12/2 Ethereal Moon
Byleth was already waiting in the classroom when his students arrived. Edelgard, Bernadetta, Petra, Dorothea and Ferdinand were carrying decorations with them.
"Hello everyone" he greeted them as he saw the decorations they were carrying. "I see that you were giving your best efforts for this task"
"I did my best, although I´m not sure if it is completely perfect" Bernadetta said as she handed him her handmade decorations. They were based on floral motives.
"They are perfect. You have done a good job"
"You can compliment more if you want to" she said with a shy smile.
"Bernadetta isn´t the only one that has done something. Not only I´m preparing for the dance competition, but I have also made some decorations to improve the mood of the class thanks to the help of Dorothea" Ferdinand said with a wide smile.
"The last time you prepared something you end up burning your hand so I thought you will have another accident. They are quite simple, but I think they are adequate for this month"
Having a look at them he realized they were based on the snowmen that the children used to make when snow fell.
"It is certainly a good choice"
"Simple yet fitting for this time of the year" Dorothea smiled.
"My Teacher, I decided to lend a hand on this matter too. Since we are the Black Eagles class I thought it would be nice to have a decoration related to the emblem of our house, although the result could be improved" Edelgard said as he showed him a bunch of handmade double headed eagles.
"I couldn´t have done it better" he said with a faint smile rubbing her hair.
"Favoritism" Linhardt yawned. "I did nothing since I was preparing to be a good jury"
"That excuse is lame Linhardt"
"Yours is worse. You were picking a fight again"
"But after that fight we got along again so I don´t think there is anything strange to it"
"Don´t worry. We will need every free hand to put all these decorations before the day ends. I´m sure our class will be the best. I´ve prepared some decorations of my own, although they aren´t that good" he said as he showed to them what he had been hiding in his pocket.
"Oh my, you have made little figures of all of us" Dorothea said, slightly losing her composure.
"More likely you tried" Sothis said, covering her mouth as she laughed "But I´m sure your dear students will be happy about them". They weren´t quite refined, but they could be identified by the distinctive traits of each of them. He had made one for each one of them, even Monica, although she appeared to be missing that day too.
"This is highly unexpected, but I appreciate it" Linhardt said.
"You have caught my facial expressions quite well, Professor" Hubert said, looking at his own figure with a sinister smile.
"Please don´t smile like that. It is enough having a figure with the very same smile!" Bernadetta cried.
"In Brigid the shamans use figures like this to make the person represented in them suffer, but sometimes are used to protect their owners. Thank you for making amulets for us Professor!"
"I didn´t expect something like this, but I really appreciate your efforts, my Teacher" Edelgard said as she touched her own figure. She then looked at him and genuinely smiled to him, making his heart ache.
"But the Professor is missing" Dorothea said as she looked to the group of figures.
"I didn´t make one of myself"
"You should have done one, Professor" she complained as her eyes suddenly lightened up. "Edie, how about you make a decoration of the Professor?"
"Why me?"
"Since you are the leader of the class I think you are the most suitable person to make something like that and I´m sure that the Professor would be happy about that. Right Professor?"
"I agree"
"In that case I will do my best" Edelgard said avoiding her sight as she toyed with her hair.
"Seeing the decorations that you have made I´m sure you will do a great job Edie. By the way Professor, when everything ends, can I keep it? I will like to keep it as a memory of this year at the monastery"
"Feel free to do it, all of you" he said looking at everyone. He was happy to know that they liked the little surprise he had prepared for them and he wanted that they had a memory of him after they had graduated from the monastery.
"Then it is settled" Dorothea said with a wide smile. "Let´s get started with the decoration of the room"
…..
"Put those ornaments over there, next to the column" He said to Dorothea as he found a spot where to put the decorations he was holding.
"Understood Professor. With all these decorations the classroom looks completely different" she said with a smile.
They had been working for an hour in the decoration of the classroom, but they still had plenty to do. The walls were still naked, although Alois had brought to them some decorations that the monastery had spared for them.
"Do you have any news about the play you are planning to do?"
"I´ve already prepared the libretto and Manuela has helped me to make several copies of it. After the White Heron Cup ends and before the night of the Ball we can practice for it. I´m sure that everyone will enjoy it"
After a while Seteth entered the class, accompanied by his sister Flayn.
"I see that you are already busy with the preparations. Keep the good job"
"I wanted to lend a hand since the beginning, but I had to resolve some matters with my brother. I apologize for arriving late, Professor"
"Don´t worry Flayn. I know that you have other responsibilities. I have made some decorations for the class" he said as he showed to her the figures he had made.
"Oh, that´s me! I´m so happy Professor!"
"The work could be polished, but I don´t have any particular reasons to criticize this particular work." Seteth said analyzing the work. "May I ask to keep it?"
"When the celebration ends you can keep it for yourself"
"Oh, thank you! I will certainly keep it"
"I will check the other classes" Seteth said as he left their class, although by the look of his eyes he appeared to be satisfied.
"I´m sure he liked the little figure of her sister. He certainly has a sister complex" Sothis said inside his head. "By the way, you didn´t make one for me. How disrespectful"
"If you want I can make one for you too"
"I was just kidding, but I appreciate your offering"
"Professor, please help me with this" Dorothea said, interrupting their conversation.
….
When they had finished with all the decorations, the classroom appeared to be a completely different one. The ornaments gave it a warmer appearance and everyone had done their best, although he could see a bit of disparity of the decoration motives depending on the part of the classroom where he looked at.
"The classroom has certainly changed. Even if there are some disparities between the decorations that´s the thing that makes it feel unique" Edelgard said next to him.
"I like it" he said with a fond smile.
"Me too" she smiled as she looked at her classmates.
"Good job everyone. The classroom has certainly changed its appearance, but don´t forget that we have to lend a hand with the decoration of the rest of the monastery"
"If we have spent most of the morning with just one class I can´t imagine how much time will take to decorate the whole monastery"
"You don´t have to worry, Linhardt. The members of the church and the rest of the students will lend a hand on that matter. Follow me"
…
"Now that there aren´t more things to do I guess that it´s the perfect time to practice some dances lessons" Edelgard said as they cleared the center of the class. They had spent most of the time decorating the halls of the monastery, but Seteth had allowed them to rest for the rest of the day in consideration for their efforts.
"Thank you for helping me"
"You don't have to thank me. It is a pleasure to lend you a hand, my Teacher. Besides, I must admit that it is really interesting to teach you something. It looks like our roles had changed" she said with a gentle smile. "Balls follow a strict structure since it is a formal dance. They are important within their nobility since it is an opportunity to make new contacts between the different houses."
"How long have you been dancing?"
"Since I was a young girl I´ve been dancing. As the future leader of the Adrestian Empire I had to learn not only military tactics but also the customs surrounding the court, although I can´t say that they were enjoyable experiences. However, we are not here to talk about that matter. I will make sure to turn you into a capable dancer"
"Dancing should be an option and not an obligation" Sothis said inside his head. "Why humans have to turn funny things into obligations? It destroys their purpose"
"You sound quite convinced"
"I have experience teaching how to dance, nothing more. As it will be your first time I will be taking the lead" she said as he approached him, placing one hand on his waist as she took his other hand with her free one. Her proximity brought with her the faint perfume he had grown fond of.
They slowly started to move around the empty classroom. His movements were clumsy at the beginning, but Edelgard was a patient professor and guided him during their first session. Observing her movements he started to memorize the pattern of the dance until he was confident that he wasn´t missing any steps, although his technique wasn´t completely perfect.
"You have done a great job, my Teacher" Edelgard said as she sat on one of the desks.
"I wasn´t able to take the lead yet"
"That is only natural. Practice makes the master and I´m sure you will get better the more you practice. You have already overcome one of the first steps. I promise you I will guide you through the rest of them. I´m confident that you will eventually turn into a great dancer" she said with a faint smile as she looked through one of the windows. "It feels like it was yesterday"
"What do you mean?"
"I´ve told you that I´ve danced since I was really young, but I haven´t told you about who was my mentor. One of my elder sisters was the one that taught me everything I know. She was quite a talented dancer and she was the envy of some of the most important houses of the empire, yet no one appears to remember her anymore"
"I´m sorry for the pain you had to endure Edelgard. Even if we can´t change the past that doesn´t mean that we can´t change the future. The future is up to us to decide"
"Your words speak the truth, my Teacher. I can´t dwell on the memories of the past if I want to make this world a better place to live, but that doesn´t mean I will ever forget the sacrifices that I´ve had to endure until now"
Hearing her words he realized that she really meant what she was saying. "Her willpower is really impressive" he thought.
"It really is, but even the strongest persons need a person to rely on from time to time. Otherwise the weight of duty would crush them" Sothis said.
"If I can help you in any way I will gladly do so, Edelgard"
"I will certainly consider it when the time comes, but you don´t have to worry about me. Even I can relax from time to time, at least at this time of the year. Has Dorothea told you anything about the play she wants to do?"
"The libretto is already prepared, but she says it is better to wait until the White Heron Cups ends"
"I must admit that I´m curious about the dancing movements that all of them are preparing to win the competition within the House"
"Did you want to take part into it?"
"I could have participated, but I must admit that acting as a jury it´s another interesting option. To be fair, I must admit that I´m quite enjoying my time in the monastery. I didn´t expect it to be like that"
Recalling the first time they met he couldn´t avoid smiling.
"You were quite serious back then"
"The same could be said about you, my Teacher. I guess that both of us have changed a bit, but I´m not displeased by the changes you have been experiencing. We should head to the canteen, before it gets too dark"
"I will accompany you"
Relocating the desks in their former places, they left the room behind them.
"It´s snowing" Edelgard said looking to the sky.
Finally, the first snows of the month had started to fall in the monastery territories, decorating its grounds with an ivory cloak.
"Do you like it?"
"I don´t mind it, but I don´t like when it gets too cold. It may be because I´m from the empire" she said as she adjusted her own clothes.
"I won´t let you be cold" he said, offering her his own cloak.
"I appreciate it, but I don´t wish you to fall ill just for my own wellbeing. We could share it if you want to" she said avoiding his gaze.
"That it´s a great idea"
Walking together covered by his own cloak they headed to the canteen. Even though he had been practicing with her it was now when the proximity with her was making his heart ache.
"Why don´t you confess your feelings? It is painfully obvious that you have feelings for her yet you are doing nothing about it" Sothis said, observing them from the stone throne he had grown used to see.
"Our worlds are completely different and she won´t be here for too long"
"In that case, why not following her? You have said it; the future is you to decide. You are not bound to be here for the rest of your life. You could always return to your mercenary life or do whatever you want if it is ok to you"
"You really worry about my wellbeing, but I´m not ready to do something like that"
"We are friends, right? It is only natural that I worry about you. I disagree with your opinion, but I will respect it. It´s not like you will be her Professor for the rest of her life"
"My Teacher, what are you thinking about? You have grown silent"
"It´s really nothing. I was just thinking about the future"
"About the future? What are your plans for it?" She said, looking directly at him, her amethyst eyes haunting his.
"I was wondering about what…" he couldn´t end his phrase as a snowball hit his face.
"Claude!"
"Sorry Teach, that snowball was meant for the imperial princess, but I lacked accuracy" Claude said as he prepared another snowball. The rest of the Golden Deer students were there. Hilda and Lysithea were making a snowman, Raphael, Ignatz and Leonie were throwing snowballs at each other, Marianne was adopting a praying manner and Lorenz had a disapproving look on his face.
"Then allow me to demonstrate" he said lending his cloak to Edelgard and preparing his own snowball. Avoiding the snowball aimed at him he tried to hit Claude, but he hit Raphael instead.
"You are too slow!" Claude laughed.
"You are the only one that could something like this, Claude" Edelgard said in a disapproving tone, although she was smiling.
"I smell a fight here!" Caspar roared as he approached them. "Oh, Professor, are you having a snowball battle? Let me join!"
In no time the students from the three houses started to assemble attracted by the shouts of Caspar as he fought alongside him against the Golden Deer students.
"It seems that you were the source of all this conflict, Claude" Dimitri said, approaching them.
"Your Highness, you shouldn´t come any closer if you don´t want to stain your beautiful hair with snow" Claude said with a teasing smile.
Looking at the situation unfolding around them, he couldn´t avoid smiling. "They are really enjoying their lives". When he was mercenary he had seen some of his comrades taking part in fights like that, but he didn´t understand why they did something like that. Now he was starting to understand.
"They are children after all, although some are younger than others" Sothis said as she saw Alois taking part into the fight too, accompanied by his father, whose smile grew wider the moment their eyes met.
Forgetting his worries about the future he joined them as equals. "It must be the magic of this month" he thought.
12/7
"Today is the day we will choose our representative for the White Heron Cup. I´m sure that all of you had done their best and I´m looking forward to seeing the result of your efforts" he said looking at all of them.
The classroom had been cleared of desks, except the one he used as a Professor. Edelgard, Linhardt and Bernadetta were sitting behind it while he was standing next to one of the columns accompanied by Monica and Lorenz. She had skipped most of the decoration of the monastery, but she had assured him she was completely recovered once again, although by the look of her face she appeared to be bored about the event she had to witness. Lorenz had said he wanted to witness Ferdinand´s acting and he didn´t have any reasons to oppose him.
"The first participant is Ferdinand" he announced. His words were accompanied by Lorenz´s clapping.
"I will show all of you the results of my practice!" he said, wearing an elegant red outfit with the symbol of the Aegir family on one of its sides.
Ferdinand elegantly moved around the center of the classroom as if he was the protagonist of an opera. His movements were fluid and his mannerisms were the typical of a noble, but some of his movements were a bit exaggerated. As he ended his play he threw a red rose to the jury, an action that was highly appraised by Lorenz.
"That was an impressive movement, Ferdinand"
"I am pleased to hear your kind words Lorenz. I hope that the jury holds the same feelings"
"Before we can make a final decision we should see the actuation of the rest of participants, Ferdinand. Please take a seat behind the scene."
The next one to participate was Petra. She had brought with her a small drum that hit furiously as she lively danced around the center of the class. Her energetic movements accompanied with her strong voice made him thought about hunting scenes. The strength of her voice was combined with a unique melody. "She is singing in her own language. I wonder what she is saying." When she had finished everyone had their eyes wide open, even Linhardt.
"It was really a unique show. What were you singing about?" Edelgard inquired.
"It is a song for the departed and those who will come after them. In Brigid we believe that death is not the end of our paths, but only a stop we have to do before continuing our paths. That´s why we don´t mourn the dead, but we celebrate their deaths, because their life continues in unknown lands"
"No matter what we think, Fódlan is just a tiny part of this world. Thank you for teaching me about it, Petra"
"The pleasure is mine!"
After Petra arrived Caspar.
"My dance´s title is Fists of fury. I will show all of you how great it is!"
In fact, Caspar´s dance was quite unique, although he wasn´t sure if he could name it as a dance. Caspar jumped and roared and moved his arms as if he was brawling against someone. His rhythm was energetic and he didn´t pause at all during his entire dance, so when he ended he needed a few seconds to catch his breath.
"What do you think about my dance?"
"It was quite…unique I guess" Edelgard said sighing.
"You are too aggressive!" Bernadetta cried, hiding behind Edelgard´s back.
"It sounded like you"
"Thank you for your support Linhardt!"
"I wasn´t complimenting you, though" Linhardt sighed.
"I guess that it´s the turn of the next participant. Hubert, please come in front of us"
"As you wish, Lady Edelgard" Hubert said approaching them. He was wearing a dark suit that matched with the golden ornaments he had on his shoulders, although his smile was the most sinister he had ever seen from him.
"This guy is scary" Sothis murmured inside his head and he couldn´t agree more with that.
Hubert moved around the center of the classroom as if he was planning to kill someone. His movements appeared to be coldly calculated and his eyes were strangely fixated on him, sending veiled threats. When he had ended, everyone remained silent for a moment, until Edelgard cleared her throat.
"You haven´t changed a bit Hubert"
"Even if I lack the charm of Lady Edelgard that doesn´t mean that I´m not able to dance and fulfill my duty at the same time."
"You don´t have charisma at all Hubert"
"The same could be said about you, Ferdinand. Even if you are able to dance, your dancing style is excessively exaggerated. Like a peacock" he chuckled.
"How disrespectful. At least my dancing style doesn´t depend on others"
"Keep calm, both of you" Edelgard sighed. "We haven´t finished this yet. I´m sure that Flayn and Dorothea want their own opportunity to shine on stage. Come in Flayn"
Flayn had chosen a simple outfit that matched with the color of her eyes. As she danced around the center of the classroom he had to admit that she danced quite well. Her moves were elegant and slow, as if she was dancing on the surface of a lake.
"Even if she dances well I´m sure his brother wouldn´t let anyone dance with her"
Recalling Seteth´s face, he couldn´t agree more with Sothis´s comment.
"I hope that everyone found this dance of their liking, it took me some time to practice it" Flayn said with a genuine smile.
"You did a good job" Edelgard nodded.
"You aren´t scary at least"
"I´m more interested in your crest, but I guess that your dance was good enough"
"Well now is the time for our last participant, Dorothea please come in"
As she was told Dorothea approached them. She wasn´t wearing her usual hat and her hair was loosely falling on her shoulders. With a wink to the judges she started dancing in front of them as she sang a popular song.
"I know the lyrics of this song, yet her voice make them look more tragic" he thought as she moved around the emptied class. Her movements were completely synchronized with the tone of the voice and in a few moments he was completely focused on them.
"This girl is really good" Sothis said, completely focused on her movements, sitting on her stone throne.
"She really is"
As the song approached to an end she slowly approached the desk of the jury and as the last syllables of the song left her mouth she bowed before them, leaving everyone speechless.
"That was really beautiful, Dorothea" Edelgard said, breaking the silence.
"Thank you for your kind words, Edie. I really did my best"
"Quite impressive. I don´t feel like sleeping anytime soon"
"Really Linhardt? Coming from you, that sounds really impressive"
"Your dance was incredible. I couldn´t stop looking at you"
"Thank you for your kind words too, Bernie. I´m happy that someone as cute as you enjoyed my dance" Dorothea said with a charming smile, making Bernadetta blush.
"Now that everyone has showed everything they had it is time to deliberate" Edelgard announced.
The three of them started talking between them as the participants awaited the results. A few moments later the jury stood up and looked at the participants.
"The winner of this competition is Dorothea. I hope that you can win the White Heron Cup" Edelgard said with a wide smile.
"Oh, thank you so much Edie. I´m really lucky! I promise to give my best!"
"Defeat? How could something like this happen to me? Impossible"
"Reality it is sometimes unpleasant, Ferdinand" Hubert said while chuckling.
"If you do the same in the White Heron Cup, we will win for sure!" Caspar roared.
"If you need my help, I will do whatever possible to assist you. It was really beautiful"
"Thank you for your offering, Petra. I think I can include some things from Brigid in my dance. I loved how it was so energetic!"
"Well, one thing less to worry about" Linhardt yawned.
"I´m sure we will win this competition. Give your best shot, Dorothea"
"If you said it like that Professor I can´t avoid giving my best. We will win this, together" Dorothea said with a wide smile.
…..
12/10
The gardens of the monastery were deserted as Byleth walked through them. He had been to the greenhouse to pick one of the pitcher plants he had planted, although he wasn´t surprised to see no one. The last few days the winds had grown colder and the fallen snow was quickly piling up, although the members of the Church were keeping everything in order. The moment he entered the main hall he could feel the sudden change in temperature. Torches were lit and a small scenario had been built for the White Heron Cup, which was taking place that day.
"Hello Byleth, are you already waiting for the little tournament we will be having here?" Alois greeted him with his usual smile.
"I was looking for my students" He was surprised to see the monastery so empty. The canteen was filled with students of the lower levels of the monastery but he had only had come across with Monica, which was spending her free time with some of the students of the canteen.
"They must be busy preparing the last things for the tournament. It´s really an important event in this monastery" Manuela said with a dreamy look. "I would like to take part into it too. What a pity!"
"I will search for them. I will see both of you later" he promised as he left them behind.
He decided to head to the students dormitories; the moment he arrived he knocked on Dorothea´s room.
"Come in!"
As he entered the room he was surprise to see all the girls of the Black Eagles there. Dorothea was combing her hair and she was wearing a red dress that revealed her shoulders. She was also wearing a bracelet with exotic symbols written on it. The makeup she was using made him think about the company of actors that from time to time performed in the squares of the great cities. Petra was drawing one of Brigid´s typical drawing under one of her eyes while Bernadetta was spending her time sewing. Edelgard was sitting on one of the chairs looking through the window of the room until she realized he had arrived.
"Hello Professor! As you see we are a bit busy with the final preparations for the cup" Dorothea greeted him with one of her most charming smiles.
"Where did you get a dress like that?"
"I bought it for her. It comes from one of the most prestigious dressmakers of Enbarr. Hubert brought it here for us"
"Hubie was very nice; even if the weather had turned harsher he arrived in no time here again. I´ve decided to incorporate some additional elements to my dance to make sure that we impress all of the judges, even Manuela. She is fond of my dancing style, but I would like to impress her in a day like this"
"I´m looking forward it"
"I´m happy to hear that coming from you. I will make sure that we win. After all, everyone is giving their best. Do you know anything about the participants of the other houses?"
"I´m not certain about it, but I think that in the case of the Golden Deer Hilda is going to take part in the tournament. I heard her talking about it at the canteen the other day"
"Hilda? She is going to be a worthy opponent, but don´t worry Professor. I´ve quite the experience in this type of battles" she giggled.
"By the way Bernadetta, happy birthday" he said handing her one of the pitcher plants he had been taking care at the greenhouse of the monastery.
"Oh, thank you. I really appreciate it. Is it one of the pitcher plants we were taking care of the last time we were at the greenhouse together?"
"It is. I hope it is of your liking"
"Thank you Professor, I will take care of it from now on" Bernadetta said with a shy smile.
"It is a present for your efforts for leaving you room"
"The Professor is right about that. You have changed bit a bit and I´m pleased to see those changes" Edelgard said looking at her.
"That´s because you are always training with us, Professor, but since you have granted me this present, I will forgive you for today"
"Professor, could you look for the others? I want to see them all when I get to the stage"
"Of course, Dorothea, see you later"
"I will accompany you, my Teacher"
"See you later Edie, Professor!"
Closing the door behind them he walked through the aisles accompanied by her. Apart from her usual uniform she was wearing a scarf to fight against the lower temperatures, although the torches were keeping the cold at bay.
"It looks like winter has finally arrived to the monastery" Edelgard commented as they walked through the deserted aisles.
"Are you feeling uncomfortable by the cold?"
"It´s not something of my liking, but as long as I stay inside it is far more tolerable. Everyone looks very excited for the White Heron Cup. I didn´t expect it to be that popular"
"I guess that it being a competition attracts a lot of students"
"It may be, since even Caspar was willing to take part into it" she smiled. "Where do you think they are?"
"I didn´t see them at the canteen, but they could be there. The place is crowded with students from the lower levels. I´ve only seen Monica there"
"Monica…She appeared to have grown fond of some of those students. Don´t you find it surprising?"
Recalling her conversation with Hilda, he couldn´t avoid feeling there was something strange with her.
"Hilda knew her before her disappearance and told me she had a reserved personality, although she appears to be more outgoing now. She thinks it may be because of her trauma"
"It could be that. I will check on her later. The fact that she had been skipping so many classes is disturbing" Edelgard said looking through one of the windows as if she was thinking about something else.
They finally found the rest of them at the main hall. The place had started to fill with students from the different houses. Caspar was playing a board game against Sylvain, while Ferdinand and Lorenz were talking next to one of the doors. Linhardt was sleeping on one of the tables and Hubert was sitting alone next to one of the corners of the room. The stage was covered with heavy curtains that didn´t allow to see anything behind them, but he knew there was an auxiliary entrance behind it.
"Hello Professor, I wonder who is going to win" Ferdinand said as he noticed the both of them.
"If both of us were rivals it would be pretty obvious that the fight to choose the best of us would be a harsh one, but since we aren´t taking part into it, I´m not certain about the outcome of the tournament anymore"
"You would have really been a worthy opponent, Lorenz. Your knowledge and your mannerisms are really similar to mine"
"Great minds think alike I guess" Lorenz laughed.
"My Teacher, we should enter the room" Edelgard said while sighing.
Taking a seat next to her they waited as the room started to fill with different students. When he saw Petra and Bernadetta arriving he knew that it was about time that the White Heron Cup started. The murmurs of the students suddenly stopped the moment that Manuela, Alois and Shamir appeared through the main hall.
"Hello everyone! In a few moments the main event of this evening will take place. I hope that everyone is prepared for it. As you know I will be one of the judges for this competition. I have quite an experience regarding dancing so acting as a judge is only a natural task for me" Alois said with a wide smile.
"I´m Manuela, the second judge of this competition. I´m looking forward the performances of my dear students. I´m sure that this evening will be great and a day that most of us will never forget" she said with a charming smile.
"I´m Shamir. I´m a judge too" Shamir said in her usual serious tone.
"Well, now the presentations had been already made, it is time to prepare for the main event of this evening. Greet our first participant!"
As the curtains lifted he could see the first participant advancing to the front of the stage. The first one to arrive was Ingrid, the Blue Lion student. He had never seen her with so much makeup, her cheeks of a beautiful pink color although he suspected that it could be because of embarrassment. Her hair was carefully combed and she was wearing a navy blue dress with a silver lion drawn on it. She started to slowly move around the stage while she was cheered by Annette and Mercedes, which appeared to be the responsible of Ingrid´s presence on stage. Her movements reminded him of the dances he had seen in the north when he was travelling with his father as a mercenary.
"I´ve seen that style in the lands of Faerghus. I guess that it is an appropriate option for her since she is a Blue Lions student" Edelgard commented next to him.
When the dance was finished she was cheered by most of the students, but especially by Annette and Mercedes. Hearing the ovations of the student he could see that Ingrid´s face was getting even redder before she ran away from the stage.
"That was quite a performance" Alois laughed as the audience grew silent again. "But this is not over yet. Let´s welcome our next participant with the same ovation we have done before!"
As he said it Hilda appeared at stage. She was wearing a shorter dress than Ingrid´s that revealed part of her legs and cleavage. With a wink to the audience she started to dance with energetic movements he had never seen when he had trained with her.
"I guess that regarding hobbies, everyone can really give their best" he thought.
Looking around he could see that a lot of students were fixated by Hilda´s sensual movements, mainly the men. Sylvain was with his mouth wide open, a peculiar look on his eyes before he was punched in the stomach by an Ingrid that had just returned to the main room.
When he looked at Edelgard he realized she was observing him.
"Has something happened, Edelgard?"
"Nothing in particular, her style is really audacious, I guess" she said as she looked to the stage again.
When Hilda had finished dancing she was cheered by lots of students, one of the students of the lower levels even gave her a bouquet of flowers.
With a wide smile she left the stage behind her.
"This year is atypically competitive" Alois laughed. "We are going to have a difficult decision to make, but before we have to make it, let´s greet our last participant!"
The moment Dorothea appeared on stage everyone grew silent. With a confident smile she slowly started to dance across the stage as her voice accompanied her movements. The moment the rhythm of her voice changed she started to move faster catching everyone´s attention. He tried to understand what she was saying, but he realized that she was speaking in a different language.
"Could it be that she is using the lyrics of Petra´s song?"
The combination of two different dancing styles was having their effect on the public. All of the students were focused on the movements of Dorothea across the stage. Sylvain was with his mouth wide open again, but he wasn´t punched by Ingrid since she was too absorbed by Dorothea´s performance. As the end of the performance approached her voice grew higher, ending with a climax of movement and music. The auditorium was left completely silent for a few seconds until a roar of voices started to cheer her name at the same time. With a smile on her face Dorothea bowed before them before leaving the stage.
"Wow that was really impressive!" Alois said. "Now it is time for us the judges to deliberate. Manuela, Shamir, come here"
The three judges stood before the stage talking between the three of them for several minutes. When they stopped everyone was already impatient to hear the results.
"This one has been a real difficult decision. I´ve never seen such a level and quality in all my years at the monastery. This year we really have a great talented group of students"
"My vote goes for Hilda" Her movements had strength I´ve never seen something like that in any dances before" Shamir with her usual serious tone.
"My vote goes for Dorothea" Manuela announced. "The combination of voice and dance was something that completely moved my heart. Even if we don´t understand the meaning of the words, that doesn´t mean that we cannot enjoy such a combination of styles. It was really original."
"Well, it looks like it is my turn to resolve this draw. My vote goes for Dorothea too. In all my dancing years I´ve never seen something like that. Nevertheless, I´m really impressed by the results of this year. So the winner is… Dorothea!"
The moment that Alois announced the winner a roar could be heard across all the room. Looking at the Black Eagles students he could see that they were extremely happy, especially Caspar, which was shouting with all the strength of his lungs as if he was the winner of the competition. Looking back to Edelgard he saw she was smiling too.
"I guess that we already have something to celebrate" she laid looking at all of them.
….
"That dance was really impressive Dorothea. It was like a fight, but elegant. I don´t know if you get what I´m saying. It was really cool" Caspar said, scratching his head. They had returned to the Black Eagles´s classroom to hold a small celebration of Dorothea´s victory.
"It was a really unique dance. When I saw Petra dancing in front of us I knew I wanted to learn about it to include it in my dancing"
"I´m glad I was able to help you, Dorothea. You spoke really well too" Petra said with a wide smile. "In no time you could travel to Brigid without any problems"
"I will certainly go one day. I´m looking forward to it"
"I´m happy to hear that. Of course, everyone is invited to come too!"
"Oh, like a school trip? That could be fun" Caspar said, although he seemed a bit troubled with Petra´s genuine smile.
"Brigid is too far away, I doubt that the monastery would allow us to do something like that. Besides, it would be especially troublesome" Linhardt sighed.
"We have already done a promise to meet each other at the monastery after five years, how about promising a trip like that? What do you think Edie?"
"In 5 years we don´t know what kind of responsibilities we will be holding, but I´m not opposed to going on trips together from time to time, although we don´t know what kind of future awaits to us" she said smiling, although he realized her eyes were hiding some sadness. "Is that ok for you, Professor?"
"It certainly is. I´m looking forward to meeting all of you again"
"Seeing you smile like that…you have really changed, my Teacher"
"If you smiled more often I´m sure that you will melt a lots of hearts with your smile, even at times like this" Dorothea assured him with a smile. "By the way, this was a reward for winning the Heron Cup Tournament" she said handling him a small figure of a dancer made in an ivory material. It was highly detailed and at its base was the name of Dorothea and the class room which she was part of. "I don´t mind putting it here for the decoration of the classroom, since this victory was thanks to all of us. I´ve also received this" she said as she handed him a small bag full of coins. "It isn´t a lot of money, but since you are spending so much money on us I want to return the favor with something I have earned with my efforts"
"Thank you Dorothea, I will make sure that I give it a good use. Feel free to rest for the next few days"
"Thank you, Professor. After I have checked the libretto I will give it to all of you. Even if most of us are amateurs I want to make sure that the people of Remire can end this month with a smile on their face"
"Understood"
After spending some time with his students, they started to leave to head to their respective rooms. The first one to leave was Monica. She appeared to be spending less time with Edelgard, although that sudden change of behavior was strange to say the less. After making sure that they hadn´t forgotten any belongings inside the classroom he closed the door behind him and started to head to his room.
"Oh Byleth, how are you doing?"
"Hello Father" he said as he approached him, he was accompanied by a man wearing red and black clothes. "A cardinal" he thought.
"It is a pleasure to meet you once again, Jeralt´s son" The cardinal said with a fond smile. "Although I am not sure that you remember me"
"He is Aelfric, he was a dear friend of your mother. He told me he came across with you in one of his trips to the monastery"
"Now I remember, I´m sorry I didn´t remember your name"
"No need to apologize, Byleth. It is a pleasure to meet with both of you again. Seeing your face I know that her sacrifice wasn´t in vain" Aelfric said with a sad smile.
"It certainly wasn´t" Jeralt said rubbing Byleth´s hair. "By the way, Aelfric, what are you doing here? I know that the cardinals are quite busy. Are there any troubles in your region?"
"Luckily we haven´t found any particular problems, although it worries me the conflict with the Western Church. I have the feeling that we are living unusual times, although if we have someone like you to protect the monastery I am sure that we do not have to worry about any problems"
"You really are confident about my abilities, but no one is invincible" Jeralt laughed. "Since you are here, how about we visit Sitri´s grave? I´m sure she would be pleased to see the three of us there"
"I will certainly accompany you, Jeralt"
"I will go too, Father"
The wind was freezing, but he was used to that kind of weather due to his expeditions to the northern territories. Walking next to his father he thought about his mother. He didn´t have any memories about her appearance, but both his father and Jeralt said he was very similar to her. "I wonder how she was when she was alive"
"That´s something we will never find out" Sothis said inside his head. "Even if I have the power to control the pass of time to an extent, that doesn´t mean that my power is limitless, although I must admit that I´m curious about it too"
"You are right about that, it´s only up to my imagination"
"By the way, your little student did really well. I was really impressed by her skill"
"I thought you were sleeping, since you were completely silent"
"The fact that I´m not talking to you doesn´t mean that I´m sleeping. It looks like we have arrived"
The graveyard had an ivory mantle of snow, but none of the graves were completely hidden by it.
"Even in winter this place has its own beauty" Jeralt said, caressing the grave of his wife.
"The seasons of our world represent the cycle of our lives. In winter life appears to arrive to an end, but no matter how much time it takes, a new spring will come to cover the world in flowers of life"
"Snow and flowers. Winter and spring. You really say some deep things, Aelfric" Jeralt laughed, patting his back. "I couldn´t have said something like that. Talking about winter, do you remember that time when both of you were in the gardens of the monastery?"
"A blizzard had fallen the previous day and there was so much snow that half my body was covered by it. Since all the paths were covered in snow I didn´t realize I was walking into a hole covered by the snow and I fell into it"
"I came as fast as I could when I heard Sitri´s screams. When I picked you up you were completely covered in snow. You looked like one of those snowmen that children make when snow falls"
"When Sitri realized I wasn´t in danger she laughed and smiled. It must have been quite a sighting"
"It was really comical. How about we make a snowman for her? I´m sure she would like it" he then look at him. "Will you lend a hand to your old man on this?"
"Of course, father"
Helping him, they started to make a snowman next to her mom´s grave. Using their hand they shaped the figure to make it more refined than the snowmen made by the children at the monastery. After a few moments their snowman was completed.
"It will guard her against the winds of winter" Jeralt said as he fondly looked at her grave. Searching in one of his pockets he placed a small rose on the tomb.
"I am sure she will be pleased to see it. It is an honor to have met you once again Jeralt. I will pray to assure that the Goddess bestows her blessing on her"
"Pray then, you are a cardinal after all. I´m sure that you know more prayers than I"
Father and son stood in silent as Aelfric prayed for his mother. As he finished with it the winds appeared to momentarily stop.
"I guess that she had heard us" Jeralt smiled as he looked to the sky. "We should return to a warmer place. Let´s have a cup of wine or beer together"
"It will be a pleasure, Jeralt"
Accompanying both of them he entered the main building of the monastery. Some soldiers were passing by, but apart from that most of the building appeared to be deserted. After they had arrived to the room of his father, he uncorked a bottle of wine, pouring its content in the cups of his desk.
"I have heard worrying reports from the territories around the monastery"
"I´m sure you are referring to the Tragedy of Remire. Last month was really a tough one. The villagers were killing each other and appeared to be influenced by dark magic. We couldn´t save everyone, but at least we killed some of their perpetrators"
"Did you find anything interesting when you travelled to the village accompanied by Rhea?"
"Nothing in particular, apart from fragments of the scythe the Death Knight was wielding"
"I used it against Solon, but it was destroyed by a magic explosion"
"The Death Knight, Solon? I am afraid that I cannot understand to the full extent the meaning of these words"
"Explaining everything will take some time, but basically this year has been really strange. The Death Knight appears to be Jeritza, an instructor that worked here for some time. Solon was Tomas, the librarian. Both of them had taken part in some of the strange events that had happened at this monastery, but we don´t really know to what extent they have been involved with it"
"The fact that something like that can happen near the monastery is really worrying" Aelfric said looking at the content of his own cup of wine.
"There is something fishy about it, but that´s all that I can say about it right now. However, I don´t think you will have any problems in your return"
"I really hope so"
Their conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door. When Jeralt opened the door, Seteth appeared in front of them.
"Good evening Jeralt, Aelfric. Rhea wants to meet with both of you" he then looked at him. "I heard that your student was the winner of this edition of the White Heron Cup. Congratulations"
"Thanks"
"Really? It was a pity that I missed that, although I´m sure that Alois will be explaining it to me tomorrow. By the way Seteth, is really that necessary to do such an amount of paperwork"
"Even if you are the leader of the knights it is your responsibility to keep the reports and informs up to date. Furthermore, since you are the captain of the Knight´s of Seiros I cannot think of someone more suitable for such a task"
"I knew that you were going to say something like that, but I had to try at least" he sighed. "Good night, we will talk later and congratulations for the victory of your student"
"Farewell Byleth. I hope that our paths cross again soon" Aelfric said with a faint smile before leaving accompanied by Seteth and Jeralt.
"This was a really interesting day" Sothis said yawning "But now it´s time to end it. You should rest too. You don´t want to worry your dear students, don´t you?"
"You are right" he said as he headed to his room. The winds howling once again outside the building, as if they were crying about something.