Emerald Rain

Vanished:

"Please, your highness I've spent years honing my skills for just this situation, watch and learn" Sylvain said confidently then he walked outside of his room to deal with the girl. Dimitri waited a few minutes until Sylvain returned.

"So how'd it go?" Dimitri asked.

"Boy, your highness you know how to choose them" Sylvain sighed "I think you can imagine she was upset, and very insistent that she would be the next queen of Faerghus" he added "I did however get her to agree to leave you alone but... she wants to be the person you do the first dance with at the ball" Sylvain said.

"Whatever it takes to get my freedom back," Dimitri said.

"Hmm... I'm a bit surprised by that response" Sylvain said "I figured you'd want your first dance to be with Byleth" He added "I suppose there is no use dwelling on it though" he sighed "As of today you're a free man Dimitri, Go be free" Sylvain shouted while shoving Dimitri out of his room.

Dimitri walked around the monastery by himself for the first time in a month, he made his way to the training grounds when he got there he saw Byleth and her Father Jeralt training the orphans. Dimitri laughed a little at the thought of her roping her Dad into helping as well. "Dimitri" Jeralt called out "Come join us in training these kids" he added, Dimitri complied he went over there and picked up a sword. "Alright now you and Byleth demonstrate to the kids how to use a sword" Jeralt said, and both Byleth and Dimitri followed his command. As they fought each-other Jeralt was giving instruction to the children on what they should be looking for in their postures and swings. Once they finished training the kids Jeralt turned to them "Hey did I tell you kids that I'm assigned to teach your class this month?" Jeralt asked. Both Byleth and Dimitri looked surprised "Heh I don't think I've ever seen you look that shocked kiddo" he said to Byleth while tussling her hair. "I'm a bit surprised too kiddo, I thought Rhea might send me on some mission so that I wouldn't be able to do it this month" Jeralt added, and Byleth nodded. "Anyways I've got to get some things for the lecture from my office so I'll see you two in class" Jeralt said leaving Byleth and Dimitri alone.

"Should we head to class?" Dimitri asked Byleth and she nodded, the two walked in silence for a while, "Thank you for your help Byleth" he said referring to her help with the orphans., "Please allow me to express my gratitude by taking you to dinner" Dimitri said.

Byleth seemed surprised at Dimitri's gratitude, she paused for a moment thinking it over "I would be delighted" Byleth responded.

Dimitri seemed pleased by her response "Fantastic, Please think about what you'd like to eat, After all such magnificent guidance must work up quite an appetite" Dimitri said "You know I've studied swordsmanship for quite some time, but your mercenary skills are something else entirely" he said excitedly "Speaking of which, there's... another question I must ask you" Dimitri said hesitantly, and Byleth looked at him curiously. "Were you reconciled with the reality of battle from your first foray?" he said "With... the killing part, I mean" Dimitri added quietly.

"No, It was never easy" Byleth sighed.

"I see," Dimitri said.

"And you?" Byleth asked.

"No... I do not carry that burden well, I doubt that will ever change, no matter how many years come and go" Dimitri sighed "The first time I led on the battlefield, I was sent to quell a rebellion in the west" he said "It was not a difficult fight, the enemy was not well trained and their morale was low" he added. "A swing of the lance, and your opponent falls. A flash of your blade, and a path opens up. That's the sort of battle it was, easy... right?" Dimitri said, shaken.

"What caused the rebellion?" Byleth asked.

"The noble area from that area sought to seize the throne after my Father's untimely death" Dimitri said sadly "The leader of the rebel army was defeated and the rebellion quelled, This was the height of the post- war period" he added. Dimitri began telling Byleth about this locket he came across on a dead soldier's body that held a lock of hair in it. "I don't know to whom it belonged to, his wife, his daughter... mother, lover... I'll never know"Dimitri sighed "He was a soldier, an enemy, someone we had cut down without hesitation" he added "But in that moment, I realized he was also a real person, just like the rest of us" Dimitri said sadly. "Of course we cannot stand idly by and allow anyone to commit senseless acts of violence" he said passionately "Yet in dispensing what we call justice, we take the lives of cherished family members, Beloved friends" he sighed "Killing is part of the job, but even so... There are times when I'm chilled to the bone by the depravity of my own actions" Dimitri said sadly.