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-No One's POV-

"The plan to get those two bothersome children to kill each other is going to take far too long." Cornelia — otherwise known to those who slither in the dark as Cleobulus — growls angrily, her usually gentle, serene expression twisting into a scowl that looks out of place on her porcelain features. "I better eliminate the bumps in the road now, rather than later. Starting with that lone-survivor prince..."

"Yes, I wholeheartedly agree, Cleobulus. I've been looking for a good fight right about now." A shorter, similarly peach-haired female agrees, malice glinting in her sharp eyes.

A wicked smirk slid across her face, Cornelia nodded at her fellow Agarthan. "Where shall we start then, dear sister? I'm all for ideas, I'll have you know."

"How about that... that one Jeralt guy! He may not be loyal to either the Empire or the Kingdom, but as a famed Knight of Serios, he'd be best if out of the picture." Kronya cackles. "I can already hear his final words, see the stain of blood on my blade..."

"Splendid. We'll need to get you a cover, disguise, a plaything for your delight. That Monica child, the one we held captive a year or so ago? She's perfect for you."

Kronya doesn't even wait for her to finish before warping her figure into that of a slim, deathly-pale girl with a startling head of violent crimson tried into braided knots on both sides of her head. Her raven bodysuit was replaced by Garreg Mach's standard academy uniform, along with a big bow matching the same vibrant shade of her hair.

Monica now stands before the Faerghus noble, a cheery grin on her face and a dainty pep in her step. "Like this?" She asks, feigning a meek tone to match that of Monica's soft, overly girly voice, rather than Kroya's low, sinister one.

"Just like that." Cornelia curtly nods once more after glancing her over in a fleeting form of approval. "Now prepare to wreak havoc, dear sister. My patience is growing thin. We shall have that princeling's head by next month, so do not fail."

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-Your POV-

These days, it seemed like it was one betrayal after the other. It began with Solon, who had infiltrated the monastery under the cover of the humble, sage librarian called Tomas. That was a lie. Next time, it was the new student we had rescued from the Death Knight, sweet little Monica. She not only was lying to us all but also took a life with her.

Captain Jeralt.

I wasn't particularly familiar with the guy behind the dashing, gallant legends of loyalty and heroism, but my house's, the Blue Lion's, recently recruited professor Byleth didn't want to leave her room after his death.

The once mercenary now had no gut for fighting, and her soft whimpers echoed through the third floor of the monastery. Her father was the only family she had left, and now he was gone.

And that was only the beginning. To think we were still quite early in our academy days, but we were already worrying about things like impending battles and war instead of homework and friend drama.

When at last we thought we couldn't handle another betrayal thrust onto our young shoulders, the Church issued a break. A break from school, fighting, and the intensity of lies that now constantly wafted through the halls and suffocated us in the tantalizing and human idea of suspicion.

I had relished the thought of unwinding, even if the vacation was only for a measly week. What I didn't know was that what initially was a holiday that everyone strived to savor to the best of their abilities would go so sour.

It started with an invitation.

My boyfriend, Dimitri, was the most caring, lovable guy ever so when he got all flustered just asking me to go to Fhirdiad with him over the time off, I suppressed the urge to hug him tight and squeal, he was just too precious.

The idea was to visit the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus' capital city and the prince's hometown. It was simple but I could already picture wandering the winding, bustling streets of Fhirdiad, hand in hand with him.

It would be perfect, I just knew it.

"Aaaand... we're here!" I stretch my arms once we step out of the coach. The ride here was a bit of a long one since the capital was in the northern region of Faerghus so a bit of a drive from the monastery. Taking horse and carriage was our best option, and was the fastest way to get there, by far, but still, traveling always sucked all of the energy out of me.

With a long yawn, I took my parcel of clothes and other necessities before turning to wave at Dimitri, who was balancing stacks of suitcases and the like in his arms with little difficulty at all. Ah, my strong boyfriend.

"The castle is just down the street." The blonde assures me from behind our luggage. A handful of escorts circle us as we begin the short walk.

You could already see the palace's marble towers looming ahead, a masterpiece of sleek stone and cobalt banners parading the symbolic logo of the royal Crest, and a warrior atop a majestic griffin with its head held high with the pride of the Kingdom. The only thing that bothered me was the sharp cold.

Sure, Dimitri had warned me to bundle up, but I didn't think... I clearly underestimated the winter season of Faerghus. Thankfully, the snow drifts were kept to a minimum, but the frigid temperatures nipped at any bare skin and tore through even my several layers.

Regardless, it didn't take long for us to step through the castle gates and into the front foyer-like area. The majority of it appeared to be more like a fort than anything else, but it still showcased obvious wealth and power.

"Welcome back, Dimitri." A tall woman with sharp features and billowing magenta skirts greeted him but didn't acknowledge me. The tight smile she plastered across her lips seemed forced, but I decided against pointing it out.

"Ah, Lady Cornelia. I thank you for meeting with us here." Dimitri returns her smile, being as pleasant and polite as ever. From the looks of it, she should be a dark-magic mage with some high ranking of some sort, perhands part of the court. "I hope you have our rooms prepared?"

"Why, of course, Your Highness. Do you doubt me?" She seemed to strain on the 'You Highness' part as if it pained her to respect her prince. Odd, to say the least. "Don't tell me you think I'm the type to kill you in your sleep."

Dimitri blinks and then shakes his head. "That's quite the extreme, Lady Cornelia. I wasn't thinking anything of the sort. Besides, you've worked as a scholar here since youth, even before being appointed as part of our close inner workings here."

"Oh, I suppose." She flashes another pearly smile.

She still didn't acknowledge me. Hardly a glance in my direction, although I felt like someone's eyes, if not hers, were sizing me up. The feeling gave me chills, so I kept silent. I wasn't a princess of some faraway land, I was just another classmate in the Blue Lions. Maybe she thought I was some one-time fling for the prince, just a girl on his arm. Which I wasn't, by the way.

With a flick of her wrist, a pair of servants appear at her side, as if she were the queen in charge, although the previous ruler had passed as of four years ago and the crown prince stood right before her. "Take them to their rooms." She demands as a commander might to a unit of soldiers.

The duo of uniformed butlers screamed professionalism, and it gave me the vague impression that she may have the entire palace under her command when Dimitri was away. Another thought I should keep to myself.

I nodded my thanks to the two, and then one broke off. Half of the couple guided me one way, and the other accompanied Dimitri. It struck me as strange that we weren't going to the same place, but seeing as I had never been here before, I had no feel for the rules.

Perhaps it was normal for those of the opposite gender to have separate sleep wings. That makes sense. Also, I could be nervous about being in a new place. And besides, the place was huge. More than huge. There could be any number of ways it was arranged or built that would explain this.

What it didn't explain was my creeping feeling of anticipation.

But that only made me feel foolish. I'd been away from Dimitri before, so this was nothing new. I shouldn't act so clingy anyway. I'd see him again for dinner after I'd unpacked my things.

Once my escort had dropped me and my things off in front of a glamorous pair of double doors, he left without a word. Trying to brush off my nervous jitters, I pushed open the doors and turned to observe my temporary residence instead of fretting about pointless concerns that would do me no good.

I trusted Dimitri, so I knew that I'd be alright in the end.

With one last shake of my head, I successfully brushed away my anxious thoughts and turned to sweep the room. It was large, which was to be expected. The walls are stone, like the rest of the building, but it's breath-taking tapestries and hand-woven woven rugs covered the brick. It was comfortably furnished as well, with an enormous canopy bed as the main centerpiece.

I set about taking my belongings out of my luggage. I didn't bring an excessive amount, since there wasn't much to take from the dorm I lived in back at the academy anyway, but still, it took me a while — and some indecisive thoughts — until I was done.

Somehow, it felt strange setting up a room that wasn't mine. Sure, I'd been to hotels and inns and such before, but with the grandeur of Fhirdiad, anything I owned seemed extremely out of place.

Luckily for me, there was a closet bursting with dresses of glittering gold and gowns of luxurious velvet at my disposal.

I slipped out of my academy uniform and into one of the many silks, feeling like a princess myself. Briefly, I wondered if this is how people like Dimitri and Edelgard lived, pampered and spoiled with riches. And yet, both had turned out more than just snotty brats.

"Your supper is ready, milady!" A servant called, and I had to stifle a giggle at someone calling me of all people 'milady'. Maybe this week away would be more fun than I had first thought.

"Coming!" I shouted back, beaming. Then I realized that wasn't a very formal response. "Just a sec!" That wasn't any better, was it? Regardless, I quickly brushed through and fixed my hair and then threw open the doors.

The exact moment that I stepped across the threshold, a pain erupted in my side.

My vision blurred, but I caught a glimpse of a slim steel dagger lodged into my side before the agony consumed me and I let out a blood-curdling scream, falling to my knees.

I saw the snarling face of my attacker — one of Cornelia's retainers, I think — just as my world turned dark.

When my eyes fluttered open once more, the first thing I noticed was my immediate surroundings. I was on a bed. It was huge, and I was nearly suffocating in fluffy pillows. It took me a second to realize that I was back in my guest room. The curtains were open to the windows, letting the pale reflection of the moon pour through, telling me it was late into the night.

"(Y/N). Oh, (Y/N), thank the goddess..." All of a sudden, Dimitri came into my line of vision in a flurry of concern.

I took in his panicked state, recalling the last moments before I blacked out.

I was stabbed.

"Hey, Dimitri..." I offered him a weak, wobbling smile in an attempt to soothe his spiking fears, but it only made him even more worried when I tried to sit up to face him better, and then winced as a sharp pain shot up my side. "Ow..." I groaned, falling back into my nest of pillows.

Dimitri was quick to step closer but hesitated. He seemed to want to reach out and help me sit up but paused. I knew it was for two reasons. First, there was a chance he would fail to control his strength and injure me further, and second, he didn't want to be too forward.

Yes, you heard correctly, my boyfriend is a shy yet overpowered guy.

Since I noticed his minor plight, I reached out to take his hand into mine. "I'm fine, Dimitri," I reassure him.

While my wound still ached miserably, it was clear that the healers had already done as much work as they could, since there was an absence of any bloody bandages. In fact, my outfit had changed, since it was torn by the blade. Sure, it was likely a nurse who made the change, I couldn't help but wonder.

"So... you're probably confused. About why you were attacked." Dimitri begins hesitantly, squeezing my hand gently. "This isn't something I openly share, but... I am often the target of assassinations. You were caught in the crossfire it seems. To how they gained access into the castle, I do not know."

I frowned worriedly. "Is this a common occurrence? I understand that you are the prince, but even in the monastery?" I began to imagine the worst things, from poisoned meals to dagger attacks from spies like mine.

He nods sadly. "I didn't think that it would involve you as well... I am so sorry, (Y/N)." His azure eyes flickered with such an intense wave of guilt that made me immediately rush to comfort him.

"It isn't your fault I'm hurt. It was the person who attacked me." I said firmly. "And besides, I didn't die, so don't look like that. I'll be back on my feet before you know it."

"No. No, if I hadn't extended an invitation to you to come here with me, you wouldn't have come and gotten hurt. If I..." He trailed off, gritting his teeth and glancing away. "Maybe it isn't safe... to be with me."

I shook my head without hesitation. "If Felix, Ingrid, and Sylvain can handle it, as they have been by your side for years upon years, I can too. As much as I'm not fond of the intimate danger, I'd rather be with you than not." I smiled warmly. "I promise I'll be okay."

"You promise?" Dimitri asks softly, glancing back at me.

Content despite the slight yet consistent pain in my side, I sank back into the ring of pillows that surrounded me. "You have my word. I love you too much not to." At that, he was soothed at last, although the faint blush on his cheeks wasn't going unnoticed by me.

For the remainder of the vacation, no more attempts were made on either of our lives and after the dedicated healer of the castle was able to patch me up, I spent the rest of winter break enjoying the sights and sounds of Fhirdiad with Dimitri, not regretting the invitation he extended to me in the least.

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Author's Note:

Hello! This is a request for byleth-fe

Today's question: Who is your favorite Agarthan? Okay, I'm going totally honest with guys... Kronya. She's super pretty, okay?! My brother thinks I'm crazy.

Anyway, thanks for reading,
Lillian

Word count: 2658 words

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