Time for some character development with plenty of crying.

Chapter 83 – Lingering Regret (Great Tree Moon)

amatora idesta imente adeta

asora imita iya

Jiayi watched as Dorothea practiced the Hymn she had just taught to the brunette. This new one, colloquially known as the Sonnet of Strength, would allow her to imbue another with incredible might. It was a useful Hymn, but it drained Mana from the recipient, making it ill-suited to use on other spellcasters.

Fortunately, Dorothea was imbuing Caspar with the Hymn's power, and the son of House Bergliez had no magical skill in any event.

solte miya adeta

sora imenta

iserme itense amiya

As he felt the Hymn imbue him with magical might, Caspar grabbed onto a fallen stone pillar in the arena of Abyss and lifted it over his head. Sitting nearby, Anna and Byleth watched as Caspar carried the pillar, which had to weigh at least several tons, across the arena as though it were a plank of wood.

canta imente adeto

itense asama miya

sama miya ama mita

tense miya diya

"Heh, no sweat!" Caspar said as he continued to hold the pillar over his head.

"Do not become complacent, young one," said Jiayi. "You wouldn't want the Hymn to end while you're carrying that."

Realizing Jiayi's point, Caspar looked around to find a place to set the pillar down. He soon settled on an empty corner of the arena as Dorothea continued to sing.

amatora idesta imente adeta

asora imita iya

solte miya adeta

sora imenta

iserme itense amiya

Caspar lowered the pillar as Dorothea reached the end of the Hymn, laying it on the ground and stepping away as the brunette sang the final lyrics.

astoria

canta miya

As Dorothea's Hymn ended, Caspar felt the magical strength leave his body. He knelt next to the pillar and tried to push it, only to find he could no longer budge it with his natural might.

"Nice work, you two," said Anna.

"Thanks, Anna," Dorothea said as she decided to take a seat.

"That will be all for now," Jiayi said to Caspar. "No doubt the others have need of you elsewhere."

"Yeah, Felix and I were going to show some hand-to-hand techniques to the others," said Caspar. "I'd better not keep him waiting."

"See you at dinner, Caspar," Anna said as the teal-haired fighter left the arena.

"You have shown considerable improvement as of late, Dorothea," said Jiayi.

"Oh, thanks, Madame Jiayi," Dorothea said as she sheepishly turned her head away from the Hoshidan seamstress.

"Is something wrong, Dorothea?" asked Byleth.

"It's…" With a sigh, Dorothea said, "I've been learning these new Hymns, but…"

"What is it, Dorothea?" asked Anna.

"I haven't ended up using them in battle. Not when we were attacked by those wolves, and not when we were at the bridge."

"Yeah, and?"

"I just…"

Before Dorothea could find the right words, Jiayi said, "You needn't fret over it, Miss Arnault."

"But–"

Jiayi put a finger to Dorothea's lips to silence her.

The seamstress then said, "If anything, you should be thankful that you did not need to use a Hymn in those battles. Unless you consider them your only means of fighting, do you?"

"W-Well, no, of course not."

"Good. Hymnos may be an incredibly powerful form of magic, but it should never be your first resort. Your best weapon is your wits, not your voice."

"Madame Jiayi's right, Dorothea," said Byleth.

As Dorothea mulled over what Jiayi had said, the four women heard the familiar sound of water bubbling in a cast iron pot.

"准时," Jiayi said as she lifted the metal teapot from above a small fire.

She then went about pouring the boiled tea into four different teacups, each containing some herbs Jiayi had provided. Dorothea and Byleth were unaccustomed to the aroma, but Anna clearly showed recognition on her face.

"Ooh, jasmine," said Anna. "Haven't had that in a long time."

"Is it good?" asked Byleth.

"That depends on your point of view, Lady Eisner," answered Jiayi.

Deciding to give it a try, Dorothea gingerly took a sip of jasmine tea. Though it had a sweet floral taste, it was contrasted against the bitterness of the base tea that had been used. It wasn't quite to her tastes, but it was hard to put it down once she'd had a sip.

"清爽," said Jiayi as she set down her teacup. "I have always enjoyed this flavor. It does wonders to calm one's mind."

"Hoshido must be a great place," said Byleth. "It's as though they have everything you could ever want."

"That's where you'd be wrong, By," said Anna.

"How so?" asked Dorothea.

"Hoshido might have great craftsmen and tailors, but the land isn't suitable for cultivating most kinds of crops. Mostly just rice patties, bamboo, and such. They have to import stuff like wheat and other kinds of produce. As such, they don't have the resources needed for raising horses. Not like Fódlan, at least. Also, there aren't any active mines in Hoshido these days. Their swordsmiths can make great weapons, but they have to import the materials from places like Tellius or Lycia."

"Oh. I see," said Byleth.

"No country I've ever been to has had everything. There's always something they want, and they do what it takes to get it, whether it's through trade or through war."

"Mankind has always been a creature of desire," said Jiayi. "Even if they are sated on one day, they will hunger the next. And so often, the hunger for fame, power or wealth can lead one down an unexpected path, for better or worse."

The four women continued to enjoy Madame Jiayi's tea for the next ten minutes, with Byleth, Dorothea and Anna contemplating Jiayi's words.

Upon finishing their tea, Byleth and Anna decided to head up to the surface. There was still a lot to do before they had to return to the Great Bridge of Myrddin and assist in the push toward Enbarr.

As they left, Dorothea was about to leave when Jiayi said, "Dorothea, might I have a word with you?"

"What is it, Madame Jiayi?" asked Dorothea.

"You have made great progress in such little time. I applaud your diligence, of course. Yet I wonder if I am teaching you too much."

"Too much? What do you mean?"

Turning away from Dorothea, Jiayi slowly paced away from her as she said, "You remind me of a student I once had years ago, one I have not seen in a long time. Like you, she showed extraordinary talent and a natural gift for magic. However, the more I taught her, the more I sensed a darkness within her. A darkness that I fear I may have stoked. When we finally parted ways, I had taught her nearly all that I know. And to this day, I ask myself whether it was a mistake to do so."

Dorothea couldn't find anything to say to this. She couldn't imagine what was going through the old seamstress's mind.

Then, turning back toward Dorothea, Jiayi said in a more pleasant tone, "But perhaps I worry too much about you. I have seen your charity and compassion, Dorothea. Keep true to those virtues, and I shall rest easy that you will use my teachings wisely."

"I will, Madame Jiayi. I promise."

"I will hold you to that promise, Dorothea Arnault."

…

Ashe had to sigh as he looked around the dusty halls of Garreg Mach while carrying a bowl of soup on a platter. The heir of Castle Gaspard had finally recovered enough to be up and about, though he wasn't yet ready to fight. Still, there was other work he could contribute to in the monastery, such as cooking meals and treating the wounded.

But as he looked at the dust that had built up over the past few days, he knew the monastery would never quite be the same anymore. When the others had returned, he had learned of Cyril's death in battle. Ashe had always felt a kinship with the Almyran orphan from their academy days. The two both did a lot back then to keep the monastery spick and span.

He knew he'd have a lot of work to do in Cyril's stead. He doubted he'd ever live up to Cyril's diligence.

Ashe slowly pushed open the door to the infirmary and made his way through the rows of wounded men and women. The monks and clerics were busy treating casualties and did not pay Ashe any heed as he moved past them.

But then he saw Alicia and nearly dropped the platter he was carrying. The brunette was trying to get out of bed while her shoulder was still covered in bloodied bandages. Refia was trying to stop her from getting up.

Frantically, Refia said, "Miss Alicia, please, you can't–"

"I have to help…!" Alicia said in a strained voice. "I can't just… do nothing…!"

"You're still wounded!"

"I don't care! Let go of me!"

Ashe quickly set the soup and rushed to Alicia's side.

"Alicia, settle down!" said Ashe. "You have to rest!"

"No! No, I can't – I can't just–"

"You're going to make your wounds worse! Please, you have to focus on recovering!"

"I can't! I can't! I…"

Alicia's voice froze in her throat as Ashe grabbed her shoulders and looked her in the eye.

"Alicia, please. You'll only make things worse if you exert yourself."

Ashe's words stung Alicia hard, but it was only when she started shedding tears that he realized he'd hurt her.

"Alicia?" Ashe asked in concern. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?!" Breaking down in tears, Alicia buried her head in Ashe's shoulder and said, "It's like you said! I'm useless! I'm only making things harder for everyone! I got so many of your people and Yuri's rogues killed! I couldn't do anything against the Imperials at the bridge! I… I couldn't do anything for Cyril! He'd still be alive if I wasn't so worthless!"

"Alicia…"

"I've tried so hard to help, and it's never enough… I'm only ever making things harder for everyone… So why… why should you care at all for a useless idiot like me?!"

Alicia couldn't continue her tirade as she wailed and cried. Ashe looked around to see the monks and clerics looking at them.

The grey-haired archer was a complete loss for what to do.

…

Cia finally spotted Annette as she strolled near the main entrance to the monastery. The Gatekeeper had been kind enough to point the dark-skinned diva in the direction of the orange-haired mage.

Annette was flat on the ground after tripping over a box, a scene Cia had to struggle not to laugh at.

"Ow… not again…" Annette said in pain.

"Again?" Cia asked, though she mentally cursed herself immediately afterward.

"O-Oh, Cia! You didn't see all that, did you?" Annette asked in embarrassment as she scrambled to her feet.

"Just the result. Are you alright?"

"It's nothing. I'll be fine."

Cia gave Annette a moment to dust off her dress before she said, "Annie, can I talk to you about something?"

"What's this about?"

"It's…" Cia took a deep breath and said, "It's about what happened at the bridge… between you and your father."

As Cia expected, this immediately soured Annette's mood.

"That's none of your business, Cia," Annette said crossly.

"Annette, I heard what you said to him. And I know you didn't mean it when you did."

Now visibly angry, Annette said, "What would you know?! Do you know what it's like to have a father who puts his oaths and vows to his king ahead of his family?! Do you know what it's like for him to ask my uncle to imprison me on his behalf?! Of course not! Because that's what my father did to me! I wanted to be by his side, but he wouldn't let me!"

"Annette–"

Annette's eyes filled with tears as she said, "I meant what I said to him! I hope I never see him again! He can go die for Dimitri, for all I–"

Annette's rant ended as she was dealt a hard slap to the cheek.

As Annette caressed her cheek, Cia said firmly, "Annette, you do not want that to be the last thing you say to your father. Take it from me… you'll regret it for the rest of your life."

"H-Huh? Take it from – Cia, what do you–"

Turning back to the tanned diva, Annette was surprised to see Cia was now shedding tears.

"Cia…?"

Cia sat down on a nearby bench, prompting Annette to sit next to her.

"Lana and I are orphans," said Cia. "But we weren't always like that. We lived on a farm in the Empire. It was small, and we could barely make ends-meet, but… it was home. Mom and Dad wouldn't let us leave the farm without them, and we always had to stay with them when we did. I didn't know why then, but it was because Lana and I were born with this."

Cia lifted her hand as the Minor Crest of Macuil materialized over it.

"The Minor Crest of Macuil?" said Annette.

"Yep. And not a single drop of noble blood in me or my sister." Cia took another deep breath and continued, "When I was eight, I saw a bunch of village kids playing and wanted to join them. I had to leave the farm to do it, so I did. But when I went over to them, they started picking on me for being half-Duscuri. One of them hit me, so I threw a rock at him. When I did, I accidentally used the power of my Crest. I ended up hurting the boy badly, so I ran off before anyone came running. My dad soon found out about it and grounded me. We got into a fight… and I told him I hated him before running into my room." Cia began to sniffle as she said with sorrow, "I never got to speak to him again."

Hesitantly, Annette asked, "What happened?"

"Someone in the village saw me using my Crest, and they tipped off a group of soldiers led by Baron Ochs. That night, they came onto our farm."

Annette could see Cia struggling with the memory, knowing they were about to get to the worst part.

"I woke up when I heard the commotion and looked outside. The second I did…" Cia nearly lost her composure as she said, "They ran Daddy through."

Annette went wide-eyed in horror.

"Mom called out to our uncle just before another soldier cut her down. Uncle Volg grabbed us and his horse and rode away as the Ochs soldiers set fire to our home. Uncle Volg took an arrow in the escape, but he kept riding until we reached a friend of his. He left Lana and I with them and then took off to draw the soldiers away. I never saw him again. I'm sure he's dead too."

"Cia…" Annette said tearfully.

"I'll never be able to apologize for what I said to Daddy," Cia sniffled. "But you can still make things right with your father, Annie. I know you don't hate him. I know you still love him, and I'm sure he still loves you. So please… the next time you see him, you need to tell him you're sorry, before it's too late."

Annette, realizing just how much this meant to the dark-skinned diva, sniffled and nodded as she said, "Okay… okay, I'll tell him, Cia."

Seeing Annette accept her request, Cia brought a hand up to wipe away her tears.

But as the two mages stood from their seat, a voice that Annette recognized said, "Annette? Is that you?"

Surprised, Annette and Cia whirled around to see a blonde-haired minstrel with a feathered cap and a lute, and a purple-haired mercenary with two swords and many mismatched armor pieces adorning her.

"Simon?!" Annette said in shock upon seeing her cousin.

Took them long enough to reach the monastery, didn't it? You can blame Shez's lack of direction on that.

The Hymn that Dorothea was singing this time is another tune from Mai-Otome titled "Holy Maiden's Prayer". It's yet another work by Yuki Kajiura. And again, it's a fictional language.

Also, I've decided to change to using Chinese characters instead of Romanizing them due to certain characters coming out funny on this website. I'll be using Simplified Chinese rather than Traditional in case you want to use a translator. Also, since I've never actually played Fates, I might've got something wrong with Anna's talk about Hoshido. If I did, feel free to correct me.

Cia's story for Annette is something I've been building up since before the battle in Ailell. I also took this moment to explain why Cia is tanned while Lana isn't - their mother was Duscuri, though their father wasn't. Cia obviously took more after her mother. Hopefully Annette will take Cia's words to heart.

That said, I'm still trying to figure out how to give Lana more character development. The issue is that due to her personality quirk, her reactions to a lot of stuff are skewed (i.e. she can't get sad or angry). This makes it harder for me to work with her without going into super silly territory. I do have something planned in the future, but it's too early for it now.

Finally, I'm taking the liberty of changing Simon's appearance in my story since he uses a generic NPC model in Three Hopes. In my story, he's meant to look like Prince Edward from Final Fantasy IV. Yes, the original spoony bard.

You won't wanna miss the next chapter. See you then. For now, Octopath Traveler 2 awaits me.