AUTHOR'S NOTES: Cue Part 2: White Clouds. Now that Petra is at Garreg Mach Monastery, the time-pacing of this story will take a steadier pace as Petra gets to know her classmates and the other denizens of Garreg Mach in one way or another. I may not get to show 1-on-1 time with each student, but several interactions between her and characters that she did not have supports with in either Houses or Hopes will definitely happen, such as this chapter, where she meets Felix.
Happy Reading!

PART TWO: WHITE CLOUDS

CHAPTER 008: GARREG MACH MONASTERY

=Enbarr Royal Palace, Adrestia, 10th of Great Tree Moon, Imperial Year 1180…=

The final few days at the palace seemed to dragon on forever but also simultaneously fly by so swiftly. Soon enough, Petra was once again packing her few possessions, and ready to join a convoy that would safely escort her to Garreg Mach Monastery in the mountains to the north in central Fódlan. If these people were going to offer her an education and martial training, she was going to capitalize on the opportunity with no hesitation. Any skills or talents she acquired here were skills and talents that could and would be used for Brigid—and Petra was not about to let that goal leave her sights.

Naturally, the convoy was not so much for her, but for Princess Edelgard and by extension, her retainer Hubert. She was not at all arrogant enough to believe it was done for her, and actually theorized that if she was on her own, that so too would her transportation be her own responsibility to arrange. As such, she decided not to question it. It was best not to look a gift horse in the mouth, after all. Her departure from the palace was not nearly as eventful or melancholic as her departure from Brigid. She had no real love for the palace, and the few people she had taken any interest in—namely Edelgard and Hubert—would both be accompanying her since they would be attending the academy this year as well as her classmates. She hoped that this time she would have more time to properly interact with them, including Hubert. Time would tell.

=Garreg Mach Monastery, 10th of Great Tree Moon, Imperial Year 1180…=

The journey to Garreg Mach from Enbarr was long albeit uneventful, and while Petra initially tried to make a point of taking in the scenery, even her keen focus began to wane, and she may have dozed off more times than she was proud of admitting.

It was hard to stay asleep or dozy for too long when she finally looked out at her surroundings however. Nestled in the heart of the mountains in the near distance was a majestic and almost intimidating stone structure rising up like an enormous castle out of the rocks and hills like an imposing volcano out of the sea. With its towering walls and numerous battlements and spires, however, Petra was not so much daunted as much as extremely curious. What sort of secrets did this place hold? She wished she could ask Edelgard, but she was in a different carriage, and so it would have to wait.

Most of the books in Enbarr's royal library spoke of the monastery being the seat of the Church of Seiros, which Petra recognized as what the people of Fódlan believed in the same way she and her people put their faith in the spirits that watched over the Brigid Archipelago. It was different to her, but her time in Enbarr had only made her hatred of discrimination grow stronger, and so she tried to approach the subject with respect and understanding when she could.

More recent texts also indicated the establishment of the Officers' Academy within the walls of the monastery, but beyond details of said academy and an exhaustive set of details and history of the church and its teachings, Petra found little else of note, other than an implication that the monastery held many secrets. If Garreg Mach would not yield her secrets through text and research, Petra would have to make her yield her secrets through physically exploring as much of the area as possible while she was here.

There was still a certain amount of awe and wonder as they passed through the gates, and it was only after doing so that Petra realized how fortified this place was, almost like it was more of a fortress than a religious institution. This seemed even more prominent when she remembered that the Knights of Seiros had a presence here, and seeing them in person made her realize it was a major presence, at that. Were they preparing for war? What was the purpose of all these defenses? There was definitely more going on here than met the eye.

Similar to how it had been in Enbarr upon her arrival, Petra was shown around, learning of the common facilities that were open for student use, what areas were off-limits, where she would be sleeping, and where most of her classes would be taking place. When she learned that the name of her class was The Black Eagles, she mentally made a note to track down which students would be in her class and which ones would not be. She wondered how that would play out in the future. Her research had shown that often the three houses would have mock battles at least once or twice during the academic year, and that the houses were generally divided along Kingdom, Empire, and Alliance lines, but what that would mean in the future was lost on her, unless the continent went to war. If that were to happen, Petra wanted to be far from it if she could be.

Once the students had been given roughly free reign, Petra went right to exploring on her own terms, mentally noting the locations of things, the lay of the land and the facilities, and who might get in her way of further exploration. Just because she knew what was off-limits did not mean it would stop her, any more than it had stopped her on the ship from Brigid, or even in the Enbarr Royal Palace itself. Gone, however, were the days of being able to feign innocence or illiteracy. Petra's speaking was far from perfect, but she knew enough of what people were saying to be able to get along on her own just fine.

With a bit of free time, and still more than a week before classes actually began, Petra used this liberty to return to the training grounds and see a bit more of what it had to offer her. She imagined she would frequent this locale, and was also interested to see which other students would be the most recurring visitors.

Much like at the palace, the equipment available consisted primarily of wooden training weapons, and while the balance of the blades was different than one of metal Petra acclimated to it the same way she had in Enbarr. She was along for a while until the sharp voice of a young man snapped her out of her groove.

"What kind of form is that?" It was not the first time Petra had heard scathing words her way, and would not likely be the last.

"It is one I have been practicing for much time." Petra turned to see who she was talking to. "It is not one that is familiar to Fódlan then?"

"No and it looks a bit ridiculous." The voice belonged to a boy about half a head taller than her and a stern look on his face and in his auburn eyes that seemed to harbor an actual prickly attitude in contrast to her own fierce-looking mien which was just how her face was structured. His hair was a shade of midnight blue nearing black, and yet there was something about the way he carried himself that kept Petra on edge. This boy was not likely bragging emptily.

"And who are you to be calling my forming ridiculous?" Petra's brow furrowed.

"Felix Hugo Fraldarius, second son of House Fraldarius," the young man replied without skipping a beat, "but I'm here on my own merits, not because of some noble status. So who are you to say my claim is wrong?"

"I am Petra Macneary, Princess of Brigid." Petra put a hand to her chest, her own eyes showing a fierce determination that showed she was not about to be bullied or intimidated. "I do not have certainty or awareness of how much you may know of Brigid, but I am not coming here from royal privileges either."

"Very little, as is my concern," Felix flicked his hand. "If you're here on your merits, let's see what you and your ridiculous stance can do."

"You would have wisdom to not be calling something ridiculous until you have seen its actions." Petra warned, brandishing her training blade as Felix did the same. "At your readying."

She was somewhat surprised he had not taken jabs at her speech, but there was something different about what he had chosen to criticize and why. Petra had a theory or two, and as they prepared to clash blades, she was willing to test it out.

She had speed on her side, but Felix was just as agile, and had more strength behind his swings. Petra's own dexterity and reflexes kept her from taking many hits, but she found it difficult to take the offensive against him at first. While she did eventually gain an upper hand, his strength far surpassed hers, despite her being speedier than him. Despite his dismissive attitude, however, she noticed something as she observed his movements: he was doing the same to her, almost as if mentally taking note of her "foreign" style.

Petra's focus did not break, but Felix kept enough pressure on her that she eventually faltered just enough for him to gain an advantage, knocking her off her feet and pointing his wooden sword at her throat.

"Hmph," he stared down at her, "you have potential. You seek improvement too, don't you?"

"I am always in searching for improving," Petra did not move, but kept her fierce eyes locked onto his, "I have much interest in your fighting style, Felix, and I would have much appreciation to be learning more of it."

"I am curious about yours as well, admittedly," Felix confessed, "But I'm not here to be your teacher. Give it a few weeks and I'm sure whoever teaches your house will do it."

"Are you suggesting they have more skill than you?" Petra moved to try to get up, and surprisingly, Felix retracted his blade.

"If they don't, then I'll beat them into submission and take their place," Felix warned, "I'm here as a student and they are here to teach me. If they cannot even perform their most basic functions as instructors, then they're not worth my time."

"You were the best to… you have bested me though." Petra brushed herself off as she got to her feet. "Am I not worth the value of your time?"

"Not if you stay at the level you're at." Felix advised as he walked away to replace the wooden sword he had picked out, "but your style is not something I'm familiar enough with—so don't slack on your training, Petra. If I have an easier time beating you when we have a rematch, then I'll know you've failed."

"I will not be having failure!" Petra stood her ground, but followed Felix to replace her own sword, "I will have the rematching with you soon then, Felix."

"Good," Felix looked her in the eyes again, "you could very well be worth my time if you do."

"Hmph," Petra crossed her arms for a moment, "do not be giving me underestimation."

"Don't confuse my sharpness for underestimation, Petra." Felix stared at her for a moment, "If I didn't think you stood a chance against me there wouldn't have been an offer of a rematch."

"I saw you having curiosity about my style of fighting." Petra did not consider this necessarily a bluff, but more of a conjecture and trying to play to Felix's interests.

"Hmph," there was a glint of very subtle amusement in his eyes and he retrieved his blade, tossing one to her as well. "If you're fine with getting knocked on your backside again, I'll humor you one more time today."

"I am not having certainness about that outcome, Felix Hugo Fraldarius," Petra smirked, catching the blade with a deftness that actually caused Felix's eyebrow to raise ever so slightly.

"No more words," he took his stance and so did she, and once again, the knocking and clashing of the pair and their training blades filled the area. Petra held her own for several minutes as their swords collided, but much like the previous time, Felix gradually gained an upper hand until he was able to strike Petra and knock her down.

"A predictable outcome," Felix shrugged, "not even I can improve so dramatically in 5 minutes."

"It was still a lesson of much goodness and learning for me," Petra smiled, "Regardless of your earlier rudeness, I am having gratitude for your willingness to be engaging me."

"Pfah, what rudeness?" Felix scoffed, but Petra was already putting her blade away and leaving the training grounds without a response. Felix eventually shrugged it off, but Petra seemed satisfied despite her losses. She had not thrown the fight by any means, but she had been observing his movements, and how he reacted to her current fighting style. Since she had managed to convince him to rematch her and effectively allow her to observe him further, Felix had played right into Petra's hand, and losing a spar against him was worth the trouble.

Shortly before Petra had reached the gateway however, two young men entered, laughing and bantering about something or another given their mirthful tones and expressions; and in terms of appearance, they couldn't be any more different: one of them was short and slender, even shorter than Petra was, while the other was a bear of a man with messy golden hair and a smile nearly as broad as his enormous shoulders, standing well over a head taller than her.

"Oh hey!" the smaller boy waved, "you look like you just got done with a great spar!"

"I was sparring with much intensity, yes." Petra nodded, "you and your friend are here to be doing the same, yes?"

"Yeah!" the larger boy threw his arms up, "we came here to throw fists and practice against each other. Caspar might be small, but he's fast!"

"Caspar?" Petra let the name roll off her lips.

"Yup!" Caspar thumbed his chest, "Caspar von Bergliez, of the Black Eagle House!"

"Hey, you're with the Black Eagles too, right?" the larger boy looked down at Petra, "The name's Raphael Kirsten myself. I'm with the Golden Deer House, but there's nothing that says the different houses can't still be friends, and here we are!"

"Aye, I am with the Black Eagle House," Petra nodded, although her stomach churned when she had heard the name Bergliez. The more she looked at Caspar, the more she could see some of Leopold's features in his face; those eyes, that hair…

"Hey, you alright?" Caspar tilted his head, eyebrows askew. "you're looking at me all funny. Is something on my face or something?"

"N-no," Petra stammered, shaking her head, "I was having practice with swords against that boy Felix over there." she paused and gestured to where Felix was wordlessly assailing a training dummy, "He had the victory both of the times, and so maybe I am having the wind—um, being winded. That is meaning to be tired, yes?"

"Uhh, yeah?" Caspar shrugged, "well hey, nice meeting you, Petra. We'll be classmates, so I'm sure we'll see each other around!"

"And if you like to eat, you'll see me around plenty too, probably at the dining hall!" Raphael beamed from ear to ear, "take care of yourself, Petra, and don't forget to get plenty to eat yourself. Training's no good on an empty stomach!"

The queasy feeling Petra had in her stomach passed as she watched the two boys strap pairs of training gauntlets onto their arms. At first glance she thought Raphael would clobber Caspar due to size differences, but the smaller boy was fast and still surprisingly strong. If he was truly the son of Leopold, then it made sense. It angered her, but at the same time, Petra didn't want to make enemies of her classmates, much less on the first day here before classes had even started. It was almost as if Caspar was unaware of who she was and what his father had done to hers. Whether or not he knew, she remembered, and was not going to swiftly forget it.

She calculated that it would be best not to cause a scene here, especially not when others like Felix and Raphael might be watching, and if Caspar really did not know, there was no point trying to explain it to him just yet.

For now, she would rest. It had been a long and busy day, and while Petra would not consider it a bad day, there was a lot that she felt like she needed to consider. There was much that she could learn from not only the teachers and faculty, but also the other students. That such a small young man like Caspar could hold his own against a much larger and clearly very strong brawler like Raphael meant there was much more to combat than strength or speed, and if Felix felt that her sword fighting style was foreign, there was something to be gained from learning his tricks.

"For Brigid…" she whispered to herself as she arrived back at her dormitory, shutting the door to her room behind her. "I find strength to carry on."

AFTERTHOUGHTS: Felix and Petra achieved Support Level D.

Felix is not meant to be an antagonist or a villain in Petra's story. He's a rival that will keep her sharp, but under that exterior he's already developing a curious respect for the Princess of Brigid, who he thought he would effortlessly mop the floor with. She may or may not thaw him out, but despite their exchange, they are not on hostile terms with one another.