Sitting alone in his office, Seteth stared down at the scroll unfurled upon his desk, repeatedly reading the written words silently to himself. It had been a few weeks since he and Archbishop Rhea had received this decree of war from Adrestia's new emperor and Seteth was still in complete disbelief regarding recent events. Somehow, right under the church's nose, Edelgard had managed to sneak off to Enbarr, usurp the throne from her father and raise an army with the intention to dismantle the Church of Serios. Ever since Edelgard had declared war on the church, Seteth had largely blamed himself. His heart weighed heavily with a crushing sense of regret. He thought he had always been exceptionally diligent in watching over the students and he honestly could not wrap his mind around how he had ever allowed Edelgard's intentions to go unnoticed. He wished that he had only paid more attention, maybe then he could have recognized the wickedness of her heart and prevented Fódlan from being thrown into another senseless war. The Imperial Army would unquestionably prove to be a formidable enemy, especially under the command of a leader as ruthless and determined as Edelgard. The Knights of Serios had immediately been summoned following receipt of the war decree and Seteth took comfort in knowing that they were currently on their way to Garreg Mach, though it would likely be some time before The Knights could assemble in their full capacity and move forward to wage any kind of large-scale attack on imperial forces. In the meantime, Seteth could only continue to plan and wait.
Seteth placed his quill down on the desk in front of him and frustratingly ran a hand through his dark green hair. He was at least grateful to have Prince Dimitri and The Kingdom Army as allies of the church. Although as of late, Seteth frequently found himself very concerned over the well-being of the young future King of Faerghus. Since discovering Edelgard to be the mysterious Flame Emperor and learning of her intentions, Dimitri had rapidly spiraled out of control, descending into a frightening state of madness. Seteth could only pray for the prince and hope that he would be able to pull himself together to defend The Kingdom. Seteth placed his hands together and closed his eyes. He bowed his head and silently began to pray, asking for The Goddess' divine protection and strength for Prince Dimitri, Archbishop Rhea, Flayn and the citizens of Fódlan alike.
"Seteth!" One of the monastery guards rushed into the room.
Seteth was jolted out of his thoughts and opened his eyes to see the man standing in front of him in an obvious panic.
"What is it?" Seteth asked. "What's wrong?"
"I have an urgent report. Imperial troops have been spotted marching toward the monastery! They're nearly at our gates!"
"We must defend Garreg Mach. We haven't but a moment to lose." Seteth said, a strong sense of urgency in his voice as he stood up. "Instruct those who can pick up a weapon to prepare for battle. Anyone who cannot fight, must evacuate at once!"
"Yes." The soldier nodded and rushed out of the room, proceeding to warn as many people as possible of the Imperial Army's advance.
Seteth hurried out of his office and raced to the nearest window where he saw a large group of soldiers marching toward Garreg Mach. High above their heads waved a red banner bearing a golden double-headed eagle, the insignia of the Adrestian Empire.
"I must warn Rhea." Seteth said to himself. "May Sothis protect us…"
Outside, the monastery grounds had quickly become a battlefield. Students of the Officers Academy, faculty members and church soldiers alike were fighting their hardest, attempting to stave off the Imperial Army's advance and prevent them from infiltrating Garreg Mach. Even Archbishop Rhea stood upon the battlefield armed with a sword and shield, poised and fully prepared to defend the monastery in the Goddess' name.
Ingrid flew her pegasus high above the trees, swooping in to attack imperial soldiers with her lace at every possible opportunity.
"Felix! Sylvain!" Ingrid called out to the ground below. "We have to get to the western front as fast as we can. They need help. I can see reinforcements approaching in the distance. We mustn't allow them to attack The Archbishop."
Sylvain turned his horse around, it began galloping following his command as Felix followed behind on foot, both racing to the aid of their allies as quickly as they possibly could. Ingrid heard the sound of flapping wings breaking through the air and fast approaching her from behind, she whipped around, tightly gripping her lance, prepared to attack, but she was relieved to see Seteth mounted atop his Wyvern rather than an enemy soldier set to engage in combat.
"I will do everything I can to protect Rhea." Seteth said. "Assist our soldiers in securing the southernmost stronghold. On mount you will be able to get to their aid quickly."
"I'm on the way." Ingrid nodded.
"Edelgard is among their ranks." Seteth said. "Proceed carefully."
Ingrid soared across the battlefield, helping her allies to defeat as many soldiers as possible along the way. As she approached the southern end of the monastery grounds, her eyes scanned the terrain below for enemy units. She noticed two soldiers in heavy armor, swiftly making their way toward Dorothea.
Dorothea looked up into the eyes of one of the soldiers and instantly recognized her. Dorothea's heart pounded in her chest as she found herself face to face with The Emperor herself. The rage and determination in Edelgard's eyes were unlike anything Dorothea had ever seen before. She wanted to plead with Edelgard to stop the fighting and to retract her declaration of war, but Dorothea knew this was not the time. She braced herself, nervously preparing to fight for her life. The last thing she wanted was to have to engage in battle with Edelgard. Dorothea prepared to summon a magic spell to attack, but was startled by the loud sound of flapping wings approaching her. Before Dorothea could turn around to see whether the mounted soldier behind her was ally or foe, Ingrid had swooped downward, her pegasus touching down on the ground just long enough for her to reach down and wrap her arm securely around Dorothea's waist, scooping her up out of harm's way. Ingrid held onto her girlfriend with all of her might. She kept her feet firmly in the stirrups, desperately trying to keep her balance as she held onto her lance in one hand and held onto Dorothea with her other arm. As the pegasus began to ascend into the sky again, Dorothea scrambled to climb up onto the pegasus' back, she held onto the saddle and desperately swung her leg over the pegasus' back and landed on the back edge of the saddle, behind Ingrid. She wrapped her arms around Ingrid's body and squeezed her tightly. Ingrid could hear Dorothea's distressed, heavy breathing as well as feel her girlfriend's body trembling against her own.
"You're okay?" Ingrid asked, turning her head to look over her shoulder at her girlfriend.
"I'm okay." Dorothea said, her voice cracked as she tightened her grip around Ingrid's body.
"Hang on." Ingrid gripped the pole of her lance and circled around toward a group of enemy soldiers.
Ingrid commanded her pegasus to descend toward the ground. As they approached the soldiers, she pulled her lance back and thrusted the blade toward one of the soldiers as hard as she could. Ingrid felt the blade penetrate the soldier's flesh and embed itself into his body. With one forceful yank, Ingrid quickly pulled the blade out, a tremendous amount of blood poured from the wound as the soldier instantly collapsed dead on the ground. Ingrid swiftly steered her pegasus out of the way as a heavily armored soldier equipped with a large axe, swung his weapon at the horse. She jabbed her blood-soaked lance at the soldier, initially missing him. On a second attempt, as she made contact with his armor, she heard a loud metal on metal clanging sound as the blade of her lance snapped off of the pole, the sharpened edge falling to the ground. The soldier recoiled, from the force of the impact created by the lance, but no damage was done to his armor or body.
"Damn it!" Ingrid cried out in frustration.
The soldier raised his axe again. Now weaponless, Ingrid signaled her pegasus to ascend, out of harm's way. Before the soldier could manage to swing his axe, he was quickly struck down and killed instantly by a bolt of lightning that had materialized as a result of one of Dorothea's magic spells.
"Dorothea. That was amazing." Ingrid turned her head to look back at her girlfriend.
As the battle continued on, Edelgard quickly found her reinforcements dwindling by the minute. Knowing that her chances of seizing Garreg Mach at the present time were now very slim, she reluctantly commanded her troops to retreat.
"It looks like they're retreating." Ingrid said. "We did it."
An exhausted Dorothea held on tightly to Ingrid, watching the imperial army disperse and quickly leave the monastery grounds.
"I don't know how we managed to hold them off." Dorothea breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "But, I'm glad it's over…for now." Dorothea felt tears pricking at the back of her eyes.
From the sky above the monastery, Ingrid looked downward to see the ground stained with blood and littered with bodies of fallen soldiers, allied and enemy alike. Some of the bodies were completely missing limbs while others were still impaled with weapons. A few were even still clinging to life, periodically gasping for shallow breaths as they waited for death to consume them. It was a horridly gruesome sight to take in. Ingrid was relieved that this battle was over, but she knew that this was only the very beginning and she would need to steel herself for the upcoming war ahead. Ingrid then silently swore an oath to herself, promising to protect The Kingdom and its future king no matter the cost.
It was late one morning, Ingrid and Dorothea had been lying together in Ingrid's bed. Ever since Edelgard had declared war on the church and attacked the monastery, Dorothea had found herself struggling with thoughts of the impending war, but being with Ingrid helped to ease her mind and reassure her that everything would somehow be all right. Dorothea buried her face into Ingrid's chest, quietly listening to her girlfriend's heart beating.
"Are you okay?" Ingrid asked, placing a gentle kiss to the top of Dorothea's head.
"I'm all right." Dorothea said. "I still can't believe everything that's happening. I knew Edie wasn't fond of the church, but I never thought it would come to this. I thought I knew her better. I never expected she'd sneak off to Enbarr, secretly ascend the throne and raise an army against the church..."
"Of course you didn't." Ingrid wrapped her arms tighter around her girlfriend and pulled her close. "None of us predicted this."
"I'm so nervous about what's to come. Our troops barely survived the last battle. And I don't know what would have happened if the monastery would have been seized."
"There's a lot to think about." Ingrid ran her fingers through Dorothea's hair. "But, we have the Knights of Seiros on our side. Once all of the knights are able to assemble, our forces will be much stronger."
"I'm sick about the thought of having to face Edie in battle again. Right before you saved me, I saw her face...she had this fierce anger and pain behind her eyes that I've never seen in her..."
"She's strong and determined. We'll just have to be stronger."
"Isn't there some other way? There has to be something besides war...can't we try to reason with her?"
"I wish we could. Honestly, I do..." Ingrid said sympathetically. "But, she doesn't seem to be willing to negotiate with anyone. She's set on this path and turned friend to foe without even the slightest hesitation. She won't stop until she's conquered all of Fódlan. She's extremely dangerous."
Dorothea and Ingrid were then interrupted by a loud knock at the door.
"Who's there?" Ingrid called out.
"Express Messenger. I have a letter for Ingrid from Count Galatea. He indicated this is an urgent matter."
Ingrid slipped out from under Dorothea and got up off of the bed. She opened the door, took the letter from the messenger and thanked him. Ingrid unrolled the paper and sat down on the edge of the bed as she slowly began to read over the letter.
"What is it?" Dorothea knelt on the bed behind Ingrid. She wrapped her arms around Ingrid's chest and peered over her shoulder. "Is it serious?"
"My father has forbidden me to join the war effort." Ingrid said. "He wants me to return home immediately. It seems I have another potential marriage proposal that he'd like me to seriously consider. One of the other area noble houses has offered a sizable dowry to my father provided I turn out to be...viable."
"Wait. Slow down. Your father wants you to go home to try to get some noblewoman pregnant? And what do you mean another proposal? This has happened before?"
"Yes. I've had many proposals just like this over the last year or so."
"Why didn't you ever say anything to me?"
"I didn't think I needed to. I've always turned them down. They're only interested in my crest of Daphnel. My father has his heart set on my furthering Daphnel's bloodline through House Galatea. I'm the only one of my siblings to bear the crest. My father had always hoped my crest would attract another noble house, then he could marry me off and finally bring some financial stability to our family."
"So what you're saying is that your father doesn't want you to risk your life joining the war effort so you can instead return home to be used for...breeding stock to obtain wealth?"
"To put it simply, yes. It's a complicated burden I've always had to bear as a noble daughter. My father has many times strongly suggested that I consider a proposal, but I don't think he'd ever actually force me into a marriage." Ingrid stood up. "My situation is a bit different from other nobles though. Each proposal has been contingent upon whether I can produce children. I would first have to prove that I can even impregnate a woman, if I can't, then the proposal and dowry would be immediately retracted. If it turns out that I'm unable to produce any offspring, then I'd be considered essentially useless."
"No, you're not. You know that's not true." Dorothea said, angrily. "And shame on anyone who would ever think that."
"Marrying and having children for political and monetary gain is important in The Kingdom. If you had been born with a crest, you probably would have found yourself living a very different life. Maybe even in a position quite similar to mine right now. Arranged marriages aren't exclusive to Kingdom nobility, they happen often all throughout Empire and Alliance territories as well."
"Of course, but that doesn't make it right. You're not disposable. And you shouldn't be treated that way."
"I know." Ingrid nodded. "Believe me, it's a topic that has severely strained and complicated my relationship with my father to say the very least."
"So you wouldn't consider ever accepting this proposal?" Dorothea asked, taking the letter from her girlfriend. "I mean, your father can't be happy that you're involved with a commoner...I could never bring any political or monetary benefit to your family, but I-"
"I don't care what my father wants. I won't entertain the thought. Not even for a moment." Ingrid took the letter back from Dorothea, crumpled it in her hand and tossed into the trash. "He's never supported my dream of becoming a knight. If he had his way, I never would have come here. This is my life and I must live it how I see fit. I plan to continue with my pursuit of knighthood and further my relationship with you." Ingrid took Dorothea's hands in her own. "I never intended to rule my house anyway. If the Daphnel bloodline and House Galatea die with me, then so be it. I'm joining the war effort to fight for my homeland and His Highness. This is what I've trained for. It's my duty."
"And I'll be here to support you every step of the way." Dorothea wrapped her arms around Ingrid and hugged her tightly. "I promise."
"Dorothea, please...if you'll excuse me for a little while, there are a few things I must do."
Ingrid had been on her way to the armory when she met Felix and Sylvain along the way.
"Are you two going to the war council Seteth is holding this afternoon?" Ingrid asked.
"Yeah. But, we're heading to go get fitted for armor now." Sylvain said.
"So am I." Ingrid said. "We can go together."
"You sure this is all really for you?" Felix asked.
"What do you mean?" Ingrid asked. "Is what for me?"
"This is an actual war, Ingrid. Why don't you just leave this to the men? It's not like routing weakling bandits on the outskirts of the monastery." Felix said. "This is The Imperial Army and the last battle was only a taste of war will be like. You're not just playing knight anymore."
"I really resent that, Felix." Ingrid glared at her friend, gritting her teeth. "I'm not 'playing' knight. What do I have to do for you to see me as an equal? We've been put through the exact same training and I've always kept up with you and every other male here. I'm joining The Kingdom Army, I've never been more certain of anything."
"Fine. Just don't expect me to come to your rescue on the battlefield." Felix said. "If you're going to be a fool, I won't put my life on the line to save yours."
"I won't need rescuing. Not from you, not from anyone. I can handle myself just fine." Ingrid spat.
"Come on guys. Stop it." Sylvain said. "I don't want to lose either of you. Let's all make a pact to agree to protect each other the best we can." Sylvain held out his hand palm down toward Ingrid and Felix. "Can we please do that much?"
Ingrid and Felix both looked at each other and nodded, in silent agreement. Ingrid then reached her hand out, placing it on top of Sylvain's, immediately followed by Felix placing his hand on top of hers.
"We must do whatever it takes to protect Faerghus." Ingrid said.
A short time later Ingrid returned to her room. She looked over herself in her new armor, mint green tunic and white pants. The pieces of metal armor she wore were slightly heavier on her body than she had expected and it felt very different from the academy uniform that she typically wore, but she didn't think it would take much time to get used to the minimal added weight. She wasn't even completely covered from head to toe in armor, as some knights were. She knew that wouldn't be an option, as she would need extra mobility when fighting on mount, atop her trusty pegasus. Ingrid's gaze shifted downward to her armor covered boots. She loved the way this armor felt on her body and how the plates made soft metallic noises as they shifted whenever she walked. She stepped over to the full-length mirror hanging on the wall across the room. Ingrid was completely unable to draw her eyes away from her reflection. Although she was intensely nervous about the uncertainties and hardships that come with war, something about this just felt so right. Ingrid's heart swelled in her chest. Wearing this armor and preparing to fight for her homeland and King made her feel strong and proud, but there was still something that felt out of place. She stared hard at her own reflection, took the fur collar which attached to her cape into her gloved hands, turned and glanced over her shoulder at the back of her new outfit. Her long blonde braid suddenly felt abnormally heavy cascading down over her cape. Ingrid walked over to her desk and pulled out a relatively large dagger that she had concealed in one of the drawers. She moved back in front of the mirror and pulled her braid over her shoulder to the front of her body. Ingrid tightly gripped her braid in her hand and shakily raised the dagger. She inhaled a deep breath and stared into the mirror. As she exhaled, in one quick, smooth unyielding motion, the razor sharp blade of the dagger swiftly sliced through her hair until she was left clutching her long and now completely severed braid in her gloved hand. Ingrid discarded the hair to the floor and nodded, never taking her eyes off of her own reflection.
As Ingrid made her way through the monastery to the meeting room, she turned the corner and noticed Hilda slowly walking down the long hallway, several feet in front of her.
"Hilda!" Ingrid called out. "Wait up."
Hilda jumped, clearly startled by Ingrid. She stopped walking.
"I apologize. I didn't mean to startle you." Ingrid said. "Are you okay?"
"I'm a little jumpy with everything that's going on and all..." Hilda said as she turned to face Ingrid.
Hilda's mouth instantly dropped wide open.
"Is everything all right?" Ingrid asked.
Although she could obviously hear Ingrid speak, Hilda didn't pay any attention to the words the blonde had said, as she was far too preoccupied with Ingrid's dramatically changed appearance.
"Ingrid?" She carefully looked the blonde up and down. "Wow. You look...like a real knight..."
"Thank you." Ingrid said, running a hand back through her, short blonde hair.
"I can't believe you chopped off all of your hair. You look so different."
"Do you think it looks bad?" Ingrid asked. "I did it myself, so I know it's not exactly perfect, but it just felt right..."
"I like it. But, it's a little shaggy. I can help you clean it up a bit. Come with me." Hilda took Ingrid by the hand dragged her down the hallway to her room.
When they got inside, Hilda sat Ingrid down and stepped behind her. She trimmed up some stray uneven stands of hair and then carefully braided a single strip of hair from each side of Ingrid's head. Hilda took one of her handmade clips that happened to match Ingrid's outfit perfectly and fixed it in Ingrid's hair to hold both of the braids together at the spot where they met at the back of Ingrid's head. Hilda then also added some matching green ribbons to Ingrid's hair for good measure.
"There. That's much better."
"Thank you." Ingrid stood up. "I hate to have to leave so abruptly, but if you'll excuse me. I must get to the war council."
"I'm going too." Hilda said. "I'll walk with you."
"You're attending the council?" Ingrid asked, surprised.
"Yeah. I don't really want to, but Claude is making me. He'll kill me if I skip it."
"Just make sure you pay close attention then. This is important." Ingrid said as she and Hilda began making their way out of the room and down the hall.
"So...I guess we're really doing this, huh?" Hilda said, wrapping her arms around Ingrid's elbow.
"What do you mean?" Ingrid asked, her eyes sinking down to Hilda hands around her arm. She suddenly felt an abnormal aura of nervousness radiating from the normally upbeat and cheery pink-haired girl.
"Joining a real war...and one against Edelgard, no less...it's all kinda scary, you know?" Hilda said uneasily. "Aren't you afraid at all?"
"I am nervous." Ingrid admitted. "It won't be an easy fight. That much I know for sure."
"Tell me about it. What if I have to fight on the front lines? I don't think I'm cut out for this...I don't wanna die."
"I understand that you're scared and I don't blame you, but your axe skills are practically unmatched when you put your best effort forward."
"You really think so?"
"Of course. You're even stronger than many of the men who have trained at the academy. I've always been impressed with your skill...even envied it on occasion."
"Well, I guess learning to swing an axe is kind of a rite of passage in House Goneril. My father and older brother taught me young."
"You'll be just fine. I think you have a lot to bring to this effort. Much more than you realize right now."
"Thanks." Hilda smiled, slightly. "So...where's Dorothea? I thought she would be with you. Isn't she coming to the meeting too? You two are usually attached at the hip."
"I didn't tell her about the council. To be honest, I really don't want her to become involved in the war."
"Why not? She's gotten really strong with her magic and she's talented with a sword too..."
"That's true. I have faith in her abilities, but I can't bear the thought of her getting caught up in this conflict. What if she gets injured or worse? My heart can't handle it. I'm in love with her, Hilda. The thought of ever losing her scares me to death. Even more than the possibility of losing my own life. I can't..." Ingrid paused a moment, feeling herself getting slightly choked up. "I can't risk it..."
"Have you told her that?" Hilda asked, glancing over at Ingrid as they continued to make their way down the hall.
"That I don't want her to fight?"
"No. Ingrid." Hilda sighed. "Have you told her that you love her?"
"Well...no. Not exactly. Not yet." Ingrid shook her head. "But, I'm sure she knows. She has to."
"She probably has an idea of how you feel, but she still needs to hear the words straight from your mouth."
"I just haven't been able to come up with a good time to say it..."
"Really? You never thought any of the times you were lying naked on top of her seemed like good enough occasions to say it?" Hilda said sarcastically.
"I've thought about it during intimacy, of course. But, I don't want her to think for a moment that the only reason I'm saying it is because she's sleeping with me. She deserves better than that. I just think it would mean more to her if I said it outside of bed. At least for the first time."
"Okay. Okay. You're right about that." Hilda agreed. "Maybe you aren't as clueless about romance as I thought. But, you need to tell her and as soon as possible." Hilda said, matter-of-factly. "She's waited long enough. Besides, we're going to be setting out to attack imperial troops in a matter of weeks whether she joins us or not. I don't mean to be morbid, but this is war, anything can happen. If you don't tell her now, you might never get the chance. Don't you want her to know how you really feel?"
"You're right." Ingrid nodded. "I do, but I have no idea what to say...it's not easy for me to talk about these kinds of things. I've never felt like this for anyone before...how do I even begin to describe all that she means to me?"
"Just sit down with her and talk to her honestly. Let your heart speak for you. You really can't go wrong here. I promise, it won't hurt you to talk about your feelings for once."
"I'll do my best." Ingrid nodded.
"You need to learn to process your emotions better." Hilda said. "We'll work on it. But, you realize this would be a lot simpler if you had ever talked about your feelings instead of always picking up your lance and jabbing at things to avoid having to feel anything."
Ingrid sighed and ran her hand through her hair as they approached their destination.
"After you." Ingrid said, motioning for Hilda to enter the room ahead of her.
"Thanks…and you know I'm right." Hilda teased as she let go of Ingrid's arm and walked into the room ahead of her.
When the council had eventually come to an end, Ingrid got up and quickly slipped out of the room, with Sylvain trailing closely behind.
"Ingrid. Do you wanna come to the dining hall and get something to eat?" Sylvain asked.
"I can't. I need to see Dorothea right away."
"Is everything all right? You don't ever skip meals."
"Everything is fine. I promise. I just need to talk to her. I'll see you later?"
"Oh. Okay. Sure." Sylvain shrugged.
Ingrid hurriedly made her way to the greenhouse where she picked up a dozen red roses from the greenhouse keeper and headed toward Dorothea's room. Ingrid softly knocked on the door, hoping that Dorothea was inside. After a moment, Dorothea granted her verbal consent and Ingrid entered the room. Upon Ingrid's entrance, Dorothea made eye contact with her girlfriend and immediately froze in place. Ingrid looked completely different than she had earlier that morning and dramatically different from the girl that Dorothea had come to know. She looked even more handsome, much more mature and most importantly very knightly.
"Ingrid?" Dorothea said, taking a few steps toward the blonde. "Is that really you?"
"It's me." Ingrid said, softly. "It's quite a change, huh?"
"Yes." Dorothea reached up and placed her hand on Ingrid's cheek. "You look-"
"Do you…hate my haircut?" Ingrid asked, nervously.
"Not at all." Dorothea smiled and ran her fingers through Ingrid's now much shorter blonde locks. "I was going to say, you look wonderful. It suits you well." Dorothea then placed both of her hands flat on the metal breastplate armor that covered Ingrid's chest. "All of this does."
"Thank you. For once in my life, I finally feel like my outward appearance matches the person I've always desired to be on the inside."
Dorothea nodded happily. "My goodness, you are absolutely the most handsome knight I've ever seen."
Ingrid blushed a little, her heart swelled in her chest. Something about Dorothea calling her handsome had always set Ingrid's heart ablaze. "I'm still not officially a knight yet. It'll be quite some time before I can be knighted and with the war who knows when that'll happen, if even at all. I have promised to fight with all of my strength for The Kingdom, but I'm not yet worthy of knighthood-"
"Yes, you are." Dorothea said, confidently. "The official title will come in time, but it's not what makes a knight. Spirit, bravery, kindness and devotion are the qualities that make a true knight. You already possess all of those things."
"Thank you." Ingrid smiled. "Here. I brought you these." She handed the roses to Dorothea.
"They're beautiful. Thank you so much." Dorothea took the bouquet of roses and leaned forward, placing a kiss to Ingrid's lips.
"So, um...I wanted to speak with you about something rather important. Do you have a minute?"
"Of course. Always for you. What is it?" Dorothea set the roses down on her desk and turned to face Ingrid again.
"I just came from the war council. Our soldiers will be moving out to meet imperial troops head on by the end of the month. I'll be among our ranks, fighting on the front lines-"
"I expected as much." Dorothea nodded. "And I'll be right there fighting alongside you."
"No. I can't let you do that."
"You don't think I can handle it?" Dorothea asked.
"It's not that at all. I know you can. You're a gifted mage and swordswoman. But..." Ingrid took Dorothea's hand into one of her own glove clad ones. "War is too uncertain. There's no room for error and no turning back."
Ingrid led Dorothea to the bed where they both sat down. "I'll reach out to my siblings and arrange for you to be escorted to Galatea territory at once. Our resources are sparse, but you'll be taken care of. I'll come home for you as soon as the war ends. I promise, we'll be together again someday. Once things are safe."
"No. I won't leave you." Dorothea adamantly refused. "I can't."
"Please, Dorothea. It will all but kill me to be away from you, but it's for the best. War won't be anything like the romanticized stories from the operas you've performed in the past. The battles will be long, brutal and bloody. The battle we fought protecting the monastery was only a fraction of what the battles that lie ahead will be like. I don't want you to ever be subjected to that." Ingrid said. "I love you so much and-"
Ingrid squeezed her eyes closed. She certainly didn't intend to just blurt out those three important words that had always evaded her, but it was already too late.
"You love me..." Dorothea interjected. "That's the first time you've ever said that to me."
"I realize that and I'm ashamed with myself for never having said it sooner. I just didn't know how to tell you. Fighting and training is all I know so I've always struggled with expressing affection properly. I-"
"I love you too." Dorothea wrapped her arms around Ingrid's body and pulled her close. "I wanted to tell you from the beginning, but I worried that I would say it too soon and scare you off. I wasn't sure you were ready to hear it..."
Ingrid pulled back and stared lovingly into Dorothea's eyes, smiling softly. She placed her hand on Dorothea's cheek, gently stroking it with her thumb. "Please let me send you to The Kingdom. I can't bear the thought of anything happening to you in battle. I would be completely devastated if I ever lost you. I don't know what I'd do with myself..."
"You don't think I'm terrified about you going into battle? I appreciate that you want to keep me safe, but I can't leave you. Ever. No matter what happens..." A few tears fell from Dorothea's eyes and rolled down her cheek, disappearing as soon as they came in contact with Ingrid's gloved hand. "I need to stay by your side."
"You're a stubborn woman." Ingrid sighed. "You're certain that there's nothing I can do to change your mind?"
"Not a thing." Dorothea leaned her forehead against Ingrid's and slipped her hands into her hair, gripping her short, blonde locks between her fingertips. "Anywhere you go, I'll be with you. Always."
A few weeks later.
Dorothea knocked on the door to Ingrid's room and entered to find Ingrid sitting on her bed, looking at some papers with notes scribbled on them.
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything." Dorothea said.
"Not at all. I'm just reviewing some of the notes I took at the last strategy meeting. I'm trying to prepare myself as best as I can. We'll be heading out in just a few days."
"I know." Dorothea nodded. "Manuela and I have packed up some extra supplies and food for our troops."
Dorothea sat down on the bed next to Ingrid. "Are you ready?" Dorothea asked, placing her hand on Ingrid's thigh.
"Ready." Ingrid set her papers down and laced her fingers with her girlfriend's. "Are you certain you want to do this? It's not too late. You can always stay here and help tend to the monastery. We're going to be using it as our home base. I'm sure Professor Manuela could use help in the infirmary. You've become a skilled healer..."
"Thank you. That's all the more reason for me to join you. Our soldiers will be in need of immediate medical attention on the battlefield. I can't treat them from here."
"Well, that didn't go the way I expected." Ingrid sighed heavily.
"Sweetheart." Dorothea placed her hand on Ingrid's cheek. "I know you're concerned, but I'll be okay. I can handle myself."
"Please promise me you'll be careful. Don't allow yourself to fall into an overwhelming situation. Retreat if you need to. Don't take any unreasonable risks."
"Of course." Dorothea placed a gentle kiss to Ingrid's lips. "And I want you to promise me the same. Don't be stubborn. Take care of yourself."
"I promise." Ingrid nodded.
"Good. Now, I have something I need to give you."
Dorothea stood up and walked to the door. She stepped outside of the room and returned only a moment later, holding a brand new, shiny silver lance in her hands.
"Here. I know you broke your favorite lance defending the monastery, so I brought you a gift."
Ingrid stood up from the bed and walked over to her girlfriend.
"This is...for me?" Ingrid asked, taking the pole of the lance into her hand.
"Yes. I went to the armory and bought it this morning. Every knight needs a proper weapon after all."
"I'm truly touched...but this is much too extravagant. How did you afford-"
"I sold some things I had amassed from my time in the opera company. A few dresses, some jewelry that sort of thing."
"I...I could never accept this. I couldn't possibly let you part with your possessions on my behalf." Ingrid took Dorothea's hand. "Come on, hopefully there's still time to get your things back."
"Don't worry about that. It's not important." Dorothea smiled. "I want you to have this."
"You're absolutely sure?"
"Of course. It would make me very happy to do this for you."
"I...I don't know what to say except thank you so much." Ingrid leaned in and pressed her lips to Dorothea's. "I love you."
"I love you too with all of my heart." Dorothea wrapped her arms around Ingrid and hugged her tightly. "Use this lance to protect yourself. Please always be safe. We have a very long road ahead of us."
"Indeed." Ingrid pulled back and stared deep into her girlfriend's eyes.