Blue Eyes

by Sparks101

During the Wyvern Moon, Jeralt would accept a contract from the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus to help protect its citizens from Great Wolves and other such creatures, this would allow his daughter Byleth and Prince Dimitri to build a strong friendship that lasted through all of life hardships that were thrown at them.

9. Chapter 9

Hello everyone and welcome to the chapter that just wouldn't end! I split the year in two so that I wouldn't end up with a ridiculously long chapter and I still came pretty close. I hope you all enjoy the fluff I have brought!

Ages:

Byleth: 15

Dimitri: 12

Felix: 11

Sylvain: 14

Ingrid: 11

Glenn: 17

---

Ethereal Moon 1175:

Seventh of the Ethereal Moon:

Dimitri was in the final countdown for his plan. He only had a few weeks left to convince his father, get Byleth ready for the ball, as well as cheer her up. After her talk with Glenn, during the night of the tournament, she had been dejected. She wouldn't tell him what they had talked about nor could she explain why she had been feeling that way. It was awful seeing her that way and being unable to do anything to change it.

Glenn had been staying in the castle to further his training and so at one-point Dimitri had stormed over to him and to get some answers as well as make the older boy apologize. But after discovering that Glenn was even more depressed than Byleth, left the prince with more questions than answers. It would have been so much easier if he had someone to blame for everything or at least knew what was going on.

Byleth, at least, started to cheer up when Sylvain and Felix arrived, though Felix did seem to stir some mix feelings from her. Sylvain had decided that the best way to cheer her up was through distractions, and the best distraction was dance practice, he proclaimed. She had complained at first but went along with it regardless.

Dimitri had teaching her dance before the start of the Ethereal Moon but had many problems that prevented them from progressing too much. His biggest issue had been Byleth's lack of interest and refusal to practice dance when she had a tournament to train for, so she had only allowed a small portion of her day to be dedicated to dancing. The other issues had all been on him and his chaotic thoughts. Being alone with her and touching her excited him in ways, he didn't want her to see; and on top of that was just his general nervousness. Having Sylvain and Felix around, greatly helped him.

Sylvain was a natural when it came to teaching her how to dance. She molded well with him and he glided her across the dancefloor, in a way Dimitri hoped that he could one day do. It was easy for the red head as he didn't have the nerves that held him back, like Dimitri, nor did he have a disdain for dancing like Felix; Sylvain simply enjoyed it as it didn't have anything to do with weapons training or preparing himself to wield the Lance of Ruin. Besides teaching Byleth was good practice for when he would dance with ladies that also had little experience.

Felix hated dancing with a passion. He wanted to help Dimitri, but couldn't there be anything else he could do other than dance? Anything else at all? It was so annoying having to hold his hands in a certain way, had to move a certain way, make sure his footing was always right, as well as constantly maintain eye contact with his partner; it was all so incredibly irritating. When Byleth had pointed out that that was the same for swordplay he was insulted to hear such a thing, from her of all people, but when she started to wonder if she could incorporate dance moves into sword fighting to help with her dexterity did Felix start to take a small interest in dancing.

Dancing with Dimitri wasn't going as well as it was for the others. With the presence of his friends, he at least didn't get an unwanted visitor as often but when it did visit, it just made for an even more awkward situation than when he was just left alone with her. Dimitri didn't possess the suave or grace of Sylvain nor did he have skills like Felix, he had started to wonder if he should even bother trying to teach her. Sylvain did try to encourage the prince by stating that he was also practicing for their first real dance but that ended up backfiring and made Dimitri more nervous. Despite everything Byleth was progressing smoothly, though no one was surprise at that.

The biggest hurdle, Dimitri had to face was convincing his father to let Byleth attend his birthday ball. After the five years that he had known her, she ha dsaved his life twice, and yet she still couldn't attend, and he couldn't understand why. She had done far more for him than any of those other nobles; it was just so unfair to him. He didn't care if his birthday was a chance for him to get to know eligible bachelorettes; his heart already belonged to Byleth and he was sure his father could see that.

King Lambert sat behind his desk sighing as he set all his work aside. He had listened to the same argument for the past five years and he didn't know how else to better explain it to Dimitri that Byleth just couldn't attend. He didn't like denying her either and was grateful that she never tried to push to attend. Besides the close bond the children shared, she had also demonstrated more than her share worth as to why she should be able to attend but the nobles that argued against her never cared to listen to such information. They would argue that she was already receiving special treatment and that the prince's birthday was an entirely different matter that they would not budge on.

The biggest opposition to Byleth attending was her birth and sex. While King Lambert wanted to start breaking down the barriers that separated the nobles from the commoners, it was going dreadfully slow to the point that nothing had really changed in all the years that he had been working on it. So, having a commoner attend the crown prince's birthday was just pure insanity to the many nobles that wanted the status quo to remain; and on top of all that Byleth was a girl. It was expected for Dimitri to choose a bride from one of the women that attended his birthday and as such Byleth was considered a threat in that regard.

King Lambert already knew that the "eligible" women didn't stand a chance. His son had noticed that Byleth was a woman and now Dimitri was looking at her fondly. It was a love he couldn't foster; Dimitri would have to wed a noble, less his rule be challenged, and yet the father couldn't bring himself to destroy such young, innocent love. He was terrible, he fostered it, he called her his daughter, he let his son build a hope that shouldn't exist. He wanted to let the love blossom, he wanted Byleth to officially be his daughter, but he couldn't. He needed to stop it before it could bloom out of control, but he could not muster up the strength or will to put an end to it.

"Dimitri," king Lambert said, interrupting his son's long-winded argument. "We have been over this, By cannot go to your birthday." He may not be able to bring himself to stop the budding romance, but he could at least put a limit on it, despite how much he hated doing so.

"That is not fair!" Dimitri argued back, the same argument he said for the last five years.

The father fought back a sigh, his son usually would eventually give up and storm out of the room, but Dimitri was adamant that year. "Dimitri, why are you pursing it so strongly this year?" A splash of red, adored his son's pale face and he did not like that. He was afraid of where this was going, and what the birthday actually met to his son.

"By, saved my life twice now. She was attacked last year because she helped me. It is only fair that she should be allowed to attend my birthday." He went right for his father's heart. King Lambert was at a loss for words. He didn't know when his son developed such manipulative tactics because what was he supposed to say to that?

The two stared at each other for a bit before the father gave in. Jeralt was right, he was too soft. He couldn't stop Dmitri, his son was going to fall deeper into a doomed love, and all because he couldn't bring himself to stop it. His hopes laid with Byleth falling in love with someone else, which would surely put a stop to Dimitri's feelings. But the thought of Byleth falling for anyone that wasn't his son was an incredibly irritating thought to him.

Twelfth of the Ethereal Moon:

On the night before the twelfth, Ingrid had finally arrived, which meant the next part of the plan could be put into action, finding Byleth a dress. Dimitri only wanted the very best for her but the best meant placing an ordered back in the beginning of the Verdant Moon and the seamstress would have needed Byleth present for measurements, so the next option was for the girls to go into town and hopefully find a dress. He didn't like having to rely on luck but there was little he could do at the moment.

The ride into town was pleasant, at least to Byleth it was. Ingrid, on the other hand, was a pile of nerves thanks to Dimitri. In ordered to try and keep everything a secret, Dimitri had given Ingrid the money to hold, all near 500 gold pieces; she had never seen so much money in her life. She was on constant alert about where the money was at all time and was always looking over her shoulder.

When they finally arrived at their destination, a grand boutique, to say that Byleth was disappointed would have been an understatement; she held back her complaints when Ingrid practically shoved her in. Byleth did not know there could be so many different versions of dresses or why there was a need for so many styles in the first place. When she was finally told that they were there to pick out a dress for her, for the first time in her life, she struggled to keep a neutral expression on her face.

The mercenary bit her tongue every time a new dress was thrusted upon her. Ingrid was clearly out of her element, so it was a complete mystery to the older girl as to why they were there. The young noble wasn't even picking out a dress for herself, baffling Byleth even more.

After trying on a seventh dress, Byleth finally had enough. "Can we please stop?" she asked as she bit back a sigh, when she saw Ingrid approaching with two more dresses.

"No, we have to find you a dress!" Ingrid said, handling her friend a new dress but Byleth didn't budge.

"What's the point of me having a dress?"

"Every girl needs at least one dress." Ingrid was unable to maintain eye contact after that comment.

"As a mercenary having unnecessary items is impractical. A dress would only take up precious space."

"You can just leave it, in your room at the castle." Byleth sighed.

Accepting her fate, Byleth, took the new dress offered and slipped into the changing room to put it on to the best of her ability (Ingrid had to often help). She managed to slip on the dress with no problem but was unable to tie the back of it, so it hung loosely on her. Looking at herself in the mirror she sighed. It was the first dress to fit her chest comfortably but that was because it stopped short of just covering it, but it did a remarkable job at showing off her cleavage as well as her crest. While she would prefer not showing off her chest, she at least had gotten used to all the men staring at it; she even caught Dimitri staring at it from time to time. At least the dress was a nice deep, green color that was the only good thing Byleth could say about it.

Biting back another sigh, she pulled open the curtains so that Ingrid could help finish getting the dress situated. After the tying was done, she twirled around to show it off, despite showing more than she was comfortable with it, it at least was comfortable to wear and offered her the best movement ability. Starring at Byleth's crest for a second, Ingrid held up the next dress, but Byleth had refused.

"This one is fine," Byleth said with a shake of her head. "This is the first dress that I have tried on where I can breathe properly. Lets just take it and go."

"But your…" Ingrid started but was unable to bring herself to say it, so she just gestured to her chest with a general circling of her hand.

"It's fine, I've already become accustomed to the staring."

Ingrid frowned. "But your crest is visible."

Lightly, Byleth's fingers brushed against her crest. "My crest doesn't look like any known crest and it's much too large and it's only half of a design so I doubt anyone would suspect that it's a crest." She briefly froze when she remembered the noble, from the tournament, and was starting to have second thoughts about the dress. She glanced back at the other dress in Ingrid's hands and decided that she would just make do, less she have to try on seven more. "I could probably get way with just calling it a tattoo." Ingrid frowned, knowing that a tattoo, especially in such a place, would only be looked at poorly by nobility.

"But…wouldn't it be dangerous if people were to discover it?"

"Those of who I was probably supposed to keep it a secret from, already know. There's little point in hiding it anymore." She looked at Ingrid, who still had her doubts. "It's fine Daisy. I rather get this done and over with so that we can go try out that tea house that you said was good."

Ingrid said no more and helped Byleth undress. The dress was then carefully folded before they took it to the boutique's owner for a purchase. The older woman narrowed her eyes at the children, before her, when they handed her the dress.

"You have good taste," the woman said in a tone that Byleth didn't like, but she said nothing. "That will be 100 gold."

"100 gold?!" both girls yelled in unison and the woman turned up her nose at them.

"Come along Daisy," Byleth said after her shook wore off.

"Wait. I have the money for it," Ingrid said as she shakily dug into Dimitri's bag of money. Byleth had tried to complain but the money was still exchanged, leaving her in utter shock.

She refused to look to look at Ingrid as they walked to their carriage. She was desperately trying to figure out how many months of food supplies she could have bought for her mercenary company and how it was all wasted on one stupid dress. Once inside the carriage Byleth had put the dress in a spot that was out of sight as she could no longer look at it.

---

That night Ingrid pulled all the guys together to explain the dress situation. Dimitri and Sylvain were excited for an update, while Felix couldn't have care less and wished he was training with Byleth and Jeralt. They had huddled quietly together in Sylvain's room, just in case Byleth's training had ended early and she went to Dimitri's room.

"We have a bit of a problem," Ingrid started off saying. By the instant panic that flooded Dimitri's features, she wished she had chosen a better selection of words to start off with. "We got her a dress," she was quick to say, and the tension soon left Dimitri, as her as well.

"What is the problem then?" Felix asked to get the whole thing over with.

"The dress shows off By's cleavage."

"So? That sounds exactly like the opposite of a problem," Sylvain laughed. "She has a nice chest; she should show it off more." Both Ingrid and Dimitri started glaring at him, but he didn't seem to care. "I am sure his highness will not be complaining when he gets to see it." He winked at the prince.

Dimitri turned bright red and Ingrid smacked her fist on top of Sylvain's head, who complained loudly. "Her crest is visible, you pervert!" There was a collective "oh" from the boys. "We are supposed to be keeping her crest a secret right?"

"Why did you buy the dress then?" Felix asked.

"By was tired of dress shopping. And she said it was too late already, that the people she was supposed to keep her crest secret from already know."

"Can we cover it with a scarf or something?" Dimitri asked and Ingrid shook her head.

"I do not think we can. At least not in a way that will be decent looking."

"Can we cover it with make up then?" Sylvain asked.

"I do not think so either. It is so large and red that it will require a lot of make-up. Might make her chest look weird."

"I know a major crest is big, but it honestly can not be that large." Sylvain walked over to Felix and pulled up the younger boy's shirt revealing his major crest on his stomach, much to Felix's annoyance. "We could easily cover up Felix's crest. By's should not be that much more difficult."

"Her crest is larger."

"Larger than Felix's?" Ingrid nodded and Felix's smacked Sylvain's hand away so that he could pull his shirt down. "But her crest is not complete right?" Everyone nodded. "And it is already larger than Felix's?" Ingrid nodded. "What kind of crest does she have?"

Everyone brainstormed ways to cover up Byleth's crest, but without the young woman present to practice on, all ideas were pointless. Eventually the decided that they would just trust Byleth's judgement and agreed to all keep an eye on her and anyone suspicious that might approach her. They all scattered to Dimitri's room when their talks were done to wait for Byleth to join them for a game of cards or something.

Ninetieth of the Ethereal Moon:

It was only that day that Byleth had been finally informed that she would be attending Dimitri's birthday ball. What Dimitri thought would be happy news, only seemed to upset her to discover such a thing at the last moment. She had spent the remainder of the day avoiding everyone so that she could mentally prepare herself for the next day.

That was the first time Byleth was ever angry with him and he was besides himself. Both Sylvain and Ingrid had tried to convince him to tell her at least a week in advance but he didn't listen; he wanted it to be a big surprise. And now he was afraid that she wouldn't come or even wish him a happy birthday.

Working up the courage and hoping to stop her being angry with him, Dimitri knocked on her door that night. He fiddled with the bottom of his tunic while his other hand reached into his pocket to make sure that the necklace was there. When he heard her voice from the other side, a sigh of relief escaped him but when the doorknob started to turn his nerves came back with vengeance. She had opened the door just enough to peak out and see who it was, and he smiled at her.

"By," he started but quickly stopped thanks to his nerves getting the better of him. She pushed open her door to let him in and he looked at her for a second and then rushed inside before she could change her mind. His eyes scanned her room, despite the room being exclusively hers, she hadn't decorated it in the slightest, outside of all the gifts she had received last year from him and his father. Across her lone chair was her dress and his mind wondered to what she would look like wearing it.

The sound of the door closing broke him out of his train of thoughts. He glanced back and her and noticed that she was looking away from him and had her arms folded across her chest. With little warning to her, he bowed deeply and offered her his humblest apologies.

"Raise your head Aster!" Byleth demanded with her agitation clear in her voice. A small smile worked its way onto his face that he refused to let her see. He always enjoyed it when he was able to catch her off guard; it was such a rare thing for him. "You are forgiven."

"But are you still made at me?" he asked, and he was still in his bow. She sighed and he dared to raise his head to look at her. Her arms remained folded across her chest and she was staring at her dress with a neutral expression.

He broke out of his bow and rushed to her side. He gripped one of her arms as he tried to get her to look at him. "I am truly sorry for what I have done. By, please come to my party!" Finally, she looked at him and tilted her head. "Please, I want you there."

"I will go." She placed her free hand over his that gripped her arm, a bit too tightly. "When did I say that I wouldn't go?"

Sheepishly, he looked away. "I thought because you were angry…"

Sighing again, she rubbed his arm until he looked at her. "Yes, I am mad, but I will still go." She smiled softly. "I will always go to your birthday, if I can."

"Then why are you angry?"

The smile left her face and was replaced with a frown. "I needed to mentally prepare myself."

He furrowed his brows. She had told him that earlier but neither he nor their friends knew what that meant. "Mentally prepare yourself for what?"

Yet another sigh escaped her as she walked over to the dress. "Nobles don't like me."

"What? Who? I will talk to them!" Looking over her shoulder she smiled at him.

"You will probably have to talk to nearly every noble in all of Fodlan." He frowned at that.

"How can anyone not like you? Youareprefect,wonderful,kind,beautiful,andsomuchmore." With cheeks a blaze he cursed himself for not being able to properly say all that. He only had a night left before he would confess, and he realized he was going to need a lot of practice.

"I'm low birth and worse I'm a mercenary." He scowled at those words. "I'm filthy." She watched as he was about to say something, so she spoke first. "I could step right out of a bath in front of them and they will still say I'm filthy."

Dimitri's scowl deepened. He was sure if anyone saw her fresh out of a bath they would think differently. Seeing her with her wet hair clinging to her face and her cheeks still slightly pink from the hot bath, was a sight he always guilty sought. He quickly shook his head as his thoughts were entering dangerous territory. He thought about Jeralt's disapproving stare and the fear at what the father would do to him if Jeralt ever learned that the prince was having such inappropriate thoughts about his daughter; imagining such thoughts were always a quick way to turn away his unwanted guest.

"No on should speak to you like that!" Dimitri was finally able to say after he calmed down some. "You deserve respect!"

She smiled at him and his anger started to melt away. She walked over to him and he noticed that he was finally eye level with her, he tried to hide his giddiness at that fact. He stood perfectly straight when she stopped right in front of him, hoping that she would notice the fact as well.

"The only opinions I care about are yours, your family's, and our friends. I could care less what the rest of the world thinks of me." He felt his cheeks start to heat up. "But that being said it does get exhausting being constantly told I'm beneath someone."

His frown returned. He wanted to protest, to shout to the world and let everyone know of her greatness but he knew it would do so little. He might be powerless now but one day, he will be able to let all of Faerghus-no all of Fodlan- know just how incredible she was. For now, he would just settle for telling her how great she was…if he could successfully muster up the courage to express the words.

"By, I have a gift for you."

She tilted her head, briefly. "It's your birthday tomorrow. You are not supposed to be giving out gifts."

His cheeks warmed a little. "Consider it a late birthday gift." She titled her head. "C-can you please turn around and close your eyes?"

Nodding, she did as she was told. Taking a deep breath, he fished for the necklace out of his pocket and had a mini heart attack when he didn't grasp it right away. He ever so carefully he wrapped the necklace around her neck and clasped it. His heart was pounding like crazy in his chest when he told her to open her eyes.

Form behind he could see her inspecting it but not her expression. His hands were getting sweaty and his nerves were at their limit as he waited for her to turn around and face him. It felt like an eternity had passed when she finally did.

"It's beautiful," she said, and her eyes left his for a second to look at the necklace again.

"It-it remined me of your eyes!" he said a little to loudly. Her eyes flickered back to his and he swore his heart skipped a beat. "You," he paused to take step closer to the point where their faces were just inches apart, "you are always telling me that I have the most beautiful eyes." He paused again to take a deep breath. "But to me, your eyes are the most beautiful. I could stare into them for an eternity and never grow tired of them."

He watched as those eyes, he loved, widen slightly. She opened her mouth to speak but when no words came out, she closed it. A nice shade of red, colored her cheeks as she slightly nodded. He was sure that his heart would burst out of his chest at that moment because he finally got what he wanted; Byleth blushing for him and only him, and she looked absolutely breathing taking too.

Riding his high, Dimitri wished her a good night to which she could only nod to. Once outside of her room, his face erupted into a fiery color and he was finally able to release his held breath. His hands ran through his hair as excitement bubbled from within.

He did it! He was finally able to tell her something and get a proper reaction from her! Tomorrow, he was going to tell her that he loved her and that he would have no problems doing it, he was sure of it. Tomorrow could not come fast enough for him at that point of time.

Twentieth of the Ethereal Moon:

The big day had finally arrived, and Dimitri was just one big mess of energy. Byleth didn't arrive at his room first thing in the morning, like she normally did on his birthday. He had hopped that it was a sign that she was still a little shaken up from last night, that she was still very much aware of him.

He had wanted to see her before the ball but unfortunately, he would be far too busy to do so. Since he was unable to help, his friends had taken over the duties of helping her get ready. Ingrid was going to help Byleth get dressed and Sylvain was to escort Byleth to the ball, though he did constantly tease about how he wasn't able to bring a date because of it. As for Felix he was to be on standby in case something happened.

Dimitri was feeling confident. Everything was going to work out perfectly, he was sure of it. His birthday was going to be perfect.

Byleth wasn't feeling so confident as she huffed out her annoyance when she stared down her dress. She had tried to spend yesterday preparing but Dimitri went and ruined it-no ruined wasn't the right word, but she didn't know how else to express it. She didn't know what any of that really meant the night before or why she couldn't seem to get his confident face out of her mind or why his words still echoed in her head. So confused was she that she had missed her chance to be the first to wish him a happy birthday, which meant that King Lambert to claim victory that year.

Taking a deep breath her hand brushed over the dress as she tried to figure out, who would be the hardest person to approach that night. Dimitri? The various nobles that were sure to raise their noses in her presence? Or Glenn? A sharp pain stabbed at her heart at the thought of Glenn.

With a shake of her head, she chased away the thoughts and focused on just getting ready instead. She slipped into the dress and frowned at being unable to finish dressing herself, because of her inability to reach the strings on her back. What was the point of an outfit if you couldn't even dress yourself without the need of aid? Glancing at herself in her mirror she sighed and looked away.

Dimitri clearly wanted her at the party, but she couldn't help but wonder if her attending was the right thing. Despite receiving lessons fit for a prince and who she made friends with, she could not help but feel as of late that she didn't belong in their world, and all the glares and snide comments directed at her didn't help either. It would have been so much easier if she had been born a noble. She shook her head roughly; such thoughts would not help her, and they were cruel to her father.

A knock on her door, helped to break her out of her thoughts and she rushed over a little to eagerly to open it and she nearly tripped several times in the process. She opened the door to see that it was the queen consort and her handmaid, who held two boxes, standing on the other side. The consort smiled at her, as she awkwardly bowed in a way so that her chest would not fall out of the loose dress.

"I thought you might need some assistance," Lady Patricia said with a smile as she directed Byleth to stand. The young girl stared at awe at the queen. Ingrid had said she would come and help as soon as she could and Byleth couldn't help but feel that it was unfair to Ingrid for wanting the queen's help instead. Not because she thought think that Ingrid couldn't do it but because having the queen helping instead left a pleasant feeling blossoming in Byleth's chest, not that she would be able to articulate it in a way for others to understand.

"May I?" the queen consort asked and Byleth realized that she had yet to address the queen.

"Yes please!" Byleth nearly shouted and bowed so deeply that her chest nearly fell out.

Chuckling from the consort, caused the young girl to raise her head. The queen's light touch on her shoulder helped calmed down Byleth some as she was guided to turn around so that the older woman could tie the dress. With the dress finally secured, a weight was lifted from the mercenary's shoulders as well as different one was placed on those same shoulders; while she had always planned to go to the ball, having the dress now tied sealed her fate to it.

Lady Patricia guided Byleth to sit down in front of the vanity that King Lambert had insisted that she have. The older woman smiled down at her and complimented the young girl on her marvelous skin. A light blush warmed Byleth's cheeks at the complement from the older woman, who she believed deserved it so much more.

"May I do your make-up?" Byleth titled her head, she had never worn make-up before. "I promise I will do a good job."

"I know you will!" Byleth was quick to say and earned a more genuine smile for it. "I just can't help but think that it would be wasted on me."

"Nonsense, you look lovely even if you are not wearing make-up. I only wish to enhance your natural beauty." The young girl's face warmed and she agreed.

While the queen consort worked, she hummed a song, it wasn't one Byleth recognized but she liked it, so she tried to commit to memory. She felt weird just sitting there as another person touched her face and she found it hard to not squirm when brushes, came to close to touching her eyes for her comfort. The consort was so gentle that Byleth eventually found herself slowly relaxing and forgetting about her worries.

The queen managed to finish doing the teenager's make-up fairly quickly and Byleth swiftly spun around to see herself in the mirror. She didn't have any real expectations for make-up but when she looked back at her reflection and only saw minute changes, like the red of her lips and the light shade of green that decorated her eyes, she couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed.

"What is wrong? Do you not like it?" the consort asked.

"No, I like it!" Byleth quickly said as she looked into the queen's eyes for a second before looking back at her reflection. "It's just…I thought I would look completely different."

Chuckling the queen bent down so that her face was leveled with Byleth's and they made eye contact through their reflections. "Those that look different with make-up are usually trying to hide something. But you, Byleth," she paused to claps the young girl's shoulders, "are a natural beauty and too much make-up would only ruin that. I only added what I did to enhance that natural charm of yours."

A blush worked up on Byleth's face, but a smile danced on her lips. The queen consort went back to humming as she now did the mercenary's hair. Byleth grabbed the golden clip that she had kept hidden away in a drawer of the vanity. Upon seeing the clip, the queen smiled softly and used it to keep up Byleth's hair into a small bun.

"You would look so lovely if you were to grow out your hair."

"My dad said long hair is dangerous because enemies can grab it." Lady Patricia said nothing but frowned. "But if I can learn how to put it up and keep it out of my face and away from enemies, maybe I can grow it out." Byleth turned to face the consort, forgetting that her hair was being worked on at the moment. "If I grow it out will you please teach me how to style it?"

The queen's eyes widen briefly before they softened. The smile she bore had been the softest and most sincere smile that Byleth had ever seen from her before. "Of course," the older woman said and directed for Byleth to sit back properly so that she could finish. The teen was at the mercy of the little smile that danced upon her lips.

When both make-up and hair was done, Byleth slipped on the necklace that Dimitri had given her. As she looked at her reflection she had wondered if Dimitri would like the way she looked and when she realized that she thought that a blush spread across her cheeks. From the mirror she caught the queen given her a knowing smile, which made the young girl to nervous to look at her.

She was finally finished, or so she thought. When she started to put on her boots, she was quickly stopped by the queen consort, who motioned for her handmaid to come forward, she revealed the contents of the second box, green sandals. Byleth tried to keep a neutral expression when she saw the small heel on them. Lady Patricia had assured her that she would be fine wearing them, but they seemed so impractical, and when she stood wearing them, she knew that she wouldn't be able to run if needed.

Now she was finally ready to go, even if she no longer felt so, thanks to the scandals. The queen consort smiled at her, but the smile faded when her eyes landed on the girl's crest. Feeling self-conscious, Byleth turned away.

"Your crest is certainly an interesting one," the consort said. Byleth said nothing and continued to look away. The queen consort placed a hand on Byleth's shoulders and made the young girl look at her with a gentle squeeze. She smiled down at Byleth with her practiced smiled and Byleth could see the sadness hidden behind the queen's eyes.

There was a knock at the door, breaking the ladies out of their little moment. Byleth moved to open the door but the handmaid had beat her to it. Her father had come to take her to the ball and upon laying eyes on her, his jaw dropped.

"Kid, you look beautiful," he said, and she smiled. "You are not going to the ball dressed liked that though."

"What?! Why not?" she asked and stomped her foot and realized she shouldn't do that again because she would surely fall next time.

"It should be fairly obvious as to why not."

"I'll just tell everyone that my crest is a tattoo!"

"Kid, that's- Well yes that is one reason but it's not the main reason."

"She is going," the queen consort interrupted in a tone that left not room for argument. Jeralt opened his mouth to object but the narrowing of her eyes silenced him. "Byleth is growing up. You cannot keep treating her like a child forever." Jeralt pressed his lips together and she smiled her practiced smile.

Goodbyes were exchanged as the queen consort and her handmaid left the father and daughter alone. Jeralt sighed and held out his arm for his daughter, which she happily slipped her arms around. Despite his complicated feelings, he knew that the queen was right but that didn't mean he was ready to let go yet; he still saw Byleth as his baby girl and he wasn't ready to see the young woman she was quickly becoming.

"You don't like the dress?" Byleth asked, once they were out of her room. He huffed out a "no" but said nothing else. "Why not? It is super expensive."

"It shows to much skin for my liking."

"Me too." He was happy to hear that she felt the same. "But it was the only dress that fit my chest." She glared down at it.

"Then stop growing it."

"How do I do that?" She looked up at her father with large, hopeful eyes and he couldn't help but laugh.

"Kid, if I knew that I would have made you done that years ago." Her pout caused him to laugh so more.

The two walked in a comfortable silence. She struggled to get used to wearing such scandals and was grateful that her father had lent his arm, when they first started. The sounds of light music could be heard in the little hallway that they walked down in and she could feel her nerves starting to get the better of her.

"Hey dad," she said to help calm herself down a little, and he hummed. "Guess how much this dress cost."

"How much?"

"100 gold."

"100 gold?!" he shouted, and she laughed a little. "Sheesh, how can nobles be so frivolous and stingy at the same time?"

He pushed open the large doors to the ball and she was finally able to see just how many people attended Dimitri's birthday, each year. And the nervousness that had been teasing her for the last two days, held her tight and she was unable to step forward. Her father looked back at her and she couldn't even bring herself to reach out to him. She looked passed him to look at all the people inside and she felt them judging her and she started having difficult breathing until Sylvain popped into her view.

"By, I was just about to go and get you," he said with a smile and that helped to calm her down. He held out an arm for her and she hesitantly wrapped her arms around it. His warmth grounded her, and she was finally able to release a shaky breath.

He was about to guide her in, when he noticed the father's stare and a shuddered ran down his spine. Struggling to maintain his smile, he tried to walk pass the older man with no problems. "I'll be supervising the ball," Jeralt whispered in a tone that only the two friends could hear. Nodding Sylvain rushed Byleth in and away from the very intimidating father.

---

The whole day had been incredibly stressful for Dimitri and all because he was being too impatient and yet struggled with how little time he had left. When he didn't see her in the morning, he took it as a good sign but as the day progressed that thought slowly morphed into a negative one. Was she avoiding him because she was conscious of him or because she didn't like the complement? He was besides himself but couldn't ask anyone to check on her for him as he was unable to see his friends thanks to his responsibilities.

He had spent much of the day greeting people. He had to maintain a smile as many of the girls he greeted had tried to flirt with him and it wasn't because he was already in love with Byleth but because he knew that they weren't interested in him but his title. Times like that made him realize just how special Byleth was because out of all the women he had ever met she should have been the one most interested in his position but she couldn't care less; in fact, she often forgot about it and would often have to be reminded about it from instructor.

When evening began to approach, he was then whisked away to get ready for the ball. Normally he found the time before the ball to be the most annoying as the maids needlessly fussed over him but that day he was to nervous to care, let alone be aware of them. He had spent so many nights rehearsing what he was going to say, and he feared he was starting to forget his carefully chosen words. And it was only when a maid started adjusting his coat for the ball that he realized that he never thought about how he was going to separate her from everyone. He wasn't ready and yet he had no more time.

He wishes for more time was ignored as his father had come to fetch him and he knew in a matter of just a few, short minutes the ball would be starting, and he would have to face her. His hands flexed and unflexed as they walked down the hallway as he couldn't fiddled with any of his clothes, less he might mess them up. Panic had started to settled in when he saw the ballroom door's come into sight.

"Dimitri are you alright?" his father asked, and the boy quickly looked up at him. "Your face is all red. Are you feeling unwell?"

Dimitri's hands flew to his face and sure enough he was warm to the touch. Nope, he couldn't have that tonight of all nights. He took several deep breaths until his heartbeat was steady and his face cooled softly. He could do this now…kind of…hopefully.

The king commented no more on his son's face, but his eyes remained on the boy. "Now remember, you may only have one dance with Byleth, do I make myself clear?" Dimitri frowned and said nothing. He was incredibly anxious about seeing her and yet not being able to see a lot her was frustrating. Those conflicting emotions were so vexing to the poor boy. "She is not allowed to be your first dance either."

"What? You never said that before!" Dimitri complained. First, he was apprehensive about see her in the first place and now he was beyond annoyed to not have her be his first dance of the night. His emotions were all over the place and he didn't know what he was supposed to be feeling anymore.

"You know very well that it was implied." He folded his arms across his chest and pouted. "The first dance of the ball is very important."

Then it should be with the person he most wanted to dance with, he wanted to argue with but kept his mouth shut. He dropped his hands to his side as the doors to the ball were being opened. Taking one final deep breath he wore his princely smile as he had done every time, he was to be the center of attention at some gathering.

All eyes flew to them and his eyes flew all around the room, discreetly, as he looked for her. His father and him walked towards the far back center of the room so that they could greet everyone. The music settled as his father began his speech, but the prince didn't listen as he still searched. Finally, he spotted some red hair that was moving through the crowed that eventually broke into the front alone with the steel, blue hair that he was desperate to see. His heart rate skyrocketed when he finally laid eyes on her and how beautiful she was.

He only became aware of his father's speech ending, when he saw everyone clapping. The music began to pick up lightly and it was time for him to choose his first partner of the night. It was a great struggle to keep a frown off of his face as he finally took in all the women there, all of them were staring at him expectantly.

His eyes landed on Byleth again and she gave him a small wave. He didn't care, he was going to dance with her first; his father and whatever other nobles could chew him out later. This was going to be first dance and he would be damned if he let someone steal another one of her first from him. Ignoring his father's quiet, but threatening call of his name he made his way over to her.

Smiling widely, he was finally able to truly appreciate her beauty now that he was standing in front of her. Her deep, green dress was lovely, and he liked the way it flowed around her and the view of her cleavage was indeed a nice sight but he quickly pushed past that view; such thoughts and excitement were not going to ruin this night for him. His chest did warm when he did see her wearing his necklace. And when he finally got to her face, he was surprised to see she was wearing make-up and the nice bright red of her lips made them look quite kissable.

He cleared his throat to chase away his thoughts, now wasn't a time them. Placing an arm behind him and the other over his chest he bowed deeply , he glanced at her and a goofy smile danced on his lips at the look of surprise on her face; he had never been so formal with her before and while he didn't want her being formal with him, he did like the idea of wooing her that way. Rising just a little he held out a hand towards her.

"May I have the first dance with you Miss Eisner?" he asked as princely as he could. He wanted to laugh as he watched her try to process the probably strange behavior to her. It was only then that both he and Sylvain had realized that neither of them had thought to teach her on the proper procedures on how to accept a dance. And the prince just made her the focus, she was surely going to be judged and it was all his fault.

As he started to sweat a little, the prince watched in awe as Byleth was able to for the first time ever perform a proper curtsey. "It would be a true honor to dance with you, Your Highness," Byleth said with a smile and his heart skipped a beat, despite her addressing him by his title leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. Gently she placed her hand in his and he was quick to close his around hers.

With a bit too much energy he pulled her forward and she stumbled. "Don't drag me," she whispered, "I'm not used to these scandals."

"I am sorry!" He gently guided her, until they were in the center of the room.

Taking a deep breath, he placed his hands in their proper location and she did the same with practiced ease. The music slowly picked up as others began to join them. The prince and his love swayed gently to the music, staring into each other's eyes.

"You look beautiful," Dimitri said without even realizing it, but he was glad that he did it as she had blushed and a mumbled a small "thanks".

"Did I buy you those shoes?" He remembered only asking Ingrid to buy the dress but if she brought the scandals as well, he noted that he needed to thank her for thinking ahead.

"No, I think Lady Patricia did. Last week her handmaid had randomly asked me what my shoe size was." He nodded; he would have to thank his stepmother later. "Wait did you buy this dress?" He gave her a small nod. "I should have known. It was far too expensive; I want you to know."

"If it is for you then I do not care about the cost." Once again, she blushed and looked away. He didn't know where the confidence was coming from, but he liked it.

"I am sorry for not teaching you the proper procedures on how to accept the dance. May I ask how you knew what to do?"

"Yesterday, Canna came to my room to teach me." He made a mental note to thank Felix the next time he saw him.

He had tried to remain a gentleman, he truly did, but curiosity was getting the better of him and he glanced down at her chest so that he could finally see her crest. It was nothing like he imagined, and he had seen a drawing of it. She had described it like a wing to him, but he saw it like a small fire that would one day turn into a brilliant flame. The size was also incredible as he could tell that it still extended into parts that only his dreams had seen.

"Staring at my chest?" His face broke out into a brilliant red as he tried to maintain an air of calm, less he grabbed more unwanted attention.

"No, I was just staring at your crest." The stare he was giving, was not helping to settle his heartbeat. "Is it really alright to be showing it off?" he asked in hopes of convincing her that what he said was true.

She briefly looked passed him, towards her father that had been standing in the back. "It's fine. I will not let my crest hold me back." He smiled at her and was amazed at just how confident she was; he hoped to one day posses just an ounce of the confidence she oozed.

With a grace he didn't know he possessed, he glided her across the floor. He forgot all others as he stared into the beautiful, blue eyes that he loved. The world could have ended then and he would have been content; the music ending was something he did not appreciate, though.

They had to part, despite how much he wanted to continue dancing with her. He had already upset his father, and who knew how many other nobles, it would do him well to not upset them further. But following in Byleth's example from last month and committing some early teen rebellion was a tempting idea. Reluctantly he let her go so that they could bow and part.

Disappointedly he walked away in search for another dance partner. Glancing back at her, he noticed a young man walking towards her and that wasn't okay. Felix or Sylvain were the only dance partners he would approve of. He couldn't risk her falling for someone else, at least not until he had a chance to confess. But short of storming over there and whisking her away, there was little he could do. Felix had managed to swoop in at the last minute and sweep here away and Dimitri released a sigh while a new small fear bubbled within him.

Felix had stepped in right before someone else could ask her and Sylvain had done the same in with the next dance. Byleth would admit she wanted to do dance with them more than the strangers, but she couldn't help but think that they were being rude. And when her third potential dance partner was interrupted, she decided that it was time for a break.

She tucked herself away in the back so she wouldn't be noticed but she knew that was all but impossible. She was an outsider, the woman that the prince chose to dance with first, and both a Fraldarius son, and Gautier heir had been seemingly fighting for her attention, so she was naturally going to the be the talk of the ball. And if people didn't know that she was Dimitri's "mistress" it wouldn't take long before that rumor spread to everyone in that room.

She smiled at two noble women, who passed by, and they shot her disapproving glares. Taking a deep breath, she realized that it was going to be a long night. Dancing with Dimitri might have made her feel like a princess, but the world was quick to remind her of her place. She looked at the dancefloor and saw all her male friends dancing and she couldn't help but be jealous. No one was questioning why they were there or why they were given such "special treatment".

"By!" She heard a very familiar voice call her name. She looked up to see both Ingrid and Glenn heading towards her. At the sight of Glenn, she felt the sharp pain in her chest, so she chose to focus on Ingrid instead. "I am sorry that I was unable to help you get ready, but the queen consort said she would."

Byleth smiled at Ingrid and gave her a small nod. "Judging by how beautiful you look it seem like it was the right choice to leave it to her majesty. I do not know the first thing about make-up."

Byleth watched as Ingrid wrapped her arms around one of Glenn's and a bitter taste invaded her mouth. "Does she not look beautiful sir Glenn?" The teen's eyes flew to Glenn, who looked away. The bubbling hope that sparked in her quickly dissipated but she at least managed to keep her expression neutral.

"…Yes…," he mumbled so quietly that she could barely hear it.

Byleth's eyes slowly drifted to the couples interlocked arms. She was vaguely aware of Ingrid scolding Glenn on his response. She wished she could just drift away; she would gladly face all the nobles' judgement than be there at that moment.

"You two seem close," she finally asked the question that had been tormenting her. Her eyes flickered to look at them as a whole instead of just their arms.

"Of course, we are engaged," Ingrid happily commented as she hugged Glenn's arms tighter.

Byleth's mouth went dry as she stared at them with her mouth agape. Finally, she was able to close her mouth and tried to swallow away the large lump that formed in her throat, but it wasn't possible. She opened her mouth a few times to speak but she didn't know what to ask or even if she wanted to know the answers to the questions.

"F-for how long?" She finally asked and she wasn't sure why she asked.

Ingrid tilted her head, copying Byleth's confused gesture. "For a few years now. Did no one not tell you?"

"You did not know?!" Glenn finally spoke and his tone was horrified as he stared at her.

She glanced at both of them before looking at the floor. "No…," her voice was barely a whisper, "no one told me."

"Byleth-" Glenn started but she had enough.

"Forgive me but I'm going to get some fresh air." She did not wait for their responses as she left as quickly as she could. She wanted to leave the ball all together but wasn't sure if she could without making a scene, so she slipped into one of the open terraces, extremely grateful that no one else was there. The cold, winter night of Faerghus hit her hard and that was perfect as it distracted her from the agonizing pain in her chest.

Dimitri did his duty, he danced with several different women. Who they were, he couldn't tell you as he was only vaguely aware of their presence. His eyes would scan for Byleth with ever little chance he got, and he was always relieved to see her dancing with either Sylvain or Felix. That was until she wasn't with either of them.

When he finally caught sight of her slipping away, he knew that it was the perfect opportunity to be alone with her. He couldn't excuse himself fast enough after the song ended. When he finally got to the terrace and saw her slouched forward the smile left his face as he slowly made his way over to her.

"By?" he called softly, and she only turned slightly to address him, and he was able to see that her eyes were misty. He stood next to her and noticed that she was twirling her necklace between her fingers. "Is something wrong?"

She looked away from him and stared at the freshly fallen snow. "Daisy and Glenn are engaged," she finally answered after a few moments of silence, and he stiffened. "No one told me." He didn't know what to say and could only stare at her, while she stared at nothing. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"I am sorry." She finally glanced at him. "I thought if you knew it would hurt you, so I asked for Felix and Sylvain to remain quiet."

She went back to looking forward. "It hurt more not knowing."

"I am sorry! I should have told you that Glenn was already engaged."

"Finding out that Glenn was already engaged does hurt but…" She rested her head on the froze terrace's railing as she looked at him. "It hurt more not knowing. It was just another reminder that I don't belong in your world."

"No!" he shouted startling both of them and she stood straight with one hand resting on the railing. He placed one hand over hers as he closed the little distance between them. "You belong By!" He squeezed her hand as he got a little closer. "You deserve to be by my side." His cheeks warmed a little as he looked into her eyes. "No one deserves that more than you."

"You are wonderful, so very kind, strong, and incredibly." He took a deep breath. "Honestly I could keep going on as to why you are amazing. Do not listen to anyone because they are just jealous."

Her eyes were wide, and her mouth was open, but no sounds came from her. Working up the courage he closed the distance even more to the point that her noses were almost touching. "You are the only one I want-"

"Oh my," a sudden, unfamiliar voice interrupted them, and Dimitri froze, just a mere inch from Byleth's lips.

"What is wrong my darling?" Sylvain voice soon filled the little terrace. "Oh. Oh no…"

Gritting his teeth, Dimitri hid his face behind Byleth's, who had turned to greet the intruders, much to Sylvain's distress. The older boy was quick to rush his new, lady friend away but it was too late; the moment was lost. Sylvain tried to slip away but when the prince said his name menacingly, the Gautier heir froze in his tracks. With as much calm as he could muster, Dimitri asked if Byleth could excuse them, much to Sylvain's horror and his pleas went unanswered as she passed him.

"Sylvain," Dimitri growled out his friend's name.

"My deepest apologies!" Sylvain was quick to say. "I did not know that you were using this terrace!"

"I had the perfect moment! I was comforting her! I was just about to confess and kiss her! Everything was perfect!"

As Dimitri voiced his rage, he was stepping closer and closer to the defenseless teen. Sylvain through his hands out before him in a weak shield, even though they both new that the prince wasn't going to hurt anyone. Dimitri grabbed Sylvain's collar and shook him harder than he meant too, demanding to have his perfect moment back.

"Hey! The night is still young we will find you another one," Sylvain managed to say through all the shaking. He was then put on duty on finding another ideal moment. He was also banned from dancing with any other women that were not Byleth, including Ingrid.

Byleth left the terrace with her body feeling hot and her pulse flying on high. Her mind was racing as she tried to put everything together. She couldn't tell if she was relieved for the interruption or disappointed in it. But why was she disappointed? What did she want to happen? All her chaotic thoughts had hear nearly forgetting where she was.

"Byleth," she flinched when Glenn had called out to her. The warmth she had just been feeling vanished quickly and she was reluctant to turn around and face him, but she did. She discovered that he was alone and held out a hand towards her "May I have a dance with you?"

She looked at the hand before slowly looking up at him. "What about keeping a distance?" She wanted to ask but choose to say nothing. When he offered her a heartfelt plea, she gave in and placed a hand in his and allowed him to guide her to the dancefloor.

They started their dance in silence and Byleth refused to look him in the eye, so she stared at his chin, instead. She missed the warmth that Dimitri had given her, instead of the cold sorrow that Glenn now brought her. He spun her when the dance called for it and when she returned to his arms, he pulled her in close.

"Byleth, did you really not know about Ingrid and I?" She stiffened and he was practically hugging her at that point as they slightly swayed to the beat. "I am truly sorry. I did not know. I-My words must have been so confusing and painful." She said nothing as she tried to create some space between them. He had fought at first but eventually relented to her request and they returned to proper dance distance.

She looked into his eyes and finally saw his sorrow and regret so clear in them. She didn't know what to say or if she even wanted to say anything. The pain in her chest was still there, even if she agreed that it wasn't his fault but still…She looked away, life was easier when she had no emotions.

"Glenn," she said softly, and he squeezed her hands. "W-would you like to join me for my training with my dad?"

"Can I?" She looked up and him and the sheer gratefulness he was showing her, made it impossible for her to take back her words; not that she had any intentions of doing so.

"Yes." He smiled down at her and was about to rest his head against hers but stopped just short of doing so. He took a deep breath and the pain still lingered in his eyes. She didn't like feeling that way, but she was at least comforted in knowing that he was in pain as well.

"I still want to be your friend." He squeezed her hand.

"Me too," his voice was barely a whisper. "Thank you."

The rest of their dance went smoothly as both of their pain began to slowly fade away.

---

Most of the adults that decided to attend the ball stood off to the back watching the children. Rodrigue sat with King Lambert and his wife, while Jeralt stood behind them as a guard, a very annoyed guard. It was taking everything in Rodrigues's power to not sigh or groan at the king's antics.

"My daughter is so beautiful!" King Lambert said and ignored the threateningly cleared throat form her actual father. "But I do not approve of that dress. It draws far too much unwanted attention." Jeralt nodded in agreement.

"You do realize your son is very much apart of that attention," Rodrigue said. The king glanced at over his shoulder and saw the disapproving stare being directed at him.

"And what about your sons, hm?" King Lambert was quick to retort, just to get the glare off of him. "How many times has Felix danced with her? And what about Glenn? He danced unnecessarily closed with her, hmm." The glare shifted to the duke, who was struggling to maintain a calm composure under it.

"Will you not just hurry up and go dance with her?" the duke said, just to change the subject and hopefully end the glaring. "You clearly want to dance with her."

"I want too." The king dramatically pouted, forgetting his title for a moment. "But I should not show favoritism…but she is so lovely."

"Just dance with her," the queen consort said with a smile watching as Sylvain glided Byleth across the dance floor. She had heard the rumors about that boy's frivolous nature, but she had decided that he was the best fit for Byleth as her dance partner, as he was the only one to truly match her pace. "Everyone should already be aware of who she is by now and the favoritism that the royal family has given her."

There was a bit of silence between the group as the king debated on whether or not his actions would really change everyone's opinion of Byleth anymore. It should have been cleared to everyone by now that she was fancied as the kingdom's most eligible children kept dancing with her. It also didn't help that prince Dimitri chose her to dance with first; King Lambert was surely going to hear it later from many different nobles because of that but seeing his son's and Byleth's smiling faces when they danced was worth it.

Silently, Jeralt walked over to the king, who was completely unaware. He leaned over so he could be in the younger man's line of sight. "Is my daughter being bullied?" Jeralt finally asked and the king practically jumped out of his seat.

"I am going to dance with her!" And with that the king managed to escape the angry father temporarily.

It was the perfect opportunity as Byleth was all alone, after all her "suitors" had been preoccupied with another dance partner. King Lambert glanced at Dimitri and noticed his son was panicking a little and he chuckled quietly to himself. He may not know what his son had planned for that day or even if he should support it, but he decided that he would at least help his son out, it was his birthday after all.

He walked over to Byleth and bowed to her. The whispers from everyone fell on deaf ears, when she smiled at him and gave her his hand. Her hands were nothing like his queen's or any other noble women's he held, hers were rough and strong. While most of the women, he has had the pleasure of holding their hands with, kept their grips weak to portray an air of daintiness but not her, her grip was powerful just like a seasoned warrior. He was incredibly proud of her. She had a hard life and stared down death several times at such a young age, but she didn't let that hold her back. He was excited to see just what kind of woman she would one day become.

The dance ended too soon, and he had to reluctantly let her go and he was happy to see that she felt the same. He was expecting to see either Sylvain or Felix come rushing to steal her next dance but neither of the boys were to be found, but Rodrigue had stepped in, al bit hesitantly, and the king gave his friend a sad smile when he noticed Byleth stiffen in the duke's presence.

Rodrigue had informed him of the broken trust that the duke had earned with Byleth. His friend had expressed his regret at failing to comfort her last year and that he did know how to make it up to her. The king gave his friend a hardy slap on the back and pushed the reluctant man forward, while he excused himself. He knew that those two needed to be alone.

The two stood in an awkward silence for a bit before the duke finally asked her to a dance and she hesitantly accepted. They danced in silence with neither one of them able to look into the eyes of the other. Halfway through the song, a sigh finally escaped him, and she frowned.

"Byleth," Rodrigue said and she looked up at him. "It is far overdue but please allow me to express my most heartfelt apology." She tilted her head. "Last year you came to me seeking comfort and I ignored you and focused on issues, that were not important at the moment."

She pressed her lips together briefly before speaking, "I forgive you."

"No." He squeezed her hand slightly. "Byleth, I do not want you to forgive me because it will make me happy. I want you to forgive me because you truly do." At a loss for words, she could only stare at him. "You are a sweet child, who puts everyone before yourself, but I want you to consider yourself more."

"It is okay to tell someone no. It is okay to not forgive someone if they have not earned it." He paused to look her in the eye. "Byleth, it is okay to do what you want."

Her eyes widen and she looked at his chest, absorbing everything he said. When the song ended, she nodded and looked up at him before they parted. "I will thank you, Lord Rodrigue." He smiled down at her.

---

Dimitri collapsed face first onto his bed and groaned loudly into his pillow. No other moments came for his confession. He was unable to tell her how he felt, despite planning this night for nearly six months. Another groaned escaped him as he tried to bury his face further into his pillow.

There was a knock at his door, and he grumbled an unintelligible complaint and made no effort to move. Another knock and another complaint with still no effort to move. When he heard Byleth call from him on the other side of the door, he fell out of his bed as he scrambled to open it.

All his negative emotions washed away as excitement, of seeing her, took over. He was happy to see her standing there smiling but was a bit disappointment to see that she had changed and washed her face. He hurriedly let her in before someone could spot them and let them know such a thing was improper at that hour. As she walked in, he spied the present that she had hidden behind her back.

"Happy birthday!" she shouted as she spun around to face him. A large smile danced upon his flushed face. "I try to be the first to wish you a happy birthday but given how hectic this day ways, I decided that I will be the last to wish you it." Some how his cheeks warmed even more.

"I know you said I didn't need to make you anything this year, but I already made you something before you said that so…" She thrusted her gift to him and he happily took it. "Happy birthday Aster!"

He sat on his bed, while she stood in front of him as she watched him carefully unwrapped his present. It was a leather bracelet with the crest of Blaiddyd etched into it with other little designs like swords and lances. He could feel a strange but comforting power emanating from it. He looked at her and she was smiling.

"Thank you," he said softly as he ran his finger over the crest.

"A priest helped me infuse some of my magic into it." She had told him before that she was going to churches to learn Faith magic, but it was still a hard thing to imagine as he still felt the need to protect her from the church. "So, when I'm not around to protect you, hopefully this bracelet can. This way I can take in some comfort in knowing that you are safe, when I'm gone."

While she had spoke he had been smiling down at the bracelet, but it soon turned to a frown. "And how am I supposed to take comfort when I do not know if you are safe or not?" She had furrowed her eyebrows and rested her head on one her hands. "I want to know that you are safe at all times! But I can only do that if you are always by my side."

"By, will you not finally stay?" She gave him a sad smile before shaking her head.

"I can't become your knight yet. I am not strong enough to protect myself, let alone you as well."

"I will protect you!"

"But it's a knight's job to protect their liege, not the other way around."

"I do not care! I do not want a knight that just protects me. I do not want to be so helpless that I need other to protect me. I want to be a prince that will protect others! And I will protect you!"

She smiled at him and squeezed his hands. She rested her head against his and his blush colored his cheeks. Silently, they stared into each other eyes for a second.

"I want to protect you too." He pouted as he got a feeling as to where she was going. "But I need to get stronger first." He opened his mouth to protest but she pulled one of her hands free so that she could place a finger on his lips and silenced him as well as make his face explode in red. "How about this? When I turn eighteen, I will become your knight."

He broke out of the trance to complain, "but that is too far away."

"It is less than three years away."

"That is still a long time."

"Is it? Five years had already passed since I've met you and felt like it was just yesterday too." He pouted and she poked his cheek. "The time will pass before you know it."

"Do you promise?" He looked into her eyes and his pout remained.

"Yes."

He grabbed her hands and gave them a little squeeze. He stared at them for a bit. He was finally eye level with her, and the size of their hands were the same, but their strength wasn't. Sure, his crest had given him absurd, physical strength, but strength was pointless without the skills to properly wield it. Byleth was the only one truly powerful between the two. He still had a long way to go.

"Aster?" she called, and he glanced up at her. "Is something wrong?"

Closing his eyes, he lowered his head again. Just a few hours ago he was going to confess to her after comforting her, but did she really need him? She was so strong and confident. After everything she has been through, she had pushed forward, and he wasn't sure if he could do the same if he had been in her situation. Surely, words from someone like him could be nothing to her. Did he even earn the right to confess to her?

She pulled her hands free to cup his face and tilted he heads up towards him and he was forced to look at her. "What is wrong?"

"I…I just realized I have done so little. You are so incredible but what have I done for you?" He couldn't maintain eye contact anymore so he looked out from the corner of his eyes as he was unable to bring himself to break free of her grip.

"You have done so much for me I fear I will never be able to properly repay you." His eyes snapped back to hers and the soft smile she was supporting, warmed him. "I can only laugh, smile, and feel so many things because of you. You saved me from myself a few years ago after I fell into a despair from having to kill someone. You've given me so much comfort." As she spoke the warmth in his chest erupted into a comforting fire. "And just a few hours ago, you helped me. Thank you for that."

He gripped her hands and pulled them away from his face so that he could pull her towards him. Once again, their foreheads rested against each other. Her scent of jasmine invaded him and comforted him because of her it became his favorite scent and he had asked for the palace gardens to be filled with that flower.

"By, I have something I want to tell you." She said nothing and gave him a nod to continue. "I lo-"

A knock on his door silenced him and he could feel one of his eyes twitching. If it was Sylvain again, the House of Gautier was going to be in need of a new heir. Byleth tied to move to go open the door but Dimitri didn't let her go; not that it mattered anyway as yet again another moment was lost.

Despite his wishes the door was opened by his father, who looked at the promiscuous situation with a disproving scowl. He quickly made his way over to them and stopped, when Byleth managed to pull one of her hands free to point at the king. His scowl remained but he arched an eyebrow at her.

"You got to tell him 'happy birthday' first, I get to tell him last!" Byleth declared. The king stared at her for a few seconds before laughing.

"Oh, and how will you stop me?" the king asked with an amused smile. He had forgotten his earlier problem.

Byleth wrapped an arm around Dimitri's head and shoved him against her breast. His face was bright red and his eyes were so wide that one might have feared them popping out of their sockets. She, for all her innocents, didn't seem to notice the problem as she proudly declared, "I'll just cover his ears!"

The smile left King Lambert's face as he walked over to the children. Much to Dimitri's relief and great disappointment, his father had separated the two children. The king shook his head at Byleth's pout.

"By, no funny business," King Lambert said sternly.

"Why not?" He cocked his head to the side as he had no response to that. "Isn't funny business a good thing? Because funny is good, right? So, shouldn't we do funny business?" She glanced at Dimitri, who was too embarrassed to look at her.

King Lambert placed his hands on Byleth's shoulders. "I must commend Jeralt for managing to maintain your innocence." She tilted her head. "But I wonder has he had the 'talk' with you yet?" She tilted her head even more. He folded his arms and tilted his head as well. "Should I have one of the maids explain where babies come from," he mumbled.

"I know where babies come from." He arched an eyebrow. "It's because of se-"

"No!" the king shouted and covered his ears. "I do not wish to hear such vile words escape my precious daughter's lips!"

She glanced at Dimitri, who buried his face into his hand and shook his head. Coughing lightly into his hands the king composed himself. He then proceeded to guide her to the door. She protested a little but relented once she was at the door.

"You can't wish him a happy birthday!" He chuckled. "I get to be the last, okay?" Patting her head, he assured her that he wouldn't.

Once Byleth was gone, the king walked back to his son, who had yet to move from his position. He smiled as he noticed his son was trying to get a handle on his emotions. He couldn't help but feel slightly sorry for his son for having such a clueless friend to the poor boy's hormonal problems.

He eyes landed on the bracelet and he smiled when he recognized the familiar craftsmanship. Upon picking up it up, his eyes widen at how much power he felt coming form it. He looked at his son, who was calming down from his embarrassment. Taking one of the boy's hands, he slipped the bracelet onto it.

"Dimitri, you must keep this bracelet on you at all cost, do you hear me?" The prince looked at his father and nodded but didn't really understand the need for such a serious tone. King Lambert looked at the bracelet as he spoke, "I have a shield blessed by the archbishop, but it does not possess nearly the power that this bracelet possesses."

"By, said she had infused it with some of her magic," Dimitri said as he twirled the arm that the bracelet was on. It had been a tad to large and if he wasn't careful it could easily slip off. He didn't know if Byleth had gotten he size wrong, or if she had purposely made it to large, so that he could grow into it.

The king narrowed his eyes as he continued to stare at the bracelet. He wasn't surprised to learn that the power had come from Byleth but was amazed at just how much power she must possess. He was sure that she would achieve greatness and he smiled at that thought. Glancing at his son, he saw how Dimitri was looking fondly at his gift. Maybe it was okay to let the love foster. Byleth would surely make a name for herself and no one would be able to object to them.

"I have no doubts that this bracelet will protect you. Make sure you keep it safe."

Last day of the Guardian Moon 1176:

Despite Sylvain's best attempts to assure Dimitri that another moment would appear, it did not. It might have been petty of him, but Dimitri did inform Ingrid that Sylvain had ruined everything and he took in some pleasure watching as Ingrid berated Sylvain for it. The pleasure always ended when Byleth had tired to intervene and put a stop to the fighting, she had no idea what was about.

Both the Ethereal Moon and Guardian Moon had passed and yet he had been unable to convey his feelings. It was starting to eat him alive; he couldn't wait for the next visit. In a few short hours the Jeralt mercenaries would be leaving and he couldn't have that at least not yet; so, he had snuck into her room in the middle of the night. It might have not been the ideal moment that he wanted but it would have to do.

Quietly as possible, he made his way over to her bed. His candle provided just enough light to barely make out her sleeping figure. Finally, at the head of her bed he was about to reach out to her but instead a flurry of moments froze and blinded him and suddenly he felt a sharp, cold steel pressed against his neck.

In the dim light he was able to make out her eyes fiercely glaring at him, before recognition slowly dawned in them. The dagger slipped from her fingers and clang loudly against floor, disrupting the quiet night. She was quick to whisper an apology and her had flew to his neck and he could feel the comforting warmth of healing magic.

"I am so sorry Aster!" she whispered. "Are you okay? I didn't hurt you, did I?"

It took a moment to find his voice. "It is alright." He grabbed her hand, stopping her magic. "I am the one at fault for startling you." He could barely make out her frown and he offered her a smile, despite the chaotic pounding of his heart.

"What brings you here at this hour?"

"I needed to speak to you about something. If that is alright?" She tilted her head but made room for him to sit on her bed. "I know the hour is improper but during the day I will have no time to tell you as you get ready to leave. And I really need to tell you this."

"What is it?"

Placing the candle on the nightstand, next to her bed, he sat on the bed. He fiddled with the blankets as the words suddenly got lodged int his throat. The words had come so naturally to him before and now that he would be able to say them, they were no where to be found.

Groaning he buried his face into his hands. He already came all this way, disturbed her, so why couldn't the words just come to him? She pulled his hands free so that she could look at him and his face warmed.

"What has been troubling you as of late?" He hung his head and a little cry escaped him. "Have I upset you?"

His head shot up like a wyvern taking flight. "What? No! That could not be further from the truth!"

"Then what is it?"

He pressed his lips together as his face turned bright red. His mind was completely blank. Another little, strangled cry escaped him as he collapsed back onto the bed. His mind couldn't even think of words to berate himself with.

Leaning over him, he could barely make out her features with the blocked, dim light. It didn't matter if he could see any specifics as he had long since memorized her features and was sure he knew what expression she was currently making. Her fingers combed through his hair and he stiffened briefly before another groan escaped him. How could she be so clueless as to what her actions do to him?

"I can't help you if you don't tell me what is wrong?" Her sweet, caring actions were not helping him in the slightest.

He sat up and looked at her for a few seconds, but the words still wouldn't escape him. Groaning yet again he leaned his head against her shoulder. He couldn't comprehend as to why it was so hard to get the words out.

Dimitri leaned back so he could look at her. If he couldn't say the words he wanted, then maybe if he worked up a conversation with her that would help to get his mind to work and finally find the words he needed. But that idea caused another problem as he had no idea what to talk about.

He broke eye contact to look at her, mostly shadowed face. His sights settled on her lips and he remembered how red they were at the ball. The normally muted shade of pink of her lips were nice, but something about the red made him really want to kiss her then; not that he didn't always want to kiss her.

"Can I kiss you?" He finally spoke and that was the one thing he asked out of all things? Internally he berated himself and how shameful he was.

"Okay." All his thoughts ceased as he stared at her. She nodded and that was the little push he needed, and he closed the distance between them. The kiss was small and chastise but it caused his heartrate to soar.

He pulled back to look at her and now he wished for better lighting. He was desperate to know what expression she was making at that moment and to know if she liked or not. One of his hands found one of hers and he gripped it as he went in for another kiss.

He stopped short of kissing her a second time, when his pesky negative thoughts broke through the haze that clouded his mind. Pulling back, he looked into her eyes. "Would…Would you let anyone kiss you if they asked to?"

She tilted her head and rested it on her free hand, and he did not like that. He didn't want her to have to think about it. "Would you let Sylvain kiss you if he asked?" She was still silent and hated the sickening feeling that was growing in the pit of his stomach.

"No," she finally said and just like that the vile feeling gave away to a warmth that spread throughout his entire body. "Only you, because I trust you."

He closed the distance again to kiss her, another chastise one. One kiss, became two, and then three; and even though they brought him immense joy, he couldn't help but desire more. Sylvain had told him of an open mouth kiss that were more intense than the little ones they were doing but he didn't know how to go about inciting one. Asking Byleth to open her mouth didn't really sound that romantic.

"Is something wrong?" Her voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "Am I doing it wrong? I've never kissed someone before." He was happy to know that he stole another one of her first.

"No, I never kissed anyone before either, so I am not sure what I am doing either." He gave her hand a light squeeze.

"C-could you please open your mouth?" Yup, that was certainly not a romantic thing to ask. She did as she was asked and opened wide and it didn't seem right. How was one supposed to kiss with mouths wide opened? It seemed gross to him.

After a few seconds of the prince doing nothing she slowly closed her mouth. "Was that, not right?"

"I do not know." He shook his head and decided to just give up on that weird kiss for now. "Kissing you was not why I disturbed you. Not that I was not greatly enjoying it or anything." He looked at her and maneuvered her so that he could actually see her face. "I have something very important to tell you."

She was quiet as she watched him, and her stare wasn't bothering him as much as before. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and then opened them upon the exhale. She gave him a small smile and he returned it with his own and a squeeze of her hand.

"By, I…," he paused to take another deep breath, "I love you."

Her mouth hung open as she stared at him wide eyed. He tried to keep his composure but after a few seconds of silence he started to fidget. A few more seconds later and he was about ready to shout at her to say something, anything!

"Aster I…," she finally said as if she heard his silent plea. "I don't know…"

By the way she was fidgeting around and was unable to look at him, did he figure out she was going down a direction he didn't like. He had been so focused on confessing to her that he never once considered the idea that she might possibly reject him. It was only then that he realized how foolish he was and why Sylvain had tried to talk him out of it several times. He only just recently got her to be aware of him, so of course she wasn't in love with him.

"Aster I…" He wanted her to stop speaking, he was already painfully aware of his foolishness, he didn't need to hear anymore from her. She took a deep breath and looked at him and he just wanted to beg her to stop. "I'm emotionally stunted. I don't know what love is…" Her voice started to tremble a little. "I don't even know if I'm capable of falling in love…You are better off loving someone who can return such emotions."

By the time she finished speaking she could no longer look at him and clenched her fists tightly in front of her. Silent, he stared at her as that wasn't something he was expecting to hear. He had got to see several different sides of her this year and seeing her vulnerabile was the greatest surprise of them all. He started to wonder if she had always been this vulnerable and he just never noticed. She was always so strong, sometimes unnaturally so but now she seemed more human; he liked it.

She started to ramble about how he deserved better and other nonsense he wasn't interested in hearing. He grabbed her hands and slowly they unclenched so that he could properly hold them. He waited a bit for her to relax and he offered a smile.

"By, you are not emotionally stunted." She frowned so he gave her hands a small squeeze. "Sure, at first you had a hard time expressing yourself but now, now I see you smiling all the time, I have even seen you sad," he paused to give her hand another squeeze in hopes of conveying his desires to never see her sad again. "And this year I got to see you angry. So, you see, you are not emotionally stunted, and you never were as your eyes always revealed your feelings."

"But...But I can't cry."

"So? That does not mean you do not feel such sorrow though." Her eyes widen as she went silent. "And as for love, you love your father, do you not?"

She glanced down at their hands for a bit before nodding. Looking back at him, she gave his hands her own squeeze. "I do love him." He smiled, when she did.

"Though it is not the love, I desire it is still love and as such you can fall in love." She looked at him as he pulled back his hands. "I just have to work harder to be a man that you will fall for!"

She smiled at him. "I look forward to it."

"I just have one small request though. Do not fall in love with anyone else before then, alright?"

Morning came and Dimitri was able to bid her a farewell as he normally did. But once she was gone, he finally gave into his depression and spent the rest of the day sulking. To everyone, it was just his usual depression of having to part with her.

---

Well there you have it. I gave you the fluff I promised! Are you not satisfied?! Hopefully this chapter will be able to hold you guys off for a bit as I do have to take a small break because it's finals time and I have two papers to write…ugh.

If any of you lovely artist wants to draw papa Jeralt having to explain the birds and the bees to a young female Byleth I would be most grateful. I missed my chance to add such a scene to my story.

Small AU note:

It was all of the mercenaries that branded together to help protect Byleth's innocents. Any inappropriate talk in front of her usually resulted a punch in the face. At first they had tried to avoid swearing as well because Jeralt didn't want her to learn such words but he often forgot himself so that issue had been quickly dropped.