(DISCLAIMER) I do not own or claim to own any of the Fire Emblem Franchise.

Art used in the display photo is by tokihito on Twitter

"And that was when I looked him dead in the eye—complete silence—one stroke of my blade and he was gone."

"Quite the story, sir."

Alois gave another loud laugh. His voice bouncing off the stone walls. "Ah, and this is the reception hall. This will lead us to the bridge that crosses over to the cathedral. Hopefully, Lady Rhea is there for you to make your introduction." Nemian's eyes went a little wide with her nerves coming back to her. Alois was able to calm her with the story he had been telling her up until now, but the sick feeling was starting to return.

"Sir, about this- about Lady Rhea. What kind of person is she?"

Alois stopped abruptly to turn around with a gasping face. "You don't know of Archbishop Lady Rhea?"

Nemian rubbed her hands together in embarrassment. "I'm not exactly from here." This further caught Alois's attention as he tilted his head in thought.

"Then those Gautier knights…" He paused to take a closer look at the girl and noticed she was purposefully avoiding eye contact. The poor girl looked uncomfortable and Alois was none too happy to place the girl in the situation. "Ah, well it isn't my place. It wouldn't help for me to poke my nose into the Lady Archbishop's business. Speaking of, you will find that Lady Rhea is the most benevolent being in all Fódlan! Her kindness and charitable nature know no bounds! Come, you will see for yourself soon enough." The knight beckoned Nemian to follow him once more. The two walked over to a set of huge double doors. Alois waved a hand and the two soldiers stationed at each side opened it up to allow the two passage. The doors opened up to a stone bridge that stretched quite a ways. As they walked, Nemian was intrigued by the sight of Pegasi flying in the air, their riders maneuvering them with deft skill. The girl had heard stories and seen art of these majestic creatures, but never was she able to lay eyes on one until now. Perhaps coming to Garreg Mach wasn't such a bad thing.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" Alois spoke when he saw the fascination on the girl's face. "Please, do watch your step." The two ascended the stairs where another set of ridiculously large doors stood. They groaned loudly as another set of soldiers worked to open them. Nemian wondered how much work it must be to constantly open and close these doors. It would make more sense to leave them open throughout the day, but maybe this Archbishop of theirs was that important.

Alois continued to lead her through a short hall with openings on both right and left. Up ahead were another set of doors that remained open this time, and beyond that the cathedral. The room took Nemian's breath away as she looked up to the ceiling high above. She couldn't believe how massive the church was. Columns that stood from the ground all the way up to beautifully designed arches, rows and rows of benches on both sides and a magnificent altar at the other end. All of it designed in unique architecture with each detail so distinct it would take her moons to observe it all. Aside from the interior design, what caught the girl's eyes most was the woman standing at the other end. The stretch of stained glass on the wall behind her allowed the afternoon sun to shine and illuminate, giving the woman an otherworldly appearance. The green of her hair was shockingly visible from her spot at the opposite end of the cathedral.

"What are you waiting for? Lady Rhea is right there," Alois called to her attention. Nemian blinked and shook her head.

"Y-Yes, of course." The two approached the Archbishop and as they got closer Nemian could see the small smile that adorned her face. Alois didn't have to tell her that the Archbishop was kind. One look at the woman could tell her that. And yet, there was something about her that Nemian couldn't put her finger on. The Archbishop stood before her, head held high and shoulders back with an air of confidence and authority. That much was for certain, but what else was there about the Archbishop?

"Alois, I see you have brought a visitor."

"Yes, Lady Rhea," Alois said as he placed his right fist over his chest and bowed. "I believe she is someone you are expecting. Gautier soldiers escorted her here with a letter."

Bright realization shone in Rhea's eyes. "Ah, our new student. How wonderful." She grabbed the parchment offered to her and broke the seal to read its contents.

"I see the new student has arrived." Everyone's head swiveled to a man briskly making his way to them. Like the Archbishop, he had a head full of green hair but of a darker hue. He wore dark blue ceremonial-like clothing that faintly resembled the cloak Lady Rhea had on. Unlike the ethereal woman, the man had a scowl on his face and Nemian was willing to bet that it was a permanent one. He stood next to the Archbishop although slightly behind her in a way that showed his place, Nemian guessed.

Alois turned to Nemian expectantly and the girl rushed to give a respectful bow of her own, although sloppy. "It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Nemian Dé Danann."

"Yes, child. We have been expecting you. Tell me, how was your journey to the monastery?" Nemian coughed and cleared her throat, unsure if she should respond to the Archbishop's question truthfully.

"It was alright." In truth, it really was. Despite the obvious dislike the soldiers had for the Sreng native, they left her alone for the most part. And considering the situation, it was the most Nemian could ask for.

The Archbishop gave a knowing smile in response but did not feel the need to delve any further. Instead, she decided it would be best to get the girl on her way. "It has already been a few weeks since we have started but I no doubt know you are more than capable of catching up. Seteth here," she gestured to the green-haired man, "will take you to class and show you to your quarters. Should you have any questions he as well as I will be here to answer them. I hope that your time here at Garreg Mach Monastery will allow you to grow beyond your expectations and as Archbishop I formally welcome you."

Nemian gave a quick bow of her head. "Thank you, Lady Archbishop."

"Seteth, if you will." Lady Rhea nodded to the man at her side.

"Yes, of course," Seteth responded dutifully.

"And Alois, thank you for escorting her. I'm sure you did wonderfully with first impressions."

From the corner of Nemian's eye, she could see the faint blush on the knight's cheeks. He stuttered from the praise. "I-It was nothing- I mean, it was my pleasure!" He too gave a quick bow.

Lady Rhea smiled, "You are dismissed."

Alois gave another bow and Nemian wondered if the knight had gotten dizzy yet from all the bowing. This Lady Rhea was a very important figure indeed. Seteth was the one to grab her attention, walking toward the doors leading out the cathedral. "Come, Nemian. I shall show you to your personal quarters and then to your classroom.

"Yes," Nemian exclaimed rather hastily as she bowed to the Archbishop once more before turning away to follow her new guide.

"I suppose it would do us some good to point out a few things while we walk." Seteth didn't miss a beat after they stepped out of the cathedral and onto the bridge. "Class is Monday through Friday unless otherwise mentioned. Your professor will fill you in on those details. At the end of each month, each class is assigned a mission directly from the Lady Archbishop herself. That mission varies anywhere from housekeeping to fieldwork." The Last one made Nemian raise her eyebrows, but she didn't think it was a good time to ask questions. "There are three main houses here at Garreg Mach and because of your unique position, we have already placed you in the Blue Lions house. Ah, we'll cut through the mess hall here." Nemian followed as Seteth veered off to the right. Instantly, all sorts of delicious smells invaded her sense. The mess hall was lively with chatter and people just enjoying meals on the numerous tables. The girl could spot the kitchen on the other side of the room behind a long counter. On that counter laid various dishes. There was a line of people at one end with each person taking their turn to pick up a dish of their choice. Seteth noticed the girl eyeing the foods on the table. "There will be time for you to eat after introductions to your class are made. Now come this way." They walked back out to the outdoors and down some steps where to her left she could see a pond. "To your left here is the greenhouse. There you will find all sorts of rare herbs, vegetation, and plants both venomous and not. The greenhouse serves a useful purpose in education as well, so if you have any interests, I suggest you visit and talk to the gardener on your own time. And here," Seteth stopped in front of reasonably sized wooden door, "are your personal quarters. You will find that the other rooms out here house the students of commoner descent. The second floor is where the noble students live. We try not to discriminate here at the monastery, but the families of our noble blooded students insisted rather… persistently." Seteth fished a key from his pocket to unlock the door and opened it wide for both to enter. "It is a modest room. You are more than welcome to decorate as you see fit. We just ask that you do not make any structural changes. Here is your key." The man handed over the key and Nemian pocketed it immediately. "Now, on to the classrooms."

The two headed up the row of dorms. There were so many Nemian had lost count, and these were just the ones on the ground floor. "Since we're here I may as well point out your professor's room. It is this one here to your left. Now I'm sure your professor has office hours where appropriate, but it doesn't hurt to know where to find her should the need arise." They continued their way and rounded a large wall. Laid out before them was a long patch of grass with neatly trimmed trees and brush lining the left. To the right, Nemian could make out three large sets of double doors. As the two walked on to the cobbled path in front of the entrances she could make out banners that hung on each side. "The first one here is the Black Eagle's classroom. Their current student leader is Princess Edlegard von Hresvelg from the Adrestian Empire. The one furthest down," he gestured with a hand, "is the Golden Deer classroom whose leader is Claude von Riegan, heir of the Leicester Alliance. Here," they stopped in front of the middle set of doors. The banners on the side were of a blue with a beautiful stitch of a lion on both off them, "is the Blue Lion classroom. We'll be interrupting the middle of class so please be on your best behavior."

Nemian gave a purse of her lips. Seteth's request being one that touched her nerves just the slightest like he had expected her to act like some crazy wild child. The man opened the doors and Nemian could see students seated on both sides. The Professor at the front was pointing to a chalk drawing on the green board. "Please excuse the interruption," Seteth announced. He paused for a moment to allow the professor to turn to his attention and made his way up the aisle. Nemian took a couple of hesitant steps but fell in line right behind the green-haired man. The girl could feel herself shrink just the slightest. Eyes were watching her every move, some curious, some annoyed, some confused, and one pair wide with shock. "Forgive the intrusion, professor. I would like to introduce your new student as of today." The professor whom Seteth had addressed nodded her head and stepped aside for the two guests. Nemian took a moment to look at her new professor. She stood a few inches above her, with a stance that spoke assuredness, confidence, and wisdom. Her blueish hair flowed just past her shoulders in a messily, half-hazard cut, but the look seemed to work for her. Her attire was interesting, made up of leather, stockings, pieces of armor, and a gray cape with open sleeves. This one knew how to handle herself, Nemian thought. Everything about her new professor seemed fine until her gaze fell upon her eyes. The girl was a bit disturbed by how they looked. It was like staring into an empty void of steel blue. No emotion could be read as her professor returned the gaze. The two locked eyes for a moment before Seteth cleared his throat. "Ahem, would you please introduce yourself to the class?" Seteth gestured to the students sitting behind her. Nemian turned around and took one swift look at her new classmates. There was quite a variety of faces, most of them friendly, some stoic. She spotted a red hair boy seated in the back. Her curious eyes turn solemn when she identified who the boy was.

"My name is Nemian Dé Danann. It is a pleasure to meet all of you." Nemian gave a quick bow of her head and turned back to Seteth and her professor. The former gave her a smile of approval while the latter nodded.

"Blue Lions," Seteth began to announce, "Nemian here will your classmate from here on. Please do your best to treat her accordingly. Professor, I leave the rest to you." The professor gave Seteth a bow. The man left with no other words and soon Nemian was left, again, with a bunch of strangers.

"Nemian," the girl turned toward the woman, "please have a seat. Any open spot will do, but don't get too comfortable." Nemian tilted her head in confusion but decided to just do as she was told. The girl walked back towards the back of the classroom and sat in the only empty table at the very end. She slid further onto the bench and turned her head slightly to look at the body occupying the one across the aisle from her. The head of red hair quickly turned away. She saw him focused on his open textbook instead with a look of indifference.

"Congratulations once again on the win at the mock battle of the Eagle and Lion. It was a great learning experience for all of us," the professor said.

"We couldn't have done it without you professor!" Nemian glanced at in the direction of the voice, finding that it came from an orange-haired girl that sat the very front.

"Annette is right. You played a large part," this time a silver-haired boy that sat next to this Annette.

"While I agree with both, it was also the amazing teamwork we were able to execute. None of it would be achievable without every one of us." Nemian didn't recognize the voice but she definitely recognized the boy it came from. Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd. The Prince of Faerghus. Behind him was another faintly familiar face, the Fraldarious son. His sharp eyes caught her staring and he glared rather menacingly. Nemian did not react and instead chose to roam her eyes elsewhere. So far, the heirs of two Noble houses and the Prince of Faerghus were here. The realization started to settle in when she noticed who she was surrounded by. All of the students here were probably citizens of the Holy Kingdom meaning, every person in this room was her enemy. Save the professor, maybe.

"It looks like I'll be making some slight adjustments to today's itinerary. Let us all meet at the training grounds in 15. Nemian, please stay behind." The girl remained in her seat as the rest of the class got up with chatter and began making their way out the door, or at least that was what it looked like. Instead, nearly the entire class came to hover around Nemian.

"Hello! My name is Mercedes. It such a pleasure to meet you." A girl with cream-colored hair stuck out her hand in a friendly gesture. Nemian hesitated for a split second before grabbing on and shook it gently.

"The pleasure is mine. I'm Nemian."

"I'm Annette!"

"Ashe."

"My name is Ingrid." One by one, each person introduced their names. During introductions, she could see the Fraldarious boy and the red-headed Gautier heir walk out the classroom. Nemian tried to keep up with associating each name with the face until her eyes fell upon the prince.

"Hello there. I am Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd. And the one next to me is Dedue." Dimitri held out a hand as well but this time Nemian took a moment to ponder the gesture. A part of her was skeptical and hesitant. She knew she shouldn't be shaking hands with her father's enemy, but what good would it do her to make enemies on her first day? Although slightly uncomfortable, Nemian bit back her feelings.

Dimitri began to feel awkward with his hand still hanging in the air. He supposed it was too forward of him, but he saw the girl shake Mercedes's earlier and thought it was appropriate enough to do the same. He was about to retreat his hand when the girl raised her own and took it in a firm grasp.

"A pleasure," she lied curtly. Her tone did not go amiss with the tall, dark, and muscular figure that stood somewhat protectively at the prince's side.

"Training grounds, everyone! I need a moment with Nemian." Nemian took her hand back at the sound of her professor, sighing in relief at the interruption. Her classmates grumbled a bit but receded and made their way out. When everyone but her and the professor remained, she moved to wipe her hand on her leg. The action caught the professor's eye and became curious but didn't comment on it and instead tucked it away in the back of her mind. "Nemian, my name is Byleth and I will be your professor here at Garreg Mach. Before we meet with the others at the training grounds, I want you to tell me a little bit about yourself. Perhaps starting with what sort of fighting experience you may have."

Nemian looked up and realized she was being rude to her professor by sitting so she got up to give her a quick bow. "I have a" Nemian tried to find the right words to describe the amount of battle experience she had, which in no way was meager. Growing up, her father made sure she was trained and always battle-ready. The constant fighting between them and the Kingdom was basically half her life. From the moment she picked up a sword, her father made sure to make use of her especially when the numbers of his army were cut almost in half by the invasion. "A good amount I suppose. My main weapon of choice is this claymore." She half-turned her waist to show the large sword strapped to her back. "I am somewhat proficient at the bow and I do not know any magic."

"I see." Nemian tried to interpret what was going in her professor's head while staring at her face, but of course, with a face like that, she couldn't read anything. "Do you have any experience in mounts?"

"No. My claymore is too big and heavy for me to wield it on a mount. I will rather be on foot, close contact. That sort of stuff. Though I suppose I could use a bow on a mount, I haven't much experience."

"Perhaps we could explore that avenue at a later time. For now, I want you to demonstrate your skills and abilities to me. I have already done this with the rest of the class in order to ascertain and compile a personalized training regimen. Our purpose at the training grounds today is to have you spar with one of your classmates. There, I will examine thoroughly how you move and how you fare against certain abilities." Byleth paused for the information to sink in. Nemian looked back at her with uncertain eyes. "Any questions?"

The girl shook her head, "No, professor."

"Byleth nodded in approval. "Good. Come, we'll walk to the training grounds together."