Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem: Three Houses or its characters, I only own Blythe, Celine, and the changes in the plot that I make in the war phase.
Enjoy!
-------------------------------------------------
Last Time:
"There it is." Edelgard said. "Garreg Mach Monastery."
As the group got closer to the monastery, the gate keepers let them in when they saw the students and Alois. Once they got through the front entrance, Jeralt looked up.
"Rhea's here." He murmured suddenly. Byleth followed his father's gaze to see a woman with light green hair, and light green eyes. She had on a white dress, with a headpiece adorned with flowers.
On the balcony, Rhea had made eye contact with Byleth.
"I wonder...did the flow of time bring you here?"
-------------------------------------------------
Once everyone got inside of the front gates, Alois turned to Claude, Dimitri, and Edelgard.
"You all should get back to your classrooms. Your classmates are worried about you." Alois states. The three students gave various gestures of agreement, and then left to go to their classrooms. He then turned to Jeralt and his children. "I'll take you to Lady Rhea. Follow me."
Jeralt shakes his head. "I'll take them to the audience chamber. Go ahead and report to Rhea."
Alois nodded. He then went to go make his report.
Jeralt and his children then began to walk to the audience chamber, in order to wait for Alois to finish making his report to Lady Rhea.
On the way to the audience chamber, Byleth saw students in the same uniform as Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude. Celine saw a group of students together, and they all seemed to be familiar to her. Blythe saw another group of students, and one student stood out to her.
The student had pink-blonde hair, and held a peaceful aura around her. The student seemed around Byleth's age. Blythe saw the student.
"No way...It can't be her...Can it?" Blythe thought with widened eyes. She then took her eyes off of the student, and followed her father and siblings.
-------------------------------------------------
Everyone then got to the audience chamber, which was on the second floor of the monastery. The guards let Jeralt and his children inside, but the guards had unbelieving and shocked expressions on their faces.
The audience chamber had stained glass windows, and it also had an ornate floor.
"Beautiful...." Blythe thought with wide eyes and an awed expression on her face.
Jeralt chuckled at his daughter's awe, she always liked beautiful artwork. He then looked away, and shook his head. "It's been years since I last set eyes on this place. To be forced to see her now."
"Her?" Byleth questioned.
"You saw her earlier in the courtyard, didn't you? The archbishop, Lady Rhea." Jeralt told his son.
"The archbishop?" Byleth questioned at the same time as Celine asked, "Lady Rhea?"
Jeralt and Blythe looked at each other.
"As you all know," Jeralt started. "the majority of the folks in Fódlan are devout followers of the teachings of Seiros."
"And the leader of the Church of Seiros is the archbishop, Lady Rhea." Blythe added on.
Before Byleth and Celine could ask anymore questions, the side doors to the audience chamber opened. Everyone in the audience chamber looked at the newly opened doors. Two people walked in.
The first one was Lady Rhea, but the second one was unfamiliar to everyone. The second person was a male, and he seemed to look around Lady Rhea's age. The male had dark green hair, and dark green eyes. He also had dark green facial hair, and was wearing formal clothing.
Byleth looked between both people in front of him. Both had green hair and green eyes. Were they related in some way? As far as he knew, the green hair color was very rare in Fódlan. Byleth was snapped out of his thoughts when the man began to speak. "Thank you for your patience, Jeralt. My name is Seteth. I am an advisor to the archbishop."
"Hello." Jeralt responded. Lady Rhea then put her hands on her midsection. She then told Jeralt, "It has been a long time, Jeralt. I wonder... was it the will of the goddess that we have another chance meeting like this?"
Byleth, Blythe, and Celine all thought that Lady Rhea's voice sounded very serene and graceful.
Jeralt bowed down. He then said, "Forgive my silence all these years. Much has happened since we last spoke."
Lady Rhea set her gaze on Byleth, Blythe, and Celine. "So I see. The miracle of fatherhood has blessed you." She paused. "They are your children, are they not?"
"Two of them are." Jeralt replied. "Both of them born many years after I left this place."
Jeralt paused, and took a breath. He continued. "I wish I could introduce you to the mother of my children... but I'm afraid we lost her to illness."
"I see. My condolences." Rhea said. She then looked to Byleth, Blythe, and Celine. She then told them, "As for you all...I have heard of your valiant efforts from Alois. What are your names?"
"My name is Blythe Eisner, Lady Rhea." Blythe said while bowing down. Byleth and Celine followed Blythe's lead, and bowed down while saying their names.
"Fine names, indeed. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you all for saving those students of the Officers Academy." Lady Rhea thanked. Jeralt turned his head while saying, "Hmph."
"Jeralt. You already know what it is I wish to say, do you not?" Rhea said.
"You want me to rejoin the Knights of Seiros, don't you." Jeralt responded. He put his hand up to his head. "I won't say no, but..."
"Your apprehension stings. I had expected that Alois would have already asked this of you." Lady Rhea told Jeralt.
Byleth observed that his father and the archbishop might have been close. Lady Rhea then turned to Byleth and his siblings. She then spoke to Byleth. "I must step away for now, but I expect they will desire a word with you soon. Please listen carefully to what they have to say. Until tomorrow... farewell."
Lady Rhea and Seteth then exited the audience chamber. The doors closed, and everyone looked at each other.
"They?" Byleth thought. "Who was they? And why did they want to speak with me?" Byleth looked up when he heard his sister's name being called.
"Blythe," Said girl turned to Celine, who was the one who called her name. "How did you know what to do in front of the archbishop?"
"The person who taught me faith magic told me how to act in front of the archbishop. She thought it might be useful someday. And today, it was." Blythe explained. Celine nodded her head.
After that little exchange, Jeralt sighed, yet again. He said, "I can't believe it. Forced back into the Knights of Seiros."
He then turned to his children. "I'm sorry I dragged you all into this. Looks like I'll be here for a while... and it seems Byleth's services are requested as well."
"Why? As a knight?" Blythe asked.
"I must... work here?" Byleth was thinking to himself. Why would his services be needed? He then said, "As a mercenary?"
Jeralt shook his head. He then told his children, "Nothing like that. They want Byleth to teach, by the sound of it."
With the curious and blank expressions that he got, Jeralt then explained. "You heard those brats earlier talking about the Officers Academy, right? Well, the academy just happens to be short a professor. And apparently that damned Alois went and recommended you to Lady Rhea."
"Must I?" Byleth asked. Jeralt sighed while nodding his head. Blythe told her brother, "It is not wise to decline or ignore an order from the archbishop. I'm afraid you're stuck."
Byleth let his breath out in a sigh that was mixed with resignation and frustration. He didn't want to do this job, but he had to. Before Byleth could say anything else, the doors to the audience chamber opened. Two people walked into the chamber.
One was a woman that looked to be around her mid-thirties. She was wearing a blue and orange dress that was revealing, but the dress was primarily blue. She was also wearing a white overcoat. The woman had short, brown hair, brown eyes, and was wearing a lot of makeup.
The other one was a man that seemed to be in his fifties. He was wearing a brown overcoat with what seemed to be a green undershirt. He also had a monocle over his right eye. The man had graying hair, a graying mustache, and blue eyes.
The woman was making eyes at Jeralt. What the woman was doing made Byleth, Blythe, and even Celine uncomfortable. The woman then said to Jeralt, "So, you must be the new professor. My, how stern and handsome you are!"
"Er, no. I'm not the one you're looking for." Jeralt responded in a slightly bashful tone. His hand then firmly squeezed Byleth's shoulder. "You can handle things from here. Good luck. And..."
Jeralt's voice suddenly lowered. He warned his son. "Watch out for Lady Rhea. I don't know what she's thinking, making you a professor like this. She may be up to something. Stay on your guard."
Jeralt then said to his other two children, "Come on you two."
Celine gave Byleth a slight thumbs up. Blythe told Byleth, "Good luck, brother."
Both girls then followed their father. After Blythe, Celine, and his father left, Byleth turned around to face the two other people in the room. The woman was surprised that the new professor was Byleth!
"Oh. It's you then? So young..." The woman said.
"Competence and age are not necessarily correlated, as you well know." The man cut in. He then introduced himself, "I am Hanneman, a Crest scholar and professor at the Officers Academy. I wonder if you bear a Crest of your own. When next you have a moment to spare, I insist that you pay me a visit so we can delve into the subject further."
The woman then introduced herself. "I'm Manuela. I'm a professor, a physician, a songstress, and available. It's nice to meet you." The last part was in a flirty tone.
"You're a songstress?" Byleth asked Manuela. He had to admit that would make sense.
"Of course." Manuela replied. She then explained, "Before I came here, I belonged to a renowned opera company. Perhaps you've heard of me? The Mittlefrank Opera Company's beautiful, peerless-- "
"Spare our colleague the needless chatter, Manuela." Hanneman cut in suddenly. He then continued speaking to Byleth, but in a more formal tone. "Now then, it seems you'll be taking charge of one of the academy's three houses. I expect you haven't been informed on the nature of each, have you?"
"No." Byleth said while shaking his head. Manuela's face turned into a face of disbelief. "Do you really not know?"
At Byleth's blank face, she shook her head and told him. "Fine, I'll do you a favor and explain. The Officers Academy is comprised of three houses of students, each of which is closely affiliated with its region of origin. The Black Eagle House is for students from the Adrestian Empire. Their house leader is Edelgard, the Imperial princess, who is in line to be the next emperor."
"The Blue Lion House is for students from the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. Their house leader this year is Prince Dimitri. He is to be the next king of Faerghus." Hanneman added.
Manuela continued with, "Lastly, there is the Golden Deer House, which is for students of the Leicester Alliance. Their house leader is Claude, grandson to Duke Riegan, the leader of the Alliance."
Byleth had a triumphant thought in his mind. He did guess right. The three people his family helped were nobles.
"To think that the next emperor, king, and sovereign duke are all here. It certainly is a promising year for the academy." Hanneman mused.
"I'll say. I just hope none of those little treasures cause any trouble." Manuela added, with an emphasis on treasures.
"Hm, quite." Hanneman agreed. He then continued, "For now, I suggest taking a stroll around the academy to get your bearings. And when you've a moment, please stop by my research laboratory."
"The old man has a point." While ignoring Hanneman's glare towards her, Manuela continued. "Oh, and keep in mind that I've only notified the house leaders that you're our new professor. I suggest that you try spending time with the students. Some odd ducks in that bunch, but they're good kids. I'm sure Lady Rhea will have more information for you tomorrow, but that should get you going. Good luck, you'll need it."
Byleth nodded, and then exited the audience chamber.
-------------------------------------------------
A few minutes before Byleth left the audience chamber, Blythe, Celine, and Jeralt were outside of the chamber. They were about to go to the Captain's Chamber, when someone yelled out, "Wait!"
They all turned around to see a young girl with green hair and green eyes walk up to them, the girl holding two uniforms.
"Is one of you Blythe Eisner?" The girl asked. Everyone looked at each other. Blythe nodded with a confused expression on her face. She then said, "Yeah, I am. Do you need me for something?"
"The archbishop wanted me to give these to you. The silver one is for you, while the normal one is for Celine." The girl replied while giving Blythe the two uniforms. Blythe gave the original one to Celine, while unfolding the silver uniform.
"Aren't these the uniforms that the others were wearing?" Celine asked Blythe while looking at the uniform. Blythe nodded in affirmative.
"I'm guessing the archbishop enrolled us into the Officers Academy." Blythe told Celine. After the girl nodded to Blythe's statement, Blythe had a question. She then asked the girl, "What is the silver color on mine for?"
"The silver uniform is for students of the Officers Academy whose parents are in the Knights of Seiros." The girl replied. She then continued, "I'll show you two a place where you can change. By the way, my name is Flayn."
Flayn then showed Blythe and Celine to a place where they could change. Jeralt stayed behind, with him shaking his head. All of his children were stuck here, two as students, and one as a professor.
-------------------------------------------------
Blythe and Celine stepped out of the changing room that Flayn showed them.
"You both look amazing!" Flayn said while smiling widely. Blythe smiled softly at the young girl's joy. Flayn was about to offer her help to the two new students, when someone called her name.
"Oh! That's my brother. Sorry I couldn't give you a tour. I have to go." Flayn then bowed and walked away. Blythe and Celine looked at each other, clueless on what to do next.
"Find someone to give us a tour?" Celine suggested.
"That...would probably be best." Blythe responded.
Both girls then left the second floor to try and find someone who would give them a tour.
-------------------------------------------------
Once both girls got down the stairs, and on to the first floor, they looked around. Blythe looked to the left, and started to head in that direction. Celine frantically followed behind.
"Where are you going!?" Celine asked once she caught up.
"I have a feeling about over here." Blythe responded in a believing tone. Both girls got to the end of the walkway, with a door being to their right. Celine opened the door, and both girls walked in to what seemed like a training ground.
Students in the same uniform as Celine were training with their peers. There were a variety of weapons seen; swords, lances, axes, and bows.
"Watch out!" Someone yelled suddenly. Both Blythe and Celine turned to see a fire spell heading towards them.
In the heat of the moment, Blythe pushed Celine out of the way. She then quickly pulled out a fire tome from herself, and opened it. Blythe stuck her hand out, and a fire spell emerged from her fingers. The fire spell that she conjured absorbed the spell that the student who yelled casted. Blythe extinguished the spell in her fingers, and closed her tome. She then put the tome away.
"Oh my gosh! I am so sorry!" A student said while running over. The student was a female, and she seemed around sixteen years of age. The girl had orange hair and blue eyes. She then asked, "Are the both of you alright?"
"Yeah, we're alright." Blythe said. She then asked, "What caused you to let go of the spell?"
"One of my classmates touched me on the shoulder. I was startled, so, I let go of the spell. Oh, and the classmate that touched me is a bit of a ladies man." The girl explained. She then pointed to where the classmate was. "Another one of my classmates is admonishing him right now."
Blythe and Celine looked to where the girl was pointing. They saw a red-haired boy around nineteen years of age being admonished by another student. Once Blythe got a look at the other student, her eyes widened. She then called to the student in an excited tone.
"Hey! Dimitri!" Said person was looking around. Blythe then said, "Over here!"
Dimitri looked over to see Blythe waving her hand. He walked over to them while saying, "Blythe, Celine. What a surprise!"
"What are you all doing here?" Dimitri asked. Blythe twirled around and smiled widely while saying, "The archbishop was kind enough to enroll us in the Officers Academy!"
She then rubbed the back of her head, and spoke in a sheepish tone. "But... we kind of need a tour around the monastery."
"We only got here by Blythe's lucky wandering." Celine said in a unimpressed tone. Dimitri nodded and turned to the orange-haired girl. "Annette, do you mind giving Celine a tour around the monastery? I told Blythe I would give her a tour when we got here, but I got sidetracked."
"I can give her a tour! It's the least I can do after what happened." The girl, Annette, told Dimitri.
"Thank you." Dimitri responded. He then turned to Blythe, and asked her, "Shall we take our leave?"
At Blythe's nod, Dimitri bowed to the boy, Annette, and Celine. Both Blythe and Dimitri then left. Annette and Celine followed after them. The boy was left behind with widened eyes.
"Did he just say Celine?" The boy said to himself. He then shook his head. "Could that be her? Did we finally find her after all this time?"
He then left the training grounds with a thoughtful expression on his face.
-------------------------------------------------
Annette and Celine went straight from the training ground, while Blythe and Dimitri went to the left.
"I know it's redundant, but, I'm really sorry about what happened earlier." Annette told Celine while putting emphasis on really.
"It's fine. It wasn't your fault." Celine responded. She then said, "Annette, right?"
At Annette's nod, Celine continued. "Don't let past actions cloud your judgement. I know what you did was an accident, so don't let it get to you too much."
After contemplating what Celine said, Annette nodded with a smile on her face. Annette then continued the tour around the monastery, with a reinvigorated spirit.
-------------------------------------------------
Dimitri and Blythe went to the left of the training grounds. While walking, Dimitri asked Blythe a question. "How did you know where the training ground was?"
Blythe put a finger on her chin. She then said, "I don't know how, but I did. Like Celine said, we only got there by my wandering. I guess I had a feeling about that direction."
Dimitri was quiet for a few seconds, until he responded with, "Fair enough."
"I don't know how, but, Celine seems familiar to me." Dimitri added suddenly.
"Were you a part of her past? She barely remembers anything before four years ago." Blythe responded.
Dimitri nodded. He then realized the timeline.
"Four years ago...that was the Tragedy of Duscur! I wonder, is Celine who I think she is?"
AN: Another chapter complete! A few tidbits about Blythe and Celine have been revealed. Who was the person that taught Blythe faith magic, and who do you guys think Celine is?
All answers will be revealed in due time. Until then, enjoy the story!