Chapter 3 – Watchful Eyes

General Notes:

1. I went for the "don't outright state whose POV it is" because I really enjoyed an old fanfic that was written that way. I tried to make it clear whose POV it was with subtle indicators, but perhaps I am not a skilled enough writer to pull that off yet. I'll tried to be more straightforward with whose POV it is this chapter, but if this still isn't something the readers enjoy, I'll switch to naming the POV from next chapter onwards.

2. From now on, there will generally be only 1 (sometimes 2) POVs per chapter. A POV change will be denoted by a '/' between line breaks. (Also, I just want to make sure you guys can see the line-breaks. I put them in when writing the chapter, but I'm paranoid that they don't show up when reading. Please let me know.)

3. This chapter has a lot of dialogue. I suck at socializing, so writing dialogue is quite difficult for me (which is why this chapter came late). Let me know if dialogue feels weird or unnatural at any point so I can improve on it.

4. In case anybody was wondering about last chapter and who each of the POVs were, here they are in order (each separated by a line break): Marianne, Cordelia, Lysithea, Robin, Seteth

I hope you enjoy the newest chapter :)

23rd of Great Tree Moon, 1180

With a click, my breastplate was fastened into place. I had decided to don my gloves this time around – it felt wrong to wield my lance without them. Since there didn't seem to be any clouds in the sky during my walk to the bathhouse, I had decided to wear another set of my standard pegasus knight attire. I glanced between my hair-tie on the dresser and the mirror. While I felt that the way I kept my hair was fine, Sumia had always insisted that it was a waste that I never did anything with it. After a moment of deliberation, I decided to tie my crimson threads in a high pegasus-tail. Turning from side-to-side in front of the mirror, I smiled in satisfaction. My attempts at emulating Phila's bun never quite worked out. I turned around at the sound of knocking.

"Cordelia, it's me. Are you decent?" Robin's voice filtered through the door.

"I am." The doorknob turned and Robin entered the room.

He was wearing one of those 'bathrobes' – clothing made with a towel-like material that would cover you as well as dry you off. The front of the robe hung open slightly – exposing the lean physique that was always hidden behind his baggy clothes. I mentally chastised myself for looking at him disrespectfully and raised my gaze to his face. Droplets fell from the ends of his frosty hair. Judging by his expression, he was about to launch into an excited tirade before his eyes fell on me and his mouth closed.

His smug smirk made its way to his face. "You styled your hair. Trying to impress me, Cordelia?"

I let out a huff. "You'd love that, wouldn't you?"

A chuckle escaped his lips. "I'm sure any man would. Your hundreds of suitors are strong evidence."

I breathed out a sigh. "Don't remind me."

Robin took a seat on his bed before his countenance took on an excited look once more. "Can we talk about those baths though? Not having to heat the water yourself with fire beforehand is amazing! Is there a magic that they use to heat the water, or is there a centralized water storage where the water is heated beforehand? Does it have anything to do with the fact that the tub isn't made of wood? How does the lever allow one to change the temperature of the water? Does it change how much magic is used to heat the water, or does it switch between multiple storages which are all kept at differing temperatures?"

I smiled at his enthusiasm. "It was quite wonderful."

For a moment, neither of us spoke. Robin had opted to get lost in his thoughts – chin held between his fingers. I turned my gaze to the window. Birds soared through the sky against the backdrop of the rising sun. A letter from Seteth had arrived earlier, telling us that we were to make our way to the faculty office shortly after breakfast to meet our fellow professors. Robin had told me that despite him being at the monastery for several days, he had somehow missed the other two professors completely. Having idled long enough, I quickly withdrew and sheathed my boot-knife – done with frightening speed.

Satisfied, I made my way to the door. "I'll be waiting for you in the dining hall."

A silent thumbs-up is all I receive before I exit the room. Robin had been placed in a room on the, basically empty, third floor – right at the end of the corridor. It did make sense. If Robin was a suspicious character, it would be much harder for him to sneak past two floors of barracks completely unnoticed. That hadn't stopped him, apparently. I made my way to the ground floor and left the barracks through the long and narrow corridor that led outside. Crossing the garden, I pushed open the iron gates and made a left turn. I was glad that the stables were close by, so I could visit Caeda with ease. Most of the students had gone to the dining hall to get breakfast, so the stables were almost empty. The horse stables were only occupied by a female student with cyan hair, who didn't look away from her horse as she brushed its mane.

As soon as I entered the pegasi stables, I noticed a familiar face. "Working hard this early, Miss Galatea?"

The blonde turned towards me with a smile on her face. "Good morning, ma'am. I make sure to tend to the pegasi before I get breakfast every morning."

Some of the cadets back home could learn a thing or two from her. "You have quite an admirable work ethic."

She shook her head with a smile. "Self-discipline is an expected principle of a Faerghus Knight. I must continue to better myself if I wish to join the Royal Pegasus Corps."

That was a sentiment we seemed to share. "Have you found your partner yet?"

A hand reached out to stroke at a pegasus' mane. "Not yet, unfortunately. I do hope that she ends up being as beautiful as yours. Caeda looks absolutely lovely."

Like a mother whose child had been praised, I felt my chest swell with pride. "She's the best partner a girl could ask for. I'm truly lucky that she chose me."

I gestured for her to follow me as I scanned the stables for Caeda. "Are you a Falcon Knight, ma'am? Caeda's equipment is very high quality."

I finally spot Caeda tucked away in the corner of the stables and make my way towards her. "Nothing quite so extravagant. I simply dedicated half of every paycheck to her. My employer pays well, so all it took was a little saving."

She seemed to ponder over that statement while I began taking care of Caeda. "You must be one of Sir Robin's acquaintances then. Lady Cordelia, yes?"

My gaze turns towards her. "I assume you've met him?"

A small nod was her response. "He was… lying on the floor when I stepped into the training grounds. I had asked if he was alright, but he waved me off, so I started my training. Soon after, he offered pointers on my lance techniques and I found them quite helpful. Once I had finished, he told me that I reminded him of a friend of his. He spoke very fondly of a woman named Cordelia."

My lips turned upwards. "Nothing too embarrassing, I hope?"

The blonde shook her head. "Nothing of the sort. He sang your praises quite frequently, though."

Regardless of her claims, I still felt embarrassed. I ran my hand through Caeda's mane once more before pulling away. "I see. I've finished up here. Would you like to grab breakfast with me?"

A smile settled on her face. "That would be wonderful."

Soup was the main dish on the menu today. I had gotten a bowl each for both Robin and I, and Ingrid followed along after she had gotten her meal. The dining hall appeared to be abuzz with activity – around three tables in particular. Ingrid had noticed this as well, excusing herself before heading straight towards one of the tables. It was then that I noticed the reason for the uproar – Red, Yellow, and Dimitri had returned to the monastery. My eyes continued to scan across the room, eventually settling on a head of blue hair sitting alone with a book open before them. I made my way towards the familiar face.

Azure eyes immediately moved towards me. "Not having breakfast, Byleth?"

She stared at me with a vacant look in her eyes. "Already ate."

I took a seat opposite the swordswoman. "What are you reading?"

Her gaze flickered to the book for a moment. "Politics."

Her eyes returned to the book and the conversation ended there. I gathered that Byleth was a woman of very few words, so I didn't push the conversation lest I try her patience. After a moment of silence, she simply shut her book and stood from the table. We exchanged nods and she left the dining hall. I was not alone at the table for long, as Robin had finally finished up and made his way towards me.

"Hope you don't mind some company." Was all he said before he sat down beside me.

I push his bowl towards him and we start eating in silence. I took note of how the excited chatter had mostly ceased, and how several pairs of eyes had settled on the two of us. Robin looked completely undisturbed by this fact as he happily slurped up his soup.

"So, what do you think of the monastery?" That question was how he broke the silence.

I brought the soup bowl to my lips and kept my voice a whisper. "Not built for sieges. Enough boots on the ground would do it in."

Robin leaned in and wiggled his eyebrows. "Why have such massive walls if you're just going to have massive gaps in them?"

I brought a hand to my mouth as if to stifle a giggle. "It would make sense if their army were incredibly powerful, or they believe it to be so. That or they have reason to believe that they won't be attacked."

Robin grinned and continued eating. A comfortable silence fell over the two of us. Simply sitting and eating together was something I had missed more than I would like to admit. All the Shepherds agreed that there was just a… warmth… that his presence brought to the room. I was brought out of those thoughts by the sound of footsteps approaching our table. Robin's eyes had snapped upwards before the sounds of footsteps reached my ears.

I turned towards Red, Yellow, and Dimitri. Red's expression was even – the same way my own often was. Yellow had a casual smirk on his face – eyes betraying his curiosity much like Robin often does. Dimitri was quite happy – excitement clear in his features. The three of them seem to stick together. I wonder if they're all friends.

Dimitri spoke up first. "Pardon the intrusion. It is quite fortuitous for us to meet again so soon."

Robin raised an eyebrow at me and I waved my hand at him. 'We will talk about this later.'

Yellow placed his hands behind his neck. "Slow down there, Your Princelyness. You jumped from crushing on Edelgard to Lady Redhair real fast."

Red sent a glare towards Yellow – she was probably Edelgard then. "For a supposed 'master schemer', your lack of wit is truly astounding."

"You know, it's good etiquette to introduce yourself before you start arguing amongst each other." Robin piped up.

Yellow let out a small laugh while Dimitri looked sheepish. Edelgard(?) just narrowed her eyes at the snow-haired man. With both of them in my sight, I had just come to the realization that their hair was the exact same shade of white. Alarm bells immediately started ringing in my head. However, I quelled them – it was too soon to be making assumptions. Perhaps white hair occurred naturally in Fódlan – the girl I had seen in the reception hall yesterday also had white hair. Despite this, I decided that I needed to be extra vigilant around this girl. If the worst had happened and she was seeking help, I vowed to aid her in any way I could.

Dimitri had spoken up first with a bow. "My apologies for my poor manners. My name is Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd – Crown Prince of Faerghus. It is truly an honour to speak with the two of you."

Yellow had slid up to Dimitri's side immediately after. "The name's Claude von Reigan. I'll eventually be Duke Reigan of the Leicester Alliance. It's nice to meet you two."

"Lady Edelgard von Hresvelg – heir apparent to the Adrestian Empire." Her eyes had not left Robin the entire time.

So, they were all rulers-to-be. Future rulers who were isolated away from the monastery and then conveniently attacked by a horde of bandits. I stored that piece of information in the back of my mind and remained silent.

Robin took that as his cue to join in. "Nice to finally put names to faces. I'm Robin – scholarly hermit."

When their eyes turned to me, I said my piece. "Cordelia of no name. I'm Robin's babysitter."

I received an unamused look from Robin while Claude chuckled. A frown tugged at Edelgard's lips as Dimitri spoke. "Pardon me if what I say is impolite, but you look rather young for a father."

Robin merely shook his head. "That would be because I am not, in fact, a father."

I nod in assent. "That is correct. I do not babysit Robin's children – I babysit him."

He grumbles to himself and the three look on in light amusement. Robin was notoriously known for teasing members of the Shepherds – most likely a habit developed from how close he was to Lissa. As someone who spent more time with him than most Shepherds, I had been a target of his quite frequently. After taking lessons from Lissa, I had learnt how to jab back at him. It was always a satisfying feeling to have Robin on the backfoot during a verbal battle. This was one such occasion.

"Speaking of babysitters…" Robin turns his head to the corner of the dining hall and my eyes followed the movement, "…eavesdropping is rude, Mr von Vestra – especially if you still haven't mastered the art."

The imperial heir's eyes narrowed before a student emerged from the shadows. The other two heirs were surprised by his appearance – though Claude hid it better. The darkness of his hair contrasted starkly with the deathly pallor of his face. His viper-like eyes held both indignity and venom. "How interesting…"

Robin wagged a finger in the newcomer's direction. "This lesson's free, so listen up Hubert. Your dark magic is decent – you're basically invisible to normal people. However, you REEK of it – any dark mage worth their salt will see you coming a mile away. If you truly wish to master stealth, you need to learn to not only hide yourself, but your magic signature as well."

My gaze returned to Robin. He had essentially just told them that he was a dark mage himself. Although, this was most likely an intentional decision instead of a slip of the tongue. I took note of the reactions of those present. Dimitri seemed to slowly digest the information that he had been given. Claude kept the relaxed smile on his face, but his eyes were hazy – I couldn't quite tell what he was thinking. Edelgard's gloved hands balled into fists – a reaction that I immediately made note of. The now-identified Hubert somehow narrowed his eyes further than they already were.

I expected the Duke-to-be to ask first, but it had been the future Empress instead. "Are you a practitioner of the dark arts as well?"

Robin blew a strand of hair out of his eye before replying. "Not really. You'd be surprised how many dark mages attempt to assassinate scholars so they can steal their research. If you want to stay alive, you pick up a few tricks."

The table had sunken into silence at that. Robin and I went back to eating our soup while the students mulled over what they had been told. The silence was broken by the clear sound of a ringing bell. The breakfast period was now over.

Claude was the first to speak up. "Well, this has been interesting, but I've got to vanish. Wouldn't want to be late to the class meeting." He departed with a wave over his shoulder.

Dimitri followed suit. "I am glad we got the chance to familiarize ourselves with each other – short as it may have been. I hope to encounter both of you more as the school year progresses. Farewell." A formal bow and he was gone.

Edelgard closed out the trio. "This was rather enlightening. I must be on my way now." She dipped her head slightly in our direction before leaving with Hubert, who had not made a sound.

Robin set his bowl on the table and let a breath out through his nose. "Teaching here is going to be a very interesting experience."

My agreement came in the form of a heavy sigh.

The faculty lounge was a quaint little room. It consisted of a long table with an assortment of chairs and a blackboard at the back. A tea set and kettle adorned a small table in the corner of the room. Tall windows allowed a wealth of light to infiltrate the room. Robin and I had taken a seat next to each other at one end of the table and waited quietly for the other teaching staff to make their way in.

This gave me time to breach one of the topics I wanted to with Robin. "We need to let everyone back home know that I've found you – and update them on the situation."

Robin drummed his fingers along the table. "I've investigated the matter. Most of the continent is openly against anything to do with foreigners. The Veil is also almost impossible to sail through. I highly doubt anybody is willing to fly to another continent just to deliver a message."

That was rather troubling. This could result in the Shepherds believing that I had gone missing as well. We needed to find a solution to our problem as quickly as possible. Before we could ruminate further, the door to the faculty room opened slowly. Two individuals made their way inside. The first was a well-dressed, older gentleman. The simple grey suit and monocle gave him a rather distinguished look. The second was a rather beautiful woman in luxurious clothing. Underneath the white coat she wore was a green dress with slits up the sides – allowing one clear view of her legs. They had both moved to occupy the seats across from us.

The monocled man spoke first. "Greetings, my name is Hanneman von Essar. Seteth will not be joining this meeting, so it will be just the four of us today."

"My name is Manuela Casagranda. I serve as a physician here – so I patch up any of our darling students if they get hurt. Seteth told me that our new instructor was smart and talented, but he didn't mention how handsome you are." She finished her statement with a wink at Robin.

My stomach immediately twisted in irritation. Robin liked to joke about my suitors, but his situation had been far worse than mine. Mine had slowly started appearing when I was a cadet, and I learned how to deal with them as they steadily increased in number – an experience that Robin didn't have. After Robin became a renowned war-hero, his promotion to Grandmaster of Ylisse (one of the highest-paying positions in the army), as well as his elevation into the Exalted Family – he gained a city-worth of suitors seemingly overnight. While it had initially been funny to watch him flounder with his sudden popularity, it had quickly devolved into an unbearable nuisance. Every time he left the castle (and sometimes in the castle itself), he had to deal with people who just HAD to try their hand at wooing him. It had become so disruptive to his work at one point that I had been assigned to accompany him whenever he went out so that I could chase away his suitors. It was the one position I absolutely despised being assigned to.

While I kept the displeasure from twisting my features, Robin elbowed me lightly. "Cordelia, she's talking about you."

Most of my discontent left through my sigh. That little joke had made me feel so much better. "I am Cordelia of no name. I am an assistant of Robin." I bowed my head at the two in greeting.

Robin gave them a little wave. "Well met. I am Robin – I had been performing research in isolation before being offered a position here."

The elderly man stroked his beard. "How fascinating. I have been in your position before. What is your field of research? I am something of a Crest scholar myself."

Crestology? Robin didn't have an outward reaction to that information. Manuela, however, had rolled her eyes immediately.

She brought a hand to her forehead. "There he goes again. Immediately making the conversation about Crests. I'm sorry about him."

Robin chuckled. "No worries. To answer your question, Mr. von Essar, I study Dark Magic. Actually, it would be more accurate to say that I study the reversal of Dark Magic."

That was not necessarily a lie. Under the tutelage of Tharja and Henry, Robin had learnt how to cast counter-hexes and anti-curses. Considering that most of the Grimleal had specialized in Dark Magic, it was an important skill to have.

Maneula tapped at her chin. "Dark Magic is taboo in most parts of Fódlan, so there aren't many who practice it. As such, we have even less experience when it comes to countering it. This information could be useful in the medical field."

Hanneman nodded along. "Indeed. It seems like quite an important line of research. Speaking of which, I wonder if the two of you have Crests of your own."

Manuela had an exasperated look on her face while my eyes flickered over to Robin. "Cordelia and I bear no Crests. We've tested multiple times."

Understanding seems to dawn on the two as their eyes dim lightly. "I see." Is all that Hanneman says before the room descends into silence.

It did not last, however, as the sound of knocking filled the room. The door opened and an armoured knight entered the room – the same one from the bandit attack. He bore a wide smile on his face as he saluted.

His bellowing voice echoed in the room. "I come bearing a message! The Archbishop has summoned the teaching staff to her audience chamber!"

The physician smiled at the knight. "Thank you, Alois. We'll be there right away."

Alois gave one more salute before closing the door with a smile. The four of us nodded at each other before standing from the table. It would be best to not keep them waiting.

The walk had not been long. Seteth stood in front of an opulent pair of doors with his arms crossed. His eyes scanned across the four of us before he nodded to himself in satisfaction. He cleared his throat before he spoke.

"Due to recent events, a position for Professor has become available. While the Archbishop initially planned on putting Sir Robin in charge of one of the three Houses, she seems to have changed her mind. The new Professor, our latest addition to the Faculty, is inside. Please keep an eye on them. Now, I must be elsewhere. Good day to all of you." The stern man deeply bowed and walked off just as quickly.

Manuela looked to Hanneman, who just shrugged at her. "Shall we proceed?"

The scholar pushed against the doors and they opened with an ominous slowness. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling – bathing the massive chamber in light. Sunlight filtered into the room through the singular window. A beautiful mosaic of stained glass creating an ethereal shine at the back of the room. Even the floors were thoroughly decorated with their own unique patterns and colour palettes. My cursory glance at the surrounding had revealed two familiar faces. The gruff commander patted Byleth on the shoulder as he walked towards the exit – which was, coincidentally, in our direction. His eyes moved to Hanneman, to Manuela, to me, to Robin, then back to me again.

"Glad you found him." Was all that rumbled from his mouth.

I gave him a light bow. "Thank you for your directions."

He waved me off as he left the room. "Don't mention it."

Manuela turned to me with a glint in her eye. "You seem to know plenty of handsome men. What's your secret?"

I kept my face neutral and my tone flat. "I sold my soul in a Dark Magic ritual. The curse has prevented me from running – so I have to speed-walk everywhere."

She laughed at that and Robin grinned widely. Hanneman looked on in mild amusement. Our attention soon turned to the blue-haired swordswoman. Her gaze locked on mine immediately.

I addressed her first. "It seems that we'll be working together from now on, Byleth."

"Yes." Was all she had to say on the matter.

The standard introductions began from there. We took turns saying our names, what our professions were, and the subjects that we would be best at teaching. Byleth would only speak when spoken to, and she never uttered a sentence with more than four words. At the start of the conversation, her eyes had moved over each of us. However, once her gaze landed on Robin, it never left. She blankly stared at him the entire time – even as she answered questions. Honestly, it was a tad unsettling.

A few moments pass before Byleth finally speaks unprompted. "I must go now."

She didn't wait for us to say our goodbyes as her heels clacked against the flooring. As she crossed through the doorway, she sent once last glance over her shoulder before she disappeared from our sight completely. I turned my eyes to the object of her attentions, only to find him deep in thought – chin held between his fingers. The conversation we just had was pretty standard, so Robin must have picked up on something I didn't if he was lost in thought right now. I often wonder what's going on in that head of his. I bring myself out of my thoughts as Hanneman and Manuela announce their departure – leaving Robin and I alone in the audience chamber.

I loosen my posture slightly and soften my voice. "Is something the matter, Robin?"

He turns towards me with a small smile on his face. "It's nothing. I just feel like taking a nap, is all."

I tried not to frown at that. Bottling up his problems is a bad habit of his (one that I share, unfortunately). "You're in luck then, because Caeda needs a cuddle-buddy. Moving to a new place is scary, after all."

A short laugh escapes him. "Sounds like a plan. Care to join me?"

"There wouldn't be any Caeda left for you to snuggle then. I'd just take her all for myself." I grinned at him.

"What if it wasn't Caeda I wanted to snuggle with?" He waggled his snowy eyebrows.

I scoffed at him. "You'd be out of luck then. Why would I want to be cuddled in the stables of all places? Ladies have standards, you know."

He stroked his chin with a stern expression on his face. "Of course, my dear Maribelle. I humbly apologize for my lack of etiquette."

Both of us let out a laugh as I swat him on the shoulder. Maribelle's etiquette lessons were feared by most members of the Shepherds. Coming from a noble family myself, I never had much trouble when it came to meeting her standards. Chrom and Robin HATED them, however. They would find any excuse possible to get away from them. Once, they had purposefully injured each other in a sparring match so they could escape her lessons. Lissa had somehow known what they had done and gave them a proper earful over the incident.

After our laughter died down, Robin tilted his head towards the doorway. "How about we grab a snack and then head to the fields? The grass there is perfect for naps."

My smile reaches from ear to ear. "There are better places to take a nap than on the ground, you know."

"Oh gods, not you too…"

/ / /

"What do you think, Lady Edelgard?" Hubert's voice was a quiet whisper from the corner of my room.

I close my eyes and sigh in frustration. "They're not even trying to be subtle anymore. A dark mage with white hair and his assistant 'Cordelia'. Cordelia, Cornelia – do they think we don't have pattern recognition?"

Hubert's eyes narrow. "This is rather troublesome. We are aware of 'Tomas' being placed here to supervise us. If they've placed extra pieces in place, it means they've grown more suspicious of us. They want to make sure that we don't have room to breathe."

I feel my nails dig into my palm through the alabaster gloves. "This simply calls for extra caution. We will carry out our duty without fail – no matter what."

Hubert nods as a magic circle manifests around his fingers. With several minute movements, his body fades into the shadows. The door to my room silently opens and closes a second later. With my retainer gone, I set myself down on the edge of my bed and rest my forehead in my palm. I hadn't mentioned this to Hubert (because I know he has a tendency to take things to the extreme with little-to-no prompting), but I felt completely off-kilter since our encounter with the snow-haired man. My state of being had become a contradictory mess since then. I had felt disturbed and disgusted, but also peaceful and warm. A searing pain and a soothing wave washed over my body simultaneously. I felt the need to get as far away as possible, but also wanted to stay close to him. None of it made sense. Was it a new form of technology designed by The Slitherers? Was it forcing me to feel positive emotions towards them despite my burning hatred? I needed to solve this mystery as soon as possible. I needed answers.

I needed to talk to Robin.