The celebrations have barely started before Byleth leaves the ballroom for some place quieter. Only just for a little while--she knows that this is the last chance she'll have to see many of her old students before they leave, and she doesn't have it in her to waste the opportunity. Still, the night is young, and Fódlan will be making merry for some time. Maybe even until sunrise, Byleth thinks, amusement sparking in her as she realizes a restock of the monastery's hangover cures might be necessary soon. Also likely a job for her, knowing Manuela would be right in the thick of said celebrations.
Without a destination in mind, Byleth wanders at a leisurely pace, finding some comfort in walking the familiar paths. She supposes the monastery's become a home of sorts to her, despite her father's death during their stay, and the battle at the gates that had taken five precious years from her. It's the first place she's ever truly put down roots. Yet, she'll be leaving it behind to join Dimitri in Fhirdiad in just a few days. The old mercenary in her wouldn't have batted an eye at the impending change, simply packed up her things and left at her father's side. Now, though, a myriad of feelings fight within her: excitement at what the future might hold, worry at the amount of work that still awaits them, and melancholy at leaving the familiar walls behind, to name a few.
It's a comfort to know that whatever might happen from now, Dimitri will be within reach. And speaking of Dimitri...
"I'm surprised you managed to slip away," she comments, turning toward the familiar footsteps. It is his coronation day, after all, and they are here for him.
Sometimes Dimitri feels as if none of this is quite real. As if he's dreamt up the end to this war and the return of the professor and everything else. He was in a very, very dark place not too long ago and now - now he finds himself preparing to take over his kingdom, for once and for good. It's a responsibility he shoulders gladly, but still not one he'd anticipated even being alive to do. And yet... here he is.
He still has his bad days. He still has moments where the shades of his past threaten to overwhelm. But he's managing and getting better, day by day. He still excuses himself from the raucous party after a short while, despite ostensibly being the guest of honor. He'd seen Byleth slip out and in truth he wanted to speak to her - and to clear his own head.
There's a sense of melancholy about Garreg Mach, as wrecked as it is, even with all the rebuilding they've put into it. It will be back to its old self in time, of course. But some of the misery still lingers. And then Byleth is there just around the corner and he trails to a halt with a half-smile.
"I wanted some air. And to get away for a little while. It doesn't quite feel real. None of it does. And yet, here we are. We're alive."
Though Dimitri doesn't vocalize the rest of it, he doesn't need to, when Byleth has seen him at his worst. Has held his hand while he worked through his grief in the rain, uncertain what path to take. That Dimitri still has his moments of darkness is no surprise to her, nor that he'd gotten overwhelmed by the party, as she had, despite his determination to carry the kingdom's expectations of him.
"Yes, we are," Byleth says softly. "Sometimes it doesn't feel real to me either."
Before becoming a professor at Garreg Mach, she'd never been one for physical contact, though she'd accepted the gestures of affection from her father as she grew older. Now, knowing the comfort it can bring to both herself and others, she finds herself reaching out more and more. For Dimitri, it's even easier, when some days she's still worried she'll still lose him to his ghosts, in spite of her faith in him.
She holds her hand out to him now. "Walk with me? I know we'll have to return eventually, but I'm certain they wouldn't begrudge us some time to ourselves."
Their Blue Lions wouldn't, at least. In the end, though some other feathers might be ruffled at their absence, she knows their friends will have their backs.
"I keep thinking I'll wake up back in a cell. Or somewhere else and all of this will have been a dream and I'll be back in that pit..." Dimitri catches himself and shakes his head, "But I shouldn't think such thoughts, should I? Not now. Not after everything. He takes a deep breath as if to steady himself and then carefully reaches out to take her hand. His touch is gentle and delicate, as if he's afraid he might break her. He's seen her carve through entire armies and yet he still fears his own strength.
"They certainly won't. Although Felix might have words, eventually..." Doesn't he always?
He starts to walk, slow and measured, glancing down at her as they begin, "So. Are you going to be taking over as archbishop?"
"Yes, eventually," Byleth replies, picking the easier thing to address first. "Once the kingdom's rebuilding has reached a better place, I will take over. Seteth will be helping Lady Rhea again in the meantime."
Airing her own fears doesn't come naturally to her. Why would it, when as a mercenary, she'd been taught to suppress any of them, especially on a job? Then again, before Sothis awakened along with her heart, Byleth hadn't had much fear to suppress in the first place. That had quickly changed.
It'd been a struggle to get a handle on the feelings that plagued her, lacking the experience necessary. And those feelings had only grown stronger since she fell into that sleep. Her former students had, thankfully, not caught her in her more vulnerable moments since the war started, and Byleth is glad of it. Hearing Dimitri speak of his so candidly now, though, she feels the urge to do the same.
"Sometimes..." There's a new hesitance in her voice, accompanied by a slight frown. "I worry that I'll sleep as deeply as I did for those five years again. That I won't be there for you when you need me."
"I'm sure Lady Rhea will recover in time. Although... maybe it's best she retire, in the end..." Dimitri muses. He doesn't know much about Lady Rhea, to be honest. But he doesn't particularly think that after such a trying experience that she'll want to be anywhere in the public eye. His attention snaps back to Byleth though as their conversation continues.
"...Professor."
He says that quietly.
"Whether you fall into another such sleep or not, I will wait for you. I will take all that you've taught me and forge a new future - and I will wait for you there. I promise. But I doubt it will happen. There's no battle to do such a thing."
What a difference one place has made. Though Byleth knows instinctively it has more to do with the students she was so fortunate to have, than the actual location. Before, the only person she'd had much faith in was her father, even if she trusted his men to do their jobs while he was there. Now, she has so many wonderful people looking out for her in return. And she has Dimitri.
"That might be true, but nightmares are not always logical." Still, she's smiling again, his words doing their part to soothe her fears. It's her turn to do the same for him. "There would be no cell that could hold you for long... and even if the worst isn't likely to happen again, I promise I'll do everything in my power to get to your side if it does."
"We are." She smiles warmly at him. Dimitri's laughter had gradually become more frequent since they defended Derdriu from the Imperial forces; Byleth can only hope that it's a sound they'll all hear more often now that the war's end has eased some of the pressure on him. On all of them.
She can't help but turn toward Dimitri now, a curious tilt to her head as she regards him. What could he mean, when he has shown her his care time and time again through both actions and words?
"Of course, Dimitri," she says out loud, slowing her steps so she can face him properly. "You can always speak your mind with me."
It's not often Byleth's stunned into silence, but this is one of them. With the way her mouth parts on a sharp intake, and the way her eyes widen, obvious even in the weaker evening light, there's no way to mistake it for her more common stoic moments. She might not have grown up in what would be considered polite company, but Byleth knows what a ring typically means.
Unbidden, she thinks of her mother's ring, still tucked away in her belongings. If she had a heartbeat, she thinks it would be frantic now, as she closes her hands over Dimitri's hand, ring and all.
"It's beautiful...but it seems like more than just a simple token." It's said without a shred of judgment, a gentle prod to tell her what he really wants from her.
"It... is," he admits after a moment of silence, his face flushing a little. He glances away and tries to think of how to say this. He's run over this moment in his head, but he doesn't know what to say now.
"What I want it to mean - what I mean - is that I care for you a great deal and I would deeply appreciate having you with me for the rest of my life," he finally says. Which is a bit roundabout, but it conveys the point, doesn't it?
"I never want to be parted from you, if I can help it."
As if she could ever say no to him, when her heart's been set on him for some time now. He's come to mean so much to her in the many months of war, coming so far from the boy she'd had a soft spot for to the king he is today.
"I never want to be parted from you either." And now, she's able to place exactly why she's been so drawn to him all this time, when she had no answer for it before. Jeralt would've given them his blessing, Byleth hopes, remembering the time they'd spoken by her mother's grave. She's found someone who makes her happy, just like he'd wanted. And speaking of her father...she has another promise to keep.
"Dimitri," Byleth smiles at him, all the affection she has for him somehow poured into those three syllables. "I'll accept your token if you'll accept mine."
"Your token...?" He asks, slightly confused at first, although the smile on her face that sheer affection with which she seems to regard him makes Dimitri want to melt into a puddle of Dimitri-shaped goo on the floor.
"Of course! Of course I'll accept it," he hurries to say, a laugh bubbling underneath the words, "Whatever it is - I'll be the happiest man in Fodlan. You have no idea - mere words cannot convey what I feel for you."
"Yes... it's still in my room, but I'd like to give it to you once the ball is over."
There's even a spark of something like mischief in her expression now. "Which means we'll have to survive making nice with all the nobles who came to see you tonight," Byleth says, amused.
Not exactly the most pleasant thing she's ever done, but she supposes she'll have to learn to handle them if she's to stay at Dimitri side. Brushing them off like she might've done as a mercenary wouldn't do her any favors now.
She's direct enough, seeing no use in wasting time and stepping around what needs to be said; sometimes, though, she doesn't have the words to convey what she feels either, and it's in times like these she lets her actions speak instead.
Byleth lifts a hand, lightly brushing her fingertips over his cheek. "Will you accompany me there later?"
"I'm sure we'll manage. What's a bunch of nobles compared to the war we just survived?" Dimitri sounds vaguely amused. But then she's there. Her fingers are against his face and he's reminded of how much he adores her. Of how much she means to him. He reaches up to take her hand and squeeze gently.
"I'll wait for as long as it takes... although hopefully in this case it's only a few hours. Of course I'll accompany you; you're one of the most important people in the world to me. And I only hope that we'll be able to be hand in hand for the rest of our lives."
"Unlike with the war, is there any effective strategy to appeasing the nobility? Wielding a sword is much simpler." There's a smile on her face while she counters him, and it only grows when a thought occurs to her. "Oh dear...I sound like Felix now."
Byleth pulls her hand away, looking thoughtful. It's true that she has a certain distaste for all the fluff and feathers that comes with this brand of politics, but for Dimitri's sake, she's willing to deal with it.
"Dimitri," she says, the slight hesitation in her saying a lot already. "If I accept your token now, people will notice. Is that...something you're alright with?"
Having the word spread so publicly, so soon, would be much different from giving the news to their closest friends in private later.
"I'm not any better equipped to deal with them," Dimiti remarks with a shake of his head, "Most of them prefer to be so indirect..."
He sighs. They can worry about that later. For now, he's just... overwhelmingly happy to have her with him and to have her accepting his token. Of course, then things get a tad more complicated. He hesitates, fingers flexing into a fist and then relaxing.
"I'm not ashamed of what we mean to one another. If it brings a challenge from others, let it come."
Byleth doesn't usually need the reassurance, still self assured for the most part despite fumbling with new emotions; Dimitri's words relax her all the same.
"I feel the same way," she says softly, warmly.
There's no hesitation now when she holds out her left hand. They've been through too much already to be cowed by what some fussy nobles might think. They can stare all they like once Dimitri's put the ring on.
Dimitri feels his heart catch in his throat and then he gently takes her hand and slides the ring onto her finger. He thinks that he might burst with the sheer sense of joy that runs through him at the moment. For a few heartbeats, all he can do is hold her hand tightly in his own and then he tugs her in and steps close to lean down for a kiss.
He never could've imagined this happening before. And yet, it's reality.
For a moment, Byleth simply looks down at the ring on her finger. It looks so simple, sitting there as the light from the lamps catches in the metal, making it sparkle. Strange to think that something to tiny could mean so much.
Before she can say exactly that, Dimitri's already leaning down, and all Byleth can really do is lean up to meet him halfway. She tilts her head, pressing her lips to his.
When they part, the joy still bubbles up in her, making her smile up at him without even thinking about it. "I love you," she says, knowing she'll do everything in her power to protect him, to give him the happiness he deserves.
"And I love you," he replies with a little smile. He still feels giddy, like this is all some sort of wonderful dream. It isn't, of course, and he has to get used to that fact - but right now he feels as if he could float right off of the ground. He kisses her once more - quick and hasty - and then lifts her up into a hug and spins, laughing.
Congratulations, Dimitri. You've officially surprised her twice in the same night. A soft gasp escapes her as she's swept off her feet, literally, before that same breath dissolves into a laugh that nothing could have pulled from her before life in the monastery. Before Dimitri.
Still laughing when he finally sets her down, Byleth reaches up to brush his hair back from his face. "I want to hear you laugh like this again," she tells him softly. As often as possible, she doesn't have to say.
It'd be all too easy to stay out here with Dimitri for the rest of the night, keeping him to herself, and for a moment, Byleth's tempted to. When the music from the ballroom drifts out to them again, a livelier tune than before, she knows that for now, she has to let Dimitri return to the people. Both of them do.
Byleth turns toward the music, then takes his hand in hers. "We should go back..."
That Dimitri could easily pick out her reluctance now, when she was so difficult to read in the beginning, says a lot.
"Only if I can hear your laugh again," Dimitri replies, his expression practically glowing. For the first time in a very long time, he feels... happy. He'd almost forgotten what it felt like, but here, with her, hearing her laugh and watching her expression, he thinks he knows what it is again. Much like her, he'd prefer to spend the rest of the night talking or simply sitting and enjoying her presence. Unfortunately, they don't have that luxury, do they?
"...we should," he replies after a long moment, smile fading a little, "Duty calls."
Just like that, Dimitri wipes away any lingering melancholy Byleth might have harbored over returning to the ballroom. Her eyes light up with delight as she places her hand in his.
"We can," she replies, a tiny smile already tugging at her lips. "We never got to dance together at the ball all those years ago, did we?"
It seems like the perfect time to make up for it, when they've returned to Garreg Mach for a much happier occasion.
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Without a destination in mind, Byleth wanders at a leisurely pace, finding some comfort in walking the familiar paths. She supposes the monastery's become a home of sorts to her, despite her father's death during their stay, and the battle at the gates that had taken five precious years from her. It's the first place she's ever truly put down roots. Yet, she'll be leaving it behind to join Dimitri in Fhirdiad in just a few days. The old mercenary in her wouldn't have batted an eye at the impending change, simply packed up her things and left at her father's side. Now, though, a myriad of feelings fight within her: excitement at what the future might hold, worry at the amount of work that still awaits them, and melancholy at leaving the familiar walls behind, to name a few.
It's a comfort to know that whatever might happen from now, Dimitri will be within reach. And speaking of Dimitri...
"I'm surprised you managed to slip away," she comments, turning toward the familiar footsteps. It is his coronation day, after all, and they are here for him.
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He still has his bad days. He still has moments where the shades of his past threaten to overwhelm. But he's managing and getting better, day by day. He still excuses himself from the raucous party after a short while, despite ostensibly being the guest of honor. He'd seen Byleth slip out and in truth he wanted to speak to her - and to clear his own head.
There's a sense of melancholy about Garreg Mach, as wrecked as it is, even with all the rebuilding they've put into it. It will be back to its old self in time, of course. But some of the misery still lingers. And then Byleth is there just around the corner and he trails to a halt with a half-smile.
"I wanted some air. And to get away for a little while. It doesn't quite feel real. None of it does. And yet, here we are. We're alive."
He's alive. That's a minor miracle.
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"Yes, we are," Byleth says softly. "Sometimes it doesn't feel real to me either."
Before becoming a professor at Garreg Mach, she'd never been one for physical contact, though she'd accepted the gestures of affection from her father as she grew older. Now, knowing the comfort it can bring to both herself and others, she finds herself reaching out more and more. For Dimitri, it's even easier, when some days she's still worried she'll still lose him to his ghosts, in spite of her faith in him.
She holds her hand out to him now. "Walk with me? I know we'll have to return eventually, but I'm certain they wouldn't begrudge us some time to ourselves."
Their Blue Lions wouldn't, at least. In the end, though some other feathers might be ruffled at their absence, she knows their friends will have their backs.
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"They certainly won't. Although Felix might have words, eventually..." Doesn't he always?
He starts to walk, slow and measured, glancing down at her as they begin, "So. Are you going to be taking over as archbishop?"
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Airing her own fears doesn't come naturally to her. Why would it, when as a mercenary, she'd been taught to suppress any of them, especially on a job? Then again, before Sothis awakened along with her heart, Byleth hadn't had much fear to suppress in the first place. That had quickly changed.
It'd been a struggle to get a handle on the feelings that plagued her, lacking the experience necessary. And those feelings had only grown stronger since she fell into that sleep. Her former students had, thankfully, not caught her in her more vulnerable moments since the war started, and Byleth is glad of it. Hearing Dimitri speak of his so candidly now, though, she feels the urge to do the same.
"Sometimes..." There's a new hesitance in her voice, accompanied by a slight frown. "I worry that I'll sleep as deeply as I did for those five years again. That I won't be there for you when you need me."
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"...Professor."
He says that quietly.
"Whether you fall into another such sleep or not, I will wait for you. I will take all that you've taught me and forge a new future - and I will wait for you there. I promise. But I doubt it will happen. There's no battle to do such a thing."
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"That might be true, but nightmares are not always logical." Still, she's smiling again, his words doing their part to soothe her fears. It's her turn to do the same for him. "There would be no cell that could hold you for long... and even if the worst isn't likely to happen again, I promise I'll do everything in my power to get to your side if it does."
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Their wandering feet take them down another hallway, boots making echoes on the stone floors.
"I... care for you a great deal, Byleth..." He continues, a little quiet, "I hope you'll let me express just how much."
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She can't help but turn toward Dimitri now, a curious tilt to her head as she regards him. What could he mean, when he has shown her his care time and time again through both actions and words?
"Of course, Dimitri," she says out loud, slowing her steps so she can face him properly. "You can always speak your mind with me."
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"Then... there's something I would like to give you. As a token of my affection."
He produces a ring - something simple, but clearly of value, and he holds it out to her, "...I hope you'll accept it."
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Unbidden, she thinks of her mother's ring, still tucked away in her belongings. If she had a heartbeat, she thinks it would be frantic now, as she closes her hands over Dimitri's hand, ring and all.
"It's beautiful...but it seems like more than just a simple token." It's said without a shred of judgment, a gentle prod to tell her what he really wants from her.
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"What I want it to mean - what I mean - is that I care for you a great deal and I would deeply appreciate having you with me for the rest of my life," he finally says. Which is a bit roundabout, but it conveys the point, doesn't it?
"I never want to be parted from you, if I can help it."
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"I never want to be parted from you either." And now, she's able to place exactly why she's been so drawn to him all this time, when she had no answer for it before. Jeralt would've given them his blessing, Byleth hopes, remembering the time they'd spoken by her mother's grave. She's found someone who makes her happy, just like he'd wanted. And speaking of her father...she has another promise to keep.
"Dimitri," Byleth smiles at him, all the affection she has for him somehow poured into those three syllables. "I'll accept your token if you'll accept mine."
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"Of course! Of course I'll accept it," he hurries to say, a laugh bubbling underneath the words, "Whatever it is - I'll be the happiest man in Fodlan. You have no idea - mere words cannot convey what I feel for you."
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There's even a spark of something like mischief in her expression now. "Which means we'll have to survive making nice with all the nobles who came to see you tonight," Byleth says, amused.
Not exactly the most pleasant thing she's ever done, but she supposes she'll have to learn to handle them if she's to stay at Dimitri side. Brushing them off like she might've done as a mercenary wouldn't do her any favors now.
She's direct enough, seeing no use in wasting time and stepping around what needs to be said; sometimes, though, she doesn't have the words to convey what she feels either, and it's in times like these she lets her actions speak instead.
Byleth lifts a hand, lightly brushing her fingertips over his cheek. "Will you accompany me there later?"
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"I'll wait for as long as it takes... although hopefully in this case it's only a few hours. Of course I'll accompany you; you're one of the most important people in the world to me. And I only hope that we'll be able to be hand in hand for the rest of our lives."
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Byleth pulls her hand away, looking thoughtful. It's true that she has a certain distaste for all the fluff and feathers that comes with this brand of politics, but for Dimitri's sake, she's willing to deal with it.
"Dimitri," she says, the slight hesitation in her saying a lot already. "If I accept your token now, people will notice. Is that...something you're alright with?"
Having the word spread so publicly, so soon, would be much different from giving the news to their closest friends in private later.
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He sighs. They can worry about that later. For now, he's just... overwhelmingly happy to have her with him and to have her accepting his token. Of course, then things get a tad more complicated. He hesitates, fingers flexing into a fist and then relaxing.
"I'm not ashamed of what we mean to one another. If it brings a challenge from others, let it come."
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"I feel the same way," she says softly, warmly.
There's no hesitation now when she holds out her left hand. They've been through too much already to be cowed by what some fussy nobles might think. They can stare all they like once Dimitri's put the ring on.
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He never could've imagined this happening before. And yet, it's reality.
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Before she can say exactly that, Dimitri's already leaning down, and all Byleth can really do is lean up to meet him halfway. She tilts her head, pressing her lips to his.
When they part, the joy still bubbles up in her, making her smile up at him without even thinking about it. "I love you," she says, knowing she'll do everything in her power to protect him, to give him the happiness he deserves.
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"I - I can hardly believe this is happening."
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Still laughing when he finally sets her down, Byleth reaches up to brush his hair back from his face. "I want to hear you laugh like this again," she tells him softly. As often as possible, she doesn't have to say.
It'd be all too easy to stay out here with Dimitri for the rest of the night, keeping him to herself, and for a moment, Byleth's tempted to. When the music from the ballroom drifts out to them again, a livelier tune than before, she knows that for now, she has to let Dimitri return to the people. Both of them do.
Byleth turns toward the music, then takes his hand in hers. "We should go back..."
That Dimitri could easily pick out her reluctance now, when she was so difficult to read in the beginning, says a lot.
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"...we should," he replies after a long moment, smile fading a little, "Duty calls."
He extends his hand to her.
"But we can at least sneak in a dance, can't we?"
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"We can," she replies, a tiny smile already tugging at her lips. "We never got to dance together at the ball all those years ago, did we?"
It seems like the perfect time to make up for it, when they've returned to Garreg Mach for a much happier occasion.
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skip to post party?
sounds good!
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returns from the dead (seems appropriate for this character)
super appropriate
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