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It has been three years since the war of Fodlan was over. Three years since all of Fodlan was united in the name of hundreds and thousands of people who gave their life for their Kingdom. Three years since the people of Fodlan started to rebuild their homes and worked towards a better tomorrow together.
With the day the war officially ended also came a new occasion to celebrate.
The proposal was just a few days after the last battle and the marriage didn’t take long to take place either. Not even a full moon passed before king Dimitri decided to marry Byleth. Despite their marriage taking place in one of the very few churches still standing that was surrounded by the ruins of Fhirdiad, it was the event that gave people hope.
Many have lost their loved ones and home in the war but to those people a marriage taking place in ruins filled with promises of working towards a better tomorrow was what gave them the strength they needed to keep rebuilding their life and making it the best they could hope for.
A lot of people first assumed their king had taken a wife since that was the most common form of marriage but he was very quick to correct everyone in the country that Byleth was his spouse and he insisted on them being called as such.
Now after these three years the whole land still clearly showed the battle scars it took from the war but despite that everything seemed much brighter than before. Ruins could still be spotted though they were much less common than three years ago and the people who worked so hard to rebuild it all looked at the fruits of their labor with pride.
In the early stages of rebuilding, fests and hope were what kept these people going. Now they are more so seen as a reward for the deeds they have done in the past.
Among one of those fests was the winter market. The merchants obviously cared more about making a quick buck than the happiness it brought to the people but most who attended the markets around this time didn’t care about that. Instead they used the opportunity to have some hot drinks while standing in the cold and chatting with friends new and old. The children would enjoy the pony rides some merchants offered for a small fee along with overpriced sweets and other food.
The market that was already overflowing with people became even more lively when their king with his spouse attended the event.
No one was surprised to see the two attend the market together as they always were. All of Fodlan knew about how much of a hopeless romantic their king was. Despite already being married for three years their king never seemed to stop courting Byleth.
Everyone knew of the fact that Dimitri ordered lavish bouquets of Byleth’s favorite flowers only to then have them be sent to his own quarters with a little note that says ‘for the love of my life’. Byleth would always know who it was from but they sometimes played along when Dimitri pretended to be jealous of Byleth’s non existent secret admirer.
It also wasn’t a secret that the king of Fodlan sometimes seemed to think that his candle light dinners with his spouse were more important than his work. He of course dialed it back when he was needed but even in the busiest of times he still insisted on at least one of these each week.
One of the things not everybody knew about the love life of their king was how clumsy he was at flirting. It was a negative talent of his. Despite constantly having flirted unintentionally with his spouse in the past, whenever he tried to do it on purpose it always came out wrong. It seemed more like he was a 14 year old hopelessly trying to get the attention of their first love than a married man in his 20’s. Nonetheless Byleth never failed to be charmed by it no matter how clumsy their husband’s attempts were. He also got a bit better at it over the years which made it easier on their servants not constantly having to hear terrible pick up lines that would make someone cringe anymore. Instead they were slightly less bad and a lot more cheesy though the servants had to get used to hearing those over time.
Most people were happy to see their king out on the winter markets with their spouse. They didn’t have the opportunity to see the royal couple everyday so when it happened it felt like an event by itself. The merchants of course were more than pleased to see the two as well, some forcing themselves on the two with the smell of money in their noses.
“No, thank you.” Dimitri politely declined another merchant who walked back to their booth with a disappointed face. Byleth looked over the different booths, as their hunger makes themselves more noticeable they started to stare at one of the many foods that were for sale. Dimitri noticed it immediately and stroked Byleth’s hand he was holding with his thumb to get their attention.
“Would you like something to eat, my beloved?” Byleth blushed a bit and nodded. Dimitri led them to the booth, having them pick for the both of them. Dimitri did not share the same taste in food as Byleth but they knew him more than well enough to know what he would like and even if he didn’t, it would still taste better because his lovely spouse has chosen it for him.
Dimitri led Byleth over the rest of the market with their hands always intertwined. He was eager to have them try out all kinds of foods and even try on different kinds of jewelry, watching their reaction closely. Nobody around them saw why the king was looking so closely at Byleth in the first place. Their face seemed to always be the same blank expression. Dimitri however could see all the little intricacies in their face. The slightly furrowed brows from being irritated about having to try all these different things, the length they looked at something showing if they were interested in an object, the slightly irritated stare they had when they disliked something.
He himself had a lot of problems reading Byleth, especially when they first got to know each other but after knowing them for so long and being married for three years he was able to read them pretty well most of the time.
Dimitri catched Byleth staring with a face he didn’t remember seeing much at one of the clothing booths. The merchant sold fancy dresses and specialized in making beautiful embroidery. Most of the string they used to make it was either golden or silver, making the details stand out that much more. Dimitri thought about Byleth wearing one of them, how beautiful the light of the ballroom of the castle would make their dress sparkle and draw the attention of everyone in the room onto his spouse. Though he didn’t quite like the thought of everyone thinking of taking his spouse from him, he did enjoy imagining them getting jealous of Byleth being already taken by him.
It would be perfect for the winter ball he was planning in three weeks.
Dimitri picked a dress Byleth was looking at the most. It was a dress with a lot of ruffles that showed off the shoulders and some cleavage. It was made in a single shade of dark pink with beautiful silver embroidery looking like a rain of stars towards the bottom of the skirt. Dimitri was shown a small dressing room by the merchant. It was of course very cold outside but the small cabin was heated through some sort of square shaped rock that was built into the ceiling of the cabin. A very common object households have in more northern countries, as the merchant explained. Apparently the rock was able to save up fire magic and then slowly used it up over time to create the heat.
“Love, would you like to try on the dress?” Dimitri asked in a soft tone. To his surprise Byleth shook their head.
“Why is that? You seemed quite interested in it just now.”
Byleth thought a bit before opening their mouth: “I was just irritated.”
Dimitri raised an eyebrow: “Irritated? Why is that?”
“The dresses. I don’t understand them. Certain people only wear dresses, others only suits. I never understood why.”
Dimitri thought about it for a bit. He never questioned it before. To him it was just a given that a group of people would wear a certain piece of clothing while a different group would wear another. He was more confused when he first saw a woman in a suit than he was at the fact that dresses were for women and suits for men. Of course, he has also seen men in dresses before, though that was mostly during operas where a man had to disguise himself as a woman. Never was that during an official event like with women in suits.
“Well then how about a suit?” Dimitri asked. Suits seemed to be a more neutral option than dresses were so maybe Byleth would be pleased with that.
“I could try one.” They said, though there was a slight waver in their voice as if not really sure about it.
“Beloved.” Dimitri said, taking Byleth’s hands into his once again. “If you do not want to, you don’t have to.”
Byleth however shook their head. “I want to try.”
Dimitri nodded then gave the dress back to the merchant before searching for another booth that sold what they were looking for. After just a few minutes of searching they had found one.
Byleth didn’t really develop a sense in fashion even after three years of being able to afford a royal wardrobe so they relied on Dimitri to pick out something nice for them. Most of their wardrobe consisted of clothes they could wear in battle. A result of them having lived as a mercenary for so long. They didn’t have many clothes as if they needed to keep the amount of their possessions as small as possible in case they needed to move. Those few items they did have were all very simple shirts and pants that were supposed to be durable with them looking flattering on their body as a second priority if at all. For fancy events Byleth always wore the same clothes they would always wear, never really seeing the need to buy special clothes for those occasions.
When Byleth came outside the small cabin Dimitri couldn’t believe his eyes. They wore a simple black suit with some golden embroidery at the sleeves and edges of the jacket and a ruffled shirt underneath. He has seen very similar things on countless men before but seeing it on Byleth did something to him he couldn’t quite explain to himself. He honestly liked this a lot more than seeing them in a dress which was why he was disappointed when he saw them furrowing their brow a bit. Byleth looked at Dimitri and slightly shook their head.
“Would you like to try another?” Dimitri asked but Byleth still denied.
“I don’t think I like wearing suits.” They answered.
“Why is that?” Byleth looked like they wanted to answer but took a small break before they spoke as if they didn’t quite know themself.
“It feels too … wrong, I think. Like it doesn’t fit.”
Dimitri didn’t understand. The suit was a very good size for them and if anything didn’t fit they could afford a tailor to readjust parts of it. Then Dimitri remembered their feelings about dresses and seemed to understand.
“Would you like to get something more to eat before we go home then?” He asked and Byleth seemed delighted by the idea even though both of them had already eaten way too much and would return home with a stomach ache but they both enjoyed the food at the market too much to let it go.
After a long day of going through the market they finally arrived home. Dimitri excused himself very quickly with a kiss on Byleth’s hand: “I’ll be back in an hour, my love.”
Byleth was left alone but decided to use the time to go to the blacksmith.
“Your majesty! What can I do for you?”
Byleth looked over the countless weapons as well as some other metal tools like buckets in the back of the shop.
“I’d like to commission a weapon for Dimitri.” They said.
“Of course, of course.” The blacksmith was already excitedly searching through his shop for some examples of his craftsmanship. Byleth didn’t need to see it, since he has already proven his capability many times before but they always let him show off anyway, he seemed so proud of himself every time. Their inner former teacher could not bring themself to stop someone from being proud of the results of their hard work.
“His majesty prefers to use lances so would you like to go with that? Do you have a practical weapon in mind or one that is purely for ceremonial purposes? We could do some fancy decorations either way if that is what you are after too, like with this axe over here.” He lifted a very heavy axe like it was nothing. It had some incredible metal detailing over the grip and part of the blade as well. “Though, I would be sad to see something like this break.” He let out a laugh before Byleth spoke: “I would like a non lethal weapon, please.”
The blacksmith looked at them in surprise. “Non lethal? Like a training weapon made of wood?” Byleth nodded.
Dimitri has been very divided on training the past few years. He has had difficulties even looking at Areadbhar. Every time he did the countless people he has killed come back to his mind. He thought of the lives he has ended and all the people his victims have been loved by still mourning their deaths. Despite that Dimitri still enjoyed training his weaponry. It was a hobby he very much enjoyed. Every now and then he would use the training ground together with Byleth but you could see in his eyes that even training weapons seemed too violent in his eyes.
After discussing a few more details with the blacksmith, Byleth paid the man and left the shop.
It took a few more weeks until the winter ball Dimitri had organized. He, of course, invited all of his former classmates. He would have loved it to be a smaller celebration but due to his status as king, it was difficult to have any sort of celebration without having to invite a bunch of officials as well in order to not damage the political relationship with them. Despite that Dimitri and Byleth still wanted to make the ball the best they could for their friends.
Everyone’s favorite food was available in probably bigger quantities than they could ever eat, all prepared by the castle’s best chef. Rooms were also prepared so they could stay overnight and didn’t have to worry about not having to drink too much in order to get back home and also maybe as an excuse to stay a bit longer.
While the servants were preparing the last few things before the guests would arrive Byleth was wandering around the castle looking at all the busy people working and being excited for the event.
“Your Majesty?"
Byleth turned around seeing one of the servants calling out to them.
“The king is searching for you and requested you to return to the chambers.”
Byleth nodded and made their way to their shared bedroom not quite understanding what Dimitri could want so shortly before the event started.
They knocked on the doors before hearing a soft invitation from the other side. Byleth was just about to ask what Dimitri wanted when they saw a nervous grin on his lips.
“It might not be exactly to your liking but I hope you will still appreciate it.” He said before pulling out a box from behind his back to give to Byleth.
They opened the gift and saw some clothes inside. After they completely pulled it out of the box they were able to get a good look at the items inside. It was formal wear, though it wasn’t anything like Byleth has seen before. It wasn’t a dress but neither was it a suit. The undershirt was a standard shirt that could be worn by both men and women. It was followed by something that looked like a waistcoat with half a skirt attached to it. The back side of the legs would be covered by the skirt while the front would be bare showing the pants with long boots underneath. Though it took more inspiration from a suit than a dress, it definitely struck a middle ground between the two. The whole outfit was kept fairly simple. No fancy decorations, not that many ruffles, just a bit of embroidery here and there.
Byleth looked back at Dimitri who tried to avoid their gaze.
Before there would be even more silence that would make Dimitri even more insecure, they cupped one of his cheeks, making him look at them. Byleth’s gentle smile assured Dimitri and they shared a soft kiss.
“So is it to your liking?” Dimitri asked.
Byleth nodded. It wasn’t quite their taste. Not because of the color or it being too feminine or masculine but because Byleth generally did not like wearing formal wear. However, they appreciated the thought Dimitri had put into the gift. He never seemed to quite understand Byleth but always tried his best which they treasured more than they could ever express through words ord actions.
Relieved, Dimitri pulled Byleth into a hug.
“If you wouldn’t mind, I’d love to see you wearing it tonight.” Byleth nodded. They could never say no to their beloved.
Dimitri was surprised when Byleth pushed him away. He was very tempted to pull them closer again so they would stay in their arms just a bit longer but let them go hoping it wouldn’t take too long. Byleth took out a present they had put into their own, very small, personal wardrobe.
Dimitri looked at them, then back at the lance they were holding. It was a lance that looked like it was made of silver but upon closer inspection Dimitri could see that it was made out of some other material. It wasn’t wood or at least not one of the usual kinds training weapons were made out of. The material itself didn’t seem to be very heavy, it was only because of the material it was enclosing that it had any weight at all.
“It’s bamboo.” Byleth said and Dimitri looked up at them after fixating on the lance in his hands.
“It’s more flexible than regular wood, so it should cause less harm than a training weapon.”
Dimitri looked back at the weapon. His eyes softened and a smile appeared on his face. He then took Byleth’s hand in his and kissed it.
“Thank you, my love.”
Byleth smiled back at him. Their gazes lingered for just a bit more, appreciating the moment before Dimitri broke the silence in a soft whispery tone: “Our guests will be here soon. We should get ready before they arrive.”
The winter ball was a big celebration. All guests arrived in excitement, especially the former Blue Lions. With the exception of some of them, they rarely saw each other now with the many responsibilities of adulthood. So everyone was thrilled to catch up with one another. See how their lives went, what they accomplished in the time they last saw each other. Everyone except Felix, who stood in the back brooding and not ever admitting that he might have missed some of his former classmates. Dimitri and Byleth joined them a bit later after having taken care of greeting and having polite chats with the guests purely invited for political reasons as well.
None of their old friends were surprised to see the two be just as in love as they were at their wedding day three years ago, in fact maybe even more so. They were more surprised at the fact that Byleth was actually wearing something appropriate for the occasion for once and when they mentioned it Dimitri couldn’t help but blush a little.
Byleth never missed to notice their husband staring at them several times throughout the night but they didn’t mind. They never did. When they weren’t wrapped up in a conversation with one of their former students they looked back at him and smiled, watching as Dimitri looked at them and seemed to forget everything else around him.
Despite the efforts both of them have put into their gifts they both knew that it wasn’t the most precious thing they have given each other that day.
That was something much better and they would make sure to never lose the love they had for one another.
Not the day they realized their feelings for one another.
Not the day of the proposal.
Not the day they married, nor after the first three years of their marriage and certainly never in the future.
They both knew the person they were with was the one they treasured the most in the world and they would hold onto that even after death would tear them apart one day.