Free days were a rare commodity for Fódlan's emperor. A year and a half was hardly enough time to call the country stable following the war. It was fortunate that Edelgard's council was efficient – she had handpicked each member, after all – and so her workload was kept at a manageable level. Perhaps it was a girlish fantasy that she would unite Fódlan, find a suitable successor in short order, abdicate early so that she could spend the rest of her days in a small cottage with Byleth, and eat sweets every day.
It hadn't taken much convincing from Byleth to take a day off. It had been months since the last time Edelgard took any time away from her office. There were no glaring emergencies that required immediate action and Edelgard was certain she could trust her council to handle Fódlan's affairs for one day.
Edelgard, ever the restless sleeper, woke up while it was still dark. It was hard to tell if it was the dead of night or the pre-dawn hours of the morning. She sighed wearily. Getting a full night of sleep was a gamble for her, and she imagined it would always be that way. It was a good thing Byleth slept like a rock most of the time, she mused, because otherwise their sleeping arrangement would be unpleasant. Rather than leave the comfort of their bed, Edelgard moved closer to her wife, and was pleased when Byleth snaked an arm around her waist, as if sensing her in her slumber. She stayed in the warmth of Byleth's embrace, and after some time, Edelgard dozed off into a light sleep.
When Edelgard opened her eyes again, it was still rather early. Faint sunlight peeked through the curtains, and birds were chirping from somewhere outside. Byleth was up and about, gathering items to go fishing. Edelgard sat up groggily.
Upon noticing she was awake, Byleth set down the fishing rod she held in her hand, walked over to their bed, and bent down to kiss Edelgard's forehead. "Good morning."
Edelgard murmured a greeting back. Some part of her was outrageously upset that Byleth was leaving her for any amount of time on this precious free day when they could be cuddling. The reason Byleth was going fishing was so that they both had the opportunity to do things they enjoyed. Her empress would return after lunch, and then they would get to be together again.
"Bad night?"
Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Edelgard replied. "Not the worst."
"Well," Byleth kissed the top of her head. "At least you can rest the whole day."
"I suppose." Edelgard leaned over to wrap her arms around Byleth's middle for a brief hug before letting go. "You should leave now, or I'll pull you back into bed with me."
Byleth raised an eyebrow. "That…doesn't make me want to leave."
"You know what I mean." Edelgard rolled her eyes. "Go and enjoy yourself, my love."
"You too." Byleth gave her a final peck on the lips before resuming her packing. When she'd gone, Edelgard finally roused herself enough to start the day.
Breakfast consisted of a small arrangement of pastries. Edelgard had requested that her normally well-balanced meal of fruit, cheese, and bread be replaced by sweets on her day off. She savored each confection in turn, reveling in the various tastes and textures that graced her tongue.
Feeling energized after her sugary meal, Edelgard dressed in a long-sleeved blouse and trousers, slipping on black gloves before taking her sketchbook to the gardens. It was always a pleasure to draw the patterns found in nature. With the enormous number of plants growing in the gardens, Edelgard had her pick of subjects to draw. There were flowers with simple petal shapes and those with complex ones. Eventually, she settled on some violets.
It was a pleasant day – not too hot or cold, so Edelgard was able to stay as long as she liked to capture the likeness of the flowers in front of her. Gardeners and other passersby flitted around her, knowing full well not to disturb their emperor. The conditions were so perfect that Edelgard lamented that she hadn't brought her canvas and easel out instead.
When she finished her sketches, Edelgard returned to the imperial quarters to write letters to the Black Eagles who were not in Enbarr. She addressed them not as Fódlan's emperor, but as a friend. There was Dorothea and Petra, enjoying life in Brigid, Caspar and Linhardt in former Alliance territory along with Lysithea, and Bernadetta hiding away in her estate to name a few. Edelgard wrote each person a letter inquiring about their wellbeing and a promise to hold a reunion someday soon. Once she had reached her hand out to her fellow students all those years ago and learned the joy of connecting with others (albeit it had been a frightening process for her), Edelgard vowed she would make the effort to maintain those relationships.
A servant collected the letters, carefully sealed with wax and the signet Edelgard had chosen to denote her personal messages: a cluster of carnations; and took them to be delivered. Lunch followed shortly after – a much less exciting affair than breakfast had been. The highlight of the meal was the bergamot tea that came with it. Maybe she was biased, but tea wasn't the same when Byleth didn't make it.
Still, tea was tea.
As it turned out, Bernadetta had proven herself to be quite the prolific author after the war, though she never advertised this to anyone she knew. Upon catching wind of this, Dorothea had written a letter urging Edelgard to purchase a copy of one of Bernadetta's novels. The letter hadn't specified the genre of any of the books, only singing their praises. Edelgard paid that no mind. She was determined to support Bernadetta's artistic contributions to society and so she'd purchased all of them. Now that there was time to read for pleasure, Edelgard figured it might surprise her reclusive friend if she brought up her thoughts on her work the next time they saw each other.
There were a few novels to choose from, so Edelgard picked the smallest volume, entitled Court of the Immortals. She took her teacup and saucer, placed them on the bedside table, and made herself comfortable among the many pillows that decorated the bed. It wasn't long before she was utterly engrossed in the story. A reluctant, yet dutiful protagonist taking on a pantheon of vampires to prevent a calamity that would destroy humankind – now that was a narrative Edelgard quite liked. The world in the story was rich with unique characters and creatures. Bernadetta outdid herself with her word choice, Edelgard thought, and she wondered how long her friend had spent developing her ideas.
About an eighth of the way into the novel, Edelgard realized she had completely forgotten about her tea. After marking her page, she set the book aside and half-heartedly sipped her tepid beverage. Edelgard huffed. If Byleth had made the tea, it would have tasted good no matter the temperature. She set the cup back down and plunged back into her book.
It wasn't long after that Byleth made her triumphant return. She strode into the room with a big grin on her face.
"I take it you caught plenty of fish?"
"Not a single bite." Byleth laughed. "It was a beautiful day, though. What are you reading?"
"One of the books Bernadetta wrote. It's quite good." At that, Byleth made a strangled noise.
"I see. I wasn't aware you liked those kinds of books."
"I'm not so entrenched in realism that I don't enjoy a good fairy tale."
That earned her a long look. "Fairy tale, huh?"
"That is the most accurate description of this genre, yes." If Byleth was trying to tease her, it was not her best effort. In any case, her wife didn't push the matter any further.
Once Byleth put her fishing equipment away, she joined Edelgard on the bed, positioning herself so that Edelgard's back was nestled against her front. It was a very cozy arrangement, especially when Byleth wound her arms loosely around Edelgard's middle and promptly fell asleep, her quiet breathing filling the silence.
When Edelgard reached the midpoint of the novel, the steadily building romance between the protagonist and her enemy-turned-lover suddenly turned…very intimate.
Their lips crashed together, and the passion between them was palpable. Lucina's hands roamed Selena's curves, drawing breathy moans from Selena's mouth. She grabbed at Selena's backside and was rewarded when her vampire lover wrapped her legs around her hips. Lucina pressed Selena's back to the wall, tongues battling for dominance. They ground into each other, seeking the friction that would send them crashing into oblivion…
But it wasn't enough –
Edelgard was suddenly hot under the collar. Images of Byleth pressed to a wall or bent over a desk flashed in her mind. It was a familiar fantasy – one that had fueled many a restless night at the monastery. Many of those dreams included Byleth being covered in love bites for all to see. The idea of Byleth doing the same was equally tantalizing. Both scenarios had played out in real life, of course. And yet, the scenes swirling in Edelgard's head were enough to make her squirm with arousal.
She should put the book down.
If Byleth woke up and peeked at the lewd contents went on for pages, Edelgard would never live it down.
It was too late. Warm hands started exploring her midsection, slipping under Edelgard's blouse. She shuddered. A weight settled between her shoulder and neck – Byleth's head – and it was then she knew there wasn't a point in hiding it.
"You should keep reading," Byleth mumbled before planting a kiss on Edelgard's neck. Her hands kept wandering, grazing the underside of Edelgard's breasts, and then moving back down to play with the drawstring of her pants. Edelgard said nothing, only shifting her legs to allow her wife better access. Byleth made short work of the string and one hand slid lower.
As if she could focus on reading with Byleth's hand down her pants. Sure enough, when Byleth began stroking her through her underwear, Edelgard snapped the book shut and set it on the bed. She felt Byleth chuckle beneath her. Edelgard gasped slightly as her wife pushed the thin cloth aside and touched her directly. Byleth's calloused fingers dipped into her wetness briefly, without entering her properly, before dragging them back up to circle her clit. Edelgard arched into the touch. She turned her head to catch Byleth's lips.
"My love," she panted against Byleth's mouth. "Don't you dare tease me." Edelgard kissed her wife once more, nipping at Byleth's bottom lip.
"I would never." And the fingers rubbing her moved faster, ramping up the tension coiled tight in her body. Byleth used her free hand to pull Edelgard's shirt up to massage her breasts, causing her to shiver when the relatively cool air met her heated skin.
Being in Byleth's arms was one of Edelgard's favorite things, lovemaking aside. Simply being close to her wife filled her with adoration. Byleth was her anchor, her partner and equal, her beloved. With the way said partner was working her clit, it wasn't long until her orgasm crested quickly and quietly, Edelgard murmuring sweet nothings in between kisses, grinding against Byleth's slowing hand as waves of warmth spread from her center all the way to her toes. Finally, Byleth withdrew, looking like the cat that got the cream.
"That was fast. Were you that wound up from the book?" Byleth gave her a gentle squeeze. When she let go, Edelgard moved off of her and positioned herself so they were facing each other. Their legs tangled as if of their own accord and Edelgard pressed their foreheads together.
"Don't be ridiculous." Edelgard was sure she would have blushed if she weren't already aglow from her wife's attentions. "I was simply enjoying being with you. What got into you anyway?" She stroked Byleth's cheek delicately, tracing a path to her lips.
Byleth smiled, and Edelgard wasn't sure she would ever stop loving how Byleth looked at her when they were alone. It made her stomach flip and stole the breath from her lungs. "I thought you'd look cute coming undone like that." Before Edelgard could complain about being called "cute," she added, "I was wrong. You looked gorgeous."
"You're beginning to sound like the characters in that book."
"Am I?"
Edelgard thought for a moment. "Now that I think about it, you can be quite blunt. The protagonist sort of speaks like you, I suppose."
"Oh?" Byleth reached over, grabbed the book, and skimmed it. Edelgard watched as Byleth's eyes scanned the page, her brow wrinkling just a fraction. After a time, Byleth set the novel down. "I see what you mean. You know, the vampire lover sort of talks like you, too."
Edelgard scoffed. "I beg to differ."
"I don't know, El. Maybe Bernadetta used us as references." Byleth giggled. "The characters seem just different enough that it's not immediately obvious. But from what I read, she nailed the pining." As much as Edelgard wanted to protest that their courtship couldn't be summarized with one word, she couldn't deny that much of it had indeed consisted of yearning looks and coded declarations of love.
Edelgard rested her hand on Byleth's chest, over her heart. "Whatever the case, she wrote a compelling love story." Byleth hummed in agreement and covered Edelgard's hand with her own; pressing her palm firmly enough that she could feel Byleth's heart beating steadily. Overcome with affection, Edelgard couldn't help but sweep her wife into a searing kiss, drawing it out for a number of seconds.
"I don't think books can completely capture how I feel right now." Byleth whispered. "But I think I like it this way."
"I agree."
"El?"
"Yes, my love?"
"Do you think Bernadetta used the others as references in her other books?"
There was a beat of silence as Edelgard considered the possibility.
"Do you want to find out?" They stared at each other for a moment longer before launching out of bed to gather the rest of the novels.
The rest of the day was spent poring over Bernadetta's writing and determining that, yes, the reclusive archer had indeed based many of her characters off of the other Black Eagles. Edelgard read until the words blurred on the page and her eyelids felt like anvils. She fell asleep in much the same way she always did since the war ended – nestled against Byleth, knowing that she was safe and loved.