good thing I caught you- otherwise, that would be a one-way trip to Enbarr. If the soldiers or the starvation didn’t take you first, that is.”

Your steed pulled away, approaching you before pawing at the ground.

The archer’s eyes met yours, “I could take you back to Garreg Mach the fast way. I’m sure both you and your friend would have an easier time eating whatever Leonie caught today.” He grinned, “Unless, of course, the whole Enbarr-trip thing sounds like something more your speed.”

Laughing in response, you mounted and followed Claude through the bushes to his wyvern.

“By all means, lead the way.”

[fiction-box]

Hi there! I was the original requestor of the Sylvain and Disaster!Reader fic. Thank you so very much! It was everything I had hoped for and more. It was just so tragic and poetic and karmic and ironic from start to finish. The ending hit me like a truck and I'm still hurting, and I love it :') Reader character is as problematic and pathetic as I had envisioned - she got her just desserts, but still managed to come out on top in a very messed up way and I adore that. I know I said you could tone it down and yet you turnt it up lolol. Thank you again!

Of course! I will admit I was a bit insecure with the result of this work, but the ending is definitely the part I enjoyed writing the most. It means so much to me when you send such nice messages; you have certainly boosted my confidence in that fic. I am glad you like the creative liberties I took! ❤️

[fiction-box]

Hi there! I have a request if and only if you feel up for it. Only one character.

Sylvain x Female Reader

Reader is a close friend of Sylvain, but is opposite of Ingrid in that she is an enabler - a willing and enthusiastic accomplice of his romantic escapades. She will support his efforts, scope out a girl's likes and dislikes, make introductions, cover for him when he's playing around, and pretend to be his lover if he wants to make a girl jealous or chase her away. In other words, she is just as terrible as Sylvain is.

Maybe she is just as angry as he is about family and Crests and things like that. Maybe she just loves a scandal. But at her core she cares for Sylvain in that she'll encourage his unhealthy behaviour just so they can both have some fun.

Inevitably, word gets around and her reputation in the academy gets sent straight to the gutter. To no one's surprise, things come to a head when she is violently confronted by the very people that she and Sylvain managed to piss off. She's willing to take the brunt of it - but then Sylvain comes to her defense.

It's up to you if they learn their lesson and clean up their behaviour afterwards :) Given the subject material, feel free to tone down or omit certain points or ignore the request completely! Thanks for your consideration.

Greetings again! This prompt caught my eye last week, though I am not sure how I feel about the result of my work. Out of every story I wrote, this sure is one of them. Requests are open, so send something in if you would like to see me write for you!

The story will be continued under the cut.

News spread fast when it came to this damned war.

Apparently, the professor that once led the Black Eagle house had been sighted after going missing for a period of five years. Her return had prompted the Empire’s forces into motion. They recaptured the Great Bridge of Myrrdin just hours ago, if all the merchants and messengers were to be believed.

Naturally, the war effort on the Kingdom’s side redoubled. For everyone else, anyway.

You never really cared for war. You were no devout soldier like Ingrid or Ashe, and you had never signed your life away for the blade like Felix. Dedue and Dimitri were obligated to fight for the Kingdom, but you? You were only here for one reason.

And that reason was currently arguing with another girl.

There was nothing in your arms nor immediately on your to-do list. As such, nothing prevented you from making your way toward Sylvain. The girl’s back was to you, and your eyes met Sylvain’s upon your approach.

When he flashed his eyes ever so subtly, you took it as your signal to step in.

“...tually, I’ve already found someone else. Sorry, but I can’t be with a woman only after me for my crest.”

You made it to his side and he pulled you into him, kissing you in a way you only wish were genuine. It was soft and passionate, somewhere between gentle and rough.

Perfection, though merely an illusion.

The woman in front of you gritted her teeth behind her lips and stormed off. Sylvain made a point of pulling you up against his chest until you couldn’t feel her eyes on you anymore.

He pulled away just as quickly, the two of you catching your breath and putting yourselves back together.

Well, on the outside, at least.

Even before this war, you were both broken. He would hurt himself, and you would do it too, so he would never be alone.

But no two mirrors ever shattered the same. Neither of you truly had an emotional connection despite how divinely your pieces could fit together physically.

So you had nothing to say to each other. No “thank you” or “anytime”. Just the straightening of clothes and moving-on of lives.

As stupid as you knew it was, you had allowed your heart to beat for him. It was no surprise that when you parted, your heart felt tight and your stomach seemed hollow.

It was never easy to admit defeat, but ignoring your feelings meant ignoring this battle, too. It would have been so easy, and still, the ache didn’t stop.

So days turned to weeks…and weeks turned to years, you supposed. And here you were, trying so desperately to make yourself numb to a love that would forever go unrequited.

Sylvain wandered off first, but you lingered. You hadn’t come here for him, after all, though your sorry heart knows you would have.

Passing the cliffside, you pushed open the doors to the training hall. You picked up the notebook sitting near the bows and began to tally the arrows remaining in the barrel. Some knights had a nasty habit of breaking them when they retrieved their arrows from the training dummies. If the loss was unaccounted for, it would leave the army at a deficit when it came time for battle, though the brunt of the weapons were kept in the barracks defending the monastery.

You scratched a few numbers on the pad after tediously counting each arrow. It was hell, and you never understood it; why couldn’t you just buy a handful more every two weeks? Shamir would always tell you off whenever you asked, stating that precision was key in all affairs of war and battle.

Not that you cared much. The more the merrier when it came to weapons.

Blinking away the memory, you dropped the notes where you had gotten them and left the training hall. Upon exiting, however, you felt eyes on you.

In the first few moments, you kept your eyes down and walked forward. Regardless, your curiosity got the better of you.

You scanned the area. Three men had been tracking you with their eyes, but the two women next to them were unabashedly staring you down head-on.

It took you a moment, but you recognized those girls as Sylvain’s ex-lovers. One of the boys was even a past admirer of yours before…

Shit, so the other two men must have been the fathers of those women. How the hell did these five even meet?

Your former admirer began to approach you first. No way were you going to allow them to get you alone though; you needed to get to someplace with more people.

Somewhere like the dining hall.

You began to pick up the pace alongside the dorms, but you weren’t vigilant enough to pick up on his footsteps speeding up behind you. He seized your arms before manhandling you into the closest open room.

“What the hell is your problem? Are you just continuously rebounding off everyone else just to hurt them?”

“Let go of me!”

Just as swiftly, the others filed into the room after you.

“You think it’s funny to be a homewrecker?” one of the women accused.

Her father stepped in, “Do you have any idea what this could have done for my family?”

“You’re ruining our chance at a one-way shot to nobility!”

“He loved me! I know he did! What have you done to him?”

Finally, you could get a word in, “I…you need to let me go-”

“Why?” asked the boy your age, “So you can hurt someone else? No, you can stay here and take accountability for your actions. For all the people you’ve hurt. You broke my heart; I deserve to know why.”

…I did, didn’t I?

He was right. None of these people deserved what you had done to them in your pathetic attempts to have what you never could.

Now they were in the same boat, their own pathetic attempts at obtaining a noble title falling apart in the name of your own desires.

“So…you all agree that none of you deserve to be-” you swallowed a complicated emotion you couldn’t quite place. “To be taken advantage of? To be lied to or led on?”

Silence. Growing tension, just as the amalgamation of fear and something else swirled within you.

“Then- Then why-” you were almost angry, you discovered, “why is it okay for him to be mistreated and misled? All because of his birth- Just imagine your reaction if it were the other way around! A bunch of nobles taking advantage of a commoner? How could I not step in?”

“They already take advantage of us!” one of the older men barked, “All these taxes when they know damn well they could already pay to fix our roads and fund our schools, orphanages, and hospitals-”

“This isn’t about him!” the teary eyed woman interrupted, “We didn’t come to berate him today; this is all your fault!”

Your admirer latched onto you again before positioning himself behind you. You were pressed against his chest, his hands holding your arms at your sides.

“Let’s get her out of here. We’re being too loud, and it’s not like she’s contributing anything to the war effort, anyway.”

You found no time to protest as you were dragged out of the room and marched toward the exit of the grounds. You resisted, sure, but one on five was in no world an even matchup.

And why were the grounds so empty? On a bad day, there were a handful of soldiers around at minimum. This was just negligence!

“Hey, what the hell are you doing?”

Sylvain rushied toward the group from the Blue Lions’ classroom of the Officers’ Academy.

“We’re just trying to teach this homewrecking lowlife to stay out of your way. She’s interfering with your relationships, aren’t you sick of it?”

“I don’t need your help determining what’s best for me,” he frowned. “I can make my own decisions, like the decision to not pair up with any girl after me solely for my crest. Now get your hands off her before anyone gets hurt.”

The Gautier heir was quick to pull you out of that other boy’s grasp.

“Unbelievable! You’re actually derfending someone like her? Maybe he’s right; you’re both just as bad as the other.”

You turned to face them, their growing frustrations leading them to start toward you both again.

Unlike yourself, Sylvain never looked back. He just picked up the pace while leading you both to your room. The door locked behind you.

“I’ve seen that boy before. He’s fast. We wouldn’t have been able to outrun him, so I think this is the next best option.”

“But we’re sitting ducks here,” you worried.

“I know, I just…” he ran his hands through his hair.

You tried to find the proper words to calm him down.

“Look, I’m sure it will be fine. We can just-”

“No! It’s not going to be fine!”

He wasn’t looking at you during his outburst. Sylvain appeared so upset, and yet you didn’t know how to connect with him.

The noble lowered his voice, “What if they break the door down? It’s made of wood after all. Then, we’d be cornered- Damn it! None of this would have even happened if I’d just had my head on straight all these years.”

“But think of all the fun you’ve had,” you started, “It’s important to be free when you’re young.”

“Yeah,” he scoffed, “when you’re a teenager. I was still in my twenties back then.”

By the Goddess, why couldn’t you get through to him? It was like talking to a wall.

Thus came nightfall, the sky turning black after what must have been an hour of awkwardly waiting together. Not a word was spoken between the two of you, the only things permeating the air being your discomfort and Sylvain’s self-disgust.

Suddenly confrontational after an eon of waiting, your childhood friend moved to the doors, unlocked them, and swung them open.

You froze, waiting for a member of that dreadful posse to appear and drag you out again. A moment later, you heard Sylvain sigh.

“Guess they didn’t see where we went. We’re safe.”

Not that he looked too relieved about it.

A cold breeze blew in through the open doors. It gave you an idea, though you had to admit you weren’t feeling it…

“Well then,” you approached him, running your hands along his chest, “Why don’t we take this opportunity to wind down for a bit-”

“Enough!” he snapped, pushing your hands away before heading toward the door. “Ingrid was right; it’s time to grow up. You and I both.”

Then he was gone, leaving you with the same nothing he came with. You didn’t even get the satisfaction of an argument or a slammed door. There was quiet, and there was your room as you had always known it.

You sighed, only this time, it left you more exhausted than you had felt in years. Emptiness was the only luxury you wished for as you made your way to your bed, lying down to stare at the ceiling.

And though the tears didn’t come, the overwhelming emotions did. Everything you had thrown away over the years, just for the chance of spending a bit more time with him. The entire time, the only thought in your head was that maybe you could morph into the kind of girl he would want.

Now it was all over, and the only one you could blame was yourself.

For a moment or two, you allowed yourself to live in that pitiful moment.

“...”

Pull yourself together.

Fine then. If he wanted to take the last of your hope away from you, you knew a damned-sure way to take every last drop of happiness away from him.

You were not going to be dictated by mad, cruel men anymore. No one would ever hold power over you again; not your father, not Dimitri, and certainly not Sylvain.

Gathering anything you found valuable that would fit in themessenger bag lying on your bed, you fastened a cloak around your shoulders before slipping out of your room.

The stables were dark as death, and they would have been just as silent if not for the crickets chirping obnoxiously in the nearby grass. Upon your arrival, you delicately snuck in only to lead your horse out a moment later. You mounted her and rode to the gate, which opened instantly upon the guards’ recognition of your face.

 They would assume you were departing on a solo mission for reconnaissance or something of the sort. Only in the morning when you were long gone would your absence be deemed peculiar, and everyone would know what you had done.

Surprisingly, joining the Empire was easier than you thought. Byleth had taken a liking to you during the time you spent together at the academy, and it was not hard to make up stories about Dimitri and Rhea while the Black Eagles were so eager to make enemies of them. You were immediately welcomed with open arms and quickly accustomed to your new life.

None of your new friends knew your true motives, and you had no intentions of revealing anything.

A few months later, you would be on your way to the capital of Faerghus before stumbling across the Blue Lions on the plains. By how desperate the Kingdom’s forces looked, the result would be a landslide victory for the Empire.

You didn’t know if you would be happy. In truth, you didn’t know if you even cared. But you would have everything they had, and they would all be dead.

[fiction-box]

Agreed the switching sides fic was fantastic! I love your writing!

Ah, thank you so much! Kind words like these mean a lot to me and help inspire me to write more. I’m so glad to know you like my work. Have a wonderful day!

[fiction-box]

thank you so much for writing the fics featuring the reader who temporarily switches sides to the empire :3 i was the original requestor and they were both so great and wonderful and hit all the points i asked for!!!

Of course! I had so much fun, and your imagination is incredible. You definitely set me up for success. I’m just sad it took me so long. I had it done awhile ago, but I waited forever to type it up and just felt horrible haha. Feel free to send in more anytime, though.

[fiction-box]

To End Where You Started

GN!Reader x Dimitri

This is a response to a request for a GN!Reader who was childhood friends with Dimitri before switching sides once it came time for the war. This one took me much longer to write because I wanted to better establish the circumstances of the work. Hopefully, you love it all the more! If you like this, there is another I wrote for the same prompt with Felix on my page!

Requests are open. The story will continue under the cut.

You’ve always valued human life. 

So when you saw Dimitri in the Holy Mausoleum, his mind lost and his lance bloody, you weren't sure what to do next.

It seemed no one knew what to do next. Felix was standing in front of Annette, glaring daggers at the blond. Mercedes slowly shifted toward her friend as Sylvain and Ingrid exchanged worried yet knowing looks. Dedue stepped forward, though he had no words. Even the professor seemed to be at a loss.

Dimitri, however, just began laughing again and shouting nonsense.

“No one will rest until Edelgard and the rest of the Empire force are burning in hell.”

“Your Highness-”

“Did I stutter, Dedue? Or perhaps you are considering turning your back on me now?”

 “Snap out of it, Boar!” Felix growled. “We’re not going to-”

“Then leave! If you no longer see me as your leader, why not go join her?’

Silence.

You could only watch as Dimitri’s eyes scanned the faces of your allies, daring your friends to take a step in either direction. No one spoke, but there was a palpable tension in everyone’s body. In the way that Mercedes and Annette clung to each other, in the way that Felix kept his hand by his sword, Dedue kept silent and steady, and Professor Byleth did not intervene. In the way that Sylvain grit his teeth, Ashe pursed his lips, and Ingrid practically strangled the pole of her lance.

In the way that you stepped forward, quiet yet resolute.

“I won’t be treated like this.”

Dimitri scowled, “You’re a soldier, aren’t you? You signed up for this the moment you joined the Blue Lion house.”

“I signed up to fight in the hopes of protecting Faerghus and its people! I signed up to honor my family and keep the ones I love safe!” you shouted over him before bringing your voice back down. “There is no honor in this.”

“And you would not serve your future king? Where is your honor in running away?”

“I would not bow to those corrupted by their emotions! No one who would act in such a manner ought to represent Faerghus!”

“Then go to her! Run off and join the scum of the earth that march under that woman’s name!” he spat. “But mark my words, when we do meet again, I shall meet you with the fate of a traitor. There will be no mercy even should you beg for it. Do not expect remorse from any of us when your head, too, rolls upon the dirt.”

You did not allow your face to betray any emotion at all. You would show no sign of anything, despite the way his words cut through you. How could someone you practically exalted, someone you had become so close to over the past several months, turn around and talk to you like this.

Maybe your friends weren’t strong enough to stand up for themselves. Maybe they had too much to lose; people to protect and family to remain with. Ideals, relations, and possessions that could only be secure if they sided with Dimitri. A few had said as such, declaring their belief in Dimitri as their future king.

You loved them dearly, but there wasn’t a single one among them that you would allow yourself to be treated this way for. Especially not now, when none cared to stand up for you.

Finally, you clenched your teeth. If that was how he really felt, and if your friends were letting him speak for them, then that truly was the end of it.

“Maybe I will go. Edelgard would at least pretend to care whether I live or die, and the Black Eagles are actually bold enough to stand up for what they believe.”

Spinning on your heel, you left the Mausoleum alone. 

In truth, you had no intention of joining the empire. At least not at first. Once you arrived back home, you informed your parents of the prince’s delusion. They seemed to be proud of your decision, and as proof of their support, chose to become a neutral faction in the war. 

The amount of prestige and connections that came with that sacrifice…you were torn between being moved and remorseful. While it was true that your family had not lost too much power, as crest wielding houses tended not to do, there was still a great sacrifice made in keeping you safe from the Kingdom’s demands.

That was not the only change, however. It turns out that news travels fast when the family of a veritable noble house defects from their allies. People were stopping by left and right, bargaining troop stations, land usage, resource management, and all the other things that would keep your mother and father busy. You chose to focus on defending your land, though it did not consist of much work while both the Alliance and the Empire found it so valuable.

Needless to say, you were more than curious the day your mother called you into one of the drawing rooms to meet with one of her guests.

“Mother, what is this about? You know I prefer not to attend these sorts of things.”

“Oh, I know very well, darling. This one is a bit different, though. Someone has requested to confer with you directly, and I would have been in a bit of a tight spot to say no.”

“What do you mean?”

“It is no secret that we have been both opening up to and prospering from negotiations from several sides of this war. There have been enticing offers to nullify our neutrality and pledge allegiance here or there. You know this.”

“Oh,” you were beginning to catch on. “So then someone must have made an offer that you liked?”

“Just…promise me you’ll keep an open mind.”

“Of course.” 

With an odd tension about you, you braced yourself for whatever would be found in that room. Your mother was not usually one to be so cryptic. A quiet sigh left your lips as you turned around.

The doors opened in front of you.

“Ah, I see you made your way here without much trouble.”

…what?

“Lady Edelgard? What are you-...Shouldn’t you be heading the war effort somewhere?”

What was this, really?

Remembering yourself, you lowered yourself in greeting, “Forgive me, your Imperial Majesty.”

You rose, trying to process the image in front of you. The Emperor of Adrestia sat poised on the sofa with a cup of tea your mother had no doubt been the one to offer. At her side stood Hubert, dutiful as he was so often described.

Soundlessly, she set down her cup, “Everything I do is for the future. For this war to end. I took notice that you were not among your former classmates’ ranks and grew curious. Needless to say, I did not need to look far to find you.”

“It was not my intention to run and hide,” you stated, taking a seat on the couch across from Edelgard.

“I never meant to imply as such,” she began. “On the contrary, I believe you still have a place in this war. If you left for the reasons I believe you did, that is.”

The conversation that followed consisted of platitudes and ideals; the type of which you both seemed to agree upon. You found your own ideas of the values of talent and human life to be eerily similar. It was decidedly reassuring that she had come to you directly, so that you could see them reflected in the leader of the Empire firsthand.

In time, you would join the Empire’s ranks under a woman named Cornelia while your house remained neutral. It would not have been in the best interests for a house so distant from the Empire to declare fealty, after all.

~~~~~~~

Several years later, you would be uncertain of your decision.

After everything you had witnessed Edelgard do up to this point, you weren’t so sure she viewed your ideals in the same light. Crest beasts, experiments, secret treaties, and deals made in the dark of night…you couldn’t get behind it, but your family had already made its decision.

Even so…

I agreed to fight for the empire, you reminded yourself, not for this woman.

Right now, you were being assigned to defend the Kingdom’s capital in an effort led by Cornelia. Ironically, the sorceress seemed to be the epitome of everything you stood against, yet here you were as her ally.

How far you had come from home.

She had positioned you between a pair of horrifying machines; two technological terrors known as viskam.

How low you must have come from your initial meeting with the Emperor.

You watched as your previous house leader’s army dispersed. Some soldiers veered left, others went right, but Dimitri’s main force charged up the middle, directly at you and the mechs Cornelia had placed.

Watching diligently, you noted how the Kingdom soldiers would take on multiple of Cornelia’s fighters while Dimitri would sneak past.

Well, as sneaky as someone with a bright fur cape and a target on his back could be.

A thought came to mind with every step forward he took. It came slowly, not sudden in the slightest, but sure.

If I were to kill Dimitri, all of this would end.

It was true, you knew. You were unsure how you felt about it, though you deduced that part of that uncertainty came from your past friendship with the prince. But had he truly reverted from the monster you left in the Holy Mausoleum?

There was only one way to find out, you supposed. You would face your past friend head-on. If he turned out to be the same man you saw that day, you would not hesitate to kill him. Anything to end this war.

Just as he made his way to the staircase, you walked forward, blocking off the top.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Dimitri’s eyes went wide, but you didn’t buy it. He had a clear view of you positioned just below Cornelia since the moment he walked into her sight.

So what, then? Were you to believe his surprise came from the idea that you were actually trying to stop him? You’d be lying if you said that wasn’t the slightest bit insulting.

“It’s you…but why-”

You threw a dagger at him, which whiffed as he sidestepped, “That’s all I get? It’s you? After all those years, not to mention the amalgamation of everything you said and did once the Flame Emperor unmasked herself, you cannot even say my name?”

His eyes softened as though hurt, “I didn’t think I had the privilege, anymore.”

“Then fight me! You have always given yourself the privilege to take the lives of others,” another dagger, this one closer to hitting its mark before Dimitri barely moved out of the way, “Do not let mine be any different.”

“I’m sorry,” he approached you, climbing the stairs, “I understand why you left, but know now that I do not wish to hurt you. Just step aside so-”

“And then what? Let you kill Cornelia? Condemn thousands of others in some future conquest?”

What were you doing? This version of Dimitri was worlds apart from the boy you left in the Holy Mausoleum.

So why were you still fighting him?

A loud noise disrupted your thoughts. You turned to face it, noting that Dimitri paused, as well. Farther away, Cornelia let out a dark cackle.

“Wonderful job getting the poor princeling right where I need him. Your death will not be in vain.”

You did not allow yourself to fully process her words as a bright light shot out of the viskam that had made that awful noise, earlier. With the future king just paces away, you could guess where it was going to land.

But Dimitri had turned to face Cornelia.

It appeared you had a choice to make.

“Don’t resist,” you closed the distance between yourself and the Kingdom's rightful heir. He had grown since your last encounter; holding this grudge could only do more harm than good.

Maybe that meant you would not survive this, but in that moment, what was your life next to his?

So, in the second before he could react and before the viskam struck, you pushed Dimitri down the stairs.

And it was when the world went from bright white to pitch black that you knew your death would not be in vain.

~~~~

“A…ing…rk?”

“We…bre…ag?”

“I bel…sh…wake up in…!”

Everything ached, and you couldn’t move. It would probably hurt if you tried, anyway.

At least you could feel something, right? At least you were alive. Though if you had to go through life like this, then perhaps you were better off dead.

But then a cooling sensation began to make itself known throughout your body. It was strongest in your head, torso, and legs, though you could feel it spreading and connecting in your arms and neck.

Tentatively, you allowed your eyes to open.

“Oh, thank goodness! Mercie, we did it!” Annette beamed from her position at your head.

Felix scoffed, “About time.”

“How do you feel? Are you alright?”

“I can’t feel my legs,” you managed, surprised at the strength of your own voice, “and…I cannot move.”

Scanning the area with your eyes, you realized you hadn’t been moved, either. You were still lying on the floor by the stairs; exactly where you remember being struck down.

“Is Cornelia…?”

“Dead,” Felix confirmed.

“And I remember pushing his Highness down the stairs. It was the best I could do with my own strength…” you had known you weren’t strong enough to normally push him far enough out of the way nor to pull him far enough before he instinctively resisted, ”but he isn’t hurt too badly, is he?”

“Oh goodness, no! Annie told me she saw the whole thing. Apparently, Dimitri caught himself rather quickly.” Mercedes reassured you.

Annette frowned, “I’ve never had to spend this much time on an injury, and certainly not while working with others. I’m surprised it’s taking this long.”

“I’m surprised you’re alive.”

“Felix!”

“What? You and I both saw that thing,” he turned from Annette back to you. “If you had sustained any other injuries before getting hit by that thing, you’d have been dead on the spot.”

Annette and Felix continued their banter as you shut your eyes and listened. Finally, you began to feel your body coming back to life; stronger and back into your control.

“Okay, I think that should do it! How does that feel?”

Annette waited another moment for your response before calling your name in confusion.

“Oops,” Mercedes giggled, “I think the magic might have lulled them to sleep. We did go a little overboard, I suppose.”

“Is everything alright?”

The group turned, looking up at the new voice that joined them.

“Prince Dimitri! Yes, everything is fine. They should be all better upon awakening.”

“Ah, that’s good. I am sorry to have left you all here for so long. Sylvain, Ingrid, and myself were working on reconciling with the remaining soldiers.”

Felix raised a brow, “Then where are they?”

“Once the issue of alliances was out of the way, Ingrid told me they could handle the rest,” Dimitri directed his eyes down to you. “Sylvain…said it might be best if I came to check on them.”

The swordsman’s expression didn’t change, “Well that doesn’t make any sense. There’s already three of us-! Hey!”

Dimitri balked as he watched Annette get up and drag Felix with her. Mercedes followed close behind, smiling back at him. 

“Let us know if they need any more help!” 

“Y-Yes of course…” he stammered, confused.

“Of course what?”

Shocked to hear your voice, the Blue Lion’s leader dropped his gaze unto where you had been resting on the floor, “Ah! You’re awake!”

You made a small noise, blinking against the light of the sun as you began to sit up.

“Mercedes told me to fetch her if you were having any issues. Are you alright?”

Methodically, you tested each of your limbs, “Yes…Yes, I think so.”

“Good,” he sighed, and you swore you saw him relax the slightest bit.

The ensuing silence was uncomfortable, to say the least.

“Forgive me for this. I know you’ve just recovered, but I’d like to thank you for saving my life.”

“You're welcome,” you said, “but why are you apologizing for that?”

He maintained eye contact with you, “Because I would also like to ask you why you did that.”

At first, you didn’t really have a response. The more you thought about it though, the more clear everything felt in your head. There was really only one answer.

“I just did what I thought was right.”

“But I was terrible to you!” Dimitri didn’t hesitate, “I said horrible things to you, and I treated you like…”

“Like I was worthless?”

It was as though all the words left Dimitri's mouth. After another moment of silence, he finally averted his gaze, “I do not deserve your forgiveness.”

“No, you really don’t, do you?”

…no reaction. So he was telling the truth.

“But, if you were to apologize, I might forgive you.”

He looked to you slowly, a look of timid surprise written on the blond’s face, “Surely, it would take more than that…”

“It should not take more than that if you are genuine,” you painted your face with a small frown, in conflict with yourself, “You’re not the same person you were 5 years ago, Dimitri. I am not about to make a habit of forgiving people just because some time has passed, but I know that many more people can be helped if we clear the air right now.”

“Right,” he swallowed, extending his hand down to you. “In that case, know that I am truly sorry for the way I treated you, both within the Holy Mausoleum and the several days before. I also apologize for the effect it has had upon both you and your family, though it seems you have found a way to make the most of your situation.”

You laughed a bit at that, accepting his offer to help you to your feet, “I suppose you could say that.”

Now it was the prince’s turn to frown, “I am being serious. This will not happen again. I promise to respect and honor both you and all that you do for the Blue Lions.” He paused, suddenly unsure, “If…you do choose to come back, that is.”

Turning away to hide the small blush that appeared at his phrasing, you looked at the stairwell, “It would be thoughtless not to join, seeing how I almost died for you.”

At the feeling of his hands on your arms, you turned back to him, surprised.

“You must promise to never do that again. Do you understand me?”

“I…you know I could never promise that. You’re too important.”

“Swear it anyway,” he pleaded. 

How uncharacteristic, you wondered.

“Really, Dimitri-”

“I don’t care if it’s a lie,” he let go of you, taking a step back while never wavering his gaze, “Just…”

He seemed to have run out of words, and all the two of you could do was stare at each other. Eventually, you broke first with a sigh. You couldn’t bear to maintain eye contact knowing you could never rely on your words alone to determine your future. Regardless, you spoke.

“...I…promise…that will not happen again.”

A grimace appeared on Dimitri’s face out of the corner of your eye, but the two of you spoke no more after that. Wordlessly, you left to go find Mercedes and the others. Where Dimitri went in the moments following, you had no clue, but the conversation would stay in your mind throughout the rest of the war.

Only time would tell if your promise was kept.

[fiction-box]

I love the work you've written! If it's not too much trouble, I would like to make a request.

The two characters I choose are Felix and Dimitri. The reader (Gender Neutral) was a close friend in their academy days. Five years later, they end up on opposing sides of the war. In the heat of battle, the reader faces their former friend in a duel. The result of that duel is, whether through words or combat, the reader agrees to lay down their arms, is spared, and is recruited to fight on the Kingdom's side.

In Dimitri's case, the encounter would take place after the Battle of the Eagle and Lion.

Thank you for your time and consideration!

Hello, my lovely! These two came out a bit long, so I will be posting them separately at the same time. This was such a well thought-out prompt and I felt so much excitement upon receiving it. Feel free to come back with more ideas! I'll be happy to respond (hopefully much faster). Have a wonderful summer!

Requests are open. The story will be continued under the cut.

Felix:

Enbarr. The last defense before the Imperial castle walls could be breached. The city often filled with bustling citizens. The proud capital of the Empire.

The battlegrounds for the beginning of a last stand against the Kingdom.

You couldn’t bring yourself to scan their ranks, knowing well enough that you’d only be able to make out the faces of those you had once called your allies.

The ones you would never again have the privilege of calling your friends.

I recommend you not even consider wavering in your resolve, a voice within your mind called out, or have you forgotten our deal?

Hubert. You turned your head to look back at the man, for good measure. He had taken your family in the midst of the war, bargaining their life for your cooperation. Naturally, you had accepted his terms. They meant the world to you, and they had done nothing wrong.

Such a decision meant turning your back on your king. Treason, was it? That was putting it simply, but the whole matter felt so complicated.

It looked pretty simple to your old companions, you were certain.

Do not think that my death will save them, either. I have given orders that any misstep of yours is to be responded to with the death of at least one of your family members. Choose which side to play at your own discretion.

Your face remained unreadable, but on the inside you were furious. This foolish charade had been going on for too long, and you had a terrible feeling you were going to regret everything you did today no matter what the outcome of the battle-

Someone was staring at you. You could practically feel their eyes boring into the back of your head.

Compelled, you kept your expression stoic as you turned at last to take in your adversaries. Dimitri would be leading the charge, the professor you once thought dead standing at his side.

Dedue, Annette, Ingrid, Sylvain, Mercedes, Ashe…all of them alive and determined. They were only awaiting their leader’s word to attack.

It was Felix who kept his eyes trained on you.

Only for a moment, you held his gaze. You didn’t allow yourself any more time than that. No matter what you felt was wrong or right, you had a family to protect. Never would they suffer from your negligence; you would keep them safe or die trying.

Pulling out two of the daggers from your belt, you awaited your own orders. A few words were exchanged between sides, and then the Kingdom Army attacked.

You held your position as they approached, seemingly faceless warriors falling on both sides. It almost seemed systematic, and the fight could have been described as evenly slated. Surprising, seeing how the Empire had far more soldiers on the field.

What further surprised you was how quickly Felix had encroached upon your position. His sword was in his hand, unmoving as he sprinted toward you, but he never started to prepare a swing. Even so, you held your own daggers up in preparation. You would dodge backwards and then propel yourself forth. 

It would be as clean a kill as you could muster. The two of you used to get along so well, didn’t you? You never could have predicted this. In truth, you hated this.

“Why?” Felix demanded. The question caught you off guard, and his arm swung out to knock you to the ground.

You fell backwards, Felix pinning you down with a hand at your collarbone and a knee at your stomach.

“What are you fighting for?” he shouted, his sword at your throat.

Your breaths came out in pants as you were pushed farther into the ground, “You wouldn’t understand…”

“Maybe I could if you’d just tell me!”

“I can’t tell you! I’m not prepared for you to tell me it’s not a good enough excuse! You’re going to kill me anyway, so just do it now!” such a bold request, but you qualified it by pressing your neck into his blade.

Whatever you were expecting, it wasn’t Felix looking at you in pity of all things.

“It looks to me as though you’ve already come to terms with it. Maybe whatever it is really isn’t worth all thi-”

The second he dared to voice such a thought, you shoved on his wrist to push his sword away and launched yourself forward. There was a short tussle, but at the end of it, you were the one pinning him down. Just to ensure he didn’t escape, you stuck some of the daggers you carried on you through his mortal savant coat and into the ground, effectively keeping him prone.

It was more effective than you first believed it would be, actually. The bluenette could hardly move from how you pinned down his coat. He didn’t have the room to take it off, and he couldn’t build enough momentum to dislodge the daggers.

He was trapped.

“I don’t…” he released a grunt as he attempted to struggle against his coat, “...understand. What’s so important that you would leave me behind? That you would leave your friends…” another struggle, “...and your family behind?”

What? Your family was the whole reason you were in this mess. Wouldn’t he have noticed their absence alongside yours?

“My family?”

Felix made another failed attempt at leaving the confines of his coat, “We found them when we reconquered Arianrhod. They asked where you were, but none of us knew. Nice to know that all this time, you were getting friendly with the Empire. If I didn’t know any better, I would have guessed that you sold them out to the Emperor to get on her good side when things started getting tough for the Kingdom.”

“There’s no way you gained Arianrhod back without me noticing! I don’t believe you!” you exclaimed. As though saying he was wrong would make things right. As though you weren’t fighting all this time for nothing.

“Me? I can’t believe you. I never saw you as a fair weather person.” his condescending tone intensified. “How can you live with yourself? It’s pathetic.”

“I could live with myself because I wasn’t the one who sent them there! I didn’t have a choice! Quite honestly, the Empire could have done whatever with my life, but then they brought my family into it…”

Maybe he wasn’t lying. It seemed he had stopped trying to persuade you and began berating you. If he were trying to trick you, he would have been more persistent.

After all, how could he have known your family was at Arianrhod unless he was telling the truth? If the Kingdom had failed to capture it, they would not be here with bolstered numbers aiming for the Emperor’s head.

Besides, you hadn’t told him your family was your motive, and Felix was never the type to figure it out on his own. He wasn’t one to lie in order to get what he wanted, either. With all that in mind, he had no reason to say any of that unless it was true.

Oh, how the truth made your blood boil.

“That lying snake,” you spat, releasing Felix from the hold of your daggers, “I’ll kill him for this!”

Felix looked confused at your sudden change in demeanor, but he chose to back away to a safer distance before opening his mouth to question you. He didn’t have to ask anything for you to answer his unspoken inquiry, though.

“Hubert told me he seized the iron maiden and that my family was being kept inside. They’ve been held over my head for…Goddess, it must have been three years, now. Tell me, how long ago did you manage to take back the fortress?”

“Two moons ago? Maybe three; it was sometime during the Garland Moon.”

Maybe three months? “The Garland. Moon.”

You were so angry you couldn’t even find the words to express it. Yet what were you meant to expect from Hubert? For him to inform you that his only leverage over you had been taken away and that you were free to do as you pleased?

“I…” I’m sorry, you wanted to say, but the words wouldn’t come.

What have I done?

How many Kingdom soldiers fell at your hands these past few months?

Such was the cost of being an elite soldier of the officers academy. You remembered your mother telling you as much. Your allegiance could turn the tide of a war.

Well if that was the case, you sure as hell weren’t about to let the waves crash on your family. Or your friends, for that matter.

“Whatever it is you have to say, it can wait. As long as you’re coming back to us, that is,” Felix looked to you as if unsure.

“You can count on me,” you affirmed. “I’m done being the Empire’s tool. Just tell me what you’re trying to do, and I’m right there with you.”

He made a sound of understanding, then explained the strategy for securing the castle’s perimeter and marching on the palace.

“...Once the time comes to storm the castle, the professor promised her plan would become more specific. It all depends on…”

He didn’t have to finish his statement for you to know what he meant.

It all depends on how many survive stage one.

[fiction-box]

Dimitri x F!Reader: Kidnapped Together

This one turned out longer, but I think I was able to communicate everything from the previous ask a bit better (go check it out if you like this one!). The stakes are a bit higher, I had some fun playing around in my head, and this is what came out for you. Enjoy!

Requests are open. The story will continue under the cut.

Dimitri:

“...-tay away from her…”

Voices faded in and out of your head. Of your ears? You weren’t sure if what you were hearing was even real.

“...-ust trying to get her….-et us throu-”

“You have done enough! Stay back!”

That got you up. Your eyes fluttered open, glancing around the room while you shifted into a seated position. The walls were made of brick, but you couldn’t see the door from the three people crowding into the small room. Prince Dimitri stood between you and the strangers.

You moved to stand, but were held down by the chains keeping your wrists close to the floor.

At the rattling you made, Dimitri turned his head ever so slightly to check on you, “Stay down. You mustn't strain yourself.”

“...what?”

“She won’t need to if you just let us tend to-”

“You caused this,” he growled. “I am not so delusional as to allow you to make it worse.”

“Can I please know what’s going on?” you worried, realizing all this directly concerned you.

“Just…stay close to the ground,” he softened his voice a bit to address you. “They hit you on the back of the head while we were hunting in the woods, then used you as leverage to get the upper hand on me.”

A woman in armor gripping a lance approached, trying to take advantage of the apparent distraction. Catching on quickly, Dimitri squared up to her. The lancer’s brows lowered as she backed down again.

“If she bleeds out, know it will only be because you allowed her to.”

You gasped, bringing a hand toward the back of your head before the chains restricted you from doing so, “W-Wait, I’m bleeding out?”

“No, it will be because you chose to attack us. Look at yourselves; you can’t even control your prisoners.”

“We never meant-”

Your classmate cut her off, “But you did. And the only way you could make it right is to either heal her or let us go.”

“You’re not letting us heal her,” the fortress knight closest to the door barked.

“I wonder what option that leaves for you.”

Dimitri was holding himself with all the power and authority of a royal despite the circumstances. It would normally have you in awe, but you were struggling to focus on anything except the possibility that you were a sitting duck in critical condition.

The good news was that he was clearly getting under their skin. Your captors seemed to value both of your lives for some reason; not just the prince’s.

Unfortunately, yours was the life being gambled, and you were on a strict time limit. Dimitri could only call their bluff for so long before they’d have to make a decision. While the daughter of a noble was a decent bargaining chip, you weren’t quite sure how far your captors would be willing to go to keep you upright.

Maybe they’d wait for you to pass out, forcing Dimitri into a final decision.

Perhaps your fate would be decided only after you fell unconscious.

But for now, you said nothing. If you let these…rogues…in on how much you wanted help, they would certainly use your words against Dimitri. Then what would you have to keep yourself safe? No doubt they’d separate you.

“Step. Aside.”

“Then what? You two can’t escape while she’s chained to the floor.”

“That never stopped me.”

Indeed, the cuffs of a different set of chains were still bound to Dimitri’s wrists. He must have broken his own at some point before you woke up.

The fortress knight stepped forward this time, holding out his lance as the witch next to him primed her magic. Fire, from the looks of it.

“Pathetic. Do you really think you can stop me?”

You had never seen this side of Dimitri before. He was acting a bit more…well, scary wasn’t the proper word. Authoritarian wasn’t either. In all honesty, you weren’t quite sure how you felt about it.

Not that it mattered. At the end of the day, he was getting you out of here.

Suddenly the world spun. You were caught by surprise, but you couldn’t steady your head with your hands. The most you could make of the skirmish in front of you was bright colors and blurred lines. You wanted to throw up, yet you felt like there was nothing to get rid of. Plus, it would only worsen your headache.

On instinct, you tried to balance yourself; to stop yourself from falling over. Since you weren’t actually off-centered, the endeavor didn’t go so well, and you struggled to regain control of your body before you could hit the floor.

When you set your hand on the ground beside you to steady yourself, blood dripped onto it.

Was this a good time to ask for help?

…more help?

Looking up as your sight came back to you, you realized you had no idea where you were. There were bodies on the ground, drops of blood spattered around them. They matched the beads trickling down your hand.

Prince Dimitri was at your side, tearing through the chains at your wrists.

“Where are we?” you asked him, glancing back at the people motionless on the floor. “D-Did I do this?”

“What? No, you’ve been stuck here on the fl-” his voice quieted, “By the Goddess, no…”

His hand moved to your face, angling it toward him until you had nowhere else to look but into his eyes. After a moment, the action had made you somewhat dizzy.

You recoiled a bit, “Wh- You’re acting strange…”

He turned his head away, sighing lightly as he broke your other shackle off. Arms now free, you moved to stand before he stopped you.

“Your eyes…we need to get you out of here.”

“Okay, so let’s go.”

“No,” he again prevented you from getting up. “No large movements…I need to find a way to get you out of here safely.”

Glancing around the room once again, you couldn’t identify any living threats to your survival, “There must be something I’m not getting. Where are we? It doesn’t look like we’re in any direct danger; nothing is stopping us from leaving.”

He rose to his feet, watching to make sure you stayed down, “I don’t know where we are…some ruffian camp by the monastery- but I know the way back. They kept me conscious during the walk.”

“...that’s an odd way of phrasing it…”

“Yes, well. I won’t be doing much more of that. The important thing is getting you out of here as efficiently as possible. That means without you…moving…y……d…t…m…ch.”

You ducked your head as you felt it throb, staring at the floor and trying even just to breathe. In and out. You were in trouble, you knew that much, but you just couldn’t…

…if…if you could just…focus…

Vaguely, you registered hands at your arms. They shifted; one to your waist, one to your back, an arm to your head, and you suddenly couldn’t feel the ground anymore.

“...I…”

“Please, try not to move. I’m going to get you out of here.”

…out…of here…?

“Put your head down. I will keep you safe.”

That voice…it sounded so familiar…

They sounded so calm and comforting, so easy to trust, you found it hard to think of disobeying. How easy it was to rest, to ignore everything and rest your head.

But the feeling of dread wouldn’t go away.

“...I feel…bad…”

“I know,” he said. The voice was male, “Just hang on a bit longer. Does that sound manageable?”

It wasn’t. It sounded easy enough, but the darkness that engulfed you afterward said otherwise.

~~~~

“Dimitri!”

His head shot up from the side of your medical bed as he startled awake.

“What? Is something the matter?”

But once his eyes adjusted, it didn’t look like there was much on your mind except confusion; as though you had called out to him from some dream you had, or perhaps you had been reliving past events. You were just staring at the bookshelf across from you, dumbfounded.

“How…? But I thought-”

“Easy,” he lightly set his hand atop yours. “We’re safe now. This is Manuela’s study.”

“Oh…” you commented. “I only remember a few things, I think. I was hit on the head…there was blood and a prison of sorts…and then nothing.”

“We were attacked by some band of scum after we left to hunt for the monastery,” Dimitri frowned. “They tried to hold you over my head and capture us both…and I’ll admit they got away with it for longer than I’m proud of.”

You looked worried, though he assured you everything turned out fine. The two of you had returned to safety, after all, and you looked relieved to hear it.

“I managed to bring you back without running into trouble, but…”

He felt his face begin to warm, his eyes finding a spot on the far wall; anything to keep himself from making eye contact with you.

“...you said a few things on the way.”

“What…what do you mean?”

“You kept fading in and out- surely, some of it was coming out of your head. I…I don’t want it to-”

“Your Highness, what did I say?”

“Ah, erm…” the hand he was resting on yours flew to the back of his neck. His face was burning now, but he’d only be more embarrassed if he tried to hide it, “Please, don’t call me that right now…”

At least you seemed to be back in good health. Manuela had gathered quite the posse to care for you, but he had pulled rank and refused to leave until you were awake. This was his fault, at least partially, and he would see it through.

His position as the Kingdom’s heir certainly had its uses.

“...you’re scaring me. Please, just tell me what I said,” you looked down at the thin white sheet covering your legs, your body rigid and still, “I hope it wasn’t a mean thing.”

“N-No,” he rushed to assure you. Goddess, why was this so difficult to say when you were the one that said it in the first place?

He felt your eyes trying to connect with his own, “Then…what?”

“You…said you loved me.”

One of your hands flew to cover your face as it tinted scarlet, prompting his own face to turn a similar hue, he was sure.

“And I know! I knew you had suffered head trauma- I wouldn’t have even given a second thought to it…but you began saying all these other things. You called me kind and courageous, chivalrous and determined…”

With each of his words, you seemed to grow more and more…well, whatever it was your eyes were expressing through your fingers, it was making him grow nervous.

“I…If it is okay with you, that is…I would like to know if you truly thought those things about myself…?”

Please say yes. Please say yes. If only you were to say yes, maybe I-

“Of course,” you muttered, letting your hand lower as your gaze directed toward it, “How could I not? Especially after the tendrils of what little I could remember coming back to me, I…”

He said nothing, hoping you would find it in you to continue your praise of him. Perhaps it was a little underhanded, but he found he liked hearing you speak of him in such a way.

“You’re brave- you protected me when I couldn’t defend myself. I remember you were patient with me when…when my condition worsened-“

You cut yourself off after accidentally meeting his eyes, as though you had just begun to realize what it was you were saying.

Should he say something too? To make it less awkward?

“I find you attractive too.”

Wait.

“What?”

What?!

“N-No, that’s not what I meant. I, well, I do find you attractive, but I was trying to refer to your actions and your personality. Not that I…don’t find you physically attractive as well, but-“

“Just…say whatever it is you need and leave? I think I’ve had enough of everything, today.”

His heart clenched a little, at that. That wasn’t what he had meant to say at all, and now it sounded like you didn’t even want to look at him.

Why was it that he had to ruin this when it was so close to going right?

“That came out wrong,” the leader of the Blue Lions sighed, “It’s because of your determination and strength that I have come to understand the only limitations of life are the ones I place upon myself. You are loyal, honest, and true to yourself; even if that means going against those around you.”

There. That was closer to what he truly felt. He wasn’t sure he could manage to say much more without messing everything up again, so he opted to just close his mouth and wait.

You looked brighter though; almost like Dimitri hadn’t just ruined whatever your relationship was not but two minutes ago. That was what truly mattered, he supposed. You had gone through hell today, and the least he could do was try to make the end of your day better.

“I…perhaps you had better get more rest. I will retrieve Professor Manuela for you,” he stood, turning back to you one last time, “Get well soon, and don’t hesitate to ask if you need anything.”

You responded with a simple wave.

Dimitri shut the door behind him, taking a few steps down the hall before leaning against the wall. He covered his face with one hand. His heart was racing too fast. The prince took a deep breath only to let it out a moment later.

Honestly, today had made him feel sick with the amount of emotions swirling around in his chest. There was so much fear- both of you would have been ransomed or worse if your captors had been a little smarter, and you had nearly…

The blond shook his head. He knew fear, and that was definitely part of what he felt, but for some reason it had created an amalgamation with his…well…attraction to you. The words you had exchanged mere moments ago certainly didn’t help, and he had held you so close on the way back to the monastery that it was a miracle he was still functioning.

Shifting off the wall, he rushed out of the hallway and down the stairs to find Professor Manuela. You needed help first, even if he didn’t want to wait to talk to you again.

He’d see you when you were better, and though maybe you’d forget your conversation, at least now he knew something about how you felt.

Perhaps there existed some hope for him after all.