White Clouds

The Tower of Vows

Part A

First off, sorry for the delay on this update... I have been working on three other fics after I last updated this story with the third story being a special collaboration I am doing with SuperbOwl.

Second, this chapter and the month of the Ethereal Moon itself will be split into two for pacing reasons.

More explanation at the end

Ethereal Moon of the Imperial Year 1180

"Hey look, it's that girl from House Ordelia."

Lysithea didn't pay attention to the group of students who whispered in hushed tones, their eyes bearing the look of suspicion and spite towards the Ordelia girl who innocently passed by them with a despondent look.

As she walked passed more students on her way to the library, all wore the same type of look those before had.

Lysithea didn't care anymore how the other students talked behind her back, they were irrelevant in her eyes, the saying from a certain noble in history's past "A lion doesn't concern itself with the opinions of the sheep." is what she's putting in motion to her way of thinking now ever since the news of the scandal spread through the students like wildfire.

A scandal that was only half true in its nature, a scandal that had forever tarnished her reputation in the academy and more painfully, the professor's reputation and the respect he had with it… all gone.

"She has a lot of nerve showing her face here after all that's happened." She heard another student mutter, thinking that he was being quiet but was foolish not to lower his voice down unless the fool was intending for her to actually hear him as she walked passed.

"You know I can't help but think that despite House Ordelia's denial of their culpability on Tomas… they actually planned what happened in Remire Village…"

"Like conspire in getting their house's prestige back?"

"Yeah, ever heard of that rumor? That House Ordelia is planning to ingratiate itself to the people to reclaim its influence? That they engineered that tragedy in Remire Village as a form of experiment to use later on in Alliance territory in order to weaken the other houses by rendering their citizens as insane as those in Remire Village and then come forward with the claim of a 'cure'?"

Lysithea nearly turned her glare towards the girl who spoke of such falsehoods especially in regards to her house and by extension, her parents' good name. It was already bad enough that they were speaking slander about her and the professor but to also speak of such vile accusations to her family was nearly getting to her and she was inches away from blasting those people off with her sharp tongue or from her magic, either one works for her.

Not like doing those would help her situation, she knew she had to live with the fact that she would be known to the other students as such. Lashing out or attacking them in any form would only make it worse for her though she had calculated that perhaps she can instill fear in their hearts if she did give them something to be afraid of…

Lysithea arrived at her destination, the library that she always frequented on to get new books for self-studying or just books to use as reference material for any homework or theory she wants to test out, she could see Annette dusting the tomes and bookshelves as part of her assigned duty for the month to help out.

There was also Petra reading a book about what appears to be that of Fodlan language in one of the tables while Professor Manuela seems to be returning a few books she had used for her classes on the shelves. That and many other students she didn't care about were in the library.

Despite how quietly she moved, her presence was noted by some of those students as she made her way to the library, there was only disdain in their eyes despite denying herself the chance to look back at them, she could just tell from the vibe they were emitting towards her.

She wasn't welcome but she didn't care, what mattered more to her is her purpose in the library and the individuals that she knew her well. Annette turned to notice her presence and gave her a nod of acknowledgement followed by a small smile. Meanwhile, Petra closed her book to open a new one but not before she offered a small smile to Lysithea as she passed by her table.

Such few sights of her classmates and friends were her only light in the darkness at this moment, Lysithea went to one of the shelves to find the book she had been seeking in regards to Faith magic.

It has been weeks since the professor had assigned her the task of learning Faith-based magic in the remaining months of her time in Garreg Mach. The professor had decided to firmly challenge her on the prospect of learning that school of magic and a specific spell and she didn't want to disappoint him.

Lysithea's thought immediately came crashing down as she remembered her current circumstance.

"You might want to take on these, dear." Manuela said from beside her. Lysithea looked up to see the professor of the Blue Lions smiling down at her. A person that she had been indebted more so than she could count due to how she had personally treated her after missions for injuries or any illness.

"Oh hi, Professor Manuela." Lysithea greeted.

"You have been staring at the books for so long that it feels like you're boring holes at them." Manuela remarked with mirth.

Lysithea blinked as realization came to her that she must have been in her own thoughts for a bit.

"A-Apologies, I have so much in mind lately."

Manuela gave her a gesture that it was all fine and there was no need to apologize over something so trivial.

"Oh? Perhaps I have an idea on such things." Manuela smiled.

Lysithea gave her a tired look that she was in no mood for such jests.

"You don't know where to begin with your Faith magic?" Manuela asked which caught Lysithea off-guard with the latter feeling like a fool for assuming Manuela was alluding to her current situation.

"I have taken to learn Nosferatu and the Heal spell but after that, I don't know how to proceed. Faith magic has never crossed my mind to learn until recently."

Manuela crossed her arms below her well-endowed chest, something that Lysithea felt she's lacking but then again… she was still fifteen years old and had room to grow…

"May I ask what is it you're trying to attain by studying this school of magic? Is it perhaps to be of a supporting role?" Manuela inquired.

Lysithea looked up at the books pertaining to the school of magic she wanted to learn from.

"Not exactly a supporting role but I am trying to learn the Warp spell."

Manuela's eyebrows raised as if surprised at how the young girl was aiming to learn a very complex spell that only a few were capable of pulling off.

"The Warp spell? Now that is one complex spell if I may say so myself… That took me a while to learn during my…. younger… days." Manuela's face briefly contorted to that of irritation at the reminder of her age but it only confused Lysithea.

"Is there something that I could use as a stepping stone? Some spell or theory that uses the same fundamentals of Warp?" Lysithea asked, thinking that the best person to truly ask for advice regarding Faith magic was the professor who had far more experience than anyone in Garreg Mach other than the Archbishop (who is very much unreachable to ask for advice).

Manuela didn't need to answer and quickly spotted the necessary book that Lysithea could use for her Faith magic studies. Taking out a dusty old tome from one of the shelves.

The busty professor blew the dust away and used her right hand as a brush to remove what remained and passed it on to Lysithea.

The snow haired girl gave a nod of thanks and looked at the book's cover only to frown at its title.

"The Theory of Banishing Otherworldly Beings." Lysithea's face contorted into a grimace as she read the title before giving Manuela a look.

"Oh don't let the title mislead you, dear. That book is truly useful in learning a spell that you are looking for and not to mention, it's very effective against monsters such as Demonic Beasts." Manuela said before opening the book for Lysithea.

"This is where you should begin, the Seraphim spell. It contains the same fundamentals as that of Warp in its incantations and formula, learning this will guide you in your goal to use the Warp spell." Manuela gave her a wink, she turned her back on Lysithea and took her leave but not without taking the book she was intending to get.

Lysithea was stunned by the unexpected help from Manuela and despite her back turned to her, Lysithea gave her a bow of thanks for her assistance.

Eagerly awaiting to study the book to move forward with her study, Lysithea began to walk out of the library. She passed by Annette and gave her a short nod of farewell, just as she approached the doorway leading out of the library, she came upon a face she didn't want to see of all people. She hit her head on the firm chest of a man and just before she could fall on her back, she was pulled back by strong hands to keep her balance.

"Lysithea." Byleth said, startled by bumping on to the Ordelia girl on the way in the library.

The snow haired girl gasped at the sudden appearance and close proximity of the professor before her which earned the looks of everyone in the library with the majority of its inhabitants with the exception of Annette, Petra and Manuela all giving the two eyes of disgust and whispered among each other.

"How shameless to flirt in the library…"

"There they are again…"

"Did you see the way the professor touched her?"

Lysithea felt all their judging looks and words go through her and towards the professor who bore his usual deadpan look as he gave each and everyone of the gossipers a glance, silencing them before he locked eyes with Lysithea again although the girl avoided his gaze by immediately looking down, her bangs shadowing her eyes.

"That book, have you-" Byleth pointed out, being able to read the title through the spine of the book.

"I'm sorry professor, I have to go. Places to be in." Lysithea hastily said as she walked past him, her arms tightly hugging the book she had just borrowed from the library.

Byleth watched her leave before releasing a dispirited sigh at how Lysithea had avoided him once again despite his attempts to talk to her, Byleth could only feel sad for what had become of his relationship with Lysithea as a student and a teacher, what was once a fruitful and respectful relationship had turned into one that Lysithea seemed to be thoroughly ashamed of due to the rumors that had spread.

While the students who knew him and Lysithea knew the truth alongside some of the staff of the monastery, the others were ignorant of what had occured and despite the best attempts of his friends, the opinions of the others were already set in stone. It seems that the label towards him as a professor who takes advantage of his students would forever hang around him as well as Lysithea's label by the others as a temptress seeking to use any means necessary to get what she wants even if it would involve sacrificing her… purity.

Such gossip angered Byleth yet he knew he can do nothing let it be for now, it also made him despondent at times, jobs that he would normally ask Lysithea's assistance for especially on the reviewing of test results and helping him out in his office felt lonely without her.

"Don't lose your focus on why we're here." Sothis berated Byleth within his mind, appearing in front of him, floating with her arms crossed on her chest. "We need to find out more about what Rhea said… Sothis… The Goddess… What does it even mean?"

Byleth nodded, his eyes leaving Lysithea who had rushed out of the library upon making contact with him, he went inside and ignored the wary looks the other students were giving him, only greeted by his colleague and two of his students in the Black Eagles as he proceeded to a section regarding Theology.

The books he took piled up in the table he occupied alone, reading book after book as his eyes focused on looking for more information regarding the Goddess and her origins, some books sharing various theories of the Goddess Sothis.

"Ugh! I'm just reading more and more into repetitive blabberings of zealots at this point!" Sothis complained, her tone impatient and frustrated at the lack of progress.

Byleth sighed as he closed another book that led to another disappointing result and an absolute waste of time. He glanced at the remaining pile of books regarding Theology at his side and he simply led out a tired sigh.

If only Lysithea was here as his assistant, she would have made this self-appointed task much easier by helping him read through these books as part of her punishment for destroying the kitchen with Annette one month ago. Alas, such thoughts were impossible after Seteth himself requested him to cease in having Lysithea as an assistant and also to allow him to allocate her to other tasks in order to prevent inflaming the ongoing rumors about him and Lysithea's so-called illicit relationship.

Byleth could recall how everything had changed between him and Lysithea after news of the scandal spread across the student body… Lysithea would always point out any mistake in what he is teaching due to her incredible insight and advanced studying she does as well as her extensive research on the subject matters at hand. While others might be annoyed at their mistakes being constantly pointed out, Byleth appreciated Lysithea's brutal honesty regarding most matters.

At most times, people would unceasingly flatter him with praise as Rhea's favorite person to rely on, the fact that he had been called the Goddess' chosen with the proof being his Crest of Flames, long thought to be lost to history and the mythical divine blade, the Sword of the Creator in his possession.

Maybe that is the reason why he felt more connected with Lysithea, both had been showered with praises with their accomplishments only for such accomplishments to be attributed due to the 'blessing' and power of the Crests they possess instead of the effort they poured into it.

Byleth scoffed to himself, he remembered that he missed her pointing out his mistakes that he deliberately made a flaw in his teaching, hopefully awaiting Lysithea to point it out yet she remained silent. It was Annette who had pointed it out in the end much to his disappointment, he felt petty and bad for what he did, vowing to never do such an irresponsible and selfish act that would hinder his students' growth again.

"You're thinking about her again, cease such thoughts and focus on the task at hand! This is of more importance!" Sothis scolded him, huffing in frustration at how easily distracted her host is but deep inside her, she felt bad for what Byleth is going through. He hasn't been the same ever since such vile and false rumors propagated about him and the girl, making him research about her and the Church's foundations is her way of distracting him away from such thoughts.

This current plan of knowing more about her and the Goddess doubled as a ploy to also distract Byleth away from the issue but no matter how hard she pushes him to do so, his thoughts would always return to the girl.

The professor of the Black Eagles then ceased his thoughts regarding Lysithea as per Sothis' scolding, taking another book from the remaining pile and opened it, hoping that he would momentarily forget about Lysithea at the moment.

From a short distance, Annette could only watch with worry for the professor's wellbeing as well as that of her friend, Lysithea's before she returned to her task of cleaning up the library shelves. She had been observing them for quite a while and honestly, she couldn't help but feel powerless for being unable to assist them.

Lysithea was listless as she made her way to the dorms in order to study in peace, wanting to avoid the judgmental eyes of the other students that have been a constant thing in her daily life ever since the scandal.

She doubted she had the motivation to study about the new Faith spell that Manuela had advised her to learn before taking on Warp. What little motivation she had to study disappeared when she had an unexpected meeting with the professor outside of classes.

She couldn't meet his gaze, those azure blue eyes that always pierces through her pinkish red ones, she had come to like it when they meet eyes and yet she couldn't do so anymore, she could only look away in shame at what she had brought down to him.

Her grip on the book tightened and pressed further to her chest, her teeth nearly shattering due to how intensely she was gritting them against each other. She didn't allow herself to wallow in self-pity in the past, she wanted to prevent feeling that to herself in order to focus on what lies ahead of her…

But this time, there is no temptation of self-pity… there was only resentment. Resentment to herself, resentment for causing all of this trouble for herself and for the professor.

And despite the reassurance of her parents that sent via letter, Lysithea couldn't help but feel like she had been a huge burden to them by adding another problem in their plates of troubles. She had brought shame to the name of House Ordelia and the fact that it's diminished prestige was already low enough as it is, the events of Remire Village and the revelation of Tomas' betrayal further put one more nail in the coffin of House Ordelia's continual downfall.

Lysithea's thoughts strayed on the events of the calamity that befell Remire Village and it was a sight to behold in the worst way possible.

Upon their arrival at the supposedly plague-ridden village, it was already on fire due to its inhabitants being in a crazed murderous trance. Friends and families killing each other, their victims, mostly the sane ones begging for mercy before it were replaced by blood curdling screams.

It was a slaughter and such a sight caused the normally stoic Byleth and Jeralt to react angrily in the village that had cared for them in the past when father and son were merely wandering mercenaries. This was also the village where Byleth's involvement with Garreg Mach began where he met Edelgard, Dimitri and Claude.

The rest of the students were horrified with Bernadetta quivering in fear at the crazed maniacal glare the villagers were giving them. Even Linhardt's usual sheepish face was extremely bothered by the bodies that littered the village.

They didn't have much time to discuss among themselves the horrors they are witnessing and all began to assume their battle positions with Byleth and Jeralt hurriedly assigning squads comprising of the Black Eagles and the Knights that accompanied them, all of which were tasked to evacuate the villagers who were unaffected in whatever that plagued most of them and to also maim the crazed villagers instead of killing them, being the right thing to do as well as it was the Archbishop's orders in order to find out what was causing such manias.

The battle itself wasn't hard but it weighed heavily upon them as they were mostly fighting the villagers, it reminded the Black Eagles of when they fought the militia consisting of peasants that Lonato led months ago. To fight a force consisting of people who until this point had been tilling fields and caring for crops weigh heavily in their conscience.

Lysithea could have sworn she heard Ferdinand curse the situation for making him feel like a tyrant, a noble attacking the peasants was not something he aspires to be as a noble and doing so made him sick.

Ferdinand's concern was the least of their worry when Tomas, who had been missing for the entire month revealed himself. Cackling a wicked laugh opposite of the gentle one Tomas used to exude, Tomas was enveloped in a small burst of dark energy. In the blink of an eye, Tomas' usual docile look was replaced to that of a pale skinned man with pronounced veins all over his face but what was terrifying to see was his right eye socket that was bigger than his left one.

Lysithea gasped at the sight of Tomas… Pale white skin, black sclera surrounding the yellow iris and pupil of his eyes. Lysithea immediately surmised who or what Tomas is part of.

He declared himself as Solon and that Tomas is simply just a front, in his own twisted way, he declared himself a savior.

Things took a turn when the Death Knight suddenly appeared, demanding another rematch towards the professor. With that, all pieces fell into place… the people who caused these events in Remire Village were of the Flame Emperor's army. The Death Knight and the mages in black that were led by Solon…

Lysithea could feel anger at them once more, immediately thinking that the people who have been maddened by whatever caused them to do so were of the same vein on what happened to the rest of the children of House Ordelia.

It made her mad that they would subject innocent villagers who were just getting by in their daily lives to the torture and agony that she and the other Ordelia children went through.

Perhaps her rising temper was so evident that Edelgard placed a hand on her shoulder, advising her to keep calm despite the gravity of the situation. Edelgard's lavender eyes back then were cold yet there was some sort of conflict within them that Lysithea couldn't ascertain.

The Death Knight went on his way to challenge the professor only for Felix to challenge him on the way, and while the skilled swordsman of the former Blue Lions house held his own far better than Caspar and Ferdinand once did due to the training and guidance from Byleth but after a prolonged fight while with Sylvain, both of them were gravely injured from the fight and if it weren't for Jeralt's timely rescue, they would have met their end.

Lysithea didn't witness much of what happened after she helped Annette drag Felix out of the battlefield while being covered by Ferdinand and Petra but she knew the Flame Emperor appeared once the situation went under their control and the surviving villagers rescued and the maddened villagers in restraint.

During that time, Lysithea noticed that Edelgard wasn't anywhere present and assumed the worst only to feel relieved when the ashen haired girl showed up, apparently checking for any survivors in the midst of the village's burned remains.

Though none of her classmates were harmed, the fact that Tomas is a traitor and had been infiltrating Garreg Mach all these years while masquerading as some calm and seemingly harmless man had made an impact on her and it further dipped her reputation into deeper mud more than ever.

The fact that Tomas came from Ordelia territory and came to Garreg Mach under the recommendation of House Ordelia further inflamed the hatred of the other students towards her despite Lysithea's claims that she had never seen Tomas until she attended the Officer's Academy, she was still doubted by the other students.

"Oh hey look, it's the little traitorous minx from House Ordelia."

Lysithea paused in her thoughts and frowned at the trio of friends, two males and one female, who had recognized them all from the Golden Deer, one of the less significant ones that she didn't bother to remember their names.

Just as usual, Lysithea just sighed at the three students leaning their backs on the wall near the gates to the training grounds, it is what she usually does to people accosting her directly regarding the rumors, she didn't want to feel stress nor waste time with fools who don't know the full story behind the actual events.

Lysithea resumed her walk back to her dorm but the one who called her out blocked her, preventing her from going away.

"Hold it right there, it's rude to just turn away from someone talking to you, you know?" The man who appeared to be the leader of the trio continued to sneer at her mockingly, his height towering over her.

Lysithea shot him a glare. "Better to be rude than to talk with an immature idiot." She responded sharply but the man just laughed at her.

"Figures that the people in House Ordelia have no concept on the basics of manners."

The snow haired girl tightened her hold on her book at the mention of her house and by extension, her parents being bad mouthed by someone who has no right to do so due to his blistering ignorance and overall depravity in trying to bully her over things she didn't do.

"I have no time to waste on things like this. I have more things to do." Lysithea scoffed bitterly, using every bit of restraint she has not to attack the fool in front her right now as well as his two friends snickering at her expense.

Lysithea attempted to walk away once more but found herself surrounded by the person bullying her as well as his two friends, barring any chances of leaving them in a more amicable way.

"Move." Lysithea said, her voice seething with impatient anger.

"Are you so in a rush to meet up with the professor again so he could 'play' with you?" The man pushed her back as Lysithea tried to force her way out, staggering the Ordelia girl back.

"Or probably plot something again with Tomas and your parents to repeat what happened in Remire somewhere else?" He continued to press on the last remaining semblance of patience and restraint Lysithea has.

By this moment, Lysithea had unknowingly been leaking out an aura of dark magic. Her anger nearly reaching its peak at the mention of the professor being used for derogatory statements as well as her parents being dragged into the same mud that Solon had wallowed in, it made her sick that such comparison would be made between such a monster and her parents who she dearly loves above everything else.

One more statement from them, she wore, one more statement and she will not be held responsible for what may happen to the trio who accosted her for no real reason at all.

But before any of them can speak, a loud and angered voice boomed.

"Hey! What are you jerks doing to her?!"

Lysithea gasped at the sudden angered voice of Caspar, stomping his way towards Lysithea to confront the man who he had witnessed pushing her. Caspar readied his fists to beat him up senseless much like those who dared to harass Petra during Flayn's disappearance, Lysithea could very much see Caspar's burning desire to hurt them but such attempts were dampened when Dorothea strongly pulled Caspar away.

"Don't be an idiot right now, Caspie! I know what you feel but think of what happens if you do this!" Dorothea chided him as Edelgard, Hubert and Ferdinand arrived, all of which were glaring at the three people who were harassing Lysithea, Edelgard's cold glare made even Lysithea shiver.

Caspar tried to shake Dorothea away, his teeth gritting in rage.

"No one talks smack about my friends and classmates like that! Especially on dumb unfounded rumors!" Caspar argued as the trio he was aiming to attack, ceased surrounding Lysithea and even pushed the Ordelia girl to the direction of the Black Eagles, leading Ferdinand to catch her and extend his arm protectively to his classmate. While he and the others knew Lysithea doesn't need their protection from harm, they all felt compelled to protect one of their own, especially one that has proven to be a steadfast ally and a good friend.

"That is not how a man of noble birth should treat a lady! You ought to bring shame to the nobility for committing such things to someone who does not deserve such treatment!" Ferdinand admonished them with restrained anger as he sought to protect Lysithea as both a friend and as demanded from his noble heritage.

The trio were unfazed by the unrestrained anger Caspar was showing, Ferdinand's words against their honor as nobles and Dorothea flashing one of her angry glares upon her green eyes. It was Edelgard's expression that remained unreadable to them however as Hubert stared at them with nothing but contempt.

Without saying a word, Edelgard approached the trio who accosted Lysithea with the intention to bully her for things she didn't do nor planned, approaching the ringleader of the trio who dared to physically push Lysithea around. Along the way, she placed a soothing hand on Caspar and Dorothea, a gesture to calm down while her expression seemed like she was telling them to leave everything for her to handle.

Caspar calmed down despite his generally stubborn and hot-headed attitude that even Edelgard has difficulty reining in, he felt compelled to calm himself when he saw the look on Edelgard's eyes as if exuding the authority of one of supreme power. As a result, Dorothea loosened her hold on Caspar as Edelgard passed by them, stopping to meet face to face with the trio's ringleader.

"So this is how it goes doesn't it, you little minx?" The ringleader smirked towards Lysithea before his eyes scanned Edelgard from head to toe. "You have someone else to run to and fight your own battles, hiding behind the skirt of a soon to be emperor of an empire whose power is a shadow of its former glory."

Hubert growled but kept himself at bay at the utter disrespect a lowly noble of unpleasant disposition towards Edelgard, he knew better than to interrupt Edelgard at such moments lest he be another recipient of a look that he himself does not want to experience.

Lysithea wouldn't be lying if she thought she wanted to just blast the fool away with her magic. She had also considered the thought of Edelgard with her axe, cleaving the idiot's skull nearly in half just like how Edelgard did to Miklan's skull months ago. Hell, Lysithea sometimes wished she would rain down an ungodly amount of dark magic to everyone who has ever bullied her and insulted her parents and the professor over the false rumors.

"You may be the future Emperor of Adrestia but here, you're just like us." The ringleader of the trio pointed out figuratively and literally towards Edelgard who remained still, her cold unreadable lavender eyes piercing through his eyes that increasingly began to shake as if under heavy pressure.

The man tried to sound in control as Edelgard's eyes began to make him shake, it was as if her eyes… Staring at them made his heart and resolve shake from

"Just because you're the Imperial Princess doesn't mean you have any power here, I'm not afraid of you! Not like House Ordelia was when your Empire took control of-"

Just before he could finish, he found himself lying on the pavement and a stinging sensation on his face.

His friends and the Black Eagles looked on in shock at what Edelgard had just done, she had slapped him and judging from how it sounded and the severity of Edelgard's mark on the man's face, it was filled with so much brutal force that it left a bruise on the ringleader's cheek as well as blood to flow out from the corner of his lips.

Lysithea's pinkish red eyes could only widen alongside her classmates in the Black Eagles except for Hubert who wore a smirk of pride at what Edelgard just did to put the man in place.

The remaining two of the trio who were spared from the slap could only slowly back away as they saw their leader lying on the pavement from just a slap by Edelgard.

Spitting out blood and still stunned to the point that his vision was still blurry, the ringleader looked up at Edelgard only to meet multiple copies of her cold eyes glaring at her, it was there that he finally realized the unreadable look behind Edelgard's eyes were: Pure unbridled anger and hatred to him.

He could feel the killing intent Edelgard was exuding from her eyes and it nearly made him soil his underwear due to how terrifying her glare is.

"Edelgard…" Lysithea muttered in disbelief as Dorothea murmured the future emperor's nickname.

"E-Edie…"

Edelgard lightly huffed before giving the man an apologetic smile.

"I apologized.. My hand slipped. It doesn't normally do that…"

The heir apparent of the Adrestian Empire pulled the end of her white gloves back to fit in perfectly in her hands once more before offering her right hand to help the very man she just slapped with it.

"Reach for my hand." Edelgard gently said yet despite her tone and the smile she wore, it sounded more like a command that seemed the type to be immediately obeyed upon.

As if compelled to abide by it like he was one of her subjects, the man accepted Edelgard's aid to stand up, without an effort, Edelgard lifted him up with no effort before dusting off any dirt that clung to his uniform while the man and his friends watched her nervously.

"What are you-"

All of a sudden, Edelgard grabbed him by the collar of his uniform and pulled his ear closer for her to quietly whisper something.

Lysithea and the others watched curiously in Edelgard's every move until their eyes widened when they saw the colors of the man's face turn white as his body trembled, Edelgard then released the man's collar as the latter retreated back to his friends, all of which bore the same terrified look their leader had yet when Edelgard looked at them.

Edelgard sighed and turned around to face her friends and classmates again, bearing the same dignified and straight face she always has.

"W-What did you tell him, Edie?" Dorothea nervously asked, the look of fear in the eyes of the man earlier was still engraved in her mind.

Edelgard gave her a look. "You don't want to know." She said with finality as she made her way to Lysithea.

"Are you alright?" Edelgard asked her, her lavender eyes filled with worry the moment she laid eyes on the Ordelia girl, her hands on Lysithea's shoulders.

Lysithea nodded. "I am… It's just that… you didn't need to involve yourself with such fools, Edelgard." Lysithea said.

"Impossible." Edelgard shook her head at Lysithea's reply. "You cannot expect me to turn a blind eye when someone close to me is being harmed in front of my eyes."

The snow haired girl sighed at Edelgard's willingness to dirty her hands in something unnecessary for her sake. "It's just that it's my burden-"

"Lysie, I believe what you should be saying is thank you to Edie." Dorothea interrupted, her hands behind her back as she approached Lysithea and Edelgard.

Lysithea realized how rude she has been to her friend and house leader despite not asking for her help, she is still grateful to Edelgard and her classmates for always having her back ever since this kind of treatment began on the onset of the rumors.

She bowed in thanks to Edelgard. "T-Thank you, Edelgard… I didn't mean to be ungrateful…"

Edelgard only smiled at her, a smile reassuring her that no offense was taken.

"Come, allow us to accompany you to the dorms. That's where you are headed for, am I correct?"

Lysithea nodded in confirmation, Edelgard gestured to her to follow her as Ferdinand, Caspar, Hubert and Dorothea surrounded her in a military-like formation to protect her from any form of harassment she might get. Despite feeling overwhelmed by their aid… Lysithea couldn't help but feel one thing as she was escorted by her classmates.

She felt small compared to them but she felt safe in their company especially with Edelgard.

Later on that day, sparks flew in training grounds as unsharpened steel clashed against one another in quick successions.

Felix parried a chop that was aimed at his head with his sword before pushing Byleth and his sword away by exerting enough force to push the professor away before swinging his head to hit Byleth's chest.

Byleth jumped back in time, Felix' practice sword nearly hitting him, before slashing his own practice sword upwards to stagger his sparring partner away. Byleth applied more pressure into Felix' defense with a series of well calculated strikes aimed to confuse and stagger Felix more.

The Fraldarius heir growled at being overwhelmed by the professor and fought back with the same ferocity as him, their blades clashing repeatedly until both parties locked their blades against each other, both trying to gain the advantage over each other until Felix suddenly used his head to literally hit Byleth's own head with it, stunning the professor momentarily leaving him open for a decisive blow.

Felix aimed to deliver the final blow towards him but Byleth regained his senses immediately and immediately managed to duck and spin around to swing his sword at Felix' back, sending his student face first on the ground, defeated.

Byleth felt winded down for the first time sparring with Felix, normally he would be fine after a prolonged fight against him but Felix today had nearly defeated him with his new and improved skill with a blade yet judging from the small growl of frustration Felix led out, it wasn't enough for him.

"Not even a single blow landed with my sword." Felix lamented, dusting himself off after standing up.

"Nearly. You are getting better." Byleth complimented before drinking from his water bag to replenish some of his energy by the revitalizing but simple liquid.

Felix scoffed at his compliment, seeing it empty as he took a drink from his own water bag he set down near the training weapon racks.

"It's not enough until I defeat you." Felix replied.

Byleth sighed after feeling a wave of relief after drinking most of the contents of his water bag.

"Don't be so hard to yourself, you may not have won but you have come close today as compared to before." Byleth remarked at Felix' progress despite the latter denying any credit being given to him.

"Hmph, I only came close due to your lack of focus." Felix said with a shrug.

Byleth shot him a questioning look just as he was returning his training sword on the weapon rack.

Felix returned his own training sword back to the rock, his back turned to his teacher and sparring partner.

"If you have your thoughts on those foolish and baseless gossip regarding you and that white haired girl, I suggest you get them out in a real battle." Felix scolded him before walking away. "It will be your head if you let such thoughts take over."

Byleth watched as Felix left him alone in the training grounds, pondering at Felix' words before he shook his head not to dwell too much on it.

The professor then turned to the Sword of the Creator that rested on one of the pillars in the inner square of the training grounds, picking it up and waving it around as his Crest resonated with the mythical relic, the sword glowing orange.

Byleth waved the divine blade several times in quick successions to proceed with his solo training in handling its overwhelming power, he wouldn't dare try to have one of his students be his sparring partner in testing out the sword's power and his skill with it, only one who was capable of handling its power and pressure was Catherine's Thunderbrand yet she rarely practices with him due to her duties for Rhea.

As he trained with the Sword of the Creator, in Byleth's attempts to try to get his thoughts out of Lysithea, he remembered the events in Remire Village and what misfortune befell the villagers upon their arrival there.

Initially when he arrived there with Jeralt, it was just a village that they stopped over to rest on their trip to the Faerghus territory for a job they were hired to do. The villagers were kind and accommodated them well during their stay there with Jeralt himself bonding with them as Byleth passively watched on.

He had no emotion or attachment to people back then except his father but now that he thought about the fate of Remire, the smiles and laughter of the children, the bashful look on one of maidens of the village swooning over his appearance and the village elder welcoming them were all replaced by the horrific sights of blood and corpses as well as the burning houses set on fire upon the maddened villagers.

It flared up something within him, as if resonating with his ever growing emotions, the Sword of the Creator's blade loosened to change to its whip form and with a grunt, he spun around followed by his sword whip to lash out at the training dummies lined up together, cutting through the wood with ease.

He wasn't satisfied with such things as every problem and worries he had suddenly came crashing down in his mind. He remembered the tears Lysithea had during the night, her sullen and broken expression the next day which contrasted the bright smile she had when she was mostly with him. It made him nearly lose control of his emotions as he used his whip to wrap a training dummy with it and tossed it to the air, he followed up soon with another lash that destroyed the dummy into wooden splinters.

His final thoughts were on the subject that was distracting him most… It was the time when Edelgard expressed her concerns for Lysithea's daily life as they conversed over a cup of tea in the gazebo, he had learned from Edelgard on the way Lysithea was being treated by the other students outside of the Black Eagles… what they labeled her and it made his blood boil when he first heard of it, barely masking it in Edelgard's scrutinous eyes.

Breathing heavily in releasing his pent up frustrations on the recent happenings, Byleth composed himself and retracted the whip's form back into a sword before he sheathed the sword to the side of his waist.

He didn't know what to do to handle the situation with Lysithea because ever since they had been caught in their current predicament, Lysithea had begun to avoid him like a plague, barring any chances of them talking.

Next day…

"Nothing good will ever come out if you just shut yourself in your room like Bernadetta." Edelgard chided Lysithea as the latter followed her, managing to convince the Ordelia girl to join her for some tea to relax and unwind for the weekend.

"Edelgard, I'm too busy trying to learn Faith magic and for the upcoming exams, I can't afford to waste time just so I can 'relax'." Lysithea grumbled as she was dragged by Edelgard by the arm.

The Imperial Princess simply let herself in her room as she was reviewing her notes and with a simple "Come and have tea with me.", she was dragged out of her room and left a confused Ordelian alone in the room.

"And what has that done for you these past few days?" Edelgard asked. "Your grades have plummeted to the point that it didn't seem like they were yours, you are not as attentive in class anymore, you come in late and you looked more exhausted than ever before."

"I fail to see how that is any of your business!" Lysithea stubbornly said as she was forced to follow after Edelgard.

"At least you still have the energy to be so stubborn."

"I'm exhausted, Edelgard! Not a walking corpse!"

Edelgard sighed, loosening her hold on Lysithea's arm which the latter had immediately pulled her arm away from Edelgard's grasp, feeling slight relief from being freed.

"It is my business as your House Leader." Edelgard started with a cold tone, giving Lysithea a look before it softened.

"But it is also my concern as your friend." She continued, her lavender eyes looking on with worry. "Please, you know you can always confide with me."

Lysithea regarded Edelgard for a moment before letting out a resigned sigh, gesturing her to go on to which Edelgard smiled at as the two girls of white hair walked together towards the gazebo where they frequently held their tea parties.

As they walked in relative silence, passing by any students that didn't dare to gossip or do anything towards Lysithea as Edelgard exuded an intimidating aura that served as a form of 'repellant' against anyone who would dare to accost her like the day before, Lysithea was already thinking word had spread on what Edelgard did and made sure the people would remember should they try to harass Lysithea while under her protection.

Though the person who tried to approach Lysithea in that moment wasn't one of those people…

"Lysithea…"

The two white haired girls almost looked behind their backs at the same time to catch sight of Cyril who bore a sad and apologetic look directed towards Lysithea.

Edelgard raised her eyebrows in a questioning manner, trying to ascertain what Cyril would want from her friend as well as why his expression said it was as if he had wronged Lysithea in some way.

Lysithea, however, bore a different look. There was only resentment in her eyes, an unforgiving glare was fixated on Cyril who tried his earnest to keep on looking at her but faltered from the scathing glare. Cyril knew that he was all responsible for what Lysithea was being subjected to by her peers right now and the slap he received on that day was all the indication he needed to know what she feels towards him.

"Lysithea, I want to say so-"

The Ordelia girl didn't give him a chance to continue his attempted apology, only scoffing at him as she turned away from him and started walking, this time she was the one who took Edelgard's arm and dragged her to follow her to the gazebo to have tea, leaving Cyril alone with a more disheartened look than before.

It seems forgiveness is the last thing Lysithea would want to give to the Almyran boy at this point, seeing him only sickened her.

"Preparations are finished, Lady Edelgard." Hubert courteously bowed towards Edelgard after he had witnessed his liege's arrival with her friend.

Edelgard gave Hubert a smile of thanks. "Thank you, Hubert. That will be all."

Hubert glanced at Lysithea before giving Edelgard another bow.

"Very well, I shall take my leave then." The stalwart retainer responded and took his leave to allow his liege to spend time with her friend alone. Unknown to both, Hubert glanced at the two once more who both sat themselves on the chairs of the opposite sides of the table, in his eyes was an unreadable look that focused mostly towards Lysithea.

Lysithea listlessly stared at her tea, despite the smell of the honeyed fruit blend invading her nostrils, it didn't whet her appetite, even the plates of macarons and slice of chocolate sponge cake before her didn't do any favors in giving her the motivation to devour them like she used to.

Edelgard looked perturbed at Lysithea's uninterested gaze at the sweets she had readied for her, she didn't expect the day would arrive where Lysithea of all people would look so detached on the sweet delicacies, it felt like such a bad omen to see it.

"Relax, Hubert didn't poison the tea if that's what you're thinking." Edelgard said in jest in order to spark something from Lysithea, the latter only flashed a small fake smile as a response.

Little did Edelgard know that Lysithea was indeed looking forward to taste whatever sweets she had prepared for her, what little enthusiasm she had for reluctantly joining her house leader for tea was ruined when she caught sight of Cyril and heard his voice, seeing and hearing him was the last thing she wanted to experience in that day and she made it clear to him several times that she doesn't want to have anything to do with him anymore.

"Lysithea, the tea and sweets won't consume themselves… please, at least have a sip and a bite." Edelgard pleaded, gently pushing the small ceramic jar filled with sugar cubes for Lysithea to smother her tea with it.

Lysithea meekly nodded, slowly taking the lid off of the jar and sluggishly adding sugar into her tea as Edelgard looked on as she took a sip of her own blend of bergamot tea.

Stirring the sugar cubes and dissolving them into her tea, Lysithea finally took a sip from her cup and despite her unenthusiastic mood earlier, the sugary taste of the tea seemed to perk her mood up even if it was only a bit which brought a small smile of relief on Edelgard's lips.

"I'm sorry, I know I promised to have those sweet cakes from Enbarr served the next time we have tea but I haven't gotten the chance to have it procured." Edelgard said, hoping to at least jumpstart the topic.

"What do you really want from me, Edelgard?" Lysithea suddenly asked, catching Edelgard off-guard from the sudden and confronting nature of her question.

"I just want to share tea with you to relax-"

"Please, I may be a terrible liar but that doesn't mean I can't sense a lie when I hear one." Lysithea interrupted her once more.

Edelgard sighed and thought. 'So much for trying to take this slow and easy for her.'

Deciding to come clean with her intentions, Edelgard set her teacup down on the ceramic saucer, clasped her fingers together and placed her hands on the table.

"I'm worried about you and the professor." Edelgard admitted.

Lysithea was silent, only looking down at her obscure reflection on the tea she had taken a single sip with.

"I can handle this, don't hassle yourself too much on it." Lysithea tried to dismiss Edelgard's concern but the latter was having none of it.

"Try to act strong as much as you want, you're not fooling anyone especially with how you've been performing lately in almost everything." Edelgard sharply responded, stinging Lysithea at the truth of what Edelgard said to her.

Edelgard wasn't finished with her. "As I said, your grades dipped to the point that they seemed like they weren't yours, you always bear that gloomy look upon you, you come in late, you don't eat anymore at the dining hall…" Edelgard listed out all of what she had observed.

"Anything else you want to rub in my face?" Lysithea sighed, her words lacking the strong personality commonly found behind them.

"And you have been avoiding the professor, every chance you get." Edelgard pointed out, eyeing Lysithea who still refuses to look back at her.

Lysithea didn't respond at first and just kept staring at her tea, her fingers still at its handle as her mind wandered elsewhere.

Edelgard was right in everything she pointed out but the latter was perhaps the most evident thing she had been doing in the eyes of many, especially her friends and classmates.

Ever since the scandal happened and rumors started spreading around the entire student body, Lysithea had earnestly avoided Byleth like a plague and it wasn't out of disgust or anything similar to it but it was more about her not wanting to associate herself with Byleth anymore in order to stop the rumors about her and him being inflamed further, she didn't want to drag him down further than what she had already done.

It hurt her to do this to her favorite teacher and her personal friend, a part of her was reluctant to do all of it but another was telling her it's the only way to preserve what is left of the professor's integrity in the eyes of the others. If there was someone whose personal reputation doesn't matter much in the long run, it's her, she has no further use of such a thing in the future anyway so why bother trying to keep it intact?

As for Edelgard, she could also tell that this situation between Lysithea and Byleth has been affecting the latter as well. While it was more subtle than Lysithea's signs, the professor has been more prone to being lost in his thoughts, Edelgard would sometimes catch him staring at Lysithea whenever he gets the chance, his body may be still but she could tell by his azure eyes that the professor wanted to approach Lysithea and talk to her yet he doesn't go through with it.

Edelgard had also noticed that most of the time in class when Byleth is looking for a student to recite something for the class, he would often call out for Lysithea first yet the Ordelia girl would never respond at first, she would only stare at her textbook, lost in her own thoughts which Byleth would then instead try to call out for another student. In the rare times that she does, Lysithea would either read out loud what Byleth asked her to recite albeit in a monotonous tone, a far cry of her usual enthusiastic approach which would also include her own critical thoughts and insights on the subject at hand, something she has been known for by her classmates and professors and it was also something Byleth appreciated the most.

Edelgard's other observation on the professor's change was his less attentiveness to his students. In the past, Byleth would often spend extra time with his students to ascertain what they could improve on but these past few days, he would rather be alone in his office, room or training. Edelgard had also noticed that the smile that he began to exhibit more before all of this happened had all but faded, returning his expression to that of his stoic one that made people feel unwelcome towards him, even Bernadetta felt intimidated with him once again after months of being one of the few people she could feel at ease with.

"I don't want to burden the professor anymore by being associated with me." Lysithea replied, her hands on her lap as her cake remained untouched.

"He doesn't need to be dragged down with me and despite my own efforts to pay off my debt of gratitude for all he did for me, I ended up causing more trouble for him." She added, her tone getting more and more depressed as she thought of the current situation.

Edelgard hated it, hearing Lysithea being so self-depreciative of herself. She had always known her to be a girl who was proud of what she could do, who wouldn't just lie down and let people step on her and lastly, what Edelgard admired about her was her strong willpower to overcome any challenges ahead of her. Seeing her like this, she hated it… coupled with how pathetic the professor has been recently, she wanted to do something for both of them.

"And you think moping around is going to help the situation be better?" Edelgard asked. "You think pretending to be strong and trying to handle all that would make you feel better?"

Lysithea looked up at Edelgard, her depressed eyes at her lavender ones, she tried to open her mouth to respond but no words came out.

"Are you that fixated on what the many who are ignorant think of you rather than be more focused on what the people who matter think about you?" Edelgard asked rhetorically, having had enough of the situation that was happening between the professor of her house and the (former) star pupil, both of which are very dear to her.

"What I'm trying to say here is, what matters more to you? The opinions of others who bore no significance to you? Valuing their opinions more while hurting the person you love?"

Lysithea tried to speak but Edelgard didn't let her. She wanted to plant the thought that the only people who Lysithea should try to care about their opinions with were her friends who had come to stick to her through thick and thin, always ready to defend her from the people who would rather believe hearsays than the actual truth.

"You can deny it all you want but I can tell." Edelgard bluntly told Lysithea. "You love the professor."

Lysithea's blush and speechless reaction was all the confirmation Edelgard needed to be right in her assumption.

Edelgard rose from her seat, looking as if she is about to depart despite also leaving her food untouched.

"In the end... should you really give credence to the opinions of people who don't really matter to you?"

"W-What are you trying to say?" Lysithea managed to stutter out after being on the receiving end of Edelgard's tirades.

"There's nothing wrong in being selfish sometimes, Lysithea. Think of your own happiness for once." Edelgard responded with a frown as she took her leave from the gazebo.

"Edelgard, wait!" Lysithea stood up from her chair, trying to reach out for Edelgard.

The Imperial Princess paused and glanced back at her.

"Edelgard... why do you care so much about me?"

The ashen haired girl solemnly looked at her before the corner of her lips slightly curved into a warm small smile.

"You're a good friend, Lysithea… you and the professor, and I hate to see you two to be reduced like this especially about things that weren't true."

With those words, Edelgard parted ways with Lysithea, leaving the snow haired girl alone in the gazebo to ponder on what Edelgard had come her way to relay. Lysithea slumped back on the chair and looked up at the ceiling of the gazebo covering her from the rays of the sun, weighing Edelgard's words as well as her own thoughts.

Would it truly be okay with her if she would try to reconnect with the professor again despite the huge risk of further inflaming the gossip around them and making their situation far worse than before.

Then she had thought that Lady Rhea and others didn't believe such rumors and had been responsible for the fact that no action was taken against her and the professor despite the opinion of the many students.

She also thought of how her friends and classmates have all been there to defend her in their own way, to remind her that she wasn't alone. She thought of their opinions that they don't believe any of the lies that perpetuated around the other students.

Then, she thought of the professor. She wasn't blind to the fact that this has also been affecting him as well, she noticed him faltering bit by bit as well but she thought that he would overcome it on his own as time passes by, she always thought of him as a strong person, having faced worse adversaries before and she believed that such things would have little to no effect on him overall.

It seems she was wrong to think that way, regardless of how the professor sees her… she was important to him as well and what has she done lately?

She only hurt him, perhaps the professor was stung by her apprehension to be found near him, she didn't think how he would feel for how she approached this and such thoughts saddened her with the fact that she might have hurt him more rather than help him preserve what little standing he's had among the students.

But what could she do? Would it be right to follow what Edelgard told her? To be selfish for once in her life? To think of her own happiness rather than care more about the opinions of the ignorant?

Annette made a sound of relief as she finally grasped the fundamentals of the spell she was practicing on in the training grounds.

Having arrived at the training grounds to see splinters of wood scattered around, perhaps caused by the previous occupant, Annette used her wind magic to her disposal to gather all of them in one corner so she could clean them up all in one go once she was done practicing her spell.

She could have asked Lysithea for help to tutor her again but she knew better, she didn't want to bother her friend/tutor especially with how she has been lately.

It brought Annette great joy that she finally became the top student in terms of academics among her peers but such joy was short lived when she found out that Lysithea had been rather absent-minded with her studies… Her victory against her friend's stellar academic performance felt hollow and empty because Lysithea wasn't even at her hundred percent.

The Dominic girl cared little for her grades and being superior than Lysithea, she began to care more about her wellbeing especially after she bore witness to how the other students had been treating Lysithea as well as what they talk about her behind her back.

It sickened Annette that people would think so badly of Lysithea and the professor despite what they have done… Despite what the Archbishop and Seteth thought on the matter at hand, the other students outside their house still had the audacity to think and regard her friend and teacher as such.

She wanted to help but Lysithea rebuffed her last time, telling her sharply that Annette's cheer and willingness to help her in any way possible was insignificant and would do little to make the situation better for her.

Despite telling Lysithea that if she needed help with something, Annette would come to her side immediately and provide her eager assistance to the girl who had helped her with her studies and magic many times. She felt useless that she couldn't even find a way to help Lysithea…

"Annette."

Speaking of the devil, Annette gasped and turned around to see Lysithea behind her, her expression bearing something that Annette couldn't quite ascertain.

"Oh Lysithea! I didn't hear you coming in!" Annette said in surprise at the sudden appearance of the person she had just been thinking about.

"Annette, I… I'm sorry for the other day when I snapped at you that you can't help me on something… You were just trying to help and I acted like that to you-"

The orange haired girl shook her head. "It's alright, Lysithea. I shouldn't have kept bothering you like that-"

"I know this may sound shameless of me but… truth is… I need your help." Lysithea interrupted her, not wanting to give Annette reason to blame herself for making her snap at Annette the other day, she knew she was the one truly at fault there.

Annette looked surprised at Lysithea's sudden request.

"Help you? On what? To catch up on some lessons?" Annette asked, keeping in mind that Lysithea has been lagging behind her studies ever since before the Ethereal Moon began.

Lysithea bit her lip, she didn't know if it was right to ask Annette regarding what she needed help with… She could have asked Dorothea on the matter but she felt more comfortable to approach Annette first, there was also Edelgard to consider but she didn't want to bother the Imperial Princess away from her duties as a House Leader.

Swallowing, Lysithea's pinkish red eyes looked at Annette's blue eyes with determination.

"I want you to teach me how to formally dance for the ball."

And no omake for this week, I had hoped Edelgard didn't end up looking like a know it all meddlesome friend in this chapter, I used the scene where Edelgard bluntly tells Byleth to move on from Jeralt's death as reference for her scene with Lysithea.

Anyway, on the collaboration fic I am doing with SuperbOwl: It will be a sequel to Broken Hourglass and the second entry to my fics set in the Verdant Wind route and will be part of my Frivolous Romance series of fics that comprises of one-shots completely unrelated (mostly) from The Last Scion.

It's title will be called: Fermented Flower, allow me to warn you all in advance that fic has SMUT as one of its main focus. Owl and I are already at its finishing touches before we release it hopefully this week then I will continue my progress on Part B of this chapter.

As usual, faves and reviews are very much appreciated! Thank you!