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Annette cannot remember the last time she had developed a crush. In the school of sorcery, she was too panicked cramming to study to ever indulge in the idea of romance. Too crushed emotionally as a adolescent, her father’s departure sucking any kind of hope she could have had away. Too young as a preteen, more interested in playing games with other kids. Sure, there were times in Fhirdiad, where Mercedes would point out a cute boy and she would go along with it to satisfy her friend. But truthfully, Annette had pushed away the matters of the heart for a very long time.
Seeing her peers deal with it was alarming, to say the least. Both Mercedes and Ingrid were constantly dealing with the prospect of being married and sent away. She’s thankful she’s not in a immediate noble family— it bought her time. Though she’s sure her crest would attract the attention of some rich household desperate for acclaim, eventually.
All that being said, nothing could prepare her for the mortifying reality that she was currently harboring feelings for one of the most powerful men in all of Fódlan. Liking anyone would be difficult, but his political position put some extra strain on her already weakened conscience.
So, she was stuck in between a rock and a hard place. She was too clumsy and unimportant to confess her feelings, and he was likely too out of her league to even consider the possibility. All she could do now was sit here like this; an elbow propped on the table, her hand under her chin, her eyes boring into the back of his head and a defeated sigh escaping her lips.
That is, until, a sudden presence breaks her away from her thoughts.
“Annie?” Mercedes says, leaning over her shoulder.
“Ah!” She yells, nearly falling out of her chair. “M- Mercie! Don’t sneak up on me like that.”
Mercedes raises her thick brows, taking a step back.
“Oh, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to alarm you.” She apologizes.
Annette lets herself unstiffen, sighing again. Her gaze wanders back over to Claude, who's talking to Hilda on the other side of the dining hall. Mercedes follows where she's looking, concern etching itself in her face. She places a gentle hand on the younger girls shoulder.
"Are you done here?" She asked.
Annette looks down at her plate, where only a few crumbs of rice remain. "I guess so.”
“Let me walk you to your room.” Mercedes said.
With that, the two head off.
The weather outside is just cold enough to give her goosebumps, but warm enough that she doesn’t get chills. They’re uncharacteristically silent as they walk, both having their minds occupied. Mercedes stops just short of her door, looking at the other girl uncertainly.
“...Did he say something mean to you?” She asks, eyes filled with worry.
Annette blinks. “What?”
“When you looked at him... you seemed so sad.” Mercedes explains. “He didn’t say something that hurt your feelings, did he?”
Annette chuckles, smiling wearily. She shakes her head.
“No, he didn’t say anything mean to me. If anything, he’s been too nice.” She says.
The look Mercedes gives her tells her she probably shouldn’t have let that slip out. She bites at the skin inside her lips, mentally preparing herself for the five million invasive questions Mercedes probably has for her.
“Too nice? You don’t mean...” She gasps, clasping her hands together. “Oh, Annie, you like him, don’t you?”
Annette feels her cheeks heat up. She looks around her, to see if anyone is listening, before returning her gaze back down to her feet. She nods.
Mercedes grins. She looks more excited about this then Annette herself. She pulls the younger girl in to a hug, spinning her around. Annette’s gloomy demeanor briefly fades in the face of Mercedes’ delight.
“But I don’t understand,” Mercedes says, letting go of her. “If that’s the case, why are you upset?”
Aaand it’s back again. “Ah. Well...” she exhales, her eyes falling shut. “I don’t think it would work out.”
“It won’t work out? Why?”
“Cause, you know how it is. He’s a duke and all.”
“You’re a Baroness.”
“No, I’m related to a Baron.” She explains. “I don’t have any kind of title for myself.”
“Still... I’m sure there’s a way.” Mercedes insists. Annette wishes she could share her optimism.
She shakes her head. “Nope. If I’m not even on Lorenz’s radar when it comes to marriage prospects, I have no chance with Claude.”
“Are you sure you would want be on Lorenz’s radar?” Mercedes says, a brow raised.
“Heh, probably not. But you know what I’m getting at.” Annette sighs, crossing her arms together. “It’s best not to mess with it.”
“I won’t push you, but I can’t say I think hiding your feelings is a good idea.”
“It’s not hiding, it’s just.. avoiding.”
Mercedes doesn’t budge, still frowning at her. There’s not anything she can really do, is there? She’d just embarrass herself if she was completely upfront like Mercedes wanted her to be.
“I’ll see you in class tomorrow, alright?” She says, placing a hand on her door knob.
Mercedes nods. “See you soon, Annie.”
Her favorite time of day had always been sunrise. Her dad would always take a walk outside right at the crack of dawn, and she formed a habit of waking up in order to join him. It was a bit more bittersweet now, doing it without him. But it gave her some alone time with her thoughts.
The blades of grass were all still wet. A blue hue washes over everything. The air was still cold, but it’s crispness was refreshing. She stretched her arms over head, greeting the sun as it rose above the horizon of the pond.
“Gooood morning there, Mr. Sun. How are you today? Here to say hello to me here in my doorway~” She begins to sing, stepping down the stairs, swaying her head from side to side.
“Well now, Mr. Sun, I hope that you will stay. Don’t leave me alone and disappear midday~” She closes her eyes, waltzing over towards the greenhouse.
“Thank you, Mr. Sun, for keeping the dark at bay. You keep my heart so warm, I love the sun, hooray~!” She finishes, doing a pirouette.
She hears applause coming from the stairwell to the 2nd floor dormitories. She freezes, mortified. It’s Claude, a huge smile plastered on his face.
"C-Claude! You aren't usually up this early!" She says, her voice squeaking.
"You're right, I sleep in most of the time. But I may have to change my schedule if it means I can watch this little ritual every morning." He replies.
He comes closer. As he steps into the light, Annette can see his hair is messy and he has dark circles under his eyes.
"You look awful." She states, looking him up and down.
"Thanks. I couldn't sleep." Claude said.
Annette smooths down her skirt, puffing out her cheeks angrily. This was the last thing she needed today. She had just decided to avoid him and already she was failing. How did he always end up managing to corner her like this, anyway?
"Well, there's still a couple of hours before class starts. You should try to get a little rest, at least." She suggests.
"That's a good idea." He says, "Why don't you sing me a lullaby? It might help me get some shut-eye."
"Uh-uh, I don't think so." She grabs him by the shoulders, spinning him around and pushing him back towards the dorms. "You're gonna go back to your room, alone, crawl back in to bed, and fall asleep, without any help from me."
He doesn't fight back, allowing her to push him closer and closer to the stairwell. "Without your help? You've already escorted me halfway there, though. Why not finish the job?"
"Ugh, if I do, will you leave me be?" She relents, letting go of him.
Claude nods enthusiastically. She sighs, and begins to follow him up the stairs. He looks back at her over his shoulder a couple times, like he's making sure she's still following him. She makes sure to pout at him indignantly each time.
Only when his door creaks open does Annette realize how dumb of a decision this was. She was doing the exact opposite of what she told herself she would do. She would probably look more suspicious if she tried to flee now, though.
She watches as he climbs into his slightly-larger-than-average bed, pulling the covers over himself. He lets out a sigh of contentment as his head sinks into his pillow. She approaches him, crossing her arms over her chest.
"You're gonna sleep in your uniform?" She asks.
"Would you prefer if I got undressed with you in here?" He responds, eyebrows raising. "That's an awfully bold suggestion, Annette."
"I- I never suggested anything!" She blushes, stammering over her words. She throws her arms to her sides, balling her hands into fists.
"Mm hmm, there's a chair over there you can pull over." Claude says, completely ignoring what she said and gesturing towards the wooden seat at his desk.
She reluctantly obliges, dragging the chair over to the bed. It scrapes against the floor, but thankfully the rug muffles the sound. She sits down in it, crossing one leg over the other. She puts her hands in her lap, taking a couple seconds to scan her surroundings. The upstairs dormitories were about the same as the other ones, though they did look a tad bit more dark and narrow. Claude also seemed to have a book collection that rivaled even hers.
"What's keeping you from sleeping anyway, if you don't mind me asking?" Annette said.
"Would you believe me if I told you I was feeling homesick?" He replied, a bit more earnestly than she anticipated.
"Homesick, huh?" She repeats.
He nods, staring at the ceiling. "Maybe it's cause the temperature has been dropping. This whole place just feels a bit... Foreign to me, lately."
"I guess it doesn't get this cold in the Alliance, does it?" She asks.
Claude blinks. His expression is unreadable, but she can't shake the feeling that what she said was incorrect, somehow.
She clears her throat, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. "So... Any requests?"
"You wouldn't happen to speak any other languages, would you?" Claude said.
"Another language? No, I don't think so. I've been too busy studying magic to delve into linguistics." Where was he going with this?
"That's a shame." He shakes his head. "You're a smart girl, though. You could learn if you tried to, I'm sure."
"I mean, I guess. Why do you ask?"
"Oh, there's just a certain song I have in mind, but it's not in Fódlandic. Maybe I'll teach it to you someday."
"Do you have one I could sing right now?"
"I'll let you pick one."
He could've just said that in the first place. Annette racks her brain, thinking of something to sing. It's been awhile since she's heard a lullaby. She decides to go with one her mother used to sing to her as a child.
"I'm only gonna do this once, so make sure you're comfortable." She says sternly.
Claude pulls the covers up a bit more, looking up at her expectantly. His smile was infuriatingly warm. It makes her hesitate.
"Sleep now, little sprout." She begins, voice quiet and timid. "I don't wanna see you pout."
He closes his eyes. She gains a little confidence, relaxing now that his gaze is no longer on her.
"I don't wanna hear you shout. Open up and let it all out." She continues, swaying from side to side. "Go to bed now, little sprout."
She shuts her own eyes, volume increasing. "I don't wanna see you doubt. Now you’re starting to act out."
"What's all this you're on about? There's not gonna be a drought. Go to bed now, little sprout." She sings.
"We don't know how tomorrow will turn out. So, just go to bed now, little sprout." She finishes with a flourish.
She cautiously opens her eyes, only to see Claude peering at her through one of his own. She stiffens, feeling a bit embarrassed. How much did he see?
"We don't know how tomorrow will turn out, hmm? Not sure how reassuring that statement is." He says. "It's a bit scary actually, don't you think? Not knowing what's to come."
Annette grumbles, sinking down into her chair. "You're supposed to be asleep, Claude! Not questioning the effectiveness of the lyrics."
“Whoa, I won’t be able to sleep at all if you put that much pressure on me.” He argues, raising a hand in protest. “But if you’re really that keen on getting me out of your hair, the least you could do is tuck me in.”
“You are impossible.” She tells him.
Despite her saying this, she does give in. She stands over him, taking hold of the blanket and pressing it over his shoulders. The smug look he gives her stirs a sense of anger within her that she never could have expected from a moment this tender.
Annette pauses, staring at him for a bit longer. Looking past his vexatious expression, he was still quite attractive from this close up. She’s actually held herself together surprisingly well throughout this whole endeavor. It’s only now that she’s actually starting to waver to her thoughts.
“Annette?” Claude says, with a hint of uncertainty that she finds herself reveling in.
“Hmm?” She mumbles, trying to pull herself back to reality. “What’s up?”
“Just wondering what’s going on in that little mind of yours.” That anger-inducing confidence is back. “I would ask you to kiss me goodnight, but I’m afraid you may avoid speaking to me ever again if I keep pushing your buttons like this.”
He’s challenging her. Or, well, he might just be joking— but he’s gotten her way too riled up for her to back down yet again. She steels herself, refusing to pull away.
She’s unsure if she was feeling particularly brave today, or just completely committed to doing it out of spite, but she leans down and plants a kiss on his lips. He doesn’t resist, but she can tell from the way he gasps that he wasn’t actually expecting her to go through with it. She smiles wickedly, pleased at this.
"Um," He says, uncharacteristically meek. "I only meant, like, on the cheek or something."
"I hope you'll accept my sincerest of apologies." She replies sarcastically.
He winks. "I think I might be able to forgive you, for now."
She feels heat rise to her cheeks, diffidence taking hold of her. That urge to flee was coming back. She pulls back, clearing her throat and looking away.
“I’m- I have an important certification to study for, so...” She trails off, standing back up. She sneaks another glance at Claude, who clearly isn’t buying her story.
“I won’t hold you up any longer, then.” He says. She notices that he’s shifted into a position that’s more sitting up than laying down.
“At least pretend to be trying to sleep, will you?!” She shouts.
Claude complies, murmuring “Oh, right” and slipping back under the covers. He shuts his eyes, and Annette takes the chance to exit. She closes the door softly behind her, looking around the hallway to make sure no one is around. She lets out a sigh of relief when she confirms she’s alone out here.
She’s still a bit embarrassed, but... She can’t stop the smile that forms on her face, so she just covers it up with the sleeve of her shirt. She walks with a bit more pep in her step, all too pleased with herself.
She’s halted promptly by a door opening in front of her. It takes everything in her to stop herself from tripping. She steadies herself with her arms outstretched, gasping for air.
A familiar sharp looking and uppity noble pokes his head through the door, a brow raised. Annette tries to pull herself together. She swallows in the most suspicious manner possible.
“Lorenz!” She says, dropping into a curtesy. “Lovely morning, isn’t it?”
He doesn’t look impressed. “It would be premature if I decided whether it was at this hour, don’t you think?”
Not a morning person, huh. She thinks to herself. She chuckles nervously, scratching behind her ear.
“Right! I’ll see you...” Don’t say in class, he’s not in your class. ”in cl... around.”
“Indeed.” He replies, after staring at her for a few seconds too long.
She puts one foot in front of the other, trying to remember how to walk. If she didn’t look like a fool before, she’s sure she does now. She only makes it another couple yards before—
“Pardon me for asking, but,”
Annette jumps, turning around to look at him again.
“Could you try to reserve your singing for the choir next time? Some of us require quiet.” He says, confirming her worst suspicion.
Unable to form words, she just closes her gaping mouth, nodding erratically. She continues to walk as fast as possible down the hall, deciding that she would never show her face around here again. She tries to take the stairs just as fast, but nearly falls down them in her attempt.
Against all odds, she does make it back downstairs. As she turns the corner past the greenhouse, she sees Mercedes walking out of her dormitory. She seems to notice her, and even from so far away, she can see there's a question on her lips.
Annette smiles sheepishly, mumbling out a quick "hello" as she comes closer.
"Eventful morning, huh?" Mercedes says with a giggle.
She groans. "Don't even get me started."