Author's Note: Kind of a transitional chapter here, but it was still quite fun to write, even if parts of it were in an "Ow, this hurts" sense, haha. Because that's the best way to feel about a chapter, obviously.
Chapter Two: Getting Settled
The journey back to the capital was an awkward one. Most of the soldiers kept shooting uncomfortable glances at Dedue, but at least they'd kept silent. The group slowly dwindled as people either reached their homes or went off to return their friends' bodies to their families. Eventually, Dimitri was left with Mercedes and Dedue.
Now, he was all too aware of the attention they were getting from the common citizens. Dimitri couldn't blame them, but that didn't make the pointing and chattering, horrified stares, and occasional scream any easier. It didn't seem to register on Dedue—which was fortunate, he supposed—but Dimitri couldn't help clenching his fists so hard his knuckles hurt. Faerghus had already been cruel enough to Dedue and his people, and he was sure some of its citizens would take this as reinforcement of their biases if they found out the truth.
Finally, they were in the heart of Fhirdiad, not far from the castle, and Dimitri was both relieved and nervous when he was greeted by some familiar faces. There had been a few soldiers stationed around the city, no doubt waiting to summon others in case the worst happened in the last battle. Most of them nodded and left as Dimitri waved them away—but they probably wanted explanations, both for how the fight had ended and what the king was doing with an oddly-cooperative Demonic Beast nearby.
He assumed these three would be harder to shake, and Dimitri was quickly proven correct. Gilbert's eyes hardened, hand tightening around his spear, as he observed the odd trio approaching him. Annette covered her mouth, and Ashe's eyes widened, but the two of them remained silent.
"You Majesty," Gilbert said cautiously, "as glad as I am to see you alive, may I ask what in the goddess's name you are doing with a Beast in tow?"
"Please, Gustave, don't ask me questions right now," he replied wearily. "We have too much else to do."
Ashe and Mercedes blinked at each other, and it took Dimitri a second to realize he'd accidentally used Gilbert's real name. He could almost laugh; there was so much else to do, and that was what they were confused about? Unfortunately, Gilbert didn't let the pause distract him, and he quickly spoke up again.
"Your Majesty, please! If nothing else, I think it only natural to be worried in such a—"
Dimitri sighed heavily. "Fine. I didn't want to say it in such a time or place, but I am sure that if you checked the castle vault, you would find that many of the Crest Stones Lady Rhea brought with her are missing. I can fill you in on the details later, but suffice to say that Dedue had one of them, and this is the result."
Gilbert's eyes widened, Annette gasped, and Ashe swallowed as he stared up at Dedue. In response, Dedue merely cocked his massive head to the side, curiously observing them like some kind of extremely bizarre dog. Mercedes quietly took Annette's hand and smiled, and the gesture comforted her slightly, but she still couldn't seem to find her voice.
"You can't be serious, Your Majesty," Ashe said incredulously. "Er—I don't mean—I'm not calling you a liar. I just—"
Dimitri shook his head. "It's fine, Ashe; I'm not going to take that personally right now." (He could still hardly believe the situation himself, to be honest.) "But we were on our way to the castle, so if you want to join us, I would appreciate the company."
They fell in line together, Ashe and Annette shooting questioning looks at Mercedes. She merely shook her head, still quiet. Meanwhile, Gilbert gave a sidelong glance to Dedue before looking back at Dimitri.
"Now, Your Majesty, when you say you were on your way to the palace, do you mean…"
"Yes, Gilbert, I do," Dimitri replied, more testily than he'd intended. "I plan on letting Dedue stay with us, at least for a while. Do you have a problem with that?"
Not just for a while—he wanted to let Dedue remain permanently. But he had to say it like that, to test the waters and see what everyone's reactions were. It was the 'polite' thing to do, and then he could ease them into it.
But apparently, that wasn't good enough. Gilbert's face tensed again, and Ashe laughed nervously. Annette blinked, and then coughed; surprisingly, she spoke up next.
"Um, Your Majesty," she said hesitantly. "I'm sure you know what you're doing, but…do you, um…have the space for that?"
Oh. Dimitri paused; in spite of everything else, that was a good point. Four of his companions paused, watching him carefully. Dedue continued walking, footsteps thudding dully against the paved city streets. Soon, he realized he'd left the others behind. Dedue stopped, turned around, and curiously sniffed the air as he waited for them to catch up.
"I'm sure I can figure something out," Dimitri answered weakly. "It's not as if the castle is lacking for room in general. Perhaps he can fit into his old quarters, and…"
"And then what?" The edge was back in Gilbert's voice. "What will you do then?"
"What else would you have me do?" Dimitri's voice rose to meet his. "I won't leave him behind. Would you have me let Dedue be killed? I'm sure a wild Beast would not be shown mercy by any who encounter him. Nor would he be careful around any who seek to harm him. I would rather keep Dedue where I can watch him; I'm sure that would be safest for all of us in the long run."
The decision had been made partly for emotional reasons. But there were practical ones, too, and Dimitri was surer of himself now that he was saying it aloud. Gilbert remained silent, but he wore an expression that indicated he wanted more answers.
"And…and, besides…" Dimitri glanced down and sighed before continuing. "There may be…a way to change him back. And if there is, I…"
It felt a little pathetic to wish for, honestly. What were the chances of Dedue returning to normal? Many people had heard of humans turning into Demonic Beasts, yet no one had ever spoken of the reverse happening. If there was some way to do it, it must be incredibly difficult. (Not without killing the Beast, anyway, but Dimitri refused to entertain a thought so horrible. Not Dedue; he wouldn't, couldn't, even think of killing Dedue.)
But, surprisingly, Mercedes gently took his hand and said, "I think that's wonderful, Dimitri. I would like to see that happen, too. Wouldn't you?"
She glanced around at the other three. Ashe and Annette nodded; their smiles looked slightly forced, but Dimitri would take any encouragement he could get. Gilbert eventually nodded as well, but his mouth remained in a thin line.
"I suppose, for now, I can bow to your wishes on the matter." He sighed. "But I beg you to be careful, Your Majesty, please."
All Dimitri could manage was a tired, quiet, "Thank you."
Finally, they arrived at the palace. The guards' receptions were so mixed that Dimitri may have been amused in any other situation. He was at first met with joy and relief that their king had returned safely to them. It was then replaced by shock and fear as their eyes settled on Dedue.
Honestly, he should've expected this, but it wasn't any less exhausting. So far, Dedue had done nothing wrong. In fact, Dimitri was stunned at how calm Dedue was. He still didn't know if Dedue was actually listening, or if he was only half aware of the situation. But Dedue was hurting nothing and nobody—couldn't they just accept that?
"It's fine," he said. "I will keep an eye on him myself. …Thank you for being here to see me in."
The guards looked at each other nervously, but they nodded and stepped aside. Finally, they were allowed to proceed inside, and Dimitri sighed heavily. Somehow, Dedue was able to fit through the doors, and there was enough room in the entrance hall to accommodate him. Dimitri could only hope that trend continued.
"Well, I suppose I'll have to address the people soon," he said to his group of friends. "I'll have to let them know the war is over, and come up with a plan for what we should do next… But you're free to stay here until you've sorted through anything you need to do."
They nodded and went off in mostly-separate directions, no doubt to process everything that had happened. Meanwhile, Dedue was standing there staring at him. Dimitri wondered if he should remove the mask; then he maybe he could read Dedue's expressions better. It would make him feel slightly more human if Dimitri could just…
He shook his head. No; Dimitri would treat Dedue like a person no matter what. Taking another deep breath, he glanced up at Dedue and smiled.
"Your quarters are this way, near mine," he said. "Do you remember? Follow me; this is where you'll be staying."
And, amazingly, Dedue shuffled after him. Dimitri's heart raced; yes, this was good! He hoped it was a sign of things to come, that Dedue would improve and maybe even be able to respond someday. Maybe it was a fool's errand to get his hopes so high, but Dimitri let them rise anyway.
He ignored the stares and whispers from the castle staff they passed along the way. Again, he would take this without complaints. It was a start, a good start. Dimitri could, no, should, be happy about it.
Finally, they reached a room on the third floor, and Dimitri held his breath as he opened the heavy wooden doors. So far, Dedue had had no trouble fitting everywhere they needed to go, but this was the true test. Somehow, Dedue managed to squeeze inside, but he had to hunch slightly even once he'd made it through. He peered around, one giant hand running across the wall as he examined the room.
Dimitri watched as Dedue took in his surroundings. He stopped near the far side; a small balcony overlooked the gardens below. Dedue had always spent so much time in the castle gardens before; Dimitri had insisted he should have part of it for himself. Did he remember that? Would he still want to do it now? Dimitri didn't want him to remain imprisoned here, unable to step foot outside again, especially if it meant giving up something he loved.
"Dedue?" he said softly. "I can take you out to the garden later if you'd like. You planted a few Duscur flowers there a few months ago, remember? I…I'd like to see how they're doing. With you, of course."
Dedue turned to face him, massive head tilting to the side once more. Dimitri's breathing was again rapid, and he tried to ignore the prickling at the corners of his eyes.
"I'll let you get used to being here. I mean, not that you haven't been here before, of course; listen to me, I sound like a fool," Dimitri rushed out. "But I'm sure it feels different to you now. And I have some things to check on, but I'll come back and see you later. All right?"
Dedue growled, though it wasn't an aggressive sound; it was almost questioning. Dimitri blinked as he backed out of the room, shaking his head frantically, and then he turned and fled before he could see if Dedue did anything else.
Things would get better; they had to.