Chapter Text
“Mama! Mama!” eagerly shouted the little girl as she attempted to drag Lysithea, urging her to move faster. “Come on mama! Over here!”
“I'm coming, Elara,” replied the queen, who felt the pull of her daughter on her arm, but her oldest did not have the strength to actually move her any faster than the walking pace she was in. Add the weight of the picnic basket she was carrying that was filled with their lunches, and the only effect Elara had on her was strain in that arm. “I know you're eager, but there's no need to tug on me.” The princess didn't seem to pay any attention to her mother's logic, far too gone in her giddiness to go to a spot on the beach she seemingly chose at random for the family to sit at.
Her little Elara was having her first ever family trip to the beach, though as Lysithea knew it was, in fact, a first for the whole royal family. It had been planned out ahead of time by the royal couple as a means to not only escape the hectic nature of their lofty roles, but to also be able to spend some quality time with their daughters without work getting in the way. The princesses had been enthusiastically waiting for the day to come, the first time they had ever even been to a beach and it showed on their faces how excited they were, smiles and giggles all around as they dragged their parents over to where Elara was looking, a seemingly random spot that she had chosen on her own.
Byleth was having less trouble with Loray, his own strength and weight playing a heavy counter to Loray's far smaller form, yet he allowed her to drag him along to give her the sense that her efforts were paying off. Which was good as he was carrying their umbrella in his free hand while their towels were rolled in a large bag slung across his shoulder.
“There, daddy!” Loray indicated, sticking out her free arm and pointing to where her sister was going. “Les go there!”
“Okay,” he answered pleasantly, a smile gracing his face as he was getting “pulled” by their youngest. “Guide me there, Loray. I might get lost.”
The children had grown remarkably over the years, with Elara now at the age of five, and Loray at three. Lysithea was pleased to see that the effects of her Crests on her hair did not pass down to either of her daughters. Instead, Elara had retained the light blonde color that she barely remembers ever having, while Loray sported the teal color that Byleth had before his fusion with the goddess.
The older princess's hair was of medium-length, neatly brushed and even, going to down to just above her shoulders with the ends styled to be curving upwards, and her bangs parted like opened curtains. Her eyes were pink much like her mother's, though were a little more flushed compared to the queen's pale ones, her cheeks were dotted with faint freckles, a trait that she had inherited from grandmother. She came up to about her mother's waist level, with most of her body currently being covered by a one-piece swimsuit that was as white as snow, decorated with lilac frills that traced themselves like a “V” around her waist, and in a ring around her shoulders.
Loray's hair was longer in a sense, though with the braided hair that arc over her scalp like a band it gave the impression that it was shorter than it was. Her eyes matched that of her father's, both with what he had before, and what he has now, surprising both parents when they discovered that condition. She was about a head shorter than her older sister, and wore a similar swimsuit as her, save for the colors that were black in color, and the frills more a sky blue that gave the impression they were glowing.
Perhaps most interesting about both of their appearances was that their hair blended into a lime green color not unlike that of their father's hair. It was a curious shift in color that could only be answered by the fact that Byleth's blood was forever altered by his mergers with Sothis. When they discovered this change, they sought out Seteth for his insight, and he concluded they were, in a sense, half-Nabatean as a result of Byleth's unique situation, and much like he and Flayn, made it known through the coloration of their hair, though their ears remained human-shaped.
She herself was wearing a one-piece much like her daughters, colored not unlike her normal dress, with soft lavender making up most of it with milky white trim, complete with separated golden armbands that were designed the same way as the hem of that dress that had thinly veiled sleeves that were attach to bands on her wrists. The brooch she wore with that dress was, in this case, a copy now in the form of a necklace, though it lacked the strap that went down most of her torso. Different from her daughters, she was walking through the sun-kissed sand with tan sandals with straps that came up to her ankles and each complimented with a tiny golden brooch on either side.
Meanwhile her husband's outfit was a bit more ordinary, with jet black trunks that went down to just above his knees, held snugly by a strap with a tassel above his thigh, with the Crest of Flames branded on the bottom of either side that capped a reddish-pink stripe going down. For whatever reason, he brought his dagger along with him that was strapped around his waste which, while it kept in theme with how he always had it, she felt as though it was unnecessary for a trip to the beach. He wore sandals along with her, though his were more plain in that they didn't come any higher than the bottom of his ankles, with somewhat thicker straps crossing over his feet. Finally, he was wearing an open short-sleeved shirt that match his trunks, revealing the toned muscle and abs that was normally hidden underneath, enticing Lysithea to sneak peeks when she thought he wasn't looking.
With his chest exposed, it also revealed the burnt scar that otherwise only she, and now their children, knew of. Ordinarily she would be concerned about others possibly seeing it, the most unique blemish on his body that was at the same time lined with battle scars here and there, but fortunately for them they had chosen a more secluded place to partake in their family outing. Without a retinue of guards surrounding them, they had privately come to the Rhodos Coast, bereft of other people as those that would visit were confined to pilgrims wishing to pay their respects to Cichol, even though the royal couple knew the truth of the saint's identity. They wanted to enjoy their outing privately, and visiting one of the beaches back in Deirdru bore the possibility of attracting too many interested people in disturbing them. Busy as they were most of the time, the couple wanted to at least have some semblance of a normal family life.
Elara broke off from her grip and jogged over to the random spot she discovered before swiftly turning to her mother. She hopped gleefully in place, a bright smile shining as bright as the afternoon sun that was missing one or two teeth.
“Right here, mama!” she shouted. “This is the bestest spot on the beach!”
“'Best' spot, Elara,” corrected Lysithea. “Remember to use actual words no matter where you are.”
Her daughter looked tilted her head pensively. “I'm sorry, mama...”
Lysithea could already feel her heartstrings being tugged at Elara's reaction, unable to stand when her eldest felt that way. It was a constant struggle she lived of wanting to have her children have a better childhood than she did, while also raising them to be proper as their position demanded.
She came up to her daughter and set down the picnic basket she had been carrying before getting down on her knees to face her daughter at eye level.
“I'm not mad at you, Elara,” she assured her. “I just want you to grow into a fine and respectful girl, that's all.”
Elara shifted her feet hesitantly in the sand. “But... I can still call you 'mama', right?”
Lysithea gave her a warm smile. “Of course you can. One day I know you'll grow out of it, but for now I would very much like for you to keep calling me that.”
Elara let out an excited cheer before throwing her arms around her mother, the latter of which reciprocated the embrace. The idea that Elara would one day grow up to be an adult saddened her, but knew it would happen eventually. At least for now she would enjoy the time she had while she was still very young.
“I love you, mama!” said a happy Elara, wanting to continue to take full advantage of her mother's permission.
“I love you too, Elara. Now come on, let's move aside so we can let daddy set up for us.”
She did as she was asked, moving with her mother as Byleth and Loray arrived to the designated area. As Byleth let go of his daughter's tiny hand, he kneeled down and placed both the umbrella and the bag of towels on the ground.
“Come on, Loray!” chimed Elara, rushing over and taking her sister's hand into hers. “Let's go play in the sand while we wait!”
“Yeah!” she delightfully agreed with a bright smile. “Play in sand!” The two girls dashed off a short distance away, but not before Loray tripped and fell over, unused to the density of the ground beneath her while unaided. Lysithea felt a moment of anxiety hit her before she calmed herself upon seeing her youngest get right up and giggle.
“Sand is soft!” she declared before trying to dig her feet into it and wriggle her toes to watch it sink right back to where it was. Elara dropped down to her hands and knees and did the same with the former, scooping up handfuls of warm sand to watch as they slide between her fingers in awe.
“They are so easily amused...” mused Lysithea, though not at all displeased with watching her girls be so fascinated with something so simple as watching sand slide in the spaces between their digits. It was so adorably innocent to watch, and wish she and her own parents had moments like this.
“It is the first time they've seen sand before,” pointed out Byleth as he speared the umbrella into the sand. He briefly glanced to see his daughters' antics before going to unstrap the flaps on the pole. “It's cute too.”
“It is...” Her voice was small with a streak of melancholy laced in her voice as she looked upon her joyful girls trying to sink their feet as deep as they could in the sand, presumably to see who could go the deepest.
“Something wrong?” questioned Byleth, picking up the pensiveness in his wife's tone.
“I just think about how much I will miss their innocence once they grow older.” She took her own scoop of sand into hand, and let it slowly pass through gaps between her fingers. Her brows knit as the grains returned to whence they came. “As princesses they will have to undergo an education to prepare them for their roles as Fódlan's future rulers, especially Elara. I will miss seeing them like this, so full of life and wonderment, the kind of behavior I never knew of.”
Byleth pushed the flaps up after unbinding them, creating a large amount of shade that would be more than enough to shield all four of them from the sun's rays. “You're worried they're growing up too fast.”
Lysithea looked quizzically at her now empty hand before realizing that that was the heart of the matter to her. “Yes. I want them to be fine adults when the time comes of course, yet I also want them to enjoy a childhood I never had...” She shook her head. “I guess I'm letting my own life experience get the better of me when it comes to that. I know my worries can't be helped. It's not as if they will remain children forever, but watching them grow up is a little sad in a way.”
The king came over and knelt beside his wife, gently wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “We can't stop time from flowing forward. I know that's ironic of me to say, but I understand your worry. It is sad, but seeing what they will become in the future is exciting in its own way. I look forward to watching them grow.”
Lysithea looked back at her daughters again, who were now pouring sand down their swimsuits and giggling at the tickling sensation it brought them. She shook her head again, but gazed lovingly at her two most precious miracles. “As do I. I'm sorry my love, don't worry about me. I'm just being sentimental is all.”
He gave her a kiss over head before standing up and loosening the bag with the towels. Noticing this, Lysithea stood and walked over to him. “I'll lay out the towels for us.”
Byleth handed her the rolls of cloth, knowing full well how his wife did not want others to do all the work for her, especially if it was possible for her to contribute. While she did so, he stepped over to the picnic basket and brought it underneath the shade at the base of the umbrella before walking out of the cover of the shade and cupping his hands around his mouth.
“Loray! Elara!” he called out to them, bringing the young girls attention toward the sound of their names being shouted. “Time for lunch!”
Their faces lit up at the sound of lunch being ready for them, and they hurriedly went over to rejoin their parents, with Loray falling over again and Elara briefly coming back to help her little sister get on her feet again. Once upright, the two made their way back and sat down on different towels, with Elara joining her mother on one, and Loray with her father on the other.
The queen brought out a number of sandwiches that were packed with ham, cheese, and cabbage leaves, much to her mild disdain. They were a recent invention, created during the war by soldiers who needed to eat while on the go, and they quickly took off with the population, especially with her and the king's encouragement. Reginald, being their personal servant, had the basket prepared for them earlier in the day, and it was filled with them, along with with handkerchiefs to keep clean, waterskins to fill their cups with, and perhaps the best thing of all were the variety of flavored pastries that she anticipated. Thinking about what to expect after the main course was enough for her to salivate, but she had to withhold her desire at bay.
She handed over two sandwiches to Elara, and then four over to Byleth along with a knife to cut Loray's as she wasn't quite big enough to hold the whole item herself. Finally she brought out her own and took a moment to look at the green travesty that poked itself from under the slices of bread. Ordinarily she wouldn't dare touch the stuff, but ever since her Crests were removed and her babies were born, she's been having to eat a healthier diet than before. Her love for sweets never deteriorated, and in fact such a trait passed down to both her children, but she wanted to be sure her daughters understood that having a balanced diet would let them grow as strong as their father.
“What is this, mama?” asked Elara, holding her lunch in one hand and studying it curiously.
“It's call a sandwich, my sweet,” answered her mother. Across from them Byleth was already in the process of splitting Loray's sandwiches in half for her to better hold them.
“A sand witch?!” She flung her head from side to side. “Is it from here?! Is it gonna turn me into a lizard?!”
The queen heard her husband chortle and as he handed one half of Loray's meal to her, who only stared up at her father in concern upon hearing her sister misinterpret their mother. Lysithea gave Byleth a sharp look before answering.
“Not at all, Elara. It's just the name it was given by the person who created it. It's not magical, and it certainly did not come from the beach.” Elara still looked at her mother with some anxiety before turning her attention to her food. Lysithea decided a demonstration would be in order to dissolve her concern.
“Here. I'll show you it's safe to eat, honey.” Lysithea held her sandwich on either of its sides, her fingers slightly dipping into the soft beard. “All you have to do is hold it like this, and...” She brought it up to her mouth and braced herself for the inevitable crunch of green vegetable before she took a sizable bite out of it. Intermixed with the cheese and meat, she could taste honey inside of it as well for a dressing. Her lips curled into a small smile as hummed in delight and she chewed away at it, silently praising Reginald for remembering her and softening the blow of both the vegetable and the slightly salty taste of the meat. She would have to thank him once they returned.
Once the bite was small enough she swallowed it down and returned her attention to Elara. “See? There's nothing wrong with it. It even has honey in it too!”
Elara's eyes sparkled at the sound of that. “Honey?! Yay!” She took bite bigger than Lysithea was comfortable with as the elder princess lost herself momentarily. “Ifgh murma curgn eaf it, Igh canf oo!”
“Elara!” she said sternly. “What have I said about talking with your mouth full?! And that was too large of a bite for you!” She might have been a tad harsh, but she had instructed Elara before about properly eating, and she didn't want to see her daughter choking.
Yet Elara had already chewed through the bite halfway and could only look apologetically at her mother as she continued to break down the food into a more easily digestible size. Once she did and swallowed it down, she set her lunch down on her lap. “I'm sorry, mama...” Elara had seen how scary her mother could be when she sounded stern like that, and she didn't want her to be angry at her. “I just wanted to eat the honey...”
Lysithea quietly sighed in exasperation, understanding her daughter's eagerness for sweets and seeing a bit of herself in her from it. Off to the side Byleth and Loray were having an easier time, with the former keeping a careful eye on the latter, who was eating more slowly than her sister was as she savored the sweet taste of honey in her mouth.
“It's okay to be excited Elara,” soothed Lysithea. “But please remember to take smaller bites. You don't want to choke on your food.” Elara nodded solemnly, and Lysithea indicated over to her sister. “Loray has the right idea though. Eating more slowly allows you to savor the sweet taste of the honey for much longer than scarfing it down like a madwoman.”
The princess looked over and studied her sister as her jaw moved in far slower motions, the youngest eyeing her back in no particular manner as she chowed down on her meal. Elara then returned her attention to her own sandwich and smiled eagerly, bringing out another bout of an anxiety in mother before she heeded the latter's advice and took out a far more reasonable bite of her lunch. Lysithea smiled in content that her daughter did listen and returned to her own meal.
Throughout the rest of their meal there were no other issues as the family sat quietly among themselves and enjoying their luncheon, much different than what they were used to back at home, but it was times like these that made them feel more as an ordinary family. The daily lives of the royal couple were busy ones, neither of them ever suspecting long ago that this would be the path where their lives would lead. It didn't allow for as much time with their daughters as they would like, and both shared concerns about whether or not they were as involved as they should be.
Which was why they cherished these more normal moments in their lives, where they could leave their royal duties behind and simply be Elara and Loray's parents. In the back of their minds they still wanted to be sure that they adhered to the etiquette that was required of them given their positions, such as proper table manners, punctuation, responsibility, but otherwise for now they could let them be the kids that they were.
After several minutes of delving into their main courses, Lysithea brought out what she had been anticipating the whole time. From inside the basket she carefully pulled out several pastries and laid them atop it once closed. The princesses gazed upon the delicacies with sparkles in their eyes, leaning forward toward their dessert while propping themselves on their hands, letting out small gasps of amazement as they practically licked their lips at what they were about to enjoy. Lysithea didn't bother to tell them to wait patiently as she could barely contain herself, while Byleth sat with one leg bent and the other tucked underneath, not sharing his enthusiasm for the upcoming dessert nearly as much as his girls.
The mother handed over the sweets to her daughters before her husband, easy to see how excited they were and didn't want to keep them waiting any longer. Once all three had received theirs, it took some measure of restraint on her part to tear into her own pastries. The three girls brought the sweets to their mouths and took their first bites, humming with joy in unison as they let their divine gifts assail their taste buds. Byleth shook his head in amusement as he witnessed the chorus of elated hums while he partook of his dessert more casually.
Lysithea then proceeded onto her own dessert, humming in elation much like her daughters as the delicacy melted in her mouth. The morsel had been filled with a strawberry jam, and the sweetness and tart reached around every part of her mouth as she happily chewed away. She was glad that her daughters enjoyed sweets as much as she did, else it would have been very alarming for her if they were repulsed by the stuff, similar to how Felix once was before she managed to change his opinion on the matter. She might have done the same for her husband had he shown a dislike for them, but fortunately he had no qualms about sweets, even if he didn't share the same level of enthusiasm as she and their daughters did.
Once they had finished their desserts and after they had cleaned up after themselves, the family decided it was time to hit the water. The princesses were the first ones in as they gallivanted toward the waves breaking on the shore line. Neither parent made an effort to stop them, opting to let them be the children they were, and simply walked in after them hand-in-hand.
“Ah!” their daughters shrieked as they entered the water, causing both of their eyes to widen at what the problem might be.
“Water cold!” Loray commented, assuaging their slight concern away. The girls retreated somewhat, back to the point where the waves were only lapping at their ankles.
“It will get warmer,” answered Byleth just as he and his queen took their own chilled steps into the ocean. “Give it a minute or two, and enter slowly.”
Their daughters heeded his advice and this time cautiously entered the water after them, Elara holding onto Loray's hand as they did so. They squealed as they took their time getting back in, but they quickly grew accustomed to it, and soon they were again sloshing their way through the water, their bodies rising up a little every time a wave based by them.
“Mama! Papa! Look!” Elara called out to them once the water level was up to her chest. “My feet is off the sand!”
“That means you're floating, sweetie,” Lysithea explained as she came up to her eldest, her feet still firmly planted. “Don't go out too far now. You're not big enough to go deeper.”
Meanwhile Loray had the nifty idea to take a sample of water into her mouth. After all, she drank it every day so naturally it would still work when she was playing in it. She immediately spat it out once the briny taste hit her tongue, displaying it and gagging at her father who only smirked at her misfortune.
“Ewwwww!” she complained, exaggerating her disgust. “Why is dis water gross daddy?!”
“It's salty from all the fish much further away,” he answered. It wasn't the correct answer he knew, but it was one that Loray would at least be able to better understand.
“Fishies are gross...” she pouted, reminding her father about her odd repulsion of them, or at least when it came to eating them.
Suddenly Byleth felt a splash of water hit his body, sending a chill all across his skin at the unexpected attack. Elara was laughing at him as though it was the funniest thing in the world.
“Elara!” Lysithea responded with indignity. “That was very rude of you! Why did you-” Before she could chide her daughter further, a larger splash came upon her, coming up to her face and partially gluing her hair together. Her body also felt chilled from the sudden assault, and as she looked at her down at her dripping form in shock, both princesses were laughing while Byleth looked amused with himself.
“Relax, Lys,” he said. “We are here to have fun remember?”
She focused her attention at her husband with furrowed brows, and he began to wonder if she might actually be upset with him. That was when her frown transformed into a sly smile, and somehow it didn't make him feel any better.
“All right,” she replied, menacingly, “You asked for it.” Before Byleth could react, Lysithea swatted the water in front of her at him, dousing him even further than Elara had and getting it into his hair. Loray and Elara were both hit with residual droplets from their mother's splash attack, but seeing their father soaked brought a fit of giggles out of them.
Byleth returned fire now that his dread was unnecessary, soaking his wife as the briny water was flung up toward her face and causing her hair to shrink as it all became stuck together. When she tried to retaliate she found that he was trying to move away from her in an effort to avoid another assault.
“Where do you think you're going?!” she taunted, swatting another batch of water, only for it to mostly missed as she was too far away. Luckily for her, Elara had already chased after her father, using both her hands to push a wave of water at him, though not nearly as much as her mother could.
“I got him, mama!” Elara shouted.
“Well done, Elara!” replied her mother as she tried to close the gap between her and the king, only to be splashed at by her youngest, though it only managed to get her arm as she passed her.
“I help papa!” Loray declared, drawing a faux hurt look from her mother.
“Oh will you now?” challenged Lysithea, batting some of the water at her to have it come at her more as a sprinkle as to not overwhelm Loray. The little girl clapped at the water furiously, trying to do what she could to get her mother wet, while Lysithea chuckled and retaliated with the same effort as the first.
“Ah! Papa help!” She received her requested aid swiftly, as another splash of water drenched the queen from her side. Lysithea recoiled to the side as Loray cheered for her father's timely arrival.
“Sneaking up on me now?” Lysithea teased at him.
“You let your guard down,” remarked Byleth, only to answer with splashes off to his side from Elara.
“Protect mama!” she announced as she clapped splash after splash of water at the king. Byleth strode toward his oldest daughter with his arm up to shield his eyes before he came close enough and scooped the princess out of the water. The girl squealed in delight as he hoisted her into the air, her limbs flailing as she tried to futilely break free from Byleth's grasp.
“Unhand my little helper!” Lysithea lightheartedly demanded as she readied for another strike at Byleth.
“Okay, but first she needs to be dried off.” Byleth then began to spin around while cradling Elara, doing absolutely nothing to do as he promised, but nevertheless she laughed as the world started to circle around her. Lysithea retracted her arm and instead just stood by and chuckled to herself as she watched the display.
“I wanna go too, papa!” Loray interjected, holding out her arms for him to pick her up. Byleth set Elara down slowly back into the water in order to do so, and then scooped up Loray in the same manner and repeated the motions for her.
Elara stumbled a little as the dizziness settled in, with Lysithea reacting quick enough to hold her upright before she fell and have the water engulf her.
“I'm dizzy...” said Elara in a daze, doing her best to keep from slipping from her mother's grasp.
“That's bound to happen,” remarked Lysithea as she held up her daughter. “Was it fun though?”
“Uh huh! It was really fun!” Lysithea smiled at Elara at her enjoyment, before it was washed away from a small splash of water hitting her side. She flung her head over to see Byleth had dipped down whilst holding Loray, and it was the latter who attacked her this time in a pair-up strike.
“A team attack huh?” she said bemused. “Let's show them we aren't to be trifled with Elara!”
“Yeah!” So they war between Byleth and Loray, and Lysithea and Elara raged on, the two duos splashing each other to see who could get the most wet, with the children laughing and shrieking the whole time while the king and queen tried their best to one up the other.
All the while Lysithea found herself being exhilarated in a way she had not felt before. Devouring sweets had always been the easiest way of obtaining this kind of thrill, and learning something new brought a similar sense, but this feeling of just... letting go for a while, and simply playing around was something she had never truly done before. There was just no time for it before, not when she was so focused on her studies, or having to fight in the war. She wondered if this was what it was like to be a child.
It was moments like these that made her wonder as well what life would be like for the four of them if Byleth had not ascended to royalty. She entertained the idea about owning a sweet shop in Derdriu before, as she and Byleth would have become bakers, and their little girls would just be helpers that went to school and played in the streets rather than have the weighty responsibility of taking over for their parents once they stepped down. Such a life seemed impossible now, and there was no point in lamenting what might have been, only to live in the now and look forward to the future.
After several minutes of playing around with their daughters, Lysithea grew weary from the strain in her limbs and opted to retire back to their spot on the beach the rest. Byleth decided to go with her to ease her sore muscles, but the princesses, filled with the boundless energy that their age brought, wanted to keep playing, at least with each other. Lysithea acquiesced to them, but only so long as they stayed where they were and not venture out any further into the ocean. The two agreed, and the parents retreated back beneath the shade of the umbrella, no clear victor from their little aquatic battle, but none of them really caring.
Lysithea planted herself back on her prior towel, feeling the soreness in her arms and legs as she finally had a chance to relax. She brought one arm to the other and started to rub it as soothingly as she could, hissing at the same time as she did from the returning stress in the other.
“Allow me,” offered her husband, to which she nodded her consent. Even with all the training she had gone through with him and the demand that the war required, her body was less suited for the physical demand that water brought on, and perhaps the after effects of her operation still had an impact on her.
Byleth scooted over to her from his spot to come around behind and began to massage her arms up and down as she leaned back into him, sighing with delight as her washed the pain away. Luckily for her, Byleth was better used to such physical demand and so the resistance of water had much less of an effect on him.
“I guess my body is still suffering from some lingering effects of having my Crests removed...” she remarked with gloom, looking down at her tired legs, flexing her toes some to keep the feeling in her legs from going.
“You're not used to moving in water,” indicated Byleth. “There was never a need for it before.”
“True, but a part of me can't help but think that my physical weakness immediately after the operation is still affecting me today. I want to think it's as simple as you say, but like we have already well established, removing one's Crest, especially two of them, is unprecedented. We saw what the immediate consequence, and thankfully I have recovered from that, but we don't know what else I might have lost.”
She looked down in the gap between her legs with a sullen expression. “Losing the Crest of Gloucester affected my memory. Unlike when I was a student, I can't recall information I've learned as clearly now. Perhaps this weakness I'm feeling is from losing the Crest of Charon? It's not nearly as bad since it wasn't as powerful as its twin, but still...”
Byleth leaned his head in next to hers as her shifted his hands up to her shoulders. “You also gave birth to Elara and Loray too. You are very strong for doing so even after we removed your Crests.”
Lysithea smirked at the strangeness of her lethargy. “I fought in a war. You would think my muscles wouldn't get sore this easily compared to that.”
“It has also been some time since then. We aren't as demanding of our bodies as we used to be.” Byleth gave his wife a chaste kiss on the cheek, soothing her somewhat, yet also causing her to flinch and face to blush as he did so. “Your soreness could be from the lack of your Crests, or it could simply be exhaustion from being in water for the first time.”
“Maybe you're right,” she answered with a sigh. She fiddled at her fingers with a certain unease with it all. “I could be overthinking it, but the possibility is there. I suppose for now all we can do is wait and see if losing my Crests has any other residual impact.”
“Yes. Until then, just let me take care of you.” He ended his assurance suggestively, as he brought his hands away from her shoulders and down to her slick thighs, not some much as massaging them anymore as he was caressing them. Lysithea's blush intensified as she looked down at the way his rough hands were a little more inward than she thought they should be.
“B-Byleth!” she stammered, trying to act appalled, but couldn't help but crack her voice as the tingling sensation of his fingers sent electricity up through her body. “What are you -hah- doing...?!”
“Helping you relax.” He stated it so plainly that if anyone else heard it then they might have actually believed that, but she knew him better.
“Now isn't... ah... the best time!” she protested, though it took some force of will to say it. Despite his rough hands, she loved his touch as it was always with her pleasure in mind moreso than his own. Always gentle, passionate... She mentally slapped herself. This wasn't the time or place to be seduced.
“You don't like it?” he asked curiously, as though he had forgotten they were out in the open with their children nearby.
“It's not that I d...don't, but not when our children can see us.” As if on cue, one of the princesses was heading right back toward them, and they both immediately knew something was wrong.
Elara was crying loudly enough to swiftly draw their attention, Byleth at once ceasing his motions on Lysithea's thighs. Their daughter was running as fast as her little legs could carry her, the sun catching the tear droplets as they were flung down and away from her distressed face. Both parents could feel their blood pumping rapidly as thoughts raced through their heads. What happened to Elara? And more importantly, where was Loray?
“Mama!” Elara wailed as she came close to them, nearly tripping over herself as she did, but somehow managed to keep her footing. Her eyes were red and cheeks puffy as they got a better look at her now. “Papa! Mama!”
“What is it, Elara?!” Lysithea answered anxiously, her heart beat fast enough that she thought it might burst out of her chest. Their daughter practically tackled her to the ground, planting her small hands on her mother's shoulders, who naturally threw her arms around her. “Where's Loray?! Elara, where is Loray?!”
The princess could not answer her mother in such a state, unable to force out any words as she choked on her cries. Lysithea flung her head from side to side, scanning the waters for any sign of her lost daughter, panic starting to set in as she could not locate her.
Both parents stood up with a start, Lysithea holding Elara close to her as the princess continued to cry into her hip now. Lysithea clenched her teeth as her breathing escalated. Where was she? Where was she? She already lost one family; she couldn't lose another!
“Loray!” she called out, a desperate plea that her youngest was out there and able to hear her. “Loray!”
Byleth felt the flame in his chest ignite with a fury as it surged throughout his body. He only ever felt this feeling twice before, a sense of desperation and terror as something he cared for was on the verge of leaving him forever. His little girl was in trouble, and he cursed at himself for not keeping a closer eye on them. He wanted to know what happened, but now wasn't the time to make Elara feel worse.
“Loray!” he also called out over the cries of his weeping daughter, joining his wife in her search out over the waters for any sign at all of his little girl. “Loray! Lor-” Finally he spotted her, out further than Lysithea had told them, and the Crest Stone only raged more as his eyes widened in horror at what he saw.
She was out there, upside-down, face in the water, and not moving.
“LORAY!!” Wasting no time, Byleth broke out into a sprint as he soared down the shoreline, suppressing his panic and replacing it with steeled determination. He was not going to lose another family member, not again.
Lysithea's eyes followed the direction her husband was going before they trailed further outward toward the sea. That's when she noticed her other daughter.
“NO!!! LORAY!!!” Panic and fear gripped at her, wanting urgently to run out there herself, but Elara never stopped crying into her. Tears were forming in her eyes now as she cried out in defiance as she watched a quarter of her world floating lifelessly in the water.
Byleth heard his wife cry just as his feet hit the water, barely hearing her over the sounds of his rapid breathing. The Crest Stone burned in his chest, sweat beaded on his skin.
Not Loray. Not my daughter.
The water came up to his waist, and he dove the rest of his body into the sea. One arm over the other he swam to his daughter, begging Sothis that he wasn't too late, eyes focused on her and letting nothing distract him.
Not Loray.
Closer he swam, yet the waves appeared to be cruelly carrying her away.
Not my daughter.
He increased his pace, forcing his limbs to fight through the oceans efforts to stop him.
I will not lose her.
She was getting closer now, nearly within reach.
I can't let her die!
He reached out and grabbed her. Wrapping her arms around him as best he could, he held on tightly to her hands and began his journey back to shore, only able to do so with one free arm. He struggled through the waves as they retreated from the shore, causing annoying strain on him as he sought to return to solid ground with the paternal instincts of protecting his child. He let the waves push him to his goal, and now he could see Lysithea and Elara had come out to where the waves kissed the shoreline.
Lysithea seemed to tell Elara something before she rushed out to him. Whatever soreness the queen had left in her was gone now, overcome by her parental desire to save her youngest. She needed to do something, anything. Standing around was useless when Loray needed her!
The two parents united once Byleth was able to adequately stand in the water, both of them carrying Loray as they trudged through what remained of the sea. They hurried back to Elara, who tried to get closer to Loray, but Lysithea had to restrain her.
“Just... just let your father handle this, Elara!” Lysithea ordered her as she held the princess back, one arm around her waist as the girl tried to push past her. It was difficult to make words as she choked back her tears. She couldn't lose her family. Not again.
“Loray! I wanna see Loray!” Elara pleaded to her mother, her sight only remaining on her unconscious sister. Her cheeks were stained with the trails of tears, and she could only partially make out her sister's form.
Byleth quickly studied Loray. It was like she was asleep, but her chest was not moving. He put his ear next to her open mouth. She wasn't breathing. He knew what he had to do.
He placed one hand on his daughter's chest, and the other hovered just over her mouth. Closing his eyes tightly, he thought of the incantation of his head, a spell he thought he'd never have to use again, and one that Lysithea made him swear not to. He was sure she would make an exception this time.
His hands went aglow with brilliant white light as he began to channel the Sacrifice spell from his “heart” through his arms. Magic alighted his veins as he felt his life force being slowly drained as the spell searched for the problem. As much as he wanted to speed it up, he had to do this right. It was Loray's life on the line, and he would rather die before letting her do so.
He felt a pulse in his hand. The magic reached the water in her lungs. Carefully in manipulated the hand of his mouth to coax the water to flow from them and up through her throat, the other hand keeping it from returning as they both worked in tandem. The briny liquid flowed out in a flat stream from her maw for a few seconds before it abruptly ended.
He placed both hands on her chest as he intensified the spell, needing to get her to start breathing again. He felt his strength slipping away further as he looked at his daughter's sleeping face, begging her to wake up, and for Sothis to not let her die.
“You know I won't let that happen.”
Thank you.
“But you and I will be having a long talk about this later, you imbecile.”
The Crest of Flames reacted suddenly, and in a burst of light that nearly blinded him he felt a surge of energy flow from the Stone, through his arms, and out toward Loray as the white magic was mixed with mint green momentarily. He felt a sharp pain in his arms as power coursed through him, the spell greatly empowered by whatever Sothis had just done to him.
The three of them heard a loud cry from Loray as consciousness was restored to hear. She coughed and wailed at the same time as the shock and pain of what happened caught up with her. She didn't understand what happened with her, but right now the only thing she wanted was her parents.
“Loray!” Lysithea cried out, no longer restraining Elara and instead came over to her youngest and brought her swiftly into a tight embrace. “It's okay, Loray! It's okay. Mama's here.”
Elara joined her mother in hugging the princess, relieved that her sister was alive, yet also overwhelmed with a sense of guilt for having been too rough with her sister and almost accidentally ending her life.
Byleth was on his hands and knees as he slowly recovered his strength, his own relief washing over him like a tidal wave as he caught his breath, not realizing how much he had ironically been holding it despite his panicked breathing from before. He had done it. He did let not history repeat itself. He didn't watch his youngest daughter die like he had to with his father several years ago. He dreaded how Sothis was going to scold him, but that was minute compared to his daughter's life being saved.
The queen continued to hold on to Loray, adding Elara into her embrace as she tried to let her emotions settled down now that the storm had passed. Those tense moments brought back all sorts of painful memories of the other Ordelia children, the family that she lost so long ago. She nearly lost it again, but thanks to Byleth's swift actions, her other pride and joy would live to see tomorrow.
She felt the arms of her husband wrap around her and the other three as the family shed tears, needing to let it all out from what was the scariest part of their family life. She would try to find out what happened at a later point in time, questions that need to be answered, but one thing was for certain. This was the first and last time they were ever going to the beach.