Author's Notes:

Golden Zero16- Good observation about Byleth and her relationship with the house leaders! I would say the lack of trust is stronger with Claude than Dimitri, as Dimitri has a number of other problems that resulted in his failure to fully align with the Resistance Army. But the lack of a developed relationship between Claude and Byleth proves incredibly costly here, as it results in Claude rushing into a battle that could have been delayed just so he could take the credit. Had he trusted her enough to hand over the reins of Fódlan to her from the beginning, things would have played out much differently. I would like to write an interaction between them at some point just to show a bit more what that relationship was like.

Chapter 20

Day 23 of the Horsebow Moon, Imperial Year 1173

"Are you sure this is a good idea? We're going to get in trouble if they find out," Edelgard asked as Dimitri pulled himself atop the wall behind her uncle's estate.

"It'll be fine. Sir Gustave won't be back for another hour."

Dimitri found it difficult to justify why he was always accompanied by guards, as he was instructed to not speak of his status as a prince. Edelgard surely knew that he was a noble of some status, but he was unsure if she had worked out the entire truth. He hated being coy about his background with her, but his father's orders were immutable.

"Weren't there sentries posted outside the front door, though? What if they come to check on you?" Edelgard debated.

"They won't. I never cause any trouble, so they'll be trying to stave off boredom, not worrying about me."

"Well… if you're sure."

"I am. Now, come on, El!"

Dimitri hoisted his friend by the hand over the wall, and they dropped down together on the other side. He then led her through the winding streets of Fhirdiad. After weaving through a district primarily consisting of wealthy townhouses, they reached the main thoroughfares of the capital. The roads bustled with life, but the people that passed by gave no special attention to the two children.

Edelgard gazed around in wonder as she and Dimitri waded through the crowd. She shared, "I don't think I've been to this part of town before… at least not during the day."

"I don't get to leave my home very often, either. And even when I do, I always have guards with me. I wish I could take you to the best places in the city, but I don't know my way around all that well." Dimitri then waved his arms and added nervously, "I didn't mean to complain about my life. I wanted to do this for you, not me!"

Edelgard ignored his correction and asked, "Is it lonely for you?"

"Sometimes," Dimitri shrugged. "But I have lots of great friends! I really wish you could meet them, El."

"Yeah… Maybe someday." Edelgard smiled wistfully. "I don't have many friends, but I do have lots of brothers and sisters."

"You should tell me more about them when we get the chance."

Dimitri glanced over at El. Though she continued to walk confidently, she was clearly shivering.

"I know it's only the Horsebow Moon, but it can still get cold here, especially at night," Dimitri informed.

"You don't have to remind me, Dimitri. This isn't my first year living here."

"Oh, sorry. Why did you not bring a coat, then?"

Edelgard blushed. "I just forgot, alright? That's all."

"Here, take this," Dimitri said as he removed his cloak and wrapped it over El's shoulders. "I'm used to the cold by now."

"You really shouldn't, but… thank you," El said gratefully.

As they walked farther, a pleasant aroma began to fill the air. They came upon a lengthy queue of people along the street.

Dimitri's face brightened. "I think I know this place! It's supposed to be the best sweets shop in the city."

Edelgard smiled in turn.

"I wonder… I've always found traditional cakes from Enbarr to be a bit much, but maybe the ones here ar-."

Edelgard suddenly yanked Dimitri around the corner and yelped, "Agh! It's him!"

"Who?" Dimitri asked shakily.

"That knight! The one you came with!"

"Sir Gustave?"

Dimitri peeked around and confirmed that Edelgard was right. Gustave had just walked out of the bakery, and after stuffing some bundled confectionary into a satchel, began to walk the way they came.

"This is bad," Dimitri whispered. "We can't go that way without him seeing us."

"Then we'll just have to find another route."

"Wha-."

This time it was Edelgard who took Dimitri by the hand. She charged down the barren alley with the prince in tow.

"We know my home is in this direction, right? We can get ahead of him if we keep off the main roads!" Edelgard explained.

"Bu-."

"There's no time for arguing, Dee!"

Dimitri relented and matched her pace so he wouldn't be dragged all the way back. They made a wrong turn or two along the way, but they managed to scale the wall before their escapade was discovered. They were still lying in the grass of the yard, laughing and trying to catch their breath when Gustave arrived. They laughed even harder when they saw Gustave's confused expression when he approached them.

"I'm afraid it is time to be going," Gustave said, ignoring any questions he might have had about why the prince was so tired and sweaty. Gustave visibly strained as he avoided referring to Dimitri as "Your Highness."

"Y-yeah, I understand. I'll be right behind you, but I want to say goodbye first."

Gustave nodded and walked back towards the house. It sounded like he was chastising the other guards for some reason. If Dimitri's guess was correct, he and Edelgard would probably be under too close of surveillance going forward to try another escapade.

Edelgard returned her friend's cloak and said, "Thank you for today. I'm sorry for making you do this for me. There's nothing I hate more than feeling helpless."

"Don't feel bad! It was a lot of fun for me, too! It's nice to be treated like just a friend and not a prince for once."

Edelgard smiled pensively. "I understand. Well, goodbye, Dimitri! I hope you come back soon!"

As he rejoined Sir Gustave, Dimitri cheered, "Of course! I'll always look forward to next time!"

Cadence of the Tides – Day 29 of the Wyvern Moon, Year 1186 (Fódlan Calendar)

Dimitri stood at the end of the plaza near Abbas and James's quarters, staring blankly at the waterfalls beyond the lake. He then gazed down at the dagger held loosely within his open palms, its blade pointed towards his stomach.

That woman was dead. The conqueror who had trampled Fódlan. The Flame Emperor responsible for Flayn's abduction, the Remire Calamity, and the raid in the Holy Tomb.

His old classmate. His childhood friend. His sister.

El.

Maybe Edelgard didn't deserve the blame for all of it. Maybe the Flame Emperor's anger towards the pale man was legitimate. Maybe she was trapped in a helpless situation.

Regardless, those responsible for Duscur were dead, whether that be Edelgard or the people behind her. The final mission left by father, stepmother, Glenn, and all the rest was fulfilled. His sole reason to continue living was extinguished.

Dimitri watched as a series of hands, all drained of color, began to clutch the dagger's hilt.

"Why are you even still alive, Boar?"

"You accomplished nothing, son."

"Why did you stand in my path, Dimitri? Did you ever try to understand me?"

"You never even tried to save my daughter."

"Did I die just so you cou-."

Glenn was cut off when someone slapped Dimitri's hand, knocking the dagger to the ground. As it rattled against the tiles, Marianne grasped both of Dimitri's arms and ensured that he made eye contact with her.

"What were you going to do with that?" Marianne asked frantically.

Dimitri muttered, "I… I don't know…"

"No, I won't accept that! What were you going to do? Were you… were you going to kill yourself?"

"… It's possible," he admitted.

Without warning, Marianne pulled him into a tight embrace. Tears from her eyes moistened his chest.

She reminded him, "Since we met, you've always had such kind things to say. You tell me that my life is valuable, even when I don't feel it. You tell me that life is worth living. Is that true?"

"Yes… of course."

"Then the same goes for you!"

Dimitri shook his head. "It's not the same, not after the things I've done. The burdens you carry… they are not the fault of your own."

"Even if I had done horrible things, I know you would say that I'm worthy of forgiveness… right?"

Dimitri knew that he would, but admitting it would weaken his position. He stood speechless until Marianne hugged him tight again.

"If it's not true for you, then it's not true for me. Don't you see?"

Dimitri's mouth stood agape. He pulled back so he could look Marianne in the eye.

"Marianne… I… You're right. I'm so sorry. I did not consider your feelings. I try to live for others, and yet my actions always turn out so selfish. It's just… only one thing has kept me alive all these years. And without it, what even am I anymore? Any other temptation I might have had… bettering Faerghus or restoring Duscur… I've left it all behind."

"You have a new purpose, though. Claude needs you, and Almyra needs you. I… we all need you. M-maybe that chapter has ended, but that doesn't mean you have to."

"And do you believe you have a purpose, Marianne?" Dimitri asked, hoping to divert attention from himself.

Marianne looked away uneasily. "… I don't know. I'm glad when I get to help people. But… wherever I go, I only find more suffering."

"I fear Claude and I coming here are far more responsible for this war than anything you've done. But I'm beginning to think that's just the reality of this world. Until we can all learn to accept each other and ourselves, this suffering will just continue to perpetuate. It's easy to lose hope, but there are moments where the splendor that lies beyond all of that pain can be seen… like you and I right now."

Dimitri sighed deeply. He slowly reached down and picked up the dagger. "And I think that is something worth living for. Maybe, even… for someone like me."

"Yes. Yes a thousand times," Marianne assured as she pulled him tight again. After a pause, she pushed away and asked, "So… even if I do add a share to the cruelty of this life… do you think the good I've done is enough to counterbalance it? And do moments like this outweigh the danger I bring?"

Dimitri still struggled to fully understand what she meant by "danger", but he answered, "You saved King Faruq, you saved Khalid and I, and you saved countless others. If it means anything… I think you've been nothing short of marvelous."

Marianne blushed profusely as she returned his gaze. "It means a great deal, Dimitri."

As she finished those words, Khalid approached and asked uncertainly, "Dimitri, Marianne… are you alright out here?"

"Yes, of course," Dimitri answered as he and Marianne separated a little awkwardly. "What do you need, Khalid?"

The Almyran prince obviously planned to comfort the two in some way, so he was rendered confused about what to say upon finding morale higher than anticipated. Dimitri still hurt, but there was nothing more that could be said to lessen that pain. What he now needed most was something else to think about.

Khalid pivoted, "This is a bit sudden, but I'm putting together a meeting. I've already sent Nader ahead to get everyone else ready. We'd need to head that way now. Sound good?"

Dimitri and Marianne both agreed and followed Khalid without question. He led them to a part of the palace that they had never been to before. Given the increasing number of Shakiriyya guarding the halls, it was a safe assumption that they were approaching the quarters of the monarchs. After Khalid spoke with some, they were led into a cozy liwan. King Faruq, Queen Tiana, Grand Agha Nader, and Sardar Soraya were already inside. Dimitri and Marianne both hesitated in the doorway upon seeing such high company, but Khalid pulled them both inside.

"I assume you're all wondering why I brought you here," Khalid told his company as he sat down.

Nader answered, "Actually, I was just thinking about how I haven't had a comfortable place to relax since I left Derdriu. I gave a quick overview of my adventures, but since then, I've just enjoying the wait."

"Ah. Well, I'm going to explain everything, anyways. If you're sitting in this circle right now, congratulations- it means that I trust you and need your help. I've developed a plan for what we do next. If I bring it to the council myself, though, it's going to be dismissed without serious consideration. That's where you come in. I need one of you to take credit for the idea, and the rest of us will throw our support behind it."

"And why are Marianne and I here?" Dimitri asked.

"Oh, mostly because I just wanted you to be. But you are trained in military strategy, so you might have some input. And if the council still isn't convinced, I'll need all of my retainers spreading the word of the plan. Maybe we can get enough groundswell support to change their minds."

Tiana cocked her head and told her son, "We've covered for you a lot, but I'm not committing to anything like this unless I'm convinced of the plan myself."

"No, I get it. I wouldn't, either. So let me explain."

Some tea had been set out, so Khalid took a sip before beginning, "The defeat at the Sous was devastating for us. The Tabarzin and Meteoran armies are going to be larger and stronger than we can hope to muster. There is one advantage we still have over them, though…"

Khalid paused to give the others the chance to fill in the blank. Dimitri surveyed his lush surroundings and compared them to what he saw at the Mirza's Citadel.

"Wealth?" Dimitri guessed.

"Exactly! Ghalib has yet to take that from us. Shomal has a fleet that hasn't been depleted, and we also have an established relationship with the city of Mirgissa in Dagda. Do you see where I'm going with this?"

"It's not a bad idea," Soraya observed. "With both our funds and Senusret's reputation, we could likely hire enough soldiers to recuperate much of our losses from the Sous. You can employ a whole regiment from Mirgissa for the right price."

Khalid bobbed his head side to side doubtfully. "Well, there is one major problem. We'll have difficulty passing by the Tabarzin and all the way to Dagda undetected. Once our enemies sketch the movements of our fleet, they will likely decipher the plan. They would have time to intercept us on the way back since they're already reading their ships. With their superior firepower, they'd probably succeed in destroying most of our fleet and capturing what's left. Such a loss would be the end of our cause."

Dimitri wasn't quite sure what Khalid meant by "firepower." Did they use explosive barrels on their ships? No, that wouldn't make sense, and Khalid had mentioned before that Almyran ships had some unique form of armaments. Dimitri kept his question to himself for the time being.

King Faruq asked the other obvious query, "If it's such a bad idea, then why are we wasting our time talking about it?"

"I considered the Mirgissa plan several weeks ago before I cast it aside due to the aforementioned flaws. However, it sounds believable enough that our enemies will buy it. I was able to trick Sardar Soraya easily enough, as you just witnessed. No offense."

"None taken," she assured.

Khalid took another sip. "The real plan is somewhat different. Instead of proceeding to Dagda- the obvious target- we will stop short at Brigid. We won't be hiring an army. We'll be borrowing a fleet."

"Borrow?" Nader questioned, not entirely impressed.

"Either we buy ourselves a few ships, or we can negotiate for an entire fleet. I'll let you decide which choice is superior."

"Why Brigid?" Queen Tiana asked. "You could buy ships in Mirgissa, right?"

"Not nearly as many. Like I said, we're going to be renting a whole fleet, and Mirgissa's fee for that will be exorbitant. I assume Nader already mentioned Brigid's recent independence. Marianne, Dimitri, and I have friends in Brigid who will almost certainly be willing to work with us. But we have something to offer them besides old friendships and money. What do you think, Marianne?"

"M-me? Well… umm… Having a new, powerful ally would be to their benefit. If they're independent now, they won't have the backing of the Adrestian military. They'll be vulnerable."

Khalid smiled admiringly. "Well said. You didn't slack off on your geopolitics, obviously. We'll offer a very favorable defensive pact with Brigid- if they help us put down this rebellion, they'll have our support in the event of an invasion from Dagda, Fódlan, or anyone else. Having a powerful ally will also strengthen their bargaining power in their negotiations with Fódlan."

"That's quite the deal. I'm not sure everyone will be excited to honor it," Soraya mused.

"Maybe not, but we're desperate right now. I don't expect the new leadership in Fódlan to give Brigid any trouble, though, so such a treaty probably won't be invoked in the near future." He then added callously, "If someone else down the line decides not to honor the deal, that's not on us. Petra will know that's a risk. Getting an alliance etched on parchment that they can wave around will still be of value to them either way."

Dimitri balked at Khalid's willingness to enter a potentially unfaithful treaty, but no one else seemed to share his hesitation. Tiana instead asked, "Okay. Let's say we borrow Brigid's fleet, overwhelm our enemies in a naval battle, and win. What happens next?"

"Ah! That's the crux of it all, actually. If we smash Meteora's fleet, we'll have free reign of the seas. Safely transporting Dagdan mercenaries to Almyra will be much easier, if that's something we still want to do. It shouldn't be too difficult to keep much of Brigid's fleet available since their ships won't be in active danger of attack. With their help, we can initiate a blockade our enemies' major ports. That's going to put a squeeze on the opposition's resources- no more trade, no more recruiting allies… you get the idea. Meteora has been heavily dependent on imports ever since the plague, so it will hit them particularly hard."

"And what about our resources?" Nader asked. "Resupplying the fleet from Shomal will take ages."

"That's where saving some of our funds will come in handy. We can run resupplies from Brigid. If we really want to make it a short trip, Morfis is nearby, though they'll be more expensive to deal with. It's a bit farther, but we could always reach out to Mirgissa, too. We'll also be claiming anything we capture from ships that unsuccessfully try to run our blockade. Long story short, we have money and we have options. You're right that there are some logistics to be figured out, but I think the benefits easily outweigh the risks."

"It takes over a month to reach Dagda from Astane, and I know Brigid isn't much closer," Soraya pointed out. "I'm worried my city won't last that long. What is your plan for our land armies?"

"Just the same as what James suggested earlier today. Only now, though, it should work even better as the enemy will have less urgency to confront us. They'll see it as an opportunity to bide their time while they quietly plot our demise at sea. And if they're looking to intercept us, their navy will be too occupied with that to worry about blockading Astane."

The queen and king exchanged a few words in a whisper. Faruq then asked Soraya, "We would need your ships. What are your thoughts on all of this?"

Soraya tapped a finger on her chin as she replied, "Hopefully I'm not playing into one of Prince Khalid's tricks again, but yes, I think it could work. I've told Senusret to keep our soldiers ready to move as soon as we have a plan, and that includes our fleet. We've been accumulating all the resources we can in preparation of a potential siege, and many of our storehouses are already near the harbor. So while the ships aren't currently equipped with the foodstuffs for such a long journey, that can be remedied quickly by drawing from our stores. Since there will still be a siege, though…"

As Soraya trailed off, Faruq promised, "We'll have provisions immediately sent on the way to Astane to supplant anything transferred to the fleet."

Soraya bowed in thanks. "Then I have no further concerns."

"Nader?" Faruq then asked.

"I'm in," their Grand Agha confirmed succinctly.

Tiana nodded and concluded, "It sounds like we have a consensus. At the risk of sounding too biased, Khalid, I believe this is the first imaginative suggestion we've heard so far that actually has a definite objective. I think it's worth putting forward. That being said, we haven't interacted with Brigid in recent years due to their ties with Fódlan. I don't know where public opinion will lie, but I worry about how the generals will react when they learn we're relying on a friend you met at the Officers Academy."

Khalid countered, "It shouldn't be difficult to put a spin on it. Brigid has just won a war against a government in Fódlan. We can easily depict them as anti-Fódlan freedom fighters. In that regard, they'll be our most natural allies."

"Almyra hasn't had a decisive naval battle in centuries. I can build this up as the opportunity of a lifetime, no doubt about it," Nader added. "Besides, if everyone's missed me as much as you make it sound like, they'll be salivating over any advice I've got."

Soraya concurred, "I can't provide you with any grand speeches, but you'll have my support."

"I'm willing to propose the plan as my own. It will earn the most goodwill that way," King Faruq decided. "I wish we could discuss it more, but we don't have much time before that council meeting for Nader. Hopefully we can refine the ideas there."

The guests were allowed to finish their tea, but they soon departed. Dimitri and Marianne walked with Khalid on the way out.

"If you're going to reach out to old friends, why not try Byleth?" Dimitri inquired once they were alone. "Fódlan could muster a much larger force than Brigid, and we could get to the Alliance and back at much less risk in much less time."

"Mainly because I'm trying to not topple two teetering governments. People are already holding their noses putting up with me. How will they feel about me pushing for an alliance with their most hated enemies?"

"Well, I-."

"And do you think Fódlan's going to be any more receptive? When the leader of the Alliance who abandoned them in their darkest hour shows up and asks them to aid the eastern menace? While they're still recovering from a war of their own, at that?"

"… I see your point," Dimitri admitted with embarrassment.

"Hey, don't feel bad about it," Khalid solaced. "I'd love to work with Byleth. I think there's just a few more steps before either side is ready for it."

"I have another question. Based on my knowledge of Brigid, I'm sure they have many ships. That said, I suspect they aren't large or built for a battle of the scale you're talking about."

Khalid smiled cunningly and briefly put a finger over his lips. "True, and our generals wouldn't like to hear it. I may have to fib a bit if they ask. But don't worry; I'm already accounting for that. It should actually work towards our advantage."

When Dimitri motioned that his curiosity was satiated, Khalid asked Marianne if she had any concerns of her own.

Marianne clasped her hands and looked down. "N-no. I'm sure you've already considered anything on my mind."

"That's a bad assumption. Does something bother you?"

"Well… it's just… I know you'll be assigned to this mission because of your relationship with Petra, but will you be given overall command? What if another general is in control that won't run the battle the same way you would? They'll be angry once they see what Brigid's fleet actually looks like."

"That's a good point. At the very least, Senusret will go since he'd obviously lead any theoretical negotiations in Dagda. The Mirgissa deception won't be convincing if he's spotted among either of our armies on land. Senusret should be reasonable to work with. Most generals from Elam will want to stay with their own soldiers, and it would raise suspicion if lots of them turned up on a fleet that is supposedly only serving as an escort for transport ships. It's possible that our leadership will force someone else from here to oversee me, though. I'd never allow anyone intolerable to be installed, but it's good to be cognizant of that risk going into our meeting. Thanks for reminding me, Marianne."

Marianne nodded appreciatively.

"Anyways, I need to be going. I'll be back to report the outcome as soon as I can," Khalid told them.

As Khalid went on his way, Dimitri and Marianne returned to wait with Ariella. They found her still sitting out in the courtyard. Her color and posture had improved, thankfully.

After Ariella asked how they were handling the news from Fódlan and what was discussed in their meeting, they chatted about a variety of topics. Ariella carried most of the conversation. Of particular interest to her was Marianne's natural hair color. Apparently, Marianne was letting Khalid decide the best course of action, and he felt it was best for her to keep it dyed red for just a bit longer.

The war council lasted for hours, and the three servants had to handle dinner by themselves. Eventually, though, Khalid did return. The vigor sustaining each of his movements told everyone that his plan was approved before he even opened his mouth.

"I hope you find the sea more tolerable than last time, Dimitri, because we're looking at a much longer journey this go around."

Marianne wringed her hands and quietly asked, "So… we're going to Brigid? I don't know if I'm ready to see more of our classmates. What if my adoptive father finds out I'm still alive?"

"There's no need to worry yourself over it. I think it's better if you stay, anyways," Khalid told her.

"Oh," Marianne muttered, as if suddenly a little disappointed. "Why is that?"

"You're a healer. If you're involved in a naval battle, your work is going to be limited almost entirely to whatever ship you're on. You'll accomplish much more where you can move freely."

Marianne conceded, "That makes sense."

"Am I going to be stuck on cooking duty or something?" Ariella asked.

"No. I would actually prefer if you stay as well. There's going to be two armies on land, remember? Marianne will join one of them. I want you to accompany the other. That way, you can both report back to me at the end. What went well? What did not? Who seemed trustworthy? Who worried you? Things like that."

Ariella plopped back into her cushions and sighed with her arms outstretched, "It sounds vaguely more useful that whatever purpose I served at Sous River. Am I free to pick which army?"

"If Marianne doesn't mind, I guess it wouldn't hurt," Khalid replied.

Marianne assured, "It's fine."

"Alright. I want to join whichever army Demetrius goes with," Ariella requested.

"Demetrius it is, then," Khalid said with a shrug. He then faced his final retainer. "As for you, Dimitri… almost no one in Brigid would recognize you, but Petra and Caspar obviously will. I'm confident that Petra can keep a secret, but Caspar… well, there's a chance that word of your survival could reach home. I don't know what the implications of that would be, but it could cause chaos in Faerghus. I'd like you to come with me, but I'm torn on how wise it is. For that reason, I'm leaving the decision up to you."

If Ariella was still debating the authenticity of Dimitri's background, her misgivings would have been validated with this confirmation that her friend was much more influential than let on. The stakes were too high to beat about the bush on this topic, though.

Dimitri already had hours to ponder the question posed to him. He told Khalid, "There is some risk, but… I want to go. There are things I wish to hear firsthand about what happened in Fódlan… what is still happening. Even if you don't trust Caspar, Petra can surely keep him in line."

Khalid laughed affably. "That's a fair point. I guess we'll gamble it, then. Everyone's been complaining that I don't take enough risks, so here's my answer to that." Khalid stood back up. "I hate to do this, but I need to get going again. I'm meeting with James to go over some scheduling before we leave tomorrow."

Ariella flung back up into a sitting position. "Wait, what? Tomorrow? Why so soon?"

"It's going to be a long expedition as it is. Every day we add to it is another day that our armies have to keep the enemy at bay. We'll help load the provisions onto the ships, and then we're out to sea. There's not much point getting the ships completely ready for battle until we reach Brigid."

"You said Prince James is going with us?" Dimitri observed. "Who else?"

"Senusret will serve as the chief admiral of Shomal's navy, and James is going because I'm not trusted enough to be Elam's sole commanding representative. Marianne's warning was merited, but James is probably the best option we could have hoped for. Thankfully, everyone else of note will be with one of the armies. Soraya and my mother will stay here this time."

Khalid began to back away. "I really am sorry for running off. This will take a while, so I probably won't see any of you until bright and early tomorrow."

Shortly after Khalid's departure, Marianne withdrew to go on a walk alone. That left Dimitri with just Ariella. She appeared to be preoccupied.

"Is something bothering you?" he asked.

His fellow retainer sighed, "I've heard that you were one of our fiercest warriors at the Sous. Some of the soldiers are calling you the Tempest of Fódlan. I knew you were strong, but I didn't appreciate how strong. I guess I saw you more as the person I cook and play shatranj with."

Dimitri couldn't blame her for seeing him as a monster, but the truth still wounded him some. He replied, "I am a warrior, but I am still those things, too. I hope my deeds on the battlefield do not make you uncomfortable, but if you wish to spend less time with me because of it, I will understand."

Ariella shook her head with all the strength she had. "No, no, that's not what I mean at all! It's just… I'm sorry that I didn't show you enough respect. And… I was hoping you could teach me how to become more like you."

"No one should ever aspire to be like me," Dimitri said, aghast. "I promise that Khalid is earnest when he says that you do more than enough."

"There's no use mincing words. I'm pathetic. Useless."

"That's not even close to the truth," Dimitri dissented with dismay.

"But I am weak. If an assassin walked up those stairs to kill Khalid, do you really believe I would stand any chance of helping?"

Dimitri did not have a satisfying answer. "Well… we all have room to grow."

"Then help me grow!" She then added suppliantly, "Please. I know I'll never be as strong as you, but how would you feel if your friends constantly made you stay back because they had no faith you could be of use?"

Dimitri frowned at the predicament. "I am willing to train you some, but I'll be leaving tomorrow, Ariella."

"Even one lesson would help. I would have asked sooner, but I was being a bit shy until this development forced my hand." She then added bashfully, "Though… if I'm being honest, I'm not sure if I have the strength to swing a sword right now."

"Perhaps the sword shouldn't be your weapon of choice to begin with. Some people from the Mikdash know basic magic, correct? Did you ever learn any?"

"Not really- just an occasional observation of someone else using it. I've been living here at the Dunya for over a decade now."

"Hm." Dimitri thought for a few seconds before pulling out Edelgard's dagger. "If you aren't strong enough to hold a sword, you could at least practice with this. Even a small blade might get you out of a bind or two."

"That sounds fun! Should I practice throwing it?" Ariella asked eagerly.

"I… suppose… if the idea excites you that much. This particular blade is quite valuable, but keep in mind that most daggers will struggle to pierce armor. And it's usually best to keep your weapon in hand when you'll usually just miss throwing it. There are rare occasions it might be useful, though."

"That's enough reason for me! Should we head to the training grounds?"

It was already dark, but training was such a core aspect of life in Almyra that it was a safe assumption that their facilities would be kept lit. When Dimitri and Ariella arrived, they found James's retainers Theodora and Amin practicing archery.

"How are you two doing tonight?" Ariella asked them.

Theodora and Amin glanced at each other, as if trying to come to an unspoken agreement on how polite they should be.

"We're fine, thank you," Theodora replied civilly but without mirth.

"I've been thinking of you both, you know, with Issachar gone. I can't imagine how hard that must have been."

"Thank you."

Amin and Theodora weren't exactly welcoming additional conversation, but like her lord, Ariella cared little about reading the room. "It's good that we're finally on the move again, right? I'm going to miss out, but I hope your venture at sea will be successful."

Theodora loosed an arrow before replying, "Only Amin is going. Prince James wants someone to stay in Almyra so he'll be kept up to date when he gets back. It's partially his plan, after all."

"Ah, maybe we'll end up with the same army! Khalid has me working the same program. In any case, I hope you enjoy your men-only tour of the world, Amin."

Amin scoffed, "Doubtful. I never had much interest in leaving Almyra, especially not so I can freeze to death on the way around Sreng. What a hopeless wasteland."

Dimitri felt it was time that James's retainers be left in peace, so he directed Ariella's attention back to their main reason for visiting the training grounds. Ariella was more coordinated with the blade than she led him to believe, excluding the occasional twitch. Though she had looked forward to throwing practice, she met the most frustrations there. Her aim itself was not terrible. However, the flight path lacked consistency, and the dagger struggled to actually imbed into the target.

Her main shortcoming was her strength. Some of that was due to her current condition, but there was no question that she would still be weak on a good day. With some corrections to her stance and posture, though, Ariella was showing progress by the time Dimitri declared the lesson finished.

"You've done well, Ariella. I'm impressed."

"Do you mean it?"

"To be honest, I'm nowadays satisfied with any lesson that never puts me in danger of losing my head. Still, your resolve was reflected in your progress. I have no doubt you will excel if you stick with it. Perhaps we can then find you a weapon with a bit more reach. I would still recommend trying your hand at magic. Marianne should have some useful tomes, if you ask."

"Already ahead of you there, Dimitri. Marianne crumbled when I asked her to teach me anything, but she did give me a couple of books. I'm glad to know you're thinking the same thing, though. Thank you."

Dimitri nodded and turned to leave, but Ariella suddenly called out, "Wait!"

When he faced her, Ariella held out her hand. "This is your dagger, isn't it? I'm sure I can find another one somewhere."

Dimitri stared at the blade in her hand for several long seconds.

"No… no, you can keep it," he finally said softly. "Consider it yours now, Ella."

Ariella's eyes widened, likely out of surprise to hear Dimitri call her by that name. She refrained from commenting on it, though, by only relaying, "Alright. Thank you once again."

Dimitri smiled. "I'll be looking forward to seeing your progress when we next meet."

"You'll be impressed! Count on it!"