Ages:
Byleth: 12
Dimitri: 8 going on 9
Felix: 8
Glenn: 14
Verdant Rain Moon 1172:
Jeralt might have been training his daughter to wield a sword from a young age but that was purely for self-defense reasons only. He never had any intentions of having her fight or become a mercenary. He never wanted to have her hands stained with blood. And yet everything he tried to prevent fell apart in one night.
The twenty-seventh of Verdant Rain Moon had been the same as any other summer night, hot but peaceful. His daughter had started getting excited about meeting her friend since there was only one month left before they would be reunited. Stiff as they maybe it was still a wonderful sight to see his daughter express emotions. She had yet to really show off a large smile or anything, but he believed when they got to Fhirdiad, she would finally smile for real. It did irk him greatly that her smile would be for the prince and not for him but that was fine…kind of.
Yes, it had been a good night until bandits ambushed them. Fools, who were stupid enough to attack armed men, fueled by long held grudges to throw caution to the wind. In a normal circumstance those bandits would have been nothing, and oh how Jeralt had wished it were under such calm circumstances. Chaos was cruel and terrifying even to the most experienced of warriors, that night was filled with the cries of men, whether it be for battles, their last, or those seeking salvation; the chaos swallowed them whole.
Jeralt had trained his daughter to run and hide if ever such an unfortunate situation happened and it was a small comfort to see her training kick in and she fled but his attention was quickly drawn away, much to his dismay. He didn't see where she ran off too, didn't see if any of the bandits had noticed her. All he could do was pray to the goddess, he had lost faith in so long ago, to protect her. It was a sickening feeling he prayed to never feel again, to know that his daughter was in such a dangerous situation and he was helpless to do anything about it.
The battle ended quickly but it was an eternity to him. He didn't care about a possible threat of other bandits lurking in the shadows, nor the cries of his wounded men; no all he cared about at that point was finding his missing daughter. He screamed her name at the top of his lungs, but she never responded, and fear gripped his chest, threatening to silence him once and for all.
Finally, he found her and the relief that should have followed the discovery was nowhere to be found. His daughter, his precious, innocent, little girl was sitting on the floor, blood splattered across her face and body and her curious, dark blue eyes that she got from her mother were wide and unfocused. Her blade was held protectively out in front of her in a death grip, and the body of a dead bandit had been run through and was now buried to the hilt.
Her name was nothing more than the softest of whispers upon his lips as he swiftly made his way over to her. Her eyes finally focused when he was at her side. Now at her side he could see that the front of her tunic had been partially cut and an immense rage seethed throughout his body, but it diffused just as quickly when he looked into her terrified eyes. He ripped the blade from her hands and tossed it aside, he didn't care that his own hand had been sliced in the process. Pulling her into a tight embrace, he ran his hand through her hair with his good hand and whispered to her that everything was going to be okay.
She didn't speak for two days. In desperation he wrote to king Lambert, pleading to let his company arrive early. He didn't need money; he was placing all his hopes on the prince being able to help his daughter.
Horsebow Moon 1172:
It wasn't until the second week of the ninth month that the Jeralt Mercenaries arrived in the kingdom's capital. Jeralt had wanted to arrive much sooner but with most of his men injured, it was impressive that they had arrived as quickly as they did. That was supposed to be the start of good things, but he never planned or expected for his daughter to have such a fierce, negative reaction.
"I don't want to see Aster!" she screamed in their room. His daughter never raised her voice above a necessary volume; normally he would have been excited at another positive change but all it did was grip his heart painfully. Despite her watery eyes no tears fell, almost like she was physically unable to do so; it was another painful squeeze to his already weakened heart.
"Byleth," he softly whispered her name as he took a step forward, but she remained on high guard and took a step back. "The prince is waiting for you."
"No!" She violently shook her head. "I won't see him!" She ran to her bed and buried herself in the blankets.
Silently he stood in place, watching the quivering pile of blankets. He brought his hands to his face and a long, sigh escaped him. For the past few years, he had wondered if he should have accepted the king's offer and became a knight to the kingdom. His daughter would have had a better life, but his fears of the church had been too much. What once had been a passing thought had turned into an all-consuming one since the ambush. If he had taken the position his daughter would have spent that night playing with her friend and would never have had to kill that bandit. His daughter would have remained happy and innocent, instead of tormented. But it was too late, the damage had been done and so all he could do was try and help her.
Hesitantly, he sat on the bed and frowned when she pulled the covers closer to her. He reached his hand out to pull the covers back but decided against it, instead he just patted the area where he assumed her head would be. Neither one of them said or did anything else for a while.
"Why don't you want to see the prince?" It took him a while, but he was finally able to work up the courage to ask the question. she mumbled something into her bed, but he couldn't understand. 'I'm sorry, honey, but I couldn't understand that."
For a few seconds she didn't do anything, and he was about to give up, when she started to move. She stuck her head out of her cocoon, but she didn't look at him. "Aster is pure." He didn't say anything and hoped his silence would get her to elaborate. "I'm tainted. I don't want to taint Aster. He needs to stay pure."
"Byleth," he breathed and tried to pull the blankets back, but she wouldn't allow it. "What makes you believe you are tainted?" He knew the answer but hoped with all his might that maybe, just maybe, it could have been something else.
She released her tight grip to bring her hands out and stared at them. She quickly balled up her fist and shoved them back into the blankets and out of sight. She didn't say anything, she didn't have too, the gesture was enough for him; ever since the incident he had seen her scrub her hands raw, to wash away the long, gone blood multiple times.
With a bit of effort, he pulled her to him and gave her a tight embrace. "You're not tainted," he whispered into her hair, "what makes you believe that?" She pulled herself away just enough to look into his eyes. There was once an innocent spark in her eyes, but it was now gone, and he feared it would be lost forever. "Do you think, I'm tainted?" She didn't say anything but pressed her lips together. "Did I taint you?"
His daughter shook her head. "I'm not Aster. I'm not warm or bright like the sun, like him. I can't be corrupted but he can. He needs to stay pure."
"You've always been my sun, my light." She collapsed onto him and gripped his tunic. Her little body shook with silent sobs and yet not tears escaped her.
Byleth had been in Fhirdiad for over a week and Dimitri had yet to see her and that was just downright unacceptable. He had lost count with how many times he had asked to go and see her, and no one had yet to give him an acceptable answer. Before she arrived, his father had explained that something had happened, and she might not be okay and that was all the more reason why he needed to see her and yet no one was letting him.
He was a good child, a great child some might have argued. He always listened and behaved. He rarely threw a tantrum (when it was about Byleth leaving) but his star child award was tossed as side when he demanded to see her. No amount of reasoning from anyone, his father included, could get him to calm down. He was going to see Byleth and that was that!
At his wits end king Lambert had agreed for his son to leave the capital and go pick up Byleth, he was not allowed to stay out for long. With a large smile, Dimitri stood outside the inn with four guards and was happily waiting for Jeralt to get his daughter. The mercenary remained in place his eyes flickered between the prince and his guards. A sigh escaped him as he pinched the bridge of his nose before once again looking at the prince.
"Your Highness," Jeralt sighed, "my daughter doesn't want to come out and play right now."
"Can I see her please!" Dimitri said in the sweetest voice he could muster, it usually got Byleth to do whatever he wanted. Another sigh escaped the man. "I just need to make sure she's okay! I will not bother you anymore! I promise I will wait patiently at the castle until she is ready to play! So please, may I see my friend?" Pressing his lips tightly together, Jeralt finally relented and lead the way with the large group following.
"Byleth," Jeralt called softly. He stood in the doorway, blocking her view of her unexpected guest. She had been sitting on her bed, flipping a piece of leather back and forth in her hands, she barely spared him a glance. "There is someone here to see you."
That was Dimitri's unplanned que to squeeze pass the mercenary and door. All complaints were lost to him, when his eyes landed on her and he cheerfully yelled her name. With wide eyes she pressed herself against the wall and demanded for him to leave. Frozen in his spot, Dimitri looked back at her father, who wouldn't meet his gaze.
"Go back to the castle!" she ordered and looked anywhere but him. Frowning he marched over to the bed. "Go back, I can't play with you anymore!" He looked back at Jeralt, who gestured with his head for the prince to continue and that was what he did and climbed onto the bed. "Dimitri! No!"
"Aster! That is my nickname!" He reached out to touch her, but she flinched away.
"Don't touch me!" The intensity in her voice stopped him. "I'll corrupt you if you touch me!"
Frowning he reached out again. "I do not care! You are my friend and there is nothing bad you can do to me!"
A strange game of cat mouse started. She desperately ran around the room avoiding him at all cost, while at some point, he forgot the point of everything and started to have fun. Jeralt made sure to block the doorway and trap her inside, and she even deliberated on whether or not to attack her father, but that idea was quickly squashed when she spied two knights behind him. Her only other option was to escape out the window, she was sure she would be fine as she could probably jump to the tree next to it, but she was sure her actions would inspire Dimitri to do the same and she couldn't take that risk.
Finally, she slipped, and he took the chance to tackle her into his signature death tackle. She hit the ground hard but that wasn't the problem, his grip was. She pounded the floor and he immediately got the messaged and let her go; it was a gesture she made sure he learned last year after one to many bear hugs. She took a moment to catch her breath before she realized what he had done. She whipped her head around was greeted by his large smile.
"I got you," he sang. She stared at him long and hard. His smile was still warm like the sun and his eyes were still as clear and blue as the sky. Nothing had changed despite the fact that he touched her.
Her body shook as she choked back a sob. "I-I did a bad thing. Do you still want to be my friend?"
He grabbed both of her hands and held them firmly in his. "Of course!" Her eyes glossed over with water and Jeralt was sure she would finally cry and yet not tears fell but despite everything a small smile worked its way onto her face as she thanked her friend.
Red Wolf Moon 1172:
After that day, Byleth came to the castle and played every day. It took her some time to fall back into her normal routine, but Dimitri was patient with her the whole time. She never told him what the bad thing she did was and despite him being incredibly curious, he never asked. He could live with his curiosity if it meant he never had to see her sad again.
Next month Dimitri would be turning nine, a big year because he would finally begin his weapons training. Byleth had taught him a little on how to wield a lance but because of his small stature he wasn't able to properly wield it, so they had focused on swords instead. He couldn't wait to show off his new skills at his birthday that was until he learned that yet again, she wasn't allowed to attend. Despite House Gautier, the noble house he would be celebrating his birthday at, being okay with her attending many other nobles still protested and once again he wasn't allowed to celebrate with his friend. He decided he would still show off his skills so that everyone would know how great his friend was.
In ordered to be ready, they had dedicated a portion of everyday to sword training. At first, she had been against picking up a weapon, and would even skip her lessons; but she was still willing to instruct him. It bothered him a little, when they first started, he loved watching her practice; she was strong and amazing, she was his goal. It took her some time, but she would finally practice with a wooden sword, but her swings would be hesitant, lacking the confidence she once commanded but that was okay, she was slowly coming back and that's all he really wanted.
'Hyah!" Dimitri yelled as he swung the wooden sword, he had snuck out of the training grounds.
"No, no, like this," Byleth said as she swung her stolen, training sword, in the same way he was sure he had just done. He tried again but was met with the same response. Frowning he watched as she repeated the motion. When it came to teaching, she had been hit or miss in that department; in one lesson she could be incredible at conveying a point but then utter garbage with the next. He would have found it amusing if he wasn't on the receiving end.
Sighing he flopped onto the ground and watch as she struggled to articulate what he had been doing wrong. Despite his over eagerness to show off at his birthday he was debating to call it a day as it was rare for there to be a sunny day during the winter and even rarer for it to not have at least rain once in a week; that day called for a break he decided.
That day he had spotted a Knight of Serios wondering around so they were practicing in a secluded area of the gardens to avoid the knight as well as anyone that would try to stop them. A sigh soon escaped her, and she folded her arms across her chest with a tiny pout, she just couldn't find the right words. Laughing he patted the ground next to him and she joined him. In silence the watched the clouds as they drifted by, pointing at any that reminded them of something.
It was incredibly peaceful, and she noticed that he was dozing off. She was about to do the same when a cold chill ran down her spine. Quickly, she jumped to her feet, waking him but she didn't care as she was too busy scanning the area. The blood drained from her face, when she heard a low chuckling coming from above her, as fast as she could she grabbed her sword and looked up at the tree, they had been practicing under, sitting on a branch was a cloaked man and she briefly wondered how he got there without her noticing.
Chuckling some more the man dropped down and she stood protectively in front of Dimitri, her wooden sword raised at the stranger. It finally dawned on the prince, what was going on and he clung to her, but she had to push his hands away, in case she needed to fight. The man continued to chuckle as he took a step forward, she had tried to take a step back but immediately bumped into the paralyzed prince.
"You two have just made it too easy for me," the man said in such an eerily delighted tone. From beneath his cloak he pulled out a dagger and twirled it.
With an urgency she lightly pushed Dimitri back. "You need to run," she whispered as she never took her eyes off the threat.
"What about you?" he quietly asked, and she was grateful for his quiet voice.
"I will hold him off." She pushed him again and he grabbed her arm.
"No! I will not leave you!"
"It's clear he's after you. I will be fine."
"No!"
"Are you two done?" They both froze at the question. The man raised his head and she was able to see one piercing, red eye through the covers of his bangs. With all her strength she pushed Dimitri back, barely giving her enough time or energy to block the man's swift strike. The one clear eye focused on her and though she couldn't see it beneath the mask that covered his mouth, she knew he was smirking at her. "Oh, you have some skills?"
"Run now!" She ordered as she blocked another strike, and she could tell he was now playing with her.
"Do you honestly believe that I'm just going to let him escape?" With a swift strike of the back of his dagger he smacked her across her face and tried to knock her away, but she stubbornly braced her foot into the ground and remained blocking his path. It mattered little to him as he easily jumped over her and continued towards his target. With a swing of her sword she had aimed for the back of his knees in hopes of slowing him down but all she came into contact with was his dagger. The hilt of his dagger struck her hard across her face and she was knocked backwards.
He spared her no other time for he quickly turned back to his petrified target. A cry of pain was ripped out of him as he felt a dagger dig into the back of his leg, before being dragged down. He turned back to face her, a seething rage behind his one, visible eye, with his good leg he stomped his foot down on her wrist as she was raising her arm to strike again, and she cried out in pain. He raised his dagger high into the air before plunging it straight into her back of her abdomen with all the force he had, and she screamed out.
Dimitri screamed her name at the top of his lungs and the assassin swiftly turned his sights onto the young boy. The bloody dagger was headed for its target when another sharp pain erupted from the man's leg, halting his assault. Though her wrist may have been broken she still held her dagger and stabbed his wound again. Snarling, he pulled her up by her hair and stared into her fierce eyes. Using the blunt of his dagger he broke her nose, but she didn't make a sound and even refused to show the slightest hint of pain. Dimitri pulled at the man's leg but was violently kicked away and he curled up into a ball, crying Byleth's name.
She did not blink or say anything as she glared at the man before her, she didn't flinch when the dagger was raised for the final blow. Just before the attack could connect, a hand grabbed the assassin's wrist and broke it. He dropped both her and the dagger to glare at the knight behind him from over his shoulder. The orange haired knight pulled back the man's arm, earning a cry of pain, and he slammed the man into the ground, away from her.
She had recognized the knight as Sir Gustave, she didn't interact with him much, but he had been one of the few people that didn't judge her, so she had liked him. With great pleasure she had watched him use his massive shield to knock out the man. Now that the threat was gone, her body finally gave into the incredible pain she felt but she didn't focus much on it, but instead, of the crying prince, who had crawled over to her. She had wanted to reach out and comfort him, but she feared what pain she might feel if she did so.
"Your Highness, are you alright?" Sir Gustave asked as he rushed over to the children, after ensuring that the assailant was no longer a threat.
"Byleth," was all Dimitri could say between his sobs. The knight looked at the poor girl, lying on the ground, and wore a complicated expression. "Your Highness, can you walk?" The boy nodded. Carefully the knight picked up the girl and in a frustrating slow pace to him as he ran to the infirmary but made sure that the prince was keeping up. "Forgive me, for not coming sooner." She wanted to shake her head to alleviate some of his guilt, but she was in too much pain to do anything.
It wasn't long before the castle was in an uproar over the news of the failed assassination and of Byleth's injury. King Lambert stopped everything and ran for his son; at some point in his rush he remembered to issue a clumsy order to summon Jeralt immediately. A stream of curses and prayers spilled from his lips in his haste.
Byleth had been rushed to an infirmary as soon as Gustave was able to find another knight to take care of the prince. The prince had refused to leave her side and desperately fought off anyone who tried to separate them, eventually the other knight had to rush Dimitri with Gustave to the infirmary. Once inside he had accepted that he couldn't be exactly at her side and stood in the corner with Gustave. Even though she had been in incredible pain. She had remained conscious, to the amazement of everyone. She had wanted to slip into the beautiful darkness of unconsciousness and be free of the all the pain, if only for a little while, but she feared it would cause her friend to panic and so she stubbornly fought against it.
The two healers that treated her were professionals. Their focus was entirely on treating her wounds and seemed to easily block out the cries of the prince. They didn't even flinch when the door was slammed open and the king rushed to his son's side, picking him up and holding him tight in his arms. Byleth was impressed as she nearly jumped out of her own skin when that happened.
The king gave a quick look over his son, and relief washed over him like a tidal wave. "Are you hurt?" he asked in a shaky voice. He might be feeling relief, but his nerves were still frayed. Unable to stop crying long enough to answer, the prince just shook his head. The king looked at the knight, who offered a bow and a sincere apology.
"He got kicked in the stomach," Byleth said. King Lambert looked at her and his lips thinned, and tears stared to appear in the corner of his eyes. The healers were diligently taking care of her more serious injuries at the moment, her stomach and wrist, but that meant her face was being neglected and it was starting to swell. He found it hard to look at her for a multiple reason but still shared his appreciation.
Carefully he pulled his son's tunic up and revealed the early stages of a nasty bruise. He ignored the knight's begging for forgiveness for not noticing the injury sooner and focused on channeling some basic Faith magic into his hand. He wasn't very good, but he could at least heal basic injuries. A sad smile grew on his face when he noticed his son slowly stopped crying.
"No!" Byleth's scream immediately and grabbed all the men's attention. She was swatting away a nurse's hand that held a stethoscope.
"Honey, I need to check your heart," the nurse said as sweetly as she could, "I need to make sure everything is okay."
"No!" Another scream and she smacked the nurse's hand with her bad hand, causing a cry of pain to escape her and for her to grip her wrist. "My heart is okay," she managed to say to, but it was strained.
"Byleth, dear, they only want to help," King Lambert said as he made his way over to her side. "They will not hurt you."
"No." She shook her head and folded her arms protectively over her chest. "My heart is fine." To be honest she didn't really know what the issue was; all she knew was that whenever a doctor brought out that medical device her father would be completely against them using it and so she had to do the same in his place.
She refused to budge on the topic and would not listen to their explanations. Having enough of their assault on his friend, Dimitri freed himself from his father's hold and stood protectively in front of his dear friend. Eventually the adults relented and dropped the issue so long as she agreed to stay in the infirmary for observation, and she was okay with that.
It took far too long for Jeralt to get to his daughter's side. It took an hour for the news to reach him (he was eternally grateful that he didn't go far from Fhirdiad that day), another hour for him to reach the castle, and then thirty minutes for him to arrive at the infirmary, that was far to long for his rattled mind and chaotic heart. He practically broke the door down, when he slammed it open, startling King Lambert and putting the two knights on high alert. Screaming out his daughter's name he rushed to the bed's side.
Once Byleth's adrenaline wore off and from the effects of the healing magic, exhaustion took a strong hold of her, she didn't even stir from all the commotion. He hovered at her side, lost as what to do, she was an incredibly light sleepier. Brushing some her hair aside was the most inspection he could do without ripping the covers off, which his fingers were itching to do.
"She will be fine," King Lambert spoke and alerted the mercenary to his and his knights' presences. "She is just exhausted."
Jeralt looked at his daughter and noticed the content expression on her face. Relief washed over him, and he collapsed to his knees covering his eyes as tears streamed down his face. No one said anything as the large man's body shook with sobs and prayers to the goddess.
Byleth awoke to the sounds of the castle in a panic just outside of the infirmary. The room she was in was still bathed in Darkness, and she vaguely wondered what time it was as she stared at nothing, waiting for her eyes to adjust. Now awake she could make out what the commotion was about, the prince was missing. She pulled the covers back to discover him, cuddled next to her and she smiled, her little smile, down at him.
Carefully, she crawled around him in ordered to get off the bed without disturbing him and she winced in pain from both her wrist and stomach. The healers had explained to her that Faith magic only heals the wounds, but the pain will linger for some time, she had wished the time could have finished while she was unconscious. Once she was sure she didn't disturb him she walked to the door and discovered her father asleep on the chair next to it. The tension she didn't know she was caring, vanished at the sight of her father.
Discreetly, she slipped through the door as to let in as little light as possible into the room. Outside, people were rushing around in a panic, none would stop when she called out to them. Frowning she was debating if she could just carry Dimitri out, but quickly realized that her pain wouldn't allow her to do that.
King Lambert was the only one, who stopped for her. "Byleth, you should not be up," he said with concern but couldn't hide his panic from his tone. "Go to bed." He about to rush away when she grabbed his hand. She pointed to the door, behind her, and he looked at her and then the door. Sighing, he mumbled that he should have known.
Once the sleeping Dimitri was carried off, she had decided to sleep with her father. Carefully, she tried to crawl on him without disturbing him, but it went terrible and he was quickly on alert. His eyes soften when he realized what she was trying to do so he joined her on the infirmary's bed. He quietly thanked her for surviving as she slowly drifted back to sleep.
For the next few nights Dimitri would sneak out of his room to sleep with her. The panics from his disappearance diminished with each night. Finally, it was agreed that she would sleep with the prince on his bed. She didn't mind as his bed was super comfortable and he was nice and warm. Jeralt, on the other hand, was against it and was given a room in the castle as a compensation and so that he could be nearby at least; he still wasn't happy.
Ethereal Moon 1172:
Byleth had greatly underestimated how long it would take for the pain of her wounds to go away. Because she had suffered three serious wounds at once and was still young it would take her some time for the pain to go away, but two weeks was just way too much for her liking. The pain in her head and wrist were gone all that was left was the pain in her stomach, which was the most annoying as it kept her from doing a lot of things. She couldn't play with Dimitri liked they normally did or practice her swordsmanship, but she at least got out of her etiquette classes because of it.
Dimitri had been very helpful, while she recovered. He would help her walk to whatever destination she needed to go (despite her never actually needing assistance), he also refused to let her carry anything even after her wrist had healed, he had tried to take care of every little thing that she might have considered difficult; he even tried to feed her in the beginning but she quickly stopped that. She had been getting so much special treatment that she started to hear the whispers of a new term to describe her and that was "mistress". She didn't know what that word meant and neither did Dimitri. At first, she was content to forget about it but the more she heard it the more she wanted to know.
Byleth sat in Dimitri's room, waiting for him. He had lessons to attend and afterwards something exciting was to happen, neither of them knew exactly what just that she couldn't attend the event, much to the prince's frustrations. Being by herself was fine as it gave her some time to work on the birthday gift; a pair of leather gauntlets to commemorate the start of his sword training. It was incredibly difficult to work on his gift now that they shared a room, so she had to be careful on when she did bring it out to work on.
The door to the prince's chambers were slammed opened and she dropped her tools when she had jumped out of her seat. She whipped her head around to see Dimitri's standing in the doorframe and she quickly tossed all her items into her bag. As soon as she got off her chair, he raced over to her and pulled at her arm to follow him, when she looked back at the door, she saw two new people.
One was a boy smaller than Dimitri with long blue hair and cherry-red eyes and the other was a boy, not much older than herself, with short blue hair and matching eyes. She was pulled along until she was standing in front of them. The smaller boy quickly hid behind the other boy's leg.
"These are my friends!" Dimitri proudly proclaimed, as he widely gestured to them.
"Hello, I'm Byleth Eisner," she awkwardly curtsied without a dress and she was annoyed at how that gesture came so naturally. The etiquette teacher may not like her, but she at least made sure her lessoned stuck. "It's a pleasure to meet your acquaintances." Even unnecessary words rolled off her tongue with easy. She was sure if her father was there, he would be laughing at her.
"No need for the formalities. Dimitri has told us so much about you that I feel like practically know you," the older boy laughed, "I am Glenn Leith Fraldarius." Finally, Byleth had a picture to go with the name she heard so much from Dimitri. Her eyes landed on the smaller boy that she assumed had to be Felix. "And this is my baby brother Felix Hugo Fraldarius." He lightly bumped the boy, who quickly bowed.
"I-it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance," Felix said in a meek voice.
"Felix is my best friend!" Dimitri declared with pride and wrapped an arm around the smaller boy's shoulders. A shuddered of annoyance washed over her before settling in the pit of her stomach, but her face never reflected it, to which she was grateful for. She wasn't sure why that emotion bubbled; all she knew was that she was going to pretend like it didn't exist.
"I was really hoping to challenge you when we first met," Glenn said with a sigh. She looked up at him and was lost in his blue eyes. His eyes weren't as pretty as Dimitri's but his made her feel weird, but she liked it. It also made her annoyance go away. "It is a shame that wretched assassin had to go and ruin it. I really want to know what the daughter of the Blade Breaker is capable of."
Unable able to look at him any longer she hung her head. "I'm not that strong. I lost to the assassin." Before that moment she had never cared whether she was strong or not but when she saw that man go after Dimitri, she vowed to get stronger and protect those who are precious to her.
"Hey, you fought the assassin and survived." And from what I've heard you even managed to injure him; you should be proud!" She felt a large hand on her head, and it ruffled up her hair a bit. She looked up and noticed his smile, which made her stomach feel all kinds of weird but despite that she found herself smiling, her little smile.
"By!" At Dimitri's cry she turned to face him, and the hand left her head, which was a bit of a disappointment. "I promise to get stronger so that I can protect you!" He tried to come off strong, but he started sniffling at the end, when he remembered her bleeding. Felix stood next to his friend, and his hands hovered awkwardly in the air, unsure of what to do when them.
"Aw, is the little prince going to be Byleth's white knight?" Glenn roughly rubbed Dimitri's head causing the two young boys to struggle in vain to push the older boy away.
"By, help!" At the cry she was at the prince's side but stood around as she didn't know what to do.
"Oh," Glenn hummed as he locked eyes with her, and her stomach once again started flipping. "Who is the knight in your little relationship?"
"I'm a mercenary," she simply said.
"Oh," he had placed both of his arms on top of the younger boys' head and rested some of his weight on them to get a better look at her. All complaints were ignored. "I thought for sure King Lambert would have offered you the chance to become a knight for your bravery."
"He did." She glanced at Dimitri, who was pouting and refusing to look at her; he still hadn't forgiven her for turning down the chance. "I turned it down because I don't think my father wants me to be one." She would have really liked to stay in the castle with all the good foods, comfy beds, and of course spending more time with Dimitri but she didn't want that if it meant her father wasn't happy. Though when King Lambert offered her knighthood, her father had been completely unreadable; she had been trying to not think about it, but she couldn't help but wonder if she made the right choice.
"But what do you want?"
She frowned slightly at him. She wasn't used to being asked such a difficult question. Being a knight would be great but she also realized she would have to give up a lot, the freedom of travel, she also knew that the king's offer didn't extended to the rest of her father's company and she didn't want to abandon them, and she would probably have a lot more dangerous encounters with the people from the church. She still didn't know why she should be afraid of the church, but she was still going to avoid them as best as she could. And she also just wanted her father to be happy and she was hoping that the mercenary life was what he wanted.
"I want to be a mercenary."
Their eyes were locked for a bit before he nodded. He finally got up and smacked the back of the boys' heads and just laughed at their complaints. "Alright, you brats go play. I have things to do." He laughed again when tongues were stuck out at him. "It was nice meeting you Byleth." And with that he left, and she was feeling disappointed.
Without his brother around, Felix stood behind Dimitri and would only give small glances at her. Dimitri patted the other boy's head. "By, is still hurt so we cannot play to rough, okay?" he asked, and Felix slightly nodded his head. The prince took Felix's hand and hers and led the way to outside.
Dimitri struggled to come up with games everyone could play and enjoy, it was hard. Everyone liked games that they could move around in but Byleth couldn't play those at the moment and Felix was too shy and nervous to play board games with her. She had decided to watch them play, so that they could have some fun at least. The prince had been against it at first but after a lot of assurance that she would be fine, he gave in. The boys ran around a lot playing several different games, and eventually settled on Knights and Princess.
She sat at the table in a gazebo, her castle, waiting for her two knights. She watched as they fought off a "horde of vicious monsters" on their way to rescue her. She still struggled with trying to imagine anything so sitting and waiting was perfect for her. Every once and while she would be prompted by Dimitri to say something and even Felix would ask her to say something it was usually something like "save me" or words of encouragement or praise.
"Is she really the one they are grooming to be the mistress?" asked a soft, quiet voice from behind her and was quickly shushed. For a normal person they might not have heard the voice but Byleth had an unusually good hearing. Looking over her shoulder she startled the two maids that were bringing her some tea and treats.
"We have brought you some Mint tea and snacks," one of the maids said as she placed her tray down onto the table and the other quickly followed suit. "We hope that the young lords and you like it." They bowed before departing.
"I do not want to have a tea party," Felix whined as he and Dimitri made their way over. "Ingrid always make me have one whenever I see her."
She turned to see her two knights joining her, one was just a bit reluctant to do so for a number of reasons. Dimitri leaned his toy sword against a bush before sitting at his assign seat next to Byleth. "I told you already. The only thing By asks to play with me is tea parties so we have to have one," Dimitri said as he reached for a cookie. Her tea parties had only been held once a week but since the attack, they were having one every day. She didn't know if they had them so often because of her injury or he just wanted to please her, either way she got to have a lot tea, so she was happy. Felix huffed out his complaint as he took the seat next to his friend.
Just as she finished pouring the tea a chipper voice, invaded the area, "Are we in time for tea?" King Lambert, Glenn, and another man she hadn't met joined them. The stranger had medium length blue hair and eyes and she concluded that he must have been Glenn's and Felix's father.
She quickly got onto her feet and awkwardly curtsied. "Hello, I'm Byleth Eisner," she said, "it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
The man was quick to return the gesture with a bow of his own. "The pleasure is all mine. I am Rodrigue Achille Fraldarius the father to both Glenn and Felix. I humbly offer my thanks for saving the prince's life."
"Oh no, I didn't really do anything."
"Nonsense! My son is only alive because of your bravery!" King Lambert interjected before he took his seat, next to her. "You have my eternal gratitude!" She looked at both men, who smiled at her and then Glenn, who stood off to the side and gave her a firm nod. Glenn did say she should be proud and so she would.
"That's right By! You are a hero!" Dimitri proclaimed with some crumbs stuck to his face. She took a napkin and tried to clean his face; an action she had seen his handmaid do a few times. He smacked her hand away and the king laughed.
"I hope my sons, have not troubled you," Rodrigue said as he took his seat and poured himself some tea.
"Oh no, they have been really nice. Glenn is warm and encouraging." She glanced at said boy and when their eyes meet her stomach was back to being funny. "Felix is sweet and calm. Playing games with him is easier than Aster." She gave Dimitri a small pat on the head when he voiced a small complaint.
"Aster?"
"That is my nickname!" Dimitri shouted with pride.
"No fair!" Felix shouted feeling more confident in the presence of people he knew. "I want a nickname too!"
"You have to ask By for one."
Felix looked at her and a tinge of pink colored his cheeks. He tried to maintain eye contact, but it slowly drifted away. "Can I have a nickname," he mumbled quietly.
"Felix," his father said in a stern tone.
The smaller boy looked back up at her and his cheeks turned a darker shade. "May I please have a nickname?"
She nodded. "It will take me some time to think of one, is that okay?" For the first time he smiled at her and vigorously nodded his head.
The rest of the tea party went pleasantly. She didn't really know Lord Rodrigue well, but she figured he was a nice man, worthy of her trust and he was the father of her two new friends. King Lambert didn't seem to be in a rush to leave like he normally was as so she figured she could ask him the question that has been plaguing her for a while.
"King Lambert-" she managed to say before he interrupted her.
"Now By, we have been over this, you may call me Lambert." She frowned slightly. She already knew it was highly improper to just call him King Lambert but to address him without any title was a level of specialty she didn't think she deserved. She clearly understood why she wasn't liked in the castle and both the king and prince were more than eager to innocently add fire to the already volatile mix. "Lambert," his name awkwardly spilled from her lips as she knew she wouldn't be able to ask her question unless she called him that.
"Yes, my child?" he practically sang before he took a sip of his tea.
"What's a mistress?" The king broke out into a coughing fit after spitting his tea back into his cup, Lord Rodrigue sighed and wiped off some of the tea that landed on him, and Glenn broke out into a laughing fit in the background, all while the children watched.
After he gained some control over himself, King Lambert turned to face her fully. "By, honey, where did you hear such a thing?"
"From several different maids and servants. They said something about me being groomed to be a mistress." The color drained from his face and he gripped her shoulders.
"By, dear, please do not tell your father you were told of such a thing, please!"
She frowned slightly; she didn't like keeping secrets from him. "I don't like lying."
"That is good a thing. But do you like me?" She nodded. "Do you want me to live?" She titled her head slightly but nodded. "Then I beg of you please do not tell your father!" She frowned again. "He will kill me if you do! Please, do not tell him!"
"You are being overdramatic," Rodrigue said before taking a sip of his tea, and he earned the full attention of his friend.
"Her father is Sir Jeralt!"
They stared at each other for a bit before the duke sighed and gripped his friend's shoulder. "Our friendship was nice while it lasted."
"Rodrigue! You need to help me!"
"Well? What did you expect? You have been giving her special treatment, it is only natural for people to jump to such a conclusion."
"Is a mistress bad?" Byleth asked pulling the attention back onto herself.
King Lambert looked back at his friend, who refused to make eye contact. "No…"
She frowned and tilted her head. "Is it some kind of knight?" Once again, he looked back at his friend, who continued to disappoint him.
"Yes, yes, it is!" Glenn finally spoke up from his laughing fit. "You have a special sheath that is just for your lord's personal use."
"Glenn!" both King Lambert and Lord Rodrigue yelled.
"Sheath? Like for a sword? But I thought the Hero Relic for the Blyiddyd family was a lance?"
"Blaiddyd," Dimitri unconsciously corrected.
"Oh, Dimitri has a lance alright." Glenn was practically hollowing at that moment.
"Glenn!" the adults yelled, and the said boy started walking away, laughing like crazy.
"Byleth, I beg of you please do not tell your father about any of this!" It was Lord Rodrigue's turn to ask her such a thing. She frowned but agreed not to in the end.
I only ever meant for Byleth to have a nickname for Dimitri but given how kids are it only makes sense for the others to want a name. Names are hard to come up with, why did I do this to myself?
When this story was just in the planning stages there were two things I wanted to happen before certain ages were meant, for Byleth I wanted her to have her first kill before she was 13 and for Dimitri I wanted the assassination attempt before he was 9. I was originally planned to write the assassin last chapter but thought that would make that year to bloated which left me a dilemma because this was the last year, I had to write both scenes before the age restrictions. So, I was debating on whether or not I should just push back the assassination and then, I thought what the heck I'll just write an exciting year, not realizing how stressful and terrible it was to Byleth and Jeralt. Oops, but hey at least I got to end the chapter with a stupid sexual innuendo joke. I'm sorry Byleth and Jeralt the next few chapters will be nice…unless I get a new idea.
Time for another small head cannon thing: Faith magic can heal almost any wounds, but it uses a lot of energy from both the caster and patient, so if someone with a major injury gets it healed with magic it will usually leave them exhausted afterwards. Faith magic also doesn't heal away the pain, the body still believes that a wound is there and thus the pain will remain. And how long the pain last depends on age, the size of the wound, the number of wounds healed, and the spellcaster's abilities. Also, scars will remain, but they just won't be as terrible as if the wound was healed with basic medicine.
That's all for now.