Hello, everyone, and welcome to another one of my next little story. This is yet another addition to my growing number of Fire Emblem stories, and featuring two of my favorite characters from Three Houses, Dimitri and Marianne! It's a bit of romance and emotionally stress relieving, which makes it a good pick for my hundredth story. Now, without further ado…

I do not own anything.

Right Where I Want to Be

Chapter 1-Heading off into the Unknown

When Marianne was told that she'd be sent off to the Officers Academy at Garreg Mach Monastery, she made no protest. She rarely protested anything, or to be more precise, she never really protested anything at all. Such a trait was supposedly seen as ideal in a woman, but her adoptive father didn't quite think so, at least in private.

Though they held their tongues, Marianne knew how her adoptive father's servants spoke of her, calling her a doll or freak who preferred animals over people. They weren't exactly wrong as she considered both descriptions rather accurate. In a lot of ways, Marianne knew that she was out of place amongst most people, arguably even…amongst the living. She highly doubted that would change once she got to the Officers Academy, if anything, things would likely only get worse. Strike that, Marianne knew somewhere inside that they would get worse; whatever misfortunes that already plagued the Monastery would only grow worse once she arrived.

Would such a sacred place be a shelter for her? She was doubtful of that, but it couldn't hurt to hope, could it?

Oh, who was she trying to fool?

As word spread of where she was to be sent by the week's end, Marianne noticed a slight change in some of the staff. They were happy to be rid of her; she was sure of it. In all honesty, it wasn't hard to blame them. Ever since her arrival in House Edmund, there'd always been whispers and peas for her to vanish as quietly as she'd came along. Well, they were going to be getting their wish, but perhaps not exactly how they would have liked it. After all, much preparation was going into her move from the Edmund estate to the Officer's Academy. Some were actually rather gleefully for her departure.

And as Marianne learned from the knock on her door one afternoon, not for the reasons she'd originally guessed.

"Lady Marianne, may I come in if it's not too much trouble?"

The voice came as a shock to the blue-haired girl, but the shock quickly and quietly became a pleasant one. As surreal as it was, not everyone loathed her presence or went out of their way to avoid her. For one reason or another, there were some who were…kind, decent to her. Either for her status or for some other reason beyond her understanding, they showed her more generosity than she deserved. Marianne knew she wasn't worthy of it, yet she couldn't stop herself from indulging in it, and retuning it when she could.

"C-Come in." She said in a voice that wasn't too ringed with nervousness. It'd perhaps taken some time, but gradually she'd grown, dare she say it, comfortable with the old servant that entered through the door. Osrick had been a servant of Margrave Edmund for almost thirty-three years and was well-known as one of the Margrave's most trusted vessels, enough so that when he was away, he practically all but left her in his care knowing she'd be in "pristine condition" upon his eventual return. What's more, the salt and pepper-haired man treated her with an immense amount of respect and kindness that Marianne knew she wasn't deserving of. "Y-You don't have to do this for me, Osrick."

"Nonsense." The old gentleman smiled. "Lady Marianne, you're going off to the most prestigious school in the land where better things will await you. Surely you must pack accordingly, and I believe I can help you do just that."

"Again, I think you're overestimating the impact that I'll make there. I'm…I'll stand out too much amongst the other students, and not for positive reasons." She measly defended taking a seat upon her bed and ringing her fingers together, a habit that she'd gained over the years.

As proof of the closeness between them, the secret Crest-bearer didn't jump when the old servant sat beside her on her bed. Again, it was a known fact throughout the household that the old retainer was amongst the closest to the Margrave's daughter; in other words, he was one of the few she could visibly feel any sort of comfortableness around. The Margrave himself had taken notice of this trait and decreed that Osrick was to be given supervision of his adoptive daughter in his absence, or reach her when he felt his direct voice couldn't do so. Which also apparently included consoling her about going to Garreg Mach.

"The Officers Academy has seen quite a flux of odd and extraordinary students, I'm sure that you'll fit right in. Besides, who knows?" A light-hearted jab touched the side of her arm. "For all you know, you may end up finding that special someone. There's no end to young and aspiring knights within the academy's walls, one of which may end up catching your eye."

"Osrick, I don't think that's going to be happening."

"You never know." He quietly shot back, ever the optimism to her pessimism. "Every place you go to, consider it a land of opportunity. Besides, you'll be at Garreg Mach, a sacred place blessed by the goddess herself. If there's any place where I believe good can happen, it's there. Not to mention I hear this year's crop of students could be something special."

"It's not as if this year we'll be a 'century' class." Muttered the bag-egged young woman. The "Century Graduates" were those students who'd graduated from the Monastery at the turn of a century; given Garreg Mach's age, there'd been quite a few, so many that it'd become something of an urban legend. Albeit it wasn't one that everyone took stock in. Marianne certainly didn't, if anything, she believed her presence would be an ill-omen more than anything. "I-I hear that other house heirs will be attending this year."

"Yes, there's a possibility one of them may catch your eye, or you theirs." Osrick commented crossing his arms. He could run down the list of names that he knew right off the top of his head, but something told him it would be better to let Marianne see them all for herself. "The Monastery's a crossroads for all of Fódlan, it brings together the continent's best…and the worst." Naturally, the last bit came out with a reluctant sigh. Marianne had a bit of an idea of who the "worst" were according to her adoptive father's devoted servant. "I trust you'll be able to figure out which is which, but then again, I don't exactly have much right o command you. Only advise you."

She took the advice under consideration, or she seemed to. Ultimately, Marianne doubted it would help her. She doubted that any of what the former warrior had predicted would come to pass. Maybe if it were some other person, but not her. She was one who'd been cursed since birth, bringing misfortune wherever she went; it was stretching it to hope that Garreg Mach Monastery would be different. Would the goddess' blessings be enough to cancel out the darkness that her Crest brought with her? If they were talking the Goddess of Fódlan hen perhaps there was hope. After all, was it not the goddess that had bestowed Crests upon humanity?

Granted, not all the Crests were beneficial, as Marianne could attest.

A hand fell on top her shoulder. Marianne looked up into the kindly old green eyes that had never looked at her with scorn or disdain or disappointment. "Maybe just bit a little optimistic. Word is that that the next leader of the Alliance will be your House leader. Sadly, I don't know that much about him, really no one does, but I have some confidence in him since he's supposedly the heir to the Reigan Household."

"Again, all of this is actually…I don't know how well I'll fit in." Insisted the young woman.

"You'll find your place, everyone does in life, even if it takes some time to do so." Quietly and gentled countered the retired soldier. "Hey, what do you say we get t packing? I know that you don't want to bring much, but it's best to bring the bare basics, don't you think?"

Looking up to the man with a small smile, Marianne nodded then rose along with him. It was true, she didn't plan on taking much to the Monastery, but she knew that she had to bring the basic essentials such as clothes and such, perhaps even she'd bring a few personal items that she felt would be safe enough in the confines of her room. Word of mouth was that the children of some nobles were able to exert enough leverage they could get their children some better accommodations. Marianne believed that her adoptive father could have done that if he wanted to, but likely chose not to for a number of reasons. The most prominent one was that Marianne simply had no use for it; she was a quiet and unassuming soul, such a massive expanse would have hindered her more than helped her.

Not to mention it wasn't like the Margrave was expecting her to be sneaking any young nobles into her room for midnight flings and such. Margrave Edmund had openly joked about such a thing, then added that even if they made it past Marianne, they would have to earn his approval for something more, and the Margrave's approval did not come easily. All in all, Marianne fully expected none of this to come to pass as she wasn't exactly a desirable woman, even with her Crest. In fact, once the knowledge of her Crest got out, Marianne fully expected to be ostracized, even by her fellow Golden Deer Students. How lucky would she be to find anyone such as her adoptive father willing to look past her Crest? And for something other than material gain?

Even after they'd finished packing most of her things, Oswick remained to talk with Marianne, a habit that he'd fallen into after three straight months of attempting to crack her wall. It had succeeded as the reclusive Crest-bearer had let him in. No doubt it was because he could provide the emotional comfort that her adoptive father was not able to. Marianne was grateful that there was at least one person in the household who treated her in such a way. It was one of the things that made her leaving the Edmund Estate a tad more difficult than she would have liked to admit. Oswick knew that and comforted her on it, but also told her that she wasn't the only person she'd ever be close with. He was always the optimism in spite of the personal losses he'd suffered, losses that Marianne had found herself able to sympathize with.

Even if only just a little bit, she wanted to believe in his optimism. Perhaps as she found herself within the goddess' sacred domain, her prayers would be answered. Just maybe.

Margrave Ransley von Edmund was an extremely perspective man. While he held no seat at the Round Table, he was revered, and even feared, for being able to read it, as well as the economic flow of the country for which he'd been able to earn his fortunes. That also meant he possessed an ability to read people, a skill that made him a man to be weary of and admired and feared.

For Marianne, it simply meant that she had to work harder to hide things from him. Ransley was very aware of that, but most of the time he never truly bothered to inquire into her inner thoughts, at least not when doing so served no purpose to him. He was perfectly content to let her be, something that Marianne was silently grateful for; all he asked was that she at least make the effort to live up to some of his expectations. Surely that was the reason for this sudden call to his office before she led her head to rest for the night. He knew perfectly well that she was to be sent off to the Officers Academy by his command the next day. Yet, he had called her here to have a private discussion with her.

He didn't have what one could call a threatening aura as normally Ransley von Edmund wasn't a threatening man. At least not directly towards her; Marianne had seen her adoptive father let loose his darker side on those who crossed him. Fortunately, she'd never done that, but she'd seen the end results of those who had.

"Now I know you're probably going to want to get as much sleep as you possibly can, but Marianne, I believe we need to discuss a few things beforehand." Declared the Margrave in a quiet yet commanding voice that Marianne was used to hearing. She obediently took her seat before him, his polished wooden desk separating them. "Most of what I've had to say has already been said, but I fee it must be reiterated again so you clearly understand. You are going to the Officers Academy at Garreg Mach, and while there you will be representing the Edmund Name, a name that finally possesses a Crest to call its own." His dark green eyes flashed as he saw the worry in Marianne's eyes, the way she seemingly sunk back into her chair. It caused the goateed man to sigh in partial annoyance and partial exhaustion. It was his faint hope that going to Garreg Mach would make her begin to see her Crest in a better light. After all, a Crest was a Crest, wasn't it?

Marianne always disagreed with her adoptive father on that front, but she could never find the courage to actually say it. Not that she needed to since Ransley could see her discontent written on her face; it was annoying at times and even a tad frustrating, but Ransley refused to ever lose his temper over it. In some ways, he could somewhat understand his adoptive daughter's fears, after all, her own biological parents had chosen to abandon her when her Crest manifested itself. But Ransley wasn't them, he was determined to get some use out of the supposed "Crest of the Beast" that she harbored inside of her; if there was any place that could allow him to do so, it was Garreg Mach Monastery.

Again, Marianne didn't particularly share her stepfather's confidence, but she had little choice in the matter, as she always did. "I-I understand, and I will try my best to…to…to make the most of my time there, sir."

"I expect you to, and I expect you to do more than just spend your time praying." Stated the black-haired Margrave with a sharp look that locked Marianne into place. Her daily prayer was something else he'd taken note of, but said absolutely nothing in regards to. It was an undeniable fact the teenage girl was a devote woman, one who likely had a future in the clergy. While Ransley wasn't exactly against that career path, he believed that Marianne could do more, especially with all that he'd taught her. In fact, he'd sent a considerable amount of time in teaching her in the ways of political science. He knew for a fact that Marianne had absorbed his lessons well; a shy recluse she was, the girl was a good student, which was another reason he thought sending her off to the Officers Academy was the correct choice.

"Y-Yes sir." Came her timid response. "I-I will devote as much as my time possible to my studies." There was a pause that showed she'd fully taken in the weight of his words. It was also so Marianne herself could gather her own thoughts and work up the strength to vocalize them. "Is there…anything in particular you want me to study there?"

At that, Ransley raised an eyebrow in genuine curiosity. "Well, from what I understand, a Crest scholar is at the Monastery, a former Imperial if I remember right. Study under him and see if he can find some more plausible use for your Crest. Being able to talk to animals is all well and good, but as you grow older you must learn how to get more out of it. There are ways that can be done, especially if you bother to learn more about what your Crest can actually do." He had his suspicions as he'd dug into his charge's background, as much as he could anyway. Amongst the dozens of Crests that occasionally appeared, the one possessed by his adoptive daughter had been effectively scrubbed from history. While there might have been reasons for that, until presented with them and shown how much a threat they were, Ransley would push through. Sucking in a breath, he issued his next statement in a crystal-clear tone. "Also, since you will be on official Church grounds and watched over by their officials, I highly doubt you'll run into him."

At the mere mention of that someone, Marianne's entire body flinched. Again, Ransley could not blame her. For a hot second, genuine sympathy pushed its way up to the surface; for once, he didn't attempt to fight it.

"If he comes around-"

"I-I'll handle it myself." Spoke the blue-haired woman in a surprisingly forceful tone. It completely caught the goateed man across from her off-guard, all he could do was stare at her in naked shock. Quickly, a twinge of approval shined in his eyes. "O-Or, I-I'll I'll try to."

Regaining himself, Ransley leaned back into his seat. "Again, I highly doubt he'll be able to get close to you at the Monastery. That said, should I hear reports of him harassing you…" Letting the thought drift off, he reached into his desk and pulled out an envelope that he handed to her. "Do not hesitate to have him dealt with."

Ransley von Edmund was not a particularly affectionate man, it wouldn't have been hard to say that he was rather cold at times. Still, he was a man capable of showing compassion, especially to the young woman whom he now called his daughter. Occasionally. In private, when he was sure that this act of familial tenderness wouldn't be made public. All of it was enough to get a smile out of Marianne, who looked to her adoptive father with gratitude then bowed her head.

"I will try my best."

"Good, now, return to bed. You'll need your sleep." Margrave Edmund said leaning back into his chair and lacing his fingers together. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Replied the young Crest-bearer, rising from her seat then giving a bow to her adoptive father. There wasn't a need for an escort, nor was there for anything else. All that had needed to be said had been said. At the very least Marianne was able to return to her room feeling a bit of safety and security. While harassment she was used to, it was the harassment of one man in particular that seemed to incite the greatest reaction from her. No doubt it was because that one man had been hounding her ever since her parents' disappearance. Surely the Monastery would provide some den of refuge, right?

But what will come of you when your secret is exposed? What then? Surely those at the Monastery will come to loath you just as all the rest have. How long before he has allies, fellow scholars that are agreement with you? Whispered the insidious voice that was always at the back of her mind as she closed the door to her bedroom, put up the letter, and laid atop the bed. The hollow malice in it caused her to shiver in fear, so much so that Marianne felt like wrapping her arms around herself. He won't be around to shield you, nor is it an absolute that anyone will be as accepting as him, and it is obvious he is only doing so for personal gain.

For once, Marianne put more force into silencing the insidious voice as she laid her head down on the pillow. All the candles had been blown out and the curtains pulled up allowing only thin veils of moonlight to pass into her room. What few times Marianne opened her eyes, she tried to focus on that. Eventually, a hidden desire forced her to push away the sheets and swing her feet over the bed. Taking several small steps, she found herself standing before the curtain, which she gently pushed aside. Through her glass window, high above the reach of mortals was the glittering moon.

Marianne could look up to the celestial lantern and still recall in perfect detail the first night that her parents had left her, how she had cried such endless tears with no one to avail them. With teary eyes, she looked up to the moon and prayed that its light would illuminate the path that would lead her back to the two people she cared about most. In time, that desire had faded as Marianne began to quietly realize that such loneness was to be her fate and it was useless to fight it. Instead, she began to pray for something else, something different.

Placing a hand against the glass, Marianne pondered if those prayers would be answered if done so from Garreg Mach Monastery. What would the Monastery look like bathed in the sorrowful glow of the moon at night? Would she find any safe refuge beneath the moonlight as she had occasionally here at her adoptive father's estate? Once again, there were so many questions swirling about in her head that she felt any second she'd lose strength and topple to the floor.

Before that happened, Marianne moved back over to the bed. The blinds remained open, perhaps for the best. Laying her head against the pillow, she prayed for a dreamless sleep to find her. Thankfully, her prayers were answered. In the abyss of sleep, she felt like peace could always be found, much more than it could in the waking world.

It was her deepest wish that one day, she would be able to enter the eternal abyss that offered eternal peace.

And perhaps even a reunion with her parents, whom she feared had long since left this world after leaving her.

Just as her adoptive father had said, it'd taken some time for her to reach Garreg Mach Monastery, and as he'd predicted, she wasn't alone. On the carriage ride across Leicester Alliance territory into the Ohgma Mountains, her entourage had encountered several others. "The Migration" as she'd heard some call it; given the paths and routes taken to reach the Monastery were somewhat common, it wasn't a surprise that traveling groups formed, especially if they had similar destinations. Then there was the old saying of safety in numbers. A single noble envoy alone was an easy target, but a middle to large grouping, some carrying armed protection? Only the bravest or most suicidal of bandit would make any sort of attempts.

Sadly, in the long history of the land, some had been bold enough to try. The results had never been particularly pleasant. Marianne quietly prayed that such a travesty didn't befall her group, that her Crest's curse of misfortune didn't flare up and potentially harm so many.

Her prayers were answered as for the three-and-a-half-day trip, things were peaceful.

She avoided contact with others save for her adoptive father's servants, or those who were willing to interact with her. It went without saying that Marianne tried to make herself as scarce as possible, spending most of her time either in her carriage or off in the nearby winds. At the very least, leaving the Monastery provided her the chance to meet some new animals, creatures that she hadn't seen before. As with those at her adoptive father's estate, Marianne found them to be quite good for conversation and companionship. Conversing with them helped to put her mind at ease until the journey started back up.

And eventually reached its end.

Admittedly, she was a tad stunned by the vastness of Garreg Mach Monastery. There was word of mouth and depictions in books, and then there was the real thing. Standing before the gates, Marianne couldn't help but admit to how small and insignificant she felt standing before the centuries-old stone walls. Then there came the time she stepped past them, into the Monastery as a student of the Officers Academy.

What was she doing there?

She was by far and away the oddest addition to the Golden Deer: the mysterious Alliance heir, Claude, noble Lorenz, lazy but surprisingly capable Hilda, adventurous and bold Leonie, the child prodigy, Lysithea, gluttonous but kind Raphael, and book-smart Ignatz. Their class was headed by the famed "Father of Crestology", Professor Hanneman von Essar. A genius in the fields of magic and Crests.

But all of that amounted to very little in the face of the Blue Lions, lead by the Academy's newest and most talked-about professor, Byleth Eisner, the Ashen Demon.

The mock battle had started out well enough, but all too soon did it become clear that the Blue Lions were on the path to victory. Ringing through the forest was the sound of battle, even if it was all no more than a mock battle. Marianne had to keep from jumping as every second, her ears registered the sound and metal clanging against each other. The battle was in full swing, and it was raging with all the intensity of a real clash between armed forces. Fittingly, it left her absolutely terrified. What was she doing here? Why was she trudging through the forest, goddess knows where? Holding a practice spear she had next to no idea how to use, or even willpower to use?

A resounding explosion rocked the earth beneath her feet; Marianne felt her heart hammer against her chest. This was growing a tad more intense than a mock battle was supposed to be. Or was this how a usual mock battle went? If so, Marianne truly shuddered to think what a live battle would be like, with genuinely sharpened weapons and magical attacks being thrown with the intent to kill and maim. Some uncomfortable feeling in her gut told her that before long, she'd find herself on that battlefield, and it wouldn't be a pleasant experience, but as this mock battle wasn't proving to be a pleasant experience for her.

Boom!

And it just got worse.

The blue-haired girl nearly dropped her practice lance as the batch of forest bushes around her exploded and a obscured figure came rolling across her. It took Marianne a second to realize who it was, Raphael, his practice gauntlets lying smashed to pieces and the skin beneath red from pain. He groaned, signifying that he was still alive.

Unfortunately, the cause of his agony stepped into view of Marianne.

"My, my, what do we have here? A deer that got lost from the rest of the horde? Not that it'll matter in the long run." Stated the retainer of the future Adrestian Emperor in a positively cold and amused voice. Behind him stood three Black Eagles students who eyed her like wolves who'd just stumbled upon their prey. Said prey went still with fear causing the black-haired retainer to cackle in dark glee. "Worry not, merely drop your lance and forfeit the battle. You will not be harmed. Now then, I'll be taking my leave, Lady Edelgard's safety, even in this mock battle takes urgency." Spinning on his heel, Hubert began to walk away, the scent of death leaving with him, or at least that's how it appeared to Marianne.

The three students who'd come in after him weren't as eager to follow his lead. They all continued to look to the Margrave's daughter as if she were a lamb waiting to be slaughtered. And she was.

"You heard Hubert," one of them, a redhead, said with a cock grin. "Drop the lance and you're free to go."

Doing as he said would have been the wise thing, the smart thing, but Marianne's mind flashed to the "war council" that Claude had held before the battle got under way.

"Alright, everyone, this is the first battle of the year and a chance for us to show the other houses what we can do. That means no more than ten bruises on yourself and take down at least one enemy with you before you get knocked out!" He'd said with a smile that gleamed like the sun. Almost immediately, Lorenz called him out on how lackluster the "speech" was and how unbefitting it was. Still, it was enough to get Raphael, Leonie, Lysithea, and even Ignatz motivated.

And it had done the same to Marianne as well. "N-No. I-I won't." She spoke in a timid voice as she spaced her feet apart and held her lance in a fighting position. A month of classes and she'd learned something. Truthfully, she felt more comfortable with a lance than she did any other weapon.

Given her enemies were already preparing to cast magic, it wouldn't do her much good. She'd go down before she could even take a fear-ridden step forward.

"Have it your way." Chuckled the redhead holding out his hands, where a fireball had manifested. His target was Marianne's feet, but the sheer force he was putting in would no doubt be enough to throw her on her backside and leave her in pain for the rest of the afternoon. Her dignity would be what required some time to heal.

"Hold! Surely I can provide you a better challenge than this young woman here." Called another masculine voice that caused the four to turn in unison to the approaching figure.

In a heartbeat, he was recognized and the Adrestian students changed their target from Marianne to the newcomer.

He moved like lightning, his blue shoulder-cape bellowing as he dashed toward the aggressors. Unlike Marianne's, his practice lance was used quite effectively, deflecting magical fireballs then slamming into exposed bodies and iron swords. Once more, her ears rung as active combat unfolded before her shadowed eyes, which were wide with shock. The newcomer was without a doubt the best fighter that she had seen, moving with such refined grace and skill that Marianne could hardly believe it seemed surreal. His lancework had no wasted movements, rather he was in the midst of a fast attack or sliding into a defensive parry. The Black Eagles students were helpless as they fell until only one, the redhead remained. Panicked, he fell back, arcs of lightning cackling in-between his hands.

Then his eyes swerved to Marianne.

"You wanna play the knight, fine!" He shouted, firing off a bolt of lightning in Marianne's direction.

Blue eyes widened in alarm as the bolt sped through the air towards the daughter of Margrave Edmund. Instinct took over leading him to twist his body around, his lance sliding in his grasp thus extending its reach. It was just enough to deflect the lightning bolt, albeit the wood wasn't able to hold together and fittingly splintered into pieces.

"Hah! What are you going to do without your lance?" Barked the student, now having regained a bit of confidence. "Now you're-"

"Sufficiently annoyed!" Barked the blond, dashing forward like a lion on the hunt. A fist was pulled back, then launched forward directly into the opposing student's gut. The air left him, his eyes rolled back as he flew across the ground, rolling along it just as Marianne's unconscious classmate had. He came up in a curled up position, clenching his gut and muttering about how he should have followed Hubert's lead. The blond stood up, a sigh escaping him as he regained control of himself. "Excuse me, are you alright?"

"W-Who, me?" Marianne said. It was amazing how her legs hadn't given out yet in spite of the spectacle that had just unfolded in front of her. It was practically more "action" than she'd seen in all her life, and again, this was only a mock battle! Shaking herself free of her confusion, she looked over the newcomer. "Y-Yes, I-I am. Are you…" Her eyes drifted to the blue shoulder cape, which was a dead giveaway as to who this young warrior was. Briefly, her eyes drifted to Raphael, who was beginning to stir. Marianne's mind quickly arrived to a conclusion. "I-If I give you my lance, will you leave us alone? Neither of us can fight any longer, a-a-and I believe if you plan on continuing the fight, y-you'll need a weapon. K-Knights of Faerghus are skilled in lances, are they not?"

He gave a brief but jubilant laugh that caused an odd stir in Marianne's gut. "That we are. Rest assured, I have no intention of attacking those who cannot defend themselves." He stepped forward and accepted her outstretched lance. "Thank you for this."

"Y-You're welcome, P-Prince Dimitri." She squeaked out. As soon as he took the lance, she stepped aside and moved to Raphael, who was groaning as he sat up.

"Uh, I take it I lost?" Summarized the Golden Deer's strongman as Marianne took his massive arms into hers and began to heal him. "Marianne?"

"I-It's alright. It's…alright." She said. Her once racing heart was calming, her anxiety was fading, and dare she said it, a sense of calmness was spreading over her. "I think we're out of the match."

"Eh, we gave it a good shot. Seems like you did, knocking out those three guys." Stated the aspiring knight looking around at the collection of Black Eagle Students who'd gained up on them. "Woah, Marianne, I had no idea you were that-"

"It wasn't me." She admitted causing his attention to turn to her. "Um…well, Prince Dimitri came and…well, he saved me. Then I gave him my lance." The Crest-bearer braced herself for the torrent of outrage that was sure to follow.

"Really? That was nice of him! Guess that's one that we owe him, huh?" Laughed the gluttonous brawler, ignoring the residual pain in his arms. Thanks to his blue-haired teammate, it was fading fast.

What was also fading, even if only by a small margin, was the flower of dread that had taken root inside of her. Its roots had spread throughout her soul, anchoring themselves deeply into her where Marianne believed they would remain.

But now, as the mock battle between the Houses gradually drew to a close, Marianne felt that somehow…that flower's hold wasn't airtight. She couldn't explain why, but she could certainly feel…something, something a tad bit different. Something that was almost positive.

As she healed the injuries of her housemate, Marianne sent up a prayer of thanks to the goddess.

Ultimately, the Blue Lions were victorious, doubtlessly on account of their new professor who'd masterminded their battle strategy. Said strategy had involved taking one of his own to hold off the Black Eagles while sending another detachment headed by the crown prince himself to attack from the side. It explained how he'd crossed paths with Marianne. As she later learned, he ran smack dab into the dark sorcerer of the Black Eagles. And apparently, he'd done what Marianne could not with her lance. She wasn't surprised at all.

But what shocked her the most was that she was…happy. Unmistakably she was sadden that her house had failed to clench victory, but she was accepting, perhaps a little more than that, of the boy who'd saved her being on the winning side. Of course, she didn't verbalize any of that.

Only one person had any inkling of the thoughts running through her. Luckily for Marianne, Raphael's heart was as big as his appetite. Several times at dinner, she caught him winking at her. Surprisingly, she was able to smile back at him. He was telling her that what had happened would stay a secret between them. It helped that ultimately, Raphael had been in a bit of a daze for most of it when Dimitri was on his way to departing. Marianne wasn't sure what kind of strange luck that was, but she was willing to take it.

What she was also willing to take were several secretive glances at the Blue Lions as they enjoyed their victory fest. From the noise they were generating, you wouldn't expect there were a class of blue-blooded nobility and royalty, but Marianne supposed they were fully entitled to it. Ultimately, what made her happy was seeing the jubilant expression on the house's leader.

As luck would have it, his blue eyes found hers when they began to wonder. Marianne felt her cheeks flash up then quickly turned her attention back to her own plate. She prayed that this was the limit of the day's festivities; she wasn't quite sure how much more of it she could take.

Yet again, the goddess chose not to answer her plea with what she wanted, but with something else entirely.

"Smitten already, are you?"

Marianne nearly jumped out of her skin hearing the catty voice of her pink-haired housemate. Sure enough, Hilda was standing right behind her, her plate cleaned off as neatly as one would have expected of a child of a noble and ready to be turned in. "W-What?"

Hilda leaned in closer, no doubt to ensure her voice wasn't heard by those passing beside them to turn in their plates and silverware. "I'm talking about those looks you kept on shooting the prince. Hm, I'm gonna guess someone's got a crush, don't they?"

Shivering, the blue-haired girl nearly dropped her plate in fright. "I-I don't know what you are talking about, H-Hilda." Once more, her voice was less than a whisper.

That didn't mean that it couldn't be heard. Her words amused the pink-haired axe-user, who reached out with one hand and placed it on Marianne's shoulder. "Hey, hey, I know how to keep a secret. Plus, I'll do the noble thing and keep my hands off the prince. Or rather I'll try. I hear Faerghus men are known for being quite chivalrous so you never know. Tell me, did you see any of that?"

Had she been a tad bolder, or more like her adoptive father, she'd have shot back that Hilda should have known the answer to that question. After all, Claude had dragged her onto the frontlines thus putting her in confrontation with some of the Blue Lions students. Sadly, only Marianne could do was hold her plate to her chest like some sort of memento and stare down at the floor.

Taking the hint, Hilda chose to end things there, but not before getting one less word in. "Hey, you could do more to open up a little bit, even with guys from outside of our class. Besides, I heard some rumors that you're good with animals, Faerghus folk love their knighthood so they have to be good with horses, right? Sounds like a great ice-breaker to me." Offered the Gonreil noblewoman with a wink and a smile that made Marianne truly take her words to heart.

"H-Hilda," She began causing the pig-tailed girl to spin around to face her. "I'm…sorry that I wasn't of more help at the mock battle today."

"Hey, don't worry about it. It was just a battle, not to mention I walked away with none too many bruises. Plus, I'll admit…I…had a little fun during the fight." She admitted with a sheepish smile that caused Marianne herself to mirror her expression. "When I came to the academy, I seriously wondered how much fun I'd be able to have in this place. As these last few weeks, hell, the month, has shown, I'm thinking it might be better than I could have expected. Hey, you never know!"

Better than…expected. Marianne mused in her mind as she deposited the utensils and thanked the chefs. Once she got back to her room, she'd pray in thanks to the goddess, and maybe pray for the strength to go thank the blonde-haired prince herself. While it would have been normal for her to silently continue on without acknowledging the incident, Margrave Edmund had taught her to do more, especially when it came to other nobility and especially royalty. She could practically hear her father demanding she make some sort of formal show of gratitude to the future ruler of the Faerghus throne. Marianne could listen to the voice because deep down, a part of her wanted to do so.

And once again, the goddess answered her prayer in an…unexpected way.

"Miss, miss!" Came a familiar voice as she exited the dining hall. Marianne felt her heart quicken as she turned on her heel. Fast approaching her was the leader of the Blue Lions. "Pardon me if I seem a bit…intrusive, but I wanted to make sure that you were alright."

"I-I am, Prince Dimitri." It honestly surprised her how easily the words slipped out of her mouth. "I-I…" Acting on reflex, she laced her hands together and bowed at him. "I must thank you for rescuing me during the mock battle."

"Oh, it was nothing. I merely acted as anyone man of Faerghus in my position should have." He answered with a warm smile. "If it's not too much trouble, I don't believe that I've heard your name before."

All that her adoptive father had attempted to drill into her came rushing back into her mind, some of it too much to process. "M-Marianne, Marianne von Edmund, adoptive daughter of Margrave Edmund of the Leicester Alliance. It is an honor to meet you, Prince Dimitri."

"Just Dimitri is fine. You don't ever have to be so formal with me, in fact, I'd actually prefer it if you weren't so." He'd seemingly been expecting her confused gaze.

But in that confusion, a sprinkle of relief was found. "I-I see, D-Dimitri. I…I…goodnight!" Quickly, she turned to leave, but stopped not five steps from the royal heir. A sudden surge of courage rose within her and empowered her. "I-I promise that I shall pay you back for rescuing me!" Marianne shouted, then continued on her original path, cheeks inflamed and heart racing.

Standing where he was, Dimitri watched her leave, not quite sure what he should be feeling or thinking. He could certainly say that the now identified student had caught his eye. When she introduced herself, he recognized her surname; Margrave Edmund was one of the most prominent voices in the Leicester Alliance, a rising star he'd heard some say. He'd also heard there had been some attempts to stifle that rising as was common in Alliance territory.

"I believe that was the first time that I'd ever heard her speak." Sounded his ever loyal retainer, choosing that moment to make himself known. Silently, he watched the exchange from the sidelines; Dedue quickly recognized what was happening was a private moment and chose to remain in the shadows until needed. Unlike his lord, he had a minor idea of what had just occurred. Like the margrave's daughter, he too wasn't exactly the social type and found communication difficult.

"She's always been that quiet?" Dimitri asked in genuine surprise.

"Yes, I believe she does that to ensure she isn't noticed. Not all who come to the Monastery wish to do so, I believe she is one such person." There was a pause as Dedue shuffled his feet. While he wasn't exactly a social animal, he wouldn't go as far as to say he was socially lacking, not to mention he knew how deeply his lord wished to interact with others as equals, something he was incapable of doing. "All of that said, I believe you can do your part to make her feel welcomed here at the Monastery, even if she is from a different house. There is a possibility that one day she will inherit her father's title thus become a major figure in the Alliance you will have to interact with her."

The prince regarded his retainer and crossed his arms. "That's true, but before that…suppose I could get to know her as a friend as well."

Briefly, there was an upward curve of the Duscur native's lips. "Yes, that too. I do believe interaction isn't limited entirely to houses."

With that, the lord and retainer of the Blue Lions decided to depart for the night. While they had won a victory this day, it was only one, and they still had the rest of the year ahead of them. Not to mention class the next morning. Professor Byleth had made it clear that while he wanted them all to enjoy themselves, they had best remember that they had class in the morning. And that while they had given a good performance, they were far from what they could be.

Having a demon for a professor was going to be both fun and challenging.

Marianne felt like she couldn't get back to her room fast enough. As she usually did, she closed the door and let her head fall against the door as she calmed herself. "He wants me to just call him by his name." She muttered, remembering the brief but surprisingly meaningful conversation that she and the prince of Faerghus had. It wasn't like she didn't know who he was or that he'd be attending school with her, it had been something that her adoptive father had reminded her of several time, that this year's crop of students would be an "interesting" lot. From what she'd seen so far, the words were coming true.

Walking over to her bed, she sat down on the edge, a common habit of hers. It was practically the first thing that she did whenever she returned to her room, a private sanctuary of her own. She thought of the promise that she had made to him, a spur of the moment response brought about by her adoptive father's teachings more than anything. He'd also drilled it into her head to repay favors when it came to the elite, which the prince certainly was. The question was in what way could a person like her possibly repay someone like Prince Dimitri? She couldn't let the issue set, yet she knew directly interacting with him would be…difficult to say the least. A small part of her wanted to just give up and let that be the end of it.

She didn't know what to do other than pray for an answer. The future still seemed so horrendously unknown and frightening for her. As she felt the darkness of it creeping on her, the words of her housemate echoed in her ear, "I'm thinking it might be better than I could have expected." A voice in her head reminded her that she wasn't there for excitement like Hilda, she didn't even want to be at the Monastery for any reason other than her prayer to be answered.

But she was there, she'd spent a solid month and had gone to classes with her housemates, sat with them, ate with them, and even fought with them. She'd done all of that already.

Would it be so hard to go the rest of the way? Could she go the rest of the way? Did she have a right to go forward?

Something told Marianne that the only way she'd get an answer was by continuing to stumble along, just as she'd done all month long. Maybe there was an answer waiting for her at the end of this, maybe there wasn't.

The only way to find out was to wait and see, or more accurately, pick herself up and live through each day, painful as it might have been.

And this marks my hundredth story, which I'll be honest I wasn't expecting it to be a Fire Emblem one. Starting from Path of Radiance to here at Three Houses, that's been my FE journey, and one I'm rather happy with. On my first playthrough I loved Dimitri and Marianne's respective journeys, and their supports and possibly love story. For those of you who've read my M! Byleth/Catherine story, "What's Worth Fighting For", this story is going to be pretty similar in chronicling the major points in the Azure Moon route through Marianne and occasionally Dimitri's eyes as they fall in love. I'm definitely looking forward to writing Dimitri's boar phase, but starting at their school days certainly has its own appeal. I also wanna take a crack at writing the lives of the some of the cast outside of what the game showed or may have only alluded to.