a lion among ladies

[backstreetbard]

[ Dorothea doesn't exactly love spending time in the cathedral of Garreg Mach's campus, as stunning as the stained glass windows and flying buttresses are to behold. She hasn't put stock in the Seirosi faith since she was six years old.

In spite of that, she can still be seen there often in the days following the mission to quell the Western Church's rebellion in Gaspard territory, her hand rubbing circles in Ashe's back. She understands what it feels like to lose a parent, though she doesn't speak of it; instead, she only listens as he very gradually works his way through the shock and pain. Sometimes the only comfort is commiseration.

It's draining, though. She has to step back eventually, to try and shake off the old familiar feelings that watching another orphan in mourning dredges up in her.

Standing on the bridge that leads to the cathedral, she inhales the fresh mountain air and releases a sigh as she looks out over the scenery. A flash of blue in her peripheral vision catches her attention, though, and she's back on stage, turning to face her new house leader. ]

On your way to pray?

Comments

[hauntedking]

Dimitri has so many things to worry about now. About how everyone seems opposed to his relationship. About how his uncle seems determined to kill him. About how he has to fight a war now just to make sure his people can live in peace for a while longer. He's upset, of course. Who wouldn't be? But he can't let himself slow down. He has to keep moving. He has a responsibility. So the first thing he does is inform his classmates. If they don't want to assist, he's fine with that - if they want to go home to their families - but he hopes they'll come with him.

He's relieved when they all indicate that they'll stand by him, through thick and thin.

It's then that he also announces his intention to marry. Possibly sooner rather than later. The reaction is a bit mixed. Felix is skeptical. Sylvain keeps his mouth shut. Ingrid seems happy for him - so do Annette and Mercedes. Dedue is Dedue. Ashe is supportive, of course. They're his friends - not just subjects or pieces on a playing board. And he's grateful to have them.

After that he has to pack what he can. Nothing too heavy or that will take too long. Clothing, his armor, his weapons, the few books that he'd like to hang onto. He's going to miss the Academy; it's been a place for him to feel... almost safe at times. It's where he met Dorothea. And once that's done, he has to go find her - no matter what Gilbert might say.

"Dorothea?"

Is she still in her room? Or maybe out in the courtyard with the others?

[backstreetbard]

She's only just finishing with her packing when Dimitri comes to call. She didn't have much to begin with, and everything that wasn't fit to be carried with urgency is tucked into the bags she'd brought with her from the opera when she'd first come to Garreg Mach rather than left strewn about the room. If she's lucky, the church will send along her things, but she doesn't expect they will. She'll speak to Manuela--better to let her old senior take her things than allow the church to dispose of them.

Dabbing at her face to make sure it's dry, she opens the door for Dimitri and moves to embrace him.

"I haven't kept you waiting, have I? I'm sorry, darling. I'm ready to go now."

[hauntedking]

"Dorothea - how are you feeling?"

The day has only just begun but he still feels as if he wants to collapse. There's so much happening all at once - but he has to keep moving, doesn't he? He wraps his arms around her and gives her a tight hug.

"We're all getting ready to leave. I think it'll be another hour or two before we really start, but... we're gathering and making ready to go. It's going to be a long trip and I don't know when we'll be back. If we ever will be."

[backstreetbard]

"I've been better," she admits, hugging Dimitri back and resting her head on his chest, "but I'll manage. I'm used to being treated like that at this point. Anyway, are the others coming with us? I can hardly imagine them hanging back when it's such an urgent situation."

Sighing once, she lifts her head to kiss him.

"Ah, but since there's a little time before we go, I'd like to say goodbye to Manuela. Who knows if I'll get a chance to see her again any time soon. I'm leaving her all the things I can't carry away from here myself. I know they'll all fit on a carriage back to Enbarr."

[hauntedking]

"We have some time. But... yes. It would be good to say your goodbyes. I'd like to say a few myself, but... I'm not sure how alert I'll be, considering how much I have to think about..."

He pauses again.

"This is going to be hard, Dorothea. I won't lie to you about that. And I would love to have you with me at my side throughout it. But... if you don't want to fight this war, I'll understand. I don't want want to force you into such peril."

[backstreetbard]

Dorothea grabs ahold of Dimitri's arms, squeezing as tight as she can when he tells her it would be all right for her not to fight. Her eyes are still red from her earlier crying, but she's clearly determined.

"No! Thats not going to happen! I won't be left behind. I won't let you walk into danger without me there to cover you. What has all this training been for if not that?" she asks. "You're right--I hate fighting. I can't stand violence. But how could I be worthy of you or your people if I don't fight for them in their hour of need?"

She doesn't point out that this might also be her only chance to prove to everyone that her love for Dimitri is sincere. If she were only after his money or his power, would she put her life on the line for his sake? She only hopes it will be enough.

"I'm going to go see Manuela, but it won't take long. I'll be down at the stables by the time everyone is ready to go."

[hauntedking]

Dimitri's expression flickers into a sad smile, "Apologies. That was... probably unfair of me to ask. You're determined and I shouldn't find a reason to set that aside. But having you beside me will give me even more strength to fight this through to the end. To live."

He gives her another tight squeeze.

"I'll see you soon, my love."

[backstreetbard]

They share a brief kiss before parting ways. Dorothea makes her way then to the infirmary where she finds Manuela steeping a pot of tea in anticipation of her arrival. The smell is familiar--it's the herb she's been drinking to prevent herself from conceiving, and she embraces her mentor thankfully before drinking the decoction down. The older songstress even bundled up enough servings of the dry leaves to last Dorothea a few weeks, if she's careful.

Their conversation isn't as long as she wishes it could be, and they embrace tearfully before Dorothea bids her farewell. She's even lucky enough to find her favorite of the monastery's stray cats to cuddle before their departure, and she carries it with her down to the stables where the others are congregating to finalize their preparations to leave. It's a busy scene, if a somber one--they are riding to war, after all, and there is no telling which among them will survive the battles to come.

Dorothea stays out of the way, having no horse of her own. Professor Byleth passes by briefly to murmur a few words of encouragement and press a levin sword into her hands. After that, all that's left is for her to wait until it's time to move out.

[hauntedking]

They have horses - but it's a long trip and so carriages or wagons will end up more comfortable for some. It's something Dimitri has thought about and he's arranged for a few. Or rather Rhea has, to help speed them along. It's very generous of her, which doesn't surprise him. He finds Dorothea in the bustling crowd and squeezes her hand.

"How are you feeling? We can find a horse for you - or there'll be a carriage. What would you prefer?"

[backstreetbard]

Dorothea takes Dimitri's hand and gives it a squeeze in return. In her other arm, the cat turns to peer at him with its large, green eyes and meows.

"I'm all right. Nervous, but that's to be expected. As much as you know I'd love to be beside you the entire way, I still can't ride a horse well enough to make the trip. A carriage would be best--maybe Annie and Mercie would ride with me. And... would you hate it if I brought Spoonie? I know it'll be a bit of a hassle to travel with her, but I'd hate to leave her behind."

[hauntedking]

"Yes, that would be perfect! I'm sure Annie and Mercie would enjoy the company!" Dimitri seems to brighten at the suggestion and gives her hand a squeeze.

"As for Spoonie... we should be able to manage with her. It's just going to be a very long trip, so you'll have to keep a close eye on her."

[backstreetbard]

"I promise I'll make sure she doesn't get into trouble. We're just leaving so much behind already, and I'd be sad if I had to leave her, too."

Giving Dimitri one quick peck on the lips, Dorothea parts ways with him to go find Annette and Mercedes. Ashe and Dedue are helping the girls load their luggage onto the carriage, but they all pause to greet her when she arrives. Annette embraces her enthusiastically, while Mercedes offers a warm (if more measured) clasp of the hand. Ashe's face turns pink, and Dedue bows his head.

"His Highness told us that he's going to marry you?!" Annette says, her voice carrying a little farther than Dorothea would like through the bustle of preparations being finalized before their departure.

"Yes," Dorothea confirms, smiling sheepishly. "I love him more than I can really explain. That's why I'm coming with all of you to Fhirdiad--if the Kingdom is to be my home, then it only makes sense for me to fight for it."

The others surely see the sense in what she's said, or they see no point in arguing with her. She meets Dedue's eyes and wonders what he thinks of her--for all the time she's spent with Dimitri, Dedue has always kept his opinion of her and their relationship to himself. Does he think she's taking advantage of his liege? Does he believe she's helped him or hurt him?

There will be time to find out later. For now, everyone is being ushered into the carriage. The din of armored knights mounting their horses rings through the courtyard, and the caravan begins to move. Annette and Mercedes are cuddled up across from her, while Silver Spoon is content to curl in her lap. This is the start of her new life, and she's terrified. Everything is going to change, and she isn't sure if she'll be able to handle everything that's to come.

[hauntedking]

He would like to comfort her - to provide more words that would reassure her as they depart for a new chapter of their lives, but there's too much going on. There's too much that needs to be done and handled. So he has to part ways with her. Instead he's mounted up with Sylvain, Felix and Ingrid, the former childhood friends sticking close even now. Sylvain is, thankfully, silent.

Felix is less so.

"Are you honestly going to go through with it?" He asks him and Dimitri hesitates a moment before he nods firmly.

"I am. I love her, Felix. And that's not going to change."

Felix purses his lips. He has nothing else to say and Dimitri is glad for the silence that settles in as the they begin their ride. There will be time to talk later. By the time they stop to set up camp, he's tired - but he still needs to handle his horse and getting the camp set up and it's not until well past dinner time that he can finally retire to his tent.

He's sent a note for Dorothea, asking if she'd like to join him. If only for a little while.

[backstreetbard]

The flap of his tent is pulled back after a sing-song "I'm coming in!" Dorothea slips inside, still dressed in her traveling clothes. Sidling up to him, she takes his hands and kisses them before sitting down beside him.

"What a day. If I'm tired, I can hardly imagine how you must feel," she says, resting her head on his shoulder. She knows they're still a few days off from Fhirdiad, and the only thing awaiting them there is bloodshed, even unto the death of the regent. She knows Dimitri doesn't want to kill his uncle, but in the position he's been put in, what option does he even have? Rufus made his choice, and now there must needs be consequences.

"Did you get a chance to eat? I think there's still some stew left from dinner if you're hungry. Even if you aren't, you should eat anyway to keep up your strength."

[hauntedking]

Dimitri is incredibly glad to see her in all honesty - his stress levels already feel like they're dropping - and he wraps her into a warm embrace as he settles onto the cot he's going to be sleeping on for the next few days... weeks... however long this takes. He sighs softly, just basking in her presence for a few long moments.

"I had some already," he replies with a little smile, "I'm mostly just glad to see you. It's been a strange, strange day and I don't need to tell you that it's all felt incredibly surreal."

[backstreetbard]

She wraps her arms around him in turn, snuggling into his embrace. He's become a sanctuary for her, just as much as she has for him, and she knows that he, at least, is something solid for her to hold onto in a world that seems to constantly shift under her feet like sand.

Her fingers thread into the hair at the base of his skull, gently massaging. "I'm glad you ate. What about your head? Any new pains or aches? I'm here for you any time--you know that."

[hauntedking]

"...nothing new," he replies with a sigh, his own arms wrapped tightly around her. He doesn't want to let go. If he had his way he'd stay right here forever and let the rest of the world pass him by.

But he has responsibilities, alas.

He turns his head to press a kiss against her temple, "...how are you? You're dealing with the travelling well enough?"

[backstreetbard]

Sighing, she continues to rub his neck, hoping to alleviate some of his pain. She'll even give him a proper shoulder massage once they've dressed down a bit, but for now she's content to remain in his arms if that's where he wants her.

"The travel is tiring, but Mercie and Annie are wonderful companions. They've been so kind to me, ever since I joined the Blue Lions. They're watching the cat for me tonight, and I told them they didn't need to wait up for me if they wanted to go ahead and sleep."

Translation: they knew not to expect her to return that evening once she'd been summoned by their prince. The figurative cat was out of the bag, after all: they'd been caught red-handed that very morning, with only an unconvincing lie to save their skins. She couldn't think of a reason that she shouldn't be allowed to remain with him now that he'd announced his intentions to make her his wife.

[hauntedking]

Her fingers do chase away some of the tension, but it lingers. How could it not, considering what they were going into? It was hard to just sit and think and be accepting of everything. His thoughts seemed tangled and if he allowed his attention to drift too long, he could even swear he heard voices whispering to him from out of the darkness...

"That was kind of you," he murmured, "...would you like to lie down? I think I'd like to stop being vertical for a little while. Even if I don't want to sleep just yet."

[backstreetbard]

"Of course I would," she says, kissing his cheek and standing briefly to allow him to lie back and situate himself first. Once he's comfortable, Dorothea settles in beside him, snuggling against the warmth of his body. There's a blanket at the foot of the cot, and she pulls it over them as she'd done the previous night, though nothing sexual is going to go on here tonight regardless of how much they might want to. With as closely as the tents are arranged in their camp, they would have an unfortunately large audience.

Even if that weren't the case, she's pretty certain that neither of them has the energy to get up to any trouble; once they're bundled up together under the thick wool blanket, Dorothea can practically feel the exhaustion weighing down on her.

"Would you like a song tonight, my love?" she asks, threading her fingers with Dimitri's.

[hauntedking]

He's mostly clothed. He doesn't think he could really bear the idea of having her close but unable to touch, even if he also knows he's being responsible. He folds into her side with a low sigh. His arm tugs her close and under the heavy blankets he feels like perhaps he can rest for a little while. Even with everything running around in his head. Even with the decisions he has to make already weighing on him.

She's here.

That's enough.

"...I would love to hear you sing," he replies, "If you don't mind."

[backstreetbard]

"I'd sing for you any time, darling," she says. Her voice, when she does sing, is soft and sweet--an intimate tone in a private performance meant only for his ears.

I stand at your gate and the song that I sing is of moonlight
I stand and I wait for the touch of your hand in the blue night
The roses are sighing a moonlight serenade

The stars are aglow and tonight how their light sets me dreaming
My love, do you know that your eyes are like stars brightly beaming?
I bring you and I sing you a moonlight serenade

Let us stray till break of day in love's valley of dreams
Just you and I, a summer sky, a heavenly breeze kissing the trees

So don't let me wait, come to me tenderly in the blue night
I stand at your gate and I sing you a song in the moonlight
A love song, my darling, a moonlight serenade

When she's done, she kisses his lips softly and runs her thumb along the back of his hand. "Sleep now, darling. I'll be here when you wake."

[hauntedking]

The singing is wonderful. It soothes him. It makes him feel as if the worries he has to deal with are - for the moment - very far away. He sighs softly and curls closer to her, not wanting to let her go. As if he might wake up and she'll be gone.

"I'll see you in the morning, love. This will all be over soon enough. I promise you that."

And for once he does not have dark dreams.

[backstreetbard]

Dorothea watches Dimitri's face as he dozes off, only letting herself fall asleep once she's certain he's resting first. In the morning, she wakes curled against his chest, the noise of the camp outside the tent rousing her to a groggy consciousness.

She kisses his cheek and nuzzles him gently, peeling back the covers and sitting, then stretching, then sighing.

"I'd better get back to my tent, darling," she says, once she's sure he's awake enough to register. "I don't want us to be delayed because of me. It's going to be another long day of traveling."

And so it is, and so is the next. It isn't an easy journey to Fhirdiad with so many people in the convoy, and Dorothea wonders if everyone is going to be too weary to fight when they reach the city. She certainly feels like she might be.

Soon, the morning dawns when their paths will lead them to the city gates. Dorothea wakes beside Dimitri, as she has every morning of their trip thus far, and kisses him gently.

"Whatever happens today, I'll stand beside you. I promise. I love you, darling."

[hauntedking]

In the morning he's entangled with her, curled around her, and reluctant to let her go. He stirs as she does and starts to sit up. He blinks blearily, but he's used to having to wake up. To having to go. To having to do everything that's needed of him without much question. But he still doesn't really want her to go.

"You needn't..." He starts to say and then stops himself with a sigh, starting to shake himself more fully awake. She's right. And they have to keep moving. The journey seems to drag on and also rush by in an instant. By the time he sees the familiar walls of his home city, he's not sure he's ready.

But he'll do what he must. Because there's no alternative.

"I love you, too," he says and despite the confidence he tries to project, his mouth his dry. He blinks rapidly and then tugs her close for a fierce, tight hug.

"...I want this to be over with already."

But it won't be. Not for another day or two yet. And so he dresses and takes his lance and prepares to go into combat. It's going to be a long, bloody day and the worst part is he's going to be killing his own countrymen. Men and women who should be his subjects.

"Just stay safe," he tells her before they start. Before they really wade into blood.