Sorry for it taking so long to update. After the last update I had three papers due all very close together…Don't major in Political Science kids.

The stress from the papers gave me writers block. I rewrote the friends' reunion twice and I'm not sure if I'm satisfied with it or not.

And on top of that I finished the DLC and fell in love with Yuri and now there's a small Yuri fic floating around in my head that it is making it difficult to focus on this one.

Oh well, despite all that I still managed to write another long chapter and I hope you all enjoy it.

Great Tree Moon 1180:

Thirtieth of the Great Tree Moon:

Jeralt stared up at the massive gates that led to Garreg Mach. Despite knowing their destination for over a week it still wasn't enough for him to prepare himself. The desire to run away was so strong.

He glanced down at his daughter, for the past week she had been chatting with the brats but that day she stood close to him. He wondered if she felt the desire to run too. Could he convince her to flee Fodlan?

With a small sigh, he chased that thought away. He knew even if she had agreed and fled it would only be a matter of time before they would regret their decision. She flinched when he began to pet her hair and he only paused in his action for a moment. Those steel-blue eyes and hair that reminded him so much of her mother was now going to become a curse and he grimaced at that thought. Lying to Alois about Byleth's age was easy but he knew he would be unable to do such a thing to that woman, who knew his wife so well.

His sights lingered on his daughter as he wasn't ready to step forward and face everything that he had been running away from. Reluctantly he tore his eyes away from her to look up and see the prince and the heir watching them at the gates. He still didn't feel comfortable on relying on others, but he accepted that he had little choice to do anything else.

Taking a deep breath, he worked up the courage to step forward and so did his daughter. He struggled to keep a neutral expression as he stepped into Garreg Mach for the first time in twenty years. It felt like something gripped his heart when he thought about being able to visit his wife's grave and apologize for his long absent but also at the prospect of what could possibly await Byleth there.

Upon entering the monastery's grounds the students had been instructed to return to their classes while Jeralt and Byleth were being led to meet the archbishop. Maintaining a neutral expression became harder and harder the closer they got to the woman, he feared most. He nearly jumped out of his skin when Byleth grabbed his hand out of the blue.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly as she looked up at him. "It's just you are really stressed."

Of course, he was, how could he not be? He didn't say anything as he understood what she was getting at. He released a pent-up sigh and tried to relax but obviously couldn't. She gave his hand a light squeeze and that helped, a little. He wished he had as strong of a poker face as hers.

When the doors of the reception hall came into view, he froze. On the other side of those doors would be the woman, he dreaded most. He glanced at Byleth and she didn't seem to be any more bothered than when they first arrived; he longed for her ignorance. It was only then that he realized he should have found away to tell her everything before they got there; she needed to understand the gravity of the situation.

"Alois," Jeralt called and the ecstatic man came to a stop. "May we have a moment before we enter?" Alois nodded and Jeralt dragged Byleth a bit away so that they could speak in private.

"This is long, long overdue," the father started in a hush whisper. "I have so much to tell you and yet there is no time." She wasn't judging him, and he sighed because he wished she would; he deserved to be judged poorly by his daughter. "Look for right now I need you to understand that the archbishop Rhea is a terrifying woman that you must be very weary of. Do you understand?" With a slight tilt of her head she nodded, and he sighed. He couldn't believe that she was about to meet the very woman that he had hid Byleth away from. All those years that he spent trying to drill a fear into Byleth were now wasted.

Alois opened the doors to the reception hall once Jeralt returned and the knight then quickly excused himself. A scowl formed on Jeralt's face as he didn't realize that they would be alone with the archbishop. Taking a deep breath, he forced a blank expression on his face and pressed forward, with his daughter trailing a little bit behind. He briefly wondered if he could just hide her behind him.

"Greetings," a tall, dark green haired man said with dashing blue robes that had some golden trim. While Jeralt didn't want to be alone with the archbishop, a stranger being with them didn't bring him any comfort. "My name is Seteth. I am the advisor to the archbishop." The mercenary gave Seteth a firm nod as he wasn't ready to speak yet.

"It has been a long time, Jeralt," the archbishop spoke and Jeralt nearly flinched. "I wonder…was it the will of the goddess that we have another chance meeting like this?" He sighed through his nose as he could feel his façade slipping.

"Forgive my silence for all these years," Jeralt spoke only after he was sure there wouldn't be any tightness in his voice. He bowed, not to be respectful, but to give himself a second to recover. "Much has happened since we last spoke."

"So, I see." The archbishop finally turned to look at Byleth and there was a twinkle in her eye that Jeralt didn't like. "The miracle of fatherhood has blessed you." He couldn't argue with that phrasing. "That is your child is it not?"

"Yes," was all he could say. He wished he had a lie to tell but he knew it would be pointless. For the first time in his life he wished that Byleth looked like him.

Lady Rhea's attention remained glued to his daughter. "I heard of your valiant efforts from Alois. What is your name?" He arched an eyebrow; he had expected for Lady Rhea to mention the fire twenty years ago. He pressed his lips together and decided to continue playing ignorant. If she wasn't going to say anything than neither would he.

With an elegance, he still couldn't believe that a child he helped give life too was able to possess, she bowed gracefully and shared her name. "A fine name indeed. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for saving those students from the Officers Academy."

"Oh no, I do not need such thanks," Byleth spoke with an uncomfortableness he had never seen from her before and wondered if he had made her too nervous. "I was glad to help them because they are my…" She paused to glance at her father and he instantly knew why. He didn't know if it was safe to let the archbishop know of the closeness that Byleth had with the future leaders. "…friends," she ended up admitting when the pause got a little too long and suspicious.

"Friends?" Lady Rhea arched an eyebrow.

"Yes," Jeralt stepped in. "My daughter and those kids really hit it off on the way over here." He decided that it would be best to keep such information secretive so that the archbishop couldn't become suspicious of his plan.

"I see. Well that pleases me." The archbishop turned her attention back to Jeralt and he relaxed a little with his daughter no longer being the center of attention. "Jeralt. You already know what I wish to say, do you not?"

He stiffened and his expression became strained. "You want me to rejoin the Knights of Serios, don't you?" He was pleased to be able to say all that calmly. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Byleth staring at him with wide eyes. That was another thing he really should have discussed with her beforehand. "I won't say no but…"

With a slight shake of her head, a brief frowned formed on the archbishop's face before her neutral expression took over. "Your apprehension stings. I had expected that Alois would have already asked this of you." Alois did and Jeralt had tried to turn it down then.

Seteth leaned over to Lady Rhea and whispered something to her, once again a frowned momentarily formed on her face. "I must step away for now, but I expect they will have a word with you soon. Please listen carefully as to what they have to say. Until tomorrow…" She paused to give them a very small bow, "Farewell." And with that she and Seteth left but two new people were quick to replace their absence.

Dimitri entered the classroom with the biggest grin on his face and even being swarmed by his friends was not enough to knock it off his face. He was barely able to make it into the room before Dedue was upon him with worry. Sylvain and Ingrid were next, while Ashe, Annette, and Mercedes kept a comfortable distance back. He was happy to see that even Felix joined them, though he kept his distance.

"I am alright Dedue," Dimitri repeated for the second time, but his smile did not wavier. "Honest. There is nothing that you need to fret over my friend. In fact, I am better than ever."

"We heard it was a group of mercenaries that came to your aid," Ingrid said with a hopeful tone that Dimitri liked.

"Based on that massive grin you have been sporting, I am guessing that it was not some unknown mercenary group was it?" Sylvain asked with a little eyebrow wiggle. Dimitri could feel his cheeks heating up and Sylvain's nudging wasn't helping. "Come on talk! How is she? Is she okay? How does she look?"

"Beautiful," Dimitri whispered with a fond look. He burst out into a massive blush when he realized what he said. The knowing smirk that Sylvain was giving him, had him wishing he could hide away.

"I mean she is doing well. Her father had set up a base in Remire Village. They even have a home there. It seems like she has been doing fine."

"Enough of that nonsense," Felix said as he made his way over. Dimitri's smile didn't seem like it was going to end any time soon as that was the first time that Felix had chosen to talk to him since the year started. "How strong is she?"

"Felix!" Ingrid shouted as she tried to scold him, but he ignored her.

"Don't be like that," Sylvain said and ignored the glare he was given. "You are just as worried about her as we are."

The swordsman scoffed but a light shade of pink dusted his cheeks. "I knew she would be fine." He turned his sights back onto to Dimitri. "So? How much stronger did she get?" Both Sylvain and Ingrid sighed.

"She is incredibly strong and battle savvy," Dimitri answered, not really seeing the rudeness that Sylvain and Ingrid saw. "I fear that the three of us were just a hinderance to her." Felix smirked at the news. "Her awareness in battle is astonishing." That bit of information peaked all of his friend's interest. "During the attack Claude had attained an injury and was at the mercy of a bandit but By had quickly assessed the situation and how to deal with it." He found it a bit funny to see how his friends clung to his every word. "She had momentarily stopped the bandit and let the other mercenary that was with us take over and rushed back over to myside before a bandit could finish me off. To be honest I have no idea how she was able to assess everything so quickly and efficiently." He had to pause so that he could assure Dedue that he was fine. "It was almost like she had knowledge of the future with how fast she was able to react to two different dramatic situations."

"Excuse me," Annette spoke up and all eyes flew to her. "May I ask who you are talking about?"

"Forgive us, we are talking about a childhood friend of ours that I had the pleasure of reuniting with," Dimitri answered with a small bow.

"Not just any ol' childhood friend," Sylvain said as he threw an arm around Dimitri's shoulders. "She is His Highness' first love."

All the girls, except for Ingrid, gasped. Soon the room was filled with murmurs and Dimitri gave Sylvain a small glare. The prince didn't want Byleth to start off her stay at Garreg Mach with rumors already floating about. There were already enough rumors surrounding her back in the Kingdom, she didn't need those similar rumors following her.

While the classroom was full of murmurs, the friends continued to chat about Byleth. To have such open conversations about her again, warmed the prince's heart. He could not remember the last time that he was that happy.

He wondered if he should tell everyone that she was in Garreg Mach but decided against it. The look on everyone's face would be too great to miss. And he thought it was only fair as he hadn't told Byelth about them either; though apart of that was because of his own selfish reason for wanting to hog her attention, not that Claude made that easy.

Harpstring Moon 1180:

First of the Harpstring Moon:

"What is the church going to do about our class?" Sylvain asked from his seat behind Dimitri. "Did they find a new professor already?"

"Well there are several minor professors like Professor Jeritza. Maybe one of them will be taking over?" Ingrid answered from her seat next to Sylvain. "Or maybe Seteth will be taking over while a new professor is chosen."

"Anyone but Seteth!" Sylvain groaned as he overdramatically slumped into his chair. "That man has it out for me!"

"I cannot see why?" Ingrid rolled her eyes.

Dimitri felt his chair shake a little and when he looked back, Sylvain was smiling at him. "Hey, did they tell you anything?"

It took Dimitri a second to realize what Sylvain had asked since he was lost in thought. "Professor Manuela told me that we would be getting a new professor," he said with a slight frown. Manuela had shared that information with a smirk and he still didn't know what to make of the smirk, but that wasn't the thing he was dwelling on.

He didn't really care about the new professor at that moment as his concerned laid with Byleth. After they had split yesterday, he didn't see her after that. He wasn't sure if was safe for Byleth to meet the archbishop but denning a visit would have been problematic. He wished he knew where she was.

"Man, I wish we could go to Remire village." Sylvain said as he sat back in his chair and stared up at the roof. "It is not fair that only you got to see By." Dimitri wore his princely smile so that he wouldn't let slip his secret.

The doors to the classroom were pushed opened and Seteth walked in. Sylvain groaned loudly before Ingrid elbowed him in the side. Seteth began to say something but went silent when Felix, in the back of the class, suddenly rose to his feet, grabbing everyone's attention.

"Byleth?!" Felix shouted and at that both Sylvain and Ingrid got onto their feet. Sylvain rushed into the aisle and Seteth gave him a small glare, to which it was ignored.

Byleth rushed forward and it was Dimitri's turn to arise. Seteth cleared his throat and Byleth halted in her advancement but Sylvain didn't. He tackled her into a massive hug that knocked her off her feet, but he kept his balance for the both of them. The green-haired man voiced a complaint, but it went ignored.

"By! I really can not believe that it is you!" Sylvain shouted as he spun her around. "I did not know you were here!" Sylvain gave a small but playful glare to Dimitri in the middle of one of their spins. "His Highness never said anything!"

"He didn't tell me anything either!" Byleth laughed and the massive smile she was sporting was absolutely mesmerizing to the prince. For a moment he felt a bit guilty for not telling anyone, but he knew if he said anything their joy wouldn't be as grand. His friends' smiling faces were something he was going to treasure.

"Mr. Sylvain Gautier!" Seteth said in a low tone and the said boy instantly froze. Dimitri suspected that that was a tone Sylvain often heard from the advisor. "Refrain from such conduct with your new professor!"

Dimitri's eyes flew to Byleth, who was smiling widely at Sylvain. His smile grew as he realized what she being his professor truly entailed. He was ecstatic at the idea of being able to see her a few times at Garreg Mach but for her to be his professor meant that he would get to see her nearly every day. He knew he needed to be cautious of the archbishop, but he wanted to show her his deepest appreciation.

"You are our professor?!" shouted Sylvain as he spun her around again. Another warning shout of his name finally had him putting her down for good.

"I did not know you were so familiar with some of the students from the kingdom," Seteth said with eyes narrowed on her.

"I am familiar with them," Byleth said a bit meekly. Dimitri got the impression that he messed up and maybe he should have told everyone. "I did not know Princess Edelgard or Lord Claude before rescuing them." He quickly realized that she might had been planning to keep their history a secret and, in his desire, to surprise everyone he ruined it.

The advisor's eyes lingered on her for a bit before he continued forward. He ordered for everyone to sit and Sylvain was reluctant to do so, until a glare was thrown at him. At the front of the room the older man patiently waited for the mercenary to join him.

He coughed into his hand lightly before starting a little speech, "The introduction did not go as I had planned but let us carry on. Miss Byleth Eisner here shall be the Blue Lions' new professor." He paused to let the students murmur for a few seconds. "As I am sure you have heard by now, she has demonstrated great skill by coming to the aid of some of your fellow classmates so I am positive she will have much to teach you."

Dimitri gave Byleth a small smile as he could tell that she still didn't like being the center of attention. A small chuckle did escape him as he watched her struggle to not only look in his direction but pay attention to all her students. He never realized that his heart could know such peace again.

Seteth gestured for her to talk about herself and she stiffened slightly. She fiddled with her hands as she stepped forward to make herself more the center. It amazed him, how such a strong woman, who possessed such great confidence, could be so uncomfortable with speaking in front of people. But it was little things like that that had him falling for her.

"Hello, I am Byleth Eisner," she said with a bow. Despite her nervousness she spoke loudly and clearly. "Before becoming a professor, I was a mercenary."

Loud gasps and murmurs erupted form the students and Byleth began to squirm a little. A small frown settled on the prince's face as he realized that the chatter wasn't because she was a former mercenary but that the crowned prince of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus' first love was a mercenary. He turned slightly in his chair to glare at Sylvain, who thankfully seemed to understand his error.

It took a bit of effort but Seteth was able to get the class to quiet down some so that she may continue. She was a bit hesitant to continue but her voice was once again steady and loud. Dimitri had to admit he was jealous, such speaking skills were expected of him and yet he struggled.

"A sword is my preferred choice of weapon, but I am skilled in all martial weapons and hand to hand combat as well as both Reason and Faith magic. I am also proficient on horseback, but I do lack experience when it comes to flying mounts or heavy armor." She finished speaking and once again loud murmurs erupted from the class.

Annette quickly shot her hand up in the air. Byleth looked at Seteth for a second and he just nudged his head towards the raised hand. A bit hesitantly, Byleth pointed at Annette.

"What kind of spells can you cast?" Annette asked a bit too excitedly, and Mercedes giggled from the seat next to her.

"I have a talent for fire-based spells as well as Faith magic."

"What is the highest spell level you can cast?" Annette asked before permission could be given and Seteth frowned.

"For Reason I can cast Bolganone and for Faith I have almost mastered Aura." More gasps from students.

"Where did you learn magic from?" Again, Annette didn't wait for permission and Seteth quietly sighed.

"I learned healing magic from a few churches I visited. As for Reason magic there was a warlock, who traveled with my father's company for a few months and who taught me the basics."

"You are mostly self-taught?!" Byleth gave a small nod and even more murmurs erupted.

"By, became even more incredible," Ingrid said quietly. Dimitri glanced at her and smiled at the sight of the wide smile that adored Ingrid's face as she watched Byleth continue to speak. "Though I cannot say that I expected anything less from her."

"As you can see," Seteth started in a loud voice and eventually lowered it when the class fell silent. "Miss Eisner here, is the most versatile professor Garreg Mach has ever had and so the church will be expecting for the Blue Lions to be learning a lot from her."

Many of the students were squirming with the need to ask so many questions. With a sigh Seteth allowed for questions to be asked. Sylvain raised his hand and asked his question before he was even called on. Seteth simply shook his head.

"By, are you happy to see us again?" he asked with a little smirk.

"I am beyond elated!" she said with a large, dazzling smile.

"Such question can be asked after class, Mr. Gautier," Seteth scolded as he chose the next student.

Sylvain slid down his chair a little and his cheeks were slightly red. "Has By always been so…," he mumbled, and Dimitri glanced at him from over his shoulder. The two locked eyes and the red head smirked. "Do not worry Your Highness, even I will not be so bold as to flirt with the future queen of Faerghus."

Dimitri quickly faced forward, in ordered to hide his blush. He wasn't even aware of the small glare he had on until Sylvain's comment. Burying his face into his arms, he peeked at the woman he longed for through the small gasps in his arms.

Her smile was so captivating that he couldn't look away- not that he ever wanted too. He didn't know if was just because he had not seen her in so long or because of his feelings possibly blinding him but her smile was so much more captivating than he remembered. All he could remember were small and subdue smiles from her. It didn't really matter, he decided, as he very much loved her smile either way.

"Fight me!" Felix shouted and it disrupted the small tranquility that Dimitri was in.

A large sigh escaped Seteth. "Now Mr. Fraldarius there are so many issues to your statement that I do not even know where to begin." He paused to shake his head. "One, that is no way to speak to your professor. Two, such a demand is outrageous and will not be fulfilled as Garreg Mach does not wish to promote violence. Three, such an aggressive tone can be seen as a threat and Garreg Mach will not tolerate that." Seteth continued to list off more points and Felix just slumped back into his chair with a loud gruff. When Seteth finished his mini lecture the mood slowly lifted in the room.

The classroom was filled with chatter as many of the students fought to ask questions. Many of the questions were simple but had shocking answers to some of the students, like how long had she ben training, her greatest opponent, and other similar questions. It was going fine until one student got a little too carried away with his question.

"When did you first kill someone?" the student innocently asked.

Instantly the mood soured, and the class was silent. Dimitri watched with a frown at how Byleth stiffened and her smile strained. Seteth was about to push pass the question but she had decided to answer it and Seteth's expression was unreadable.

"It happened when I was twelve," Byelth said and hushed murmurs broke the dead silence. She looked down at her intertwined hands and was seemingly unaware of the scathing look on Seteth's face; Dimitri didn't know that that man was capable of such a strong emotion.

The prince pressed his lips tightly together and he waited for her to continue. He could vaguely remember a time when Byleth had been avoiding him and now he understood why. Sympathetic eyes started at her, who seemed to have found her resolve.

"I wasn't a mercenary that young. My father never wanted me to become one in the first place." Seteth relaxed a little but his anger was still very much present. "When we were at camp my father's mercenary company was ambushed by the remains of a bandit group that my father's group had taken out a year prior." Everyone was sitting on the edge of their seats. "I had ran to hide but a bandit had noticed me and gave chase." She briefly looked down and then back at everyone. "My father had trained me well, as I was able to kill the low skilled bandit…"

The murmurs returned and Dimitri ignored his own friends' whispers to stare at the former mercenary. Her eyebrows were furrowed, and she stared at the floor before her and he desperately wished to know what she was thinking. When a hand was placed on her shoulder, she jumped slightly and she looked at the owner, Seteth. His anger was gone and was replaced with a look of sympathy.

"I think that is enough of the questions for now," Seteth said and no one complained. With a slight gesture, he motioned for Byleth to step forward with a stack of papers in her hand. "I know when the year started you all had filled out a form stating what you wanted to learn at your time at Garreg Mach but with a new professor, who possess new skills, as well as some time have passed since then we have decided on having you all fill out the form again so that Miss Eisner may better plan her agenda."

When Byleth handed a form to Dimitri, she flashed him a bright smile and he swore his heart skipped a beat. Their small interaction only lasted for but a moment before she had to quickly move on and once it was over, he tried to hide his massive blush by placing his head down on the table. Whatever little immunity he had developed for her when he was a child was long gone. He felt his chair being kicked and when he looked at Sylvain, he saw the dumb, goofy grin his friend was giving him, so the prince returned it with a weak glare.

Silence settled over the class as all the students went about filling out their forms. Upon completion the students were free to leave class early. Dimitri was only vaguely aware of the from that he filled out as he watched Byleth fidget. The strong, confident woman had many strong appeals, but he liked her more softer sides, as they have been a rare sight when they were children.

He just hoped that her slight hesitation wouldn't be something that his fellow classmates would judge her to harshly on. Scratch that, that was what he hoped they would focus on instead of her being his first love…only love he mentally corrected with a small frown. Once again, he rested his head against the table, he was far too weak to his own feelings.

Forms were quickly filled out and handed in and many of the students stayed after class to ask questions. Seteth had stayed behind for a bit but eventually excused himself and some of the students took that as a sign to leave. The group of friends sat at their tables waiting for a chance to be alone with Byleth but both Sylvain and Ingrid were getting impatient.

Felix pushed his way through the group that surrounded Byleth. She smiled widely but he didn't seem to pay any attention to it. "Fight me!" he demanded, and her smile didn't waiver. As if ignoring his demand, she wrapped her arms around him, and he burst out into a massive blush. Dimitri quickly got onto his feet fearing an outburst but froze when he saw the fond smile Felix was sporting as well as the small gesture of returning the hug.

Sylvain whistled loudly as he made his way over. With a bright red face, Felix shoved Byleth away so hard that she stumbled back into her desk. Felix was about to apologize or at least that is what Dimitri hoped he was going to do, until a comment from Sylvain silenced the swordsman. Ingrid punched Sylvain in the arm as she made her way over.

As if not being aware of what just happened or she just simply didn't care, Byleth rushed over to Ingrid and hugged her. Ingrid returned the gesture, and no one dared to disturb the women. A few moments passed, before the new professor pulled away to address the sniveling blonde.

"I'm so happy to see you again, Daisy!" Byleth said and Ingrid finally gave in and allowed herself to cry as she hugged the other woman again. "You grew up to be beautiful, just as I expected. I am sure that you are just as strong."

Ingrid said something but it was unintelligible. Byleth said nothing and just patted Ingrid on the back. Eventually Sylvain intervened and separated the two while handing Ingrid his handkerchief.

Byleth's eyes landed on her final, old friend, Dedue. She walked over to him and the two stared down each other for a moment. The few remaining outsiders watched the situation with great curiosity.

"Sha," she said, and his eyes widen. "It's good to see you again." Dedue nodded. "May I hug you?"

He shook his head. "I don't think that will be wised," he said, and she frowned.

With a small laugh, Dimitri pushed her towards the quiet man. She fell onto him, giving her the perfect excuse to wrap her arms around him. A light shade of pink colored Dedue's face and he remained stubbornly rigid, though if she minded, she did not show it.

Dimitri found their height distances to be amusing as she barely reached his chest. She looked up at Dedue, but he was unable to meet her gaze. With a little smile she went back to resting her head against his chest.

"You have gotten so tall." He remained quiet. "I'm going to need you to stop growing, okay?" Still no response. "I missed you." After that Dedue was as stiff as a board and she finally released him with a laugh.

The last remaining outsiders left, leaving the friends alone. Felix recovered from his earlier embarrassment and marched back to Byleth. "Fight me!" he demanded again, and she just stared at him.

"No," she simply said, and Felix was flabbergasted.

"And why not?" It took him a moment to recover and respond with that.

"Because in the four years since I last seen you, your manners have detreated into such an abysmal state." A snort escaped both Dimitri and Ingrid as they tried to contain their laughter while Sylvain didn't bother trying to hide his. "Not a please or even a hello."

A shade of pink colored Felix's cheek and he was unable to maintain eye contact with her. "Fight me…please…" His please was strained.

"No."

He stomped his foot and invaded her personal space with a scowl. Dimitri fidgeted in his spot as he looked between his two friends. She didn't waiver and the prince had to wonder if she was already aware of Felix's change or if her poker face was still that good.

"I don't have time for a duel," she said, and Felix's scowl deepened but he did back up. "I have lessons to attended to after the other classes are done for the day."

"Oh, and what can Garreg Mach possibly teach you?" Sylvain asked as he expertly destroyed the tension. "By the sounds of it, you already an incredibly skilled individual."

"I don't know the first thing about being a professor," Byleth admitted with a small scowl. She stared at the floor and huffed. "I'm a mercenary. It would make more sense for me to become a knight or guard instead." Her brows furrowed and she glared even more at the floor.

"Byleth," Dimitri called softly but his attempt to comfort her went unfished as Sylvain over spoke him.

"You will be a fine professor," the Gautier said with a little smile. "You already have some experience with teaching us."

She finally looked up but was still frowning. "I was just helping with the instructions you already had."

"You have nothing to worry about By," Ingrid said, once she was control over herself. "You have the talent to be a great professor." Byleth's frown remained. "And we will all be willing to help you if you need it." A small smile settled on Byleth's face.

Evening had settled in for the day and Dimitri sat in his room after dinner with a few candles littered around his room ready for the night's decent that he would be ignorant too. Alone in his room he abandoned his school uniform in favor of more comfortable clothes, a simple white shirt, brown trousers, and no gauntlets to hide his hand. It was the most vulnerable he allowed himself to be in so long and he wasn't even aware of it.

Once Professor Hannenman had finished teaching, he had fetched Byleth for her lessons and kept her for the rest of the day. Dimitri had very much wanted to eat dinner with her, but he never got the chance. He knew he would have many chances to eat with her, but his disappointment was great, and he spent his entire dinner pouting and he still was.

His pout finally vanished when he pulled out her dagger and his little leather patch. A smile danced on his lips as he looked over the items. The time to return the dagger came far sooner than he was expecting, and he had no complaints to that.

A knock at his door had him jumping in his seat. He glanced out his window for a second and discovered that night had arrived. A small frown formed on his face as he was sure that the person, at the door, was most likely Dedue trying to help his liege get ready for bed, despite the numerous protests and telling him to do no such things.

"Dedue, please," Dimitri started as he began to open the door. "I am a grown-" He stopped when he noticed that it was not Dedue but Byleth, instead.

She looked up from the paper in her hand and smiled. "I got it right!" she cheerfully said, and he could feel his cheeks heating up. The large, heavy, grey tunics that he had seen her wearing since they left Remire Village were gone and instead she wore a simple but tight black shirt and tight short, shorts. His face broke out into a blush as his mind saved all her curves and newly exposed skin that the tunics had hide away to memory. His mind barely registered the scars that covered her arms or legs.

"B-By?! What are you doing here?" he stumbled to say not for the answer but to steer his mind in a different direction. It had been quite some time since he had such impure but delightful thoughts.

"I wanted to see you before I went to bed." With cheeks a blaze, he watched her fold up the paper and hid it away in a back pocket. "May, I come in?"

"Oh yes!" he shouted as he pushed his door open wide. "Please come in." He nearly whispered the rest as he didn't want to alert Felix or Sylvain, especially Sylvain, to her presence.

She looked around his room as she walked inside. Her eyes landed on the pile of armor sprayed across his floor, near the window, and he felt his cheeks warm for a new reason. If he had known that she was going to come he would have cleaned up a bit.

"P-please, have a seat." She looked at him and then to the bed he was gesturing too. Without saying anything she sat at the edge of his bed and he shrieked internally. He couldn't fathom why he offered the bed and not the chair.

"I am sorry that I have no tea to offer." He was proud that he was at least able to say that calmly. He also made a mental note to buy a tea set and have tea on hand for future visits. He was giddy just from the mere thought that she would visit him again.

Dimitri hovered in the middle of the room as he didn't know where to sit. He was worried that if he sat at his desk, it would come off rude as it might be seen as his area, where she wasn't allowed. But he couldn't sit on the bed with her, it would be improper! Not that their situation wasn't already improper, alone in a room after dark. His cheeks burned at the thought. He glanced at her and fought back a sigh as he was sure, she wasn't even aware of what people would think if they discovered them right then.

His fingers fidgeted as he did not know what to do. It wasn't the first time he was alone in a room with Byleth. Four years might have passed by still…He glanced at her for a moment but quickly looked away, he wanted to act like nothing had really changed but everything did. He was no longer a young, innocent boy, who just wanted his crush to look only at him. He was now a young man, with goals, ambitions, and…desires. She was now an incredibly, attractive, young woman, who was now of marriageable age…That thought did not sit well with him.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, and he nearly jumped out of his skin. She looked at him so innocently, so unaware of his inner turmoil. He glanced at her hands, she had no rings and he wanted to be happy about that, but he knew that she wasn't the type to wear one, even if it was a possible wedding band…

He had asked her to wait for him, but he knew that was an unreasonable request. After everything he had put her through, was it even right for him to hold such feelings? If she did find someone, he had no right to feel angry or jealous and yet…He was horrible, and he knew that. He was so lost in his own joy that he had not even begged her for her forgiveness; he should have prostrated himself before her as soon as they were reunited. Clenching his fists tightly he turned slightly away from her in shame. From the corner of his eyes he could see her getting up.

He bowed deeply before she could close their little distance. His fingers dug into his legs with great force that would leave several bruises. "Byleth, I beg of you for your forgiveness." He hated his tiny room that prevented from properly showing her all the respect she deserved. He heard a mumbled "what" escape her, but he did not raise his head. "I did such a deplorable thing to you! And I know mere words will never be enough to make it up to you!"

"I'm sorry but I do not know what you are apologizing for." He gritted his teeth.

He did not raise his head. "…For when I imprisoned you."

A heavy silence fell over them and he maintained his bow. He could feel a great pressure on him, weighing him down. Slowly, he felt an all too familiar feeling of hands clawing at him, trying to drag him down.

"Arise Aster," she demanded, and he found it hard to obey.

It took a great effort to break free of the strong grips that helped him down and to stand straight. Her frown only revived the pressure as he now felt someone pulling at his arms and another holding his legs. He soon felt arms wrapped around his chest and he could feel the pressure of someone leaning on his back. He squeezed his eyes shut, in a pathetic attempt to try and ignore the voice that would soon follow.

The voice never came, and he flinched when he felt rough but warm hands cupped his check. Slowly he dared to open his eyes and was pleased to see it was Byleth and no other. Her frown was gone and was replaced with a look of concern. He tried to put her fears to rest by giving her a small smile.

"Are you alright?" He wasn't too confident with his voice so he just nodded as best as he could in her light grip. Her look of concern only lasted for a few seconds before giving way to a small smile. She tried to pull her hands back, but he quickly grabbed them as he wasn't ready to give up her warmth.

"Aster, you have nothing to apologize for. I told you such a thing in my letter, did I not?" He frowned. "I understand why you did it, so I do not blame you." His frowned didn't change. "Aster," she paused to step forward, "I don't hate you, I never could, but I will forgive you nonetheless." While he felt that she was forgiving him too easily, it was nice to hear.

"Do you forgive me for breaking my promise?" He arched an eyebrow. "I wasn't able to become your knight." She glared down at the floor. "I still can't become your knight."

He ran his thumb over her knuckles and marveled at how rough her hands were. Usually all the female hands he had to hold were so soft that he feared that he might crush them if he wasn't careful, but hers, hers were strong and he liked that so very much. "And I told you in my letter that you becoming my knight was just an excuse to have you by myside. You are doing that now are you not?" She looked up at him and he felt so at peace to be looking at those beautiful, steel-blue eyes again. "In a way you are keeping your promise."

He smiled down at her and he finally took noticed of their height difference. When he was younger, he always declared that he would grow taller than her; at first he saw it as a competition but it eventually he saw it as a way for him to hopefully be seen as a man by her. He couldn't help but wonder if she was seeming him as the man, he was, or the child she used to play with.

He ran his thumb over her knuckles again. Questions bubbled in his mind, but he dared not ask any of them. He rested his forehead against hers and took comfort in her presences as his mind slowly settled.

"Aster," she said his childhood nickname so softly. He would accept everyone referring to him by his title so long as she called him "Aster." Although, a part of him longed for her to call him by his name.

"By," he mimicked the way she said his name, and he enjoyed the shiver that passed through his body.

Her eyes widen suddenly, and her cheeks were soon a lovely shade of pink. She pulled away, and loathe as he was, he let her go. A small frowned wormed its way on to his face when he noticed she couldn't look at him and was muttering something under her breath.

"Is something wrong?" She jumped but did at least turn to look at him.

"No, nothing is wrong." While she was looking at him, she wouldn't look him in the eye.

"Have I offended you?"

"No!" she nearly shouted, and her cheeks turned a darker shade. "No... the moment was nice. I am sorry for ruining it." His frown did not leave, and a small sigh escaped her. "I…I just realized that I had never been so close to a man before or at least in not such a situation."

A small little "oh", slipped through his lips. It was his turn to blush. A smile danced on his lips as he realized that two question that had been plaguing the back of his mind had been dealt with.

"My apologies. I have forgotten myself." She still didn't meet his eyes, but she did shake her head. "I, too, have never been so close with a woman before." He added in hopes of possibly answering one of her hidden questions. He was pleased to see the little mental nod she did.

While she seemed to be lost in her own little world, Dimitri went to his desk to retrieve the long overdue dagger. He smiled fondly at it as he held it. When he turned back to her, he discovered that she was watching him.

"I have something that I need to return to you." She titled her head and he was pleased to see that she still had that little gesture. He held out the dagger and her eyes widen upon sight of it.

"My dagger!" Byleth took the weapon and quickly drew it as she inspected it. She stared at the blade for a moment, her large smile somewhat was reflected in the blade and only then did he wished he had the courage to have polished it better. "My dad will be so pleased to know that it is safe. He once told me that it was one of his treasures and I felt so bad for losing it." She returned the blade to its scabbard and held it against her chest. "Thank you for taking care of it all this time!"

"You are most welcome. I have been patiently awaiting the day that I may return it to you." She smiled warmly at him as she replaced her current dagger with her old one. She looked at her extra dagger for a movement before handing it to Dimitri. "Are you giving me your old one?"

"Yes, it is only fair that I replace the one you returned. Though this dagger isn't as high of quality as my old one." He smiled as he took the new weapon. "Besides, I wish to make sure you have some kind of protection." Her cheeks were a light shade of pink.

A comfortable silence settled over them. Her eyes drifted over to his desk and widen. He followed her line of sight and smiled when he noticed what she was looking at. Taking the little, leather patch, he rubbed his thumb over it before handing it to her.

Her eyes were glued to the item as she slowly took it. "You kept it?"

"Of course. It was the first gift you have given me." She looked up at him and their eyes were locked. "It is a precious treasure." He very much liked being taller than her as it made it easier for him to see all her tiny little changes her expressions made.

She broke eye contact to look at the patch. Her thumb ran over it and he could tell that she was noting the worn-down parts. Seemingly having her fill of it, she turned her attention back on to him.

"Do you still have that bracelet I made you?"

He stiffened as a dark shadow over came his features. The sounds of screams and steel clashing soon filled his ears. He flexed and unflexed his hands as he could start to feel the flames lick at his skin. He shut his eyes as his father's final cry filled his head.

The screams echoed in his head and the flames burned hotter. And right when he was sure that that man would appear before him, everything suddenly ceased and all he could feel was a gentle touch. His eyes snapped open and he was greeted with steel-blue eyes, instead of Glenn's lifeless ones.

Sucking in a deep breath, he pulled her in for a crushing hug. He buried his face into her hair and allowed her scent to ground him and calm him. She said nothing and wrapped her arms around him, and he was eternally grateful. They stayed like that for several moments.

Once he was calmed enough, he pulled away. Her concern was clear, but he chose to ignore it. He didn't want to burden her with his issues. He only wanted her to have a positive image of him.

"Forgive me. I lost myself there for a moment." He hated how fragile his voice sounded. "I am fine now." She was about to say something but he didn't want to hear it and so he silenced her by walking over to his bed.

He glanced at her from over his shoulder and saw that she was watching him carefully. Silently he sat down on the bed and patted the spot next to him, forgetting all about his earlier concern. With no hesitation she sat down next to him.

He stared at his desk, before him, as he wasn't sure how he wanted to continue. A sigh spilled from his lips as he folded his hands over his lap as he didn't know what to do with them. He had never really talked to anyone about the events of that day and truth be told he did not want to tell her anything; he did not wish to burden her with any possible nightmares.

One of her hands gripped his and he released the breath that he held. He looked at her and was held captive by her eyes. He didn't want to burden her and yet he wanted to tell someone, to have another soul know what happened that day. Dedue had came at the end of that tragedy and had his own nightmares and Dimitri didn't want to add anymore to his dear friend.

"I…," he started by quickly stopped. He pressed his lips together as he tried to settle his mind. The conflicting desires were just too much.

"Your bracelet," he started again but turned his attention back to his desk, "it saved my life. I died that day four years ago." In the end he decided to share very little; he would suffer alone. He didn't look at her, he didn't want to see the expression she was making.

"On that day, a sword pierced my chest," he paused to pull one of his hands away so that his fingers could ghost over where it had entered him. "I laid on the ground bleeding out, unable to move or even scream." He felt her grip on his other hand tighten. "I heard something shattered and soon I felt a familiar comforting warmth enveloping me." He finally looked at her and he was right, he didn't like her expression; he hated seeing her on the verge of the tears that she would never shed. "It was your magic that I felt. The bracelet shattered and released all its stored magic and it saved my life. You saved my life."

"Aster I…," she said in a trembling voice. Her voice was so quiet that he nearly didn't hear it. Her eyes drifted towards the leather patch, she held. "If…if only I made more than…King Lambert and Glenn…"

He swiftly covered her hands with his. "No," he said with more fury than he meant too. Slowly she looked back at him. "By, it is not your fault! You have done nothing wrong! Do not blame yourself!" His hand that covered hers, wrapped around one of them and squeezed it.

"The ones that are responsible for such an atrocity are the only ones at fault!" The more he spoke the more he squeezed her hand, but he was completely unaware of it. "I swear to you that I will make them suffer thousand-fold for what they have done! Their screams will fill the air, just as my father's and his men's did. Their bodies will bake in the hottest of flames-"

"Aster, you are hurting me."

He quickly snapped out of his thoughts and released her hand. "Forgive me, I-"

"You wish for revenge?" she interrupted him quickly and paid no attention to her hand.

"Yes," he said through gritted teeth.

"I wish to help." He pressed his lips tightly together. He absolutely did not want that. He didn't want to put her in danger, to sully her hands with such vile filth. He was prepared to do anything for the sake of his revenge, but he didn't want her doing the same. He was the only one that needed to be tainted.

"Thank you," he said quietly, only to satisfy her. He had no intention of sharing anything else with her.

Silence fell over them and they were unable to look at each other. Magic charged the air and his eyes immediately flew to her. In frustration he growled out her name when she collapsed against him. He glared at the now magically infused leather patch in her hands.

"Why did you do that?" He let his irritation be clear in his voice. "I do not want you putting yourself in any kind of risk for my or anyone's sake!"

From beneath her bangs, Byleth looked up at him with a strained smile. She tried to hand him the item, but he refused to take it. She made no effort to sit up and continued to rest against him.

"I want you to be safe."

"Well, I do not want you straining yourself for my sake!"

"I didn't expand all my magic." He frowned. "I just need a little rest and then I will be fine." She slowly closed her eyes as she continued to lean against him. "I promise…"

"If you are going to rest than you may use my bed."

"But…," she weakly protested with her eyes still shut.

"No buts." He laid her against the bed, and she didn't fight him. His frowned deepen when he realized that she was already sound asleep. "Can you not at least be a little on guard around me." He leaned more towards her and stopped when he was just a few inches away from her face. His face burst out into a massive blush as he realized what he was doing and quickly got off the bed. As much as he would love to kiss her, he knew it would only be right to do such a thing when she was wake.

He walked over to his window and looked at the courtyard down below besides one lone guard, no other soul was about. He pulled the curtains shut before turning to look back at her. A huff escaped him as he realized that he should probably remove her boots so that he could make her more comfortable.

Dimitri gave a small glare at the leather patch, she still held. With a sigh he took it and the smile that he had been fighting finally won, when he felt the familiar magic in his gift. He shook his head slightly as he pocketed the item.

Sitting down next to his bed he watched her sleep. He pushed a strain of hair out of her face and his fingers lingered on her cheeks. He didn't know he was capable of still feeling so much joy. He rested his head against his bed and slowly drifted off to sleep.

Despite how long it took this update to come out I'm probably going to have another long gap before I can update again. I have a Model United Nations conference to go to this weekend and finals will soon be upon me. I'm ready for the school year to be over with. Ugh.

About the DLC, I will not be mentioning any of the new characters in this story. As for Byleth's mother's lore, I will be using her official name but her looks are going to change to match Byleth's more because Byleth needs to look like one of her parents darn it! Unless Intelligence System was to reveal that Byleth looks like one of Jeralt's parents I'm still going to stick with what I already wrote.

For anyone curious this is Byleth's stats:

Swords: A+

Lances: B

Axes: C+

Bows: C

Arms: C

Reason: C+

Faith: A

Authority: D+

Heavy armor: E

Horseback: C

Flying Mount: E+