Greetings, everyone. I don't think it needs to be said that things have taken a very dramatic change since the first chapter of this little story was published. As this story's theme is hurt and comfort, suppose it's the sort of thing that one could use right about now. Hope you all enjoy.
I do not own anything.
Chapter 2-A Chosen Weapon
A warm breeze flowed into Marianne's room from the open window. She'd taken Hilda's advice and left the window open so she could catch a few whiffs of the spring air that was no doubt on its way to the Monastery. In truth, Marianne had done such a thing a few times during her time at the Edmund estate. She was amongst the many that found spring the preferable season, the best time of the year. It was when life came out of hiding for the winter and was able to flourish. Marianne didn't quite count herself amongst that grouping for obvious reasons, but she still found it in herself to enjoy the warming weather, especially after a harsh winter.
Peeking out the window, she saw that the sun had begun a steady rise above the horizon, little more than half of it being out. By her estimate, life at the Monastery would begin to start up in about half an hour or so. As she looked out of her window to the outside, she realized that if she wanted to do anything, she'd have to do it fast.
The mere fact that she was pondering going out into the open; it was just one of the many subtle changes that she'd undergone since coming to the Monastery.
While she still saw her room as her one true sanctuary, that didn't mean that she hadn't found other places in the Monastery to feel at peace by. Naturally, the stables had become a favorite spot of her, as had the monastery's greenhouse. Against all odds, against her fears, she'd found some precious things to treasure at the Monastery. And dare she say it, precious people, or at least Marianne wanted to believe that she had. Most of them were probably still fast asleep in their beds; with a slight smile, she pictured Hilda and Raphael making sure to get in as much sleep time as they could. She didn't have to worry about running into either of them, nor any of her other housemates meaning she'd be all by herself.
Quietly, she began to get dressed. In the long run, it was beneficial as in almost an hour, she'd have to dress herself and be ready for the school day anyway.
Marianne couldn't read the weather, but based on the warm breeze that blew past as her as she stepped out the door, it was going to be a pleasant day. She hoped for that at least. Casting cautionary look around, she began to make her way towards the greenhouse where her planted flowers lay. It was an unexpected treat that the Monastery allowed students to plant their own seeds, and in some cases create their own little gardens. Back at her adoptive father's home, she'd grown a little garden of her own, and had found the time to do so here at the Monastery. What she was growing in question; however, weren't just mere flowers.
Fruits and vegetables were a favorite of hers'. It taken her several weeks to learn how to grow them properly, and figure out which animals preferred which foods. Two months at the Monastery had been enough time for her to figure out the preferred diet of her animal charges, and find something for herself to grow. It could even contribute a little to the meals that was shared between her and the rest of her housemates.
The Monastery was an eerie yet tranquil place in the early hours of the morning. It was similar yet different from night. With dawn already on its way, an eerie yet beautiful light spread across the stone walls and pavement. Darkness was fading and light was moving in, yet Marianne felt like that put an extra spring in her step. She was not deserving to be one who basked in the light like so many others, including her classmates. A voice in her head told her to get in quick, and if not that, stick to the shadows where she belonged. Surely refuge would be found in the greenhouse, where she'd be alone with her thoughts and anxieties.
Her wish was not answered.
"M-Marianne?" Questioned the blonde-haired prince of Faerghus, who stood before her at the doorway to the greenhouse.
She blinked several times. "P-P-Prince Dimitri? W-What are…are…you…" Desperately, she combed through her mind for any sort of response, specifically one that would keep him at a distance, and keep her from tripping up. "Um, m-morning practice?" She spit out after grasping onto the first thing that came to her mind.
Surprisingly, he gave a somewhat humorous laugh. "Not quite. The head gardener had some business to conduct outside of the Monastery so before she left, she gave me the keys to open up the greenhouse. If you came to enter, please give me a moment to open it up for you. You came to do some planting, didn't you?"
"Y-Yes. I-I'll come back at another time." She squeaked out, a cold fist wrapping around her heart.
"No, no, it's fine. Just give me a second." Quickly, he began fiddling with the keys, finding the correct one and turning the lock. "Come in, if you want, I can help you with some planting. I don't have much of a green thumb, but I've been learning from Dedue and Professor Eisner."
That last bit caught Marianne's attention, though she wasn't quite sure why that was. "P-Professor Eisner knows about garden?"
"Yes, quite surprising if I may say so. Then again, he told me that he picked up a thing or two for what he called practical purposes. Specifically learning how to grow herbs and such." There was a light laugh from the prince as they stepped inside of the greenhouse, early morning sunlight flooding through the glass windows and such. Dimitri stopped and marveled at the serene beauty around him, as did Marianne, whose lips curved upward into a genuine smile. Quietly, the prince took note of it, recognizing it to be as bright and bountiful as the sunlight flowing into the room; he almost hated himself for speaking and running the tranquil mood. "Is there…anything in particular you wanted to plant, Marianne?"
"O-Oh, j-just some s-s-seeds, some of which can sprout into food for the animals to eat." She answered doing all she could to avoid her gaze.
"Animals," he mused which caused a nervous flutter to run through the blue-haired girl. "I've noticed that you've been hanging around the stables, even managing to handle the fiercest of wyverns with great ease. You're probably the most adapt animal whisperer that I've ever seen. Heh, I know some folks back in Faerghus that could learn a thing or two from you."
Heat rushed into Marianne's cheeks at his words. H-H-He's been watching me? H-He's….complimenting me? Her own self-doubt jabbered at her, yet she felt something jabbering back. The tension in her flowed in and ebbed out, one after the other leaving her in a state of limbo. In spite of it, Marianne found it in her to speak. "I-I-In Faerghus, t-they have an abundant amount of horses and pegasuses, don't they? Have you…ever ridden one before? A-A horse I mean."
He looked to her with a warm smile that made her heart flutter as well as ache. "As a matter of fact, I have, several times to be exact." Secretly, she was grateful that he didn't respond to her question with biting sarcasm. Only after she'd spoken it did she realize how utterly stupid it was, asking if the prince of a nation of knights had ever written a horse. It was like asking a mage if he'd ever cast a spell. "I've actually had a bit of a buried dream to become a great horseman, much like my…well…like my mother was. Did either of your parents have ways with animals such as what you have?"
As the conversation moved towards family, the icy grip on her chest grew stronger. Her head bowed, her eyes grew heavy with sorrow.
Dimitri saw it and quickly realized he'd stepped over whatever invisible boundary surrounded Marianne. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry into your past such as that. I'll take my leave of you and leave you to what you came for."
She should have just let him leave and had that be the end of it, that's what the logically side of her brain was telling her to do. Normally, Marianne would have listened to it, but another voice chirped up. It seized her vocal cords and spoke for her. "I-I-It's alright! Y-You came to plant some seeds as well so…l-let's plant them together, a-at least while you're here." Again, a part of her wanted to slap herself and demand to know where such words had come from. This had been happening a great deal as of late, her control slipping and her mouth uttering words that were better left confined to her mind, if not best left not thought up at all. Quickly, the voice was silenced as she saw a genuine smile spread along his face. Marianne couldn't help but feel her heart flutter just a little bit in seeing it.
"Thank you." Spoke the prince with genuine generosity in his voice.
She asked him if he was planting any seeds for himself or his house members, it turned out he was. He even told her a little bit about each of them. First there was his retainer, Dedue. Marianne had caught several glimpses of the Duscur man, the "Giant of Duscur" as she'd heard some call him, and usually not as a compliment. She took Dimitri's word in that he was a kind and gentle soul, that was something that Marianne could believe. Being around Hilda had caused her to take a page out of her book and be a bit more watchful of those around her. Doubly since she'd heard word that at some point in the future there'd be another battle between the three houses.
Sylvain was apparently something of an inverted version of her own house's Lorenz. Marianne was actually somewhat grateful that they weren't in the same house as she wasn't sure how she would have been able to handle his attempts to seduce her. The blue-haired woman could count on one hand the number of times that anyone had ever made advances on her, and even those had been half-hearted and didn't ultimately amount to anything. Not to mention those attempts had more than likely been set up by her adoptive father. In stark contrast to the flirt was the Blue Lion's resident swordsman.
"H-He doesn't seem to respect you too much." Marianne cursed herself for letting that little detail slip out.
Again, Dimitri didn't seem all that detoured by it. All he gave was a somewhat humorous laugh like she'd just told a joke. "It's not so much a matter of respect, more…like…let's say that Felix's grievances against me are perfectly validated."
Immediately, she knew better than to press the prince on more information; the most telling reason was Marianne wanted to respect his privacy. She couldn't place her finger on it, but she could feel an odd sense of sympathy and understanding. Recalling yet another face from the Blue Lions, she asked about the lance-wielding blonde girl that she often saw in tandem with Sylvain, often pulling him by the ear or making an "apology run" as she'd heard some call it. Dimitri's eyes lit up, replacing the distant sorrow in his eyes when speaking of the swordsman. From what she gathered, Ingrid was a masterful horseman, or just rider in period as Dimitri recounted to her how on one outing, she managed to tame and ride a wyvern. Marianne herself was deeply impressed hearing the story.
"If anything, I'd say you two might make for good friends." Spoke the male blond looking to her with sparkling blue eyes. "Both of you are quite skilled with animals, not to mention a lance-"
"That's wrong." Automatically responded the Alliance native. "I-I…I…I'm nowhere near as skilled with a lance as Ingrid, or any of you from Faerghus, or just skilled with a weapon period." Glancing down at her dirt-covered hands, she tried to picture them holding a weapon and being used to defeat enemies. Not so surprisingly, she couldn't; in fact, in the two months since the school year had begun, she'd made about as much progress with as a turtle had in a crossing a desert. "I…I…"
"Marianne," Dimitri began catching her attention. Yet again, there was that gentle tone, soft as the coming spring winds that put her racing heart at ease, if only just a little. "Not to be able to hold a weapon, to not want to…that is nothing to be ashamed about. To have a distaste for violence and hurting and killing others…that actually makes you an extremely noble person."
Looking to him, she saw a mixture of sympathy and longing and regret written over his face. Marianne felt a strange attraction to it. Pushing the feeling back, she went back to the seed planting. "When you all went to Zanado almost two weeks ago…was that…the first time that any of you had…"
He shook his head, his expression one of melancholy. "For most of us…no."
"I see…I'm…not surprised." There was a brief pause as she mulled over her words. "I'm sorry, that was out of line for me to say."
"No, you have nothing to apologize for. Heh, in fact, some would laugh at the statement, even boast of it. In Faerghus, we are something of what you'd call a warrior society, we're taught how to wield a weapon before learning how to read or write. We take our warrior pride quite seriously, perhaps a tad too seriously." Now the pause was on his end. Marianne watched as his eyes grew even heavier with sorrow. Again, Marianne felt that sympathetic pull towards him before she jerked it back. "No, perhaps we take it too seriously."
"…Then…that must mean that you all get hurt quite a bit." It was the best statement that could be delivered, or that's what she hoped for.
"We do, something that Professor Eisner pointed out." There was the fondness in his voice that she'd heard, especially in regards to the Blue Lions students. It was a bit of a marked contrast to some of the whispers directed towards the Black Eagles and Golden Deer's instructors, not that Marianne had any ill will against Professor Hanneman. "He told us that we're all as sharp as spears…but that was it, that we had no alternate strategies and that if not a frontal assault we were low on options and tactics."
"You sound surprisingly happy to have been lectured like that." Marianne noted, a small smile slowly beginning to grow on her face.
"Well, I actually agreed with him. To be rather blunt, we Blue Lions are the strongest of the Three Houses, but that is only on topics of physical strength and weapons ability." Noted the lance-user with a whimsical smile. This attitude he was projecting, Marianne could feel that it was in no way false, it was all genuine. That just made it all the more stunning. Few nobles, let alone princes, would admit to such a thing. "The Professor is right, we are a very blunt house, albeit I don't think that bluntness is all that bad. He also noted how we can be fast and resistant to damage, that we had potential, it just needed to be refined and brought out."
"Would you say that Professor Eisner is doing that?" Marianne asked.
"Yes, I would say so up to this point." Answered the blue-caped teenager before turning his attention back to the planted seeds. "I believe that's all of them. Marianne, thank you for allowing me to spend this time with you."
"Y-You shouldn't be t-t-thanking me, a-and besides, you opened up the greenhouse so we could actually do this." With a shocking amount of sturdiness in her legs, she rose and bowed her head in gratitude. "T-Thank you for t-t-the time spent together."
"It was my pleasure, Marianne." Dimitri said. "Let me get some towels for us, it's the least I can do."
Quietly, the pious woman checked up another supposed rumor as being true, that Faerghus men were chivalrous and gentlemanly. She'd just spent the last several minutes conversing with a prime example of one, perhaps the best example to be had. Then again, it was entirely possible that it was just Dimitri being Dimitri. They hadn't interacted too much since the beginning of the school year almost two months ago, but Marianne had kept an ear to the ground when news of him made its way about; she had no idea why. Perhaps during the mock battle had left a bigger impression on her than she was willing to admit.
Marianne made sure to keep a bit of distance from Dimitri as they washed their hands. She felt like she'd done too much, lingered too long around someone as important as Dimitri. Surely her curse would trigger some sort of ill omen that would affect him.
Upon stepping out of the greenhouse, she pondered if that bad luck would extend to another, the prince's right-hand man.
"Dedue," Dimitri began sounding a mix of annoyed and happy to see his dark-skinned retainer. "Let me guess, five, six minutes?"
As usual, the Duscur-native as stoic as ever. "Once I deduced that neither you nor Miss Marianne were in any danger, I decided to leave you two to your own." The later looked to the bigger boy in naked shock. In turn, Dedue looked to her and gave her a slight courteous bow.
"I-I see, t-t-then farewell!" Her heart beginning to race, she returned the bow, then hurried along, not daring to look back at the two. Actually, she did. While still moving along, she looked back at the two men, noticing them quietly whispering. The insidious voice in her head told her that they were speaking of her, chastising her, she didn't blame them. Clenching at her sides, her thoughts turned to rather or not she should head to the dining hall or the cathedral for her morning prayer. Betraying herself, she looked back and decided that the cathedral would be a better bet. Perhaps the goddess would answer the silent prayer that had quietly taken root in her, the wish that was her misfortune wouldn't fall hinder the prince of Faerghus.
It was a dim wish, but maybe that one would be answered since he was the leader of the most pious nation on the continent, surely the goddess would smile upon him? He at least deserved it far more than her.
Marianne had absolutely no idea why or how she ended up in this situation, it terrified her just to think about it.
Every crack of spears caused her to wince and avert her eyes from the clashes unfolding in front of her. Ringing in her ears were the grunts of the combatants and the cheer of the crowd, as well as the awes of amazement and boos and sighs of disappointment. It was a continuous storm in her ears that she couldn't block out. Truthfully, she could have just stepped out, excused herself and no one would have known anything. Ultimately, Marianne was just another face in the crowd, her absence wouldn't have been noticed, at least not for a little bit. The thing was, Marianne knew she couldn't leave, a part of her didn't want.
She had after all come with the rest of her housemates to this tournament. She was one of the on-staff healers. Given how…fierce these fighting tournaments could get, Marianne knew that some healers had to be around, especially if a blow went array and ended up doing more harm than expected to someone.
On top of that, Marianne felt it was her duty as a member of the Golden Deer House to be present. She had two of her housemates competing in the tournament and she felt an obligation to be there; while they were a tad…forward, Lorenz and Leonie had been kind enough to her. The former had gone above and beyond to save her on the battlefield, and the latter often sought her out when it came to dealing with horses, even at times asking, or demanding, her input on certain matters. They were her…
CRACK!
"And he breaks another one." Came the bemused voice of Lysithea, who'd taken up residence by Marianne's sound. Her near bored voice drew the Faith-oriented maiden out of her thoughts and back to reality. "Geez, I think I've seen bears with a tad more self-control than him."
"I-It's not like D-D-Dimitri met it." Spoke up the blue-haired girl causing the shorter and younger girl to look up at her. Quickly, Marianne looked ahead to the recently ended battle. At the very least the practice spear had held out long enough for Dimitri to defeat his current opponent before shattering. He was left standing there with a nervous laugh as he stared at the two broken halves of his practice spear. She remembered hearing something about how thanks to his…rather freakish strength, weapons tended not to last long in his hands. Several had found it amusing, including Marianne himself.
"You talk like you've know him, then again, I've noticed that you do spend a fair bit of time around him." Lysithea spoke.
"W-What? I-I mean w-w-we o-occasionally r-r-run into each other b-but that's it!" Cried the blue-haired girl hoping to cut the conversation off before it could truly take off.
Lysithea regarded her for a splint second, as if debating rather or not she should press the discussion. She ultimately chose not to, focusing her attention on the fighting ground. Professor Eisner had come over, carrying with him a steel lance and handing it to Dimitri. Marianne listened closely and picked up a tad bit of the conversation, it seemed that they were now shifting to real weapons as they drew closer to the semi-finals. Marianne couldn't help but feel a sliver of in knowing that.
"Hey, Marianne." Came the voice of the magical prodigy beside her. "Have a little faith in Lorenz and Leonie…and keep whatever faith you seem to have in Dimitri. He's strong like no one I've ever seen, but he's no brute." The words were delivered with such ease and directness that the pious maiden did a little bit of a double-take in hearing them. Lysithea merely smiled at her, then pointed back to the arena as their orange-haired housemate entered the ring. Standing against the prince of Faerghus himself.
"Hey, hope you don't hold back against me." Leonie started with an excited grin. "I've seen you in action, but I'll warn you, I'm no slouch myself!"
"I don't expect you to be, Leonie!" Dimitri laughed in response twirling his lance before sinking into a fighting position. "The question is, are you skilled enough to keep up with the lance work of Faerghus' royalty."
"Hah! Am I? You're talking to the number once apprentice of the Blade Breaker! I'll be the one breaking that spear of yours, but don't worry, I'll get you a new when all of this is over with." Retorted the short-haired girl with a cocky grin that showed how excited she was. It wasn't every day one was able to cross spears with a warrior prince like Dimitri, and a blooming warrior woman like Leonie was absolutely giddy at the opportunity.
On the sidelines, it left Marianne in an odd dilemma. Naturally, she was going to silently root for Leonie…but…she couldn't help but hope that Dimitri came out the victor. What sort of line of thinking was that? She was rooting for the opposition over her own housemate! Thankfully, Marianne was able to keep up an impartial if worried mask up as the fight got under way. Now that they were using real weapons, her ears boomed with the sound of steel and wood clashing against one another, again and again in rapid succession. Both of them were incredibly swift and precise. Any who tried to argue that Dimitri relied solely on brute strength were thoroughly proven wrong, yet again Marianne though, but his holding off of Leonie. Ironically, it was the orange-haired girl that had gone on the offensive while Dimitri seemed to be bidding his time. In a heartbeat, Marianne realized that Dimitri was luring her in, like a lion waiting for its prey to come into pouncing range.
Leonie did just that, but did not pay the price. Eyes flashing, Dimitri went on the attack following a parry that momentarily stunned the Golden Deer student. Surprisingly, Leonie recovered in a matter of seconds and got her footing back, but not without some form of cost. Dimitri's strikes were much stronger than hers, pushing her back inch by inch. Not one to be detoured, however, she struck back when and where she could. Their spears rung with the sounds of battle filling up the training grounds, almost drowning out the noise of the crowd.
Marianne's hands were clapped together, her mind reeling as she prayed for the safety of both her housemate and her opponent. Still, she did not know who to root for.
KLANG! KLANG! KLANG!
It was brief, but Marianne saw it, the moment that the match was decided. Leonie went in for a side ways swing that Dimitri's eyes widened upon recognizing. Quickly, he raised his own spear, swinging it in the same direction with equal force to Leonie. The resulting shock temporarily paralyzed the orange-haired girl giving the prince the window of time he needed to hit her in the stomach with the butt of his lance, followed next by the left side, and finally a blow that knocked her off her feet. In the seconds that followed, Dimitri had his spear pointed at Leonie's throat.
"Winner, Dimitri!" Shouted the referrer.
"Damn, was hoping for sure that I'd have you beat." Muttered the Leicester Alliance native taking the offered hand as she was pulled up. "Guess I need to do a bit more training, huh?"
"I wouldn't advise against it, but Leonie, you're plenty strong already." Dimitri said.
The statement caused the short-haired girl to grin. "Stronger than all the other guys you've fought in this tournament?"
A nervous laugh slipped from Dimitri's lips as he masked it under the pretext of wiping the sweat from his brow. "I'll…leave that question unanswered, just know that you did give me a challenge."
A smile graced Marianne's face at seeing the immediate reconciliation between the pair. The worry within her faded away as her orange-haired housemate turned in her spear then made her way over to join them on the sidelines.
"Well, you gave it a good shot, suppose we'll have to hinge everything on Lorenz, huh?" Claude chirped up, popping in from seemingly out of nowhere.
"Well, he and I have been sparring, don't I won't say that our chances are too good. If I couldn't beat Dimitri then odds are-"
"The odds will be even, Leonie." Spoke up the rose-wearing nobleman marching up to the group. Save for Hilda, Raphael, and Ignatz, all of whom were out on personal business, the entire Golden Deer house was assembled. "I knew from the start that it would ultimately fall to me to achieve victory in this tournament; rest assured everyone, I will claim victory for the Golden Deer House. I swear on my honor as a-"
"Eh, sure you can beat Edelgard's shadow? Last I heard he can be pretty wicked with a lance, in fact, he's the best spearman in the Black Eagles House." Claude spoke up, no doubt to cut Lorenz off. It was quite clear that the two boys, one destined to lead the Leicester Alliance and the other believe he was the better choice. Even Marianne could see that the friction between the two could one day ignite.
Briefly, Lorenz looked to Claude with annoyance, then turned his back to him. "Simply stand there and watch! I, Lorenz Hellman Gloucester will secure victory!" Following those words, he marched over into the arena where his black-haired opponent lay in wait.
Marianne did not like the smile on Hubert's face, in fact, she never quite liked Hubert to begin with. To be accurate, it was more like she didn't like being around him. While she could communicate with animals of all sorts, snakes were something of an odder case. Truthfully, they were rather benign creatures; leave them alone and they left you alone. Hubert, while snake-like…gave off a different feel. He was closer to the predatory breeds that slithered in obscurity then struck, pumping their venom into their target and crippling them. His eyes glowed with amusement as Lorenz stood ready and presented himself before him. The tournament was a weapons-only affair meaning that Hubert couldn't use any magic, which he excelled at, but something in Marianne's gut told her that he didn't need such things in order to win.
As the match got under way, she was proven right as he held himself well against Lorenz. Bombastic and at times slightly overbearing he could have been, Lorenz was a superb fighter, having proven himself on the battlefield several times. He was by no means an easy opponent, something that Hubert seemed to acknowledge as the glint in his eyes changed as the fight continued. Unlike Dimitri and Leonie's battle, Lorenz was all on the offensive with Hubert gradually luring him in. The purple-haired nobleman saw it coming, just as Leonie did. Marianne caught the swift flash of his lance, moving to intercept the sneaky blow that Hubert was planning on using to decide the match. Briefly, the Adrestian student seemed surprised by the move, no doubt he was expecting Lorenz to be unable to predict it; his shock didn't last long though.
The nearest Marianne or any of the other spectators could tell, the two blue-blooded teenagers were evenly matched. Skill would not decide the victor, cunning would.
Which was exactly where Hubert excelled and the heir to House Gloucester fell short.
Hubert's spear went into the stony ground, then came up launching a series of pebbles at the purple haired noble. Scuffing in disgust, Lorenz raised his arm to swat them away. It was just what Hubert had been waiting for.
Marianne had to fight the urge to scream to alert Lorenz of the thrusting attack that grazed his left arm. He winched in pain, but pushed past it in favor of a thrust of his own. It was as Hubert had wanted as he repeated the same tactic as before, this time aiming for Lorenz's eyes temporarily depriving him of his vision. The seconds' long window resulted in a harsh blow to stomach, then a slash to the right shoulder, and finally a roundhouse kick to the chest that sent the Leicester Alliance student toppling to the ground with a grown of pain. Hubert's spear was on him moments later.
"Winner, Hubert!"
Marianne sighed and began to make her way over, a near automatic response.
"That was…that was…that was sportsman-like, Hubert!" Shouted the purple-haired noble rising into a sitting position, his face red not with exhaustion but anger.
All the Adrestian teenager did was chuckle in his same ominous way. "Sportsmanship, Lorenz, you'd do well to remember this, on the battlefield things such a sportsmanship and honor are second-nature to the results. I'd assume as the heir to Count Gloucester would know that much."
Eyes wide with fright, Marianne moved herself in front of Lorenz, and prayed that his shouting didn't reach too great a level. One thing she'd learned about her purple-haired housemate during the first part of the year was that while he was extremely proud of his noble heritage, the relationship between him and his father was…peculiar. Given what she'd heard from her own adoptive father, Marianne didn't have to think hard as to why. Though pompous, Lorenz wasn't that bad of a person, he was incredibly upright in stark contrast to his father who…well, it was said that of all the Alliance lords, Count Gloucester was one who was not to be crossed lightly. And the safest place to be was either at his side or behind him and nowhere else.
Aid came from an unexpected place.
Professor Byleth Eisner was an enigma, one that so many were still struggling to decipher including Marianne herself. What was clear as day though was his combat-oriented wisdom.
"Calm yourself." He spoke as if Lorenz himself were one of his students. "He has a point that in a fight, certain ideals such as honor and sportsmanship aren't worth as much as they're praised for…but self-restraint is something worthwhile. Practice it, and your skills. Broaden your horizons and realize the moment a weapon is picked up, it's life or death."
"Took the words right out of my mouth, Professor Eisner." Hubert chuckled. "Now then, send forth your royal pupil, I long to clash spears with him."
"You will not be disappointed, and the Blue Lions will be taking this victory." Byleth replied in a casual tone that caused an extreme stir amongst the crowd. Even Marianne looked shocked at the words. Her attention was quickly drawn to Dimitri, who stepped up with a somewhat nervous expression. His teacher had just dumped a heavy burden on his shoulders, but he looked to him confident that he could carry it.
As she helped Lorenz up and promised to heal his wounds, her gray eyes wondered and found Dimitri's. Her mouth moved, yet the words she spoke were silent.
"Good luck."
The prince smiled at her in that way that made her wonder what the goddess had in store for her. Why she was leading her on like this?
The hazy glow of the setting sun, life around the Monastery was beginning to settle down if only just a little bit. Night wouldn't be an end, but a slowing down of things, it had been a somewhat eventful day to be honest. Egos had been messaged and bruised on multiple sides, including in Marianne's own house. Contrary to Claude's hopes, they didn't clench victory in the tournament, but he did praise the efforts of Lorenz and Leonie, both of whom were taking their losses well. Lorenz in particular had jumped straight into training along Leonie, no doubt a part of him fueled by the quiet advice of Professor Eisner.
Marianne was happy their spirits were recovering. She was also happy that Dimitri had ultimately been the one to win the lance-fighting tournament, triumphing over Hubert. Her heart raced as she remembered the relieved, the happy smile that had overcame her face when the blond-haired prince was declared the victor. Even her fellow Golden Deer classmates had cheered, Lorenz in particular has he had quite an open respect for the prince of Faerghus. Marianne pondered if she had similar feelings towards him. He was kind, but that kindness was wasted on a person like her.
Her existence was an abominable one, and yet here she was looking at ways to extend it. Did she have a right to do that?
No, what she was attempting to do was find some way to protect her housemates, as much as she could anyone. There were times when magic would only get one so far, not to mention Marianne knew, dreadful as the thought was, there might come a time when she was forced to take a life. Faith magic could kill, but it wasn't meant to.
Spears and lances on the other hand, well…
Sweat had grew on her brow as she made several more practice swings with her lance. Long had the voice of skepticism in her been silent, quelled no doubt by the intensity in which she'd focused into her training. It was unusual as this wasn't like her, spending time training instead of praying. Whenever she delved into her inner thoughts, the faces of her housemates flashed through her mind, specifically of the last mission they had undertaken, a mission to retrieve stolen valuables. A mission where her housemates had taken the lead in fighting the bandits, Ignatz and Claude taking injuries that Marianne had tended to afterward. The two archers had been forced to the frontlines because they were on the verge of getting overwhelmed. Though both had come out whole, Marianne couldn't help but feel a nagging voice telling her that if she had been on the frontlines fighting as well, perhaps she could have done something to help them.
Was that the reason why she was doing this? Tolling away her time in weapons practice instead of prayer?
"Heh, it would put my mind at ease if you chose to study the art of war…but that is the same as wishing for a wolf that does not hunt. Marianne, you can be much, but I highly doubt a warrior. You don't have the stomach for bloodshed, not that that is something to be ashamed of. There are some meant a sword and some not, you are merely in the latter category. Find your talents elsewhere." Her adoptive father had told her in the same manner of voice a professor would have lectured his students in. He hadn't been too far off the mark in his statement.
Time, however, had a way of turning what was a true statement false.
Alone in one of the Monastery's many practice halls she slashed and parried at invisible enemies, her voice rising several octaves as whatever passed for a fighting spirit was ignited in her. One wouldn't have been wrong to assume that such a thing had no place in a girl like her, Marianne herself truly believed that for some time.
Now though, she called upon that fighting spirit, however minuscule it might have been. If she could muster it here in this practice hall then surely there was hope on the battlefield.
As the sweat grew, her uniform jacket grew a tad more stuffy. Marianne knew that she couldn't continue on at this rate, it was becoming a bit of an annoyance. Casting a quick look around, she saw that she was alone so there was surely no harm to be found in throwing off her gold-lined jacket, Marianne in fact found joy and relief in doing so.
Somehow, it felt like she was able to move more freely, or maybe it was just her putting a bit more effort into her swings. Exactly how much practice was she getting, slashing at empty air? Surely a training partner would have been better for her, but who would want to spar with her? Last she saw, Lorenz and Leonie had taken to training with one another, their competitive spirits resonating with each other. Marianne was happy for them, especially since the time offered them a chance to bond over their initial friction.
"Meow."
"H-Huh?" Looking down as her sweat dropped to the ground, she was met with a pair of silted feline eyes that blinked at her. The cat meowed again, seemingly in curious before turning its nose to the droplets of sweat that had poured from her forehead. "W-Where did you come from?" She asked taking a step back and leaning down.
The orange-furred feline answered her, then turned back to the doorway.
"Um…D-D-Dimitri, i-is there something I can help you w-w-with?"
Stepping out into the open, the Faerghus prince looked readily embarrassed. It was nothing compared to Marianne, who suddenly felt an overwhelming desire to drop her spear, take the cat and run.
"I-I…well…I was actually training…and…looking after…well…" His face blushing as red as the banner of the Black Eagles' banner as he pointed to the orange-furred cat affectionately purring at Marianne's leg. "He's…one of Professor Byleth's…cats. His name is Leigh."
Placing her lance down, she began to stroke the small animal's back, much to his delight. "That's a good name for him." Looking up, she subtly scoured his face and hands for any sign of scratches showing that Leigh had clawed his way out of Dimitri's grasp; there were none. "U-Um, w-where is Professor Eisner?"
"He had some business that he said he needed to conduct, some involving his father's mercenary's company. They're officially under the employ of the Church for the time being and he said that he didn't want to abandon them while teaching us. He truly is a remarkable man." Admitted the blond prince with an air of fondness in his voice. His blue eyes drifted down to the lance that lay at her side, as well as the sweat on her face. "Training?"
"I-I…well…y-yes. I…even though I will probably never amount to anything I…I decided to give it a try." Marianne said averting her gaze from the taller student.
Dimitri's eyes shimmered with sympathy. "I wouldn't be so sure of that, you never know how something will end until you give it a try yourself. If you're interested in practicing your lance work, I'm sure Professor Byleth would be more than willing to give you some lessons. I…well…if you would want me to…I could…"
"Y-You'd teach me?" Marianne stammered in naked shock. "D-D-Dimitri, I-I don't…you shouldn't waste your time with someone like me. I'm a poor warrior, and a subpar magic user who-"
"Who I have heard praise of, especially by her own classmates." Gently cut off the blue-capped teenager. A supportive meow left the maws of Leigh, who'd seemingly gone to listening in on the conversation. Chuckling, Dimitri leaned down and offered his gloved hand. The cat purred, then walked over and licked his fingertips. Marianne held back a smile seeing there was no animosity in the interactions between the two. "Marianne, anyone can do anything if they put their mind to it. More importantly, if you're fighting to protect something or someone…" Stepping over, he picked up the lance and handed it to her. "You have people that you wish to protect, do you not? If you hold onto those things, I'm sure you'll be able to master any weapon you put your mind to."
Heat flared up around Marianne's cheeks while her heart beat several paces faster than normal. Trembling, she took a step back, but gripped the lance none the less. "I-I'll…I'll consider it. I-I'll leave you to y-your duties." Gripping her lance, she stepped to the side, casting one last glance at the prince and the cat, who looked at her with animalistic curiosity as if he too were asking why she was leaving.
The answer was she didn't want to bring undo bad luck onto either of them.
Her heels clacked against the stone pavement carrying her out of the practice hall and down the short hallway that would have led to the exit. Sadly, there was someone waiting for her.
"I take it you ran into the Boar? Tell me, was he as frightening in a private showing as he was during the tournament today?" Remarked the Blue Lions' resident swordsman, leaning against one of the pillars. His gaze was as sharp and alert as ever, which to Marianne simply came off as terrifying.
"I…I…I was just leaving."
"Fleeing no doubt." Felix huffed. "Tell me, does he still have the cat with him?"
"Leigh? Y-Yes, h-he does. A-And I was not…fleeing." It was such a pathetic lie she was sure that the swordsman saw through it easily. The near bored expression on his face told her that she did. Marianne realized in that instant she needed to get much better at lying and bluffing. Maybe Hilda could give her some lessons. "I-I didn't mean to interrupt him."
"You weren't interrupting anything. The Professor instructed us to look after that insufferable little cat, which seems to enjoy running away from us like it's some sort of game. If this is supposed to be some sort of training, then I'll be raising a compliment against him." Spoke the male Crest-bearer stepping forward. He barely baited an eye as he walked past Marianne, who flinched as he passed her. "Word of advice, stay away from the Boar if you wish to return to your domain whole. Everything he comes into contact with, he destroys, just like the myriad of lances and swords he's left behind in his wake."
Those were the last words Marianne heard before Felix continued on, not caring for the stunned look on Marianne's face. She looked back to him as he left, not paying her another bit of thought.
The cold look on his face and tone of his voice hung in Marianne's mind as she made her way back to her room. Though she hadn't interacted with him much, Marianne could tell there was certainly some tension between Felix and Dimitri, arguably more so than what lay between Lorenz and Claude. Though the rivalry between the two was there, the animal whisperer could tell it was more professional than personal; with the former two…well, Marianne wasn't even sure it could be called a rivalry, it was more like genuine animosity, at least on Felix's part. Not to mention the way he referred to Dimitri as a boar, it was…unsettling to Marianne. Not to mention incredibly off-put. So far, Dimitri had been nothing but polite and respectful to her, more so than he needed to be, more so than what she deserved.
She shook her head in a vain effort to push the thoughts out of her head.
"Marianne! Mari…oh, oh my, seems like someone definitely got quite a work out in, in more ways than one!" Recognizing that giggle in an instant, the sky-blue-haired girl spun to her right and found Hilda coming toward her. Unlike with most people, she didn't feel a reflexive need to run or hide. Somehow, the pig-tailed girl that…become a presence that Marianne could be around, even at times longed for. She was one of the people she was closest to after all. What made her curious was the mischievous look in her eyes, curious and wondered. "My, my, I'm glad to see that if you've been getting out more."
"W-What do you mean, Hilda? I-I just…I just went to do some practice. W-Weapons practice." Responded the adoptive noble.
"Uh-huh, I can see that." Giggled the more carefree girl. "You know, if you wanted some lance practice, you could have just sought out Lorenz or Leonie…or maybe there was someone else you wanted to practice with…"
"I was by myself!" Marianne immediately stammered. "I-I mean that I didn't want to be a burden on anyone, b-but I…" She said nothing as her hand was grabbed and the axe-user began to steer them away from the dorms toward the dining hall. It was still hours before dinner, but a little snake wouldn't hurt, especially some ice-cold water which might have done well to cure the dryness in Marianne's mouth.
"Sure, but there's a difference between magic training and weapons training, especially training with a lance. I hear that's the sort of thing that goes best with a partner, which save for Lorenz and Leonie, we really don't have in the Golden Deer. Heh, it's also probably one that won't get much better in the near future."
"They're getting along better?" Marianne asked with a ghost of a smile on her face.
Laughing, Hilda threw her arm around her shoulder. "Oh, I can believe that. At least enough that they can now stand being around each other. Seems that argument they had a few weeks ago is now dust in the wind. Amazing how much things can change in a few months' time, even I've come to enjoy myself here. What about you?"
"W-Who, me?"
"Yes, you, Marianne." Hilda grinned. "Before, you'd barely speak, and now here we are holding a conversation, and I'd have to guess you've been talking to others. Not to mention you're putting in actual work into something other than prayer and magic! No offense though."
"I-It's fine. I-It's just I…" It dawned on her that she was still carrying her lance, her hands gripping and loosening along the shaft like it was a stress ball instead of a weapon. "I realized that I…I could do more, that I…wanted to do more. Even if I don't have any talent with a weapon."
At first, Hilda was silent, then she spoke in that same cheaper voice. "Wait right here, I'll be right back."
Marianne did as requested, blinking in surprise and anticipation at what her friend had in store for her. Almost three minutes later and Hilda returned, two glasses of water in her hand along with a set of napkins in her hands. Following her motioning, Marianne sat down near one of the stone benches; the next thing she knew, one of the napkins, wettened, had been placed over her forehead as a makeshift wash rag. It of course, caught her by surprise, but the cool feel was relaxing to her. Next came the glass of water, which was equally refreshing to her.
"The sweat you've worked up…it kind of reminds me of my brother, the pride of House Gonreil…working so hard to live up to the standards that have been set before you. Something that I can never do." Pausing in her drinking, Marianne looked to her pig-tailed friend with naked shock. It wasn't like this was the first time she'd brought up her older brother, but it was a first she'd brought him up…in comparison to her. As the shock rolled over her, Hilda looked to her with a carefree smile. There was never any malice or ill-intent when she spoke of her brother, or to her; the latter almost always left Marianne baffled. "You've got some talent, with a spear or a sword, both of which I've seen you use before. I'm not the kind of girl who'll put much effort into anything…but you're a different story. Keep up what you're doing and one day, you'll probably be on par with those blue-bloods from the Blue Lions, speaking of which, if you're interested in weapons practice, you can definitely go to them for advice. They are after all the 'war masters' of the academy, especially with Professor Byleth teaching them."
"You're…using his first name too." Hilda noted.
"Yep! I actually had the chance to talk to him a couple of weeks ago. He and Professor Manuela were giving a joint class on first aid and Claude suckered me into going. Believe it or not, but he told everyone to call him by his first name because he didn't want to be confused for his father." A brief heartfelt snicker fell through Hilda's lips. "You really should have been there to seen them, Professor Byleth couldn't stop staring at her! He's smitten with her, I know it!"
"Y-You can tell from just a single look?"
"Well, word is they have been around each other, including that Professor Byleth has even walked her home a few times from her drinking. Heh, here's hoping I never get that drunk you need to carry me home."
"Y-You'd trust me to do that?"
"Marianne," Hilda began. "I trust you to have my back in a fight, be it with a spear, sword, or magic. You may be shy and a quiet and at times even a bit of a downer, but if there's one thing you're good at, it's caring for people."
The words were a shock to Marianne, but quickly they sunk in, causing a warm smile to grow along her face. "So…do you…think I could be good at one day using a spear?"
"If you keep on going at it like you did today, definitely. A lance or a sword."
"Not a sword." Suddenly spoke the devote teen. Her hands tightened as dark memories flashed through her mind. "If I am to wield a weapon…I'll have it be a lance…and I'll…do what I can with it, however I can."
Hilda looked a tad surprise at the statement, but kept her thoughts to herself. Quietly, she filed away the response she'd gotten once she brought up swords, and instead focused on the more positive affirmation she got. It brought a smile to Hilda's face, warmed her heart enough that she chose to keep quiet on the fact that Marianne was still in her sweat-laced undershirt. Maybe Marianne would notice later on…and when that helped Hilda would get a slight laugh in at her expanse. It couldn't hurt too much, could it?
This chapter definitely turn out as I initially planned, but hey, that's how the ball rolls. It obviously picks up about two months after the school's year began and everyone's settled into their classes and gotten to known their classmates a little. This chapter was supposed to cover the aftermath of the Lonato mission, but I'll save that for next chapter when Dimitri's in doubt and Marianne finds him, it'll be one of the many topics they'll be discussing. Speaking of topics, the one for this chapter was lances, namely that Marianne has a hidden talent in lances, which makes sense as she both gravitates towards the Holy Knight class…and given her Crest Weapon is a sword, she'd want to get as far away from swords as possible.
Until next chapter, which will definitely feature more Dimitri-Marianne interaction!