1 Year Later
Their wedding is a small affair. They marry as commoners in front of an audience of mostly nobles.
To Lysithea's surprise, Claude is here. He looks grown and mature, and she has the faintest idea of what he's been doing in the last three years, but she is grateful. They bickered plenty in their academy days, but he spared the Alliance from much destruction during the war and she will never forget it.
Marianne attends the ceremony in usual quiet fashion and keeps to herself for most of it. They shoot glances at each other, knowing they are the only three from their Golden Deer class to survive the war. It is the unspoken thing, the unwavering bond that will forever bind them.
After the ceremony, they make their usual rounds towards their guests.
Edelgard offers Linhardt a researcher position in a learning facility she plans to build. Caspar invites the newlyweds to watch his upcoming tournaments, and Ferdinand claps Linhardt in the back and claims he thought this day would never arrive. Hubert remains a stringently silent presence, while Dorothea gladly dedicates a song. It is chaotic to be surrounded by his classmates again, but Linhardt puts up with it anyway.
Claude comes bearing gifts from Almyra and extends his invitation for a visit, and Lysithea marvels at how Marianne has been helping to govern her territory.
Hanneman's eyes are twinkling and beaming, and it's no surprise Manuela is standing at his side. Apparently the monastery is rebuilding in hopes of reopening the academy. Manuela gives them the option to consider taking up positions, but Linhardt responds to all of these propositions with a blasé expression.
For this special day, Lysithea chose a simple dress made of white muslin, tailored just to reach the floor. The long flowing sleeves mostly hides her scars. She wears no veil and little jewelry. Her countenance is serene, and her eyes are bright. She carries a bouquet of yellow-petaled flowers.
At the end of the day, Lysithea keeps their vows, just as she's kept their letters.
Dearest Lysithea,
I vow to be your faithful partner, in times of joy and in times of sorrow. I vow to help you love this life, and make it free and fulfilling. I will strive to have the patience and humility this love deserves. You are my home – thank you for making it so. To you, I offer myself with all my faults and strengths. You are the person I choose to love and honour for the rest of my days.
Linhardt,
Growing up, my life was complicated by my dual crests. They lent me strength when I needed them most; I paid the cost with pain and suffering. I had to make the most of my shortened life. I made peace with my numbered days.
I resented myself for it.
One day, you showed at my door with faith bigger than the world. You asked me to have the same, and I did. We suffered a great ordeal in the last few years, but the result was worth it. You kept your promise. My crests are gone.
My dear Linhardt, thank you for the gift of hope and life. You never once saw what I lacked. After a lifetime of thinking my days are numbered, life finally feels limitless. I cannot properly express how grateful I am to be standing here in front of you. On this day, I vow to spend the rest of my days making you happy and loved.
They come to own a stone cottage in the countryside with no winters, not far from the Ordelia house.
Their lives play out just as he predicted. Lysithea plants a garden in the front yard and expands her botanic library. Morning glories for affection, chamomiles for energy, lilacs for passion and roses for love. Linhardt takes his afternoon naps on the patio chairs with a book resting on his chest, or on his face to shield him from the sun. He reads anything he can get his hands on – biographies of knights, books about wildlife, history texts.
This life is paradise.
Their neighbours do not know their stories of war, or the cruelties buried in her past. They will only see love, affection and gratitude, and neither would have it any other way.
If you made it this far, thank you for reading. Also, a special thank you to those who left feedback. Your comments mean so much, enough to make my day.
I hope I did the characters and their story justice. I really enjoyed their ending. It's really rewarding for the both of them; Lysithea lives without the weight of her crests and Linhardt is able to pursue his research. They even go on to raise a happy family.
Thanks again to the lovely readers. I hope you enjoyed it! - Mint
