#so (AM route) cut to gronder where claude sees him again and is like well damn
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i love academy dimiclaude but i know those idiots have the longest most insane slowburn ever and only even start dating post five year timeskip when claude moves back to almyra
#rant incoming in the tags#but anyways i could see them have feelings for each other in the academy#but neither is willing to act on it especially claude#i just think a lot of claude’s issues would hold him back from a romantic relationship#and i think he would be very aware of the fact that he can’t really promise his future to anyone#because he was always gonna return home at the end#and i don’t think he would want to lead dimitri on#dima is more complicated#cause i could see him trying to confess and make it work#but i also know that as he slips towards the end of the academy phase he a. wouldn’t want claude to see him like that and#b. would not be of the right mind for a romantic relationship#alongside their own personal issues i also think the fact that they’re both very important political figures would make them feel like they#can’t pursue anything even if they wanted to#like my specific vision of dmcl is they become friends in the academy and are able to confide in each other#and over time they also grow to have feelings for each other#but come to the conclusion that for whatever reason it’s not soemthing they can/should pursue#so (AM route) cut to gronder where claude sees him again and is like well damn#cause that’s not the dimitri he fell in love with#but then goldens deer plea happens and claude has that ridiculously flirty “when we meet again don’t be too hard on me your kingliness;)#and rhen after the war and everything khalid reaches out to fodlan and specifically dimitri to improve their relationship#and maybe they never quite got past their feelings for each other…#it’s always been you moment follows#Sorry. KILLS MYSELF#dimiclaude#dimitri alexandre blaiddyd#claude von riegan#fe3h#fire emblem 3 houses#fire emblem three houses#just a look into my sick and twisted mind…
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Sacrifice for the Three Lords
So. Got curious about something.
Curious thing got long lol, under the cut
The word sacrifice has a very loaded, very intentional feel to it. For something to be sacrificed, it must be considered less than whatever it is being sacrificed for, whether in the moment or in the long term - it’s the logical conclusion to the act itself. Even if regret for that choice can come later, at the time you are sacrificing whatever is being sacrificed, it is considered less (for example, spending an hour of your time for a stupid meme post you spent too much time on, for a light-hearted start. In hindsight you might think it was stupid or not worth it, but at the time of bungling around in photoshop you considered the time lost as a worthwhile sacrifice to your end product).
With that in mind, how do the three lords view sacrifice? When is it mentioned in their routes? When do they themselves mention it, and what are they pertaining to when they do? I want to focus on the word “sacrifice” specifically, due to the already mentioned connotations and meaning attached to this word in particular
We’ll start with Claude, with his route’s first mention of the word sacrifice being, and I’m not kidding, post ts, at Ailell
What is being sacrificed here is Claude’s independence from Judith. He is expressing a want to not rely on Judith’s help once again but needing to give up that want in order to move on with his goals of winning the war. This is something that he alone is sacrificing with no involvement or need of sacrifice from anyone else - he is the only one losing something from this sacrifice.
The next mention is from Hubert’s letter
The sacrifice being mentioned belongs to Edelgard. Hubert is stating that Edelgard has made sacrifices that must be honored, heavily implying that they were necessary for her goals if they hold such importance as to keep that importance beyond the grave to be passed by those who have defeated her. Claude himself is not sacrificing anything, nor does he state any agreeance to the phrasing used here, but he has said earlier that her methods use too much bloodshed for people to rally behind, implying a disagreeance.
This is the last time the word sacrifice is used in direct relation to Claude. When it comes to all that has happened to others, Claude specifically does not refer to it as something like a sacrifice that he is making.
Though that does not the word is not used further in VW. Dorothea, in VW:
The sacrifice being made here is deliberate and willing on the part of Count Bergliez. He is making the consenting, thoughtful decision to sacrifice himself because he views his men’s lives as more important than his own, and it is implied that his doing so achieved the desired outcome (the safety of his men). He came to this decision by himself, with no outside force making him do this (outside of the circumstances that prompted it - no one person made him do this). The act of sacrificing yourself for the lives of others is portrayed in a explicitly “positive” light coated in tragedy and even then only if it achieved its goal
Lastly, for unique mentions on VW, Annette:
Forced sacrifice is seen as something painful. The making of circumstances where sacrifices must be made outside of the will of those making it is portrayed in a explicitly negative light that is sought to be rid of.
In VW, Claude himself never refers to the loss of life as a sacrifice, and only ever refers to something as a sacrifice when it is him making it in a way that does not affect others. Sacrifice of life is only referred to as “positive” when either 1) Hubert, an amoral character who cannot be part of VW, makes mention of it, or 2) it is the singular sacrifice of one person’s life that they made of their own volition in order to save others, and even then it is portrayed in its context and in later contexts as a tragic event nonetheless
Next: AM
The first mention of the word sacrifice for AM - or in this case, BL - is after Lonato:
The word sacrifice is not brought up by Dimitri. Byleth says that the loss of life must be accepted, the result of which is explicit denial from Dimitri of the supposed importance of sacrificing civilians. Sacrifice of life -and the direct phrasing of it as a sacrifice - is explicitly portrayed as bad in the eyes of Dimitri; he does not believe that life ought to be sacrificed to achieve one’s goals
Next time, post ts:
The sacrifice of lives is directly, verbatim described as needless. The concept of the idea of lives being less worthy than a cause is explicitly called wrong. Human life is given more value than any goal.
Note how this is a direct reference to his behavior in VW, where he sacrifices his life as well as those around him - save for Dedue, whom Dimitri not sacrificing is what allows VW’s story to continue (due to Dedue providing the blueprints to the throne room for the Alliance army to navigate through). Dimitri’s choice to deliberately not have Dedue sacrifice his life is a positive to the overarching story of VW, while his indifference to the now explicitly needless sacrifice others’ make of their own lives for his personal cause is portrayed in a negative light
And while we’re talking of Gronder (note, this also appears in VW and thus also applies to VW):
Ignatz’s further implies that the sacrifice made at Gronder does not mean anything - it is senseless, and without purpose. It must be given meaning after the fact; it holds nothing in and of itself, as it did not bring about its desired outcome
Next, Catherine:
Sacrifice of the self is seen in an understanding light while simultaneously being seen as something that ought to be avoided. It is also something that is shown to be something that must be up to the individual to decide for themselves, though is regardless seen as something that likely should be talked out of doing
Last for AM, Felix:
The voluntary, willing sacrifice of one’s own life, for the betterment of others, is portrayed as something “positive” that must be repaid by those which the sacrifice was made for. It is not something that can be morally justified in forgetting after the fact - the repayment needs to be made in order for the sacrifice to be “positive.” The intended outcome of the sacrifice must be fulfilled in order for it to be seen as good.
In AM, sacrifice is continuously referred to negatively. Dimitri outright denies the possibility of necessary sacrifices, and the only way sacrifices are seen in a “positive” is if they are 1) willing made by the person sacrificing themselves and/or 2) the desired outcome of the sacrifice is definitively achieved, with the latter stipulation still having caveats that prevent it from ever truly being seen as positive (Count Rowe)
Lastly: CF
Edelgard mention the word sacrifice the same time as Dimitri first does, after Lonato:
Sacrifice of life is seen as a necessity. Edelgard views sacrifice as something that cannot be avoided, and as such, she has no qualms in sacrificing her people’s lives to achieve her goals. She views her cause as having an inherit superiority over the lives of the people.
Next, during the invasion of Garreg Mach (once you’ve settled on CF as a route):
Sacrifice of human life is once again seen as a necessity for Edelgard to achieve her goals. She states that she will not stop no matter how much blood she spills for her cause. The sacrifice of life is involuntary to those making the sacrifice, and yet it is seen as something that will lead to a positive outcome. The cause is given greater importance over human life.
Next, post ts, before Claude is fought:
The want to not sacrifice own’s life for their cause is seen as a negative. The idea of attempting to save one’s own life at the prospect of certain defeat is questioned in its rationality. There is a lack of understanding in the idea of not sacrificing one’s self to the cause - this is further shown in Edelgard’s death in all other routes, which is caused directly due to her unwillingness to give up her greater cause. She views her own human life as having less importance than her goals, which is consistent with her ideology of sacrificing everything for the greater good.
Notice the other two mentions of the word sacrifice in CF
Linhardt, at the final chapter (which appears in all routes, mind, but since he does default as a BE I feel it pertinent to include within the CF section):
Sacrifice is seen as a sign of desperation. The idea of sacrificing human lives for a greater cause is no longer comforting or a good enough justification. It being described as “depend[ent] on a throw of the dice” directly implies no control from the one(s) sacrificing their lives.
And the last mention is from Rhea, during the last battle, referring to Rhea burning down Fhirdiad:
Sacrifice is being actively questioned. Edelgard’s reaction to Rhea forcibly sacrificing lives showcases the act as negative. Rhea, in all other routes, is one of Edelgard’s sacrifices she makes for her cause, and now Rhea’s mirroring of sacrificing the people’s lives for what she believes is right is being shown in a explicitly negative light. This is not Edelgard growing to realize that sacrificing human life is wrong as she does not reflect on her own doing so when she criticizes Rhea for the same thing.
In CF, when it is Edelgard speaking of sacrifice, it is always seen as a necessity - something that must be done in order to achieve change. Edelgard actively forces sacrifice on the people due to her believing that her desired outcome cannot be made without it, and so she makes little effort to mitigate this involuntary, large-scale sacrifice.
But, when similar ideals of the value of human life against one’s own cause is applied to those which oppose her, she no longer sees it as morally justifiable to sacrifice the lives of the people, despite her own willingness to do the same. When sacrifice is seen through the lens of someone other than Edelgard, the idea of sacrificing lives for the greater cause is no longer enough to justify it.
In contrast to Claude and Dimitri, who do not view such sacrifice as a necessity and thus do not attempt to justify it/force it upon others (except when Dimitri explicitly is doing something wrong, as directly stated by the game), Edelgard cannot fathom the possibility of being unable to sacrifice human life and achieving her goals at the same time. In contrast to Claude and Dimitri, who hold human life above their goals (except when Dimitri explicitly is in the wrong), Edelgard holds her goals above human life. Human life - including her own - has less worth than her goals, thus making it acceptable to sacrifice.
And, well. Considering that people are still being killed in most of Hubert’s endings due to all of the revolts and rebellions against Edelgard’s abrupt, violent, bloody rule rising up, the commonfolk are still not able to receive titles/military credits unless they marry into families which already have that (save for one character, who was previously noble already), and that freedom of choice is not guaranteed as shown by Bernadetta’s endings, along with the slew of other problematic elements in CF’s endings (especially when compared to VW and AM, whose endings portray a far more peaceful Fodlan)... yeah, the sacrifices absolutely did not achieve their stated desired outcome. And that’s when they were voluntary
#anti edelgard#Anti-edelgard#Edelgard discourse#Edelgard critical#just to be safe#and to be clear - Dimitri did not force sacrifice on his men on Gronder#but more that he only explicitly tries to save Dedue by telling only him to retreat if he's in danger (falls in battle)#he - in that moment and in specifically VW which is his lowest point character wise - has little care for the safety of his friends#Dimitri states that it's him sacrificing his friends when it's more accurate to say he was indifferent to their safety (barring Dedue)#hence the phrasing in that part#but uh like#overall#ignore my ass if this seems too reachy lmao#i just thought it was interesting to look into how each lord uses the word sacrifice specifically#since it holds such a dramatic and intense feeling to it#but i can see how it can sound kinda meh as a premise for analysis lmaooo#feel free to tear it to shreds lol
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Character Breakdown! - Marianne 💖 and Dorothea
MY GIRLS
How do I feel about this character?
I love her. I love this gentle girl who has gone through so much pain and hardship, who’s lost her parents to what she believes is a curse that she shares, who is afraid of herself as much as she fears the hatred of those around her. I can’t tell you how many times I started talking to my screen while going through her supports, because you’re wrong Marianne you do deserve happiness you are good at things I believe in you even if you don’t believe in yourself. She’s very relatable, honestly, with her shyness coupled with self-deprecation as a defense mechanism to keep people away, not to mention the deep depression; again, mental health issues are generally a taboo thing in media, so I was more than a little shocked when I got her A support and realized just what she’d been praying so fervently to the Goddess for. But I also love that about her: she held strong, and she made it through to a better place, which is such a wonderfully hopeful story for anyone with similar struggles, showing that things can get better if you just hold on.
Who do I ship this character with romantically?
I have an answer this time and technically I spoiled it in an earlier character breakdown. Because it’s Dimitri. I love these two broken people and the idea of them managing to support each other, using one another as an anchor to keep from falling further and slowly pulling themselves back out of the lonely places they’ve fallen, both with the other’s help and with the other in mind. I think they would make a wonderful pair since they understand the other’s struggles so deeply, and I’m aiming for their paired endcard in my AM run in progress.
Also, not gonna lie, I do low-key ship her with Hilda because cotton candy girlfriends. I just think they’re sweet and I love how Marianne laughs in their A support, how bright and open and cheerful it sounds. It just does my heart good.
Who is my brOTP for this character?
Marianne deserves to have so many friends. Aside from Claude (who is friends with just about everyone, this is non-negotiable with me), I really love her supports with Ignatz, and how he’s so gentle in coaxing her out of her shell and reassuring her that he enjoys sharing time with her. They’re sweet, and I love their friendship dearly. Also, surprisingly, Lorenz is another one who comes to mind; their A support was one of those that hit me right in the heart, and the fact that he’s so conscious of her feelings and urges her not to force herself to talk about things that upset her makes me think they would be very close friends, with Lorenz looking out for her and even running casual interference for her when she gets overwhelmed before inviting her to tea so she can calm down.
What’s my Unpopular Opinion™ about this character?
Okay so I know that Fandom loves the idea that Marianne is Berkut and Rinea’s kid. And my unpopular opinion is that that is a terrible, terrible thing to do to her.
It’s not that I don’t find the idea appealing, because in all honesty, I do. The notion that Berkut and Rinea, or some reinarnations of them, had another chance in Fodlan and fell in love and had a daughter is delightful, and I would love to see it. But let’s not forget that canonically, Marianne’s parents disappeared and are presumed dead, deeply traumatizing her and leaving her terrified of her own Brand and the monster she might become. After what happened with Berkut and Rinea in Valentia, having them meet a fate that scars their daughter so utterly in another land and another life is utterly devastating, so I would much, much rather have her parents be anyone else than see these lives destroyed again and in the process destroy their child’s peace of mind.
What’s one thing I wish would have happened with this character in canon?
Okay so this is maybe a weird one but I wish she could appear in every route even if you don’t recruit her. Because I obsessively collect every student I can recruit in my own runs, I’ve had to do a fairly substantial amount of digging for fic writing purposes, but everywhere I look for non-VW runs...you don’t see Marianne. She doesn’t appear at Gronder in AM, nor does she appear at Myrddin or Derdriu in CF. And while it’s entirely possible that her absence has a benign cause...well, if you’ve read her Supports, there’s a far more likely, far more dire explanation -- and that thought breaks my heart like little else. So I wish she could have appeared somewhere over the course of non-VW routes, just so that we can see she made it through her depression and found something to cling to. Even if it does open up the possibility that she might fall on the battlefield, the idea that she might have fallen outside it where no one could see or know hurts somehow worse.
and of course the diva herself
How do I feel about this character?
Glorious. Stunning. Inspired. Dorothea is a phenomenal character, someone who I endlessly enjoy seeing and talking to through the game. She’s cultivated this perfect image of herself for the monastery to see, but as you get to know her the truth is so heartfelt: while she comes across as just a girl looking to find a husband during her time at Garreg Mach, she came from nothing, enduring abuse during her life on the streets of Enbarr before she was found by chance and brought into the Mittelfrank Opera Company; she’s terrified of going back to that when her looks and her voice no longer pass muster, and she’s looking out for her future with a keen and critical eye, even though she has no real expectations of finding love through it. And this can all come out before the timeskip, no less: afterward it’s...honestly a little heartbreaking, to see how deeply the war has affected her.
While Marianne has found something to fight for and managed to get her depression in check, Dorothea has gone in the opposite direction, seeming to succumb to depression instead. The war has had a dire effect on her mentality, such that she feels it’s stripped her of all but the ability to survive (”only thorns left on this rose,”) and so many of her lines and comments just feel bleak and lost. There aren’t that many characters in 3H who really embody the impact that war can have on people, because so many of the characters are stepping up specifically to fight for what they believe in and holding strong to their resolve for the sake of their loved ones and their homes. Dorothea is the standout example of someone who’s fighting just to make this all stop, because she can’t take it anymore. The war affects her so deeply, in ways that it doesn’t seem to hit other students, and I end up feeling like she more than anyone is at risk in the War Phase because of it.
Her character is just very raw and very powerful in surprising ways and I love her.
Who do I ship this character with romantically?
hhhhhh
it’s Lorenz okay
It’s always been Lorenz and you know what I’m already under the cut so just skip to the next header if you don’t want to read my long rambling explanation of where the fuck this comes from.
So in my first playthrough (Golden Deer forever), I spent...roughly 170 hours getting to the end. This is almost entirely because I played on Normal mode and did an endless number of auxiliary battles grinding supports between all the characters -- and since I did, in fact, go the extra mile of recruiting every single student and professor I could in my first playthrough, I had a lot of characters to work with. (I actually still missed out on some because I didn’t unlock their C’s soon enough -- Marianne with Ashe and Ingrid with Annette didn’t get unlocked until my next run since I knew what to look out for.) This is a big part of how I ended up liking Lorenz in the first place: I worked through all his supports this way, and saw the full measure of him rather than just writing him off after how rough his C supports were mostly across the board.
Out of all his different supports, though, there were three in particular that stood out to me: Leonie, Mercedes, and Dorothea. With Leonie, he learned to relax his strict notions of separation between nobles and commoners and accept the idea of friendship with her as equals. From Mercedes, he got rightly scolded about treating commoners as beneath his notice and unworthy of consideration where marriage was concerned, and rightly corrected when he floated the idea of marrying her since it continues to fall in line with valuing nobility and Crests over personal character. And in Dorothea, he absolutely met his match: not only is she someone who has near-identical motives in her quest for a spouse (not necessarily looking for romance so much as the perks that come with an advantageous marriage), but she’s someone capable of playing him directly, playing his emotions to reveal the folly of his mindset. The way he laughs in their A support...I don’t think he laughs like that anywhere else. It’s open and it’s earnest and it’s joyous, even as he concedes that she has utterly bested him.
And that, really, is what sold me on them. Having grown so much over the course of those years, having met so many people who affected him and broadened his view of the world, when Dorothea bested him at his own game, I think he really did fall for her in truth, rather than just admiring her beauty and her craft. In the end, both of them get everything they wanted and more: Dorothea gets the reassurance that she’ll be taken care of for the rest of her life, Lorenz can boast if he wants about marrying the star diva of the Mittalfrank Opera...but more than that, they’re equally matched as partners, both bringing different strengths to the table to improve conditions in the Alliance for everyone (and especially the commoners), and able to engage in productive back and forth with one another, challenging the other thoughtfully and coming to agreements and compromises on good terms. I love how well-matched they are and how well their personalities play off each other and I think that they could have an incredibly powerful, productive partnership.
...also I totally ship her with Petra too because their supports are fantastic and also Petra is wonderful and deserves the best.
Who is my brOTP for this character?
Ferdinand von Aegir. I love their supports so much and how he goes out of his way to try to understand her perspective, and changes her understanding of him as a person in the process. She understandably has things to work through, given their history and her own misconceptions about him back then, but I love the idea of them banding together as dear friends who do their best to support each other as best they can. Also, Dorothea and Bernie is a delight, and I love the idea of Dorothea keeping in touch and helping to draw Bernie out of her shell bit by tiny bit.
What’s my Unpopular Opinion™ about this character?
Are. Are there popular opinions about Dorothea? I actually don’t see that many character impressions about her: most of what I see is fanart, and it mostly seems to be because she’s pretty. I guess if I had any unpopular opinion, just based on the way I usually see her on my dash, it’s that she’s a whole heck of a lot more than just a pretty face: she’s cutthroat when she needs to be, incredibly capable as a fighter as much as a singer, and would probably make an excellent spy if the situation called for it. I don’t think it’s fair that she’s treated mostly as eye candy when the truth is that her character is so much deeper than shallow beauty, both before and after the timeskip.
What’s one thing I wish would have happened with this character in canon?
This is silly but I wish we could have heard her sing more. The only real song we hear from her if I’m remembering right is in her supports with Edelgard, where she improvises a few lines about the Empress-to-be. And her voice is glorious! I would have loved to hear her sing more, rather than getting so much from Manuela (which was...pretty painful, honestly, I do not care for her singing voice at all). Especially considering how important singing is to her, not just as a former opera diva but just as a part of her life in general, it feels like a shame that we couldn’t hear her sing more throughout the game, either in her Supports or even in the choir sections at the monastery.
Give Me a Character
#answered#fallingfruitfish#meme#fire emblem: three houses#marianne#dorothea#my girls deserve nothing but the best#this got way out of hand though so be warned#and don't feel obligated to read the long sections if you don't want to#i just have no concept of brevity
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Blood of the Eagle, Lion, and Deer (evil!Byleth AU)
AU Masterlist Here!
Withering Flower - Chapter 6
With time running short as the Javelin of Liberation already en route to Garreg Mach, Edelgard, Claude, Rhea, and Dimitri form an unofficial alliance to take down the Knights of Nemesis.
They all converge onto Gronder Field.
—–
The Elites of the Fell Star Journal - “The Battle of Gronder Field”
What I remember about Gronder Field... It was hot, it was muddy, chaotic.
Nothing at all like the previous battles.
Of course that's pretty much the way it was for all of us, wasn't it?
All the experiments, all those years of training...it doesn't really prepare you for all the screaming or the blood, does it?
Frankly I'm still amazed we ever made it through the first few minutes, never-mind the first hour.
—–
1 Day Later after Chapter 5...
Byleth walked alongside his men as they transported the Javelin of Liberation to Garreg Mach. It was in a large metal container being carried by several horses on a cart.
Almost half his forces were here to defend the cart with their lives. He would have been at Garreg Mach fortifying it for an attack, but he did not anticipate Shamir and Alois going rogue.
Though in hindsight, he should have.
Regardless, there was no point in wishing what could have been.
All of this was going to end soon, his plans would be set in motion.
But for now, he was anticipating the arrival of all four factions. He was hoping to slip by unnoticed, but realistically they’d be here any minute now.
And sure enough.
Three armies peered over the horizon bearing Blue, Red, and Yellow banners.
Another army appeared to the hill Byleth was going to escape in, bearing a silver banner.
It was near the House Leaders’ armies that he saw something peculiar.
Shamir, Leonie and Alois were there.
...Leonie.
He had expected to see Shamir and Alois, but he didn't think to see her again.
She was supposed to be dead and yet...
(Byleth) "Percy."
He unsheathed the Sword of the Creator and heard footsteps.
(Percy) "Sir."
Though he looked calm, Byleth could see in the corner of his eye that he was shaking.
(Byleth) "You willingly come to me, knowing what's about to happen?"
(Percy) "I'm proud to have served in the Knights of Nemesis, but I will also not turn my back on my friends. I am ready to accept my fate, sir."
(Byleth) "...You were a good kid, Percy."
(Percy) "Thank you sir. It's been an honor."
With a swift strike, he slashed at Percy's chest, with him falling to the ground. Byleth had no time to mourn the loss.
With the upcoming battle, there was more of his own that would fall.
...
Byleth had just killed one of his own soldiers.
Even though they were so far away, Leonie could tell exactly who it was.
(Leonie) “Percy...”
Alois and Shamir lowered their heads in respect, but put their hands on the hilts of their weapons as Shamir unsheathed her bow.
(Alois) “We’ll make sure his death isn’t in vain, Leonie.”
(Leonie) “Thank you...”
(Shamir) “Look sharp. They’re getting into formation.”
...
Rhea saw the House Leaders stare at her, and she responded with a nod.
The Knights of Seiros were ready.
...
The Generals of their respective armies stood side by side.
(Judith) “Well, this is an alright battlefield to die in.”
(Gilbert) “Very optimistic...”
(Death Knight) “Realistic. Who knows what Nemesis will be throwing at us here.”
(Rodrigue) “If I can protect my son and our future for the Kingdom...I’ll be all right with this.”
(Gilbert) “Annette...Hmph. I agree.”
(Death Knight) “...”
He slowly looked over to Mercedes.
...
Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude walked up to the front together, surveying the area.
Edelgard couldn’t help but feel a sad tinge of nostalgia.
[Between Heaven and Earth - Fire Emblem: Three Houses]
(Edelgard) “Years ago we fought here as classmates…”
(Dimitri) “And now, we stand together against someone who was once a friend.”
(Claude) “As far as big class reunions go, this one’s got to be the worst one in history…”
(Rhea) “There is to be no mercy for these heretics. Do I make myself clear?”
(Catherine) “Crystal.”
(Seteth) “Loud and clear.”
(Alois) “If we are to die today, then we die doing the right thing.”
(Shamir) “Something we should have done long ago…”
(Leonie) “Alois, Shamir. It’s been an honor.”
(Byleth) “I never wanted it to come to this. I’d have much preferred if we were able to find a way to work together but…Wishing for friendship was a foolish thing for what I have done.”
(Rhea) “KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM!”
(Edelgard, Dimitri, Claude) “FOR PEACE!”
(Leonie, Alois, Shamir) “FOR THOSE WHO HAVE PERISHED, WE DIE IN GLORY!”
(Byleth) “WE ARE THE KNIGHTS OF NEMESIS, AND WE SHALL KNOW NO FEAR!”
And so, the Battle of Gronder had begun.
The first forces to begin the fight were Rhea's.
Soldiers charged in, swords and lances raised high straight towards Byleth.
(Riddhe) "What is she doing, her men must know this is suicide!"
(Byleth) "That's exactly why she's sending them in. She'll stop at nothing to kill us. Direct the men while I'm out there."
(Riddhe) "Yes, sir!"
(Byleth) "Since she's so insistent on throwing her life away, MAGES! RELEASE THE WOLVES! BEASTS, IGNORE THE FIGHT AND GET THE CART TO GARREG MACH AS FAST AS POSSIBLE!"
The Javelin of Liberation then began being dragged by several demonic beasts. At the speed they were going, they'd be long gone once the fight was over.
However, this now meant they would only have very few heavy hitters on the field and Byleth decided against pulling his trump card out yet, it was too early.
And Byleth was not going to summon more, if the worst case scenario happened, he needed to save the magic for warping him and his army out of the fight.
He furrowed his brow and decided to observe the battle for now.
Byleth was far back enough from the fight to worry about snipers, and his position was heavily fortified.
He was going to determine when direct intervention was necessary.
Soldiers took the horses from the cart and charged them straight towards the House Leaders. They were joined by other squads of cavalry, meeting the Empire's and Kingdom's head on.
Squads of Mages began casting a large circle around them and after a few seconds, the circle started to glow into a bright light, summoning forth several demonic beasts.
2 giant wolves spawned from the circle, and charged into the Knights of Seiros, crushing and ripping apart any soldier they came across.
(Edelgard) "Rhea, that idiot! She's going to break up our formation walking right into him like that!"
(Dimitri) "Nemesis and his commander are moving to meet us head on!"
(Claude) "I'll be moving to reinforce Rhea before they get overrun by those wolves."
Edelgard and Dimitri nodded and advanced with their soldiers as the Alliance forces moved to flank from the sides.
(Claude) "Stick to the trees and make them come to us!"
Edelgard motioned her soldiers toward the enemy, and turned to Hubert.
(Edelgard) "Take the Strike Force and help the Blue Lions take care of the commander! I will be on the frontlines with Prince Dimitri! Do NOT engage the professor!"
(Hubert) "Understood. You heard Lady Edelgard, move out!"
...
(Alois) “TAKE IT DOWN!”
Seteth's wyvern grabbed one of the wolves by the neck and bit into its eye as it was being distracted by Alois and Catherine.
Using Thunderbrand, she stabbed it into the other eye, making the beast stop, and having Alois deliver the final blow with an axe to the neck, forcing it down.
Another wolf was about to charge them, being interrupted by a hail of arrows, making it grind to a halt as it fell over.
Catherine, Alois, and Seteth looked back at the trees and nodded, a gesture of thanks to Claude and continued to move towards the Mages.
(Claude) "Keep the pressure on those beasts and watch out for any more that might come in!"
(Hilda) "Claude, we'll be moving in from behind to catch them off guard."
(Claude) "Be careful then, and strike hard and get out of there!"
The Golden Deer students stuck to the trees as Claude kept watch.
Rhea slit the throat of a soldier before setting another on fire with her spell.
Catherine and Seteth barely managed to catch up with her as she continued to slaughter any who tried to attack her.
Alois stayed behind picking off any of the stragglers.
Seteth splitting a soldier in half with his axe as Catherine cut one down, they both turned to her.
(Catherine) "Lady Rhea, you need to stand back!"
(Seteth) "Catherine is right, it's too dangerous! We don't know what else might-"
(Rhea) "I DO NOT CARE WHAT HAPPENS TO ME! THAT CHILD WILL DIE BY MY HANDS IF IT MEANS I WILL HAVE TO LOSE EVERY OUNCE OF BLOOD IN MY BODY!"
(Seiros Knight) "F-FORCES ARE WARPING IN FROM BE-"
The soldier with them was electrocuted and fell to the floor.
All three of them saw a squad of mages teleport in, and fired wave after wave of fireballs at them.
Before Catherine and Rhea could react, Seteth pushed them out of the way with his wyvern, making them tumble over and barely dodge the fire as it hit him.
Seteth was thrown off his mount and landed into the grass.
(Catherine) "Seteth! Tch, DAMN ALL OF YOU!"
Picking up Thunderbrand, she charged with Rhea and began brutally cutting down the soldiers one by
Flayn was trying to heal any injured when she saw Seteth get thrown off, making her instinctively run to him.
(Claude) "H-Hey, FLAYN!"
Doing her best to avoid the carnage, Flayn ran and knelt over to Seteth.
(Flayn) "Father! Are you alri-"
Her blood ran cold as she flipped him over.
Most of his face and his front body was burned off from the attack, leaving a mess of charred bones and blood.
(Flayn) "F...FATHER!--"
That was the last thing she screamed out as she felt her entire body go numb, and fell over to the ground next to him.
Rhea, taking her sword out of a mage's head, looked to where Seteth was, and saw his burnt face and Flayn with an arrow through her heart.
(Catherine) "Flayn...!"
(Alois) “Damn it, NO!”
Rhea said nothing and instead roared out even louder, charging right for the snipers who shot Flayn.
(Sniper) "We've been spotted, retreat to-"
The Sniper's head was lopped off as Leonie rode by with her horse, swinging her sword and running over anyone in the way.
(Sniper 2) "SHIT, AMBUSH!"
(Leonie) “TAKE THE SHOT!”
An ice spike went through his chest and he fell over.
Marianne finished casting her spell and got behind a tree as soldiers were coming to reinforce the snipers.
(Hilda) "Anyone fancy looking up there?!"
Ignatz and Shamir threw themselves against the tree next to Marianne and peeked out of cover.
(Ignatz) "That one, up on the cliff directing artillery!"
...
(Riddhe) "Direct your fire at the Knights of Seiros! If Rhea gets too close, our right flank will be completely open!"
The Mages began casting another spell before one of them yelled out.
(Mages) "INCOMING!"
Everyone looked up and saw a lone Pegasus rider coming at them.
(Riddhe) "ARCHERS!"
A small group of archers aimed at the rider and let the arrows loose.
The Pegasus rider twirled around, gracefully dodging the arrows as she kept coming at them.
Several more archers got into formation and kept up the barrage, but the rider kept avoiding them.
(Riddhe) "The hell?!"
No lone rider should be that fast. Their archers were some of the best shots in the army.
Riddhe didn't realize what was special about that Pegasus rider until he saw the symbol of a lion on the side of the pegasus's helmet.
(Riddhe) "Shit, shit, SHIT! PREPARE FOR CLOSE COMBAT, THE BLUE LION CORPS IS UPON US-"
(Ingrid) "Defenseless, are we?!"
Ingrid swooped down and used an axe to send Mages flying into the air, breaking up their formation.
Archers tried taking another shot at her until a circle formed around them, and froze them completely solid.
(Annette) "ARCHERS DOWN!"
(Hubert) "Rush them!"
(Sylvain) "Got it!"
Sylvain and Ferdinand charged in on their horses, slashing at the enemy soldiers who were still trying to get their swords out.
Riddhe pulled out his sword and was about to enter the fray until he saw an arrowhead emerge from his mouth.
He dropped the sword and fell to his knees, shakily trying to reach for it before another arrow went through his brain, killing him instantly.
(Shamir) "Target down, nice shot kid."
(Ignatz) "Don't thank for me taking a life."
The rest of the Blue Lions and Black Eagles got to the others, finally wiping out the artillery unit as the Golden Deers continued attacking the right flank, eventually joined in by Rhea and her men.
...
Dimitri spun his lance around, killing every soldier around him.
(Dimitri) "Gilbert!"
Gilbert spun around and slammed his shield into a soldier trying to charge him, being cut down by Rodrigue.
(Gilbert) "There is no end to these soldiers!"
(Rodrigue) "I'll hand Nemesis one thing, he sure has an army!"
Edelgard and the Death Knight cut down the enemies next to them, letting their forces charge ahead of them.
(Edelgard) "Keep pushing, we're driving his main forces back!"
(Judith) "Looks like the boy and Rhea did their parts as well! We're starting to rout their men on the left!"
(Dimitri) "Good, now let's-"
Dimitri stopped in his tracks, and everyone else did too.
All of the Knights of Nemesis pulled back and got into a guarding formation, stoppong their attack.
Several Alliance and Empire soldiers charged them, trying to take advantage of the situation.
(Death Knight) "YOU FOOLS, WAIT!"
The soldiers were instantly killed and sent flying back, torso and arms flying high into the air.
When everyone looked back into the crowd, Byleth was slowly walking out, de-activating the whip function in his sword.
(Byleth) "I have come too far, and killed too many to be stopped at Gronder."
Everyone immediately raised their weapons as Byleth continued to walk at them.
(Gilbert) "Your Highness, Lady Edelgard, stand back!"
(Judith) "Protect the kids with our lives!"
(Death Knight) "Acknowledged."
(Rodrigue) "With pleasure! HAAAA-"
Rodrigue was the first to charge Byleth on his horse.
Byleth did not bother moving out the way, and instead raised his hand.
Everything grinded to a halt, with nothing making a sound anymore. Slowly, everyone began to reverse, putting back Rodrigue before he even charged.
Byleth slowly walked alongside Rodrigue, waiting for time to stop reversing.
(Byleth) "2 more to go."
(Rodrigue) "With ple-AAAGH!--"
Everyone immediately looked to their left, Byleth suddenly was behind Rodrigue, looking straight at them as the Sword of the Creator plunged into the back of his chest.
(Gilbert) "RODRIGUE!"
Judith and the Death Knight swung their weapons at Byleth, him ripping the sword out and deflecting their attacks with relative ease.
Gilbert came around the side, swinging his axe down as the Death Knight and Judith kept him down.
(Byleth) "One more."
Again, everything stopped around him and the pressure was let off his sword. However, he didn’t have much time to act.
He backed up a safe distance from when he just killed Rodrigue and activated the whip.
Time resuming, The two swung at an empty space, realizing too late where he was.
Byleth was several feet back from where they would’ve hit him, and he swung at Gilbert who tried to block with his shield.
The shield was split in two as the whip reached Gilbert’s chest, splitting it open, and with him falling over.
(Death Knight) “LADY EDELGARD!”
Byleth’s eyes went wide, barely able to deactivate the whip and time and block Edelgard.
CLANG!
(Edelgard) “YOU WILL FALL TODAY, PROFESSOR!”
(Byleth) “Not...until, I AM DONE WITH MY PLANS!”
Byleth kicked Edelgard back, Dimitri and Judith beginning to rush him.
He deflected Judith’s attacks with ease, but rolled out the way of Dimitri’s.
He was confident in blocking everyone’s attacks, but Dimitri’s brute strength would snap his arms in half with how hard he was swinging Areadbhar.
Judith came in from behind and tried to impale Byleth, but he swung around and knocked her sword into the air, bringing the sword back down and cutting her chest.
Edelgard, Dimitri and the Death Knight got into position, slowly starting to surround Byleth.
(Byleth) “With one Divine Pulse left, staying here is suicidal! MEN, WE’RE RETREATING!”
Byleth turned back to them as his forces formed a small blockade around him.
(Byleth) “MAGES, RELEASE THE PRISONERS!”
The mages did as they were told, leaving a summoning circle right above the cliff where the Blue Lions and Black Eagles were and casted a spell around them, using the last of the energy to get out of the battlefield.
(Rhea) “No...NO! NO DAMN IT! YOU’RE NOT GETTING AWAY!”
Rhea’s body began to glow, and the figure slowly started to larger and larger.
“YOU WILL NOT ESCAPE MEEEEEE!”
(Catherine) “LADY RHEA, WAIT!”
Byleth and the rest of his forces teleported back to where the Demonic Beasts were dragging the Javelin back, but in the distance, he saw Rhea turning into the Immaculate One.
(Byleth) “Tch, of course she’ll force us to use it. DEMONIC BEASTS HALT! MAGES, ACTIVATE THE JAVELIN OF LIBERATION AT MINIMUM POWER! IT WILL BE DAMAGED, BUT WE HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO REPAIR IT BACK AT BASE!”
(Mage) “Understood! ACTIVATING!”
As Rhea took flight, she was about to charge headfirst into Byleth until she saw a bright light coming from the sky.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHHH!”
After the sky was lit on fire, Rhea hit the floor, causing a mini-earthquake around Gronder with the impact.
The sky cleared up and Rhea slowly started to transform back into her human self, everyone trying to shake off the intense light that blinded everyone.
Catherine and the others surrounded her, trying to see if she was okay.
(Catherine) “L-LADY RHEA!”
Her hands slowly shook as Catherine took it.
(Rhea) “D-Don’t...let...him...succeed...- “
Her hand fell to the floor, and her dress started to turn red.
(Catherine) “No...! NO NO NO!-”
Alois turned his head away, and couldn’t help but feel guilty for her death.
He may have not liked her after learning the truth but...
...
Byleth was walking with his men until he suddenly felt light headed, and fell to the ground, dropping the Sword of the Creator.
(Mage) “C-COMMANDER!”
(Knight) “Wait a second, his hair!”
Byleth’s hair turned from the bright green he had, slowly to the dark blue.
(Mage) “Someone carry him, and let’s go! We don’t have a moment to waste!”
...
(Annette) “Ack, w-what in the-”
Her eyes went wide when she looked back down, seeing Gilbert on the ground.
(Annette) “DAD!”
She was about to run after him, but Felix grabbed her by the arm.
(Felix) “What are you doing?! We don’t know if there’s enemies still here!”
He said this, but he was fighting every instinct he had to go down to see Rodrigue.
This was a bloody battle, and the last thing he needed was to lose anyone else.
Annette started sobbing, and Mercedes went to hold Annette. Sylvain, Ingrid, Dedue, and Ashe walked next to Felix, looking at the bodies scattered all across Gronder.
(Ashe) “So much death...”
(Ingrid) “To die on a stupid field like this is...is just-”
(Sylvain) “You...don’t have to finish that, Ingrid.”
(Dedue) “It is a tragedy...”
Edelgard, Dimitri, and the Death Knight lowered their weapons for the moment.
(Dimitri) “Gilbert, Rodrigue...”
Claude slowly rode up on his Wyvern, closing his eyes once he saw Judith.
(Claude) “We’ll...We’ll make sure no one died in vain today, in all sides.”
(Death Knight) “...What did Nemesis mean when he said, “release the prisoner”?”
Edelgard and Dimitri started to look around and noticed that the circle that was in front of the mages wasn’t here anymore.
(Edelgard) “What the...?”
...
(???) “H-Help...us!”
The Blue Lions and Black Eagles quickly looked around, not sure if they heard something.
(Dorothea) “H-Hey...Didn’t that sound like?-”
(Randolph) “Help...us!”
(Fleche) “Please!”
There was suddenly a bit of smoke surrounding the area, a circle encompassing the area they were in too.
(Caspar) cough cough “Where’d this smoke come from?!”
(Ferdinand) “That sounds like General Randolph!”
(Bernadetta) “And a little girl?”
(Petra) “They are in the sounding of pain!”
Hubert nodded and went near the cliff they were at, looking at Edelgard.
(Hubert) “Lady Edelgard, General Randolph and his sister Fleche is here!”
(Edelgard) “R-Really?!”
There was some good news at least.
Though...Why did Byleth only now decide to release them?
(Ashe) “We have to help them!”
(Ingrid) “Right, come on!”
(Sylvain) “We’re right behind you!”
(Dedue) “Hmph.”
(Felix) “H-Hang on guys!”
The Blue Lions stopped and turned to Felix.
(Mercedes) “What is it?”
(Felix) “Does something about their voices sound...off?”
The Black Eagles stopped moving as well and started to listen.
(Randolph/Fleche) “P-Pleas̶̊͜ë̵͉́.̸̘͠.̷̮͊.̷̭̓h̷̘̾e̴̫̊l̶̳̄p̸͍̏.̴̹̋.̴̛̯.̵̦̽u̷̩͘ș̸͐.̷̰͠.̶̥̾.̶̪͆!̷̩̂"̷̺̑
Everyone’s eyes went wide as Hubert said quietly to everyone.
(Hubert) “Everyone...Backs against the cliff. Now.”
Both classes started to slowly back up as their voices intensified.
(Randolph/Fleche?) “H̷e̵l̶p̶ ̵u̶s̸!̶ ̴H̷E̷L̷P̵ ̵U̷S̴!̴ ̸H̶E̶L̴P̴ ̴U̸S̵!̸”
The Golden Deer students were on the ground, slowly preparing their weapons.
Leonie looked back at Claude and gestured up to the cliff, raising her sword as her horse backed up.
Everyone took the hint, and raised their weapons.
“H̷̘̫͊͗̏̂̐̄̋͑̕͜͝E̶̞͙͉̝͕̗͔̝̬͈͋̚L̴͖͑̈́P̶̰͇͈̿ ̷͔̙̆̏̈́̾́̐̓̀U̸̺͍̇̀̕S̸̡̡̛̝̪̳͋͑͠!̷̧̠̞̜̩̓͛̽̕͠”
Bernadetta was the first to scream when they emerged from the smoke.
First came Randolph’s head, and saw Fleche’s face connected to it. Randolph’s right and Fleche’s left eye connected to form a single eye, one with two pupils and filled with bloodshot red.
As they walked out of the smoke, their heads were connected to a single body. Several limbs stuck out of them, as if a child had created this unholy abomination that stood before everyone.
It was several body parts of different people apparently, all crooked and bent.
Some of them had formed scythes from the bones that came out of them.
The circle began to glow even brighter, prompting everyone to look down at their feet.
(Dedue) “OFF THE CLIFF, NOW!”
No one had to be told twice.
As the circle began getting brighter and brighter, everyone hopped off the cliff and landed right in front of the Golden Deers, looking back up.
It finally enveloped Randolph and Fleche, turning into a massive demonic beast that looked something out of everyone’s nightmares.
It was in a ball-like form, with several disjointed feet at the bottom and hands coming from the side, some broken with the bones sticking out and some arms trying to grab for anyone nearby.
(Leonie) “GODDESS, THAT’S WHAT HE WAS DOING TO THEM?!”
(Alois) “WHAT IN THE HELL IS THAT?!”
(Shamir) “He was trying to research the concept of fusing people together to make a stronger unit, but that...thing is what it amounted to! After a short while once the experiments were failing, he just took the bodies we took from the civilians to make that thing!”
Everyone was taken aback by the horrific monstrosity that stood before them.
(Hilda) “I-I THINK I’M GOING TO THROW UP-”
(Hubert) “NOT NOW!”
(Dedue) “Tch, we would be wasting time fighting this thing!”
(Dimitri) “Dedue is right, but we cannot let this thing live!”
(Catherine) “Leave that thing to me...”
Everyone turned to Catherine as church forces surrounded her.
(Catherine) “Byleth is already getting ahead of us! Take what remains of your forces and get after him! If he activates the Javelin of Liberation while we’re all fighting this thing, then Rhea and everyone else would have died for nothing!”
She held Thunderbrand firmly in her hands.
(Catherine) “The bodies of the dead will not be desecrated by this thing!”
Shamir, Alois, and Leonie stood by Catherine, looking at the monster.
(Shamir) “We...we helped this thing be made, so the responsibility falls on us too. I left you alone before. I won’t be doing that again.”
(Alois) “Same here.”
(Leonie) “We’ll keep it distracted, everyone else JUST GO!”
Although no one wanted to leave them to this thing’s mercy they were right.
(Death Knight) “We are wasting time! We need to get moving!”
(Claude) “All forces, on us! LET’S MOVE IT!”
Everyone snapped out of their state of shock, and the Alliance forces followed Claude. Dimitri was the next to signal to move out, then Edelgard.
Edelgard couldn’t help but look back as sounds of fighting had erupted.
(Edelgard) “Professor...”
She closed her eyes.
It wasn’t any of their faults.
It was hers. If she hadn’t left the professor right when he needed her the most when Jeralt was dead...Maybe things could have-”
Dimitri put his hand on Edelgard’s shoulder.
(Dimitri) “It is too late for regret. El.”
(Edelgard) “D-Dimitri...”
(Claude) “He’s right. Right now, it’s up to us to make sure we can fix our mistakes.”
Edelgard nodded.
(Edelgard) “Right. We must not falter now.”
She started to take the lead, and eventually Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude walked side by side to end this where it all began.
Garreg Mach Monastery.
----
The Elites of the Fell Star Journal - “The Beginning”
In our bones, we knew the war was almost over.
Fodlan held its breath, waiting to see which side would make the final daring move.
As expected, Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude went for the kill.
And the moment they were in sight, everything fell into a mini-civil war. We had loyalists that fought for Byleth, and those who wanted to defect and the fights began to grow violent.
Personally? I didn’t care for either side, after what had happened in Gronder? I just wanted to live.
Because in our bones, we knew the war was almost over.
For better or worse, we knew this battle would be the beginning of the end.
----
[Escape - Darling In The Franxx]
#evil!byleth#withering flower#fire emblem three houses imagines#fire emblem three houses headcanons#byleth#dimitri alexandre blaiddyd#edelgard von hraesvelgr#claude von riegan#archbishop rhea#blue lions#golden deer#black eagles#shamir nevrant#alois rangeld#leonie pinelli#hubert von vestra#hilda valentin goneril#dedue molinaro#catherine fe#cassandra charon
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Words could not express the heavy remorse straddling his chest, the shame that filled his expression. To have departed without warning, to rather allow his allies and comrades to believe he’s dead than alive. Cruelty does not even begin to describe his decision but at the time .. it felt that it was done right, the only way to right his wrongs – to disappear (forever). But here he is – standing before Claude again and going against all promises he secretly made to everyone, to his wonderful and beautiful man. Shuffling on his feet, Dimitri struggles to meet Claude’s gaze, fearful of what he would find. He rubs his arm uncomfortably while his own cheeks are becoming warmer by his own shame. Finally, he lets out a well-deserved, “I’m sorry, Claude…” and mournfully laid his gaze on the ground. - – @blufayth , always accepting.
once again time proves how they find themselves drawn to one another. at times dimitri had crossed his mind, but it had only been briefly. no point in pondering over the dead. or so he thought. the king’s gaze shifts to a letter barely sticking out underneath the pile of books. about a week ago he received a letter that he only scanned over before putting it away after seeing the name at the bottom of the paper. perhaps it is a good thing he only read it yesterday or else the content of the letter would have plagued him throughout the week.
at first he believed the letter to be a cruel jest that by some unlucky twist of fate someone had found the letter he never send and was now using it against him. as cruel as that action would have been he preferred it over the thought of dimitri being actually alive. not that he wanted the man dead, far from it, but dimitri being alive would mean he has been deceived for over two years. he made his peace with the fact that he never got around to say what he truly felt until it was too late. him being alive would only stir more unwanted feelings.
and thus it was only inevitable that his eyes would widen like they did when dimitri walked into the room with one of claude’s servants scrambling behind him. silence settles when their gazes meet. no doubt the servant had noticed claude’s expression before he somewhat meekly begins (no doubt intimated by dimitri’s presence) to announce dimitri’s presence but claude stops him halfway by raising his hand midway. ‘ i know who he is. ’ he responds turning his gaze to the servant and the guard before switching to almyrian. leave.
the difference in his tone is noted by the almyrians but they do not question it and left the room, allowing the door to fall shut behind dimitri. for once claude is grateful for the gentle breeze that enters the room along with the sound of servants and nobles walking around the palace or else the sound of his beating heart would have been deafening. his lips part, ‘ so you are alive all along ’ is what he settles for as he observes the blond’s movement. the way dimitri shifts where he stands and avoids his gaze speaks for its own. yet he cannot help but to look at him if only to distract himself from the awful feeling inside his chest.
there is so much that he wishes to say, but too many thoughts are racing through his head. the question of why dimitri did it, why he lied to him and why he is showing up at his doorstep after all those years. ‘ you know, ’ he starts, ‘ at times i imagined what it would have been like if things had been different, if you hadn’t died that day. i imagined --- hoped, that we would be sitting there celebrating our victories as tiny as they may be. ’ the man he saw at gronder that day was someone he did not recognize. it wasn’t the dimitri he knew. at that time he couldn’t help but wonder if that has always been part of dimitri but he simply didn’t see it. there was still a lot he did not know about him. what he did know however was that he hated seeing him like that.
his feelings for dimitri had changed quite a bit overtime. as silly as it is, claude is very well aware of the fact how deeply he had fallen for dimitri during their academy days. perhaps it was simply what one would call teenage love, but claude knew it to be true.
claude scoffs, ‘ it’s stupid really, after all what is the point? dimitri is dead, what is the point of imagining all of that --- is what i thought. ’ a pause, ‘ until that very dead man shows up at my doorstep. ’ he wants an explanation but so far all he has been getting is an apology. ‘ you're sorry. ’ claude calmly repeats after him but that calm facade is quick to disappear. ‘ sorry isn’t going to cut it dimitri ! ’ his palm meets the wood of his desk as the echo of it as well as the increased volume of his voice startles one of the guards stationed outside of the room.
the earlier feeling residing inside his chest is replaced by anger and sadness (but mostly anger). ‘ everyone thought you were dead! ’ a pause, ‘ i thought you were dead --- i mourned you. ’ twice even. though he could never blame dimitri for the first time: after all he was the one to be executed. claude remembers well when he received the news that dimitri would be executed. it was a moment in his life where he was ready to abandon all logic and go out there to help him, to save him. what stopped him that night was the knowledge that people were depending on him and looking at him for guidance. people that couldn’t fend for themselves, there was no way he could abandon them now. so instead he would conjure up a plan to convince the other nobles of the alliance, but it was already too late and message of ‘dimitri alexandre blaidydd has been executed‘ rang through the council. everything that was said beyond that had fallen to deaf ears.
the fact that he hadn’t gone out there was something he was prepared for to regret for his whole life until he saw him again at gronder field. but right now he just feels stupid for blaming himself knowing that dimitri (most likely) wouldn’t have showed him the same courtesy. after all has the man not been lying to him for over two years? ‘ i trusted you. ’ is what comes out next, but a bit more vulnerable than he would have originally liked it to be. ‘ i cared for you ‘ is what he doesn’t say.
a sigh passes his lips, ‘ why ? ’ perhaps a bit too vague. ‘ why even show up here at all ? ’ he clarifies. though he doubts he wants to know the answer to his question.
claude runs a hand through his hair before he crosses his arms over his chest. ‘ i always did pride myself in having a response for everything at any given time. ’ but quite frankly at this point he isn’t quite certain what to say nor do. ‘ i don’t know what you want from me and honestly at this point i’m just debating if i should hear you out or toss you out of the palace. ’ and right now the latter seems like the most reasonable option. yet part of him wants to know and it is screaming so loud. it is that very part of him that begins to panic slightly when he hears dimitri offer that he could leave permanently so he would never have to hear from him again. ‘ no. ’ comes out, ‘ stay. ’ follows before he can stop himself from saying so.
it sure is a complicated situation they have found themselves in. if only times were as simple like during their academy days where they would be embracing one another on a rainy day.
his gaze finds the blond again, ‘ this isn’t something that can be solved with just one conversation. so stay as my guest. ’ there is still much to be talked about. ‘ if you truly mean it you stay for a couple of days and we talk this out. if not, then don’t ever show your face here again. ’ a pause, ‘ so what will it be ? ’ with dimitri’s decision the doors open again and a few servants enter the room per claude’s request. they would be guiding dimitri to his room.
however before they leave the room claude calls his name once more, his back facing the blond and the servants as his gaze is fixed on the window. despite his anger and despite how his actions hurt him, he isn’t so blind not to notice the difference between the dimitri he saw back then and the dimitri he is seeing now. ‘ i am still angry with you but ... you look well, better. ’ even now claude doesn’t know what happened to him back then, but what he does know is that he hit rock bottom.
�� knowing that makes me happy at least. ’ there is no mistaking that dimitri has hurt claude deeply for lying to him like he did. the one person that made him feel appreciated, loved and safe. the one that didn’t look at him like he is an oddity and treated him with kindness. he betrayed his trust and it hurt him. and while he knows he deserves a better treatment than the other has given to him, he still wouldn’t wish harm to befall onto the former prince. with this offer claude has done all he can and perhaps more than he should have now it is up to dimitri if he takes the opportunity or not.
as the door falls shut he lets out a deep breath (only now realizing that he has been holding his breath in). claude begins to laugh weakly at himself perhaps scolding himself for finding himself into a situation like this. he never really was one for the easy route now was he? he recalls the conversation he had with hilda well about how there are still plenty of fish in the sea but no claude wanted that particular fish. it was the first time he actually spoke of wanting something in the first place.
and even now despite all that has happened he couldn’t even deny that he still cared about for that troubled man.
#blufayth#✧ — ❛ blufayth: eyes so blue i might drown / but if it is you i don't think i mind at all.#✧ — ❛ answered.#you really had to come for me like that didn't you#:)
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