Part 1 — Harpstring Moon
After a few weeks of idle study where the Officers Academy's students and faculty grew used to one another's presence, the Great Tree Moon was punctuated by a mock battle between the Black Eagles, Blue Lions and Golden Deer.
Byleth proved himself to be both a capable professor and military commander in the eyes of all through a swift and decisive victory utilizing the diverse talents of Dimitri, Dedue, Felix and Annette: A lance, an axe, a sword and magic.
The cornerstones of any great army.
Soon after their victory, Byleth's house was assigned their mission for the Harpstring Moon. Each month would bring a new task from Archbishop Rhea for the students residing in Garreg Mach to complete as a means of giving back to the community. Because of how handily the Blue Lions won their mock battle, she deemed them capable of completing the most difficult of her three missions.
They were to assist in routing bandits from Zanado, the Red Canyon.
The coming weeks would have Byleth mulling over how to keep his fresh-faced students protected against threats that would not hesitate to see them strewn asunder.
That first Sunday following the mock battle was peaceful. It seemed everyone had finished their homework as well as the chores they were assigned around the monastery. The stables were cleaned, weeds were all picked out of the classrooms' courtyard and sky-patrolling duties were handed back to the Knights of Seiros.
Most students took the opportunity to utilize the amenities of the monastery: Fishing in the great pond, sharing meals in the dining hall, helping the kind woman who ran the greenhouse, shopping in the marketplace or what have you.
But one girl still had her head in the clouds.
Even as blue skies began to transition into an opalescent dance of orange, red and purple brushstrokes against a barely clouded canvas, Marianne found herself unable to look away from each confident pegasus gliding over that chasm between the main area of the monastery and its grand church. Though she hesitated to look down into the abyss they raced across with flapping wings, her heart longed to replace one of the armored knights that rode such magnificent animals.
She could picture it now. A chance to be completely alone with her thoughts as the wind cut off any and all interruptions, where she was so close with her gentle steed that they spoke without speaking. Words passed by nothing more than a distinct twitch or a nuzzle against its pillow-y mane. To be one with a beast that may understand how she felt without any judgment, without any awkward and forced social interaction that would undoubtedly go south.
It was a silly fantasy, but one that she clung to.
As the idea settles over her, she leans further onto the small wall that gated off this portion of the church's exterior from anyone who may accidentally fall into that chasm. Though there was a bulletin board posted on a wall nearby, Marianne had quickly found this outcropping off to the left of the cathedral doorway to be a quiet, rarely travelled area.
It was perfect for being alone.
... Or to find an escape from this mortal coil, should she choose to climb over the paltry battlements and plummet into the Goddess' arms.
Not that she would — unless the Goddess sent some sign for her to do so.
Otherwise the best that could do is get her swooped up in the arms of a patrolling Knight, only to be branded as insane outwardly as she felt on the inside. Which would truly be detrimental to her chances at finding a suitor who would appease her adoptive father.
Oh how she longed for that sign. For anything to end her misery.
"Evening."
Marianne cries out and nearly falls onto her back when she quickly pulls away from the ledge. That was not the sign she had been expecting.
It was Byleth, the new Blue Lions professor, who had yanked her out of the recesses of her thoughts. She was so far gone that he was able to walk up, stand beside her and watch the pegasi with his arms crossed for who knows how long before speaking up.
A morbid thought ran through her mind: If this had been a battlefield, she would be choking up blood with his sword through her spine.
But this wasn't, and she wasn't. Instead she caught a glimpse of some emotion flashing across his face. It wasn't much, but his eyebrows had clearly risen in surprise at her reaction. Otherwise it was just as collected and opaque as ever.
"Sorry," he says simply.
"No, no it's… It's okay." She clears her throat and brushes off the front of her uniform before looking back out at the sky.
Her head ducks just enough to let hair fall in front of her eyes again. However, she couldn't cover the red rushing across her pale cheeks.
Byleth looks off in the same direction, hands tucked in his pockets. The arms of his long black coat, attached to the neck of his armor as though it were a cloak, flapped behind his actual arms like flags in the wind.
He lets the silence settle comfortably before trying to speak up again.
"I was told I could find you here."
Marianne's eyes shot open. Now was when he plunged a dagger into her throat, wasn't it? This really WAS going to turn out to be that sign she had prayed for.
"W-Who… Who told you that?" She stammers out before cautiously looking in Byleth's direction.
He had no weapons drawn. It seemed she would live for another day.
"I'd rather not say for their sake," he remarks with a shrug. Then he stepped away from the wall and turned toward her, face as blank as ever while taking in her expression.
"Though they did ask me to pass this along."
He rummages around in his right pocket for a moment before pulling something out in a closed fist. Marianne shuts her eyes tight, clearly expecting something malicious.
But after a moment she opens them slowly to find a trinket in his outstretched hand, waiting patiently for her to take it.
With a quiet 'thank you' she picks up the small object and delicately rolls it around in her fingers. It was a black hairpin with a rather intricate wooden attachment to the eye that was designed like a book. The book had two jewels on the front where you might expect the title to be, one blue and one pink.
Hilda. Of course.
Marianne began to regret her somewhat growing closeness with the other Golden Deer girl if it meant her comings-and-goings were for sale to any wannabe sleuth trying to corner her after an afternoon of prayer.
But as the tome featured on this accessory reminded her, it was nice to have someone she could register a 'growing closeness' with.
"So… What did you want then?" She asks while putting the hairpin away.
Byleth crosses his arms again and rolls his neck to both sides before turning around so he could sit on the edge of the stone. Off in that direction he could see the Goddess Tower cutting into the sherbet skies.
It was a supposedly mythical place attached to the church that he was told nobody could enter except on one very special occasion. Frankly, it just looked like an abandoned mess of stone and overgrowth if you asked him.
"After the mock battle I saw you taking care of your wounded housemates. You're handy with faith and healing spells, aren't you Marianne?"
She shies away when he turns his head just enough to look at her through the corner of his eyes. Eventually she takes a similar posture sitting along the edge of the wall, hands folded in her lap. She hoped it would alleviate his glance.
"Yes… I suppose. Though so is Mercedes, is she not?" Marianne swallows hard.
"Prays half as often as you, from what I understand." Byleth nods. "Can't help but wonder what you're praying for."
"Oh, um. Nothing specific." Her voice grows meeker as she focuses her attention on her own intertwining fingers. "I only call upon the Goddess to give thanks, or perhaps to ask for protection."
The professor rubs his chin thoughtfully. He wasn't entirely convinced by her answer, but knew it would be rude to lean too hard into her.
"There's no need to be so nervous," he remarks in a somewhat soothing tone.
When she notices his eyes gesturing to her twiddling fingers, she quickly pulls them apart and latches her hands onto the wall hard enough that her knuckles turn white.
"I'm… Not very good at talking to people."
He nods again. "Well I'm sorry to have bothered you so late into the afternoon."
She looked surprised again. Did he just apologize for brushing up against her shortcomings? That was… New.
"There's no need to apologize. It's okay." Marianne offers the barest amount of a smile that she could, then let it disappear just as quickly. "What did you want, though?"
With a slight grunt, Byleth stands up and stretches his arms.
"Rhea has tasked the Blue Lions with taking out bandits this month. I trust them to do the job — they certainly have the strength. However, it's the first time they'll be thrust into real danger."
Marianne winces as she can see the through line of this conversation. But that doesn't stop Byleth from turning to deliver it directly to her.
"If we could arrange it with Professor Hanneman, I would like to have an extra white mage with us. To be safe."
The blue-haired girl quickly shakes her head as she looks up at him.
"W-Why me…? Why not ask… Um… Lindhardt?"
Byleth lets out a half-chuckle, half-scoff.
"I'd rather not have someone falling asleep at the front lines."
"Well, I don't think I'd be much better for you." When he raises another eyebrow curiously, Marianne sighs. "I specifically avoided joining the mock battle because I'm not the best with combat… And so I would not bring my bad luck to the battlefield."
Her skin crawls as she feels him rest a hand on her shoulder. It didn't help her whole 'not great with people' mentality, even if his calm voice kept her grounded.
"You would simply be there in case we need an extra cleric. I promise I would not actually bring you to the front lines. Nor this… 'Bad luck' you speak of."
She looks at her feet, watching them inch closer to his. As soon as the initial wave of panic that came with his touch had passed, she felt comforted by it. More than she had with anyone in recent memory.
"I see."
Byleth nods and steps back, giving her the room to stand up. He even offers her a hand to help.
"This wouldn't be until the end of the month, so you have time to think it over."
"I… Appreciate that." She really did, it showed through the warm smile that briefly blossoms out of her cold, withdrawn features. "I'll let you know."
She offers him a bow, which he returns with an arm under his chest.
"Good-bye, Professor."
He watches as she scampers away, quickly retreating toward the bridge back into Garreg Mach proper. It was hard not to notice the way she carried herself, arms folded to avoid flailing around as her feet moved fleetly in small steps under the wide hoop of her skirt. Much like the nuns who passed between buildings as though carrying on a task for Saint Seiros herself.
"Quite an odd girl, isn't she?"
Byleth glances over his shoulder to find a much younger girl resting her arms against it as she, too, watched Marianne abscond.
Though conventional wisdom would suggest she was standing on the wall to reach his height, in truth she was floating at his side like an ethereal specter. Long, unruly cascades of emerald green hair rolled down her back from the crown keeping her curious face cleared. It fell around the stone alongside her open purple robe.
The girl on the throne. She had long since escaped his dreams and begun commenting on whatever he came across.
In this case he agreed.
"Yes. It might be wise to keep an eye on her."
Sothis snorts back a laugh and floats off over the chasm, away from him.
"Didn't take you for a pervert, Byleth."
He glares back at her.
Sometimes having the peanut gallery wasn't all that pleasant.