Fire Emblem: Three Houses

The Hound of Siorus

Chapter 3: Training and Tea

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem Three Houses. All rights belong to Nintendo.

DAY 4 OF GREAT TREE MOON, IMPERIAL YEAR 1180

Konnor fell down again from the strength of the Prince's attack, pushing him to the ground. He had heard Prince Dimitri was strong, but he didn't know how strong he was. Now he knew.

"You fight well, Konnor," Dimitri complimented, helping the Hound of Siorus to his feet. "I can certainly see why you would've earned the title you've been given."

"Thank you, Dimitri," Konnor replied. "I must say, it's very refreshing for you to be so casual around others."

"I personally dislike formality," Dimitri informed. "I'd prefer people call me by my name rather than my title."

He hadn't known Dimitri personally for a day and he was already greatly admiring him. Not only did he live up to his reputation as a strong and formidable warrior, but he was very polite and courteous as well. He didn't carry himself with an air of arrogance and pride like most nobles would, something Konnor had some fear of. He was happy to see that he could put those fears to rest.

"So, Dimitri, when did you arrive here at Garreg Mach?" Konnor asked.

"About three days ago," the prince answered. "I came here with a few of my friends. I don't know if you've met them, but I'd happy to introduce you to them sometime if you'd like."

"That sounds great," Konnor replied. "Wait…three days ago? Haven't classes already started?" Dimitri shook his head.

"One of the professors who was supposed to have arrived was found dead on his way to Garreg Mach," he informed the Hound. "The Monastery is searching for another one as we speak. Until then, classes won't start."

"How long could it be?" Konnor asked.

"I'm not sure," Dimitri answered. "It could be days, weeks…I hope it doesn't take too long."

"I hope so too," Konnor agreed. "So who are the friends you mentioned?"

Dimitri gave the names Sylvain Gautier, Felix Fraldarius and Ingrid Galatea.

Sylvain Gautier was…a troublemaker as Dimitri stated. He was the heir to the prestigious House Gautier in northern Faerghus, the noble house whose territory bordered the foreign nature of Sreng. Despite this, Sylvain had garnered a reputation as a womanizing scoundrel with a penchant for getting into trouble due to his philandering.

Felix Fraldarius was a warrior at heart with a goal to become strong through swordsmanship. He was the heir to House Fraldarius and the son of Rodrigue Fraldarius, the highest ranking noble in the Kingdom. Ever since they arrived, Felix had spent most, if not all of his time, at the training grounds honing his swordsmanship. Any time he left was either to eat or sleep.

Ingrid Galatea was a woman of knightly virtues and the daughter of Count Galatea. She was a responsible, polite and caring woman who often kept an eye on Sylvain and Felix to make sure they didn't get into trouble. In her free time, she loved taking care of the horses and pegasi in the Monastery.

"And you all grew up together?" Konnor asked after Dimitri had given their names.

"We did," Dimitri answered. "Our parents were close friends, so we spent a lot of time together growing up."

"Well, I'll make sure to introduce myself to them when I have a chance," Konnor replied. "I really am honored that you wanted to introduce yourself to me. I was hoping to introduce myself to you."

"And I'm certainly glad we met," Dimitri replied. "You are very skilled with a lance. Perhaps you'd mind if we tested swordsmanship as well?" Konnor nodded his head and the two of them grabbed wooden swords to spar with.

Konnor put up a good fight, but he was ultimately no match for the superior Prince Dimitri. No matter how many times he picked up his practice sword, he couldn't land a single hit on the prince and lost every round. He didn't mind that he lost to an opponent he respected; rather, he was happy to have tested his strength against the Crown Prince of Faerghus.

"Is this your dog?" Dimitri asked as Bronze looked at him, panting excitedly. Konnor silently gestured for his greyhound to walk on over and greet the prince. Dimitri chuckled as he knelt down and petted the hound.

"His name's Bronze," Konnor told Dimitri. "He's actually pretty affectionate once you get to know him. He's just a big ol' puppy dog." Bronze continued to lick Dimitri's hand until he managed to get close to his face and started slobbering all over it.

"Whoa, there!" Konnor exclaimed, pulling Bronze away. "Geez, it's hard to tell that he's a hardened war dog when he slobbers on people the first opportunity he gets."

"I certainly tell he's a war dog by the way he fights," Dimitri commented. "He's been trained well. If I'm not mistaken, most knights of House Siorus employ the use of war dogs, correct?"

Konnor confirmed it to be correct. Most knights of House Siorus often used dogs both for fighting and for hunting. Like the children of Faerghus, the hounds of House Siorus were trained from the time they were old enough to stand to hunt and fight. In doing so, House Siorus had become known as some of the best dog handlers in Faerghus, so much so that other houses often wanted to buy their trained hounds.

"What about Bronze?" Dimitri asked. "Did you train him yourself?"

"I did," Konnor replied. "He was only eight weeks old when I started training him. All that hard work paid off, if you ask me." Bronze nudged his nose to Konnor's hand to get him to pet his head, which Konnor complied.

Konnor and Dimitri sparred for two more rounds, each time Konnor losing, even though Dimitri allowed Bronze to join. The prince easily beat the two of them, though it appeared he greatly admired their strength and determination.

"I can certainly see why you've earned the name 'Hound of Siorus'," Dimitri complimented.

"I appreciate the compliment, Dimitri, but you beat Bronze and I every time," Konnor brought up.

"Yes, but you put up quite a fight," Dimitri again complimented. "I'm very happy we had this chance to spar."

Every second they spent together reinforced Konnor's admiration for the prince. He was kind, courteous, polite and, even though he had won all their spars, Dimitri still complimented Konnor's fighting instead of condescending to him. He truly set a shining example for the Blue Lions, one that Konnor hoped to follow.


After spending some time resting in his room, Han decided to grab his spell tome and go to the section of the training grounds where magic users trained. It didn't take him long since he had found where they were earlier during his walk with Ashe and Konnor.

Speaking of Konnor, he hoped he wasn't going to try and pursue the woman named Dorothea. She seemed like the type of woman who'd play with Konnor's heart and then break it without a second thought. Knowing the hardships his friend had endured, the last thing Han wanted for Konnor was for someone to break his heart for amusement.

But perhaps he was wrong. Maybe Dorothea could be the type of woman Konnor was looking for. Maybe she'd be perfect for him…that is if Konnor could realize when and if she had feelings for him.

As much as Konnor hated the issue, Han wanted him to find a noble bride at the Academy. He was heir to House Siorus and it would one day need a Crest-bearing heir. Because Konnor lacked a Crest, he'd need to marry someone who did possess one. It was his duty as a noble heir to ensure that House Siorus remained strong.

However, Han deemed it best that he put the issue on hold for now considering how fed up Konnor was getting with it. For now, he'd focus on honing his Reason magic and then his swordsmanship.

Upon arriving, Hanraoi saw several students already practicing both Reason and Faith magic in areas that were built to contain any damage from magical attacks. The mage walked over to where the students were practicing Reason magic and opened his book, preparing to cast several spells at the magical targets that appeared.

He started withs simple spells, such as fire, thunder and wind. Each one was cast beautifully and precisely, effortlessly hitting each target at a time. One by one, each of the targets were destroyed by Han's spells.

"I must say, I admire your spellcraft," the voice of an older man complimented. Han turned to see a middle aged man in a fur robe with gray hair, a mustache and beard and a lens on his right eye. Judging by his attire and the way he had been examining the students' magic, he was most likely a professor at the Academy.

"Thank you, sir," Han replied. "Might I ask your name?"

"I am Professor Hanneman," the man replied. "Might I ask yours?"

"Hanraoi Siothrun of the Blue Lions," Han responded, bowing his head. "I came here with Konnor Siorus."

"Konnor Siorus," Hanneman spoke aloud. "Is he a magic user as well?"

"I'm afraid not," Han chuckled. "Konnor puts his faith in steel rather than magic. I assure you, you will never see him anywhere near here."

"Oh, well. Not everyone has a taste for the art of spellcraft. Speaking of spellcraft, you said you were in the Blue Lions. You hail from Faerghus, do you not?"

"Yes. I'm of House Siothrun, a noble house in service to House Siorus."

"Did you by any chance attend the Royal School of Sorcery? Your spellcraft looks nothing like a beginner's."

The answer was no. Han had never attended the Royal School of Sorcery in the Kingdom capital of Fhirdiad, though his skill with magic would suggest he did. His spellcraft was taught to him by his parents growing up, who were renowned scholars of magic, a major contrast to most Kingdom houses.

Unlike Adrestia and Leicester, Faerghus's land was anything but hospitable. The harsh climate and infertile land forced the people of the Kingdom to grow strong to survive. Most Kingdom houses valued combat and strength, teaching their children to fight before they learned to read and write.

House Siothrun was different. As a minor house who served House Siorus for generations, their goal was to produce heirs who'd serve the Lords of House Siorus as advisors and aides. Sometimes, the heirs of House Siothrun would even wed the heirs of House Siorus, though in recent years, this had been discontinued.

Like his father and predecessors, Han was raised to fulfill the role of aide to the future Lord of House Siorus, which was Konnor. One day, the Hound of Siorus would inherit the title of Lord from Taranis Siorus and then, as their predecessors had done, Han would take his place as Konnor's right-hand man.

"I'm truly surprised that you didn't attend the School of Sorcery," Hanneman spoke. "One could easily mistake you for such."

"I appreciate the compliment, Professor," Han replied. "Tell me, will you be teaching the Blue Lions?"

"I'm afraid classes won't be starting for a while," Hanneman replied. "You see, one of the professors who was supposed to be here by now was found dead on the road. Until we can find a suitable replacement, classes will be delayed."

"How long will it be?" Han asked.

"Could be days, weeks," Hanneman informed. "We're currently looking for another professor as we speak, but it's pretty difficult considering that certain criteria have to be met…then again, I suppose those criteria don't matter when the Archbishop allowed Manuela to become a professor."

"Manuela?" Han caught. "Who's that?"

Hanneman explained that she was a professor at the Academy as well as a physician, who either worked in the infirmary or in the classroom. Despite her skills, Hanneman viewed her as an uncouth and slothful woman who spent her free time getting drunk and looking for handsome men to spend time with. It was clear that he didn't have a high opinion of her and Han could easily see why.

"How could she possibly be allowed as a professor?" Han asked. "I mean, I wouldn't expect her to be flawless, but this kind of behavior…"

"Exactly my point," Hanneman agreed. "However, I must concede on her skills. She is a brilliant physician, after all. I just wish she would improve on her abysmal manners."

"I'm guessing you'd like that kept between us." Hanneman shook his head.

"I've said worse to Manuela. But enough about her. Might I see some more of your spellwork?"

Han nodded his compliance to Professor Hanneman and resumed his casting of spells on the magical targets. The professor had to tip his hat to the Blue Lion student, but he wished to see more. With Han's permission, Hanneman upped the difficulty of the magical targets. Instead of floating still, they moved around and would vanish after a limited time.

Though Han missed a few, he performed exceptionally well. Hanneman was very impressed by his talent with magic, prompting him to ask Han if he'd like to increase the difficulty. Han turned it down as he getting close to being finished with magic and needed to reserve some strength for swordplay later.

After he was finished, Han closed his book and prepared to leave.

"Hanraoi," Hanneman addressed. "Whoever taught you magic clearly taught you well."

"Thank you, Professor," Han replied before leaving to practice his swordsmanship.


After walking to the area where students practiced martial-based fighting, Han placed his tome down on a table and picked up a wooden sword. He then walked to a vacant area and started his training, wielding the wooden sword with one hand.

In contrast to Konnor's ferocious and brutal fighting style, Han's swordplay was much more refined. His swings were focused, concentrated, each one carefully thought out with a permitted time. He looked as though he was fencing with his immense poise and refined strikes.

"Hello there," a male voice spoke. Han saw a tall young man with orange hair and eyes holding a wooden lance in his hands. The way he carried himself undoubtedly gave him away as a noble, one filled with pride and some form of arrogance.

"Hello," Han replied as the young man approached him. "May I help you?"

"Might I ask that you spar with me?" the young man asked. "I relish the chance to test my strength against any worthy opponent."

"Well, I'm certainly happy you view me as such," Han replied. "What is your name?"

"I am Ferdinand von Aegir, proud scion of House Aegir," the man boasted with great and optimistic pride.

"House Aegir?" Han asked. "That's the Imperial household of the Prime Minister, correct?"

"Ah, so you've heard of my family name," Ferdinand boasted again. "Then you know that you have the honor of training with the shining example of nobility."

He was definitely full of himself, but rather than feeling disgusted, Han was simply annoyed by Ferdinand's boasting. He didn't seem patronizing either, which confused Han. When most nobles spoke the way Ferdinand did, they carried an air of disgusting arrogance and egotism. Instead, the Aegir student appeared very optimistic and determined.

"Ah, I've introduced myself, but I don't know your name," Ferdinand remembered. "May I ask?"

"It's Hanraoi Siothrun, but everyone calls me Han," the mage answered. "I will be enrolling in the Blue Lions this year. I take it you'll be in the Black Eagles, considering you're from the Empire."

"Yes, indeed," Ferdinand confirmed. "It's regrettable we won't be in the same class, but I assure you-"

"Do you want to train or boast?" Han interrupted, growing tired with Ferdinand's boasting.

"My apologies," Ferdinand apologized, having let his optimistic pride distract him from training with Han. "Let us battle!"

The Black Eagle student raised his wooden lance and Han raised his wooden sword. The two stood across from each other as they stood posed for sparring. When they were ready, the two traded blows, Ferdinand with his lance and Han with his sword.

Han certainly had to give credence to Ferdinand during the spar as he proved to be very skilled with a lance. The Siothrun was forced onto the defensive as Ferdinand took the offensive during the spar, not giving Han a chance to counter his attacks.

Ultimately, Ferdinand emerged victorious as he used his wooden lance to knock the sword from Han's hand. As boastful and arrogant as Ferdinand was, he was no slouch in combat, evident by his victory against the lesser trained Hanraoi.

"You put up quite a fight," Ferdinand complimented.

"Don't flatter me," Han responded. "My specialty is magic, not swordsmanship. You're clearly the superior in terms of martial prowess."

"I'm not flattering you," Ferdinand claimed. "I appreciate anyone who's willing to spar with me. A noble must keep up his physical fitness if he chooses to take to the field, after all."

Han was conflicted about whether to dislike or like Ferdinand. On the one hand, he came off as arrogant and full of himself, praising his family name and viewing himself as the embodiment of nobility. However, after the spar, Ferdinand complimented Han instead of condescending to him and seemed more optimistic than truly arrogant. He seemed like the type of man who held himself and others to a high degree.

"Shall we go for a few more rounds?" Ferdinand offered. Han nodded his head and picked up his wooden sword, preparing for another round of sparring.


It was around six o'clock and Konnor had already gotten the Sweet Apple tea leaves from a merchant at the front of the Monastery. He had boiled them in a tea pot and found two modest tea cups to use. As for treats, he had bought some apple danishes and chocolates and placed them in a small basket since he didn't have a proper thing to put them on.

"Okay, tea with a beautiful woman," Konnor told himself as he found an area surrounded by a garden hedge where there were four tables, each with four seats. As none of them were taken, Konnor could have his choice of whatever one he liked, so he chose the one closest to the pathway.

"Just remember what Lady Siorus taught you," Konnor told himself, reminding himself of the advice his adoptive mother gave him when he had tea with women. After getting everything set up, Konnor sat down and helped himself to one of the pastries he bought. He expected she might a while-

"Oh, you're here," Dorothea spoke. Konnor looked over to see her walking over to the table and sitting across from him.

"You did say six o'clock, right?" he asked as he picked up the tea pot and poured the tea into Dorothea's cup, then his. "I wanted to get here a bit early in case you did as well."

"Well, you're pretty punctual," Dorothea complimented before taking a sip of her tea. Just as she requested, it was Sweet Apple leaves, much to her delight.

"So, Dorothea, if you don't mind me asking, are you a professional singer or do you just sing for fun?" Konnor asked.

"Professional," Dorothea informed. "I was a diva in the Mittelfrank Opera Company."

Mittelfrank was a name Konnor had never heard of before. They clearly didn't have any presence in the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, otherwise he's certain he would've heard of it before this.

"Have you ever attended an opera?" Dorothea asked.

"Several times, but not in recent years," Konnor answered. "We didn't hold them a lot in my family's territory, though I tried to go whenever I could."

"Do you have a certain favorite?" she asked.

"It'd have to be the first one I saw: the King of Fhirdiad," Konnor answered.

The King of Fhirdiad told of the story of a fictional king of Faerghus, Kyphon III. After ascending to the throne, Kyphon III faced many trials, including his uncle raising a rebellion against him, his wife cheating on him with his best friend, and the near collapse of support from the nobility. Despite the many horrendous trials Kyphon III faced, he emerged victorious, mended his relationship with his wife and led Faerghus into an age of prosperity.

"I've heard of it, but I never performed in it," Dorothea answered. "Well, mine would have to be The Princess and her Dog."

"The Princess and her Dog…" Konnor thought out loud. "Isn't that the one where a princess's love is turned into a dog by a witch and he will remain that way unless she…what was it?"

"Unless she learns the value of true love," Dorothea informed. "Her love was turned into a dog because of her vanity and selfishness, so she had to learn to genuinely love others before she could have her love back to normal."

"I think I saw that one, but only once," Konnor replied. "How long were you in the opera?"

"For a long while," Dorothea answered. "Ever since I was ten years old."

"Whoa, that's a while alright."

About twenty minutes passed and Konnor and Dorothea were having a great conversation. She flirted with him several times, but as she suspected, Konnor didn't pick up on them.

"So, Konnor, do you have a girlfriend back home or here at the Academy?" she asked.

"No, I don't," Konnor answered, yet again, not picking on Dorothea's flirting.

"Are you looking for one~?" Dorothea asked in a flirty tone. "I can imagine several young women wanting someone like you."

Konnor couldn't take that as false flattery; she had no idea who Konnor was. He was the adopted son of a powerful Kingdom Duke, one who lacked a Crest and wasn't of noble blood. If anything, most women wouldn't give him a second chance, especially noble women.

Perhaps she was being genuine and believed Konnor was a catch, but he didn't know her enough to decide. Perhaps she did know about Konnor not being of noble blood and lacking a Crest, but chose to give him a chance anyway.

But what if that wasn't the case? What if the moment Konnor revealed he had no Crest and wasn't of noble blood, Dorothea decided to drop him and act as if they never met? Then again, she'd find out eventually. It wasn't a secret that Konnor was adopted, after all.

"Konnor?" Dorothea asked, breaking him away from his thoughts. "You're being very quiet. Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm okay," he answered, putting a smile back on his face. "Though, you'd be surprised."

"Surprised?" Dorothea asked, unsure of what he was referring to.

"About several women wanting to be with me," Konnor clarified. "To be upfront, I don't have a lot of luck with women, despite being an heir and a knight of House Siorus."

It then hit Konnor that the fun and upbeat date had taken a very solemn turn, so he shook his head and chuckled.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "That took quite a turn. I didn't mean to drag this down."

Dorothea didn't understand why Konnor would have trouble with women when he was both heir to House Siorus and a knight. She imagined that any noble woman would've thrown themselves and wanted his hand in marriage. Perhaps there was something she didn't see and if it was negative, she'd want to know. However, for now, he seemed like a decent, though awkward, person, so she'd leave the issue for later.

Other than that slight bump, the tea time went very well between Konnor and Dorothea. He found her very charming, upbeat and very likable. Not only was she physically beautiful in his eyes, but she had a great personality as well.

As for Dorothea, she found Konnor very endearing and kind, unlike most nobles she had met. He didn't boast about himself or try to be act superior and deserving of her love. Instead, he was very casual and down-to-earth, a relief from the majority of nobles she had been acquainted with.

The only flaw she could see was Konnor not picking up on the fact that she was trying to flirt with him. However, considering he admitted not to having much luck with women, it could be assumed that he didn't understand flirting that much. She was willing to forgive it unless she found out something about Konnor that proved he was no different than the other nobles she met.

"You know, Konnor," Dorothea addressed, the tea almost all gone. "I really find you interesting."

Konnor blushed a bit, which he quickly tried to hide by grabbing his tea cup and bringing it to his mouth. Even though it was empty, he kept it up to his mouth, but it could barely cover the pink hues on his cheeks. Dorothea giggled at his attempts to hide his blush.

"How am I…how am I interesting?" he asked, a glimmer of hope in his heart.

"Well, you're certainly kinder and more considerate than most nobles I've met," she stated. "I've met a lot of nobles and most of them are often 'I am heir to a powerful noble house! You should be grateful to be blessed by such good fortune!' or here's my favorite." She cleared her throat.

"I have so many great things and so much whatever that you should just bow at my feet and lick my boots!" Konnor chuckled at Dorothea mocking the nobility.

"I've got one," he spoke before clearing his throat. "How dare you not bow down and kiss my feet upon seeing me! My noble pride has been so wounded, no healer in the world could ever mend it!" Dorothea laughed at Konnor sharing in her mockery of the arrogant and shallow nobility. After sharing in some laughter, Konnor wanted to return to the comment Dorothea had made.

"So I'm interesting because I'm not arrogant and selfish like a lot of nobles?" he asked.

"Well, that's one reason," Dorothea said. "It's really refreshing to speak to a noble who doesn't talk down to commoners."

"Why would I?" Konnor asked before realizing what Dorothea meant. She was a commoner, which surprised him considering how elegantly she carried herself. If she hadn't said that, then he would've continued assuming she was a noble. He didn't have a problem with the fact that she was a commoner, but he knew Han would have an issue.

"I'm not the kind of person to discriminate based on social status," Konnor replied. "I think those who are idiots." Dorothea wholeheartedly agreed with Konnor.

Before they knew it, an hour and a half had passed. The tea was all gone, all the pastries had been eaten and it was already getting dark.

"I hope you had a good time," Konnor told Dorothea.

"I did," she answered with a very beautiful smile. "I hope you invite me out again sometime."

"I plan to," Konnor replied. "Honestly, you're a very charming woman, Dorothea."

"Aw, you'll make me blush," she replied. "Would that be payback for me making you blush~?"

"I wasn't blushing," Konnor denied as he gathered his belongings. Dorothea giggled at his denial of her catching him blushing when she said he was interesting. He had made a good first impression on her, that was for sure.

Noticing how dark it was getting, she decided to have a bit more fun.

"Konnor," Dorothea addressed as he was about ready to leave. "It's getting quite dark. Would you mind escorting me back to my room?"

Again, Konnor blushed a bit, but successfully hid it from Dorothea…or he liked to think he did. The diva could automatically tell that he was doing so and giggled at how he was reacting to her teasing. Before he could so much as offer a reason why she didn't need him to escort her, she said "It's the knightly thing to do. Knights are sworn to protect women, aren't they?"

She left no room for argument from Konnor. As a knight, he was sworn to defend those who couldn't defend themselves, especially women and children. Konnor doubted that she was helpless, considering that she was in the Officers' Academy, but as stated, she left no room for him to argue.

"If you insist," he replied and escorted Dorothea back to her dorm.

To his surprise, it wasn't too far from his own, about five dorms away. After approaching the door, Dorothea unlocked it and walked inside.

"Good night, Konnor~" she flirted as she walked inside and closed the door behind her.

"Good night," he replied.

He was really starting to like Dorothea. Unfortunately, there was some doubt in Konnor's mind. He didn't tell her that he wasn't of noble blood and lacked a Crest. How would she react to that? Would she still hold interest in him or would she just leave him behind?

He really hoped it'd be the former.

Author's Notes: I hope you're still enjoying the Hound of Siorus! If you have any constructive criticism to share, please PM me or leave a review! Keep writing, my fellow readers and writers!