(Co-authored and image by a friend)


Byleth stared at the map of Fodlin. Dimitri set his finger on a town just outside Garreg Mach.

"The townspeople have been asking for more resources to help this winter. The snow has been especially heavy this year." he said, explaining to the others at the table. Seteth glanced at the newly repaired hall.

"It is good that was repaired before the snow." he mumbled to himself. Dedue nodded in agreement.

"I will have some people bring the townspeople wood, your highness." he said. Dimitri smiled slightly.

"Thank you, Dedue." he said, then rubbed at his forehead. Byleth looked at him.

"Are you alright?" she asked. Dimitri nodded. "Yes, just tired." he said. Seteth started rolling up the map.

"Perhaps we should all take a break and tackle this at another time." he suggested. Dimitri raised a hand and was about to protest, when Dedue spoke up.

"It's your birthday today as well. At least take this day off." he pointed out. Dimitri frowned a little.

"I know that both of you are concerned for me, but I am fine. Are I not, Byleth?" he asked. Byleth looked at Dimitri.

"You have been pushing yourself lately." she said. Dimitri's face tightened. For a full second, everybody thought he was going to loose his temper. Dimitri chuckled dryly.

"I know when I am beat. Alright, I shall take a day off." he said. Everybody relaxed just a little. Seteth nodded approvingly.

"I shall just bring this map to the library where it will be safe." he said, carefully tying a peice of string around it. Dimitri took the scroll, very lightly as not to damage it.

"I can do that." he said hastily, and left the room before anybody could protest. Dedue sighed slightly.

"I wish his highness would take a break without us having to tell him." he said. Seteth nodded a little, then looked at Byleth.

"Professor, I would appreciate it if you could find some way to convince your husband that he has the ability to take it easy once in a while." he said. Byleth smiled a little.

"He is the king." she said. Seteth shook his head.

"And you are archbishop, yes, I know. My old habits are hard to break." he said. Truly, he shouldn't be talking to Byleth like she was under him any more. Even still- Seteth's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps racing down the hall and the sight of a familiar house coming into the room. Flayn was at the front.

"Fa- Brother! Everybody is here!" she exclaimed. Byleth, Dedue, and Seteth were all taken aback.

"It is the rest of the Blue Lions!" Dedue said in surprise. Ashe and Mercedes were still familiar faces around the monastary, but the others had all gone off to do other things. Annette ran up first, dragging Felix behind her.

"Professor! It's amazing to see you again!" she said. Felix carefully escaped her grasp in such a way his wedding ring didn't come off.

"Hello, professor. How's life going with the boar?" he asked. Annette glanced back for a moment, subtly setting her heel on Felix's toe. Felix drew it back immediately. Seteth looked at Flayn for answers as the Blue Lions house, minus one, started chatting with each other.

"What's the occasion?" he asked. Flayn smiled cheerfully.

"Well, to me it looks like Annette wanted to say hello to everybody here. And while she and Felix were on their way, they discovered that Sylvain and Ingrid were on their way here as well. It was about an announcement of some sort. Ashe and Mercedes were quickly alerted to their presence and then-" Seteth held up a hand to silence his daughter.

"I believe I understand now." he said. He looked at the merry group, overhearing a bit of conversation about birthdays. Annette suddenly clapped her hands together.

"I've got it! Professor, why don't we throw a surprise party for Dimitri?" she asked. Sylvain raised an eyebrow.

"How do you get the surprise part?" he asked. Ingrid smiled with a slight teasing gleam in her eye.

"That's simple. You go distract him." she said. Sylvain's face dropped in surprise.

"You're not pulling my leg, are you?" he asked. Felix smirked slightly.

"I don't think she is." he said. Mercedes hid a small giggle.

"I think a party for Dimitri is a wonderful idea. I believe that it will help all of us realize that the war truely is over." she said. Ashe looked at Byleth. "We just need to see what the professor thinks. Well? Is it a good idea?" he asked. Byleth looked at her former students. All them wore smiles with the exception of Felix and Dedue, who didn't really smile anyways. Byleth gave a nod.

"I think it's a good idea." she said. Everybody burst into cheers. Ingrid and Annette quickly turned Sylvain around.

"Go find Dimitri, quickly!" Ingrid said. Annette nodded.

"And make sure he doesn't suspect anything!" she called. Sylvain pinched the bridge of his nose.

"This was not what I was expecting today."


Dimitri came to a halt just as he was at the gate. Sylvain was there, looking around. He grinned as he saw Dimitri.

"Just the guy I wanted to see! How's it going, Dimitri?" he asked. Dimitri tried to compose himself.

"Things are alright." he said. Sylvain nodded.

"Nice. Hey, do you have time? There's something I want to ask you about." he said. Dimitri considered this for a moment. On one hand, Byleth would be waiting for him. On the other hand, anything to do with Sylvain could not really be considered work. He would just have the gatekeeper relay a message along.

"Yes, I do have time." he said. Sylvain nodded quickly, and before Dimitri really realized what was going on, they were both out the door. The snow was heavy this time of year, it was fortunate that he always wore a cloak. After giving a message to pass on to the gatekeeper, Dimitri turned to Sylvain. "What did you want to talk about, Sylvain?" he asked. Sylvain pulled up a hood.

"Oh, just wondering something. Er, hey, how'd the proposal go to the professor?" he asked. Dimitri raised an eyebrow, starting to get suspicious.

"What are you going for, Sylvain?" he asked. Sylvain seemed to realize that he now had snow under his hood, and took it off to get it out of his hair.

"Er, well, I've gotta propose to, er," he stammered as he got it out. Yikes, how was he supposed to keep Dimitri distracted at this rate?


Annette listed the things that a proper birthday party needed on a piece of paper as the others talked. She sighed, frustrated.

"Felix?" she whispered. Felix looked over.

"What?" he asked. Annette showed him the list.

"All that's missing is the end! What would be the perfect way for Dimitri's party to end?" she asked. Felix shrugged.

"Get the professor to give him tea. She gave the rest of us tea on our birthdays." he said. Annette bubbled up with a smile.

"You're the best!" she said, shoulder hugging him before putting the last item down. 'Teatime with the professor.'

"Alright, I've got it!" Annette announced. Before she could list everything off, the gatekeeper came into the room.

"I have something to report! King Dimitri wanted me to relay a message to Archbishop Byleth." he said. Byleth looked up.

"What is it?" she asked. The gatekeeper smiled.

"He says that he has run into Sylvain, and is not doing any work." he said. Flayn giggled.
"Then it is all going perfectly." she said. The gatekeeper scratched his cheek as that was one of the few places not covered by armour.

"Er, have I missed something?" he asked. Flayn skipped over.

"It is alright. I can inform you of everything." she said, going out of the room with the gatekeeper. When she came back, Annette showed everybody her list.

"Alright, everybody, here's what we need to do."


'Dinner and a birthday cake for dessert.'

Ashe and Mercedes looked at the kitchen. Mercedes closed the shutters, allowing them some quiet as they prepared the meal.

"So, are you ready?" she asked. Ashe nodded, taking a cookbook off a shelf.

"Let's see, what does Dimitri like anyways?" he thought aloud. Mercedes thought for a moment.

"I don't think he's very picky. There's rumors that go around that say he doesn't even have a sense of taste." she said. Ashe scrolled his finger down the page.

"So anything would be good. Hm, why don't I take the main course and you take the cake?" he suggested. Mercedes nodded.

"That's alright." she said, and took out a cookbook for herself.


'Decorating the mess hall.'

Seteth stared first at the collection of fine dinnerware in one crate, then the collection of tablecloths in another.

"I still don't see how we ended up doing this." he said, seeing Flayn come in with a smaller crate. She set it down.

"I wished to decorate, Father, and you wished to make sure I was alright while I did so." she said. Seteth sighed slightly, but didn't respond. He opened one of the larger crates he had brought in, finding some elegant candlesticks and scented candles.

"I shall be lighting these when we set them up." he said. Flayn said something that sounded like 'that is fine'. Seteth looked up, seeing Flayn headfirst in the tablecloths crate, and taking the carefully folded clothes out. She suddenly lifted her head out of the box, squeaking.

"There is something inside there!" she exclaimed. Seteth noticed a mouse-chewed hole in the side.

"I think I know what."


'Presents! It's the thought that counts.'

Felix looked at the collection of weapons he had brought with him. He lifted his head, seeing Dedue working on something.

"Might I ask what that is?" he said. Dedue showed him what looked like to Felix like a half-rotted, something.

"It is a carving for his highness. I am trying to make it in the image of a royal lion." he said. Felix snorted.

"Try a wild boar." he suggested, and looked at his weapons again. He gritted his teeth. "Darn, I didn't bring it with me." he mumbled. Of course he wouldn't, it was a sword made a master of the craft. He wouldn't let it be damaged on the road. Felix stood up, and spun around. Dedue watched him leave, pausing in the making of the lion's mane.

"Where are you going?" he asked. Felix left without saying.


'A birthday song.'
Annette warmed up her voice, going around her old room in the Officer's Academy. It would only be a matter of time it was somebody else's though. She looked out the window, trying to get inspiration.

"Snow's falling on the ground, people all around." she hummed to herself. She shook her head. "No, that's not right." she said. Of all the times to get writer's block! Annette spun around. "Maybe, birthday light, birthday warmth? No, that's not it either." she said. She huffed slightly, and sat down on her bed. Why was it so hard to make up songs on the spot?


'A snowman welcoming committee.'
Byleth had to ask Annette what she had meant by that, but once she understood, she and Ingrid got to work immediately. Ingrid laughed as she started rolling a big ball of snow.

"I can't believe how warm it is right now." she said. Byleth fumbled around with a ball of snow.

"But isn't it snowing?" she asked. Ingrid heaved a ball of snow on top of a larger one.

"It's a lot colder than this in Faerghus. To me, this is warm winter weather." she explained. Byleth came over with her ball of snow and set it on top of the other ones. Ingrid smiled approvingly. "That looks right. You're getting the hang of this, professor." she said. Byleth nodded, then rubbed her arms just a little. This was a day she would like a cloak like Dimitri.

"What's all the excitement?" Byleth turned around alongside Ingrid. Ingrid's eyes widened.

"Claude?" she asked in disbelief. Claude nodded.

"Sure is." he said. Hilda winked beside him.

"And his right-hand woman." she said. She came over to the snowman. "Ooo, you're making snowmen?" she asked. Ingrid smiled.

"It's part of a surprise." she said. Claude put his hands behind his head.

"What sort of surprise?" he asked. Byleth looked at him.

"A birthday surprise for Dimitri." she said. Claude nodded approvingly.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good plan. The king of Fodlin needs to take a break now and again. Anyway I can help, teach?" he asked. Hilda started rolling balls of snow.

"I'm helping here." she said. Ingrid nodded.

"You could help my fiance distract Dimitri." she said. Claude tried to hide a fun-loving smile.

"Who's the lucky man?" he asked.

"Sylvain apparently." Byleth said. Claude chuckled.

"Who knew? Now, why do I have to distract Dimitri?" he asked. Ingrid dashed over to help Hilda steady an enormous middle snowball.

"Think of it like a scheme!" she called. Claude shrugged at Byleth.

"Scheming is my thing. I'm on it. Oh, and congrats on the wedding, teach. The whole continent's been talking about it." he said, and left.


Seteth had to stop in the middle of unrolling a tablecloth, the second type as the first had been turned into a mouse nest, just to wonder how so much racket could be made in the kitchen.
Ashe knew, and so did Mercedes. That racket was the sound that was made when boiling water had split, both parties dodging, thus knocking many, many things down. Including a batch of cake batter. Ashe looked at Mercedes worriedly.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to knock down the batter." he said. Mercedes scooped up the bowl.

"It is alright. I'm sorry that the vegetables all split." she said. Ashe bent down to pick up Mercedes' spoon.

"Here, let me help-" he said, bonking heads with Mercedes as she tried to get the spoon at the same time. Both of them rubbed the sore spot on their heads, then slowly started giggling.

"You, you have chocolate all over your nose." Mercedes said, trying to stay calm. Ashe snickered just slightly.

"You have some on your hat." he said. Both of them burst out laughing. When both of them were calm enough to talk, they quickly cleaned up the mess. Ashe smiled gently.

"I can help prepare another batch." he said. Mercedes smiled sweetly back.

"Thank you. And I know of a side dish we can make with the vegetables as long as we wash them." she said. Back in the dining room, Flayn had discovered something hiding in the cutlery.

"Father? What kind of bugs are those?" she asked. Seteth hurried over, and cringed.

"How in the- Those are hornets, Flayn." he said. Flayn pointed at a big, ball-like hive.

"And that is their hive?" she asked. Seteth nodded.

"Yes, that is their hive. At least they are hibernating." he said. He motioned for Flayn to back up. "I shall dispose of this with the upmost carefulness. Please find another box of cutlery we can use." he said. Flayn nodded, glad she was distancing herself from the sleeping hornets. Seteth carefully picked up the box, and started walking to the snowed-over garden entrance. What were all these animals doing in the storage boxes anyways?


If it wasn't for the fact that Sylvain seemed just as startled at Claude's surprise appearance, Dimitri would have been sure something was up. Sylvain had just talked to him for an hour straight about what to do when you proposed to somebody. At least that conversation had been ended at last.

"What are you doing here, Claude?" Dimitri asked. Claude shrugged in his easy manner.

"I was in the neighborhood, and decided to say 'hey' to everybody. You guys seemed easy enough to say hi to. What're you doing out in the snow anyways?" he asked. Sylvain opened his mouth to speak when Dimitri glared at him.

"Getting an earful." he said. Claude snickered.

"Sylvain find a new girl?" he asked. Sylvain looked offended.

"For your information, it's actually settling down with one." he said. Dimitri sighed as the conversation began anew. This was not how he expected to spend his day off.


Felix carefully checked the market to make sure Sylvain and Dimitri weren't around. He nodded to himself, then walked towards the armoury. "Excuse me," he asked the smith at the front. The grey-haired smith looked up.

"Well hello, what can I do for you, son?" he asked. Felix looked at the collection of swords.

"Would you happen to have any sword made by Zoltan?" he asked. The smith shook his head.

"Sorry, sonny. Those sword are hard to come by." he said. He pointed down to the end of the market. "Why don't you ask the merchant down that way? I hear she comes by a lot of swords like that." Felix ran his eyes in the direction the smith was pointing at, and his face fell. The 'merchant' was none other than Anna. Felix checked to make sure his faded wallet, little more than a sack, didn't look like it had too much in it. He knew it would be lighter after talking with Anna, much lighter.


Annette stopped in front of an open doorway, stalling her song prep in her head.

"Dedue?" she asked. Dimitri's vassel didn't look too happy. Dedue looked up, and set a wood carving knife aside.

"What does this look like to you?" he asked, holding up what Annette assumed to be a carving.

"Er, Sylvain on a bad hair day?" she guessed. Dedue sighed a little.

"It is a lion." he said, setting it down. Annette looked at the ground.

"I'm so sorry." she said. Dedue shook his head.

"It is alright. I'm not sure if wood carving is one of my strong suits." he said. Annette came over and looked the lion over again.

"Is this your first time?" she asked. Dedue nodded. Annette's face lit up "Then that's amazing for your first try. Don't give up, Dedue. Maybe you could still make something out of this." she said. Dedue stared at the carving for a while, then, his eyes widened.

"I have an idea, one that will make this a worthy present of the king." he said, and picked up the carving knife again. Annette smiled.

"Good luck." she said. Now, all she had to do was get this song to work. She paused for a moment, then looked in again. "Where's Felix? I thought he was with you?" she asked. Dedue glanced up only for a second.

"He left. He didn't say where." he said. Annette sighed.

"Oh, Felix." she mumbled. That husband of her's could be so inconsiderate some days.


"This is getting ridiculous!" Flayn wasn't sure to hide a giggle at her father's expression, or share the one he was making at the cat. The amazingly tiny cat that had somehow found a way into the box of candles and had her kittens there. Flayn gave the cat a scratch under the chin.

"She is very cute, however. Father, may we keep her? And we just cannot separate her from her kittens." she asked. Seteth tried to keep his face tight.

"I don't know, Flayn." he said. Flayn gave him the best puppy-dog eyes she could manage. Seteth glanced away only to hear the tiny kittens meowing. He sighed.

"Alright. We may keep them." he said. Flayn jumped into the air like a five-year-old.

"Thank you, father! Thank you!" she exclaimed. She looked at the cat. "Why don't I call you Rhea, and your babies Cethleann and Cichol?" she said. Seteth rubbed his forehead like he had a headache.

"Anything but that, Flayn, pick any other name."


A red hat, an antler-shaped bow, an arrow with a tiny reindeer head on it. Could it possibly get any more humiliating? Anna came up with a bell and a candy cane. She stuck the bell on the bow, and slipped the candy cane into his belt. Yes, it could get more humiliating.

"Now that completes the look." Anna said with a big smile on her face. Felix took in a slow breath.

"You're only doing this to get the boar a present. This is a one-time thing." Felix mumbled to himself. The moment Anna saw that he was desperate for a Zoltan-made sword, she had agreed to give it to him. For a cost other than money. And that was to stand with a red suit beside Anna's stall to bring in customers. For an entire hour. Felix snorted. "Sylvain would probably enjoy this."


Mercedes clapped her hands at the sight of the meal. Delicious meat that would calm a raging Ingrid steamed with a savory scent. A lovely stir-fry made from the split vegetables surrounded the meat, and on the edge of every plate were three, fluffy biscuits. Ashe looked over the three-layer birthday cake. None of the chocolate underneath could been seen, it all covered with vanilla icing. Blue and gold icing criss-crossed the white, making it into the shapes of lions.

"This is perfect." the two cooks said at the same time. They blushed at each other.

"We make a pretty good team." Ashe said. Mercedes nodded, face heating up slightly.

"Yes, we do." she said. Both of them stared at each other for a moment longer, before bringing themselves to the present.

"Let's see how the dining hall looks." Ashe suggested, extending his hand. Mercedes nodded, grasping it.

"Yes, let's." Ashe opened the kitchen door as chivalrously as he could, and let Mercedes out first. Mercedes gasped, making Ashe turn his head. His jaw dropped in surprise. Seteth looked up, holding a puppy. His face immediately went bright red.

"I can explain- Over there!" he called, pointing at a table. Flayn raced under it, scooping up another pup.

"I have got you!" she said. Seteth looked around at the three other puppies running around.

"The storage room seems to be infested by animals." he explained. Mercedes looked at the pups, startled.

"I can see that." At the least, the table was set...


Byleth put one more branch into the side of a snowman.

"The sun's nearly set." Hilda said, looking at the sky. Ingrid looked up from finishing one of the last snowmen.

"The day's flown by so quickly. We should get back inside and warm up." she said. Hilda stamped her feet on the ground, trying to warm up. "Sure, that sounds good to me." she said. Byleth dusted snow off her gloved hands.

"They are finished at least." she said. She didn't quite see what a courtyard full of snowmen would accomplish for the party, but it would be surprising.


Claude tramped up a hill.

"I've had enough snow for today." he said. Sylvain tried once again to get the snow out from under his coat.

"Good thing we didn't creamed like that during the war." he said. Dimitri came up as well.

"Those children should consider becoming warriors someday." he said. A group of children had come up, asking for the 'real warriors' to compete in their snowball fight. Sylvain was unsure, but Claude didn't see the harm in it. There was no real injury except to Dimitri's pride. The children had crushed them utterly. Dimitri looked up, seeing the lights of Garreg Mach. "Go ahead to the monastery, I want to stay for a moment." he said. Sylvain and Claude looked at each other, then nodded.

"...Alright." Sylvain said. When the two had left, Dimitri extended his gloved hand, and let the snowflakes fall on it. No two were alike. Childlike voices filled his memories.

'I told you, Edelgard, they're all different!'

'Fine, you're right for once, Dimitri.'

'They're still pretty though, pretty like you.'

'...'

Dimitri shook his head.

"I have done all I could." he said quietly, and made his way to Garreg Mach. When he got there, the main courtyard was filled with wonderfully made snowmen. Dimitri blinked his eye in surprise. He made sure to stay on the path, so he wouldn't misjudge where the snowmen were. "Somebody worked hard on all of these." he said to himself. He got to the gate. The gatekeeper smiled.

"Welcome back, your highness! Please come inside." he said, opening the gate. Dimitri nodded, and stepped inside.

"Surprise!" Dimitri jumped, barely calming down.

"What is going on? I nearly went for a weapon?" he demanded, looking at... All his former classmates? Byleth came forwards.

"Happy Birthday, Dimitri." she said. Ingrid smiled.

"We were all here at the same time, so we decided to throw you a party." she said. Felix nodded in agreement.

"It was Annette's idea." he said. Annette nodded. She was holding a red hat for some reason.

"It's wonderful that we are all here again, and in a time of peace." she said. Claude and Hilda walked into the room, followed by Seteth and Flayn. "This is the real class reunion, eh, Dimitri?" he asked. Dimitri found a smile tugging at his face, one that spread quickly.

"Yes. I, I have no words to say thank you." he said. Mercedes led him forwards.

"You don't have to." she said. Ashe gave his hands a single clap.

"Let the festivities begin!" he exclaimed. Byleth nodded.

"Let's."


The birthday meal was polished off quickly, with no leftovers to spare. Chatting, as if they were first-year students and not the war veterans they were echoed throughout the room. As the cake, one that Dimitri enjoyed for both the look and the texture, was being served, Felix and Dedue suddenly left the room. They came back, holding an item each.

"Presents. Annette gave us the job of making some." Felix said, handing something wrapped in an old blanket to Dimitri. Dimitri felt the weight of the gift, and slowly unwrapped it. Inside, was a sword. Dimitri's eye widened.

"A, a sword made by Zoltan! One of the same that you had five years ago!" he exclaimed, looking at the perfect craftsmanship, and the magnificent designs. He looked up at Felix. "I cannot accept this." he said. Felix's face slowly had a smirk coming on it. The closest the swordsman got to making a smile.

"The merchant I obtained it from has a 'no return' policy. You have no choice but to keep it, Dimitri." he said. Dimitri smiled as well. Annette squealed quietly.

"He didn't call him boar." she whispered excitedly to Mercedes. Mercedes smiled as well.

"I think that might have been part of the present." she whispered back. Dedue then stepped forwards.

"My gift, I hope it is right." he said. He took a cloth off the object he was holding, making everybody gasp in amazement. It was a flowerpot, with the emblem of the Blue Lions carved into it. The rim of it flowed like a lion's mane, and patterns of flowers melded perfectly into the design. Dedue handed it to Dimitri. "I'm afraid I cannot finish this until the ground thaws. I wish to plant a cherry tree that symbolizes your union to the professor. I will make sure it always blooms, your highness." he said. Dimitri smiled, nodding.

"Dedue, thank you, my friend." he said. Annette stood up.

"Here is my piece!" she said. She took a deep breath, ready to sing for her friends.

"Blue and white,
Birthday night,
Let's all join in cheer.
As if fate,
We all eight,
Have gathered from far and near.
To those who gathered first,
And to those who later came,
Say it with me,
It's pretty nifty,
Say happy birthday in Dimitri's name!"

The whole room, Felix included, joined at the last line.
"Happy Birthday, Dimitri!"


About a half hour had went by and Dimitri and Byleth were now in their shared room having chamomile tea. The tea was almost gone as all that was left from the pot was in their tea cups which were white with a delicate pattern of blue flowers and swirls.

The two chatted quietly ever now and then but for the most part just enjoyed the quiet of each other's company.

"Thank you for all you've done today, Beloved," Dimitri said as Byleth sipped the last of her tea. She smiled warmly at Dimitri.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Byleth replied. "Is there anything else I can do for you?" she questioned. Dimitri let out a slight yawn.

"A nap perhaps. Today has been tiring." Dimitri said. Byleth motioned for him to come over and then told him to lay down. Dimitri set his head on her lap and one of her hands feel in his hair. Dimitri reached out for one of Byleth small, warm hands.

As Byleth stroked his hair lovingly Dimitri relaxed and closed his eyes.

"Thank you..."


Author's Note on Account