The New Year's party was even better for us than the Christmas one had been.

"Wow." Edelgard said softly, as she looked out over the rows and rows of people. "There are so many…" We were standing on the edge of a lake, looking out over the water.

She let out a gasp of surprise and grabbed my arm as the first round of fireworks started.

"Are we under attack?" She asked.

"No, these are the fireworks." I told her patiently. She had grabbed hold of her knife with her other hand. I knew that she wouldn't hesitate to use it, if she felt threatened. I raised my hand and began to stroke her back reassuringly.

"I'm sorry." She said apologetically. "I ruin everything for you."

"You're getting better all the time." I said. "This time next year it'll be normal for you."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

She smiled at me, and I kissed her as the grand finale exploded overhead.

…

"Happy New Year." Edelgard told me brightly as I awoke. "What are we going to do today?"

"Whatever we want."

She wrinkled her nose at me. It was very cute. "I have never done that in my life."

She turned back to her sweeping, her long white hair billowing behind her shoulders. "We need to do something important." She stressed. "Something that matters."

"You're relapsing." I noted. She sighed, shaking her head.

"I know." She said gloomily. "A part of me wishes I was still Emperor… Do not get me wrong, I'm glad I met you, but-"

"I feel the same way about my youth." I told her. "I think it's normal."

She pondered for a moment. "I never really thought I would ever be old." She confessed. "I thought I would die young."

I leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "Well I don't want that to happen."

She pouted up at me. "I never thought I would marry either." She said. "Especially not to someone of a lower social class than myself."

"How am I of a lower class than you?" I asked. "You don't have any power here. This is a country of equality."

She frowned at me. Despite her claims of being an equal rights activist, she seemed to take a strange amount of pride in her heritage.

"That is so." She acknowledged. "But it is simple truth. I would never have agreed to marry you… if I still was who I was before."

A shadow fell across her face .

"I wonder how much of that girl remains…?" She said softly. I smiled at her.

"She's still here." I said softly. "She's grown into a wonderful woman, and is going to be a great wife."

"Thank you." She said. She accepted the compliment, but she did not seem to agree with it. She was increasingly moody that day, despite my best efforts to cheer her up.

"You know, perhaps it's time you start trying to be more involved in this world." I told her.

"How do you mean?"

"Well, you don't have to be an Emperor to do good in the world." I said. "Maybe we can start with something small."

"How small?"

And that is how we went to the Animal Shelter and got a cat.

"I love her." Edelgard told me, as she stroked the cat. It had been abused and left for dead, but now it would have a loving home with us.

"What should we name her?" She asked me, as I drove.

"It should be a name that means a lot to you." I said. "Something important."

"Hm." She said. She placed her nose against the cat's and nuzzled it. "How about… Eagle?"

I was amused. "Strange name for a cat."

"Yes, you're right." She said immediately. "Hm… maybe… Adrestia?"

"Too long."

She pouted at me. "You're making this difficult."

She looked at the cat again, frowning. "How about…"

She glanced up out of the window. "Stop!"

I slammed on the brakes.

"What is it, what's the matter?"

She gripped the cat and set it aside as she got out of the car. I had not choice but to follow her.

There was a woman lying on the side of the road. Next to her was a cardboard sign emblazoned with the letters 'WILL SUCK COCKS 4 FOOD.'

"What is it?" I asked. "Edelgard?"

She said nothing, staring at the face intently.

"I'm certain…" She said quietly. "That this is Dorothea."

"Your friend?"

She nodded, her expression grim. "She must have been brought to this world as well… and unfortunately doesn't seem to have fared as well I did."

She bent over and with shocking ease for a woman of her height lifted the girl off the ground and into the car. The woman shivered, seemingly asleep. I opened the back door for her, and helped set her inside.

"She's probably starving." I noted. "We should make a broth for her when we get home and warm her up."

She nodded. "I agree."

The rest of the trip went by in silence. Edelgard sat in the back seat with Dorothea, our new cat on our lap, while I drove. When we arrived home, I helped Edelgard carry Dorothea inside and set her down.

"I'll get started on the broth." I told Edelgard. "You get the cat fed, and keep Dorothea company."

She nodded, looking a little bit grim. She set aside the cat's things and allowed it to explore the house as I cooked. By the time I was finished, Dorothea had awakened, but seemed somehow out of it.

"Where- is this place?"

"My home." Edelgard said gently, as she squeezed her hand. "You're safe."

Dorothea blinked tiredly. "Safe…" She murmured. "I must be dreaming." I set the broth on a small table and slid it over.

"You may have to feed her." I told Edelgard. She nodded, and gripped the spoon.

'Here, you need to eat." She said softly, as she raised the spoon to her lips. "You'll feel better."

"Nurse Edie… Heh. I am dreaming."

Edelgard slowly lowered the broth to her mouth. Dorothea gagged somewhat, complaining it was too hot, and spilled it onto her chin. I went to fetch a napkin to wipe it off.

It was a bit of a challenge to get her to eat. She seemed almost unwilling to do it. In twenty minutes she completely refused to eat any more, and had fallen fast asleep.

"Well, I'm sure she'll feel a little better when she wakes back up." Edelgard said, as she stood up, bowl and spoon in hand.

"You make an excellent nurse." I said, grinning. She scowled at me as she took the things and placed them in the sink.

"I wish." She said, as she began to clean the dishes. "Maybe I would be able to do more for her if that was true."

"We did all we could." I told her. She nodded, her face grim.

"Yes." She said. "But will it be enough?"

We spent our evening getting to know our new cat. Edelgard found herself bemused by the laser pointer we had bought (She had never seen one before) and had the cat racing all along the floor, trying to catch the red dot. We had almost gotten Dorothea out of our minds when a shifting noise came from the couch.

"Oh!"

Dorothea sat up, bleary eyed, and Edelgard immediately handed me the laser pointer as she went over to greet her. Dorothea blinked.

"Edie?"

"Yes." Edelgard said, folding her hands in front of her. "It's me."

Dorothea stared up at her.

"Where am I?" She asked. "How did you survive the war?"

"This is my home." Edelgard said. She smiled brilliantly. "I'm very happy here."

…

It took a very long time to get Dorothea up to speed. The idea that she had entered an entirely new world was something that she had still not been able to process. She had assumed that she had somehow been transported against the planet to a much more advanced country that she had never even heard of. The idea that the continent of Fodlan did not exist was the second most surprising thing she heard that day.

"You're getting married?"

Edelgard nodded, her face completely serious. "Yes. We've gotten a cat and everything."

Dorothea gave me a dubious look. I wondered what she was thinking.

"I see…" She murmured quietly. "I see…" She pressed her fingers against her temples. "This is just a dream."

Edelgard giggled. "Don't be absurd." She said. "We've been over this already. You would have woken up a long time ago. If anyone is living a dream here… it's me."

Before Dorothea could respond, Edelgard made her way to the stove.

"I'm going to make us some tea." She called to us. "Just sit tight, okay?"

Dorothea and I sat facing each other. There was an awkward silence.

"So." Dorothea said. "You think you're going to marry Edelgard."

"I am going to marry Edelgard." I corrected her. "I've given her a ring and everything."

"Yes but it hasn't happened yet, has it?"

"Yeah." I said. "Because we're still planning the wedding."

She frowned at me. She looked at me appraisingly.

"She told me that she would never get married, except perhaps for political reasons."

"We make each other happy." I said.

"Happy?" Dorothea sneered. "You're using her. I know you are. What have you done to her?"

I was losing my patience.

"She fell in love with me." I said. "Is that so difficult for you to understand?"

Her nostrils flared.

"The Emperor would never fall for such a-"

"What kind of tea do you want, Dorothea?" Edelgard asked, turning back around towards us.

"Any is fine!" Dorothea called behind her. She turned back to me, her eyes narrowed. "I won't let you hurt her."

"Does she look like she's been hurt?"

"She seems like a completely different person!" She snapped at me. I gave her a hard look.

"Maybe." I said coldly. "You don't know her as well as you think you do."

"Here you are." Edelgard said brightly, as she came back to us holding a tray of three glasses. "I made your favorite… Dorothea, the flavors in this world are a little bit different than the ones back home so I had to guess. Do tell me if you enjoy it or not."

"I- thank you, Edelgard." Dorothea said, her smile becoming rather fixed. Clearly whatever her issues were with me she disliked the idea of addressing them in front of Edelgard . She took the tea and sipped it.

"It's delicious!"

We sat in and exchanged pleasantries. I listened as Edelgard and Dorothea talked about Garreg Mach and what had happened before they had been brought to this world, and I stepped in to explain some things to Dorothea about the world they had found herself in.

"You will be staying with us, of course." Edelgard told her. "You have no where else to go. I won't have you going out and starving on the street again."

Dorothea's eyes flashed against mine. Clearly she expected that I would refuse.

"We'll have to get her something to sleep on." I said. "The couch isn't good enough."

"I agree." Edelgard said, giving an appraising look to Dorothea. "A member of the Black Eagles deserves only the best."

"You're letting me stay?" Dorothea asked, a little bit surprised. "Really?"

"Of course." Edelgard said. "Why would I turn you away?"

Dorothea shook her head.

"This is all so sudden…" She murmured. She was not looking at me.

"Nonsense." Edelgard said briskly. "You may stay as long as you like… We'll do everything we can for you."

Dorothea glanced at me. I smiled at her reassuringly and nodded.

"It took Edelgard about a year to get used to this place." I told her. "Hopefully she'll be able to help you get acclimated more quickly than she did."

She stared at me rather intently, as if trying to figure out my intentions. I wondered if she would ever realize that I was simply trying to help her.