Approximately two months later.
The Kingdom Army had finally amassed enough troops and devised a plan to launch a large-scale attack on the imperial capital, aiming to finally assassinate Emperor Edelgard. Ingrid was grateful and relieved that Prince Dimitri was now in a much better mental state than he previously had been. Although he was still adamant about eliminating Edelgard, his feral, savage and blood-thirsty mannerisms had waned. Without his judgment being eclipsed by utter recklessness, Ingrid felt much more confident in the future king's ability to lead and carry out their plan to fruition.
Ingrid had been standing in the bedroom she and Dorothea had been sharing at their current base. As she got dressed, Ingrid attempted to mentally prepare herself for the fight ahead and what she desperately hoped would be the final, deciding battle of this war. Ingrid pulled her pants on and fastened her belt, she slipped her tunic on over her head and securely fastened her breastplate over top of it. Dorothea picked up another piece of Ingrid's armor and fastened it securely around her girlfriend's bicep before repeating the same process with her other arm.
"Thank you." Ingrid said.
"Are you ready to do this?" Dorothea asked.
"Ready." Ingrid nodded. "I can't believe this day has arrived. We've already eliminated the Imperial Army's strongest allies. All that's left is Edelgard herself. We're about to attack Enbarr and seize the Imperial Palace. This is our opportunity to finally end this war."
Ingrid noticed that Dorothea looked slightly paler than usual and generally unwell.
"Are you feeling all right?" Ingrid asked, concerned as she slipped on her gloves and fastened her wrist armor. "You don't look well."
"I'm fine, darling. Just nervous...emotional...terrified…a lot of feelings coming all at once."
"You have a lot of memories, no doubt." Ingrid nodded. "It probably feels like a lifetime ago. I'm sure you also hold a lot of mixed feelings about returning to Adrestia after all of these years, especially under the circumstances..."
"Mmhm." Dorothea agreed. "I haven't been to Enbarr since I was performing with the opera company. Before I ever even enrolled in the Officers Academy...we've made it to the end. We either kill Edie or die trying..." Dorothea's eyes began to fill with tears.
"Dorothea." Ingrid placed her gloved hands on either side of her girlfriend's face. "No one would blame you if you chose to stay behind for this battle. We have enough soldiers now-"
"I can't do that. I knew this day would come eventually. I've fought for so long, I have to see this through to the end. It's just that...what if I have to actually face her myself? If I have to look her in the eyes and kill her..."
"Steel yourself. You have to be strong." Ingrid said. "Promise me that you won't relent. I will do everything in my power to prevent you from having to personally engage in combat with her. But, if it comes down to it, you mustn't falter against her. She'll show no mercy toward any of us, she never has. And with an opponent like Edelgard, even a moment's hesitation could mean the difference between life and death."
Dorothea nodded.
Ingrid sat down on the bed, pulled on her boots and attached her armor to them.
"Are you nervous at all?" Dorothea asked as she sat down across Ingrid's lap and wrapped her arms around her neck.
"Of course." Ingrid comfortingly wrapped her arms around her girlfriend. "I'm going to fight my hardest today. For The Kingdom, for His Highness, for our friends and most importantly for you and our future. But...in case I don't survive, I need you to know that...I'll always love you." Ingrid placed her hand on Dorothea's cheek. "Remember that."
Tears formed in Dorothea's eyes and began to fall down her cheeks.
"Please don't say things like that." Dorothea buried her face into Ingrid's shoulder. "We're going to be okay. We have to be."
"I didn't mean to upset you." Ingrid gently ran her fingers through Dorothea's thick brunette hair. "I just needed to tell you..."
"Your Majesty!" A very distressed imperial general rushed into Edelgard's throne room. "The Kingdom Army has infiltrated the city. Several of our generals have fallen. Hubert is also counted among the dead." The woman said, regretfully. "Prince Dimitri is on the front lines. We're anticipating their arrival shortly."
"Is it so?" Edelgard said, apathetically. She then turned to the general at her side. "Summon the reinforcements and assume your position. I cannot promise your safety if you remain here."
"Understood, Your Majesty." The general bowed and quickly fled from the room.
"The time has finally come." Edelgard said aloud to herself. "You've fought well, Dimitri. But, this battle will certainly be your last..."
Edelgard closed her eyes as several waves of excruciating pain jolted through her entire body. Her heart pounded, her muscles and joints ached and she felt as though her bones were about to burst outward through her skin. She could feel the true, unbridled power from both of her crests coursing through her body and taking control of every fiber of her being. Through harnessing the power of ancient, unspeakable methods, Edelgard's small body began to take on a monstrous form. She grew to mammoth proportions, to the point where she towered over even the largest beasts ever known to Fódlan. Within moments, she had become almost unrecognizable, transforming herself into a frightening and grotesque creature, encased in thick ebony armor with massive wing-like protrusions extending from her shoulders. She could feel her strength constantly increasing as all life drained from her eyes, they quickly became dead, black pools with demonic glowing red pupils at their center. Edelgard flexed her gigantic hands, which now bore terrifying long, slender alien-like fingers. The creature released a ghastly wail, with her transformation now complete, there was nothing left to do but await The Kingdom Army's arrival.
The Kingdom Army marched through the streets of Enbarr, fighting their way through the capital until they had found themselves on the threshold of the massive Imperial Palace. Dimitri stared straight up at the palace, not blinking for several long moments.
"Edelgard!" Dimitri called out. "This is your last chance. Throw down your weapons! Surrender now! There does not need to be any more bloodshed!"
The entire Kingdom Army held their breath, waiting patiently behind Dimitri, weapons raised and prepared to strike at a moment's notice. There was no response nor sign of Edelgard or her army, only a dead, eerie and unsettling silence emanating from the palace. Dimitri then turned to his troops.
"Did you actually expect her to surrender? Hmph." Felix said, smugly.
"I had to give her the opportunity." Dimitri said. "We don't know what may await us once we get inside the palace. Everyone proceed with caution. Edelgard and her army surely will not go down without a fight. Let's end this! For Faerghus!"
"For Faerghus!" The Kingdom Army cried out in unison as they stormed the palace, breaking down its massive doors.
Upon infiltrating the palace, The Kingdom Army was expectedly greeted by dozens upon dozens of imperial soldiers armed with both strong physical weapons and extremely powerful magic. Soldiers and demonic beasts poured out from every hallway, room and corridor imaginable, attacking at every turn. As The Kingdom Army fought, killing soldier after soldier, Edelgard remained noticeably absent. She had never before had any qualms about fighting on the front lines and The Kingdom Army certainly found it quite odd that she had yet to show herself.
"Edelgard must be in the throne room!" Dimitri called out. "All troops storm in! The Emperor is within reach!"
Several of The Kingdom Army's strongest units collectively rammed the set of intricately carved, heavy wooden doors leading to the throne room. Eventually, the hinges gave way to their strength and the doors broke open. Kingdom soldiers rushed into the throne room, weapons raised, prepared to assassinate The Emperor of Adrestia. But, they didn't see Edelgard, instead they found a gigantic, terrifying beast hovering in front of the throne. They didn't have time to analyze the creature, as kingdom troops were instantly surrounded and swarmed by yet another round of imperial soldiers, even stronger than the ones that they had previously faced.
"You shall be obliterated!" The creature wailed in a ghastly tone, chilling enough to make even the bravest knight's blood instantly run cold. "I will take you out so fast you will not have a chance to lament..." embracing the full power of both of her crests, she summoned an extremely powerful form of archaic dark magic. Giant swirling purple masses of energy materialized at her palms. She used her her enormous hands to hurl the magic balls of energy across the room toward her foes.
Dimitri's head snapped up just in time to leap out of the way to avoid being hit by the attack.
"What the hell is that thing?" Hilda's eyes widened and her heart raced as she stared up at the monstrous being looming on the other side of the room. "Is it-" Hilda swung her axe at a soldier who was fast approaching her, armed with a sword. Their weapons clashed, but Hilda's strength was far superior, her axe easily snapped the sword's blade from its handle. The soldier brazenly tried to continue fighting on with her broken weapon, but with one final, powerful blow of Hilda's axe, she swiftly cut through the flesh of the enemy soldier's neck, cleanly beheading her.
"Sorry. But, it's you or me." Hilda watched as the soldier's decapitated body collapsed to the ground next to its lifeless head. The eyes were still open, an expression of fear frozen on its face and its tongue hanging out of its mouth in grisly fashion. Blood poured out from the neck of the separated body and pooled across the floor of the throne room, the thick, deep red fluid harshly contrasting with the blue and white tiles on the floor and seeping into the strip of carpet running up the middle of the room to the throne.
"So that grotesque creature is Edelgard." Dimitri said, staring at the creature across the room. "This is how far you're willing to go for the sake of your ideals? Turning yourself into a beast..."
Dimitri deflected attack after attack of several imperial soldiers, eventually striking each down one by one with his lance, utilizing strong singular blows until the cold tile floor around his boots was littered with the corpse of every soldier foolish enough to have challenged him.
Dorothea glanced over at Ingrid, who had her lance in hand, moving gracefully across the room, easily dodging attack after attack as several soldiers swiped at her with swords, lances and axes. Not even a skillful, accurate archer was able to strike her down with one of his arrows. From several feet away, Dorothea set her sights on the group of soldiers that were huddled together, angrily eyeing up her girlfriend. Each of the soldiers were determined to catch and slay Ingrid, who had turned out to be an invariable nuisance to them throughout the entirety of this battle. The soldiers backed Ingrid toward the corner of the room. They elevated their weapons and prepared to surround her, each one hoping to have the opportunity to deliver the final blow and end her life.
"Dorothea! Now!" Ingrid called out. "Hurry."
Dorothea focused all of her attention and gathered as much strength and energy as she possibly could from deep within herself.
"Time for your last dance!" Dorothea's voice rang out from behind the group of soldiers as she cast a powerful spell. In a matter of seconds, a massive meteor came crashing down through the roof of the throne room, quickly plummeting toward the soldiers and Ingrid alike.
Ingrid leapt out of harm's way at the last possible moment as the meteor easily crushed one of the enemy soldiers beneath its heavy weight, while the force of the impact critically injured several of the other surrounding soldiers. Ingrid landed safely on the ground, unscathed a few feet away as allied forces rushed in to finish off the soldiers that weren't instantly killed by Dorothea's attack.
"Only thorns left on this rose." Dorothea said, her voice heavy with grief.
As the battle raged on, bodies of fallen soldiers were piling up at every turn, the throne room of the Imperial Palace was quickly becoming a graveyard for dozens upon dozens of soldiers unlucky enough to have met their untimely demise in the war's final battle. Though The Kingdom Army was steadily gaining a strong advantage, imperial troops refused to surrender. There was no turning back now, even at a growing disadvantage, the Imperial Army would continue to fight for their emperor until the bitter end.
As soon as Kingdom forces found themselves able to do so, they surrounded Edelgard's monstrous form and began to attack with all of their might. Despite being severely outnumbered, Edelgard's attacks remained terrifyingly powerful as her rage and desperation grew ever stronger. Engaging in battle with her in this form was a grueling task and The Kingdom Army's endurance was rapidly beginning to wear thin, they were wounded, exhausted and drained, both mentally and physically, but they continued to fight on with what strength they had left, slowly chipping away at Edelgard's seemingly impenetrable magical armor until they were finally able to break through it. Upon landing a particularly devastating blow, the creature released a horrifying wail that echoed throughout the room as she dropped to the ground with an enormous crash that rocked the entire foundation of the palace.
"Edelgard. It is over." Dimitri said, confidently.
The magical spell had been broken, a cloud of mysterious black smoke swirled around Edelgard, every soldier of The Kingdom Army anxiously turned their eyes toward the creature, nervous and unsure of what would happen next. They looked on as the creature began to change and Edelgard slowly reverted back to her human form. After a few moments, the smoke dissipated almost as quickly as it appeared, revealing the bruised, fatigued and defeated emperor, still alive kneeling on the floor at Prince Dimitri's feet. Dimitri clutched his lance in one hand, but didn't seem interested in raising it to deliver a final killing blow. Dimitri instead lowered his weapon and extended his unarmed, gloved hand downward toward Edelgard.
"El." Dimitri spoke softly, waiting for Edelgard to reach for his hand.
Edelgard silently stared upward at her childhood friend and step-brother turned sworn enemy. She subtly reached into her armor and pulled out a dagger. In one final last-ditch effort, she threw the dagger upward at Dimitri, the blade embedding itself to the hilt into his shoulder. Without speaking another word, Dimitri raised his lance and plunged the blade deep into Edelgard's chest, piercing her heart and killing her instantly. The Kingdom Army looked on as Edelgard collapsed dead, face down onto the throne room floor.
"Hhhmm..." Dimitri groaned as he wrapped his hand around the dagger's handle and pulled it out of his own flesh.
Dimitri dropped the bloodstained dagger, the loud clang of the metal blade connecting with the floor as it landed next to Edelgard's body echoed deafeningly throughout the throne room.
The entire army breathed a collective sigh of relief, knowing that the war had officially come to its end. Dorothea clutched Ingrid's hand tightly, she watched a pool of fresh, bright red blood spill outward from Edelgard's corpse.
"Adrestia has finally fallen." Ingrid said softly, almost in disbelief of their accomplishment. "It's over." She dropped her lance to the ground and wrapped her arms around her girlfriend.
The former songstress' eyes began to fill with tears, partly in sorrow for the slain woman who had once been her friend, but mostly because she knew that this was the conclusion of a daunting journey that had caused her so much grief, heartache and pain.
Ingrid turned Dorothea's body toward her, she gently cradled the former songstress' head against her chest, preventing Dorothea from having to look upon Edelgard's lifeless body for even a moment longer. Ingrid gently rubbed her hand up and down Dorothea's back as the former songstress clung tightly to her.
"We did it." Hilda said. She had tears in her eyes as she placed both hands on either side of Marianne's face and passionately kissed her. "We actually did it." Hilda then wrapped her arms around Marianne and hugged her, lifting her up off of her feet and spinning her around in a circle.
Once Hilda had gently put Marianne back on the ground, Ingrid noticed that the pink-haired woman's joyful expression had quickly been replaced with a look of sorrow as she caught another glimpse of Edelgard's body. Ingrid kept one arm wrapped securely around Dorothea, but reached out to place her other hand consolingly on Hilda's shoulder.
"Are you all right?" Ingrid asked.
"Yes. I couldn't be better." Hilda nodded, her eyes began to fill with tears again as she met Ingrid's gaze. "After five and a half long years...we can all go home."
The death of Emperor Edelgard and collapse of the Adrestian Empire marked the beginning of a new era in Fódlan's history. With the dissolution of the alliance already occurring prior to the end of war, Fódlan was already well on its way to becoming one, unified nation. Following the war, Archbishop Rhea, exhausted and frail from the distressing experience, stepped down as leader of the church, relinquishing her duties and passing them along to a competent new leader to work side by side with King Dimitri to bring order to the nation.
In only a few days, Prince Dimitri would be crowned King of Faerghus. Over the past few weeks, nobles and commoners alike from all over Fódlan began to flock to Fhirdiad in preparation of Dimitri's coronation and the knighting ceremony of a brand new order of Royal Knights. While some had gone their separate ways after the war's final battle, quickly returning home to their families, many former students of the Officers Academy had returned to Garreg Mach Monastery for a few days rest as they travelled toward Fhirdiad.
It was late at night and Ingrid had been on her way back to Dorothea from sneaking a few pastries from the dinning hall. As she walked outside into the cool night air, Ingrid noticed Dimitri standing near the fishing pond, staring at the water. Ingrid quietly descended the stone staircase leading to the dining hall and approached the soon-to-be king.
"Your Highness?" Ingrid said, softly.
"Ah, Ingrid." Dimitri said, turning to face the blonde. "On the prowl for a little late-night snack, I see. Some things never change." He chuckled.
"Yes." Ingrid laughed too. "Would you like a pastry?"
"No. Thank you. I'm fine."
"You're awake awfully late this evening..." Ingrid said, concern evident in her voice.
"Indeed." Dimitri nodded. "If I'm being honest, I've been experiencing quite a bit of sleeping trouble these past few nights."
"What's bothering you? Is there anything I can do for you, Your Highness?"
"I've told you many times before, there's really no need for such formality." Dimitri said, kindly. "We have been friends since childhood."
"My apologies. It has always felt so...improper for me to address you as anything else. Especially now. You're about to be crowned king."
Ingrid watched as an expression of uncertainty crossed Dimitri's face in the darkness. As the date of his coronation rapidly approached, Dimitri had been suffering a tremendous increase in his anxiety. He continually worried about facing the citizens of Faerghus, fearing that he may lack the ability to lead and unite the broken nation of Fódlan.
Dimitri sighed heavily, he hung his head and turned away, obscuring his face from Ingrid's view.
"What is it?" Ingrid asked. She placed her hand on Dimitri's arm and gently turned his body back toward her. She looked up into the face of the prince.
"Will they accept me as their king? Bloodstained as I am...am I fit to be king?" Dimitri's voice cracked.
Ingrid could have sworn that she had seen a tear fall from Dimitri's eye as the light of the moon shined across the prince's face in the darkness of the night.
"Of course you are." Ingrid said, confidently. "The citizens of Faerghus will welcome you with open arms. You led us to victory over the Imperial Army. You ended the war and there's no doubt in my mind that as king, you'll lead Fódlan to true peace as the strong and benevolent ruler you were always destined to be."
"Thank you." Dimitri smiled softly and placed his hand on Ingrid's shoulder. "Your words are kind. You've remained unwavering loyal even during my darkest days when I certainly did not deserve your support."
"I've always believed in you. Although you lost yourself for a while, I was never willing to give up on you or our cause. And I never will. In both times of turmoil and peace, I'll forever humbly remain in your service."
"I look forward to the opportunity to knight you, my friend. It will be a great honor to have you serve in The Kingdom's Royal Guard."
"The honor will be all mine." Ingrid bowed her head to Dimitri.
"Thank you for your service, Ingrid."
Dimitri wrapped his strong arms around Ingrid's body, enveloping her in a warm, friendly embrace to which Ingrid happily reciprocated. She had always greatly appreciated her friendship with the prince and it felt wonderful to finally have her friend back.
"It'll be nice to get back to Faerghus." Ingrid said. "It's been such a long time since we've been home. I've missed it."
"Indeed." Dimitri nodded.
"Dorothea has never been to The Kingdom before. I can't wait to show her our homeland."
"Have you two thought about tying the knot yet?" Dimitri smiled.
"I can't speak for her, but I think about it daily. I bought a ring some time ago, though I promised myself I wouldn't propose until the war was over..."
"What are you waiting for? There's nothing holding you back now."
"Well...I thought maybe I'd ask her after the knighting ceremony...but I'm incredibly nervous to do so. I didn't think I'd ever feel this nervous once the time actually came..."
"Are you nervous that she will decline?" Dimitri asked, surprised. "I don't think you have to worry about that at all. The two of you have been through hell and back. I'm not sure I've ever seen a stronger bond. I am certain that she will accept."
"Thank you." Ingrid said, sincerely. "It's just that...I only get one chance at this. I'm worried that I'll say something stupid and mess it up. I don't really know what to say to be perfectly honest...I've always struggled with this sort of thing…"
"You're overthinking, just as you always have." Dimitri said, placing his hand on Ingrid's shoulder. "It's plainly obvious that you love Dorothea and that she loves you. Your heart is pure. While I'm certainly no expert in romance myself, the best advice I can give you is simply to tell her what's in your heart. If you do that, you can't fail."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
"We are planning to leave the monastery just after sunrise tomorrow morning." Dimitri said. "Be sure you and Dorothea both get some rest."
"I hope you'll do the same. Promise me you'll at least try."
"You have my word." Dimitri nodded. "Goodnight, Ingrid."
"Goodnight."
It was very early the next morning when Ingrid was awakened. She slowly opened her eyes and rolled over, realizing that Dorothea wasn't in bed with her. She swept her hand across Dorothea's side of the bed. The sheets were cool, indicating that Dorothea likely hadn't been in bed for quite some time now. It was unusual for Ingrid to wake up alone, but she had a good idea of where she might be able to find her girlfriend this morning. Ingrid stretched out her muscles and yawned, she then got up out of bed and dressed herself. She made her way across the monastery grounds to The Goddess Tower. As she climbed up the stone staircase, she heard the familiar, comforting sound of Dorothea quietly singing to herself. Ingrid began walking more softly, to avoid having her footsteps echo in the staircase as she didn't want to disturb her girlfriend. Once Ingrid reached the top of the tower, she silently stood in the doorway, watching her girlfriend stare out the window off into the distance at the beautiful shades of red, orange and pink created in the sky by the morning sun as it began to peek over the horizon. Eventually, Dorothea sensed another presence in the room and turned around to find her girlfriend watching her.
"Good morning." Ingrid smiled.
"Good morning, love. How long have you been standing there?" Dorothea asked, sweetly.
"Only a moment. I didn't want to disturb you." Ingrid walked over to her girlfriend and placed a kiss to her lips. "You know, I never get tired of hearing you sing."
Ingrid stepped behind Dorothea and wrapped her arms tightly around her girlfriend. Ingrid placed her chin on Dorothea's shoulder and looked out the window as the colorful streaks of daybreak began to further fill the sky.
"The sunrise is particularly beautiful this morning." Ingrid said.
"It certainly is." Dorothea agreed.
"When I woke up and you weren't in bed with me, I thought you might have wandered up here."
"I wanted to visit one more time before we leave. Who knows when or if we'll ever be back to Garreg Mach. We're leaving a lot of history behind here, you know." Dorothea smiled. "Do you remember sharing our very first kiss in this exact spot?"
"Oh Goddess, yes. It seems so long ago now, our first date. On the night of the ball. I could never forget. I was so nervous..."
"Yes. But, you were absolutely adorable." Dorothea chuckled.
"We've come such a long way since our days at the academy, haven't we?"
"Mmhm." Dorothea nodded. "Can you believe in just a few short days, Dimitri will become King and you'll officially be knighted?"
"The opportunity to serve as a knight in the King's Royal Guard." Ingrid said, almost in disbelief. "It's what I've always wanted."
"All of your dreams are finally coming true."
"Well, almost all of them...I was going to wait until after we got to Fhirdiad, but here and now just feels like the right time to do this..."
Ingrid stepped back and took Dorothea's hand in her own, delicately holding the former songstresses' long, slender fingers between her own fingers and thumb. Ingrid slowly got down on one knee and gently kissed the top of Dorothea's hand. She took a deep breath as she looked up at her girlfriend with more love and admiration than she ever had before.
"Dorothea. I love you so very much and I would love nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you. After all of these years and the war over, we're now on the cusp of a brand new age. The two of us finally have the opportunity to settle down and begin building our life together. If you'll have me...I, Ingrid Brandl Galatea, swear to always stand by your side, to love you, honor you and protect you, until the moment I take my very last breath-" Ingrid felt herself getting slightly choked up. She cleared her throat and took in a deep breath to recompose herself. "I'm sorry. I'm a little inelegant with these kinds of things."
"No. You're doing just fine." Dorothea stared downward at Ingrid, tears beginning to roll down her cheeks. "You're perfect."
"My heart is forever in your hands." Ingrid reached into her pocket and then produced a ring as she stared up into her girlfriend's eyes. "I hope you'll accept this ring as a symbol of my undying love and devotion. Dorothea...now I must ask you the single most important question I'll ever ask...would you do me the great honor of becoming my beloved wife? Will you marry me?"
Ingrid never broke eye contact with Dorothea. She watched as a fresh round of tears began freely flowing from her girlfriend's eyes. Several tear drops landed on the floor of the tower, leaving behind a trail of sporadic dark spots on the stone surface in their wake.
"Yes. Ingrid. Yes." Dorothea sobbed happily. "I love you madly. Of course I'll marry you."
Ingrid gently slipped the ring onto Dorothea's left ring finger and stood up. She reached up and delicately swept a lock of brunette hair away from the face of the former songstress. Dorothea placed both of her hands on either side of Ingrid's face and pressed her lips to her girlfriend's, initiating a passionate kiss. As they kissed, Ingrid placed her hands around Dorothea's waist, drawing her in closer. Dorothea smiled against Ingrid's lips, her body practically melting into the blonde's. When the kiss was eventually broken, Dorothea wiped her eyes and took Ingrid's hands into her own.
"The moment I first laid eyes on you at the academy, all of those years ago...I knew you were something special." Dorothea said. "But, I never could have imagined that someday you'd become everything to me."
"I feel the same." Ingrid agreed. "I've wanted to propose for quite some time now, I bought the ring and often practiced all of things I wanted to say to you anytime I was alone...but I always promised myself I would wait until the war was over. I prayed daily that I would someday have the opportunity to kneel before you and ask you to become my wife."
"Oh Ingrid. Let's get married as soon as possible." Dorothea said, happily. She held her left hand out in front of her and looked down at the ring. The vibrant blue stone in the center sparkled as it caught some of the rays of light from the morning's rising sun. "I've dreamt of this day for so long. I don't want to wait any longer."
"Neither do I." Ingrid nodded. "I'm more than ready to make this commitment to you."
"Perhaps the new archbishop would officiate a wedding ceremony for us." Dorothea said. "As our former professor and after all we've been through together, I'm sure she would be willing to do us a small favor."
"She'll be in Fhirdiad to preside over His Highness' coronation. Our closest friends will also be there. It would be the perfect opportunity for us to finally wed."
"This is so exciting." Dorothea wrapped her arms around Ingrid, squeezing her tight. "Will your father be coming to the knighting ceremony?"
"I'm not sure. His Highness already sent messengers to notify my family that I'm being knighted, but I have no idea if he'll show up."
"Even if this wasn't the path he would have chosen for you, he must be proud of you. You're returning home a hero."
"Thank you." Ingrid smiled, she leaned in and kissed Dorothea. "But, don't forget you're a hero as well, my love."
Dorothea returned the smile.
"I hope he does decide to attend." Dorothea said. "I think it would be a good opportunity for the two of you to have a nice long talk with each other. You should consider trying to reconcile with him and sooner rather than later."
"Why are you so interested in mending my relationship with my father all of a sudden?" Ingrid asked, curiously.
"Well...it might be too late for my father and I, but you still have a chance at having a relationship with yours and even though you haven't always seen eye to eye...I think you can still fix things...I'm sure for the sake of his first grandchild, he'd be willing to try." Dorothea smiled brightly. "I think he'd probably want to get to know them, don't you?"
"Oh. That's what has you so concerned? That's still a while off for us...if it's even possible at all." Ingrid said dismissively, clearly oblivious to what Dorothea was trying to imply.
"You never were one for subtleties." Dorothea chuckled. "My dear sweet Ingrid, it is very possible. And I think it's going to be much sooner than you realize, darling..."
Ingrid stared at her fiancée for a long moment, then suddenly her eyebrows raised, her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open as it all finally hit her like a ton of pegasus horseshoes.
"Wait...Dorothea. Are you saying what I think you're saying? Are you...trying to tell me that you're-"
Dorothea nodded, smiling from ear to ear. "I'm pregnant."
Ingrid's knees buckled and heart raced in her chest as she stared into Dorothea's eyes. "Are...are you sure?"
"Yes." Dorothea said, happily. "I'd been feeling sick lately, like I had been right before we captured Enbarr. I had also missed my last few periods..."
"Why didn't you tell me that?"
"I've missed periods before. It's not that unusual, so I wasn't concerned. I assumed it was just nerves and the stress of the war. But, after missing the third one in a row and thinking back to one particularly passionate night we spent together, I began to suspect that it had to be more than stress, so I asked Manuela to give me an exam and she confirmed my pregnancy."
"Oh...oh wow. Okay…I-" Ingrid inhaled a sharp breath and ran her fingers through her hair as she released the breath. "I don't know what to say...I never thought it would actually be possible..."
"I guess you're more potent than you thought." Dorothea chuckled. "You remember the night we conceived, don't you?"
"Yes. Of course." Ingrid nodded. "But, that night wasn't the first time that I ever...that you let me…you never got pregnant before..."
"No. But, this time must have been the right time." Dorothea placed her hand on Ingrid's cheek.
"I can't believe this..."
Dorothea noticed Ingrid's skin suddenly become very visibly pale.
"Are you all right?" Dorothea smiled, taking Ingrid by the hand. "You're white as a ghost."
"I'm fine. I just...I got a bit lightheaded for a moment."
"Do you need to sit down?"
"No. No. I'll be all right. H...how long have you known?"
"Oh only a few days. I'd been trying to find a good time to tell you and then you proposed...and it all felt right." Dorothea placed her hand on her abdomen. "I'm excited. I can't wait to meet them."
"C...can I..." Ingrid reached her hand out toward Dorothea's abdomen.
"Of course. But, I'm not quite far enough along for you to be able to feel the baby move. I haven't even been able to feel them yet."
Ingrid nodded. "You haven't begun to show either. I just want to be close to you right now, that's all."
Ingrid gently placed her hand flat over Dorothea's abdomen followed by Dorothea's hand coming to rest over top.
"This is all so surreal for me." Ingrid said. "Our lives are changing so rapidly, but for the better. We're betrothed, soon we'll be married and only half a year from now, we'll have a child of our own. Does anyone besides Manuela know about this?"
"Not a soul. I've been dying to tell Hilda, she'll be over the moon with excitement, but I wanted to tell you first. I thought it was important that you knew before anyone else."
"I appreciate that. Goddess...you're actually carrying my baby...our baby. I'm really going to be a mother..."
"You'll be a wonderful mother and I would be so proud to have our children grow up to be exactly like you...I was wondering about something though..."
"What's that?"
"Well...what should we tell anyone who isn't familiar with your situation? I hadn't thought about it, until I discovered that I was already pregnant. I want to respect your privacy, of course. But, I'm afraid it won't be long before I begin to show. I'm not sure I'll be able hide it…and then obviously once the baby is born-"
"I don't want you to hide this. Ever." Ingrid said. "We'll them the truth. I am who I am, I can't change that and now I wouldn't want to either. I'm not ashamed anymore. This is the way I was meant to be..."
"I'm so happy to hear you say that." Dorothea smiled. "You've grown so much over the years. You're a completely different woman than you were half a decade ago."
"I wasted so much valuable time being embarrassed and hating myself for something that I had no control over." Ingrid said. "That never got me anywhere. I'm finished feeling sorry for myself and wishing I could change for the sake of being considered normal. It's been a long road to finally accept the way I am, but I have and I know I never would have been able to do that without your help. You never made me feel different or ashamed. With you, I could always just exist without fear or judgment. I hope you realize how very grateful I am to you because of that."
Dorothea wrapped her arms around Ingrid and pulled her into a tight embrace. Ingrid happily retuned the embrace, burying her face into Dorothea's shoulder as she felt her girlfriend's hand soothingly move up and down her back.
"Dorothea." Ingrid said, breaking the embrace. "Something just occurred to me...based on the timeline of everything, you would have been pregnant during our final battles of the war. That must have put incredible strain on you and your body."
"It's okay. I'm fine. Don't worry." Dorothea placed her hand on Ingrid's cheek and gently stroked it with her thumb.
"You're certain that you're all right? Do you need anything at all? Is there something I can do for you? I want to help in any way I possibly can. Perhaps you should sit down and rest for a while?" She rambled on. "We still have a considerable trip ahead before we reach Fhirdiad."
"You're sweet, as always. But, I'm fine, love. Honestly." Dorothea said. "Despite all that we've been through, I feel great and Manuela said I'm perfectly healthy and the baby is absolutely fine. There's no need for concern."
"Thank Goddess." Ingrid said, softly.
"I've never been happier. And it looks like you have the chance to pass on your crest after all. The bloodline doesn't have to end."
"That's true, but if our child is born with the crest, we must promise to never treat them the way I was treated." Ingrid said. "Or the way you were treated for not bearing a crest. I want our children to be free from the burdens that weighed so heavily on both of us for far too long. I want them to someday be able to marry for love and nothing else."
"Agreed." Dorothea nodded. "True love is more important than any amount of land, wealth or social status could ever be. I hope someday our children will find a relationship as pure, honest and loving as I've found with you."
"As do I. They would be incredibly fortunate. I'm certain that this kind of love only surfaces once in a lifetime."
"You know, for so much of my life, I never felt like I belonged anywhere...and that I'd never find my place in the world..." Dorothea said.
"I've felt much the same. I was never convinced that I would find someone to accept me for who I am and also encourage my pursuit of knighthood, but you've been with me every step of the way."
"And I will continue to be." Dorothea said confidently. "I feel so lucky to finally have found somewhere to belong and someone to belong with."
Ingrid smiled and subtly reached up to wipe away a tear that had formed in the corner of her own eye. "So...should we go tell Hilda the good news?" Ingrid laced her fingers with Dorothea's and lifted their intertwined hands. Ingrid then placed a kiss to the back of Dorothea's left hand.
"Yes. But, I think I'd like to spend just a few more minutes alone with you. Let's enjoy the sunrise here, while we still can."
Ingrid stepped behind Dorothea, wrapped her arms around her fiancée's abdomen and placed a gentle kiss to her cheek. Dorothea placed her hands on top of Ingrid's, humming quietly as they both slowly swayed back and forth, watching the sunrise together and enjoying these few uninterrupted moments together.
"Just like this sunrise is the dawn of a new day...it also marks the dawn of a brand new life." Ingrid said. "A peaceful one...for all of us."
Dorothea turned her body in Ingrid's arms. She reached up and placed her hand behind Ingrid's head, slipping her fingers into the blonde's hair and pulling her into a soft, chaste kiss.
"Beginning a new life in a peaceful world with you will be more wonderful than I ever could have hoped. My brave, kind and handsome knight...I love you with my whole heart. Now and forever more."