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Dimitri had spent years listening to the whims of ghosts. During his younger days, the noise of friends, classes, and royal duty had helped to dull the sound. The only times he had heard them without restraint were the darkened hours when those who surrounded him during the day lay in slumber. Dimitri would join them if he could, though the voices of the dead berated him for seeking rest.
‘Traitor. Monster. Weak.’
Dimitri had not slept a full night in years.
That was until she appeared.
Byleth was comparable to a stone being thrown into a pond - she simply appeared as if from the air, though her force was undeniable. She caused ripples without intention that spread to even the farthest shore. Somehow she had the same effect on his ghosts.
When she was near, the phantoms were pushed away. When she spoke their voices were muted. When she offered him a quiet place to sit away from the pressures of the day over a warm cup of chamomile, he found himself only in the company of the living. When she found him walking late at night in the otherwise empty grounds, she sat with him a while. It was on those nights Dimitri found himself falling into a sleep that could at least somewhat resemble rest.
Byleth simply happened and Dimitri found himself wondering how he had ever survived without her. His emotions towards his mentor were admiration - respect for her talents as a fighter and professor - nothing more. Still, the seasons changed and so too did these feelings grow. Dimitri himself only realised a change when he saw a smile quirk at the corner of her lips one day. It was a small motion that could have been easily missed.
Dimitri thought it was the loveliest sight he had ever seen.
From then he found himself noticing more about the Professor. The way her green hair complimented pretty features. Her strength in battle and skill as a tactician. Her dedication to seeing her students succeed. Her kindness and consideration, as the professor spent her free days returning items people had lost. How she would go fishing when she wanted to be left undisturbed. The endearing way she had seemingly befriended all the cats that roamed the monastery and would make small talk with them when she thought no one was watching.
In moments he managed to push away that bloody thirst for revenge that lingered within him... When he managed to silence the ghosts long enough to have his thoughts... Dimitri wondered what it would be like to have a future with her. One where they stood side by side - not as mentor and student, not as friends - but as more.
One night, under the hazy lights and jovial sounds of the ball that faded into the background, Dimitri had even gone so far as to suggest such a thing to the professor herself.
A joke - a cruel jest. Dimitri was quick to deny his words as a callous misstep. The voices quickly reminded him that hoping for a future he didn't deserve was a cruel joke to himself.
Then the moment came when the mask fell and his vision clouded crimson. The Flame Emperor was none other than someone he knew - had cared for with all his heart in days long past. One of the few he could call family that had not been ripped away.
His mortal bonds were shattered completely the moment he lost Byleth. His Professor, sword in hand, rushed bravely into a fight with the odds stacked against her. If Dimitri had been closer, been more aware, maybe he could have saved her. He saw her green eyes filled with momentary terror as she as struck by an unseen attack. Someone cried out - maybe it was him. Then she was gone. Swallowed by a dark abyss no one could survive.
The ghosts took great pleasure in reminding him of his failings that day. Dimitri hardly even recalled how long he had been held captive. Days, weeks, years? He was accused of a crime he did not commit with a punishment fully deserved for his failings. Though his fate changed when Dedue - ever-loyal Dedue - freed him from his cell. One last connection Dimitri had to this world. One last reason to step forwards.
Then just like Byleth - Dedue was gone and Dimitri was alone. Outcasted. Though he had company - all those who could not be here now.
The next five years were a blur of blood, anger, and rage. At one point his vision became halved - however, an eye sacrificed was worth it so another rat may be purged from this world. Eventually, his aimless journey of bloodshed took him to empty halls he once knew well. There Dimitri stayed. A hallowed place left scarred and broken - what could be more fitting of a place for a beast such as him?
One day, light footsteps echoed throughout lonely stone walls. It caused Dimitri to pause. There was an uncertainty in those movements that could not come from the usual scum that invaded this place. He looked up. Backed by the rising sun, the stranger’s features were obscured. Still, there was something unmistakable about that figure.
Ah, so she had finally come back to haunt him as well.
Byleth was no ghost. Somehow unchanged even after half a decade, she stood before him. Her stoic face was hard to read but a hesitation flickered across her eyes. Dimitri stared back coldly. Dead or alive - it made little difference to him. If she was here, she could make herself useful.
Byleth followed him quietly as Dimitri stormed towards the village below.
As if by some planned fate, people Dimitri had once considered companions returned. The halls of Garreg Mach became noisier. It was all just distractions - pointless time-wasting when they should be going after the one who caused all of this. Dimitri often escaped to the cathedral, stalking the shadows and growling when anyone got too close. Here, the voices could be heard clearest above the chatter and mindless talk of reunions.
The ghosts reminded him of his real purpose. As vassal for their vengeance, those bonds did not matter. His body was a tool and if it should fall in battle, then so be it. For the sake of those he had failed - his father, his step-mother, Glenn - he would use every last person who pledged themselves to this fight until they broke.
The former Blue Lions were unsure how to approach the seemingly feral Prince. They tried but were often met with sharp words and rejection. Yet there was one who persisted more than most. Dimitri could feel her presence some nights - could feel Byleth watching him from afar. She sometimes left him meals on days he neglected to find food. There would be a Concoction vial waiting for him after a particularly harsh battle where he refused to seek aid afterward.
It caused memories to flicker in his mind - images of himself he barely recognised. Felix and himself sparring late into the night. Sitting in a quiet green garden with his Professor for company. A dark tower and moonlight that lit up eyes as clear as a fresh spring bloom.
No - no distractions. That Dimitri was dead. His bonds shattered and left in the past.
Then another ghost turned into the living and his resolve wavered the smallest fraction. Dear Dedue, whom he had thought lost, rejoined the Prince's side as if he had never left. Ever his shield, Dimitri could admit he felt a small comfort upon his friend's return. For years he thought Dedue's ghost must despise him, to never have appeared as so many others did.
Then Rodrigue joined their cause. Finally here was someone with his ambitions - who could see the importance of letting Edglegard's head roll. Yet the man spoke of their country needing a king. Dimitri scoffed at the idea he was fit to rule over anyone. Let them find their King elsewhere - a wild animal such as he was only fit to rule the dead.
There was one night when walking the shadows of courtyards as the moon was high, that something strange happened. He had been making his way towards the training grounds when a faint light caught his remaining eye. Instantly he presumed an attack, body tensing as he prepared to fight them with fists if he must. The light however did not move and instead seemed to be coming from one of the lower bedrooms.
Dimitri did not know what drew him towards the pale glow. It was as if a force compelled him to investigate. To whom the light belonged - he somewhere, deep down, already knew.
Byleth's door was slightly ajar. Dimitri did not care for formalities enough to stop himself from just looking inside. What he saw was the former Professor presumably asleep, arms resting on a paper filled desk. The light came from a candle which now burnt low from a near table. Pale green tresses fell delicately around her face. The Prince simply stared for a few moments before turning away. It was foolish of her to leave herself so vulnerable but of no concern to him.
Dimitri paused his steps.
The Professor was his tactician. Admittedly it was thanks to her careful planning that they had gotten so far. The voices may mock him for admitting so but reaching Embarr was far more likely with Byleth's aid.
With surprising gentleness, Dimitri returned to her room. Byleth was deep in sleep, as she did not move when he approached. His eye flickered down to the paperwork she partly lay on. Maps, lists, reports - she must have been working late planning the next step of their campaign. He did not realise it, but a smile ghosted Dimitri's lips.
When Byleth awoke the next morning, she was momentarily startled to find herself no longer at her desk. Instead, she lay on top of her bed, kept warm from the chills of the night by a large black and white fur cape. The candle had been extinguished and her door was now closed. It did not take her long to put the pieces together. A gentle smile graced her features.
Dimitri was not a lost cause. He never had been - he just needed help finding his way to the light.
A dagger that should have been for him. Dimitri held Rodrigue as the man who was like a second father to him died from a wound that was meant for him. The man scolded Dimitri for such thoughts. The words Rodrigue left - his voice - were clearer than the words of any ghost.
Dimitri was confused and angry. His head was a mess of emotions he could not process, so he settled on one outlet - killing the Flame Emperor herself. He barely noticed the rain that lashed down as he stormed to the stables. To Enbarr he would go - alone if he must. Revenge must be swift. They had wasted enough time.
He had to end this before he lost anyone else.
Byleth was waiting for him - Dimitri was not even surprised. He threatened her and tried to turn her away with cold words. Yet she refused to leave, simply shook her head at the threats, and told him he did not need to do this. That there was another way. That was the moment Dimitri let the cracks show.
If he shed any tears then the rain hid them from view, though his voice was that of a broken man. He asked her how he should go on. Asked her what right he had to live when he had taken so much life. Asked how he could ever call his companions friends again when he had been so cruel. He asked her why she had stayed when his ghosts had driven him so far into the darkness.
In response, she lifted a hand to his face, and Dimitri felt warmth for the first time in years.
That simple gesture conveyed more than words ever could. Byleth might not be able to provide him with all the answers he sought - but she would be there by his side. Would pull him into the light with the same hand she now offered whenever he might lose himself.
Dimitri finally noticed the dark circles under her eyes and the healing cuts partly concealed by clothing. Byleth was tired and torn, and in some ways, as broken as him. He had burdened her with so much. To lose five years of your life, only to be forced to lead an army with nigh-impossible odds stacked against them, was a huge task. Many would have crumbled under the weight but Byleth had endured. And through it all, she never gave up on him. Dimitri silently vowed that moment he would do whatever he could with his remaining life to make it up to her.
Slowly the other Blue Lions could see glimpses of the Dimitri they knew. Whilst the boy prince from their Academy days would never fully return, instead, they found themselves with a new Dimitri. One who had grown and experienced far too many horrors, yet fought so no others had to suffer what he had. From the beast had emerged a lion and someone they would support until the end.
Eventually, they retook the home that was swept away in a crimson flood years ago. The people celebrated and cheered, calling him the Saviour King. The ghosts scorned the title, demanding their blood and vengeance be swiftly met. Dimitri pushed them aside for what he could. A small hand on his shoulder helped to remind Dimitri he was still among the living. Byleth looked at him with quizzical green eyes. Dimitri smiled gently in return. His was where he belonged. This was home.
It had, at last, come to this. A battle that was perhaps fated to occur since that day in the tombs. Dimitri had tried to appeal to Edglegard's better nature - though there was never one to be had. Their views were like oil and water. Like the moon and sun. The only way to end this terrible war would be for one of them to fall. Dimitri was done chasing death. No longer would he answer to the whims of ghosts. This ending would be written by his hand.
It hurt Dimitri to see the monstrosity Edelgard had become in the name of her ambitions. Perhaps in another life - if the Professor had not found him that day - he would have met a similar fate. It was a chilling thought. Although she was now a monster, a part of Dimitri pained for his former childhood friend. For her sake, he would end this so she may finally rest. The battle was long and grueling. His Blue Lion companions fought bravely, even as their weapons broke and wounds ran red with blood. Eventually, only the Emperor herself remained.
Fittingly, Dimitri had been the one to deal the final blow. Edglegard's monstrous form faded away as she slumped - defeated. Byleth stood nearby, hand near her sword should anything threaten to hurt the man she had fought so hard to protect. Dimitri looked down at the white-haired woman before him.
He offered his hand. There had been enough death. His ghosts he damned - Edelgard deserved a chance, just like he had been given.
Instead, he was met with a knife to his shoulder.
His lance had pierced her flesh without hesitation. The moment the glint of metal appeared from behind her back, Dimitri knew Edelgard had made her choice. This was her ending as decided by her hand. If she could not live in a world where her ambitions had come to fruition, then she wanted no future.
Byleth rushed to his side, shock on her face at what had just happened. Dimitri stopped her with a raised hand, pulling the knife from his shoulder. It hurt though it was not a fatal wound - his armour had taken the worst of the blow. A strange quiet settled in the Empire's throne room. The voices were silent. Byleth was unsure what to say, so chose to say nothing. Dimitri found an odd calm at that moment. The fighting was over. His ghosts were gone. It was a reality he never thought possible.
Dimitri and Byleth walked away in silence, neither saying a word yet side by side. They hesitated at the door. Beyond lay the future they had created - a world without war was waiting. It would be a long road where they would have to face the consequences of their actions. Dimitri felt a pull from behind him. A voice calling out for him to stay. He began to turn back towards it. That future was not one he deserved. His path ended here, the voice reminded him.
Byleth took his hand with all the force she could muster. It was enough. Like a stone, she broke the surface of the dark waters Dimitri nearly fell back into. He looked at her and squeezed her hand back. This was where he belonged - not in the past and not in the dark. His home was with her. Byleth was his light - she always had been. Leading the way, she pulled the new King forwards. Together they stepped through the door and into the great beyond.
Although nervous to his core, Dimitri had little doubt when he asked for Byleth's hand. A part of him was convinced she would say no and truthfully he would not blame her. He had been a monster whilst she was an angel sent by the Goddess herself. Dimitri was not a particularly religious man, but he could believe Byleth was created by a power greater than what he knew. He thought himself momentarily insane when she not only accepted his proposal but offered one of her own. Though no - this was real. Every moment was real.
Her gentle hands, as delicate as a flower yet strong as steel. Her beautiful smile as bright as a winter's moon. Her lips as soft as silk and embrace warm as the midday sun. She was his beloved and Dimitri would gladly spend the rest of his days thanking her for all she had done.
Though the voices were never truly silenced for good, in time Dimitri grew to barely hear them. He learned what it was to have a full night's rest when his beloved lay beside him. Together they worked to reforge the broken world into something better. It was not easy. Sometimes the ghosts would invade his dreams, and at times she would nearly collapse from the weight of responsibility that came with her titles. Whenever one would falter, the other would pick them up and guide them back to the right path.
Dimitri had spent years tending to the whims of ghosts. Eventually, he made his peace with the dead. Finally, they could rest. Finally, he could live.