Chapter Text
The last month had been interesting for Flayn, to say the least. She spent almost 2 weeks underground, nigh-comatose and drained of a significant portion of her blood, and the rest of the month bed-ridden and recovering under the watchful eye of a very, very anxious Seteth. The revelation that Jeritza of all people was the masked marauder parading around the monastery was such a shock that even Flayn could barely believe it, and he was the one who’d kidnapped her.
In spite of all this, Flayn was even more energetic than usual. Somehow, Seteth had been convinced to enroll her as Professor Byleth’s student under the Black Eagle house. She was the one who saved Flayn, after all, and there was no safer place in all of Garreg Mach than at the ex-mercenary’s side.
The fledgling dragon was beside herself with joy, thoughts swimming with the possible scenarios that her school days might bring. Flayn fantasized about tea parties with friends, hair-braiding over some light gossip, long study group nights turning into impromptu sleep-overs; the possibilities were nigh-endless. Flayn was more than willing to admit that some of these scenes were probably unrealistic, having been influenced by one-too-many young adult novel she’d smuggled out of the library and hidden somewhere Seteth would never think to look (her undergarment drawer), but the thoughts still made her giddy.
Flayn found herself on her merry way towards her very first day of classes, practically skipping through Garreg Mach’s enormous halls. The girl did her best to temper her outward glee, not wishing for her classmates to think her too childish, though it was a great challenge considering the occasion. However, the scores of people who stopped to chat with her and remind Flayn of her recent imprisonment did a wonderful job of dampening her spirits.
Determined to put these thoughts to rest, Flayn decided instead to think about which person she was most excited to get acquainted with.
Dorothea was always so very friendly, and the young dragon doubted they’d have much trouble getting along. A commoner was sure to have very different perspectives from the nobles that so frequently attempted to interact with Flayn, so getting to know the brunette songstress might be fun. Bernadetta was a loner, and in some ways Flayn felt a kindred spirit within the squirrelly archer. Both had been closed off from the world by their fathers, albeit for entirely different reasons, so perhaps there was room to bond there.
Caspar was a boisterous and somewhat foolhardy young man, but he had a good heart. Flayn heard how the aspiring warrior had charged headlong into the Death Knight during her rescue and bought valuable time for his classmates to coordinate a proper assault, so she wanted to at least be given the chance to say ‘thank you.’
Linhardt was perhaps Caspar’s polar opposite. ‘Lazy’ is a word she hears most frequently attached to the sleepy noble, and the aspiring scholar is most often seen keeping to himself. Perhaps the only thing he and Capsar have in common is that neither is afraid to speak their minds, something which no doubt strengthens their unlikely friendship. Sometimes, however, Flayn could swear there was something more between the two, but then again, perhaps she really had been reading too many dramatic romance novels.
Ferdinand could also be considered an opposing force to Linhardt. Ferdinand always strove for excellence, even when it was clearly out of his reach. He had a very clear vision as to what a ‘noble’ should be, and he wasn’t afraid to push his ideals on others. It made him seem overbearing, but Flayn could tell he just wanted what was best for his classmates.
Petra was a strange character to Flayn. Hailing from the far-off land of Brigid, the fledgling dragon hoped they could bond over cultural exchange. The foreign princess served as a window into the world at large, a prospect that excited Flayn to no end. She could learn so much that was otherwise inaccessible or too far removed from Fódlan life for many to care. She was also a ‘fish out of water,’ so there might be a way to connect on a deeper level.
‘Stiff’ was the word that Flayn had found fit Hubert perfectly. Besides his distaste for Ferdinand’s antics, the retainer was a very guarded sort who rarely made his emotions known. Considering his reputation for discarding anything completely unrelated to his liege, this was unsurprising. It made Flayn wonder exactly why his devotion to the Imperial Princess ran so deeply. She doubted that Hubert would interact with her very much, and perhaps it was for the best. He had a penchant for snooping, and it wouldn’t do if he were to somehow ascertain her true origins. Maybe there wasn’t a way to make friends with everybody, but that didn’t mean Flayn wouldn’t try.
Last, but certainly far from least, was the Black Eagle’s very own house leader. Edelgard had shown nothing but kindness towards Flayn whenever they’d had the chance to interact, though the girl could tell it wasn’t out of obligation. The Adtrestian heir was an interesting individual, someone who explicitly stated she couldn’t form connections on a personal level for fear of becoming a biased leader and yet yearned for these connections all the same. It was as if she was constantly at war with herself, a battle between Edelgard the princess and Edelgard the person. This alone made Flayn all the more determined to be her friend, to help show the silver-haired woman there was no shame in having people dear to oneself, especially in the case of a certain professor.
Indeed, Garreg Mach’s newest faculty member was an odd sort. Byleth seemed to possess some sort of natural charisma, a magnetic aura that everyone was drawn to. Even Seteth, who’d expressed his distaste at her employment, had told his daughter that he found her interesting, if nothing else. Perhaps Edelgard was the most affected by this strange personality of Byleth’s, as it was clear as day exactly how much time they spent around one another.
Some might have argued it was no surprise, given that Edelgard was a diligent house leader, and that it was only natural for her to want to keep her professor informed and coordinated. But that didn’t explain their constant tea dates, the longing looks Edelgard shot Byleth when she thought nobody was looking. Indeed, even if Flayn hadn’t read all those cheesy teen-romance novels, she suspected it would still be painfully obvious that the princess was smitten with her professor. It was also very clear how very requited these feelings were, though admittedly Byleth did a better job hiding her feelings than Edelgard.
Flayn had to wonder why they weren’t in a proper relationship already (for it was very clear that they weren’t with the way they danced around one another). Was it the age-old teacher-student taboo? Perhaps, though Garreg Mach didn’t have any rules about those sorts of relationships, even if they were discouraged for the sake of academic integrity. Personal obligations, then. Byleth always seemed to have Edelgard’s best interests at heart, so perhaps the professor didn’t want to distract the princess from her duties too much. Just as well, Edelgard’s habit of keeping people at arm’s length meant she was probably either in denial of her own feelings or simply believed them to be one-sided and thought it best to ignore them.
Either way, Flayn was eager to make friends with them both. Maybe she’d even play a part in their eventual romance? She could only dream.
The professor was certainly strange, though. ‘A lack of trackable history,’ as her father had put it. From what rumors floated around, apparently the ex-mercenary herself didn’t recall her age. Auntie Rhea also seemed strangely (for lack of a better word) obsessed with Byleth. Given Jeralt’s strangely vague recounting of his daughter’s birth and the reasons for his departure 21 years prior, Flayn had to wonder if there was a more direct connection between the professor and the archbishop. She supposed she might learn more if she hung around the professor, and being her student gave her an excuse to do exactly that.
Flayn had also heard that Byleth loved to fish, and was ecstatic that she might have another friend with which she could discuss the wonders of seafood.
~~~~
Upon reaching the classroom, Flayn quickly realized two things: one, she was early, and two, she was not alone. Byleth, Edelgard, and Hubert were already present, but the rest of the class had yet to arrive. On one hand, Flayn was a little embarrassed that she had made it clear just how excited she was about class. On the other, however, she hoped that she was showing just how dedicated to her schooling she really was.
Hubert, attentive as ever, noticed Flayn first, followed quickly by both Edelgard and Byleth. The ex-mercenary spoke first.
“Good morning, Flayn. You’re early.”
“Good morning to you as well, professor! I wanted to ensure I would not be delayed in case there was anything left doing before I began taking your class. I must once more thank you for this opportunity, professor, as well as for coming to my rescue.”
Byleth shook her head. “I don’t need thanks. As long as you’re safe, that’s all I care about.”
“Indeed. Seteth was wise to agree to this arrangement, as there is no safer place for you in the monastery than at our professor’s side.” Edelgard stepped forward and offered a hand to Flayn. “As the house leader, allow me to be the first to welcome you to the Black Eagles, Flayn.”
The fledgling took her hand eagerly and both Edelgard and Flayn seemed to surprise one another with the strength of their grips. Hubert raised his eyebrow inquisitively, having noticed the unintentional exchange of power. Byleth was unfazed, instead shooting her gaze towards the door. Almost immediately, the rest of the class filtered in, beginning with Ferdinand and ending with Linhardt, whom Caspar carried slung over one shoulder. In unison, Flayn’s new classmates all noticed the girl and began to bombard her with well-wishes and questions about her health.
Flayn was unaccustomed to such attention, and Byleth took notice immediately. The professor moved in and waved everyone off, giving the poor girl some space.
“You’ll all have time to talk with Flayn individually in good time. She’s your new classmate, after all.” Byleth smiled and put a hand on Flayn’s shoulder. Even Linhardt poked his head up at this reveal, though another look from Byleth halted the inevitable onslaught of questions.
“Well, I for one am more than happy to have you here with us, Flayn.” Ferdinand raised fist high above his head as he spoke. “Those shadowy conspirators will think twice about taking you again if you’re under the professor’s care!”
“ Really, Ferdie? I hardly think that’s the first thing the poor dear wants to be thinking about right now.” Ferdinand bashfully rubbed the back of his neck and looked down as Dorothea chided him. “Flayn, I think I speak for all of us when I say we’re glad to see you safe and to have a new classmate. Would you like to sit next to me for today?”
Dorothea finished her statement with a wink, and Flayn was immediately reminded of the small bouts of gossip they’d shared with one another before. It was obvious that the songstress was more happy about having a new chat friend as opposed to a study buddy, a fact that hardly escaped Flayn’s notice.
Byleth also noticed, and cleared her throat rather loudly. “You’ll have time to socialize after class, Dorothea.”
Dorothea giggled, none too perturbed at Byleth’s accusations while Flayn sheepishly avoided the professor’s gaze. Edelgard voiced her own idea. “Perhaps you’d like to sit by me for today, Flayn? I can catch you up on any topics you’re unsure of and you’ll be near the blackboard.”
Flayn’s mood was lifted instantly. “That sounds wonderful, Edelgard!”
With that, everyone took their seats for the day. Hubert motioned to sit directly behind Flayn, but a quick look from Edelgard sent him towards the row opposite to theirs. The princess wished to ensure he wouldn’t frighten the younger girl, and so he would just have to settle with sitting away from his liege for the day. Ferdinand decided to sit next to Hubert, in spite of the retainer’s dark glare.
With that, everyone was settled, and Byleth turned to the blackboard and started to jot down their lesson.
~~~~
Classes alone had been exciting, but the first week with the Black Eagles had been everything Flayn had hoped for and then some.
As she suspected, Dorothea was very quick to acquaint herself properly and the two became fast friends. Flayn learned quite a bit about the nuances of social queues from the songstress, and together they often found themselves actively people-watching and gossiping during lunch hours. Seteth was quick to express his distate in Flayn's newfound passtime, but relented when he realized just how much she was enjoying herself.
Ferdinand was something of a chore. He often showed up when Flayn was attempting to talk to others (usually Dorothea) and always made a big deal about his presence. It seemed to be that there was some bad blood between the songstress and the noble, but only one side was privy to the details. Flayn decided it was none of her business and mostly avoided Ferdinand, a prospect that was not incredibly difficult due to his penchant for announcing his presence wherever he went. However, he wasn’t entirely unpleasant, and Flayn found herself actively listening when Ferdinand mentioned his dreams of a world where all nobles actively helped the poor.
Flayn made several attempts to approach Bernadetta, each slightly more successful than the last. Eventually, a carefully placed trail of cake slices towards the greenhouse meant that the two finally managed to strike up a conversation. Bernie gushed over the carnivorous plants that grew there, and Flayn found herself genuinely interested in all she had to say. From there they met whenever the greenhouse was quiet and unpopulated, bonding over some less-than-ideal fathers (though Bernie’s was far worse than what she’d expected) as well as Flayn’s newfound fascination with embroidery (courtesy of Bernadetta’s works).
‘Unexpectedly chatty’ is how Flayn had found Linhardt to be. The aspiring crest scholar was somehow even more intrusive with his questioning than Hanneman had been. The fledgling dragon had half a mind to inform Seteth, though knowing her father he’d probably overreact and proceed to toss Linhardt off the goddess tower if given the chance. Still, Flayn wasn’t entirely uncomfortable around the young man, genuinely enjoying his calming presence whenever she needed a place to decompress. He also bore her crest, which made her only slightly predisposed towards liking him, so there was that as well.
Communicating with Petra was initially a challenge, as Flayn’s antiquated vernacular meant that the foreign princess had a rough time conversing normally. Ultimately, however, the language barrier was overcome, and Petra was ecstatic to share her culture with the naïve girl. Flayn loved hearing of Brigid’s spirits, wondering idly if they were anything like grandmother. Maybe she'd get the chance to meet them someday.
Flayn found herself on a rotating schedule of caring for Caspar, with both her and Linhardt needing to constantly patch the smaller boy up after nearly every training session. ‘Moderation’ was not a word with which the Bergliez boy was familiar, nor was ‘caution.’ Still, if nothing else, it gave Flayn ample opportunity to practice her healing, and often she’d find herself on the receiving end of the professor’s advice, albeit directed at Caspar.
Hubert was about what Flayn had expected: distant. He rarely interacted with her and she intended to keep it that way. It wasn’t as if she wanted to shun the man, but he made it hard to be friendly. It was also painfully obvious whenever he was watching her (her heightened senses were to be thanked for that), though luckily his attention did not seem monopolized by the fledgling dragon. Flayn tempered the urge to acknowledge him lurking in the shadows, keen on not drawing his ire. Besides, if she were on his bad side, it would make things that much more difficult to interact with Edelgard.
Flayn deliberated for a while on how best to approach Edelgard, though eventually the princess made the first move.
~~~~
The final class of the week saw Flayn almost alone in the classroom. She’d stayed behind at Byleth’s request, though the exact reason why eluded the girl.
“Professor? You wished to speak with me?” Flayn was a little nervous, she hoped she hadn’t made any missteps and caused Byleth to reconsider her position as a student.
“Yes. Now that I’ve gotten a chance to evaluate your skills, I wanted to discuss your study goals. I know you specialize in faith magic, but how would you like to try studying reason?”
Flayn perked up, having not expected this line of questioning. “Oh! Well, brother was always very keen on keeping me as far away from combat as possible, so he never saw fit to have me learn any offensive magics. I admit I have never seen much point in trying reason magic, though it is interesting nevertheless.”
Byleth nodded. “Having more spells at your disposal is always advantageous, and if you have offensive options available it would better ensure your safety in the event of an emergency on the battlefield. I’m sure Seteth would agree with that.”
Flayn smiled at that notion. The professor had thought of everything, including how best to placate her father in case he raised objections to her method of teaching. “Then I shall endeavor to work hard, professor!”
A knock echoed through the room. Byleth looked up, and Flayn turned to see Edelgard standing in the doorframe. “Pardon the intrusion, professor. I didn’t wish to interrupt, but I thought now was a good time to interject.”
Byleth smiled slightly at the princess. “Of course, we were just finishing. What do you need, Edelgard?”
The house leader walked over beside Flayn before speaking. “I was here to invite our newest class member to tea. I wanted to ensure Flayn was settling in well and getting along with everyone.” She and Flayn shared a warm look. “However, seeing as you wish to train her in reason magics, I would also offer my services as her tutor.”
Flayn tilted her head curiously, then looked to Byleth who was deep in thought. “Hmm… You two have similar latent talents in reason. As long as it doesn’t interfere with your own learning, then I’ll approve of it.”
“Of course, my teacher. As house leader, it is my duty to ensure all of our classmates are prepared for your lessons, so bringing Flayn up to speed on what you’ve taught me shall be my pleasure.” She looked again at Flayn. “While Hubert may be more skilled when it comes to reason magic, he tends to be a little…”
“Unsociable?” Byleth quirked a brow as she spoke.
“Precisely.”
“He also specializes in dark magic. You’ll only be learning black magic, so I doubt he’d be a very good tutor for you.” Flayn could tell Byleth had already thought this through, despite not having come up with the idea.
“Indeed. Besides, I believe convincing Seteth of the merits of dark magic would be far more trouble than it’s worth.” At Edelgard’s words, all three shared a giggle.
“Alright. You’ve got your goals now, Flayn.” Byleth nodded at both of her students. “I’ll leave you two to get started, then.” With those parting words, Byleth left the classroom.
Now alone with Flayn, Edelgard took the initiative. “If you’ve the time for it, I do still wish to have tea with you, Flayn. We could discuss your relations with our classmates while we develop a schedule for your tutoring.”
Flayn made no effort to conceal her glee, smiling brightly at her house leader. “That sounds wonderful, princess!”
Edelgard reciprocated the warm gesture with a smile of her own. “Please, Flayn, just Edelgard. We’re classmates, equals.”
“Alright! Please, lead the way, Edeglard!” The two left the classroom, bound for a table that awaited them in the courtyard.
Edelgard was already organizing a study schedule in her head, and Flayn was just happy to have a new friend.