"What on earth were you thinking flying around with your injuries!?" Loudly Seteth demands from me as I sit down at his desk, him yelling as I remain unfazed, looking out at the people below. "I just bashed my head in, nothing major just a minor headache," I dismiss waving it off.
"It could have been worse!" He accuses as I roll my eyes.
"But it wasn't and you honestly thought I'd just leave Cress like that the stat she was in?" Annoyed, I argue my case.
"I apologise for that," Tired, Seteth agrees bowing his head in shame.
"You apologies will do nothing, she was a mess, her braids were oily, her teeth rotting, her body was all over the place!" Disgusted, I list off.
"I thought the golden deer could handle it. It was an error of judgement they wanted to help, they bounced at the chance. Lady Rhea though it would be best too," Seteth agrees making me scowl, rolling my eyes, Rhea has nothing to do with Cress, she has no say in my life.
"They what?" Shocked, I arch a brow as Seteth nods.
"Leonie volunteered said it couldn't be that bad she raised horses after all and Lorenz was intrigued. Each one of them had a go you see, they even made a timetable," Seteth informs me as I frown, arms crossed.
"They did?" Gently, I whisper my brow furrowed conflicted.
"Yes courtesy of Claude…" Seteth continues as I frown surprised.
"You're joking. Him doing all this? Next you'll tell me Hilda tried," Scoffing, I shake my head at the thought.
"She did in their defence." Seteth adds further shocking me.
"Oh…well…Clearly they couldn't!" Harshly, I snap feeling a wave of emotions I rather not wish to deal with arms crossed.
"I apologise I know how precious the bond between rider and creature can be but you need to trust them," Softly, he assures me.
"Trust them?" Haughtily, I click my tongue at the thought.
"Yeah look how that went I got knocked out for a week and my Pegasus was in a horrible state I demand to be put back in my homeland, the blue lions." Regardless, I continue as Seteth frowns, shaking his head.
"We can't do that Mallory." Seteth refuses making me curse under my breath.
"And why not?" Angry, I demand from him.
"Listen to me when your brother takes his throne, you will be helping him forge stronger ties with both the alliance and empire." Calmly, Seteth begins to explain as I frown.
"No I'm meant to protect him." Sharply, I remind him.
"Protection can be both on the battlefield and outside it-" Seteth begins.
"I know that!" Curtly, I cut him off feeling the rage burn through me.
"Then you should know keeping strong ties with both the empire and alliance matter and from what I have gathered from my information. You clearly hold distaste towards the alliance." Stoically, Seteth continues as I glower at the floor.
"Of course they are everything we are against they have no real ruler, they vote which could easily be corrupted!" I bark at him, having no idea the pressures of being a ruler or how stupid there idea is do they know how easily corruptible voting can be, at least if a king is corrupt you…shuddering I take in a shaky breathe, grimacing as I take in a heavy gulp at the brief flinch at my thoughts. Briefly seeing him dying in my hands, my shaking form crying screaming, shouting at him to wake up, to arise, to stand up, to tell me everything is going to be okay, to tell Dimitri everything will be alright to…to…
Struggling, I force back the tears moistening in my eyes blinking them back, pushing aside the grief trying to take form, trying to show my weakened state which I refuse. Being left behind, behind abandoned, behind lost again all thanks to that day and seeing someone of the same status as us with no worries, with no sorrow with no hardship. He is poison, he is a anomaly, he is what I hate. A leader must have suffered must have hardships but he doesn't and if he did he lied about it. How can we want a ruler who lies to their subjects? How can the alliance which is based upon the death of trust between voting trusting both the nobility and commoners to vote yet they still vote for a child who knows nothing of hardship….!?
"But they all get a vote." Politely, Seteth continues not seeing my state as I force myself to regain composure, shaking my head my grip tightening on my shaking hand.
"Vote? Half of them are either bought or have no idea what they are voting for," Menacingly, I hiss shaking my head once more in dismay.
"You look down on the people of the alliance that heavily?" Seteth questions making me go still silent.
"I've seen the damage of chaos I do not trust the alliance with a pompous leader like Claude you've seen have you not!? He is meant to be their future he will destroy it!" Severely, I snap explaining the true reason the alliance will fall, he shouldn't be a leader he is incapable, he is nothing.
"And you know this?" Seteth scowls.
"He is everything a leader must never be a womanizer, a trouble maker, a nuisance how can someone so irresponsible be a leader?" I gawk at Seteth as he exhales tiredly pinching the bridge of his nose at my valid points. I have seen I have observed I have tested and he failed all of them. He shouldn't rule." Honestly, I explain it how it is. Claude is nothing but a child, a womanising prince who has no concept of responsibility and instead using his tactics to lie and cheat his people, the people who vote for him, the people who rely on him, the people who give him the luxuries he has no clue what they do for him and he treats them like rubbish...
"I see so you worry over the alliance," Patiently, Seteth sighs as I scoff.
"I worry over the people victim to being the subjects of such a weak willed leader…" Infuriated I storm off my brow furrowing at the disappointed sigh of Seteth hearing him whisper out…
"If you only got to know him…the real him."
The real him? How can I get to know the real him if he keeps lying to me? What's the point?
"You're back!" Happily, the voice of Lythesia greets me as I raise a brow at the golden deer smiling at me, weirdly enough.
"Thank the goddess," I hear Marianne whisper lowly to herself relief evident in her feature.
"Um yeah I'm back." Awkwardly, I point out frowning as I warily enter the room.
"Welcome back," Politely, the professor greets me as my brow furrows at the teacher still freaking me out.
"Yeah thanks professor shouldn't you be teaching the blue lions?" Wary, I question.
"I'm sharing with Manuela." She reminds me as I furrow my brow.
"Of course you are now would you all quit the gawking? And let's get these lessons over with," Tiredly, I grumble as the professor agrees with me, lesson resuming as I settle down in my seat beginning my studies.
Calmly, my blues remaining glued to the book of spells before me as Leonie and Lorenz are out doing their group task of horse riding and such. However as I try to focus I furrow my brow when feeling a set of eyes on me making me frown as I turn to find Iggy, glasses slanted, sputtering when his brown meet my sharp blue as he dives back into his book scared from the intensity of my glare as I shrug him off, returning to my book only then to feel a different set of eyes on me. No I need to focus, I need to…huh? Blinking, I frown at the brief pat on my back hearing the stumble of something. Curious, I peer down to find a crumbled up piece of paper confusing me as I lean down, picking it up, unravelling and smoothing over the paper.
Do you like me?
Yes
Definitely
How could I not?
Seething, I glare down at the piece of paper feeling nothing but and unadulterated wrath. Angrily, I crumble up the pieces of paper, hearing almost the crack of bones from the paper. Furiously, I snatch my quill of NO, scratched all over the piece of paper as I toss it back, hearing the faint wheeze of shock almost as though someone was punched in the gut. I hear the sound of a chair collapsing as all eyes turn to Claude just as the bell toll, signalling the end of class. Quickly, I am the first to stand ignoring the group bustling around Claude. Frowning, my eyes narrow as I past him looking down at him unimpressed as he unravels the paper, getting his clear answer. His greens meet my sharp deadly blue glaring daggers at him, only for me to scowl hatred spewing from it. He smirks at me.
Aggravated, I grumble, feeling eyes on me as Hilda helps him up while I storm out having no time for such trivial things.
"Hey hold on! Malory hold up!" Frowning, I turn to Hilda smiling at me.
Hm? I hum raising a brow at her frowning as the others pile out of the classroom, noting Claude leaning against the entrance of the classroom, listening in as I take a step back, feeling a brief tightness in my chest at the group before me, feeling my breathe quicken.
"We need to celebrate your recovery!" Excitedly Hilda cheers as I frown perplexed by the idea and worried.
"Um…" Nervously, I glance to the side thinking of some sort of excuse to dismiss myself from them.
"Yeah the food will be amazing!" Raphael fists bumps the air making me scowl, feeling my hands ball up into shaking fists.
Um…Fidgeting, I take a step back feeling my chest tighten feeling a bubbling of rage about to erupt.
"I'm in!" Lythesithea agrees causing a twitch of rage to hit me as I take another step back. Why can't they just leave me alone!? I don't want to be in this house! I don't want to be anyway! I don't want to be near these people! I want…
"Look I…" Shakily, I begin not sure what to do or say as I grimace.
"Mal!" Relief flows through me as I place my hand on my heart at the sound of Sylvain's voice while my ears hear the groan chorus of the girls frowning at the sight of the redhead while I smile at my saviour.
"Hey Silvy," Brightly, I smile at him hearing the shocked gasps and looks from the crowd behind which I calmly ignore.
"I believe I owe a certain someone some tea and biscuits," Cheekily, Sylvain smiles.
"Didn't you win though?" I question confused.
"Right we did only cause of teach and Dimitri though. Now come on I made sure there was some strawberry shortcake," Smirking, he offers me.
"You serious?" Serious, I question as he nods.
"Yep. Are you sure you're not tired? You've been running through my mind all day," Snickering, he laughs as I smile softly giggling as the other girls groans overpower my small chuckle.
"Urgh…Sylvian really that was bad! No girl would never fall for that!" Lythesia intervenes scowling.
"Yeah just leave us alone." Leonie agrees.
"Leave Mallory alone she clearly isn't in-" Hilda begins.
"Hahahaahah!" Loudly, my laugh cuts Hilda off as I feel all eyes on my giggling form chuckling at the sheer corniness of the joke, the cheese wafting in the air.
Huh!? My ears hear the sharp gasp of other gawking as I continue giggling only making Sylvain's smile lighter, not seeing the brief frown crossing Claude's features while he quickly turns away from the scene, his frown his quickly morphs into a smirk attempting to hide such annoyance.
"Alright, I'm in." Smirking, I agree after having calmed down from my fit of giggles ignoring the gawking eyes on us.
"May I?" Gently, he offers me his arm making me smile softy.
"You may…." I agree sliding my arm through his as he guides me to the tea set area bit where we share a nice cup of tea, ignoring all eyes on us…
"So you left poor Ingrid to fend for herself…" Smirking, my ears hear the clatter of cutlery as I gently place my teacup down upon the matt beneath on the table as Sylvain nods.
"Oh come on she should be used to it by now I mean you don't complain." He points out as voraciously; my gloved hand reaches out, slick silver fork in hand, snatching a piece of the strawberry shortcake presented to me.
"That's cause finding a girl crying is funny to me, Ingrid not so much." I confess hungrily taking a bite and feeling myself brighten up, smiling gleefully at the sweet taste of vanilla and strawberry causing Sylvain to coo.
"Yeah you know with a face like that from such a sweet cake people would be surprised by your morbid humour." Sylvain points out as I shrug at the backhanded compliment.
"I'm not morbid I just find the joy in things most people don't. I find the good in a bad situation," Peacefully, I defend myself feeling giddy from the heaven that is this beauty of a cake.
"I remember when I was younger you wouldn't talk to me for a whole month until I got you that cake…" Cheekily, Sylvain brings up.
"That was some cake…" Fondly, I smile at the memory.
"Still feel bad for getting you ill." Sylvain slumps in his seat at the memory.
"It wasn't your fault. Glenn was teaching me a few manoeuvres on his Pegasus. No one would have known your javelin would have hit." Steadily, I tell him, remembering the day me begging Glenn to go on his Pegasus where he showed me all sorts only then for the javelin hit, causing us both to fall and sadly I had fallen into the lake. I was stuck inside for a whole week, that cold killed me, I frown at the memory shaking my head as I take another piece of cake.
"You could have died." Sylvain frowns.
"But I didn't besides even if I did…" I shrug trailing off taking another bite out of my piece.
"Hey don't say that!" Sylvain frowns as I sigh tiredly.
"But still those girls of yours, it's their fault. To me it is I mean she was foolish enough to fall head over heels for a womanizer as well as a guy she met only once," I shrug.
"Hey I'm right here," Sylvain frowns.
"Besides if you fall for such terrible pick-up lines like that it's your fault," Regardless, I continue.
"Women can be so cruel," Sylvain sighs.
"I don't know about that," Innocently, I shrug.
"This coming from the girl that rolled Dimitri down a hill of snow turning him into a snowball as he was pleading for help," Sylvain points out snickering.
"Oh yeah. Now that was a good winter," Nostalgically, I smile at the memory.
"You were a bully of a sister you know that?" Teasingly, he tells me.
"Hey at least I didn't try to kill him." I shrug.
"Ouch low blow Mal, Pained," Sylvain frowns.
"Sorry, sorry," Guilty, I sigh lowering my head, I shouldn't have mentioned his brother urgh I'm a moron.
"Nah its cool, it's refreshing being able to talk this knowing you wouldn't fall for my looks," Bashfully, he recovers himself.
"As lovely as you are we all know the fate of marriage will be. Me marrying some rich noble prince or getting hitched off to some random noble." I wave it off taking a sip of the tea, grimacing at the use of chamomile, finding it too…waxy in my taste buds if that makes sense, then again I've never been a lover of what most herbal ingredients nobles use but simply grinned and bear with it.
"See that's what a normal princess does but considering its you, I wouldn't be surprised if things changed." Sylvain smirks.
"I am going to take that as a compliment Silvy but seriously you should thank Ingrid give her a gift," Honestly, I tell him.
"A date?" Insolently, he winks as I note the faint fear in his eyes, making my smile soften knowing of Sylvain's slight crush on Ingrid since we were kids but with Glenn…frowning, I note my shaking hand, lowering it hiding from sight at the brief thought.
"If you're bold enough." I shrug.
"Hey!" Embarrassed, he frowns.
"Just saying I mean you did flirt with her grandmother oh and that guy who you thought was a girl," Snorting, I chuckle at the memory of the ruby red faced Sylvain.
"Mallory shuuut up!" Whining, he pout only making me giggle.
"You're mean you know that," He huffs, leaning against the palm of his hand.
"I like to call myself entertaining," Innocently, I shrug.
"Meeann," He insists leaning in.
"Entertaining. Now if you would excuse me I got some studying to do…" Politely, I smile standing up after finishing my cake and tea as he smiles, standing up, going to no doubt flirt with some other foolish girls as I decide to go get some fresh air.
"What's that Duscur scumbag doing?"
"Bet that dirty Duscur is poisoning the flowers."
"I still can't believe he has the nerve to walk side by side by the prince and princess…"
Scowling, my sharp glare silencing the group huddled watching Dedue tend to the flowers as I approach the green house, ignoring my sharpened blues glaring at them, ignoring the trembling fist, eager to snap their necks one by one as I ignore the brief flush of re at the thought. They know nothing and yet still dodge Dedue, scumbags.
"P-Princess! It's-" One of them notices me as I brush past them.
"I suggest you leave before I cut out your tongues for such distrustful words…" Coldly, I spit out the words, venom evident in my tone as they flinch back fearful.
"B-But princess," One of the fools tries to fight back only to flinch from my sharp glare.
"Are you questioning me!?" Harshly, I demand from the feeble scaredy cat.
"N-No…of course not your majesty!" Whimpering, he cries out.
"That's what I thought." Smugly, I smirk as I watch the scared group disperses and flees. Grumbling, I shove my hands in my pockets entering the garden finding Dedue tending to some flowers.
"Your majesty you're alright," Relieved, Dedue smiles at me.
"Of course I am Dedue sorry for worrying you," Apologetically, I smile.
"Your majesty mustn't be so reckless." He informs me as I frown.
"Not my fault those morons don't know strategy or even how to fight," Annoyed, I scoff turning away.
"They put on a good fight." Dedue says as I glance at the flower he is tending, my eyes softening at the familiar beautiful flower, remembering many of them crushed beneath my feet before while others of the similar variety were brunt to a crisp, seeing one now, alive and well, bringing a soft smile of hope to my lips at the flower.
"A good fight they had archers out in the open not even hiding them, strategy my ass," I scoff my hand shaking reaching out to the flower only to jolt back shaking my head seeing my trembling hand. I turn my back to the flower, I don't deserve to touch it, not after destroying everything besides with my strength who knows what could happen, I can't risk it, I cant.
"They are still learning." Softly, he assures me.
"Foolish mistakes like that lose lives Dedue, lose loved ones, lose…" Pained, I trail off arms crossed.
"Your highness," Dedue begins worried.
"Sorry this isn't a topic you would want to talk about," Guilty, I raise my hand in shame.
"It is fine. Like I have said in the past your highness you are a kind person however you are also reckless due to the urge to save lives you do not put value on your life." Dedue tells me as I frown.
"But I don't have any value." Simply, I argue perplexed, it's always been Dimitri has been and always will be.
"That is incorrect you have value your highness. Yours and your highnesses kindness helped me become the person that I am and gave me a new life. You do care for your people but please do not keep punishing yourself by devaluing your life," Dedue informs me as I shake my head.
Dedue…I have taken too many lives to be of value…