Red Wolf Moon, Day 16, Imperial Year 1180
"You come from the nation of Brigid, correct?"
"That is correct."
"I hear it's quite warm over there. Compared that that, here in Fódlan, you must feel downright Frigid."
Petra laughed behind the back of her hand as Dorothea had taught her. "Yes, I am seeing what you did there. It is showing much cleverness."
"You think that one's good? Then I daresay that in the winter, our dear Petra must feel positively... Petra-fied."
"...I am not understanding this one."
"Petrified. Like being unable to move from intense fear, or turned to stone."
"Oh! That makes sense. I am having understanding now. That is a clever play of... no, play on words."
"I'm glad you think so. If the subject herself didn't think it was funny, my comedy days would be over. Right, onto the next one." Alois thumbed through his tiny book of puns to find another he thought the young Brigid princess might enjoy. "I still need to find a way to make 'Brrrigid' work, but I do actually have two based around Edelgard's name."
"Oh! I am having excitement for your jokes surrounding Edelgard."
"Truly, the professor's idea to have you learn language through wordplay makes for both an entertaining and stimulating conversation."
"Indeed. The professor's way of teaching is unique, but clever. I have been learning with much ease since she came here."
"I'm sure she'll be very glad to hear it. And speaking of being glad to hear it, are you ready for my first Edelgard jab?"
"I am ready."
"Excellent. The first is th-" Alois was interrupted as some sort of tiny pixie bumped into him. "Oh, I'm terribly sorry about that. I really should have more environmental awareness." He held out a hand to help Lysithea off of her rear-end, but she instead scrambled to gather her books from the stone floor. With Alois and Petra's help, Lysithea had all of her books collected in seconds and rose to her feet by her own pride-driven power.
"Are you alright, Lysithea?" Petra asked once the younger girl had dusted off her uniform.
"I'm fine," she replied, the flush in her cheeks amplified by the whiteness of her hair.
"Yes, I'll keep that in mind. Now, please, move aside. I'm running late to a tutoring session with Professor Byleth."
"Running late? Should you have been running earlier?" Petra asked, confused.
"We wouldn't want to keep the professor waiting," Alois said jovially as he stepped aside to allow the tiny girl to pass. "Quite the temper, that one," he added quietly once she was out of earshot.
"Indeed," Petra nodded. "But she is not a bad person. She is very... driven, I believe is the word."
"Driven me crazy, perhaps."
"Oh! That is very clever, Alois. How you seg... How you move from one subject to the next subject."
"Indeed. Now, I believe were were up to Edelgard puns. These ones are so good that I don't even need this little book of mine to remember them. Prepare yourself, because these jokes will knock your socks off."
"Words with the power to remove clothing? That is sounding very impressive!"
"I... That isn't..."
"But please, do not be sharing such words with Dorothea or Sylvain. I am worrying for what they might be doing with them..."
"That is... actually a reasonable concern to have..."
Thanks to her shortcut through the dining hall, Lysithea made it to the Black Eagles classroom quickly. While not a member of this class herself, it had been agreed upon that this was the ideal place for the two to conduct their tutoring sessions. While a student of the Golden Deer house under Professor Manuela, Lysithea was unable to acquire the tutelage she sought after from her, given her specialisation in faith-based magic, rather than the reason-based sorcery Lysithea was currently researching. Professor Hanneman would be a better tutor for this subject, but his Crest research kept him busy outside of his core work as a teacher. This left the newest professor, Byleth, as her only option.
As it turned out, though, Professor Byleth was surprisingly adept with reason-based magic, despite having never studied any kind of magic before she began teaching at the academy. It seemed, at least according to Leonie who heard from Captain Jeralt, that the former mercenary had begun studying various other forms of combat and magic to better understand her students' individual needs and help them advance in their studies. For her to have come so far so fast that she was actually able to assist Lysithea's research was beyond impressive, and earned the educator a great deal of respect from the impatient girl.
It also helped that she was willing to keep their studies secret from the Church. As far as anyone knew, Lysithea was being her usual overworking self, with the newest member of the faculty being willing to offer her extracurricular opportunities. Lysithea didn't know for sure that the Archbishop would disapprove of their studies, but she wasn't willing to take her chances. Of the three teachers, it seemed that Byleth was the one with the least loyalty to the Church, which was odd, given her father's past and current occupation. Still, she wasn't about to look a gifthorse in the mouth when said gifthorse was her best bet for making progress with her studies in any sort of official capacity. The last thing she needed was to get expelled for practicing obscure magic on the grounds.
Upon reaching the doors to the classroom, she heard voices coming from inside. Peeking through a window, she saw Edelgard speaking with the professor. She couldn't tell what they were discussing, but the conversation seemed to be winding down. The professor had likely informed the princess about her impending session with Lysithea, which would explain why Edelgard was waving goodbye and turning to head for the doors.
"Oh. Good morning, Lysithea," Edelgard greeted as she spotted her upon opening the doors.
"Good morning," Lysithea replied with a bow. It wasn't strictly necessary for her to do so, but Lorenz had insisted on such behaviour among the lesser nobles for so long that it had become second nature to her. And she was still concocting a way to pay him back for it.
"I hear you're undertaking extracurricular tutoring from the professor. I'm surprised you'd find what you're looking for with her and not one of the other professors."
"Well, Professor Byleth is surprisingly dedicated and versatile in her teaching methods."
Edelgard smiled. "That's very true. If you find yourself wanting to transfer to the Black Eagles, I'd be happy to put in a good word for you."
"I appreciate the offer, but I'm happy where I am now."
"I see. Regardless, the offer still stands. Good luck with your lesson."
"Thanks," Lysithea replied, glad to be done with the conversation. It wasn't that she disliked Edelgard at all - there was just something naturally intimidating about her, likely from being imperial royalty. But there was also an odd sense of familiarity about her that Lysithea could never seem to identify, and that scared her.
Casting such thoughts aside, she entered the classroom and closed the doors behind her. "Sorry I'm late Professor," she apologised as she crossed the room towards one of the front desks. "I got held up by Alois and Petra's awful pun exchange." She deposited her pile of books onto one of the desks and breathed a sigh of relief.
"I could come to your room to help you carry your books here, if you'd like," Byleth offered.
"I appreciate the offer, Professor, but I bought these from a bookstore in town this morning. I can't ask you to come into town with me to carry my books."
"You can't?"
There were times when Lysithea found herself unsure whether Professor Byleth was the most or least rational person in the room. "A-Anyway, I'd like to start as soon as possible."
"Alright. Which spell are we practicing today?"
"This-" Lysithea stopped dead as she turned her head from the open book before her, coming face-to-face with the professor's chest, which had moved closer to her while she was distracted with her books. Lysithea rarely felt angst regarding her height or chest size, but having an ample bosom directly in front of her face made her feel incredibly inadequate. "This one."
"'Reality-bending', is it?"
"Yes. From what I understand, at lower levels of mastery, it only affects perception; at higher levels, it can genuinely alter aspects of the world within a confined space."
"So, it could make my hair green or something?"
"...If that was something you desired to do with it, I suppose so."
"What is it you want to do with this kind of magic, Lysithea?"
"There are lots of potentially useful applications. Even if I could only master the perception level. Could you imagine how many ways you could fool an enemy on the battlefield with that?"
"There's a lot you could do with that."
"Exactly. And then there are everyday uses as well."
"Like making sweets rain from the sky?"
"I'm not a child. I wouldn't..."
"I would. That sounds sweet."
"Ugh, puns."
"Not a fan?"
"Not really."
"Shame. So what would you use it for then?"
"I was hoping there could be some medical application for it to help wounded allies, but it seems that the effects are only temporary. Higher power allows for longer-lasting effects, but it can't last long-term."
"So, no Crest removal?"
"..."
"I see."
"S-Speaking of Crests, supposedly, Major Crests have a higher affinity with the spell. You may recall, I have the Major Crest of Gloucester."
"So you can do more with this than most people."
"Not at all. What do you need me to do?"
"Well, we should start small, naturally. Hmm... Your hair idea isn't a bad place to start, actually. Even if only as a perception change. I wonder if I could make you think it had always been that way..."
"Okay. What do you need me to do?"
"For now, just sit in that chair while I cast the spell."
As instructed, Byleth took her seat, noting with mild amusement how the roles were now reversed. Lysithea began chanting a spell from one of her books. Byleth observed a smaller book beside it, in which Lysithea had transcribed numerous dispel chants for the event that a spell became unwieldy, which happened somewhat often for her. It was due to Lysithea's dual Crests, conflicting with one another and unbalancing a number of spells. Fortunately, most of the common spells taught at the Officers Academy were much simpler to cast and control, meaning discovery of Lysithea's secret second Crest by anyone not in the know was unlikely.
Of course, this new, untested spell proved one of the more unwieldy sorts for Lysithea, which both women recognised immediately. Byleth was on her feet in an instant, despite knowing full well that there was nothing she could do to help stop the sphere of swirling energy as it grew and stretched and contorted at a worrying pace - only Lysithea herself had any say in the matter.
All Byleth could realistically do was use her hands to signal for calm in Lysithea, which didn't seem to make much of a difference as the student frantically used her free hand to snatch up her smaller notebook and begin searching through it for the dispel chant. Her eyes worryingly widened as she searched the pages, not a word leaving her lips as the spell continued to expand beyond control.
Byleth was flat on her back in an instant, not entirely sure when or how she had gotten there, nor even whether she had fallen unconscious on her way down. She pushed herself up into a sitting position, fighting through the pain in her arms, to find Lysithea lying face-down on the floor, her errant spell have evidently exploded. Byleth staggered to her feet and crossed the room to turn the younger woman over onto her back. She coughed and opened her eyes to the sight of Byleth looking down at her as she rested the student's head on her lap.
"Are you okay, Lysithea?" she asked concernedly. She'd been told that concern was one of the most common and clear emotions she displayed.
The growing redness in Lysithea's pale cheeks was quite apparent, especially contrasted against her snow-white hair. "O-Of course I'm fine!" she exclaimed as she scrambled to her feet and began dusting herself off.
"Oh, that's good."
"What? No, that's what I meant."
"I see?"
"What's wrong with me all of a sudden? I can only speak the truth. No-"
"I'm aware. You're very honest."
"What are you talking about? Since when was that how you thought of me?"
"Since... right now, I think?"
"Right now? ...Hold on, Professor. I don't need to think."
"That's quite impressive."
"Please, just keep quiet for a moment."
"..."
"Okay, I think I don't have this figured out. For some reason, I can only tell the truth."
"Haven't we already established that?"
"..."
"Lysithea?"
"Your hair is bright green."
"So it is! It looks like your spell really did work."
"But it was already- I mean, but was it already like that when you got up?"
"Hmm... I'm not sure. Was it?"
"Yes."
"I see."
"I mean- UGH! This is not frustrating in the slightest! ARGH!"
"Are you okay? Did that spell do something to you?"
"Of course it didn't!"
"That's good."
Lysithea facepalmed. Her gaze passed over her books and she seemed to develop some kind of idea. She took a blank piece of paper and began writing on it. Evidently not seeing what she hoped for, she screwed up the paper and tossed it clear across the room and into the hearth.
"Impressive shot," Byleth praised.
"Please be quiet, Professor. Every time you speak, I become less annoyed."
"Then why would you want me to stop?"
"Just shut up already! Goddess! Okay, let's see... Okay, ask me a question."
"Okay? What's your favourite food?"
"A yes or no question," Lysithea elaborated in annoyance.
"Do you... have two Crests?"
Lysithea's head turned slightly to the right, then stopped. "Never mind..." She mumbled, her entire body sagging in defeat. She began looking through her notebook, finally seeming happy as she found what she was looking for. She quickly marched up to Byleth and turned the book her way, one tiny finger pointing at a particular entry.
"'Liesithea isn't very honest with her feelings'? Have you taken up making puns?"
Lysithea seemed like she was about to respond, but stopped to collect herself for whatever reason. "Who do you know who makes puns all the time?"
"Alois."
"And so, whose book do you think this is?"
"Is it not yours then?"
Lysithea frowned, but said nothing.
"Alois'?"
Lysithea finally smiled. It was a rare sigh, but it always brightened Byleth's mood to see it.
"Why do you have his book?"
Lysithea's annoyance returned.
"Shall we go and return it?"
Lysithea pondered her response for a moment, then said, "Um... follow me?"
"Okay. Do you know where he is?"
Lysithea sighed deeply and collected her books.
After a quick detour to stash the contraband books in Byleth's room, and ignoring whatever commotion was going on over by the lower part of the dorms, the two made their way over to the dining hall, where they found Alois admiring an unusual statue that Byleth hadn't seen there when she passed by him and Petra earlier on her way to the classroom.
"Oh, hello, Professor, Lysithea," the knight greeted as the two ladies approached. "I was just admiring the statue of Princess Petra. You know, from Brigid. Such exquisite craftsmanship."
Byleth tilted her head at the impersonal manner in which Alois referred to Petra. "How long has this statue been here?"
"You know, I'm not entirely sure myself. But it was certainly here before you and the captain joined us at the monastery, I can tell you that."
"I've seen this statue before," Lysithea noted, confused, before pinching the back of her hand like some kind of repentance.
"You have?" Byleth asked, confused. "I haven't. And I'm fairly certain she or someone else would have mentioned it before now."
"That is strange," Alois replied thoughtfully. "I pass by it just about every day. I'm not sure how anyone could miss it when it's usually kept over by the dorms. It's actually rather odd that it's here in the dining hall, now that I think of it."
"You didn't see who brought it here?" Lysithea asked cautiously.
"I didn't. Could this be some sort of prank? The only person I think could carry such a heavy thing here would be young Raphael, but he hardly seems the type to engage is such immature pranks."
"I don't- I don't mean- Ugh! Alois!"
"Y-Yes?"
"..."
"...?"
"...This statue. When did you first see it in here?"
"Well... when I came in for breakfast, I suppose. It was already here by then, and I've been marvelling at it all morning... for some reason."
"It was already here? It was here when I bumped into you earlier?"
"It was, yes. You didn't see it then?"
Lysithea scoffed. "I wouldn't remember- ...Wh-Who could forget something as out-of-place as this if they'd seen it already?"
"Alois," Byleth interrupted. "Where is Petra now? The real one."
Alois looked at her like she was the one acting strangely. "Why, over in Brigid, I would assume. She is, after all, the princess of that nation."
"She left without saying anything? And you knew?"
"Left... where, exactly?"
"Here. The monastery. She's a student of the academy. She's in my class. Does this not ring any bells?"
"I would certainly know if a princess from a foreign nation were a student at the academy."
"I'm confused."
"So am I."
"Whatever this prank is, stop it," Lysithea said accusatorily.
"Prank? What prank? You two are the ones spouting strange things. The princess of Brigid, a student here. Honestly..."
"I know... Ugh." Lysithea marched across the dining hall, over to where Raphael was sitting with enough food for two people. "Raphael."
"Oh, hey, Lysithea. You saw all this juicy meat and wanted a bite too, huh? Help yourself."
"I'm here for the meat, you big fool. I mean- Just look over there." Lysithea pointed to where Byleth and Alois stood, observing the exchange. Raphael waved to the teacher, who waved back. "See that statue over there?"
"The one of Princess Petra from Brigid? Yeah. Weird that it's in here."
"Not weird that it's at the monastery at all?"
"Should it be?"
"What do you mean, 'Should it be?' Why would the monastery have a statue of a random student? Do we have statues of Claude, Dimitri or Edelgard of Fódlan?"
"A student? She doesn't go here. Unless she just transferred in while I was busy eating."
"What do you mean she isn't? Here, ask Professor Byleth!"
Byleth nodded when Raphael looked her way.
"This is the first I've heard of it. But I don't know what the big deal is. The statue's just.. always been here. Longer than I have, anyway."
Lysithea threw up her hands and stormed back over to Byleth and Alois, earning a number of strange looks from the other diners. "I'm craz..." she began angrily, before she visibly deflated and her anger gave way to worry. "Am I crazy?"
Byleth patted her on the head. Lysithea hated when she did this, but she understood Byleth's intentions when she did, so she seemed to accept it when she felt low enough to need it. "Anyway, we should continue with our investigation. I'll see you later, Alois."
"If you need help with this investigation of yours, feel free to let me know and I'll help however I can."
Byleth smiled and nodded. She turned to leave, but Lysithea made a sound that suggested she had just remembered something.
"Oh, before I forget again," she said as she rummaged through her bag, fishing out a small book. "Is this yours?"
"I was wondering why I had this spellbook after- Actually, why was I looking for my joke book in the first place?"
"I think you were telling some of your jokes to Petra," Byleth explained as the two swapped books back. "Like I suggested."
Alois scoffed jovially. "Now there's a novel idea: me, entertaining royalty with my jokes!"
Lysithea's shoulders sagged as she sighed deeply. "Whatever."
"Oh, now here's a good one, Professor," Alois declared as he looked through his book. "If I didn't know any better, I'd almost think this statue was the real princess, Petrafied!"
"..."
"..."
"Not to your liking, hm? Well, not to worry, I still have-"
"Alois!" both ladies practically shouted, almost causing him to drop his book. Lysithea snatched it out of his hands and looked through it. "Petrafied. When I was trying to cancel the magic... My condition..."
"'Liesithea'... Oh! You can only tell lies now?"
Lysithea's face lit up like Byleth had never seen it before.
"I'm sorry it took so long for me to figure it out. But, wait, you said my hair is green."
"Your hair is blue," Alois interjected.
"Hm? Of course it isn't. Lysithea said... Oh! She can only lie, but others believe her lies."
"So then, she told you your hair was green and you've believed that since then?"
"I suppose so."
"And this has been in effect since..."
Byleth looked around conspiratorially before whispering to Alois, "We've been doing secret magic practice on certain Sundays. Lysithea's small-scale reality manipulation spell went out of control this morning but when she tried to dispel it, she had your jokebook instead of her spellbook and your puns influenced the effects of the spell. Hence Petra maybe being a statue now."
Lysithea's relieved, grateful, beaming smiled threatened to extend right off her face.
"You're saying that... my jokebook influenced reality and brought all of those puns to life?"
"It seems plausible."
Alois looked back and forth between Byleth and the statue numerous times, his expression changing from incredulity to reluctant belief. "Well, this is rather embarrassing... i-if true, that is."
"We won't know until we check on the other students you've written puns about and see who's been punished."
"Time and place, Professor," Lysithea scowled.
"Time and place for what?"
Realising Byleth had no idea what she'd just done, Lysithea shook her head and began looking for a candidate who might confirm their suspicions quickly. "H-Here," Lysithea mumbled, her pale face a full shade whiter than usual as she held the book out to Byleth and Alois, her finger pointing to a very particular name.
"...You have got to be kidding..."
The three headed first for the outdoor tables where tea was often consumed, where they assumed this particular 'punished' individual might have ended up after the change. There, they came across a truly bizarre sight. Tea was being served to a number of students by a team of maids, one of whom greeted the trio as they entered the area, offering to guide them to a free table. Off to the side, Anna sat, counting her money. Clearly, this was some sort of café where customers were served by maids.
"Oh, hey, Professor," Anna greeting brightly, currently in the upper three mood settings that were dictated solely by her profits. "What do you think of my new business?"
"Charging for what is usually free is a violation of the law, isn't it?" Byleth asked.
Anna grinned and shook her head. "That's true, but as long as I'm only charging for the maid service and not the snacks and tea themselves, this technically lies within the limits of the rules."
"Makes sense."
"Don't just give in to her, Professor," Lysithea chided. "Anna, do you know where-"
"We're back!" Lysithea's jaw hung up as she was interrupted by a truly unnatural sight.
"Welcome back, 'Sis'. How goes the gardening business?"
"The work is tough, but the pay is great."
"And what about your weapon-cleaning stall?"
"The guys over at the training grounds love it. It tell ya', these stuffy, lazy nobles - no offense, Lysithea - love the chores that can earn 'em glory, but the important stuff that's not so glamorous is something they're willing (and able) to pay someone else to do."
"That sounds great. And, as you can see, this maid café is raking in the profits."
"I'm glad we thought of it."
"You know what they say-"
"'Three heads are better than one.'"
"Three..." Byleth blurted out. "There are three of her."
Lysithea glanced through the book. "'Annather One'? Really?"
"I-In my defence, that one was a work-in-progress, not meant to be seen by anyone but me."
"So we've confirmed that your book has turned Anna into three people then?"
"We don't know that there aren't more," Byleth interrupted darkly.
"Th-That's not... hmm..."
"I don't think we can call this a proven hypothesis quite yet," Alois asserted. "We don't know that Anna didn't have any... sisters before this. We need at least one more example to consider this proven."
Byleth nodded slowly. "You may be right. Anna."
"Yes?"
"Yes?"
"Yes?"
"Um... Right. W-We were looking for someone..."
Once the Annas told them their target was over by the dorms, the three set off immediately, not wanting to risk running into any more Annas all at once. They cut through the gardens to reach the top of the steps that divided the dormitory into the northern and southern quadrant. It occurred now to Byleth that she had no idea which end Lysithea lived in.
From their vantage point, the trio spotted a massive queue lined up outside one of the rooms. Not only students, but knights were lined up as well. Byleth even made out a couple of familiar faces. At first, she thought this might relate to their current target, but she realised as they approached that "This line is coming from Bernadetta's room."
"Bernadetta?" Lysithea asked in shock. "But... why would this queue exist outside her room?"
"Are they bullying her?" Byleth wondered aloud as she stormed over, stopping in her tracks as she heard a familiar voice.
"Hey there, pal. You here to see her too?" Balthus stood nearby, seemingly on his way away from Bernadetta's room.
"'See her'? What is all this?"
"You don't know? Huh. I thought she was pretty well-known around here."
"Bernadetta? She's infamous for being a recluse, sure, but why would people line up over that?"
"You really don't know, huh? Alright, let me fill ya in. This lady right here? She's the real deal. She doesn't come out to speak in person, but if you've got the cash and the patience to talk through a door, there ain't no one better to clear up your debts."
"Clear debts? Her?"
"Yeah. I dunno how she does it, but she's a real wizard when it comes to financial advice. I've been to see her a half dozen times since we came up to the surface and her advice has reset me back to zero every single time."
"Young Bernadetta giving financial advice?" Alois marvelled. "What a truly bizarre turn of events."
"A turn of events, you say?" Lysithea grumbled as she thumbed through the book again. "Burn-a-debt-a? Seriously?"
"Hah! That's a good one!" Balthus chuckled. "Actually, she did suggest burning down a debt collector's house once."
"...What?" Byleth asked blankly.
"In fairness, the guy was a bandit running a real shady racket up in the mountains, so it seemed like the kinda thing a good samaritan would do. So it all worked out."
"I guess..."
"Anyway, I'm off to go rack up another tab in town. Talk to ya later." As Balthus departed, the trio were left puzzled as to just what kind of advice Bernadetta, of all people, was giving out.
"A-As long as she isn't suggesting murder, it should be fine to leave alone for now," Byleth decided.
"If you say so," Lysithea reluctantly agreed. "Anyway, shall we get back to our search? Hey, you there!"
"Me?"
"Yes, thank you," Byleth replied to their terrified response. "We're looking for someone."
"How are you liking your tea, Master?"
"It's certainly better than your last cup, which was better than the one before."
"You are too kind."
"Encouraging self-improvement among the commonfolk is a duty of the nobility. And that is a duty that I, Ferdinand von Aegir, take great pleasure in fulfilling. Keep improving, and you'll one day be worthy of serving a noble house full-time."
"Oh, you flatter me, Master."
There was a sudden knocking at the door of Ferdinand's room. "Would you kindly answer the door for me? I don't want to let the tea get cold."
"It would be my pleasure, Master." The maid bowed and made her way over to the door. "Oh. Good afternoon, Mistress," Edelgard greet with a smile and a bow.
"..."
"Professor, why are you blushing!?" Lysithea demanded.
"Astounding..." Alois gaped in awe.
"And what are you so surprised for? Are you not the one who wrote 'Maidelgard' in this book that disrupted my spell?"
"Ah! A fine joke indeed!" Ferdinand declared as he approached with a cup of tea in hand. "Combining Edelgard's name and occupation into one. Alois, your comedy is truly fit for any noble house."
"Huh. Maybe entertaining royalty isn't so far off after all..."
"Hey, focus!" Lysithea chided. "Ferdinand, can we borrow Edelgard for a while?"
"Well, I do have her booked for the next half hour or so..."
"We can't- Can we not reimburse you for your lost time?"
"I don't have any money on me," Alois stated.
Byleth searched her own pockets without once taking her eyes off of Edelgard in her smart maid outfit. Maybe it was the unusual sight, or the specific addition of her usual red stockings underneath her otherwise uniform maid outfit, but she was utterly entranced. Even as she shook her head to confirm her lack of money, Byleth's eyes remained locked on Edelgard, who stood patiently as she waited for the matter to be settled. Her cheeks did seem to redden the longer Byleth stared, however, which only made Byleth want to stare even longer.
"I have no issue with allowing you to stay and make use of her services here if you would like," Ferdinand offered graciously. "But I must insist that she remain in my service for the duration of the time allotted so that I can continue to educate her in the ways of servitude."
All three of his guests grew concerned for how deeply he was digging his grave for when Edelgard returned to normal. Byleth finally allowed her gaze to move from Edelgard, allowing the maid to breathe a small sigh of relief. She stepped closer to Ferdinand and looked him dead in the eyes.
"Maybe there's another way we can convince you." She took Ferdinand's free hand in hers, pulled it closer and pressed it against her breast.
Everyone but her was soon red-faced and muted. Alois placed a hand over Lysithea's eyes to keep her from seeing, but she had already seen enough for her cheeks to threaten to melt through his gauntlet. Edelgard's blush was a deep crimson as she subtly, unnoticed by anyone else, bit her lower lip. Ferdinand dropped his teacup onto the crimson carpeted floor, where its contents spilled out and began to soak in. Edelgard was quick to get down on her hands and knees in a bid to save the carpet and spare her temporary master the inconvenience of having it replaced.
"P-Professor!" Lysithea screeched as she forced Alois' hand away. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Hm? Is this not how women manipulate men into obeying?"
"According to whom!?"
"Dorothea."
"Why would you trust her!?"
"She has experience."
"Ugh! You aren't utterly- Just stop it!"
"Okay." Byleth's hand was off of Ferdinand's by the time she finished the first syllable. Ferdinand himself remained locked in place, fingers occasionally flexing, as if trying to find the softness they had just been holding. "He looks like he's the one who's Petrafied now," Byleth observed.
"Let's just go," Lysithea sighed as she turned to leave.
"To be fair, I think it worked. Come along Edel..." Byleth trailed off as she spotted Edelgard still on the floor, her rear end raised unusually high as she scrubbed the carpet, as if she were trying to entice people. "Did you learn that from Dorothea as well?"
Once the mess was cleaned up, the four left for Lysithea's room. Given the insanity on the campus, they doubted anyone would pay particular attention to Lysithea bringing a maid, a teacher and a knight into her room. Especially when Mercedes came barrelling past, followed close behind by Caspar, whose hands were out before him, his fingers flexing much like Ferdinand's had moments ago.
"Please leave me alone!" Mercedes begged over her shoulder.
Caspar, rather than words, responded with the most uncharacteristic, perverted giggling the four had ever heard.
This giggling came to an end as Annette appeared from nowhere, lunged at the boy and wrapped herself around him. "Now, Mercy!"
At this words, it was as if Mercedes had become an entirely different person, halting in place, even as the unbalanced Caspar came staggering in close, twisting her body in perfect form to deliver a savage clothesline to her pursuer, just narrowly striking above Annette's head, and sending the Bergliez second son flying past her and landing on his back.
Mercedes helped Annette to her feet and stood over Caspar. "You should stopped when I gave you the chance," she said in an uncharacteristically deep and confrontational tone before instantly brightening up and leaving him stunned on the ground as she left with her friend.
"What?" Byleth asked.
Lysithea was already thumbing through the book for answers. "'A net'. 'No Mercy'. 'Graspar'?"
"In fairness, my idea was more along the lines of holding tight to his weapon or an enemy's throat, not... that."
"So you're saying it was Lysithea's interpretation that caused this?"
"H-How dare you! Are you saying I have a dirty mind!?"
Once the four were up in Lysithea's room, they could finally take a break from the madness around them. Well, save for Maidelgard serving them treats, Byleth still seeing her hair as green despite knowing Lysithea had been lying earlier, and Lysithea having to stop herself every time she began a declarative statement, lest she make things worse.
"So, you serve us now, right?" Byleth asked the former princess as she passed her former teacher a cup of tea.
"I serve all of the masters and mistresses at the academy during the week, but Sundays are reserved for Mistress Anna's maid café business. And with Master Ferdinand's time up, I suppose I am now in your service for the time being, Mistress."
"Then, if you serve us, we can swear you secrecy, right?"
"You can. And I will take your secrets to my grave."
"Good. Lysithea and I have been practicing magic in secret and it was one of those spells that's messed with everyone's heads. She can only lie now, so her explaining things is difficult."
"And so you will require my assistance to explain the situation to others?"
"That, and figuring out how to fix it."
"Can she not just attempt the spell again, or find the counterspell in her spellbook? Alois suggested.
"Lysithea?"
Lysithea searched her pockets for the book and realised, "I have it. No-"
"Then, where is it?"
"I do- Ugh!"
"If you know you have it, you must know where-"
"Shut up! I do have- ARGH, this spell isn't going to take more years off my life than my Crest!"
"Why would it?" Alois asked, oblivious.
Byleth had a sudden realisation. "Can I test something, Lysithea?"
"Fine, but make it quick," she said in a huff.
Byleth pulled Lysithea to her feet and proceeded to check every pocket her outfit contained. She then patted her down for any sign of the book hidden under her clothes, then in her hair. While Lysithea felt like Byleth was using this as some sort of excuse to harass her as she had with Ferdinand, Byleth let out a satisfied huff.
"You don't have it."
"Of course I- Huh?"
"But she just said-" Alois started.
"And I can't find it. So she must have lied. But since I've proven to myself that she doesn't have it, I can see through her lie."
"Fascinating."
"Quite impressive, Mistress," Edelgard applauded. "You've certainly earned your place among the academy's educators.
"Oh, you're too kind."
"Are we not missing the point here?" Lysithea remarked, still a little flustered. "The book?"
"Oh, right. You don't have it. Alois, did you not give her the book back when she returned yours?"
"You say 'returned', but she has held onto the book since you two realised the book was causing the problems. I think we got so distracted by that revelation that I forgot to give hers back."
"So it's still in the dining hall then?"
"It should be. Right beside the Princess Petra statue. Uh, I mean, the real Princess Petra."
"Let's go then. I don't want this curse to be lifted any time soon."
"...Why wouldn't you want that?"
"AARGH!"
As they left the dormitory, the four came to a halt as the sound of the most beautiful singing washed over them from afar. It was a song Byleth felt like she had heard before, in the distant past... The sun seemed unusually bright behind the cathedral, which also seemed to be where the music was coming from. It was unusual for the sun to be over there at this hour, now that they thought about it.
Alois produced a spyglass from one of his pouches and looked up at the top of the uppermost spire. "Yep, just as expected."
Confused, Byleth took the device from him and took a look for herself. This was definitely one of the most bizarre sights yet: standing atop the spire, difficult to fully make out with all the bright sunlight surrounding her, stood Lady Rhea. The singing was definitely coming from her, as was the sunlight.
"What is Lady Rhea doing up there?"
Once again, Lysithea's nose was already deep in the book. "'A Rhea'f sunshine'?" Did you just... decide one day that you wanted to have a pun for every notable individual at the monastery, not matter how forced or contrived?"
Alois' silence spoke volumes.
"She goes up there all the time," Maidelgard explained to assuage their concern. "She's an expert, so there's no need to worry about her losing her footing. She is perfectly safe. (Unfortunately.)"
"Even so, we should probably hurry," Byleth declared, not noticing the muttering at the end, and the other two agreed.
"A princess?" Maidelgard replied incredulously after Byleth explained her particular situation on the way back to the dining hall.
"Its true. You're also the head of the Black Eagles house and one of my top students.
"I find that difficult to believe, Mistress. How can I accept that I am not normally a maid?"
"Let's try this: Ignore what your mind is telling you. What do you feel in your heart?"
"I will try. Hmm... A part of me believes you... Yet this desire to be by your side and serve you feels so natural... And a friendship with Princess Petra would certainly explain why I so often feel compelled to keep her statue clean and speak to it..."
"You might just be weird," Byleth stated flatly.
"This coming from Ms. Hold-My-Student's-Hand-To-My-Breast?" Lysithea scowled.
"You're still thinking about that? Are you sure you're not a pervert?"
"Yes, I am a perv- !"
Byleth, Edelgard and Alois all noticeable stepped further away from Lysithea as they continued their march.
"I feel uncomfortable being around you now."
"Me too."
"As do I, Mistress."
"I love you all..."
"I love you too, Lysithea," Byleth replied before realising the implications. "As a friend, I mean."
Edelgard let out a quick sigh of relief.
"Truly, the love between friends and comrades is one of the deepest forms of love there is," Alois said as his way of effectively rejecting Lysithea's accidental confession.
Lysithea sighed and gave up.
As they reached the entrance to the dining hall, they passed another unusual sight.
"Come on, Coco. It'll only be for an hour or so."
"I beg you to leave me behind, lest my dour demeanour drag down your own happy mood."
Lysithea glared as Alois, the pun being obvious enough to not require looking up.
"In my defence, the results are actually positive this time."
"Morning, Hapi," Byleth greeted casually as she approached the door.
"Oh, hey, Chatterbox," Hapi responded with a smile that threatened to outshine Rhea. "Help me convince Coco to go see Lady Rhea's song up-close."
"Please, instead convince Hapi to abandon me in the gutter where I belong," Constance countered.
"Just buy a parasol already," Lysithea suggested irritably as she walked inside.
"Ooh, that's a great idea, Lys."
"Stop calling me that!" Lysithea shouted from inside.
"She should come see Lady Rhea sing sometime. It might help that mood of hers. Anyway, let's go to the marketplace, Coco."
"Please, no..."
Leaving the Abyss duo to their own devices, the remaining three entered the dining hall, spotting Lysithea on her hands and knees under the table Alois and Petra had been sat at earlier. From her panicked expression and frantic scrambling, the situation was clear. She said nothing as they approached, lest she make them think otherwise, but the book was gone.
Byleth and Alois began asking around while Edelgard prepared some sweets with the kitchen staff to help calm Lysithea down. Despite her usual secrecy surrounding consumption of such confections, Lysithea was too distraught right now to refuse.
"Any luck?" Byleth asked as she and Alois reconvened at the table. Lysithea was finishing up her second helping of candy.
"None," Alois sighed regretfully.
"It's not your fault," Byleth reassured him. "We all forgot about it when we got distracted by our figuring things out. Okay, does the monastery have some kind of lost and found?"
"Yes, you."
"Oh. Never mind then."
"Mightn't we begin our search by considering who among the student body might have cause to keep a notebook found on the floor?" Edelgard suggested. "Or perhaps one who might actively seek out information on whoever might have dropped it?"
"Those are good places to start. Any ideas?"
"I couldn't possibly say."
"If it's offending the nobility you're worried about, remember you outrank everyone but Dimitri and Claude in reality. And even then, Claude is basically the runner-up. Once everything's back to normal, they won't be able to complain about you badmouthing them."
"You make a fair point, Mistress," Edelgard conceded gratefully as she took Alois' book and began scouring its contents. "In that case..."
As they left the dining hall, Lysithea grumbled under her breath about the pun Edelgard had discovered in the book. A separate pun became apparent as Hapi and a much sunnier Constance ran past with a parasol in hand, stopping for a moment to chat with Marianne, who, much like the two, was suddenly presenting a much sunnier disposition than usual.
"I'm guessing... 'Merryanne'?" Byleth commented.
Alois' subsequent silence spoke volumes.
As the trio of girls headed excitedly towards the cathedral, the four investigators made their way to the library, where their next target had told Edelgard she would be earlier that morning. Along the way, they came across one of the most bizarre sights yet. It was Shamir, playing with some of the local stray cats. There was one in particular that she was being especially affectionate with.
"Wha...What are they doing?" Lysithea asked, already having an idea of the answer before Byleth spelled it out.
"Is it because you can shorten 'Catherine' to-"
"Meow?"
"Hello, Professor," Shamir greeted, obliviously rubbing the side of Catherine's head with her hand and receiving an affectionate purr in response. "Quite the eclectic group you have there."
Rather than respond, Byleth walked over to the other woman and began petting Catherine.
"Professor, she isn't a real cat!" Lysithea cried.
"But she's cute."
"Isn't she?" Shamir agreed, making room for Byleth to have her turn.
Despite her protestation, Lysithea could not deny that the sight of Thunder Catherine purring as Professor Byleth rubbed her tummy was, in fact, incredibly cute. After Alois was forced to physically intervene to make Byleth stop petting the knight, the four were able to make their way to the library. After placating the nearby Lionie with a handkerchief embossed with the emblem of Jeralt's mercenaries, that is.
As they approached the stairs up to the second floor, they passed Sylvain striking out with some nondescript girls, as per usual. Only, his game was entirely off. Even those that saw through his act could not deny that he did have a certain charm about him - a natural charisma that made him difficult to dislike, even when he was dishonest with the ladies.
"Really, ladies? You're given the unique opportunity to have tea with the Sylvain Jose Gautier and you turn it down?"
Said 'ladies' simply scoffed and departed in disgust. They passed Byleth's group, leading Sylvain's eyes in their direction.
"Hey there, ladies. Alois. Say-"
"I'm very interested, Sylvain," Lysithea told him dismissively.
"Really? That's great."
"Yes, it is! Why isn't anyone stopping me!?"
Edelgard produced a sudden handkerchief from her apron pocket and shoved it into Lysithea's mouth. "Only remove this when you are prepared to speak," she instructed, as if lecturing a child. Which Lysithea hated more than anything. But she knew this was probably for the best and meekly accepted it.
"I don't really get what's going on here, but-"
"Not now, Sylvain," Byleth interrupted as she raised a hand to stop his oncoming flirting. "Maybe later." Knowing this would placate the young man, she took the two students by the hands and pulled them up the stairs, followed soon after by Alois.
"I'm in for a chance with a professor, huh?" Sylvain muttered as they departed. "Well, of course. Not even the enigmatic Professor Eisner can resist the charms of the Sylvain Jose Gautier!"
"He sounds more like Ferdinand or Lorenz than himself," Edelgard observed as they reached the top of the stairs.
"Very Sylvain," Byleth concluded.
"That is quite a stretch."
"He isn't even that vain, usually."
"Look, I was struggling for ideas, okay!?"
Finally reaching the library, Edelgard spotted the person they were looking for sat at a table, surrounded by books: "Mistress Dorothea," she greeted with a polite bow as she approached.
"Oh, this is a pleasant surprise, Edelgard," the former songstress replied, placing a bookmark in her current book and closing it. "And... these three as well. My, what an odd group. Oh, can I trouble you for a massage, Edie? All this craning my neck is doing a real number on my spine."
"Of course, Mistress. Right away."
Byleth and Lysithea observed the surreal sight of the imperial princess massaging a former street urchin in a maid uniform long enough for Dorothea to notice. "So, uh... What's up, Professor? You need something?"
"Oh, right. Did you happen to find a small spellbook in the dining hall today? It looks like this one." She held out Alois' jokebook for comparison.
"Oh, in fact, I did. Dorothea moved around a few of the library books on the table before her, eventually producing a near identical book at the one in Byleth's hand. "You mean this one?"
Lysithea took it and skimmed through it. Rather than confirm or deny it being the correct one, she instead bowed and thanked Dorothea.
"Think nothing of it, hun. They don't call me 'Borrowthea' for nothing."
Lysithea glared at Alois yet again, but he was already hanging his head in shame.
"Anyway, shall we finally go and work out how to undo this spell?" Lysithea sighed as the four left the library. Byleth and Alois, both just wanting this day to finally end, verbalised their agreement. Maidelgard simply agreed because the others did.
Once they were back in the locked Black Eagle classroom, Lysithea got straight to work comparing notes in various books, her notebook never once leaving her firm grip. The other three sat nearby and looked through the jokebook for other name puns they'd missed.
"Look at this one," Byleth said, pointing one out to Edelgard. "The Flayne Emperor. That's just poor taste, Alois."
"I'm sorry, okay!?"
"Still, could you imagine if Flayn was the Flame Emperor. That would be surreal."
"I didn't think much deeper than the wordplay, but... you don't suppose that..."
"The Flame Emperor might be someone currently at the monastery? I wouldn't rule it out, given how often we run into them and their allies. It would certainly make things easier, though."
"Might I ask, how so?" Edelgard asked as she served tea from a tea set she'd produced from... somewhere.
"If the Flame Emperor is someone we know, there's a chance we could talk them down. Or, at least understand their point of view."
"Professor!" Alois chided. "You're not suggesting that you think this Flame Emperor can be reasoned with, are you?"
"Why not? Just because we don't know what it is doesn't mean they don't have an understandable, human motive behind their actions." Byleth shrugged. "I don't see why we should assume they are purest evil without any validity to their point of view. We probably won't be able to compromise, but I'd wager there's enough wrong with the current system they're trying to disrupt that their ideals could have some validity."
"I... see. Painful as it is to admit, I cannot deny that you may have a point. Even so, our priority is to stop the discord they're sowing across Fódlan. If there is no understanding to be found, the Flame Emperor must be dealt with."
"I suppose. Anyway, does that answer your question, Edelgard?"
"Hm? Oh. Y-Yes. Thank you, Professor."
"You called me 'Professor'."
"I-I apologise, Mistress-"
"Don't." Byleth smiled. "I've missed it."
"I... see..."
Alois chuckled. "It seems that there are some things even this powerful magic cannot change."
"What do you mean, Alois?" Byleth asked obliviously. From Edelgard's expression, it was clear that she understood Alois' meaning, and that was enough for him.
"It's nothing, Professor. Ah, please, excuse me a moment I have... a matter to quickly attend to." And with that, Alois left the room.
"I-I have an observation, if you don't mind, Mistress," Edelgard declared suddenly, as if trying to change the subject.
"Go ahead," Byleth responded.
"Well, from the way you and Mistress Lysithea have responded to the changes today, you two seem the least influenced by the spell."
"That's-" Lysithea began before stopping herself.
"-true," Byleth finished on her behalf.
"We can assume, then, that your being at the epicentre of the spell has granted you this unaffected perception of events thus far."
"Presumably."
"And you being influenced by Mistress Lysithea's words indicates that you are not completely immune to the spell mentally, while she is, which seems to correlate to her being the spellcaster and you being the nearby observer."
"That lines up, yes."
"And yet, Mistress Lysithea has still been affected by the magic, as proven by her inability to speak truthfully and her words having such a powerful effect. But you do not seem to have been affected the same way. Is there no pun of your name in the book? If there is, how could you be immune in this way and not others?"
Byleth pondered this for a moment. She skimmed through the book again and found her entry. "'Bileth'."
Edelgard leaned over to check the spelling so she could grasp the wordplay. Even Lysithea took a break from her own browsing to do the same. "'Bi'?" Lysithea questioned. "Is that the pun here?"
"As in, 'bisexual'?" Edelgard theorised.
"Wait, is that why you keep checking Edelgard out in her maid uniform?"
"Ch-Checking me out?" Edelgard blushed deeply, her hands over her cheeks.
"Was I?" Byleth asked obliviously.
"I didn't see it when she was cleaning up in Ferdinand's room."
"You didn't see that?"
"What? ...Why do I keep forgetting!?"
"I'm confused."
"Never mind..."
"Never mind what?" Alois asked as he returned.
"'Bi'?" Byleth asked, pointing out the entry to him.
"Ah. That was one I was planning to save for the event that you chose to tell me about your orientation."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I first noticed it after that tournament for the knights a few moons back. The way your eyes lingered on Catherine in the sauna afterward was enough of a hint for me to start noticing it more often."
"Noticing what?"
"Why, that you were interested in other women, of course."
"Am I?"
"...Aren't you?"
Byleth stared at Edelgard and Lysithea. The smaller girl felt compelled to cover herself up, despite being fully clothed. The older girl simply blushed deeper, unable to break eye contact with her teacher. "I think so?"
"W-Why are you saying that while looking at us?!" Lysithea screeched.
"I'm not sure. I don't think I've thought of you this way before?"
"How are you so unsure?"
"Is this the effect of the spell?" Alois pondered. "It's possible that I misread the situation and wrote a pun that caused this... It could explain why your gaze has lingered on the stat- Princess Petra and why you were compelled to rub Catherine's belly."
"I don't want to perv on my students," Byleth whined.
"Can we move away from this topic, please!?" Lysithea whined louder.
"The fastest way to end this is to undo the magic," Byleth observed.
Frustrated, but unable to dispute this assertion, Lysithea grumbled as she got back to work.
As Lysithea wrapped up her research and began making preparations for the spell proper, Alois read a book off to the side to occupy himself, and Edelgard took a seat beside Byleth. "Mistress? If I may, I have a question for you."
Byleth smiled, once again feeling that familiar old Edelgard breaking through the maid façade. "Sure. Go ahead."
"Yes. I find myself quite surprised that you want to undo this spell. The effect on Princess Petra, Lady Catherine and Mistress Lysithea's power of influence notwithstanding, the effects thus far seem mostly harmless. Myself, for instance. I would have expected-"
"You can say the effect is harmless, but that's not true at all."
"I-I'm sorry?"
"This isn't who you really are, Edelgard. As much as your service is impeccable, and I would love to have a maid so dutiful to serve me, and you look very cute in that outfit, that's not who Edelgard von Hresvelg is. Edelgard is... a very bright, driven, no-nonsense, ambitious young woman who is suppose to make a huge impact on the future of Fódlan. Kinda hard to do that if you're stuck thinking you're a maid, right? I don't want to deprive you of your destiny or your ambitions just for my own benefit. You deserve so much better than that."
"I... I see." Edelgard's cheeks were slightly pink.
Byleth wondered what was going through her student's head. Granted, she wondered this with the normal Edelgard a lot as well, but this alternate version of the imperial princess was truly an enigma. She retained the intelligence of normal Edelgard, but did she still have her will, her guile, her drive to achieve her ambitions? Or was she simply content to follow orders like this? Would these words have the effect Byleth was sure they would on her normal self? Would she even remember what Byleth had said when she returned to normal?
As imperative as setting everything right was, Byleth couldn't help but continue to be intrigued by this mysterious spell's effects and feel that it should be studied further in future - under more controlled conditions, of course.
"Regardless, Mistress... whether true to my real feelings or simply put here by the spell, I have enjoyed serving you. Certainly moreso than Master Ferdinand..."
Byleth grinned. It seemed that more of Edelgard was still in there than she first thought.
Red Wolf Moon, Day 23, Imperial Year 1180
"How are you feeling, Lysithea?"
"Putting the shame of the trouble I caused aside, I'm fine. What about you two?"
"I am still struggling to be wrapping my head around this. But I am able to move freely again. I will not be missing being Petrafied any time soon."
Alois chuckled, despite his own shame over his part in the incident. "And your delivery isn't stiff either."
Lysithea scowled. "Can't you just stop with the wordplay for just a few days?"
"I really should. But when I see an opportunity, I just can't help myself."
"Is this an effect of the magic as well?" Petra asked, slightly concerned.
"He's always been like this. Just ignore him."
"That sounds pretty rude," Byleth commented as she approached the trio. "Hello, Petra. Hello Lysithea. 'Allo, Is."
Alois let out a loud guffaw.
"Don't you start now!"
After some further small talk, Byleth and Lysithea set off for their next tutoring session. The incident's cause was unknown to the monastery occupants at large. Only the four that had put a stop to it and a handful of others were aware of the true cause of the supposed sudden bout of mass hysteria. Luckily, no one seemed to hold a grudge against anyone else for their befuddled actions, as the four had observed in Caspar speaking casually with Mercedes and Annette afterwards.
Lysithea had made the decision to come clean to both Petra and Anna, feeling guilty for getting Petra trapped in stone and for the depression Anna had entered since realising her 'sisters' were no longer real. Neither held a grudge against her, however, as Petra was generally easy-going and was able to find the humour in the situation, while Anna was happy for the new business ventures she and her 'sisters' had concocted. Plus, Byleth reasoned that the other Annas were simply aspects of the real Anna, so they were still alive inside of her.
Alois' jokebook was thrown into the hearth of the Black Eagles classroom the second Lysithea was sure the magic had been successfully undone. He was upset by this, but agreed that this particular theme of wordplay was probably best left forgotten.
The two walked past the empty classrooms of the other two houses, Byleth spotting something out of the corner of her eye. Inside the Blue Lions classroom, she could just about see Shamir and Catherine engaging in a secret rendezvous, Shamir scratching behind Catherine's ear and her fellow knight positively melting at the touch. Byleth decided to keep this to herself for now and investigate later. No one else seemed to be suffering any lingering effects, but she had to be sure.
Entering the final classroom in the row, Byleth and Lysithea were greeted by Edelgard, who simply looked up from her book as the two entered. "I will be supervising your experiments from now on," she stated simply. Neither of the two felt it was a good idea to dispute this.
Edelgard supervised as the two performed a few simple experiments, their confidence in their ability to not cause a monastery-wide incident completely dashed by the previous week's events. As Lysithea moved over to her spellbooks to decide on the next one, Edelgard began speaking with Byleth.
"Are you experiencing any lingering effects of the spell, Professor?"
"The one from last week? No. And Lysithea's a lot more honest now, which is good."
"Are you implying that I wasn't honest before?"
Byleth considered bringing up Lysithea's habit of eating sweets in secret, but she thought better of it and chose to move on. "You know what I meant. But what about you, Edelgard? Have you found yourself calling anyone 'Mistress' this week?"
Edelgard's cheeks flushed a deep crimson. "Th-That is entirely inappropriate for a teacher to ask!"
"Why? As your professor, I need to know that the spell isn't still affecting you."
"I do believe Professor Manuela passed the results of my medical exam along to you three days ago."
"She did. And I'm glad you're back to your old self."
"So all of this was just you teasing?"
"Yes."
Edelgard sighed. "I honestly do not know what to do with you sometimes."
"You could always serve me some tea?"
"Coming right up, Mis-" Edelgard stopped herself short, eyes wide, as Byleth and Lysithea gaped in shock. Edelgard grinned. "Fooled you."
Byleth's gape shifted into a grin as she applauded. "Very good. I'm glad to see you're taking your studies in levity no less seriously than your combat studies."
"I wouldn't quite go that far. But still, if you cannot find humour in a member of the nobility finding themselves wearing a maid uniform and calling commoners 'Master' and 'Mistress', then there really is no hope for you."
"Exactly."
"But, that is only how the spell affected me. Have you managed to work out how much influence the spell had over you, Professor? You don't have to tell me what the result is. I just want to know that you've solved it."
"I have. I was always fond of girls. I just never really thought much about it before now."
"Ever the perfect soldier..."
"I guess so. But yeah, I think the effect wasn't that it made me bisexual. I think it just made me much more aware of the fact that I was, and that made me feel like compelled to act on those feelings, you know?"
"I... suppose that makes sense. After all, I've never gotten the impression that you were the type to ogle your own students before."
"I don't see you guys that way. But have you seen Catherine's abs? Those things are incredible. No wonder Shamir kept rubbing them..."
Edelgard smiled. "Perhaps. But your own are able to maintain a higher degree of feminine beauty, making for the perfect blend of beauty and power."
"You really think so?"
"I do."
"Oh. Thank you."
"Oh, will you two just get a room already!?" Lysithea complained.
"This is our room," Byleth replied obliviously. "Yours is two rooms down."
"No, Professor, I don't think that's what- Oh, never mind... Anyway, what are you planning to test this time, Lysithea?"
"Well, I was thinking of giving that other spell another try. I've figured out where I went wrong, and I have the right dispel technique with me this time." Lysithea held up her notebook and held open the page to show that there was not a pun in sight.
"What was it supposed to accomplish anyway?"
"It was supposed to alter the professor's perception on a small scale. I tried to make her think her hair was green."
"Do you mean that she would see her hair as green, or that she would think her current hair colour is called 'green'?"
"I'm... not entirely sure. I suppose that depends on the subject. But anyway, the spell was just supposed to alter her perception in that minor way. I'm sure I can do it right this time."
"I'm not sure-"
"Okay."
"Pr-Professor!?"
"Lysithea's not an idiot, Edelgard. She knew what she was doing the first time. The notebook mix-up was a totally random variable no one could have accounted for."
"She could have checked her equipment at all before she started."
"Okay, true, but she's done that now. So come on. Trust in her. Trust in your mistress."
"Look, I will give her a chance if you promise to never mention that whole maid affair again."
"I promise. I can't speak for Ferdinand, but you will never hear about it again from me or Lysithea. Alois is cool, so he probably won't mention it either."
Edelgard sighed and rubbed her temples with her fingertips. "Fine. But make sure you're 100% sure you've got it right before you start pumping energy into it this time."
"Ugh. What kind of a fool do you take me for?"
Edelgard's glare was enough of an answer for Lysithea, who quickly got back to performing the spell. As before, the energy swirled and shone brightly as Lysithea did so. Unlike last time, however, the magic was clearly much more controlled this time, Lysithea properly accounting for her dual Crests.
As the spellcasting approached its crescendo, a sudden thought occurred to Edelgard: "Actually, shouldn't I wait outside the spell's range in case neither of you notice the effects?"
"That's a good point," Byleth conceded. "Maybe you should go-" Before she could finish, a wave of energy knocked the two off their feet.
Byleth recovered quickly, Lysithea rushing over to make sure the other two were okay. Pushing through Lysithea's barrage of concerned inquiries, Byleth asked, "How's my hair?"
Lysithea took a moment to register the question and stop her questioning to provide an answer. "Um... It's not changed."
"Oh." Byleth couldn't keep the disappointment out of her voice as she pulled some of her hair in front of her eyes to confirm. "Oh! Edelgard! Are you ooooohh..."
Byleth trailed off as she turned to see Edelgard lying flat on her back, moaning in discomfort and not entirely her normal self.
"Yes, I'm fine. Really. I thought you said you could control it this time."
Neither of the other two responded, birthing concern within Edelgard.
"W...What is it?"
"Edelgard, your hair!" Lysithea gaped.
"Wh-What about my hair?" she asked as she bolted upright. "Is it green?" she asked as she pulled a few locks in front of her face to get a look a them. But they were neither green nor silver. They were brown.
"Did your spell somehow affect Edelgard instead of me?"
"I... suppose it's possible. But technically, we're all being affected since this change isn't really taking place... But why would it not make her hair green, if that was the case?"
"Did you think about brown hair at all while you were casting?"
"What? No! Why would that even cross my mind?"
"Why would puns you only skimmed and barely recalled cross your mind? It could have been only for a fraction of a second, but if you saw something that made you think of someone with brown hair... Professor Manuela teaches your class, for example."
"I didn't think about her at all!"
"Then why-"
"Can I..." Edelgard uttered, her voice barely above a whisper, yet still able to cut through the other two's argument. "Can I keep it like this? Just for a little while?"
Byleth suddenly understood the significance of this. And whether she realised it or not, so did Lysithea.
"Okay," Lysithea replied in an uncharacteristically tiny voice, before she regained her composure. "But only for a little while. We don't know how sustaining it long-term might affect... well, anything."
"Of course. And thank you, both." Edelgard began fiddling with her now brown hair the way Dorothea often did with her own curls.
"Is this what your hair used to look like before it changed?" Byleth asked, piecing things together.
"Y-Yes. I used to be a brunette." Edelgard's reluctance to admit this was plain on her face. But her excitement at being technically reverted to her natural colour overrode that feeling. "Does it... look strange?"
Byleth shook her head. "Mm-mm. It looks good on you," she said with a warm smile.
"Y-You think so?"
"I do. Can I touch it?"
"Um... I suppose so?"
Byleth scooted closer and began gently stroking Edelgard's brown hair. Similar to Catherine next door, Edelgard melted into the sensation, resting her head against Byleth's chest in utter contentment. To Edelgard, this was a wonderful, nostalgic feeling that swept through her entire being. She almost felt as though she could simply close her eyes and fall asleep like this.
And she very nearly did, only stopping from doing so as Lysithea stepped closer to observe the two. "Did you two just... say that Edelgard's white hair isn't natural?"
Byleth looked up at Lysithea contemplatively as Edelgard's muscles tensed in her grasp. "You were both experimented on by some enigmatic mages," she explained reluctantly, but feeling it was the best course of action. Both students let out a shocked gasp and their eyes met. "I know neither of you wanted anyone else to know, but your stories are too similar for there not to be a connection there. And I think you both deserve someone who truly understands you to share your pain with. And your plans."
"Our plans?" Both girls parroted, confused.
"You've both suffered horribly at the hands of those people. I know revenge and justice aren't all that high on your list of priorities, Lysithea, but if you had the opportunity to achieve that, wouldn't you like to?"
"I... suppose so..."
"And wouldn't you like to have more capable allies who understand you, Edelgard? Who else can fulfil both of those criteria than Lysithea?"
"You... do have a point..."
"See? I'm sorry for being so open about your respective secrets just now, but I think this is a perfect opportunity for you two to develop something really special here. Even if it's just having someone else to talk to about everything you've been through, I think you'll both benefit greatly from this."
"It's okay, Professor," Edelgard sighed. "I understand and I do appreciate your intent."
"Same," Lysithea added. "But please, ask first before you tell anyone."
"Okay. I'm sorry."
"Don't be. I do think that being able to talk about this with Edelgard should be beneficial. Just ask first next time, okay?"
"But, how do I ask without revealing the other person's secret in the process?"
"I... W-We'll figure that out before the time comes, I suppose."
"Indeed," Edelgard concurred. "But for now, I would like to discuss this matter more with Lysithea, if the two of you don't mind."
"I'd like that too. I'm sorry, Professor, but is there any chance we could could cut today's session short so we can talk in private?"
Byleth smirked. "I'm really being kicked out of my own classroom, huh? Of course it's okay. I'll just loiter on one of the benches outside. Come let me know when you're done so I can oversee the undoing of Edelgard's hair change."
"Are you sure you're okay waiting that long?" Edelgard asked as Byleth opened the doors.
Byleth looked at one of the benches, where Linhardt was taking a nap under the shade of a nearby tree. "I think I'll go join Linhardt for a nice rest. I'll see you both later."
Byleth gently closed the doors on the two, allowing a moment for their conversation to start up in earnest before properly taking her leave. She sat beside Linhardt and did her best to relax on the hard seat. How the boy could sleep just about anywhere, she had no idea, but it was something she aspired to replicate in her own hectic life. When she did finally manage to fall asleep, she was whisked away to a magical land where Edelgard wore a maid costume and dutifully served her all day. Even in her dreams, she found herself wondering if that incident had awoken something inside her...
When the two girls finally exited the classroom to inform Byleth of their being ready to undo the spell, the sight of her peacefully sleeping face made the two decide to just let her rest for now. 'For now' being the time it took for them to undo the spell and then realise that Byleth wasn't going to be waking up any time soon.
They employed the now awake Linhardt to help carry her to her room, leaving him tired enough to return to his own room to sleep, leaving the two girls sighing in his wake as they prepped the professor for bed.
"And everyone else in the Black Eagles is as eccentric as him, in their own unique ways," Edelgard sighed as she slipped her teacher's boots off.
"I'm sure I'll manage," Lysithea replied, slipping Byleth's cloak off. "I've been in a class with Lorenz, Raphael and Hilda all year, so it's not going to be all that different."
"I suppose so. Either way, I'm happy to have you join us."
"Welcome, Lysithea," Byleth mumbled in her sleep, eliciting a startled silence, then a quiet giggle from the two girls. "Come try some of Edelgard's cakes... They taste great..."
"Cakes?"
"I honestly have no idea."
"You don't think she's dreaming about you being a maid, do you?"
"If she is, I'll kick her awake."
"So tasty... And her buns are great too."
Byleth was waking up on the floor in seconds.
I was struggling for a whole to decide if this piece should be part of this collection or its own standalone story, considering Edelgard doesn't have a lot to do here. But once the ending with Edelgard and Lysithea learning about their similar histories was added, I knew it had to be part of it.
I'm constantly aware of how few of these stories actually give the two much interaction, between sleepwalking, drama and physical separation in some of the pieces I've got planned, so I'm trying to come up with more stories where they're together to balance things out.
One of my unused ideas was to end the story on Edelgard's uniform turning blue, leading to this exchange. I think the hair change idea came later and worked so much better.
"Now, if you two will excuse me, I must be getting back to my own classroom. Good day."
"Um, Edelgard?" Lysithea spoke out, dreading the implications of Edelgard's words. "This IS your classroom."
Edelgard seemed confused by the claim that the head of the Black Eagles house was taught in the Black Eagles classroom. "While it would certainly make sense for the imperial princess to be a member of the Black Eagle house, I was assigned to the Blue Lions on my first day and have been part of that house ever since. I wonder if it relates to my time spent in the Kingdom capital as a child... Whatever the case, I am surprised you didn't know that."
Lysithea turned and fixed Byleth with a look that screamed, 'You'd better fix this!'
"What are you looking at me for? You're the one who did this. Again."
Another dropped idea was to have Dedue and Hubert feature as overprotective bodyguards with the nicknames "Deduty" and "The Edel Guard" after my all-Edelgard team in FEH. Hubert would've just gotten in the way of the story if he'd been included, and I have a better idea for introducing that term in this series in a story I'll be returning to once I've wrapped up all four routes of the game.
Speaking of, I'm on Golden Deer now, after recently finishing Silver Snow, the most pointless waste of dev time in the history of the franchise. I'll be doing a video on that once I'm done with Verdant Wind.
I've also been expanding my understanding of the setting, such as Minor and Major Crests being variants, not distinct categories. This has been fixed in an Chapter 2. In addition, I now know that, despite aligning with Gregorian months, Fódlan's year begins in April, so some of the years have been inaccurate until now. This also means that the title has been inaccurate this entire time, since the war ends just after the sixth anniversary of the two's meeting, not three months prior as I somehow believed. As such, the simplest way to fix this without disrupting prior stories (having the opening chapter occur a full year later and having them not be married yet in The Mourning After), is to move the end of the war to a month earlier, soon after Arianrhod, allowing there to be a month or so after the war for the Agarthans to be dealt with, while still allowing Byleth to propose on the sixth anniversary.
I really wish people would point these things out to me sooner...