After the mock battle, things around the monastery went back to normal for the time being. Byleth being back to teaching seemed to help with that normality, at least internally. She didn't have as many classes she was allowed to teach being she was only an assistant, but it put her at ease. As the first Friday since classes went back to their regular schedule finally arrived, Byleth was finally allowed to teach the lectures Seteth had promised her. And oh, had she ever been waiting.
"So excited, and yet you still have about as much emotion on your face as someone who's been awake for 48 hours straight and can no longer process existence," Sothis muttered as she trailed alongside Byleth who was making her way to the classroom. Byleth had actually gotten the proper 8 hours, thank you very much. Being that she wasn't a main teacher anymore she was actually getting a reasonable amount of sleep. Wonder how long that's going to last.
Byleth was pretty excited. She didn't even think it was going to be that hard considering the topic she'd been assigned. The most difficult part of this was going to be the fact that Seteth though it wise to shove 24 students into a single room with desks that weren't made for 24 students. She had to wonder whose smart idea it was to make the average class size 8 and then put in just enough tables for that and a few extra. Emphasis on few. You know. Just in case. It was something that Byleth usually struggled with in prior resets when she recruited 'too many students' in the words of other teachers.
She didn't think the same plan for fitting them all would really work for this though.
By the time she arrived there were already students on the floor. Byleth wasn't the first person to arrive to class, even as a teacher, but she wasn't late by any means. She didn't show up an hour early to work on her lesson plans like Hanneman did. That being said she didn't show up 10 minutes late like Manuela occasionally did after getting unceremoniously dumped.
Just like her father she always showed herself exactly at the bell or anywhere between 5 and 10 minutes before it. Today was a 10 minute day. And yet some of her children were already perched on the floor, looking uncomfortable as they tried to lean down and write. "Oh no, this isn't going to do at all," she muttered to herself as she watched students shuffle about awkwardly. "These lecture halls obviously aren't big enough for what Seteth had in mind. Does anyone have an idea for alternatives?" She said a little louder to catch the attention of her students.
Dimitri, who seemed resigned to sitting on the floor, looked up at her with confusion. "Alternatives?"
She gave Dimitri her most disappointed deadpan stare. The boy meekly lowered his head, cheeks flushing under her gaze. "I am not making you sit on the floor. Everyone up, we're relocating," she said as she motioned for everyone to grab their stuff and stand. "We're going to the gardens."
Her typical plan of attack in prior resets was usually to bring in extra tables or swap to a larger room. That being said, she usually didn't recruit everyone until the end of the year, meaning she'd never had to deal with all 24 students. Ever, considering how some refused to switch classes. Even then, she usually split her time between different groups. It was a bit more hassle on her part and a lot of extra hours but splitting the class into multiple blocks usually helped her concentrate on everyone's individual skills, pairing like with like and switching students around as necessary. Again, not really an option for this class.
"How are the gardens going to be any better?" Leonie asked, apparently bitter about the move considering she was one of the few who'd gotten there early enough to get a seat. A lot of people looked confused as well. Byleth supposed the sudden move wouldn't make sense without knowing what she was planning. It would just seem like she was about to make everyone sit on the floor as there weren't any tables or chairs out there either.
"You'll see. Sylvain, you know where the one storage shed is, right? Do you know where the folding tables and chairs are kept?" Sylvain nodded. "Good. Show Raphael and Caspar where they are and start grabbing tables. Anyone else is free to go with them to grab extra chairs and tables, I just know those two like working out. Okay, do you know where the larger of the two gazebos is? No, the large one. Yes, that one. Everyone meet there," she gathered up her papers and materials as the students shuffled around, putting things in bags and either following Sylvain or heading straight for the larger of the two gazebos.
Sylvain to his credit knew what she was talking about and actually managed to convince most of the class to come help him. It was mostly the likes of Bernie or Marianne who awkwardly shuffled around Byleth before heading for the gazebo. The people who were meek and small enough they wouldn't be expected to carry anything anyway.
Hilda tried to follow Marianne, but Claude just smiled as he slapped a hand on her forearm of steel and dragged her along to carry things.
Byleth supposed she was lucky. There were two gazebos on monastery grounds. The smaller one which led to her tomb and the larger one which was just a regular gazebo. The larger one was exceptionally large, large enough that it would be able to comfortably fit all 24 students and then some. It was mostly used for parties and the like, various social events that the church hosted. There was also a lovely set of tables and chairs which could easily be unfolded and brought out from the back storage. Again, for the various social events the church tended to host during the warm season. Charity galas, royal parties on neutral ground, that kind of stuff.
It was a temporary solution and they'd have to pack everything back up again once class ended, but Byleth would talk to Rhea about maybe allowing the chairs and tables to stay.
Byleth waited a couple minutes for any students planning to be late (cough, Linhardt, cough) before heading towards the gazebo herself.
It didn't take long for a cacophony of students to waddle along to the gazebo, carrying tables and chairs in droves. The stronger students were carrying enough extra that it made up for some of the smaller students heading straight for the gazebo, meaning there wouldn't need to be a second trip. It took a couple of minutes but eventually, the class managed to fit everything into the gazebo and get it all set up facing towards the back of the gazebo and away from the entrance.
Good. Sothis would laugh her ass off if Byleth had to reset because she accidentally fell down the stairs in the middle of the lecture.
"Okay, wonderful job everyone, you can go ahead and take your seats. From now on we're going to be meeting here. Every Friday before each class, you'll gather up the chairs and tables and get set up. Again, this should happen before class. If we have to take extra class time to get set up then the class is just going to run longer. So I'd recommend all of you be proactive," she said.
Ingrid's hand shot up and Byleth gave her a quick nod. "What if it rains? What about when it starts to snow?"
"Valid concerns, but I've already thought that through. That's why we're in the gazebo. Should the rain turn particularly bad then you won't have to set up the chairs. I'll do it myself with the help of some knights as well as set up some tarps so that the rain can't get in. When it gets cold, I encourage all of you to wear heavy clothing and I welcome you to bring blankets if you so desire. Bring stuffed animals and snacks for all I care, just make sure that whatever you bring allows you to better focus on the lecture. If it becomes a distraction I'll take it away, but I don't plan on taking anything away until it becomes a distraction for you or those around you."
"That being said, this isn't the only place we'll be having our classes. I'll make sure to warn all of you prior to us changing locations, but I intend to make this a hands-on class. I'm sure I'll be able to find something all of you can enjoy. With that said as it's our first class, we'll be stuck going over general lecture information. Will everyone please take out the syllabus Seteth has provided you with?" Byleth took out her own, watching the students shuffle around with theirs. This would actually be her first time looking at it.
"Alright, so, according to this we're going to be going over a multitude of different countries, regions, and kingdoms. Seteth wants us to look at their failings, government styles, a couple of other nonsense points, and their... 'hedonistic false heathen gods'." Byleth stared at the paper for a good long time in complete silence before actually whispering, "thanks Seteth, thanks a lot." The syllabus was obviously written with extreme xenophobia. Unfortunately for Seteth, Byleth was the opposite of xenophobic. "All those in favor of throwing this syllabus out the window and using mine?"
Byleth was pretty sure every hand in the room shot up. "Lovely!" she said, tossing hers up into the air. In a flash of magic, the thing caught flame instantly and burned too quickly for more than cinders to hit the ground. There was a chorus of shocked, confused, and amazed mage noises as Byleth pulled out a new set of papers. She could see questions in their eyes. She ignored them.
"So here's what we're really going to be doing this year. I'm going to be telling you about the regions of Ylisse, Valm, Jugdral, Falarius, Magvel, Elibe, and Tellius. As we go through each unit we'll be addressing the origins of each and how they progressed in such a way that allowed them to become what they are today. We'll do this by addressing the individual countries on each continent and the factors that allow them to function as countries. We'll also be going over various cultural details such as food, belief system, and how to not offend a stranger from there in case any of you end up ambassadors." Perish the thought.
"I do intend to go over a lot of mythos since for many countries it's tied deeply into their culture, even in modern-day. For example Ylisse. Most historians believe that the current Queen of Ylisse and the King of Plegia are actually twins. Reflet and Robin, however, claim that one of them is from an alternate timeline. That being the male, Robin. This is supported by various claims of children coming from the future in order to assist with a fight against a fell god by the name of Grima. While all of this might sound outlandish to all of you, within the last 20 years this has been a big cultural shaping point for Ylisse as a halidom and Ylisse as a country. Not to mention Plegia which has shifted from a theocracy to a meritocracy in recent decades because of this."
"Our first lecture will be on Ylisse, within that you have the halidom of Ylisse for which the continent is named, the theo-meritocracy of Plegia, and Regna Ferox which is ruled over by two people known as the Khans of the territory. We'll take a close look at the claims regarding the mysterious time-altering events and our final project for the unit will involve all of you writing a paper regarding your conclusion as to what actually happened during the battle against Grima and if Grima even ever existed. Anyone who wishes to can create a presentation of their conclusion for extra credit."
Byleth paused in her lecture, watching a green-haired head bob at the entrance of the gazebo. Sothis eventually found a spot and settled down, apparently taking interest in the lecture as much as the students already seemed to be. Many students had perked up in curiosity. Some looked skeptical, others quite open to the idea.
Claude and Ignatz in particular almost seemed excited. Those two always were the most worldly seeming people. She was sure that Claude would be quite enthusiastic when they got to the Tellius unit. "Are there any questions before we begin."
It was actually Bernadetta who raised her hand first. That hand was in fact shaking. Byleth pointed at her and she nearly jumped. "Are there going to be any mandatory presentations?" Her eyes were cast downwards and her shoulders hunched over as though she could retract into her own neck to hide from her classmates.
Byleth sighed. She was frankly expecting this question, so she already had an answer prepared. "There may be a couple, however, for those of you who are nervous about presenting in front of your peers you can instead meet with me outside of class and present to me alone. While I believe that it's necessary for all of you to work on your leadership and presentation skills as you'll be the future leaders of Fodlan, I recognize that for some of you speaking in front of the class might do more damage than good, so I'm willing to meet you halfway if you're willing to make an attempt at improvement." Byleth spoke to the class in general, but her words were mostly directed at Bernadetta.
"How much work in this going to be?" Hilda asked, raising her hand only after she'd already asked her question.
"Thank you for volunteering to do an extra presentation," Byleth said instead of answering.
Hilda's jaw swung open. "You can't be serious." Despite Hilda's declaration, Byleth looked quite serious. Byleth gave her a dead-eyed kind of look and Hilda slumped down in her seat. Byleth would find her something entertaining to do, possibly a presentation of the various fashion styles and accessories present within the various regions Byleth was planning to speak on. Maybe towards the end of the year, they could even have a fashion show of sorts and Byleth could cook some of her favorite dishes from her travels. In fact, that might be a good way to get the students hyped up.
"When we get closer to the end of this unit we'll do something fun. Maybe we'll convince the chefs to let us use the kitchen and we can test taste some of the cuisine from Ylisse," Byleth said. She had a couple of good recipes from Oliva that she thought might go over well with the class.
"Don't you need local ingredients for that? How are we going to get ingredients from Ylisse?" It would make sense for Ashe to voice the cooking-related concerns.
Byleth pulled out little more than a card, tilting it in such a way that what was on it was hard to make out. "From the Annas of course."
"The... Annas?" Edelgard sounded incredulous as some of the students in the front row leaned forward to get a better look at the card. They didn't get a better look as Byleth quickly tucked it back into her clothing. "How is Anna going to get those ingredients? From what I hear she's a skilled trader but..."
Byleth tsked. Of course, Fodlan wouldn't know about Annas, would it? "Since we still have a good chunk of time left, instead of getting into country specifics and leave off in the middle I'll tell you about the Annas since they're an important part of global culture. Pull out your quills and paper, this is officially a proper lecture. Is everyone ready? Let's begin. The Annas are a family of entirely homogeneous women, all identical in appearance and bearing the same name of Anna. All Annas are traders, all Annas love money, and all Annas eventually hope to give birth to another Anna which will carry on their legacy."
"While occasionally men and non-identical women are born into this family, they never carry the family title nor any of its responsibilities. Certainly there are those few born with Anna like traits and dispositions, and they're treated just as kindly as any other family member, but they'll never be true Annas. This is both a blessing and a curse."
"Annas are honor bound to never step on one another's turf. If one has already claimed a region or area for a certain gig then the others avoid the place unless directly invited into whatever scheme the Anna has running. This same discretion is not extended to non-Anna relatives, however, there is a certain kind of gentleman's law that keeps Annas from abusing their non-Anna relatives and often nons will be given a good deal of perks as relatives of the Anna tree. For example, discounts and already having a rapport with most Anna they come across which can help in their own business endeavors if they take Annas as business partners."
"With enough cunning (and money) someone could get whatever their heart desired from an Anna, they just have to be aware of the Grand Anna Council and Trade Laws and act in accordance with the Treaties of the First Anna. Both Annas and those buying from Annas must abide by certain regulations if a cross Anna or cross-region transaction is taking place, as to assure all fairness to both parties of Anna as well as the customer, not to mention proper records must be kept in case a dispute comes up regarding this and must be taken to The Grand Anna Council to see if any transactions have violated the Document of Anna Rights."
"It's a bit convoluted to get the first batch of paperwork into the council, especially if you aren't related to an Anna, but once the council has proper records on you and you've already completed your first cross-continental Anna transaction it's much easier to complete future transactions. Especially if you have a personal relationship with one or more of the Annas within the transaction."
"It's even easier if you know the True Name of one or more of the Annas you're currently working with. Of course, you need access to the Great Book of Anna to know the proper pronunciations which is typically something only accessible to family members of a 4th degree removal and higher or romantic partners. At the 5th degree of removal, the descendants of that branch are no longer considered to be of the Anna line and must either marry an Anna or gain enough trust with the Council to have any degree of access to the book. Even then, romantic partners and trusted associates have limited degrees of access. 4th removed and true Annas have unlimited access to the book and its various copies, though copies are known to be grossly out of date."
Byleth stopped her lecture, looking at the class which had stopped writing.
"Professor..." Leonie said very slowly, looking at Byleth with some degree of worry. "Are you messing with us?"
"No, of course now. I'm being very serious, and this is a very serious lecture," Byleth said. She was vaguely aware of small giggles coming from Sothis. The gremlin knew the truth regarding the words that were about to pass her lips. Her students and any other observers might very well forever be left in the dark, which to Sothis was the funny part.
"Then how do you know so much about the Annas?" She asked, the worry growing all the stronger.
"Didn't Jeralt ever tell you? His mother was an Anna."
Sothis began to wheeze as the entire class burst into varying degrees of panic and utter confusion as Byleth struck the typical Anna pose with her trademark deadpan expression.
"Even I almost can't tell if you're joking or not," Sothis said, shoulders still shaking. Jokes from Byleth were about as rare as an Anna who didn't like money, which often made it difficult to tell if she was even joking or not. "The little ones will never have the chance to know if you're telling the truth or not. Unless by some miracle they get to see that book."
Jeralt was semi-immortal thanks to the blood given to him by Serios. So outside of the Annas themselves who could say?
It was made all the funnier when one thought about what Sothis and Byleth often accusing Anna of being.
(-)(-)(-)(-)
No Resets, Prior to Fodlan
"It seems your father is going to be late again," the man at her side said with a sigh. He was currently reading over a letter of some kind, likely written by her father. He hated having to leave Byleth alone, even if she had people caring for her. He'd only ever done it when it was absolutely necessary. For example, that one time he visited Fodlan, during times when her magic training was too important to pause, or when things were getting... well, too dangerous for a 9-year-old to be anywhere nearby.
She didn't blame him for leaving her. He'd been hired to get rid of the remaining Grimleal sects across Plegia and things were going messily. She was better off being left with her godfamily. It was safer and she could train skills her father couldn't teach her as easily. Magic being the biggest one with a side focus on more courtly skills like etiquette or readings and writing. Despite that, there was still a sharp pang in her chest when she heard that. She clung to her guardian's leg, trying to get a glance at the paper. "Ah..." she said simply. There wasn't much more to say. Pouting or crying wouldn't bring her father back any faster.
A gloved hand patted her head gently. "It's okay to be sad," the statement was accentuated by the gentle laugh of her godfather. The two both perked up when they heard a set of footsteps and a third person entered the room. "Have you already put Morrigan to bed?"
The woman sighed, green hair falling into place as she shook her head. "She's being finicky so I've let her come along," she said. The aforementioned 4-year-old was clinging to her mother's skirts while her mother came in carrying an assortment of books and old parchment. Morrigan only released her death grip on her mother so that she could shoot herself at Byleth, nearly knocking the older girl off her feet.
"Well, I suppose that's fine. She can enjoy the lecture until it puts her to sleep. Tiki, would you be a dear and put up the map while I get the girls settled?"
"Of course, Robin."
Her godfather managed to pry Morrigan off of Byleth, setting her down on a nearby chair. Morrigan wrinkled her nose and for a moment Byleth was worried for the books. Morrigan even at such a young age was already partial to magic. In particular, fire, and lots of it. Fire breath too, the damn half-manakete. The royal library was a treasure trove, as such, Byleth became increasingly more worried the longer her godsister spent in the library. Especially since it was one of the few places she felt truly safe.
Byleth always felt uncomfortable living in the royal castle of Plegia. Sure, her family had known the royal family for a while. Her father had even fought alongside Tiki at one point. He'd originally been hired by Robin, er, well, the female Robin. Byleth supposed she'd changed her name to Reflet for a number of different reasons. Then a couple of years later this Robin had brought her dad to come work for him after the war was over. He had dramatic plans for reforming Plegia. Of course, change never came easy anywhere and those who still followed Grima plotted in the dark corners.
Byleth had originally only been Robin and Tiki's magic apprentice in exchange for a discount on her father's services. That changed when, well, some bad things happened. Byleth had done what she thought was right and protected Morrigan from some very bad people.
After that Byleth wasn't 'the apprentice' anymore. She was family, and Robin made it very clear that if Jeralt ever died Byleth was theirs and regardless of whatever fate might bring she was going to be cared for like a member of their family should be. That was also made clear to the people of Plegia. Some of which came to see Byleth as an adopted family member who'd earned her place by protecting the crown princess. Some, however, saw Byleth with resentment. it didn't bother Byleth, it was to be expected really. But it made her feel uncomfortable.
The library felt safe. Being anywhere with Tiki or Robin also felt safe. The glares didn't hurt as much when she could swing on her godfather's arm.
Tiki hummed a small tune as she plastered a large world map to the wall. It was fairly recent, holding all the places Byleth knew and more. Robin finished getting Morrigan and Byleth both seated and then started popping open a couple of books, joining Tiki in humming the tune.
The two eventually turned to the two children. "This is the world. In Ylisse and Valm it's called Sirius-Bel. Those who originally spoke this name spoke it in honor of the First Mother, the one who created the whole of Archanea while it was still called that. Currently, there are 8 greater continents which we know of. Ylisse, Valm, Jugdral, Falarius, Magvel, Elibe, Tellius, and Fodlan. You might recognize that name as it's the land where you and your father came from. There are also a bunch of smaller continents, but they won't be our main focus for the time being," Tiki smiled warmly at Byleth. Morrigan was already starting to doze off, head slumping against the plush side of the chair.
"Who's the First Mother? Is it Naga?"
"No dear one. The First Mother was the mother of Naga herself. Legend says she came from a far away land that few know much about. Some claim that it was some kind of paradise. Others have said that the land the First Mother came from was a war ravaged and desolate place, hence why she left. Though all stories tell of how when she left she gathered up a handful of souls, those who had been most kind and loyal to her in her life, and wandered into the emptiness of the universes"
"Eventually she stopped here, an empty rock by the descriptions of most. First, she made the sea. Then she made the sky. Then she made the land and called it Archanea. Into the sea, she cast the most virtuous of souls and slowly they became eggs. Those eggs would later hatch into the Great Sea Dragons which are said to watch over the lands of Sirius-Bel. Every time a new continent arrives another dragon hatches to personally watch over it. After she was done creating the Sea Dragons she created the Divine Dragons using her own blood and the remaining souls. Naga was her very first daughter. All dragons with green hair share in the blood of the First Mother, directly or not. Over time other forms of life not created by her started to show up, lost souls filtered into the world to fill in the gaps. And now we have the world we do today." Tiki booped Byleth very gently on the nose as she finished.
Byleth couldn't help but get caught up on one of the things Tiki had said though. "What do you mean when new continents 'arrive'. Didn't the First Mother make them all?" Byleth didn't need to be convinced of the validity of the myth. She'd seen the very real presence of Naga. The very real presence of Grima. Gods were a thing that existed, Tiki was one of them. They were also a thing that could be killed. It wouldn't be outlandish to believe that the First Mother had existed at some point and maybe still did, hiding like Naga.
Tiki shook her head. "The only continent the First Mother ever made was Archanea. She wanted to create a refuge. A world that lands who'd lost their gods could attach themselves to, and a world where the gods who'd always been isolated could find solace and camaraderie. It's also why places like Magvel, Tellius, and Elibe seem so different and strange, they became part of this world at a later date. Elibe was only made a part of Sirius-Bel within the last 800 years. Which is why it's still suffering the effects of the war between dragons and humans and why the divine dragons there don't have green hair. Unfortunately, the First Mother wasn't around to fix it."
"What happened to her?"
Tiki went quiet for a very long time at that question. Robin placed a hand on her shoulder and she smiled sadly. "About 1000 years ago Naga was fighting Grima. The First Mother was also fighting a very evil man. She needed help, but none of the other gods were around or strong enough to help her. Naga, couldn't come help. So the First Mother perished. But it's okay. Just as humans are reborn, deities and gods are eventually reborn. It takes time, lots and lots of time, but it happens. That being said, it's only cruel fools who force godhood back upon reincarnated deities instead of allowing them to simply enjoy the world they'd created before coming into their godhood on their own. Especially those who might not want to be gods again," Tiki snarled slightly as she said those last couple lines, moving to wrap her arms around Byleth in a way that was rather protective. If not a little confusing
Byleth allowed her head to rest against Tiki's chest, listening to the constant thump that was absent from her own.
"The worst part of it all," Robin added in, coming to stand next to his wife, "is the fact that some of those cruel fools don't even know the full story. They don't know that there's more to it than meets the eye, and they're easily making the situation worse."
"Is there more to the story about the First Mother?"
Tiki broke the hug, moving back to the maps. "Oh yes. Much, much more. But I believe that's enough for now. You'll hear the rest of that story soon enough, one way or another. Stories and tales aren't something that one should rush through, or else they end up being poorly written or badly told. Just take your time. That being said, perhaps we've had enough history lessons for the time being? I should really take Morrigan to bed."
Tiki kissed Robin on the cheek before gathering up Morrigan in her arms. The poor thing was completely out cold, yet still somehow had the awareness to cling to her mother the moment Tiki's arms wrapped around her. Not for the first time, Byleth found herself feeling strangely... jealous. Robin turned his full attention to Byleth and she forcibly removed the feeling. "Alright! We'll go back over the spells I taught you today one last time and then it'll probably be around your bedtime too. Do you remember the stance?"
Wordlessly, Byleth nodded and removed herself from her chair. Unlike Morrigan, she at least had the foresight to leave the library and head to a training room with Robin trailing behind her before she started chucking fire balls.
Of course, she lost their sparring match. Hard and almost instantly, a single one of Robin's spells colliding with her was enough to knock her off her feet. It wasn't a spell designed to hurt. Just to daze and stagger a foe. It was one she'd remember well and find to be quite useful in years to come, but fighting Robin the spell just felt like an annoyance.
"Remember why I'm training you, Byleth. There's no point in strength if you can't protect the people you care about and the invisible ties the bind you to them."
Protection. Yeah. That's why she was learning how to fight. It wasn't about becoming a great mercenary like her father. Well, it was, but her goal wasn't to make enough money to eat like his was. It was to protect people. She wasn't strong enough yet, not even close. She picked herself up and started charging another fireball.
(-)(-)(-)(-)
No Resets, Prior to Fodlan
Byleth didn't mind the fact that Robin had canceled classes for the day, but the reason was making the 6-year-old a little unnerved. I'd only been a couple of months since she became the apprentice of the royal family and she felt a little uncomfortable over just how many emergency Grimleal hunts had already happened.
It seemed like every week there was a new report about one of their agents sneaking into the castle. For what reason, Byleth still didn't know. But they usually came up false. Didn't matter to her thought. No way. The Grimleal didn't scare her at all. None what so ever! She quickly patted her hip to ensure that the dagger her father had gifted her before having to leave again was still safely where it was supposed to be. No, she wasn't scared at all.
She'd never used a dagger on someone else before and Byleth didn't like to consider herself a violent person. Her magic skills were still pathetic because she'd only been learning for a couple of months. Her blade work was nice, but only because she'd had her father teaching her how to hold a weapon ever since she was old enough to toddle about on two feet. She didn't mind. It just meant she was that much more ahead of Lucina. The younger girl was on her tail though. If she wanted to be able to boast she had the best blade work in all of Ylisse she'd have to practice a little harder.
Was that a greedy goal? Perhaps, but she was a child. Attention and praise were all that really mattered to her. And Morrigan.
Morrigan was about five years young than Byleth. Byleth had actually been around in Plegia when Tiki gave birth, and she'd gotten to meet Morrigan within the first couple weeks of the child's life. Morrigan was so tiny and weak and didn't do anything at all, but staring at the small child struck some kind of chord that Byleth didn't know how to put into words.
She'd been scared of and for Tiki and the ensuing baby while Tiki was still pregnant. Something about the giant belly and the idea of birth as it had been very, very vaguely described to the child didn't sit right with her.
Morrigan though? Morrigan was something that Byleth absolutely adored and with the permission of both parents she'd made something of a habit out of visiting the child after her classes were over every day. Even if it was just to watch Morrigan sleep or dangle a toy close enough for Morrigan to bat at and coo. The half-manakete was precious, big pretty brown eyes like Robin's and soft green hair like Tiki's. Adorable little pointy ears. Byleth didn't know what it was but the child somehow had Byleth wrapped around her pinky before she turned a year old.
Byleth didn't care enough to be bothered by it. Morrigan was cute damn it and being around her just made her feel. She just wanted to bask in the presence of the child as much as she was allowed to. Which was a lot given how Robin and Tiki didn't seem to much mind Byleth doting.
Her father had helped fight alongside Tiki and Reflet when they were going toe to toe with Grima. And, intentionally or not, Byleth might have asked Reflet at one point why she didn't just possess Grima if Grima could possess her. An innocent and childish question which in the chaotic mind of Reflet had spiraled into her becoming a god and her formerly evil doppelganger following in her footsteps in order to become King of Plegia.
Byleth was pretty sure that marrying Tiki had originally been some kind of peace offering. Like one of those political marriages, a way to prove that yes Robin wasn't going to be trying to resummon Grima and take over the world.
At one point the two realized that they actually made a good couple and now their relationship was healthy in a way that bordered on dangerous for anyone who fucked with them or their daughter.
Byleth for her presence in all of that was on a shortlist of people who could be trusted with the simultaneously holy and unholy offspring of Naga's daughter and one holder of the power of Grima. It was no question that Morrigan would grow up to be a very strong little dragon. And it was no question that the Grimleal wanted to kidnap her really, really badly. The perfect host, that's what they called her. At least from what Byleth had gathered by listening in on Tiki and Robin.
Byleth didn't much fancy the idea of Morrigan getting possessed by a giant evil god dragon. So she swore it that the Grimleal would never get their chance to steal her. Speaking of Morrigan, since her classes had been canceled there was no shame in Byleth visiting her.
Byleth quickly corrected her pathing so as to swing by the royal nursery. No guards even raised much of a question as they saw her strolling through the halls on a path that was all too familiar to see her on. She had to visit Morrigan at least daily. Maybe it was a problem... Byleth didn't care, the child was cute and evoked emotions Byleth couldn't place. They were good emotions that made her chest and her stomach and her head all feel warm and fuzzy. Something like that was rare and she didn't know if it was going to last as Morrigan got older and started to look less like a baby. Not to mention less cute.
She'd cling to the feeling as long as it stayed.
She almost skipped as she door to the room finally came into her field of view. She actually came to a complete dead stop when she saw the door was cracked slightly. Not by much, just slightly. Which was weird. Tiki usually had the door completely open when she visited Morrigan unless she was feeling Morrigan in which case the door would be closed. Robin always had the door closed when he went to visit Morrigan, but he never locked it. They were both completely fine with Byleth poking her head in to visit and if neither were around the door was usually locked and she as well as a couple of extra nursemaids had keys to it.
For the door to be open just a crack was abnormal. She approached cautiously.
The world around her felt too quiet. She could distantly hear the noise of people shouting orders. Nothing abnormal for a Grimleal hunt. But the voices felt all the more unnerving with things set up the way they were.
Slowly, carefully, Byleth peeped inside of the room and felt the blood in her veins freeze. There was a man in the room handling Morrigan who shouldn't be handling Morrigan. Byleth knew everyone who was allowed to hold Morrigan. She memorized all the names of all the nursemaids and aside from them the only ones allowed to hold Morrigan were Shepherds. While this man had broken in he sure as hell didn't look like Gaius. He was faced towards the wall, not completely turned away from the door but not towards it either. Morrigan was flailing and wailing in his arms as he cooed words that sent Byleth's blood from chilled to boiling.
"You'll make such a wonderful vessel. You even have the proper mark on your hand. Such a good strong child. Not even Naga will be able to beat you. Master Grima will be very happy."
What instincts drove Byleth in those next couple of moments weren't her own. They much have been instincts of a long-dead past life, or perhaps a god drove her in those next couple seconds, she wouldn't be able to say for sure. What she did know is that without hesitation her hand gripped the dagger on her hip, pulled it from its sheath, and with a sudden explosive force she slammed the door open and charged the man. She drove the dagger as far into his thigh as she was physically capable of.
The man howled in pain, dropping Morrigan and grabbing at the dagger. Byleth barely had enough time to catch Morrigan. She turned on her heels immediately and started booking it down the hall. She didn't know where she was going but the screams behind her motivated her to move faster and faster. "Get back here you little bitch," he screeched, pulling the dagger from his flesh and tossing it to the ground as he took off down the hall after Byleth.
She was going to die. She was going to die. She was going to die.
All she wanted to do was protect Morrigan.
But she wasn't strong enough. She was a child. A fool.
She ended up losing her footing and falling down Naga knew where in the awful maze like castle. She did her best to protect Morrigan from the fall, but ended up with a bruised chin for the effort. The footsteps behind her were fast approaching so she brought Morrigan to her chest and curled up into a ball around the child. As though her flimsy little body was going to be able to protect the baby from a man nearly four times Byleth's size.
It didn't have to. Just as the footsteps were getting close she heard the crackle of magic. She couldn't recognize the spell from sound alone, but the screams that followed gave her a good impression of it being a fairly powerful spell.
A hand pressed itself into her shoulder and she looked up. "Morrigan!" Tiki gasped, pulling the child from Byleth's grip with very little effort. Byleth felt tired and dazed. Robin was also there, he was the one who grabbed her shoulder. At least, she thought so. She wasn't sure anymore. Things were moving at a very awkward pace. A little too quick for Byleth to keep up with. Both parents doted on the child for a couple of moments before turning their attention back towards Byleth.
Did she do something wrong? Was she going to get punished?
The answer was a resounding no.
Tiki handed Morrigan to Robin before leaning down and to Byleth's great shock pulling her into a nearly bone-crushing hug. "Thank you," she whispered. Tiki, the strong and powerful Tiki who Byleth had never seen bat an eye at the things that made Byleth scared, was legitimately shaking. Or was that Byleth? Maybe it was both.
She... she needed to get stronger. A lot stronger. To protect the people and things she cared about. She'd need to start practicing on her own extra.
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For those of you who aren't following me on twitter, this 20th I'm doing an all day writeathon. I'll be doing periodic updates alongside my breaks as well as posting my final word count (roughly). Come swing by to either show support or laugh at my suffering, either works tbh.