Blue sea beneath the North star (FE3H)

Chapter 1: A peaceful start

(She doesn't know when exactly she began to be...infatuated with the leader of the Church of Seiros. It may happen after the first time she met Lady Rhea, with other new knights added to the army. Or maybe the time when a festival happened, and she could see the green-haired woman smiling? She looked gorgeous and kind, and maybe at that time, Lynden fell in love with the older woman.

Occasionally, she meets face to face with the archbishop. They talk about missions, about tasks, of course, with Lynden sometimes rambling about things on her mission a bit. Not only the woman has such a divine aura, a beautiful face like it had been carved by the Goddess, but she managed to make the young knight fall deeper into the rabbit hole with her voice. That deep, honey-sweet voice only made her clumsy around Lady Rhea. Not that subtle, she hopes. But she would baffle here and there, maybe flustered a little bit. She screams internally every time the archbishop smiles. Sometimes, she swore the archbishop smiled at her. DIRECTLY smiled at her. Like that one time at a festival. If she remembers, it was the Harvest Festival, to be exact.

And on many moments they meet, their eyes gazes meet one another. Lynden immediately looks away, trying to restrain not doing anything weird that would embarrass herself. Yet, occasionally, she does. And most of the time, she can sense the archbishop's mouth quirking up mildly.

She doesn't know if they tell her something. It's actually something going on between them?

Or...maybe she's being delusional.)

Oh, Goddess, those were splendid. Remember those moments before she goes to sleep that make her heart flutter. And a little ashamed of herself, either.

Lynden pinches her nose, stopping herself from the train of thoughts. Those were so unprofessional of her. Many years of training to be a Knight would lead to this moment, the moment where she would become a gay disaster in front of her superior like that? And if the archbishop or anyone knew...Lynden doesn't want to think about the result. Especially if her friends know about this, she will probably die out of shame.

Lynden starts to notice people are beginning to come to the Cathedral behind her as she stops spacing out. Students, staff, and some are talking, chatting with each other silently, preparing for morning prayers. Few students are coming out to her place at the balcony, refreshing themselves, waking up from their sleep. It begins to be crowded. And Lynden takes notice that she has been standing here for Goddess knows how long. People who go past her may give her an odd look as if they wonder what she is doing this soon and long.

'I should go and eat my meal then,' Lynden says to herself, giving one last look up to the tower, instead, she is surprised when she sees the archbishop no longer there. Ah well, she must have gone to do her work. Lynden should too. And she doesn't want to see the archbishop this soon at the day.

Stretching one last time with a yawn, the black-haired makes her way to the dining room, wondering if the meal this morning it's going to be soup.

The dining hall is crowded with people, mostly knights, and soldiers. It is quite a joy to see such energetic sights in a day. Groups of soldiers are talking, chatting about news, and laughing at any jokes that their friends make in the conversations. Others just eat silently, trying to finish the soup as fast as they can.

Lynden spots her friends, sitting to eat a spare meal, they must have got it for her. Hurriedly walking towards them, she waves at one of them, who spotted her and waved at her. She sits down next to Elias, who frowns his eyebrows at the soup. Struggling to place her legs in place under the table properly, then Lynden greets them.

"How is the soup?" The tall knight asks. That makes Elias snorts.

"Still plain for my taste." Elias says, stirring his soup bowl slowly, like a child playing with his food, "Can't ask too much about it these days."