And here comes the first chapter! You must forgive me if its a little bit... boring but I promise it will get better in the next few chapters, I struggled writing this chapter too because I REALLY REALLY wanted to go on and write the parts that I want to delve more into!
The prestigious Officer's Academy of Garreg Mach Monastery. This was Lysithea's second time looking at the marvelous structure situated amidst the mountains of central Fodlan. The first time was when she took the entrance examination to gain her admittance to the academy, earning what is possibly the highest marks among the applicants.
A melting pot of people from different nations such as the millennium old Adrestian Empire, the chivalrous Holy Kingdom of Faerghus and the united nation of the Leicester Alliance. The three main powers of Fodlan sends individuals from their dominion to refine themselves in the Officer's Academy as most nobles and rulers have done since the time it was established.
Upon setting down the baggage containing her belongings from the carriage she rode on the way to Garreg Mach, Lysithea looked around to see a large group of students entering through the gates of the spacious entrance hall.
Within the entrance hall, the air felt more compressed due to the students talking to each other and breathing in one space, the snow-haired heiress of House Ordelia scanned her surroundings and despite her short height, she could still make out any outstanding looking characters within the crowd.
She spotted a trio of friends with a redhead continuously talking much to the annoyance of a blue haired boy and a blonde girl who ended up slapping the redhead to the back of the head when he shamelessly approached a girl to flirt with.
There was a meek looking girl with violet hair hiding behind a stone pillar, looking confused and anxious at her surroundings and the large amounts of people.
There were also two friends with an obvious age difference somewhere, the older girl had dirty blonde hair that was styled into a loose sidetail draping over her left shoulder, the younger girl had an orange colored hair with the hair on the back of her head tied into pigtails pinned into a circle though the shape reminded Lysithea of pretzels.
Then there was this girl that took much of Lysithea's attention as she sported a hair with similar color to her except it was that of ashen white, two purple ribbons tied the sides of her hair but what took Lysithea's attention was the aura the girl was exuding, it felt dignified yet at the same time she felt like she was carrying a heavy burden upon her shoulders.
Yet none reminded her of that girl that frequently appeared in her dreams. She inwardly laughed at her own foolishness, why would a small girl be in Garreg Mach when she seemed to be the smallest one among her peers?
All eyes to the top of the stairs leading up as trumpets blared a sound announcing the arrival of the archbishop of the Church of Seiros, Rhea along with her advisor and second top authority of the Church, Seteth and Catherine, knight and bodyguard of Rhea.
The students quickly ceased their conversations to each other, most admired the splendor the archbishop possessed, some merely awaited for Rhea to finally address them and their arrival to Garreg Mach.
"Children from the lands of Faerghus, Adrestia and Leicester. I bid you all welcome into this auspicious day. Welcome to Garreg Mach." Rhea spoke with such a serene voice that the most devout among the students immediately felt at peace instead of being nervous at the presence of the holiest woman in Fodlan.
"For the whole scope of a year, you will all be staying in these hallowed halls. It is my greatest hope to all of you that you would seek to better yourselves not just as individuals but also as believers of the Goddess and as a unified group as you forged bonds and nurture them."
Seteth then stepped forward just as Rhea slightly stepped back so the former would finally address the students for this school year.
"I am sure most of you all know there are three houses in which the students are segregated to, those are the: Black Eagles, Blue Lions and the Golden Deer. You will all be assigned to each house based on where you lived." Seteth began and looked at each and every student with a stern gaze.
"Those who came from the Adrestian Empire will be in the Black Eagles, those from the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus will be in the Blue Lions, and finally… those from the Leicester Alliance will be in the Golden Deer."
There was a bit of chatter from the students before they were silenced when Seteth continued.
"All houses will have a house leader to represent and lead them, all of which has been chosen already based on their aptitude for leadership. Edelgard von Hresvelg."
Lysithea watched the ashen haired girl she took notice of earlier, stepped forward before the students.
"Hresvelg? That means she's the Imperial princess right?" Lysithea could hear the various whispers of some students around her.
"Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd." Seteth called out, a short haired tall blond man stepped forward and positioned himself at the side of Edelgard, standing firmly.
"Oh my Goddess, he looks dashing!" A girl beside Lysithea squealed, Lysithea merely rolled her eyes.
"Claude von Riegan."
A man with jet black hair and tanned skin stepped forward on the other side of Edelgard opposite Dimitri.
"Wow, he ain't half bad too!" Another girl beside Lysithea squealed though this time, Lysithea was intrigued on Claude not because of the same shallow reason but because she heard the news of his mysterious appearance as Duke Riegan's heir the last time she heard the news.
"These three are the chosen house leaders of the Black Eagles, Blue Lion and Golden Deer respectively, they along with your house professor will help guide you all in your time here."
Seteth then cleared his throat again.
"Now, on to more pressing matters. The rules-"
Lysithea sighed, having read the rulebook prior to her arrival as she spent some time reading it to pass the boredom of the ride to Garreg Mach.
As Seteth spoke the more obvious rules such as violence and theft to name a few, Lysithea found herself looking around and spotted new faces such as a young girl with radiant green hair standing near a pillar on the top of the stairs as well as a black-haired boy with tanned skin, dressed in simple clothes, an Almyran from the looks of it, standing beside the girl.
"-while we encourage all of you to form relationships and bond with various other people in your time here to promote unity and good relations, we do not condone any form of illicit and intimate relationships especially concerning that with a faculty member."
Lysithea found herself scoffing at the rule and any potential idiot who would even do such a brazen thing at the academy.
"Only a fool would seek to even pursue such a shameless relationship with a teacher. The academy isn't a site for frivolous romances." Lysithea murmured to herself, glancing at the direction where she heard the squeals of the girls earlier.
The redhead from earlier chuckled amusingly at the rule. "Now that's actually the best part-ow!" The blonde girl beside him slapped the back of his head again for such a remark, huffing in irritation as she did so.
"Now, are there any questions?" Seteth asked upon finishing his explanation of the rules.
A big and burly man with a physique that reminded Lysithea of a bear, raised his hand among the crowd of students, earning him the looks of everyone.
"When do we eat?"
"..."
Upon being sent to their respective dorm rooms, Lysithea's room was on the first floor near the greenhouse and fishing pond. She set down most of her books she brought with her for study on the table and the wooden counters on the corners of her room. She then placed the basket of baked treats she brought with her from the Ordelia mansion on the night table near her bed, taking a piece of the sweet and crumbly biscuit, eating all of it in one bite.
She looked around on what is to be her home for a whole year, she started to familiarize herself with the ceiling and chandelier that will probably be the first thing she sees upon waking up, the stone walls that has passed the test of time and varnished wooden walls.
The Ordelia heiress sighed before deciding to take another baked biscuit from the basket only to find out only a handful remained, having eaten most of it during her travel to Garreg Mach. Lysithea sighed again, resolving to fix such an issue by either buying or making more in the monastery kitchens on a later time.
The classroom of the Golden Deer was quite spacious, being split into two rows of tables and benches while a single table stood at the far northern center of the classroom, the classroom was kept warm by two fireplaces on each side, a large chandelier hung above that illuminated the classroom along with the light passing through the stained glass windows. Lastly, the banner of the Golden Deer hung on the walls northeast and northwest of the classroom.
It is here that Lysithea is acquainted with those who shall become her classmates for the whole year.
Out of all the various students, only a few stood out for Lysithea besides Duke Riegan's heir, such individuals have introduced themselves before it was her turn, they are:
Leonie Pinelli, a commoner with short dark orange hair, hailing from the village of Sauin, she divulged how she managed to afford the tuition needed to get admitted to Garreg Mach as well as her motivation: she wanted to become a skilled mercenary commander like her idol, who is a mercenary by the name of Jeralt.
Lysithea didn't bother to hear more of what Leonie said as she ceaselessly prattled about Jeralt afterwards, she instead chose to write on her notebook to list down notes on some things about magical theory.
Raphael Kirsten, in Lysithea's mind, the buffoon who foolishly asked a question earlier to Seteth about when to eat. He was a big burly man, perhaps the biggest student she ever saw among the students, while he looks too simple-minded, he seems to be a man brimming with optimism. What surprised Lysithea and her classmates was how Raphael casually mentioned his parent's death while eating a skewer of meat, as well as taking care of his younger sister who lived in Riegan territory, sending any manner of support he could to keep her fed.
Lysithea noticed how the bespectacled boy beside Raphael got uneasy when the latter mentioned his parents' passing as if he had something to do with.
That boy is called Ignatz Victor, a short boy with moss green hair, the second son of a well-known merchant family from the Alliance, Ignatz looked like he wasn't the type to become what he aspires to achieve after graduating from Garreg Mach: to be a knight as his parents wanted him to be. Lysithea saw in his eyes that he seem to want to be someone else than what his parents hoped him to be as he spoke about his intentions.
The girl beside Lysithea spoke so quietly that even she had difficulty understanding what she was saying.
Marianne von Edmund was her name, a blue haired girl With a bun and braided hair but what was most evident to her was the presence of heavy bags under her eyes as if she had been deprived of sleep for days as she kept staring down at the table despondently, as if she was constantly getting bothered by something unspeakable. All what Lysithea could find noteworthy about her was what a purple haired man with a bad choice for a haircut said that she is the adopted daughter of Margrave Edmund, a member of the roundtable that her father, Count Ordelia was formerly a member of.
Speaking of which, the purple haired man whose barber probably fell asleep while on the job is the son of Count Gloucester: Lorenz Hellman Gloucester, Lysithea could tell at first glance that Lorenz is the type of noble that she will despise seeing as how he openly flaunts his status as if it's something to feel special from. Lysithea didn't fail to see his occasional glares towards Claude as if bearing a grudge against Duke Riegan's heir.
Lastly, there was a pink haired girl in twin tails with eyes the same color as her hair, her hands on the sides of her face as she looked on with a bored look as if she was only in Garreg Mach to fulfill some obligation that is demanded of her. Her name is Hilda Valentine Goneril, the sister of the popular Duke Holst of House Goneril. Lysithea inwardly remarked on the beauty Hilda possessed, her beauty shows that she takes absolute care of her hygiene and her outward appearance to the point of absurdity.
Yet Lysithea wasn't sure if such beauty reflects what's within as most people don't have both.
"So… what about you then?" Lysithea stopped writing on her notebook as she felt all eyes dawning on her.
The Ordelia heiress sighed before placing her quill back on the inkwell and closing the notebook she was writing on. When she took the admittance test to Garreg Mach, she didn't plan on making friends, she came here to work and study hard in order to give her parents a more comfortable life by helping them ease the burden, no matter how short her life is.
Her life… it's one of the reasons why she didn't have any intentions to befriend anyone nor take on suitors, she fears that whoever she gets attached to would only feel great sorrow and grief in the long run.
"My name is Lysithea von Ordelia, I am the heiress of House Ordelia and I am fifteen years old. Is that enough?" Lysithea asked, her brows furrowed and her eyes narrowed, wanting to make sure she sends a message that she doesn't intend to make attachments.
Yes, that would be far better for her and for everyone. Nobody needs to suffer the curse she has been subjected, the aftereffects of such a curse-
"I didn't know Garreg Mach admits children."
Lysithea froze, did she just hear right? Did someone actually had the audacity to call her a… child?
She looked up to see the culprit of whoever labeled her as such to see Claude smirking mockingly at her. Lysithea stared at Claude in disbelief for a moment before it immediately shifted into a glare.
"Guys, I think we have a lost child in our class-"
Like stepping on a twig, something in Lysithea snapped as Claude pressed on her buttons more.
"Call a Knight of Seiros-"
Claude ceased his teasing completely when Lysithea suddenly conjured a sphere of dark magic on her right hand and a sphere of fire on her left. Everyone looked at the Ordelia heiress, wide eyed yet Lysithea didn't care what they thought, she simply glared at Claude with an unspoken warning.
A sweat dropped from Claude's brow.
"I'm Claude von Riegan." Claude suddenly introduced himself which satiated Lysithea's desire to forcefully shut him up, dispersing her magic on both hands before returning to her notes.
It became obvious to the other members of the Golden Deer, Lysithea has a patience to match her stature, little.
As for Lysithea, her curiosity towards Duke Riegan's heir turned to that of her having a low opinion of him. Unknown to her, Claude's sudden remarks of her was a result of him noticing the melancholy in Lysithea's eyes, the frustration that she tried to hide was quite evident in Claude's view and upon noticing, he decided to distract her away from whatever bothered her.
A day passed just after they were acquainted with each other, class was not meant to start yet as Rhea wanted the students to familiarize themselves more at the huge monastery.
It is at this time that Lysithea saw Claude leaving in the morning, armed with a bow and arrow along with a bag of supplies. She was surprised to see the other two house leaders with him as they left Garreg Mach.
Lysithea shook her head before returning to her struggle of carrying a pile of books she took from the library to study and copy notes with.
She growled at her foolishness of thinking she could carry so many books at once, as she turned to the next corner on her way to her dorm room, Lysithea's arms finally gave up and she dropped the various books and tomes.
Lysithea mentally cursed something as she looked on the fallen books, she bent down to pick some up until another pair of hands came to her aid. Lysithea looked up to see the Alymran boy from yesterday, picking up some of the more heavier books.
"Let me help you." The Almyran boy said as he took on more books and carried them.
"Uh… thanks…" Lysithea murmured, thanking the sudden aid from the boy who seem to look like he was just a year younger than her.
The tanned boy simply nodded. "Can you point me to your room?"
Lysithea still was taken by surprise from the sudden and uncalled for aid but she didn't complain. They arrived at her room with the boy setting down the heavy books on her table.
"I must take my leave now, Lady Rhea still has errands for me to do."
Lysithea nodded at her helper. "Thank you umm…"
"Cyril. My name is Cyril."
"And I am Lysithea." Lysithea found herself smiling at the foreign boy.
Cyril then took his leave as Lysithea watched on before closing the door to her room until she remembered she still has something to do outside: to bake some more of those biscuits that has run out by now. Maybe she'll make some extra as thanks for Cyril's assistance…
The next day, Lysithea heard the news from her classmates about Claude's brush of death along with Edelgard and Dimitri.
It turned out that they went on a training exercise to gauge their capabilities as well as bond to foster good relationships between their houses instead of just being competitive to each other which may breed animosity between them.
Such endeavor was interrupted when they were attacked by bandits aiming to rob and kill them only to be saved by a mercenary company who they found out by chance while evading the bandits.
The Knights of Seiros were unaware of the training exercise conducted by the house leaders but when they found out, Rhea had them dispatched to retrieve them. When they arrived, they found out that most of the bandits had been defeated but what surprised Alois, the captain of the knights that were sent was…
Two men being escorted by a group of mercenaries and knights entered the gates of Garreg Mach.
The taller and grizzled man narrowed his eyes as he looked above at the balcony of the third floor of the main building of Garreg Mach, the archbishop stood on the balcony and stared down at Jeralt before shifting her gaze to the teal haired man beside Jeralt, the legendary Blade Breaker and former captain of the Knights of Seiros.
"Rhea's here…"
His son, Byleth looked up to meet Rhea's gaze. His emotionless and stoic blue eyes stared directly at the archbishop's green eyes.
"I wonder… Did the flow of time bring you here?"
First of, I must credit my good friend who we'll refer to as: Lazy Raichu for aiding me in writing this story as well as my previous ones, she helped out a lot and came up with that idea on describing Lorenz' haircut.
Then, I would also like to thank those members in the FelAnnie discord for putting their own input when I presented previews.
Lastly, I would like to thank all of you dear readers for even reading this and the prologue last week! I at least want to release new chapters weekly to bi-weekly if I could!
Also, APOLOGIES that Byleth and Lysithea haven't interacted yet! I guarantee you guys that they will in the next chapter! This is why I struggled writing this chapter in the first place! Because I was raring to go and write their interactions!
PS: I'd prefer to call Byleth x Lysithea as Bysithea or Lyleth thanks to the people of the Lysithea subreddit for thinking of a proper ship name!