Chapter Text
Inside one of the endless, small rooms of the Fhirdiad Castle, that felt more like a fortress, everyone could hear a small, humming voice - a song that barely had lyrics in it.
The singer was a little girl, barely 2 years old, and laying on the couch with her mother, who gave her a bright smile.
The woman was Byleth Blaiddyd, born Byleth Eisner, Holy Queen of Fódlan and Archbishop of the Church of Flames, and the child was Cassandra Estefania Blaiddyd, Crown princess of the Realm.
“Mama? ” the little girl said, finally noticing the look her mother gave her.
Even as she no longer sang, the little princess was still slowly caressing her mother’s round belly, causing the queen to laugh.
“Don't worry Cass, it's simply that your lil’ sibling likes you already. It had stopped kicking as soon as you sang”.
“Thanks mama. I’m twying…”
The Queen let out a soft, but very tired chuckle. Her face was horribly pale, despite how many medications she had taken and Mercedes’ best spells. But she had to keep it together for her baby and her little princess.
Despite this, Byleth felt like she had been rolled over by a carriage this whole morning, and her husband wasn’t even here to support her right now.
At least little Cassie was here with her, but she wasn’t that much of emotional support. Although it would be unfair to expect so much from a two-year-old kid, Byleth couldn’t help it.
She needed her puppy eyes right now. She needed Dimitri.
Especially on a day like today!
Today, Linhardt von Hevring, who had become a Crestology specialist, is arriving to pre-test if their child has a Crest, as Byleth was already on her seventh month.
And because of this, she felt like garbage even more.
"Ugh. F*** you Dimitri. Get your ass here right now, forget your stupid office" Byleth angrily thought.
Because of little Cassie here, she couldn’t even rant about how much she wanted to drink. Since she became pregnant with Cassandra and even after her birth, Byleth has been kept away from alcohol, her desire to be a good mother even causing her to reject the use of a wet nurse before realizing how draining it would be and being stuck giving her own milk to her daughter.
But for all she cursed, with Cassandra, pregnancy and childbirth had been quite manageable, but at this point it started to get on her nerves.
“Cass, dear, can you please get off mommy? Mommy needs to have a talk with daddy”
The young princess quickly obliged, and after giving her a kiss on the forehead, Byleth grabbed a vase and stood up, intending to go to the king’s office.
"I will show you what happens when you abandon me for you f***ing work!"
…But as soon as she tried to walk further, she felt her legs melting and her head was spinning. Byleth immediately fell back into the couch, heavily breathing.
“…Mama?” Cassandra looked confused, seeing her mother’s distressed, pale face.
“Ugh, damn. Again…” Byleth felt like she was going to vomit. Then, she wiped the blood that was coming from her mouth, in such a way, that her daughter wouldn’t notice.
“Oh, don’t you worry princess” Byleth gently stroked her daughter’s hair and calmed her down. Even though she was so young, the girl was smart enough to understand that something was wrong.
Byleth couldn’t say anything else to her baby girl, so just silently called a servant to escort Cassandra back into her room.
Then, as soon as she was left alone, Byleth stretched on the couch. Her stomach hurt like crazy and made everything around unbearable, even any attempts to relax.
She could nuzzle her head into a couch pillow and try to close her eyes.
After some time, a voice filled the silent room:
“Beloved?”
Byleth’s eyes jolted open, and she immediately executed her promise – took a vase and threw it right at her own husband.
Even if he finally appeared, she was still very angry at him.
“Woah!!” Dimitri barely managed to catch the vase and put it back. He breathed out of relief and looked guilty.
“Hmpf. You left me here all alone.” Byleth frowned.
“Agree. Indeed, I am very, very guilty – work caught up with me. Will you accept my apology, my love?”
Dimitri got on his knees and looked Byleth in the eyes. Even when sitting, he was so tall that he was reaching a pretty high couch with no problems.
He looked at his wife with an eye full of love and kind affection, but still waiting until she would cool down a bit.
Byleth coughed and rolled her eyes. But at least she had stopped pouting.
“You always did this look even since Garreg Mach, when screwing up even a tiny bit. And you know damn well that I can’t stay angry at you for very long after that, puppy eyes”.
She said those words with a faint smile, and reached her hand to Dimitri, sitting him near herself on the couch.
Dimitri slightly chuckled, watching as Byleth put her head on his knees.
As soon as she did that, all her mild annoyance seemed to go away.
They were sitting together, with seemingly no care for the world. If anyone came across Byleth and Dimitri during this moment, that person would think of them as a regular couple.
No one could guess that those were two mightiest people in the entire continent. But even this didn’t mean that they didn’t have any problems any other couple could have.
Dimitri looked at her awkwardly – despite him being a 25 years old man and having been married to Byleth for 3 years, and knowing her for even longer, it was still a challenge for him to not get awkward around his wife.
“Beloved… You know that we have a meeting with Duke Hevring soon?” he said with a faint smile.
“Screw that. It’s all your fault that I have this kid inside me right now. And I want some time alone, so you owe me double”.
Dimitri sighed, but didn’t have the will to pick fights with his heavily pregnant wife. So instead, he covered her eyes with his huge hand, that was the size of Byleth’s face, and started to caress her hair.
While doing that, he could not notice how pale she had gotten over such a short period of time. All romantic atmosphere for him disappeared in a blink of an eye.
The Queen, a woman who was always bustling with life and known for her sharp tongue and strong, well-trained body was now so thin that she could have been caught up by the wind and disappeared in a second.
And what else was worrying Dimitri was that she couldn’t stop coughing. Even now, he kept giving his wife one napkin after another.
All of this made him want to break something, not only did he get overloaded with work, now he was forced to witness this happening to his beloved.
Things like that almost made Dimitri wonder if Edelgard's wraith was trying to get its revenge.
“How are you feeling, my love?” He asked, causing Byleth to frown once more.
“Horrible. I’m so damn tired from this… I want a pint of beer, I want fresh air…”
“Well, I'll see what I can do for fresh air, but your precious alcohol will have to wait at least a few months, unlike I, our child cannot stand it.”
The only acknowledgment he got was a glare.
“Get this damn kid out of me. I’m so tired already, the first pregnancy was almost easy, so what the hell is happening right now?!”
Dimitri could only lower his head from some guilt.
“As soon as we get this kid out, I swear – this is going to be the last one!” He swore, and Byleth could see how serious he was.
“I didn't think my job as a teacher would extend to education on intimacy without pregnancy,” she said, smirking at the now red-faced man “I do hope you will be an excellent student in this matter, my king of Blaiddyd.”
“Do not worry professor, I will make sure that you truly appreciate my work's results.” Dimitri said before kissing her, satisfied to see her own slight blush, before both laughed.
“I doubt that I’m gonna to survive a third one either way.” Byleth said, the sly smile not leaving her face.
It did leave her face however when she saw his horrified reaction.
The atmosphere in the air felt melancholic, and it shouldn’t be this way at all.
‘ Sothis be merciful ’ Dimitri thought bitterly, the pregnancy of his beloved wife was supposed to be a cherished, happy event, but instead, Byleth was looking at him with her almost lifeless eyes, and moved her head away.
“Sorry puppy eyes, I just thought that would be funny, obviously… I should never have said such a foul thing, I'll … I’ll manage to get distracted”.
“No no, don’t say sorry. You hold no fault of your own, my dear”.
Byleth sighed, and reached her hand to Dimitri’s eyepatch. Only she was allowed to touch there.
“Can you talk with the Duke by yourself? I don’t think I’ll-” she stopped once more, coughing. “Manage to do that in my current state”
Dimitri barely managed to contain himself from panicking, just to not lose face in front of his wife.
“Will do. I promise, no one is going to bother you”.
He calmly picked Byleth up from the couch as if she was as light as a feather, and slowly brought her to her quarters.
Byleth continued to cough, although she kept her mouth covered. Dimitri looked at her with a sad face as he was going away.
“As soon as you finish the talk with Linhardt… You immediately return here. You have to be with me this whole time” Byleth almost pleaded, her uncharacteristic meekness terrifying Dimitri.
“I will. Promise” Dimitri breathed in. Well, now he has to hope that Felix wouldn’t murder him for missing out work.
The King was very optimistic for his future child’s Crest and for the future talk with Duke Hevring.
If it wouldn’t be the Crest of Blaiddyd, then the kid would grow up as a regular child. Which was also a good thing – less pressure…
…What?!
Dimitri just stared at the Crest-detecting device, which the Duke had modernized - he literally couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
Duke Hevring himself was silent, giving the King enough time to come to his senses.
The device showed a small part of a Crest of Flames.
“Accept my apologies, my King” the Duke said in a sheepish but serious voice. Dimitri got confused over his words. Seeing his confusion, Duke Hevring continued:
“It seems like Her Majesty is becoming weaker as the child, and its Crest, is growing. And her body cannot hold for much longer. This is what I had gathered during my research”.
“But how could a Crest in the child's body affect Byleth? Even non-crested mothers aren't harmed by crested children more than those without, and Byleth is the Goddess’ living incarnation! She should be even less affected!”
Instinctively, he lifted Linhardt brusquely, glaring at the lord, leaving him to search for words.
“Despite her strength, the queen's insides are unnaturally weak in certain ways, and the child's presence is ruining her, leaving the Crest stone unable to give the energy to compensate,” he explained quickly, while Dimitri's eye was almost glowing thanks to his Crest's power.
“ I have spared you, my lord , because I thought you an honest man, and you paid my mercy with leal service, but I will not suffer lies, Cassandra's birth went very well, so much so that Byleth only needed a strong healing spell from Flayn and Mercedes to sooth her body after the birth itself, why would the second child be so harmful?! Tell me the whole truth!”
“It is true that princess Cassandra did not harm the queen, but it is because the Crest stone didn't mistake her for its host.”
Upon hearing this, Dimitri instinctively let go of the Duke, his confusion washing his wrath away.
“While princess Cassandra is blessed with the Crest of Blaiddyd, this child have the Crest of Flames, which mean that the Crest stone help it as much as it would help her Majesty, and unlike her Majesty or even Nemesis, the child is born with it, which is the reason for the confusion.”
“Due to this, not only the queen receive half the energy she usually receive, which is bad but at least can be workable if she's kept safe, but the hardships of pregnancy aren't kept from her due to it, meaning she face the hardship of carrying a child twice as hard as other women, while having less energy for her body to work properly,” Linhardt explained professionally, though his eyes showed his thoughts all too well, “I am sorry Dimitri.”
Dimitri grabbed his head and fell on the chair, too shocked for words. No . It wasn’t happening right now.
‘Byleth… Byleth couldn’t… You were with me for so long, I couldn’t be where I am right now without you. It’s impossible that you would leave me…’ Dimitri felt insanity slowly sinking in as he thought that.
Silence was in the room for long enough, but Duke Hevring knew how it was to be patient – his own wife gave birth only a year ago, and this entire time was terrified to death.
So, he understood the situation perfectly, and the moment right now was also critical.
“There may be a cure-”
“ What. Is. The. Cure? ” Dimitri growled, cutting off Linhardt.
For an instant, Linhardt felt scared for his life. Although he never got to witness the King’s bloody madness during the Crimson War, he also remembered his wife, Bernadetta telling how scary he looked at that time.
And truly, Dimitri was even closer to it then when he had lifted Linhardt up, the bloodlust almost overtaking him at that very moment.
“There are a couple ways to prevent Her Majesty's situation from deteriorating, possibly even to improve, ” Duke Hevring quickly said as he regained his usual composure.
“I’m listening” Dimitri finally removed the hands from his face and breathed out.
“First and actually the only way – an enormous blood donation of a Crest-bearing individual, as regular healing magic would be of no help here. The Crests that would fit the best are: Lamine, Seiros and Cethleann''.
As the king didn't interrupt him, he went on.
“Those Crests can be used to stabilize the body and are oriented for healing, though the fact that none of them are tied to her blood mean the body wouldn't accept it as easily, and most importantly, the healing will not be the best it could be”.
Dimitri paused, and his face that just began to slightly light up, darkened once again.
Only three adults had the crests of Cethleann or Lamine, Flayn, who was the actual Saint, Linhardt, and Mercedes.
Dimitri refused to consider killing two of his close friends, women who almost died for him, and he knew Byleth wouldn't forgive him for it if he made them do it, and he couldn't demand that Linhardt himself do it: sentimentality aside, he needed Linhardt for any potential operation and making him do it would lose to his cause his key Adrestian vassal.
After a long pause, Dimitri coughed and looked the Duke in the eyes.
“Thank you so much for your research… I will alert you when I would have the needed blood and you can start making medicine”
“My sincere thanks for putting your trust in me, my King, ” Linhardt bowed. Dimitri quickly sent him out of his office and shut the door.
As soon as he did that, he couldn’t contain his emotions and leaned his head over the chair, looking up to the ceiling.
How? Just how could this happen?! Something as regular as giving birth, with what Byleth was optimistic about, turned into Dimitri’s most horrifying nightmare.
He started pulling his hair close to his face, while crying and feeling so horribly guilty. It was all his fault. It's his fault that his beloved is in such a condition right now.
Crests, Crests…
“Where… Where I am supposed to get so much blood…” he thought.
The thought of anyone living giving Byleth their blood to save her was repulsing for Dimitri. If only his Crest was somewhat useful, he would immediately give it up.
But sadly, it wasn’t the case.
Dimitri kept quiet for a very long time. But he understood that while he was doing it, the time that his wife had left was also running out, each second that he was sitting still.
He was a King and a husband right now. Dimitri had both responsibility to his wife, keeping her alive at all cost, and also, to his future child – he couldn’t imagine spending the rest of his life without Byleth.
This definitely was not happening. He can’t lose another of the most important people of his life.
But then, he remembered something that lady Rhea had told them the day he had their new coat of arms made.
"Centuries ago, I gave to Jeralt my blood just like I gave it to Wilhelm, and through his line like in Wilhelm's, my Crest will be possible to be inherited. ”
The realisation was enough to make Dimitri smile despite his tears, if what Linhardt said was true…
Well, he would see if the ex Archbishop's devotion was as great as she claimed.
When it was time to return… Dimitri didn’t go to Byleth.
He had sent a quick note, and was now waiting for a particular person to come to a private meeting room.
All while finishing writing a long letter, that he had put his royal stamp on 0 clearly, it was something serious.
Finally, he heard a long-awaited knock.
“Your Majesty”, his most loyal ally and friend, Dedue, appeared at the door and right away got on one knee in front of him.
“Dedue, please get up. Sorry for bothering you, but I need your help right now”.
Dedue wasn't able to hide his surprise at his King’s melancholic and sad tone.
“Your Majesty, you would never bother me. As soon as you need something, it is my duty to assist you anytime you ask”
For the first time in the day, Dimitri felt calmer. He held a very small pause, then spoke up in a sort of rough, low tone of voice.
“Dedue. I need you to get ready as soon as possible. And ride to the place Lady Rhea resides. Pass her this”.
Dimitri handed Dedue the letter. His loyal knight didn’t even question him, just silently accepted his task.
“You don’t have to worry, Your Majesty – I will do whatever it takes to not disappoint you” he bowed with all needed respect.
Dedue prepared to go, but suddenly stopped.
“Is Her Majesty alright?”
He clearly spoke it from his heart – after all, he studied and then served after Byleth for some years. Dedue couldn’t help but notice her condition getting worse.
Dimitri couldn’t find an answer. He couldn’t get out the words ‘no, she is not alright – she is dying ’ out of his mouth.
…Or most likely, didn’t want to admit it.
“Byleth is… Not in the best condition right now. But everything will be alright – we will deal with it, ” Dimitri declared, trying to sound confident.
Dedue couldn’t dare to ask more questions from his king. Dimitri saying that she was okay equaled that she was in fact, all okay.
He wasn’t even questioning why Dimitri wanted to pass something to Lady Rhea all of a sudden.
“Thank you, Your Majesty. I will try to come back as soon as I can”.
Dimitri’s heart sank for a moment. He couldn’t even trust his closest ally with important information such as Byleth’s struggles, or the actual purpose of his mission.
And even more, he hated using his most loyal knight as nothing but an errand person.
“No Dedue. Thank you for being here right now”.
“Always at your service”
Dimitri gave Dedue something that resembled a smile. He felt horribly right now, and had to act stoic.
For Byleth. For his unborn child. For his little Cassie. And for himself.
“This has to help. The cure… It must help.”
…The King spent time crying in his spare quarters until early evening.
When he finally came to his senses, he slowly went towards the room where Byleth had rested and slowly opened the door. Byleth was there, resting in a kingdom of pillows, and looked like she was sleeping.
He looked at her and tried to smile…
But his smile disappeared as soon, as he saw unwiped blood over his wife’s mouth, on her pale to death face.
“Dimitri…” Byleth opened her eyes and happily waved. Then, she coughed blood again.
At that moment, Dimitri felt as if his heart was torn out of his body.