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"I'm going to miss you."
She struggled to even say it, like it was the hardest thing in the world to say. It's fitting of her, always so stubborn and proud. In a way, Marianne can relate. She's going to have to say goodbye soon to every member of their ragtag group of deer, and there'll be more than enough tears to go around for the occasion.
"I'll miss you too."
In the blink of an eye, she crashes into her, wrapping her arms around Marianne and nearly taking the wind out of her.
Of course Lysithea would be the first one to return home, always so driven and determined to push herself past her limits as quickly as she can. Marianne still remembers hearing stories of the youngest deer spending night after night in the library, eventually to be found passed out next to stacks of books taller than herself. The memories make Marianne smile, which would probably just make the other girl upset.
Lysithea hugs her tight, like they'll never see each other again, making Marianne swallow the lump that forms in her throat and hurts her chest. She pulls away and does something she thought she would never do, brushing aside white bangs to kiss her forehead.
She couldn't resist. Teasing Lysithea is as fun as Claude says. It even surprises Marianne when she has to stand on the tips of her toes to do so. Lysithea used to be so small. Now she's just as tall as her.
It's a simple distraction to the pang that's still in her chest. After this, they really might not see each other ever again. Marianne hasn't forgotten what Lysithea told her about her crests and her shortened life. It was hard to talk about for her, and she holds that trust close to her heart.
Lysithea glares at her, as expected, visibly fighting the urge to wipe the gloss that's now on her forehead. "Don't do that."
"I'm sorry," Marianne laughs softly.
"Save that for Hilda."
Marianne is quick to stop laughing, already feeling the blush that's creeping up her neck.
"W-Well…" she starts, grasping for something she can use to change the subject, maybe even wipe the smug expression off of Lysithea's face while she's at it. Her face lights up when she lands on one. "What about you and Cyril? I saw you two holding hands last night," she accuses.
That does get rid of the smirk on her face, but she looks down, suddenly downcast. Marianne is already about to apologize until Lysithea immediately deadpans.
"I thought you and Hilda were never going to get a room."
Whatever else Marianne has to say just comes out in sputters. "W-Was it that bad?" she asks hesitantly, almost afraid to know the answer.
Lysithea simply nods.
If she was blushing before, then her face must be on fire right now. Just thinking about what she and Hilda did last night is enough to make her head spin and her heart pound.
After defeating the undead King of Liberation, ending the war, and a much needed twenty-four hours for the Golden Deer to sleep in, Claude held true to his promise and held a grand feast that emptied out the dining hall's inventory. Raphael had wept with joy. Every measly feast held during the days of the academy was a joke compared to this one, and everyone in the monastery and in town was invited.
It was the best night of Marianne's life.
She had an amazing time, just eating and laughing with all of her friends, her family, without a care in the world. Five years ago, she didn't think such a thing was possible. She would have rather been with the Goddess, saving the people she grew to care for from any pain and misfortune. That couldn't have been farther from the truth. Her friends had nothing but love and support for her, which she had finally learned to accept.
She's glad Sothis never accepted her prayers.
Then, as the sun went down, music started playing, tables were pushed to the side to form a makeshift dance floor and alcohol was served. Marianne drank a little over the average amount of glasses, shocking everyone when she could still walk in a straight line. As for Hilda, no one was surprised when she was already flushed and giggling after only a few drinks.
"Marianne, dance with me!" Hilda said, scooping her up and leading her to the center of the room.
It was so much easier to let loose her insecurities and follow along with her best friend's ideas. When Hilda tripped over her foot as they danced, Marianne caught her and laughed. When Hilda complimented her, Marianne returned the favor. When Hilda made it clear that she was flirting with her, Marianne flirted back, albeit awkwardly and inexperienced. When the violins slowed down and Hilda draped her arms over Marianne's shoulders, Marianne placed her hands on Hilda's waist, swaying back and forth and staring into each other's eyes.
When Hilda kissed Marianne, Marianne kissed her back.
No amount of alcohol in her system could make Marianne forget the feeling of kissing Hilda. She was so soft, gentle and sweet. She was patient with Marianne's clumsiness and responsive when Marianne grew more insistent. At first, all Marianne could think about was whether she was doing a good job or not, until she felt the way Hilda was just as eager, excited, and as breathless as she was.
And according to Lysithea, it felt as good as it looked to any spectators, and there were plenty of spectators.
It was a cheer from Claude, an oh my from Lorenz, and applause from the rest of the deer that made her realize she and the woman in her arms were not the only two people in the world, and they were giving them a show. Hilda was quick to pull away and stick her tongue out in everyone's direction before grabbing Marianne's hand, pulling her out of the dining hall and into her quarters. Their rooms were right next to each other, but Marianne's was still the closest and quickest one to get into.
The moment Hilda locked the door, ensuring there would be no interruptions or prying eyes, they continued right where they left off, proceeding to make the best night of her life even better.
"Oh, stop blushing. I'm happy for you." Lysithea pulls Marianne out of her flustering thoughts and crosses her arms. "The Marianne from back then would have never even accepted Hilda as her girlfriend, huh?"
She's right about one thing, just not the other, and it makes Marianne's shoulders slump as she mutters something inaudible.
"What was that?" Lysithea asks.
"I said…" Marianne speaks up, nervously wringing her fingers together. "We're not… She's not… my girlfriend…"
Lysithea looks at her like she just heard the stupidest thing in the world.
"… Y-Yet?" Marianne tries.
"Did you two have sex last night?" she asks like they were talking about the weather.
"L-Lysithea!"
Lysithea takes that as a yes. "Then how in the world is she not your girlfriend?"
Marianne's embarrassment makes a swift exit out of her system, leaving her deflated. "We haven't… talked about it yet."
"What's there to discuss?"
She sighs, not even wanting to bring it to life by talking about it. "What will happen when we return home."
Lysithea lets out a sigh of her own after taking a moment to think to herself. "You're right," she says. "You're heir to Margrave Edmund, and Lord Holst nearly died after his fight with Nemesis. Hilda might have to defend Fódlan's Throat in his place."
Marianne nods solemnly.
"Why haven't you talked about it yet?"
It still feels like a dream, knowing that war is finally over and she lived to see it through. She no longer has to put her life on the line or take the lives of others in order to reach the world Claude envisions. As for her own vision, Marianne never thought about it. She used to think the best thing she had going for her was a quick end to her cursed life.
Now that her imagination can run free, she wonders if she'll be a good margrave, if she'll be a good leader who takes care of her people and contributes to the prosperity of the Alliance, or the entirety of a unified Fódlan. It's almost scary to think about, but maybe she'll have a pink-haired girl named Hilda to call her own and help her get through it.
"I'm happy, Lysithea. I've never been so happy in my life." She holds her hands together like when she would pray. "I don't want that to end."
"It's not going to end."
"I know," she says. "It's just going to be hard… saying goodbye and not seeing her everyday. That's selfish of me, isn't it?"
"It's not selfish," Lysithea confirms. "But it's inevitable, Marianne. There's no avoiding it."
"I know."
"Then do it."
"I know." She kind of hates Lysithea right now for being so smart and logical. "I will."
"Well then," she says before taking hold of Marianne's wrist. "Let's go."
"Um," Marianne utters, realizing that Lysithea is walking her back into the monastery. "W-Where are we going? I thought you were leaving?"
"To go find Hilda," she replies. "I know you'll just put this off until the last possible moment. I can wait."
"L-Lysithea…!" She tries to pull out of Lysithea's grip. When that fails, she tries to pull her towards the opposite direction. That doesn't work either. The younger girl is much stronger than she looks. "But I don't know what to say yet!" she whines.
"Marianne, trust me, it will work out no matter what."
They attract the attention of everyone they pass by. It's not everyday you see two noblewomen, the Alliance's strongest healer and deadliest mage that helped defeat Nemesis, dragging each other around, the infamously quiet one between the two kicking and screaming.
"This is—" Lysithea lets out a tired huff, already losing her breath. She still doesn't have the endurance to back up her strength. "Marianne, this is Hilda we're talking about! She had literal hearts coming out of her eyes whenever she talked to you back at the academy! She still does! Hello?!"
"I know, but—"
"But nothing!"
"Lysithea?" a new voice speaks up.
"Huh? O-Oh! Cyril!"
Cyril looks between the two women, confusion on his face when his gaze lands on Marianne, surprise when it lands on Lysithea. "Aren't ya leaving?"
"I'll be around for a little while longer." She gives Marianne's wrist a hard tug, letting her know that her resolve isn't weakened just because the object of her affection is in her presence. "Have you seen Hilda?"
"Uh, she's upstairs in the audience chamber, with Claude and the professor."
Marianne lets out a sigh of defeat as Lysithea gives him a sickly sweet smile. "Thank you, Cyril."
Just as they're about to head off, Cyril stops them with a quick, "H-Hey, wait!" They both turn on him, eyebrows raising when they just barely miss the blush on his face. "Would ya… like to get something to eat then? Y'know, one last time before ya actually go?"
Marianne looks at Lysithea, who's donned a much more noticeable blush on her pale complexion. She waits with bated breath for her answer, but Marianne already knows it's a hard yes, mouthing her thanks over Lysithea's shoulder to the boy. Cyril just looks at her funny, making Lysithea twirl back towards her with a glare. They stare each other down, one fierce and the other nervous, before she lets go of Marianne's wrist, glaring even harder and pointing at her.
"You better tell me how everything went, got it?" she says before taking Cyril's hand and rushing off with him into the distance.
Marianne, now alone, thinks about what just happened. Lysithea was right. She shouldn't even have to tell her. She can't put this off forever. Her father probably wants her to return home right away, and who knows when Hilda is going to leave.
She was just being difficult. Lysithea just wants to help, and she thought she was done refusing help from her friends. She takes a deep breath. She can do this. She turns on her heels and makes her way to where she needs to be.
Straight to the stables to vent to Dorte.
"What's that, Dorte?" Marianne coos to him as usual, having just finished brushing the horse's mane while telling him everything that's on her mind.
He snorts and whips his head to the side.
Marianne blinks then lets out a sigh. "Two of my friends have been hiding and listening in on us the whole time?" She briefly narrows her eyes at him. "And why didn't you think to tell me before?"
He blinks back at her.
"You just noticed right now. Sure, Dorte."
He's definitely not getting a treat after this. Maybe. She'll see.
Leonie pokes her orange head out from the corner of the stables with a sheepish smile on her face. "Sorry, Marianne."
"It's okay—"
Lorenz, of all people, walks out next before bowing with a hand over his chest. "My dearest apologies as well, Marianne."
"Um…"
She decides not to ask what they were doing, hiding out in the corner of the stables of all places, because it's obvious. Clearly, they were already there before Marianne, doing other things, non-stable related things, if their mussed up hair was not proof enough.
It's okay. She's not mad at them. She decides to take this as an opportunity to ask for their advice on what they must have heard. Another perspective might be good to hear. It wouldn't hurt.
Leonie, while admitting that she's not an expert on the subject, says what is basically the same thing Lysithea told her, which was just talk to her already. Leonie notices her disappointment, as much as Marianne tried to hide it, and tries some more.
"It's as clear as day how much Hilda adores you, Marianne. She may be lazy, but she'll do anything to make things work with you. Even I can see that."
She appreciated that. As for Lorenz, he started off promising, boasting that he is in fact, the expert on the subject, which earned him an eye-roll from Leonie. Nevertheless, he still said the same thing as Leonie and Lysithea did before, just a waxed poetic version of it.
She still thanked them before she left them to their… business.
"Let us know how it goes!" Leonie calls after her.
"Yes, please do!" the nobleman adds.
At least that got a smile out of her. With newfound confidence, Marianne makes her way towards Hilda's supposed location. That still doesn't mean she can't make a detour through the Officer's Academy. Any amount of confidence, no matter how small, is still confidence, after all.
As she walks through the grass, she somehow almost misses Raphael and Ignatz standing outside of the Golden Deer classroom, chatting between themselves. Raphael laughs out loud, clapping his friend on the shoulder. Ignatz rubs the back of his neck, after what is probably a now sore shoulder, sporting a pink blush on his face. She wonders if this is some sort of pattern. She almost doesn't want to interrupt.
Of course, the moment the blonde, much bigger man sees her approaching, his voice is loud enough to carry his words throughout the entire monastery.
"Hey, Marianne! Congrats on you and Hilda getting together!"
Ignatz notices the discomfort on her face, Goddess bless him, and attempts to shush him. Surprisingly, the discomfort she's showing isn't at the attention that might have been brought to her, but mostly at her now ringing ears.
"Come on, Raph," Ignatz scolds his best friend, as gentle as a scolding from the polite artist could possibly be. "Not everyone in the monastery needs to know."
"Really?" he asks before turning to Marianne. "But look how happy she looks!"
Marianne doesn't even realize herself that she's still smiling. Whether it's because of Lorenz and Leonie's interesting relationship still fresh in her mind, Ignatz's kindness and Raphael's excitement, or maybe all of the above, Marianne is indeed happy, even if it still might be a little difficult for her to show.
"Just look, Ig! She's glowing!" he adds, because of course he would.
Ignatz laughs nervously, light reflecting off of his eyes as he adjusts his glasses. Marianne thought she had already done enough blushing for the rest of the day. Raphael just looks between them innocently.
"It's… a work in progress—me and Hilda," she adds.
"I mean…" he starts, clearing his throat and tugging at his collar. "The whole monastery might already kind of know. Everyone was there… what with you two… you know…" Ignatz realizes a little too late that he's spoken a little too much, his bright red face now rivaling Marianne's. "In front of… everyone."
Before Marianne can excuse herself and scurry off as fast as she could, Ignatz stops her with a quick apology, requesting that she hears him out for a second.
"I've seen the way Hilda looks at you. Even back then, before the war." His voice softens and smooths out, just like when they both watched the sunset together as students. "She clearly loves you."
He pauses.
"Do you love her, Marianne?"
She takes a second to think about it, and she can't believe she even had to do so. Of course she loves Hilda. What started off as a little crush only grew more and more every time Hilda made time for her, included her in the conversation, and helped her work despite her reputation. Hilda's growth, beauty and kindness only made Marianne's infatuation even stronger.
She thinks about saying those three magic words to her, just to see her reaction. Will she say it back as easily as she shows her affection, or will Marianne finally be the one to leave her flustered and speechless? She imagines waking up next to her every morning like they did today. She imagines spending the rest of her life with her, because she can't imagine her life without her at this point.
Of course she loves Hilda.
She loves Hilda.
"I do."
"Ah," Ignatz sighs in content. "I'm glad I'm right."
"Me too," Marianne agrees.
"Of course he's right!" Raphael chimes in, clapping both of them on the back, sending them forward a few inches. "My best bud's got the best eyes! He still needs glasses, though!"
She leaves them to it with a smile and a wave before making her way into the main building. She feels lighter than before and much more confident this time. The more she thinks about how much she loves Hilda, the easier it becomes to accept how she feels.
Everyone, not just Ignatz, was right. Even if they have to part ways soon, that doesn't mean it has to end. She won't have to stop loving Hilda, and maybe, just maybe, Hilda will feel the same.
She becomes so lost in her surprisingly optimistic thoughts that she almost walks right into someone—yet another friend of hers, dressed in full armor with fiery red hair.
"Oh, hey, Marianne!" Sylvain greets her with his trademark, easy smile, but it only takes a second for it to become his also trademark smirk. "So… you and Hilda, huh? Didn't know you had such good taste in women."
Marianne is ready for the embarrassed refusal to come spilling out of her mouth, but to her own surprise, it never comes. If this were the past, Marianne would've expected the worst of his intentions, but after getting to know the skirt-chasing Lion, she realizes this is just how he acts to hide the resentment he has for his status and crest. Not once in her life did she think she would ever relate with Sylvain, of all people.
"Yes," is all she says. "Me and Hilda," and it's amazing how good it feels to say.
Sylvain stares her down for a second, his eyes widening at what he sees. "Huh…" he utters.
"What's wrong?" she asks, knowing that the man isn't looking at her the same way he would undress women with his eyes.
"Nothing, it's just…" He points at her face. "Your smile. I see you've been practicing a whole lot!"
If her smile could become any wider, it might threaten to split her face in half.
"I know your smile has already gotten better since you dealt with that beast in the woods, but that…!" He waves his hand in Marianne's general direction, speechless. "That might be one of the best smiles I've ever seen in my life! It's Hilda I should be jealous of instead of you—whoa!"
Sylvain braces himself for a slap that he knows he deserves, but all he feels is Marianne's arms wrapped around him and her cheek pressed against his breastplate.
"Thank you, Sylvain."
"Aw, come on, Marianne." Sylvain wraps his arms around her in return. "You know if Hilda were to see us right now, she'd probably strangle me."
Marianne shakes her head, her disagreement coming out muffled against his armor.
"You want to see that happen, huh? Don't lie."
"Of course not."
"I'm just messing with you," he laughs, pulling away to wrap an arm around her shoulder instead. "By the way, I have a question."
"What is it?"
"It's stupid, borderline inappropriate—actually very inappropriate—but I just can't resist. It's been on my mind since we were students."
Marianne already regrets not wanting to say no. "I can handle it."
His smirk returns with full-force. His devilish good looks would make any girl swoon and grovel at his feet. It doesn't work on her, at least—or any of the Golden Deer girls, as a matter of fact.
"On a scale of one to ten, how good is Hilda in bed—"
Sylvain suddenly winces, sucking in air through his teeth at the feeling of fingernails digging into his ear. The fury in the blonde pegasus knight's eyes, who materialized seemingly out of nowhere, could light the battlefield on fire and end the war before Nemesis could even crawl out of whatever hole he came from.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right here, right now." Ingrid scolds him like an older sister would with their little brother, then turns to Marianne and instantly softens. "Please excuse him, Marianne."
"I-Ingrid, come on, I can explain! Hilda bet that she's better than me in bed, and now we can finally settle it!" He looks back and forth between the two girls, or attempts to, with one of them still threatening to rip his ear out. "Felix said I'm a solid seven and—ow, ow, ow, shit!"
His ear turns as red as Ingrid's face.
Marianne doesn't know if she should apologize or laugh at Sylvain's expense. She hopes the giggles she's been trying to hold back doesn't escape her as she holds her hands up and attempts to smooth things over. "Ingrid, it's okay, he wasn't—"
A shock of white hair and pink eyes suddenly appears before her, like what Ingrid just did, and scares what feels like the Goddess's faith right out of her.
Lysithea pinches Marianne's cheeks and stretches them out like pastry dough.
"Really? You went to Sylvain of all people for advice?" She says over Marianne's muffled attempts at protesting. "I know you haven't talked to Hilda yet! Let's go!"
Marianne walks past the infirmary, getting closer and closer to the audience chamber. She's flanked by Lysithea, hand in hand with a still confused Cyril. The huge double doors to the former archbishop's workplace are already open, revealing three figures at the head of the room as she gets even closer. Her heart skips a beat at the sight of the color pink.
She peeks over her shoulder at Lysithea behind her, who gives her a sharp nod. Marianne nods back and hopes it's convincing enough to pass as confident. She certainly felt the part, but her nerves will never not want to make themselves present. Everything she thought about saying to Hilda runs through her mind all at once, making her unable to think straight at all.
Soon enough, they step inside. Their footsteps echo all throughout the room, catching the attention of the other three.
"Ah, there you are, Marianne!" Claude makes a big spectacle of her entrance, because that's exactly the kind of thing he would do. "Just the lady we were talking about!"
The rest of his quips and flexible oration skills that Marianne might be jealous of fades into the back of her mind. Despite all of the attention on her, her attention is only on Hilda. She has a small smile on her face, holding her hands together and staring right back at her. The professor leans over and says something quiet enough for only Hilda to hear. Hilda thanks her.
When the professor turns and makes her way towards Marianne, she has that smile on her face that Marianne knows is genuine and real and always makes her feel incredibly warm inside.
"Are you nervous, Marianne?" Byleth asks simply.
She nods. She can't lie to her.
"Don't be. She might be more nervous than you are. It’ll work out."
Claude finishes his over-the-top speech. "And we'll leave you gals to it! Don't you two go killing each other, alright?" His voice drips with innuendo, which doesn't go unnoticed by anyone.
"Shut up, Claude," Hilda laughs.
He winks at her, trying his best not to hide it as he walks shoulder to shoulder with the professor, meeting Lysithea and Cyril halfway. As the double doors slowly shut, Marianne faintly hears Claude teasing exactly who she thinks he is.
Something along the lines of, "Just because you've got yourself a cute boyfriend, doesn't mean you're allowed to be giving someone older than you dating tips!"
Then, "Please don't cast miasma indoors, Lysithea," from the professor.
The doors shut, casting the room into silence, making Marianne realize she's finally alone with the girl she loves—and was avoiding just a little.
"Hey, Mari!" Hilda wastes no time bounding over to greet her.
"Hello, Hilda."
Hilda leans over and pecks Marianne right on the lips with an audible mwah. It could not have lasted more than a second, but it's still enough to fluster her. It relaxes her as well, knowing Hilda just wants her to be comfortable despite her own nerves, according to the professor.
It also makes Marianne fight the urge to just grab Hilda's beautiful face and kiss her soft, full lips like they did last night—hot and passionate and open-mouthed and—
But there's so much more important things to talk about right now.
Hilda can tell, with the way she smiles so understandingly, so she speaks up first. Marianne already loves her so much just for doing so. It's a small gesture that anyone could easily overlook, but Marianne appreciates it more than anything.
"It looks like you have something on your mind, hm?" Hilda says.
"Mhm," she hums, which is the understatement of the day. She had plenty of things on her mind, apparently enough for her to talk about with everyone in the monastery.
"I do too." She twirls a pink lock of hair around her finger. "Do you mind if I go first? It's been driving me crazy. Claude and the professor made it super obvious, didn't they?" she laughs it off, trying to cover it up. She only ever plays with her hair when she's nervous, which isn't often.
"Of course, Hilda." She tries her best to sound reassuring, when in all honesty, she's just relieved that she and her scattered brain are not going first.
"We should have talked about it earlier, like last night or this morning or whatever, but…" She drops her finger, letting her hair fall back into its place. "What do you plan to do? Now that the war is over?"
Marianne takes a moment to think and breathe. Like the professor said, she refuses to be nervous, not with Hilda just as uncertain as her. She knows her answer by heart. It's what was drilled into her conscience since she was a child, the moment she was adopted into a noble house.
"I'm to return home," she answers, too used to hearing it in the back of her mind that it sounds no different being said out loud. "And my father is going to train me into a proper heir as the next margrave."
"Wow," Hilda lets out, impressed. "Right away?"
"Yes." Marianne nods. "He's been meaning to retire. He's… old."
"Why yes he is," Hilda laughs. "That means you'll be a member of the roundtable with my brother, Claude, and Lorenz and Lysithea's dads. That's a pretty big deal, you know?"
"I know," she says, not as enthusiastic as the other girl. It's possible that their enthusiasm is the same. Anyone that knows Hilda should know that she doesn't have a single interest in politics.
"I know you'll do great," she says, noticing the lack of devotion in the matter that would have come out of Lorenz, for example. Of course Hilda knows that becoming the head of House Edmund was not her first choice.
"Thank you. I hope so…"
They fall into a lull of silence, and Marianne knows that it's finally her turn to ask.
"And what about you?"
Hilda looks at her then lets out a sigh. It's not the sigh she would let out whenever she was assigned a chore she didn't want to do or when she couldn't get someone else to do it for her. It's just… upsetting.
"My big idiot of a brother just had to play the hero and fight all those dusty old guys. He got hurt real bad." She frowns at her own words, already knowing that she shouldn't be disrespectful to him at a time like this. "Nothing permanent, thank the Goddess, but he's not going to be fighting any time soon. I'm going to have to take over Fódlan's Throat for him."
Marianne looks away, not wanting to see the other girl's disappointment. She and Lysithea knew that already, but hearing it out loud from Hilda just makes it so much worse.
"I'm sorry." She can't help but apologize. She can sympathize with her. Just like Hilda knows Marianne's first choice in life isn't to be a margrave, Marianne knows Hilda's last choice is to continue being a general.
Hilda was a free spirit, full of talent and potential, which is why it baffled Marianne whenever Hilda would stick close to her side, back when all Marianne thought she could do was hold her back. After all they've been through, Hilda should be living her life, not continuing to fight.
"Aw, don't be…" Hilda reaches out and touches Marianne's curled hands, unfurling each finger and playing with them one by one. "As much as I hate to admit it, I have a Heroes' Relic, and I beat my ten-elite-ancestor, or whatever, in a fight one on one. Even Holst hasn't done that. Clearly, I'm cut out for it."
"I know, it just…" Knowing that she was right to worry about not being able to see Hilda everyday is what hurts the most.
"It sucks, doesn't it?" she finishes for her.
Marianne nods.
Hilda takes her hand into her own. "Hey," she says with a soft smile. "Can I let you in on a little secret?"
She looks at her, not knowing what to expect. "Yeah?"
"You didn't hear this from me, but…" Hilda leans in close to whisper into her ear, as if there are people around listening to them. "Did you know Claude is actually Almyran?"
Marianne wasn't expecting… that. When she thinks about it, Claude definitely looks Almyran, and they have teamed up to take Fort Merceus together. Marianne never even had the mind to form an opinion on Almyrans. It doesn't matter to her that the next possible leader of Fódlan isn't even from Fódlan but from an enemy territory instead, and… oh. Yeah, that might matter to a lot of other people.
"I know, right?" Hilda takes her silence and widened eyes as her answer. "And after I've said nothing but terrible things about them! You won't believe how much I apologized after he told me."
Marianne can imagine, but… "What does that have to do with… us?" she trails off, not wanting to sound rude.
Hilda gives her hand a squeeze. "Well, everything! Claude might be an even bigger idiot than my brother! He isn't done unifying just Fódlan. He wants to unite the whole world, and he's starting with Almyra! Can you believe him?"
The thought of something like that happening on such a grand scale is a little overwhelming for her. The world she knows would change in front of her very eyes. Fódlan is far from perfect. In all honesty, it was already kind of a mess, even before it was ravaged by war for five years. Marianne wouldn't be opposed to a few, or a lot, of things changing for the better.
"Do you think he can do it?" Hilda asks, pulling her from her thoughts.
"If anyone can do it, it would be him."
Hilda's smile grows. "I'll let him know you said that. There's no way he'll fail knowing the Marianne von Edmund believes in him."
Before Marianne could even try to deny the kind words, Hilda is suddenly so close to her that their noses are touching, eyes closed and a huge grin on her face. "Do you know what that means, Mari?" she asks excitedly.
"Um," Marianne mutters, not really able to think with Hilda so close, and just slightly confused at her sudden enthusiasm. "What?"
Hilda lets out a sigh. "I really have to spell it out for you, don't I?" she says with false, playful exasperation in her voice. Her smile softens once again as she looks with half-lidded eyes into Marianne's. "When that happens, there won't be any dumb fighting at the border anymore. I won't have to protect Fódlan's Throat!"
Marianne's eyes widen. Such a thing sounds too good to be true, even though just a moment ago, Claude unifying the whole world did not.
"R-Really?" she says, trying to hide any optimism from creeping into her voice, fully expecting a but to come crashing down on them to ruin the moment.
"Yup! And by the time that happens, Mari, I'm going to work hard to become the best jewelry artisan ever, and…" She almost misses the way Hilda takes a step back to nervously brush loose, pink hair behind her ear. She takes Marianne's remaining hand and threads their fingers together. "And…"
Hilda's face blooms a lovely, but also concerning, shade of pink that matches her hair.
"And…?"
Hilda looks at her from underneath her long lashes. Her voice comes out small when she continues. "And I'm going to make you the most beautiful ring the world has ever seen."
Marianne stares at her, dumbfounded. When Hilda is uncharacteristically nervous and unsure, she expects the worst. She certainly wasn't expecting that. She's not sure how long she spends just staring at her until Hilda speaks up.
"Um," Hilda attempts at a laugh. "Say something? Please?"
When she eventually finds her voice, it comes out quiet and unsteady, like she just went back five years in the past and she was a confused teen again.
"H-Hilda…" she finally manages to get out. "Did you just… p-propose?"
Hilda notices her current state and, Goddess bless her, regains her confidence to take the lead once again. "Sorry for not actually having a ring ready, but… yeah. I did just propose to you."
Tears start to form at the corners of her eyes. Her throat closes up on nothing, making it even more difficult to speak.
"Hilda, I-I… I do. N-No, wait…!" She briefly panics at her choice of words, then she panics some more at how bad it must look to panic during a proposal. "I-I do have a ring, I mean! I-It's green and it belonged to my mother and i-it's somewhere in my room—I just have to go find it and—"
"Oh, Mari." Hilda closes the rest of the distance between them, holding her tight, shushing her and stroking the back of her head. "Sweetie, don't worry, we'll go get your ring, okay?"
Marianne shuts her eyes, letting the tears fall as she nods, wrapping her arms around Hilda's neck and burying her nose into her hair.
"So… does this mean yes?" Hilda continues. "You know hundreds of suitors are going to be throwing themselves at your feet, right? Would you still have me?"
That is something she's going to have to talk about with her father soon. She won't let herself be married off to any random noble when she has the girl she loves right here in front of her. She'll settle for no one else.
"Of course I will, Hilda."
Marianne feels Hilda giggle against her. She hears her sniffle as well. Hilda's arms tighten around her harder than Marianne thought was even possible. After a moment of just holding each other—Marianne would not mind if it were forever—Hilda squeals into her neck and kicks her feet back and forth.
"Oooh! I know it's too soon to be thinking about this, but I'm so excited to plan the wedding! It's going to be perfect, and we'll look so good in our dresses, and all of our friends will be there, and—"
Hilda continues to go on about what their future might hold. Marianne can agree wholeheartedly that Hilda's getting carried away, but she can't deny that she's following right along with her. Everything Hilda says, Marianne pictures it in her head. Just days ago, they were risking their lives to protect the future of Fódlan. Now, they're free to insert themselves into that future, however rocky the road to get there will be.
Marianne can hardly believe it.
She takes Hilda's face into her hands and presses their lips together. Hilda shuts up, if only to completely melt into her. It's nothing like their first kiss at the party, or the many kisses they shared before they bared everything to each other. It's even better, somehow, knowing that this is far from the last time.
To Marianne's delight, when they pull away, Hilda is breathless and her face is glowing with an adorable blush.
"I'm going to miss you."
Hilda drapes her arms over Marianne's shoulders, much like she did last night. "I give it a year, give or take a few months. I have a good feeling it won't take long." She smiles sadly at the ache she can already see in Marianne's eyes, and at the ache she feels just knowing they won't be seeing each other for a long time. "It'll just fly by, I promise. I'll write to you everyday and visit whenever I can, okay?"
Marianne nods. Hilda presses her forehead against hers.
"But, Goddess… I'm going to miss you too."
They take another moment to just bask in each other's presence before Marianne suddenly snorts.
"What?" Hilda asks with a grin. "Laughing at me again, Mari?"
"No, no," Marianne doesn't even try to hold back her giggles. She knows Hilda likes hearing her laugh, even if it's at her. "I just remembered that Lysithea's still here, waiting for me to tell her everything."
"Oh, don't bother," Hilda sighs into the air. "I'll bet gold that she and Claude had their ears pressed against the door the whole time."
"I bet it's everyone…" Marianne mutters under her breath.
"Everyone?"
When Hilda pulls the doors open, neither of them are shocked to see the two in question peeking from the corners of the hall. It's when Hilda goes to confront them and sees the rest of the Deer hiding alongside them that makes her stop in her tracks.
Marianne just laughs as they all take turns apologizing and congratulating them, grabbing Hilda's hand and holding it tight.