#seteth x my unit

[kyogre-blue]

SS is done.

The most standout part: I got the Rhea S rank. It was good. I support it, but I wish there was a gen version and also that it was available on VW. My general impression is that VW actually gives you more chances to ask after and worry for Rhea (plus Claude is a rather meh romance option), so it would be great if I could get with her there too.

In general, I wish VW and SS were just one route. Both have some nice small details, but given how similar they are, I feel like you'd get a better experience if they were just combined.

Checking my VW endgame notes, it seems VW gives you info dump about Agartha, which definitely feels missing in SS, and SS gives you a bit more detail about Byleth's deal from Rhea, which adds some nice details on the Rhea relationship front. Seriously, they should have just combined them.

(Hilariously, Catherine's endcard outright contradicts the paired Rhea one. They are incompatible, but I got both. Additionally, Ingrid's card seems to be written for Crimson Flower, since it mentions Galatea being "seized" and Ingrid needing to push strongly to be allowed to govern it, which comes across weirdly as a post-war in the Byleth-led United Kingdom, especially since the other Lions kids I recruited all got their lord positions without any apparent fuss.)

Overall, not much else to say about SS. Final take: SS and VW are really obviously the same route, but even though SS was supposedly written first, VW feels marginally better in its focus and I enjoyed it more. However, the Rhea stuff specifically is good, and I wish I could get it on VW. Yup.

Final save file time: 95:19. Minus the VW playthrough, it's 44:07, so a bit faster. Specifically post-route split, it's 20:16, so it seems like the part that I finished faster was actually just Academy phase, possibly because I just didn't care much for the BE kids.

Liveblogging notes:

Looking closely at the battle selection screen, it seems Shambhala is at the very eastern tip of the Empire. There's a bit of mountain that stretches down from the Throat across Airmid River, and it seems to be there.

Narration calls it a "sprawling underground city."

Thales was kind of a chump!

Ah, I just realized I forgot to check his X description blurbs. They probably weren't too interesting tho.

The Agarthans are super mad about living underground and not having "light." Thales also name drops Agartha in his battle line vs Seteth and in the cutscene afterwards. Aside from their ability description, I think this is probably the first time their proper name is mentioned. But we uh, don't seem to discuss this much?

Small scene with Nemesis's coffin is missing, I think. Well, obviously because he's not the final boss now. iirc the scene immediately after the month change, with everyone freaking out over Rhea is new instead. It's a little weird because iirc VW gives you more opportunities to express concern for her. Here, the Rhea focus feels a bit less supported.

Seteth didn't realize you already knew that Rhea is the Immaculate One (which you did, btw).

Seteth "long ago" lost the power to change form, but "it seems" Rhea has not. My dude, did you not know... He does confirm that he's also a child of the goddess, which Rhea keeps hidden in VW. Flayn is also counted as one of the children of the goddess, even though she's more like a grandchild. It's a general term for dragons.

Seteth and Flayn press Byleth about taking over as the leader of Fodlan in some capacity, now that Rhea's future is uncertain.

We find the Sword and Bow of Zoltan in Shambhala. I was wondering about whether these things existed, since Zoltan is a dude that got namedropped in a small quest item description a while back. I also have an Axe of Zoltan though I can't remember exactly where I picked it up. No spear?

Just noting that you use Arcane Crystals to repair magical weapons like the Bolt Axe, Mythril to repair sacred weapons like Cichol's Spear of Assal, and Umbral Steel for relics. Mythril is also used on forging the rusted weapons that require A+ professor rank. iirc they're legendary weapons from other games or something like that. Smithing Stones are for normal weapons of all rarities.

On VW, this month was about Nemesis appearing and us going to fight him, but here on SS, that doesn't happen, so the explore dialogue is all about Seteth telling us that we should become the new Ruler of Fodlan and us taking the month to think about it. Everyone around the monastery comments on this, how we should think about it carefully, how they believe in us, how they're thinking about the future, etc. It's... hm. I think it's okay, but it really highlights how much Byleth has not been setup for this role At All.

They're a mercenary who became a teacher via nepotism and while we do things in the story that you could probably read as proof of Byleth's ability to lead, they don't really feel that way, especially since Seteth can end up spending half the war refusing what we suggest. Byleth is also just... not a real character. So them becoming the big deal leader is kinda... yeah.

Anyway, I accidentally ended the month early. But whatever.

Before you tell Rhea your "decision," she gives you exposition about how she made you and Sothis's crest stone is in you. She wanted to see Sothis again and thought she could regain everything she had lost.

Sitri was Rhea's 12th attempt. She "grew up" without Sothis's consciousness and fell in love with Jeralt. But when she gave birth, the child was not breathing and she herself was also "in grave danger." Sitri told Rhea to take the crest stone from her and put it into her baby. Otherwise, both would have died.

Byleth is suggested to be able to house Sothis's consciousness because they have both the crest stone and a body born from a parent with Rhea's blood.

Rhea is aware that Sothis gave you her power and disappeared, which means Rhea's dearest wish did not come true, but she's accepting of that. She basically entrusts Fodlan and the future to you.

And she just flips out in the middle of that.

"White Beasts" appear all over the monastery. They are from priests and knights that Rhea shared her blood and "stones" with. Tho given how JP plurals work, it's impossible to tell if Rhea is meant to have one crest stone or several. Demonic Beasts also run in??

Enemies are Frenzied Church Soldiers with minor crests of Seiros, Altered Golems, White Beasts (cardinal that has transformed and gone mad due to the rage of the Immaculate One) with Blest Crest Stone Shards (bestowed by a saint and wielded as a weapon), and the Immaculate One herself. She has a crest stone of Serios, can recover HP when near a White Beast and is described as having been driven to an uncontrollable anger due to the power of the goddess.

This battle was annoying because of the Classic setting. The whole business with Rhea having a private army of people whom she shared blood with is, hm. But I get the feeling this was done purely to explain her battle having the same mechanics as with Nemesis and the 10 Elites. It's... an interesting tidbit that these cardinals and such exist, but kinda weird that the crest of Seiros is actually this common, especially since they can ALL presumably pass it down to their kids, and I would expect Rhea had done this for more than just one generation.

(funny concept: after a thousand years of Rhea just sharing her blood all over, a good three quarters of Fodlan has some Seiros crest blood and it manifests pretty much at random in people all over.)

Anyway, final blow by Flayn.

OK, enough screwing around. tbh I do like Rhea, so there's some emotional resonance in everyone being very worried about her and having little voicelines about how they want to pay back the debts they owe to her, and her sadness and suffering and all that. It's not the worst.

She mistakes Byleth for Sothis when collapsing in the cathedral.

They did make a mistake: Rhea transforms in her dressing gown without the mantle or headpiece, but she changes back in full archbishop regalia.

The post-battle exposition exposition is kinda... ah yes, all nations in Fodlan are gone, but you see the Church is leading people toward a new... nation? How does this work. Sorry, but I don't see a religious government (??) as a good thing.

Rhea says she had a vision of flying free and speaking with Sothis while near death. She's happy she survived... so am I.

Rhea's wish was for peace, but she admits fault in propagating a false history and deceiving the faithful. And she did a bit of forbidden experimentation on the side, obvs. We forgive her tho.

I wish there was a gen way to save her, without the romance. It's such a good coda, honestly, without the marriage.

I wish Byleth was a more concrete character. Not necessarily a super detailed one, but with at least some grounding traits.

Still, Rhea romance scene is pretty good. WAY better than Flayn. Why can't I do this on VW..........

Endings: Ashe takes over Gaspard as the new lord. Galatea was "seized" what the heck, though Ingrid did rule it. Felix still ended up Duke Fraldarius. Sylvain talked his way into peace with Sreng, good on him. Lindhart "escaped the Empire" but went missing. Dorothea fled with her troupe to a secret location. Petra went to Brigit. Caspar fell on a battlefield. Bernadetta because seriously ill and lived as a recluse. Ferdinand returned to his territory but went missing. Catherine became Guardian of Zanado, but why was she shaking up with MY wife in solitude? Because in the ending card with Byleth, Rhea is still archbishop and assists the leader of the new "United Kingdom of Fodlan." Shamir became Robin Hood. Alois became captain of the knights. Seteth became very tolerant lol

[tinnictheguardian]

Ideas for new Fodlan Fire Emblem games

Okay, so Fire Emblem Engage is out, and it's set in a whole new World. However, it should be noted that Fire Emblem has released additional games in the same world entries apart. Notably, the worlds of Archanea, Jugdral and Valentia are all connected and set on the same planet but are thousands of years apart. Also, Fates and Awakening are set in the same world at the same time, just on different continents.

So while I think that the chances of us getting a DLC for either Three Houses or even Three Hopes that continues one or more routes is less likely, it is possible we can get more Fire Emblem games set in the world of Fodlan. This is in keeping with how IS has operated in the past, and the world of Fodlan is popular enough to warrant a second look.

So here are my ideas about when in time new Fire Emblem games set in Fodlan could take place.

The War of the Eagle and Lion

This is the most obvious period in Fodlan's timeline given that, based on the information we have FE3H, Loog and Kyphon used special weapons and soldiers provided by the mysterious tactician Pan. So Pan is your ready-made protagonist for an FE game. They were supposedly from the TWSITD, and it's made very clear that Loog and Kyphon were NOT used relics because the Church had their relics and only returned the relics to the Kingdom families after they became independent so they had the fighting strength to stay independent from the much more powerful Empire. So the potential FE game could have its own gimmick that's not relics.

Furthermore, the game set during the time of the War of Eagle and Lion would have at least two returning characters: Rhea and a youth Jeralt, who is pretty much confirmed to be from Faerghus and joining Rhea around that time initially as a bodyguard and then joining a knight of Serios when she shared her blood with him, thus giving him his crest, in order to save his life.

Other characters, such as Aubin, who we know lived long enough to share his blood with Yuri so as to give him his crest, would have been younger and potentially a unit you could play with. I don't expect to see Flayn because she was still sleeping or Seteth because Jeralt confirms he never met Seteth until his return to the Monastery. But the devs could maybe give Macuil and Indech non-beast forms and have them play a role... there are options, is all I am saying!

The story, in this case would be as linear as Engage because we know how it ends, Kingdom becomes independent from the Empire.

The Almyra Tales

Claude has the potential to live in all four routes and leaves for Almyra in all four routes. While he only gives his relic to Dimitri explicitly. You could just add a few lines of dialogue to explain why he doesn't have his relic at the beginning of a story about how Claude Khalid works with plucky Almyran tactician to secure the throne of Almyra.

IS could do this would out confirming a canon route for FE3H and have the potential to having branching stories because this isn't the past. Three Hopes Character Shahid would, of course, be able to make an appearance in this game.

Saint Serios

Go back in the time to help Rhea fight Nemesis or side with Nemesis and bring about a what-if world... I frankly don't see this one being on the cards because I don't think this would be of interest to the general FE fan. It could be a great Warriors edition because fans of Fodlan would pick-up a title like this to see what the world was like when Rhea got her revenge. It's also not a time which has a built in protagonist because we know Seteth was the tactician. But then again, would anyone cry foul if IS created random character X to be the protagonist of such a title?

Distant past/Distant future

Awakening and Fates was set 2000 years after Shadow Dragon, Gaiden etc, while Genealogy and Thracia are set 1000 years before Shadow Dragon, Gaiden.

Now we all know that Fodlan is that FE3H is a post-apocalypse world where in the distant past, humanity was much more advanced. Ballistic missiles advanced. So if IS wanted to bring FEH Niðavellir style mechs, or revisit the steampunk idea they were exploring for Awakening in the world of Fodlan. They could potentially set it in the distant past of Fodlan, when Sothis was alive and walking among mortals and humans as a whole had a lot more magi-tech.

Alternatively, we could have a game set in the distant future of Fodlan and it could be science fantasy plus sword and sandals like Harvestella or like they did with Awakening and Fates, just stick to more medieval stuff.

The game I want but won't get

So I did list these ideas roughly in "most likely" to "least likely" and this is the least likely but the game I want the most. That is, just acknowledge Azure Moon as the canon route, which means that almost all the characters, except for Hubert, Jeritza and Edelgard, have the potential to live. Just assume they all lived and procreated and you get to play with the kids.

You can import your saves from FE3H into the new game and the child characters have different stats based on who you S-supported, Awakening style. Also obviously if you played classic and didn't recruit/save X, you don't get X's descendants. But if you start a new clean game, the world assumes all characters were recruited, maybe you can some default S-supports or it's implied they all married off-stage characters and the child units therefore have default stats.

This incentivises new players to go back and buy FE3H, without making it impossible for this FE instalment to be a persons' first FE or at least first Fodlan FE.

As for who would be the enemies, well I heard some devs say that with Engage, they were exploring the idea of FE as not a war game but an adventure game. So just send the kids on an adventure!

Alternatively, given that homunculus technology exists in Fodlan, just bring back Edelgard as a homunculus and build her a faction with what remains of TWSITD, Impedial royalist + a Foreign power that aims to topple United Fodlan.

As I said, this is the most unlikely but it's the one I would want the most.

[omgkalyppso]

9, 20, 45!

Thank you for the ask!

9. What is your favorite scene in the game (can be in the main story or a support convo)?

I'll pick the anime meet-the-cast scene near the beginning. I would have liked more of those throughout the game or more art in VW like there is in AM.

20. What character do you headcanon as bi?

By and large (bi and large, haha) it is The Cast.

I have ace and aro headcanons mixed in, but I mean. The list of characters I headcanon as lesbians (Catherine and Shamir) or gay (Acheron) are much shorter. And some characters depend on my mood (lesbian or bi Ingrid. gay or bi or demi Raphael and Felix (not together, just in general). just to name a few). But to list Some characters who I am or would be non-negotiable on within my own work:

Sylvain, Lorenz, Claude, Hilda, Ashe, Dedue and Seteth.

45. Who is your FE3H OTP?

I have a lot of fic and art, commissioned and gifted and made, of my ot4 turned ot5: Claude, Hilda, Lorenz, and my fe3h My Unit / Byleth OC Faedolyn and my few3h My Unit / Shez OC Avery.

Besides them, I multiship A Lot.

Maybe I could say masc Byleth x Yuri. I've written a lot of content of them too and I can't picture myself planning to write them shipped with anyone else.

[bigklingy]

Well I guess this could be sorta fun. Also, spoilers here. 1. It was a Fire Emblem game. 2. No, and all of them but the original FE1 and FE2. 3. Chris Hackney got robbed HARD of Best Performance at the 2019 Game Awards. 4. Azure Moon. 5. Verdant Wind. 6. Azure Moon. 7. I made a tier list on my tumblr a while back but I'm too lazy to search for it. 8. Kronya should've been a recurring villain, instead of dying half a chapter after killing Byleth's dad. Imagine if the BLACK KNIGHT went out like that?? 9. Ahem, "Dimitri's motivation is maxed out." A.k.a "Dimitri goes bananas." 10. Swordmaster for being better than its intended promotion somehow. 11. I forget, which kinda says something. 12. Sofibeth Arts did fanart of a memetic NPC from my first playthrough, Blilda! https://sofibeth-arts.tumblr.com/post/188826204925/thank-to-bigklingy-we-have-discovered-three 13. I don't read 3H fics. Too much discourse. 14. I have a silly Dimitri x Edelgard parody fic. 15. Have a hypothetical P5 crossover in my head. 16. Grappler Hanneman, Seteth, Flayn, Cyril, Alois, Catherine, Shamir, Manuela, Normal Hanneman, Rhea, Gilbert. 17. Ferdinand, Hubert, Edelgard, Linhardt, Petra, Caspar, Dorothea, Bernadetta. 18. Dimitri favourite, Dedue least, everyone else tied. BL are all so good it's hard to choose. 19. Hilda, Lysithea, Marianne, Lorenz, Ignaz, Claude, Raphael... lol I forgot Leonie entirely. (Sorry Leonie fans) 20. Manuela. 21. Sylvain, maybe? 22. Rhea. She doesn't strike me as someone interested in romance at all. 23. Well, Blilda (Green unit in AM Chapter 19 replacing Hilda if she's recruited) is a Female War Master... 24. Yuri I guess? 25. I don't feel Byleth's sexuality is conventional, but I don't have a specific label for it. 26. Dimitri, obvious pick is obvious. 27. Off the top of my head, Ignatz? 28. Bernadetta. While I don't agree with Edelgard ideologically, that's different from disliking the character. Bernadetta, I feel the game ends up fetishizing her abusive past to a disturbing degree. I'm aware this is a hot take. 29. Jeralt, Kronya, Claude, Rhea. 30. ANNA. A character with absolutely zero supports in a modern FE game should not exist. Worse, they're DLC. Skipping all design questions, would require me to look through tons of art and I don't have a good sense of design aesthetics anyway. 37. I seem to remember someone had funny dining dialogue but I forget who. 38. Felix liking cats made me lol. 39. Hilda I guess. 40. Dorothea always offers to join without me even trying. I'm not sure why. 41. Claude ships Edelgard/Dimitri and distributes his fanart and fanfiction during the war as propaganda. 42. Azure Moon has the best writing for Edelgard. 43. Sylvain/Mercedes. 44. Edelgard/Dimitri is HILARIOUS and my coping mechanism when discourse bothers me. 45. Sylvain/Mercedes. 46. Unsure. 47. Hilda. It's really the ONLY one I've done, but it was fine. 48. Hilda/Marianne, I'M SORRY. I just don't see it. 49. Dorothea/Hanneman. WHY is this romantic and explicitly mentions them having children, when his endings with all other students are platonic?? 50. FEMALE BYLETH/MERCEDES, easily. Compared to the other female bi options, I feel this is rarely talked about.

50 Questions of FE3H

The ultimate FE3H ask game - Send me an ask and reblog to play!

What drew you to / made you pick up and play FE3H?

Was FE3H your first Fire Emblem game?  If not, which other games did you play?

Who is your favorite FE3H voice actor?

Which route did you play through first in FE3H?

Which route did you play through last?

Which route is your favorite?

Which side quest / paralogue was your favorite?

What storyline threads should have had more development / been further explored?

What is your favorite scene in the game (can be in the main story or a support convo)?

What’s your favorite combat class?

What’s your go-to weapon or spell in combat?

Post a link / reblog your favorite FE3H fanart (no reposting / credit erasure!!).

Post a link to your favorite FE3H fanfic.

If you’ve posted your own fanart or fanfic, post a link to the piece you are most proud of.

If you are an artist or writer, are you currently working on any new FE3H content (art or fanfic)?  If so, will you share a sneak preview?

Rank the Church of Seiros characters from your favorite to least favorite.

Rank the Black Eagles from your favorite to least favorite.

Rank the Blue Lions from your favorite to least favorite.

Rank the Golden Deer from your favorite to least favorite.

What character do you headcanon as bi?

What character do you headcanon as poly?

What character do you headcanon as ace or aro?

What character do you headcanon as trans?

What character do you headcanon as genderfluid?

What character do you headcanon as another sexual orientation or gender identify not listed above?

Who is your overall favorite character?

Which character do you feel “meh” about?

What character do you not like at all / hate?

What character should have gotten more development?

What characters should have more support options and who should have been their support options?

What is your favorite pre-timeskip character design or outfit?

What is your favorite post-timeskip character design or outfit?

What is your least favorite (or hated) pre-timeskip character design or outfit?

What is your least favorite (or hated) post-timeskip character design or outfit?

Which characters would you like to see switch pre-timeskip designs (for fun)?

Which characters would you like to see switch post-timeskip designs (for fu0?

Who are your favorite dining partners?

Who is your favorite teatime companion?

Who is your favorite / most used combat unit?

What character do you always recruit, no matter which route you are playing and why?

What is a favorite character headcanon (can be one you came up with or one you liked / adopted from someone else)?

Do you have / are you willing to share a possibly controversial opinion or headcanon you have about a character?

Who is your favorite in-game ship (meaning they have supports and a confirmed romantic ending card)?

Who is your favorite headcanon ship (meaning they either have supports but not necessarily a romantic ending or they may have no supports at all)?

Who is your FE3H OTP?

Who is your FE3H poly ship?

Who is your favorite Byleth ship?

What is a popular ship that you don’t care for / don’t like?

What is a general (not necessarily popular) ship that you don’t care for / don’t like?

Which ship do you wish was more popular / had more content available?

[tamarakkoarchive]

FE3H livetweet thread (2/3)

dorothea gets to have the actual good dynamic w him while byleth is stuck in the boring serious mentor role and yet the one w romance path is you like 😭

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hm the summer uniform looks cute on the girls, let's see the b-

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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post-nut clarity

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i knew most of the game from my tl spoiling it left and right alongside watching the supports on youtube back when it got released so pretty much the biggest opinion difference i'm having from actually playing is the realization that the fan annoyance w edelgard was justified lol.

what makes her weird to digest has a lot to do w the batshit inefficient way they narrate the story fbdbfn essential worldbuilding and character info being behind optional features that dump a walltext of exposure instead of smth you learn gradually is atrocious bad design

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woah the first edel x rhea fight is what finally made me see the hard in the difficulty i picked, the main missions so far were 40min in average but this one is requiring several tries of over one hour each glad i got my horsey girls before or i’d be fucked

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i didnt put the death feature but i’m still prioritizing keeping my units unhurt until the very end…. the presence of my bitches matters

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i don't care much for whatever is going down in the war-over-magical-racism plot so i'm basically just siding w rhea so i don't have to hurt my boy cyril since he thinks of rhea as his mommy so i gotta join the family for him

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only the students get to have a glow up after the timeskip???????? what is this ageism bullshit

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byleth getting five years of smegma in her unwashed pussy is one thing since she was dormant for all this time but what is the excuse of every other mf here. make seteth bald and give a biker beard to him

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byleth running in snotty tears to the marketplace begging for bigger high heels "please sir. Please. my manlets outgrew me."

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this just in: yes you can get fucked out of supports and yes if you stopped leveling students of your house YOU WILL have to fight w them again w no chance of them catching up

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the difficulty went up like crazy after the timeskip lmao altho a big part of it is bc i insist in using units that only became available way later... 😭 mixing a strict calendar system w no way to freely grind ends up making it awfully easy to get yourself locked underleveled

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only downside of not following edel is that i can't have this ugly vampire on my team anymore. his timeskip look is so good

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bitch absolutely sufferable to fight against

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main team dunno if i wanna play other route after i'm done bc i'm satisfied w what i got here... lesbians, shotas and sasuke uchiha

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ferdinand should be so glad i don't have permadeath on otherwise i'd have pulled the trigger on him on the very first month

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this bl manhwa anatomy lmao

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ferdinand x hubert shippers in absolute shambles

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oh my god she looks so bald

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how am i supposed to take catherine's cool armored stance seriously after realizing from waist below girl is flashing off her knickers

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hello?????? kurahana what's going on here?????

[ajentmm]

FEH Refine Theorycraft Oct ‘24

Well, here you go.

Veronica: Harmonic Pirates

38/39/19/36/29                 49/50/29/47/39

Gate-Anchor Axe: Accelerates Special trigger (cooldown count-1). If unit is not adjacent to an ally, grants Def/Res+5 to unit and inflicts Def/Res-5 on foe during combat and unit makes a guaranteed follow-up attack.

Harmonized Button: Grants [Resonance: Shields] to unit and allies from the same titles as unit.

Bonfire - Atk/Def Solo 4 – Lull Atk/Def 3 - Atk/Def Gap 3

Wow, this is lame, compared the our previous axe cavs.

Gate-Anchor Axe: Accelerates Special trigger (cooldown count-1). At the start of combat, if unit initiates combat or the number of allies adjacent to unit ≤ 2, grants Def/Res+5 to unit and inflicts Def/Res-5 on foe during combat and unit makes a guaranteed follow-up attack and neutralizes effects that prevent unit's follow-up attacks.

At the start of turn, if unit's HP ≥ 25%, grant Def/Res +6, ‘Special Charge +1 per attack”, and [Hexblade] to unit and allies within 2 spaces of unit for 1 turn. At the start of combat, if unit's HP ≥ 25%, grant Def/Res+X to unit and inflicts Def/Res-X on foe during combat (X = 5 + number of spaces from start position to end position of whoever initiated combat x 2, Max 13), deal damage = 20% of unit’s Def, and also, if unit's Def > foe's Def, reduces damage from attacks during combat and from area-of-effect Specials (excluding Røkkr area-of-effect Specials) by difference between stats (max 20).

Originally, I was going to put Canto 2 on her, but than Emblem Sigurd showed up and was like, 'Would you like Canto 3?" Now she's getting a NFU guaranteed follow-up, Special Charge status, Def based TD, and Hexblade (to make that lowered Res make sense). On top of that, she gets TDR equal to the difference between her Def and the foe's Def, which would be at most a 36 gap with this weapon.

Flayn: Playing Innocent

Caduceus Staff: Calculates damage from staff like other weapons. Grant allies within 3 spaces the following effect: Grant Def/Res+4 to unit, inflict Special cooldown charge –1 on foe, and reduces damage from foes’ attacks by 30% during combat. If unit is within 3 spaces of an ally, grant Atk/Res+6 to unit during combat, inflict Special cooldown charge –1 on foe, and reduce damage from foe’s first attack by 30%.

Accelerates Special trigger (cooldown count-1). At the start of combat, if foe’s HP ≥ 25%, grant Atk/Res+6, a guaranteed follow-up attack to unit, and damage +7 to unit during combat.

Well, since we got Seteth's refine that grants True Unpierceable Damage Reduction. So trading the 30% DR would be better.

Ilyana: Hungering Mage

Hungry Craver's Tome: If any foes within 3 rows or 3 columns centered on unit have Res < unit’s Res+5, inflicts Spd/Res-7 and [Sabotage] on those foes through their next actions. If unit initiates combat or is within 2 spaces of an ally, inflict Atk/Spd/Res-4, and also, if the foe has [Sabotage] inflict Special cooldown charge -1 on foe per attack (Only highest value applied. Does not stack.) and inflicts penalty on foe’s Spd/Res during combat = current bonus on each of foe’s stats × 2, (Example: if foe has +7 bonus to Spd, inflicts Spd-19, for a net penalty of Spd-12.) Calculates each stat penalty independently.

At start of combat, if unit’s HP ≥ 25%, inflict Atk/Spd/Res-4 on foe, grant bonus to unit’s Atk = total penalties on foe during combat, and restores 7 HP to unit after combat.

I'm surprised I didn't think of bonus stealing for her, but that must of been a PM1 theorycraft I blocked from my mind.

Melady: Crimson Rider

Wyvern Crimson Lance: If unit initiates combat or is within 2 spaces of an ally, inflict Atk/Spd/Def-4 on foe and neutralizes effects that guarantee foe’s follow-up attacks and effects that prevent unit’s follow-up attacks during combat, and also, if unit’s Def > foe’s Def, reduces damage from attacks during combat and from area-of-effect Specials (excluding Røkkr area-of-effect Specials) by percentage = difference between stats × 4 (max 40%).

At start of combat, if unit’s HP ≥ 25%, inflict Atk/Spd/Def-4 on foe and neutralizes effects that grant “Special cooldown charge +X” to foe or inflict “Special cooldown charge -X” on unit during combat, and also, if unit’s attack can trigger unit’s Special and unit’s Spd+Def ≥ foe’s Spd+Def-5 during combat (excluding effects from【Phantom】), grants Special cooldown count-2 to unit before unit’s first attack during combat. At start of combat, if unit’s HP ≥ 25%, restores 7 HP to unit after combat.

Okay cool, still going with the Fiora but Def still.

And then there's Vled. PM1 basicaly summed it up with ether giving him more debuffs than [Gravity] or replace [Gravity] with the "cancelled turn" effect. Then just more stats and guaranteed follow-up. I'm not bothered to write it up fully.

[sp00kworm]

Assal (Chapter 8)

ARCHIVE OF OUR OWN LINK

Pairing: Seteth x Female Byleth

Warnings: Illness and Illness Symptoms descriptions and mild medical procedures. Mild gore. 

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The physician was completely flustered, her hair a mess as Seteth tore back into the room, the look on his face something Byleth had never seen before. Black dripped past her lips as she tried to gargle out words of comfort. Her stomach heaved as her lungs clenched, a cough spewing a sluice of liquid past her lips, spraying black over the sheets again. The gelatinous substance wobbled before melting into water, black and foul smelling, staining the sheets the colour of charcoal. Byleth retched and reached to cover her mouth as Seteth grabbed for her again, grappling her onto her side as Manuela blasphemed behind him. Her hands shook before she steeled herself and moved to grapple the Archbishop.

“We have to get the liquid off her chest! She will drown!” She screeched at the man before slamming her hand against Byleth’s back, watching black mucus spray from her again, “Keep doing that! I have something to help, but it will hurt.” Manuela scrambled for her medical kit as Seteth made Byleth heave more liquid off her chest, her chin wet and running with black fluid.

“MANUELA!” His fists clenched in Byleth's nightgown as she gasped, cheeks beginning to turn from red to purple, eyes red and rolling.

“Hold her!” Seteth did as he was told, and Manuela held a great needle in her hand, tearing Byleth's nightgown up to see her ribcage.

 The physician took a shuddering breath before sliding the needle deep, the tubing attached sitting outside of the woman as she pierced the lung. Black liquid rushed out of the tube, splattering against Manuela’s slippers before a helper rushed to place it into a bed pan. Byleth took a rushing gasp as her lung emptied in a waterfall of black water.

“Thank the Goddess.” Manuela cursed again, pushing Byleth’s long green hair away from the mess in the sheets.

“Byleth?” Seteth gripped his wife’s cheeks, thumbs stroking under her eyes as he pushed himself to be level with her. The colour was receding from her cheeks as her lung emptied and the air returned to her.

Shakily, Byleth reached for his chin, fingers stroking the green beard softly before searching up into his hair for his pointed ears. Her fingertips grazed the point, “I’m okay, my love.” She wheezed before smiling, her eyes closing with weariness, “Thank you.” Byleth muttered, gripping his hand as Manuela held her shoulders still, watching the last of the black water drip from the tubing. The Archbishop’s chest still rattled, as though there was a deep-set infection.

 “I’ve never seen such a colour in any infection.” Manuela squinted at the bed pan, looking at the black water and mucus inside of it, “Blood and green...even brown, but never this. It’s like...like rotten.” She shuddered and toed the pan away to a tired maid, who blanched at the colour and ran to dispose of the liquid. With a sigh, Manuela gently pinched the end of the needle, taking a thick patch of linen in her hands to cover the puncture site.

“Hold still, my love.” Seteth took hold of her gently as Manuela swiftly slid the metal out and away into a bag to be disposed of. She oppressed the compression material to it swiftly and uttered words of white magic, sealing the wound shut and healing the deep tissue as best as she could. Byleth twitched at the pain but bared it as the Physician moved to give her room.

Byleth wheezed and coughed again, thankful for the taste of her own spit instead of the black mucus, “This...this has to be...” Her eyes rolled with sleep, and Seteth hushed her with a kiss to her feverish forehead as he helped raise her for the maids to change the sheets and blankets.

Seteth eyed the dragon pillow Finn had been laid on many a night before he'd put him back in his own room. It was covered in black, the fine embroidery stained with charcoal and pus. He handed it to the maids just as the door to their little boy’s room creaked and his footsteps thumped up the hall.

“Mama?” He pushed open the door only to have a maid usher him away gently, trying to coax the teenager away from the door. He was barely thirteen. Seteth let the maid take him away, holding Byleth's limp body in his arms as Finn caused a great ruckus in the hall, “Move!” He hollered and wrenched the door open, gangling arms flopping to his side as he looked at his sniffling father and pale mother.

“Fionntán, she is fine.” Seteth muttered to stop his son’s fighting, “Your mother is ill and asleep. Calm yourself.” The man placed his wife in the fresh bedding and wiped her mouth before Manuela placed a cool towel over her forehead for the fever.

 His son strode to his side, smaller than the other children his age, yet his human blood was letting him age faster than Seteth expected. He was all arms and legs at the moment, yet still small enough for Seteth to wrap his arms around him and rest his chin on top of the boy’s head. Seteth hid his tears in his son’s hair.

“Will she be alright?” Fionntán asked softly, holding onto Seteth's night shirt.

The advisor let out a wispy breath, “With rest and white magic.” He whispered gently, green eyes closed as he held his son tight to his front.

“Its like the Goddess doesn’t want me to leave you both.” Finn chuckled and escaped Seteth’s arms to sit next to Byleth.

Manuela scoffed, “Your mother has merely run herself into the ground. You should go and experience the world boy, just as your parents have.” She yawned and patted her night gown before gathering her medical supplies, “Call me if she worsens, Seteth? I’ll make some concoctions in the morning for her when she wakes. Now, I’m off to get my beauty sleep.” The medic left them in peace.

 Seteth closed the door with a ‘thank you’ before moving to change his black covered shirt. Fionntán changed the cloth on Byleth’s head while moving away her hair from her face. She was propped up on pillows to let her breathe better and Seteth was quick to sit on Byleth’s other side.

“I will tend to your mother...Go back to bed.” Seteth placed a hand on his sons cheek fondly before ushering him from the room and back to bed, “Some rest and medication will have her better, I promise you.”

Fionntán sighed, rubbing his eyes as he trailed back to his own room to sleep. Seteth sighed as he left and locked their door, chewing at the inside of his cheek as he wiped away the remains of the mucus that had infected Byleth’s lungs. He swallowed and raised the cloth to his nose. It stank of rot. Like the bodies of rotting soldiers. It was an ominous sign. Still, the Nabatea had seen something like this before, a plague which wiped across the continent. Himself and Flayn were immune, such was their heritage. How Byleth had contracted such a thing a thousand years after it was around was beyond him.

 A Wyrm. A black snake in a cave.

 Seteth gripped Byleth’s hand and prayed to the spirit of the Goddess that it wasn’t something they should fear.

 Fionntán was the first one into the room that morning, his tired eyes falling on his ill mother, and his father who was asleep in a chair next to her, his head slumped in the covers on her chest. The teenager smiled before making sure to cover the windows and stop them being woken up so early in the morning. He moved back to the bed and gently shook his Father’s shoulder, watching Seteth awake with a startle, his hair a mess around his head, under his eyes a dark colour from exhaustion.

“Finn?” Seteth yawned behind his hand, “Is everything alright?” He was instantly fussing over Byleth, ringing out the cloth before moving to cover it in cold water.

“Papa.” Fionntán took the cloth from Seteth’s hand and moved his father back towards the bed, “Sleep. I’ll cover this in cold water. She needs to sleep before Manuela arrives, and so do you.” He smiled and ushered Seteth back to Byleth’s side.

“I cannot…” He felt himself go dizzy before Fionntán pushed him into the bed.

“You are working yourself to exhaustion. Rest. I will wake you before Manuela arrives later.” His son pulled the sheets over him in the bed. As his son laid the cold cloth over his mother’s forehead, Seteth realised he was slowly becoming a man.

 Byleth was awake when Seteth next opened his eyes, feeling an ache deep in his bones from the deepness of his sleep. His wife smiled, reaching her fingers to touch his cheeks, her breathing clear and her face warm with colour.

“Byleth.” Seteth croaked, raising his hands to hers, cupping them with a great sigh of relief, his chin wrinkling with focus not to shed tears, “I was so afraid, my love, so afraid.” He utters, breathless before her bright eyes once again. Sometimes he wonders if she missed her natural colour, the blue deep like an ocean. The Goddess’ hair suits her, the bright green ethereal, and that’s all Seteth can use to describe her as she chuckles and kisses his lips, fingers pinching his beard covered chin, stroking at the hair he had begun to grow out.

“I am fine, beloved.” She whispered against his lips, “But this is an ominous sign.” Byleth frowned as she pulled away from Seteth, touching her chest, “That was from that beast I awoke, my love, I am sure of it.”

 Seteth sighed and rubbed at his face before pinching the bridge of his nose, “Are you sure? Could that dream not have been a product of the fever?” He took her hand tightly, trying to think on what he could and should tell her. Everything. His heart screamed to tell her everything.

“It is, Cichol, I know it. That…thing, did this to me.” She drew her nightgown away and looked at her skin, unmarked apart from the beauty spot on top of her breast. She was littered with the things. Seteth enjoys kissing them often, telling her they are like stars. The memory made her smile as she held of Seteth’s hand tighter.

Seteth took a deep breath, “I have seen your illness once before, while Cethleann slept.” He let go of her hand and pushed himself from their shared bed. The advisor moved to their bookshelf and pulled one of his own hand-written histories from it, his fingers stroking the pages before he found one of the passages, “It was a plague. It wiped out a third of the continent with ailments similar to yours. A few humans sought refuge where Flayn slept, thinking it to be holy. They spewed the same black liquid from their lungs for days before dying. I…” Seteth snapped the book shut.

“You watched them die, didn’t you?” Byleth hushed him with a kiss to the cheek.

“I had such hatred then, you must understand. I watched that illness take them and tossed their corpses out like…”

 Byleth snatched his face, turning his chin to face her, his sharp eyebrows creased, the lines around his face reflecting his age.

“I am not dead. I do not resent you for what you have done. Now,” Pragmatic as always, she took the book from his grip, “Tell me more about this plague. It could be useful information that links us to what I saw.”

Seteth smiled down at his wife, kissing the top of her hair as he opened the book again and presented the brief passages he had recalled and written, “There isn’t a lot. I didn’t study it with a medical knowledge in mind. I simply recalled symptoms.” He pointed out a little sketch of the buboes that appeared too. They were small and filled with the same black gunk.

“That didn’t happen to me.” Byleth noted thoughtfully.

“You have a Goddess’ powers, Byleth, perhaps you fought it off before you could truly become ill?” Seteth offered, tucking his head into her shoulder.

“You have a point, my love.” She hummed and read the rest of the passage before closing the book and thinking, her hand tucked under her chin.

“Perhaps the serpent was responsible for the outbreak originally?” She hummed.

Seteth tapped his own chin, “You could…be onto something. If this creature is something of a deity, who knows what power it possesses?”

 The ominousness of that statement sat in Byleth’s gut as their chamber door opened and Fionntán poked his head in.

“I brought Manuela.” He smiled brightly, pulling his hair back into a hair tie as he let the brighter looking physician into his parents’ room, “She has a tonic…”

“I have brought a tonic for…” Manuela announced before her eyes went wide, “But it, ahem, looks like you are well, Byleth?” She deflated a little.

Byleth laughed and watched as the woman came to her side of the bed, the tonic bottle in hand, “I will still take it, just to be sure, but whatever it was seems to have gone, thanks to your quick work. Again, thank you.” She took Manuela’s hands gently.

The opera singer went red in the face, offering the medicine, “Ah, you’re making me embarrassed!” She huffed before moving away, “Now take it three times a day! And make sure to rest, my dear!” The couple chuckled at her escape before Fionntán moved closer to his mother’s side, taking her hand.

“You promise you’re okay?” He asked, his youthful face still round like his mother’s.

“I promise, Finn.” She tugged him down to kiss his cheek and pinch the spot to redness. He grumbled at their laughter before escaping to go and practice with his uncle. Indech was no doubt wondering where he had gotten to today.

 Word of Byleth’s illness was confined to her close council, and even these Knights failed to see how she had ever been ill in the first place. Still, Seteth felt something, in his spine, after the events. He pushed his thumb to the base of it in yet another meeting, his anxiety high as the weeks whirred on and everything settled back into routine. Byleth was stronger than ever, dragging him along as a sparring partner after their duties every day. Seteth hefted his axe with a smile, his shirt drenched and flapping. He placed the blade in the dirt and tore his wet shirt off before hefting the weight of the axe once more.

“My love, how unfair. You know I can never focus properly when you take off your shirt.” Byleth teased with a coy pout from across the training yard, her sword in her grasp.

Seteth chuckled, slicing towards the woman with a heavy blow, “Come now, surely your restraint is greater than this, my world?” He felt the vibrations of their weapons clashing in his arms, gritting his teeth before he twisted and tucked the blade under Byleth’s, trying to drag her weapon from her grasp.

 The Archbishop was not easily fooled, and slid the blade free, sidestepping out of the way of his reverse swing before swiping for her husband’s legs, “It makes me want to beat you a little more!” She confessed as they continued to go at one another, slashing, dodging and grunting as they circled each other again and again. Seteth heaved as Byleth slammed her elbow into his abdomen, her bone sharp as it connected, bending him over double, giving her the opportunity to throw him to the ground and press her sword to his throat.

“Yield.” She smirked over him, hair sticking to her head as her husband grumbled on the floor before laughing, a gentle noise escaping him. The creases around his eyes made him look so much softer. He was happy.

“I yield, Byleth, I yield.” He pushed her sword away and sat up, letting her help him up from the dirt, his trousers covered in a layer of brown over his backside. His skin was streaked with dirt too from their tumbles on the ground throughout the match.

 “I love you Seteth.” She kissed him as he rose, and he returned the kiss shyly, hoping no one was watching the two of them spar.

“I love you too, Byleth.” He whispered before brushing at his chest and searching for his shirt in the corner of the training grounds, thankful for the chance to have worked off some of his worry.

 A year passed all too quickly, and before the two of them knew it, the King of Faerghus was back for the change of the month to the Garland Moon. He returned with his assembly, Felix, Ingrid and Sylvain behind Dimitri and Dedue in the chain of nobles and soldiers filtering into Garreg Mach. Byleth smiled from her balcony, waving to them as they entered the grounds, horses snorting and weary from the weeks of marching to the centre of the continent.

“A year has gone by so quickly.” She lamented on the balcony, watching with old eyes as the nobles of the north filtered into the keep.

Seteth’s mouth was pinched, his face sour looking as he watched Dimitri disembark. The King reached to straighten his cloak as the women swooned. He wasn’t a boy anymore. She ushered her own maids away from the windows as the two heads of the Monastery entered the council chamber again. Byleth walked past her chair and turned to face her sour husband.

“You knew this was coming, my love. You cannot take your promise back from him.” She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, white sleeves brushing against him.

 Seteth sucked a breath in through his teeth, green eyes forlorn as he looked at his wife.

“He is barely a teen.” He whispered as she cupped his face. His own fingers reached for her hands, cupping the backs with hot palms.

Byleth smiled, “We were all young when we fled the nest. He wants this. Let him go north and learn.”

He knew she was right. The advisor chewed his lip with thought as she reached to brush the tips of her fingers over his ears.

“I... I am scared we will never see him again.” It was a hushed confession as he drew his wife close, hands clutching her waist, pressing her to his front.

Byleth looped her arms around his neck and pressed her nose into his jaw, “Dimitri will not let anything happen to him. He will not die, and he will not forget his place here. You know he will visit as often as he can.”

Seteth nodded, a hollow chuckle escaping him, “I cannot help but worry. If he takes after his mother, he will rather sacrifice himself than see his peers hurt.”

A scoff was breathed hotly against his neck, “Then he will not go wrong. If he has our brains combined, he will come home.” She promised, pressing a kiss to his cheek, brushing her fingers against his beard before pulling away, “Come. We have to greet them.”

 Seteth followed with a sigh, the tails of his overcoat sliding against the steps as he followed.

 The party were stood before the steps, nobles behind their King as Dimitri stood with his lance, strong, towering over his subjects. The people gathered gushed and cheered within the market, lining the stairs as Dimitri waited, face the picture of control.

“The Archbishop!” The gatekeeper announced, and the knights followed with a slap of their greaves and a salute, stood like shining statues against the crowd as Byleth appeared from beneath the archway. The crowd dipped, the nobles and knights following. Everyone except Dimitri bent forwards in respect. The church was not higher than the King. He bowed his head, smiling at his oldest friend as she invited him to climb the stairs with a gentle gesture of her hand. The King did so, blue, fur lined cape dragging up the stone as he climbed towards her. When he stood face to face with her, Byleth nodded her head, smiling brightly.

“The church welcomes you and your party, my King. Take refuge and partake in the festivities.”

“We thank you for your kindness, Archbishop.”

 The crowd cheered again as they turned to enter the grounds, Dedue and Seteth walking behind them both closely, the man’s closest Lords next in line. Dimitri sighed by her side as they passed the gate and turned towards the private hallways.

“You’ve been King for a long time, Dimitri, surely you are used to such attention?” Byleth teased as they walked, trying to ignore the age showing on Dimitri's face as they moved up the stairs. He was approaching forty, and the idea of that scared her deeply.

Dimitri rolled his eye at her, “I’ve never had the grace of everyone else with it, but I can present myself better than most, I think.” He chuckled as they climbed towards the council chamber.

Felix hissed through his teeth behind them, “Even I am a better speaker than the King more often than not.” Rolling his eyes as Sylvain cracked a smile, new scars covering his pretty jawline. Ingrid gave him a look before he could provoke Felix further, her lips curled in her own smile.

“Sure, Felix, everyone just loves how abrupt you are.” Sylvain teased, unable to help himself as he pressed his elbow into Felix’s side, “Just like I’m sure Fionntán will grow to ‘love’ it too.” He dodged Felix’s sharp backhand and scuttled up the stairs. Seteth fixed them with a withering look as they entered the council chamber but didn’t comment as the King and Archbishop sat.

 “Seteth.” He knew that tone. Seteth gazed at his wife, looking at the consoling look with a sour stomach, “Get Fionntán, please. He needs to be told of the route he will be taking...And hopefully get a few more horse riding lessons before they march back north.” She smiled at her former students.

Sylvain clicked his tongue, “The boy still can’t ride? He better be a quick learner, teach.” He laughed good naturedly.

When Seteth stepped out of the room, Byleth sighed, “He can...but he has a habit of not really bonding well with any of the horses.” She placed her hand against the table, “He’s better off riding the shires than anything else, they can put up with his strong-arming in the saddle. The war horses won’t put up with him for longer than an hour.” She laughed at the memory of the boy being thrown off the Great Knights’ horses.

Felix rubbed at his face, “Certainly reminds me of someone.” He looked to Sylvain.

“Hey now, Gautier horses are less finicky and stronger than the horses here. He would do well to earn one of them.” Still he looked uncertainly at Byleth. Dimitri caught the look and leaned over the table.

 Before he could say it, Dedue spoke the words he was thinking, “Archbishop, are you certain he is cut out for this trip? It is not an easy journey...nor would my lord go easy on him.”

Byleth smiled, “I know. Trust me, I am as worried as Seteth, but I think this training will do him good. To be away from his father’s overbearing arms will also let him grow.” She looked back at the door as it opened. Dimitri smiled as Seteth let his son walk in. The green haired boy looked nervous, still half gangly arms and legs, but he was beginning to fill out a little. The King stood to meet him, towering over the boy still, his face scarred and his gaze intimidating. Yet he didn’t speak harshly.

“Are you ready for this, Finn?” It was gentle, spoken with familiarity. Byleth knew Dimitri saw her son as his own in many ways. He would perhaps die heirless.

Fionntán looked up at the King of the Kingdom of Faerghus and nodded, his green hair flying around his head as he looked back at the King, “I want to learn with you, Lord Fraldarius and Margrave Gautier, my king.”

“Then you are welcome to come with us.” He placed a single heavy hand on Fionntán’s head and smiled before grappling him in a hug. Seteth watched with a serious look before sighing, clutching Byleth’s shoulders in a comforting gesture as Finn cheered and rushed to gush to his parents.

 “Dimitri?” Byleth addressed her former student in the gardens, her face soft as he stood to address her. Dedue moved past them both, bowing, his armour clicking as he moved to guard the gates to the small garden. The students around them were quick to filter away as well, leaving the small pavilion empty for the two of them to speak.

“What is it I can do for you, Byleth?” He asked as he sat across from her.

Byleth took a breath, “Promise me you will look after my son.” She spoke frankly, fixing Dimitri with a harsh look.

A smile graced his face as she smoothed her sleeves, “You have my word. No harm will come to him while he is under my care.” Dimitri pushed his hair from his eye, pushing it away from the eyepatch as well, “I already made the same promise to Seteth. You are both so similar, and I think I see that now.” A ghost crossed his eyes as he looked at her, his eye digesting the fact that while he was aging, his professor appeared as youthful as ever.

“I know, but…He is young Dimitri, younger than he should be.”

Dimitri smiled at her, “He is your son, but I promise, there is no safer place for him than at my court.”

Byleth gave him a smile as her mind whirred, “Thank you, Dimitri, and please, do not hesitate to ask should you need anything…or if Fionntán needs a scolding. I’m sure Seteth would fly there on his Wyvern faster than I could read the letter.”

The King only laughed in response.

 Seteth clutched his son tight before he climbed onto the horse. The mount snorted, foot slamming into the stone as Fionntán held the reigns a little too tight. Sylvain was quick to reach over and adjust the grip as Felix wrangled his own quick-footed beast. The lord walked the mare in quick circles as Seteth held his son’s leg, his hands pressed to his son’s horse’s flank.  

“Papa. Don’t look at me like this is the last time you’ll ever see me!” Fionntán laughed atop the grumpy horse as Seteth sighed, rubbing his eyes as Byleth moved to pull her son down and press a kiss to his cheek, patting it as the knights laughed. Finn went red in the face, pouting as the horse snorted beneath him.

“I can’t help but worry.” Seteth snapped before fastening his son’s saddle bag, before chewing his cheek and calming himself, “But I…I know you will learn, and you will come home.” He looked at Fionntán and remembered the words he had told Flayn before she went travelling, “No matter where you may stray, you will have a home here, with me, and with your mother. Do not forget that.”

Byleth touched his arm, her fingers curling into Seteth’s muscle.

“I won’t, Papa.” Fionntán promised as the party began to move. He turned in the saddle to wave to his parents as the King led them away from the Monastery.

 Byleth held her husband’s hand as they watched the party move over the hills from her balcony. She looked at the early dawn sky and sighed at the stars as they disappeared behind orange.

“Dragons cannot survive in the cold, my love.” She whispered as she looked to the snowy mountains.

Seteth clutched her hand tighter, raising her hand to his mouth to press it to his lips, “Let us hope that is the case.”

[fireemblems24]

Azure Gleam - Ch 5

Fun fact, I wrote Azure Moon at first and had to change it lol. "Azure" is just such a great word, isn't it?

STORY

Adrestia really is a lot larger than everyone else.

Oh, boy, Lonato is turning coat. I wonder what Ashe will do.

Glad they tried diplomacy first. Poor Ashe though.

Ashe staying here 😭 Poor baby boi.

So I'm guessing we'll attack the vanguard and take them out before the main army can breach the territory?

Dimitri be like, I'm going. Everyone else be like, no it's too dangerous. Then proceed to give a thin excuse for the King to be there. I love it when that's actually addressed though.

Can I just say that I love Dimitri's little ponytail.

Oh, Shez, thank you. Telling Dimitri this isn't his fault. And that he's a king, sure, but they're friends first. 😭😭😭😭 Shez always saying the right things to Dimitri.

Not going to lie, I love Shez and Dimitri's relationship so far. A genki friend like Shez is just perfect balance for Dimitri. It almost feels like they wrote Shez's personality around who would play off well with Dimitri, lamo (or, you know, standard shonen hero but who's counting).

To be fair, I like Shez and Claude so far too, since Shez doesn't put up with his shit and Claude's away tweaking and lying by little bits to Shez. They're good too. And I don't know if I just don't like Edelgard, or they just don't mesh, or I just don't care.

CAMP/SIDE BATTLES

SETETH IS PLAYABLE. YES. FLAYN TOO 😭😭😭😭

Oh, joy, seems like fog of war is back for the next chapter. My favorite. /s

Props to Ashe. He doesn't believe its right for Lonato to use citizens for his personal vendetta against the church. I agree, but even if I didn't, I really like this growth as far as fighting for what he believes in and not alliances.

So if Ingrid mentioned Miklain, does that mean he'll show up?

Who is Hapi worried about running into?

I personally love the decision to recruit Petra so early. It feels so right.

Dimitri trains with the common soldiers daily 😭😭😭😭

MORE DUSCUR GENERALS!!! Man, I'm elated they included these details in AG. This is the #1 (or #2) thing I wanted AM to do more (the other is his friends playing a bigger role).

Mercie's and Annette's designs are so pretty. And Mercie wondered if it's bad or good that the Southern Church is under direct government control. It's bad. Very. Very. Bad. for the government to directly control religion.

OH GOD SETETH. HE's just . . . I just love him and Flayn, ok?

Dedue looking out for Ashe 😭😭😭😭😭😭 He's . . . so tall.

Ohhhh, so the commander Dimitri put down in that rebellion when he was 15 was involved in Duscur?? That . . . adds so much to Dimitri's reaction. And Felix, that weird feeling in your stomach? That's just butterflies, dude. One day, you'll either admit it or be miserable forever when you leave him.

I got to make Dimitri laugh 😭😭😭😭😭😭 I will always, always pick the "crack a joke" option around Dimitri. Honestly, Shez x Dimitri seems so bloody cute so far. But I ship everyone with Dimitri so . . .

Dimitri killed 500 units in that side-battle before there was even time for the side-quest. He and Lorenz are my two best so far.

Everyone is dunking on Lonato for ruining the Empire's plans. I love how Count Rowe looks like an NPC though. Which is funny because Gwendal doesn't.

Dedue wants to go on an expedition. I HAVE to say yes. Like, it's a moral imperative. And . . . he has to mention Dimitri lol. Ouch, one of Dedue's questions is to . . . ask about his family. 😭😭 Dedue's worried he doesn't know Dimitri's favorite food. We all know why 😭😭😭😭 He likes Rodrigue. 😭😭😭😭

Ok, I was right. There is a "male's only" challenge.

OMG 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣 Flayn's and Seteth's dining dialogue. Flayn says she'll "treat" everyone to one of her meals and invites Seteth who looks like he's being held hostage when he says he "always look forward to your . . . culinary masterpieces."

Did Itha behead someone planning to assassinate Dimitri? That's badass.

Taking Dimitri on expedition and he's like "I'm sure Dedue would be okay with this because you're coming too." lol

Oh, I can ask him about his memories from his past. HAVE to go with that. OF COURSE THE ANSWER IS ABOUT DEDUE 😭😭😭😭

I asked what he thought of Shez, and he said he doesn't care about the power Shez has, he's trusting her. Which, is very in line with how he saw Byleth too. He really doesn't give a shit about their uber special magics.

Scored a perfect conversation, woop! I did with Dedue too earlier.

SHEZ & MERCEDES C SUPPORT

Mercedes in high demand. As expected.

I love how Mercedes is both the sweetest person in this game, but also secretly the most savage.

Poor Mercedes is surrounded by people who hide their wounds (Shez, Sylvain, and Dimitri get special mentions).

That was cute and wholesome, but a bit basic.

SHEZ & FELIX C SUPPORT

Ready for this one, I expect a tad more conflict than with Mercedes because, well, it's Felix.

LAMO OMG 😂🤣👌 Like some of the first words out of Shez's mouth "I can tell you actually care about Dimitri and the others."

I love, love, love so much how Felix is treated in this game so far. Between Rodrigue being an embarrassing father to Shez calling Felix's nonsense on the spot.

Felix's shocked noise. I love this. People NOT letting Felix be an edgelord is what I live for.

"It's your fault for saying something so ridiculous." Felix has such tsundere energy.

Shez tells Felix she can tell because how he fights differently around the others rather than solo. Mannnn this is just really hammering home how awful recruited Felix is for his psyche. He's really all about his friends and family.

And Felix talks extensively about Dimitri and how worried he is about Dimitri's safety when he fights and covers for him. 😭😭😭😭

And Felix charges forward to kill archers to protect Ingrid 😭😭😭😭

Sylvain and Felix gets surrounded because he's always showing off. I love this.

Man, I love this. Like, you don't even know. I love how much these BL supports end up including other members.

Oh, I can be jealous of Felix's relationship with the others. I'm picking that.

"Anyway, we're done here. Talking to you is exhausting." And Felix just leaves. 😂🤣😂🤣 He DID NOT like getting called out like that.

DIMITRI & MERCEDES C SUPPORT

I got it! Thanks to everyone who warned me that this one closes quickly.

Also, I already have Dimitri & Dedue B unlocked, but it's locked right now.

Mercedes helping refugees in her free time because of course.

Dimitri being from the poorest nation, taking in all the refugees and sending supplies to them. 😭😭

Mercedes is happy that Dimitri is helping the church members, saying without him they'd end up homeless because of Edelgard.

Poor Mercie fleeing the Empire 😭😭 no wonder she's so loyal to the church.

Dimitri asking permission to speak plainly, and Mercie calling him silly for thinking he needed to ask permission 😭😭 She's so sweet, and I love how casual they are together.

Oh, I love where this is going. More about Dimitri wondering if giving the Empire an excuse to invade by protecting the church was the right thing to do.

Dimitri partly did it to try and keep chaos from happening and avoid civil war.

I'm just glad someone helped those poor people.

Liked how much this support covered in such a short time.

SHEZ & INGRID C SUPPORT

Ingrid really knows her Faerghus history.

Made it cannon that Faerghus values crests because they allow the user to use a big, bad weapon. Which means that wouldn't change in a meritocratic system lamo.

Ingrid's crest comes from another family?

I forgot Ingrid's actually related to Judith. It explains the shared badassery.

Love how Shez is acknowledging how there's no real rules to how crests relate to inheritance.

Ingrid's always so serious, lol. She's teaching Shez to keep Dimitri's reputation safe.

Good to note Shez ASKED Ingrid to teach her.

Ingrid's dream of becoming a knight makes me so sad. I'm glad she gets that in AM.

I don't see how she's not acting in the king's defense right now, though. Even as heir. Like, what's the difference between what she's doing now and being a knight?

Awww, the citizens like her.

AHHH Shez asked what I just did, that can't Ingrid protect the king even if she's the ruler? Like she's doing now.

DEDUE & PETRA C SUPPORT

I'm super excited for this one. It's one of the missed opportunity supports from Houses.

Petra looks so smol next to him.

Dedue's going out of his way to help Petra 😭😭😭😭

Petra likes Faerghus weather now! I love cold weather.

The idea of Dedue teaching Petra Fodlan language. I love that.

AHHH yes, we're going to discuss Dimitri teaching Dedue

"We spent years teaching each other." 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 GUYS, YOU HAVE NO IDEA. I head cannoned that Dimitri learned Duscur language too, but it's confirmed now. OMG this makes me so happy. Like, you have no idea 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

Petra loves the idea of exchanging languages.

Dimitri doesn't want Petra to feel neglected.

"Not being able to convey my feelings is giving me great sadness. It's making me feel frustration and loneliness." The fact Petra must feel this in all of Houses and other Hopes routes 😭😭😭😭 Ok, new head cannon. Dedue ALWAYS teaches Petra, so AM too.

😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 GUYS, this support. This is like fanfic. OMG. 😭😭😭😭

Poor Petra. Nobody taught her the language. Like, at all? She had to learn it all by herself. And all the Adrestian nobles made fun of her bad Fodlan language and her own language too. 😭😭😭😭

"It was the same for me, but His Majesty was always close." Meaning Dimitri went out of his way to try and make sure Dedue understood and was understood and not made fun of. 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

"If ever I struggled with a word, he would teach me."

Petra had no teacher 😭😭😭😭, but now she has Dedue.

OMG, best support so far. This was amazing.

And poor Petra. I'm honestly surprised Edelgard didn't help her at all. Maybe she thought Petra needed to prove her merit or something.

SHEZ & ANNETTE C SUPPORT

Annette is always so stressed out, lol. Can relate.

OMG 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣 Shez sang one of Annette's songs in front of other mercenaries, and she's upset lamo. And now everyone knows it.

And the song is about a horse-man. 😂🤣😂🤣

Forget Dorothea, Annette is the true songstress.

Annette is just too cute in that hat.

I need to hear this song in a later support, or I riot.

MAIN BATTLE

Yep, fog of war. Gross.

Also, seems Shez was more active during those two years with Dimitri compared to the other routes.

So this time I'm defeating Lonato, not saving him.

Oh, and persuade Dorothea! Don't mind if I do.

Oh, boy, Miklain is here. And he's on our side??? That's surprising.

Oh, thank God the "defeat Byleth" stopped.

Feel bad for Ashe, killing Lonato.

Shez is upset she didn't kill Byleth lamo.

Shez noticing the others are missing and I have the option to not be nosey and look for them. OFC I'm picking the opposite.

Oh, right, Miklain. Cool to see he's being brought back.

Felix is pissed Dimitri hired Miklain, but Dimitri made a deal with Sylvain's dad?

Interesting that part of why he did it is to get less dependent on relics.

This is really good drama though. Between this and Lonato the Blue Lions seem wayyy more integrated than most of the students in the other routes.

Oh, thank God. Dimitri at least consulted Sylvain before doing this. So Sylvain must've given it the ok.

Miklain sounds like a pouty child, lamo. Though, he's def not a great person. It's like Sei's Kanki from Kingdom.

Really love how Ingrid, Sylvain, Dimitri, and Felix all had something to say and had a valid point. This is good drama. Curious to see how this plays out. Like will Miklain get redemption? Will it backfire on Dimitri?

Felix seems more pissed off now that Dimitri didn't consult him, lamo.

I'm just really glad that Dimitri asked Sylvain first or whew.

More Silver Maiden fights next, Arianrhod.

Poor Ashe. Nice to see Dimitri asking Ashe if he's ok with fighting them.

Shez told Dimitri about Byleth. Don't remember if she told the others.

XXXX

[electricprincess96]

You know what I find funny. People assume cause I like Rhea (and married her in my Silver Snow playthrough) that I automatically ship Rhealeth... OK sure I really liked the Rhealeth Duo Unit in Heroes but hear me out, I liked it cause Rhea was in it, they could have put Rhea with Seteth for Brother Sister Bonding Fun, Rhea with Catherine, Rhea with Cyril, Rhea with Edelgard etc. And I'd have loved that unit. I don't particularly care for Rhealeth cause I don't care for Byleth, they aren't a character they are a husk. That being said pointing out that Rhea can be romanced by both Male and Female Byleth is proof that the Church if Seiros is not homophobic, like you don't need to like the ships to acknowledge this. Also when you make the claim "x is homophobic" YOU have to prove this, and saying "well religion" isn't proof, this is a fictional fucking religion where the Pope's a Dragon.

Also Rheagard is obviously the best Rhea ship fight irl 👊🏻

[thepandapopo]

His Star

This is my first FE fic in over ten years. The last time I wrote anything for FE was back in FE7 which, to this day, is my second favourite game of all time.

I have been on a Claudeth binge lately and since it is our favourite deer’s birthday tomorrow, I thought I would try my hand at a fic.

This is most likely going to be a multi chapter fic as I am spinning the plotline in my head as we speak, but whether or not that plot bunny makes it to paper is a different story.

Pairing: Claude x F!Byleth

In which Byleth falls sick for the first time in her entire life, but those who slither in the dark insist on making her life difficult. 

OR

The one where Claude fears he won’t make it in time.

Chapter List: 1 / 2 / 2.5 

Masterlist

XxXxXxXxX

“Professor, you need to rest!”

For someone so demure and dainty looking, Marianne is deceptively strong. Though, Byleth thinks absently as she lets her former student push her back down onto her large 4 poster bed, she shouldn’t be so surprised since she’s seen even Raphael himself bend to the gentle bishop’s will in the odd instances that he sustains a critical enough injury to land himself in the healer’s tent.

“Don’t worry, Professor. I’m sure Seteth will be able to hold down the fort while you recover.” Leonie says from her place at the foot of the bed. Despite the fact that the war has been over for nearly 6 months, her lance is still clipped neatly to her belt, next to her sword scabbard - close enough within reach to attack on a moment’s notice.

Since the end of the war, Leonie had taken it upon herself to act as the new Queen’s Head of Royal Guard. When Byleth had questioned the orange haired girl about her decision, she was merely met with a grin and a simple “I would be a terrible apprentice to Captain Jeralt if I let anything happen to his only child.”

“I’m... sorry.” Though the words themselves are not strange on her tongue, the unfamiliar dryness of her mouth and stuffed nose make Byleth sound weaker and more hesitant than she would have liked.

Leonie snorts, “you don’t have to apologize for catching a cold, Professor. Especially one due to stress. Despite what I think of you when you’re on the battlefield, you really are just a person like anyone else - of course you’re bound to get sick every now and again.”

Still, Byleth broods silently as she watches the blue haired healer usher her other student out the bedroom door, she has never gotten sick in her entire life until now and it just seems a tad bit unfair.

Fusing with the progenitor goddess has several advantages, but unfortunately it seems like being immune to illnesses is not one of them.

As her eyelids begin to lose the fight against consciousness, Byleth cannot help but let her mind wander longingly until she falls asleep dreaming of beautiful emerald eyes and a crooked grin that shines brighter than the dawn.

----

It only takes one week of being bed ridden before everything goes to hell in a handbasket.

Byleth is finally starting to feel well enough to stand up without feeling like she has ingested a vial of Claude’s infamous dizziness poison, when the scouts return with a report that the remnants of the Imperial army have joined forces with Those who Slither in the Dark and are marching for Derdrui, the country’s new capital.

It does not take a tactical genius to figure out that they are coming for the newly appointed Queen and Archbishop of the United Land of Fodlan.

Urgent messengers are sent out to all the nearby houses, requesting any available troops they can spare without leaving themselves vulnerable. It’s almost laughable the pitiful number of men that show up to help fight, but the arrival of all her golden deer is enough to raise Byleth’s morale and hope that she can conquer this disadvantaged fight without her schemer by her side.

Despite the protests from her students - former students, she corrects herself - Byleth steels herself and leads the meager army at her disposal in a defensive formation. This is her duty, after all. Without her, troop morale would falter and that in itself can be the deciding factor in a battle. Additionally, though she has not used it in several months and truly, she does believe in all her students’ skills, Byleth cannot help the unease that creeps up her throat when she thinks about her precious deer on the battlefield without her Divine Pulse. She has fought so hard to make sure they lived to see the peaceful world Claude and her dreamed of, that it would seem like a cruel joke only for them to fall now.

Even sick, the Ashen Demon earns her reputation. Fells of enemies fall to the Sword of the Creator as it burns with power, whipping around its wielder like a snake striking with deadly precision at the enemy’s weakness. Byleth refuses to let any enemies get close to the city. Her people have already been ravaged by war. They deserve peace, not another battle at their front step.

Hilda is somewhere to her left swinging Freikugel and cleaving through enemies with all the difficulty of a hot knife slicing through butter. Byleth is tempted to relocate the pink haired girl to the back line to act as a final barrier, but she knows that those orders will fall on deaf ears.

“If you insist on going out there Professor, then I have to come and make sure you don’t die. Can you imagine what Claude would say if he came back to find you dead? He would mope for the next century!”

Ignatz and Lysithea are further back providing cover with their long ranged attacks. Arrows and black magic rain from the sky, piercing through unsuspecting enemies and carving a path for Byleth’s battalion to advance and cut through the ranks of the enemy.

Somewhere to her right, she can hear Raphael’s battle cries above the cacophony of sounds. Judging by his sheer volume, Byleth knows that he is doing well despite being far outnumbered. Besides, the brawler is accompanied by Lorenz and Bernadetta, and while Lorenz specializes in black magics, he knows enough healing spells to keep them afloat. Plus, no matter how timid she is off the battlefield, Bernadetta is a force to be reckoned with when protecting her loved ones. Especially her mountain of a husband.

Marianne, Leonie, Felix, Ingrid, Seteth and Flayn are scattered elsewhere to protect against the enemies from crushing them in from both sides, but as the battle wages on, it becomes more and more apparent that their ranks are thinning and those that still stand are beginning to feel the fatigue of being outnumbered three to one.

The battlefield has long since warped into a jigsaw of cracked earth and chasms, courtesy of some nasty earth spells from Those Who Slither In the Dark. Where there should be rolling plains leading out onto the salty water of the ocean, there are now steep cliffs of jagged rocks jutting out of the ground, and despite her best efforts, Byleth eventually finds herself cornered on the precipice of one such cliff.

It can’t end like this.

Another enemy falls to her sword and Byleth barely has time to parry an oncoming arrow before another wave of nausea assaults her body.

She knows she’s probably burning up right now. Mint green strands of hair are matted to her skin with dirt and sweat, and the pounding behind her eyes is growing increasingly difficult to ignore. Byleth is pretty sure that had it not been for her father hammering in years of battle instincts into her, she would have had her head lopped off ages ago.

Despite how much she tries to will herself to stay in that cool, collected mindset that has won her numerous battles, Byleth cannot stop the tightness in her chest that accompanies the tears of frustration accumulating at the corner of her eyes.

She wanted to see Claude again. To feel his arms around her. To fall asleep to the steady pounding of his heart that seemed to inexplicably speed up every time she let her body melt into his. To let herself drown in the scent of pine needles and spices.

She could try using the Divine Pulse, but where would she rewind to? A few minutes would not be enough to make a drastic enough decision to turn the tide in their favor.

It’s not fair.

Goddess. She is so tired. But she cannot give up. Not when she has a promise to keep.

“I love you. With everything I am. And the next time we see each other... it will be at the dawn of a whole new world. A peaceful, happy world.”

Claude...

The ground beneath her feet teeters and he sky is suddenly above her. It is a brilliant blue with fluffy white clouds and even though she knows she is falling, she cannot help but be reminded of the first time Claude invited her out on his wyvern and they spent the afternoon soaring and diving through the air on a beautiful day just like this.

Claude... I’m sorry I couldn’t keep our promise...

She thinks it is a trick of her mind, but right as Byleth feels her consciousness slipping away, she hears his voice one last time crying out her name with such fear and anguish.

Then, there was nothing.

----

“BYLETH!”

Claude feels his heart stop and clench painfully as the familiar black and green figure tumbles off the edge of a jagged cliff.

He is shooting across the battlefield on his wyvern’s back before he can even spare a thought to how absolutely reckless it is to fly so low in the range of archers.

Behind him, he vaguely registers his generals shouting at him in alarm and Nader barking out orders to support the retreating Fodlan forces.

All he can think about right now is getting to His Star in time.

Later, he will wonder to himself if perhaps he might have the power to pause time as well, because although it was probably less than 4 seconds, Claude swears that the world around him slowed as all of his senses honed in on his one goal.

Please, goddess, let me reach her in time.

---

To those who participated in the Final battle with Those Who Slither in the Dark, they would recall vividly the moment when a loud battle cry rang out from the east heralding the arrival of the Almyran army.

They would also recount the arrow of white and gold that shot across the battlefield towards the Queen whom had made her last stand on the edge of a cliff before fainting from exhaustion and tumbling down to the depths below.

Above the din of weapons clashing and cries of agony rose a single name, cried out with such fear and panic that even those who knew not whom the shout belonged to, felt their hearts clench painfully with the raw emotion.

Although not many could say for certain what happened next, all the surviving Fodlan soldiers would recall shortly thereafter seeing their former leader, Claude von Riegan, atop his white wyvern loosing arrow after arrow on the lingering enemies with such brutal efficiency that reminded everyone exactly how he had ended the war.

When the fighting ceases and casualties are tallied, fear for their Queen runs rampant through the soldiers. For those who have had the privilege of fighting under the combined leadership of Claude, the master tactician, and Byleth, the Ashen Demon, they know how strong the bond is between the two, and although they have their doubts, they allow themselves to let their worries melt away when they see Claude exit the medical tent with a look of such knee wobbling relief that he has to lean on a nearby wall to stop from collapsing.

XxXxXxXxX

Ugh. I hate how this ended. I’ll come back and fix it another day.

Anyhoo, hope you all enjoyed it!

Chapter 1

Next: Chapter 2

[steph-writing]

Fem Byleth x Claude wedding...? Please

I got this ask a while ago but I needed the F E E L S to do it justice. And I can only hope I did it justice because THIS COUPLE!!!!!! DESERVES!!!!!! THE WORLD!!!!!! 😭😍 And I’m not used to 3rd POV writing so shit if I screwed up my bad lmao enjoy ;)

AO3 link

“Claude, you will not see the bride before she walks in!” Hilda barks at Claude for what feels like the hundredth time as she catches him trying to sneak in the room where Byleth is getting ready. “Get out of here before I chop off your favorite toy and ruin Byleth’s honeymoon.”

“Now, there’s no need to get aggressive, is there?” Claude tries to laugh it off but it’s clear as day from the way his stance shifts that he’s taking her threats very seriously.

But as he turns to try and make his escape back to the dining hall, a very smiley and a very annoyed Raphael and Lorenz block his exit.

“Hey Claude-”

“What exactly made you think you will marry Byleth dressed like that?” Lorenz interrupts Raphael’s warm-hearted exchange with nothing but sheer exasperation on his voice.

Letting out a deep breath, Hilda drops the axe she was wielding menacingly moments ago and smiles at the guys. “Good, you’re here. Could you please drag Claude’s sorry ass out of here? I need to check on Byleth.”

Not waiting for their reply, she storms off down the hall.

“I just wanted to talk with my fiancée, is that some sort of crime?” Claude tries to sound nonchalant, but it’s to no avail.

“I’m not sure you grasp the magnitude of the event that’s about to unfold!” Shaking his head, Lorenz, motions Raphael to grab Claude and start leading him away as they walk back to his room to finish getting him ready.

“This wedding is not only your joyous and, might I add, much delayed love union with Byleth, but also the joining of two great nations! Fódlan and Almyra were never amicable to each other, but that is bound to change with a romantic union of the leader of our free nation and the King of Almyra. You ought to show some respect and dignity to carry out your duties today!

“Besides, how do you think Byleth would feel if she could see just how little you seem to care to your appearance for today? Oh my, is that sauce I see on your shirt? Claude, this is unacceptable!

“Have you any idea what it would look like if…”

Lorenz keeps talking until they get there, all the way on the other side of the Monastery, but doesn’t seem to realize Claude, thrown over Raphael’s shoulder for good measure, has fallen asleep to the sound of his nagging, and only wakes up when Raphael puts him down non-ceremoniously on the chair while Lorenz hits his closet to find something he deems suitable for Claude to wear for his wedding.

*

Meanwhile, Hilda deals with something she never expected to see.

“What if he doesn’t show up? Or worse, if he says no? Or that it was all just a joke? What if he doesn’t really love me and this is just an overelaborated prank?”

Byleth is pacing around so fast that Hilda is having a hard time believing her former Professor even has the ability to talk so much and so fast all at once.

“Byleth, will you just calm down?” She storms up to the bride, stopping her at once and proceeding to fix the diadem on her hair.

“But Hilda, I-”

“I know, I know. It all seems very easy until it gets down to it, right? You get all these doubts and uncertainties and it makes you want to run far, far away and never look back.” Byleth nods slowly, biting down on her lip so hard she can almost taste the metal on her blood. “I’ve been there, remember? And you were there to knock some sense into me while I was already getting my wyvern ready to fly away.”

They both laugh softly at the memory. It is true, Byleth can still remember the tears on Hilda’s eyes as she questioned all she and her now husband ever went through and whether she was forcing him into their marriage.

“I was silly for doubting then, and you’re being even more now.” Gently pushing Byleth back to the chair, Hilda grabs some makeup and starts giving her some finishing touches. “My husband is a bit slow on that aspect, we both know that. But Claude’s different. He never hid how much he cares for you, nor how much he loves you.”

Byleth sighs, a small smile tugging the corners of her lips, and Hilda feels a pride tug on her now very pregnant belly. She was making her little boy proud by soothing his godmother at this time of need.

“I was outside kicking him out of here because he couldn’t stand not to see you until the ceremony, you know? He’s with Lorenz and Raphael now, and we both know those two won’t let anything happen to our boy. You can rest assured that he’ll be on that altar, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was already there, honestly.”

“It’s just… there’s so much that could go wrong.”

“Well, it wouldn’t be a Golden Deer wedding if it all ran smoothly. We are quite the troublemakers, Professor.”

Winking mischievously at Byleth, Hilda focuses on finishing her makeup, the ceremony is just around the corner, and everything better be working out because she will not run around to fix everyone’s mess with a belly this big.

But she’d sure as hell make her husband do it.

As Hilda turns around to grab a different lip tint color, Byleth seems to gather her strength and rushes what’s been eating at her from the inside.

“Hilda, there’s something I haven’t told anyone yet…”

*

Finally, it’s time.

Claude can’t stop fidgeting on the altar, counting the seconds until Byleth walks through the Cathedral’s door. He hasn’t seen her all day, and ever since he came back, he’s tried to hear her laugh at least once a day. But today when he woke up, she was already gone, and the guys were already ready to drag him all around until the ceremony.

He managed to sneak away a few times, but a very pregnant and menacing Hilda blocked his every attempt at seeing his fiancée.

They lived in Derdriu but decided to hold the wedding on the Monastery for several reasons. It was here they shared their first kiss, all those years ago before the battle where Byleth disappeared. It was here where they were reunited, where they shared their first touches, where he heard her cries of pleasure for the first time, where they declared their love for each other… and where he proposed before leaving for Almyra.

He looks around the room and sees all of their friends sitting there, eager to see their union at long last, all happy smiles and teary eyes.

Dorothea, Manuela and Annette are next to the piano, ready to sing the entrance song when Byleth walks in.

Everyone attended, there are Blue Lions, Black Eagles and Golden Deers spread out, sitting next to each other… Claude can’t help but feel proud of his soon-to-be wife.

She really did help create a unified Fódlan, if you look at everyone on this room, you’d never say they weren’t always united.

He wishes, however, that Dimitri and Dedue could’ve been here. Even Edelgard and Hubert… but he knows that they’d be proud of what he and Byleth are accomplishing in Fódlan, and it brings a smile to his face.

Even the Almyrans have showed up for his wedding, some of them even mingling and chatting with the guests from Fódlan – the way it’s supposed to be. Looking at his parents sitting on the end of the front row, he can’t help but feel his heart break a bit.

Byleth doesn’t have any blood relatives left. He knows she still thinks of Jeralt, she told him as much, and every time he sees that forlorn look on her eyes when she visits his grave when they come to the monastery, he swears over and over again that he’ll give her the biggest and happiest family she’s ever seen.

Lorenz shifts next to him, and he notices he’s making room for Hilda to get on the other side of the altar as the maid of honor usually does. He also notices Seteth and Lorenz are quirking their eyebrows at Hilda, which he soon does too when he sees the huge smile that’s on her face.

“What…”

Claude’s question dies on his lips when the huge doors crack open, and the music starts playing.

The sun is shining bright, and it causes a halo of light to surround Byleth’s white dress as she steps on the threshold.

By all the Gods in this world, how is it that she’s looking even more beautiful than usual? Claude asks himself, all else forgotten. There’s a certain… glow on her, he can’t look away. Is it magic? It must be.

As Byleth walks in on Alois’s arm, he only partially notices how the old man is bawling his eyes out. He remembers how emotional he got when Byleth asked him to walk her on the aisle as her father figure. And he’s sure the song the girls are singing is very emotional and has nice lyrics, but he can’t hear them. He can’t see anyone else.

All he sees is Byleth.

All he feels is love.

All he wants is to hold her in his arms and swear before every God and Goddess out there that he will never let her go again, that his life is hers and that he promises to spend eternity making her happier each day.

Her hair cascades down her back in soft curls, the golden diadem crowning her head making her look like a Queen, his Queen. And her dress hugs her every curve, making her look so tempting it should be a sin to walk in a church like that.

When she reaches the altar, he’s dazzled by her smile, by the sheer love that’s on her eyes, a look he’s sure is a clear reflection of his. Claude’s hardly able to spare a glance to Alois when he takes Byleth’s hands in his, but he’s sure the man didn’t notice through all the tears on his face.

Seteth begins the ceremony, a mix of Fódlan and Almyran traditions, and Claude’s sure it must be lovely, but he can’t stop looking at Byleth, and she can’t stop looking at him. It’s only when it’s time for his vows that he finds his voice again.

“I vow to love you, protect you, and stand by you. Now and forever. My anamchara, I will never leave you, for my life is yours and without you I can’t ever be. I never thought I’d need someone as much as I need you, and never have I thought that I’d enjoy sharing so much of myself, my dreams and my life with someone. Thank you for trusting me, for being my friend, for being my teach, and for being my love. I promise to give you all I am, and to be your friend, your lover, and your family. Now and forever.”

Byleth’s eyes are so marred with tears, her voice wavers when it’s her turn.

“I vow to love you, protect you, and stand by you. Now and forever. Finding you was like finding a piece of me I always knew was missing. Thank you for being there for me when I needed someone, for being my shoulder to cry on and the one to make me laugh even in the darkest times. My anamchara,” she says the word with that cute accent that always makes Claude’s heart hammer on his chest, “I love you more than I ever thought it to be possible. I promise to give you all I am, and to be your friend, your lover and your family. Now and forever.”

Claude’s lips quiver at her vow, and as they exchange their rings, both of their hands shake at their overjoyed anticipation of a life together at last.

At the sound of all their friends’ cheer, Claude pulls Byleth against his chest by her waist, and they share the purest of smiles before he leans down to kiss her with all the love he can muster.

Pulling their lips apart, Claude still can’t let go of his wife. Wife. He thinks the word to himself over and over, adoring the feel of it, only to have his thoughts interrupted by her small voice whispering against his neck.

“Claude, I…”

“What is it?” He senses her hesitation and tilts her head up with a gentle finger under her chin. She knows she can tell him whatever, he’ll still be there for her.

“I’m pregnant.”

His smile falters for a moment, but before Byleth can even look away, he breaks out in laughter, and pulls her even closer, lifting her as he spins around hugging her, which is enough for her to loosen up and laugh alongside him, both basking on the joy of the chance of starting their own family.

Today is, without a shadow of doubt, the best day in Claude’s life.

And as they walk down the aisle into their new life, they know they’ll love each other until the end of this world.

[golden-deer-dear]

How to Say ‘I Love You’ When the Word is Not Enough, Claude x Byleth Fluff Fic (art inspired)

Summary: Claude never had someone touch him before with any sort of affection, so when Byleth does just that, it is a completely new experience for him. Or, five times Claude is touch starved, and one time Byleth returns the sentiment.

Notes: Does anyone remember the 5 times (sometimes +1) fics that were really popular years ago? I miss those. Let's bring those back.

Anyways, this entire fic is a gift to @julls because their art gives me life. Hope you like it!

Scene 1 Scene 2 Scene 3 Scene 4 Scene 5 Scene 6

How to Say ‘I Love You’ When the Word is Not Enough

Their first kiss was honey on a sore throat. It soothed a pain Claude had long tried to hide. But there in her arms, with every ounce of love he was capable of being poured onto her soft lips, it was as if a dam burst inside his soul. He wanted her close, wanted to hold her in his arms forever, and just feel her warmth against him.

It was amazing, strange and overwhelming, something his brain raced to process. Claude had never held anyone like this before. He honestly could not remember anyone ever touching him with any sort of affection at a previous point in his life, save for when his mother touched his cheek and told him to watch his back before he left for Fódlan. This was different. This was something that did not fit into any scheme, but this was Teach after all. She had a habit of throwing him off kilter. 

And it all hurt so much because he knew he would have to let her go. Byleth would leave the warmth of his embrace and go rule a newly united Fódlan. He would have to leave the softness of her lips to return to Almyra and deal with the crown. Even with her lips still on his, the thought made Claude’s heart ache so much for a brief moment he considered forgetting his plans altogether.

They broke apart just long enough to catch their breath, lips lingering close to one another. Claude knew he should go, but he wasn’t strong enough. He craved her touch as if it gave him life itself. And so he dove back in.

This kiss was not as frantic as their first, but no less desperate. Claude’s fingers curled against her back, one hand upon her waist, the other caress the line of her shoulder blade, as he tried to bring her closer despite their bodies already being flush against one another. He felt Byleth’s arm move, her sword calloused fingers brushing against his neck as she reached for his hair, ideally flipping the ends of the soft strains between those talented fingers. 

Claude cursed inside his own head, again unsure how to process such a small gesture with so much weight behind it. Stars above and earth below, but he loved her so much his heart hurt. 

He pulled back, forcing himself not to rest his forehead against hers. He would never be able to leave at this rate. Instead, he settled for a smile, the corners of his eyes crinkling with joy when it was returned. Byleth’s cheeks were dusted pink, her lips sweetly kiss bruised. She was everything he wanted, and so much more than he deserved. 

“I never thought I could love someone so much that not being close to you tears my heart apart,” Claude whispered, stopping just short of leaning in for another kiss.

Byleth’s face creased in confusion. “I’m not sure how we could be much closer right now.”

“Oh, I can think of a few ways.” Claude laughed at his own joke, a slightly strangled quality to the sound, raising his brows a few times even as Byleth rolled her eyes at him. He was a moron. Best not to think of that right now. It was extremely dangerous territory. He really would never leave if they gave in and were intimate right now. “But we only have a few minutes. And thinking about not being near you, of being unable to hold you like this…” He trailed off in his explanation, unable to describe the ache in his chest. 

Byleth stood on tiptoe to kiss him again, quick and reassuring, too fast for him to drown in her again. “Then don’t think about it,” she said as if it were the most logical thing in the world. “Not for the few minutes we have. And after that, just think of what it will feel like when I get to hold you like this again.”

Claude pulled her as close as he could, burying his face against her neck. “Sounds like a plan to me.”

A few more minutes he would gladly indulge in.

And after that, a lifetime.

/

“Take this to Shamir. She’ll know what to do with it,” Byleth ordered. The soldier nodded and turned on her heel, leaving the room quickly to fulfill his orders. 

And that left them alone. Claude flipped his quill back and forth between two fingers, uncaring of the ink he was splattering onto his desk. He chewed the inside of his cheek, trying to resist the sight of his wife dressed in light cotton, her black shirt hanging off her shoulders and hugging every curve. The sun shone on her through the large windows, creating a lovely picture that reminded Claude just why he liked summer so much. But no, in this case he was weak, and he very much wanted his arms around her. 

Claude pushed his chair back, standing and rapidly crossing the room to his wife’s side. Byleth blinked at him, her mouth opened to ask a question, only for it to turn into a laugh as Claude slid behind her and wrapped his arms around her. 

“Claude, we still have work to do,” Byleth pointed out even as she relaxed against him. 

Claude hummed softly, nuzzling against her cheek. “We can take a quick break.”

“Claude, your stubble tickles,” Byleth chastised, her voice so light Claude could easily picture the mirth in her eyes. 

“Does it?” Claude practically purred. Byleth stiffened in his arms briefly, hearing the hint of a scheme forming in Claude’s own laughing tone. But she did not fight as he walked them backwards to a lounge, sinking onto it while pulling Byleth down with him. He curled around her like a cat, arms still slung over her shoulders and legs propped up around her, as he settled them comfortably against the plush cushions. 

He nuzzled at her cheek again, rubbing more of his beard against her cheek. “How about that then?”

Byleth squirmed in Claude’s grasp, trying to turn in his arms so she could face him. Claude held her in place, not even close to done with his teasing. He moved down, rubbing against her neck and shoulders. His fingers played at her sides, causing Byleth to let loose a squeak as she squirmed harder. Claude grinned widely, loving that he had pulled that sound from her. He was certain he was the only one who knew Byleth was ticklish, and it was a secret he guarded jealously.

“Claude!” Byleth laughed, that light carefree sound she made more and more often whenever she was alone with him. “Stop!”

He gave one more last nuzzle against her cheek, smirking as she shuddered in his arms. “If I must,” Claude pouted.

Byleth was finally able to turn in his embrace, placing a quick kiss against his lips to steal away his frown. “Now, about this break…” Byleth trailed off, cuddling against Claude’s chest as she closed her eyes. “It sounds like a good idea.”

“Those are the only kinds of ideas I have, my love,” Claude pointed out before kissing the top of her head. 

“Shhh.” Byleth lifted her hand to place a finger against his lips. “Nap now.”

Getting a moment to hold her uninterrupted? Yeah, there was no way he was going to argue with that. She was beside him, resting against his chest, making his heart light and his thoughts carefree.

/

Claude reluctantly lifted his head from his place between his wife’s legs, smirking at the noise of annoyance she made as he left. But he was certain he had heard something else beside his wife’s moans as he pleasured her with his tongue. 

Byleth glared up at him, but Claude tilted his head to the side, listening once more for the voices he heard before. Sure enough, coming closer to them were five...no, make that six knights if he was reading the sounds of their shoes crunching against the gravel pathway correctly. He picked out Cathrine’s voice, although that wasn’t too hard since she was louder than the rest of them put together. Thankfully they were hidden by a row of rose bushes. So long as they were quiet, no one would even know they were here.

He knew the moment Byleth heard them as well by the way her eyes widened. She stared up at him with a spark of horror. It was one thing for everyone to know the new king and queen enjoyed a healthy sex life, but it was another thing altogether to be caught in the act itself. Especially if Cathrine was the one to do the catching. And oh, there rose another voice that made the situation so much worse. 

Seteth.

Honestly, Claude did not really care if they were caught or not. He would laugh off Seteth outraged lecture, stealing Byleth away to finish up what they started. Byleth, however, would not enjoy it. She would not be mortified by any means, Byleth didn’t do mortified, but she would be upset. She had grown so much since coming to the monastery, more so after their marriage. He loved being able to read her, but would hate to see her truly upset. Better just to avoid it overall.

But on the other hand…

Claude missed the feel of her. Byleth was lying on the garden grass beneath him, her legs on either side of him, but not touching him. He wanted her, needed her like he needed air in his lungs. He couldn’t help himself. 

Byleth’s eyes grew a fraction wider as Claude gripped her leg, but she offered no resistance as he guided her limb up. He hooked her knee over his shoulder, eyes greedily taking in the display before him. 

Claude raised a finger to his lips, eyes glittering with mischief.  “Shh,” he whispered. Oh yes, this was much more enjoyable than simply waiting for the others to pass.

Byleth slapped a hand over her mouth, trying to regulate her breathing as Claude lined himself up with her. Her eyes fell shut, her head tipping back as her back arched, when Claude slowly pushed himself into her. He bit his lip to stifle his own moan, but found it quite easy to keep quiet. If he was loud now their fun would end. 

For her part, Byleth brought her other hand to her mouth as well, using both to cover the sounds that were desperate to escape from her. Claude really wasn’t helping when he pulled out only to slowly thrust into her again. He could feel her foot move against his back, flexing as he moved within her, channeling the expressions she could not currently put into words. 

Claude bent forward, placing both hands on either side of Byleth’s head. The motion forced Byleth’s leg further up, causing Claude to thrust into her at a different angle. Byleth shuddered beneath him, her moans audible even through the hands still covering her mouth. She squeezed him as if she never wanted their bodies to be parted. Claude fell forward, burying his face against her neck, busying his lips with kisses along her skin to distract himself from the sounds fighting to escape from his own throat. 

And then Byleth’s body went taut. Her hands dropped away as a heavy sigh went through her, unable to hide the noise from the world. Thankfully, Cathrine choose that moment to laugh at something one of the other knights said, completely covering any noise Byleth made. Claude held himself still, one of the most difficult things he had ever had to do, as Byleth unraveled around him. He watched as she came down, joy shooting into his heart like an arrow as she instinctively reached out for him.

The sound of gravel crunching from the other side of the rose bushes alerted Claude that the knights were finally moving on, none the wiser to their rulers’ presence. 

Or so he thought until someone cleared her throat right next to them. “Might want to wrap it up,” Shamir said softly. “Seteth is looking for the two of you.”

Claude shared a look with Byleth, who blinked up at him. He couldn’t help it. He laughed loudly, wrapping himself around Byleth until she joined him.

“Stars above,” he whispered in her ear, “I love you.”

/

“Byleth!”

His wife stopped and turned, a smile more radiant than the sun gracing her lips when she saw him coming toward her. There was so much love in Byleth’s eyes Claude wasn’t sure exactly what to do with it all except try and love her back just as much. 

Byleth waited for him, leaning into his side as Claude threw an arm around her shoulders. “Care to join me for a cozy morning stroll?” she asked. 

“I cannot think of anything I want to do more.”

“Oh?” she said in a teasing tone Claude recognized all too well. It was the same tone he used when he was about to tease her. “Are you sure? We are headed toward the gardens after all.”

Claude quirked an eyebrow even as he smirked at her. “Was that an invite?”

Pink sprang up in Byleth’s cheeks as Claude pressed himself closer, but she held his gaze without issue. “Unfortunately I’m expected at a meeting with Seteth and Judith soon. But I have enough time that I don’t have to hurry, so long as I am actually headed that way,” she was quick to add the last part when Claude’s tongue poked out to lick his lips, mischief flashing in his eyes. 

“Ah well, an actual stroll is enjoyable too.” 

Byleth smile was small and barely there. Those who were not close to her probably wouldn’t even notice it. But her eyes, those beautiful mint green eyes, shone. She looked at him, and Claude could swear he saw stars, even though the sun was already blazing summer heat into the early morning. She kept herself at his side, craving his touch as much as he craved hers. 

It had taken Claude a while to understand that Byleth loved him as much as he loved her. It wasn’t that he doubted her. He just found it difficult to wrap his head around the idea that someone cared for him that much. Byleth wanted him near, did not find it at all annoying when he clung to her. She clung to him just as much. Somewhere, somehow, Claude had come to accept that Byleth had helped him find his heart.

The crest stone inside Byleth’s chest may have kept her heart from beating, but Claude knew how much love she was capable of. It was what made his own beat to her steady rhythm. 

/

Their breathing echoed off the walls of their bedroom, heavy after their recent activities. Claude’s hand curled over the top of Byleth’s head, tangling his fingers in her hair. “I always forget how small you are,” Claude murmured as he leaned over his wife, his bare chest brushing against her own. 

Byleth laid a hand over his heart, the metal of her engagement ring cool upon his hot flesh. She tilted her head up, lips begging for a kiss. She hummed a non committal sound as she opened her mouth. It was a lazy motion, made without any thought other than a desire for her lover. 

Claude could not deny her, knew he would never be able to do so, and accepted it gladly. He leaned in for the kiss Byleth was so eagerly asking for, teeth nibbling at her lower lip. Byleth hummed again against his lips, expressing her approval as she always did through little sounds that were for his ears alone.

She was smiling at him when he pulled away, staying close enough that their lips still brushed each other when she spoke, her top lip catching against his. “What was that about me being small?”

“You are small,” Claude repeated. “My small, precious wife. Light of my life and goddess of my heart.”

“You don’t believe in the goddess,” Byleth pointed out. She raised one finger to caress against his neck, the softest of touches to a spot she knew made him shiver. He could not help the reaction that ran through his body at that simple touch. She knew exactly how to play him.

“But I believe in you,” Claude answered, nipping at her lips again.

Her smile grew, her eyes still hazy with the afterglow of her orgasm. “Oooh, good answer, lover boy.” Byleth’s finger twitched against his Adam’s apple, forcing another shiver through Claude’s body. 

She was certainly proud of herself for that one, if the laughter in her eyes was anything to go by. He loved that look on her, that unbridled joy she no longer hid behind a stoic mask. And he was the one who put it there. This was happiness, laying here with the woman he loved, her body pressed close to him, as they lingered in the afterglow of their lovemaking. How did one simple word manage to capture all that he was feeling in his heart?

“You’ve become quite expressive, haven’t you?” he whispered, his nose brushing against hers. He did it again a couple more times, knowing that it was a super cheesy move, and not really caring. It just felt good to touch and explore all of her.

Byleth blinked, the smile disappearing for a moment as she thought over Claude’s words. “I suppose I have. You taught me how to feel after all.”

Claude’s world came to a screeching halt. That was certainly more of an answer than he was expecting. It was too much. He flopped on his side, keeping himself pressed against Byleth as much as possible while removing his body weight before he could crush her, and buried his face against her neck. 

“Are you blushing?” Byleth asked, although he was certain he could feel how hot his face was against her shoulder. She turned her head, kissing the top of his head with a smile on her lips.

“Leave me alone,” Claude mumbled even as he nuzzled against her neck, trying to hide himself more. 

“Never,” Byleth promised.

And Claude, the very embodiment of mistrust, believed her.

/

Byleth threw a pair of socks at her husband, watching as he blinked up at her in surprise. “What are these for?”

“The floor is cold,” Byleth said simply. “I know you hate the cold.”

On their rare day off, Byleth had taken a nap, only to wake up to quite a shock when her feet hit the floor. A cold front had swept in, the first hint of autumn, making the stone tiles of the monastery chill to the touch. And there was Claude, sitting upon a lounge on the opposite side of the room, surrounded by puffy pillows as he read (it had better not be reports, not on their day off, or else there would be a talk later). He was wearing a simple shirt and pants, the shirt cut with a deep v to reveal his chest. But his feet were bare. He would be upset when he stood up and made the same discovery she had. 

Claude blinked again before a smile crossed his face. He set aside his book and picked up the socks, slipping them on and wiggling his toes at her. “Thanks, By.” 

He blinked again, the smile fading as Byleth continued to stare at him. “By? You okay?”

“You think there’s enough room on there for me too?” she asked. Of course there was, they had sat together on that lounge hundreds of times before. 

But Claude knew what she was really asking. His smile returned as he spread his legs wider, opening his arms in invitation. “For you, always.”

Byleth happily slid onto Claude’s lap, wrapping her arms around his neck as she laid her head on top of his. Claude helped her pull her legs up, one hand staying upon her thigh as she relaxed against him. His other arm wrapped around her waist, fingers tapping against her hip.

Yes, this, this was what she wanted. Every time Claude held her she knew, without him having to say a word, how much he loved her. He’d told her before how much she affected his heart, usually stumbling over the lines or blushing profusely afterwards, but he at least managed to put those feelings into words. 

She always struggled with that. Sometimes she could answer him with her own feelings, but starting the conversation herself was difficult. So she clung to him, hoping every emotion she felt could be conveyed through contact. 

How did she tell him? How did she tell him how grateful she was that he was always on her side? That he believed in her even when others did not? He made her heart feel like it could skip a beat it did not take whenever he stole away her breath. He was her grounding force, as much as she was the stars in the sky for him. She ached when he was away. She ached when he was near, in a completely different way. Both ways were confusing, but nothing she would ever willingly give up. 

“Claude,” she whispered, nuzzling her nose into his hair and breathing deeply the scent of pine and cinnamon. “Your embrace soothes my soul.”

She could picture Claude blinking his surprise again as a moment of silence passed. “Wow By, that was really elegant.”

“Oh hush,” Byleth chastised without putting any force behind her words. Heat rushed to her face, and she knew her cheeks were the deep red that Claude enjoyed seeing so much. “I love you.”

“I love you too, By,” Claude answered easily. He tilted his head back, begging for a kiss which Byleth eagerly gave. It was short and sweet, the easiest way to convey love with more than the word that seemed so inadequate to capture everything he did to her heart. 

But that was fine. Because Claude knew, and that was all that mattered. His touch made her heart feel whole.

Being wrapped in his embrace was all that she would ever need.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Personal headcanons that made an appearance if anyone is interested:

1. Byleth is ticklish, but doesn't realize it until the first time she's with her so. 2. Claude smells like pine needles and cinnamon because of the tea he drinks with Byleth. 3. Instead of swearing on the goddess, Claude says things like 'stars above' or other nature related curses.

[omgkalyppso]

ok a few questions about the ot4 kids!

What is the birth order? which sibling do each of them like the most? Are there any sibling rivalries? Who's each one's birth parents (sorry if this question is offensive, i realize all 4 are their parents, but i'm curious who inherited what from whom)

and lastly do they have nicknames? :D

asdfhaksk Thank you for the ask! I only didn't Really specify some of these things since they're included in stuff on my ao3 and I worry about boring people by being repetitive, but I'm So Happy to talk about them.

But uh. I also can't shut up, so here's another cut. (Extremely long, you have been warned)

So. Lorenz and Hilda have been married for 7 years by the time they start becoming romantically entangled with Fae and Claude (then married for some months, nearly a year). Hilda and Lorenz already have Halvard (the eldest) (nickname Hal) and Lorencia (nickname Lori) by then. Fae and Claude have their twins next, Nader and Geralt.

I debated for a long time after this about whether the next child I wrote would have Claude and Hilda as bio parents. At the time, I was still relatively alone in polyshipping in this fandom, and I was too afraid to follow through. I was picturing what people would say in-universe and to me specifically when I was already liberally using the block button for other nonsense; but there's someone who ships byleth x claude x lorenz x hilda making art in the Lorenz zine of them and all their fankids and it's SO FUCKING CUTE. I don't regret my family interpretations, but I am envious that they have that.

Anyway! After the twins, Fae and Claude conceive again, Sadaf, and as I've given Fae the capability to tell relatively early if they're pregnant (Byleth / My Unit having no heartbeat. I've written Fae as being shocked and Aware when suddenly they have one), when Fae and Claude tell Lorenz and Hilda, they readily conspire to have another child, to bring their families closer together, assuming having children so close in age would have some effect on this, similar milestones and just the means and desire for this sort of love. Also, I just picture Lorenz as the sort of only child who wants a larger family. So that's Baldovin (bullied with the nickname Baldy, until Sadaf starts calling him Vinnie).

Ten years younger than Fae and Claude's twins, they conceive Simon. He's unplanned, and Fae's 46 by then. He's a little sickly as a child. Spinal problems through life. And the only one of the kids in post-canon who grows up with four parents. When he's 11 years old Halvard is 27, and taking over as head of house Gloucester so that Lorenz is being (forcibly, but he's fine) retired to the palace in Derdriu as Advisor to the Crown; Hilda's held a title at the court in Derdriu for far longer than this though, because in her and Lorenz's paired ending it talks about her setting up trade schools? Because of her crafting? But I like her illustrating Seteth's children books and being Aware of what Cyril went through and instead name her as Minister of Children and Youth Services, and having helped establish something like a school board; which is hilarious that we all want something like this — smiled BIG about this part of your big bang piece for Yuri.

All together the kids look like:

Halvard is about 3 years older than Lorencia.

Lorencia is about 3 years older than the twins.

The twins are about 2 years older than Sadaf.

Sadaf is about 2 months older than Baldovin.

Baldovin is about 7 years older than Simon.

I actually have a fic titled Headcanons and Extrapolations where chapter 2 is art of my fankids and chapter 4 is my timeline: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20658107

Three bullet points in this fic read:

When Halvard was twelve, he accidentally caught a glance of a stolen kiss between Claude and his father. When he approached him on it, Lorenz was at the same time grateful and resentful that he was alone to have to try and have this conversation with his son. He did a surprisingly good job of it. A few months later, Halvard approached the monarchs and his parents to say they should be less subtle about it. They crowded in on each other's space far more in the company of their children afterwards.

It’s not one conversation that the ot4 has with any of their children afterwards which attempts to explain the nature of their relationship, but rather several conversations over the course of their lives. By the time Simon is an adult, however, it’s barely even a conversation. He sort of has to come into himself raised by four parents, and the sight is no longer striking to the royal attendants or the people of Omoya.

There have been rumors about the Monarchs and their indiscretion and perceived promiscuity since before the birth of Sadaf. They never figured out how to address them, but when Lorenz and Hilda eventually moved into the palace in Derdriu, they finally took Halvard's advice, practically daring anyone to bring attention to the affection they shared (just casual pda, like hand holding, a chaste kiss goodbye, etc.).

Also uhhhhhhhhh Omoya is the name I gave to the allied lands of Fodlan and Almyra (and technically Brigid who joined their whole Thing like 13 years after the initial political mess).

Halvard is a little too old for rivalries with his younger siblings, so he tells himself; his time at the academy would have been Before them. I actually picture him having a rivalry with Ashe and Caspar's daughter, Keegan.

Lorencia would have been riddled with anxiety about going to the Academy, but by the time the twins are going at age 17, she's encouraged to join them. Nader and Geralt are more "partners in crime" than rivals, but their relationship would go through rough patches of aging and differences at the Academy, and Lorencia being more prepared than she thought she was would frustrate Nader who'd have a harder time with the studies that she'd excel at.

Sadaf and Vinnie are friends — they're siblings — who stand up for each other and goad each other on. And Vinnie finds a rivalry at their time at the Academy in Sylvain and Felix's adopted daughter, Elspeth.

Simon holds himself to too high of standards, being so much younger than the people he loves and looks up to. He wants to be Ready and Capable and is eager to prove himself. He grows out of it.

I'm not sure what you mean when you ask who has favorites. There are certainly siblings they get along more strongly with: the twins, Sadaf and Vinnie, Lorencia and Simon, Halvard and Lorencia. But I wouldn't say that any of them like one more than the other, either between them or from the perspective of their parents. aksdfkas

Also I didn't know where to fit this in there but like the rest of my oc's, my ot4 kids are bi unless stated otherwise: Geralt is a gay he/they.

Have some more kids from their setting. (I have given these kids far less thought. They don't have siblings, you just get to see a young and then Academy-age version of themselves.)

Keegan is Ashe and trans Caspar's daughter. She's a menace and keeps Halvard on his toes during their time at the Academy. Halvard is not as sheltered as Lorenz was, but he's still a little proper for Keegan's taste.

Dimitri is alive and well though the Kingdom has been dissolved and believes him to be deceased. He married Marianne under an assumed last name, and this is their son Blythe. He is polite and awkward and is at the Academy at the same time as Lorencia, Nader and Geralt.

Fernan is Mercedes and Dedue's son (t4t powercouple). He's soft spoken with a big smile and a bigger heart. He's also at the academy at the same time as Lorencia, Nader and Geralt. He and Geralt can have a little romance, as a treat.

Elspeth is Sylvain and trans Felix's adopted daughter and goes to the Academy at the same time as Sadaf and Vinnie. I figured between Sylvain, Miklan, Annette and Gilbert, red hair was a fair choice for a Faerghan. She's a Fraldarius (and in line to be a duchess). Because of recurring, I feel like this says a lot about her. asdkfjhgasdjkhfg

[agoddamn]

i love that i can build my dream team of units in 3h but the recruitment really does take away from the story. i wish theyd just done what fates did. some recruitable in any house, some who never leave their house, and some like hilda who join all but one house. like, ferdinand and petra would work as people who fight the empire. maybe marianne doesnt care for the kingdom or empire but would join the church. show how the war divides people. make me sad when i have to kill people.

Yeah, exactly. Do you ever get that feeling when you get to fully indulgence yourself and then realize a moment too late "oh, actually this is too much after all and I understand why it was limited"?

3H makes me feel that. Both with recruitment and routes ("yes! No pussy-ass golden route! ...actually this is really unsatisfying and awkward, could I get a route that brings it all together please").

Like--they just made weird choices in 3H with the characters, ones that I think are just too much audience indulgence, to the point where the plot is damaged.

The recruitment. The recruitment gimmick leads to so many problems.

3H has one of the smallest FE casts. You'd think this would result in a game where every character is carefully considered and worked into the story and meaningful to the plot...

...and you'd be totally wrong!

Everyone who can be recruited cannot affect the plot.

I don't mean, "I recruited Sylvain but he doesn't show up in cutscenes because I'm playing Wind". I mean, it's never a guarantee that an enemy will be in x route, because you can recruit most everyone.

So Ferdinand can't be a miniboss in Wind that displays split loyalty to Edelgard because of his noble guilt and you can convince him to abandon his cause and give you a deep, complicated conversation about loyalty and belief and responsibility. Because you might have Ferdinand!

So, no student aside from the retainers can have any function beyond Team Huddle Peanut Gallery. No recruitable can have any role in the plot, because the writers can never know whether they belong to the player. What makes that even worse is that because of the game's same-plot-in-every-path decision (so they could reuse maps, cough) it's easiest for the writer to not rely on native units to majorly figure in the plot, because Team Church will have pretty different resources from Team Alliance and so Seteth's unique circumstances can't cause him to make a decision that he'd make with Church but not Alliance.

So that's how the dominos fall! You get the same rough plot outline to every path because when you can have every character, it leaves the story with no characters.

tl;dr "yay! I can save everyone! ...wait, this actually shoves all the characters out of the plot and I don't like it very much"

(and in 3H it's especially bad because they did go out of their way to have damn near everyone fucked up with Crests, so it just feels bizarre that people with huge anguish over Crests like Marianne and Sylvain can't get special focus to react to the bloody origins so--I've gone on about this elsewhere, haven't I)

[nicolewrites]

We Stand, Fate-Tested - X

how do i say this got out of hand in like twelve languages. also i should probably learn how to apologize for emotions. 

Rating: T+ Genre: Mystery, Friendship, Romance Characters: [Byleth/My Unit, Dimitri B.], [Byleth/My Unit, Claude R.] Words: 6,328

It's time to wrap up the dig, finally. / It's time to storm Shambhala.

AO3 | FFN

X - To Fall Apart

Garreg Mach Town - 16 Lone Moon, 733 AU

A car skidded to a halt at the entrance of the alley as the thugs scattered. The passenger side door opened and Edelgard flew out of the vehicle, eyes wide. She sprinted towards both Byleth and Claude and scanned the area around them. 

“What the hell happened?” she asked, out of breath as she looked between Byleth and Claude. 

Byleth sighed deeply and rubbed at her jaw which was still aching. “I believe we were just jumped,” she muttered dryly. 

Claude forced a laugh. “How I love the racism that permeates this country.”

Edelgard folded her arms as she assessed the two of them. “Racism?”

Claude leaned against the side of one of the buildings. He closed his eyes and raised his hands to make air quotes. “Almyran shithead,” he recalled. 

Byleth frowned. She thought about what the man had said to her, but the words made her deeply uncomfortable, especially considering what she had learned from Seteth earlier that evening. She turned to study Claude again. 

“You hit your head. Are you alright?” 

Byleth raised a hand to touch Claude’s face and his eyes snapped open. He jerked back a bit out of reflex and Byleth froze, her hand hanging stupidly between them. There was a spark of something warm in Claude’s eyes before they iced over with a forced indifference. 

“We don’t need two people with concussions,” Edelgard cut in, ignoring the strange tension between her former TA and her friend. “Let’s get you guys to the hospital and then to the police to report the incident.”

“No,” Claude said sharply. “We’re not reporting it.”

“What?” Byleth and Edelgard demanded together. 

“Claude,” Byleth continued. “Maybe you’ve forgotten, but those men were carrying knives. They would have killed both of us.” She touched the red line on her throat. The blade hadn’t broken skin, but it easily could have.

Claude set his jaw. “I’ll have my head checked,” he conceded, “but, if we report this, they’ll only go after more Almyrans. It will piss them off and they’ll take it out on more innocent people. It’s better to just let it happen.”

“He has a point,” Hubert replied. 

Byleth’s head snapped towards Edelgard and saw that Hubert had appeared from the vehicle as well, presumably from the driver’s side. It was mildly disconcerting that she hadn’t even heard him approach.

Claude nodded and then winced, touching his temple. “I’m going to need a nap,” he muttered. 

Byleth frowned. “That’s never a good thing after a head injury.”

Edelgard folded her arms. “Let’s go then. Hubert will drive. You two can sit in the back and, Byleth, do not let him fall asleep.”

-

Garreg Mach University Hospital - 17 Lone Moon, 733 AU

Despite his arguments, Byleth waited with Claude in the hospital. At around one-thirty in the morning, a doctor finally came by, prescribing him some mild painkillers and doing a last check of his head and his still injured arm. She had then dismissed them, saying Claude was thankfully not concussed, but she told Byleth to make sure that he didn’t head home alone just in case. 

They walked through the hospital in silence together towards the front door. Byleth had called Leonie, much to Claude’s frustration, and his roommate was on the way to the hospital to pick him up. She wasn’t exactly sure how she was going to get home, but it wasn’t too far a walk from the hospital to a bus line. 

As they exited the entrance of the hospital, both of their phones chimed with email notifications. Claude’s brow furrowed as he pulled out his phone first. Byleth watched his face as he scanned the email and noticed how it dropped, disappointed. 

“I guess that’s that then,” he mumbled. 

He turned his phone to her and Byleth scanned the email from Seteth. It detailed how the National Museum and University had decided to end the dig. Apparently they were being allowed one more day to wrap up and Seteth was turning it into a small send-off party. In a week, the entire team would gather on the dig site to share drinks and thanks for everyone involved before the project would be officially ended. 

Byleth sighed. “I was expecting this,” she admitted. 

Claude slid his phone away and shrugged. “I’m not surprised,” he agreed. “It’s just frustrating. There’s so much history that’s hidden just under our fingertips and it’s getting buried all over again. Who knows how long it will be until there’s another expedition approved.” 

Byleth smiled at Claude’s passion. “You’re sure you’re not interested in the archaeology program after graduation, right?” she teased, trying to lighten the mood. 

Claude’s lips twitched. “I’ve considered it,” he said. 

Byleth almost laughed until she noted the seriousness on his face. He wasn’t joking. “You’re serious?” she questioned, almost disbelieving. 

Claude’s posture stiffened and his tone turned almost defensive. “Is that a bad thing?”

Byleth twisted a hand in the hem of her sweater. “I didn’t realize that,” she trailed off.

Claude turned to face her, green eyes glittering under the harsh fluorescent lights. “That I could have that choice?”

Byleth swallowed. “You’re a prince,” she said quietly. “I assumed,” she corrected, “you had a duty set out before you.” Claude shifted closer to her. The glint in his eyes changed from curiosity to something deeper and more intense. “Is that why you ran away from me?”

Byleth’s breath caught. This conversation had veered drastically into territory she hadn’t expected. Claude’s breathless confession from Ignatz’s birthday echoed through her mind and Seteth’s explanation doused all of her senses in icy cold water. 

She stepped away from Claude. 

Mild irritation flashed on his expression. “What are you afraid of, Byleth?”

They were bathed in warm yellow light from the headlights of a beat-up truck before she could respond. Byleth lifted a hand to block the light as the driver jumped out. Leonie jogged towards them, wearing a GMU Archery hoodie and grey sweatpants. 

“Hey!” she called. “Are you guys alright?”

Claude stepped further away from Byleth and rubbed his temple. “All good. I have a thick skull after all.” Leonie crossed her arms and glanced at Byleth. “Do you have a ride coming too?”

Byleth shook her head. “My bus is just down the street. I’ll be fine.”

Leonie snorted. “Like hell. I’m guessing you’re planning on being alone at your apartment too?”

“I was,” Byleth conceded after a pause. 

“No way,” Leonie said, shaking her head. “Both of you get in the truck. Byleth, you’re welcome to come hang out at Golden Deer House. I don’t think any of us will be getting much sleep tonight. Cyril’s over too and Hilda and Lorenz have headed to Fhirdiad.” 

Byleth glanced at Claude, silently asking if he was okay with it. The irritation he had displayed earlier was gone, replaced with something softer as he nodded subtly. Byleth nodded overtly to Leonie and the trio made their way to the truck. 

“What happened to you guys anyway?” Leonie asked as she turned her key in the ignition. 

Byleth and Claude exchanged a look before Claude replied. “Got hit by a cyclist. Cracked the old noggin against a building.” Byleth pressed her lips together in distaste, but her disapproval went unnoticed in the dark of the night. Low tinny music filtered from the car’s speakers, but no one moved to turn it up or down as they sat in silence for the short drive through the university suburbs until they reached the Golden Deer house. 

Leonie led the way inside the house, kicking off her shoes and hanging her keys on a hook by the door. Byleth hesitated by the door and Claude glanced at her as he awkwardly removed his shoes thanks to his sling. 

“By?”

She inhaled and stepped inside, shaking her head. “I’m okay,” she mumbled. “Today has just been a lot.”

She could hear chatter from the living room of the house that sounded like Leonie and Lysithea and someone else. Claude led her into the living room and she saw Raphael lounging on the floor by an armchair, Lysithea and a boy she didn’t know huddled on the couch. Raph sat up when he saw Byleth and Claude enter. 

“Hey Claude, and it’s Byleth, right?” he called in his booming voice. 

Byleth nodded and offered Raphael a small smile. Before she could greet him back, Lysithea let out a cry of protest as the boy she was with snatched her phone and shoved it away from them. 

“You’re not making this better, Lysithea,” he said calmly. He had a mild Almyran accent which almost caught Byleth off-guard, but she concealed her surprise. 

Lysithea frowned and leaned her head against his shoulder. “I know, I just hate not knowing what’s happening.” 

Leonie coughed and looked between Byleth and the Almyran boy. “This is Cyril, Byleth. And Cyril, this is Byleth, the archaeology TA.”

Cyril smiled at her grimly and Byleth nodded in greeting. Claude moved past Byleth and sank onto the loveseat couch. He grabbed the remote for the TV and clicked it on, pulling up a channel that was playing a stupid kids movie. 

“Let’s not think about horrible things,” he suggested.

Leonie sat in the armchair and Raphael leaned against the arm of it as they focused on the TV and Lysithea and Cyril both seemed to calm at the idea, settling in to watch the film. Claude glanced at Byleth where she stood at the entrance to the room and then motioned for her to sit next to him on the couch. 

Byleth hesitantly took a seat on the small sofa. Claude didn’t seem interested in making it weird at all so she slowly relaxed as the movie played in the background, effectively distracting them. Sometime later, when her eyelids were getting heavy and the movie was nothing but static in the background, Byleth felt Claude’s arm slip around her as they curled into each other. 

She let her discomfort and uncertainty drift away as she leaned against him, drinking in his warmth. Claude’s head pressed against hers and Byleth let her eyes close.

It didn’t feel wrong anymore. 

-

Old Monastery Excavation Site, Garreg Mach University - 25 Lone Moon, 733 AU

Byleth wasn’t the first person to arrive on-site, but she was still early. There were lots of hugs and handshakes being exchanged as colleagues from the National Museum and the University were saying their farewells. Someone had opened a bottle of champagne, despite the fact that it was barely afternoon and Byleth found herself sipping from a glass as she flipped through an artifact catalogue. 

“It’s too bad that this is how it ends,” Dimitri said, interrupting her thought process. 

Byleth placed the catalogue down and smiled at him. “It’s unfortunate,” she agreed. “But, without funding and staff, there isn’t much we can do.” Dimitri sighed. “I wish I would have known about this sooner. Perhaps some of my family’s funds could have helped keep us open.” Byleth raised an eyebrow. “Fund the trip personally? Seteth would never let you do that, Dimitri.”

The blonde smiled and sipped his own champagne. “No, he wouldn’t, but it would have been nice to try.”

Dimitri looked tired, as he often did, and Byleth wracked her brain for something that she could say to him. She was saved from her thoughts when Claude and Edelgard approached them, Edelgard’s arm linked through Claude’s good arm. He had finally gotten his sling removed, but his left arm was still in a slim cast. 

“There you are, Dimitri,” Edelgard said as she approached. “We were going to get a picture of the undergrad team together.”

Claude glanced at Byleth. “Maybe you could take it, Teach?”

Byleth nodded. “I’d be honoured to.”

The four of them quickly made their way to where the rest of the team was waiting and Byleth had them all squeeze into frame as she snapped a few photos on Ignatz’s camera and then Edelgard’s phone. She was just checking over the photos on Edelgard’s phone to make sure no one had blinked when a figure in the back of the frame caught her attention. 

It was a security guard wearing the usual uniform, but Byleth didn’t recognize him. She had recognized most of the guards by this point in the dig, but this one was unfamiliar to her. She didn’t have long to ponder it as Edelgard quickly took back her phone, thanking Byleth for the photos. 

Her attention was then drawn to the tapping of something against glass. Seteth was standing at the entrance of the dig, tapping a pen against a half-full glass of champagne. Slowly the chatter around them died to nothing as he gained the attention of the room. 

“This is not exactly the send-off I had planned when I first received my approval for this project,” he began. “But, I do still have a few things to say regardless of this. I must first extend thanks to the Fhirdiad National Museum of Unification for funding and green-lighting this project and for all our colleagues from the museum who have been a part of the expedition. And of course, thanks also go to Garreg Mach University and my fellow academics in the archaeology department.” Seteth’s gaze landed on Byleth and he smiled. “To my post-grads, Harriet and James, I thank you for putting up with my chaotic planning of this trip for the last couple of years. To Byleth, who stepped up as a TA for me last semester so I could iron out the logistics and who was my administrator for the undergraduate program. And, of course, to our undergraduates who stepped up to learn and assist exactly as they were needed.”

Byleth lifted her own glass. “And to Seteth! Who put in so much work to get us here and pulled so many strings that the project never would have gotten off the pages of a notebook without you!”

Seteth’s smile broadened as he lifted his glass in her direction. “To all of us and the success we had in a short time.”

Cheers erupted across the room and glasses tapped together as people toasted to the end of the project. Byleth drained her glass and it was almost immediately replaced with a full one by a winking Harriet. Byleth rolled her eyes, but sipped again from the glass. The champagne was definitely cheap, but it still did the job in giving a pleasant buzz to her system as it was consumed. 

More photos were taken and a few more people gave speeches to celebrate the end of the dig. Some of the equipment began to get dismantled, but most people were still just talking and theorizing about all of the things that they hadn’t been able to get to during the dig. Byleth was chatting with James and a historian from the National Museum when a hand on her elbow stole her attention. 

Claude stood just behind her, wearing a small smile. Byleth excused herself from the conversation and turned her full attention to Claude. He slid a hand to her back and guided her further away from other people until it was just the two of them. 

“How are you doing?” he asked. 

Byleth shrugged. “Mourning the loss of an interesting project. Dreading finding a new information source for my thesis. Normal things, you know.”

Claude pursed his lips and his hand dropped away from her back. “Why are you being weird?”

Byleth blinked. “Weird?”

Claude glanced towards the front part of the excavation site where Seteth was chatting with Ignatz and a few university faculty. “You’ve been acting strange since you spoke with Seteth last week. I didn’t push it then, but, Byleth, it’s been more obvious recently.”

She crossed her arms. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Hurt flashed across Claude’s face. “Every time with you. Every time we take one step forward it’s followed by six steps back. I don’t know what to say, Byleth.” Her throat tightened. “What are you saying?”

Claude ran his good hand through his hair. “I think I’ve been pretty clear with how I feel about you,” he began and Byleth’s face flushed. “If you would say the word, I would give you the world, Byleth.”

She bit her lip. “Claude,” she whispered. Her chest constricted and she wanted to say something kind or to touch him gently like she had the night they had fallen asleep in the living room. He shut his eyes and sighed. “I don’t know what you want from me or what I’m supposed to do anymore, By.” He stepped back from her and Byleth realized how closely they had been standing with a jolt. “If you figure it out, let me know, okay?”

He started to walk away from her and Byleth couldn’t make herself move. Her eyes followed him for a moment before they wandered until they landed on the security guard she didn’t recognize. The man was studying one of the statues at the edge of the main room and Byleth instinctively walked towards him. 

“It’s a statue of one of the ancient Saints,” she said when she was close enough. 

The man turned to her. His expression stayed perfectly neutral and calm, but there was something about his face that seemed vaguely familiar. “Is it?” he questioned. 

Byleth nodded. “Haven’t you been on-site before?”

He shook his head. “Filling in for a friend who was sick today.”

She hummed faintly as she looked at the statue. “It’s a shame it’s ending like it is.”

“I suppose it is,” the security guard agreed. 

Ice crawled through her veins unexpectedly and she stepped away, glancing over her shoulder. Dimitri was standing nearby, talking to a faculty member of the university. 

“Excuse me,” she said politely and then walked away, headed in Dimitri’s direction. 

Dimitri glanced up as she approached and smiled. He opened his mouth to say something, but then his expression slackened with what looked like terror. Byleth didn’t get a chance to so much as move before he lunged forward, tackling her around the middle. They hit the ground behind a supply crate just as the pop of gunfire filled the air. 

Someone screamed and chaos broke loose.

-

Goneril Territory - 24 Great Tree Moon, 7 AU

The encampment was bustling. Soldiers and battalions were moving around in what was almost complete chaos. Byleth herself was directing the Knights of Seiros to where they would be staying. They were one of the last groups to arrive since they had wanted to ensure the monastery’s safety for as long as possible before making the trek to Goneril territory. 

Seteth remained at the monastery since Byleth was still angry with him. She and Dimitri had simply told Seteth that they had more business in Sreng, which was a clear lie, but her advisor had either bought the story or didn’t want to argue further. Ignatz had arrived a day prior, but without Flayn, as Byleth had asked him to tell her to visit her father without explaining everything fully. 

“Byleth!” a familiar loud voice called. 

Byleth spun and saw the glinting armour and elegant long hair of Ferdinand. Dorothea was at his side, wearing modified Warlock’s robes and looking just as beautiful as ever. Byleth quickly pushed her way towards her former students and smiled. 

“You came!” she said. 

Dorothea pulled her into a hug and then Ferdinand bowed respectfully. 

“Of course,” Dorothea agreed. “You asked for allies and who are we to argue with that.”

“Yes,” Ferdinand agreed. “It was easy enough to find someone to watch the boys so that we could be here. We have brought our finest Aegir soldiers to fight in your service.”

Byleth nodded. “Thank you.”

“We’ll let you go,” Dorothea said. “You’ve got to be bouncing off the walls busy. We can make ourselves useful elsewhere.”

“Mercedes was setting up the infirmary if you wanted to help her, Ferdinand, and I know Annette and Lysithea were coordinating the magic battalions if you wanted to step in there, Dorothea.”

“Of course, Your Grace,” Ferdinand agreed. With another bow, the Duke and Duchess disappeared into the throngs of people. 

They were quickly replaced by Felix, who fell into step with Byleth as she walked to the central command tent. 

“Caspar and Bernadetta arrived a few hours ago as well,” he reported. 

Byleth shook her head. “And Leonie’s here and so is Raphael.” She laughed. “When I requested help, I hadn’t imagined they would all jump at the chance to come fight.” She glanced at Felix. “You all have families now. We would have understood.”

Felix shook his head. “Dimitri is our King and you are the leader of the Church. None of us will ever forget that or what you two have sacrificed for us over the last 12 years.”

Byleth nodded to her friend. “Thank you, Felix.”

Felix nodded and pulled aside the door of the Command tent for her. She stepped inside and he followed her in. Holst Goneril was inside, discussing with Claude as they moved pieces across a map. Dimitri was absent, but Areadbhar was on a weapon rack in the tent which meant that he wasn’t far away. Felix stepped forward and said something to Holst which caused the former Alliance general to nod and add a few more pieces to their army on the map. 

Claude looked up at Byleth as she approached. “Ferdinand and Dorothea?”

She nodded. “And Caspar and Bernie apparently.”

Claude shook his head, looking mystified. “Lorenz and Marianne arrive today as well.”

Holst laughed. “Look at you all. My sister was right when she said you guys had the most loyal class at the Academy all those years ago.”

Felix crossed his arms and adjusted one of Holst’s pieces which caused the Goneril noble to frown before nodding and accepting the move. “That’s all Byleth,” he admitted gruffly. “They wouldn’t have rallied around anyone else.”

“We’re all proud to be here,” a new voice said. Byleth turned and saw Leonie and Alois standing just inside the tent. 

Byleth smiled and moved to hug both of them, cautious of Alois’s clunky armour. “And we are proud to have you all.”

The tent entrance behind Claude and Holst billowed and Dimitri entered, flanked by Sylvain and Ingrid. Alois clapped a hand on Byleth’s shoulder and dipped his head in respect to the newly arrived nobles. 

“The Knights are ready when you have our orders,” he said confidently. 

Byleth nodded to him and Alois quickly left, leaving the tent to the group of former students. She turned to her husband. 

“Do we have a final tally?”

Dimitri nodded. “We have the Duscur Cavalry, Dominic Mages, Galatea Pegasus Troops, Fraldarius Soldiers, Gautier Soldiers, and the Blue Lion Knights from the Kingdom. I believe we also have the Varley and Bergliez troops in addition to the Aegir Knights. Hilda said she would round up the final tally of Alliance forces once Marianne and Lorenz arrived.”

“Add in the Sauin troops and my mercenary band,” Leonie advised Claude who was in the middle of rearranging some pieces on the map. 

Ingrid and Felix set about helping him and Byleth watched the size of her army grow. Wearing her armour and standing in a command tent, she felt years younger and stronger than she had in a long time. 

“And Brigid,” Byleth added after a moment. “Ashe and Petra arrived yesterday.”

“Shall I take a scouting party out?” Ingrid asked, turning away from the map. 

Dimitri nodded. “Yes. The Victor Troops are excellent scouts if Ignatz is to be believed so take them with you on the ground.”

Claude and Leonie both affirmed the capabilities of Ignatz’s scouts and Ingrid bowed briefly to Byleth, Dimitri, and Claude before she lightly kissed Sylvain and disappeared from the tent. Holst studied the map for a moment longer before he turned to Sylvain.

“Let’s go coordinate wyvern formations with the Almyrans, shall we?”

Sylvain nodded and beckoned to Felix. “You like bossing people around, Felix, you may as well come with us.”

The three of them disappeared from the tent, leaving just Leonie, Claude, Byleth and Dimitri. Claude hummed under his breath as he watched Duke Fraldarius, Margrave Gautier and Duke Goneril leave. 

“Then there were four,” he mused. 

Leonie snorted a laugh. “Make it three. I’m going to go get my men settled. Maybe Mercedes could use some more help at the infirmary too.” She nodded. “Your Majesties.”

As the tent flap waved with her departure, Dimitri let out a weary sigh. 

“I know we should be glad for their presence, but I can’t help but feel we’re leading them all into danger.”

“That’s natural,” Claude agreed. “This enemy is elusive. Lysithea and Linhardt are two of the brightest people I’ve ever worked with and it still took us a considerable amount of time to decipher Hubert’s notes.”

Byleth slid her hand into Dimitri’s and squeezed it reassuringly. “Claude,” she began and the Almyran King looked up at her. “Thank you for not letting me do this alone.”

Claude’s gaze skimmed between Dimitri and Byleth as he absorbed her words. He smiled faintly. “You two are a team,” he acknowledged. “You have equal stakes in this fight.”

“And thank you,” Dimitri continued, “for doing this at all. You brought us the knowledge we needed and you cracked it and you’re contributing your own countrymen to this fight despite the fact that you don’t need to.” 

Claude shook his head. “We have a stake in this too. It’s like Felix said. We rally behind Teach and you and the new Fódlan you’ve created.” He held out a hand for Dimitri to shake. “You saved my ass in Derdriu. This is me repaying the favour.”

The two kings shook hands and Byleth squeezed Dimitri’s hand again. Claude dropped the grip and glanced back at the map. The formations seemed mostly outlined, leaving room for the full battle strategy to be envisioned. 

“I’ll leave this in your capable hands, Teach.”

Byleth tensed. “Claude, these are your soldiers too.”

He tipped his head to the side, considering her with a calculating glint in his green eyes. “Maybe,” he conceded, “but, they’re your army.”

-

Shambhala - 27 Great Tree Moon, 7 AU

The battle for Shambhala was the craziest battle Byleth had ever led. The tight underground space led to struggles for mounted units, and the massive flashing lights threw off archers and mages. The base was designed to be defensible and unfriendly to invaders, but they pushed through. 

The Almyran troops broke the line first, taking out a massive mechanical beast that had been hurling javelins at ranged units. The Aegir troops followed, using their speed to overwhelm enemy archers. The Duscur Cavalry followed them, striking heavily at magic users from close range. 

Byleth slashed and cut a path with her sword so viciously she felt ten years younger. Something about the chaos of the fight had revived something inside of her that had been lying dormant for the 7 years since the war had ended. She fought like a machine, cutting down anyone who came too close and striking out with her magic against those who wouldn’t come near her. 

She helped Annette and Felix topple another large mech and assisted Bernie in incapacitating a turret that shot lightning. She cleared paths for Ashe and Petra to move their nimble Order of the Blue Sun through tight corridors. She laid her glowing hands on Raphael to keep him on his feet and she blasted lightning of her own at mages who targeted Alois and the other knights. 

Claude’s wyvern screeched above her head as he fired arrows of pure energy from Failnaught to fell enemies around them. Dimitri roared as he sliced with Areadbhar at her side. Battle cries echoed through the strange streets of the underground base. 

Ashe yelled for Byleth’s attention as he worked open the door to the inner sanctum. Byleth fought off the War Master who had tried to attack him while he worked. As soon as he had the door open, he ripped his silver bow from his back and fired three shots in quick succession. Claude’s wyvern landed next to them and Dimitri reappeared from the throng of fighters. 

“Go,” Ashe said, gesturing to the door. “We’ll hold the outside. You take out the sanctum.”

Byleth and Dimitri exchanged a look and she glanced at Claude. “You’re coming with us,” she insisted. “You have a stake in this too.”

Claude nodded and leapt from his large beast. He patted the creature’s neck. “Ashe, she’ll fight with you since she’s too big for this door.” He nodded to Dimitri and Byleth. “Let’s go.”

-

Shambhala Inner Sanctum - 27 Great Tree Moon, 7 AU

The inner sanctum was populated by only a few mages who fell to Claude’s arrows and Byleth’s magic and Dimitri’s lance. Energy was rippling through Byleth and she felt like she could feel every inch of movement around the room from Dimitri’s breaths to Claude’s twitching fingers on his bow. 

The chamber was dimly lit with flickering blue lights like the rest of the city. Claude stepped closer to her and Dimitri and kept his voice low. 

“There has to be something more here,” he hissed. 

Dimitri’s hand tightened on his lance. “This isn’t it,” he agreed. 

Byleth set both her hands aglow and pressed one against each King, giving them a small reprieve of healing. Her head pounded as she did so and she shook it off, frowning. Before any of them could move, there was a piercing shriek as the earth around them erupted, throwing them all backwards. 

Byleth landed half on top of Dimitri as the dark magic crackled across both of them. It burned as it seared over her skin and she screamed out before she could stop herself. Dimitri grunted heavily beneath her, but he recovered faster and pulled them both to their feet. 

The ground had exploded violently upwards, and, through the flickering lights and settling dust, Byleth couldn’t see Claude. Chunks of the ceiling had also been dislodged, sealing her and Dimitri in the deeper half of the sanctum. She could only hope that Claude was clear on the other side, not crushed beneath the rock. 

“Fell Star,” a grizzled voice called from ahead of her.

Byleth spun, clenching her hands on the Sublime Sword of the Creator. Standing at the top of a dais that had previously been concealed in shadow was the man who had saved Kronya in the chapel outskirts and the man who had knocked her off the cliff at the start of the war.

Dimitri tensed next to her, obviously also recognizing the man. 

“Or should I call you Sothis?” the man prodded. 

Byleth snapped the sword against the ground with a loud snap. “You’re Thales,” she guessed. Hubert had mentioned the leader of the underground faction by name a few times in his notes. “You were impersonating Arundel. I killed Arundel.”

Thales’s eyes narrowed viciously. “You thought you killed him,” he corrected. “It turns out that illusions work in the caster’s favour when the target has other priorities.” His gaze slid from Byleth to Dimitri and he smiled wickedly. “The Goddess Reborn and her Champion of Beasts,” he mused. 

“Shambhala has fallen. We will take the stronghold today,” Byleth said firmly, stepping closer to Thales, her blade raised. 

“Solon had the right idea with you, I think. The wrong execution, but the right idea,” Thales sneered. 

Before Byleth or Dimitri could move, Thales snapped his fingers and fire ignited in Byleth’s veins. She crumpled immediately, screaming at the top of her lungs as pain rocketed through her more intensely than any pain she’d ever felt before. She writhed on the ground and Dimitri knelt next to her, looking utterly distraught. 

Finally, the pain stole her voice away completely and Byleth could feel the life sapping out of her body. The burn of the Crest Stone in her chest intensified as it consumed her mortality with a brutal passion, emblazoned by whatever Thales had just done to her. 

“Stop!” Dimitri howled. 

Byleth, weakly, tried to grab for him, but Dimitri was strongest when he was protective and raging. There was a dull crash behind them as someone pounded against the rocks. Thales laughed and continued to focus his magic on draining Byleth’s life away. 

“Poor little goddess wasn’t built to survive,” he snarled. 

Dimitri hurled himself forward, slashing viciously with Areadbhar and Thales dropped his spell on Byleth to call a shield to protect himself. Dimitri harried him with blows, yelling in rage and pain. Byleth gasped for air as she tried to regain some of her strength, but it felt like someone had stolen the life right out of her. She rolled to her side and propped herself up on her hands and knees, trying to rise. 

Her eyes landed on Dimitri as her love pounded at Thales’s shield. Byleth watched in horror as Thales’s left hand slid back from the shield that was maintained by his right. As Dimitri reared back for another ferocious strike, Thales struck, planting a hand against the king’s chest. Red light exploded between them and Dimitri was sent flying. 

“NO!” Byleth screamed. Her throat was raw and it burned when she cried out. 

Dimitri did not rise from the ground. 

“No,” she murmured faintly. Only half-risen, she heard Thales’s footsteps approach her. 

A cold hand grasped her jaw and lifted her up so that she was practically dangling in his grip. He wrenched her face towards him so she stared into his dark eyes. He was smiling. 

“Goodbye Fell Star,” he said simply. 

Byleth grabbed the front of his robes and closed her eyes. Sothis’s radiant power, the power that had been suppressed by the Crest Stone inside of her since their merging, exploded out of Byleth, concentrating in a spear of light that burst from her palm, burying itself in Thales’s chest. The mage’s face slackened and his hand dropped away. The nerves in Byleth’s hands burned from the excess energy and Thales’s body smelt like burnt flesh. 

She dropped him and staggered on her feet. She nearly collapsed immediately and her vision went completely black for half a second before she regained her balance. Power hummed inside of her as her veins literally glowed with divine light. She stood, shakily, staring down at the leader of Those Who Slither in the Dark and her light faded, leaving her lightheaded and exhausted. 

Sheer, unadulterated terror raced through her chest as an icy fist closed on her unbeating heart. 

“Dimitri,” she breathed. 

Wobbling, she sprinted to his side and pulled him into her lap. There was a boom behind her as the stone slab separating them from the rest of the underground city shattered. Byleth ignored it as she ran her hands over Dimitri’s face and neck and chest. 

“Dimitri, look at me,” she whimpered. Her vision blurred with tears. 

Dimitri inhaled slowly and raggedly. His eye opened and he noticed she was holding him. “By...leth...” he wheezed slowly. 

“You’re going to be okay,” she said fiercely. She called to the sacred power within her and tried to heal, but there was nothing. The act of trying to summon the magic caused her vision to darken due to her weakness and she almost collapsed. 

“I am sorry,” Dimitri breathed. 

Byleth cupped his face and shook her head. She tried to ignore how bloody he was and that her palms were sticky with blood as she held him. “You have to live,” she insisted. 

One of his gauntlet-bearing hands lifted and dropped weakly on top of her hands. His hands were also sticky with dark red blood. “You were radiant,” he murmured. 

Lingering pain pulsed in all of her joints. “Can you stand? We have to get you help.”

“Byleth,” he said gently. His hand guided hers down from his face to his stomach where there was a gaping hole in his amour, blackened flesh, and far, far too much blood. “I love you.”

“Don’t say it like you’re dying,” she ordered as tears rolled down her cheeks. 

There were tears in Dimitri’s good eye as he smiled faintly. “I’ll say it as your equal then.”

Byleth kissed his forehead furiously. “Why would you sacrifice yourself for me? You know what’s happening to me anyways. I was already doomed.”

“Maybe I’m a fool,” he said quietly. “But I am a King of Beasts and I had to protect you.” 

His breathing shuddered. Byleth whimpered and clutched his hand tighter. She stared at the red painting both of their hands. 

“I’m sorry, Dimitri,” she said tearfully. 

“You,” he breathed slowly, “are not to blame. I have enjoyed every moment of this life with you, Beloved.”

“Don’t say it like you’re dying,” she repeated. Her voice cracked and she shook her head. 

“Father,” he murmured. There was a glazed look in his eye that Byleth had seen a few times in her life, but it vividly reminded her of 12 years ago when Jeralt had bled out in her arms. “Step-Mother, Glenn,” he gasped. 

He stared straight up like he couldn’t see her. “I under...stand...” 

Dimitri’s chest stilled under her touch and his heartbeat faded. Byleth gathered him in her arms and pulled him so he was leaning back against her. She pressed her face into his bloody hair and exhaled shakily. 

“Shambhala falls with the king and the goddess sees it completed,” she whispered for only Dimitri to hear. 

He didn’t move or acknowledge her. 

Byleth’s arms tightened around him and she suppressed the sob building in her throat. She pulled the tie from his hair and smoothed it out as she held him. 

“Sleep well, my beloved.”

[chelseareferenced]

How Does A Moment Last Forever (Seteth x Hilda)

This whole thing happened for 2 reasons. 1 being there is barely anything for these two and it's such a good ship just go watch their supports and 2 being the fact that Seteth and Hilda where two of my strongest units when it came to the battle against Nemesis. Speaking of which there are spoilers for the Golden Deer Route

Hilda was sitting alone in the library. Tomorrow the army would march off for one last battle. She had thought after they had taken down those who slither in the dark that Fodlan’s new dawn would finally begin. She didn’t blame Claude or the Professor or even Rhea. No one could have predicted that Nemesis would rise and threaten Fodlan.

 

She yawned but kept reading through every book that contained information about crests or the saints or Nemesis. Sure most of it had been fabricated by Rhea, Seteth and Flayn Or should she call them Seiros, Cichol and Cethleann? Goddess above this was bugging her more  than possible death but maybe one of the lies would help tomorrow. Although the more she thought about them they weren’t lies to hurt. Rhea or Seiros or whatever had come up with it to protect Fodlan.

 

“-resting…”

A voice pulled her out of the mess that was her thoughts and she looked up. Seteth or Cichol or whatever was holding a candle and looking at her. The candlelight seemed to make him look more exhausted than normal. It was something she had noticed when she was illustrating his stories. He worked so hard and very rarely rested. Sometimes she worried he was going to crack from all the work he did.

The candlelight also made him more handsome… Hilda stop! It wasn’t right when you were a student and he probably doesn’t feel the same way! The man is a literal saint for crying out loud and you are just a silly girl!

“Hilda are you even listening to me?”

She blinked a few times and then realised she had been staring. “H-huh? Yes!”

“Then what did i say?”

 

Her face heating up gave Seteth the answer he needed. “I said you should be resting.”

Hilda laughed a bit “Funny I’m pretty sure everyone has been telling you that for years”

“Yes but i am used to it. You need to rest. Tomorrow will not be easy and i-” he coughed and she could have sworn him blush but maybe it was the candle “we cannot have you fall to-”

“You can’t fall either!”

“You are an heir to House Goneril-”

“Oh psshh Holst isn’t likely going to kick the bucket anytime soon. I’m just Hilda, you’re the literal saint here Seteth or Cichol or whatever i call you now!” Seteth was taken aback by the sudden emotion in her voice. He knew this was going to come up with someone at some point after Rhea had explained the truth but he hadn’t expected it from Hilda “Either you start taking your own advice and value your health or just be quiet!” her voice wavered and she felt tears threatening to fall. And Seteth noticed this, he put the candle down and sat next to her.

 

“Hilda? Hilda what’s wrong…”

“I’m scared ok! We’re all die tomorrow and i have so much i want to do!”

Seteth pulled her into a gentle hug, and that was when Hilda broke. She cried into Seteth’s shoulder. “......Seteth.”

“Huh?”

“Please continue to call me Seteth. And you’re not going to die tomorrow Hilda.” He cupped her face and made sure she was looking into his eyes. “I will be the first one to admit that Nemesis is unlike any foe you have faced in the past, but i would rather die than see you die Hilda. You have become incredibly important to me… i guess that is why i gave you that prayer ring before the professor vanished”

Hilda fiddled with said ring. Seteth had handed it to her as  they were defending Garreg Mach, saying how he thought she could make use of it. The ring had become her luckiest charm over the years. She wore it to every battle.

 

“Seteth… you have to promise to stay alive as well, you’re important to me as well. During those 5 years i always asked Holst if he had any news about you and Flayn, mostly you. I knew that if you were still alive that everything would be ok. And” she took a deep breath “and if you say everything will be ok then i guess i’ll  have to believe you”

 

Seteth smiled before looking over the stakes of books “might i ask about…” he gestured and Hilda smiled a bit. “I mean i now know most of the stories didn’t happen the way they’re told but i thought maybe there was something that could be useful. I just want to be able to help, haven’t  exactly been useful in the brain department”

“Don’t say that about yourself. It was your idea to disguise ourselves as Adrestian soldiers to sneak into Fort Merceus after all, and you helped the Professor prepare themselves for the meeting with all the Alliance Lords. You are smart Hilda, you’re just a different kind of smart”

Hilda felt her cheeks heat up listening to Seteth say those things about herself. Maybe just maybe....

“Hey Seteth can i tell you something?”

He looked confused but nodded Hilda took a deep breath.

“Well… i know you are older than me, well much much older than me and you have a daughter and stuff but i have wanted to say this for years but it kinda didn’t feel ok because i was a student and i guess you were a teacher but i have feelings for you Seteth. That’s part of the reason i’ve kept the prayer ring. It might have only been a gift but to me it felt special, it made me feel safe and i’ve been meaning to say how i feel but i kept putting it off saying next time but, despite trusting you when you say that we’re gonna be ok but there might not be a next time so i have to say it now Seteth. I am in love with you.” She was quiet for a few seconds before hiding her face in her hands.

 

Seteth was quiet but moved her hands awa, when he finally spoke his voice was low, gentle, soothing and it put Hilda at ease. “Oh Hilda…” he ran his fingers through her long pink hair “I… i have feelings for you as well, at first you infuriated me. You always managed to wriggle your way out of your responsibilities and seemed to complete avoid the points i was making, but after seeing you interact with Flayn and just how kind you were to the people to the monastery… you always repaid the favours people did for you and then you helped me with my stories and i actually spent time with you, you became dear to me Hilda, you have a way to interact with everyone you meet, and i couldn’t help but fall for you as well. I am in love with you Hilda…” He gently placed his forehead against hers and looked deep into her eyes.

 

Hilda smiled and cried again, but this time the tears weren’t out of fear for the dawn would bring, they were tears of joy. Seteth wiped her tears away and held her face in his hands. They were warm and somehow both rough and soft at the same time, all that mattered right now to both of them was this moment. Here in the library, the only light being the candles casting both of them in their warm soft glow. “I love you dear Hilda… now until the end, no matter when that will be.”

“I love you too Seteth, i’m so happy i could finally tell you… we’re going to make it to the day after tomorrow aren’t we?”

“No matter what happens we’ll be together my dear…”

 

She nodded and Seteth finally closed the distance between them and kissed her. It was just as soft and gentle as when he held her face or when he spoke, her eyes fluttered closed and she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back. Finally after so many years of longing and wishing and praying, her heart's one desire had finally come true. Seteth was hers and she was his.

Here in this moment… they would always have this moment. Perhaps if they fell the goddess would be kind to her, shape her own little personal heaven as this moment… but then again if they didn’t fall, they would have plenty more moments like this, mayhaps even more beautiful than this… as Claude said, the world was so much bigger than just Fodlan. And if this moment in Fodlan was beautiful, she couldn’t help but wonder if the moments when there was more than just Fodlan would be more beautiful.

 

Seteth finally pulled away and smiled at her “You really need to rest though…”

She rolled her eyes but smiled. “I will rest if you stay and rest as well Seteth” he sighed but nodded. There was no way he was getting out of going through the library one last time. He stood up and walked towards his office, holding Hilda’s smaller hand.

 

And for the first time in years, so many years, Seteth slept. He slept a peaceful sleep and dreamed a peaceful dream. Hilda was safely curled up his arms and there was not a droplet of fear in his body. He dreamed.

 

He dreamed of a new dawn.

A new dawn with Hilda there by his side.

He knew he would outlive the young woman in arms. But he would not change a moment of this. He had locked his heart away after he lost his wife all those centuries ago. And Hilda had innocently wormed her way into that locked away heart.

 

He would survive tomorrow. And not just for his daughter anymore.

He would survive to see the smile on both Flayn and Hilda’s face when they won.

His love for Hilda would never die. He would hold her in his heart until he finally passed on from this would.

 

Love would pull them both through the impossible dawn.