Checking his phone to make sure he had no important messages, he sighed as he saw who was on his phone. He didn't bother opening the message from Zmey. Why the man was obsessed with getting him to meet him tonight was beyond him. The two had never gotten along, and the only reason there was any form of interaction between them was due to Flayn. Without her they would have stopped talking seven years ago.

Ironically Zmey had said to be at the same restaurant that Seteth was already attending that night. Of course, Seteth planned to completely ignore Zmey. "After all," he thought to himself. "I have something much more important to do tonight." He squeezed the box in his hand, placing it in his pocket. Excited for his night, he entered the restaurant with a bright smile on his face.

The restaurant was absolutely beautiful. It had two levels for diners. Brightly lit using many lighter colors. It was fancy without feeling overly romantic. It made it a good environment for any kind of situation. While on the pricier side, it wasn't some kind of fine dining experience. And frankly the food was top notch, making it well worth the price. It was a favorite spot for his family.

His family he hoped to see grow tonight. Squeezing the box in his pocket, he followed the hostess to his reservation. He was confused as she didn't seem to be leading him upstairs, which was where he had placed the reservation. They presumed they had a mix up. Deciding it wasn't worth the complaint, he let it go. There could be a tornado coming at them and he wouldn't care. He would let nothing hinder his goal tonight.

As they approached the table, he saw half of what he expected to find. A woman with green hair. However, the woman in front of him was not the one he had planned to meet.

In fact, it was impossible that the woman in front of him existed.

"Hello Cichol," she smiled lovingly at him.

His eyes widened in shock; the blood draining from his face.

"I know this is shocking," she stood up stepping towards him.

Seteth stepped back shaking his head.

"Cichol I can explain. I would have been here sooner, but I couldn't."

He couldn't say a word. He couldn't stand being there. Nor did he want to.

Quickly, Seteth turned and left the restaurant, taking his keys out with shaking hands, he barely managed to open his car to enter it.

Byleth gingerly peeked over the balcony at the noise down below. It seemed she missed something as some green haired woman stood alone downstairs with several other diners' eyes on her. Deciding to ultimately mind her own business she returned her attention to her kindle. She had definitely arrived early, but usually he did as well. In fact, at this point she would say he was unusually late.

Seeing her phone ring she looked at it, frowning at the name on it.

"Hello?" she answered the call.

"I can't make it tonight. I'm sorry."

Seteth's voice didn't sound right. There was a tremble to it, almost as if he was about to cry.

"Are you okay?" she asked concerned.

"…No."

"Where are you? If you're not home, I don't want you driving. I'll come to you and drive you."

"The restaurant parking lot."

"I'll be right there. You sit in the passenger seat and leave the keys in the driver's seat. Okay?"

"Okay…"

Swiftly she packed up her stuff, phone still in hand as she rushed down the stairs to leave. She paused by the front to pay anything she owed for her time there, and then hurried outside. Just as she was about to walk down the front steps of the restaurant, a woman knocked into her, sending her phone flying to kindly land face first on a rock.

"I'm so sorry," the woman apologized, rapidly picking up both her own phone and Byleth's. "I'm so sorry. It looks like because of me it was damaged, right on your daughter's face too."

Byleth looked at the screen seeing a giant crack right on the face of the girl who was her lock screen. All that was visible was her lower body and the rottweiler in the picture with her. She would have to go tomorrow to fix it or get a new phone. "It's fine. Nothing that can't be fixed." Though she could do without having to spend the money.

A glance at the woman's face revealed she had been crying. "Are you okay? Are you driving home."

"I'm fine. I have a friend coming to pick me up right now. Thank you for your concern."

Byleth nodding feeling comfortable that the woman would not be behind a wheel while upset. "Then I hope things get better," she told her, leaving her finally. She searched through the parking lot until she found Seteth's SUV. Getting in on the driver's side, she grabbed the keys from the seat, and placed her bag and now broken phone on the middle console.

He was leaning on his arm on the passenger's side door, his face full of anguish. After buckling up, and making sure he was buckled, she went to start the car. Before she could turn the key, he grabbed her wrist to stop her. Gently he pulled her arm back, burying his head in her chest. As the sobs broke from him, she held him, running her fingers through his hair.

Flayn closed her game as she thought she heard a vehicle pulling up. They couldn't be back already…could they? She knew her father had been excited tonight, but she hoped he hadn't rushed things. As anxious as she was to know the results, she wanted him to do it properly.

Flayn's mother had died seven years ago in their home country. Her father and her had migrated to Fódlan after that. They had met Byleth about two years ago. Flayn was struggling with the early days of college, and an at the time classmate somewhat friend suggested Byleth as tutor, having personally used her previously. That was a complicated situation in her house.

Her father did not like Byleth at first. She was too young in his opinion and showed no emotion. Which honestly, she didn't. Even Flayn could admit she was like a doll at first. But things changed over time. She proved her skills and intelligence to Flayn's father and opened up to them. Her father's relationship slowly went from animosity to friendship, and then as of seven months ago. Romantic. Tonight, had been the night he would propose.

Which was why she was concerned that she may have heard a vehicle pull in. Listening carefully, she hid in her room as the front door opened. There was no laughing or joyous sounds as whoever entered made their way upstairs. Once they had passed by her room, she carefully peeked out to see Byleth walking with her father to his room.

She stepped out of her own, standing in the hallway and waiting. After a few minutes, the woman came out looking very concerned. "What happened?" Flayn asked her. It couldn't be that she rejected him. If she had then why would she have come home with him? Or maybe she said something that made it clear she would end up rejecting him and she just didn't realize it.

"I don't know. He was already at the restaurant when it happened. He called me from the car saying he had to cancel tonight. He was already upset by that point. I thought it best to drive home. He's told me nothing."

So, it seemed unrelated to Byleth, but it was enough to ruin the nights plans. Did someone die? Couldn't be. He would have told her that. What could have happened that he felt he couldn't speak to Byleth.

"I'm not sure what it is, but I don't believe this is something he's ready to speak to me about. But maybe he would like his daughter's comfort."

"I will go to him," she nodded at the request. Hopefully she could be of some help, since he wouldn't let Byleth in.

"Before that though. Can I ask a favor?" Byleth held her phone up, the screen cracked badly right on Flayn's face.

"I'll call you a taxi. Email me when you're home safe please."

Byleth gave her a gentle smile. "Of course."

After making sure the other woman was safely in a vehicle home, she approached her father's room. She found the man lying on his bed in the same clothes he had worn out. On the bed next to him was a little black box open to reveal a beautiful silver ring, a flawless emerald in the middle, and a much smaller one on each side. As he lay, he stroked the ring.

"Father," she walked over to bed, sitting down next to him, his back to her. "Are you okay?"

"Byleth looked so beautiful tonight. I didn't tell her, but she looked so beautiful tonight. She was just perfect."

Flayn thought of how said woman had been dressed. She had looked absolutely stunning, and that was with the obvious stains on the front of her dress. Stains she suspected were from her father.

"It's unfair to her."

"To Byleth?"

"Yes."

"What do you mean? Father what exactly happened?"

"Remember how Zmey wanted me to meet him?"

"I do." Though she wasn't sure why. The two loathed each other. The only reason they spoke was because of her. Zmey had been a close friend of her mother's. Due to that he doted on Flayn.

"It was for me to meet someone else."

"Who?"

Finally, he turned to face her, sitting up in the bed. "Your mother."

"Mother is dead. For seven years now."

"That's what I thought too. It was definitely her. She called me Cichol and her words. It sounded like she knew we thought she was dead. I couldn't talk to her. I just left."

"So what? She faked her death and Zmey knew about it?"

"I don't know…"

She loved her mother dearly and missed her every day. And yet hearing what she was hearing, she felt furious. She hoped her mother had a good explanation for everything. She now understood why her father was so upset. He had spent years mourning her mother, never moving on. Flayn had even tried at one point to get him to date in hopes of getting him to be less protective of her.

It failed. But then Byleth wormed her way into his heart and for the first time in such a long time, her father was happy. And so was Flayn. She loved Byleth as family herself. She was a great female figure in Flayn's life, plus she came with the most adorable dog.

More than just loving her, she had helped them heal. The two had forever been scarred from their time in Nabatea. But with Byleth they felt a little normal. It wasn't via anything special; it was just her love supporting them and helping them to understand the massively different world they lived in.

Plus, if not for Byleth backing her up, she probably wouldn't be dating anyone. Linhardt was brave, but Flayn wouldn't have given him enough time of day if not for Byleth's support. She really knew how to handle Flayn's father after all.

She knew her father was torn with his love for Byleth and his love for Flayn's mother. As well as his sense of honor in regards to being married. With her mother not being dead, he was still technically married to her. Now he was forced into a strange situation of choosing between two women. Something he never thought he would have to. On the night he planned on proposing on top of that. If it had been later after he had married Byleth, Flayn knew the decision would have been easier. And if her mother had returned before he had dated Byleth, it would also have been easier.

The two had thought their worlds would change that night, but neither one could have expected that this would he the way they changed.