Chapter Text
Midnight. A gentle quiet that washes over Garreg Mach. Even the Knights of Seiros that patrol the grounds are fewer in number this time of night, their shifts switching between patrols. Almost nobody around. And that makes it the perfect time to sneak around. Though for Bernadetta there is only one place to sneak to, the kitchen. She knew that that morning her favorite kind of cake had been baked, but day time was often to crowded for her to comfortably be there. She was willing to risk a bit of trouble to get her hands on a slice or two for her room by breaking curfew.
Getting caught was never a problem for her though. Bernadetta snuck out at this time once or twice a week so she could have a meal on the days she wasn't able to go with everyone else. The knight patrols were also very exact, very predictable. It took a Moon or two, but she was able to track when she could go, and when she needed to hide. A perfect science, if there ever was one.
Speaking of perfect, she made it to the kitchen and found her prize, three generously sized slices of cake had been left behind. Usually there's only once slice, two on a good day. But they were always thinner slices. "Looks like Bernie gets cake for the next couple days." Her voice barely above a whisper. She was almost smiling about it. All she had to do now was make it back to her room, so that she could saver every bite. Upon leaving the kitchen and making it back outside, her plan went very, very, wrong.
Someone tapped her on the shoulder and spoke to her.
"What are you doing out here so late?"
Oh Goddess she was caught. When she left her room she thought she was willing to get in some trouble, but now that it was actually happening she found that she wasn't. If she got in trouble with the guards, the guards would surely inform Rhea, who would surely inform her father, who would surely have her sent back home. Oh Goddess she couldn't go back home. Anywhere but home. Panic, fear, and anxiety crept up to her. Her goose was cooked, her jig was up. She couldn't even think of a third think she was so terrified. Just when she thought she had no options, it happened.
A flash of light. A light that would only shine in certain situations. It was the power of her crest coming forth. Her body began to move faster than she could process. With one quick motion, one of her hands grabbed on to her mystery assailant's hand, and her other on their arm. Adrenaline and crest power coursing throughout, Bernadetta gathered the strength to flip her witness over her, and slamming them into the ground.
One problem now turned to two as the rush faded from her, and Bernadetta could actually see what she did to them. The first was in the process of using both hands to flip her no longer mystery person to the ground, she ended up dropping her pilfered cake slices upon the ground. Her entire trip became for nothing within the span of seconds. The fallen cake problem though was nothing compared to the second problem. The person she flipped wasn't a guard, it was a student. Oh no. A student in the Black Eagle house. Oh no. The house she was in. Oh no. Not only that, but it was someone in her class. Oh no. Said classmate now unconscious on the ground before her. Oh no. Terror upon her face as she gazed at the victim before her.
Linhardt von Hevring lay unconscious before her.
Oh no.