Who's ready for some dancing?
Chapter 81 – The White Heron Cup (Ethereal Moon)
Dorothea looked through the pages of a book on forms of dance with disappointment as she sat in the entrance hall of the monastery. There wasn't anything particularly wrong with the book, but it didn't contain what she was looking for.
As she let out a sigh, Byleth approached her and asked, "Is something the matter?"
"Oh, Professor. Good timing, actually," said Dorothea. "I need to discuss something with you."
"What is it?"
"It's about the White Heron Cup. I know you already picked me for the job, and I'm going to do my best, but… I just can't decide on what kind of dance I wish to do. You know the competition allows us to pick our dance forms. The thing is, I want to do something that'll 'wow' the audience. Something that'll just bring their jaws to the floor."
"So, what's the matter?"
"Well, none of these books on dance have anything I'd want to try. They're mostly on typical ballroom dances or ballet and the like. It's not really what I'm looking for."
Now understanding Dorothea's dilemma, Byleth put a hand to her chin as she pondered. She had total faith in Dorothea's abilities, but it was true that if she just did a typical dance that it could be seen by the judges as a lack of creativity.
Byleth's face then lit up with inspiration as she remembered something.
"I think I might have just what you're looking for," said the teacher.
"Really? You know a dance I could do?"
"Not precisely, but Anna let me borrow a book from Hoshido on dance forms. Maybe you could try one of those."
"Really? Are you sure she's not trying to rig the competition?"
"She gave other books to Manuela and Hanneman as well."
"Oh, I see. I guess that's fair."
"I left the book back in my room."
"Well then, after you." Dorothea smiled as she said this and followed Byleth.
…
About a half-hour later, Dorothea was looking through the Hoshidan book and, despite not being able to read the foreign calligraphy, saw a set of images that made her eyes widen.
"That's it! This is the one!" she said enthusiastically.
Byleth leaned over to see the dance form that Dorothea had chosen. After taking a moment to study the pictures, Byleth's expression turned to one of skepticism.
"Are you sure, Dorothea? It looks a bit… um…"
"That's why it's perfect." Dorothea made a short chuckle as she said, "Annette and Hilda won't know what hit them!"
"If you're sure. But you're going to need to practice it first."
"Not a problem, Professor. Come on, I know just the place for it."
With that, Byleth followed Dorothea to watch her practice the Hoshidan dance.
…
One week later…
"Ladies and gentlemen!" bellowed Alois as he stood up from his seat. "My sincerest apologies for the wait! Thank you for gathering here on the eve of the highly anticipated ball to bear witness to… The academy-wide dance competition! Welcome to the White Heron Cup!"
The audience began cheering as the festivities got underway. Byleth stood with the rest of the Black Eagles as they waited for the dancers to start.
"This year, the competition will be judged by… me! Your humble servant, Alois Rangeld! Oh, but of course, I need to introduce the others. First… The acclaimed former songstress of the Mittelfrank Opera Company, Manuela Casagranda!"
Manuela stood up as the crowd clapped for her and said, "Yes, yes, thank you. Oh, and it should go without saying, but I swear to show no bias to my own house. Got it? Good."
This was met with a few chuckles from the audience.
"Next… the self-proclaimed Father of Crestology, Hanneman von Essar!"
"Thank you, Alois," said Hanneman. "I too will not be showing bias to the Golden Deer. All in the spirit of fairness."
"Third, or I should say fourth, is our archbishop's chief advisor, Seteth!"
"Thank you, Alois," said Seteth. "I wish all those participating the best of luck."
"Next up, one of the finest of the Knights of Seiros, Sir Gilbert Pronislav!"
Gilbert chose not to say anything, but simply rose to give a courteous bow. His lack of words prompted a small frown from Annette.
"Nearing the end now, we have the glamorous assassin who does all of her dancing in the dead of night… Shamir Nevrand!"
Shamir let out a dismissive "Hmph" as Alois announced her.
"And last, but certainly not least, our very own Secret Seller herself, Miss Anna!"
Anna put an index finger to her cheek in a pose as she said, "Thank you, thank you! Don't forget to drop by my shop after this is over!"
Again, the crowd couldn't help but laugh at this.
Alois then said, "The seven of us swear on our honor to judge the following proceedings with utmost impartiality and fairness! And with that, will the representatives of each house please make their way to the stage!"
At this cue, Annette, Hilda and Dorothea walked up to the stage that had been set in the main hall.
"Now then, each of you will be taking turns with your dance. We'll start with the Blue Lions, followed by the Golden Deer, and then the Black Eagles. So, to start things, we have from the Blue Lions our little ball of magical pep and verve, Annette Fatine Dominic!"
Annette jumped for joy as she stepped forward, stealing a glance at Gilbert as she readied herself to dance. She was wearing a baby blue dress with a long flowing skirt; the students were allowed to use an outfit of their choosing for the White Heron Cup.
"Are you ready, Annette? And is the band prepared to play?"
"I'm ready, let's go!" Annette said enthusiastically.
The conductor of the band gave a nod, showing he and his band were ready. Each of the girls had submitted a piece of music that they were to play for their respective dances.
"Then… begin!"
The musicians began to play their tune as Annette began her dance. The music, an uplifting assortment of flutes, drums and winds, accompanied Annette as she began to skip, hop, twirl, and otherwise prance about in a saltarello. It was a dance perfectly suited for the small girl, one that highlighted her boundless energy and childlike exuberance.
Dorothea was impressed by what she saw. A saltarello was normally a dance meant for two, but Annette was doing exceptionally well even without a partner. However, Dorothea's critical eye noticed more than a couple of missteps, no doubt due to Annette's own clumsiness, but the girl never toppled or tripped. Dorothea looked around at the crowd, seeing that many were quite pleased by Annette's performance. She stopped for a second at seeing Felix gazing intently at her and couldn't help but smirk at the swordsman.
After about a minute of the band's playing, the music stopped, and Annette finished her dance about a second later. The audience gave its applause as Annette made a curtsey to the crowd.
"Wonderfully done, Annette! Wonderful!" said Alois.
"Thank you so much!" Annette said to both Alois and to the audience. The girl then stepped aside to allow the next contestant to take center stage.
As the crowd's applause settled, Alois said, "Next, representing the Golden Deer, we have our pink-haired powerhouse, Hilda Valentine Goneril!"
Hilda stepped forward with a giggle as she readied herself. The girl was dressed in a much shorter skirt and had opted to wear tights. Her outfit clung to her curves, especially highlighting her breasts, something Dorothea knew the pinkette was counting on.
"Are you ready, Hilda?"
"Oh, I'm ready," Hilda said confidently. "Are you all ready for a show?"
This was answered by several catcalls and wolf whistles from many of the boys, something that irked plenty of the girls. Dorothea was impressed, knowing how lazy Hilda tended to be.
"Alright then… begin!"
The music Hilda had chosen was far softer than Annette's, relying more on dulcet tones and chimes. Hilda's movements were graceful as she would stand on her toes, stretch her legs, lean herself in time with the music, and otherwise perform her ballet with a level of skill Dorothea hadn't expected. She would twirl on her toes and it would make her skirt float a bit, which gave more than a few in the audience some glimpses of her round posterior. Of course, most of the boys were focused on the roundness of her chest, and despite how much her breasts bounced around, it didn't perturb Hilda's performance.
It wasn't a dance Dorothea had expected Hilda to do. Ballet was a common dance form in Fódlan, and though Hilda was performing it well, she seemed to drag out some of the moves for too long. Dorothea suspected it was because the pinkette wanted the crowd to focus on her ample assets and miss any mistakes she was making, but Dorothea wasn't fooled. Giving Manuela a brief glance, Dorothea saw the senior diva noticing the same mistakes.
The music soon ended as Hilda's performance came to a finish. The crowd let out a cheer as the pinkette let out a deep breath and then gave her own curtsey before blowing some of the boys a kiss.
"Excellently done, Hilda!" said Alois. "A remarkable display!"
"Thank you, thank you~" Hilda said sweetly, and then the pinkette moved aside.
Dorothea took a deep breath as Alois said to the crowd, "And finally, we have our representative for the Black Eagles. The jewel from the streets of Enbarr, the diva turned cadet, the Mystical Songstress from the Mittelfrank Opera Company… Dorothea Arnault!"
Byleth watched with a proud smile as Dorothea stepped up to the stage. Dorothea was dressed in a very revealing set of red sashes that barely looked like clothing. Her navel and a great deal of cleavage were on display, leaving some to think she could pop out of the outfit at any moment. See-through pantyhose covered her long luscious legs, accompanied by a set of golden braces and a crimson loincloth that held it all together. The diva was nearly barefoot, something that the dance she chose necessitated. Byleth had tried dissuading Dorothea from wearing something so provocative, but the diva had insisted it was necessary.
"Are you ready to dance, Dorothea?" asked Alois.
Dorothea didn't say anything, instead giving Alois a determined nod.
"Then… begin!"
The band began to play. It started slowly, rising as Dorothea lifted her left arm above her head, followed by her right. As the music began to pick up, Dorothea began weaving her arms and hands as she began to step, lean, and simply move with incredible grace. Her hair flowed with her as she fought the urge to sing, knowing she had to concentrate on each movement she made. She would twirl as the violins strummed their notes before twisting her arms like serpents, and then she would lift her leg in a high sweep before her. Her fingers traced themselves along her body, especially over her breasts and hips, as though caressing a lover, an amorous yet graceful display that left everyone captivated by her beauty and the power of her sexuality. It was like nothing they had ever seen before, for this dance was almost completely unknown in Fódlan.
Byleth was amazed by what she saw. It was as if Dorothea were moving as fluidly as water, cascading from one movement into the next like the waves of the ocean. She had never seen anything so enchanting, so bewitchingly pristine, so radiantly passionate, yet also so erotic.
It was a display that left the bluette almost lost in her thoughts, all alone.
The music reached its conclusion. As it did, Dorothea finished a leg extension and slowly stretched her legs in a split as she lowered herself to the floor of the stage, her arms spread to her side.
The audience's applause could be heard throughout Garreg Mach Monastery.
"Superbly done, Dorothea!" said Alois. "The audience sure loved that one!"
Dorothea said nothing as she rose from her split and gave a melodramatic curtsey to the judges and the audience.
Byleth smiled as she looked around, seeing that audience had clearly found her dance to be of great appeal. However, she also noticed several of them were giving largely skeptical looks at her, mostly women and a few others. With a little concern, the bluette looked to the judges, and saw that some were sharing the same skepticism.
It was enough that Byleth began to wonder if Dorothea would really win. Clearly, the eroticism of the dance had been a bit too much for some.
"That's all, folks!" said Alois. "Splendid! All three of you were fantastic! Now, let's hear what the judges have to say… Oh, but I suppose I should give my vote first."
The three contestants stood in eager anticipation of who among them would win.
Then, Alois said, "My vote has to go to… the Blue Lions! I was very impressed you could pull off that dance solo! And if I must be honest, it reminds me so much of my own little girl back home."
This prompted a few expressions of "aww" from the audience as Annette made a little jump for joy.
"Now, for our next judge. Manuela, if you please?"
With a smile, Manuela said, "Oh my, let's see. I suppose I have no choice but to vote for… The Black Eagles. My dearie, Dorothea, that performance was… exhilarating. My heart is still beating a mile a minute." Then, turning to Byleth, Manuela said in a sultry teasing tone, "Tell me, Professor Eisner, what have you been teaching my little opera protégé?"
"I… umm…" Byleth couldn't manage to say anything else as she blushed.
"I will deliver my vote next," said Hanneman. "I cast my vote for the Golden Deer. I was most impressed by Hilda's ability to turn a well-known dance into a work of art. Excellent work."
"Aww, thank you, Professor Hanneman~" Hilda said sweetly.
"And you said you weren't going to be biased towards your House, Hanneman," Manuela said sardonically, earning a frown from the Crest scholar.
"I will also cast my vote for the Golden Deer," said Seteth. "Admittedly, I am rather fond of more classical dances, but Hilda carried herself with impeccable grace as well."
Hilda couldn't help but make an enthusiastic fist pump at this.
Gilbert then said, "My vote is to the Blue Lions. I believe anything I could say has already been said by Alois."
"Father…" murmured Annette.
"Are you sure that's your only reason, Gilbert?" Manuela said teasingly.
Dorothea had a look of dismay on her face at this point, and Byleth began thinking that perhaps they had made a mistake.
"Well, that just leaves our last two judges," said Alois. "Shamir, how about you?"
Shamir took a moment to think on it, and then said, "I vote for the Black Eagles. The way you carried yourself was striking. Your movements were decisive, with nothing wasted. And you showed daring. You had no fear in how others would think of you. Impressive job."
Dorothea's worry began to slip away as she smiled at Shamir, who gave a smile back.
"Wow, incredible!" said Alois. "Looks like we're left with a tie! I guess it comes down to our newest judge now. Miss Anna, what do you think?"
The crowd's eyes were on the redheaded merchant as she pondered her choice. Byleth knew the merchant had been told to be impartial, but she could tell from the look in her eyes what her choice would be.
Anna smiled and then said, "You all did a great job, don't get me wrong. Annette, you showed you could pull off anything you set your mind to, including a dance meant for two. Hilda, you may have gone with the simple answer, but the way you did it was anything but simple." The redhead shut her eyes for a moment, and then said, "But Dorothea… I've seen a lot of dances in my travels, and you not only chose one from beyond Fódlan's shores… you made it your own. A dance like that requires grace, passion, and drive, and you had all three in spades. My vote is to the Black Eagles!"
This prompted cheering from the audience as Dorothea, barely believing she had just won, staggered for a moment before she let out a gleeful squeal. To her side, Annette and Hilda were both a little disappointed that they had lost, but still gave big smiles to Dorothea.
As the singer looked around, she stopped to give a big smile to Byleth, who smiled back with pride at the diva's victory.
Yes, Dorothea did Azura's dance from Fates: Birthright. All she was missing were the lyrics and the Water Magic. EDIT: And just to note, Dorothea's wearing her "Twilit Harmony" skin from Fire Emblem Heroes. That was too sexy not to edit in.
This was hard to do because it's hard to write out dance steps. I hope I did enough to let you all picture how each of the girls did their dance.
As for other changes, I always felt 3 judges was too few because it could result in ties, so upping the count to 7 ensured I could legitimately have people who would vote for Annette and Hilda while letting Dorothea win.
Anyhow, Dorothea's now officially the Dancer. She really is the best character for the class, IMO.