The Corruption Within

Chapter 8—Waltz Under the Moonlight

The dining hall had been decorated in beautiful blue tapestries and was lit with dozens upon dozens of silver candles. The long tables were adorned with royal blue table cloths and magnificent centerpieces, beautiful china, and shining silver cutlery. Byleth's eyes became wide with amazement after seeing how Garreg Mach's simple dining hall could be transformed into something so spectacular.

Upon entering, Dimitri and Byleth were met with the same enthusiastic applause as earlier. The two quickly disconnected their arms, and Dimitri motioned to the crowd to settle down.

"Thank you all for coming to celebrate this incredibly happy occasion! I think I speak for myself and the archbishop that your attendance is greatly appreciated. Please, enjoy the food, drink, and the dancing that is to follow!"

Byleth looked up at Dimitri, admiring his dignified and confident composure. "It's crazy to think that Dimitri was a shell of a man only a few short months ago, and now he has completely transformed into a capable leader." Byleth thought, smiling to herself.

"My, I see why you like him so much." Sothis' voice rang in Byleth's head.

"Sothis! You're back again?"

"Yes, but I am still not sure how or for how long. No matter for now though, you have business to attend to!" Sothis finished just as Byleth noticed that Dimitri was speaking to her.

"Byleth? Are you alright?"

"Yes! Sorry, I'm just tired." Dimitri's face turned dark with concern, "Are you sure you are well enough for this? If you must, you can return to your chambers—"

"No! No, I'm fine I promise," Byleth flashed him a smile. Seeing this visibly relaxes Dimitri, "Alright then, shall we take our seats?" Byleth nodded and followed him to the head of the table.

"Even now, you get so distracted when I talk to you!" Sothis exclaimed as Byleth took her seat.

"I'm sorry! I wasn't expecting you to pop into my head so suddenly after not being there for so long!" Byleth retorted. A waiter came to her side, placing a decorated plate of bourgeois pike in front of her. "Mmm, so fancy! If only I could have a taste—"

"Oh, now look at who is getting distracted! Sothis, as happy as I am to have you back, I still have no clue as to why, or about what's going on with me."

"Yes, I understand. I am…frightened by how little we know of what is going on here…" Sothis began, "But! Tonight is a happy night! We have plenty of time to discuss this after your celebration is all said and done!"

Byleth moved to pick up her knife and fork, but paused after hearing Sothis' words, "What if we don't have time?"

Sothis hesitated before responding, "Just…trust me. Try to have a good time tonight, alright?" Byleth mentally nodded her head and continued picking up her silverware.

While this is happening, Dimitri could not help but wonder what was wrong. "Is she sick? Is it something I said? Something someone else said, then I'll—" His mind began to race. Then he noticed her slow, hesitant movements. Her eyes were focused, but worried, as if she was listening to someone tell her some unfortunate news. "No," he thought, "This is something much deeper. Something she will not tell me about until she is ready."

The rest of the coronation dinner went about as well as anyone could expect. Old friendships reconnecting, new ones forging, and plenty of food for all who were in attendance. Byleth found herself cheering up once the main course was completed and decided that now would be a good time for mingling before the dessert came out.

Byleth got up from her seat and made her way toward some familiar faces formally from the Golden Deer house: Hilda, Marianne, and Ignatz. While they were never in her class, Byleth came to know and love several students from the other houses as well, even the unofficial Ashen Wolves house. When it came to the war, she found it too hard to kill really any of them. In the case of the Golden Deer and the Ashen Wolves, it was a bit easier to spare their lives as they were a lot more willing to join forces. The Black Eagles, however, were a different story. Many feared what Edelgard and Hubert would do to their families or loved ones were they to switch sides. Some did, like Petra and Dorothea, but some fought until the very end like Caspar and Linhardt. Byleth was not the one to slay them, and she simultaneously was grateful and guilty for that fact.

Watching her take a seat by the former Golden Deer students, Dimitri became distracted from his current conversation with Hilda's older brother, Holst. "What can I do to help her? She looks better now, but—" his thoughts were interrupted when he notices a familiar brown haired, tan young man also walk over to the table and take a seat right next to Byleth.

"Claude…" Dimitri mumbled under his breath.

"What?" Holst asked, bringing Dimitri back to his previous conversation.

"Oh, nothing! Now, where were we?" Holst gave the flustered king a skeptical look but continues his war stories anyway.

Dimitri knew henceforth that he would have to keep an eye on Claude. Nothing was going to get in between him and Byleth.

After the attendees had all finished their desert of saghert and cream, it was time to relocate to the reception hall where the ball would take place. Like the dining hall, the reception hall was decorated in the same colors, only with cleared space for dancing and a small orchestra in the corner that was warming up. All those who entered the room naturally formed a large circle around the center of the dance floor which Dimitri and Byleth made their way toward.

Before speaking again, Dimitri looked down at Byleth who was busy admiring the decorations. "Byleth." He whispered. Catching her attention, she looked up. "Would you still be willing to dance with me?" He asked shyly.

Blushing, Byleth nodded in agreement. Dimitri blushed and grinned widely at her one more time before looking up to address the room.

"Thank you again for joining us for the evening. We know it has been a long string of events, but we are eternally grateful for your presence. Now if we may—" He paused as a waiter handed him and Byleth a glass of dark red wine, "Let us all raise a glass in honor of new beginnings and for a brighter future for all—To Fódlan!" Dimitri raised his glass as the rest of the room echoed "To Fódlan!" There was a moment of silence as everyone chugged their drink, followed by excited cheers and clapping. "Now," Dimitri beamed, "Let the dancing begin!"

The same waiter returned to take the empty glasses, asking if the two would like a refill. Both nodded enthusiastically, and the waiter excused himself to retrieve the drinks. After the day they had, both the new king and archbishop were going to need a little bit of liquid courage to help with the socializing and the dancing.

As the first waltz of the night begins, Dimitri turned to Byleth, giving her a slight bow and extending his gloved hand, "Shall we?"

Just as Byleth was about to put her hand in his, she found herself swooped away by a familiar red-haired man. "Sorry, your majesty! I had to take my chance while I could!" Sylvain called after his childhood friend who was now left in his wake wearing an expression of both frustration and utter shock.

"Sylvain! What did you do that for?!" Byleth chided as the pair waltzed around.

"Oh c'mon, your Graceliness! If I didn't take up the chance now, I would never get to dance with you! Dimitri would keep you to himself all night!" Sylvain exclaimed, twirling Byleth. This notion made her blush immensely, which did not escape Sylvain's notice. Seeing this, he could not help but laugh as he twirled her around once more. When they came back together, he looked over Byleth's shoulder and nodded.

"Well, seems like it's time to pass you on! Get ready to spin over to Felix in three…two…"

"Sylvain, wait!"

"One!" He exclaimed as he spun her out of his arms and into Felix's waiting, open arms.

"Your grace! Nice of you to drop by!" Felix stated.

"Felix did you…did all of you plan this?" Byleth asked in shock as they rocked back and forth.

"Well, we all wanted a chance to dance with you! Plus…" He paused as he gently spun her, "We wanted to have a little bit of fun teasing the boar prince tonight." He smiled wickedly, making Byleth burst out into laughter.

Across the room, Dimitri heard her and looked up from Annette to watch.

"Ouch! Dimitri, you're holding on too tight!" Annette cried.

"Oh! I'm terribly sorry Annette, I just—"

"I knoooow," The auburn-headed girl began, "You'll get your chance to dance with her soon enough! We just all wanted our turns with you both first!"

Dimitri sighed. He knew his friends had no malicious intent, and he did enjoy dancing with them as well. He was just anxious to spend some alone time with Byleth.

"So why haven't you proposed yet?" Annette asked, bluntly. Dimitri, shocked that she would bring such a sensitive topic up in such a place, froze unable to respond. As if on cue, the waiter returned with another drink for Dimitri which he took a hurried gulp before attempting an answer.

"Well…the time hasn't been right yet, I suppose…" Annette was visibly displeased with this answer.

"I tried last night, and then she passed out. And every time since, things have kept getting in the way." Dimitri looked down out of embarrassment. How could he claim to love Byleth so much when he could not even find the time to tell her how he feels?

"Do it tonight."

"What?" Dimitri was taken aback by the suggestion.

"Tonight is a happy occasion for you both! Why not make it even happier?" Annette smiled sincerely.

"I agree! Dimitri, you should do it tonight!" Mercedes said from behind him, making him jump.

"Seriously, we're all tired of waiting." Manuela hiccuped from the side, two drinks in her hand.

"Yeah, just do it your majesty! We believe in you!" Ingrid added in as her and Sylvain danced by.

Dimitri is suddenly swarmed by several of Byleth's female friends, all encouraging him to muster up the courage to ask for her hand. Suddenly, he was starting to think that all of this might have been planned out.

Byleth, who was now dancing with Dedue, looked over to the gaggle of women surrounding Dimitri. "I always knew he would be popular with women, and now that he's king…" Her thoughts trailed off. Sighing, she returned her glance to Dedue who was smiling down at her.

"Do not worry, your grace. It is not what you think it is." Dedue's calmness and sincerity made her believe him and brought Byleth back to the current moment. She began to smile again, embracing the event, as they waltzed to the other side of the room where Ashe was waiting to switch off.

"Fine! I'll do it tonight!" Dimitri shouted as he tried to break free from the surrounding women. They all smiled and rejoiced at this answer and began clearing out to return to their party activities.

"Good! Now go get her, and then let us know how it goes!" Annette said as she pushed him toward Byleth and Ashe.

Dimitri cleared his throat, straightened his cloak, grabbed another drink from a nearby waiter's tray, and began walking toward the love of his life. Ashe and Byleth spun around to face him, but before they could be reached, Claude squeezed in between the two and outstretched his hand to Byleth.

"Teach, if I may. I have something I need to talk to you about." He winked. Byleth, finally caught up in the moment and the alcohol, took Claude's hand and was whisked away to the center of the dance floor.

Once again, Dimitri was left standing there flabbergasted.

"I'm sorry, your majesty." Ashe said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure you'll still get your chance!"

All Dimitri could do in response was nod as he watched the two of them spin around the room, smiling and laughing. How he wished that could be him in her arms instead of Claude. He noticed Claude leaning over to whisper something into Byleth's ear, immediately lighting up her face. She quickly embraced him and the two moved off to the side of the dance floor to talk. Having seen enough, Dimitri picked Ashe's hand from his shoulder and made his way outside.

"Poor Dimitri…" Ashe said sadly as Sylvain and Felix popped up behind him.

"Eh, don't worry, he'll find out soon enough." As Sylvain said this, the group noticed Byleth wave goodbye to Claude and then hurry outside to catch up with the poor king.

"See?"

Entering the courtyard, Byleth found a deposed Dimitri twirling a rose between his fingers.

"Dimitri! What are you doing out here?" Byleth quickened her step to get to him faster.

Her presence startled Dimitri, causing him to blush out of embarrassment. "Oh, I was just feeling a little…overwhelmed…"

"I understand that. It's been a busy night." Byleth said, sidling up next to him. Noticing her closeness, Dimitri turned away, still hurt and confused at what he had just witnessed. Byleth also picked up a rose from the nearby bush and began to twirl it. "You'll never guess what Claude just told me." She said with a smile.

"Do I even want to know?" Dimitri growled underneath his breath.

Byleth, too tipsy and high on life, dismissed it and continued, "He told me that he's going to propose to Hilda! Isn't that exciting?"

Dimitri looked up, suddenly feeling a bit lighter, "Hilda? Not you?"

Byleth turns to look at Dimitri with a confused expression, "No, not me? He has been wanting ask Hilda for quite some time now, but now that he's all settled in Almyra he figured that it was finally time."

Dimitri sighs a heavy sigh of relief and turns his head slightly toward her. "That's…great news."

"Yeah…it is…" Byleth trailed off as she watched his face outlined in the moonlight. For a few moments, the two stood there, admiring the other's presence and enjoying this quiet time that they finally had together. Eventually, the silence was broken by an awkward chuckle from both parties and the start of a new piece from the orchestra inside. It was a slower, elegant waltz and as the notes drifted into the courtyard, Byleth began to speak.

"You know…we haven't gotten to dance yet." Byleth smiled coyly.

"No, I suppose we haven't…shall we head back inside?" Dimitri suggested as he turned toward the entrance.

"Dimitri?"

"Yes?"

"What if we just…stayed out here? We can still hear the music just fine, and…" embarrassed at her proposition, she looked toward the sky, "it's a beautiful night."

Dimitri stopped, stunned for a moment, before quickly comes back to her. He gently placed a hand on her waist and lifted his other hand up, ready to receive hers when she was ready. "I'm sorry to say that I'm not the most spectacular dancer. Particularly in comparison to some of your other partners from this evening."

Smiling, Byleth placed her hand on his shoulder, "I don't care."

Almost in time with the building accelerando of the music, Byleth placed her hand in his. Once their hands were completely locked within each other's, the waltz began at its new tempo. Despite the quietness of the music, Dimitri and Byleth could not care less. They were together, and that was the only thing in the world that could matter right now.

Under the moonlight, the couple danced all over the gardens: spinning, swooping and laughing. Dimitri tried several lifts throughout the piece, and while not at all graceful, made Byleth laugh which was more than enough reason for Dimitri to keep doing them. They danced the entire duration of the piece, slowly getting closer and closer to one another with every spin or silly lift.

Just as the music was about to meet its dramatic end, Dimitri braced himself for their big finish. As the last chords were struck, Dimitri spun Byleth one last time before taking her in his arms and dipping her. Byleth could only muster a surprised giggle as this happened, enjoying the silliness of the moment. All of a sudden, she stopped once she became aware of how close they were.

As clapping could be heard from inside the reception hall, the two remained in that position for several seconds, breathing in each other's presence. Slowly, Dimitri brought Byleth back to her feet without removing his eye from hers, desperately wanting to close the gap between them once and for all. Hesitantly, he gently placed a delicate hand on her cheek.

"Byleth, there's…something I would like to talk to you about…" He trailed off as he stroked her cheek.

"I have something…to talk to you about too." Byleth said, her voice trembling. She took Dimitri's hand from her check, intertwining his fingers with her own. Slowly, Byleth stepped forward to get even closer to Dimitri, tilting her head up slightly as she moved. She had never done anything like this before, so she was not even sure that she was doing it correctly. Dimitri leaned his head down to almost meet hers.

"Byleth, I-I"

"Byleth! The sky!" Sothis shouted.

Before Dimitri could continue, Byleth shot her head up the sky, noticing several large streaks of light falling from it.

"Dimitri!" She commanded, directing his attention upwards.

"Huh?" He asked as he tilted his head up. Seeing the lights, his eyes widened with fear.

The spears of light were falling straight toward the monastery.

A/N: WOW! That was a long one! I was thinking about breaking this one up into two chapters, but I decided against it. There was no good spot in the action to do it, plus I didn't want to stop writing! I hope you enjoyed it! A slight update: I'm going to go back and add chapter titles to all the previous chapters! Why I didn't do it before, I'm not sure, but you know. Might as well!

As always, thank you for reading! This chapter was a lot of fun to write, so I hope you enjoyed it as well!