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Edelgard reluctantly wandered over to the cathedral that stood taller than the rest of Garreg Mach. It was just like the Church of Seiros, really, to preach the word of goodness but to tower over everything, harshly judging all they deemed unworthy, and allowing true evil to fester beneath the ground.
Nevertheless, she was here for a reason, and far be it from her to allow her thoughts to betray her.
As Edelgard rose up the stairs and entered the main hall, she found the person she had been looking for. Well, one of them at least. Dorothea Arnault, the only student of the Black Eagles to not be born from nobility. Who Edelgard was honestly the most excited to meet. Anyone who managed to succeed despite the omnipresent classism of Fódlan must be an exceptional individual indeed.
Dorothea was in the midst of conversation with one of their soon to be professors, Manuela, who if Edelgard remembered correctly, used to be in the same opera company as Dorothea. Perhaps the two knew each other.
Manuela was the first to notice Edelgard's appraoch and turned to face her. "Ah, Miss Hresvelg. How have you been finding the Monastery?"
"Quite well, Professor," said Edelgard as she managed to successfully ignore Manuela's revealing attire, truthfully! "I was hoping to have a word with Miss Arnault if you wouldn't mind."
"Of course, I'll let the two of you catch up. I'll be headed to the infirmary if either of you girls need me."
Edelgard pointedly did not stare at the way Manuela's hips swayed as she walked away.
"Hello, Your Highness," said Dorothea with a bland smile, and Edelgard was pleased to notice some level of steel in her eyes. "What can I do you for?"
Ignoring the somewhat odd phrase, and the connotations it hinted at, Edelgard spoke. "Greetings, as you likely know, I am Edelgard von Hresvelg. You are Dorothea Arnault, are you not?"
"That I am."
"As you are a future student of the Black Eagles, I wanted to speak to you. This is something I am doing with all of the Black Eagles students."
"I see," Dorothea said with a slight smirk. "So you are here to get my measure, I assume?" She puffed out her chest slightly, and Edelgard's eyes did not dart down at the movement.
"In a manner of speaking." Edelgard cleared her throat. "Frankly, I think you're someone to admire. You are the only student of the Black Eagles who managed to get it solely on your own efforts, and without the aid of nepotism, which speaks highly of your capabilities."
Dorothea's smile dropped as she stared at Edelgard. "Huh. You're alright, Your Highness."
"Please, we are both students here, Miss Arnault. There is no need to stick to formalities."
"In that case, you can call me Dorothea. So I don't need to be so formal, huh?"
"You do not."
Dorothea smirked again, but this time it was much more mirthful in nature. "So you wouldn't object if I called you Edie, then would you?"
The moment the nickname left Dorothea's lips, Edelgard was struck with a terribly familiar feeling. As a non-sequitor Edelgard noticed that a lot of effort had been put into the tiling on the ground.
"I," Edelgard swallowed, "I would have no objections."
Dorothea brought a hand up to her mouth and giggled. "I think that the two of us are going to get along just fine, Edie.
By the damned Goddess! First Manuela with her everpresent sensuality, then Bernadetta almost making a kidnapper out of her and now this? Why was every girl in this forsaken place so unbareably attractive?!