Work Text:
Arash watched his younger brother from the shadow of a balcony. The prince was sparring with the woman from Fódlan. Khalid had never been much of a swordsman, but he was decent. Even so, Arash could tell she was different. Being so far up, he couldn’t hear what the two were saying to each other, but he knew body language. The woman seemed to be criticizing Khalid in the midst of their bout. A goblet was held out in front of him. Pulling his attention away from the training grounds, he raised an eyebrow at his twin.
“Any luck?” Accepting the cup, he sipped the red liquid slowly. Hassan’s black eyes didn’t give anything away.
“Progress is slower than I’d like, but I’m getting there.”
“What about our other project?” Hassan’s smile didn’t reach his eyes.
“Ready.” Arash smirked.
“Excellent.” Returning his attention to the grounds, he noticed the pair had abandoned swordplay and taken up longbows.
“Is she any good?”
“Yes.” Knowing his twin was already imagining fighting her, Arash rolled his eyes. “Hard to tell just how much. She spent most of the time schooling Khalid.” Hassan snorted and Arash chuckled. “I know.” The wine splashed across Arash’s hand as Hassan jerked him backwards. There was a hiss and a crack as an arrow embedded itself in the plant behind where Arash had been standing. Creeping back out, Arash peered down and caught the woman slowly lowering her bow. Her posture was completely relaxed. Khalid, on the other hand, was trying to pull the weapon from her hands.
“Feisty, that one eh?” Hassan worked the arrow out of the wood. “Not often you get turned down. Should we leave it?”
“No,” Arash shook his head. “I want to give it one more try.”
“Hmph.” Well, what could he say? Arash liked a challenge.
As the figures of the twins retreated from view, Byleth finally released her grip on the bow. Beside her, Khalid sighed. Within her mind, Sothis echoed the action.
“Foolish girl-child!”
“You shouldn’t have done that.” At their synchronicity, Byleth had to smile. Mistaking her expression, Khalid grabbed hold of her hand. “I mean it.”
“And I meant what I did,” giving him her attention, she shook her head. “They shouldn’t have been lurking to begin with.” When his face remained crinkled, she patted his arm gently. “Don’t worry too much about it. I can protect myself, you know. You, however,” she waved a finger at him, “need more practice.”
“B-but I’m not-”
“No excuses. You said I could give you homework, right? Well, I want you out here working on your technique for at least an hour 5 days a week, understand?” After a moment, the prince heaved a deep sigh, but a smile tugged at the edges of his lips.
“Only if you’re out here with me,” he leaned closer and she raised an eyebrow.
“I wasn’t expecting anything else.” As the two gathered their training gear and returned them to the shed, Byleth inquired about what was next given that all of the princes had gathered at the palace. To her understanding, they gave regular reports to their father but the difference this time around was that they’d settled into suites for a good, long stay.
“Parties,” Khalid sighed once more. He continued on to explain that, since the princes traveled to foreign countries, it was now the turn of those countries to send ambassadors to Almyra’s capital. Ones from Rhedina would arrive to officially sign the treaty. Because Mirza headed it, writing the final copy was what he’d been working on in recent days. The twins were also still in search of brides. Had they achieved any prospects during their time in Mineaster, the families of those ladies would send the women to Almyra so that they might see their potential new home. Other candidates would come as well from other countries as ambassador’s daughters and native, Almyran ladies as well. There were, after all, still four eligible princes. And even if a prince wasn’t selected to be the king’s heir, marrying into the royal family still gave one a great deal of prestige.
“So it’s really happening? He’s going to pick?” Byleth tilted her head to one side when Khalid added that Mirza and Farzad’s wives would be in attendance.
“Seems like it,” he nodded gravely. Almyra did not have a ‘social season’; a set time of the year in which the nobility returned to the palace to make connections, play the game of marriage, and pay their respects to the royal family. There were no ‘debutante balls’. Even nationwide victory feasts didn’t normally compare to the glitz and glam of the social season in Fódlan. Gatherings of such a large scale depended on the ruling monarch. In King Xerxes' case, he allowed his sons to be wed at the palace. He also threw a party for the births of each of his wed sons’ first children. The festival that rang in the new year also came with an open invitation to the nobility to join him at the palace for a month. That was as close to ‘social season’ as the nobility got in the king’s reign. Anything else, they had to initiate on their own. “This is different, though.” Khalid’s hands were tense as he handed Byleth arrows to place head down in their barrels. “Father personally invited them, even the ones without eligible daughters. Already, most of them have responded they’ll be in attendance.” For all the favor Khalid was shown, Byleth knew King Xerxes wanted his youngest son to be his successor. But the prince’s older brothers had quite a few years on the young man. Those years were no doubt weighing on his mind.
“Khalid,” taking his hand, his eyes met hers. “Your father wouldn’t be doing this now if he didn’t think it was the right time. If he thinks you’re ready, then you just have to trust him. Besides, you’ve said it yourself that this is just the beginning.” Drawing in a deep breath, his lashes fluttered and his green eyes seemed to calm.
“Yea,” he gave a sharp tug and drew her closer to him. As he leaned down, a faint trace of sandalwood entered Byleth’s senses. “But, if I’m being honest, I only think I’m even partially ready because you’re here. With me.” Her face felt warm at his words and she couldn’t stop her eyes from widening. Judging based on his tone and the grip of his hand, he was very serious. And she had no response ready.
“I-” He was so close now. The sweet breakfast they’d eaten together lingered on his breath and she wondered if hers smelled bad. When have I ever worried about my breath? As she asked herself that question, she felt the goddess’ presence and jerked back. “I have to go.” Before Sothis could make any comment about Byleth’s lack of initiative, she fled. Her companion cackled at the woman’s embarrassment and she missed the look of bewilderment on Khalid’s face.
As she bathed and dressed from the morning workout, Byleth listened in resignation to Sothis’ comments about how Khalid clearly was going to kiss her and about how, if she intended to go through with this crazy scheme, Byleth might as well go all in. It was strange that the goddess had been so against the switch just weeks before, but was now chiding Byleth for not sinking deeper into the situation. When she commented on this, Sothis just scoffed.
“You’ve already sunk low. Spurning an elder prince and attacking them? You’d better appear to others to have a very close relationship to your intended, or you may find yourself pushed to the side. And at the mercy of those whom you’ve scorned.”
“So you think Khalid is doing this for show?” An uncomfortable feeling settled in her chest as she arranged her head covering. While much looser than what other women of Almyra wore, Byleth still liked to tuck the locks into a scarf.
“I do not care to think what that boy does or does not do. I care only for what you do, foolish girl. Or need I remind you? You and I-”
“-are bound in life and flesh,” Byleth sighed. “I know.”
“Hmph. See that you do not forget it.” Always has to get the last word in . Satisfied that she’d cleaned up, Byleth left her rooms.
Since she spent the morning with Khalid, the prince was likely bogged down in meetings for the afternoon. Feeling too restless to read- and really it didn’t appear the Almyran library had anything new to offer her-, she wandered towards the training grounds meant for the knights of the palace. There was something about the familiar sound of weapons clashing that helped calm her. Perhaps it was because it reminded her of training with her father. She wondered what he was up to. When she left the monastery, so did he. Did he become a mercenary again? She supposed a good daughter would pray for their father’s safety at a time like this. But who do I pray to when I am the goddess? Or rather, the goddess rested within her. Not that Byleth was one to pray. Or be worried about what a ‘good daughter’ would do.
The sound of a woman shouting broke Byleth out of her musing. Following the noise, she spotted a squad drilling. Counting off was a tall, pale skinned woman. In the simple training gear of the knights, Byleth almost didn’t recognize Queen Tiana. A concerning thought considering there were no other women in the palace with such a complexion, let alone the authority to be in command. But it was a thought she would have to chide herself for later. The queen noticed Byleth and approached with a bright smile on her face.
“Miss Goneril.”
“Your Majesty,” Byleth curtsied as the woman reached her. Like Byleth, the queen had adopted a loose head scarf and she could see wisps of grey in the blond streaks. But that seemed to be the only thing showing the older woman’s age. Her face was warm and the smile was dazzling up close. I could never hope to reach such beauty . The thought popped into Byleth’s head. Wrinkles around her eyes and mouth indicated she did a lot of smiling. Her green eyes were the same shade as Khalid’s.
“I’ve wanted to speak with you personally for a while now, but my son seems to keep you all to himself, I swear.” Shaking her head in mock regret, Byleth felt her face warm again.
“I enjoy his company as well,” she confessed.
“Is that so?” Amusement danced in Tiana’s eyes. “I’m happy to hear it. You know, I was- Did I say you could slow down?” Without turning around, the queen’s voice rose sharply. Peering around her, Byleth noticed that the knights’ posture had slackened. “High, middle, low. I should hear those staffs going as one!” Quickly, the beat picked up again. Once satisfied, the queen continued. “I was worried my son would be too on guard around his bride. But, you seem to be thinning his walls. And rather quickly, might I add. What’s your secret?”
“I’m afraid I don’t have one,” Byleth shook her head. Sometimes it felt like she was so close to the real Khalid, and other times it was as if it were their first meeting all over again. “If I knew, I wouldn’t be so..” confused? lonely? trailing off, she searched for the right word and came up empty handed. Shrugging helplessly, she sighed. Tiana hm’ed in response. With a flick of her wrist, the knights’ pace slowed and eventually came to a halt.
“Well done. Dismissed for the day,” briefly turning she called to the men. They bowed low and set to work cleaning. “Walk with me, Miss Goneril.” Without waiting for a response, the queen started away. Unable to do anything else, Byleth hurried to follow.
Tiana von Riegan was an imposing woman. As she walked down the halls, her strides were long and purposeful. Servants bowed to her as they passed, not with fear but with respect Byleth noted in their mannerism. There was a definite challenging tilt to her chin that Khalid did not have. Byleth wondered if that meant the queen was more aggressive than her son. In one of her chambers, the two settled in plush cushions. Tea and cakes were served. After carefully selecting one, Tiana munched happily and turned her attention back to Byleth.
“So, you were saying?” Byleth nibbled a fruit tart and blinked up at the queen. She waved a dismissive hand. “My son. What has Khalid been doing wrong?”
“N-nothing, Your Majesty. Khalid has been fine.” When it was clear the queen would not leave the subject, Byleth sighed and eyed the tart in her hands. “I think he’s afraid of oversharing around me. This whole heir business has upset him quite a bit. And he rambles when he’s upset, so I think his solution is to not say much at all. It makes it feel as if he’s building two new walls for every one he lets me by. But when he does share we-” nibbling her lip, she wasn’t sure if she could continue. The memories made her face feel warm. Tiana nodded encouragingly. “we have these moments and it’s as if there’s nothing else that matters but… us.” Shaking her head in frustration, she took a bite of the tart and the act of eating eased her nerves. “I don’t share much about myself, though. And it makes it feel unbalanced. Most of what he knows he found out on his own. Even my father’s name. How can I allow myself to become close to him when I can’t bring myself to share my own history?” Once she started talking, Byleth felt the knot of emotions slowly unravel and soon she couldn’t stop the words from tumbling out. Glancing up, she wondered what the queen was thinking.
“Well, Byleth, my son did not do it all by himself,” she smiled slightly and a mischievous glint entered her eyes.
“Your Majesty?” Tilting her head to one side, she waited for the woman to continue.
“He could not have made connections in Fódlan without help. My help. What my son knows, I know.” At the implication of the words, Byleth’s chest felt empty.
“Your Majesty, I-”
“Fear not,” leaning forward, Tiana squeezed Byleth’s hands gently. “It doesn’t matter to me whether you are nobleborn or not. And, quite frankly, I would rather a commonborn girl with a solid head on her shoulders be at my son’s side than a noble with her head in the clouds and a heart in the mud. My husband agrees.” Only after it appeared Byleth relaxed did Tiana release her hands and lean back. “How is your father?”
“He was well, the last time I saw him.” Tiana’s words struck a chord with Byleth then. “Your Majesty, do you… know my father personally?” As far as she knew, Jeralt’s Mercenaries had never had a run-in with Princess or Queen Tiana von Riegan. And the members of her father’s mercenary group always liked to brag about their achievements.
“I do.” The queen smiled again and took a sip of tea. “Before I could marry my beloved, I had to escape Derdriu. Not an easy task, considering my father’s forces. But there was one group up to the challenge. Your father safely escorted me through it all and even past Fódlan's Locket. It’s only thanks to him that I sit here now.” She gestured vaguely around the room. “I even met you.” The queen’s features softened at the memory. “You were so cute and tiny. Imagine my surprise when the baby I’d held before I even held my own boy would come here to marry him one day.”
“So you knew who I was as soon as I arrived?” Byleth’s head was spinning with this information. Of course her father couldn’t openly admit he’d smuggled Duke Oswald’s daughter out of Fódlan.
“Well, yes. You look just as you did as a baby.” Tiana declared happily.
“Really?” Doubtful, Byleth raised an eyebrow and the woman chuckled.
“No. That dagger you wear,” instinctively, Byleth’s hands brushed against the weapon tucked into her robes, “was a gift. From me. I gave it to your father to give to you.” Pulling it out, she studied it curiously. The blue sheath was well worn, although the dagger itself was as sharp as the day Jeralt gave it to her. He’d said it was a reward from a job- technically correct she supposed now. And too small for him to use. It was her first weapon; before Byleth ever held a sword she learned the dagger.
“Thank you.” Unable to form any other words, Byleth blinked at the queen.
“You’re quite welcome. Your father and his mercenaries taught me fighting skills. It’s thanks to them I had an edge coming to Almyra. The nobles here expected me to be a soft lady. One who never worked a day in her life and spent all her time learning how to dance. Had I gone with anyone else, they would have been correct.”
For the rest of the afternoon, Tiana regaled the tale of her flight from Fódlan to Almyra. That, as a baby, Byleth had called her ‘Aunt Ana’. Or rather, ‘untana’. And that she’d been the only one allowed to call the woman that. The queen described a fight with a wild boar; a mother killing a mother. Not an act she’d wanted to participate in, but the reality of it showed her just how far she was willing to go for her own child. The feast King Xerxes had invited the mercenaries to had been a wild one. Byleth’s father had engaged Nader the Undefeated in a drinking contest and won by a landslide. Before long, a servant was summoning the two for dinner. As the ladies rose, Byleth curtsied.
“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Tiana caught her and held her up.
“None of that, now. Call me Tiana. Or, if you don’t mind terribly, you may call me Mother.” Byleth lowered her gaze.
“Perhaps.. Tiana for now?” The queen smiled softly and nodded.
“Of course.”
Khalid stared gloomily as the queen walked away from the dinner table with Byleth. My mother stole my bride . While he was pleased to see the two of them getting along, he wished Tiana had chosen a better time to do it. He’d wanted to speak with Byleth about what happened that morning and confirm they were still on to spar together the next day. His actions had been rather forward and he hadn’t meant to make her uncomfortable. And he hoped she did not think his words cheesy or insincere. Lost in thought, he didn’t realize his feet had brought him to Byleth’s quarters.
“She’s not here, Your Highness,” a cool voice spoke up from behind him. Whirling around, Khalid was greeted with the sight of Byleth’s footman. The boy’s dark hair was wavy and shorter in the front. His amber eyes regarded Khalid with suspicion. “M’lady is with the queen right now.”
“A-ah. Yea.. I knew that,” blushing, Khalid scratched the back of his neck. Before the boy could ask why he’d come then, Khalid spoke. “You’re Cyril right?” The boy nodded. “You’re originally from Almyra?” Another nod. “Just out of curiosity, how did you end up in service to a noblewoman from Fódlan?” Khalid was rather certain that, had Cyril thought he could, the boy would have given the prince a very dirty look right then and there. “S-sorry. That was probably insensitive of me. You don’t have to answer. I- I’ll go. Sorry again.” As he started to walk away, Cyril spoke up.
“I was an orphan.” His curiosity about to be satisfied, Khalid turned back around and listened. “My parents died in the wars and I was left on the streets on my own. I was taken by House Goneril and became a servant. During one visit to the monastery, Lady Rhea took interest in me.” Khalid raised an eyebrow. He knew the archbishop as a mysterious one. Why she would look at a lowly serving boy, he wanted to know. “She offered to pay for my servitude from House Goneril. They accepted and I became hers.” The boy fidgeted with something tucked under his tunic. Khalid suspected it to be a pendant of some sort. “Don’t get me wrong, the Gonerils treated me well enough. For an enemy orphan. But I’d never rise above anything more than a servant to them. They looked at me and saw my Almyran blood and thought I could never become anything more. When Lady Rhea took me in, she made me an apprentice to a mercenary named Shamir. And when I became old enough, Professor Byleth allowed me to enroll in her class. I have no love for Almyra, but if I can help protect Miss Goneril, I will.”
The reports that Byleth’s footman was a force to be reckoned with seemed to be true. He was honest and brave and there was something alluring about the kid. Something that just made you want to believe in him. And protect him. Khalid offered Cyril a smile.
“Thank you for sharing with me. Truly, you didn’t need to. But I’m grateful you did. And.. I apologize for your rough upbringing.” Cyril hesitated. It was clear he hadn’t expected an apology of all things. And from a prince, no less. One who had no hand in the war that made him an orphan.
“Thank.. you.” Cyril mumbled after a while “But that doesn’t mean I trust you.” Adding the last part, he spun on his heels and hurried off. Khalid chuckled slightly, but made a mental note to speak to his father about what could be done for others like Cyril. Perhaps Teach will have some insight on what we can do. With a new topic available to him as a means of getting back on speaking terms with her, Khalid’s mood brightened. With light steps, he headed for his own rooms.