Chapter 7: Raspberry Crumble Bars
Ingredients
Crumble: 2 cups oats, 1.5 cups flour, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 2 sticks/1 cup SALTED butter
Raspberry filling: 2.5 cups fresh raspberries, 2-4 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tbsp flour, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 2 tsp lemon zest, 1/2 cup raspberry jam, 1 peach (sliced)
Recipe: Preheat oven to 350. Mix crumble ingredients save butter together until mostly ground, then add butter and continue to mix. If dry, add water as needed.
Press 1/3 of dough just mixed into baking dish and bake 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Filling: Toss raspberries, sugar, flour, vanilla extract, and lemon zest in bowl, then spoon the berries out into an even layer on the prebaked dough. Add raspberry jam evenly over the berries. Add peach slices evenly next. Sprinkle remaining crumble dough over next. Bake 30-40 minutes or until berries burst.
Note: can be stored for up to 1 week!
Early amber rays of sunlight streamed through the window, lancing Lysithea's eyes with their brightness. She opened and quickly shut them.
Did...did last night happen? Her mind jumped back to the evening.
She reluctantly backed out of his arms. "I think it's better if we leave this tower separately, Lysithea. There's too many stragglers; if any one of them sees us walking out of this tower together, there's going to be at best lots of questions, and at worst a huge uproar."
"You're right, Prof-Byleth." She smiled at being able to call him by his name, though she knew it wouldn't last. "Then...I'll go first. You're more likely to attract attention, after all." Byleth nodded in agreement. Lysithea shook off his coat and made to return it to him, but he pushed it back to her.
"Keep the jacket. You'll need it, walking back. And I've never worn it outside; only my father should be able to identify it as mine. It can serve as a memento. Of tonight. I already have a reminder of my own." He stroked his cheek where she had kissed him.
"R-really?" Byleth nodded, and she slung the coat back over her bare shoulders, hugging it tightly to her. "Thank you, Byleth. Um...Good night." Though it pained her to leave, she knew the evening had to end.
"Good night, Lysithea."
Her eyes finally adjusted to the light, she glanced over at her chair. On the back was draped a plain black coat.
Byleth's coat, she thought. So it did happen…
She kicked her legs off her bed, stepping into her slippers before gathering her toiletries and heading to the shower rooms to freshen up for the day. It was Sunday, after all, and Byleth had suggested she begin going to choir practice in order to work on her faith.
So I can cast Seraphim. Now...I have another reason to study as hard as I can. A future that I want to be a part of. A future I have a chance to be a part of now that Byleth will be helping me find a way to remove my Crests.
The air began to mist around her, signaling that the water was warm. She stripped off her nightgown and smallclothes, hanging them carefully on a hook, and stepped into the warm shower.
Lysithea never really believed that her Crests could be removed. As far as she knew, Crests were passed on in families, similar to a gene being passed on. And if it was so difficult to add one, who was to say how difficult it could be to remove? And who even knew if removing the Crest would reverse the effects? But something about it being Byleth saying it made her think differently. He had been right so many times that anything he said, Lysithea could believe.
If anyone could find a way, it would be him.
Her mind jumped back to the night before as she lathered on soap Lavender, she thought absentmindedly. It was all so...sudden, that it almost felt like it was someone else who had been there.
But...now what? Do we just go back to normal? Can we still have the study sessions that we always had? Now that I've felt what it's like to be in his arms...how do I hold back until the time is right? We didn't talk about this at all…
Well, maybe if you weren't so lovey dovey, you could have used your brain a bit more, a voice whispered in her head.
Oh, shut up.
She washed off the last of the soap, turned off the tap, and wrapped herself in her towel. Once she had dried off, she pulled on a new set of smallclothes and her nightgown, making her way back towards her dorm. The clock tower's bell rang seven times as she entered her room.
"Crap, it's 7, I need to be at the choir now!" She hurriedly changed into her class robes before dashing out towards the Cathedral.
Out of breath, she put her hands on her knees.
Phew, looks like I made it. She lifted her head to see a familiar face waiting at the top of the steps to the great building.
"Lysithea! Glad you could make it." Byleth waved. She wanted to rush forward and hug him again, but she knew she had to resist. That, and she wasn't quite sure she could run all the way up the steps after dashing all the way here.
"Byl-Er, Professor! Yeah, I made it...barely," she panted.
"Come, let's enter the Cathedral. Edelgard will be joining us for practice today."
"Oh, okay."
They took their places along the pews, which had been replaced after the ball. Edelgard filed in soon after, and the practice began, with the choir leading from the front of the Cathedral as the rest of the students sang along. Lysithea felt oddly refreshed after the session, which lasted about half an hour.
"Our voices were all over the place, Professor! We must learn to harmonize; if we cannot even harmonize in song, how will we do so in battle?"
Byleth shook his head.
"Edelgard, has it ever occurred to you that some people may have just been born with zero musical talent?"
Lysithea narrowed her eyes at Byleth.
"Professor, you better not be talking about me," she hissed playfully.
"Huh? Oh, I was talking about myself. Definitely not the girl who was way out of tune during the whole session," he shrugged.
"I mean, if you have zero musical talent, how would you even be able to tell who's in and who's out of tune?" Lysithea folded her arms and cocked her head.
Edelgard stepped in between them.
"While this flirting session is riveting, and I'd love to watch you all day, I'll be quite frank: both of you were terrible. I hope you will spend more time practicing; faith is an invaluable skill to have. And honestly, Professor; when did you turn so immature?" She winked at the two of them knowingly before turning to leave. "I'll see you guys around."
"Oh no. Do you think she knows? Or was she just teasing us?" Byleth shook his head.
"I'm not sure. I can try to catch her and see-"
"No, it's okay, I can do that, Professor. She's always been like a big sister to me since I came here; I'm sure if I explain it to her, she'll understand."
"If you're sure. Also, come meet me at the dining hall after lunch today; I have something to show you."
Lysithea nodded before rushing out.
"Edelgard!" The girl turned and stopped in her tracks.
"Oh, Lysithea. Finished your flirting?"
"...Yes." Lysithea turned her face down, already feeling herself blushing.
"I was going to ask you about the ball yesterday, but...I think I already know. I noticed the two of you were missing for most of the event. So...where did you guys go?"
Lysithea's head continued to hang.
"Edelgard...I swear, you know me better than I do myself sometimes." Lysithea took a deep breath. "Please don't tell anyone about what I'm about to tell you. For the Professor's sake."
Edelgard nodded.
"Unless it threatens the safety of our friends, I promise."
Lysithea carefully recounted the events, watching and waiting for looks of disapproval from Edelgard, but none came. When she finished, she waited for a reaction.
Edelgard guffawed.
"Really? I'd never expect the two of you to believe in the Goddess Tower legend! That's something I'd expect from Dorothea!"
Lysithea was taken aback by Edelgard's response.
"You're not...I don't know, mad?"
"Mad? Why would I be mad? If anything, I'm happy for you! But I understand why the optics of it may not be the same for someone who does not understand you both the way I do."
"Really?"
"Of course!" Edelgard reached out and hugged Lysithea tightly. "I'll keep this secret on one condition."
What is with people and their conditions? First Byleth, then Jeralt, and now Edelgard?
"Which is?"
Edelgard's face turned serious.
"If, theoretically, there comes a time when you must pick sides...Lysithea, I want you to stay by my side. I want you to promise that you will fight by my side."
Huh?
"Um...okay? I promise," Lysithea answered, confused. Edelgard smiled grimly, before resuming her walk forward.
"So, did you guys kiss?"
The older girl howled with laughter as she was chased around the courtyard, easily outrunning the smaller
Lysithea munched through her Two-Fish Saute; today's combination was a filet of Caldonian Gar and an Albinean Herring, carefully sauteed in butter and garnished with parsley and thyme. Most of the rest of the Black Eagles had arisen late, after an eventful night, and lunch was a catchup gossip session.
Thank goodness Edelgard is covering for me, Lysithea thought. It didn't seem that anyone had an inkling of what had happened, and for that, Lysithea was glad. She laughed along as they teased the couples for what they did or didn't do; there was no escape.
"Ferdinand, did you actually say that? My goodness, sometimes you really can be thick!"
"Did you really sleep through the entire second half of the ball? I can't believe you! A whole night to dance, and you decide to sleep?"
"Oof, my joints hurt from all the dancing. Petra, how do people from Brigid dance like that and not get sore?"
She finished the last of her fish and waited until everyone had left before approaching the kitchens. She peeked through the window and saw Byleth deep in thought, with his now-iconic arms folded and chin resting on his fingers. Lysithea carefully pushed the door open, and he turned to face her.
"So, did she know?"
"Professor! Yeah...I'm not really good at lying, and she knows me too well. But she promised me she would keep our secret. Anyways, what did you want to meet back here for?"
Byleth pointed to a corner of the kitchens, occupied by a large stone oven.
"Did you bring your Encyclopedia?"
"N-no, why would I? I usually leave it at home! And you didn't tell me there was an oven back here! Can we use it? I can run back and grab my book right now!" Lysithea could hardly contain her excitement.
"No worries, I borrowed a copy from the library. I was thinking we could bake when we have time in the week; I know it's something you used to do with your parents, and-"
"Let's make raspberry crumble bars! Those are my favorite, they're on page 28!"
Lysithea dashed around the kitchen, gathering ingredients as Byleth prepared the oven.
"Professor! My arms are getting sore, can you help me mix these?"
"Hang on, I'm not sure the oven is ready yet-"
"It just needs to preheat, you don't need to sit there and watch it heat up! Come help, I can't carry and mix everything on my own!"
The afternoon went along mostly smoothly, with Lysithea directing traffic and Byleth dutifully following her commands, noting that she had the recipe memorized. After an hour, the crumble was finished; two layers of cinnamon oats sandwiching a jam made from freshly picked raspberries and peaches. Lysithea cut out a piece and was about to eat it before changing her mind.
"Here, Byleth. Why don't you try it?" He reached for the square before Lysithea slapped his hand. "Um…" she glanced nervously around; she couldn't see anyone outside the windows, and they were alone in the kitchen. "Can I...feed it to you," she whispered. Byleth held out his hand and the shades over the windows dropped. She held the piece of crumble between her fingers and slowly advanced it into his mouth, until he bit down on it.
"Well? How is it?"
He finished chewing and reached for another square.
"It's amazing. I've never had anything like this before! Granted, as a mercenary, you don't eat like a king, but this is the best pastry I've ever had!"
"Really? You're not just saying that?"
"Really. While I'd love to keep it to ourselves, let's share it with the others." They cut the crumble into individual squares, and Byleth raised a hand to raise the shades, letting the midafternoon sunlight stream back in.
"Wait! Professor...thanks for today. I haven't baked since I came to the monastery, and just being able to do this again means a lot to me. So, thanks."
It's going to be a long five years.
"Lysithea. You can call me Byleth while we're in here alone." Lysithea grinned and nodded happily. "Now, let's deliver this crumble before we get tempted to eat it all ourselves!"
Once again, routine took over. Classes resumed with their usual vigor, and Lysithea always looked forward to Sunday afternoons, when she would be able to bake with Byleth. The Ethereal Moon transitioned to the Guardian Moon, and with it, the weather began to improve. Lysithea still wore his coat whenever she had the opportunity to, but with the rising temperatures, she was showing up to class increasingly sweaty, much to the amusement of her classmates.
"C'mon, Lysithea, it's shorts weather and you're still lugging around that coat? It's way too big for you!"
"Dorothea, my dad sent this to me from home. I'm going to wear it whenever I want." Lysithea avoided looking into Dorothea's eyes; ever since Edelgard had mentioned it, she had noticed just how terrible of a liar she was.
"Aww, that's adorable! But, really, dear, you're sweating completely through your robes. Thank goodness you don't wear white…"
Everyone burst out laughing, while Lysithea glowed scarlet. Suddenly, the door swung open, and a knight wearing the armor of the Knights of Seiros burst in.
"Captain? Professor? Are either of you in here?" The knight had slicked brown hair and a moustache in the shape of an upside down L bracketing each side of this face.
"Professor Alois! He should be here any-"
"Is something the matter, Alois?" Byleth walked in, nodding a greeting towards the students. Alois fidgeted with his mustache as he answered.
"There are reports of demonic beasts near the chapel!"
"What?! But there hasn't been any news of a breach, or anything."
"What's worse, that student we saved a couple months ago, Monica, seems to be trapped there. I'm going to investigate now; will you join me?"
"Of course. Students, follow Alois. I'll find the Captain and join you as soon as we can." The students quickly gathered their things, and Byleth took the opportunity to speak to Alois.
"Demonic beasts?"
"Yes..just before they disappeared, one of the guards reported seeing a student heading towards the chapel, and shortly afterwards, the beasts appeared."
"Are the students safe?"
"I believe so." The door pushed open again, interrupting Alois, and Jeralt ran in.
"Kid, did you hear? We have to act now. Bring the students; they can help." Byleth nodded and they prepared to head out. Lysithea was behind Jeralt. "Oh, hey there." His voice dropped to a whisper. "Nice jacket you got there. Did you finish reading the diary yet?"
She shook her head. "I can return it to you after this battle if you need it, though."
"Alright. I was about to tell him everything, but I guess it'll have to wait. There's never enough damn time..."
Back to regular length chapters! Apologies if anyone doesn't like the longer chapters, please don't hesitate to let me know; I don't mind breaking chapters down into shorter lengths if it's easier for readers to follow. Also, I promise this is the last filler-ish chapter, and the action will start again, but I really want them to have some sort of relationship before the timeskip, otherwise I feel like it wouldn't make much sense for the timeskip to occur and their feelings to have not changed at all. Raspberry crumble is one of my favorite desserts, probably with blueberry cheesecake as ones I can eat without ever tiring of them :)
Jameyboy: I know that was a long one to read, glad you got through all of it and, more importantly, that you enjoyed it! I felt like the game did what it could with the goddess tower scenes (I've only seen a couple), but it needs more fleshing out of characters which is why I'm having a few more chapters dedicated to just life at the monastery. hope you'll stay along for the ride as things start to kick up!
As always, please R&R, and enjoy!
-elementaryprincess