Chapter 16: Lemon Bars
Ingredients
Crust: 6 tbsp butter (salted or unsalted; I prefer unsalted, but some prefer salted to help offset the sweetness of the lemons), 3 tbsp granulated sugar, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1 egg yolk, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 1 cup flour
Filling: 2/3 cup lemon juice. 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 vanilla bean, 3 egg yolks, 1 egg, 1/2 cup unsalted butter, powdered sugar
Recipe
Preheat oven to 350F. Gently mix butter, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt until almost smooth, then increase intensity until almost creamy. Mix in egg yolk and vanilla, then gently mix in flour. Press dough into baking dish (8"x8" works well for this amount), trying to keep dough even and flat. Bake until golden brown on the bottom and slightly darker on edges (usually 25-35 minutes). Let cool completely.
Combine lemon juice, salt, and sugar in a saucepan, then scrape in vanilla seeds and add in the bean. Simmer over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. In a separate bowl, mix eggs, yolk, and remaining sugar (1/2 cup) until well mixed (no longer grainy).
While whisking constantly, slowly stream hot lemon mixture into egg mixture, and then transfer back to saucepan and cook on medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat and mix in butter (adding a couple pieces at a time). Strain warm curd through a sieve onto warm crust and bake at 350F until curd sets around the edges (usually 12-15 minutes). Let cool about 2 hours before serving.
Cold air whirled through the open window, spreading the chill of the Ethereal moon into the infirmary.
The first snow should be coming any day now.
Lysithea shivered and pulled the familiar black coat around her shoulders tightly under her blankets. She snuggled against it and smiled as warmth flowed through her body.
She closed her eyes. It was five years ago, during this moon, that they had confessed their feelings for each other. She thought back to the promise he had made.
"Perhaps at our reunion in five years."
She could still hear those words, in his deep baritone. The conviction, the passion with which he had said them had struck her, especially compared to the monotonous professor voice he usually utilized in class.
Five years...if he was still here, then we would no longer have to hide, she thought bitterly. It's just not fair…
She opened her eyes again, staring up at the ceiling. The infirmary was built inside the Cathedral, though it lacked the flair that the main hallway exuded. The walls were simply gray brick mortared together to form small, adjacent rooms. Before the war, each patient would have their own room, but with an increased number of casualties, Lysithea found herself sharing a room with another soldier. He was fast asleep, his arm held upright with a suspended bandage. Lysithea subconsciously ran a hand over her chest, grateful that her ribs seemed to be healing quickly with the aid of magic.
She closed her eyes again; it was late, and weariness was beginning to overcome her. Someone shook her, and she brushed them off irritably.
Probably the nurse again.
"Go away, I already took my meds today. Let me get my rest."
"Lysithea, I guarantee you'll want to wake up for this." Edelgard's voice reached her ears.
"Ugh, what could be so amazing at this time of night? Unless you've brought me ten boxes of sweets from Enbarr, I'm not getting up." Lysithea picked up her pillow and smothered her face with it. Edelgard couldn't help a small chuckle at her antics.
"This is better than that. I promise."
"Alright, alright, you've piqued my curiosity." Lysithea lifted the pillow and sat up, rubbing her eyes. "What's the-" She stopped mid-sentence, her jaw dropping to her chest as her eyes opened. Byleth stepped forward from behind Edelgard and waved at her matter-of-factly.
"I-but-what-?" Byleth took another step forward. "Is this...a dream?" He reached out and laid a hand on her cheek, cupping her face in his palm. His touch was warm, soothing, and...real. "Prof-Byleth," She reached her arms out and tentatively wrapped them around him. His hand gently moved down her cheek, and then her neck, and around to her back. She could feel goosebumps rising from his touch as he pulled her closer in to him. "You're really back?" She sniffed and squeezed him as hard as she could, ignoring the searing pain in her chest.
It's nothing compared to feeling him in my arms again.
Tears burst from their eyes as they embraced, flowing freely down their cheeks and splashing onto the other's shoulder. "Byleth...I missed you so much...I thought you were dead," Lysithea sobbed into his ear. "I thought...I thought I was going to die alone."
"I'm sorry, Lysithea. I never wanted to leave you." He patted her back gently in lieu of a tight hug; Edelgard had mentioned that Lysithea's ribs were still healing.
"Let me see your face. Please, Byleth. I've only seen you in my memories for so long...I need to see you again. To convince myself that it's really you, that you're really back." Soft, silver light illuminated his features. She stared into his green eyes, puffy from crying but exuding happiness. His short, pastel green hair, wavy and unkempt as always, the bangs covering his forehead and just barely reaching his eyebrows. His mouth, stretching wide in a goofy smile that she knew was for her and her alone.
"Now that you've seen your fill, it's my turn. Let me look at your face, Lysithea." Lysithea blushed furiously and looked away.
"Byleth, I'll never stare at you enough. Not now that I know what it's like to lose you. And you should remember what I look like! Didn't you think of me every day while we were apart? "
"Of course I did. But I could stare at you all day, and still want more."
"F-fine." She looked at him for a second before averting her eyes and looking at the floor. He reached out a hand and gently pushed her chin upwards so that their eyes met once again.
"You've grown even more beautiful."
Lysithea was sure flames were pouring out of her blazing cheeks.
"Promise me you'll never leave me again. Please," she whispered.
"I would, but you have to seal the promise."
Lysithea smiled and wiped her eyes, remembering their promise at the Goddess Tower, and how she had sealed it back then.
"Fine, you cheeky devil." She leaned forward and kissed him softly on the cheek. "Promise?"
His face flushed slightly, the color dulled by the moonlight. "I will never leave you alone again."
Edelgard snuck out of the room, a wide smile on her face as the two embraced again, completely oblivious to her presence.
"Heh, she finally left," Lysithea grinned on hearing the doors close. "Will you stay the night?"
"Of course." Byleth pulled up a chair and sat down, keeping Lysithea's hand in his.
"Um…" Lysithea blushed again and looked away. "This bed should be big enough for both of us…"
"A-are you sure that's alright?" A flustered Byleth's eyes were wide. "N-not that I don't want to, but-"
"It's not like we're actually doing anything," Lysithea said. "But I get it if you're not ready for that yet...I just wanted to feel you here with me. Every night, I've thought about how comfortable it was falling asleep on your shoulder, and how I only got to do it once."
Byleth shook his head.
"I was just...taken aback. I've never done this before…" He got up and clambered onto the mattress as Lysithea scooted over to make space. She was right; they both fit, albeit with hardly any room to spare. Lysithea nudged herself closer into his chest and laid her head on it, a wide smile on her face.
"Let's just stay like this, Byleth. I haven't been this comfortable since..."
Her hands searched for his, interlocking fingers when they found them. Byleth's only answer was to kiss her hair gently. Soon, her head was bobbing gently with the rise and fall of his own chest, a peaceful, soothing sleep washing over them.
Lysithea's eyes cracked open. Light yellow streaks crept through the window, and she snapped her eyes shut again at their intensity. Her head was on something hard, and moving. She squeezed her hands, and squeaked as she realized they were holding something. Another person's hands. Her eyes slowly opened, allowing time to adjust to the morning light, and then widened.
I'm...on his chest, she thought.
She grinned and nuzzled against him.
"Mmph? G'morning," he mumbled softly, running a hand through her hair.
"Mor-"
"Ah! Miss Lysithea, um...who is this?" A shocked nurse almost dropped her morning medications.
Lysithea laughed heartily as she snuggled against him.
"He's my boyfriend!"
With her chest healing well, Lysithea was discharged at midday. She hugged her shoulders as chilly air bombarded her.
"Brr, I forgot how cold winter can get in here," she said. The first wisps of snow were beginning to descend upon them, fluttering and glittering through the skies. Lysithea swung her hand, Byleth's in tow, trying to catch some of the flakes before they fell to the floor and melted.
"Hey! Over here, lovebirds!" Dorothea waved merrily at them from across the courtyard. Evidently, Edelgard had mentioned something to them. The Eagles had set up picnic blankets on the fields outside the old classrooms and were waiting for them to start lunch. Camp rations were laid out in front of them, as the dining halls hadn't been restored to operational status just yet. Lysithea tugged Byleth's hand and they made their way over.
They heard an audible gasp as they joined the group. Lysithea lay on the grass, resting her head in his lap and keeping a tight grip on his hand.
"Well, now. That's certainly a familiar face." Hubert smiled. Or, Lysithea thought it was a smile; Hubert somehow made it look more like a menacing sneer, but he certainly sounded happy.
"I can't believe it! Is this a dream? I know, you should spar with me if you're actually there!" Caspar fingered his axe handle, jittery with glee. Petra put a hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him down.
"This is not the dream; he really is here with us again. Welcome back!"
"Thank you; it's good to see you all again, even though it looks as if it's been quite some time. I am glad to see everyone is still alive and well."
Ferdinand shook his head, orange locks flying.
"It simply wasn't the same without you. I am sure I speak for everyone when I say we are all overjoyed to see you!"
"Ferdie, I think this is the one time you've spoken for everyone and actually been right. But...with you back, Professor, our hope is renewed." Dorothea's eyes were glowing.
"Yes; now we have both our legs to stand on once more," Linhardt mumbled, half asleep. Which, for him, might as well have been wide awake. Bernadetta sat next to him, waving excitedly at Byleth.
"Professor! It's me, Bernadetta! I'm actually not completely scared of being outside my room, now!" She fidgeted. "Oh, there was this one battle where I had to shoot from so far away...and I figured out a technique to curve my shots!"
Byleth sat up and asked her to tell him more, and that was how the afternoon went by in a blur; the students regaled an impressed Professor about their feats of strength in war. Caspar even had Ferdinand serve as a faux enemy to demonstrate his new axe skills, though he was firmly reprimanded by Dorothea when he accidentally smacked Ferdinand's behind a little too hard with the flat of his blade. Everyone guffawed watching Ferdinand try to brush it off, while Dorothea chased him around the circle, healing tome aimed at his buttocks. By the time they were done expounding their achievements, the sky was tinted a blazing orange as the sun prepared to relieve itself for the night. The subject was changed to the state of the war; Edelgard brought Byleth up to date with all the happenings. The Church had allied with the Kingdom of Faerghus, now led by Dmitri, while the Alliance had remained fragmented and neutral. Though the Eagles had tried to push into both lands, they had been met with fierce resistance and were always pushed back. A frustrated Edelgard looked at Byleth with hope in her eyes.
"But with you here...perhaps we may find a way. I believe our next move should be to advance on the Alliance; fragmented as they are, we should be able to defeat them. With their resources under our control, we can prepare for what I expect to be a much more powerful enemy; the consolidated strength of the Church and the Kingdom. Professor...what are your thoughts on the matter?"
Byleth cupped his chin with his hand.
"Hm. If it is as you say, and the Alliance is dealing with their own internal conflicts, then it would be prudent to take advantage and strike now. But I have little doubt that the Alliance will eventually decide to come together against a common enemy when we invade them; because of that, we must choose our strike points to control as many resources as possible with each battle."
Edelgard nodded.
"Very well. We can decide on specifics later. For now...let us simply continue to enjoy our reunion. Though, it looks like some of us need no prompting for that." She winked at Lysithea, who had remained curled on Byleth's lap the entire day. "Tell me, have you let go of him for even a second since he returned?"
Lysithea chortled in response, even as she blushed furiously and the ribbing began in earnest.
"I'm sure you all know the answer to that."
A map of Fodlan lay sprawled out on the table, marked up with labeled pins and illuminated by flickering candles at each corner, belying the somber atmosphere as battle plans were laid out. Lysithea's eyes swept the room; Edelgard, Hubert, and Byleth were all deep in thought, heads cocked at varying angles as their minds churned.
"House Riegan stands as the leader of the faction of the Alliance that stands against the Empire, as well as the location of the Leicester Alliance Roundtable. Taking them would seal our support from the Alliance."
Hubert pointed towards the location on the map, eyes narrowing. "But we'll have to cross the Airmid River. And that means battling Daphnel. And if we are to take House Riegan, we will need to take Derdriu."
"The Aquatic City...that will not be an easy fight. And Claude, prankster that he is, will not be an easy foe. On top of that...fighting the Alliance means fighting many of our former classmates. We must make sure everyone is ready for that to be the case." Edelgard turned to Byleth. "That will be up to you, my teacher. I am...not as gifted as you when it comes to motivating the others."
Byleth nodded solemnly.
"I will do what I can."
"Good. Then that is that. We will let everyone know tomorrow, and depart the day after. The Bridge of Myrddin links the Monastery with our Eastern Capital; that will be the shortest route to Riegan."
Lysithea's head swam as they dispersed.
We'll have to fight Claude? And the rest of the Deer, too?
"Lysithea? Can we chat for a moment?" Edelgard beckoned for her to stay. Lyisthea nodded and turned to Byleth, waving him off.
I'll find you later, she mouthed, and he flashed a thumbs up before departing.
"What's up, Edelgard?"
"Nothing much, I just wanted to ask how you're doing." Edelgard's face split into a wide smile. "I've given you plenty of time with our teacher, so I want to know everything."
"Edelgard! We don't have time for gossiping, we're marching off to a huge battle in two days!" Lysithea stuck her hands on her hips, her lower lip jutting in a pout.
"Please don't say that; you're reminding me of Hubert." Edelgard reached up and tousled her hair into a mess, pulling her bangs lower over her eyes. Her eyes narrowed and she adopted a gruff, stern voice. "Your Majesty, there will be time for gossip and idling after we win this war; for now, our talents are needed. Why not gaze at these documents instead of the sky? Why not plan this instead of-" Edelgard guffawed before she could finish, Lysithea joining her. They doubled over, slapping each other's backs as they tried to stop.
"That-hee hee-was totally spot-on," Lysithea stammered, heaving with more laughs.
"I know, right? I mean, he's right, so I can't say much...even if I want to." Edelgard puffed out her chest. "No, Hubert! If I want to gossip, I'll gossip! If I want to paint my nails, I will!"
Lysithea lost it, rolling on the floor giggling.
"Hehe, I can only imagine if Hubert was to see or hear this."
"Oh, he'd just say something about how he would endure it if it was in the Empire's best interests, or something droll like that." Edelgard shook her head and sighed. "But enough about him; I just wanted to see how you were doing. Since the Professor came back, I haven't talked to you at all!" Waning candlelight just barely illuminated a sad smile on Edelgard's face. "You know…" She turned away. "Being Emperor is lonely. Even the other Eagles, friends though we may be, still see me as something...separate, in a way. Other than you, no one really hangs out with me."
Lysithea patted Edelgard's back gently.
"I'm sorry, Edelgard. Of course I'm still your friend; best friend, even. I was just...so excited that Byleth's back." She reached out and cast a small flame, reigniting the candles.
"I know, I know. And this is the happiest I've seen you for so long. I just can't help but feel lonely."
"I'll try to make some time to hang out-"
Edelgard shook her head.
"I'm not trying to guilt you into spending time with me, Lysithea. Nothing makes me happier than to see a friend smiling again. By the way, instead of Edelgard...you can just call me El."
"El?"
"Yes. My closest sister...she used to call me that. No one else knows about that name, since they're all gone, and I haven't heard it since she…" Edelgard paused and wiped her eyes, collecting herself. "It would mean a great deal to me if I could hear someone call me that again. Especially you, Lysithea. I told you before, I saw you like a sister, but now, you're basically my baby sister. I...it's almost like I've been given a second chance. I couldn't protect my sisters before, but this time around, it won't be the same story." Her fist clenched in defiance. Lysithea reached out and held it gently.
"Thanks...El." Lysithea grinned. "So, how the heck did Edelgard get shortened to El?"
Edelgard pushed Lysithea away in mock anger.
"Oh, my sister was just like you. She had a couple screws loose too."
"Hey!"
Lemon bars were chosen because they are extremely sweet. Just like I tried to make this chapter; not much else to say, but it's definitely important to dedicate time to their reunion. I don't really remember much of a mechanism for how Byleth returned, and honestly, I wasn't too psyched to think of it, so I kind of glossed over it here. If it is something that you guys really want to see explored, I can try to think of something, but for now, I'm not planning on it. I also debated having them take the winter off from the war (lots of snow, little fighting), but I do want to move the story along, as I have a lot planned and don't want this to extend too much. The last section is kind of another reminder of how close Lysithea and Edelgard have become; I do think Lysithea growing up separate from the rest of the Eagles makes her relationship with Edelgard different, and I think that means a lot to Edelgard, having someone that she doesn't necessarily have to be the Emperor around. Honestly, Edelgard's such a complex character that could have been taken in so many ways, but I've tried my best to develop some of it in the context of Lysithea, and it will be very important later on down the line for what I do have planned.
Naruino23: glad you're enjoying it! next chapter comes out now XD
Half-beastdragonsoul2013: yeah...I've done it a couple times and probably won't do it again. if someone wants macarons, they're getting one batch of all the same colors :D
BrandedKing: I think the war really made them grow up, and as a result, none of them really got to be kids. Which sucks, but that's how life goes sometimes; not all of us are afforded the choice to grow up when we want to. Hopefully this reunion chapter lives up to your expectations!
B0REDER: Everyone's been affected by this virus one way or another, so I'm glad that at least writing this can be something that gives some people something to look forward to!
MathAtMidnight: I did want to do more sections, but I ran into the issue where I wasn't sure of the intervals that I wanted, and who I wanted to include, and also I was worried about the chapter dragging on a bit. Though thinking about it now, I probably should have had at least a couple more snapshots...
On the bright side, I'm out of quarantine! Taiwan has been one of the best at handling the virus, and it's nice to be home and able to go outside without much fear anymore. Seeing the sun has been doing wonders for my mindset as well!
As always, please R&R, enjoy, and stay safe! If you must go outside, wear a mask!
-elementaryprincess