The Corruption Within
Chapter 6-Coronation Preparations
"Oh Byleth, you look fantastic! So majestic and regal!" Annette cried as she finished curling Byleth's hair.
"Yes! You're absolutely looking like an archbishop now!" Ingrid cheered, clasping her hands together. Since giving Dimitri the go-ahead for the coronation, Byleth's morning had been mostly consumed with getting herself ready for the ceremony.
Byleth began to observe herself in the mirror. What she was wearing was not much different than the "enlightened one" garb that she often wore into battle. It was obviously a lot cleaner, and rather than having a shirt and shorts underneath the majestic cloak, Byleth wore a tight, knee-length, v-neck black dress with gold embroidery and deep purple accents. The tall, gold collar sat perfectly around her neck, and both arms of the cloak draped down to her elbows. Instead of armor, Byleth's forearms were adorned with golden bracelets. While Rhea had insisted that Byleth wear a headdress similar to her own, Byleth opted for a smaller, less heavy gold crown embedded with amethysts. Byleth's light green hair cascaded into curls, and her face was covered with a thin veil of makeup.
Barely able to recognize herself, she sighed. Of course she was grateful for the help the girls gave her, but this was not her. Why did there need to be such a fuss about what she looked like? Her duty was to lead, not to look good.
It was to be a long day. The actual ceremony was first on the agenda. Byleth had to be named as the new archbishop by Rhea first, and then immediately after she would crown Dimitri as king. Her first decree as archbishop was going to be appointing the new king of Fodlan. No big deal.
Following the ceremony would be a big dinner, hosting all lords and ladies from around the country, as well as several royals from our newfound foreign allegiances, such as the new queen of Brigid, Petra, and Almyra's surprise new king, Claude von Riegan. The good news is that none of these nobles were new faces; they were all either former students or Byleth had met them during the war. Regardless, it would be a lot of people.
And finally, a ball. This would be the first time Garreg Mach has held a ball since nearly almost six years ago come the ethereal moon. It was sure to be a party, but not a party Byleth knew if she was ready for. She loved spending time with her students, but with so much on her mind right now, she really was not confident in her abilities to be a sociable hostess.
However, it was nearly time and Byleth needed to start mentally preparing herself for the day ahead.
"Thank you both for helping me." Byleth said with a smile.
"Of course! Absolutely anything help." Annette exclaimed, embracing her former professor around the shoulders.
"It's almost time!" Ingrid began, "We're all ready, so we can escort you to the cathedral." Both women were dressed in long gowns that resembled the typical colors that they normally wore. Byleth almost envied them for having much simpler and comfier attire, but decies to stow her feelings for the sake of focusing on the task at hand.
Finally, Byleth had made it to the outside doors of the cathedral with Annette and Ingrid. The whole trek over consisted of the women trying to make lighthearted jokes about the ceremony to help ease Byleth's obvious nervousness. It did not work in the slightest, but Byleth appreciated their attempts.
She had to remember so much about the proceedings of the ceremony. Her coronation was easy, she just had to follow Rhea's lead. No, she was far more worried about screwing up the new king's coronation. This was going to be her first impression as the new archbishop, and needless to say, it was a big impression to make. She had been rehearsing her lines ever since Rhea had appointed her as her successor, and still did not feel confident. Regardless, there was nothing that could be done about it now.
Awaiting in front of the giant doors was Dimitri, standing tall and proud, accompanied by Dedue as usual. He was donned in a black suit silver suit with deep blue accents. Behind him draped a giant blue and silver cloak with the sigil of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus outlined in bronze. Upon seeing Byleth, he became bashful and began to blush profusely. Noticing this change in demeanor, Dedue couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
Seeing him produced a similar reaction from Byleth, though she tried her hardest to hide it. Ingrid and Annette gave one another a knowing smile as they approached the soon-to-be king.
"Your-your grace." Dimitri said bashfully, giving Byleth a slight bow.
"Your highness." Byleth replied, replicating Dimitri's nervous formalities.
"Alright, you two love birds it's almost time for the show!" A familiar, goofy voice called out, causing the two to blush even harder and turn away as fast as they could from one another to find the source of the voice.
On cue, Sylvain came strolling toward the others with his hands casually stretched behind his head. In tow were the rest of the former Blue Lions class, Felix begrudgingly following behind Sylain, Ashe looking as happy as ever, and Mercedes smiling alongside him.
As Sylvain approached, Ingrid ran up to him and grabbed his ear, pulling him away from the rest of the group.
"You imbecile! They're already nervous enough as it is! Why would you even say something like that!" Ingrid exclaimed, finally releasing Sylvain from her grasp.
"Ouch! Oh c'mon Ingrid! They're engaged! It's okay to poke a little fun!" Sylvain said with a wink.
"Oh my goddess, you really are stupid. They are not engaged yet, didn't you hear?"
"Uh. What?" Sylvain asked, shocked.
"Yeah. Dimitri didn't get to propose because Byleth passed out right before!"
"Huh, Dimitri has more game than I thought! Making a woman pass out before he even has the chance to propose?" Sylvain pondered, wondering just how Dimitri could accomplish such a feat all on his own.
"Sylvain, that's not-" Ingrid began.
"Well hopefully Ashe or Felix doesn't say anything about it because we were definitely under the impression that it happened."
"Oh goddess." Ingrid groaned before running back to the group. She could see Felix talking to Byleth and Dimitri, looking like he was about to ask a question.
"So you two, when's the we- AH"
"WE really all should be going!" Ingrid intervened, pushing Felix out of the way before he could finish the question. "It's almost time for the ceremony to start, and we should give you guys some time to mentally prepare. Let's go everyone! Move it into the cathedral!" She shouted, ushering the others along with her.
Confused, but scared to defy Ingrid, everyone bid their well wishes to the two and made their way inside.
Once they were gone, Byleth and Dimitri sighed a breath of relief and then laughed.
"That group never ceases to amaze me." Byleth exclaimed with a genuine smile.
"Agreed. They all have their quirks but I wouldn't trade a single one of them." Dimitri agreed. The two remained silent for a few nervous moments before Dimitri decided to finally break the silence. "Are you nervous?"
"Absolutely and entirely." Byleth confessed, her voice wavering. "Dimitri, I still don't know if I can do this. Be archbishop, I mean."
Dimitri turned to face her, putting a hand on her shoulder, "Byleth, I promise you that there is no better person for the job. You will lead the church with grace, dignity, and wisdom. But more than that, you will lead it with a kind and gentle heart. It is your destiny to lead, and I know I wouldn't rather have anyone else in this position in my kingdom."
Byleth sighed, smiling brightly at Dimitri, "Hm, it's interesting to have you comforting me for a change."
"Ha, I suppose you're right." Dimitri laughed, dropping his hand from her shoulder, only to have Byleth take it into her own hand.
"But I will trust you. I only hope that I can do your kingdom justice." Byleth smiled, giving Dimitri's hand a tight squeeze.
In a spontaneous moment of confidence and anxiety, Dimitri reached into his suit pocket. "Byleth, I must ask-"
"Your grace, your majesty, it's time to begin." Seteth said, appearing aside the couple with an eager Flayn following behind.
"Oh! I am so excited to watch this ceremony! Professor, you look BEAUTIFUL!" Flayn exclaimed, grabbing Byleth's free hand.
"Oh, thank you, Flayn!" Byleth said, smiling at the girl. Dimitri could only laugh as once again, he would have to wait to confess his feelings to the love of his life.
"Are you two ready?" Seteth asked with a proud smile. Looking at them, he knew instantly that these two would lead Fodlan into a bright, bright future.
Looking at each other, and then Seteth, the two nodded.
Dimitri offered his arm to Byleth with a warm smile. Blushing slightly, she took it, and the two made their way through the massive cathedral doors.
A/N: SURPRISE. I bet you weren't expecting another chapter so soon! Honestly, I wasn't either. I hope this can make up a little for last night's bleh chapter. A little more content, plus the introduction of some familiar faces! I've already started writing the next chapter, but that one will likely be massive as it's the ball, so it likely won't be up for a little while.
Anyways, thank you for your support! See you next time!