Chapter Text
“Why… WHY?!” Dimitri’s voice cracked as he threw his head to the heavens, a broken cry erupting from his throat. All of it had been for nothing if Byleth was dead. The part of the castle he slumbered in had begun to crumble from Rhea’s transformation, and Dimitri couldn’t stop the mental images from flooding his mind. Over and over again, he saw Byleth’s broken body mangled and crushed under the rubble, never getting to rise from his sleep. Rhea was dead, so surely the curse could be broken… but none of it mattered now. The prince wanted nothing more than to rip every last scale off the dragon’s body, and to make her feel pain equal in magnitude to what he felt. When he felt his heart crumble and break along with the castle walls. But even that wouldn’t be enough now, because the dead dragon could no longer feel pain. Wherever she was right now, Dimitri wished he could join her and make her suffer even in the afterlife somehow. …But he would also be with Byleth there, and so such an afterlife - if it even existed - would be far better than being stuck in a world where everyone in Byleth’s kingdom was asleep and the man he loved is dead.
The fairies exchanged sad looks with one another, their wings losing some of their energetic flits, flapping more slowly while they wore somber expressions. Dimitri hardly even noticed them fly past him, already imagining the pitying looks on their faces. But he didn’t care. For all their power, all their magic, and as good as they had been to him, they couldn’t save Byleth. So all of it was in vain. The sky above was still dark, the air all around still suffocating, and everything… everything… being so disturbingly and infuriatingly silent. Dimitri felt his fingers curl around the magic lance next to him as one thought made itself ever more present in his mind; “What’s the point in living in this broken world any longer?” He raised the lance up, not looking at it while his blond hair hung in front of his face. His kingdom could go on without him, right? Surely they could find someone better to rule than the broken prince they’re stuck with now… The only thing left to break was his body, which he’s about to do. “Good riddance, cruel world…”
“Byleth is… Byleth is alive!” A chorus of shouts rose from the castle, reaching Dimitri’s ears despite the distance separating him from the structure.
“No… that’s impossible…” Dimitri shook his head, not wanting to get his hopes up only to have them crushed in his face yet again. Rhea had transformed at Byleth’s bedside, so if the falling rubble hadn’t crushed him, certainly the dragon herself would have. And yet a small part of him was bound by curiosity, lowering the magic lance and heading towards the castle. The wind rushed past his ears, whispering like voices in his head as they told him all manner of mixed messages. Pushing them away, Dimitri shook his head, the castle looming ever larger in front of him with each step he took.
“This way, Your Highness!” Flayn’s bright green hair could be seen at a distance, and the prince could already see her ecstatically waving to him. Her wings were flitting with excitement as she joined Mercedes and Annette, the sunlight shimmering off their sparkling wings. That was Dimitri’s first sign that the clouds were parting, but he didn’t pay it much mind, focusing on climbing up the mound of rubble, his heart pounding all the while. The roughness of the rock scraped his hands, the incline of the slope made him pant for breath, but as ever, his mind was only focused on Byleth.
After what felt like eternity, Dimitri climbed to the summit of the rubble… where he could freely gaze upon the sleeping body of Byleth. The prince’s hair was entirely mint green now, but his eyes were still closed peacefully, as he’s completely unaware of the fact that there had ever been a battle. Unaware of anything, really, but that didn’t matter. All that mattered was that Byleth was alive. A rush of relief, happiness, and hope rushed over Dimitri, tears instantly springing to his eyes. “Byleth… Byleth…!” Rushing to Byleth’s bed, the prince began to sob over his lover, clinging tightly to his small hands, which felt as warm as ever. The sensation melts the darkness around Dimitri’s hardened heart, filling him with emotion.
“Yes… We’re not too late! His Highness can break the curse on Byleth and the entire kingdom!” Annette clapped her hands with glee, looking overjoyed for the pair. It seemed a happy occasion, certainly, though Dimitri couldn’t help but hesitate, turning his gaze to Annette as if asking her for permission he didn’t need. She simply gave him a knowing smile and a quiet laugh before gesturing to Byleth once more.
Overcome with emotion, Dimitri lowered his head, knowing what he had to do, even with the swell of voices mounting in his head. Some called him a creep, others said he wasn’t worthy, but he ignored them all, closing his eyes and gently curling his fingers around Byleth’s hands. In an instant, the prince felt the soft, warm touch of Byleth’s lips against his own, and the voices in his head vanished in that moment.
“Mh…” In the silence, Dimitri heard a quiet sound, a feeling of stirring, and soon enough, the feeling of warmth growing as the man below him pushed their lips together to deepen the kiss. Such a simple movement, and yet it was enough to bring Dimitri to tears and lift the crushing weight off his shoulders after all these years. He let himself weep despite the fairies being there to see him, and he let himself melt against Byleth’s lips.
“Byleth…” All he could murmur in the kiss was that name, but he didn’t care, even as the tears poured down his face and onto Byleth’s. Those small, warm hands reciprocated his clinging, gently curling around Dimitri’s own. Continuing to kiss passionately, Dimitri couldn’t be bothered to look around him, but if he did, he would have seen a truly magical sight… The clouds began to part, rays of sunlight bathing the entire kingdom in light, while the overgrown magical plants withered, twisted, and writhed until they vanished in a spread of sparkles.
The fairies looked around, letting out small gasps of awe, as even the rubble and debris from Rhea’s rampage began to float in the air, moving back into the positions they were in before. The castle was repaired as if by magic… or literally by magic, in this case. The curse was lifted, and with it, all the bad things that had come about from it. The inhabitants began to stir as well, yawning and stretching as they awoke from their long slumber, giving each other confused looks and becoming reaccustomed to their surroundings. Dust and cobwebs vanished, light returned, and so too did the memories of the citizens.
“What the hell…?” Jeralt let out a large, rather undignified yawn and passed his gaze around the castle, not seeming to remember or care that he was king. Fortunately for him, however, everyone else was too groggy to pay him much mind. The man groaned and stood to his feet, Sitri at his side, and everyone being exactly where they had been before the spell took effect. The spell… The spell, of course! He remembered seeing Byleth collapse on the floor, clear as day, and the fact that they’re awake now… it can only mean one thing. “Kid! Who did it? Who broke the spell?” The king stood up in a rush, stumbling a bit as he anxiously looked for his son. He received no reply aside from the mutterings of the crowd gathered, who were simply wondering the same thing as he was. His heart was pounding as the seconds felt like hours, and still, there was no sign of Byleth.
Until eventually, footsteps were heard heading down the stairs approaching the great hall. A beaming smile graced the face of the prince, who walked down hand in hand with his chosen lover. So Prince Dimitri was the one whom Byleth wanted, and the one to wake him and end the curse. Jeralt didn’t mind that in the slightest, rushing over towards the pair alongside a chorus of cheers and clapping. The whole castle had a feeling of warmth to it from the joy of all those inside of it, for at the current moment, they were all just overjoyed to see their prince unharmed and for the spell to be over at long last.
“Kid!” Jeralt was quick to wrap his son up in a big bear hug, causing the prince to make a small squeak of surprise, much to his embarrassment. “You’re alright…”
“I-I am, but…” Byleth coughed from the tight squeeze, doing his best to hug his father back. Despite the crushing hug, a clear smile was still on his face, and the reunion was nothing if not a happy one. “You’re… hugging me a bit too tightly…” he gasped out, patting Jeralt’s arm.
Dimitri couldn’t help but laugh at the sight, the tired look finally gone from his eyes. It was all finally over, and nothing was threatening the kingdom, the innocent people, or the one he loved. He let the family have their moment, taking the time to admire the castle in all its splendor once more. His watch over the castle was interrupted once Sitri called out to him, however.
“Prince Dimitri… I can’t thank you enough for saving our son… and our whole kingdom…” With no hesitation, the queen squeezes Dimitri in a tight embrace, her long hair flowing behind her and falling against her back once more. “I couldn’t be more proud of the man whom Byleth wishes to marry…” Her voice came out as a whisper, but the words stirred Dimitri’s heart. Something about what Sitri said made him fill with a sense of glee and accomplishment, sending warmth bubbling up through his body. Just the thought that Sitri and Jeralt would approve of him marrying Byleth made him even happier than he was already, and he began to daydream about that day before forcing himself to snap out of it.
“Yeah, uh… thanks.” Jeralt finally let go of Byleth, turning to face Dimitri as well, while the din of chatter from the others in the hall grew to a soft hum once more. The king scratched his neck in thought for a moment while Byleth returned to Dimitri’s side, placing a hand on Dimitri’s own. The gesture didn’t go unnoticed by Jeralt, who closed his eyes for a moment. “So… guess it would be pretty stupid of me to not let two get married now, huh?” Chuckling quietly, he opened his eyes to clap Dimitri heartily on the shoulder. It was almost overwhelming for him in the best of ways, knowing that he would soon be able to be a part of Byleth’s family, and that they could spend the rest of their lives together.
“Well, there’s no need to rush these things, of course,” Dimitri responded quickly with a smile and a chuckle of his own. “But someday… I would like to, yes…” He angled his head down towards Byleth as he spoke, looking into the now mint-green eyes of his lover. It didn’t matter to him what Byleth looked like, as long as they were together, that was all he needed. Looking towards the windows and seeing the light filtering through, the weary prince couldn’t help but feel hopeful about the future and what it may hold. It was as if even he had woken up from a long, grueling nightmare…
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The ringing of bells was heard throughout the kingdom, sounding with joy and celebration for all to hear. The most pristine and clear of blue skies spread out in all directions, speckled with a few clouds daintily floating high above the ground. It truly was a scene like something out of a fairy tail, with even the wind resting for a day and abstaining from blowing even a single blade of grass out of place.
“How wondrous and delightful! It is my first time attending an occasion such as this… I do hope I do not stand out…” Flayn and the other two fairies settled onto a large, cobblestone balcony, all wearing matching, pastel-colored dresses and holding bundles of flowers in their hands. Making their way through a center aisle, they found their designated seats, hardly able to contain their excitement.
“I get what you mean… But all of this is just so exciting! And everyone looks amazing!” Annette’s head was practically on a swivel at this point, spotting a towering cake off to the side, along with hundreds of other guests, chatting with one another at length. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits, their faces with smiles as bright as the sky above.
“Now, now, I know you all are excited, but please calm yourselves,” Mercedes gave a reminder to her fellow fairies. “We were invited here and don’t want to cause more of a stir than those we’re here to celebrate.” The other two gave a nod of understanding, and attention was soon turned to the altar in front of the rows of chairs, where an arch of gorgeous white flowers arcked over Alois, who already seemed to be getting emotional despite nothing happening yet. Also nearby was a table piled high with gifts, ranging from extravagant paintings to simple handmade carvings, and it seemed that people from all classes of wealth were in attendance.
Soon enough, the groom took his place at the altar, wearing an elaborate suit and a blue cape which hung off his right shoulder. A crown sat atop his head, gleaming gold in the sunlight with the large sapphire glistening and standing out and completing the ensemble nicely. It complemented his blonde hair as well, but the brightest thing of all was the smile he wore on his face. “The day has finally come…” Dimitri looked up to the sky, admiring its beauty, and though the crowd settled into their seats, there was one person he wanted to see above all others. Though it wasn’t long in actuality, it felt like ages to the prince before the music sounded, signaling the arrival of the bride… or in this case, the other groom.
Byleth stands at the end of the aisle, slowly making his way down it with Jeralt standing at his side the whole way. It seemed that, much to Dimitri’s surprise, Byleth had opted to wear a dress for their wedding, though he certainly didn’t mind the view with how gorgeous Byleth looked. His face was veiled and a train trailed behind him for longer than Dimitri thought was practical. The bouquet of roses in Byleth’s hands served as a symbol of love, providing a nice splash of color to the otherwise snow-white dress, which had a shoulderless look to it and a shape that complemented Byleth’s slim, but still masculine form. Now standing in front of Dimitri, Byleth looked up at him, smiling while his green eyes glimmered in the light. “You look wonderful, Dimitri,” he whispers.
“You look… incredible…” Dimitri couldn’t help but shake his head, his heart fluttering with happiness and love all the while. “I don’t have the right words… but I promise you, I will never forget how beautiful you look.” He clasped his hands in front of himself, down at his waist, fighting every urge to embrace Byleth right then and there. Though the processions might feel arduous, he knew that they were important, and that he, Byleth, and all the guests would cherish these moments later on.
After Alois’s long-winded, tear-filled speech and making their “I do’s,” the time finally arrived. Given the go-ahead by Alois, Dimitri took a step forward and Byleth cast aside the bouquet of roses. A beaming smile full of hope stayed on his face even as he and Byleth had their kiss. Those soft, warm lips, the feeling behind them, the touch of Byleth’s hands on his… it all felt like heaven to Dimitri. They were united now, and nothing was going to separate them ever again…
“This all feels… almost unreal.” Byleth walked hand in hand with Dimitri, the reception commencing and the music beginning. Lively chatter filled the area once more while the guests shared food, drink, and conversations. “I would say magical, but maybe that wouldn’t mean much after all that happened.” He looked up when Dimitri laughed, bearing that small but sweet smile that he’d fallen in love with.
“I don’t know about that… Every moment with you feels magical.” Corny as the line was, Dimitri felt happy upon seeing the rosy blush that appeared on Byleth’s cheeks. The sound of a familiar tune began to float through the air, stirring Dimitri’s heart. “Speaking of which… May I have this dance?” He leaned down, bowing to Byleth and cupping the smaller hand in his own, delicately placing his lips on it for a kiss. The action and question prompted Byleth to blush even more, giving quick nods in succession before replying.
“It would be my honor, Dimitri,” The glowing smile remained on Byleth’s face as the pair began their magnificent waltz, swaying and stepping in time with the music. It wasn’t long before they were joined by the other guests at the party, performing the dance in honor of the newlywed royal couple. Despite the difficult journey to get to this point, it was all worth it for Dimitri, and with Byleth’s slumber never to return, it seemed evident how the two would live their lives: happily ever after.