Fire Emblem: Two Professors

by Theia Aithre

A retelling of the Fire Emblem: Three Houses game. Byleth and Balaiya are twins working along side their father as mercenaries. One fateful day a mission leads them out to a territory close to the wonder of Garreg Mach Monastery. A reunion with an old friend of their Father's and a scuffle in the woods places them both on a path with many curves, bends, and the darkest of secrets.

14. What It Takes To Trust

Chapter 13: What It Takes To Trust (Just Knowing You Care.)

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The restricted floor of the library had quickly become their designated study room, or floor. Often Balaiya caught herself just watching as Claude scribbled away taking notes or filling out answers for his homework. Scribbled in the sense that his movements were quick and calculated, but his writing was always neat. It carried a unique sharpness, each curve and edge had its own personality, and seemed to tell it's own story. He would hum to himself at times, always something she didn't recognize. Once she'd dared to ask what song he was thinking of, but he had gone silent and dodged her inquiry so masterfully she hadn't realised it until she was lying in her bed later that night. She didn't ask again, only because she didn't want to risk him stopping all together. Other times he would be in such a deep concentration he would barely blink as he read, the best place for her then was always across the table or busy with a book of her own in her hands– just to make sure hers didn't wander.

Showing him her lesson plans had also become a habit of hers. She'd scrawl out her ideas– in her own chicken scratch that lacked the grace his own writing had– on topics, and read them to him as he paced up and down the various aisles of books. He always had good input, often challenged her on things and forced her to think of new and out of the box solutions to problems. Lately, she wondered if she learned more from him than he did from her.

This time they met up early to look over information regarding the monastery specifically, and for the last few hours they'd been digging through information. Balaiya had also gathered notes and paperwork from across the monastery in an attempt to learn more about this supposed assassination plot, and now they were compiling everything together.

She was flipping through a book that seemed promising only to find out she couldn't read a word of what was written in it! Groaning she placed it back on the shelf and returned to the table where Claude sat.

He was still leaning over the various maps and lists she had gathered while speaking to everyone, his elbow on the table with his hand supporting his chin.

"Hmm, something that the church values above all else…and on the day of the rite it'll be open to the public, making it easier than ever to get inside. That's gotta be it, right?" He mumbled more to himself than her.

Balaiya leaned over his shoulder and grabbed some snacks from the small bag he'd brought up, an assortment of dried fruits and nuts. A habit of his– one she wasn't sure when he started but she took full advantage of it. She watched him drum his fingers on the table for the hundredth time as he repeated the information to himself again. Placing her hand on his shoulder, she leaned over and pointed to a worn map of the monastery that sat on the table. "It's gotta be the Holy Moluseum."

He turned to look at her and winked, snapping his fingers. "Bullseye." He sighed and leaned back in the chair. "It's so obvious now– well if we're right of course."

She held the side of her face, thinking aloud. "But what exactly could be down there that would require this extensive plot?"

He scratched his cheek and shrugged. "Eh, we won't know until we know, of course. I have a feeling that a fight will be involved, let's make sure we're prepared for that."

"I'm already working everyone to the bone. How much more is too much?" She squeezed his shoulder and shook him lightly. "If Hilda complains, one more time about her sore, anything– I might just strangle her."

"I volunteer as tribute.~" He laughed and tilted his head, a gleam of something mischievous in his eyes. "Not sure her delicate little self could take it."

"How chivalrous of you." She said with a roll of her eyes. "I know she is strong." She stepped away and grabbed some of the books off the table, stacking them in her arms.

"She's just lazy" They said together.

Balaiya blinked at him and he grinned smugly.

"What's with the face?"She asked after a moment, adding another book to her stack with an audible smack.

"What face?" He looked at her through his lashes and grinned. "My roguishly handsome face?" He winked.

Warmth constricted around her throat and danced down her arms, she glared at him but that only seemed to fuel the smugness that radiated off of him and filled the air.

She could suffocate on it. "Anyway–" She nearly growled. "Do you think whoever it is will actually manage to sneak an army in the monastery?" She swiftly moved down the aisle to replace the books on the shelves. She needed to make sure everything they took out was replaced exactly where it belonged. In case someone came up here, she didn't want them to get suspicious. Even though technically she was allowed up here, Claude wasn't. She didn't want to think too hard on what were the repercussions of getting caught.

Claude stood from his chair, the movement alerting her by the scrape of the wood as he pushed the chair back. Balaiya found herself glancing back to watch as he stretched dramatically.

He shut his eyes tightly and leaned up on his tiptoes as he reached for something nonexistent above him. Though he proceeded to yawn and rub his eye he kept the other trained on her face, another infuriating smirk sneaking it's way on to his lips. He'd caught her staring– again, another habit she'd picked up. Definitively a bad one.

She huffed and hurried down the aisle, doing her hardest to ignore the strange pounding her pulse pushed through her stomach. She reached up on her tiptoes to try and put the last book where it'd been taken from. It was just out of reach. 'I know there is a stool somewhere around here…' She looked down the aisle only to find it wasn't where she had thought it was. Sighing, she put her foot on the bottom shelf and applied some weight to test it. Before she could climb the shelf the book was plucked from her hand.

Claude's voice came from right behind her, she felt his other hand press down on her shoulder as he leaned over her, nearly mirroring her early action. "You know, there are many secret passages throughout the monastery." He reached up and placed the book back though kept his hand up on the shelf. "This place is pretty old."

"Secret passages?" She asked curiously.

"Why yes, Teach~ Don't tell me you never thought about what could be hidden behind these walls?"

She turned her head to look over her shoulder at him, but remained silent. She actually never even considered the concept of secret passages. It intrigued her, but– He had said not to tell him she'd never considered it. Obviously, it was a jest, but she was feeling playful. Or desperate for a distraction. She wasn't sure which.

He raised an eyebrow as the silence continued to weave around them. Had they been anywhere else she would have thought it awkward that he remained so close to her. But here, she found that those things didn't always apply. There wasn't anyone nearby to jude her.

"Teach?"

She felt the corner of her lips quirk up in a hint of a smirk. "You said not to tell you I've never thought about it." She stated matter of factly.

He held her gaze for a few more moments then he huffed out a quiet laugh. "I suppose I did."

Subconsciously she tilted her head back to look up at him, her head touching his chest with how close he was.

"You like to invade my personal bubble, don't ya Teach?" He leaned down closer, creating a shadow over her face, the end of his braid hovered just above her head.

She wanted to twist her own finger around it.

She went from feeling a comfortable buzz, to suddenly feeling the urge to shove him as far away from her as possible, but at the same time she itched for something. She shifted in place for a few breaths, she couldn't figure it out! Did she want to say something? Do something?... His proximity only seemed to make it harder to think. She exhaled slowly and licked her lips. They were quite dry all of a sudden. "That's… my line." She finally breathed.

How did he manage to throw her off every time he quoted something she'd said in the past? By now she would have hoped she'd have gotten used to how often he… repurposed her words.

His grip on her shoulder tightened, one of his fingers pressed into the dip of her collarbone, and he leaned slightly closer. His voice had dropped to a whisper, though the likelihood of someone hearing him besides herself was slim. "Is it?" The lilt in his voice was playful but the look in his eyes spoke a language she couldn't even begin to comprehend. But in that moment she wanted nothing more than to understand it.

Her pulse was ringing in her ears like warning bells, but she was curious. Painfully so. Why did she feel so much energy coursing through her body? Like any moment she'd snap. She absolutely hated having so many questions hang over her head unanswered.

The logical choice was to put as much distance between them as possible. She needed to stop… whatever was causing this tension before… before something broke.

She forced a laugh that sounded so fake to even her own ears she felt her cheeks warm with embarrassment… or were they like that already?

"Ha…ha? Very funny Claude." She dipped away from the cage he had made over her, and escaped to the other side of the table they had been at earlier.

He turned to face her, and took his time returning to the table himself. His brow was furrowed and there was something twisting in his gaze that rooted her to the spot, like a deer caught staring down a hunter's arrow. How fitting that the bow and arrow was his weapon of choice. This certainly wasn't the first time she felt stunned by his gaze. If her father or brother could see her now, what would they think? One of the Ashen Demons, frozen in place with a mere glance. She was simultaneously perturbed, embarrassed, and all around intrigued with how she reacted. It was almost involuntary. But then again, it wasn't just a mere glance was it? To her, it felt more a kin to some sort of spell than anything. Though she didn't know much about magic she was learning. But a huge part of her knew that wasn't it. It had to be something else. Something she wasn't sure she wanted the answer to.

After what felt like hours of heavy silence he moved closer, placed his palms on the table, and slowly leaned into her space again.

"I was… thinking…"

"More than usual?" She quipped in an effort to break whatever trance he placed on her.

He smiled wryly but made no comment on her failed banter.

She tore her eyes away from his but found herself watching with unnecessary intensity the way his teeth held his bottom lip captive, the skin whitening ever so slightly before he released it slowly as he took a breath to speak.

"Do you wa-"

"Do you want a chocolate?" She blurted, cutting him off. Her nerves were pulsing throughout her body intensely and she had spoken without thinking.

He blinked at her. "What?"

She hastily pulled one of the candies she had taken from Rhea's room from her pocket and held it in his face. She really had no idea what she was doing, but she felt like something in her chest would burst if she didn't do something.

His eyes crossed to look at it. After a few awkward moments he smirked and took it from her hand. "Thanks Teach." He leaned back to inspect it.

She nodded stiffly, and motioned towards the steps. "We should probably leave now, huh? Before someone comes looking for us."

"Hm, yeah. I suppose."

She walked over to the steps and he followed behind her, they crossed the threshold together and once they were back on the third floor she took a deep breath and turned to him.

"I don't think we should go up there anymore." She couldn't risk anymore of… that.

His eyebrows rose and he tilted his head. "Oh? Why's that?"

"Well…" She looked to the side and chewed on the inside of her cheek. "It's already bad enough that I allowed this to happen. Besides, with what we came up with today. It confirms that people, enemies could be anywhere. It would be unwise to venture out to… unusual places."

"Allowed what to happen?" His tone was unreadable.

"You know what I mean." She said under her breath.

"I see…" He sighed quietly and muttered something she couldn't decipher.

She glanced back at him only to be greeted with his usual smile, one that she could easily tell by now, hid many things.

"Guess that means we can't go into town anymore either, huh? Just in case?"

Balaiya sighed and held the side of her face. "Well… there are guards stationed throughout the main streets of the town… I'm sure we could go back. If we needed to." She started walking down the rest of the stairs to exit the library, he was right on her heels.

"It was pretty fun. I'm surprised Dimitri was cool with me coming too."

"Why? Aren't you two friends?" She asked curiously. She knew they worked well together in her fencing class, and they always seemed to get along easily. Then again… Claude could get along with anybody if he really wanted to.

He scratched his head "Ehh… something like that…I guess." He shrugged. "Dimitri tries too hard to be nice sometimes."

She suddenly stopped and turned to him. "You really think so?"

He nearly ran into her but stopped in time. "Well, just saying. He's too trusting. If I was him. I wouldn't trust me."

"Why not?" Balaiya crossed her arms.

He frowned slightly and stepped into her space for the third time that morning. Even though he didn't touch her he leaned in close enough that she could see the gold in his eyes, but there was a darkness in them that felt heavy, dangerous. As if on cue, her pulse quickened. "Well, I'm an outsider. I've been thinking about it. You really shouldn't trust me either, Teach."

She held her ground as she looked up at him, a frown painted on her lips that matched his own. "Well I do. More people should. And I've already told you, I don't think of you as an outsider. People who treat you different for biased reasons are blind. Like that waitress from the diner. For whatever reason she judged you the moment you walked in. It was subtle. Easily missed. I might not fully understand it yet. But I noticed. I know my brother didn't. She better hope I don't see her again any time soon. You handled it well, with a grace that I could never have."

He stared at her in silence for a moment, whatever was crossing through his mind remained unknown to her because some footsteps echoed down the hall and he stepped away from her.

"Hello Professor! Claude."

Balaiya turned to see Edelgard stop beside them with a book in hand. "Hello Edelgard."

"Princess. Catching up on your studying?"

Edelgard sniffed and turned her chin up. "Catching up? No. I am ahead. As I always am. I do hope you're not bothering our Professor here."

"Why would you-"

Balaiya stepped forward, interrupting him."How has you're classes been going?"

"They're going good. Actually, I just finished some assignments and was going to have some tea. Would you care to join me?"

Balaiya glanced back at Claude, as expected his mask was plastered on his face again. An easy expression that tricked almost everyone. "Well, I'd love to." She said and turned back to Edelgard. "I've actually had a tea set of my own for awhile… but I don't really understand much about this…" she made air quotes. "... teatime."

Edelgard smiled. "Then I'm honored to be your first host! Please follow me." She continued down the hall.

"I'll see you later Claude." She mumbled.

"See you... I got to go feed Shai anyway..."

He left and she watched him for a second before hurrying after Edelgard.

"Do you have a favorite tea Professor?" Edelgard asked once she'd caught up.

Balaiya shook her head. "No, Usually I just drink water."

Edelgard lead her outside and to one of the gazebos that the students often spent their leisure time at. "Well, I'm so happy I get to officially introduce you to the wonderful world that is, tea."

The table beneath one of the smaller gazebos was already set with a set and a small tray of snacks. Balaiya looked around curiously and caught sight of Hubert, one of the Black Eagles Students that attended her tactics class. A quiet one that never really spoke, though he watched her with a sharp eye and when he did speak it was with an even sharper tongue.

"Hello Hubert." She greeted quietly.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Afternoon Professor, Will you be joining Lady Edelgard?"

Before she could reply Edelgard spoke up. "Yes, Hubert. Thank you for setting this up for me." She sat in the chair he pulled out for her.

"I see, please call me if you need anything." He gave her a short bow and left swiftly.

"So…" Balaiya sat across from her slowly. "Do you always have all of this set up for a cup of tea?"

"Most of the time yes, or a cup of coffee. Hubert does enjoy coffee the most. Either drink is fine, but I prefer tea most days." Edelgard poured some of the dark liquid into two delicate cups.

"Do you have a favorite?" Balaiya asked curiously.

"Indeed, one of my favorites is actually named after my family. It's called the Hresvelg blend. It's a high quality blend with a refined taste." She slid one of the cups in front of her. "This just so happens to be that very tea. I hope you enjoy it."

Balaiya accepted the cup and peered into it, the steam was quick to warm her face.

"Oh, and do be careful. It's hot." Edelgard added with a smile.

"Right, thank you." Balaiya glanced back at the obvious steam and took the cup into her hands carefully. She carefully took a sip of the drink, though unfortunately her sip was apparently too much anyway. It was hot and burned all the way down. She winced internally and carefully placed the cup back on its saucer.

"What do you think?" Edelgard asked.

"Ah, it's-" Balaiya cleared her throat. "It's very pleasant. Thank you."

Edelgard nodded and grabbed a cookie from the plate between them. "Please have some of these as well."

Balaiya nodded and took one of the plainer ones.

"Professor, forgive me but I must know. I've heard some of the rumors floating about and while I don't believe them myself. I would be lying if I said I didn't want to hear it directly from you."

"What rumors?" Balaiya asked with a frown. Her stomach coiled slightly, what could she have done to cause more whispers? Had someone seen her walking around with Claude at night? She clenched her fist beneath the table. It would surely be difficult to explain why she was letting a student into faculty only areas…

"Well, I heard that you undressed in front of some students during training a few days ago."

"Ugh!" Balaiya groaned and facepalmed. Of course, why hadn't she thought of that? Though she had to admit she was glad she wasn't asking about her house leader… "I didn't undress in front of anyone." She frowned. "I just… I was wearing a dress-one similar to the girls basic uniform, and Catherine and Sylvain were teasing Dimitri because I knocked him on his back during a sparring match, and he could–" she made air quotes. "See up my skirt." She sighed and sat back in the chair. "I got frustrated, they made a big deal out of it. I simply took off the dress to show them that it wasn't a big deal– I was wearing clothes underneath it anyway. The shorts I have on now actually."

Edelgard nodded. "I see. I have to agree with you. The way our society views trivial things like that is ridiculous."

Balaiya perked up. "Exactly!"

"One has to think about it this way, had you been wearing a long coat on a chilly day, but walked into a cozy room with a fireplace lit. Would it be considered inappropriate to remove your coat in front of others? You could be wearing exactly what you are now, and– "she gestured to her shorts and short-sleeve blouse. "people would not see it as inappropriate."

"Looking back on it, I admit I could have handled it differently." she drummed her fingers on the table, "But, I still don't think it's scandalous."

Edelgard shook her head. "I have to agree with you, and I'm sorry you have to deal with such ridiculous rules." She took a sip from her cup. "I bet life wasn't nearly as ridiculous when you lived as a mercenary."

"Everything was certainly simpler." Balaiya sighed and took a careful sip from her cup, this time she was able to enjoy the taste better.

"Don't worry Professor, I have an idea whose spreading those ridiculous rumors. I'll have it taken care of." Edelgard said with a sense of finality in her voice.

Balaiya glanced at her warily. She didn't want anyone to actually get hurt, and the way she spoke of it concerned her. Only sightly. 'She wouldn't harm any of her classmates like that. Especially over something so silly. She's probably just going to talk to whatever student told her the story.' She thought to herself.

"Thank you Edelgard, I appreciate it."

Edelgard smiled. "I only ask for more of your time Professor. Incidentally, I believe we have our brawler class today. Could you perhaps spar with me afterwards?"

"Sure, I don't see why not." Balaiya said and finished her tea. "I should get ready for class now. I'll see you then. Thank you for the tea."

"It was a pleasure, Professor. Don't worry about the dish. I'll take care of it. See you soon."

She nodded and left for her room to prepare for her next class.

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"Alright everyone, please start your stretches and your basic forms." Balaiya asked the class once everyone was present.

She'd been teaching each house separately how to fight with nothing but their hands and feet since she started at Garreg Mach, so far she'd have to say the Black Eagles as a whole were struggling more than the other houses. However, on the same side, they really weren't too far behind. 'Perhaps I can try a class sometimes with all of the students. I can get Leth to help me.' She thought as she observed the students.

"Bernadetta, your stance is still too narrow." She walked over to her. "If you stand with your feet pointed inward like that, then someone can easily knock you down."

"Oh! I'm sorry Professor!" Bernadetta covered her face with her hands. "Gosh, I always mess it up!"

Balaiya shook her head, her voice softened. "No, no, don't say that. You've been improving a lot actually. I'm actually proud of your progress."

Bernadetta's face lit up. "Really!?"

"Yes."

"Oh, thank you Professor!"

"Professor!" Caspar shouted from across the room.

"No need to yell Caspar." Balaiya sighed as she walked over to him.

"Heh, sorry. I just finished my warm ups. Can you give us our next assignment? I'm ready for anything!"

"I'd prefer you wait for everyone, I'm going to be showing you more maneuvers today." She held the side of her face. "Why don't you give me some pushups while you wait?"

"You got it Professor! How many?"

"Fifty."

"Sweet!" He grinned and dropped to the ground. "One! Two! Three!..."

"On your knuckles Caspar." She said after a moment.

"Got it!" He switched swiftly. "F-Four!... Five!..."

Balaiya turned to the others. "Actually, I want everyone to get at least fifteen of these done. If you can do more, go for it." She walked back to the center of the field. "These are better for you because they strengthen not only your chest muscles, but your wrist and knuckles as well. Which will make for more powerful punches."

There were a few complaints, mostly from Dorothea and Lindhart– who'd actually come to class on time for once.

"Professor, please is that really necessary." He yawned. "I can hardly do a regular pushup."

"And I've got a date tonight! I don't want to mess up my hands!" Dorothea lamented.

"You do not need to be having worrying for me Professor!" Petra declared, already doing the exercise along with, Edelgard, Ferdinand, Bernadetta and surprisingly, Hubert.

Balaiya watched his form curiously, she'd have thought he would struggle like Lindhart, but now that she thought about it. He never complained about physical activity. Even if sometimes she could see some disdain for it in his face. Though that could also be his usual expression…

"Lindhart, just try. You'll thank me for it later. But no one is getting special treatment." She ended her sentence with a look at Dorothea, who sighed and began her pushups.

Once everyone was doing the exercise, she decided to do some herself, and though she had started to join her brother almost every night to train. A little extra exercise couldn't hurt. When everyone finished their set she moved to the front and started going over some more advanced maneuvers. Though the move itself was still far from advanced for her own skill, compared to what they had been doing as a whole it was much harder.

Once everyone had finished for the day she dismissed the class. "Don't slack on your training everyone, were definitely going to need as much as we can get. Next time we're going to do tests with weight training."

"She's trying to kill us…"

She heard Lindhart mutter to Dorothea as they walked by.

"I'm trying to make sure you don't get killed actually." She called after them.

Edelgard walked up to her. "I'm eager for next class Professor, I need to be able to handle a lot of weight."

Balaiya turned to her. "Really? Why is that?"

"Well, for the fighting style that I want to take on, this sort of training is important. I know it may seem strange, even unorthodox, someone of my build training to wield heavy weapons. But it is a goal I must achieve."

"You can pursue any class you like Edelgard. You shouldn't feel pressured into something for traditions sake."

"I like that way of thinking Professor. You would certainly fit well into the Empire." Edelgard pulled her hair back into a tie and held her fists up. "I was going to request some sword training but, after going through those new maneuvers I would like to work on those instead."

Balaiya took her stance. "Very well, show me your progress then."

Edelgard nodded and swung at her, Balaiya put up her arms to block the attack, she wanted to gauge just how hard she could hit.

Based solely on that strike alone, she decided that Edelgard was definitely one of the stronger female fighters she taught. She would have to or her on a similar level as Leonie, however Leonie wanted to focus more on horseback and the lance. While Edelgard wanted something entirely different.

Balaiya easily dodged her next three strikes to test her speed. While she had a solid punch, she wasn't very fast. Any added weight from armor will only slow her down. "You have good form, Your movement speed could improve some." She caught her next hit and twisted her arm around. "But I wouldn't focus too much on it. Just don't forget about it."

Edelgard rammed her elbow into her ribs, Balaiya released her, but dropped down and kicked her legs out from under her.

"Understood." Edelgard hissed through her teeth as she stood back up. She clenched her fists and moved in for another strike.

Balaiya sidestepped the hit, her hand tightly wrapping around Edelgard's wrist as it passed her face. In the same motion she squared her stance and tugged the girl forward.

Edelgard gasped and tumbled forward, and though she made an impressive attempt to steady herself, the forward momentum she had gained proved to be too much. She crashed to the floor.

"Ah, I yield." She mumbled as she sat up, she held her wrist in one hand and rubbed it. "For now."

Balaiya smiled slightly and offered her a hand. "Clever, we can meet up another time if you like." Edelgard grabbed her hand and she pulled her up.

"I'd like that." She rubbed her palms on her pants. "I'm awfully hungry now, would you care to join me for supper, Professor?"

"Sure. Do you need any medical?"

She shook her head. "No Professor, I'm fine. Let's go. Hopefully the line isn't long anymore."

They walked in a comfortable silence to the dinning hall, both still too winded to hold a decent conversation as they walked.

When they got to the hall they found the line had indeed gone down and they were able to get their food quickly.

"Edelgard, I wanted to thank you properly for treating me to tea earlier today. That was kind of you." Balaiya said after a while.

"Oh no problem at all Professor, I'm happy you accepted my invitation." Edelgard said. "Tea time may seem silly to some, but I think it's a good time to just relax. Maybe chat with a friend, or simply enjoy your scenery. I do enjoy nature, so I'm glad it's warmer out now. I can be outside as long as I am able and not worry about the cold. What do you usually do on your free time Professor?"

"If training doesn't count then I guess I garden…" She smiled slightly. "I never would have considered myself a gardener, it's mainly for fun really. I used to be surrounded by the outdoors so much I didn't even consider looking after flowers would be something I would look forward to."

"The monastery does have some beautiful gardens. They are a wonderful place to read or, as Lindhart would say: A perfect place for a nap. Though I've yet to partake in that activity myself."

"I'll have to check them out then."

"Speaking of reading, there is a book I want to catch up on before bed." Edelgard stood. "Have a good night Professor."

"You too Edelgard." Balaiya answered with a smile.

She smiled back and left the hall, a few moments after she left, her brother slid into the seat she had occupied.

"Evening Bala." He greeted.

"Hello Leth, how was your day?" She asked with a yawn.

He shrugged a shoulder and stole some food off her plate.

She smirked when his nose scrunched up. "Why is it so spicy? What'd you do to it?"

"I just asked them to make it spicier for me." She took another big bite. After she finished it she cleared her throat. "You know I like spicy food."

He coughed and snatched her water. "Yeah…but how many times did you ask them?" He downed half of it. "I can tell it gets to you too."

She shrugged, he was right. Her mouth was currently burning but not enough to scare her away from the food. Far from it. "I like it."

"You're crazy."

"You're soft."

"What?" He narrowed his eyes.

She smirked again. "Nothing."

He rolled his eyes. "Anyway, Father has some spare time now. Going to join us in the field? He wants to show us some newer stuff."

She rose a brow. "New stuff?"

He nodded and stood, coughing into his sleeve. "Yeah, my reaction too– gosh, Bala… I feel like your taste for this kind of food has increased lately."

She finished the rest and reached for her water but he stole it again. Sighing, she gathered her dishes and set them in the kitchen. "Eh, maybe?" She held the side of her face in thought as she followed him out. "I feel like I'm in search of my favorite food… which I never even considered would be a thing I would look for. There was something I had when I first came here. It was so good." She sighed and held her face in both her hands. "Unfortunately I forgot what it was…"

"You're becoming a masochist." He muttered.

She rolled her eyes and elbowed his side. "Am not."

"Agh, bet you are." He returned her gesture and she winced. She had forgotten that's where Edelgard got her earlier.

"Ok, ok, whatever." She grumbled and crossed her arms. For a moment she considered dropping it but something compelled her to poke at him now. And by that, she meant kick his ankle and run to see if he would actually chase her.

He did.

She smirked and made her way to the training fields, she was pretty confident that she'd beat him. She usually did. When running at least. As it turned out she burst through the doors of the field moments before he got there himself.

He glared at her in silence as he leaned against a pillar to catch his breath.

She merely smiled smugly and secretly healed the pain that throbbed in her ribs, agitated further by running so quickly, and so soon after eating.

"Whoa! Where's the fire?" Jeralt asked with a laugh, walking over to them.

"In my mouth…" Byleth muttered with a frown.

"What?" Jeralt stared at them, confused.

"Baby." Balaiya whispered to her brother before looking up at her Father.

"We were just… testing our speed Father." Balaiya explained innocently. "Leth lost, again."

Byleth waved her off, a bit winded, "Ah… yeah… whatever."

Jeralt laughed again and slapped Byleth's back, sending him a few paces forward. "Still can't beat her huh!? Getting old?"

"Yeah, says the man that forgets how old he is." Byleth muttered.

"Ah, whatever!" Jeralt tossed them both a decently sized shield. "I'm going to be showing you some more techniques, I was chatting with some old buddies of mine and I remembered some moves I used to do back in the day."

"No weapons?" Balaiya asked curiously.

"Nope, your weapon is now your shield. I'll show you the motions, then we'll do as always. Learn by doing."

She groaned at the same time as her brother.

Jeralt started his quick demo, and by the end of it quite a few of even the durable training dummies were more than broken.

"Alright, let's see what you picked up in." Jeralt said and charged them, lance in hand.

Balaiya frowned and dodged to the side, but her father anticipated her move and swung his lance towards her. She brought the shield up to block his attack.

A shock rushed through her body and her teeth clamped together painfully. The excess force pushed her back across the field. She knew taking head on attacks like that from him wasn't a good idea, but he had obviously caught her off guard.

She recovered quickly and advanced on him, this time she dropped to her knees to duck under his swing. As she stood she turned the shield and bashed it into him.

Jeralt blocked her with his forearm, the metal clashed loudly and rang in her ears.

He pushed her back again, harder this time and she went airborne.

Luckily Byleth caught her by the ankle and swung her around once to lose some momentum before tossing her to his side.

She landed on her feet but almost stumbled onto her face.

Byleth blocked his next attack but could do little more than avoid the next few hits.

After a few more attempts, they decided to work together but in the end they ended up sitting back to back on the ground out of breath.

"Eh, well stop there for now. You two look exhausted." Jeralt said matter of factly.

Balaiya closed her eyes for a moment but opened them quickly when she realized she had missed part of what her brother said.

"...closer than it looks." Was all she heard but something told her he was talking about the mission.

She took a deep breath. "We need to make… sure we improve quickly." She frowned. "I don't think I'm doing as much as I need to be. I try… but I can only be one place at a time."

"We're waiting time." Byleth mumbled.

Jeralt sighed. "You two can't forget to rest. That's important too. You can't be of any use if you're constantly running around helping everyone else in this damned place."

Byleth stood up and offered his hand to help her stand. She took it and he pulled her to her feet.

"It's okay to take a day off." Jeralt crossed his arms. "How many times am I going to have to tell you guys this before you finally take a day to relax?"

Balaiya started cleaning up the field, her limbs felt like jelly and her shoulders were stiff and heavy. "I relaxed today. I had tea with a student."

"That's not what I meant." Jeralt frowned.

"We took a break, a few days ago." Byleth said. "Bala and I went into town with some students." He started to help her.

"Was it the whole day?"

They glanced at each other and sighed. "No." They mumbled together.

"My point exactly."

"Alright, well it's late. I'm going to head to bed." Balaiya mumbled and nodded at her father."Good night, Father. Thank you for training with us today."

"Good night you two, don't forget what I said."

Byleth nodded and followed her out, they were so worn out they were practically leaning on each other in their way back to the dorms.

Once they got there Balaiya yawned and gestured to the steps. "We still have to check for curfew… want to go together?"

"I guess, I don't want you falling asleep in the hall or anything." He said quietly.

She rolled her eyes "Funny."

They walked up the steps to check the second floor first, everything checked out to be fine until they heard a voice down the hall.

"Uhh... Agh... Fath... Save…"

"What was that?" Balaiya asked.

"A ghost perhaps?" Sothis asked curiously as she appeared in front of them.

Byleth startled and gave the small woman an odd look.

Sothis frowned and waved her first at him. "What is that look upon your face? I am no ghost, if that is what was on your mind! Go on, tell him Bala! Since this fool still needs convincing!"

Balaiya turned to her brother, "She's not a ghost, Leth."

Before he could respond the voice started again.

"No... Agh... Huh?! Who's there?!"

Byleth frowned and walked over to Edelgard's room, he tested the doorknob before walking in swiftly.

"What are you doing Leth?" Balaiya muttered and hurried after him.

Edelgard gasped and sat up from her bed. "Professors?... What are you doing here?

"We're just doing our nightly rounds for curfew." Balaiya said.

Byleth crossed his arms. "We also heard something."

Edelgard rubbed her eyes. "Oh? Perhaps I was talking in my sleep. You two scared me."

"Please forgive us." Balaiya said.

"We were worried." Byleth finished.

Balaiya frowned and stepped into the room. "Were you having bad dreams?"

"Ah... So you heard me then." Edelgard pulled her blanket tighter around herself. "Yes, it was a nightmare. I've had them since I was a child. Stupid, pointless dreams I can't control... It's terribly frustrating."

"If you don't mind sharing, what are they about?" Balaiya asked quietly.

"You don't have to share. We were only checking on you. We found get going." He noticed for Balaiya to come with.

"No it's alright, you can stay for a bit." Edelgard sighed and looked down. "They're just... my childhood. A time before I had realized who I was destined to become."

Balaiya sat on the corner of her bed. Having been haunted by dreams herself for so long, she understood what it was to at least lose sleep over it. Though her own dreams had long since stopped working her, and even stopped altogether since officially meeting Sothis… she still wanted to help. "Anything I can help with?"

"No. They're just worthless dreams of the past. Talking about it won't change a thing." Edelgard said.

"I know we're your Professors, and though we teach different houses, you're in many of our classes. Talking about it might help some, or if you want one of us to leave, or both. Whatever you are comfortable with." Balaiya said.

Edelgard fussed with her blanket. "I suppose I could try…"

Byleth leaned against the wall by the door. "It's none of our business. You don't have to."

Edelgard looked between them and nodded. "Perhaps not. Still, here you are. Maybe I can trust you with this... But only if you swear not to tell a soul."

"Promise." They said together.

"I appreciate it. I dream of... my older brother, paralyzed, helpless... my older sister crying for help that never came... the youngest babbling words beyond meaning. I see my family dying slowly, waiting in the darkest depths for a glimmer of light. I once had ten siblings, eight older and two younger. Such a large family, and yet I became the heir to the throne. Do you know why? Every last one of them was crippled by disease or lost their mind or died. I was the only one left who could inherit the throne.

Balaiya frowned. She couldn't even bear the memory of watching her brother die… he was all she had besides her father. And Edelgard lost all of her siblings? "That's awful."

"How could such a thing happen..." Byleth asked.

Edelgard shook her head. "Things kept getting worse. The darkness kept getting darker. In the end, I was the only one who survived. The nightmares are a reminder... to never forget. To never allow such terrible things to happen again."

"I'm so sorry." Balaiya whispered and placed her hand on top of Edelgard's.

"Even now, I'm the only one who can carry the weight of the Adrestian Empire. The future of the Empire... of everything... depends on me. Hm... I shared more than I intended to. I suppose there's something in the air tonight. I've never told anyone about my past before. Please... forget I said anything. Sleep well."

"Thank you for sharing with us." Byleth said. "I hope the rest of your night is restful." He stepped out of the room.

Balaiya sighed and stood. "Edelgard, I want you to know that even though I don't fully understand what you could have been through…I don't know if I have a right to but, I feel like I can empathize with you…You're strong. But it's okay to depend on others too."

She smiled softly. "Thank you my teacher. Really. It's nice to know you care about me…"

"I'm happy you gave me the opportunity to learn about you. Good night." She left the room, closing the door behind her with a sigh.

Byleth was by the steps. "Come on, let's go check downstairs so we can get to bed ourselves."

Balaiya nodded and followed him down.

There was a heavy silence resting between them, no doubt caused by the new information they were given. Edelgard has surely been through a lot. So has Dimitri, in fact all of the house leaders have. While as far as she knew, Dimitri and Edelgard seemed to have suffered more, she knew you couldn't put a label on pain like that. Everyone was different, everyone experienced different suffering, hardship. It would be cruel and childish to belittle someone's pain by telling them others have had worse, because in the end. You really don't know how someone else is feeling. She took her journal out and wrote a note out:

Look into ways to give someone a dreamless sleep.

She tapped her chin with the book, who would she ask about that if she needed to?

"Good evening, Professor Byleth, Professor Balaiya. Returning from work, I take it?" Mercedes asked them quietly.

Byleth nodded. "We're just about to head to bed. I hope you are too. It's late."

"Oh my, forgive me. I hadn't realized the time. I am in fact returning to my room. I was spending some extra time in the cathedral. I commend you for working so late into the evening. All of my days at the academy are enriching, thanks to you two. Try not to overtax yourselves, all right? I'm concerned for your health. We wouldn't want you to wear yourselves out. The goddess won't smite you if you rely on others for help, you know."

Balaiya smiled to herself, how ironic that Mercedes stood here giving her the same advice that she just gave to Edelgard. "Even so… We have a responsibility as Professors to-"

Mercedes shook her head. "Listen here, you two. You might not like what I'm about to say. To be perfectly honest, I had my doubts when I first met you.

"That's surprising." Byleth said.

Balaiya wasn't as surprised, everyone had their doubts. Hell, even she still had them. "Why's that?" She asked.

"I don't want you to think less of me for saying this, but here we are." Mercedes shrugged and smiled gently. "At first, I thought you two seemed too young to be professors. I can tell just by looking at you that your the very same age as many of us here! It is unusual, you have to admit. Yet, you seemed very composed and mature, despite your age. You're both strong-willed, encouraging, and you go to great lengths to ensure that everyone is cared for." She smiled again "Yes, even you Professor Byleth. But it almost feels like you're trying too hard to be a perfect role model for your students."

Balaiya shifted, Mercedes was quite observant. Yes their father had mentioned them overworking themselves but she hadn't expected so many others to notice as well… unless it really was obvious. "I'm not trying too hard. I just… I can't allow anyone to get injured under my watch." She said quietly.

"Hmm, If that's how you feel, I can't disagree. But I think it's necessary to give yourself a break every now and again. The mind has a tendency to make mistakes when you've exhausted yourself. In my case, I still seem to make mistakes even when I'm wide awake."

"Mistakes?" Balaiya tilted her head."

"Oh, you know. I'm always mixing up the dates for drills or misplacing things." She giggled and covered her mouth with one hand, and placed her other on Balaiya's forearm. "Just the other day, I forgot to put on my uniform and headed out to practice wearing only my–"

Byleth cleared his throat loudly.

Mercedes colored and wrapped her shawl tighter around herself. "Oh, um. Well, you can imagine how embarrassed I was." She continued. "My mind can be so scattered sometimes. My, I forgot your brother was there." She turned to Byleth. "Please forgive me. Anyway... where was I? Ah, that's right. What I'm trying to say is that you two shouldn't push yourselves too hard. If you do, you might end up in a pretty bad place. That reminds me! Is there anything I can do to assist you? If it's alright with you, I'd like to help in any way I can."

Byleth shook his head. "I'm not sure about that, but thank you I appreciate it."

"Well, there might be some things actually." Balaiya said.

She nodded eagerly. "Whatever you need, just say the word. I'll do my best! I may be clumsy but I'll get better as I go, I promise." She yawned. "I look forward to helping you out. Oh my, excuse me."

Balaiya yawned as well.

"Okay, I'm going to head to bed now. Goodnight ladies." Byleth said and left for his room.

"Oh, Mercedes." Balaiya turned to her. "I actually was wondering if you could help me with my light magic. I've been learning separately for some time now, I have considered asking Professor Manuela if I can sit in one of her classes but I actually have a class during that time anyhow. So, I was hoping I could practice with you? You're so good at it, I'm sure I could learn a lot from you."

Mercedes smiled. "Oh Professor that's so kind of you to say! I'd be more than happy to practice with you. In fact, I usually do a lot of practice in the cathedral. Of course you don't have to attend the mass if you don't want to, but there is quite a wonderful choir service I'm sure you'd enjoy listening to at least."

"I suppose I can check it out." Balaiya stifled another yawn. "It definitely couldn't hurt any." Rhea had mentioned it might be good for her to check out the church anyhow.

"Professor? I'm sorry for keeping you but I do have one more question."

"Oh, it's not a problem. Is everything alright?" she asked with a frown.

She nodded a few times. "Yes, everything is alright now." She sighed and began fussing with her hair. "Well, you see… the other day I was taking a walk in the gardens-beautiful place by the way if you haven't been there yet I recommend a visit. Oh, but I ran into Sylvain there."

"Oh, gosh… he didn't do anything to you did he?" Balaiya asked and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"No, no! Of course not."

She gave her a skeptical look.

"I know that might sound out of the ordinary, but he's always been quite kind to me. I truly believe he's not as bad as everyone believes him to be… Though I know he's kind to any girl he sees… Anyway, he had some broken ribs! It was quite the unfortunate sight. He looked like he had been beaten up by a group of guys!" She shook her head and held her hand over her mouth. "The bruising…"

Balaiya frowned deeply. "Is he alright? Did he go to see Professor Manuela?"

"He's fine now, I asked him those very questions, but he said he didn't think it was a big deal. Said he just had an intense training match. Tried to make a joke out of it. His jaw was fractured too. I believe his clavicle was fractured as well. But, I healed him as best I could. Thank the goddess his lung wasn't punctured! I'm proud to say there are no visible bruises anymore, and all his bones are mended, but he certainly still has some internal bruising. I insisted he still go to Professor Manuela, but he refused. I wasn't going to bring it up but… well…"

Balaiya covered her face with her hands, she knew what she was going to say before she said it.

Mercedes sighed. "It's no secret that Captain Jeralt doesn't really like Sylvain. I didn't see it happen and I don't want to point fingers but…"

"I'm so sorry Mercedes, I'll talk to my Father. I'll check in on Sylvain too."

"Alright, please have a good night." She smiled gently and walked away.

Balaiya stood there silently, guilt seeped into her chest and wrapped tightly around her neck. Had she been the reason Sylvain had gotten hurt? Surely that had to be the case, she'd even suggested to her father that he be his training partner for the seminar. There was no other explanation. "Oh, Sothis… why am I so bad at this?" She mumbled and quickly walked into her room.

Sothis appeared above her bed. "Do not blame yourself. You were not the one that injured the boy."

"Am I really not to blame though? Father only did that to him because of the predicament he caught me in. Me suggesting the partnering surely didn't help either."

"Well, it is done. It is best you take this and grow with it. You can not control the actions of everyone around you. In truth, only your own actions will bend to your will."

"I guess you're right." Balaiya absently changed into her sleepwear and climbed into bed. "Good night Sothis…"

"Good night Bala."

.

.

---

.

Despite having fallen asleep fairly quickly she hardly felt rested when she woke the next day. She was sore and still feeling guilty over the new information she gathered last night. She was grateful all the classes she had today were just lectures. She just didn't have the energy. Right before she left the room she noticed a letter had been pushed beneath her door. She knelt down to grab it and opened it curiously.

Professor Balaiya,

As you should know by now, the Goddesses Rite of Rebirth is scheduled in a little over a week from now. As a result we have cut short the teaching days. Classes will now end at noon and students will begin to assist the knights in patrolling the monastery. I've attached a list of where each student will be assigned.

Please see me at your earliest convenience.

-Seteth, Advisor to the Archbishop

.

.

She sighed loudly, and made her way to the classroom. It bothered her that she wasn't able to decide where her students were assigned, what if students were put into groups that did not fit well? She started walking to the classroom while she read through the attached list.

"Claude, Lorenz, and Sylvain?" She frowned and re-read the line to make sure. Right there in plain ink their names stared back at her. Great. That didn't feel like a good match at all. She read it again, just in case her eyes merged the line with the one before or after it. Nothing changed. She ran into something suddenly and fell back.

"Whoa! I gotcha!"

She felt a hand wrap around her waist, and she looked up and locked eyes with Sylvain. She gasped. He did too.

"P-Professor!?" He released her and practically flew a few feet away.

She stumbled and fell on her backside. She winced as the unexpected pain shot through her, the drop causing her teeth to clash together harshly. "O-Ow…" She rubbed her jaw.

"Oh crap! I'm so sorry." He muttered and looked around quickly before taking a step towards her, but he left a good five feet between them. "Are you alright?"

Balaiya ran her tongue along the inside of her mouth to check if everything was in place then she looked up at Sylvain with a frown. "I'm sorry."

He laughed and scratched the back of his head. "What? No it's not your fault. I basically dropped you. Uh, I'm sorry…fuck…"

She shook her head and stood up, dusting herself off. "No, no, it is entirely my fault. I'm so sorry about this… I…" She sighed and took a deep breath. "I wasn't looking where I was going… but that's besides the point. I– uh… how are you feeling?"

"I'm perfectly fine Professor, I wasn't the one that fell." He crossed his arms and eyed her warily.

She took a step towards him but he stepped back. Irritation bubbled up in her throat, not at him though. It was herself and her lack of foresight. For all the power she had, she still failed at such basic things. She took a breath to steady herself but when she caught the look on his face– distrust– it all spilled out. "Look, I found out what happened to you– don't be mad at Mercedes, she was just worried about you. I'm sure she still is. I'm worried. I had no idea– I never wanted anything bad to happen to you. Father can be… overbearing. I'll make sure he doesn't brutalize you again. But it's my fault that happened to you. I want to make it up to you, if you want to… do you want to…" She was suddenly at a loss for words. "Uh– go for a walk or something?"

He stared at her for a long time and he shifted through a multitude of expressions. All the while she kept a straight face. First he looked obviously shocked, his eyes were wide and he even gaped at her, after a few moments he shifted into suspicion, then disbelief before finally settling on an easy smile. One that he wore often. But now that she thought of it, she wondered just how real it really was.

"Join me for tea as well, and you can forget it ever happened." He winked.

She sighed and kicked a small rock to the side. "I'm being serious Sylvain."

"Me too, It's nice to know you actually care about me."

"Well… of course I do?" She mumbled.

He laughed. "That's not supposed to be a question."

She blinked at him. Why was she so surprised to hear someone say that? Edelgard had said it just last night, but nothing struck her as odd. Could it because of the way Sylvain said it? Like he truly doubted she had before? Maybe because she never thought about the possibility of caring for anyone else besides her family? But now when she thinks about people she cares about, the faces of her students appear as well. It made sense, after all, she'd already bent time to her will in order to keep them safe– without any care for the repercussions it could or did have on herself.

"Helloooo? Professor?"

She shook her head and smiled slightly. "Oh sorry, I was thinking…"

He laughed again. "Okay?"

"So, what's your favorite tea?" She glanced around for her papers, they must have flown from her hand when she fell.

Sylvain gathered them quickly and handed them to her with a grin. "I'll let you guess."

She took them and sighed, an image of Claude flashed through her mind. He'd also told her the same… "Thanks… and fine, but if I choose something you hate you better not complain."

"Haha! So~ when do I see you?"

She started walking to the class again and he fell into step beside her. "Well, everyone will have a new schedule from now on until the festival. I'll make the announcement in class, but I think after supper will be the best time."

"Great! I look forward to it!" He grinned and walked into the classroom, surprisingly he slipped into the seat besides Claude. He nudged him with his elbow and whispered something.

Balaiya hurried down the aisle between the desks. "Sorry I'm late everyone."

"It's alright Professor." Lysithea said. "Professor Hanneman let us in."

"Ah, alright." She cleared her throat. "Before we get started I have an announcement." From her peripheral she saw Claude look amused at whatever Sylvain was telling him but very subtly his shoulders tensed up, and his jaw was set. What come be the matter?

"Okay class, I've received instruction to inform everyone that you'll be put into groups to assist the knights." She walked over to the chalkboard and started writing down each group. "Some of you are in pairs or more, these were already chosen. I have no say in them."

She stepped away from the board and everyone instantly started chatting. Complaints were thrown around here and there but she couldn't make out the exact words.

"This is good for you all. It gives you an opportunity to work with people you might not be very close to. As a mercenary, there were often times when our group has to collaborate with certain individuals we weren't too fond of. The most important part here to keep in mind is professionalism. Start with that and who knows, you might discover a new friend." She sighed and went back to sit at her desk. She looked out at the class, nearly everyone was looking at her, or the board, expect for Claude. He was leaning on the desk, with his hand holding up his head, quill in hand. His movements seemed a bit too irregular to be script. He glanced up to look at her and when she caught his gaze he paused, crumbled his paper and shoved it in his pocket.

She couldn't help but feel taken aback. What was that about?

"Today's lesson will finish at noon, you can then break for lunch and afterward everyone will meet in their designated meeting place to wait for a knight to further instruct you. This will be your schedule until after the festival."

Lysithea rose her hand. "I don't know who's to blame for this commotion, but frankly it's a huge inconvenience!" She frowned and hit her palm on the desk. "With everyone stuck on guard duty, our study and training time has been drastically reduced!"

Balaiya nodded once. "I agree– it's very inconvenient… however, some things are more important than that."

Lysithea sighed and started gathering her books. "Yes, yes, I understand that. But that doesn't change the fact that it's a royal pain."

"It's okay Lysithea." Ignatz said, "like the Professor said, this could be a good learning opportunity for us."

"...I guess." Was her enthusiastic reply.

Hilda rose her hand next. "Professor? Will we be stuck with the same groups the whole time?"

Balaiya shrugged a shoulder. "I'm not sure Hilda, as far as I know that's a yes. But I can speak to Seteth about it." She surveyed the class once more. "Any other questions?"

There were a few murmurs but no one raised their hands. "Alright then." She sighed and stood to begin her lesson. Throughout the few hours she spent reviewing information with the students and providing new information she kept catching herself glancing over to where Claude sat. Each time though he seemed more interested in everything else but her lecture. She felt unnerved by that for some reason, but she couldn't pinpoint why. There were plenty of times when students showed disinterest in a topic she spoke about. So why was she so bothered now?

When she finally did dismiss class she cleared her throat and turned to Claude. "Can you stay back for a moment? I wanted to ask you something."

He paused to look at her, seemingly searching for her question before she even asked it.

"I'll see you later Professor!" Sylvain shouted as he left the room.

"Um, okay I'll see you later." She waved after him.

"You needed me for something? I don't really want to run too far into my lunch break." Claude said with a sigh.

"Oh!" She turned back to him but winced inwardly when she saw the way he was looking at her. She didn't even know how to describe it. "Um, are you alright?" She asked quietly.

He raised an eyebrow. "What? Yeah I'm fine. Is that all?"

She huffed and chewed the inside of her cheek. She didn't even know why she asked him to stay back. If she really had something to tell him, she could have just walked with him to the dining hall. But why was he being so… stand offish? "Um, yeah. I guess that's all."

"Hm, okay. I'll see you around then." He grabbed his books off his desk and headed for the doorway.

"Wait." She bit her lip as soon as she said that. She was normally pretty calculated with everything she did. Now? She felt more confused than anything. Like she spoke then thought about it, when before she hardly said anything without thinking about it.

"Yeah?" He stopped in the doorway and turned to her.

She took a deep breath and smoothed her palms on her blouse. "I um… I need a favor." She schooled her expression back to its usual mask. How strange that just a few months ago she had trouble dealing with her so called mask. She actively tried to break it, now? She was scrambling to patch the holes she'd made in it.

He scratched his cheek and smirked. "I might have to start charging you for my services, Teach."

She frowned, just when had that started? She waited to see if he would laugh about it or something similar, but he remained serious. Was she really going to even consider paying him for his help? "How much?" She mumbled after a moment and pulled out the small bag she kept her money in. Apparently she was. It's not like she was new to the idea of charging or paying people for help. Whether it be for their skill or their wit. If it was worth the coin, then she didn't have a problem supplying it.

"Whoa, really?" He shook his head and pushed her hand down gently. "It was a joke–" he frowned. "a bad one. I didn't expect you to agree so easily. What do you need Teach?"

She laughed slightly and shrugged a shoulder. "I don't know…"

"Are you sure?" He dropped his hand back to his side, his fingers ghosting down her hand on the way down.

She felt goosebumps rise on her skin where he's touched her, though she wasn't even cold…

"I'm sure you could think of something, Teach~." His tone had changed, now carrying a lighter, freer melody.

She pulled out her journal and flipped through the pages, first in an attempt to collect her thoughts, but her eyes landed on a note she'd made the night before.

With a small gasp she snapped the book shut and looked up quickly. "I need– can you please, make me some sort of tincture that will cause dreamless sleep?"

His brows furrowed. "Are you having nightmares, Teach?"

She didn't miss the way his voice softened.

She shook her head. "No, it's for um… someone else. They don't want to be identified."

He tilted his head. "Well… did this person go to Professor Manuela?"

"Um, I honestly don't know, but I doubt it." She hadn't thought about bringing that option up to Edelgard. Then again, the girl was probably too shy or worried about bringing her problem to Manuela. Especially if last night was the first time she'd told anybody.

"Did you give them that option?"

"No… I didn't think of it." She sighed and shrugged. "I thought to ask you first– but if it's a bother, I can talk to Professor Manuela."

He shook his head. "No, no, no need. It's a welcomed challenge. I'll do what I can. You can count on that." He winked.

She hadn't realized she was smiling until she felt her cheeks straining. "Thank you Claude."

"Mhm, anytime." He mumbled and gave her a lazy salute. "See you around, Teach."

With that he ducked out of the classroom and away from her sight.

Balaiya stood there in silence for awhile clutching her journal to her chest.

"Do you not have a meeting to attend?" Sothis asked besides her.

Balaiya jumped, her eyes widening. "Oh! Um, I do." She rubbed her palm on her blouse again and left the classroom. "You know it's not like I'll be late or anything." She pulled the doors shut. "It's not a scheduled meeting though. I just have to meet with Seteth when I can."

Sothis nodded and clicked her tongue. "Yes, but you were standing there for quite a while."

"Oh…" She frowned, she didn't even realize how much time had passed. "I was?"

"Mhm."

"Oh." She mumbled again.

"What happened? I missed it. I was napping." Sothis followed easily beside her as she walked down the path.

"Nothing, I was just wrapping class up…"

"Hm, If you say so."

Balaiya sighed, but made no further attempt at conversation. She didn't really want to explore the issue, but she had a feeling Sothis already knew the answer. Though she had never asked her if she could read her thoughts… she existed in them, didn't she? Or did she truly not know what happened when she went to sleep? As she so often claimed to do.

Up ahead she spotted Seteth, his arms occupied with groceries.

She walked over to him curiously. "Good afternoon Seteth, it's rare to see you out and about."

He turned to her and adjusted the bag to his side. "Ah, afternoon Professor Balaiya, I was actually in town, procuring some supplies for Flayn."

"Oh, did you encounter any danger while you were out?"

He shook his head. "No, but do not concern yourself with my safety. I am very much stronger than I appear."

"I see." She eyed the bag he held. "If you don't mind me asking, what kind of supplies did you get for Flayn?"

Seteth smiled fondly. "Well, earlier this month was my d-Flayn's birthday." He looked nervous suddenly and cleared his throat. "However, due to all the arrangements I've been needing to sort out, I hadn't had the time to properly celebrate her day."

"Oh! I didn't know Flayn's birthday was this month…" She fumbled for her journal and made a note. "I'm sorry I missed it. When was it exactly?"

"It's quite alright, she understands how hectic this month has been. Oh, but it was on the twelfth."

"How old is she?"

"Erm, well… do not tell her this, but I am terrible at keeping track." Seteth shifted, and glanced around.

"Oh, I won't. I'm bad at it too. My brother is better at those things. He helps me keep track of a lot. That's why I'm so grateful for this journal you have me Seteth. It helps a lot. Do you have an idea?" Balaiya asked and looked back down at her journal.

"Uh, seventeen?" *

"What kinds of things does she like? I'd like to get her a little something."

"Well, she does enjoy forget me nots, fish, and cats. Oh! And she's always eager for a new book "He shook his head. Suddenly looking exasperated. "She's always reading silly romance novels…" He said more to himself than her.

Balaiya finished writing down what he'd said and put her journal away in her jacket pocket. "I actually have a question about the groups that you attached to this letter." She held the letter up. "I was just curious to know the thinking behind the decision."

"Hm, the scores and abilities of the students were reviewed and placed accordingly. The goal was to build well rounded teams."

"I see…you also mentioned in the letter, you wanted to see me?" She tucked the paper back in her pocket.

"Oh yes, I actually have something to ask of you." He dug around in his pocket, and handed her a small scroll. "A lot of thieves have been raiding villages to the north of Faerghus. Some reports have indicated they may have made an old tower their stronghold. Can you please assist me and gather some more information on the topic?" He moved the groceries to his other arm. "I have many other things on my plate and I don't want to overlook something like this, even though it may seem like too small an endeavor for the church. Nevertheless, it is still important."

"Of course, I can do my best to help you out."Balaiya said. "I'll talk to the knights and report back to you with anything I find."

"Thank you so much Professor, this is a great help." Seteth's shoulders visibly relaxed.

"I'll let you go now. I'm sure you're busy." She stepped to the side to key him though.

"I'll be in my office for most of the day if you need me for anything else." Seteth called over his shoulder as he left.

Balaiya mentally went over the list of things Flayn liked that Seteth had mentioned. He had mentioned forget me nots specifically, luckily she still had some in the greenhouse. She'll go pick out some and give them to her

She made her way to the greenhouse and inspected her plot carefully. She had just enough to present Flayn with a small bouquet. Once she had the bouquet in hand she left to search for Flayn.

Turns out it wasn't much of a search because she spotted the girl not to far away by the fishing dock, sitting on the cobblestone, surrounded by half a dozen cats.

"Hello Flayn." Balaiya greeted warmly.

There girl snapped her head up in surprise. "Oh! Professor! Hello." She smiled. "Good afternoon to you!"

"May I join you?"

"Of course! Please do." Flayn beamed happily.

Balaiya smiled slightly in return and carefully sat down beside her. Instantly one of the cats crawled on her lap. "How are you Flayn?"

"I am alright. Of course I am worried about Rhea, and well just about everyone else. But I am well." She gently scratched one of the cats behind the ear. The creature purred happily and snuggled into a tight ball on her lap.

"So, I heard from your brother that your birthday was earlier this month. I'm sorry I missed it."

Flayn shook her head. "No, there is no need to wor–"

Balaiya held up the bouquet. "Happy belated Birthday Flayn."

"Oh! How did you know these are my favorite?" She took the bouquet gingerly and smelled them. "Thank you so much! This is so nice of you!"

A comforting warmth washed over her as she watched Flayn admire the tiny flowers. The fact that she got so happy with such a simple gesture made it hard not to share in her joy. "Honestly, I just asked your brother what you liked."

"Oh, but just knowing that you cared to ask makes me feel so special! And I'm not even your student!"

There was that phrase again, knowing you care. It couldn't be a coincidence that she'd heard it from three different people insuch a short time period. Should she be telling people that more often? But she's only really just discovered that fact. Caring for others seemed like something so simple, but putting it into words– or actions apparently meant so much more. Should she feel silly that she was only now discovering this?

"I'm just happy you like them. You seem like such a sweet person, and I'd like to get to know you better. If you're okay with that."

Flayn gasped. "Oh! I'd love to– oh a new friend." She giggled behind her hand. "Please forgive me. People don't usually initiate conversation with me. But that must be because I spend much of my time indoors…" She smiled sadly.

"It's okay. You don't have to feel bad for being happy." Balaiya leaned back to allow another cat on her lap.

"Thank you Professor…" She carefully caressed a petal between two fingers. "I really do love these flowers. They mean all sorts of things! My favorite meanings is linked to the name– it represents memory, a connection through the ages. Remembrance after the death of someone close to you…" She perked up suddenly, startling one of the cats in her lap. "Oh but it also means true love! A strong love that is undying and timeless!" Her eyes sparkled as if she were caught in a daydream.

Balaiya laughed lightly. Seteth had also mentioned she liked romance novels. "Oh well, since I've given the flower to you, does it have a different meaning?"

Flayn blinked and smiled sheepishly. "Ah, forgive my enthusiasm. I love a good romance novel– it simply makes my heart sing! Ahem– but the flower can also represent a strong connection between someone and the person who is gifting the flower. Or the start of a new friendship, a connection that can't be broken or shaken by anything or anyone."

"That sounds nice." Balaiya said. "It would be nice if we could become good friends like that."

"Yes it would!" She smiled again but the sadness that was present before seeped into her eyes again. "I look forward to it."

Balaiya watched her curiously, why were there so many people that hid behind a smile? And why did she feel so compelled to try and help them when she didn't even know if they needed or wanted it?

"Well, I have some errands to run. I should get going." Balaiya said after awhile of silence. Carefully she moved the two cats from her lap and stood. The felines complained and left her thighs covered in fur. She started brushing off her legs.

"Thank you for the gift Professor, and for entertaining my girlish rambling."

"Oh don't worry about it. There's nothing wrong with liking to read."

"Oh, maybe I can recommend my favorite book of all time! We can talk about it if you read it! I don't know anyone anym– around here that has read it." That eager look took over her face again.

"I don't see why not, but I still have to finish a book I'm borrowing from Professor Manuela. I'll let you know if I find the time to finish it."

She clapped eagerly. "Oh, I can not wait!"

"See you later Flayn."

"Have a good day Professor!"

.

---

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Sylvain was waiting outside of the dining hall talking to some girl she'd never seen before when she finally got the chance to meet up with him. She had been running late thanks to all the errands she'd been doing all day.

She waited patiently for him to finish his conversation since she showed up later than intended. But things got too awkward for her so she cleared her throat loudly. "Someone looks occupied."

He turned quickly. "Professor! I didn't see you there! Thought you were going to stand me up."

The girl gaped at both of them for a moment before running away.

"I'm not a liar." Balaiya stated with a frown.

"Well I'm not saying you are. People can change their mind before meeting up with someone."

She sighed and started walking away, gesturing for him to follow. "Well. I'm not like most people."

"I'm discovering that." He placed his hands behind his neck.

"How was guard duty?" She turned down the steps leading to the dorms.

"Eh, boring. Not too much fun. I'm more interested in your day. How was it?" They stopped outside her door and he smirked. "Inviting me in your room? How scandalous."

She glanced back at him, noting how he stood out of arm's reach. "No. I'm just getting my tea set. You said you wanted tea, right?"

"Oh, yeah I did." He dropped his arms and crossed them instead.

"Good, then wait out here a second."

He nodded once and she slipped in her room to get what she needed. She collected everything in a small basket and joined him back outside. "Okay, let's go." She moved ahead and he followed behind– quiet for once. She wanted to wait till they were sitting before she asked him anything important, so she could gauge his reaction properly. So to fill in the uneasy silence that followed them she started humming to herself.

She lead them to a small table in the gardens that was rather isolated. She continued to him until everything was set up. She took a seat and looked up at him curiously.

He stood off to the side with a guarded expression until she motioned him over. "I hope you don't plan on standing the whole time."

"What? Oh, ha. You'd be surprised how much stamina I have." He grinned and sat down, placing his elbows on the table so he could learn over it.

She sat back in her chair and observed him carefully, would he even answer any of her questions? Or should she save them for later? Would forgetting them all together be best so they could forget it ever happened?

Clearly his careless way of speaking was a mask of his own, why hadn't she seen it sooner? He put up a front to come off as careless and rude, but there were things that gave him away. Small things that aren't all that small when she sat down to think it over. She carefully leaned on the table herself. The question though, was why? What made him carry himself in such a manner? Mercedes had spoken highly of him, and she was such a sweet person. As far as she knew she was one of the oldest students at the academy, surely that came with experience?

"Getting lost in my eyes Professor?" Sylvain asked with a smirk.

She smiled slightly but didn't answer, she just stared at him, and it wasn't long until he leaned back in his chair.

"Eh, if you're waiting for me to say something, I got nothing."

"I was hoping you would tell me what my Father did to you. I want to know. I promise I won't talk about it after this."

His shoulders tensed. "Ah, well… nothing really." He fussed with the tea cup that sat before him that'd been neglected until now. "Hey! You've got excellent taste Professor, this is great tea." He took a sip from the cup and placed it back on the table.

"I took a careful guess actually." All the tea she had at the moment was from Lorenz anyway. They didn't smell all too different, though she wasn't sure if they were supposed to or not.

"Hm, well you got lucky. Bergamont is a favorite of mine."

She made a mental note of that information but otherwise stayed silent.

After a few moments he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "He randomly chose me to be his partner to give better examples. I wasn't too concerned, I knew he didn't like me. Doesn't. I still don't think you should be worried about this… Mercie had to have made it more dramatic than it was. Anyway, I've trained with Dimitri all my life. Though I know he's still learning and improving– yada yada, Jeralt sure isn't called the blade breaker for nothing. I'm surprised bone crusher didn't catch on sooner." He laughed dryly. "Perhaps that doesn't sound as knightly."

Balaiya sighed heavily, it seemed like that was the most she was going to get out of him, but she was grateful he actually said anything about it. "Thank you for telling me…" She waited to see if he had anything else to add but he remained silent.

The best thing she could do now was to move on. "So, you asked me how my day was earlier."

He visibly relaxed and a smile spread across his face.

"It was alright. Slow, I might be getting a sore throat with all the talking I've been doing." She leaned her elbow back on the table, and propped her chin up. "I did some gardening, and I just realized I didn't eat much today." She only had tea on the table, perhaps investing in some sweets would be a good idea. Though there was the issue of budget… "That's about it."

"Sounds like an eventful day. I just listened to Lorenz complain all day. Then he tried to give everyone dating advice!" He laughed. "Let me tell you, it was terrible. I'd be surprised if he even has female friends."

"Do you?" She asked curiously.

"Sure I do, tons–"

"Like who?"

"Well, there's Ingrid and…" He scratched the back of his head. "Erm, I'm cool with Hilda." His brows furrowed. "Oh, and Dimitri and Felix." He grinned.

"The last two are guys, Sylvain." She said unamused.

"Are they though?" He laughed again.

Balaiya tilted her head, there it was again. His strange way of deflecting. She remained silent until his grin dropped again.

"Um, Professor? Have you ever… told someone you wanted to get to know them– as a friend, but you weren't even sure how to even do that?" He focused his gaze on the tea cup in front of him.

"I don't think I've actually used those words, but the idea of friendship is new for me… I've had plenty trustworthy comrades, then there's my family. I'm not very good at it. So I probably wouldn't be of much help." She moved her hands to her lap. She didn't expect him to ask her something like that and she felt guilty she couldn't provide a better answer.

"It's okay. At least you're honest. I'm bad at that. Everyone knows it, they say you have to be able to tell the truth to have real friends…" He pursed his lips. "I'm not capable of that."

"I don't think that's true."

He snapped his head up to look at her.

"Aren't you telling the truth now?" She said simply. "You shouldn't be so hard on yourself. And you shouldn't be surprised that there are people that think highly of you."

"Oh yeah? Like who?"

She took a deep breath and met his gaze. "I do."

He barked out a laugh. "Don't. It's a waste." He sighed heavily and stood. "Thank you for the treat Professor… I'd like to do this again sometime. Maybe with less… heavy conversation." He winked and waved. "Have a good night."

She frowned and waved back. "Goodnight Sylvain…" She watched him go before she collected her dishes and returned to her room.

"You know, you can't shoulder everyone's burden." Sothis whispered softly, concern laced in her voice.

"You don't know that for sure though, do you?" She replied and set the dishes on the shelf by the window, she'd take care of them in the morning.

"Surely it must be exhausting for you Bala?"

She shook her head. "No, all I'm doing is listening… it's the best I can do. I need to be more observant, I've gotten careless." She sighed and dropped back on her bed, not bothering to even change.

---

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A/N: *I read that the game has a coded age for her but it doesn't show in the actual game play. So that is why I chose this number. 17, was the number supposably coded in.