Summary: Byleth adjusts to becoming Steward of House Edmund.
"This is a bit… showy."
Standing in front of a full-body mirror, the former mercenary stared at his reflection, trading out his ebony armor, coral trim, and charcoal fabric for blue robes, gold accents, and taupe plates. The tailors and blacksmith mostly stuck to what he had previously worn as a template, but at his personal request added a pair of gauntlets and another panel to the armor framing his abdomen.
It wasn't the gold contrasting with the blues that made him quirk an eyebrow at his reflection, rather the addition of cream-white fur around his neck and wrists. Edmund territory did get cold, being situated more north in Fódlan, but the way it peeked from his collar and puffed out between his gauntlets and vambraces irked him. Perhaps if it had been black…
And there was the cape. The cloak he often wore had been recreated in the new colors except for the length coming off of his back, terminating right at his shoulders. Instead, he received an extra cloak, similarly sapphire-esque in shade to the rest of his current ensemble, with a familiar metallic sheen down its edge. The tailors had done a good job, he thought, as it accounted for the pauldrons they were sitting over, still terminating at the same length his old cloak did. Pulling up a corner, he slowly spun, watching the fabric flow ever so slightly, only to stop as his eyes locked with the person in the threshold of the fitting room, his hand releasing the cape and letting it float back down.
"You look wonderful," Marianne said, her arms held in front of her waist. The sunlight made its way through the frosted glass, lighting her features as she slowly walked towards him, the slight sway at her hips causing him to turn his head away abashedly.
"I feel ridiculous." Byleth's arm reached over his body, his thumb crooking itself into the puffy cuff, adjusting it slightly. "I don't see why I can't wear my old clothes."
"Well, you need to represent House Edmund," she answered. Her hands reached up to his neck, tugging the edges of his collar; he swore she was just trying to get more of the fur to show. "Is it not good?"
His hand clenched at the fabric, tugging it up between their bodies. "The cape and the fur is a bit much, don't you think?"
Understanding crossed her face as she brought a hand down to caress the fabric in his hand. "I thought it would look good on you, and perhaps I wanted to shape the Edmund legacy with my blood in mind. If you don't like it—"
"No, Marie, it's just something I'm not used to," he interjected, slowly unclenching his hand so he could grab ahold of hers. "Although, now that you mentioned blood… I kinda look like him, don't you think?"
"Perhaps that's where the inspiration came from. Your hair is much brighter than his, though."
Marianne watched Byleth move towards another table, taking the familiar black leather belts from his mercenary days and pulling them around the metal banding around his middle, his covered hands not interfering with securing his dagger against his person. His head peered down, patting some parts of his body while absently dusting off others before returning his attention, now assuming a slightly awkward stance.
"So, uh, what would you have your steward do, Lady Edmund?" he said, entering a clumsy bow.
A giggle bubbled out from her as she took his hands, lightly tugging him to follow. "Enough of that, we have a long day ahead of us."
"Wah—papa looks like grampa!"
Lilith bounced around Byleth as her hands pulled at the curtain falling down his shoulders. At one point she hid between his cape and his back, the illusion broken by the flower-print headband and her braid peeking out from the side of his leg if one disregarded the fabric bunched up over her. Marianne returned a look of amusement towards the defeated man as his clothes were yanked around by the child.
And then she started climbing up his cape.
"Lily, your father's clothes are very important, don't ruin them," she lightly scolded, lowering the five year old's feet to the ground.
"Oh, I'm sorry, papa," she said as she looked up at the taller man, her foot meekly kicking at the ground as she shrunk in on herself.
"Hey, don't worry about it," he returned, kneeling down to see her eye-to-eye. Watching her gaze hesitate to meet his, he raised his hand, softly patting at her blue hair. Initially flinching at the first touch, her ultramarine orbs finally met his matching pair.
"You're not mad?" she said as she criss-crossed her fingers, somewhat unsure.
"You know I can't be mad at you." He flashed a reassuring smile, and, despite her uncertainty as she briefly glanced at her mother, she managed a smile in return.
"Can I still hide behind your cape?"
Marianne giggled into her hand as she approached Lilith from behind, nudging her shoulder slightly. "Come on, you two, we really need to get going. Lily, didn't you want to see the sweets merchant in town?"
"Wait, we are?!"
"It was your idea," Byleth said, swooping her up into his arms as he rose from his place, ignoring her bubbly laughter. Letting her lean against his body for support, she started belting off the kinds of candies she wanted to eat, from licorice allsorts to bonbons.
"A-And also those belts, the ones that make your mouth pucker," she continued, briefly tightening her lips to demonstrate. "Like this!"
"Well I don't know about belts, my dad only gave me chocolate," he returned, hefting her up slightly as they clambered into the carriage. "What about you, Marie?"
"I was never much into candy growing up," she answered, setting herself into the seat as Lily was plopped down next to her.
"You don't like candy? But you give me candy all the time!"
"I didn't say I hated candy, Lily." She watched Byleth close the door, locking it before settling across from the two blue-heads. "Although, Lysithea has been sending me cherry cordials, which I've found myself enjoying in my office."
"You shouldn't skip meals, Marie," he quipped, leaning back and crossing his arms.
"Byleth, you and I both know we keep one another accountable on these sorts of things, and I only eat them sparingly."
"The liqueur filling certainly helps to steel nerves."
"Oh, shush, you."
Evening began to creep the horizon by the time they had returned to the estate, as Byleth carried a slumbering Lily. Despite her parents repeatedly telling her to save her treats for at least until they got back, she had managed to sneak in a sour tape and spent the trip back almost bouncing off the walls of the carriage, the two resorting to tickling her to tire her out.
"For the record, I was never like this as a kid," he whispered towards Marianne who was walking next to him. Peeking at her from the corner of his eye he saw her cerulean hair cascaded down her shoulders; despite having been braided earlier that day, she opted to let it down when the effort of wrangling Lilith began to undo her hair. "It's been a while since I've seen your hair like that."
"You see it like this when you wake up," she jested, cocking her head ever so slightly to better show her face. "You don't hear me talking about how you still look the same, do you?"
"You're always talking about my hair, though. Let me have this."
"Well, in my defense, when hair lightens it goes grey or white, not mint."
"Who knows, maybe both of our heads have already greyed."
A light laugh answered him as she pointed her head forward, looking down the hallway. "Not even married, and you make it sound like we're already growing old together. Tell me, when are you going to propose to me?"
"Well, taking up this position has certainly put any plans on hold, and everyone thinks we're married anyways."
"Not our neighboring territories' leaders, you're just the steward."
It was his turn to laugh. "Well, maybe it just means something else in the Edmund dukedom now." He watched Marianne stop to open the door to Lily's bedroom, and soon he had plopped the tired girl onto her bed, her hands already pulling at her blanket. "Hey, at least let your mother take off your shoes," he said, already pulling the band from the top of her head and the fabric holding her braid together. A murmur answered him.
"It's fine, I got it," she answered, dropping them sole-side down on the floor. "Good night, Lily."
"Good night," Byleth followed, letting his fingers comb through her hair. Another muffled voice rumbled out from between blanket and pillow.
"Do you still feel ridiculous?"
Byleth's head snapped towards Marianne, his eyes blinking at surprise until he looked down at his attire again. "I'm still not used to wearing something as extravagant with all this gold, but if it's for the sake of my standing..."
"You know I will always treat you as my equal, nothing less, no matter what you wear."
"No, I get that, but," he tucked his finger under her chin, "Earlier, you said we're already growing old together, and I want to be sure we're already there, and so if I have to wear your colors… Then it's worth it in the end to me."
"You don't have to wear these to keep up with me Byleth."
"Well, maybe I want to wear them because I want everyone to know I belong to you."
"Then it can go the other way, too," she returned, pulling his hand to her cheek. "I mean, we could, if I wasn't representing the Edmund name—"
"I get your point." In the corner of his eye, he caught the portrait of Lord Berkut and Lady Rinea, the same one he had sent home more than five years ago. "What do you think would be their thoughts about me, Marie?"
"I think father would not like you," she answered, also looking at the painting. "Mother, though, I think she would appreciate what you've done for me. She was said to be a gentle soul."
"I see."
"What do you think?"
He held his chin in thought. "Well, I think your father would try to kill me considering we already have a child."
"Oh," she returned, concern tinting her voice. "But, my mother?"
"Can't say I would know, I suppose I'll just have to agree with you." His head cocked to look at her, the movement catching her attention and causing her eyes to lock with his. "I would love to meet them."
"I would, too." Slowly raising her hand, she watched his gauntlet overwhelm it, his slightly cold armored fingers wrapping around bare skin. Her soft smile grew mirthful, and he returned it, only for his face to fault. "Something wrong, Byleth?"
"I just realized that sweets merchant was from Duscur," he said sheepishly, his free hand reaching back to scratch behind his ear. "We'll have to make a trip to the monastery soon."
"Oh no, is it because of that 'blood oath' thing?"
"Yeah, the only reason why that's there," he answered, briefly pointing at the framed painting.
"Well, we don't have to go soon-soon, I did place an order of a case of cherry cordials with the merchant, it should arrive at the end of the month."
"Y-you did?"
"Admittedly, I wanted to see how they stood up to Lysithea's, but clearly there's a more dire set of circumstances at hand…" she said with slight gravitas, only to flash Byleth a teasing smile.
"I'm serious, he actually wanted sweets."
"The more you talk about him, the less I believe it. What kind of man only accepts candy as payment?"
"Look, mercenaries are strange folk, alright?"
"Oh, I'm more than aware of that, one's the father of my child," she quickly followed, her eyes glancing off to the side.
His jaw dropped at the offense, his cheeks flaring red. "... Are you serious right now?"
"Serious about what?" she returned, feigning ignorance.
Byleth merely sighed in defeat. "Okay... You're just teasing me. Get it over with"
"Perhaps I am teasing you, or maybe your strangeness is what I love about you." With his hand still grasping hers, she tugged at his arm, pulling him slightly. "It's already very late, we should be heading to bed already."
"You just want to tear this off of me, don't you?"
Marianne whipped her head back towards him, her cheshire grin turning warmer. "I'll leave that to you."
Author's Notes: This was the last chapter to have started pre-release, future chapters will be influenced by canon details but will still remain with many of the AU elements.
Also, while the previous chapters could be seen in chronological order, it's really meant more as an anthology, and I am thinking of going back to academy days for the next chapter.