Chapter Text
“Did you hear?”
“Hear what?”
“About the Death Knight?”
“The what?!”
“He wanders around at night, killing anyone who crosses his path.”
“No way. You’re lying!”
“Nuh-uh, I overheard one of the knights talk about it this morning.”
“How could anyone do that to another person?”
“That’s the thing – there’s a rumor that he’s not even human. He’s a – ”
Dimitri slammed his book shut and the whispers ceased immediately. He heard the scuffle of chairs as the other students ran out of the library. He closed his eyes and sighed, running a hand through his hair.
Vampires. Always, always vampires.
“What the hell’s the matter with you?”
Dimitri opened his eyes and slowly turned his head to see Felix standing in the doorway, his arms crossed over this chest. His friend’s tone indicated he had watched the whole scene unfold.
“What is it Felix?”
“It’s time for class, boar. Hurry up.” Without waiting, Felix turned on his heel and stalked off. Dimitri let out another sigh and stood up to push his chair in. He gathered his books and tried to calm his growing anxiety.
~~
Class seemed agonizingly long today. While he normally sat in the front row and was enthusiastic about learning from Byleth, today he found he could not concentrate. A headache had started to come on after the incident in the library and only worsened throughout the day. After lectures, Byleth’s face turned grim.
“Our mission for this month,” she began, “is to search for Flayn.”
“Seteth’s younger sister?” Annette asked. Byleth nodded.
“Yes. Apparently, she’s gone missing. I want everyone to split up into groups and spend the remainder of the afternoon searching for her. I will help as well.”
With that, the Blue Lions broke into smaller groups and scattered across the monastery grounds, searching for any clues as to Flayn’s whereabouts. When Byleth came to him hours later, Dimitri’s mood darkened even more as she voiced her suspicions.
“So, you believe Professor Jeritza is responsible for Flayn’s kidnapping,” he said. Byleth nodded. “And Professor Manuela is missing as well?” Another nod. They gathered the rest of the class and proceeded to investigate Jeritza’s quarters. Upon arrival, an unconscious Manuela was found and Dimitri was roped into carrying her to the infirmary with Professor Hanneman. He felt bad for having to leave his classmates, but he wasn’t exactly given a choice in the matter.
“What happened to her?” a nurse asked as Dimitri and Hanneman entered the infirmary. She took Manuela from the two and Dimitri gave a hurried explanation.
“Check to see if she was bitten,” Professor Hanneman added. “There’s a rumor about this Death Knight character terrorizing the nearby villages along with some vampires who appear to be under his command.”
“Yes, of course,” the nurse responded. “I have treated some of the townspeople. Sadly, we lost a few. Their bodies were burned to ensure they would not revive as vampires themselves.”
“Actually,” Hanneman interrupted, “the only way to kill a vampire is to cut off its head.”
Dimitri stopped listening.
Death Knight.
Images began to flash before the prince’s eyes.
Vampires under his command.
Flames everywhere. Dead bodies littering the area surrounding him.
Their bodies were burned.
Glenn. His friends. Some were mauled beyond recognition.
Cut off its head.
His father, his head severed from his body.
Your fault. You survived. You should have died. Your fault.
“Dimitri?” Hanneman’s voice cut through the images and the whispers of the dead. It took the prince a moment to come back to reality. Both the nurse and the professor were staring at him in concern.
“Wh-what is it?” Dimitri silently cursed himself for the way his voice shook. He wiped sweat from his forehead.
“Manuela is going to be fine,” Hanneman said slowly, still watching the prince. “You should return to your classmates.”
“Y-yes, of course,” the prince replied. “My apologies.” He gave a slight bow before departing the infirmary as quickly as he could.
By the time he’d caught up with his classmates, Flayn had been found and returned safely. He walked in on Seteth thanking Byleth. He stood a respectful distance away, silently observing her. As Seteth continued speaking, a small smile appeared on her lips. Dimitri’s heart skipped a beat. No, must have imagined it.
“Dimitri!” Byleth called out after bidding Seteth farewell. She trotted over to him and Dimitri could have sworn she must have heard the pounding of his heart. Sure enough, there was that smile. She was smiling at him.
“Professor,” he breathed. He shook his head, scolding himself for allowing himself to be distracted. “I apologize for returning as soon as everything ends.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Byleth replied. “How is Manuela?”
“Professor Manuela will be fine,” Dimitri said slowly, trying not to recall the incident in the infirmary. Byleth’s eyebrows furrowed.
“How are you? You look a bit unwell.”
“I...” Her question caught him off-guard. “I am fine. I’ve had a bit of a headache since this morning, but it’s nothing to worry yourself over.”
She cocked her head to the side. “Still, if you’re not feeling well...”
Dimitri’s attention focused on something over her shoulder. Someone, no, two people were approaching. At first, he had assumed it to be other students, but upon closer inspection, he found he didn’t recognize either one. The prince’s eyes widened as he suddenly recalled Professor Hanneman’s words.
“There’s a rumor about this Death Knight character terrorizing the nearby villages along with some vampires who appear to be under his command.”
“Professor, watch out!” Dimitri shouted, jumping in front of her, lance in hand.
The creatures hissed. One wielded magic while the other drew a sword.
“Vampires.” Byleth was suddenly beside him. She drew her sword and fell into a battle stance. “I should have known after fighting the Death Knight.” With a cry, she started forward. Dimitri’s grip on his lance tightened. The vampires had begun to charge as well.
“Professor!” He was beside her, fighting off the vampire with the sword while she focused on the magic wielder. Although Byleth and Dimitri were strong, the vampires were stronger. Students began gathering, then shrieking in fear when they saw the vampires.
“Someone go and get Lady Rhea!” Dimitri turned his head at the sound of Mercedes’ voice, checking to see if she was safe. The minor distraction cost him.
“Dimitri, watch out!” Byleth was suddenly in front of him. She cried out in pain and dropped her sword. She was bleeding. Dimitri’s eyes widened in horror as he realized she had taken a blow meant for him.
Now that a crowd had gathered, the two vampires backed off, and then vanished in an instant. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. Rhea had arrived. She shoved people out of her way as she came to Byleth’s aid. Mercedes and Marianne were also by her side, trying to heal the wound on her shoulder. Ashamed, Dimitri dropped his lance and ran.
~~
Byleth recovered quickly, but Dimitri had been avoiding her for days. If they made eye contact, he would hurriedly look away. He had an excuse every time Felix wanted him to train with the professor. He stopped coming to the dining hall.
One night, after leaving the library, he ran into her on his way back to his room and knew he could no longer avoid her.
“You’re up late,” she observed. “Studying?”
“Something like that,” he replied, looking at anything but her.
“Dimitri...” Now she was the one averting her gaze. “I know you’ve been avoiding me. Have I done something to upset you?”
“What? No! Of course not!” Byleth looked up and met his gaze. He let out a long sigh and hesitated before speaking. “How familiar are you with the Tragedy of Duscur?”
“I’ve heard of it,” she replied, tilting her head slightly to one side. “Why?”
“Four years ago, my entire family was murdered,” he said quietly. “Vampires were largely responsible.” And so, he began to tell her the story of his past. He told her everything, from losing his father to his decision to come to the Officer’s Academy. Byleth listened, occasionally nodding to show she was listening. When he finished, Dimitri was on the brink of tears. Byleth was quiet, her expression thoughtful. The prince looked away. He wasn’t sure he could take it if she were to judge him or respond negatively.
“Dimitri,” her voice was soft. Dimitri felt something warm touch his hand. He looked down to see her holding his hand in her own. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”
“You have nothing to apologize for,” he said, still staring at their intertwined hands.
“You’re not alone anymore,” she told him. “You’ll be okay.”
“Professor...” Dimitri found he could barely speak. He squeezed her hand gently, hoping she would understand his feelings through the gesture.
He smiled when she squeezed his hand back.