Chapter Text
Garland Moon, 1180
For once, students from each of the three houses blend in the same classroom. A special lecture about crestology is a unique opportunity, even though it is only attended by a small group. Professor Byleth is there too, not teaching but sat at the back of the room, hoping to learn more about herself.
At one point, professor Hanneman stops speaking and scans the room, mentally counting the students before declaring:
“Now as we are a few, I will ask each one of you to manifest their crest in order to illustrate my explanations.”
As soon as he finishes his sentence, two boys promptly rise from their respective chairs, sticking out their chest while sending each other defiant looks.
“Allow me to show my crest of Gloucester, professor,” the purple-haired noble declares quickly, ahead of a frustrated Ferdinand.
The room is lit by a sharp glow in Lorenz’s palm, soon followed by demonstrations of the crests of Charon, Cichol, and Cethleann.
After Ferdinand and Linhardt, Hanneman turns to the remaining Black Eagle in the room, “Could you please share that majestic crest of Seiros with us, Miss von Hresvelg ?”
“Of course, professor,” the Adrestian heir complies, aware of the class’ astonishment, and slightly proud.
The Blue Lions, by far the more numerous to bear crests, appear to be the last and they execute the task one after the other. But at the end of Mercedes’ conjuration of the crest of Lamine, silence fills the room, its occupants slowly realizing that someone has yet to demonstrate.
“Miss Von Edmund ?”
Next to Lysithea, Marianne is startled by the teacher's voice and her hands start shaking as she lowers her head to avoid staring looks.
From her seat, Edelgard swears she can see tears swelling in her eyes, even though she does not have time to ponder. Marianne abruptly rises from her chair, almost knocking her table over. With a strangled apology, she flees the classroom, without anyone attempting to help her.
After several awkward minutes, Hanneman resumes his lecture, but the audience barely listens. A smirk crosses Linhardt's face and he whispers to an oblivious Byleth beside him, "She certainly has issues with her crest, it's unusual. If I could study it, it would maybe lead to scientific advances in crest research," to convince her he quickly added, "It would be a great asset in battle as well."
Professor Byleth frowns but spends the rest of the class considering his request.
Strangely filled with sympathy towards the girl from another house, whom she has barely talked to, Edelgard decides to search for Marianne. The breakdown was obviously not only due to her dreading to stand in front of a class. It may be presumptuous but Edelgard senses that she must bear a lot of suffering to refuse to show her crest, and a small part of her wonders if perhaps Marianne has endured the same horrors as her.
She finally finds her an hour later, sat on a bench in an unoccupied corner of the monastery, her head buried in her hands. Edelgard tries to approach the melancholic figure gently, carefully not to startle her even more. When Marianne lifts her gaze to the intruder, it screams of despair though fails to mask her surprise.
Softly, almost whispering, Edelgard begins :
"Marianne… I am sorry to bother you, I can see you're distressed. But I just want to let you know that I think I might understand you, and that I am here if you need me."
But Marianne doesn’t even hear Edelgard’s words, convinced she would only receive insults or contempt from someone so cold.
“I know you’re here to make fun of me, b-but please leave me alone,” she stammers between strangled sobs. And before the lord could even open her mouth, Marianne abruptly stands and runs away for the second time that day.
In mere seconds, a very perplexed Edelgard is left alone in the garden, wondering what obscure secret surrounds this strange girl.
In the evening, she's cornered again but hopefully her mood has slightly improved. Another Black Eagle approaches her; she thinks his name is Linhardt but she never spoke to him, nor is she more familiar with the professor at his side.
"Hello Marianne, you surely wish for this day to be over, but we would like to discuss something with you," he begins and Marianne has the feeling that he's not going to be tactful, "Your meltdown this morning led me to a rather fascinating theory," he pauses again, seemingly shrouding his words of an aura of mystery.
"You bear a crest,” he pauses, “one you have been trying to hide since the beginning of the school year."
She cannot repress a shiver running down her spine. Half of the monastery knows she has a crest now, hopefully the remaining part of the story is still concealed.
"Don't scare her Linhardt," Byleth intervenes, with a reassuring although professional tone, suitable for a good professor Marianne guesses, "He thinks you're struggling with it, so if you like, there is a place for you in the Black Eagles,” she’s being offered a place in a new house, really ? “In my house, you will not be judged or shamed, only encouraged to develop your true potential."
"Now we'll leave you to reflect on it."
She does. During the entire night. She thought her breakdown would only inspire pity or disdain, and initially, her instinct told her to refuse
Trying to fit in her own house was already hard enough, but the prospect of being transferred to a new one, with another professor and new classmates was just dreadful. Yet, it was still early in the year, she was not familiar with her own classmates either. As if you could be, with those social skills, she mentally scolds herself. But she indeed has no real ties with the Golden Deers, no reason to stay, beside escaping the process of fitting in a new class. A process she would still have to endure, if she remained a deer.
Moreover, her discussion with Byleth seems to resonate in her, even though considering her pessimistic nature, she does not hope much. If she became a Black Eagle, Professor Byleth and the others would talk to her about her magic, make sure it improves and leave her in her corner for the remaining time. And it's fine, she would keep her mouth shut and help them as much as she can in battle. They would just act like Claude.
But unlike him, they wouldn’t have a mocking smirk tugging at their lips each time Marianne displays discomfort or shame, at least that's what she assumes according to Byleth's statement. She wants to believe it.
Turning in her bed for the hundredth time that night, Marianne realizes that she does not feel any safer staying in the Golden Deers. Of course, revealing the truth as soon as she enters the Black Eagles House is out of the question. Yet for a fleeting moment, she finds herself wishing that perhaps with time, perhaps if she learns to trust them one day, she could share her burden with them.
No. Dreaming is useless, she does not deserve this fantasized future.
For now, and despite her fear, a more welcoming house in which she could learn without being laughed at, sounds greatly appealing.
It's settled; Before drifting off to sleep, Marianne promises herself she will find professor Byleth first thing in the morning to tell her she accepts her offer.
Edelgard is quite surprised to hear that Marianne is now one of her Eagles and even more confused when she learns that Claude was the last person to know. She never thought that such a reserved girl could hide a rebellious side.
The white-haired lord is no fool however, she knows Byleth's and Linhardt's offer is not completely selfless. It's obvious they see Marianne's hidden potential as an advantage. But the former Golden Deer was quick to join her house anyway. Claude is not such a good leader after all, she thinks, smirking to herself.
Her thoughts are is interrupted as she sees Marianne entering the Black Eagles classroom timidly. It's still early and they are the only students in the room, it seems to be the perfect time to give her some welcoming words without drawing too much attention. The last thing Edelgard wants is to scare the other again.
"Hello Marianne," she rises from her seat to approach her new classmate slowly, trying to ease her habitually tense posture to appear friendlier.
"Oh... Hello Edelgard. I wanted to come here early, " she explains with a soft voice and her head down.
"You too like to come to class thirty minutes before it begins, I see," Edelgard smiles slightly at the strange similarity. "Are you here to study ahead as well ?"
"Oh no, I didn't want to be late for my first class… a-and I-um... was afraid to see everyone's eyes on me when entering the classroom."
The confession is so typically Marianne, Edelgard thinks, even though she doesn't know her well yet. She is intriguing and a vague yet abnormally vivid urge to get to know her resonates in Edelgard's veins.
"Speaking of the others, I wanted to welcome you in the Black Eagles House. You may find some students a little...impertinent at first, but I assure you they are all good-hearted," she finishes with a reassuring look.
Although her words were certainly not enough to erase Marianne's nervousness, the latter still manages to whisper a thank you before taking a seat at the end of the classroom.
It comes as no surprise that Marianne struggles to fit in during her first few days. Between Linhardt's intrusive questions and Caspar's impulsive personality, she feels quite anxious. However, in the following weeks she is slowly, cautiously, becoming more at ease.
It is a very different world, to say the least. Curiously the students of this house don't come off as particularly socially apt as well. They are not like her of course, but at least Marianne can see some similarities.
Apart from Dorothea and Ferdinand, the most outgoing ones, she notices how Petra's origin and linguistic difficulties must be a barrier to her integration. Then there is small Bernadetta, similar to Marianne in the way their noble status seems to be concealed behind layers of awkwardness and self-hatred. She is also the first one who talked to her after their house leader, probably sensing an affinity between them.
Marianne even met someone as quiet as her. Well, Hubert can talk endlessly if Lady Edelgard's safety or orders are concerned. But otherwise, the sinister-looking man withdraws into a calculating, silent presence, the exact opposite of her former house leader's talkative and impetuous retainer.
And Lady Edelgard, of course. A far cry from what Marianne imagined. Ambitious, determined and at times commanding, but not popular. Her name and legacy are well-know yes, but the lord is not one to be surrounded by people. She even seems shy for that matter, though her voice is always gentle when she speaks to her classmates.
Thus, Marianne comes to the conclusion that her new classmates are not the kind to blend in either, and they do not make her feel ashamed or tease her about it , unlike the carefree Golden Deers. Oh, she would never dare compare herself to the geniuses and talented students who compose the Black Eagle house, far from it. But one day she could perhaps let her guard down, and if they would grant her the right to, allow herself to grow more comfortable around them.