The following day, all the students at Garreg Mach had been given a day off to recover from the previous day's incursion. While most spent the time relaxing in their dorms, Marianne had sought solitude in the stables, tending to one of the newly assigned horses for the students of the Officers Academy. With the arrival of new recruits imminent and the customary expectation for officers to lead their troops on horseback, Marianne found the task a welcome distraction from the events that had transpired.

But as her hands moved rhythmically over the horse's coat, her mind lost in thought, her solitude was soon interrupted when a familiar voice came from behind her.

"Marianne, you're up early."

Marianne turned her head to see Prince Dimitri standing at one of the entrances to the stables, and offered her a warm and friendly smile. Admittedly, had it been anyone else, the girl would've been disappointed that her seclusion with the animals was no more. However, upon seeing who it was, Marianne couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth and relief as she flustered.

"Oh- um, good morning, Your Highness." She said awkwardly before slowly returning to grooming her mount. "A-and yes, I just thought I'd get to know our new companions as early as possible. You know, since… since they will be with us for the rest of the year."

"I see," Dimitri responded with intrigue as he moved away from the door and towards his classmate to get a better look at her horse. "I have to say, that is quite a good-looking steed you have, Marianne. What is its name?"

"His name is Dorte," the priestess answered without any hesitation, much to her own surprise.

"'Dorte', huh." the prince repeated thoughtfully. "That is a fine name for a fine horse."

"Th-Thank you, Your Highness," Marianne says before immediately correcting herself. "Oh, I apologize, Dimitri. I forgot that you didn't prefer any formalities."

"It's no trouble, Marianne." He tells her with a chuckle. "For you, you're still free to refer to me however you'd like, royalty or not." In response to this, the girl simply nodded while attempting to hide her embarrassment behind her horse's mane. "You know, in Fearghus, a horse is treated with the same dignity and respect as the knight who rides him. Did you know that?"

"I… I am aware of the Kingdom's customs with horses, yes." Marianne answered quietly. "Since Edmund territory shares some of its borders with them, we've adopted some of those customs over time." She paused for a moment, running the brush gently through Dorte's mane. "Horses are very noble creatures."

Dimitri watched her for a moment, noticing the tenderness in the way she groomed her horse. "You seem to have a deep connection with them," he observed.

"They understand me," Marianne admitted, her voice even quieter. "Sometimes, they're the only ones who do."

The prince was silent as he chewed on her last statement, and neither of them spoke for an awkward moment. His eyes shifted to the neighboring stall, where another steed stood calmly, its pitch black coat gleaming in the morning light. "Ah. This must be the horse I was assigned," he said, stepping closer to examine it. However, as he opened the waist-high gate to get within arms reach of it, the horse suddenly jerked and whinnied back as though it were frightened by Dimitri's approach.

"Whoa, there! Easy" The prince told the beast, raising his arms up in a placating gesture. "It's alright, I'm not going to hurt you." If the horse had understood him, it still showed zero signs of calming down, and its movement became more sporadic as the boy tried to inch himself closer to it.

Marianne, who'd been watching with a worried and skeptical look, spoke up. "Um, Dimitri…"

Dimitri stopped and turned to look at her with his arms still raised. "Yes?"

His classmates hesitates. "He's, um… he's afraid that you might break him."

The young prince becomes bewildered by Marianne's words. "He… what now?"

Marianne took a moment to put down her brush and exit her stall to join Dimitri in his before elaborating. "He doesn't want you to touch him. He thinks that you may hurt him because you might be too rough."

Hearing this only caused him to become even more confused. "You can understand what he's saying?"

Marianne could feel her cheeks burning red hot and nodded sheepishly. "Yes- or rather, I can understand how he feels. I don't know what's caused him to act this way towards you, but perhaps if I…" She slowly approached the nervous horse, who'd backed itself up against the corner of the stall. "Shh… It's alright, you're safe." The horse's wild eyes gradually softened as it focused on her, the tension in its muscles slowly easing. "That's it, good boy." She reached out and stroked the mount's snout, and before Dimitri realized it, Marianne had the beast's head in her arms with its attention focused solely on her. She then glanced over her shoulder at Dimitri. "You can try now. Just go ahead and brush him, so he knows that you don't mean any harm."

Choosing to take her word for it, Dimitri cautiously bent down to pick up the brush from the floor, then slowly moved over to the horse's side. At first, the horse's skin twitched under the initial touch, but as the prince gently began brushing, the animal started to relax. Dimitri, noticing the change, grew more confident, finding a steady rhythm. Marianne, observing the scene, stepped back, watching as the horse gradually warmed up to its new rider.

"He doesn't seem to be afraid of you any longer." She commented. "Though, it is strange. What could possibly have made him nervous around you?"

"I think I might know the answer to that," Dimitri admitted. "I… have a habit of breaking my weapons when I'm training. In fact, the last time I did so, the sound it made was so loud that it spooked all of the nearby horses. And I would assume that this fellow was one of them."

Marianne tilted her head, her curiosity piqued. "I see… They have a good memory for things that frighten them, after all."

Dimitri chuckled softly, still brushing the horse. "Yes, it seems my training sessions make me rather unpopular with the horses." He paused, giving the now much calmer animal a gentle pat. "But thankfully, it looks like we've made peace. Thank you, Marianne."

"O-of course, Dimitri.

A long pause followed, with only the quiet sound of Dimitri brushing the horse filling the space between them. Marianne shifted slightly, unsure of what else to say, until Dimitri finally broke the silence.

"And speaking of thank yous," he began, his tone more serious now, "I never had the chance to properly thank you for saving my life yesterday." His eyes met hers, sincerity clear in his voice.

Marianne flushed. "It-it was nothing, Your Highness. I only did what you would have done had our positions been reversed."

"That may be true, but all the same, I wanted to ensure that you knew how grateful I am to you. You put yourself in great peril to come to my aid, and that is something I shall never forget."

"I appreciate that, Your Highness, but… it was only thanks to your lessons that I was even able to pull it off in the first place. And I doubt that either of us would be standing here if it weren't for that."

Dimitri paused for a brief instant as he considered his next words carefully. "Do you still consider yourself to be a curse, Marianne?"

The priestess was taken aback by the prince's question. "Wha- what do you mean?"

Without looking in her direction, Dimitri moved on to brushing his horse's mane as he elaborated, "Last month, when you told Mercedes that you only bring misfortune to those who come near you. Do you still believe that?"

"I…" Marianne hesitated. But then, remembering the encouraging words Hilda had shared with her when she'd felt at her lowest, she slowly balled her hands into fists, and Marianne spoke with a newfound resolve in her voice. "I used to think that. I used to believe that there was only misfortune for those that came near me, and that I was powerless to stop any of that from happening. But then… after the past couple of months spent with you, Sir Kratos, Professor Mimir, and the rest of the Blue Lions, I realize now that misfortune is something that finds everyone regardless. However…"

The house leader gave her a side glance and noticed the girl's features contort into a pained expression. This prompted Dimitri to stop mid-stroke, put the brush away, and face Marianne fully, giving her his undivided attention as her voice began to crack.

"Even still, my entire life up until this point has been nothing but a string of unfortunate events. It still doesn't change the fact that everyone around me has suffered or even perished, especially those with complete disregard for their own safety."

Dimitri remained silent as he listened to Marianne's words, and in that moment, his suspicions were finally confirmed. He let out a quiet breath, his expression somber. After a brief pause, he turned his attention back to his horse, gently brushing his hand over the beast's head.

"It doesn't feel good, does it…" he muttered, his voice low. He then turned back to face Marianne, his eyes filled with understanding. "…to be the only one left behind? To feel as though you should have died with the others?"

Marianne's eyes widened as the revelation of what the prince understood about her took hold. "H-how did you know?"

Dimitri gave his horse one last glance at his horse, a smile forming on his lips before answering, "You and I are the same." He paused, watching her reaction. "Maybe you should fear being cursed with misfortune for coming near me. In fact, at this point, I find you my lucky charm of sorts."

Marianne blinked. "Me? Lucky…?" She took a moment to allow the absurdity of his words to settle in. "...Hehe."

"Ah, a smile and a laugh." The prince's face lit up. "Coming from you, that's a rarity. This must be my second lucky day in a row."

She let out another quiet, shy laugh, her gaze dropping to the floor. "It's… strange to think that someone like you could have anything in common with me." She fidgeted with her hands for a moment before adding softly, "Much less someone who thinks of me as a lucky charm."

Dimitri frowned slightly, tilting his head. "Is it so terrible a thought?"

She shook her head, and to his amazement, Dimitri was once again treated with another rare smile from Marianne as she responded, "No, no. It's not that. It- It actually makes me happy. As though there's finally someone who understands how I truly feel."

Dimitri's expression softened, and he allowed himself to smile back. He hadn't expected to hear those words from her, but the warmth in them reassured him as he mustered the courage to ask what had been on his mind since arriving. "By the way, Marianne, I actually have a bit of a request, if you don't mind hearing me out."

"What is it, Dimitri?"

"There's a polearms tournament coming up at the Officers Academy near the end of the month," he explained, his tone casual yet hopeful. "I was wondering if you might be interested in participating."

The girl's eyes widened in surprise, and she immediately shifted, clearly uncomfortable with the idea. "Me? In a tournament? I don't know... I don't think I'd stand a chance. You and the others- Sylvain, and Ingrid- you're all much more capable than I am. I wouldn't even know where to begin."

Dimitri gave her a reassuring smile, his voice calm and encouraging. "Actually, I'm disqualified from the tournament, since my crest gives me certain advantages that would make it unfair for me to participate. But also, you demonstrated yesterday that you were more than capable of holding your own."

"Even so, I'm not sure I'd do well. Plus, that was in the heat of the moment. I'm unsure if I could even last that long against multiple people."

"I understand why you're hesitant, but I believe in your abilities." He said in a hopeful tone. "You've already proven yourself in a real battle, and this could be a chance to push yourself further. If you feel you're not ready, then I… I'd be more than happy to help you practice for it." He quickly adds, "But if you still don't want to, then I would understand completely."

It was at this moment when Marianne had finally understood the purpose behind the prince's request, as evidenced by his cheeks turning to a bride shade of pink, and she could feel her own face once again growing hot. "You really think I can do it?" she asked softly with apparent uncertainty.

Dimitri nodded, his expression sincere. "I do. I think you've grown so much since joining us, Marianne, and with a little more practice, I'm confident you'll do even better."

Her heart fluttered at his words, and after a moment of contemplation, she gave him a small, shy smile. "Alright… I will give it a try."

x-x-x

"Master Kratos, Professor Mimir, and Professor Manuela," Rhea greeted the three of them pleasantly within the audience chamber. "First, I would like to thank you all again for both the diligence and initiative you displayed during the Rite of Rebirth. Your swift actions not only saved the life of one of our church soldiers, but also prevented the Sword of the Creator from falling into wicked hands. For that, you have my deepest gratitude." Kratos made a noise as if to acknowledge the Archbishop's recognition, but did not offer a response, though she didn't seem to mind this. "With that, I now have a new mission- for both of your classes. I would like you to take your students into Kingdom territory and eliminate some thieves."

Mimir, always one to add a touch of sarcasm, chimed in, "Ah, so back to Fearghus we go, then? No more rebellions to put down, no standing guard of buried trinkets, just common thieves then?"

Rhea's smile remained calm, though her tone carried a hint of reproach. "Unfortunately, my dear professor, this has become more serious than mere bandits. But I shall allow Seteth here to explain the situation."

Taking his cue, the Archbishop's right hand cleared his throat to garner their attention. "We have been informed that a Hero's Relic from House Gautier from the Holy Kingdom of Fearghus has been stolen- the Lance of Ruin. Their leader… is Miklan. He is apparently a disowned son of House Gautier."

Mimir's eyes lit up. "Miklan, you say? You mean Sylvain's elder brother? Well, isn't that a fine family affair."

Upon hearing that the antagonist force behind their coming mission was related to one of his students, Kratos found himself speaking up so as to better understand the situation. "Why was the eldest son of Gautier disowned? What has led him to resort to banditry?"

Seteth, who'd become accustomed to the Spartan only asking questions directly related to the mission, was surprised by the inquiry. "I believe that it had something to do with his lack of a Crest. Such happenings are fairly common within the Kingdom. But as to the familial strife that has led to this unfortunate situation, I cannot say for certain. The specifics of their personal affairs are beyond my knowledge."

Kratos did not seem satisfied at all with the answer he was given, but opted to not question the man any further.

"So, if I were to understand everything you told us so far," Mimir began, "You want to send us and the rest of the wee lads to deal with some bandits who'd gotten their hands on a Hero's Relic, of which we'd already seen is capable of such terrible power?" Rhea nodded. "Well then, pardon me if I sound too abrasive, but don't ya reckon that there is another professor here that is much better equipped to deal with these kinds of circumstances?"

"You are correct to assume that Professor Byleth would be the ideal individual to lead the mission against someone who wields a Hero's Relic, Professor." The Archbishop said calmly. "But as it stands, I have already assigned her another task that is much more suitable to her capabilities. Thankfully, the Crestless cannot unleash the goddess's power, even if they possess a Relic. Nonetheless, they are still capable of simply wielding those weapons like any other.

"The reason I am sending both the Blue Lions and the Black Eagles is that this is no mere band of thieves. Miklan has a way of rallying others who share his grievances- those from the Kingdom's army who feel they have been similarly disparaged or cast aside. This has led to a more organized force than what your students faced so far, and that is why they will be taking their assigned battalions along with them. However, to ensure that no harm comes to the students, we will also send the monastery's most skilled individuals to aid you. In the meantime, please see to it that they are all adequately prepared for this mission."

x-x-x

"Agh, I bloody knew it." Mimir said ruefully as Kratos reached the main hall from the stairwell. "I bloody knew that something like this would happen eventually."

"Do you mean the theft of the Hero's Relic?" The Ghost of Sparta asked his bodiless companion.

"Aye, that's part of it," Mimir replied. "But what I'm really talking about is everything else that has led to it! Brother, do you remember what I told you when I said that for every good thing Crests has on Fodlan, many more bad ones take its place?"

"I remember."

"Disowned sons turning to banditry, soldiers rallying against their own- this whole bloody place is caught in the web of Crests, and it won't be the last time we see this. Mark my words."

"And what do you suggest we do about it?"

"I…!" Mimir was about to say before slowly closing his mouth and clenched his teeth. "I don't know, Kratos." He told him despondently. "I mean, it's just so infuriating." Kratos remained silent, letting the head vent. "We're being sent to clean up other people's bloody messes, time and time again. And what really gets me, brother, is how the wee lads are forced into it. Sylvain's got to march alongside his classmates to put his own brother down like a dog, just like Ashe had to when we put down Lonato's rebellion. And for what? For something none of them had any control over in the first place! It's… It's beyond words, it's maddening!"

Mimir eventually let out a long, weary sigh, his tone softening as his anger slowly ebbed away. "But there's no point in staying mad about it now, is there? We'll need to prepare the class and speak with wee Gautier about the mission at the end of the month. The poor lad deserves to know what he's getting into."

"Do you wish to tell him personally?" Kratos asked, stopping midway through the hallway.

Mimir's voice became more measured. "Is there something else you need to do, brother?"

Kratos remained quiet for a moment before replying, "I want to find the mercenary. There are some… things that I wish to confirm."

The disembodied gave him a knowing and understanding look. "Aye, you go do that, brother. Last I heard, she was training with her new blade out on the plateau. Although I have my suspicions, I've no doubt that you'll finally be able to get some answers from what happened yesterday. Just… try not to spook the lass while you're at it, aye?"

From nearby, neither man was aware of a particular white-haired individual hiding behind one of the stone pillars as Edelgard listened in on the conversation. She continued to watch them as they left while remaining out of sight, and the words of Mimir echoed in her head before she silently slipped away in the opposite direction.