Chapter Text
Hilda was rather surprised to find Leonie hanging around with Ignatz and Raphael, rather than Ferdinand. When Leonie looked up at her arrival and approached with an expression of fear, Hilda realised that Leonie was there for exactly the reason she didn’t realise she knew. Hilda spared a glance for Ignatz and Raphael, but matching expressions rested upon their faces. The truth was already among them, but they would have to hear it confirmed.
“Marianne’s on Faerghus’s side,” Hilda said. Of the four members of the Golden Deer serving in this army, only she had been close enough to confirm it. Marianne stood by Dimitri’s side, not as a hostage, but as a lover, ready and willing to fire upon those Adrestian soldiers who actually got close.
“Is she…” Ignatz began.
“No, she got taken out of the battle by… something. She’s still alive… alive to be in the next fight,” Hilda said. She wasn’t gonna cry… she was too pretty to cry.
“She’s not one of them , right?” Leonie asked. Hilda wanted to say she was. To say she had been infested with an Agarthan stone and was acting against her will would make things much easier. But unfortunately, she had the same question and made sure to fly close enough to look.
“Her chest’s clear. She’s sided with Dimitri on her own,” Hilda said.
“But… but why? We’re her classmates, we’re her friends…” Raphael babbled.
“...She loved Dimitri. I don’t… there’s… she trusted the Blue Lions as much as she trusted us. More, possibly,” Hilda choked. Leonie brought an arm around, while Ignatz clenched his fist.
“...I’m sorry, Hilda. I was helping Bernadetta… I should’ve noticed the problem brewing in my own class,” Ignatz said.
“No, Ignatz, Bernie needed help too. It was all me. Helping Marianne was my duty,” Hilda cried. She had her head in her arms, and there was no doubt they’d find tears if Leonie pulled them away.
“It should’ve been all of us. Instead of making Marianne feel welcome with us, we all spread out. No wonder Marianne found comfort with the Blue Lions,” Raphael said.
“Hey now, that wasn’t our fault! The Blue Lions were all so nice to her when she came to them. There was no reason we shouldn’t have let her stay with them. We didn’t know they were going to side with…” Leonie called, the last words dying in her throat. Somehow, calling Rhea a monster didn’t come out right.
“I remember when I got the news Edmund got razed. I knew the reports said Marianne was probably alive… but I couldn’t believe it. But I guess it makes sense, why Faerghus even bothered attacking Edmund if they weren’t going to press on. They wanted Dimitri’s queen,” Ignatz said. That night had stuck with him- there were very few nights where it had been Ignatz crying himself to sleep on Bernadetta’s shoulder, rather than the other way around.
“I was right there… if I had just attacked the boat that left with her on it… I could’ve gotten her back… but no… I had to be afraid of Felix… Felix would never have agreed to let Marianne sink this low…” Hilda sobbed.
“...But Felix agreed to kidnap her in the first place,” Leonie pointed out. She couldn’t quite tell how comforting a fact that was supposed to be. Hilda only seemed to cry louder in response, so it wasn’t a particularly good one.
“...Hilda… we’re going to get Marianne back. You said it yourself- she’s not one of them . We can bring her back to our side, it’s not going to be Lorenz all over!” Raphael exclaimed. Hilda choked a little, and Leonie thought thrice about voicing her retort. No use beating around the bush.
“Raphael, if Marianne’s fighting with Dimitri of her own accord… we’re not bringing her back to our side with a short conversation. And if we wind up killing Dimitri, I don’t think long ones will do the trick,” Leonie said. She tightened her grip around Hilda as she said this, daring to believe she was wrong- that Marianne would come back to them if they just rescued her, that she would turn on Faerghus after all.
“...So you lot all know about Marianne now,” Bethany remarked. The Deer jumped, all looking up at Beth with familiar looks of focus. Even if Hilda’s tear and makeup streaked face did not wear it well.
“We’ll get her back, Teach…” Hilda sobbed. Beth gave the barest of glances downwards.
“...Wait, did you know about this?” Ignatz asked.
“I saw Dimitri rescue Marianne from some strange plot not too far from where we were camped, way back in Gideon. I didn’t know what was known about the Edmund thing, but I figured Marianne was just Dimitri’s captive. I didn’t know she was with them of her own free will!” Beth explained.
“Why didn’t you save her?” Hilda asked.
“With what? By the time I noticed her, Dimitri had already gotten there, and there was no way I was going to get anywhere nearer to him than I already was without a bloody nose I’d have to explain to Dorothea and Edelgard,” Beth said. Although a straight fight with Dimitri would probably end in broken bones for most people, none of the Deer doubted Beth could escape with as little as a bloody nose.
“...So what, are we just going to kill her? It’s not her fault she’s fighting with Faerghus, why does she have to suffer for it?” Raphael asked. The idea sounded better in all of their heads, but they could not escape the reality. If they were going to kill Dimitri, Marianne’s death was inextricably linked. And if they were going to do anything about Rhea, there was almost no question that Dimitri had to die for it. The alternative was Dimitri seeing reason, accepting that his understanding of the surrounding circumstances was false.
And if Marianne couldn’t convince him, what hope did they have?