The last time Annette passed through Gaspard territory was during the war. Against her uncle's wishes, she left his estate to join her friends. She got lost in Magdred Way due to the rain and fog that rolled around, so she was grateful for stumbling upon Ashe and Mercedes there. They stayed at an inn for the night, catching each other up on what they had been up to the past five years, and then the next day they headed off to Garreg Mach together.
Several years later she was back in the territory, but for a more joyous occasion. Ashe had invited her and Felix to his and Marianne's wedding, to which they accepted. Annette remembered during their academy days he talked about how much he enjoyed cooking with her and that he would give anything to see Marianne's cute smile again. At the Garreg Mach ball, the two had one dance together and both were bashful afterward. During the war, the two exchanged letters often and Ashe was elated when Marianne joined with the Kingdom Army to help out. After Ashe was made lord of House Gaspard, Marianne became his adviser and helped him on how to govern the territory. It was only fitting a loving union between the two would take place. Annette was proud of them for taking this next step in their relationship.
It was a several-day trip, so she and Felix had been traveling through a carriage. She glanced at the small window, noticing some light sprinkles forming. They were in the middle of the forest with tall trees looming over them.
"I can't believe that Ashe and Marianne's wedding is in a few days!" Annette said as she faced Felix. "The last time we met them Marianne looked the happiest I've seen of her!"
"Yeah, I agree. It's about damn time that they tie the knot. So how much longer until we reach the castle?"
"Another day or two. Perhaps tomorrow evening at the earliest."
Felix hummed in acknowledgment, and a worried look crossed his face. "How are you and the baby holding up?"
Annette had found out that she was pregnant fairly recently. Both she and Felix were overjoyed over having a family, but he did get worried if she would be fine for the trip. When they had a doctor check on her, she was already over three moons in, and that almost caused Felix to reconsider going to the wedding. Fortunately, she had convinced Felix that everything would be fine. Or so she thought.
"We're doing quite well," she replied with a soft smile, placing her palm on her stomach. "I'm only starting to show, so I don't think you have to worry yet."
"Right. I'm still afraid that an accident might happen. Or worse, we run into some beasts."
Felix wasn't wrong that beasts still roamed all around Fodlan. He had come across them on occasion whenever he traveled for his duties as a duke. Even then, she could still use her magic while carrying an unborn child.
"We should be fine unless there's a large pack of them." Annette's smile widened. "Mercie already knows after receiving my letter, but I can't wait to tell the news to everyone else!"
She glanced outside, the light sprinkles still continuing. Her stomach grumbled, very likely due to her pregnancy cravings. She pouted.
"I hope that we get to a village or town soon. I'm getting extra hungry now."
Felix gave her a small chuckle. "We can find a bakery and I'll buy you a hundred cakes if you want."
Annette pressed her lips, narrowing her eyes at him. Her face softened and she rested her head against his shoulder. She enjoyed staying close to Felix like this.
"That's overexaggerating a bit. But a few cakes does sound nice."
At that moment, the carriage stopped and the horse's screams were heard. Annette checked the window to see that they were still in the forest. Their driver opened the door with a terrified look on his face.
"There are several monsters outside blocking our path!" he exclaimed, and that caused Annette and Felix to hop off the carriage.
Upon coming outside, two wolf beasts greeted them. The beasts glared at them and growled, their menacing looks sending chills through Annette's spine. Felix took a step forward, one hand on his sword that was attached to his belt. He also pulled out his Aegis shield from his back.
"Guess we got a bit unlucky." Felix looked over his shoulder and said, "You and the driver stay inside the carriage. I'll handle these beasts."
Annette stared at him and grabbed his arm. "You can't handle those beasts by yourself. I'll help!"
Felix's eyes grew wide. "What about the baby?"
"I'll be extra careful," she said, giving him a reassuring smile. After regarding her for a moment, he grunted and gave her a single nod.
"Are you sure you two can deal with those beasts?" the driver asked, his hands shaking.
"We've dealt with those things many times before," Felix said. "Now hide!"
The driver made a squeaking noise and darted back inside the carriage. The large wolves didn't waste any time rushing at Annette and Felix.
Annette concentrated on a spell, and once the wind spell rune lit up in front of her she blasted a cutting gale at one of them and pushed it back a bit. The other beast went and swiped at Felix's arm, leaving a deep cut there. Felix retaliated by slashing at the wolf's face and causing it to scream in pain.
As the first beast headed straight for Annette once more, she launched another cutting gale at it. The wolf got pushed further back and crashed on the muddy ground, only to pick itself up quickly. The wolf swung its claws at her, swiping at her face and leaving scratch marks there. Annette threw another wind spell at it and this time the beast flew and hit a nearby tree. There was blood on the beast's forehead and it didn't get up.
Annette caught her breath for a second; she was relieved that one monster was down. As if the timing was wrong, a wave of fatigue hit her. Her eyelids started to drop. Crashing down while in the middle of the forest wouldn't be ideal, so Annette lightly slapped her cheek to stay awake.
She turned to see Felix still dealing with the other wolf. Already Felix's clothes were torn in places and he had some deep cuts on his leg. The wolf also got a fair few injuries on its legs and sides. Felix would block off the wolf's attacks with his Aegis shield, but eventually, the wolf knocked off the shield from him and swiped at his shoulder. Felix attempted to plunge his sword at the beast, but it dodged on time and kicked some rocks at him.
Annette released a wind spell at the beast, which pushed it away from Felix. The wolf directed its attention at her and knocked her on the ground. Some mud got on Annette's lips which were wet and soggy. Before she was able to pick herself up, the wolf pushed its paw down on Annette's throat and she gasped for breath.
At the back of her mind, she berated herself thinking this trip wouldn't have any problems. And now a large beast got a hold of her and she wasn't able to get out. She hoped that the baby was alright. She moved her palm and tried to concentrate on the wind spell, but with each second she couldn't breathe.
"Annette!" Felix rushed at the beast and plunged his sword at the beast's leg. The wolf howled and lunged at him.
Felix screamed as the beast dug its jaws on his arm, crunching it. Annette got up and gasped in horror at the sight. There was a tightness formed in her chest, and she clenched her fist.
"Get off of him!" She struck a cutting gale at the beast, pushing him away from Felix. Annette rushed to Felix's side and helped him up.
The beast glared at them, panting. Annette's heart raced when it howled and its whole body glowed red. That meant a monster was ready to unleash a very powerful attack. As if reading her thoughts, Felix grabbed his sword and shield and dashed at the beast.
"Felix, wait!" Annette warned him, but he didn't stop.
Before the beast could attempt its final move, Felix thrust his sword at its throat. The beast made gurgling noises and blood gushed out. It dropped dead on the ground. Felix let out deep breaths and collapsed on the ground too.
Annette gasped and kneeled down to Felix's side. She gently picked up Felix's arm, noticing deep bite marks there. His arm needed medical attention, but she wasn't sure how far the nearest town was. She could close his wounds with white magic at least.
She lay Felix's arm on her lap and had one hand above there. A white magic rune appeared, and a soft glow formed where Felix's wound was. Eventually, most of the wound was closed up and the bleeding stopped. After she helped pick him up, she pressed her lips and furrowed her brow at him.
"Why did you do that? You could've been killed."
"I didn't want you and the baby to get hurt. I wanted to protect you both."
Annette gasped and tears started forming in her eyes. Of course he was worried sick for both of them. She gave him a tight embrace around his waist, her head tucked underneath his chin.
"You idiot," she mumbled against his chest and let out a shuddered breath.
"Is everything okay here?" another voice asked. Annette turned around to see the driver getting out of the carriage. She almost forgot about him.
"Yes. We need to get to the nearest town and have my husband get checked for his injuries."
The driver gave an understanding nod. "The one we're about to head to is fairly close from here."
Annette helped Felix inside while their driver hopped on the carriage. She looked over her shoulder to glance at the dead beasts and her stomach dropped. Her nose wrinkled at the scent of blood and wet ground, the smell more overwhelming due to her pregnancy. The sooner they got out of here the better.
Xxx
By the time they reached the town, the drizzle stopped and the road was wet. There weren't too many people outside, but the ones still here weren't bothered by the weather. Their driver had wished Annette and Felix luck in seeking a doctor while he went to find an inn.
They eventually found a small church that also acted as an infirmary and a resident doctor who checked up on patients. The doctor's name was Alban and he had been practicing medicine for almost fifteen years now. Once they introduced themselves to him and that they were the Duke and Duchess of Fraldarius, he was more than happy to help.
Alban had led them to their own room and let Felix sit on a table while he tended his injuries. After he cleaned up the wounds on Felix's legs and shoulder, he began stitching the wound on his arm. Annette knew that her white magic wasn't as strong as Mercedes's, so she was fine with the doctor treating his injuries properly.
As she watched, the events from earlier repeated back inside Annette's mind. If she hadn't pushed that beast away with her magic, he probably would've lost his arm. What about when he traveled alone and got attacked? Or he promised that he would return but didn't? Imagining both of those scenarios left Annette with a lump inside her throat.
"So, what brings you two around this area?" the doctor asked, causing Annette to break off from her thoughts.
"Oh, we're traveling to a friend's wedding. Lord Ashe's, to be exact."
"Ah, how exciting! Yes, Lord Ashe and Lady Marianne are getting married within several days. Everyone in the town here is excited." After finishing another stitch, Alban asked, "I'm curious as to how the Duke of Fraldarius got himself hurt."
An embarrassed look crossed Felix's face and he faced away from the doctor. "We ran into some monsters and I was protecting Annette as she's carrying our unborn child."
The doctor's face lit up and he grinned. "Oh ho, so you two are expecting? My utmost congratulations!" He turned slightly to face Annette. "How far along are you now?"
Annette's face flushed and she gazed down at her abdomen, resting her palm there. "Oh, almost five moons now."
"Wonderful!" Alban turned back to finishing the last stitch on Felix's arm. "You're very lucky to have him as your husband if he's willing to risk his life like that."
Annette felt her cheeks burning even more. She glanced at Felix, whose cheeks blushed a little too. "Yes, I do."
The doctor gave a small chuckle in response. Once he finished with the stitches, he wrapped the gauze around Felix's arm.
"Unfortunately monsters have been rampaging in the forests the past several months. Usually mercenaries or the lord's soldiers take care of them, so we've been safe from them. You ran into a few already, but do be careful the rest of the way."
"Yes, of course," Annette said.
The doctor hummed in acknowledgment and finished wrapping Felix's arm. Felix sat up and slipped into his high-neck shirt.
"I recommend that you rest at least an extra day before continuing on your trip," Alban said. "You can stay at the town's inn to recover."
Both Felix and Annette exchanged quick glances. That would delay the trip a little, but one day wouldn't hurt. Plus, they were quite exhausted after dealing with those beasts.
"That is fine," Annette said.
"Good. Another recommendation is to not do any rigorous sword training or fighting for two weeks at least."
"What?" Felix glared at him. "But I can't slack off."
"I know, I know. However, unless you want to risk the chance of reopening those wounds it's best to rest for a bit. You can come back here after the wedding to be checked up again."
Felix gave her a disappointed look. Annette frowned back, knowing that he wouldn't take that news well. Without the doctor's help, Felix would've been far worse than he was now. She faced him, offering him a grateful smile.
"We will be sure to do that."
"Lovely! Oh, before you go there is some medicine I would like His Grace to take. I also have something for you too, Your Grace."
Alban went ahead and handed Felix his medicine. He also gave Annette some gingersnaps for her morning sickness. She thanked the doctor for all he had done, and he responded with a "You're welcome," and to have a safe trip. After Felix put on his jacket, they left the church and headed for an inn.
Outside the drizzle had stopped and more people were coming in and out from shops. She glanced at Felix, holding onto his injured arm. She bit her lip and gazed down. That dreadful feeling of being responsible for Felix getting hurt hung over her like the gray clouds in the sky right now.
"Go ahead and say it," she suddenly said, and they stopped.
"Huh?" Felix asked, raising a brow at her. "Say what?"
"How you're right that there would be monsters and that we both got hurt! Maybe we shouldn't have taken this trip after all."
Felix's stare pierced at her soul. Oh no, she was right that he was secretly angry at her. She wasn't sure if she would forgive herself.
"Okay, yes I did warn that there would be monsters. And yes, I would've preferred that we didn't run into them." After saying that, Felix's face softened. "However, I'm happy that you and the baby are safe and that's all that matters."
"That incident makes me realize that you'll be traveling a lot as a duke and miss out on your family a lot. Or that you'll be killed and I won't know until way after the fact."
A shocked look crossed Felix's face. He offered Annette a soft smile and pulled her in for an embrace, causing her to flinch.
"I'm sorry for making you worried. While I'll be away sometimes, it's so that our family can have a better future." He ran a thumb on her cheek. "I'll make sure to not be reckless like that again."
For the second time today, tears formed in Annette's eyes. She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, their foreheads touching.
"You would make a wonderful father," she said in a low voice, gazing into his eyes.
They shared a slow and tender kiss. Felix's lips were chapped and still had the taste of dried blood but she didn't mind. The doctor was right that she was lucky to marry a man like him.
"We should go find an inn to stay," Annette said once they separated. "I'll make sure that you don't do any sword training while you recover."
"The injury isn't that bad," Felix said, giving her a look. At that moment, he groaned in pain and clenched on his injured arm. Annette narrowed her eyes at him with both hands on her hips.
"See what I mean? Come on, let's go." She gently took his hand, and they headed out. Annette felt better after Felix had comforted her, and now she couldn't wait for them to resume on their trip.
xxx
Annette and Felix made the best of their stay in town. The inn had some good food that she happily gouged on. When she mentioned to the innkeeper that she's expecting and eating for two, he congratulated her and offered her more food free of charge. There was also a bakery fairly close to the inn, so Felix bought several cakes, chocolates, and other sweets to appease her and the unborn child's appetite. Of course, Felix got a little bored and attempted sword training a couple of times but winced and Annette had to force him to stop.
After a day had passed, they left town early in the morning so that they could make it to Gaspard castle by early evening. Annette occasionally looked through the window to see if any monsters were roaming around. There weren't any so far, but she still feared one would come without warning.
"Still worried some monsters will come by?"
Annette flinched upon hearing Felix's voice. She turned around to see him giving her a concerned look.
"I am. What if a demonic beast comes and rams into the carriage? Or one of those giant birds will destroy the carriage's roof and grab us?"
Felix blinked at her. Very likely he thought she was crazy for thinking those scenarios.
"You really do have a vivid imagination." A teasing smile formed on his lips. "You can make those into a song."
Annette furrowed her brow at him. "Felix, I'm serious!"
Felix chuckled and waved his hand. "I'm only joking. If it makes you feel better, I'm also a little worried if we'll have to face any more monsters."
"Really?" It wasn't often that Felix admitted his insecurities. He had been chasing his late brother's shadow for the longest time and he didn't think it would stop anytime soon. During the war, he almost ran off from the Kingdom army until Annette had caught him in the act and he told her his complicated feelings with his father and Dimitri. At one point Felix mentioned how he wasn't sure if he was being a good noble leader, only for Annette to reassure him that he did great so far and that she would help him along the way. Hearing that he was also worried about monsters was sweet.
"I am, especially with you carrying our unborn child now. However, if they come again we'll handle them together," he said, gently squeezing her hand. She felt at ease the rest of the trip.
Gaspard Castle was situated uphill in Magdred Way, having been rebuilt after the war ended. It was smaller than their castle in Fraldarius territory, but there were still several rooms and towers within it. They stopped in the middle of the cobbled courtyard with their driver helping them out of the carriage.
"Annie!" a familiar voice called out her name. Annette turned around to see Mercedes running to her. Ashe and Marianne also came out, following behind her.
"Mercie!" She and Mercedes greeted one other with open arms.
"We're relieved that you two finally made it," Ashe said. "What happened?"
Felix sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "It's a bit of a long story."
He told them everything that had happened, over how he saved Annette and their unborn child from monsters and getting hurt from that. Both Ashe and Marianne let out surprised gasps upon hearing that while Mercedes mentioned how she knew about Annette's pregnancy from her most recent letter. Felix then continued telling them how he and Annette visited a doctor from town and that he had to rest for at least a couple of days before resuming their trip.
"Oh my, that must've been some trip," Ashe said, frowning. "No wonder it took you that long to get here."
"You have no idea," Annette said. "The doctor wants to check back on Felix, so we need to go back to town after the wedding."
"The Goddess must've watched over you for your safe return," Marianne said with a pleased smile.
"I agree," Mercedes said and nodded. She faced back at Annette. "Are you and the baby doing fine?"
"Yes, we're doing fine." Annette rested her palm on her abdomen, and she gazed at Felix. "We have Felix to thank for that."
Felix's shoulders slumped and his chin dipped down. It was cute that he was off-guard over a compliment like that.
"Oh, that was nothing."
Ashe and Marianne exchanged funny looks, likely confused with Felix's reaction there. Mercedes on the other hand giggled.
"Not surprising that you would do that for them. I believe Dedue would do the same for me if we were faced with the same problem you two just experienced."
"He definitely would, yes!" Ashe grinned, and then said to Annette and Felix, "You two must be overjoyed with the upcoming baby."
"We are! Being pregnant has been an interesting experience for me so far."
"I'm happy for you two," Marianne said with a small smile. "My sincerest congratulations."
"It's starting to get dark," Mercedes said. "Why don't we help with getting your things and settling down?"
"Ah yes, we should!" Ashe said. "I'm sure everyone else is excited to see you two here."
All three went and helped to get Felix and Annette's belongings from the carriage and put them in the castle. Annette was finally glad that they made it to the wedding and enjoyed it with Felix and the rest of their friends.
xxx
Annette had been to several weddings, each one beautiful in its own way. Dimitri and Byleth's wedding was held at the Church of Seiros and it became a country-wide affair with the loving union of King and Archbishop. Mercedes and Dedue's was a much smaller one filled with lovely flowers from Duscur and Dedue wearing traditional clothing from his homeland. Ingrid and Sylvain held theirs at the Gautier castle, the bride was very gorgeous with her dress and makeup that Mercedes and Annette helped with.
Marianne and Ashe held their ceremony outside the church not far from the estate with the bishop of the church officiating the wedding. Marianne wore a beautiful blue silk gown while Ashe looked handsome with a long tunic and wide sleeves. They gazed lovingly at each other while they said their vows, both of them saying that they promise to keep each other happy. After they shared a kiss, Marianne giggled and gave the brightest smile Annette had ever seen of her. Seeing that made Annette feel nostalgic over her and Felix's wedding.
Once the ceremony was over, it was time for the festivities. Several of the minstrels that came performed lovely music and poems to the crowd. There was a lot of dancing and food, the latter Annette took advantage of. Throughout the evening she and Felix announced the news to their friends with everyone excited and gave them their congratulations. Ingrid brought along her baby daughter, Gwenie, who was amused easily and liked to giggle a lot. Spending some time with the baby made Annette excited to be a mother soon.
After the party, everyone returned to their rooms in the castle. Exhausted, Annette and Felix returned to their room and prepared to sleep for the night. Annette's feet hurt from all the dancing, so she asked Felix to rub her feet, which he obliged. She sat up with her back against the pillows, her toes curling at Felix's touch.
"I had a lot of fun tonight. Both Ashe and Marianne looked stunning there, and so is everyone else."
"It was alright for me too until Sylvain teased that our kids will marry. When he added that happened with him and Ingrid, she pinched his shoulder."
Annette giggled. "I really like Gwenie, so I think our children becoming friends would be cute. How about if our child becomes friends with Prince Gabriel?"
A winched look crossed Felix's face. "That's even worse! I'll separate them when that happens."
"If you do that, then our child will think you're a villain," she said with another giggle. Felix was still rubbing her feet, so she let out a content sigh. "Oh, I think that's enough."
After Felix stopped, they both lied down with their arms over their heads. Annette stared up at the ceiling, something on her mind after the mention of the little prince.
"Speaking of Prince Gabriel, the archbishop mentioned that my father is watching over him while she and Dimitri are away. The little prince's taking a liking towards him."
"That's good, right? Dimitri wanted him to be his mentor and all."
Annette's lips twitched, and she frowned. After the war, she and Father slowly repaired their relationship. They sometimes would visit one another and exchange letters, and she had invited him to her and Felix's wedding. He, Mother, and Mercedes were the first people to know that she was expecting. When she had gotten a letter from Mother, she mentioned that Father wouldn't be able to visit her for a while due to being busy with his knight duties but reassured her that he was overjoyed in being a grandfather. That broke her heart a little.
"I guess, but I worry he'll favor him over his own grandchild. I'm not convinced of Mother's words that he's excited to be a grandfather."
Felix rolled over to his side and furrowed his brow. "If that happens, then I'll knock some sense into him."
Smiling a little, Annette said, "I prefer that you don't. If absolutely necessary, though, then don't hurt him too much."
Felix snorted. "I can't make any promises, but I'll try."
They shared a quick kiss, and Annette rested her head on Felix's chest while he wrapped his arms around her. She listened to the steadiness of his heartbeat and breathing.
"How's your arm right now?" she asked in a sleepy voice.
"The pain flares up on occasion, but the arm is recovering fine for the most part."
"That's good to hear. I didn't properly thank you for saving us from those monsters. Me and the baby, I mean."
Felix's lips cracked into a smile and he rested his palm on her abdomen. "If you were to lose the baby, I would be devastated. I hope we won't run into more monsters on our way back."
"Same here. I wouldn't mind you being my shield as long as you're careful."
"Of course."
After sharing another kiss, they eventually fell asleep in each other's arms. The past several days had been an adventure, so she was happy that they finally got some rest. As long as they had each other's backs, they should be fine.
Notes:
Wrote this for Netteflix Week, the prompts being "Protect" and "Trip". I love the idea of Felix protecting Annette while she's expecting but ahhh action scenes how you do them. Title for the story from song Wolves by Cat Empire. Such an underrated band, go check them out!
I've been thinking a bit as to which wedding I want the two to go. I went with Ashe and Marianne as I want a pairing whose wedding would be a few years after the game and at a point where Felix and Annette will start a family. I already have headcanons of when Dimileth and Mercedue weddings took place, both which are much earlier than Ashe and Marianne's haha.
