Lysithea tried to stay calm as she sat on her bed and stared at the door to her room. Any second now someone would knock on it. It felt strange for her to ever invite people there, she had made it an effort to keep people out ever since she joined the academy. So, having not just one but three other people coming soon was enough to put her on edge.
"All you have to do is apologize." Lysithea said to herself. "Don't get mad, answer what questions they have. If they make you feel uncomfortable then just let them know politely… Or maybe this was a stupid idea and I was just better off writing them letters instead."
She had just committed herself to her new plan when she heard a knocking out at her door and nearly jumped out off, her bed. She reluctantly walked up to the door and opened it to find the girls of the Golden Deer behind it.
"Come in."
"Thanks for the invite," Hilda replied as she cheerfully walked in with Leonie behind her carrying a large wooden box. Marianne would be the last to meekly enter before Lysithea closing the door.
"What's in the box?" Lysithea asked cautiously.
Hilda flashed her a smile as Leonie put the box on the ground. She then opened it to reveal the contents. Inside the box was a pair of scissors, countless accessories, and a medley of jars with all sorts of different liquids inside them.
"Since we're all here I thought this was a good chance to do some makeup and even style each other's hair," Hilda explained.
"Oh… um… could I just say something first?" She wasn't against applying makeup or prettying herself like Hilda would often do, but that really wasn't her intention for inviting them to her room.
"Sure, what is it?" Leonie asked.
"I want to… apologize for the other day. I mean granted you shouldn't have pried-" oh damn it that's not what she wanted to say, "uh I mean I'm sorry for screaming at all of you and then leaving."
"No, I was to blame for questioning you," Marianne replied.
"No, it's my fault," Leonie replied. "I shouldn't have kept arguing with you and you're right I shouldn't have pried. It's your life I have no right to decide what's good for you."
"Thank you… I just don't want to be treated like I'm helpless."
"We get that," Hilda replied. "You never did like being treated like a child."
"Indeed. It's just that there's so much I need to get done and so little precious time I have. I can't afford to waste it by sitting aside and doing nothing."
"I apologize for making you help me with my studies," Marianne said. "I shouldn't have wasted your time on me."
"No!" Lysithea shouted before quickly holding herself back. She couldn't get angry at her, not now. "Helping you wasn't a waste. I'd be glad to do it again."
"Does that mean I can still copy your class work?" Hilda asked.
"I never gave you permission in the first place."
"Well…"
Great now she had to figure out how Hilda got her hands on her work in the first place. "I still refuse to help you cheat."
"Actually," Leonie began to scratch the back of her head, "I could use some help with the assignment Seteth gave us the other day during that seminar."
"Then we can all meet up again to study. I'm not letting anyone copy my answers though." Lysithea pointedly stared at Hilda.
"Fiiine," Hilda replied before reaching into the box and taking out several small vials. "What color would you like your nails?"
"I'm not sure. What would you suggest?"
"Well we'd need something to compliment your skin and the color of your hair. Unless…" Hilda moved closer and began to pick at a few strands of Lysithea's hair. "This isn't your original color right?"
"It isn't," she confirmed.
"Then do you want to try and dye it?"
Lysithea looked down at her white hair absent of any pigment. She hadn't really considered dyeing it, busy as she was. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"I think it's a wonderful idea," Marianne replied quietly.
"I think it's a good idea too," Leonie commented.
"Yea. We can give you a new look for a new you," Hilda said.
Lysithea glanced at the three of them. "Okay then."
"Great!" Hilda clapped her hands before digging through some large bottle in the box. "What color would you like it then? Yellow? Green? Ooh maybe blue like the Professor!"
Lysithea recalled some faint memories of her childhood. Memories of before the experiments, when she still had her mother's hair. "Do you have any purple?"
"Like Lorenz or Bernadetta?"
"A bit lighter actually. More of a lilac color."
Of all the meetings that Lysithea had with Edelgard, she had never seen the Empress once lose her composure. At least not without the Professor around. That was why it was to her pleasant surprise to find shock on the future Empress's face as she arrived in the gardens where they would have tea before the Black Eagles left on a mission for the week.
"Lysithea? Your hair!"
Lysithea fingered a few strands of it. "Hilda dyed it for me. Do you like it?"
"It's just… different," Edelgard replied as she composed herself once more. "I never quite expected you to change it."
"I think it looks absolutely wonderful!" Flayn popped out from behind a bush. The green haired girl had expressed a desire to have a tea party with the two them, it was why they were having it in the gardens when usually it was done in Edelgard's room.
They took their seats and Hubert of all people would come up to fill their teacups.
"I do hope you'll enjoy your time here. It is not often that Lady Edelgard would show such… generosity," he said to Flayn in that very unsettling voice of his.
Lysithea glanced at Flayn in worry. She had gotten used to Hubert's… antics, but it would certainly be unsettling to anyone with a modicum of survival instincts.
Flayn though, to her astonishment, looked absolutely fine. "I am quite grateful for the invitation that Edelgard has extended to me and to you two for serving me," she replied cheerfully without skipping a beat before sipping from her own cup. "Quite exquisite. Is this a Crescent-Moon Tea?"
"Indeed. I have taken great strides to finding out your preferred tastes… among other things of course."
"Lady Edelgard is quite lucky to have an attentive friend like you then."
"I am but her loyal servant. I would do anything for her should she command it… or even not should I deem it necessary."
"A loyal servant with an exquisite taste in tea! If only brother could find someone as reliable as you, he always seems to overwork himself along with pestering me over my every move."
Lysithea couldn't quite believe what she was watching and nether did Edelgard apparently. It had taken her weeks to find it tolerable to be around the man and yet Flayn was handling him like it was nothing.
Even Hubert seemed perturbed by her carefree attitude. "I can assure you that very few would match my devotion to my liege."
"A shame then. We could use more people like you around."
"Lady Edelgard..."
"Yes Hubert?" Edelgard asked.
"I believe I should take my leave now."
"As you would."
Hubert left the area leaving the three of them alone to drink the tea and sweets that Edelgard had prepared for them.
"He was quite nice, wasn't he?" Flayn asked.
"Yes… he was," Lysithea replied hesitantly.
"So Lysithea, how long will that dye last?" Edelgard asked.
"According to Hilda four weeks at most. It'll start fading soon enough." It would only be for a short time, but it was nice to have a new look. Hilda was right, it did give her a new outlook on life,
"Perhaps we should dye your hair Edelgard?" Flayn suggested.
"That isn't necessary," Edelgard replied.
"It isn't necessary, but it would be wonderful to have a new look. I would do it myself had my Brother not forbidden me."
"I think you should do it," Lysithea suggested to Flayn. "He might be your brother but that doesn't mean he should have control over how you look. It's your life after all."
"I agree, but it would simply be more trouble than its worth. But Edelgard are you sure you don't wish to try it? We could make it Brown-"
"No."
"Or Green like mine," Flayn continued without pause. "Or even blue like the Professor!"
Edelgard's eyes widened and she had actually spit out some of her tea. "The Professor?"
"Yes. A deep radiant blue like the Professor and much like the ocean. I'd imagine he'd appreciate it quite a lot."
"I… that wouldn't be proper."
"It would only be for a short time though and I do believe that it would look wonderful on you."
"I appreciate the suggestion… but I do prefer my hair as it is. It serves as a reminder to me."
"A reminder of what?" Lysithea asked.
"Of the things that I should focus on."
"As vague as ever." Not that there was never anything particularly unpleasant about spending time with Edelgard.
"I could same to you," Edelgard replied with a smile.
The three of them would spend the next hour having small talk until Flayn would leave with Seteth who had come to pick her up for dinner. It wasn't until after the green haired girl left that Lysithea finally decided to confront Edelgard over certain suspicions that she had.
"Edelgard. You know a fair bit about me. Don't you?"
"What in particular?"
"Of how I acquired my two Crests and of the things done to my household while it was under the Empire's scrutiny."
"Actually, this is the first I'm hearing of it. Though I'm the heir apparent, I am still not quite aware of everything that goes on in the Empire."
"Still won't drop the act, huh? Despite how obvious you've been with concerns about my health. You're certainly consistent. Though I'm no longer in the mood for these games. Even as heir you would still have access to information that others would not. Clearly, you'd have heard all about me."
"Either way… I know now since you told me. About your two Crests, your physical weakness, and your limited life expectancy."
"I never told you how little time I have to live."
"Anyway," Edelgard continued without pause despite the glaring inconsistency in her words that Lysithea had brought up, "According to the principles of Crest research, it's impossible to bear two Crests. Unless… you've gone through a blood reconstruction surgery. Is that the case, Lysithea?"
"Correct. It wasn't as though I had a say in any of this."
"I see. So, you've lived through that relentless terror and agony… and survived."
It was one thing for Edelgard to know of what had been done to her, it was another thing for her to describe it at such a personal level. Lysithea was suddenly very aware of white hair that Edelgard also shared. "Edelgard, have you…"
"You're a good friend, Lysithea. And I value your company tremendously. So, I just ask that you don't overexert yourself. I don't want to lose you. Understand?"
"I understand." There was little else that had to be said, not until Edelgard was willing to confirm it herself. Though Lysithea certainly had her suspicions at this point.
"Heh. Good girl."
"Uh… you know I hate that."
Edelgard smiled. "Oh, and you can take those cakes with you for later. I'm quite aware of how much you like them."
"There's no need to pander to me! But… yea. I'll take those."
"And Lysithea… I like your hair."
"Thanks."