Felix wandered into class early in the morning after having been unable to get even a moment of rest the night before. All he could do last night was lay in bed and let his mind replay what had transpired in Eve's room. Not only was he completely mortified, but he still didn't fully understand why he even did it. All he could hope for was that Eve wouldn't change the way she treated him. He just wanted to pretend it never happened and move on.
At least that's what he thought he wanted. When he came into the classroom and saw Eve going about her business as usual it irked him. Was she really that unaffected? Had she too spent a sleepless night thinking about what he had done, or had she simply moved on with her life as soon as he left? Some small part of Felix had hoped that just a portion of Eve's mind would be occupied by him the way his was consumed by her.
"How did you sleep last night, darling?" Dimitri asked, and Felix's ears pricked up to hear Eve's response.
"I fell asleep as soon as we retired after supper." She lied with the sweetest smile.
"That's good." Dimitri sighed with relief. "Your body needs rest after your injury. It's unfortunate that we need every blade we can spare for our mission, otherwise I would have requested the professor let you sit this one out."
"I'm okay, Dimitri." She comforted, leaning forward to place a small kiss between his furrowed brows to which Felix bristled. "Manuela said I'm already fully healed. It's just the scar that's left."
"Would it kill you to let me worry about you?" Dimitri took her hand in his with a light-hearted laugh. "Though I must say I'm surprised you've healed this quickly. I saw the wound after it had been cleaned, and it was no mere scratch."
"I guess I'm a fast healer." Eve shrugged noncommittally.
Felix felt his hands ball into fists beneath his desk as he watched their exchange. Not even the slightest quirk of an eyebrow gave Eve away. She didn't seem bothered at all by last night's events. Although, appearances weren't much when it came to Eve. After finding out the truth about who she was, Felix learned not to trust who she pretended to be around others.
"I'm so happy for His Highness." Ingrid's voice startled Felix from his own thoughts.
"Oh yeah?" Felix asked, uninterested. Ingrid might not know, but he knew it was all a sham.
"He looks so happy with her around." She said tenderly. "At first I had my suspicions. And I do hate to admit it, but I can't help worrying that Sylvain is right about Eve. But at the same time I find myself thinking that even if Sylvain is right, I don't think I'd mind as long as she keeps making His Highness so happy."
"Foolish." Felix huffed.
"Felix, I know you don't believe in love," Ingrid began, exasperated, "but just look at how different Dimitri looks with her. That glimmer in his eyes, the way he looks at her when he thinks no one else can see, he absolutely adores Eve. I've never seen him so happy."
As Ingrid spoke, Felix once again turned his attention to where Eve and Dimitri sat at the front of the class. Eve was turned almost all the way around in her seat to talk to Ashe who was sitting behind her. He could pick up just enough to know she was talking to him about Loog and the Seven Maidens. But what drew his eye away from Eve was Dimitri, turned in his seat so he could look at his fiancée. He was watching her with such care that it almost made bile rise in Felix's throat. Dimitri looked nothing like the boar he knew him to be. He looked at Eve as if she was the answer to a question he had been trying to answer all his life. And for some reason this enraged Felix. What right did the boar prince have to have that look in his eyes? What made him think he could look so tenderly at someone with the trail of blood he left behind him?
"He loves her." Felix murmured aloud as he finally recognised what that sickening look in Dimitri's eye was. Dimitri had fallen in love with his fake fiancée like the fool he was, and Eve was none the wiser. She seemed to think it was all part of the act, and everything she did only made Dimitri fall further into her façade.
But Felix didn't have any more time to consider this revelation as Byleth strode into the Blue Lions' classroom with four unfamiliar figures behind her.
"Class, I'd like to introduce you to the Ashen Wolves." Byleth said, motioning to the four strangers she had brought into her classroom. "Dimitri, Ashe, I'm sure you two will recognise them from when you both assisted me in Abyss."
"Abyss? I thought that place was only a rumour. It's real? Why were His Highness and Ashe in Abyss?" Murmurs rippled through the room as everyone assessed the newcomers.
"For the rest of you, this is Balthus, Hapi, Constance, and Yuri." Byleth motioned down the line as she introduced them. "I have asked the four of them to join the Blue Lions class as well as assist us in this month's mission."
"Yuri?" Eve's head snapped up at that name and she met the gaze of the lavender haired boy who was already intently staring at her.
"Is something the matter?" Dimitri asked, noticing Eve's reaction.
"It might be nothing." She muttered softly as the professor continued to outline the plan for their upcoming mission and how the Ashen Wolves would play a part. "But Yuri knows me."
"How much does he know?" Dimitri asked in hushed tones, his grip on Eve's hand tightening in anxiety.
"Nothing really." She answered. "He knows I'm not a merchant's daughter, though. And he's suspicious by nature, so he's going to want to pry."
"We're already at risk after telling Felix." Dimitri whispered. "We can't afford to let another person find out."
"Oh, believe me, I have no intention of telling him anything." Eve shook her head, finally tearing her eyes from Yuri's gaze to look at Dimitri. "But I will need to talk to him before he has the chance to open his mouth about us meeting previously."
Dimitri nodded and the two returned their attention to the professor. The Ashen Wolves' appearance had not changed the strategy much, but with the Rite of Rebirth nearly upon them it was just as important to refresh their plan.
Like many of Byleth's previous battle strategies, it was a simple one that would play off of the strengths of her students. They would stake out the Holy Mausoleum during the Rite of Rebirth and hope that that was the most they had to do. But if it came to it, as it most likely would, they had mapped out the Holy Mausoleum's interior to devise a plan. Due to the crypt's layout, Byleth had formed two groups out of her students to take either side of the large aisle that went down the middle. The left side would be led by Yuri, Eve, and Dedue. They would be supported by ranged attacks from Ashe, Hapi, and Annette coming up behind them. And taking the rear would be Dimitri. On horseback, he could quickly move to wherever his support was needed as well as clear up any stragglers left behind. The right would be led by Byleth herself with Felix, Ingrid, and Balthus. Coming up behind them would be Mercedes and Constance with Sylvain bringing up the rear on horseback.
Dimitri glanced at Eve as they reviewed the teams Byleth had allotted. He could tell it made her anxious that Felix would be clear on the other side of the battlefield from her. If something happened, there was no way she would be able to make it in time to help him. For his part, Dimitri was relieved that Felix wouldn't be in their group. With Felix, Eve would only be distracted. Her mind would be on protecting Felix rather than the mission.
"He'll be okay, you know." Dimitri tried to comfort Eve once class had broken.
"Can you blame me for being worried?" Eve frowned slightly at the prince.
"Think of how many missions we've been on, skirmishes we've fought, before you arrive." Dimitri said. "He's been just fine through all of those, hasn't he?"
"That may be so," Eve sighed, "but the one time I've fought with you all he nearly got himself killed."
"I will say it was very unlike him." Dimitri cupped his chin in thought. "I've been meaning to ask him what distracted him so much on the battlefield."
"You really think he'd tell you even if you asked?" Eve laughed lightly. "I've not known the two of you long, but it doesn't take a fool to notice there's some kind of animosity on his end."
"Well, my fiancée nearly died because of his actions, so I think I have a right to know." Dimitri said plainly as if it should have been obvious to which Eve found herself chuckling, earning her a frown from the blonde boy. "What's so funny?"
"You're just so earnest." Eve's smile was a genuine one which brought a blush to Dimitri's face. "It's refreshing, and…sweet."
Dimitri's blush deepened and crept all the way up to the tips of his ears. Sure, Eve had peppered him with loving words plenty of times since they had arrived at the monastery, but there were always people around to hear. This time, though, they were alone in the classroom after everyone had left to get their lunches. And unlike any of the other times, Dimitri could tell Eve was being truthful. This wasn't the Eve who was a merchant's daughter who fell madly in love with the prince of Faerghus, this was the Eve who teased Dimitri behind closed doors and allowed herself to laugh with real emotion in her eyes.
"Come on," she smiled at him as Dimitri tried to regain his composure, "let's go get something to eat."
"Right." Dimitri nodded, clearing his throat and standing.
As the two of them stepped out of the classroom, Eve noticed a shadow in the corner of her eye. Leaning against the wall just next to the classroom door was Yuri, watching the couple closely with arms folded and a smirk painted on his face.
"Dimitri, why don't you go on ahead, my love?" Eve turned to Dimitri after noticing Yuri.
"Of course." Dimitri nodded, understanding in his eyes. "I'll grab some food for you."
"Thank you." Eve smiled and watched him leave.
Once Dimitri had walked out of view, she trained her gaze onto Yuri whose own eyes had never left her. Without a word, she jerked her head in the direction of the classroom and walked inside, trusting that Yuri had followed.
"Yuri Leclerc." She sighed once she heard the tell-tale sound of him closing the doors behind them. "It's been quite some time hasn't it."
"A year?" He came to stand before her, his smirk still firmly in place. "Maybe two?"
"I heard what happened with Aelfric." Eve said. "I'm sorry."
"You know, I heard the little prince had found himself a commoner wife, but I never would have imagined it was you." Yuri stepped forward so the two of them were mere centimetres apart.
"Fodlan's pretty small, huh?" Eve answered, looking down at Yuri with a challenging glint in her eye.
"I wonder," Yuri reached forward to let his index finger trail down Eve's jaw, coming to a stop beneath her chin and pulling it forward, "does the little prince of Faerghus know how sweet you taste?"
"Don't be crass, Yuri." Eve pulled her chin away with a small chuckle.
"Riddle me this, though." Yuri walked a few paces away, folding his arms as he spoke. "Why are people saying you're a merchant's daughter? You're an orphan, you don't even have a father much less a father who's a merchant."
"It's one thing for the future king of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus to marry a regular commoner." Eve said with a sigh. "It's the kind of progressive step that wouldn't upset too many people. But a servant? The nobles of the Kingdom would lose their minds if they knew I was a servant."
"What about your lord who you so faithfully serve?" Yuri asked with a hint of sarcasm.
"Lord Rodrigue has given me his blessing." Eve answered curtly.
"Hm." Yuri hummed. "And what's to say I won't tell others the truth about you?"
"Because you have nothing to gain from it." Eve said confidently. "Yuri, you're clever and calculated, but you're not an agent of chaos. You wouldn't expose me just for the fun of it."
"Is that so?" Yuri quirked an eyebrow up at her.
"I don't claim to know you, but I do know that you like to keep your cards close to your chest." Eve looked at him without a wavering gaze. She wasn't particularly sure he wouldn't tell everyone that she had been a servant of House Fraldarius. But either way she wasn't really bothered as long as he didn't know or expose the real truth about her. "I'm not saying you'd never expose me, but you wouldn't do it now when you'd not benefit from it."
"Perhaps you're right little lady." Yuri smirked once more, opening the door to the classroom and motioning for her to exit first. And as Eve stepped past him he whispered just into her ear, "I hope for your sake you are."
(A/N oof this chapter took me a little longer than usual to get through. I've made Yuri a bit of a bastard but that's because I love my little sewer rat boy. And I promise the actual mission is coming up soon TToTT I really didn't think it'd take me 10 chapters to cover like 2 weeks worth of time.)