Another Constance chapter. Seeing as how I'm possibly the only one making Constance fanfics I gotta get to work!
Everyone was dead.
The sight horrified him. Caspar, whose bright eyes always seemed to shine in the darkest times now lay before him, that brightness gone, he cold lifeless gaze stared up into the gray sky. Bernadetta lay in a motionless heap, both of her arms gone, strewn about. Ferdinand was no where to be seen, an arrow having embedded itself in his head, he had fallen limply off his horse, who dragged him across the battlefield. Dorothea's leg had gotten cut off, and she dragged herself towards her Professor, collapsing dead a few feet from him. The Ashen wolves, who he promised to protect, now lay strewn across the field in bloody heaps. Hapi's limps stuck out in odd directions as she was trampled by horses, Balthus's head was no where to be found as his headless body leaned against a tree. Yuri was burnt to a crisp, his charred remains the only thing left. And Constance tried to crawl away after both her legs were broken by her pegasus. But she was ended by a hail of arrows.
"Sothis...Turn back time...Please..." He begged the Goddess in his head, but she did not answer. He tried himself, but nothing happened.
"Sothis...Please, turn back time! I can't stand this sight" She did not respond. He fell to his knees, trying to cover his eyes but his own body wouldn't listen. As if forcing him to face his own mistakes.
"Sothis...Please...Come back..." she did not answer again.
"Sothis! Anyone! Take this away!" Bloody tears began to stream down his face. "Please! Save me!"
He jolted up right in his bed. Drenched in a cold sweat, breathing heavily. He patted his body, he was fine. He checked his surroundings. He was back in his dorm. He tried to remember everything that happened before he fell asleep...
They found Solon and Kronya in the woods, thats right. Solon trapped him by Sothis merged with him to help him escape. Then that means...
His students were alive. He breathed a sigh of relief. His breathing having calmed down.
He suddenly became aware of another presence in his room. Next to his bed. He turned to look at whoever was there, his blank stare having returned to his face.
It was Constance. Staring at him wide-eyed with a pair of scissors in her hand. He simply stared at her. She cleared her throat.
"P-Professor! What a coincidence meeting you here~" She smiled gleefully at him. As if her being in his room this late at night was no strange event.
"...I suppose..." He glanced at the scissors in her hand then back to her smiling face. "What are you doing here?"
She noticed him staring at the scissors and quickly hid them behind her back. "I was...Procuring materials...For my research..." Byleth raised an eyebrow.
"What research materials could you find in my room?"
"Why, you're hair of course!"
"My...Hair?"
Constance nodded eagerly.
"Ever since you're hair changed color, my interest in you has only grown! I began to feel magical prowess coming from you that I did not detect before, its as if you've changed completely. I wondered if the power might has resided in your hair so I cut off a few strands but..." She opened up her clenched fist to reveal a tuft of his hair. "They returned to their original color after removing them." Byleth took a look, sure enough the tuft of hair in her hand had returned to its original blue color.
"You...Cut my hair?"
"Only for the sake of research of course!"
Byleth wasn't sure if that made it any better.
"Can you not go around cutting people's hair please"
Constance seemed taken aback by this request.
"I would not cut just anyone's hair! Do you take me for some sort of harlot? I would only cut your hair, Professor!" She gave a beaming smile. Byleth once again wasn't sure if this was supposed to make him feel better.
Constance's expression soon turned serious however. "Ignoring your hair for a moment...Are you okay? You looked to be in distress..."
Byleth quickly remembered the horrific dream he had. "Yes...It was just a nightmare..."
Constance tilted her head. "What about?"
"It was a nightmare that you were all dead. You all died horrific death's because of a mistake I made..."
Constance let out a laugh. "A mistake? You? How absurd! You are one of the greatest commanders I've ever seen Professor!"
Byleth smiled a little at her praise.
"Your tactics and leadership are unmatched! How you always seem to be one step ahead of the enemy is such an amazing feat. Some people have gone far as to say you can see the future!"
Byleth chuckled at that last part. They weren't too far off. He wondered if he should be more subtle with how he gave out commands from now on...
Constance's smile quickly faded as she returned to her serious look. "But I don't blame you for having those nightmares...I guess not even you are invincible. Mistakes are bound to happen...All that pressure and expectation from everyone...I know what its like, so many people are expecting me to restore house Nuvelle. If I fail, I shudder to think of what they'll think of me..."
Constance looked back to Byleth. "I-I have a question to ask, however...Who is Sothis?"
Byleth blushed a little, slightly embarrassed having been caught saying her name outloud. Constance noticed this.
"Is she your lover, perhaps?"
Byleth shook his head. "Nothing of the sort...She was a close friend."
"Ah, Thank goodness." Constance breathed a sigh of relief. But her face turned a dark shade or red.
"I-I mean...Thank goodness you have friend, Professor...I don't see you talking to other people around your age...Not that you're old or anything..." She quickly grew quiet as the Professor stared at her.
They remained in that silence for a while, before Byleth reached his hand out and patted Constance on the head.
"P-Professor!?" She blushed deeply.
"Thanks for worrying about me...But you should get back to your room..." He smiled at her, and Constance nervously smiled back. Standing up and nodding.
"Remember Professor, no matter what happens we'll follow you to the end of the world..."
Byleth smiled. "Thank you, Constance."
The noblewoman smiled and opened his door to leave.
"Oh, Constance."
"Yes?"
"Throw my hair away"
"...Okay..."
I think that went quite well.
Until next time.