So far, Saint Cethleann's day had been a trial and a drain for Edelgard but as head of house, there was simply no feasible way to get out of attending the ceremony that Rhea led in the Cathedral. It proved to be exactly as bad as she had expected - an over-long and cringeworthy event that saw Edelgard nearly bloodying her palms due to the tense tightness of her clenched fists – a completely spontaneous response to the sheer pomposity on vulgar display.
At least while she was being tortured by the faithful, Hubert would be using his time more constructively, infiltrating the party committee and reaching out to his fellow students, most likely a role that he despised just as much as she was despising hers. All for the greater good...
Once the event was finally over, Edelgard joined the queue of worshippers filing out from the Cathedral, each being granted the honour of a few words with the Archbishop herself. Once she reached the front and was confronted directly with Rhea, she bit at her cheek and bowed low.
'A beautiful service, Archbishop and extremely well attended.' Edelgard murmured as Rhea smiled benevolently down at her.
'I thank you, Your Highness. Indeed I find the teachings of Saint Cethleann to be some of my personal favourites.' Rhea responded warmly.
Edelgard took a quick look around and spied Flayn over the other side of the hall, talking animatedly with Jeralt. She leaned in towards the Archbishop conspiratorially.
'I do hope that you are going to be able to join us later for the other celebrations that are planned.' Edelgard smiled politely. 'I am sure that your attendance would mean a great deal to Flayn.'
'I was invited.' Rhea had coloured slightly as if such a gesture was uncommon. 'I do worry that my presence might curtail the festive spirit - I would certainly hate for that to happen.'
'Nonsense!' Edelgard exclaimed. 'It would be nothing less than a mark of how special Flayn is... to all of us!'
'Well, I believe that I will come along - for a short time, at least.' Rhea beamed. 'It is very heartening to find that Flayn is so kindly considered. She has not had an easy road for the longest while.'
'She is quite adored.' Edelgard tried to keep any inflection of the bitterness she felt from her voice.
'Then I will hopefully see you later.' Rhea inclined her head graciously while Edelgard bowed again.
By the time Edelgard got back to her room, Hubert was already waiting for her.
'Is that glitter in your hair?' She asked him as he stood respectfully, weighting down the pile of correspondence he had been attending to, ensuring that the papers would not scatter.
'I thought I'd managed to wash it all out.' He sighed, running a hand through his dark mess. 'One thing that I have managed to learn today is that Hilda is overly fond of sparkles.'
'Did your morning go well aside from that?' Edelgard threw herself down on the bed grumpily.
'Tolerably so.' Hubert nodded. 'Bernadetta managed to faint standing up again.'
'Well, despite the trauma I had to go through, I do happen to have one piece of good news.' Edelgard admitted. 'Rhea is planning to attend the party tonight. Even if she is only there for a short time, it should allow an opportunity for you to check out her private rooms.'
'Assuming that her handmaidens aren't there.' Hubert said mildly, although his eyes were gleaming in interest.
'We have to try.' Edelgard said firmly. 'The guards and Knight's are on too high alert to have tried anything during the ceremony itself, but tonight is something personal, and Flayns party in the classrooms coincides happily with the Saint's day feast in the refectory. Drink flowing, students in a party mood... did you manage to slip Sylvain the bottles of spirits to spruce up the punchbowls by the way?'
'Oh, yes.' Hubert chuckled. 'He was amusingly suspicious at first, but once he had 'taken one for the team' as he put it and had taken a sip from each bottle, he was finally persuaded that I really wasn't trying to poison anyone. In the end, he appeared to be genuinely impressed that I knew what liquor would be indistinguishable by taste or smell to even the heartiest of drinkers!'
'You are not a complete monster!' Edelgard declared. 'Obviously, you would choose the correct tools for the occasions. We just need a rowdy party, and some slipped inhibitions... not a full-scale poisoning. For now, at least.'
'I anticipate a highly amusing evening.' Hubert chuckled darkly.
'A potentially satisfying one too.' Edelgard agreed.
~0~
Flayn was kicking about miserably in her room, waiting for Seteth to collect her to attend the evening's feast. She knew she should be looking forward to the meal, but she was feeling just a little bit aggrieved that nobody - save her brother - had known that it was her birthday. She supposed that the suppression of information was down to Seteth himself, although she had slyly mentioned the fact to Myles fairly recently. Just bloody typical that he'd forgotten all about it.
There was a polite tapping on her door.
'I'm ready,' Flayn huffed. 'Door's unlocked.'
Seteth's head appeared around the door. 'Apologies for my tardiness.' He apologised, letting himself into the room fully. 'I was held up with a small matter relating to...'
'Whatever. Let's just go!' Flayn replied.
'I thought I might present you with your gift...' Seteth continued, his brows puckering at Flayn's obviously bad mood.
'Save it.' She barked harshly, then seeing his hurt and bewildered expression, she sighed. 'I'm sorry, brother. It has been a long day.'
'Completely understandable.' He said amiably. 'I'm sure some food will help your energy. Let us waste no more time.'
'Stop right there!' A brash voice exclaimed as the door was swung open again very forcefully, and two figures barged into the room, suddenly crowding the space. Flayn instinctively moved behind Seteth as he twirled round to face the intruders with a surprised cry.
'Von Riegan, is that you?' Seteth demanded. '... And Prince Dimitri?' He suddenly sounded confused, and Flayn took the opportunity to peep around him to see what was going on. Her hand went straight to her mouth as she tried to stifle an unbelieving giggle. Claude was stood boldly in front of them, striking a totally absurd pose, his hair a mass of braids and beads and topped by a jaunty hat. Colourful silk was wrapped at his waist, and he was dripping in the gaudiest jewellery imaginable.
'I am the Dread Pirate Claude...' Claude announced loudly and dramatically, pulling out the wooden training sword that hung at his side.
'And you are...?' Seteth enquired of Dimitri, his voice dripping in sarcasm.
'Oh! Right...' Dimitri looked apologetic and compared to Claude almost normal. He was wearing a fearsome black eyepatch over his right eye, though, which at least gave him a slightly roguish image. 'I guess I am the Dread Pirate Dimitri...' He offered nervously.
'We can't both be dread pirates, Dimi!' Claude groaned. 'You don't have the hat... or the style for it. You can be my first mate.'
'Probably your only mate...' Dimitri shot back.
Seteth was pinching the bridge of his nose as if in pain. 'Could one of you please explain to me the meaning of this intrusion?' He asked with long-suffering patience. 'You!' He demanded of Dimitri as Claude opened his mouth to speak.
'Me?' Dimitri gulped and went red. 'Well, you see, sir, we heard that it was Flayn's birthday, so we decided to kidnap her and take her to sea...'
'Is that right?' Seteth said, with just the edge of anger to his voice now. 'And you expect me just to step aside and allow you to abduct my sister?'
'Well, that would be helpful...' Dimitri admitted. Flayn's eyes were huge. She looked between her brother and the two lads in front of her, unable to speak.
'No!' Seteth's roar was sudden and explosive. 'How dare you come here...'
'Brother, please...' Flayn was dragging on his arm in alarm. 'I'm sure they are acting with the best intentions...'
'Nope, our intentions are entirely villainous.' Claude admitted cheerfully. 'Sorry, Seteth... with all due respect, we are completely prepared to tie you to the chair to achieve our aims... may as well just let us...'
'I beg your pardon?' Seteth's face was red now.
'Get out the rope.' Claude said sadly to Dimitri.
'Okay.' Dimitri gulped.
'Um... guy's - I appreciate the gesture, I truly do!' Flayn was holding onto her brother's arm for dear life. 'I'm not sure that tying up my brother is such a good idea, though...'
'Courage General Flayn. We will not be thwarted in providing you a birthday celebration to remember.' Claude made a half-hearted lunge at Seteth, who held up his hands.
'In deference to my Sister and in respect to her special day, I am not going to offer any resistance and make an unfortunate scene. I do assure you both, however, that your actions here are going to have serious repercussions...' Seteth said with dignity. He moved away from Flayn with a sigh and sat himself down. 'I am holding you both responsible for her wellbeing.' He added.
Flayn looked completely flabbergasted.
'General?' Claude offered her a hand.
'I really don't think it's such a good idea...' Flayn said regretfully.
'First Mate Dimitri, please secure the baggage...' Claude's grin had broadened.
'Ahhh..' Dimitri's eyes had flickered to Seteth, who gave the tiniest nod. 'Okay.' He swept Flayn up in his arms bridal style.
'Excellent!' Claude crowed happily. 'Then let us parade our spoils around the grounds on our way down to the sea!' He declared.
Flayn let out a nervous giggle.
'If you insist.' She agreed.
It was only moments after the three of them had left the room and headed down the stairs that Byleth quietly let herself in.
'They didn't tie you up?' She asked. 'Shame... I was looking forward to seeing what you would pay me to let you go!'
'Was that charade really necessary?' Seteth groaned, rising to his feet.
'Probably not... ' Byleth was giggling now. 'You were totally magnificent, though. It's not a thing Flayn will ever forget!'
Seteth's frown relaxed. 'Her face was a total picture.' He admitted. 'I can probably count on the fingers of one hand the number of times that she has truly been that surprised and unsure.' He began to chuckle.
'See. You enjoyed it!' Byleth pulled him into a spontaneous hug. 'You are totally the best brother in the world.' She grinned him supportively. '...Although you really don't need to mention to Myles that I said that!'
'Hmm... what's it worth?'
'Seteth!'
'What?' He suddenly hefted her playfully off her feet and over his shoulder. 'You were planning to bribe me if I needed untying, you harridan! I think I should enact an abduction of my own. I'm sure the fighting pits would pay handsomely for the Ashen Demon as a new conscript, and I'm pretty sure no-one would notice you gone...'
'Put me down!' Byleth squealed.
'Make me!'
Byleth started to laugh again. 'Is that really how you want this to end Seteth?' She asked.
'Definitely not.' Seteth admitted ruefully, putting her carefully back on her feet. 'I know full well you would comprehensively kick my arse. May as well save myself the embarrassment.'
'Exactly!' Byleth smirked. 'Come on!' she added. 'We are going to have to make a run for it now if we are going to reach the party before the lads deliver Flayn.'
'Entirely your fault.' Seteth muttered mutinously.
When they reached the classroom's Seteth was unable to hold back his total surprise at the enchanting transformation.
'This is exceptional, Byleth.' He admitted as Jeralt headed over to them with a couple of beers in his hand.
'How did the abduction go?' Jeralt asked merrily, handing a mug to Seteth. 'Drink it!' He ordered severely when Seteth looked like he would refuse. 'Relax Seteth. You will probably need it given how much Flayn will be courted this evening.'
'Seteth should be on the stage... He played his part to perfection.' Byleth answered her father. 'Please, don't listen to him...' She added to Seteth, who looked horrified at the idea of Flayn being courted. 'He is winding you up for shit and giggles because he's an arsehole. Believe me, Myles will be making sure that everyone treats Flayn with proper respect.'
'I'm not ready for this...' Seteth moaned.
'You'd better be!' Jeralt noted with a wink. 'There's Myles now, so Flayn is almost here. Let the party begin!'
