Kratos and his two students silently walked down the long hallway away from the audience chamber. As they reached the foot of the stairwell, Ashe stopped and turned to his professor.. "Sir Kratos," he said, his voice steady but low. "I need to go and write a letter to my siblings. Since I am not permitted to visit Lonato, I want to let them know what's going on."

The Spartan gave a brief nod. "Go ahead."

"Do what you got to do, laddy." Mimir added. "I know that things have been rather heavy as of late, and I'm sure your brother and sister will appreciate hearing from you."

Ashe offered a faint smile. "Thank you, Professor. Oh, and Sir Kratos, I never got the chance to tell you this until now, but..." Ashe took a step back to allow himself room for a deep bow. "Thank you. I cannot imagine how much worse things would have gotten had you not been there for me and my classmates. For that, you have my utmost gratitude, and I hope that I may repay you one day for this."

Mimir couldn't help but chuckle. "You don't owe us a thing, Ashe. It may be part of the job, but seeing you and your friends safe is more than enough repayment."

Kratos gave a slight nod of agreement. "Take care of your responsibilities. That is thanks enough." The ashen archer nodded once more before turning and hurrying off down the stairs.

The prince watched Ashe leave, then turned to Kratos. "Professor, may I speak with you about something?"

Noticing the conflict in his expression, the Spartan's attention was now fully on Dimitri. "What is it?"

The House leader paused for a moment as he tried to think of where to begin. "My classmates and I… that was our first time killing civilians." He shook his head in great frustration. "Those men we fought… they weren't soldiers! Those were people I had sworn to protect!"

Kratos listened intently as he weighed his options on how to respond. "Do you feel responsible for the choices Lonato made? Or the ones that followed him into battle?"

"I… I don't understand."

The Ghost of Sparta elaborated, "Was it your hand that forced him to rebel? Did you compel those people to take up arms against us?"

Dimitri's brow furrowed in thought. "No, but still, I feel as though I could've done more and prevented something like this from happening."

"Responsibility and blame are not the same," Kratos said. "As a leader, the burden of your decisions will always be heavy. However, you must learn to distinguish between what you control and what you do not."

Mimir chimed in, "Aye, lad. You did what you had to in order to protect your friends. It's a cruel reality, but sometimes innocents get caught in the crossfire. That doesn't make it your fault."

"Y-yes, you're right, professor." The prince admitted. "It's also just that… Lord Lonato didn't take up arms out of a lust for power. He simply believed his cause to be just. Who's to say it wasn't?"

Hearing this immediately prompted Kratos to raise a hand. "Do not assume to know whether someone's cause is just. It does not matter if Lonato believed his own vendetta was righteous. The fact remains that he threatened lives, including yours and your classmates'."

Dimitri frowned. "But he-"

Kratos cut him off. "Lonato's belief in his cause does not change the reality of his actions. He raised a rebellion and put many lives at risk. You must remember your duty to protect those under your care, even if it means facing difficult circumstances."

Mimir added, "And, lad, it's wise to keep such thoughts to yourself while the verdict of Lonato's sentence is still undecided. Loose talk can lead to misunderstandings… or worse."

Finding himself cornered by both his professors, Dimitri eventually gave in with a reluctant nod. "You're right. I'll be more careful with my words."

"Good," Kratos said firmly. "Now, let us return to the others. We have much to prepare-"

"Excuse me, but are you Kratos?" A bored and monotone voice spoke up. Both professor and student turned to see a young woman with short comet blue hair at the foot of the stairs, and standing dutifully next to her was a young boy in commoner clothing who looked to be about Annette's age.

"I am." Kratos said plainly.

The woman snorted. "Short and straight to the point. I can already tell we're going to get along just fine." She continued. "With that said, I am Shamir. I was sent to come find you because Lord Lonato has requested to speak with you. Normally, prisoners don't get to have any visitors, but Captain Jeralt himself has given the order to allow this one exception."

Mimir spoke up, "Ah, did he now? And does this one exception also happen to include a severed head of sorts?"

Shamir shrugged. "He didn't mention anything about that, so unfortunately I have to assume that he means only Kratos for this occasion."

"Ah, well, that's a bit disappointing, isn't it?"

Meanwhile, the boy at Shamir's side gazed up at the brigand towering over him. "Huh," he said with a hint of disappointment. "I thought you'd be a bit bigger with how the Captain described you."

Though he couldn't exactly see him, Mimir's golden eyes lit up upon hearing the boy speak. "Well, if it isn't young Cyril! Good to see you, lad. I take it you're still keeping Garreg Mach spotless?"

Cyril's eyes widened in recognition as a smile curled at his mouth. "Mimir! Yeah, I'm still cleaning up around the place. Or at least, whenever I'm not working as Shamir's apprentice."

Dimitri raised an eyebrow. "You two seem quite familiar, professor. Have you met before?"

"Indeed, Your Highness. I see young Cyril from time to time during my off hours in the library. He's got a good head on his shoulders, if you'll pardon the pun."

Cyril looked up at Dimitri, nodding. "Yeah, Mimir and I chat sometimes when I'm cleaning. He's always got interesting stories to tell."

"Aye, and speaking of which, Brother, how's about you hand me off to His Highness before you head off with these two?"

"Hmph," Kratos grunted before doing exactly that.

"Now then," Shamir said nonchalantly, "Kratos, if you could please follow us…"

x-x-x

"Marianne?" Mercedes called out as she lightly rapped her knuckle on her classmate's door. "Marianne, are you in there?"

From the other side of the door, the older woman could barely make out the sound of someone shuffling inside, as though they were attempting to remain as quiet as possible. "Mary, please, talk to me. Is everything alright?"

There was a moment of silence before a frail and despondent voice called back, "Please… leave me be. You shouldn't come near me."

Mercedes was flabbergasted. "What on Earth for?"

"I…" the young girl started, "I'm cursed, Mercedes. I only bring bad luck to those that get too close."

The woman standing out in the hallway paused for a moment. "Marianne… is this about what happened earlier today?" No response. "Oh, Mary, that had nothing to do with you being 'cursed,' you just made a mistake, is all."

"A mistake that almost got Prince Dimitri killed." The former Golden Deer insisted. "I was almost solely responsible for the death of a royal. If he hadn't tried to save me, he would never have gotten hurt in the first place."

"But Marianne, that was his decision to make. If he-"

"-if he hadn't acted, I would be the one who is hurt right now, and that's exactly how it should've been," Marianne interrupted, her voice cracking with emotion. "I'm a burden, Mercedes. I bring misfortune to everyone around me." Mercedes's heart ached at the sound of Marianne's despair as she continued. "I think it's best that I return to the Golden Deer. At least there, they're used to dealing with me. They know what to expect."

Mercedes was left in absolute disbelief. Surely, this wasn't what she or the rest of her Golden Deer classmates truly thought of her, was it? And yet, the priestess outside her room was left with nothing else to say that she thought could change the girl's mind, and slowly stepped away from the door.

She just needs a bit of time, Mercedes told herself. But even then, she felt helpless knowing that a friend was suffering from her own self-degradation. However, shortly after she turned to walk away, Mercedes heard another door open up beside her, and a feminine voice spoke up.

"Hey, Mercedes! What's going on?" Mercedes turned to see Hilda Valentine Goneril standing at the doorway to her own room, leaning on the doorframe with the same charming smile she'd used countless times against unsuspecting boys. "Is everything alright? I could hear you talking from just a few doors down; and if I'm being honest, it sounded kinda serious."

"Oh, hello, Hilda." Mercedes greeted the pink haired noble, though she didn't attempt to hide the concern on her face. "It's just… our mission didn't go very well. Marianne has taken to locking herself in her room, and she refuses to talk to me."

Hilda's usual smile was replaced with a more serious expression. "What exactly happened, Mercedes?"

"We were ambushed. Marianne blamed herself for putting Prince Dimitri in danger. She thinks she's cursed and that she brings misfortune to everyone around her, and so now she wants to go back to studying under professor Byleth."

Hilda nodded with a heavy sigh. "That does sound like the Marianne I know."

"I really wish that I knew what to do in this circumstance." Mercedes admitted. "I've once helped countless number of people who'd lost their way, but I never once experienced anything like this."

Hilda tilted her head, her eyes narrowing slightly as she assessed the situation. "Hmm... Well, I guess I've got nothing else better to do at the moment." She said, mostly to herself, before pushing herself off the door frame. "Don't worry, I'll handle this."

Mercedes looked uncertain. "Are you sure, Hilda? She's in a really bad place right now."

Hilda flashed a confident smile. "Absolutely. Trust me, Mercedes. This isn't my first time helping Marianne out of her self doom-and-gloom phase."

With that, Hilda walked past Mercedes and up to Marianne's door. She knocked, her demeanor both casual and lackadaisical. "Marianne? It's Hilda. Can I come in?"

There was a moment of silence, followed by the sound of shuffling from inside the room. "Go away, Hilda. I don't want to talk."

Hilda wasn't deterred. She leaned against the door, her voice light and teasing. "Oh, come on. I know you don't mean that. Let's chat, okay? I promise I won't bite."

Another pause, and then a softer response. "Please, Hilda, just leave me alone."

Hilda sighed theatrically, her tone taking on a more serious turn. "Listen, Marianne. I get it. You're feeling down and thinking you're to blame for everything that happened. But you know what? You're wrong. We all make mistakes, it happens. Now, open this door and let me in so we can talk about it." The noble smirked. "And besides, if you don't, I might just have to sit out here and start telling embarrassing stories from our time in the Golden Deer. Your call."

Mercedes raised her brow upon hearing Hilda's playful threat. The silence from behind the door stretched on for a few moments before the sound of a lock turning could be heard. The door creaked open slightly, and Marianne's face appeared in the gap. "Please don't do that, Hilda," she said in a defeated tone. "Come in."

She opened the door a little wider to allow her classmate to slip through. Before doing so, Hilda gave Mercedes a reassuring wink and a hand gesture as if to say, "I'll take it from here," and then disappeared inside the room. This left Mercedes alone in the hallway once more, and she contemplated listening in on their conversation before ultimately deciding to leave Marianne in Hilda's hands and reluctantly walked away to join her classmates.

Once Hilda was inside, Marianne quickly shut the door and sat back down on her bed without so much as a glance toward her fellow Golden Deer. Arms crossed on her lap, the bluenette stared intently at her feet to avoid eye contact. Hilda, on the other hand, remained standing, maintaining a sense of aloofness to her best friend's troubles, prompting Marianne to speak out.

"What do you want from me, Hilda?"

Hilda was momentarily taken aback by Marianne's directness, which was a rarity from the typically reserved girl. Quickly recovering, she smirked and placed her hands on her hips. "What do I want? It's obvious, silly," she said with a playful tone. "I'm just doing what any best friend would do- making sure you're okay." She paused before adding, "Mercedes mentioned that you wanted to come back to our class. Is that really true?"

Marianne frowned. "I thought you would've been happy to have me back. Why try and convince me otherwise?"

"Because, Marianne, I don't think the solution is as easy as switching classes for a change of scenery- or boys for that matter." She added amusedly. "And besides, you've already made progress with the Blue Lions. Don't you see that?"

Marianne's shoulders slumped. "Progress? I almost got Prince Dimitri killed. How is that progress?"

Hilda stared at her friend for a brief moment. "You really haven't noticed, have you, Marianne?"

The girl sitting on the bed furrowed her brows at her classmate. "Noticed what, Hilda?"

A giant smirk crept on Hilda's face. "Hold on one second," She told her before turning around. True to her word, it only took a second for Hilda to grab a hand mirror from her friend's desk and hold it out to Marianne. "Here, look at this and tell me what you see."

The priestess gave her a look as if to say, do I really have to? But eventually, she took the mirror and gazed at her own reflection and huffed in frustration. "I don't see anything."

"Right, but you know what I don't see anymore, Marianne?" Hilda encouraged. "Those dark circles under your eyes. They're almost completely gone now."

Hearing this prompted the girl to take another look, and her face softened in realization. "Oh…" Was all she could mutter as she subconsciously brought up a free hand to her cheek. "They really are gone…"

Hilda smiled brilliantly. "You see what I mean? Somehow over the past month, you've been getting enough sleep for a change!"

Marianne flustered. "I- I mean, Sir Kratos has been pushing me to my limits every single day. Every night when I go to bed, I just… I don't know, I simply feel too tired to really do much else."

"And I think that is exactly what your little problem is, Marianne." Her best friend emphasized this by leaning forward and placing a finger on her temple. "You've been spending more time tearing yourself down rather than focusing on things you can control, curse or no curse. I know that what I'm about to say is incredibly rich coming from me, but you have to start believing in yourself. I can't always be there to pick up the pieces."

"But… What if I am cursed? I've seen people I care about get hurt because of me, and- and I'm terrified that it's just going to keep happening. What if staying with the Blue Lions only brings them more harm?"

Hilda gently lifted Marianne's chin, forcing her to make eye contact. "Listen to me. You are not cursed. You are a kind, caring, and incredibly strong person; and I think the Blue Lions are lucky to have you. You wanna know how I know that? Because your friend Mercedes asked for my help. If none of them had your best interest at heart as much as she did, we wouldn't even be having this conversation right now. They believe in you, just like I do."

Marianne hesitated and then took a deep breath before asking, "Do you think it's too far-fetched for you to eventually join me some day?"

Hilda laughed, shaking her head. "Oh, Marianne, after seeing how Professor Kratos works his class to the bone, there is absolutely no chance of that happening." She then asked, "I mean, that's assuming you no longer want to go through with your plan?"

The bluenette was silent for a moment. "No. I mean, yes, I do wish to remain with Blue Lions, Hilda."

Instinctively, the pink-haired teen knelt down and took friend's hand. "Are you sure about this, Marianne?"

She nodded, though more committedly this time. "Yes. And... You're right. I do not wish to continue being a burden, and if the Blue Lions are my best chance at overcoming this, then I have to stay. I need to prove to myself that I can be strong."

Hilda smiled proudly, squeezing Marianne's hand gently. "Then I'm proud of you. You're making the right choice. And no matter what happens, we will always be best friends. Nothing is going to change that."

Marianne felt a surge of warmth and gratitude as she suddenly lunged forward and embraced her once fellow classmate into a hug. "Thank you, Hilda." She sniffles.

"Of course, Marianne." Hilda said, surprised yet returned the hug nonetheless. "Of course."