Welcome back to the ball. I'm still trying to decide whether these stories are in chronological order or not. Who knows? the next oneshot might have Byleth with green hair. Either way, I decided this time to expand on the Goddess Tower Event that you can choose to witness. After all, we only have a small snippet of the ball in a cutscene. Anyway, let's go!
Summary: There is a rumour that couples who make a vow at the Goddess Tower on a certain night will have their dreams come true. While she has no plans to make a vow, Lysithea does have an unplanned encounter.
The Garreg Mach Monastery Ball. It was one of the most prestigious activities for the students of the Officer's Academy. After all, when one lived on a Monastery, where the only real activities were to train, pray or fish, any excuses to dress up and relax were eagerly anticipated.
Lit by the gentle golden light of the chandeliers above, the students were practically abuzz with energy. To the sound of a skilled band and light chatter, the centre of the hall was filled with the fortunate few who had managed to charm a partner onto the dance floor, Edelgard and Dimitri shining in the centre of the couples with their respective partners.
Lysithea rolled the blood red liquid in her glass before partaking – only the finest of grape juices from the Adrestian Empire of course. A subtle sourness upon the tongue smoothed over by a sweet aftertaste, the perfect drink to help tide one over while waiting for the opportunity to join the dancing.
While the white haired girl certainly wasn't as skilled in the art of dancing as her peers, her upbringing as a noble heir meant she had the minimal training so as not to embarrass herself in front of everyone. So long as she had a competent partner, then Lysithea would be able to provide an admirable show.
For the briefest of moments, Lysithea's face soured.
Ah yes. Partners.
The ball had been going on for quite the while and yet not a single person had asked Lysithea to join them for a dance. She was pretty sure that nearly every other girl had been graced with such an invitation; even Marianne had been seen in the arms of some mysterious man, a rare smile gracing her face the whole time. Why then was she the only one to be denied such a thing?
Well, when Lysithea pondered it, there were quite a few reasons. Not only did she not truly fraternise with many outside of her own class, her age was most likely a rather important factor. Even as the heir of House Ordelia, many weren't willing to risk the rumours that were bound to form if they were found dancing with such a young girl as herself. If it weren't for the fact that Petra seemed more than content to simply stand at the side, then the Brighid native would be facing similar issues.
Not that it stopped a few of the unaware from gazing upon Petra's form, Lysithea noted with narrowed eyes before she shook her head. This was a time of relaxation and joy, not of jealousy.
Leaving her glass for one of the many attendants to deal with, the white haired girl stepped out into the cold night, the frosty breeze an excellent feeling after the heat born from so many bodies in close proximity.
Lysithea's plan had been to simply bask in the light of a bright and full moon before returning to the other Golden deer, but a strange sight in the distance suddenly pushed those plans aside. Though the form was nought but a shadow, their destination was clear – the Goddess Tower.
Lysithea immediately began to move, her curiosity growing by the second. There was no reason for anyone to be heading towards the goddess tower, not so late at night. Perhaps someone had just a little too much of the wine made available and decided that their dorms were on the other side of the monastery – she would be remiss if she didn't help them find their way back.
Her bravery wavered slightly when she got a proper look at the Goddess Tower in all its rather intimidating glory. Cast in the shadows as it was, suddenly the ivy draped along its walls didn't look so beautiful, nor did its daunting size seem as impressive as it did overbearing. To a child, it would appear terrifying, almost ghostly in its appearance. For one as mature and intelligent and strong as Lysithea however, it only made her pause for a few seconds before she ventured inside.
Her nerves weren't at all helped by the random noises that echoed throughout the tower. A small squeak escaped Lysithea before she could recognise the sharp noise as the creaking of the stairs beneath her. It took a gentle slap to her cheek before she could continue; there was nothing wrong with those sounds, it was just the person she had been following. It would've been even worse if they hadn't made any sounds as they ascended the Goddess Tower.
Once she reached the top, she found her mysterious silhouette illuminated by the light of the window, staring out across a starry night and the beauty that was the Monastery's surroundings. A bright smile appeared on Lysithea's face; it was no mysterious drunkard at all.
"Professor?"
"Actually, I'm a ghost."
Lysithea screamed when Byleth suddenly appeared far too close for comfort, jumping back like a frightened kitten. No man should have the ability to move so quickly nor silently, Lysithea pouting as she tried to recollect herself.
"D-don't toy with me like that Professor! I know it's you!" Lysithea struggled to say, her moment of indignation soon softening as she calmed. "I figured you might've been lost or something, so I followed you inside. Everyone seemed to be looking for you. You're surprisingly popular."
Indeed, Byleth had been the star of the show the moment that Claude had drawn him onto the dance floor. It was clear that he lacked any education in the art form, the Golden Deer leader trying his absolute best and failing miserably at teaching Byleth on the spot. Not that it had been a detriment to his reputation – far from it, the earnest, yet clumsy movements that contrasted so much with his form in battle had earned him quite a few admirers.
"That surprises you?" Byleth asked, folding his arms. From any other, one might take his gesture as a sign of offence, but his students had grown aware enough to tell it was merely his own form of backchannelling.
"I do find it surprising, yes. Especially your popularity with the ladies." Lysithea noted with her fingers upon her chin in thought. "Not to be rude, but I wouldn't exactly call you the most sociable of people."
The only response was the smallest of shrugs. After his little show with Claude, Byleth had accepted anyone who invited him to dance – as a professor, it was part of his duty towards them to at least grant them attention when they asked for it. If there just so happened to be many girls who asked, then he didn't take any particular notice.
"How do you fare?"
"Er, I wouldn't know to be honest. I've never had much interest in such things." Lysithea admitted, her face falling for a second before she could school her features. She hoped that Byleth didn't catch the moment of weakness, but the man was far too perceptive for that to happen. "The Officer's Academy is for honing one's skills, not for frivolous romances, despite what the other students think. Have you heard them professor? They're all gossiping about a magical place where if a man and woman make a vow, it is certain to come to pass. I wonder where such a place is…"
"The Goddess Tower?" Byleth helpfully stated, Lysithea nodding emphatically.
"Oh, of course! I recall now!" the white haired girl declared cheerfully.
A moment passed, Lysithea's happy expression frozen on her face as seconds ticked by. After what felt like forever, that happiness soon melted into confusion, followed by something indescribable as a horrific red blush took over her pale features.
"Wait, that's, that's here isn't it!?" Lysithea exclaimed, trying her best to cover her face. "Uh, just to be clear, this is pure coincidence! I didn't follow you so we could do… that! But, we are here alone… so people may probably wonder what our aim is. Let's get out of here before anyone sees us and gets the wrong idea!"
"There's no need to panic."
Byleth's arm upon Lysithea's shoulder immediately broke the girl out of her self-induced mania, her face returning to a healthier colour in seconds as pink eyes bore deeply into blue.
"…Professor? Are you saying that you don't mind if someone sees us and thinks…" Lysithea began before she truly looked at Byleth and sorrow took place upon her features. "Oh. I suppose you believe there's no danger of that, since it's just me. You're treating me like a child, aren't you?"
Byleth didn't have time to speak before his hand was thrown off her shoulder with a huff, Lysithea folding her arms with a petulant stomp of her leg. If any saw them at that moment, they would've melted at the sheer adorableness before them. "Well I don't mind either then! Obviously there's nothing going on here. If you're going to stick around until we collect dust, then so will I!"
Lysithea's anger turned to silence once more, the girl turning away and planting herself firmly by the window.
It was at that moment when she realised that, despite her words, she wouldn't be able to last long. The soothingly frosty night breeze Lysithea had been enjoying before had decided to turn into something that would freeze her to the bone in good time. She tried stepping away from the window, but the Goddess Tower wasn't exactly the best insulated of areas, a shiver running down her back.
When a hit of warmth came to her back, Lysithea let out a sigh of relief, only to realise just what the source of the heat was. Turning around with reddened cheeks, Lysithea found herself staring at Byleth, sans the coat often found on his form. It didn't take a genius to tell where that had gone.
"You are cold. I shall take you back to the ball." Byleth decided, holding a hand out to Lysithea who could only blubber and sputter before any proper reply came to her lips. "Take my hand."
"A-Are you an idiot!? If we walk back in there hand in hand with me wearing your coat, we'll be doomed!" Lysithea cried out, only to slam a hand over her mouth in embarrassment at the slightly raised eyebrow. "I'm sorry Professor, I shouldn't have said that to a professor."
"You leave me no choice. If we stay, you will freeze." Byleth declared, her moment of vulnerability ripe for the professor to take advantage of. Not even a second passed for Lysithea to rebut before she was hefted over his shoulder and they were making their way down the tower stairs.
It wasn't as if Lysithea wasn't fighting back. No, she was kicking and screaming for the blue haired man to put her down from the moment that she realised what Byleth had done. It was just that it was too awkward to put her down while they were still on the stairs, meaning that Byleth was forced to endure the punches to his back until they exited the Goddess Tower.
Conveniently, Lysithea followed her professor quietly after that.
In the end, it wasn't as if anyone even noticed them returning to the ball, too entranced by the dancefloor and food to acknowledge their return. The only one who even looked in their direction was Claude, a small wink before he returned to his conversation with Dimitri and Edelgard.
"Professor." Greeted one of the staff, Byleth taking two of the offered drinks before the woman could walk off and giving them a small sniff. Call him paranoid, but it always helped to check for any foreign substances; there were far too many stories that had arose in the mercenaries from those who failed such a check.
"Here." Byleth said, passing the small glass to Lysithea who accepted it eagerly. At least until she took her first sip and immediately gagged, nearly dropping the drink as she turned to the professor. "Is it not to your taste?"
"…Professor, this is the wine, not the juice." She accused, met with Byleth's blank stare as she rolled her eyes. "Professor, that means it's just for the older students. Did you really think they'd allow someone like me to have any?"
"Yes. It is normal in some places." Byleth explained simply, pausing to take a sip of his own drink. "There are villages less privileged. Their water sources are dirty, and they do not have access to medicine. They're life expectancies are lower, so they care less about age restrictions. It was how I was introduced to alcohol."
"That… that sounds horrible." Lysithea muttered with a shake of her head. There surely couldn't be a place as horrible as Byleth described.
Though she wasn't the most travelled of people, Lysithea had visited many different areas throughout Fodlan and not one suffered as bad as the professor had described. If there were such places, surely the nobles in charge of the territory they were in would do something, if to save their reputation if nothing else.
She had said so to Byleth, bringing forth a small scoff, a rarity from the man.
"You are a noble. Nobles do not go to places like those. Most nobles do not care about places like those." Byleth answered. "They do not produce many resources. They do not provide a service to the nobles. Therefore, they are expendable. But that is not important. We are here to enjoy ourselves."
"Yeah." Was all Lysithea could say in return, absently watching the students in an attempt to get the thoughts out of her mind.
So long as it was just for a single night, she could pretend that the world wasn't suffering, right? That there weren't people in power purposefully ignoring their duties as nobles simply because the people in those horrific positions couldn't do anything in return?
With one glance down to the cup, Lysithea took a long draw, trying to ignore the intensely bitter taste that ran through her mouth and heated the back of her throat. While there were hints of the sweetness the grape juice had held, the potency held in even a small amount of alcohol seemed to completely ruin it.
Hopefully the tales she heard were true and it would help her relax with time.
"You are troubled." Byleth's voice spoke up beside her, pink eyes peering at the hand that was held out once more. "It is my fault. Allow me to distract you."
"Are you asking me to dance Professor?" Lysithea returned, hoping that her flustered surprise wasn't too evident within her voice or upon her face. Even after all of that, Byleth still wanted to dance… in front of everyone… together… "There are some people who would talk if they saw you dancing with a girl as young as me, even if you are a professor."
"I have been dancing with everyone. They will not care." Byleth said.
Well, it certainly explained who the mysterious man that Marianne had been so enamoured with was. Actually that hadn't explained why Marianne had been so happy in the Professor's arms. Lysithea made note of that in the recesses of her mind – perhaps a little playful blackmail for the future.
With that stray thought, a tentative smile appeared on the white haired girl's face as she graciously accepted the hand offered, letting the older man lead her out onto the dancefloor. So long as he had been seen dancing with everyone, no one would take it in the wrong manner then.
She expected to have to lead Byleth, her lithe toes constantly tread upon as the man struggled with such an elegant art as he had done so with Claude.
And yet to her pleasant surprise, Byleth showed none of the awkwardness he had demonstrated, smoothly transitioning from one step to the other with all of the grace of a trained noble. Where before he had stumbled, now the blue haired man nimbly moved; where he had gone the wrong way, he now gently guided Lysithea without any prompting on her part.
"How did you learn to dance so quickly?" Lysithea asked as they continued to waltz, the smallest speck of jealousy appearing at the bottom of her heart. "If I had been able to learn so easily, I wouldn't have had to embarrass myself before my tutors so often."
"I am a fast learner. Hilda praised my dancing. Leonie, not so much." Byleth muttered, scratching the bottom of his cheek before returning his hand to Lysithea's waist. Lysithea merely giggled in response.
It wasn't as if Leonie and Byleth were on bad terms per say, but there was a definite one sided rivalry occurring between them. No doubt Leonie had been rather proud to learn that the professor was a bad dancer – it added to the few areas where she beat Byleth, alongside socialising and… well, that was about it
Though she didn't realise it, time quickly flew by as the two of them danced, quite a few lamenting the fact that they wouldn't be able to steal a dance of their own with the blue haired man. The rest of the evening was spent with the pair barely even focused on moving, naturally sliding around the dancefloor while they chatted, only breaking for food.
It was never openly discussed, not with those mentioned at least, but it was clear that what once only appeared to be a professorial obligation had become something more that night. Though Byleth and Lysithea left separately, the professor remaining behind to ensure no stragglers remained after the ball, speculation ran amok about whether there had been any… meetings the rest of Garreg Mach had been unaware of.
Eventually, those rumours would come to meet the ears of Lysithea herself, whose only answer consisted of silence before incredibly flustered denials mixed with a series of pathetic whines, her pale face turning redder than anyone could've imagined. Naturally, that only served to spur the rumour mill further, much to her displeasure.
And for now, that is it. I'm not sure whether I'm doing these oneshots in chronological order or not; some of my ideas would take place before the ball. Either way, I still have quite a few ideas left to show. Whether it's explosions or dancing... not too sure yet. Please, look forward to the next chapter to find out!
Super hero time! See you next time!
