Chapter 10: Apple Jalousie Tart

Ingredients: 1.5 lb granny smith apples, cut into slices, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 3 tbsp granulated sugar, 1 tsp lemon juice, 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp kosher salt, nutmeg (pinch), 3 tbsp unsalted butter, 1 vanilla bean, 1 egg, 1 sheet pastry, flour

Recipe

Filling: Mix apples, brown sugar, granulated sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg in a bowl. In a skillet, melt butter until it turns golden brown, then remove from heat and add vanilla seeds from vanilla bean. Add apple mixture to skillet and stir until evenly coated. Return pan to medium heat and cook while stirring gently every few minutes until apples are soft but not mushy. Scrape into a wide dish.

Assembly: Line a large baking pan with parchment paper. Make an egg wash (egg with 1 tsp of water, mix until well combined). Unfold pastry puff and cut in half lengthwise. Brush a 1-inch border of egg wash along the edge of one sheet of dough. Next, arrange the fruit in a strip down the length of the dough, making sure to leave space on the sides. Spoon some of the syrup leftover in the dish on top of the apples.

With the other sheet of dough, fold it in half lengthwise and do not crease. Cut 1-1/2 inch slashes about 1 inch apart along the folded side of the dough. Unfold and place over the dough with the filling, making sure to line up edges as well as possible. Press the edges to seal the dough, then crimp the edges with a fork.

Baking: Chill for 10-15 minutes. While chilling, preheat oven to 400F. Before baking, brush the top of the pastry with a layer of egg wash and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake for 15 minutes then rotate. Continue until pastry puffed and golden brown, then cool about 30-45 minutes.

Yellow light cracked through her eyelids, and she wearily lifted her head from the wooden desk..

"Oog...where am I?" She glanced around the room as her memory slowly returned. "Right...Professor Jeralt's room," she said as her eyes focused on the weapons rack.

Where's Byleth? She snapped her fingers as she realized where he would likely be.

Probably visiting Jeralt's grave. I should...at least be there with him.

She carefully got on her crutches, gently closing the door behind her as she exited. The hallway was devoid of any windows and, thus, natural light. It was only dimly lit with the last of the amber candlelight leftover from the night before. To her surprise, she saw Byleth further down the hall, moving towards the staircase leading to Rhea's chamber. She changed direction to follow him as fast as she could on her crutches.

Oh, am I going to be glad to get off of these things finally. The stairs were a nightmare; she was already panting and covered in sweat by the time she made it to the top, just in time to see Byleth open the large, imposing doorsr. She limped to the door and heard them conversing.

"...your arrival, Professor. Now that you have received the sacred power of the goddess, Sothis, I would like you to make a visit to somewhere as soon as you are ready. You must go to the Holy Tomb. There, you may receive a revelation from the goddess who has deemed you worthy of her power."

Huh? Is she talking about Byleth?

"The Holy Tomb?" She recognized Byleth's voice.

"Yes," another male voice.

Seteth?

"It is where the goddess sleeps," Seteth continued. "As a matter of fact, the original purpose of this monastery was to protect that holy site. Prepare yourself to go...as your mission this month. Perhaps there, we may find out why you were chosen to be blessed with the power of the goddess."

"You may share this mission with your students; just as Lady Seiros had her holy knights around her to receive the revelation, your students shall be yours. They have fought alongside you through these dark times, and I believe they are well suited to stand by you for this ceremony. I will also be by your side. Steel your mind and body for the ceremony and prepare your students."

Lysithea quickly turned away as the gigantic door opened, almost falling on herself as she heard footsteps coming towards it.

"Good morning, Lysithea." Byleth greeted her with a wave. "What brings you here so early in the morning?"

"Oh, I, uh, was just seeing if there was choir practice today. Then I happened to chance upon you coming up here so I decided to see what was going on. But I didn't hear anything!"

"Of course not. Anyways, it doesn't matter if you did, since you all will be accompanying me anyways. But we'll wait until you're back on your legs before we go to the Tomb. If a fight does break out, I'm not having you battling on crutches."

Lysithea nodded and the two slowly descended the staircase. Lit candles were dispersed along the walls, illuminating the gray stone steps as she carefully dropped one crutch at a time on each one. Byleth stood in front of her, ready to catch her if she were to fall, until finally, they reached the bottom.

"I appreciate the concern. Surprisingly, I'd rather fight when I'm able to move around, too." The two shared a laugh as they walked out into the early dawn sun. A cool breeze, tinged with drops of morning dew, brushed across their faces. "Were you able to find anything interesting in the journal?"

"Bits and pieces. But nothing concrete...I feel like there's one more piece of the puzzle that's missing. My father could never find out, but based on his entries, it's likely something that happened at-"

"Professor! Lysithea!" Edelgard picked up her pace from behind then, hair flapping behind her. "Good morning! Professor, I actually had a couple questions to ask you. Lysithea, do you mind if I borrow him for a bit?" Edelgard poked Lysithea playfully in the arm.

"No, he's all yours. He didn't even let me sleep on his shoulder last night, you know." Lysithea folded her arms and pouted playfully. Edelgard's mouth dropped open.

"You-" Her eyes darted between Lysithea and Byleth. "Professor, how could you? Lysithea, did he make you do something you didn't want to do?"

"Huh? What are you talking about? We only spent the night together at-" Lysithea was interrupted by a now positively fuming Edelgard, face inches away from Byleth as she scolded him.

"Professor, I thought you were better than this." Her face turned mortified. "She's...she's underage, for gods' sakes!"

Byleth groaned and put a hand to his forehead. Now it was Lysithea's turn to drop her mouth open as she realized what Edelgard was thinking.

"Edelgard, that's...not what we were talking about." He sighed, and Lysithea shook her head vigorously in agreement. "Let's go. I'll explain myself along the way." Edelgard's eyebrows raised.

"I'll give you exactly 30 seconds to explain yourself, before you'll be talking to my axe. And if you did anything inappropriate to Lysithea…" Her eyes narrowed. "Lysithea, we'll talk later. And you can bet I'll be getting her side of the story too," she shot back at Byleth. She stormed off and Byleth shrugged at Lysithea before trying to catch up.

Lysithea's eyes drooped as Byleth lectured on history. As usual, he was at the front of the classroom, between the lectern and the blackboard, on which he had drawn a map of ancient Fodlan, before the division into Faerghus, Leicester, and the Adrestian Empire as it was now. In front of him, students sat at long desks that formed rows, each with a notebook laid out on the dark oak surface. Though she was usually wide awake for classes, she had woken up much earlier than usual due to falling asleep on Jeralt's old desk rather than her own comfortable bed, and it was starting to take its toll. Luckily, the bell soon rang, signaling breaktime. Lysithea noticed that Edelgard had been approaching each of the Black Eagles individually, a somber look on her face; she had already talked to everyone except Petra, Caspar and Lysithea.

Just what is she talking about? I guess I'll find out when it's my turn.

Lysithea stifled a yawn and rubbed her eyes. Byleth had already given them their goals for the week, but she was quite sure she was going straight back to her dorm to nap today. All too soon, the break was over, and the lecture resumed. As he wrote out formulas and equations on the board, Lysithea's eyes refused to focus; her vision blurred, and her head suddenly felt heavy.

Just..for a second, she thought as she put her head down.

"Lysithea? Hey, you okay?" She was woken up by a gentle hand patting her shoulder.

"O-of course! I'm definitely not asleep in class!" She shot up, eyes wide open. "Um…" as her eyes adjusted to the light, she saw Edelgard standing behind her, giggling.

"Class is over, sleepyhead. Are you going to the library to study?"

Lysithea shook her head.

"No...I think I'm going to go back and take a nap." Lysithea started packing her notebook, noting with disdain a sizable puddle of drool.

"Shall we head back together, then? There is something I would like to discuss with you."

"Sure." Lysithea slung her bag over her shoulder and nodded her thanks as Edelgard helped her onto the crutches, out of the classroom and onto the pavement. Lysithea smiled at the students frolicking and relaxing on the green field that was outside the classroom. Some clouds had settled in the sky, dulling the blazing sun and making perfect conditions to be playing outside like the students were.

"Byleth did explain what happened. So I guess there was a bit of a misunderstanding; sorry about that. I just didn't want you to be roped into doing anything...inappropriate."

"Thanks, Edelgard. I appreciate the concern. But I can handle myself." Edelgard nodded in agreement.

"If he ever does anything to make you mad, or sad, don't hesitate to let me know. I'll be sure to knock some sense into him. Of course, you're free to blast him with a couple spells, too." The two laughed together before Edelgard's face turned somber.

"Lysithea. I'm sure you were awake when we were given our mission for this month."

"Yes. The Holy Tomb, was it not?"

Edelgard nodded.

"Yes. I fear...some things may happen there. Those kinds of places...well, needless to say, things tend to happen. But back to what I wanted to discuss with you." Edelgard's eyes stared into Lysithea's, boring into them. "Lysithea...what kind of world do you see in your dreams?"

Lysithea was taken aback.

"I…" she ran a hand over her chest, where her second Crest was embedded. Truth be told, she had often thought about what a perfect world would be like for her, and so it didn't take much time before she answered. "A world without Crests. A world where people are known for their hard work, not for being born with a Crest that gives them 'talent'. A world where...people wouldn't have to trade something for a Crest," she finished bitterly. "And in that world, my parents would be able to live peacefully...with all of us…" she trailed off. "That is the world I dream about, Edelgard."

The older girl nodded solemnly.

"I see. And what would you be willing to do to fulfill this dream?"

Lysithea held out her hands.

"Anything. But it's not possible; Crests have been passed down for hundreds of years; to eliminate them from existence...how would one even begin?"

"Yes...but if there was a way, would you follow it? Would you be willing to throw away everything you've believed to be true until now?"

Lysithea was taken aback by the intensity in her voice.

"Edelgard, what are you getting at?!"

The other girl shook her head.

"I was just curious about your motivations. With this new mission coming up...I am concerned that facts may come to light that change how we see things."

"Edelgard, what are you saying?"

"I am saying that, potentially, the Church, or someone, is hiding...something. I'm not sure, of course; there's a chance I'm wrong. I need to know if I can count on you in the most drastic of measures; if there is a traitor, you'll fight by my side against them, whether they are another student or the Church."

"Edelgard, that's insane!" Edelgard's face was unchanged, and Lysithea realized she was being serious. "If...if it were to bring my parents peace...and rid the world of Crests...I cannot say for certain that there is anything I would not do. But I cannot stand against the Professor. So if you were to turn against him..." Lysithea chuckled. "But that's not going to happen. You'd be crazy to take on something like the Church alone. And I'm sure if they are hiding something from us, they have good reason to."

"Heh, you're right. Even if they are hiding something, who are we to say that it is something evil? Thanks, Lysithea. Let me help you into your room." Edelgard held it open as Lysithea gingerly stepped in. "Have a good nap." The door swung closed, blocking out the sunlight and leaving Lysithea alone.

What in the world was she talking about? Does she know something about the Church? Jeralt's journal did say something about Rhea doing something to Byleth...but it sounds like whatever she did saved his life. And the Church has always taken care of us and so many others. So what the heck could they be hiding that's so bad?

She plopped down on her bed, rolling under her sheets and pulling them around her and feeling sleep begin to claim her before she heard a knock on her door.

"Who is it," she asked groggily.

"It's me." Byleth's voice crept in through the door.
"Oh, it's not locked." He pushed the door open and walked in. "Should you really be here in broad daylight?" Lysithea worried aloud. "No one saw you, right? Not that I don't want you to visit, but…"

Byleth held up a hand.

"No worries; I've been going to everyone's rooms. I just wanted to let you know I'm going to be away from the Monastery next week. There's somewhere I need to go with Edelgard."

"Huh? Why do you have to go with her? What are you guys doing?" Lysithea began to feel unfamiliar pangs gnawing at her stomach.

"Her father's condition has worsened. She has to return to Enbarr to ascend the throne; I will merely be there as a guardian of sorts. There are many agents who would rather not have her become Empress."

"Oh...do you need me to go with you? I'm sure my magic would be of help if a situation arises." She had a hopeful tone to her voice.

"I agree, but I'd rather have you recover and be one hundred percent for our mission this month."

Lysithea sighed, disappointed and cursing her crutches as the feeling in her gut returned.

I'm going to burn those with fire when I get off them.

"Very well then. Promise me you'll stay safe?" She held out a pinky towards a bemused Byleth.

"I promise, but...what does your finger have to do with it?"

Lysithea groaned.

"It's a pinky swear. It's something people do to promise each other things; you're supposed to wrap your pinky around mine and promise." She grinned as Byleth's finger coiled around hers. "There. See? That wasn't hard."

Byleth nodded.

"I'll remember that. Now get some rest; I noticed you dozing off during lectures today."

"Hey! It's your fault for not letting me sleep on your shoulder!"

"My fault? I gave you a nice comfy pillow instead of my bony shoulder! How is that my fault?"

"Well, I wanted to sleep on your shoulder! Now let me rest!" Lysithea dropped down on her pillow and pulled the covers up to her chin, ending the discussion. Byleth shuffled out, missing the soft smile settling on her face as she began to doze off.

The week passed by quickly; it seemed like Lysithea had barely blinked before they were standing at the gates of Garreg Mach, bidding their Professor farewell. Dawn had arrived, and with it, daylight began to permeate, painting the stones that made up the gates of the monastery with shades of soft yellow.

Byleth waved at all of them, his eyes settling on Lysithea for just a split second; it was so brief that she wasn't sure she had even seen it. Then he turned and, spurring his chocolate brown horse, left down the road, following Edelgard's white one and leaving a dust cloud in their wake.

Lysithea felt, once again, that unfamiliar feeling in her.

What if they're sneaking off somewhere, a voice in her head whispered.

Nonsense! Byleth isn't that kind of person, and neither is Edelgard. These are serious matters; if I was Edelgard, I would want someone I trust, whom I also look up to, to come with me as well.

Yes, but...where will Byleth stay at Enbarr? Perhaps they will share-

Shut it!

Lysithea rubbed her head; it was all getting to be a bit much. She had never expected herself to be the jealous type, and she had to keep reminding herself that the Byleth and Edelgard she knew would never do that kind of thing. She decided that she needed to find something to do to distract herself.

What's better than studies?

Refreshed and with new vigor, she dove into her books. Now that she had mastered Luna, and was able to cast Seraphim on occasion, she focused on diving deeper into the theory behind magic so that she could master even more advanced spells. She carefully opened her textbook to the marked chapter and began reading.

With Byleth gone, Hanneman subbed in for their class; it was every bit as droll and boring as Lysithea had expected. He would simply lecture from start to finish, never stopping for questions or a break; she could barely keep her eyes open. It felt as if two weeks had gone by before Friday afternoon mercifully came along, and with it, Byleth and Edelgard's expected return. Lysithea packed up her books and, having healed enough to be off the crutches (which she had gleefully burned to cinders), skipped merrily out of the classroom and towards the monastery gates to wait for his return with the rest of the Black Eagles.

When she reached the gate, Dorothea waved at her; she had set up a large picnic area on the grass for all of the students to sit on while waiting, fresh with a few dishes from the dining hall.

"Lysithea, that one's yours; I remember you saying you liked picked rabbit skewers."

"Ooh, yes, I do!" Lysithea reached for the skewers. They had been seared beautifully, deep brown with juices just barely oozing out and forming a shimmering layer coating each chunk of meat. She tore into them and took a seat next to Dorothea as they waited for everyone to arrive. Once they did, they naturally began gossiping about Edelgard and Byleth.

Which made Lysithea supremely uncomfortable, as the now-familiar tendrils of jealousy began to creep back. She shuffled nervously on the picnic blanket as she chewed at her skewers. Dorothea gave her a look before turning back to the other students.

"So, what did you guys all think of Hanneman? Pretty boring, huh?"

The conversation shifted to how dull the past week had been, and how much better of a professor Byleth was. Dorothea snuck in a quick wink at a grateful Lysithea.

"Hang on, someone's coming!" Bernadetta, being an archer, had the sharpest eyes, and pointed to the horizon. "But...there's only one person?" The shadow of a figure on a horse approached them, and soon, it was clear it was Byleth.

"Where's Edelgard?"

Note: Jalousie is the French term for jealousy, but it has become a term to describe slatted, shuttered windows (supposedly because they keep jealous eyes from peering in. Go figure).

Regarding this chapter, I felt it was necessary to provide more background before the big fight and plot twist. I always felt like it was weird that the Black Eagle students would just follow Edelgard when she popped such a big revelation on them on such short notice; that's why I had her go and speak with everyone individually in this chapter, just to gauge their dedication and what they're fighting for. Edelgard seems like too careful of a person to leave too many things to chance, and taking this step, she can get a better idea of who she can count on to stick with her through it all and plan around it.

MathAtMidnight: Well, spring break should be coming up, so I hope you'll be able to get some rest! As a medical student, I'm obligated to remind you of the importance of sleep in all aspects of health :) I'm glad that you can see a difference; I always appreciate feedback and constructive criticism. I'm also glad that you don't think it's slow paced; I ran into a similar problem here in this chapter where I felt like certain things needed to be addressed/set up before the next phase of the plot.

BrandedKing: Yeah, hiding relationships is a pain in the butt. But I think it's cute to have them find ways to sneak in moments here and there, as you've probably seen in the past few chapters. Regarding the cake, good food is always a good way to comfort people! Not just because it tastes good, but the effort implies a certain level of concern and care, and I think that really hits home when people are suffering, just knowing that so many others are there for them if needed. Thanks for catching that typo; I'll make sure to go back and fix it!

As always, please R&R, and enjoy!

-elementaryprincess