Azure Moon: Cerulean Tears

by skywolf666

Ancient conspiraces and enemies, clashing ideology and allegiances, and the burning embers of a war long stoked by shadows was not the world they knew, but it was the world they had been drawn into, and forced to live in against their will. They stood shoulder to shoulder with the future king of Faerghus now, and would see it through to the end... The total end. (AM, B!Sibling AU)

37. The Pain of a Heartbeat

Genres/Rating: Romance, Family, Hurt/Comfort. (T)

Characters:Petra, Ashe, Warin, Shamir, Raine, Dimitri, Rhea.

Summary: The pieces seemed too small to pick up after all the damage that had been done, but to a man, everyone knelt amongst the ground to find the shards of their former lives and try to patch them back together. It would be clumsy, it would be difficult, but in the end, all were aware that the effort mattered more than anything. They had lived through too much with this war and the conspiracies that surrounded it, and though hope had come through unlooked for... That did not mean that justice had yet to be doled out. There was still much to do and say, still much to reconcile and take in, but for the first time... The first steps could be taken, and that was more than any of them had had a chance to experience in many long years.

---

Wyvern Moon

Garreg Mach (Monastery Hall)

Noontime

"Ouch..." Ashe muttered mostly under his breath as Petra's fingers combed roughly through his hair, brushing aside the silver-grey locks so she could get a better look at the head wound he had sustained earlier in the fighting. Most of the bleeding had stopped, and she was wrapping him a rather tight headband of bandages, but there was a sour look in her adust eyes that kept him docile and silent in the middle of her treatment. She had all but dragged him off to the side of the hall once the fighting had finished, ignoring both Annette and Mercedes so she could tend to him herself, and he hadn't argued even though deep in the pits of his stomach he was aware that he was in some sort of trouble with the future queen of Brigid.

For the life of the poor sniper, he couldn't quite understand why she looked so upset. The pitched battle in the hall had been a messy one, but in truth, none of them had ever been in any danger. The clergy who had simply gone mad hadn't been a match for any of the well-trained students and soldiers, and though they had been given strict orders not to kill unless they absolutely had no other choice... They had fared rather well in the sudden surprise strike. They had all been set upon so suddenly that at first no one had any idea what was happening or why, but Dimitri's sudden arrival, and roaring command to not retaliate with lethal violence had stirred them all into proper action, and the fighting had not lasted very long.

No, it hadn't lasted very long whatsoever. Only a dozen or so members of the church and their personal guard had been felled before the madness seemed to have disappeared from their eyes, and those who had yet to be knocked out had dropped where they stood when their sense had suddenly returned to them. A terse conversation had hinted that in some way the archbishop was responsible for the mess, but no one had dared to raise more questions when Dimitri had roughly pulled a protesting and worried-looking Seteth away from the hall. The future king of Faerghus had looked downright enraged once the melee had come to an end, and with the absence of the professor and her brother, no one dared to approach him to question what in the world had just happened.

Instead, everyone had simply quietly split off, tending to their wounds, and ensuring that the poor men and women they had downed were not in any serious danger, either. Mercedes, Annette, and Ingrid were all racing to and fro from soldier to soldier, offering healing, water, or calming words, but neither of the three had approached him. Petra seemed to be radiating an aura that warned everyone to keep their distance, and even Sylvain had given him a pitying sort of look before he had gone on his way, following dutifully after Ingrid with an armful of healing supplies.

"I-It's good that this didn't last longer... Some of those bishops had quite a grasp of magic..." Ashe offered half-heartedly, and a sharp, withering look almost made him wince as the knot on his bandages was tied against his skull. He was stumbling, unsure of what to say, especially when all she gave him was a curt sort of silence that was completely unlike her. Even though she still had her moments of grasping the nuance of Fódlan's language, she had never been the type to silently ignore him when she was upset. Rather, they had spent more time than not speaking, learning and reading together, venturing out into towns and villages to explore together, and this new behaviour was almost more intimidating than facing against her in a sparring match. It made him uncomfortable, and he reached again, desperate to find something, anything to break her stoicism, "We were rather lucky they seemed to snap out of it by themselves."

"Lucky... I do not believe so." Petra's reply was low, but frosty, and she turned his head to better examine the work she had done of her dressings before dropping her hands into her lap. He shrank away from her like a spurned puppy, his bright emerald eyes looking guilty and saddened all at once, and the frown on his face made her heart ache. Still, there was the stain of drying maroon blood on his cheek and shoulder, a reminder of how close that spell had come to hitting him right in the face, and it hardened her as she spoke again, "If we had been lucky, there would have been no injuries. We have come so far, and did so much... And then, so close to the end... This happened. That is not lucky."

"You have a point... We've gone through hell these past few moons... All of us thought the fighting was over." Ashe agreed hesitantly, and he rubbed at his jaw as he took a moment to look out at the rest of his house. He had noted that no one had separated even in the midst of their work, and the thought had been a pleasing one at first. But, upon closer examination, he could see that the men were shadowing the women rather closely, and though none of them had a lick of healing skills, they were still trying their best to be useful to the women of the Blue Lions. Even Raphael was an obedient young lamb underneath Flayn's command, hurrying to and fro at her orders for more dressing, more water, but in truth his eyes never seemed to leave Flayn's small, frail form no matter where he was sent, or how much he was carrying.

The worry that creased all their brows was a familiar sight, though it was no longer there because of the professor's troubles. All of them were focussed with a sniper's eye on their partners, trying to make themselves useful now that the fighting was over, and he could well understand why. All of them had been speaking so eagerly of their future plans, of returning home and finding ways to enter a new age of peace rather than war, and to have it all upturned so violently... It of course had shocked them. They all had assumed with the destruction of Nemesis and the Ten Elites that the fighting had finally come to an end, and yet instead they had been forced to draw steel again in the very halls of Garreg Mach, and the idea had to have been just as shocking as it was sickening.

The men and women of the cloth had always been so helpful and kind to them since they had chosen the monastery as their base of operations, and Ashe was well aware that Mercedes knew almost all of them by name. To see them suddenly go quite mad had reminded all of them of Remire, and with Dimitri's warning to not kill them under any circumstances had been a hot iron brand to their souls. No one wanted to lay a single hand on the clergy or their personal soldiers, but they had pressed and pressed them hard, clearly wishing for violence, and none of them could avoid the fighting. They had to defend themselves, and though they had escaped without a single death on either side... They all were unsettled by what had happened, and why.

Dimitri and Seteth had disappeared farther down the hall, and whatever conversation they were having was one that Ashe admittedly didn't want to know about. He couldn't imagine it, and he didn't want to linger on the implications that once again, that ancient race was responsible for such troubles. It had all felt so beyond him, a simple street urchin with no title and skills, but he had forced himself to stand and to nock his bow time and time again anyway. He was a Blue Lion, if nothing else, and he would abide by his professor and his king, at least for as long as he would be underneath them. "I wonder if the professor and Sir Warin are okay..."

"Sir Warin is strong. As is the professor. They are fine." Petra dismissed his concern with a shake of her head, but her words were kind as she understood why he worried. It wasn't as if they had been happy to be told to remain on standby in the monastery, while Raine, Dimitri, Warin and Shamir went to confront the one responsible for so much of their personal tragedy. Yet, that had been her will, and no one had dared to dismiss it when the orders had been issued. They couldn't, as they all knew it was simply something she did not want to share with them. And, in the end, her decision had been the better one, and Petra mused quietly as she again looked at the slowly dampening bandage on Ashe's head, "They were wise to place us here... Wise to send Dimitri and Shamir back, when they did. They must have known this... chaos... would happen."

"I wouldn't be surprised, considering Sir Warin, but... Still. It was hard." Ashe admitted with a long, drained exhale, and he raised his hand instinctively to touch the bandages Petra had applied for him. His head was aching, but even if Petra denied it, he did still consider himself lucky. A glancing blow was much better than being struck head-on by a mad nun with a candelabra, and it had been difficult enough to shoulder his bow and take up his lance to fight in such close quarters. He could only ensure no fatalities by fighting hand-to-hand, and that had been harder than he assumed it would be. "We've been fighting for our lives for so long that holding back our blows was more difficult than we guessed it'd be... but even when our lives were in danger, I didn't want to hurt anyone, either..."

"We did not come this far to die here, Ashe. Or have you forgotten your promise?"

Ashe blinked, surprised by the cutting words and the sharp tone that delivered them, and he raised his head to see that Petra's glare was not being fully directed at him. There was a strange glint in her adust eyes, almost approaching tears but yet still full of a righteous sort of anger, and instinctively he felt himself drawing back from her. Sometimes he wondered if she knew just how intimidating she could be when she wasn't smiling, or frowning in puzzlement over a new discovery or a difficult word she couldn't understand, but he knew that was idiocy. She was a warrior born from a royal lineage, and her mastery of the axe and the wyvern had left him in her dust more times than he could count.

"I do not wish to be returning home to Brigid by myself... You promised that you would come along with me, so I could be making your dream come true. How am I to be doing that, if you will not take care of yourself?" Petra's words were as sharp as the edge of her axe, but her expression had released from that quietly pent-up wrath into a scowl of sadness instead. She was looking away from him, hands tightly clenched and trembling, and those bewitching adust eyes of hers shimmered as she continued angrily at his shocked silence, "To return alone... No. I would rather not be returning at all, if that is how it would be. What point is there in a world like that? I wish to go diving into the sea with you. To show you the beauty of my homeland... To make your dream of being a knight come true. I cannot do such things alone. You must not play lightly with your life...! I need you to live!"

It was a punch somewhere deep in the chest, as if someone had simply removed all of the protection of his armour, skin, muscle and bone to strike him right in the heart, and for a moment the sniper did not have any rational reply to her declaration. She spoke so clearly, so passionately, and it burnt him just as it always did when she put those feelings he always felt through her eyes and gestures into words. He was not worth such care or reverence, he was not worth her, but she had never once seemed to mind. She knew exactly where he had come from and who he was, and still she had told him she loved him and would do anything and everything in her power to make his dreams come true. It was simplicity to a woman like her, to give all she had to give to the person she called her soulmate, and time and time again he felt like he could do nothing but be swept along by her passion and steadiness.

This, however... This left him reeling, and he could feel his body reacting before his mind had time to fully process it all. His arms reached for her, pulling her close and wrapping her up as tightly as he could manage, and he ducked his head to press his cheek to the top of her plaited hair. She was trembling slightly, obviously still fighting the strong emotions that had prompted her outburst, and his own chest ached as he struggled to find the proper words to respond to her with. Now, oddly enough, their positions had been completely reversed. She was the one reaching out, showing her weakness, and he was the one who had to stand ready to protect it. He was no one in the eyes of nobility, no one in the eyes of the soldiers that had earned their rank through prestige or bloodline, but to her he remained her everything. He didn't know why she chose him, and he admitted he had always been too afraid to ask, but there could be no being passive in the face of her fear and need.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry I scared you by getting hurt, and I'm sorry that I made light of things... I didn't forget my promise to go back to Brigid with you. That's all I want... to go to your home, and be with you." The words came out without thought, but they felt right on his tongue as he felt her hands catching on his sleeves to ensure that he would not pull away. She clung to him like he had clung to her the first time she had taken him flying, and Ashe winced as he wondered why, again and again, he had to misstep so horribly before he understood that even if he judged himself worthless, there were many others who cared and wished him the best. The woman in his arms was always his champion, and his pride and self-loathing both flared indignantly as he clutched her tighter, "Even if you don't make me a knight, I'd still be happy just to be with you, Petra. Even as just a normal man, being with you would be more than enough to make me happy for the rest of my life."

"I will be making your dream come true... It is the least of things I could do for you, after all you have done for me..." Petra's voice was quiet, already muffled by the fact that she was well and truly buried in his chest, but he heard the soft tremor all the same. Her fingers curled more tightly into the thick fabric of his tunic, hanging on for dear life, and she pressed herself more firmly, more snugly into his tight hold as if she was seeking reassurance that he was still there. She shook her head a little as she fought the stinging in her eyes, hating the fact that she wished to cry despite the fact that he was there and relatively unharmed, but she couldn't help it. The momentary pulse of terror at seeing him bleeding had shaken away all her good sense, and left her terrified and reeling at the thought that at the very end of things, she could have lost him before anything could have truly began. "I have lived through many things that were... terrible and painful... but I have survived those things... I am of Brigid. I must be strong... but I cannot be strong without you. To lose you would be to lose half of myself, Ashe. I cannot see a future where you are not with me... and that makes me afraid."

"I can't imagine a future without you in it, either... It's okay to be afraid of things like that." Ashe felt himself softening, eager to comfort and reassure at the plaintive confession that he knew had to stab deeply at her pride. But still she spoke it aloud and told him of the truth, because she needed him to know, and that gesture spoke almost more than her words did. She had always been proud, prouder than anyone he had ever really known, but that pride had never been born of arrogance. She knew full well that the world had much to teach her, and that she in turn had much to learn, but she knew who she was and what she could do, and he had found her beautiful since the first moment he'd seen her. That striking confidence, that warm smile, and her willingness to learn and offer kindness to him even when she knew absolutely nothing of the circumstances of his birth and mourning... How could he not love her? "But I'm still here, Petra. And I won't go anywhere that you can't reach me. We're going to go to Brigid together, just like we planned to do. We're going to dive into the sea together, and I'm going to learn everything you can teach me this time around. We're going to be together... but we can still be afraid. It's human to be afraid. But if we're together, we can be strong. We've fought enough to know that no amount of fear matters so long as we're fighting it together, right?"

Petra laughed, a quiet, broken sort of chuckle that was more of an exhale than anything, but she closed her eyes and pressed her face deeper into Ashe's neck as she held on even tighter. His words were so warm and comforting, like a bonfire that had been lit after a cold rainstorm, and she wanted to breathe him in until that warmth became a part of her very bones. She had never quite understood romance, at least not in the way that Ashe had spoken of it when he had told her of his books and stories from Faerghus, but despite the language barrier, she was beginning to wonder if this feeling was similar to what he had told her of. This unyielding want and need to see him well and smiling, to have him always within arm's reach... It felt too natural not to. "Together... Yes. If we are together... Then I can be as strong as steel."

Ashe raised his left hand, slowly, tenderly brushing it down her hair as he held her firmly in his lap. He wasn't sure how she had managed to fit herself so perfectly against him, but he didn't much mind as he felt the warmth of her body on his. She was always so strangely warm, as if she was capable of burning him should she choose, but it was always more of a comfort than a concern. And he was greedy, wanting to hold all of her warmth in his two hands, whether it came from her eyes, her smile, or her long, lingering embraces that he had fallen victim to far too many times for his honour to mean anything any longer. She had seduced him completely and utterly, but he had long since given mind to it. He was to be a knight, her knight, and to give his heart and body to her was simply a matter of course.

'Some knight I am, though... Making her worry... I'll need to make it up to her when things calm down...' His fingers were gentle as they combed through her hair, and his arm tightened around the small of her back as she nuzzled her face farther into the crook of his neck. Those soft tremors from before had settled, though her breathing still occasionally hitched, but he didn't mind. She was settling, just as he was, and the knowledge that he could give her that still surprised and flustered him as if it was the very first time all over again. He supposed it would always be that way, him caught off guard time and time again by her refusal to be anything but intimate with him, but had already learned to love it. She upended everything he had ever believed about chivalry and the world outside of Faerghus, but she had also taught him much of himself, and he would forever love her for it, too.

"Warin!"

The sudden cry brought both Petra and Ashe back to attention, and they both stood immediately as a dark violet-tipped blur shot by them like it had been loosed from a bow. Shamir was faster than any of them off of horseback on a good day, and she had been one of the few soldiers to not take a single blow when she and Dimitri had arrived shortly after the chaos had broken out. She, like Ashe, had forgone her bow in favour of her lance, and the ferocity with which she had put her enemies down had almost been a match for Dimitri's when he had thrown himself into the fray. They both had been wearing the same kind of expression, taut and wrathful, but they had shrugged it all aside to help sort out the chaos inside of the halls until the sudden spurt of madness had passed on. Now, though, her expression was tense with worry and anxiety as she cleared the hall towards the stairwell where the man in question had suddenly appeared from.

She pounced like a cat on him, either blind to the suddenly staring eyes of the everyone in the hall, or completely uncaring of them, and for the man's credit, he caught her gamely, though with a quiet, muffled sort of grunt. He placed her back calmly on her feet, but she didn't let him go, clutching at his shoulders as her keen eyes flickered all over him in an attempt to take him in all at once. He was winded and bloody, with the front of his cloak almost painted completely crimson, and his gauntlets resembled sheets of metal dangling precariously off his forearms rather than meticulously crafted and cared for weaponry. His hair was matted with sweat, and there were bruises and scrapes all over the skin that wasn't hidden by his clothing, but still, it was that blood-splattered cloak of his that scared her more than his wounds.

After a moment of examining him closely, piercingly, Shamir finally loosened her hold on him by a fraction. Her eyes darted back to the hall where he had appeared from, and she noticed that both Dimitri and Seteth had disappeared from the place they had gone to hide to have their little discussion. She would have joined them, but the prince had looked so incensed by the streak of madness breaking out amongst the clergy that she had decided better of it. She had not been there for the destruction of Remire even though she had seen much of what had precluded it, and she knew that the Blue Lions had been traumatized by the ordeal. She could not blame them, as putting down mad civilians had never been in the training, but none of that mattered as she looked up and down at his cloak and then back up into those tired, navy eyes and spoke hoarsely, "Please tell me that blood doesn't belong to your sister."

"Not all of it... but she's fine. She's resting in the infirmary right now. I had to carry her back, she was unconscious, but she'll be fine with a transfusion and a bit of rest. Nothing life-threatening." Warin explained after a beat of surprise, and he looked down at himself as if he hadn't realized the frightening sight he had to look with blood staining the entire front of him despite the immediate tying of a tourniquet, Raine's bloody arm had been more than enough to paint him crimson as he carried her out of the Holy Tomb and up into the infirmary, and he shook his head as he watched Shamir's expression relax with relief, "I'm sorry. I didn't think to change. It was... a bit of a chaotic scene up there before she woke back up. Then I had to summon Seteth and Dimitri, and then see what happened down here... I should have been a bit more mindful. I don't need anyone thinking she up and died on us."

Shamir let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding, and she felt her heart beginning to slow with the knowledge that despite it all, both Warin and Raine had come out of the fighting alive. She had known, through both pragmatism and experience that leaving the siblings to deal with Rhea was the safest option, but it hadn't stopped her from fearing for their lives when she had turned her back all the same. It felt so wrong to leave them, to leave him, but she was still a mercenary, and she still had to obey when she was given a command. Raine and Warin had chosen to deal with Rhea themselves, and no one had any right to deny them that fight... Not even her. Still, the condition he was in... Her eyes narrowed a little, and her head tilted as she questioned him shrewdly, "And Rhea?"

"I wouldn't carry the monster if you paid me her weight in gold. That was what Seteth was for. She's also fine... Unfortunately." Warin answered with a bitter smile, and he rolled his shoulder back even as he felt it cry out in protest with his movement. His body felt stiff and sore all over from being tossed about like a ragdoll, and though carrying Raine back from the depths of the tombs had not been difficult for him, his reserves of energy were almost empty. He felt exhausted, both mentally and physically, but he didn't let it show as he cast his own narrowed eyes about the mess the main hall had become, "And how about here...? Any casualties, or injuries?"

"None on either side, thankfully. They were mad, yes, but these kids have come a long way since Remire. It was easier to knock out the few that didn't have any real battle experience, and the few soldiers and clergy who did went down easily enough when some pressure was applied." Shamir answered promptly for him, but she didn't ignore that flash of heat in those otherwise flat eyes of his. He was pale and holding himself gingerly, though she doubted he really had noticed it yet. He was still running on adrenaline, some hidden font of energy that the chains of command put into his veins, but she knew he would crash eventually. "I assume you know why it happened?"

"Another gift from the ever so magnanimous Saint Seiros... The upper echelons of the main clergy here were gifted with her blood, and bits of Crest Stones to augment their natural abilities and lifespans. Only a few dozen, but more than enough for her descent into madness to have a ripple effect on them." Warin explained with a deep and deadly scowl, and he glanced around at the battered women and men of the cloth that likely had no idea what happened to them, or why. The mere thought made him wish he had stopped Raine when she had shown her intent to save Rhea's life, but that chance had come and gone, and he could not mull it over if he wished to keep himself sane. "Seteth said it was a mercy that she was unable to take her true form... He said it was likely that we would have had another Remire taking place right here in Garreg Mach, along with a gigantic dragon to face down on top of it all. The dastard actually thinks we're lucky. If anything, he's lucky he still had two working legs to go pick up his waste of a sibling down from the tombs... Gods, I hate that she's still breathing."

"You let Raine spare her." Shamir tilted her head further as she watched Warin struggling with her pointed remark that was in no way a question. It was not an accusation either, but merely a statement, but she saw the way it pierced through him all the same. His body tensed, as if he was looking for someone, something to put his fist though, but with no targets available to him, he was forced to let out a long and heavy breath instead. His own head fell back, his eyes fixing on the ceiling as if he didn't want to be caught in her gaze, and that was more than enough for her as she mused quietly, "I'm not surprised that was what she wanted to do... but I will admit I am a little shocked that you allowed it to happen."

"It was her choice to make. Not mine." Warin answered to the high ceiling far above his head, but the words still rang somewhat dully in his own ears even as he spoke them. The rage was still flowing in his veins even though the fighting had long since ended, and it was thick and fiery and made his body ache for a resolution that simply would never be found no matter how much he searched for it. He and his sister had come to an accord long before steel had been drawn, and he had simply kept to his word... but it did not make him feel any better. "I lost my mother, and a fair bit of my childhood, yes... but Raine lost more. Much more. If anyone had the right to decide Rhea's fate, it was Raine... I simply went along with it. I didn't help, nor did I interfere, just as I promised I would. It was her choice... and it was important... No, it was necessary that it was her choice that ended all of this. She would never get to start a new life no matter where she went if she didn't start that life with a choice she got to make of her own will. She chose to spare Rhea... and if that is what she wanted, then I'm in no position to complain."

"Yes, you are, you idiot." Shamir sighed with both exasperation and affection, and before Warin could reply, she curled her arms about him and drew him close for a tight embrace. He froze, surprised and unsure of how to respond, but she didn't much mind as she rested her chin on his shoulder and squeezed him tighter to her front. His words were all honest, and she knew that he felt that honesty all the way down to his very bones, but that didn't mean that he wasn't in the throes of agony all the same. The wrath and the bloodlust and the need for justice was all still curled up into a venomous ball deep in his gut, but he simply overlooked it in his pragmatic approach to ceding to his sister's will. "You can't put pain and loss on a scale... Raine has suffered, yes, but so have you. You're going to spend the rest of your life begrudging that woman for every breath she takes, and while I know in your heart you think Raine was right to spare her, it won't make any of your pain, your grief, go away. You need your own closure, just as much as Raine needs her own. You can't always be sacrificing yourself for your sister. You have a right to complain."

Warin smiled wryly, unable to really help it at her heated words and the depths of her care for him. Of course she would claim that he had just as much of a right to decide Rhea's fate as Raine did, but then again, her priorities were skewed. She viewed him as more important than his sister, even while she was trying desperately to give them both equal weight so not to offend him. He loved that about her, and his arms crossed behind her back as he squeezed her close with both gratitude and exasperated affection. "You might be right... but the decision's been made, so there's so use whining about it now. At least, I don't think there is... I'll admit that I'd prefer to see her dead, and my wounds won't all close until she is... but I can still move on now, which I wasn't able to do before. I've learned the truth about my family. That's what I wanted more than anything. Punishment or justice doesn't matter compared to that... Especially considering Raine. I know you'll argue that, and that's okay, but I think that I'll manage. I'll be able to start to heal now... and Raine is finally going to be all right, too."

"You seem rather sure of that..." Shamir raised her eyebrows, made curious by the complete steadiness that weighed Warin's voice and made it calm rather than agitated and unsure. She knew he was hurting in more ways than one, and he had admitted as much to it, but he also didn't seem resigned to such a fate. Rather, he was looking ahead for once, and though not all the weight had been shed from his shoulders, there was a certain glint in his eye that could almost be seen as optimistic. Such a thing was unprecedented for her, and she reached to brush his bangs out of his face, studying those clear navy eyes closely as she questioned, "What happened?"

"A lot. Come here..." Warin nestled her closer before leaning his head down to whisper quietly in her ear of what he had seen take place inside of the Holy Tomb. He felt her tense as he spoke, clearly shocked and surprised, and he had to bite down on the inside of his cheek to suppress a smile. He had kept absolutely no secrets from her since the night they had shared a bed, and she knew just as much as he did now about his family, and the struggles and losses they had all faced. With his sister's permission, he had also shared her secrets, and Shamir had guarded them just as fiercely as he had. Her concern and care for his sister had touched him, and had only endeared her to him more, and when she drew away with a wide-eyed stare, he couldn't help but lose the battle not to smile.

"Are you serious...? She's... Her heart...?" A smile half-formed on her own lips before it suddenly twisted downwards into a thoughtful frown, and Warin had to choke back a bark of laughter as he saw her sharp mind immediately going to work. She let absolutely nothing slip by, no matter how off guard she was caught, and she proved it as she pulled back even further from him to look him in the eye, her own now narrowed as she began slowly, pointedly, "Wait a moment, you said that you summoned both Seteth and Dimitri earlier before coming here... Did you tell him before sending him onto the infirmary?"

"No, I didn't. And before you scold me, that was Raine's request. She wanted to be the one to tell him, and that's not something I'd dare to take away from her." Warin replied with a low chuckle, and he could only imagine the look of shock that would pass over the princeling's face when he saw his beloved professor again. All of her students would likely be quite surprised, but the idea was an amusing and gentle one for him. She had changed so much against her will, had been moulded into something she had not wanted to be, and for the first time in her lifetime, she was now simply... herself. "At first I didn't believe it either, but after hearing it... She doesn't need to worry about calling herself a monster anymore. Everything that was pushed on her has finally fallen away. She's just as I remember her being... She earned her last miracle, and now she can live whatever life she damn well pleases."

"In any other circumstance, I'd call you an arse for playing the prince like this, but... I honestly can't blame you." Shamir laughed, now also unable to help herself, and she squeezed him tightly one last time before allowing herself to unwrap herself from his strong, secure arms. Even with his smiling he looked so weary, and she could well understand why. It was all beginning to settle, the rush was fading, and she gently began to push his bloodstained cloak off of him as she mused softly, "All right... For now, let's get you out of this, and then you can come find a quiet spot to sit down in with me. You need a healer to look you over, and then probably two or three good nights of sleep."

"Do I look that bad?" Warin shrugged his shoulders to aid Shamir in undressing him, and he glanced down at himself a little awkwardly in thoughtful curiosity. He really hadn't taken much time to even look at himself once it all exploded so violently, but from Shamir's first reaction to seeing him, he mused that he probably had seen much better days. His cloak fell with a loud thump to the floor, and it was painted in all sorts of crimson shades to prove that he had looked like he had taken a few too many weapons to the chest despite the facts being to the contrary. He pulled a face, unable to help himself as Shamir busied herself with unshackling his chainmail vest, and he remarked tiredly as he shrugged out of the heavy garment, too, "Erk... I guess I do, don't I...?"

"You look exhausted. But considering the circumstances, I don't think anyone can blame you." Shamir pointed out with a soft laugh, and she let both of the garments hit the floor before taking his hand and guiding him to the nearest wall. She sat him down without preamble, shoving lightly at his shoulders and knowing full well he'd obey her, and she smiled at him as he raised his eyebrows and looked up at her curiously. There was definitely a lack of weight that was noticeable on his features, in the way his shoulders were slumped, and the thought was a pleasing one despite it all. She knelt down with him, brushing her fingers lovingly through his matted navy curls, and he leaned into her caress willingly and with a quiet sigh. The sight made her smile broaden, and she leaned forward, stealing the faintest of kisses before murmuring, "Get a little rest while you can, will you...? It's over. You can afford to relax."

Warin caught her hand as she withdrew, knowing full well she intended to go searching either for a healer or some medical supplies so that she could treat his wounds herself. She started a little, surprised as his fingers closed gently about her wrist, and he tugged a little, urging her to sit with him before he asked quietly, almost awkwardly, "Wait a bit before calling someone? I'd like to just be with you, if I can...? I am tired, and I know I need to see someone for my injuries, but... Just for awhile, I want to hold you and soak it all in. Do you mind?"

"When you ask me like that, it's a little hard to say no..." Shamir mused tenderly, and she took advantage of that boyish looking frown of his to curl herself neatly in between his legs before he could react. She wrapped his arms about her herself, nestling deep into his chest, and she almost giggled when she felt his chin come down on her shoulder. He leaned mostly into the wall to spare her his weight, but his grip was tight nonetheless, proving that despite everything he had spoken the complete truth. What he wanted most, at the end of everything, was to spend a moment or two with her, and the thought made her heart squeeze in a painfully sweet way. She loved him dearly, and she turned her head, rewarding him with a little peck to the cheek as she murmured, "I love you, you know that...? More than I ever thought was possible."

"And I you..." Warin muttered back tiredly, and he felt his eyes closing as his body began to relax despite his best efforts. She was so warm and comfortable to hold, and that familiar scent of the pine woods was too alluring to resist. He nuzzled into her neck, breathing it in and allowing it suffuse every single ounce of him. His body was no longer listening to him, sagging against the carved stone walls and nestling farther into her, and he heard rather then felt himself speaking sluggishly as sleep began to take him, "Thank you... for everything until now... I wouldn't have made it without you..."

"Me either, Warin... Me either..."

---

Infirmary

Noontime

The stairs to the infirmary never seemed to be so long, and Dimitri ground his teeth as he took them three at a time in his haste to clear the distance that was currently separating him from his professor. It had been a hellish few hours since that damned morning in the glade, since he had forced himself to turn his back on both her and her brother to leave them to settle the score that was laying between them and Rhea. Logically, he had known it to be the right choice, but it hadn't stopped every last instinct he had from screaming in rebellion with each step he had taken away from them in order to quell the coming madness that Seteth had warned them of.

He vividly remembered those lessons that the siblings had drilled so viciously into his head, of how utterly ineffective the teamwork between him and his classmates was in the face of two who had been fighting side by side since their births. It had been a humbling experience, watching their professor and brother effortlessly tearing them down regardless of who they chose for their partner or what weapon they wielded, and he had never forgotten their cold precision and their complete confidence in themselves and in one another. Battle was not only their bread and butter, but it was also their lifeblood, and each movement, each lance and swordstroke had been as natural as breathing.

Dimitri had truly believed his own words, that there was no foe living or dead in Fódlan that could take on the Eisner siblings if they truly wished for blood, but it hadn't made leaving any easier on him. It went against every fibre of his being to turn his back on Raine, and though Warin had reassured him that she was well besides a little blood loss, an evil and twisted part of him was laughing at himself. He had left her of his own will, and any and all injuries she had accrued in her fighting were to be laid at his feet. He had chosen not to interfere, and had her life been forfeit, it would have been his fault as well.

Seteth had all but fled for the Holy Tombs where Warin had explained Rhea had been left behind, but Dimitri had admitted he couldn't think ill of the man for his decisions. He had prioritized his sister and taken her to get care, knowing full well Seteth would attend to Rhea in his own way, too, though a small part of him had been surprised to learn she had survived the encounter with the siblings. When their wrath had been on full display, when the truth of what had been done to their mother, to Raine, had come to light... Dimitri had honestly wondered if his last glimpse of Rhea before heading for the monastery would truly have been the last time he would see her alive.

Still. It was not his place to judge their choices, and he would not do so unless directly asked. No, all he cared about was how they had survived the encounter and that their wounds were minimal, and to be told that Raine was already awake and calling for him... Nothing else was more important, and it hastened his every step while simultaneously freezing his blood in anxiety. Was she truly as okay as Warin had claimed? The man would never have a reason to lie, but they both knew Raine had a history of hiding her injuries when she deemed it necessary. But if she was conscious and asking for him, then surely she wasn't that wounded... His thoughts were a scattered blur as he turned the corner, barely minding himself enough to dodge an exiting healer as he came through the doors with his good eye searching the insides frantically.

Everything came to an abrupt stop as he spotted her, sitting up in the far corner of the room, and for a moment he was completely at a loss. Her armour and cloak were gone and put away, and she was wearing what looked like a night-shirt while Professor Manuela scolded her. She was smiling awkwardly back at the older woman, clearly taking her lumps as she extended her left arm for examination, but for a moment, Dimitri was stricken into silence and stillness as his one good eye tried to make sense of what he was seeing. She had been bed-bound so frequently in the past several moons that to see her with her injuries bandaged and a wry look on her face was almost normal, and yet the whole picture did not entirely make sense to him.

'Her... hair...' The single thought was the only thing that seemed to break through his mute confusion, and his lungs deflated as he realized with a start that that seafoam-green colour he had begun to associate with her was nowhere to be seen on her body. Her hair, and her eyes had both reverted to that beguiling shade of navy that had always been far too alluring for the young man he had been when they first met, and now it seemed to permeate the entire room as he tried to take stock of what he was looking at.

Those long, thick locks he jealously enjoyed running his fingers through still framed her face with a calm sense of ease, and her eyes were almost laughing even as she winced underneath Manuela's expert hands as she retied the bandages that her brother had hastily wrapped over her wounds. There was an odd sense of calm emanating from her, as if a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders, or perhaps a heavy fog had finally stopped enshrouding her, and for the life of him, Dimitri could do nothing but stare as he tried to understand how such a thing had happened. Only that morning they had been laying together in her bed, calmly, gently stroking her hair as she admitted that she was afraid of the conflict to come, and he could still clearly see that worried sheen in that seafoam colour that had been staring so helplessly back at him.

"Oh good, His Highness is here. Perhaps he can talk some sense into you this time! I swear, I don't know how many times I need to tell you to take care of your body, Professor." Manuela's voice was cutting and sharp, jerking him abruptly from his thoughts and back to the present, and Dimitri stood involuntarily at attention as he realized all eyes in the infirmary had turned to him at her announcement. The healer looked completely unperturbed, her lips turned down into quite a scolding frown as she rapped her patient's skull with her knuckles, "Be a good girl, and listen to him, will you? If I have to come back and recheck your dressings one more time this moon, there will be seven levels of hell to pay!"

Dimitri awkwardly sidestepped as Manuela brushed past him, mumbling curses under her breath as well as a promise of a tavern visit in her very near future, and he was unsure if looking out after her as she left was too impolite of him. A soft chuckle from the bed she had left however immediately took all of his attention, and he felt the bones in his neck creak as his head whipped back around to see Raine looking at him with a small, warm smile painted across her pale features. She was bruised and scraped in several places, proof that her fight hadn't been easy, but other than the bandages on her arm and the paleness in her face, she seemed surprisingly hale, and the relief he felt was almost as heavy as a boulder being deposited straight in his stomach.

Yet... He was frozen. His body would not move as he continued to stare at her, and despite it all, he felt as if he had become a schoolboy all over again. He recalled that moment in Remire, when she had stepped out of the shadows to join her brother and father, and he remembered how his heart had momentarily stopped at the sight of her. Even in the dark, with only the whisper of flames and pale lanterns to light her face, he had been absolutely astounded by her beauty. She stood so tall and confidently, knowing her place beside her family, and even though her eyes had flickered over them with a detached sort of interest, he still had been swept away by his immediate attraction for her.

Never before had anyone alive stirred him like that, but she had awoken something in him that he hadn't known had existed that morning... and with each passing day he had to spend beside her, he had been aware of that feeling growing more and more. He had misunderstood her, had misjudged her, but in getting to know her, he had been able to give a name to the feelings she awoke in him. She was beautiful, yes, but she was also surprisingly kind, startlingly wise, and her smile seemed to warm both the room and him in a way he had not felt for many a long year. He had loved her the instant he'd seen her, and had fallen only more deeply into it each time she showed him a piece of herself that she, too, was just discovering. She was a creature of wonder, something he felt he could only admire and never dare touch, but that had been years ago, and now he knew her body almost as well as his own... or, he had thought so, until he had walked into the infirmary just a few scant moments ago.

Dimitri watched, silent and uncertain as she watched him, and he could see the concern creasing her brow and darkening that divine shade of navy in her eyes as she met his frozen stare. Slowly she turned her good hand palm up, and just as slowly she crooked her fingers, beckoning him forward without a single spoken word. His body obeyed him before his mind could catch up with it, and a part of him almost laughed at the realization that even in sheer instinct he remained an absolute slave to her will. She could have ran a finger over her throat, and he likely would have opened his own for her without her having to speak. Such a thought should have frightened the wits out of him, but instead he only moved forward at her request, reaching instinctively for the hand that was waiting for his own.

Her skin was warm as he placed his hand on top of hers, and he felt his heart catch somewhere in his throat as she looked up at him with a hint of a smile curling at her lips. She spread her fingers for him, allowing for his much larger ones to slide in between and lock, and unbidden he felt a little of the tension in his spine fade away at the familiar hold. Underneath the rough calluses of his own hand he could feel the edges of the burn scar that now marred her palm and fingers, and instinctively he wished he could take away the scars that Nemesis had left her with. She didn't deserve such wounds to darken her skin, didn't deserve to bear more punishment for the heroism she had performed against her own will, but he knew just as she did that there was no undoing what had been done. A scar or two was nothing in comparison to what she could have lost, and so long as her hands remained warm... It didn't truly matter how many scars she accumulated.

Dimitri twitched as she moved his hand for him, and he looked up, surprised and caught off guard as he watched her watching him with a measured, yet still somewhat anxious stare. He did not move, permitting her to lift his hand of her own will, and he had no compunctions as she raised it to her face and gave it the softest of nuzzles. She turned her lips to his knuckles, brushing them twice with a kiss lighter than a butterfly's wingbeats, and her fingers squeezed down tightly on his as he finally permitted his own to return her pressure gently. She offered him a small smile, but it remained so furtive and uncertain that for a moment his lips almost parted to question if she was truly all right, if she needed something from him, or-

Then she moved his hand again, and Dimitri once again turned to stone as she carefully, almost surreptitiously, slid his hand and hers down and into the front of her shirt. His face burnt, and though all instinct demanded he pull away, he couldn't when she held his stare pleadingly and tightened her hold on his wrist. He wanted to glance about the room, to see if anyone was watching, but her gaze held him still, and he could only swallow noisily as she moved his hand further south against her breast, and then slid it underneath. For a moment, Dimitri couldn't understand, his ears burning and his every instinct demanding he pull away for propriety's sake if nothing else, but then his fingertips felt that quiet thrumming and this time it was the world about him that went completely still.

So long ago, in her quarters and in her bed, she had held his hand in this exact same way, and underneath his fingers he had felt absolutely nothing. Now, even with his blood rushing in his ears and his heart hammering away wildly in his chest, his palm could feel what had once not been there. It should have felt faint, covered by layers of flesh, muscle and bone, but each singular beat was like a blow to the head from a heavy and freshly made training sword. It picked up speed as he raised his eyes from their enjoined hands, reacting to his reaction, and her face was pink, and her eyes were shining when he stared at her with a mixture of wonder and shock colouring his own expression.

"I'm human."

The soft, shaken whisper broke him, and Dimitri felt his shackles sliding away freely as he reacted on instinct and instinct alone. He knelt down next to her, pulling at her blindly, and she came into his arms so quickly that he knew she had been holding herself back from leaping onto him the moment she had seen him. Her body was shaking, and the warmth of her tears on his neck were like tiny dagger-points on his flesh as he cradled her close and buried his face in her hair. Her fingers grasped at him desperately, clinging and burying into the thick cloth of his tunic, but he didn't mind it a whit as he forced his breathing to steady and his arms to relax lest he crush her against him in a fit of emotion. He wasn't entirely sure what it was that was flooding through him, relief, amazement, disbelief or wonder, but none of it mattered as he whispered hotly, fiercely into her ear, "You've always been human."

"But now my heart's beating." The reply was half a laugh and half a sob, and Dimitri grit his teeth as he felt the strength of her emotions reaching out to scald him. The words sounded so simple, so absurd, but the meaning dripped from them in a way that only they could understand, and it made her hold on him all the tighter. She felt so fragile in his arms, curled up so far into him that she was practically hanging out of the infirmary cot, but Dimitri didn't mind it. And she knew it as she curled her good arm about his neck, pressing him closer as her voice broke in his hair, "My heart... is finally beating... I'm alive. I'm really... really and truly... alive. I'm alive."

Though he was well aware he would curse himself for it later, Dimitri could not help himself as he fell back on his haunches and grasped roughly at her as she landed rather clumsily on his knees. He was quick and brutally efficient, arranging her to sit across his legs as his hands caught her face and turned it upwards. Tears were spilling down her crimson painted cheeks, and the look of anguished relief was one that seared him like the fires of the regicide had so many years ago. He acted without thought, leaning down to catch those pale pink lips of hers with his, and he kissed her like a man possessed as her words burnt into both his mind and heart like an iron brand.

That beast inside of his head almost howled in satisfaction as he heard her moaning underneath his passion, and when her fingers curled themselves thoughtlessly into his thick blond hair, he almost felt the chains on it threatening to break free. Her taste was both sweet and salty from her tears, but he didn't mind it as she pulled at him to ensure he did not break away. She had no need to fear it as his arms wound themselves firmly about her trembling form, both bracing and clutching her closer, and he nipped at her bottom lip, his tongue tracing it lovingly when she gasped for a breath of air. The beast demanded sating, flooding his mind's eye with images of her splayed out across the cot, panting and flushed as he took her, and only the last bit of sanity he had left stopped him from indulging it when she breathed out against his mouth, "I love you... I love you so much, Dimitri..."

"Gods be damned, you have to stop..." Dimitri groaned as he felt the pain of his arousal spiking through his spine and bringing him back from the madness of his lust. She looked just like he felt, uncaring and wanting, and he had to remind himself of where they were, and who could possibly see them if they were to lose their minds like the animals they felt like. Her eyes were hazy and simultaneously on fire, and the new-familiar darkness of those navy irises only made his lust all the more pointed. How many times had he dreamt of her, looking as she had used to when he had been her student and she had been his professor, and now...? He shook his head slowly even as he cradled her all the more tightly to his chest, and his voice was low as he hissed into her ear, "You can't do this to me here of all places..."

"I can't help it... It's so... sharp..." Raine answered apologetically, breathlessly, and her face was crimson as his hands carefully but purposefully unwound her own so that he could place her back in the cot rather than permit her to remain in his arms. She ached from the absence, but he sat down next to her, and she felt the heat in her face turn hotter as his fingers brushed lovingly across her cheeks. He was so gentle despite the momentary flash of passion, and she wondered at him as he watched her with a carefully appraising stare. She could see the question in his eye, and she flushed deeper as she pressed a hand to the rapid thudding in her chest that was drowning out her rational thought, "I'm so aware of it that it's almost painful. It's beating so loudly that I can hardly think... Is it always like this? Do you feel the same way when you touch me?"

"Every time." Dimitri answered with a small, gentle smile as the innocence of her questions cut through the haze and brought back the aching tenderness that demanded he smother her in all the warmth he could ever summon. Though she had returned to the way she had once looked, there was a newfound childlike quality to her expression, and he couldn't resist the urge to reach out to cradle her face in his hand. She turned at once, nuzzling into his palm and holding his wrist to keep him there, and the sight she made only made the ache in his chest all the more sharp. He reached with his free hand, covering the one she was holding over her heart, and he assured her softly, quietly as she stared at him with that burning mixture of curiosity and need, "Every time I touch you, my heart beats so hard that it could fly right out of my chest... You'll need to get used to that feeling, my beloved... And many more, besides."

"Mm... I know. It's just... so strange." Raine allowed a long breath to escape her at his reassurance, though a part of her was still embarrassed to hear herself saying such words. They sounded so odd coming from her own lips, as if she was reading aloud from some romance novel that Mercedes had handed over to her with a wink and a giggle, but now that she was feeling the sensations she had read about... She shook her head slowly as the rapid thudding inside of her chest began to slow and return to what she was beginning to classify as "normal", and she mused wearily, "It's not as if... the things that I felt before were suppressed... That's not how it felt at all. I think that my body just learned to adapt without my heart... and now that it's beating, my body is trying to adapt all over again. It's... heavy. So, so heavy... When Manuela showed me my reflection in the mirror, and I saw how I looked, I couldn't breathe because of how fast it was beating... I was afraid, excited, and relieved all at once, and... It was so overwhelming."

"You don't need to relearn everything all at once... You've lived more than twenty years without a beating heart. It will take some time for you to adjust to having it beat again. There's no rush." Dimitri reassured her quietly, and he found himself adjusting his position on her cot so he could better hold her again. She was quick to slide herself against him, nestling herself so smoothly into his side that it felt as if she was simply a missing piece of him, and his arm anchored itself about her waist in thoughtless return. He leaned down, kissing the top of her head and breathing her in, and she snuggled all the closer with a soft, relieved sigh. His free hand reached instinctively, capturing a stray lock of hair to tuck it back behind her ear, but he paused as he found himself rubbing the navy strands between his thumb and index finger, "Forgive me, as I know this is already so much for you, but... How did this happen...? Your hair, your eyes, and your heart... When I left you with your brother, I imagined too many scenarios to count, but this... this certainly wasn't something I ever believed..."

"Me either... If I hadn't seen my reflection, or could feel it so strongly, part of me wouldn't believe it had happened, either." Raine agreed with a wry chuckle, and still she held her hand over her chest as that harsh, ragged rhythm continued to pound without thought or care deep inside of her. It seemed all encompassing, this new beating in her chest, but strangely enough as she leaned against Dimitri, she could feel calm returning to her body all the same. Out of everything since she had awoken, it was him that gave her heart the wildest reaction yet, but still as they settled together, he also seemed just as capable of reigning it back in until it was tolerable enough for her to speak over it.

Raine turned her arm over in his lap, allowing him to study the perfect bandaging work that Professor Manuela had replaced her brother's haphazard job with. He reached out almost immediately, his fingers gently tracing their way across the tightly knit white cloth, and his one eye was narrowed with both confusion and worry for her when he looked back up to her face. She offered him a small, tight smile, but her voice was low when she began softly, "I assume that Warin told you that Rhea is alive? That would be my doing, despite how irritatingly close she came to making us kill her... She managed to lose us just long enough to flee to the Holy Tomb, but by the time she got there, her wounds had taken their toll. She'd lost too much blood, and if nothing was done, she likely would have died at the seat of the Throne of Knowledge. I couldn't allow for that, and so... I saved her. Well, to be more precise, Sothis saved her, albeit through me."

Dimitri narrowed his eye as he looked up, and despite himself his hand stilled on her arm as the meaning of her words sank in like more stones deep in his stomach. He didn't need to ask, as he could already see the evidence before him of what she had done, and while he felt a pulse of anger for her recklessness... He was quick to throw it aside. It was ego and nothing more that infuriated him, as she had not been alone when she had made her choice, and from the bruise that was forming higher up her arm, he could tell that Warin had acted quickly and efficiently to ensure she had never truly been in any danger. He still could not help but wince away from the thought, from the mental image of her shedding blood to save the life of the woman who had taken so much away from her, but her words only added on the weight and forced him to ask her gruffly, "You sacrificed your bond with Sothis to keep her alive?"

"No, not in its entirety. I've lost a great deal of the power she gave me that day in the Sealed Forest, but our bond isn't wholly gone." Raine answered with a small shake of her head, and her smile was bittersweet as she rolled her shoulders back tiredly. A part of her was glad that she had told him everything of what had happened between her and the little goddess, and an even larger part was grateful that he had taken it all in stride when he had every right to call her mad. He had believed her every word, had supported her in her grief and mourning, and had even given her new perspective to things she had never thought much of when he had learned of the intricacies that tied their souls together. She loved him for how accepting he was, and the concerned note in his voice when he asked of her once again losing what had made them so close even when Sothis had lost her physical form... It was a comfort she had known she had needed.

Carefully, Raine reached with her bandaged arm to touch the hilt of the blade that had not been moved from her side since she had been deposited inside of the infirmary. Warin had set it in her lap before he had carried her unconscious form away from the tombs, and he had made sure that it had been within her reach when she had woken shortly after her transfusion. He had known what she would want, what she would need to see with her own eyes, and her smile was small and achingly tender as her fingertips brushed lovingly across the cracked hilt of the Relic, "She still answers me... The Crest Stone over my heart might no longer be there, but so long as I'm still alive... our bond simply cannot be sundered. I asked Sothis to give all she had to Rhea if that's what it took to save her life, but apparently she didn't need to do that. She just took away most of what she had given me before, and that was enough. Though, I suppose the Crest Stone couldn't handle suddenly being in a body that didn't have her power in it anymore."

"And so your heart began to beat... You won out another miracle after all, it seems." Dimitri spoke the words slowly, thoughtfully, as he watched the way that Raine handled the last link she had to the goddess who had inadvertently been saving her life long before she had known she even existed. He admittedly still did not entirely understand what this bond of theirs truly entailed no matter how many times she had explained it to him, but he did know love and mourning well enough. Even if he could not see it did not make it any less real, and their friendship had been something Raine had always spoken of with complete affection. He watched as her fingers brushed again over the hilt of the sword before finally withdrawing, as if she needed the reassurance that the Relic did indeed still see her as its master, and he mused as she pulled back into the cot, "You've regained it all, despite your earlier claims, then."

"No, not wholly. I may be able to wield the Sword of the Creator still, but that's all I can do now. That power to turn back the hands of time... I don't have it anymore." Raine shook her head as she corrected him, and her smile was almost tinged with a weary sort of sadness as she admitted that it wasn't as simple as it had looked when she had first opened her eyes. She glanced down at her hand, flexing her fingers experimentally as she instinctively reached for what was no longer there, and she chuckled tiredly as she admitted, "I tried, not long after waking to see if I could manage it, but... nothing happened. I'm not entirely sure whether or not I'm disappointed by that... It was a very useful tool... but if things are really over, I shouldn't have need of it anymore. Living within the bounds of time is what every other human has to do, whether they like it or not... and I'm finally human. It makes sense that I shouldn't have that power any longer."

Dimitri raised his eyebrows, unsure of whether or not he was amused or aghast at the thought of her trying to exercise a power he knew full well was a taxing one even on her best days after just waking up from losing too much blood. On one hand, it was something that was completely in character for her and therefore he knew he could not be shocked by it, but on the other he wondered if any of those old reckless habits of hers had really been cured. It was a small wonder that Professor Manuela had been so stern and so sour with her, and he couldn't help but add his voice to hers as he scolded her, "You've been awake less than an hour or two, and already you were straining to see what you were capable of? You know better than that!"

"I had to! I didn't even know until Warin told me that my harebrained scheme to keep Rhea alive had succeeded, so I had to try! Then I realized I had a heartbeat, and Manuela showed me my reflection, and...!" Raine felt the words disappearing in her mouth even as she spoke them, and from the unimpressed look on her lover's face, she knew full well that he wasn't going to take her excuses or explanations well. She let out a long sigh and let her shoulders slump, and an errant part of her was aware of just how difficult it felt to sit upright despite her want to continue speaking. She rubbed her temples, shaking her head a little more as she allowed her tired body to slump against his own in search of both support and comfort as she confessed wearily, "It's been a very long two hours, and I've had a lot to try to compartmentalize. I'm exhausted, and not wholly thinking straight, but I had to know just how much I lost in spite of how much I also gained."

Dimitri said nothing for a moment as he looked down at her, folded up so small and vulnerable into his side, and he could feel the annoyance turning into gentle exasperation without his consent. She sounded more tired than she looked, which told him all he needed to know about how she actually was physically feeling, and the admittance of her exhaustion was something he had not expected her to say. She was too stubborn about that strong front she felt she needed to present at all times, and her confessing that she was out of sorts both mentally and physically was a victory he knew he had to take in stride. His arm rearranged itself across her hips, giving her the little extra support he knew she needed but would not ask for before he finally permitted himself to answer,"I think you can safely say that for once, you came out the winner, then."

"Mm. I'd like to think so..."

The answer came so quietly, and in such a melancholic tone that for a moment, Dimitri was completely caught off guard. She remained curled up into his side, obviously wanting to be near him and feel his touch, but for an instant, it almost felt as if she was worlds away from him. He found himself tightening the arm about her hips in answer, wishing to ground the both of them to each other and to the present, and he looked down to watch as she awkwardly began to tug at the hem of the thin shirt she was wearing. She wouldn't raise her head, and as much as he wished to catch her chin and do it for her, he knew better than to force an action out of her. Something was weighing on her still, but after all that she had been through since that morning, he couldn't even begin to fathom a guess of what it was exactly that was bothering her.

So much had been said in the glade, and so much obviously had been done when the business had moved from there to the Holy Tomb, but he had not been privy for that. Warin hadn't spoken much of the battle other to say that it had been handled, and that despite their victory, Rhea was likely to come out of the scuffle without a scratch on her when it was her turn to wake up. Dimitri now understood that Raine's intervention was likely why Rhea was in such a condition after being on the business end of the siblings' weaponry, and a vindictive part of him wished it had not gone so lightly for the damned woman. After all the harm she had brought on them emotionally and spiritually, now she was not only escaping with her life, but with her body completely intact? It almost seemed like some sick joke, as if the universe was laughing at the lot of them for daring to raise their blades in defiance of her will, but that was not something any of them had any control over.

For better or for worse, it was all said and done, and Raine had even admitted that even if she wished to, she no longer had the powers to go back and pick a different path to walk. Still, that did not mean that the deed she had committed, or the knowledge she had unearthed had all been processed. He, still, was reeling from the revelations that Rhea had not only been intending to resurrect the goddess all along, but had herself played a creator by giving life to twelve so-called "experiments" that she had callously called failures before the Eisner siblings' mother had shown more of a conscience that she had anticipated. The sheer audacity of it all galled him, made him wish to clench his fists and teeth in rage, but he had swallowed it all back as he knew he had to. He was not the one permitted to give judgement... at least, not aloud, at any rate.

Instead, Dimitri swallowed it all down and leaned gently against her back as he watched her thin fingers continue to pluck absently at her clothing. She was nervous for some reason, nervous and hesitant to continue their discussion, and the thought pained him. She had nothing to fear now, least of all from him, after everything that had been said and done. If she wished for comfort, for reassurance, all she needed to do was ask for it, but he knew this was not why she was hesitating. She had grown more comfortable with his so-called coddling, had even begun to seek it out when she needed it most, which told him that whatever she feared now was something else entirely. He spoke quietly, gently into the top of her hair as he reached to place a calming hand on top of her own fiddling one, "What is it...? What's wrong?"

"Are you upset about my choice? About keeping Rhea alive?"

Though he knew it was wrong, Dimitri had to catch himself from laughing outright as her meek questions slipped from her lips as she went completely still inside of his warm embrace. The chuckle had to be suppressed with every last ounce of strength he had lest he betray himself, and he hated how instinctive his reaction had been. That was her concern? Out of everything she had learned, everything she had done, that was what made her hesitant and anxious? He almost wished he could be surprised by it, by how out of place her priorities seemed to be, but he wasn't. It simply was how she was, and the thought made him want to sigh before he cast his emotions in iron, and spoke with a quiet firmness that brooked no argument for his answer, "We spoke of this before... and I know that you and Warin also spoke at length about this, perhaps more times than you want to admit... but my answer remains the same as it was when you first posed this question to me. You, and your brother, and absolutely no one else, is permitted to cast judgement on Rhea for what she did to you and your family. And whatever choice you made was not one that I would ever dare to contest. You chose to allow her to live... and that was a choice you made for both your own sake, and the sake of your family. I cannot, and will not, tell you that you were wrong."

"But you still have opinions on what you believe she deserved." Raine pointed out shrewdly, and Dimitri felt himself wince at the spear point that she delivered so easily, and without any hesitation. Now she raised her head, and her navy eyes were appraising him as if he was an opponent on the battlefield that she could not predict with total accuracy, and that guarded expression on her face almost cut him to the bone. She knew him well, and it was not as if he had been silent with his support of her actions, regardless of what they ended up being. He had been blunt in offering his lance to her if she wished for it, just as every single member of the Blue Lions had, and she continued to watch him as she pressed, "And I didn't deliver what I know everyone was hoping for. I had my chance, she was literally at my mercy so many times, but I still withheld my blade. You don't have anything to say about that at all?"

"No, I don't. Raine... I can't begin to fathom what it is you're feeling over your choices, and how what she said led you to them, but what do my thoughts matter? I love you, more than I can put into words, but I won't let that blind me to the fact that this was never my affair to stick my nose into." Dimitri answered her calmly, firmly, and that flash of disbelief in her navy eyes only made him feel all the more urgent to press his point. He could see the anger simmering quietly in her irises, demanding to know what was truly stirring beneath his words, and he gave it to her without hesitation, and with all the brutal bluntness he could muster, "When the tables were turned, and I was the one who offered mercy to Edelgard, what was it that you did? You allowed me to lead, because you said she had harmed me far more than she had ever harmed you. You may not have liked it, and you knew full well it would end in disaster, but you never once tried to stop me, or cast judgement on me. I will not be a hypocrite and turn around to cast stones on you now, when you held your hand for me."

"That's not-" Raine cut herself off before she could finish, and she knew with a painful clench in her chest that it would be a bald-faced lie if she dared to allow the rest of the words to escape her lips. The strange sensation of her heart tightening made her wince, and thoughtlessly her hand flew to her chest in a vain attempt to stymie it. It was guilt and anger and disgust all rolled up into an ugly ball, but now she felt it somewhere far differently, and far more intensely, and she cringed away from herself in a vain attempt to try and escape it. Her body no longer had to pick up the slack for her still heart, and her emotions came through so much more sharply than she was used to that it almost felt like a stab of pain. She ground her teeth as she pressed her hand down hard on her chest, hating the new sensations and how feeble they made her feel as she growled, "It... shouldn't be... the same..."

"But it is. We can argue that the scale of the crimes were different, and perhaps there we could actually have a measured debate, but overall... You and I both know that it is the same." Dimitri softened as he watched her eyes flicker wildly with emotions, with hurt and disbelief and anger, and he reached to tenderly cup her face and tilt it backwards so that she had no choice but to look at him. His thumb brushed lovingly across her cheek, soft and reassuring, and he continued in the same tone of voice as she sat silent and still for him, "No one, and I mean no one can judge you now. You did what you felt was both necessary, and right. There is nothing else that needs to be said. Nothing else that need to be argued. You learned what you wanted to know, and with that information, you chose her sentence. That's all. Do not make it more complicated than that. Do not punish yourself by thinking of what others would want. They do not matter. The only ones who do are you, and your brother. And I know full well that Warin has no intentions of tearing you down for the choice you made. He was there when you made it, wasn't he? If he had wanted another outcome, he had just as many chances to take her head as you did to stay your hand. He gave you that choice. He believed in your decision. If you won't believe in yourself, then at least believe in him."

Raine sighed tiredly, well aware that there wouldn't be any arguing with his blunt logic and his pragmatic approach to her arguing. He had already settled this matter in his own mind, and nothing she said would shake him even an ounce, so she saw no reason to continue to try. It didn't help that she had a strange feeling that he knew why, that she didn't need to explain her reasons behind her choice, and the arguments died in her throat with little more than a whimper. She was too tired from all that had happened already, and she allowed that to show as she ducked her head and snuggled in just a little closer, "I don't know how you do it... How anyone does it, really. It feels... I feel... so heavy. I can't find any other words for it. It's this giant weight where nothing was before, and the emotions... They're so sharp that it's almost painful. And the exhaustion... I'm going to have another steep learning curve ahead of me, aren't I?"

"It's likely... but that's fine. You won't be suffering through it alone." Dimitri reassured her quietly, and he fought a smile despite her softly grumbled complaints. She was pressing her hand down continuously on her chest, obviously trying to stifle the new feelings that her heart was now acknowledging, but he knew she would never have it any other way now that she was experiencing this. It would be difficult for her, for them, to learn to navigate her body's new ability to handle her emotions, but he didn't mind it a whit. She had earned her miracle, and he would treasure every last beat her heart would give her no matter how difficult it would be to learn to live with.

He noticed however that her leaning had turned into a slump, and her head was falling dangerously low against his chest. The sight broke him, and he smiled even as he moved slightly and watched as she fell even further against him as if she hadn't even noticed his adjustment. She was limp and leaning far too much on him for support, but he barely noticed the burden as he adjusted his arm about her carefully. He brushed her hair back from her face with his free hand, watching her eyelids fluttering before he remarked softly, his voice laced with a chuckle at the sight of her blatant tiredness, "You're falling asleep on me, my beloved..."

"I'm not... trying to..."

"It's all right... You've been through a gauntlet today. Rest." Dimitri chuckled at her half-hearted protest, and he was slow and careful as he slid off of the cot and lowered her gently onto it. She didn't fight him, either too tired to or simply too willing to obey, and he carefully pulled the thin blankets over her to ensure she remained where she was. She nestled in automatically, proving instinct was winning out over her pride, and the thought only made him smile a little more broadly. He shrugged out of his cloak, laying it across her for added warmth, and the contented murmur that followed only made him all the more glad to know such a token gesture of affection made her so happy. He ran his knuckles across her cheek again, reassuring her gently as she settled, "You need to recuperate from both the fight, and everything else today... Sleep, and don't worry. It's over."

"Mm..." Raine turned her head a little, seeking his warmth even as her eyes closed and her body began to relax. She had exhausted every last ounce of strength she had, and she knew just as well as he did that what her body needed now was sleep. Still, she clung to her consciousness, wanting to feel him just a little longer as she murmured out of half-numb lips, "Will you be here... when I wake up...?"

"I will. With a fresh change of clothes, and something for you to eat, as well. Don't worry... I'll take care of you." Dimitri promised quietly, and he leaned down to spare her the softest of kisses to her forehead. He caught a glimpse of her lips curling into a smile as the claws of sleep finally caught her, and he watched, satisfied and at ease as she let out a long, tired breath and allowed herself to be pulled under. Her entire body slumped all at once, becoming limp underneath the weight of his cloak, but the sight of her only made him smile. She had gone through too much, but now it was finally over... This rest was well-earned, and he intended to make sure that not a single moment of it was disturbed.

Dimitri allowed himself to linger for a moment, watching as her chest rose and fell with her even breathing, and he was surprised by the amount of calm and peace he felt from the sight. All of the stress and the weight of those past few moons had slid away from him, too, and he reached against his better sense to touch those familiar navy locks that now were framing her face again. He had almost forgotten how she had looked in her natural colours, and the blow was heavy and hot in his stomach as he admired the way her hair felt in his fingers. Even after everything, she still was as beautiful as the day he had met her, and every inch of him yearned for her just as it had then.

'No... Even more... I want her even more than I did then, knowing her now...' Dimitri admitted to himself with a rueful chuckle, and with great effort, he pushed himself back to his feet. She would need new, fresh clothes to change into when she woke up, and she'd need a good meal to finally sate her body after all the effort she'd put out already. It would only take him a handful of minutes to gather what he needed, and he'd be back to take up vigil by her bedside. For today and today only would he turn away any and all requests to act as the future king, and he would take all of her scolding with a smile when she found out.

At least, that had been his plan as he turned himself away from her cot and out towards the hall. He made it less than five steps from the door before his good eye caught a flash of seafoam-coloured green, and instinct took over before better sense could. His hand reached before that accursed colour could move farther, passing him by and slipping into the infirmary, and it made a loud bang as he grabbed the side of the doorframe to stop it in its tracks. He stood where he had stopped dead, back tensing and teeth clenching in rage, and he felt more than heard himself growl out, "What are you doing here...? Haven't you learned your lesson already? Or do you not have an iota of self preservation left in you after they nearly beat you to death?"

Rhea stood silent and surprised, blocked off from the infirmary by his long, thick arm, but she didn't retreat even in the face of that dangerous looking scowl that had crossed his face. She could see over him, that familiar form laying curled up in the cot and protectively covered by his cloak, and even now she felt the urge to duck under his arm to go to her, all sense and forewarning be damned. She felt strong... Strangely strong, in a way she had not felt in many a century. She knew what had been done to her, she could feel her mother's power flowing through her veins like a strong, heady wine, but with that power had come numerous questions that she could not answer on her own.

She had woken shortly after Seteth had brought her to her own chambers, and he had been useless in informing her of what had taken place in the Holy Tomb. Neither of the siblings had seen fit to inform him of what had happened, only that she was alive, and she would not settle for that. She needed to know why, why she was alive and brimming with such energy and strength when her last sane memory had been one of weakness, exhaustion, and the sight of the Throne of Knowledge. The brother she had been told was still in the halls, collecting himself and the others after the pitched battle, but she had known immediately where the sister was. It was faint, this feeling of connection, but it had drawn her like nothing else could, and the moment Seteth had left her alone she had sprung to her feet to go find her and the answers she so desperately wanted.

Now, Dimitri stood in her way, his one good eyes narrowed and glaring at her, and she lifted her chin fearlessly in answer. She had not felt so strong, so fearless in a long, long age, and she would not permit him of all people to delay her from seeking the knowledge she needed to know. True, the woman she was seeking was unconscious and seemed to be worse off than she felt, but that mattered little. She could wait at her bedside for her to wake, she was patient, but it seemed that the future king of Faerghus was not about to permit her to take another step forward. The thought brought a small, irritated scowl to her own face, and she replied curtly to his growled out questions, "I've come to speak to the child... and you have no right to bar my way. Much has happened since this morning... Much that I do not understand. I would have an explanation of why I have recovered, and why my mother's powers are now flowing inside of me. I know she can answer me those questions. I will have her do so, when she wakes from her healing."

"You would-" Dimitri began to repeat her words, almost unsure if he was more shocked or incensed by the sheer arrogance in her voice, but then that snake in his gullet was uncurling, letting out an ear-splitting roar that cleared his head abruptly. The shock, the surprise, the disgust all swept away from him, and in its place came an icy calm that only barely encased the all-encompassing rage that was now snarling through his bloodstream. His lips curled despite themselves, and his voice was quiet, deceptively calm as he spoke again, "Even after everything, you still woke up without an ounce of understanding of your place, it seems... I would almost be disappointed in you, if I had been stupid enough to think you had any sense. You will have her do so, you say...? I have no right to bar your way...? You are sorely mistaken, Rhea, and you've stepped over the line for the final time. You wish to speak so badly? Very well. Then you and I shall speak."

"You are not-"

Any further words were silenced abruptly as his free hand came for her throat, and Rhea froze as his thick, callused fingers squeezed almost playfully about her neck. The strength in his every digit was unquestionable, and from that dark look on his face, she could see that he was merely giving her a faint suggestion of just how much raw power he truly had in his mountain of a body. If he wished, with one simple squeeze he could pop her head from her neck like a child with a doll, and they both knew that it was only his ironclad control that kept him from doing so. It would be so easy, so painfully easy for him to kill her where she stood, and he showed how well he knew it when he spoke again in that same unnervingly calm voice of his, "Walk with me, Archbishop, to your office, and we shall speak for as long as it takes for you to understand exactly what position you are in. It seems that we do indeed have much to discuss... and we shall not delay a moment. Walk."

AN:

It's not over just yet! -evil laughter, then dodges frying pans-

This chapter was shockingly hard to write. There's just so much going on and trying to cover it all... I feel like I'm in a river, just being swept along for the ride. Of course, it's really fun when that happens, so I love just hanging on and seeing where my work takes me, but sometimes I also wonder if I'm writing things and characters right. Still, everything felt okay when I was writing, and when I was editing, so I don't really believe that there's anything wrong here except for maybe the length... but of course, a chapter like this kind of demanded the length. There was Warin to cover, and then Raine, and of course the cliffhanger that is Rhea and Dimitri... but it all is necessary.

The story of course can't simply end where it is, with Raine discovering she is "human" and Rhea being "forgiven" as easily as she has. There are still questions upon questions to be answered, and they shall be answered next chapter! After all, if anyone has a right to speak to Rhea in regards to Raine, it is of course Dimitri. He's held back thus far out of respect for Raine, but there's a limit to the man's patience... and Rhea has crossed that last line. Mind you, there are other reasons why I chose Dimitri and Rhea to have that "closing" conversation, rather than Warin or even Raine, and I hope that it will all make sense to you once the chapter is out.

To give you a hint, however, I will say that there have always been many themes to this story, and one that has been a constant has been the theme of "monsters". For Raine and Dimitri, the idea of "monsters" and how that theme effects the two of them has always been rather clear cut. Rhea, however, hasn't been a character that I've wrote much of, so her connection to that theme is probably not as easy to see... but I promise that it will make sense once the next chapter comes out. Especially when Dimitri is speaking not only for himself on the topic of "monsters", but also on the topic of Raine. After Warin, there probably is no one left on the continent who knows Raine as well as he does, and Warin is going through his final stages of grief now... He's laying down his gauntlet, and now Dimitri is picking it up, and with vigour!

That's my explanation for this mess of a chapter and the cliffhanger, and I'm gonna stick to it! So, as always, thank you guys for reading this far, and should you feel the need, please drop a review to let me know how I'm doing, and what you're thinking! Stay healthy and safe out there, and I shall see you again soon!

Mood: Mischievous.

Listening To: "The Purge" - Within Temptation

~ Sky