1Chapter 3: New lives II
Ferdinand and Dorothea
A sweet and very happy melody sounded across the field. Even the animals stopped to listen carefully, surprised that such a sound could be produced by a person.
Near the lake, a pregnant woman sang while her husband watched her lovingly and hugged her carefully. He sometimes joined her singing, although for a short time because he enjoyed listening to her much more.
After the song, they went back to the mansion to eat. Unlike in other noble houses, the table was not very large and both of them ate close to each other.
"Are you sure you will be able to do the concert with Manuela?" asked Ferdinand concerned. "Aren't you asking too much of yourself?"
"If I remember correctly, I had to fight the last battle of the war while I was pregnant" Dorothea said, looking lovingly at a girl who was dozing in a cradle next to her "This's nothing compared to that."
Ferdinand blushed slightly at the memory of that. Neither of them knew that she was pregnant. The war had brought them very close and any misunderstanding or anger between them became something very secondary.
Even so, getting her pregnant when they didn't even know if there was going to be a tomorrow wasn't something worthy of a noble. So as soon as the war was over, Ferdinand asked her to marry him and she was delighted to accept.
Now they were going for the second child and the servants didn't doubt that they would come even more seeing how much they both loved each other. Ferdinand had a lot of work as a minister of the Empire, but he always did his best to be close to his wife.
He strove to do his work as perfect as possible so that he could go home sooner. Although Dorothea controlled that he didn't over exert himself.
"Though we should stop making love in the fields." Dorothea commented suddenly. The young woman gave a small laugh when she saw how Ferdinand almost spit out the tea.
"W-what?!"
"We've done it twice in the field and both times coincide with my pregnancies."
"B-but that's not…" Ferdinand tried to refute that absurd idea, but upon thinking about it he realized that there was some logic to it.
"Don't worry, surely there are better places for a noble." joked the mystic songstress when she saw the downcast look of her husband.
"...O-of course! A noble should not indulge in lust like that. The countryside is not a worthy place for such...actions."
Dorothea held back her laughter when she heard that. She knew that with just a couple of gestures she would have Ferdinand eating from her hand anywhere she wanted.
"By the way, I'm having a tea party soon," Ferdinand informed her, trying to change the subject. "Hubert, Constance, Lorenz and I will taste the tea that the professor gave us during the wedding
"You haven't finished it yet?"
"A high-quality tea should only be tasted on the most important occasions." said Ferdinand proudly.
"Do you want me to go to said party?"
"Only if you want."
"I don't."
"That really hurt me, but I understand if you don't share my passion for the art of tea."
Dorothea just rolled her eyes and smiled slightly. She sometimes believed that her husband only had tea instead of blood in his veins.
"Are you sure you won't feel alone?" asked Ferdinand concerned.
"No, I can always go to see Edelgard or even visit Ingrid. We've only communicated through letters for a long time."
"Ingrid, huh? I don't know if you should travel in your state…"
"I can move perfectly, don't worry so much."
Ferdinand caressed his wife's face lovingly. It was impossible for him not to worry.
"I'll give you the best escort… even better! I'll ask Hubert to lend me some of his spies. They're very good at watching from the shadows."
Dorothea made a bitter face. She didn't like having those kind of people protecting her, but she didn't want to argue either so she accepted it. Her husband was very stubborn when it came to her safety.
"Maybe the imperial guard just in case, or I should ask the professor to send a couple of Seiros knights…" Ferdinand kept rambling about possible security measures until Dorothea silenced him with a strong and passionate kiss that left him quite stunned.
"Have you calmed down yet? Or do you want me to keep kissing you?"
"Y-yes!...I mean, n-no!...Can you repeat the question?"
Dorothea could only laugh. She really did have him completely under control. Like a mermaid to a clueless sailor.
"Have you thought about what we're going to give Flayn and Claude yet?" asked Dorothea, although she already knew the answer.
"The best tea in Fódlan, of course!"
Yuri and Constance
It was a huge and luxurious house. With many, many rooms. Most of them were used for numerous experiments. The servants had learned the hard way not to approach or enter such rooms, especially when Constance was working. Some of the servants still turned into frogs on rainy days.
The servants' favourite days were when Constance's husband came home. There were no experiments in those days, at least not the dangerous ones.
ooOoo
In a small room, Yuri was giving his wife a taste of a new tea while they chatted about various topics.
"And Mercedes and her gloomy brother?" Constance asked as she sat down at the table and took the cup of tea from her.
"Very good, our donations are helping a lot to improve the orphanage" Yuri informed him with a smile. "Though they are looking forward to you visiting them."
"Did Emil say he wants to see me?" asked his wife very surprised.
"He hasn't said that he doesn't want to see you."
"Of course! Is there someone who doesn't want to enjoy my presence?"
"…"
"Ha! Your silence says it all" Constance said proudly. "Tell me, where did you get this tea? It's more than worthy of a noble of my level!"
"It's the gift that Ferdinand gave us at the wedding" Yuri reminded her. "We've been so busy there are still unopened presents."
"We also have to try the tea that Lorenz and Hubert gave us!" Constance recalled happily.
"I will never understand the nobles obsession with tea."
"Tea is the symbol of the purest nobility and a joy for the finest palate!"
Yuri just laughed.
"As long as it makes you happy, I'll buy you all the tea you want."
"I expected no less from my mockingbird…By the way, lately those nobles who made fun of me behind my back have already stopped bothering me. They even tremble when they see me! Which makes me happy but I wonder if you have something to do with it."
"No honey, I'm too busy to worry about the nonsense of the nobility."
Anyone else would have believed that big lie. But Constance had learned to read Yuri like an open book.
"Maybe I should try my new truth potion on you."
"…We'd better try it with Balthus the next time we see him" Yuri teased while in his head he apologized to his best friend. No way he was going to try his wife's potions again. He loved her more than himself, but even love has limits.
"Balthus, huh?" Constance murmured with a sinister smile. "It's not a bad idea, so he'll learn to go to his friends' weddings."
"Of course."
"I've also heard some very strange rumors. They say that Caspar, Edelgard, Hubert, Ferdinand, Felix and you made Bernadetta's father disappear. They even say that Seteth and Raphael helped dispose of the body."
"A plot worthy of one of Bernie's books" Yuri admitted with a laugh. ", but I'm afraid it wasn't my hand that killed the poor count."
"So you made the plan and the others gave him the coup de grace." Constance deduced with a triumphant smile.
"…I'm afraid that spending so much time away from me has set your imagination wild, even more so if possible."
"Mock all you want but you can never fool me!" Constance laughed.
"By the way, who has spread such rumors?"
"Bernadetta" Constance explained. For a few seconds she thought she saw her husband's face pale slightly, but it must have been her imagination. ", in his new book the characters are very similar to our old classmates, and together they get rid of the protagonist's evil father It has it all! Romance, mystery and betrayals! It will be a classic in the future."
After tea the couple enjoyed a quiet week at the mansion. Yuri even managed to get his wife not to try any of her new potions on him or her servants.
Mercedes and Jeritza
"What are you thinking, sister?" Emil asked when he saw her somewhat worried.
Mercedes snapped out of her reverie and gave him a small smile.
"I'm thinking about who I can leave as director of the orphanage while we're at Claude and Flayn's wedding. It's a tough job and not for everyone. Some kids still have war-related nightmares."
"You don't have to keep thinking" Emil said very seriously. "I'm not going to the wedding so I can stay as substitute director."
Mercedes looked at him surprised and worried at the same time.
"How come you're not going to the wedding? We haven't seen our friends in a long time" said Mercedes giving her a letter. "They've given you an invite and everything!"
"A monster like me doesn't deserve to enjoy such beautiful day." Jeritza said, dropping the letter to the ground.
Mercedes picked it up and shook it to remove the dirt.
"Emil… How can you keep talking about yourself like that? Would a monster have risked his life so many times to save Flayn?"
Her brother looked at her surprised by her words.
"... H-how do you know...?"
"That you were his secret bodyguard during the war? Flayn told me" Mercedes revealed with a loving smile. "She wanted to thank you but since you wouldn't let him, she gave it to me. She's such a sweet girl, don't you think?"
"All the more reason for someone as bitter as me not to go to her wedding. Besides, have you forgotten that if she hadn't gone for Byleth, he would have sold her to the snakes?"
"You aren't the only one with a dark past, Emil. However, we're all overcoming our fears and insecurities" Mercedes encouraged him. "Don't let the opportunity professor Byleth gave us be wasted."
"B-but…"
"But nothing! You and I are going to the wedding together and we're going to give them a present" Mercedes said with a big smile as she affectionately grabbed her brother's arm. "Also, in the invitation letter they say that all your favourite desserts will be there."
"…I guess I can't refuse after all." Emil said with a small smile.
"If you do I'll have to ask Constance for some of her potions." Mercedes joked.
Emil felt a chill run down his back when he heard that.
"Y-you don't have to go that far."
"A pity, with how good they taste…"
"How do you know that?" Emily asked. His sister just laughed.
Dimitri and Edelgard
"What was that?" demanded to know Edelgard. "You could have killed us all with your recklessness!"
"If you had died nothing would have been lost!" Dimitri yelled furiously. "Of all the people that make up Sothis's army, you are one of the least I want to hear sermons."
The tension between the two had been brewing for weeks and had finally exploded. The people around them could only watch in horror, although the smartest fled from there knowing that if the worst of situations occurred, it was better to stay away.
"I know you hate me with all your being, but right now we need to work t-"
"Together? Is that what you meant?" Dimitri interrupted in a mocking tone. "A vile traitor like you who wanted to bathe Fodlan in the blood of innocents doesn't deserve to talk about it."
"Fódlan must change and I doubt very much that you would have accepted my decisions."
"Do you decide to kill everyone who doesn't think like you? Is that the world you want to create?"
"I seek to create a world where people can choose their own destiny!"
"With you in command of said world, right? I've heard enough! Don't ever get in my way again or the next battle will be your last!"
ooOoo
"Thank you for saving my life" Edelgard said as she cleaned Dimitri's wounds. The young man had his left eye bandaged and several cuts all over his torso. Luckily he was out of danger.
"…You saved me once, now the debt is settled."
Edelgard stared at him, setting the wet cloth aside.
"Is that why you saved me? Because of a debt?" The young woman tried not to let the disappointment show in her voice. Although she didn't know why she cared so much about the opinion of who in other circumstances would be her worst enemy.
"I…I don't know" Dimitri admitted surprising her. The young man didn't dare to look at her and preferred to look towards the window. "My body moved by itself when I saw you in danger. For a moment, I put anger and revenge aside. That's all. And you, why did you save me the other time?"
"…I don't know."
Yes, she knew. For a moment, just watching Dimitri die had made her furious. Although she would never tell him.
"Get well soon so we can win this war and bring justice to our loved ones." Edelgard said trying to change the subject.
"Justice, huh? I thought you were more into revenge."
"You blue lions spend all day talking about your outdated ideals" Edelgard said trying not to smile and failing miserably. "I guess a few things have rubbed off on me. Besides, since you've only been talking about revenge lately, someone has to contradict you."
Dimitri smiled slightly at those words. Edelgard couldn't help but think that it was a very pretty smile.
ooOoo
After the war…
Dimitri was supposed to accompany her to Anna's store. However, their walk was interrupted by a woman. She was very beautiful, long blond hair that shone in the sunlight, flawless skin, and porcelain hands.
Edelgard unconsciously touched her snowy hair, which had taken on a somewhat brownish hue in certain areas since she received Hannemam's treatment. She also remembered that her body had several battle scars. She didn't want to look at her hands, for she knew they were not the hands of a maiden.
She preferred to continue observing that beautiful woman. Edelgard never considered herself a jealous person, but she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable.
Apparently Dimitri already knew this woman. Sylvain introduced her to him during his academy days, in a vain attempt to get Dimitri to "have fun" with a woman.
Apparently things didn't end well, even so the woman didn't seem to want to give up. Much to Edelgard's relief, Dimitri rebuffed her advances and even told her that there was already someone her heart already belonged to.
ooOoo
Very few knew that she and her fiancé spent the nights together. Or at least the nights they were both in the same city. If the nobles, part of the Church or the people found out, it would cause a great scandal, in more ways than one.
To be honest, Edelgard didn't care about all of that. She had never been a person who followed the established rules to the letter and she wasn't going to be one now.
Drawing a small sigh, she gently touched the scar on Dimitri's face. It was a painful memory of how he had nearly lost an eye after saving her from a treacherous enemy attack.
She could still feel the anger running through her being as she recalled that moment. Of course, Edelgard had personally ensured that this enemy was rendered unrecognizable after the battle.
She lovingly kissed his scar, waking him up in the process.
"I'm sorry, but it's about time." said Edelgard.
"…It's still night." Dimitri replied hugging her carefully. He was always careful with her, as if he was afraid of breaking her with his enormous strength. Edelgard didn't care as long as he only treated her like this when they were alone.
"I know, but if we don't want to cause a scandal, you'd better leave before the maids come."
Dimitri got out of bed completely naked and began to dress while he was stared at by his fiancée.
"By the way, do you already have the gift for Claude and Flayn's wedding?" Dimitri asked suddenly.
"Huh?" Edelgard stopped looking at his body to look at his face.
"Gift. Wedding."
"Ah…yes. Yes I do."
"Now that I think about it, we haven't seen our friends in a while."
"Friends?" Edelgard asked as if that word was new to her. "I still can't believe that I'm friends with someone I considered a monster for a long time."
"It wasn't your fault," Dimitri said right away. "We were all manipulated in some way. But thanks to Byleth we managed to be free."
"Even so, I can't help but think that the future I wanted to build was based on the corpses of the majority of Fódlan" Edelgard confessed.
"You were manipulated into half-truths by the Agarthans," Dimitri told her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We all were."
"That doesn't excuse that I was willing to start a war in which hundreds of innocents would have died. In the end I'm not that different from those snakes. I didn't even bother to know Flayn or Rhea, I just believed that they were monsters that had to be eliminated at all costs. Even when Jeritza kidnapped her…If it hadn't been for professor, Flayn'd been suffering for a month at the hands of the true monsters."
"…You know, constantly blaming myself and being depressed about things from the past is my thing" Dimitri commented as he sat down next to her. "I'm starting to think my heart isn't the only thing you want to steal."
Edelgard couldn't help but smile at that comment.
"During the war there were times when I thought you were going to do something crazy. I even thought you were going to kill us."
Then they had a long and delicate kiss, which became something passionate, as if neither wanted it to end. But it ended and all thanks to a furball that jumped on top of them.
The cat was pitch black but his eyes were an intense emerald hue. Edelgard had taken him in when he was very little. The cat followed her everywhere, no matter how many people there were. Many times he looked more like a dog. She had decided to call him Linhardt, since most of the time he was just ordering food or sleeping.
The couple laughed as they petted the cat and thought about how they could improve Fódlan's future.
The new king of Almyra, Claude, had left the Alliance in the hands of Dimitri, thus increasing the kingdom's territory. Perhaps in the very near future kingdom and empire would become one again. Edelgard and Dimitri were sure there was something ironic and metaphorical about all this, but they were too tired and happy to think about it.
Dedue and Shamir
The couple had breakfast at a small table in a rather austere room. It had just what was necessary without taking into account all the types of weapons that were both in the corners and on the walls.
In the past both used to be people in constant tension, always cautious and vigilant of any possible threat. However, now they seemed very different people, their faces reflected relaxation and let small smiles appear. Although they were still just as dangerous.
"I still don't know how you can cook so well." Shamir said suddenly, after giving a contented sigh. Her husband's food was out of this world.
"Years of practice… I'm glad to see you haven't grown tired of my cooking yet." recognized the giant of Duscur.
"I don't think it's possible," Shamir said. "I wonder if they're done yet."
"What?" asked Dedue after swallowing a piece of apple.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about" Shamir said without hiding her mischievous smile. "I think there is no one in all of Fódlan who does not know about the 'long diplomatic meetings' between the king and the empress."
"They must be very productive meetings if they keep repeating them." commented Dedue without showing any expression.
"I'm glad to see your sense of humor has increased." Shamir said. This time Dedue gave a small smile as he looked at her affectionately.
"I have learned from the best."
Shamir chuckled lightly as she watched him finish his breakfast. She never imagined sharing her life with someone whose values were so opposite to her own, or at least she thought so.
During the war they got to know each other very well and realized that perhaps they weren't so different. The few conversations they had ended up turning into fun discussions. When Dedue disappeared is when she realized how much she enjoyed his company... If Shamir hated anything about her husband, it was her ability to constantly die and revive.
Up to four times they had all believed that Dedue was dead during the war. Such was the situation that even Felix came to joke with the idea that the Duscur giant was a ghost. A ghost that always showed up to help at the last moment.
Shamir never liked the idea of the "Ghost of Duscur" as her husband was jokingly called. Still she had to admit that it was a funny, just a little. Now that they were married, she was going to make sure no one killed him for real this time.
Dedue for his part had learned to be more careful and appreciate his life more. He was still faithful to Dimitri but now he had Shamir and the other members of Garreg March in his heart. He was willing to do whatever it took to protect them and to stay alive so as not to make them suffer, especially Shamir...
He no longer knew if he would give his life for Dimitri without hesitating twice, but he did know that he would do it for Shamir, although he would never tell her because he knew how angry she would be if she knew.
"His Majesty has told me that in case the 'diplomatic meetings' come to fruition, he would like to visit Duscur." Dedue commented.
"Honeymooning in Duscur, huh? Sounds dangerous" Shamir said. "Relations between the kingdom and Duscur are still tense."
"They are much better than in the past, but it is true that there is still some danger" admitted Dedue. "Luckily he has us as his bodyguard."
"Right. Besides, surely Hubert and Monica have hundreds of defensive plans. Woe to the wretch who tries to harm the royal couple, I almost feel sorry for them."
"I see that your level of compassion for the enemy has increased."
Shamir just shrugged.
"Serving Lady Rhea during the war has softened me up, I admit."
Dedue smiled slightly but said nothing. Neither of them said anything else because it was not necessary. They could understand each other perfectly without hardly exchanging words most of the time, so silence was a very present partner in the relationship of said couple.
Most people didn't understand it but they didn't care. They were happy and didn't need more.
Hubert and Mónica
Hubert, Hubert! Monica yelled as she rushed into the shadowy man's room. "I have come up with a hundred ways to kill everyone who bothers lady Edelgard on her future trip to Duscur!"
Hubert put down the book he was reading and gave her a condescending smile.
"Too naive, I've already thought up two hundred" he said with a triumphant smile as he watched the anger grow on Monica's face. "You spend so much time admiring lady Edelgard that your brain has lost its ability, though I can't blame you for such a weakness."
Monica seemed about to explode but to Hubert's surprise, she managed to contain herself quite well.
"There is still time, I can still win."
Hubert gave a small, dry laugh.
"How naive."
"By the way, I've been talking to Shamir and Dedue" Monica explained, ignoring her last comment.
"Poor things."
"I have a feeling they think they can do our job better than us."
"Ignorance is really a very common disease these days," Hubert commented sadly. "It doesn't matter, that future trip will make it clear that there are no better bodyguards than us."
"Finally something we agree on!"
Hubert nodded and then approached Monica who looked at him strangely.
"By the way, I have a tea party to attend shortly. I hope you will be able to protect lady Edelgard in my absence."
"Your doubts are indeed naive, Hubert" Monica responded immediately. "You couldn't find anyone better for such a job."
For the first time, Hubert broke into a big, genuine smile. Which surprised Monica quite a bit, making her feel strange things.
"I know." Hubert said, still smiling.
Hilda and Ignatz
She was sitting on a red blanket in the middle of a small field of flowers. The place was surrounded by tall trees and the light only poured in from above, making Hilda's appearance that of a sunlit forest fairy.
Only a white blanket covered the most intimate parts of her body. Ignatz had to use all his willpower to concentrate on the drawing. Hilda knew that, which is why she had a mischievous smile that made her look more like a devil than a fairy.
Ignatz adored these different facets of his fiancée, though he still couldn't believe how lucky he'd been. He always believed that on his artistic path he wouldn't have time for things like romance, let alone someone like Hilda would notice him.
Ignatz had been in love with Flayn since the first day of the academy. Or more than love, it could be said that what he felt was something very platonic that evolved over time. However, he never dared to tell her what he felt, although he never lacked opportunities because he used to talk a lot with her.
Ignatz would have wanted things to stay like this forever, but everything changed the day he saw Flayn kissing Claude. That day Ignatz regretted not having had more initiative and fell into a spiral of pain.
It was then that Hilda appeared as a saving angel in his life. Hilda was the complete opposite of him, both in behaviour and in mentality, even so their friendship grew much stronger over time, so much so that Ignatz did not want to remain silent with his feelings again.
Hilda always went to visit him to see his new paintings, she didn't hesitate to play pranks on him, to help him train and even saved his life several times. Ignatz never knew when he fell madly in love with her, but he did know that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.
The only problem is that before talking to Hilda he had to overcome the obstacle that was Balthus. This mountain of muscle and debt was not going to let just anyone approach Hilda with romantic intentions. Not to mention Holts, Hilda's brother and a war hero. Many fled when they saw that such titans were the enemies to defeat in order to have Hilda's hand. But Ignatz didn't, being one of the few times that his reason lost to his heart.
"What are you thinking about?" asked Hilda suddenly, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"In the past and the path I've travelled so far" Ignatz said, stopping drawing her for a moment. ", I never thought that I would be lucky enough to be engaged to the most beautiful woman in Fódlan."
"You're exaggerating" she said blushing. ", but I don't care, keep exaggerating please."
Ignatz laughed at her comment.
"Although I also had to do things I never thought I would do to be with you."
"Like that time you fought Balthus?" Hilda remembered sadly. "It really was silly what you did, I thought he was going to smash your face."
"H-he wouldn't have let me propose to you otherwise."
"You could have died."
"I don't think so, Balthus isn't that bad…Also, don't you think that surprise blow you gave him was too much?"
"It was a very weak punch."
"You knocked him out for a day."
"…He recovered very well, didn't he? Besides, that's what he gets for hurting you."
Ignatz shook his head while smiling slightly. He gave it his all in the match against Balthus and was sure that he could have won. He wasn't bothered by the way things had turned out, though. As the son of merchants he knew that good luck was always to be taken advantage of.
"However, was it necessary for you to destroy your brother like that?" Ignatz asked confused.
"It's his fault for attacking you and not defending against my attacks."
"...Did you want me to be your fiancé that much?"
"If I didn't want it, I wouldn't have let you draw me naked so many times, don't you think?" Hilda said winking at a very flushed Ignatz.
"Let's hope your brother never found out about that." Ignatz said very concerned.
"He will find out when you sell your paintings." Hilda said jokingly. "Don't worry, I'll protect you."
"I prefer that "our paintings" stay in our house, in a place that only you and I can see." Ignatz said quickly, for the last thing he wanted was to die a painful death.
"I see, so you want to be the only one who enjoys all of this." Hilda said, pointing seductively at her entire body.
Ignatz tried to say something but the words wouldn't come out and his face was so red it could be mistaken for a tomato.
Hilda's laughter could be heard throughout the forest. She adored those moments of happiness with Ignatz. The two of them alone traveling the world, discovering new places and people...
Hilda never thought much of her fiancé when she saw him at the academy. She even thought at times that he was too weak to be there. However, the day she saw one of his paintings, she realized that there was something beyond her appearance. Talking more with him she discovered a sensitive and hard-working soul, someone who didn't look at her as a prize to be won but as a friend.
She liked him very much, too much. So much so that sometimes she didn't know how to show it to him but she tried every day. Hilda didn't know when she fell in love with Ignatz, but she was glad she did.
Felix and Annette
"Why did you hit him?" asked Annette very sadly. "The atmosphere at Garreg March is bad enough and fighting between teammates isn't going to help us."
"Teammates? The Boar doesn't know what that is, Annette" Felix said, trying to contain his anger as he used a wooden sword against a tree. "Because of him my father could have died… No, because of him any of us will end up dead."
"…I know what you mean, but right now Dimitri…"
"..."He's going through a difficult situation"". Felix finished for her. ", is the same thing that professor Byleth has been saying for days."
Felix dropped the wooden sword and sat down under the tree after letting out a big sigh. The man exuded an aura of aggressiveness and intimidation and anyone would have walked away in no time.
However, Annette was able to see through it all and without hesitation she sat down next to him. Their shoulders practically touched and without the girl noticing, that dark aura that surrounded Felix began to dissipate little by little.
"I know Dimitri hates Edelgard, most of us don't trust her and we're wise not to". Felix said looking up at the sky. ", but if Dimitri keeps getting carried away by his feelings, we won't be able to win this war or protect our families."
"I know, but luckily he has a lot of friends to help him see what's important". Annette said, placing her hand over Felix's. "Surely Dedue, Sylvain, Ingrid and you can do better than punch him every time he does something stupid, right?"
Felix gave a small laugh.
"Yeah, punching him wasn't a good idea, I almost broke my hand."
"It's a good thing you have a very good healer friend." Annette said laughing with him.
Friend. Felix didn't like that word. Ingrid was his friend, Mercedes was his friend, Flayn was his friend, perhaps Dorothea was his friend, but Annette... she was different, he didn't know in what way, but the word friend didn't work for her.
Felix would never forget seeing Annette chasing a tall man with orange hair like hers. How the man treated her with a certain coldness... or perhaps shame. Annette's tears after that encounter.
Felix didn't say anything, but seeing her cry about her hurt him. Strange, they weren't even that close. But seeing such a good person breaking was never a nice thing.
A lot had happened since that day, but Felix swore every night that he would never let Annette cry like she did that time. He was happy to have made it for now.
ooOoo
After the war…
"Felix, Felix!" Annette yelled as she ran through the halls. "Where are you?"
Felix smiled when he heard the voice of his fiancée.
"I'm here, Annette." He said in an affectionate tone that he reserved only for her, especially when they were alone.
"...Oh, I wasn't looking for you, I was looking for the cat." Annette clarified immediately. Small wrinkles appeared on Felix's forehead when he heard that.
Annette laughed at his expression.
"Wow, this is the first time you've made that face with me instead of your friends."
The bitterness vanished from Felix's face instantly.
"I'm sorry."
"Are you jealous of your own cat?"
"…I guess". Felix acknowledged. Lying was useless with Annette, she always knew what was wrong with him. Besides, she was the only person, along with Sylvain, that Felix felt he could never lie to.
Annette's laughter filled him with a lot of joy. Felix didn't know how, but he felt that his life was complete just by being by her side and listening to her.
"Why are you looking for him?" Felix asked curiously as he put the training sword in a corner.
"I wanted to sing you a new song". Annette explained. "It's about a cat that wastes eight of his nine lives and has to face Death itself."
"You always have very... curious ideas". said Felix, somewhat confused. "I want to hear that song too."
"Of course you have to listen it too!" said Annette very excited.
Just at that moment, a short-haired bluish cat entered the room.
"Felix!" Annette exclaimed, picking him up. "Where have you been, little one?"
"It's been a while since I found him, he's not so little anymore," Felix joked. "I think you spoil him too much."
"I pamper you a lot too and I don't see you complaining."
"..."
ooOoo
They were both lying on the bed, holding each other while watching the full moon through the window.
"Byleth has asked me to become a combat teacher at the academy," Felix said suddenly. "But I'm going to turn him down since I would be far away from you."
"Well, that's too bad because he has asked me to be a teacher too, so I'm going to be very alone at the academy."
"… What?!"
Annette laughed again when she saw the surprise on Felix's face. She would never get tired of seeing him being so expressive. Of course, that same day Felix sent a letter where he accepted the job as a teacher. Annette was a little worried about the future students at the academy. They would be good warriors but surely they would never want to return to the academy.
Sylvain and Ingrid
Love was something Sylvain neither wanted nor needed, or so he thought. Playing with women's hearts was something he could do with his eyes closed. It was better to hurt than to be hurt after all. His emblem, the feats of war... few liked him for being himself, although he had almost never shown his true self.
"If you continue down that path, you're going to be alone," Ingrid told him very seriously one day. There was no kindness in her voice and no anger, just apathy. Which scared Sylvain quite a bit. "I won't always be there to get you out of your troubles. I'm getting tired of being "your mother", Sylvain. I have my own life, and I plan to dedicate it to protecting our future king. If you're unable to mature when that time comes, I'm afraid we'll have to go our separate ways no matter how much it hurts..."
The fear that Sylvain felt at the possibility of losing Ingrid was not normal. He spent several days having nightmares and the mere fact of "playing" with a woman caused him revulsion... What was happening to him?
Over time, the strange feelings that he had for his best friend grew without him being able to help it and turned into something much stronger and more worrying.
ooOoo
Ingrid was confused. She never believed that she would feel more than friendship for her best friend. Life took love from her but it gave her another. Even so, she didn't dare to say anything to him, because she didn't want to end up being another of the many ladies whose hearts Sylvain had broken after spending time with them.
Ingrid knew that if she had to choose between her duty and Sylvain, she would always choose her duty. She would be a knight in the service of King Dimitri.
The bad thing is that Sylvain had changed a lot. He no longer flirted with every pretty woman he saw. He took his duties very seriously. He did everything possible not to anger her and not to cause problems for others... The best thing was the details he had with her. She would bring her food, ask her out and dance when there were parties at Garreg March…
Ingrid was no longer so sure about what she wanted.
ooOoo
Ingrid never thought that she would be a knight at the service of the Gautier family, but neither did she think that Sylvain would confess his love for her. He didn't flirt, he didn't joke and even took her to a nice place away after inviting her to a large dinner.
Sylvain had been very nervous, so much so that he had nearly thrown up before dinner. If it wasn't for Felix's help he would have run. He still managed to gather enough courage and give Ingrid the best night of her life. Sylvain never believed in love but every time he saw Ingrid his preconceived ideas were shattered.
ooOoo
The couple wanted to go out and do something fun but duty called in the form of paperwork, a lot of paperwork. Luckily they were together in this battle.
"Miklan...I still can't believe he risked his life to save me," Sylvain commented suddenly. "Every time I try to bring it up he gets angry and threatens to kill me."
"I don't know how that guy can be part of the royal army." Ingrid said, frowning when she heard that.
"He's very good at what he does." Sylvain said with a shrug. "And he's proof that you don't need to have divine powers to get high in life. People like that."
"I agree with that philosophy but I'm sure that people like Ashe, Dedue or Leonie are a better example than him". Ingrid said. She no longer hated Miklan, since thanks to him her fiancée was still alive, but she wasn't going to pretend to like him either.
Sylvain just shrugged.
"There is nothing we can do since it is the king's decision."
"Surely he is being influenced by Edelgard." Ingrid said giving a big sigh.
"At least we can say that our king has good taste in women." Sylvain teased, though his smile faded when he saw the look his fiancée was giving him.
"The king's strange tastes, which I don't quite agree with, are not something we should talk about right now."
"Looks like your farming plans are paying off." Sylvain said trying to change the subject.
"Indeed."
"I hope no one found out that your real motivation with all these plans is to stuff yourself with food."
"Sylvain!"
"I'm sorry Ingrid, but I won't forget that time you, Caspar and Raphael almost ran out the rations in the middle of the war."
Ingrid turned so red that Sylvain thought she was going to turn into an apple. He couldn't help but laugh when he saw her like that. At first, Ingrid tried to get angry but in the end she ended up laughing along with him. The joyful laughter of the couple could be heard throughout the castle and its inhabitants smiled when they heard them. It seemed that the Gautier house was in good hands.
Ciryl and Lyshitea
"Are you writing a letter to lady Rhea?" Lyshitea asked as she sat down to drink tea next to her fiancée.
Ciryl nodded with some enthusiasm.
"I have learned many things in our travels and I want to tell her all about that."
Lyshitea smiled with great joy, remembering that a few years ago the young man didn't even know how to write. Now even his handwriting was better than some of Garreg March's former students.
"You should also write to Hilda and Shamir, they're probably very worried about you." Lyshitea said.
"I've already written to Shamir, but I don't know where Hilda is right now" said Ciryl. The young man stopped writing for a moment and stared at Lyshitea.
"… What? Do I have something on my face?" Lyshitea prayed to the Goddess, wishing that Ciryl wouldn't notice that she had gorged herself on sweets before coming over for tea.
"You have better health and your hair is not so white anymore...It seems that the treatment of Linhardt and Professor Hannemam is paying off." Commented Cyril quite happily.
Lyshitea smiled and nodded strongly.
"Yes... I feel stronger every time. It's like a great weight is being lifted from me."
"I suppose the treasures we found with lord Byleth is helping too." Said Ciryl, remembering how strangely good the new archbishop was at finding gold bars.
"Yes," she admitted. "Thanks to his help, my family will not have a bad time in case something happens to me."
"I won't let anything happen to you." Ciryl said very seriously and convinced.
Lyshitea thanked him and caressed his face lovingly. She loved him more every day and that made her desire to live greater.
"Are you still nervous about meeting my parents?" the young woman asked with a mischievous smile.
"…Do they know that I am from Almyra?"
"Of course they know!" Lyshitea answered very proudly. "I tell them all about you."
"Thank you." was all the young gentleman said. The smile and affectionate look that Ciryl gave her at that moment touched her heart.
Trying to stay calm like an adult, Lyshitea tried to change the subject.
"Sometimes I wonder, wouldn't you rather we lived in Garreg March? So you could continue to protect lady Rhea."
"If you had asked me a few years ago, my answer would be 'yes'," he confessed, "but now I have someone more important to protect."
"..."
"What?"
"N-nothing! I was just thinking of something," Lyshitea lied as she tried to hide her blush by looking in another direction.
"But you're very red!" Ciryl laughed. "You don't know how to lie".
"...If you keep making fun of me, I'll tell Shamir that you had a crush o-"
"I-I wasn't making fun of you! I promise!" Cyril said quickly. This time it was his face that turned red and Lyshitea who laughed.
Petra and Linhardt
"I've been scolded again for falling asleep under a tree," Petra laughed. "I don't dare tell them that because of you, I can't sleep much."
"But you are the queen, you should be able to sleep where you want and when you want." Linhardt complained.
"Brigid's people never rest, we are hunters at all hours."
"The mere idea makes me dizzy... Do you want me to regret marrying you?"
Petra laughed harder as she slapped Linhardt hard on the back, who, expecting the move, managed to stay on his feet.
"In the time we've been married I've forced you to work more than in your entire life," Petra commented. "If we haven't divorced yet we never will."
Linhardt smiled fondly as he watched her.
"You know? Now I understand why people do stupid things for love. If I didn't love you so much, surely I would have already fled and dedicated myself to fishing in some remote place."
"You are very romantic." Petra said blushing slightly.
"And I didn't even try."
"And besides, you've learned my language very quickly and your ideas about economics and agriculture are having a lot of success among my people," Petra said proudly. "You are the king that I needed."
"It's because I feel disappointing you would be a crime worse than murder," Linhardt lamented. "By the way, lately I see you a little tired."
"Don't worry, it's just that I've been fighting for a whole week but it's over now."
"Fighting? Over now? Maybe I'm not so good with your language because I don't understand what you want to say."
"You are very intelligent and funny, so there are many women who want you as their husband," Petra explained. "I have simply defended what is mine."
"…Wow, just thinking about the job I've given you makes me want to sleep for months."
"You'll sleep when you're old! Now we must continue to strive to improve Brigid to be as great as Fódlan and Almyra!" Petra exclaimed very enthusiastically. "We can't let Edelgard, Dimitri and Claude get the better of us."
Linhardt smiled broadly at seeing her so motivated.
"You are so incredible that your mere presence raises my spirits and my desire to work... Do I have good luck or bad luck?"
He said that last thing in a low voice and in his native language, so Petra didn't catch it. Although, at that moment she made a sound of surprise and she put her hands to her stomach.
"What happen? Are you hurt?" Asked her husband while he held her gently.
"...No...the baby, I thought I felt something."
"Isn't too soon for that?"
"Brigid's women are very sensitive to these things." Petra explained very happily while she caressed the small bulge of her belly.
Linhardt couldn't describe the happiness he felt from seeing her so happy. They were going to be parents and he still couldn't believe it. In his head he promised to let his wife rest at night, or at least try to. He loved her too much and she was so beautiful, kind, intelligent that he couldn't help… Linhardt sighed at the thought that he was becoming a more intelligent version of Sylvain.
Petra used to laugh at how energetic he was when they were in bed. There were times when even she couldn't keep up with him. Though she still hadn't complained yet.
"Five." Linhardt said suddenly.
"What?"
"I wouldn't mind having five children with you."
"Neither do I, it's a good number." Petra replied happily.
Flayn and Claude
At first it was just curiosity. That little woman with green hair and happy eyes was a mystery. And Claude adored mysteries, especially if they were as beautiful as she was.
The conversations with Flayn were very curious. The girl was kind, enthusiastic and she was always willing to help, but the way she spoke was… archaic. Although with the passage of time that changed.
Even so, the mystery didn't last long. Thanks to professor Byleth, many secrets were revealed within a few months of starting the academy. Among those secrets the true nature of Flayn.
Even so, Claude's interest only increased when he learned that Flayn belonged to an ancient race descended from the goddess Sothis. So the conversations increased. And they turned into friendly dates, then night visits and finally love dates.
Keeping Seteth from finding out that he was courting her beloved daughter was difficult but fun. Claude was a born joker and love wasn't going to change that.
ooOoo
At first it was just curiosity. That man with the charming smile was a mystery. Flayn thought he was very handsome and funny but she also felt that there was something very hidden inside his mischievous look.
He asked her very curious questions and seemed interested in her, though not in a romantic way. This disappointed Flayn a little but at least she could be with someone who seemed to know a lot about the world.
Flayn told him many things about her and little by little Claude told her more about him. Flayn was very happy the day Claude talked about his mother, Tiana. She felt that they had reached a very important point in their relationship.
Her father didn't seem very happy to see her talk so much with Claude. According to him, he was a somewhat troublesome boy. Flayn didn't pay much attention to him, mainly because he found Claude's nocturnal visits and the fact that they had secret dates very romantic.
A secret relationship was something worthy of her favourite novels, even though everyone already knew about that relationship except her father.
Claude, despite the fact that he might seem otherwise, was a true gentleman and he never messed with her. He treated her like she was a delicate flower despite knowing how strong she was. Flayn loved that.
ooOoo
Sometimes they had arguments. Claude could have a cruel side in his combat tactics. Flayn for her part could be very naive on some issues. Even so, they didn't hesitate to talk about their differences and to look for middle ground. Communication between them was never a problem.
A horrible moment in their relationship was when Prince Shadid, Claude's half-brother, had tried to kidnap Flayn. The last mistake of his life.
The day they visited the beach where Flayn's mother was buried, was when Claude proposed to her. One day that could have been sad it happened to be the happiest of their lives. Claude wanted to give his future wife bright new memories. He was going to do whatever it took to do it.
The wedding was big, as Claude wanted everyone to know how happy they both were. The most important people of Almyra and Fódlan were there. Luckily there was no major incident thanks to the presence of lord Byleth and lady Rhea. In addition to the fact that the soldiers of both armies knew how to maintain their composure even if it was only for several days.
The only strong incident was when Seteth and Claude were together. Catherine's presence and the fact that it was her daughter's wedding were what saved Claude that day.
ooOoo
An intense and sweet smell woke Claude. Turning around he noticed that he was alone in the bed until he got up slightly and saw his wife with a tray full of food.
"…And that is?" asked the new king of Almyra somewhat worried.
"Breakfast! I was very excited to prepare it for you!" Flayn said, unable to hide how happy and proud she felt.
Claude swallowed hard and forced a big smile.
"Thank you very much, I'm sure it's delicious." Claude said. At least the food looked good, which was saying a lot.
When taking a bite, his forced smile became genuine. The toast was not burnt, the pieces of fruit had no skin at all and even the meat was done. Claude silently thanked Dedue and his culinary classes.
"How is it?" Flayn asked somewhat nervous as she sat next to him.
Claude laughed seeing her in that state.
"What's happening? Why are you laughing? It tastes bad, right?!" Flayn grew more nervous by the second until Claude put a hand on her cheek and kissed her on the forehead lovingly.
"I laugh because I can't believe how beautiful my wife is," he said winking at her, making her face turn very red. That coupled with her green hair made her look like a tomato. "And this breakfast is the best I've ever had."
"Th-thank you for the compliments! But master Dedue is the one you should thank because he taught me this breakfast."
"I never would have guessed," Claude lied. "And what's that?"
"My own recipe, try it please!"
Claude spent half a day in the bath after that, and Flayn learned that for now she was to continue using only the recipes Dedue had taught her.
The End
I became a fan of Fire Emblem when I saw several images of Rhea on Pinterest. Since then I have played several games in the series.
Rhea is a very interesting character both in design and in personality and lore, but for some reason she barely has interactions with other characters and we can't even use her in the Church route. And in Three Hopes the treatment they give her is even worse.
One day I tried to find stories about my favourite couple (BylethxRhea), but there were hardly any in fanfiction and even less images.
I also tried looking up stories about DimitrixEdelgard (it's not incest since they're not blood brothers and they weren't raised together as siblings), but the few stories about them were jokes or click baits.
Seeing the situation, I said: "In the end I'm going to have to write my own stories." I hope mine has inspired even one person to write more about both couples.
In the end I couldn't avoid writing about my other favourite couples so it took me a while to finish it. I hope you liked it, until next time!
P.S: BylethxRhea best FE couple!