Time for a tea party! And for Dorothea to receive a very special gift.

Chapter 39 – A Diva's Birthday (Horsebow Moon)

It was the 29th of the Horsebow Moon, normally an unremarkable date in Fódlan. However, for Byleth and Edelgard, who sat at a table in the hedgerows of Garreg Mach, it was a rather important one.

"Your friend is taking her time, isn't she?" said Sothis as she floated near Byleth. Byleth ignored the ghostly girl.

"Don't worry, Professor," said Edelgard. "Dorothea usually arrives a little late."

The two heard footsteps approaching, and within seconds Dorothea appeared from around a corner in the hedgerows.

"Hey, Edie!" said Dorothea. "Oh, Professor Byleth. I didn't expect you to be here too."

"Edelgard invited me," said Byleth. She then smiled and said, "Happy birthday, Dorothea."

Smiling magnanimously, Dorothea said, "Why, thank you so much! But you didn't need to go to all this trouble."

"It's no trouble at all," said Edelgard. "Come, have a seat."

The now nineteen-year-old singer took her seat at the table and looked at the rather large assortment of baked sweets before her, including a mouth-watering cake. But it was the scent of the tea that caught Dorothea's attention.

"Hey, is that… is that Hresvelg Blend?" Dorothea asked. Edelgard nodded, so the singer said, "Oh my, talk about fancy! A-Are you sure we should be drinking this?"

"We also have some Albinean Berry if you'd like," said Byleth.

"You're very thoughtful, Professor. So much better than a lot of nobles around here."

Dorothea started with a cup of Albinean Berry Blend while Edelgard had some of the Hresvelg Blend. For the next several minutes, the three could be heard chatting over a variety of topics, ranging from the opera to current fashion. In the case of the latter, Byleth completely missed a hidden joke by Dorothea regarding her stockings. Yet each topic was one that brought a smile to Dorothea's face.

Then, about half-an-hour into their tea party, Edelgard asked, "So, Dorothea? How has your swordplay been? I haven't had a chance to see it as of late."

"Uh, well, um…" Dorothea stammered nervously. It was all the answer Edelgard needed.

"I see. In any event, I have something for you."

Edelgard left her seat for a moment to head over to a side table, atop which lay a long box covered by a tablecloth. Edelgard removed the cloth and picked up the box, bringing it to Dorothea.

"Ooh, a present for me?" asked Dorothea. "What is it? A new dress?"

"Open it and see for yourself," the princess answered.

Standing up, Dorothea delicately took hold of the top half of the box and lifted it. When she saw what was inside, her jaw dropped slightly.

Within the box was an exquisite blade, long as a broadsword, but barely wider than one's thumb. The sword looked as if it were made of high-quality silver, but it let off a magical shimmer as the sun's light glistened off its blade. The cross guard was decorated with a shining ruby in the middle, something which normally would have made the blade weaker, but this belied the weapon's craftsmanship. The pommel of the weapon was shaped like a small blooming rose.

"A… A sword?" Dorothea asked in disbelief.

"It's a Rapier," said Edelgard. "I felt a heavier blade wouldn't suit you, so I had this made by the royal blacksmith in Enbarr."

Dorothea hesitated to touch the weapon. Byleth took the opportunity to rise from her seat and went to pick up the blade. She was surprised at how lightweight it was.

"Professor?" said Edelgard.

Not replying, Byleth took a few steps away from the two girls and the table of tea and sweets. Then, taking a battle stance, Byleth began to swing the weapon. She made several slashes, thrusts, and swipes, testing the sword's balance. Each movement was measured and calculated, showing the teacher's skill in swordplay.

A minute later, Byleth lowered the blade, then turned to Edelgard and said, "It's light as a feather."

Then, to the surprise of both girls, Byleth swiftly slashed the blade at a nearby iron post that held up a small planter. Dorothea thought for a moment that she was about to break the weapon.

The blade went cleanly through the metal post, which toppled over and caused the planter to break apart as it hit the ground.

"P-Professor!" Dorothea said incredulously. "Don't go breaking it!"

Taking a moment to look at the blade again, which was without a single blemish, Byleth then said, "That's unlikely." Looking at Edelgard, she added, "It's made of Mythril, isn't it?"

"M-Mythril?" Dorothea stammered. She looked to see Edelgard nodding at Byleth's question.

The realization hit Dorothea like a pile of bricks. Mythril was an incredibly rare metal, light as a feather, but it was easily one of the strongest in Fódlan and almost never lost its edge. Even a small chunk of it could go for thousands on the market.

And Edelgard had just given her a blade made of the magical metal.

"Edie, I… I can't accept this! That thing's probably worth more than I've made in my entire life!"

"Don't worry about the cost, Dorothea," said Edelgard. "I want you to have it, as a token of our friendship."

"Edie…"

"After what happened in Abyss, I want you to be able to protect yourself. I know you are already skilled in magic, but you can't rely on that all the time."

Dorothea could only wordlessly nod in agreeance at this as Byleth took a scabbard from the sword case and sheathed the Rapier.

"But a weapon alone won't win you a battle," Edelgard continued. "You'll need to know how to use it. I spoke with Professor Eisner and she's willing to teach you herself. Isn't that right, Professor?"

"Of course," said Byleth. "I'd be glad to show you everything I know."

"Oh, you two…" Dorothea said with a sniffle.

"Don't expect me to be an easy teacher, though. And I hope you've had your fill of cake for now."

"Huh?"

…

An hour later, the sound of Dorothea's Mythril blade swinging through the air could be heard in the training grounds. The girl had just taken a wide swing at Byleth, but the bluette had easily avoided the clumsy attack and countered with a wooden sword, striking Dorothea's left breast. Dorothea let out an embarrassed yelp at this, and as she nursed her sore left chest orb, she looked to see Byleth giving a very brief smirk.

It seemed Dorothea wasn't entirely off the hook for groping her.

"H-Hey! Watch it!" Dorothea exclaimed.

Byleth said nothing, instead taking a moment to try and ignore Sothis as the girl chimed in.

"Are you still sour about that little fondling she gave you? How very mature of you."

Dorothea made another swing at Byleth, but the teacher swung her blade and hit the Rapier from the side, sending it flying from Dorothea's grip. She followed it up by poking Dorothea in her belly with the wooden weapon, leaving the diva to stumble back and fall on her behind.

Edelgard made a sigh of disappointment at this as she watched.

"My, my, how embarrassing," said Sothis. Byleth was thankful no one else could hear her. The green girl was getting on her nerves.

As Dorothea groaned on the ground, Byleth said, "Come on, let's start over."

"Ugh, Professor, give me a minute, would you?"

Byleth frowned at this. Dorothea wasn't proving very good with her new sword.

"An enemy won't be so merciful, Arnault," said a familiar arrogant voice.

The three women turned to see Felix emerge from the shadows with a look of disdain, his eyes fixed on Dorothea.

"Surely you know that from experience," he added.

"Felix. How long have you been watching?" asked Edelgard.

"Long enough to tell you that you've wasted your money giving this girl such a weapon. She's more likely to stab herself rather than an enemy."

"You shut up, Felix!" Dorothea snapped.

Felix let out a prideful "Hmph" as he raised a hand and beckoned for Dorothea to attack him. In a fit of pique, Dorothea rushed at him, grabbing her new blade as she ran.

Felix immediately raised his own wooden sword and swung hard at Dorothea's weapon, slapping her from her grip again. Before she could recover, Felix rushed forward, made another swing and hit her in the back, sending her collapsing to the ground. Dorothea gasped in pain as she lay on the ground and turned to look back at Felix, just as the heir of Fraldarius brought the edge of his wooden weapon to her neck.

"Pathetic," said Felix. "It's no small wonder the Death Knight bested you so easily. Had I been there, it'd have been a far different story."

Dorothea's eyes narrowed at this. She was determined not to show weakness to Felix, but it was far too late to mask her fear at the memory.

Off to the side, Edelgard's expression was turning to one of tranquil fury. She took a step forward and began to remove one of her white gloves, intending to strike Felix with it.

She stopped as Byleth put a hand before her, and another Rapier emerged from behind a column next to Felix and tapped against his wooden sword.

"Care to put your skill where your mouth is, boy?" said a woman's voice.

Felix turned to see who had just challenged him, while Dorothea looked up at the new challenger as well. Her face lit up with surprise at who it was.

"J-Judith!"

Smiling, Judith said to Felix, "You're Rodrigue's son, right? I'd have thought he would've taught you some manners."

"Judith von Daphnel," said Felix. "I've heard of your skill. I hope you'll prove a real challenge!"

With that, Felix swung his wooden sword at Judith. The Hero of Daphnel moved like lightning, parrying the strike when it was a mere inch from striking her face. She followed up with a quick swipe that hit Felix's right wrist, leaving a shallow cut, and then a thrust that pierced into his left shoulder, though she only went skin-deep. Before Felix could even reel from the hit, Judith made another slash, this one hitting Felix's left shin and making him fall on one knee. She finished with a thrust that held her blade close to Felix's neck.

Dorothea was astonished. Judith had only needed three seconds to bring Felix to his knees. And she had done it with one arm held behind her back.

As Felix glared at her, Judith said, "That enough of a challenge for you, boy?"

Infuriated, Felix threw away his wooden sword and limped his way out of the training grounds as one of the monks went to heal his wounds.

"Wow…" Dorothea said as she got back up. "Th-Thanks…"

"No need to thank me. That punk needed a good thrashing and I was more than happy to give him one." Then, turning to Byleth, she said, "Good to see you again, Professor Eisner."

"What brings you here, Judith?" asked Byleth. "Are you looking for Claude again?"

"Not this time. I'm here seeing a friend and thought I'd stop by and see how things were going. Looks like you've got your work cut out for you, though. This girl's moves are almost painful to watch."

"H-Hey!" Dorothea snapped. "I'm not THAT bad!"

"Actually, you are, girl. You're using that shiny new blade all wrong. You don't swing a fencing sword around like a battle axe. It's a weapon of precision and grace." Then, turning to Byleth, she added, "Something your style doesn't seem to do."

"What do you mean?" asked Byleth.

Judith walked over to Dorothea's Rapier and picked it up as she said, "You're good with a sword, Professor Eisner, but your way of fighting isn't what works for a weapon like this. If you go teaching this girl to swing it around like a broadsword, she's gonna lose it or break it in no time, no matter what it's made of."

"I see…"

As Judith handed the Mythril blade back to Dorothea, Edelgard asked, "Perhaps you would be willing to show her how to wield it, Judith?"

"Sorry, but I don't teach here. I can, however, direct you to some texts in the library. They should be more than enough to get you started."

"Thank you, Judith," said Byleth.

"It's my pleasure."

Then, a boisterous voice said, "I thought I heard you here!"

Everyone turned to see Catherine entering the training grounds.

"Ah, there you are, Catherine," said Judith.

"I was wondering who gave Felix those cuts," said Catherine. "Should've recognized your handiwork."

"The boy needed some humiliating."

"Well, since we're here, how's about we give everyone here a good show?"

"You're on." Turning back to Dorothea, Judith said, "Looks like I'll be showing you after all."

Dorothea's face lit up with interest as Judith and Catherine moved to begin their duel.

…

The battle between Judith and Catherine had ended in a draw, much to the approval of those who came to watch. Following the duel, Dorothea and Byleth had taken their leave of the training grounds, while Edelgard had been called away by Hubert. The two women made their way back toward Dorothea's room.

"That was incredible, Professor," said Dorothea. "I never thought anyone besides you would be a match for Catherine, but Judith really held her own."

"She's had years of practice and experience," said Byleth. "Given time, maybe you could be as good as her."

"Well, maybe not as good as her, but still, it gives me a goal to reach."

"That's the spirit." Byleth smiled as she said this.

"Well, I think I'd better find a spot for this in my room." Dorothea looked down at the Rapier in her hand. "I suppose I'll need to give this thing a name. All good swords have names, right? What do you think?"

"It's up to you."

"Alright then…" Taking a moment to think, Dorothea then said, "How about Joyeuse?"

"What does that mean?"

"It's an old word for 'joyous', I think."

"If that works for you." Then, remembering something, Byleth said, "Oh, I remembered I got something for you too."

"Really? Oh, Professor, you shouldn't have."

"It's no trouble at all."

Reaching for a satchel on her belt, Byleth pulled out a small golden bracelet encrusted with emeralds. She handed it to Dorothea, whose face lit up on seeing it.

"Oh, it's beautiful!" Dorothea exclaimed.

"Anna said it'd match your eyes."

Dorothea let out a giggle as she said, "I'll bet she just said that so that you'd buy it."

"Anna didn't sell this one to me. She helped me pick it out from another shop."

"Really? Huh, could've sworn she would've wanted you to buy something from her. Anyway, thank you, Professor Byleth. I love it!"

The diva slipped the bracelet around her right wrist, the accessory proving a perfect match for her.

"Well? How does it look?" Dorothea asked.

Byleth's only reply was to smile again.

I honestly don't use the Rapier much in 3H, largely because of how anti-armor and anti-cavalry attacks can be done in so many other ways. I usually just give it to Dancer Dorothea as a way for her to use Sword Avoid +20.

And yes, you're evil, Felix.

EDIT: I understand people think I'm bastardizing Felix by making him a much bigger jerkass. Don't worry, I plan for Dorothea to earn his respect in the next little while.