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Felix Hugo Fraldarius was never a man of small talk. He was never a man who dabbled with nonsensical things. He was a man of action with a nearly unrivaled skill with the blade and with a tongue just as sharp as Sylvain once described him to Ingrid. 

He was never a man who cared what others thought of him. 

The death of his older brother Glenn caused Felix’s disillusionment with the ideas of chivalry and virtue. These are the very values that his father Rodrigue esteemed the most—even more than his own son’s life. "He died like a true knight," he would remember his father saying, as if he was even pleased that he lost his own flesh and blood in a senseless sacrifice. After all, King Lambert and his noblemen were still assassinated in the event became known as the Tragedy of Duscur.

This was when the easygoing Felix that Sylvain, Ingrid and Dimitri knew from childhood started to change.

He ceaselessly trained day and night as strength was what mattered to him  —it was what only mattered to him—for without strength he could not protect anything. Soon he was enrolled by his father to the Officer’s Academy in Garreg Mach Monastery to become a refined nobleman, yet his initial time there did little to change his perspective in life. That is, until he met two people.

The newest professor, Byleth, caught Felix’s attention after hearing about his skill and reputation as a mercenary.

It was Byleth that made him forsake the Blue Lions’ House just to be closer to the professor that the Black Eagles has grown to be so fond of. He wasn’t alone in this curiosity-turned-admiration as the professor’s mysterious charisma attracted students from other houses to join in as well. 

The growing number of students under Byleth’s care proved to be a nuisance to Felix, as he has no intention of getting along with anyone other than the professor. But little did he know that a fellow recruit from the Blue Lions, the heiress of House Dominic, Annette Fantine Dominic, will catch his attention as well, albeit in a completely different manner.

One day, Felix decided to stay off the training grounds in order to evade his childhood friends. He had enough of their pestering: Ingrid nagging him not to skip his Military Tactics classes and Sylvain telling him to go out of the monastery to hook up with some girls.

“Damn those two. I should be training right now instead of eluding them,” Felix growled in visible irritation as he walked passed the dorms. The expression he wore quickly frightened the recluse Bernadetta back into her room.

As he approached the fishing area, Felix heard Alois loudly praising Jeralt, Byleth’s father. He peered to confirm his assumption that beside the boisterous instructor was his professor Byleth, fishing in silence.

Felix was poised to speak to him until he heard an all too familiar voice.

“Hey, Felix! Come on, I was just kidding earlier!” Sylvain’s voice filled the air. 

“You’re looking for him, too?” Ingrid’s voice came in soon.

“Oh, let me guess. He walked out on you?” Sylvain asked expectantly which was answered by a deep sigh from Ingrid.

“Yes. I was telling him to stop skipping Tactics Class. Seteth is already getting furious about his repeated absences,” Ingrid exclaimed in exasperation. “I know it's such a pain but Felix won’t be able to graduate if he can’t at least pass that class!”

Sylvain chuckled, “Perhaps you should be less, you know, naggy? Felix is bound to ignore you if you tell him off like that—”

“Speaking of which, I heard from Seteth that you were asking Flayn out! How many times must I tell you that—”

The voices which kept on growing louder and seemingly nearer prompted Felix to rush to the place where the two could least find him.

The greenhouse.

He knocked on the closed door as a formality, but as he received no response, he let himself in. He was gearing to hide behind the various plants in the greenhouse when he heard someone singing.

“Today's dinner is steak and then a cake that's yummy yum… Now it's time to fill my tummy tummy tum…!”

Felix raised an eyebrow at the peculiar lyrics but found himself gravitating towards the source of the voice.

“Oh, this mountain of sweets, and treats that I long to eats… Oh, stacks of steaks and cakes and crumbs and yums…”

He discovered someone dancing around quite gracefully while singing; a familiar face, a knight renowned for her footwork and grace while using a rapier. 

It was the fellow Faerghus noble who was also drawn to the professor, Annette.

Annette continued her little performance as she watered the plants in the greenhouse. She had her eyes closed yet she knew when to pour water down from the watering can as she moved around.

“I hope I’m not interrupting.” Felix started.

Her eyes widened in shock and, right after realizing that she had an audience all along, her bewildered expression turned to that of embarrassment when her eyes met Felix’s cold stare. “Felix! You weren’t listening, were you?”

The Fraldarius heir didn’t even bother denying what he saw to spare the poor girl the bulk of her embarrassment. “I heard enough to know that you're hungry.”

Felix is hungry as well and Annette singing about steaks, his favorite meal, made him crave for a juicy slab of meat.

The cakes can go down the dumpster for all he cares.

“No! I mean… well, yes,” Annette initially denied Felix’ assumption but soon found herself agreeing after her own stomach rumbled, though that was the least of her concern at the moment. “At least tell me you didn't see the dance?” 

The graceful moves were still fresh in Felix’ mind and in one of these rare instances, he decided to pay her a compliment for it. “You have nice footwork,” Felix remarked while remembering that knight with a rapier.

He heard Annette’s stomach rumble which further embarrassed the poor girl. “Get something to eat. I can take over watering the plants.” 

Instead of just scurrying away as he expected, Annette remained quiet with her mouth wide open.

“YOU’RE EVIL, FELIX!”

Felix was called many things many times before by his peers, and now, “evil” is added to that ever growing list. The response was completely unexpected, though, as Felix thought Annette wasn’t the type to outright call someone names.

“And you’re shouting.” Felix said in irritation after the unwarranted yelling he received.

“You can't just spy on people while they're singing without even saying anything! It's not right!” Annette said with her face hardening to mask her embarrassment.

“I actually did call out that I was coming in. It's not my fault you didn't hear.” Felix reasoned with a shrug. It was a lie as he simply knocked earlier.

Annette was taken aback, never suspecting the small lie Felix responded with.

“Well... You need to speak louder, then!” Annette unreasonably argued before placing a hand on her head as if having a headache,  “Ugh, this is so embarrassing... And of course I was singing some silly food song I made up. I should have been singing about... bears! Or swamp beasties!”

The moment those words came out of her, she felt like an idiot in front of Felix by divulging the fact she had many other ‘silly’ songs in her vocal arsenal.

“I didn't realize there were songs about bears and swamp beasties.” Felix chuckled in amusement which only further incensed Annette. “That food song seemed to be close to your heart. Your stomach isn't far from your heart after all.”

Annette gritted her teeth together while clenching her fists, feelings of humiliation began to overtake her sense of reasoning. 

“Oh, you are the worst!” Annette shouted before running away with her hands on her face out of the greenhouse. 

Felix raised an eyebrow as he watched the Dominic girl leave. 

“Huh. What was that about?” He glanced at the watering can Annette dropped on the ground and towards the plants that Annette failed to water due to his untimely intervention.

Seeing as he felt some sort of strange pity to the plants, Felix picked up the half-filled watering can and started to pour down on the unwatered plants that Annette left behind.

“I better water these plants. Wouldn't want them to get thirsty, or they might start singing too.” Felix snorted at the nonsensical thought.

Finding Annette weird, Felix couldn’t help but feel… refreshed not by her display of dancing but that voice of hers. It was… soothing and he was willing to bet she could match Dorothea if only she sang songs that were more… practical.

Starting that day, Annette started looking at him whenever she could at class, and being sharp-eyed due to his training, Felix could easily tell she was looking at him — glaring, even.

For what reason, he doesn’t know, and to be honest, it was beginning to bother him as he couldn’t even focus in writing down notes in classes that Byleth teaches. Who would have thought that the kind and hardworking girl he used to ignore could unsettle him? 

Nonetheless, in mock battles and bandit extermination, Annette didn’t allow such an incident to cloud her judgment when helping out Felix against their opponents.

Days passed after that ‘incident’ and ever since then, Felix couldn’t get the voice out of his head. He thought he was going crazy about being bothered by the nonsensical nature of Annette’s song combined with her warm voice and so he decided to listen in on Dorothea singing when he passed by a classroom where Dorothea and Edelgard were talking. 

“Hail the mighty Edelgard, though red blood stains her story… Heavy as her crown may be, she will lead us all to glory... To a brighter dawn, we shall carry on... Hail Edelgard!”

Felix shook his head as he left before even hearing the future empress’ reaction to the impromptu song Dorothea sang for her. He focused more on the distinct style between Dorothea and Annette. Strangely, he found Annette’s style better than the opera quality voice of Dorothea.

“Ugh, I need to train with someone to clear my head of this damn thoughts.” Felix growled as he made his way to the training grounds. 

Only to be greeted by a familiar voice. 

“Hey Felix!” Sylvain called out after spotting Felix.

“Oh for the love of the Goddess!” Felix exclaimed out before he left for the opposite direction. He may want to distract himself from his thoughts about Annette but he didn’t want to risk the potential headache Sylvain is about to deliver to him with his antics.

Unfortunately, fate wasn’t kind to him as Sylvain caught him.

“Hey, Felix, you free? You don't look very busy. Let's go find some girls to chat with.”

He snapped at Sylvain on that day as a result.

Another day passed by.

This time Felix came out of Byleth’s office after the latter summoned him over his loss of concentration in his studies (not that he had good grades anyway) and training. He got whacked multiple times in the head while training against Ingrid which rarely happens due to his skill.

Byleth calmly asked him what was bothering him but Felix didn’t reveal anything and blamed it on lack of sleep, a claim Byleth didn’t believe but Felix didn’t care if he bought it or not.

Why would he tell anyone else about his growing obsession over his classmate’s voice?

Classes for the day ended and the bell toll was Felix’ signal to head out to the training grounds as usual.

Yet, today is not the usual day as Felix planned on going elsewhere.

“Hey, Felix! Wanna go spar with me? I think I can beat you today considering how you’re so… out of it today.” Sylvain teased in his usual happy go lucky voice but Felix ignored him and didn’t respond as sharply as he used to.

“Not today Sylvain. No training for me today.” Felix dismissively said as he went on his way, leaving Sylvain gobsmacked.

“Huh? Sylvain? What are you doing standing there with your mouth open?” Ingrid asked and looked around for any sign of girls.

“Doesn’t look like you have another victim today…”

The Gautier heir looked at Ingrid with a shocked look, “F-Felix isn’t… training today.”

“Yeah…. So…?”

“Felix? Doesn’t want to train? Are you serious? We all know Felix doesn’t waste any time outside training and eating! Him refusing to train means something’s off about him!” 

Ingrid rolled her eyes. “Maybe you should stop wasting your time skirt chasing and focus more on training and interacting with your friends? I swear Sylvain, you can be quite—” She nagged on, but was eventually disregarded by Sylvain.

Going straight to the greenhouse, Felix stopped short of entering it.

He couldn’t comprehend why he was standing in front of the greenhouse again, emulating what he did on that fateful day. He doesn’t even know why the Dominic heir is constantly in his mind like a pesky parasite gnawing every span of his attention.

Opening the door to the greenhouse, Felix made sure not to make a noise as he entered only to be met by the sound of singing. Only this time, it was a different song.

“Sing with me a song… of vicious bears and swamp beeeaastieeees!”

Felix hid behind one of the moss-covered pillars supporting the greenhouse as he listened to Annette singing the song she mentioned a few days earlier about bears and swamp beasties.

Again, nothing was holding her back as she sang one of her silly songs again with such a soothing voice while dancing around as she watered the plants with ignorant bliss.

“The bear and swamp beasties song she mentioned… It’s as silly as the food song before.” Felix whispered to himself.

Goddess, he wanted to listen more. That voice, that intoxicating sweet voice that captivated and altogether bothered him these past few days. He wanted to listen more, he, a no-nonsense man is listening to a nonsensical song coming from probably the sweetest—

“Felix? W-What a-are you doing behind the p-pillar?” A voice, a nervous one at that, snapped Felix off of his reverie to see Bernadetta standing in front of the door leading out of the greenhouse.

“W-W-Wha-- A-A-Are you here to ambush m-me because I ran away f-f-from you?!” She looked afraid seeing Felix while the latter had no idea what in the world the Varley heir was talking about.

“Bernadetta…?” Annette by now had ceased her singing to see Bernadetta looking scared to death looking at someone behind the pillar.

Before Annette could even ask or check for herself who Bernadetta was speaking to, Felix blitzed his way out of the greenhouse and ran straight out of the monastery gates to get himself lost in the town outside Garreg Mach.

Bernadetta barely held in her misguided terror. “C-C-Can I s-s-scream n-n-now…?” 

The month of the Ethereal Moon arrived meant one thing for the students of the academy: the most awaited ball is coming. Most students looked forward for the ball and fawned over the idea who they’ll dance with.

Felix, on the other hand, was not one of them. He had more pressing matters to attend to and that involved the recent events of Remire Village and the betrayal of Tomas, now known as Solon.

Felix knew that Byleth and Edelgard were also taking these recent developments seriously as they witnessed what happened in Remire Village and their encounter with the enigmatic Flame Emperor, who later denied any involvement. 

That battle in Remire Village and Sylvain’s near-death encounter with the Death Knight was one of Felix’ worst moments. He thought he was ready to face against the imposing figure but all he received was a grave cut to his body that still stings until today. 

“This is stupid.” Felix grumbled while wandering around the monastery, barred from training due to his injury. He heard nothing but the majority of the students getting pumped up about the ball and the White Heron Cup. 

Sylvain would have casually told him to lighten up but he’s too busy picking up girls to dance with in the ball. This is a blessing for Felix as he didn’t want to have a headache on top of his wound. 

“So, Annie, I heard someone asked you out to dance with for the ball?” Mercedes’ voice reached his ears but it was not her voice that took his attention but the name she spoke. 

It was followed by a nervous laugh from one of the classrooms that Felix was about to pass by. He hid as he couldn’t help but want to hear this person’s answer. 

“Yes…” 

“So, who is he and what did you tell him?” Mercedes asked with a tinge of excitement.

“He’s just a former classmate from the Blue Lions house.” 

Felix waited with bated breath what her answer was to the second. 

“I had to reject him… I… I don’t… dance…” Annette reasoned which was followed by an ‘oh’ from Mercedes.

“That’s too bad Annie, I really wanted to see you dance for once before we graduate.”

Annette laughed as she and Mercedes poised to exit the classroom. 

“Oh, Mercie… but I don’t really dance—” Annette’s voice trailed off when she caught sight of Felix who was hiding beside the doorway. 

The look in Felix’ face says it all, at least in Annette’s mind.

‘You know you can dance’ was Annette’s translation of Felix’ facial expression especially those eyes of his, as if judging the way she lied to her best friend. 

‘Please don’t tell her, please don’t tell anyone!’ were the unspoken words of Annette’s pleading eyes towards Felix.

After what seemed like minutes, Annette stormed off while hiding her face with her book. Mercedes ran after her in a bid of confusion. 

“Annie? Annie!” 

Felix watched the two friends run with a confused look.

“Huh…” Felix murmured to himself before resuming his journey towards the dining hall to get some food to eat.

“Hah!” Sylvain exclaimed while trying to hit Felix with a practice lance which the latter parried with his own practice sword.

A few days have passed and thanks to Manuela’s treatment, Felix has nearly recovered from his injuries from the Death Knight and promptly accepted Sylvain’s challenge in order to hone his skills further after days of no training. 

“Man, even with some minor bruising you still move too fast.” Sylvain complained while having one of his smiles albeit a tired one. 

“You’re just lacking in training.” Felix snorted before taking another swing at Sylvain which the Gautier heir barely blocked with the pole of his lance. 

“Say Felix, the ball is just in a few days… any luck securing a partner?” Sylvain asked in an attempt to catch Felix off-guard.

Felix frowned and kept his offensive towards his childhood friend with flurry of slashes that were parried. 

“I have no time to attend to such petty matters.” Felix responded with his usual ice cool tone. 

Sylvain chuckled, “You’re still the same. I was hoping that blow you took from the Death Knight would knock some fun in your head.” Sylvain joked with a wink.

Felix and Sylvain then engaged in a bladelock as the former began to retaliate to the word war his friend started.

“Then how about you? Have you asked Ingrid out yet?”

The question threw off Sylvain’s composure as Felix landed a fierce kick on his stomach and nearly rung his head like a bell with a strong overhead slash that Sylvain barely blocked.

“Wait— ah, come on, Felix, you know Ingrid would more likely slap me silly if I dared to ask her out.” Sylvain tried to play it cool by joking but Felix saw through it all and spun around to land a blow on Sylvain’s unprotected back, earning a grunt of pain from Sylvain.

“Concentrate, Sylvain, you’re going to end up in the infirmary if you keep on having Ingrid in your imagination.” Felix knew he got him with his own (rare) quip, a small measure of revenge for all the quips Sylvain has thrown in his way.

“What’s with the sudden mention of Ingrid anyway?”

“I know you, Sylvain. Don’t think of me as a fool like I think of you as one.” Felix responded while assuming a stance while Sylvain was inwardly blushing like the color of his hair.

Sylvain then thought of a comeback to Felix.

“Disregard the dance as much as you want but we’re all required to do so.” Sylvain responded which earned a raised eyebrow from Felix. 

“Didn’t you know? Lady Rhea actually made it a requirement for everyone to at least dance once, she said the ball is about improving the bonds the students have to each other.” Sylvain reasoned which caused Felix to be caught off-guard with the notion of having to perform such a flimsy dance to an event that doesn’t interest him.

Sylvain saw this as a chance to get back at Felix by swinging his lance which was parried swiftly by Felix 

“I wonder who will have the honor to dance with the great and cold Felix Hugo Fraldarius at the ball?” 

“Shut up.” Felix growled and launched a savage assault towards Sylvain despite straining his healing body.

“Might it be one from our class? Dorothea maybe? Bernadetta? Uh, no, she would faint…” Sylvain pondered as he blocked Felix’ blows.

“Mercedes?” Sylvain blocked another strong blow before uttering what would become the last name he would mention within the day 

“Maybe Anne—”

Sylvain couldn’t finish saying her name as Felix landed a strong blow to his head that was enough to knock him out cold. Felix looked down on his defeated friend.

“I told you to concentrate, you fool.” Felix scoffed before leaving Sylvain knocked out on the ground, taking his leave from the training ground with a blush creeping on his cheeks.

The night of the ball came.

Felix stood by himself at a corner of the ballroom, hiding himself behind the students who were watching the initial participants of the dancing floor: the boar prince, Dimitri and Edelgard as they danced with their respective partners to kick off the ball.

Felix scoffed at how prim and proper Dimitri looked, acting like a refined gentleman yet he knew that isn’t who Dimitri is deep within that gentle exterior of his. Though, he kept such a comment to himself. 

The Fraldarius heir watched as Sylvain finally stopped fidgeting and drank a glass of juice before setting it down on a nearby table. Felix watched as Sylvain finally worked his way towards Ingrid and offered his hand.

Ingrid was surprised that Sylvain approached her first for a dance among many other girls but seeing how Sylvain looked so uneasy trying to get her to dance with him, Ingrid sighed and took his hand. 

Sylvain led Ingrid into the dance floor but not before he gave Felix a look, a look which made Felix glare in response. 

Felix watched as his classmates slowly went to dance with their partners but what took him by surprise were the girls who flocked towards Byleth for a chance to dance with the mysterious but popular professor. 

“I wonder how he’ll get out of this predicament.” Felix questioned in amusement as Byleth looked indecisive in front of the mob of girls waiting for him to accept their invitation.

That is until a lone hand grabbed Byleth’s arm and dragged him into the dance floor which even made Claude spit his drink in surprise to see that the professor’s daring rescuer was none other than Lysithea. 

Felix’ eyes wandered some more as majority of the students have already taken their partners to dance until his eyes darted to Annette who was still sitting alone near a table. She smiled at Mercedes who have just accepted an invitation to dance. 

Annette was finally approached by a boy from another class and while it visibly irked Felix, he still made no move and simply looked back at those currently dancing. 

He caught sight of Sylvain gesturing his head towards Annette’s direction. His childhood friend then winked at him, goading Felix further. 

Finally letting go of his restraint and disgusted by the notion that someone else would take her for a dance, Felix made his way towards Annette, and pushed the student who was inviting her away before taking Annette’s hand. 

“Come.” Felix said as Annette was pulled away from her seat and towards the dance floor which shocked the others who knew him. 

“F-Felix! W-What are you d-doing?!” Annette stammered while blushing as they reached the dance floor with Felix doing the customary bow to her. 

“Dance with me.” Felix responded before placing one of his hand on the side of Annette’s waist and holding the other hand with his. 

“B-B-But—” Annette protested and feebly tried to resist the intense look Felix was giving her. “Y-You can’t just d-do that!”  

“Dance with me or I’ll tell everyone here about your singing and dancing when you think you’re alone.” Felix said with a threatening tone which immediately cowed Annette as Felix hit her greatest weakness. 

Despite her initial protests, Annette began to move in tempo with Felix’ own moves as they danced along with their peers. Felix’ copper eyes never darted away from Annette’s blue ones as if it was the only thing he could look at. 

Annette’s eyes widened when Felix’ hard eyes softened and his mouth pursed into a smile—a bright smile that was uncharacteristic of the Fraldarius heir—and yet she was witnessing it up close! 

Felix himself didn’t know he was already smiling like he won a grand victory against a strong opponent, something which Annette didn’t make a comment of as they stared at each other in blissful silence as the dance went on. 

It made both their hearts flutter with joy despite earlier reservations about the dance.

As the event went on, Felix and Annette both found themselves outside the ballroom. Felix could have sworn he saw Byleth heading to the Goddess Tower after escaping the mob of women desiring him to be their dance partner after the stunt Lysithea pulled. 

Both sat on the opposite ends of the wooden bench as the moon light dawned on them. To say the two were shy from each other was an understatement, they were downright feeling an intense amount of embarrassment to what they just did in front of many people.  

Felix, most of all, wondered what came over him when he pushed away the boy who asked Annette out, was he… jealous? Was the thought of her dancing with another boy repulsed him so much? 

Felix peeked at Annette to see her back facing him, almost as if she didn’t want to see him. The way she acted made him feel something heavy. He felt like it was his responsibility to do something he hasn’t done for quite a while. 

“Annette… about earlier… I’m sorry…” 

Annette didn’t respond as Felix scooted closer. 

“Annette—” 

Everything happened so quickly for Felix, even with his lightning fast reflexes honed by days of training he couldn’t anticipate what Annette did to him. 

She kissed him. 

On his right cheek. 

Done in one swift motion, it is almost as if she planned ahead and simply waited for Felix to move into the perfect position. 

Felix’ eyes widened as he finally saw Annette’s smiling but furiously blushing expression, her face was as red as Sylvain’s hair. 

“Thank you. I had fun...” She said with a shy smile before standing up from her seat and ran, leaving Felix frozen on his seat as his mind tried to process what Annette just did. 

The warm and soft lips that planted itself on his cheek still felt fresh as if it was still there, she was so close enough that he could smell the aroma of her hair and skin that nightly breeze carried on when she left. 

Felix then placed a hand on his cheek before he smiled to himself. 

He finally understood what he was feeling these past few days. The constant thoughts of her voice, her dance and her cheerful expression. The feeling of jealousy on the thought of her being with another boy. 

He was in love with her. Hopelessly.

Though, their feelings wouldn’t come to any sort of fruition following the set of events that transpired after month of the Ethereal Moon.

The increasing toll and magnitude of such events didn’t give them any opportunity as the assassination of Jeralt in the hands of Monica, now known as Kronya, left the whole house mourning. It was also the first time Felix along with the rest of the students saw Byleth show any explicit emotion as he mourned Jeralt’s untimely death. 

The students under Byleth felt compelled to help their professor get justice for Jeralt’s death. After all, he was the reason why they all came together in one house and in their own way contributed to track down those responsible for the professor. 

Just a month after Solon and Kronya were slain, Edelgard then revealed her goal she has been plotting for quite some time: A revolution against the Church of Seiros and those who support it. However, her exposure of the Church was seen as propaganda to propel her own selfish goals of domination for the Empire. 

Despite their fondness and loyalty to the professor, some of the students were still in conflict over the matter since a lot of them had existing loyalties to their families and friends who are part of the Empire’s enemies such as the Fraldarius, Dominic, Gautier, Ordelia and Galatea houses. 

Though in Felix’ case, he didn’t care about his existing loyalties to House Fraldarius and by extension, Faerghus, due to his disdain over the values they held such as chivalry and virtue, which lead to his own misgivings on how his older brother died. That and his strained relationship with his father and Dimitri made his decision to cut ties easier, though not without difficulty. 

Sylvain and Ingrid both decided to join Edelgard’s goal to abolish the Crests and nobility system in order to avoid being treated as mere breeding machines of Crest-bearing children. However, only House Galatea agreed with the decision and Sylvain was promptly disowned by House Gautier for his allegiance to Edelgard. 

Annette, on the other hand, was particularly the most conflicted due to her loyalty to House Dominic and her father, Gilbert (formerly Gustave) being sworn to protect the Church of Seiros. 

Thankfully, Edelgard gave those with doubts and conflicting loyalties safe passage out of the upcoming battle to return to their families and friends as long as they don’t join the forces defending Garreg Mach.

“Annette!” Felix called out as he rushed outside the ruins the Black Eagles Strike Force and Imperial Army made camp in after hearing that Annette was one of the students who would leave the army to rejoin their families out of loyalty. 

The Dominic girl looked back at Felix just as she was about to mount a horse packed with her belongings on her way back to Faerghus. 

“Felix…” She gave him a sad smile as she also spotted Mercedes trailing behind Felix with a sad but understanding look upon her face. 

Mercedes has her own reasons for staying despite her reverence to the Goddess. Mercedes believes that the Goddess is real but the institution that claims to represent her interest was as corrupt as Edelgard claimed and the Crest system they imposed has been nothing but a tool for people to use instead of serving those in need, that and her lingering attachment to her brother in the Empire was enough reason. 

“I’m sorry Felix… I… I can’t possibly turn against my family…” Annette reasoned as if predicting what Felix would inevitably ask of her. 

Felix shook his head and approached Annette closer as Mercedes watched the two. 

“I don’t want to see you on the battlefield.” Felix said. 

Annette knew what he meant, she knew it would break not only Felix but also Mercedes if they came to meet her on the opposite side but she couldn’t afford to make a guarantee of it. Not with her father and her house supporting the Church of Seiros. 

“Felix…” Annette murmured and saw how conflicted Felix was with whatever was on his mind. 

“Just don’t let me see you on the opposite side.” Felix said with a harsher tone as he turned around to take his leave until Annette grabbed the sleeve of his shirt.

Felix turned around to see what’s up until Annette pulled his hand and opened his palm to place something in it. 

It was a silver necklace with a pendant that has the shape of a sword pointing down. 

“I wanted to give this to you when we graduate but I don’t think that’s possible now,” she lamented.  

He wanted to say something. He wanted to admit his long bottled feelings yet for all the time he needed the courage that was ever present in him, it failed him today. 

Felix stared silently at Annette, then at the necklace, as her hands slowly parted from his. She said Mercedes’ name as a way of farewell before she mounted her horse and rode away from them, never looking back. 

That day, Felix felt like a piece of him left with her. And that was just the beginning.

It didn’t take long for Felix to also lose a piece of himself yet again.

The defenders of Garreg Mach were defeated in their first assault against the Church of Seiros, but not without casualties, as they have lost the professor they have all admired and respected, Byleth. 

Edelgard and most of the students refused to believe that the beloved professor was dead and held out hope, but Felix, with his soured view, accepted the harsh truth and, thus, he had no more reason to fight for the Adrestian Empire.  

One day, he simply vanished without a trace, nary a word to Sylvain or Ingrid for his departure. 

For the past five years, Felix wandered Fodlan and the lands around it. Getting work as a mercenary and devoting himself to training in order to prevent the memories of Annette and Byleth weigh him down. 

He had been in and out of several mercenary groups, even those that used to work for Jeralt and Byleth, hearing more stories of wonders for the latter’s skill in battle. 

Felix never cared for the happenings of the war, though he would hear about houses switching allegiances or losing its members, or territories being lost or gained, during his wandering. 

For what he knew, the war was at a stalemate with the Empire basically fighting a three-way war against Faerghus, the Alliance and the Church of Seiros. 

Felix would often ask from soldiers of the Kingdom if House Dominic has ever suffered any loss but much to his relief, it seems that Annette has been doing well and out of the war. Such news gave him peace for some time as he kept staring at the necklace Annette gave him as a keepsake. 

He never wanted to go back to Faerghus and even if he did, it would be a death sentence for him since he has been spotted and made it clear via a letter to Rodrigue that he won’t be coming back to serve the boar prince, effectively disowning himself. 

Having nothing else to fight for, Felix devoted himself to honing his already deadly skill. He wanted to become stronger with the ways of the blade yet in his most private moments, he would question himself: What is he truly gaining strength for? What was the purpose if he can’t use that power for something? He felt shallow… empty… 

It was until the fifth year that during his time in a bar in Dagda, Felix heard what is probably the most interesting rumor he has heard during his wandering days. A rumor that spurred him to go back to the very place he wouldn’t think of returning to.

It was the month of the Ethereal Moon of the year 1185, the very same month five years ago that Felix forced Annette to dance with him that has the result of something that Felix fondly remembers during his travels. 

He has returned to Garreg Mach, still a shadow of its former self after it was besieged by Edelgard and in place of the flags of the Church of Seiros flapping in the air, the flags of the Adrestian Empire adorned it. 

The town near the monastery was still alive as a camp of the Empire were situated just outside the walls of Garreg Mach. After being questioned by the guards at the gate, Felix was allowed passage after someone recognized him. 

It is at this time that Felix questioned the people within the now Empire controlled monastery of the validity of the rumor he has heard. The rumor that prompted him to return. 

Byleth returning from the dead. It was too good to be true, a person missing and presumed dead for five years? Returning? 

Though the irony isn’t lost to Felix as he too would have been likely regarded as such. 

Walking through the entrance hall that is being dusted off and ascending the stairs, Felix was making his way towards the reception hall to ascend through the stairs to the second floor, knowing that Byleth was at Rhea’s former office with Edelgard and Hubert. 

As if Felix hasn’t had enough of surprises in the past week since he heard from Dagda the news, there was one more surprise awaiting him. 

“Felix…?” 

The former Fraldarius heir stopped dead in his tracks when he heard the very thing he had been dreaming all these years to hear again. The very memory of the voice that kept him sane while in his bloodlust in battles. 

Felix turned around to see that the girl he had been yearning for since his days in the academy. She has drastically changed yet maintained the air of familiarity. 

She had finally let her hair loose and longer as they were nearly encircling her scarf-covered neck and, he must admit, she was a sight to behold.

“Annette?” Felix called out in response after finally finding the will to speak after gawking at her, just as how Annette was gawking at his matured and more defined features.

The two had been unknowingly getting closer and closer to each other until they were only a short meters away from colliding.

Neither spoke anything as the two stared at each other’s eyes with intensity as the one when they danced. Copper eyes met with blue eyes, losing each other in the color.

Felix then noticed Annette’s eyes moistening with tears after losing each other in their eyes and just as Felix was about caress her cheeks, he was met with a strong force across his face.

Annette slapped him hard with so much force that it made him look on the side. Felix leered at the corner of the hall as he tried to process what Annette just did.

“Y-Y-You…” Annette’s voice trembled as she struggled to unleash or bottle up her emotions. 

“YOU’RE EVIL, FELIX!”  

Felix looked back at Annette to see tears streaming down from her eyes to cheeks as she looked at him with so much pent-up anger. 

“You disappeared for five years without telling anyone! Not even Sylvain and Ingrid! And you just come back here waltzing like you never left and didn’t make people worry?!” 

Felix raised an eyebrow over what Annette just said but the Dominic girl wasn’t finished. 

“PEOPLE MOURNED FOR YOU, FELIX!” She yelled as loudly as she could as more tears streamed down. “I MOURNED YOU!” She wiped the ever flowing tears with her gloved hands. 

“You guys thought I was dead?” Felix foolishly asked which served to stoke Annette’s ire more than it should. 

“Anyone would think you were dead! No one heard anything from you for years!” Annette retorted back. 

Annette wanted to say more but she began to sob more than she could handle as she covered her face. 

Felix watched in pain as Annette cried before him, he was happy that Annette still cared enough to mourn him during his presumed death, yet he felt sad and guilty for even giving her reason to grieve and cry. 

It pained him and it angered him that he couldn’t find the right words to assuage her, except for wrapping one arm around her body, drawing her closer to his and placing his other hand on the back of her head in an attempt to calm her down. 

“Annette… I’m sorry.” Felix apologized as he attempted to console her. 

“I hate you… I hate you…” Annette muttered repeatedly but made no attempts to resist Felix’ hold on her. 

Felix sighed and gently pulled Annette’s hands away to reveal her tear-stained face. Out of instinct, Felix wiped any traces of tears from her eyes with his thumbs before touching the sides of her face like he intended earlier. 

“Annette…” 

“Felix…” 

“FELIX!” 

Before Felix could even do something he had in his mind, he was tackled by an armored red-head and blondie which resulted with the three of them falling to the floor. Annette awkwardly watched Felix in pain from the sudden tackle he received. 

“Felix, you miserable sack of pegasus crap!” Sylvain shouted towards him, his normally composed and easygoing expression was replaced with an angry one, furious to what Felix has subjected him through during his disappearance. 

“I can’t believe you’d disappear on us like that! Did you have any idea what everyone felt when you left? What we felt?!” Ingrid shouted as she held on to the collar of the inner clothing beneath his armor. 

Felix growled at the two “I can see how you two are still annoying as ever,” he said and tried to gently pry away Ingrid’s hands on his collar but Ingrid firmly held on to him. 

“Don’t ever do that again.” Ingrid said as she tried so hard to keep her tears at bay, better than Annette could do. Even Sylvain tried to hold back the tears. 

Sylvaid and Ingrid pulled Felix to stand up, then pulled him into a crushing embrace that surprised Felix. He made no attempt to fight back despite the nearly suffocating condition he is in. 

“Welcome back Felix, am I glad to see you again.” Sylvain murmured as Felix simply closed his eyes and gave the two a pat on their backs. 

“Do that again and I’ll chain you to a training dummy that I would use for practice!” Ingrid nagged on, being less forgiving than Sylvain but nonetheless happy for Felix. 

Felix scoffed before he heard more footsteps coming his way to see Byleth arriving at the hall with Edelgard and Hubert, Felix’ eyes widened at seeing Byleth unchanged by the flow of time. His eyes briefly darted away from the approaching professor to see Annette giving him an indignant look and scoffing “Humph!” and left the scene.

After being welcomed back into the Black Eagle Strike Force by Edelgard, Felix quickly challenged Byleth into a duel in order to prove to the professor how he has grown over the years, a challenge Byleth accepted for old time’s sake. 

Sure enough, even if it was by an inch, Felix managed to nabbed his first victory against the esteemed professor. A feat that Byleth congratulated him for and, in that moment, the two shared a moment as Felix pondered on why he carries a blade. 

What meaning was there in gaining strength? His reason for wielding a blade in the first place was to defeat his brother Glenn. After he passed, it seemed like Felix lost all reason, yet he clung to the ways of the sword as if the memory of Glenn lingered on to it. 

Why would he seek more for his endless pursuit of power? For what purpose does he wield a blade now besides defending himself? Is this the extent of his resolve? To defeat someone in replacement to being unable to defeat Glenn? 

“You already have a reason again. You just don’t know it yet.” were Byleth’s only response before he bid Felix farewell to attend a war council.

“I can’t believe you beat the professor on a sword fight.” Sylvain said in disbelief, taking a sip from the mug of ale in his hand as the two friends drank at a bar on the town outside Garreg Mach. 

“I barely beat him, I reckon that once the professor trains and gets his grip back, he’ll be beating me in no time. If what he said is to be believed, he has been in a coma for the past five years.” 

Felix took a sip of his own mug of ale, having initially disliked the alcohol but grew used to it as it was the readily available drink in taverns he has passed by during his wandering years. 

Sylvain suddenly chuckled upon remembering a memory. 

“What’s so funny about me losing?”  Felix asked with an annoyed frown. 

Sylvain shook his head “I’m not laughing at that… it’s just that I remember that time when we were kids. We were so curious on what wine tastes like that we drank a glass in the cellar then Ingrid caught us and promptly told your father.” 

“You dragged me into that foolishness.” Felix retorted with mirth.

“And here we are, drinking our hearts out for the first time together.” Sylvain laughed before washing down his throat with another drink of ale. 

“Ingrid should have come with us if it weren’t for waking up early tomorrow to lead a scouting party to Myrddin.” Sylvain lamented at the missing member of their night out. 

“I am surprised she cut her hair off after all those years of growing it out.” Felix mused, itching to know from Sylvain the reason why Ingrid kept her hair short. 

The red-head chuckled “It’s for practical reasons. It was hard for her to keep riding a pegasus in the air without her hair tossing around and the wind was against her, her hair obscures her face and vision.” 

“Figured as much.” Felix plainly said as if his hunch was proven correct.

Sylvain readjusted his seat to face Felix more. 

“Haven’t you noticed anything?” 

“Noticed what?” 

“I haven’t asked you out to pick up on some girls like I used to back in our days in the academy.” Sylvain smirked but Felix remained cautious on whatever Sylvain is planning. 

“Isn’t that an accomplishment?” Felix sarcastically said before sighing. “Alright Sylvain, I’ll bite, what is this about?”

“I stopped doing that sort of thing shortly after you disappeared.” Sylvain admitted and looked at the ceiling of the war with a nostalgic look. 

Felix was still doubtful that his friend could have change for better or worse in his skirt-chasing. 

“Why? What could have possibly stopped from doing that?” 

There were a few moments of silence as Sylvain didn’t quickly answer as a small shade of red crept into his cheeks for what he was about to tell the wandering swordsman. 

“Ever since you were gone… Ingrid and I only had each other. You know how Dimitri is impossible to reach out to anymore as we’re basically traitors to his eyes now.” Sylvain began as Felix gave him a nod to continue. 

“I had been keeping feelings to Ingrid for a while now--” 

‘That was pretty obvious already.’

Felix mentally rolled his eyes and kept his comments to himself. 

“And I couldn’t bear it anymore and worked out my confidence to actually tell her. Man, you should have known how hard it was to convince her that I was being serious.” Sylvain continued while reminiscing that torturous moment when Ingrid wouldn’t believe any word he said, not knowing Sylvain was actually being serious for once in his attempts.

Felix took another drink from his mug. 

“Color me impressed, you actually managed to do something significant for once in your life while I was gone.” 

Sylvain stared at Felix for a while before chuckled again with a toothy grin. 

“All those years and your sharp tongue hasn't dulled one bit.” Sylvain remarked before lightly smacking Felix’ back with his hand. 

“I’m glad… for both of you.” Felix said. Sylvain was caught off guard at the fact that Felix said something nice to him for once. 

Felix continued, “I didn’t think Ingrid would find it in her heart again after Glenn…” 

The former Fraldarius heir remembered his older brother once again and how Ingrid was already beginning to fall in love with him before his untimely death. 

Sylvain’s grin dropped for a bit at the mention of Glenn and how it affected Felix, sporting a melancholic look while reminiscing the past. 

“She made me promise not to get myself killed after I told her I'll protect her... Can you believe that?” Sylvain said in an effort to snap Felix out of his reverie. 

Felix scoffed yet smiled at the naive thought “It's a foolish sentiment since we're all risking our necks here but not an unfounded one.” 

Felix then turned to Sylvain and gave him an approving look. 

“Don't be like Glenn and you'll be fine. Don’t give Ingrid a reason to feel that way again.” Felix said as Sylvain stared at him in surprise before he smiled and silently thanked him for the kind words. 

“So… what about you and Annette?” 

Felix spat out his drink from the surprise question, choking quite harshly. “What about her?” he coughed out, trying to play it cool in a poor attempt to conceal whatever he has been hiding. 

Sylvain’s lips pursed into a smug smirk after seeing Felix’ reaction to his inquiry. Such things rarely happen and to get some dirt on him is once in a blue moon. 

“Don't give me that Felix! Ever since the ball, that stunt you pulled and how she reacted after seeing you again? I'm not that big of a fool like you believe me to be!” Sylvain’s smirk grew wider after seeing how Felix tensed up and took another drink. 

Felix put down the mug of nearly depleted ale on the wooden round table. 

“This conversation is over.” Felix said in finality and was about to stand up to avoid having to deal with Sylvain getting into his affairs involving Annette. 

Sylvain wasn’t bothered and seemed like he was expecting such a reaction. 

“Who would have thought someone could actually warm that cold heart of yours?” Sylvain continually pressed on as Felix began blushing, he glared at Sylvain. 

“Sylvain, you are just a few words away from getting mourned by Ingrid. Shut. Up.” Felix growled threateningly but the blush on his face makes him less threatening for his friend. If it was someone else, they would think Felix’ red face was the result of the alcohol he has been chugging. 

Felix prepared to leave Sylvain to drink alone until Sylvain stopped laughing and sighed. 

“Don't let another year pass by Felix. You'll never know what could happen. Why wait when you can tell what you really feel before it's too late?” Sylvain suddenly spoke while taking another sip of ale.

Felix froze in his spot just as he was about to open the door to leave the bar that the two occupied privately. 

Sylvain then tapped his fingers on the table with his right hand while still holding on the mug of ale on the other. 

“Felix, this war... It changes a lot of things. For all our lives, Ingrid and I had our lives dictated by the fact that we possessed a Crest.” Sylvain said in a serious tone void of any of his usual jovial jests. 

"If we win this war for Edelgard then Ingrid and I will have a chance to start anew. We could finally live and be seen as normal people. We won't be seen as a stallion to stud and a mare to breed anymore. We could finally live a life we choose, not dictated because we were bred, born and got lucky the Goddess blessed the right child.” 

Felix looked down at his hand holding the door. 

“Then try not to do something stupid and die out there before you reach that dream of yours with Ingrid.” Felix said.

Sylvain smiled and glanced at Felix’ back.

“Don’t let fate dictate, that’s not you.” Sylvain said, hinting on Felix and his long bottled up affections for a certain someone as he watched Felix leave the bar. 

“Find your happiness like I did.”

Myrrdin wasn’t that hard of a fight for the Black Eagle Strike Force except when Judith of Daphnel managed to stall enough time for reinforcements to come. 

It was a long battle but Byleth managed to win over Judith, breaking the morale of the Alliance forces and just as Acheron the Weathervane was escaping, he was intercepted by the troops led by Felix and Ferdinand, with the former proceeding to kill the treacherous and cowardly lord. 

Their victory against the Alliance drawing near, Edelgard immediately set her sights on ending the war against the Alliance by targeting Derdriu, the Aquatic Capital of the Alliance and seat of House Riegan led by Claude. 

Derdriu was a harder battle as they had not only the strongest force the Alliance could muster to contend with but also Claude’s strategic brilliance which included an unexpected arrival of Almyran forces that Claude somehow managed to recruit to his aid. 

If it were not for Byleth’s ingenuity, they would have suffered bigger losses but thankfully they succeeded in capturing Claude and Hilda. 

Despite Edelgard’s supreme authority as the empress, Byleth’s merciful decision allowed Claude and Hilda to be free, taking Claude’s word of surrender. 

Claude returned shortly to congratulate Edelgard for her victory as well entrusting the fate of the Alliance into her hands, saying his final farewell to both the empress and the professor before leaving for Almyra with Hilda in tow. 

What they planned to do after was unknown to them but from how Claude sounded like, it seems Claude and Hilda will have nothing to do with Fodlan anymore.

The Imperial army celebrated in Garreg Mach for vanquishing the Alliance and adding their forces into their ranks, with one enemy down, they can now focus on their main enemies: Faerghus and the Church of Seiros. 

After the festivities of the Imperial army ended, Felix found himself wandering in the monastery, having nothing else to do as he was still recovering from minor injuries he sustained in the battle in Derdriu. 

Wandering towards the library, Felix heard an all-too familiar voice singing a totally new song that he couldn’t help but feel mesmerized with. 

“Oh, how I just love to clean. Clean the library room! Just takes a flash of light and then it all goes boom!” 

Felix chuckled in amusement at the silly lyrics Annette sings with as she dusted the library shelves with a feather duster, why she’s cleaning the library is far beyond his understanding but he cared none for the reason as it made the girl sing. 

After days of not talking to her due to the affairs of the war, Felix mustered up the courage to stop hiding as she sang and went inside the library just as Annette turned around to clean more of the bookshelves. 

“A flash and then a big boom!” Annette chimed in, ignorant of the approaching presence behind her. 

“If you blow up the library, where will we put the books?” Felix asked amusingly.

“A flash and then a big– BAH!” Annette screamed out in surprise after noticing a presence behind her and out of surprise or most likely, reflex developed from constant warfare, Annette accidentally launched a Wind spell that Felix barely dodged and instead hit a bookshelf that resulted with the books being shredded (from getting hit directly) or falling from the shelf due to the force of the spell. 

“Are you trying to kill me?!” Felix yelled out in shock after he was inches away from getting his neck sliced from Annette’s strong wind-based magic. The amused smile he held faded. 

Annette was also furious at Felix sneaking up on her and apparently watching her again. 

“What are you doing here, Felix?!” She yelled back as more books fell from the shelves that were affected by Annette’s spell. 

Felix looked at Annette with a scowl at the audacity of the Dominic heir on getting angry at him when she was inches away from severely injuring him. 

“I heard singing.” Felix responded before another row of books fell from the shelves behind him. 

Annette grimaced at the mess she made with her magic as well as nearly hitting Felix with it. Days of fighting in the war has made her too cautious, often forgetting to control herself in using her magic. 

“Well… at least you really did what you were singing.” Felix commented and glanced at the fallen books, broken sheljves and those shredded into pieces of paper flying around the library. 

“I guess that’s what happens when you blow up the library.” He continued with a sweat dripping down from his brow, the lingering question about the song in his mind answered as Annette covered her face in embarrassment. 

“Oh, today of all days…” Annette murmured with regret. “I should have chosen a different song...” 

“A different song? Like what?” 

Placing a palm on her forehead like it was in pain, Annette sighed, still avoiding Felix’ questioning gaze. 

“Any of them! The box song! Or maybe the dungeon song!” Annette responded in exasperation. 

Felix chuckled and his lips pursed up amused.

“Now those sound interesting.” He said which didn’t exactly do anything to help Annette feel at ease on the mixture of feelings she has at the moment.

 Annette finally looked at Felix with an intense glare. 

“No, they're just regular songs! Oh, forget it. Why am I even talking to you after that stunt you pulled!” Annette curled her hands into fists as she remembered her anger to the former Fraldarius heir. 

“Excuse me?” Felix asked, unaware of what Annette was pointing out and even thought of what he did in the previous battles might have made her distressed. 

“Are you really going to make me say it? Before! You disappeared on everyone for five years without caring what we’ll feel?” Annette exclaimed with an indignant look. 

Felix frowned at her, “Are you still going on about that? Last I remember you left us too!” He pointed accusingly at her.

“At least I properly said my farewells to all of you! I tried to keep in touch with Mercie and others but you!” Annetted pointed at him accusingly as she raised her voice. 

“You made us believe you were dead! You didn’t consider what we--- what I felt!” Annette shouted at him as tears threatened to fall down from her blue eyes. 

Felix felt hit by both her words and her sorrow-filled expression, he curled up his hands into fists, frustrated on himself. 

“Annette.” Felix began as he finally decided to bare his reason for suddenly disappearing on everyone after Annette left and Byleth was presumed dead. 

“The day you left, something inside me left as well despite giving this to me.” Felix then reached within the collar of his shirt to reveal the silver necklace with sword pendant that Annette gave to him, hugging his neck all these years. 

Annette’s eyes widened, the pendant may have some slight scratches but it was still mostly intact.

“Then the only person I ever respected after Glenn died, the professor, seemingly died during the Siege of Garreg March. It’s like the two reasons why I kept looking forward for vanished so quickly before my eyes.” Felix’ eyes were looking at Annette’s but his mind wandered to his memories of seeing Annette ride away to the sunset and Byleth being blasted away to a ravine by Rhea. 

Annette’s eyes softened, her flaring emotions for Felix disappearing and being presumed dead were stymied as he began to show some vulnerability. 

“That’s why I left the Black Eagle Strike Force after the Imperial Army succeeded in taking Garreg Mach. I wandered the lands in and outside of Fodlan trying to find a reason why I swing my blade besides defending myself.” 

Felix then looked at the palm of his right hand. 

“I found no answer to that question until I returned to this place.” 

Annette’s cheeks flushed red as she realized what Felix meant and the latter was also feeling his cheeks heat up at his admission. 

“Felix… I…” 

“Looking at this--” Felix touched the pendant that Annette gave to him once more. “And remembering those silly songs in my head were the only ones that gave me comfort during all those years.” 

The Dominic girl then held Felix’ hand that was holding the pendant and squeezed it.

“Annette…” 

“Felix…”

“WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE GODDESS HAPPENED HERE?!” 

Felix and Annette jumped up in surprise, they looked at the doorway leading in and out of the library to see Hanneman and Manuela with a shocked expressions on their face upon seeing the messy state of the library. 

The one who shouted that provided the untimely interruption of their moment (yet again) came from Hanneman who was immediately angered at the sight of books and tomes of severely damaged or outright destroyed by Annette’s earlier use of magic. 

“Some of these books are far older than any of you! To have such precious books destroyed by your juvenile delinquency-- AAAHH! IS THAT MY FAVORITE BOOK OF CRESTOLOGY?!” Hanneman shouted out, aghast with more shock and despair as the book he recognized was one of his favorites as well as the book that aided him so much in his research.

 “Oh pipe it down Hanneman! Can’t you see these two are trying to release their long bottled mutual pining for each other?” Manuela giggled while placing a hand on her mouth, amused at Hanneman’s distress and the budding development she could see between Felix and Annette. 

“Apologies for that you two, I am keen to just hiding and listening to both of you finishing whatever you are doing but Hanneman had to come in to ruin it.” Manuela winked at Felix and Annette who both blushed furiously red.

Without a word of farewell, Annette did what she did best when getting extremely embarrassed: Run away. 

She left Felix to his fate of receiving the brunt of Hanneman’s verbal assault on him.

Twas the night before their march towards Fhirdiad, Felix sat alone on the steps of the stairs outside the dining hall. 

The Imperial Army was fated to cross the Tailtean Plains, a place of great historical importance in Fodlan as it was the site of the battle between Nemesis and Saint Seiros. It also served as the site of battle of the War of the Eagle and Lion, a battle where Faerghus would gain its independence from the Adrestian Empire. 

It seems that Tailtean Plains is fated to be a battlefield to determine the future of Fodlan’s people as for the third time in its history, Edelgard’ revolution against the Church of Seiros will decide the outcome of the war and Fodlan’s future. 

Felix stared at the stars dotting the skies above the monastery, unable to get some much needed sleep he needs to be ready for the massive battle. 

All because he hasn’t found some peace after he killed his father, Rodrigue, in the Siege of Arianrhod. That battle was when Ingrid and Sylvain tried to convince Felix not to participate in it after finding out Rodrigue was in charge of the defense with Cornelia. 

Felix insisted, wanting to show his father that he can cut his own path, a path that isn’t hindered by foolish ideals that Rodrigue claimed is the foundations of their house: Honor and Chivalry, values that cut Glenn’s life short. 

It was a harrowing battle for Felix, his father was an accomplished knight as well as bearing the title of the Shield of Faerghus, gave him a hard time trying to breach Rodrigue’s defenses. 

That and his conflicting feelings fighting his own father that suddenly surfaced as they both fought heatedly. Felix knew Rodrigue also felt the same way despite admonishing him for abandoning his family and Faerghus. 

“So, my foolish son... You took it upon yourself to leave your family behind.”

“I'm not coming back. I won't serve the boar.”  

“It's a father's duty to settle his child's failures. Felix... You must die here and now!”

Those were the last words father and son exchanged until Felix landed the killing blow to Rodrigue as in his dying moments, Rodrigue expressed remorse for unable to give victory to Dimitri and wished him victory instead of sharing his final moments with Felix. 

Felix felt his blade suddenly feel heavy the moment he killed his own father and despite the Imperial troops celebrating and venerating him for slaying a key commander of Faerghus’ army, Felix felt no sense of gratification. 

He didn’t care of the succeeding news after their victory in Arianrhod as he kept silent and aloof afterwards. 

“Felix…?” 

Felix snapped out of his own thoughts as he heard Annette’s voice calling out for him, he glanced behind him which leads to the top of the stairs he was sitting on to see Annette wearing a long white nightgown that covered her entire body from top to bottom. Her hair was gently tossing around from the late night breeze. 

“What are you doing still up?” Annette asked worriedly, aware of what Felix went through, she wanted to do something for him yet Felix didn’t even allow anyone to come near him as he brooded over Arianrhod. 

“I should ask you the same thing.” Felix responded before staring back up at the night sky. 

Annette then descended down the steps and sat herself down beside Felix, the latter didn’t even acknowledge her action and instead kept staring at the sky. 

The Dominic girl tried to find the right words to start a conversation, wanting to snap Felix from his brooding until Felix unexpectedly broke his silence. 

“What will you do when you fight your own father when he defends Rhea?” 

Annette’s eyes widened at the sudden question, her blue eyes perplexed that somebody beside herself asked a long standing question that has been hounding her ever since joining the Imperial Army. 

What if her father, Gustave Eddie Dominic, now masquerading under the name of Gilbert Pronislav was to face her in the battlefield especially considering how Rhea is reportedly joining the front lines in Tailtean Plains? 

Will she ever have the resolve to fight him like Felix did with Rodrigue? 

Felix patiently waited for her to answer be it entertaining his sudden question or rejecting it, understanding her reasons for the latter.

“I think you should know why I left Faerghus and my family there knowing I’ll be branded a traitor and a heretic.” Annette began, taking a few deep breaths as she was about to share what she witnessed. 

Squeezing her hands together in a semblance of a prayer as well as shivering from the breeze, Felix noticed this and took off his fur cape, wordlessly placing over Annette’s shoulder. 

Annette smiled at his thoughtfulness. 

“Thank you.” 

Felix merely nodded and awaited her to tell her story. 

“When I returned to Faerghus, I continued my own studies of magic while trying to tend to my house’ affairs with the concern of the people living under our rule. I didn’t want to participate in the war and just wanted to help without fighting.” 

Annette then looked down to the end of the stairs. 

“Then as the war went on, the people were beginning to get unsettled especially when Edelgard spread out word about the Church of Seiros’ manipulations and how the Crest system they have been preaching about that were purportedly the gift of the Goddess have done nothing but let those from the nobility take advantage of their ‘blessing’ to step on the common people just because they can. It began to garner sympathy from the common people who were unhappy with the way they were governed by their ruling house.”

Annette closed her eyes as if remembering something painful. 

“People began speaking out against the nobility and the church, it all started as whispers among them until people began speaking out publicly. One of those who spoke out against the Church of Seiros was a commoner I knew who fell on hard times on a neighboring land adjacent to Dominic territory.

They started to publicly speak out the ideals Edelgard has been pushing on, a world where a person can rise and fall from their own merits rather than being lucky enough to be randomly ‘blessed’ with a Crest.” 

Felix briefly remembered Sylvain and Ingrid’s comments on such ideals and how they supported it. 

Annette continued on “Then one day while I was in Fhirdiad for an official audience with Dimitri on behalf of my house, I saw that commoner friend of mine in the gallows along with others. Rhea stood before them and accused them of supporting the words of heresy and committing treason by the thought of agreeing with Edelgard.” 

The Dominic girl tightly held the cape Felix covered her shoulders with. 

“Rhea executed them just for speaking out Felix! She hung them while I just stood among the people watching the execution, doing nothing to prevent it! It wasn’t right!” 

Annette exclaimed out, remembering the sound of the horrifying cracks of their necks and the terrified expression they hold as they hung in suspension. 

“They only wanted to vent out their frustrations and they were killed for it, all while my father stood at the side with a stoic expression as Rhea preached and sent a message to anyone who would dare speak against the Church’ teachings.” 

Felix’ eyes were unchanged but to hear such a story was a first to him, he knew Rhea would execute those who pointed a sword against the Church but to execute people just for speaking out their frustrations? 

“What did you do then?” Felix asked. 

“I tried talking to my father, telling him it wasn’t right to execute those people just for speaking out but he told me not to speak a word against it lest Rhea or any of her zealots hear it. I begged him to leave the Knights of Seiros and instead return to us to Dominic territory but he refused, saying he had abandoned his name and identity as Gustave and he is nothing but Gilbert now, a Knight of Seiros.

It was then that I finally realized that the father I knew was truly gone, I tried to at least persuade him but every time I tried it became more apparent that he was a broken man trying to redeem himself for his failures and eventually forgot those who still mattered to him. He cared more about redeeming himself for failing to save King Lambert than us.” 

In that moment, Felix looked at Annette in another light. She was just like him, both their fathers cared more on who or what they believe in rather than the people who truly mattered to them, in both cases: their children. 

“I decided to leave and join the Imperial Army after that, asking Mercie if I can be granted safe passage.” 

Felix clenched his fists “He's no different than my father. He cared more about some king rather than his own family.” 

Annette simply looked down as she hugged her legs closer to her chest. 

“Be that as it may, it still hurts. At one point in our lives, we held great importance to them once but now even we're too far gone in our paths already... that's why I already accepted the fact that I will have to fight my father when I see him. It’s ironic, we turned out like them in a way.”  

Annette lamented the twist of irony that they are now fighting against their own homeland and their family who supports it, turning their backs against them to support a cause they deem just.

There was a moment of silence between them once more, an uncomfortable one at that as they both lamented their choices and the consequences of their actions and in Felix’ case, what he would do after the war’s end.

 “Annette.” Felix called out.

 “Yes?”

 “Sing something.”

 Annette raised an eyebrow as Felix looked away from her, unknown to her that Felix was beginning to blush at such a bold request he made. 

“What? Why?” 

Felix shrugged, still not looking at her way. 

“I don’t know, maybe it might help me get some sleep.Take my mind off of things, might help you too.” 

Annette narrowed her eyes and smiled.

“Okay fine, maybe this once. What do you want to hear?”

 Felix chuckled at the question and how their conversation was taking a turn for the better following the depressing topic they had.

 “What else is there beside the food, library, bears and swamp beasties song?” Felix looked at Annette with a hint of teasing in his rare smile which Annette pouted to. 

“You’re mean you know that?”

 “People say that a lot yes.” Felix agreed, acknowledging the label on him by others after years of hearing it repeatedly.

 Annette puffed up her cheeks in response until Felix nodded.

 “I'd like to hear all of them. If you don't mind. Starting with the library song, in full.” Felix then said a word that he never thought of saying to anyone. 

“Sing for me. Please, Annette?”

 His request and the accompanying gentle tone with it made Annette’s heard skip a bit before she blushed red.

 “Well… Okay. Just this once…”

 As Annette sang any song she could, Felix sat and listened blissfully while staring up at the night sky before staring at Annette as she sang with her eyes closed, singing her heart out silly song after silly song.

 Unknown to the two, as Felix listened while Annette sang, the two leaned on each other’s shoulders.

 “Better?” Annette asked as Felix realized Annette has finished every song she could muster yet despite her effort, Felix wasn’t anywhere satisfied. 

“I wanted to hear more.” Felix smiled at her. 

Annette giggled at him before lightly smacking his shoulder at his insistence to hear more. 

“Then my songs would make you stay more awake than fall asleep silly! That beats the purpose why you asked me then!” She retorted playfully. 

Felix made no denial of it however. 

“Perhaps... maybe that's just what I want right now. You and me, together like this.” 

“.... Felix…” Annette blushed at what Felix was implying to her, all smiles and giggles left her as Felix turned to her. 

Finally finding the courage that has long eluded him, his smile faded and was replaced by a solemn look with intense emotions in his copper eyes. 

Making a quick prayer to the Goddess hiding somewhere near a certain someone, Felix prayed nobody dare to interrupt them this time. 

“Sylvain told me not to waste anymore time in what I have been feeling for a long time now… I already accepted it.” 

“A-Accepted what…?” Annette asked as her heart pounded rapidly against her ribcage, feeling as if it was about to burst through it. 

Felix rubbed the back of his head. “The night when we danced during the ball, when you kissed my cheek and left. I already knew what I felt towards you.” 

The former Fraldarius heir stood up, an act that Annette mirrored, still clinging on to the fur cape wrapped around her shoulders as she and its owner stared at each other. 

"I am in love with you." Felix admitted resolutely as his cheeks blushed a deeper shade of red. 

“Ever since I heard you sing, I hear your voice everywhere I go and even in my sleep. It's like... I'm your captive." 

Felix then took a bold step and held Annette’s shoulders, still covered by his cape.

"I don't want anymore regrets. I don't want anymore unspoken feelings. For five years, I yearned to hear you again and here you are. And If I may die in the next battle then at least I died knowing that I finally had the courage to tell you my feelings.” 

After uttering his confession, Felix felt like a floodgate was opened within him, unleashing long bottled feelings he kept to himself all these years. The yearning for her voice, to see her face and to share the same space with her, he wanted her badly. 

He finally cracked the puzzle to Byleth’s cryptic answer to him after they dueled, he finally found someone he could use his strength to protect with. He wanted to protect her smile and hear her voice in every waking moment. 

Felix didn’t know what reaction to expect from Annette and it came to such a surprise to him when he saw tears flowing down from her beautiful blue eyes. 

Before Felix could do something, Annette launched herself to Felix’ chest and tightly held on to his clothes. 

“You dummy! Don’t you ever casually say something about dying after telling me such things!” 

Annette cried on his chest as Felix tried to process where he went wrong with his confession, why would she cry? 

“You’re such an idiot!” Annette cried out and just as Felix processed what was happening, Annette pulled away and suddenly grabbed the sides of Felix’ face and pulled him to her. 

Felix’ eyes widened when his lips crashed with the warm sensation of Annette’s lips, he felt something unnaturally and in response, he wrapped his arms around her. Closing his eyes as he kissed her back, massaging his own lips into hers as they blissfully enjoyed their moment. The moonlight dawned on them as if blessing them for their newfound love. 

What seemed like an eternity that both were willing to spend to, Felix and Annette pulled away, parting their lips from each other as they breathed desperately for air. 

“I love you too Felix.” Annette responded raspily in between her breaths as they embraced each other. 

Pressing their foreheads to each other, feeling the warmth of each other as they hungered more of such contact. 

“It maybe selfish of me to say this but I want to hear your voice and those silly songs of yours in every waking moment of my life.” Felix admittedly uncharacteristically desiring someone’s company more than he desired his own solitude. 

Annette then wordlessly held Felix’ hand and proceeded to lead him to her room, Felix didn’t have time to process what Annette had in mind when she locked the door and embraced Felix once more, her eyes lovingly looking at him yet there was something else… 

She was shivering, biting her lip before finding her confidence and kissed Felix again, with each passing second more intense than the previous one until both found each other on the bed. 

She wanted him so badly, she just realized how much she wanted to be with him all these years and she did not want to waste any second of it as the greatest battle of their lives looms. 

Felix finally began to understand what Annette was trying to do, despite her anger at him for implying his possible death in the upcoming battle, Annette wasn’t naive enough of such a dreadful possibility. She wanted to consummate their newfound relationship, not wanting to regret not doing so if one of them falls in the next battle. 

On other room beside Annette’s, Bernadetta desperately tried to shut down the ensuing noises by covering her ears with her pillow as the night went on.

Waking up with Annette snuggling on his chest was probably the best morning Felix had as well as hearing her voice first thing in the morning when she moaned as if dreaming something pleasant. 

“Hmm… yes… those stacks of cakes please…” She murmured in her sleep, Felix smiled at her dreaming, even in her sleep she still has her mind on her silly songs. 

Felix initially couldn’t believe what he and Annette just said and did last night, feeling Annette’s warm breathe on his bare skin as well as his hands on her naked back convinced him everything that transpired was real. 

She felt so delicate in his arms as she took in and out her breath on his chest, Felix chuckled and lightly kissed his lover’s forehead, an act that made her stir in his arms before sleeping soundly. 

Such a tender moment didn’t last long however as the bell within the monastery rang to signal the army to get ready for their march towards Tailtean Plains, the battle in which will decisively tip the scales of the war to the victor. 

Annette’s eyes shot up wide open at the sound of the bell, the sight of Felix’ chest was the first thing she saw before looking up to see Felix smiling at her. 

“I think that’s our cue.” Felix told her. 

Annette sweetly smiled at him. 

“Good morning.” She pecked his lips as a greeting before the two rose up from the bed, Felix wasted no time to put his clothes back and watched Annette put hers. 

Fixing her hair for a while in front of the mirror, Annette squeaked out in surprise when Felix wrapped his arms around her waist.

“Felix, I won’t be able to get ready if you’ll keep distracting me!” Annette giggled. 

“What if I want to just stay in this room?” Felix asked with a sly smile before Annette blushed and slapped his arms away from her waist.

“Then, we’ll get court martialed for deserting.” Annette responded and that was Felix cue to leave with a smile as he left Annette to fix herself though he wouldn’t lie that he wished Annette would have sung something for him in the morning. 

Coming out of Annette’s room, Felix closed the door behind him before tying his loose hair back up into a short ponytail, not realizing two figures were watching him. 

“I see you have been busy last night, Felix.” A familiar voice teased as Felix tensed up. 

Felix turned to his left side to see Dorothea covering her mouth with her hand as if feigning surprise at the fact that Felix came out of Annette’s room first thing in the morning. 

The second figure was none other than Bernadetta, whose heavy bags under her sleep deprived eyes made up the majority of the expression on her face. 

“You two kept poor Bern awake last night.” Dorothea teased much to Felix’ bewilderment.

Having been separated from Annette due to her being part of the magic corps along with Dorothea and Lysithea, Felix tightly held on to the necklace that Annette gifted to him as they marched through the rain and the muddy marsh of Tailtean Plains. 

As if the sky itself knew what is to transpire soon, it darkened and wept with rain, staining the ground with the skies’ tears before blood stains it as much as it did in the past. 

Lead by Edelgard, Byleth and Hubert, the Imperial army paused after catching sight of Dimitri, Dedue and the Kingdom army yet the Knights of Seiros were nowhere to be seen even by Ingrid who took to the skies along with her own battalion. 

Felix couldn’t hear the exchange Byleth, Hubert and Edelgard had but he could only make up what Edelgard said last. 

“Dimitri, that past you cling to… I will soon free you from it.” 

With those words, Edelgard raised her axe, Aymr to the weeping sky which signaled the Imperial troops to ready their weapons and spells. 

“With this battle, the main force of the Kingdom will be annihilated. Leave no enemy general alive. Least of all King Dimitri!”

She then motioned Aymr forward towards the armies of the Kingdom and shouted a war cry. 

“FOR THE FATE OF FODLAN!” She cried out as the sky rumbled with thunder as if resonating to her cry. 

The Imperial army cried out their cry for victory and charged for battle. Byleth stayed behind with Hubert and a sizable amount of the army as if anticipating something while Edelgard followed suit at the initial charge. 

Felix didn’t immediately join the charge, he turned his gaze at the magic corps preparing to conjure their spells as they were lead by Lysithea, her hands crackling with arcane power. 

He soon spotted Annette who looked determined to see the war through before she too caught sight of him, they exchanged glances for a while before Felix nodded at her and mouthed something that she understood. 

“Don’t die out there.” 

Before he joined in the fray. Looking forward to come out of this battle alive so he would see another day and hear Annette’s songs again.

The battle was more taxing than Felix initially believed, with the survival of the Kingdom at stake, they were fighting more fiercely to secure a victory against the Empire after five years of stalemate.

Cutting down his former countrymen, Felix, Sylvain and Ingrid formed together during the chaos of the battlefield to watch each other’s backs. 

The three defended each other as the battle raged on until they heard a loud sound made by a war trumpet that sounded eerily familiar from their days in the academy. 

The Kingdom army cheered as they caught sight of the banners of the Knights of Seiros as if their prayers for a victory was answered as the knights bolstered the Kingdom’s forces. 

It is at that time that the magic corps unleashed a fire spell that exploded in the sky as a signal for something. 

Felix witnessed Byleth finally making his move towards the east of the bloodied plains where he came face to face against Rhea, now adorning the arms of Seiros as their clash became a sight to behold for anyone witnessing it. 

As Byleth and Rhea’s titanic duel commenced which was reminiscent of the legends and tales of the battle between Nemesis and Seiros, Edelgard finally found her way towards Dimitri who created a path of carnage behind him just as Edelgard did. 

The two exchanged words before the might of their relics clashing sent shockwaves around them, nearly toppling those unfortunate enough as the two heads of opposing nations fought to end the other’s life. 

It was during the events of two historical duels happening simultaneously that Felix decided to assist the empress against his former king, charging towards Dimitri who had gained the upper hand against Edelgard by disarming her of Aymr and wounding her left shoulder with a stab of Areadbhar.

“Dimitri!” Sylvain called out atop his armored stallion, stopping Dimitri from his tracks and turned at them. 

The smile that Dimitri would usually flash at them, the all so charismatic and friendly smile was nowhere to be seen as Dimitri glared towards his three former friends. 

“Not only have you become her lap dog--” Dimitri pointed at the injured empress, kneeling on one knee, with her free hand. “--but you have turned against your own people!” 

Sylvain gripped the Lance of Ruin tighter than before. 

“At least I won't be a lap dog to a declining Church who supports a decaying system that has brought a lot of misfortune to so many people!” Sylvain vent out in an unusual show of intense emotion. 

“I am doing the people of Fodlan a favor by liberating them from this oppressive system they got locked in with!”

"We didn't want to turn against you Dimitri but we decided this is the only way for us to have a future!" Ingrid lamented as Luin glowed brightly in her hands.

Then Dimitri turned last to Felix, it was a mixed of emotions as Dimitri thought Felix dead during the years that went by only to find out he killed Rodrigue in Arianrhod.

“You killed Rodrigue… your own father, Felix.” Dimitri lamented as rain dropped down ceaselessly. 

Felix tightly held on to his sword, feeling it getting heavy once again at the mention of his patricide.

He hardened his glare but his eyes betrayed him in Dimitri’s eyes, the latter could tell that Felix’ decision took a heavy toll on him.

“I said I’d cut down anyone who stood in my way.” Felix replied harshly. “Even my father. Even my friends.”

When Felix released those words, Dimitri briefly closed his eyes and sighed.

“I see. That was all I needed to hear to finally work up the resolve to kill you.” Dimitri’s face hardened into that of vengeance.

“From the depths of hell, you will regret tainting the land of Faerghus!” He bellowed out and raised Areadbhar, the trio of friends rushed against their former friend.

Emotions flared and memories of their childhood began to resonate within their thoughts as Dimitri simultaneously held the three at bay, displaying his much more superior skill in combat, hardened by years of endless training and fueled by hatred and revenge.

One by one they fell with Dimitri decapitating Sylvain’s stallion, unhorsing the red-head and hitting the muddy ground hard face-first. 

Next, Dimitri kicked Felix away when their weapons locked to anticipate Ingrid’s descent to disarm him of Areadbhar with Luin, Ingrid ended up crashing to the ground, hitting her head hard on the muddy ground after Dimitri clipped off one of the wings of her pegasus. 

Seeing Sylvain and Ingrid down for the count, Felix roared out towards Dimitri and waved his sword towards him. Dimitri parried off every swing of his sword until Felix unexpectedly used a move that wounded Dimitri across the right eye, almost blinding it with a slash. 

Infuriated, Dimitri switched from being defensive to being the one on the offensive and promptly pressured Felix with unrelenting strikes. Felix struggled against the masterful skill of Dimitri with a lance as well as the might of Areadbhar, he could feel the steel of his blade cracking under the continued pressure. 

With a loud roar, Dimitri swung Areadbhar upwards to shatter Felix’ sword as well as slashing him across the body, Felix fell down on his back on the muddy ground as he clutched the painful wound across his body, Dimitri loomed above him, looking down at his fallen foe. 

Breathing heavily, Felix glared at the king. 

“Glenn died for you…” He started as blood flowed down from his wound. 

“But I will not suffer the same fate he did, dying for you.” 

Dimitri was unfazed and raised Areadbhar to end his life once and for all, Felix gnashed his teeth and closed his eyes, an image of Annette flashed across his mind, wanting her to be his last thoughts before Dimitri takes away his life. 

Anticipating the bitter end, Felix awaited for his fate towards whatever is there awaiting him in the afterlife, only to hear the sound of steel rending flesh and blood splattering across his face. 

Felix opened his eyes to see Dimitri spitting out blood and lodged on his back was Aymr being wielded by Edelgard once again. 

Edelgard pulled out Aymr from Dimitri’s flesh as the latter fell down on both knees from the injury he just received, letting go of Areadbhar which Edelgard kicked away from his side to prevent him from using it again. 

The empress raised Aymr above her head with her uninjured arm as Dimitri spitefully glared at her and began to spew out all his long bottled anger and hatred towards her. 

Felix didn’t care much nor remember what Dimitri and Edelgard said to each other, all he remembered was that he passed out from his injuries and the sound of Annette’s voice echoing across his mind before his consciousness drifted away.

When Felix awoke, he was lying on a bedroll within a tent housing other injured people in the battle they were involved in. The smell of blood fouled the air and the moans of pain filled his ears. 

Felix rose up from his bedroll, sitting up and felt the stinging pain of the wound Dimitri inflicted upon him across his chest, the very same chest where Annette was just snuggling earlier. 

Then, Felix’ eyes widened in horror upon realizing the necklace Annette gave to him was nowhere around his neck. 

“Looking for this?” Felix looked to the opening of the tent to see Sylvain standing on it, a bandaged wrapped his head that was stained by his blood. 

Sylvain flashed the necklace and the pendant it held it his one arm that wasn’t in a sling and wordlessly handed it to Felix’ open palm. 

“I’m sorry Felix but it was already that way when we came to after Dimitri knocked us out of commission.” Sylvain apologized at the state of the necklace Felix seems to cherished so much. 

The silver necklace’s chain were cut and the silver sword pendant was shattered, only leaving the hilt intact. Felix surmised Dimitri’s strike with Areadbhar also hit the necklace when he slashed him upwards. 

Felix wanted to know what became of Dimitri until he realized something. 

“Where’s Annette?!” Felix asked, frantically worrying about his lover’s fate in the grueling battle. 

“Annette…?” 

“Where is she, Sylvain?!” 

“Easy there, Felix.” Sylvain raised his hands up defensively. “Annette is fine, she’s helping Mercedes tend to the wounded.” 

Felix grunted as he forced himself to stand up despite the pain his movements invokes, he walked out of the tent he was confined in to see a grim sight of the encampment. 

They were still somewhere in Tailtean Plains but instead of the weeping sky earlier, the sky was beginning to clear out the dark tumultuous clouds that shrouded them in the battle. 

From the looks of it, the sun can be seen setting from a certain direction, evoking a golden orange hue to the sky. 

“We could consider ourselves lucky that we just had these amounts of casualties to deal with.” Sylvain mused after following Felix out, watching as a group of Imperial soldiers passed by them, battle work and armor still caked in blood. 

“Nobody’s lucky in a war.” Felix murmured. 

Felix then saw Ingrid sitting on a stool near a campfire, her head was also wrapped with a bandage around it while left arm was on a sling, probably injured when Dimitri forced her pegasus to dismount her as she descended in a fast speed to fight him, the impact she made on the ground fractured the arm. 

“Hey you two.” Ingrid noticed them, waving weakly at them from her seat. 

The two approached the wounded lady knight who was resting by the campfire along with various other wounded soldiers. 

“Good to see you are awake, Felix.” Ingrid greeted Felix with a smile of consolation. 

Felix nodded as he kept his hold on his bandaged chest. 

“What happened while I was out?” He asked the two, not knowing the results of the battle after he passed out. 

Ingrid gave him a sad smile. 

“We won.” She said, her smile unconvincing to Felix. “The Kingdom army immediately surrendered when Dimitri was killed by Edelgard.”

Felix remembered the last thing he saw before he passed out. Edelgad’s timely intervention by taking the opportunity of Dimitri being distracted by Felix, allowing her to inflict a serious injury towards Dimitri, it wasn’t a clean way to end a battle but since when did such things hinder Felix? It was war. 

He never cared about those flimsy ideals ever since Glenn died. The trio of friends  were silent for a bit as if silently offering respects to the fallen king, despite them being enemies, at one point in their lives they were friends regardless and hearing of Dimitri’s demise was saddening due to how inevitable it was. 

“The Knights of Seiros were routed, most of their forces fell in battle after the professor and Hubert correctly predicted Rhea’s arrival. The professor himself fought her.” Ingrid told them. 

“What happened after?” Felix asked. “Did the professor win?” 

Ingrid nodded. “Those who witnessed their duel said it was the stuff of legend, though unlike the last time in history where Seiros won against Nemesis and his Sword of the Creator, the professor did the opposite and beat Rhea, forcing her and the knights to retreat.” 

Felix didn’t seem surprised at what he learned and instead lamented that he wasn’t there to see it. 

“Felix!” Felix recognized the joyous voice that called out to him, he couldn’t turn around and fast enough as Annette embraced him from behind. 

“You’re finally awake!” Annette said in relief. 

Sylvain and Ingrid glanced at each other before they collectively smirked towards Felix, connecting the dots regarding the two, Felix flushed red and glared at the two before he turned to face Annette. 

“She didn’t want to leave your side earlier, she wanted to wait for you to wake up.” Sylvain teased with a wink that made the Dominic girl blushed. 

“Are you hurt?” Felix asked and checked her for any signs of injury but only saw stains of mud and blood that wasn’t hers. 

“I should be asking you that question!” Annette pouted and saw the blood stains on the bandages of his body. 

Felix scoffed. “It stings but I’ll be fine.” He said before he winced from the jolt of pain he felt. 

Sitting him on the stool beside Ingrid, Annette removed the bandages on his body and frowned at the slight bleeding on it. 

“I’ll try to find Mercie and see if she can help completely stop the bleeding. Just sit there and wait for me.” Annette said, ordering Felix to sit down like an obedient child awaiting his mother much to Sylvain’s amusement. 

“Sylvain, I swear if you open your mouth…” Felix growled at the red-head who mockingly raised his hand up in defense.

Edelgard made an announcement they would press on to Fhirdiad in the next few days after the army rests near the gates of the only remaining city that wasn’t under Imperial control, barring any form of reinforcement or supply to fortify the defenses and the shattered army of those loyal to Rhea.

The empress was generous enough to deliver Dimitri’s body to be given its proper funeral rites as well as to be buried beside his father and ancestors in the royal crypts. 

Their injuries mostly healed and their morale high, the Imperial army readied their final battle against Rhea and the Knights of Seiros to finally unify Fodlan under the Adrestian Empire’s banner. 

Deciding to besiege Fhirdiad at the dead of night, the Imperial army awaited at the gates of Fhirdiad though Edelgard have not given any order to commence the attack. 

Instead, the empress decided to give Rhea and the city one last chance to surrender after so many calls for them to lay down their arms yet was only met with silence. 

Stepping forward ahead of the Imperial army, Edelgard was accompanied by Byleth and Hubert to address Rhea and the Church of Seiros. 

“Rhea! Members of the Church of Seiros!” She called out, breaking the foreboding silence hanging over the city. 

Felix along with Sylvain and Ingrid scanned the walls of Fhirdiad and saw the walls were unmanned. A testament to how crushed the remaining army the Church of Seiros had. Looking at the city now felt like it was so foreign, the once bustling city was akin to a ghost town in its silence. 

“Surely there’s no need to continue this fight. What could be gained by shutting yourselves inside the capital of a kingdom without a king?” Edelgard rhetorically asked. 

“I will give you this one chance... and no other. Throw down your weapons and surrender! Unlike you, I have no desire to unleash wicked atrocities upon this world!” Edelgard shouted in finality, awaiting any word of response from those hiding behind Fhirdiad’s walls. 

“I doubt Rhea would just surrender.” Sylvain murmured to Felix while atop his new mount to replace the one that Dimitri killed. 

Felix shook his head. “She won’t. It looks like the empress has reservations in attacking the city while the citizens haven’t evacuated.” Felin commented after noticing Edelgard’s hesitation. 

“That’s what I don’t get at all.” Annette spoke from beside Felix. “Why wouldn’t she evacuate the citizens despite Edelgard giving her ample opportunities to do so?” 

The silence after Edelgard’s declaration was finally broken when they heard a roar too eerily familiar to the one they heard during the Siege of Garreg Mach. 

Ingrid caught something within the wind as she actively sniffed the air around her. 

“That smell… is that…” 

The Imperial army were taken by surprise when smoke from all corners of Fhirdiad rose to sully their noses and pollute the air around Fhirdiad. 

“That crazy bitch.” Sylvain cursed which was a sentiment most including Edelgard shared as they watched in extreme horror on what Rhea has done. 

“She’s burning the city…” Felix murmured and before he could comment further, Edelgard moved forward and waved Aymr to her side as she addressed the Imperial army.

“This is the end of our long war. After this victory, Fodlan will finally be united and truly free!” Edelgard began her speech that were already begin to rouse the Imperial army from their shock of Fhirdiad’s burning. 

“The capital we’re about to invade is engulfed in flames. Do not rush to your deaths.” Edelgard continued and eyed each and every division of her army. 

“Survive. Prevail. Do that and we’ll witness the birth of a new world. I want to see it with all of you at my side. Understood?” 

The Imperial army cried out in response, uttering a unified battle cry. 

Steeling their resolve and hers as well, Edelgard raised Aymr towards the sky before motioning it forward. 

“Imperial army! Black Eagle Strike Force! Move out!” Edelgard commanded before unleashing one last rallying cry. 

“For the fate of Fodlan!” 

“FOR THE FATE OF FODLAN!”  

They all cried out as the magic corps unleashed a unified spell that tore open the gates of the burning city of Fhirdiad, allowing the Imperial army to get in and start fighting the remnants of the Knights of Seiros. 

There was a separate division that was entrusted by Edelgard to assist with rescuing and evacuating the entrapped citizens of the burning city. 

Felix watched as the final battle began to unfold, Sylvain and Ingrid went ahead along with most of the Black Eagle Strike Force, leaving him and Annette at the vicinity of the gate. 

The two stared at each before they passionately kissed each other to the lips before parting, their eyes begged each other to be careful and stay alive in the ensuing chaos.

Fighting in a burning city filled to the brim with the cries of the citizens Rhea was supposed to protect as well as the choke inducing smoke was already a challenge to begin with. 

Facing off against the desperate remnants of the Knights of Seiros was one thing as Felix cut down his path to find a commander of the Knights to kill and break the morale of those underneath their command. 

Meanwhile, the roar of a monster echoed atop the cries and intense flames of Fhirdiad. 

The city couldn’t be recognized anymore due to how it was reduced, Felix then looked around him after cutting down another knight after parrying his attack. 

It didn’t take long for Felix to spot Annette on a burning courtyard with stairs leading up to the source of the enraged roar, his eyes widened in horror as Annette stood alone against her father, Gilbert. 

Running as if hanging on to dear life, Felix simply parried away the attacks of any Knight of Seiros he encounters in a frenzied state just to reach his lover.

“Annette. I knew this day would come.” Gilbert said with a forlorn look, tightening his grip on his shield and axe. 

The Dominic girl nodded while trying hard to maintain a solemn front.

“Yes… And so did I, father. Be warned that I will push you aside, even if I must use force to do it.” Annette responded with resolve in her voice but not without mentally fighting herself on her decision to stand directly against the man she called father. 

Her hands flowed with the arcane power coursing through their veins and materialized as green blades of wind encircling around her hands. 

Gilbert led out a deep sigh, his hardened face contorted to show his silent frustration over what he is about to do. 

“I understand. Goddess… this is surely a chastisement from you.” Gilbert lamented and began to make his way towards Annette with his axe ready while accompanied by his own battalion. 

Annette bit her lip as she narrowly dodged a short axe being thrown at her by one of Gilbert’s men. 

Shedding aside any semblance of hesitation, Annette finally unleashed the arcane might of the spell she had been preparing for since she entered Fhirdiad. 

Gilbert and his men suddenly found themselves being pulled against their will by an unstoppable force that soon materialized into a vortex of green wind. 

“Excalibur.” Annette murmured the name of her ultimate trump card in the school of magic she specialized in.

The vortex of wind she subjected Gilbert and his men with then became an unrelenting vortex of blades that began to rend their armor as they screamed on their impending doom as Annette stretched out her arms to maintain the power of the spell. 

In no time after their armor were rent from the sharp blade winds, their flesh were its next victims as Excalibur’s power shredded them bit by bit.

Gilbert soon screamed from the pain as Annette began sobbing loudly at what she just did, finally realizing what Felix felt when he killed Rodrigue in Arianrhod. Gilbert’s scream began to die down as Annette’s will crumbled, releasing her control of the spell. 

Excalibur’s wind faded as Gilbert fell nearly lifeless on the charred ground he once stepped on, his body marred with uncountable cuts that was bleeding him dry. 

“Oh father…” Annette sobbed as she desperately tried to keep her tears at bay. 

“If only you listened!” She cried out as life slowly ebbed away from Gilbert. Memories of her childhood with Gilbert, still known as Gustave back then, surfaced within her mind. 

“Majesty… I beg… forgiveness… My promise to you… I… could… not…” Gilbert uttered out as his eyes began to close but not before looking at Annette. 

Unknown to Annette, one member of Gilbert’s battalion survived the ordeal and rose up despite the terrible wounds adorning his shredded body.

Gilbert’s fading eyes looked on in horror as his subordinate made his way towards Annette with a dagger on his hand. 

It was too late for Annette when she realized there was still a functioning survivor of her attack, she barely had enough time to react when Gilbert’s subordinate sliced her throat with a weak swing of the dagger in a last-ditch attempt to kill her. 

Gilbert despaired on what happened to his daughter yet it only made his passing worse as he died thinking she too will suffer the same fate. 

“ANNETTE!” Felix cried out in horror after seeing Annette spurt out blood from the slice on her throat as she fell on her back on the charred ground. 

With a roar of rage, Felix dismembered the arm holding the dagger of Annette’s attacker before decapitating his head with a violent swing. 

Breathing heavily from anger and exhaustion from running, Felix threw away his sword and rushed to Annette’s side, cradling her fallen body. 

Felix’ copper eyes widened in absolute horror as blood has mostly stained her dress, the cut on her throat was still profusely bleeding. Thinking quickly, Felix ripped the sleeve of his clothes and applied pressure to the cut. 

“No no no… GODDESS NO!” Felix cried out frantically as fear and panic began to overwhelm him. Annette gasping for air as her desperate tearful blue eyes looked at his was too much for him as he began to leak out tears, dripping down on Annette’s face. 

“Don’t do this to me please!” Felix begged her as more tears rushed down from his eyes.

Felix looked around his surroundings, wishing for someone to come and lend them aid yet he couldn’t see anyone in sight.

“HEALER! I NEED A HEALER! PLEASE!” Felix cried out in despair, his pleas for help was smothered by the battles, other cries for help as well the intense blazing sound of the burning city. 

Felix closed his eyes as he cried before he felt a weakened hand on his cheek, caressing him. Felix opened his eyes to see Annette looking at him, despair and shock were absent from her eyes as if accepting the fate that was being laid out to her. 

Letting go of the cloth that his bloodied hand  was applying pressure to the cut on Annette’s throat with, Felix entwined his bloodied hand with Annette’s other hand, tightly holding on to it as Annette smiled at him, seemingly at peace on what is to happen. 

“Annette… don’t....” Felix begged her with his broken voice.

They shared the final moments together as the dying roar of Rhea filled the air which was soon followed by the cries of victory that erupted around them, signaling the death of Rhea and the complete victory of the Adrestian Empire. 

Yet Felix and Annette neither cared. Everything else was silent for the two as they stared at each other, failing to hear the voice that called out to them.

“ANNIE!” 

“Watch your footwork! Eyes front to your opponent!” 

The sound of dull wooden training swords filled the air of the training grounds of Garreg Mach. 

“What are you doing? Don’t freeze in your place and allow your opponent to brutalized you like a sheep for slaughter!” Felix scolded the students he was teaching the ways of the blade, his unceasing glare fixated at the various mistakes his students were making. 

The student he just scolded panicked and continued to defend against the other equally afraid student.

“Y-Yes! Professor! M-My apologies--” 

“Don’t waste your breath apologizing to me and do better! KEEP YOUR EYES ON YOUR OPPONENT YOU FOOL!” Felix berated the student harshly for getting his nerves rattled in the heat of battle, if this was a real battle he would have been dead by now.

Then the bell tolled, ringing and reverberating across all of Garreg Mach to signal something. 

“Lunch time!” The students watching Felix instruct his currently incompetent students cheered out at their favorite period.

Felix scoffed at the carefree attitude of the students. 

“Keep practicing on your footwork and body coordination. Now get the hell out of here.” Felix crudely gestured the students to leave the training grounds.

As they left, the students began to whisper among each other.

“Geez, why is he always so mean?”

“I heard he lost someone dear to him during the war.” 

“Ah, so that’s why he’s so bitter!” 

Felix shook his head at the foolishness of his students, thinking he couldn’t hear them with their gossiping as they left the grounds. 

The former nobleman and now sword instructor of the newly rebuilt Officer’s Academy left the training grounds only to meet a veteran professor on his way out. 

“Oh, Professor Felix!” Hanneman called out at his former student and now, his colleague. 

Felix acknowledged the aged professor with a nod as they walked together towards the dining hall.

“It seems you don’t spare no quarter to your students eh?” 

Felix scoffed “They are too green but they’ll get better.” he admitted, while watching new students of Garreg Mach, seeking to join the military or other institutions of the Adrestian Empire, began to come out of their classrooms for lunch of the day. 

“I heard Empress Edelgard is coming to visit here next week to finally see and celebrate the completion of the rebuilding efforts.” 

“Is that so…? It’s been long since she graced us with her presence, not like it changes things.” Felix said with no interest at the upcoming Imperial visit from Edelgard I, the great revolutionary and unifier of Fodlan. 

Hanneman snorted at the disinterest of his colleague. 

“Though I do hear news from a certain someone in Derdriu.” Hanneman mused and took out a letter from within his coat, handing it over to Felix who took it as they walked. 

Felix found himself scoffing before smiling at the contents of the letter. 

“Lysithea is pregnant with her second child?” Felix mused. 

“It seems the procedure I found out with Linhardt proved fruitful, we gave Lysithea and Empress Edelgard their lives back. We were confident it worked with the fact that Lysithea has given birth to her daughter without incident and is pregnant again shows good signs on her vitality.”

Felix nodded, acknowledging the efforts of the Father of Crestology for finding ways to revolutionize the Crests and their uses outside of simply being symbols of nobility. 

“After that war with Arundel, it seems the professor has grown tired of war and politics, to reject a position of power from the empress is quite daring but also admirable.” Hanneman smiled beneath his beard that he gently stroked with his fingers. 

“Seems like a waste of his skills if I’ll be frank but I do respect his decision to just settle in with Lysithea in Derdriu, after all that happened to him and what he did, he deserves it.” Felix admitted, reminiscing on his final farewell to the man he respected after attending his wedding, that was probably the last event that the Black Eagle Strike Force were in one vicinity following the war. 

Hanneman and Felix stopped to meet another colleague of theirs who just came out of one of the classrooms teaching magical theory. 

The older professor greeted her. 

“Professor.”

“Annette.” Felix smiled at the sight of the professor who nodded in acknowledgement to both the greetings of her colleagues.

Hanneman took their encounter with Annette as his cue to leave, giving the two professors time together as he continued on his way to grab a meal in the dining hall. 

Felix took the heavier book Annette carried with her and lifted it for her, earning a smile of thanks from the former Dominic noble. 

“Have your assistant performed well today?” Felix asked to which Annette nodded, grateful at the assistant she was given to relay her teachings. The sword instructor then checked on Annette’s neck with his fingers and touched the scar on her throat, the very place where it got sliced back in Fhirdiad.

After nearly losing hope in that moment, Mercedes’ timely arrival saved Annette’s life, closing the wound on her throat. Annette was lucky that her jugular didn’t sustain that much damage otherwise she would have died faster according to Mercedes. 

Though, despite getting treated for her injury, Annette lost her voice in exchange. It wasn’t permanent however but it was still a huge loss for Annette as she communicated with Felix via notes that she couldn’t sing to him anymore. 

A sentiment that made Felix cry once more, he told her he didn’t care if Annette couldn’t sing to him, the fact that she survived and is still with him was more than enough for him.

“And your students?” Felix asked, Annette responded with a sign language saying: 

“They’re okay.”  

“Good.” Felix smiled before taking out a letter that Hanneman gave to him that was sent by Byleth but also took out another letter written by Mercedes. 

There was another letter in Felix’ pocket that came from Margrave Gautier, imploring his old friend to visit him, Ingrid and their newly born twins. Having given Fraldarius lands for Sylvain to rule after Felix rejected to rule it while Fodlan was still in a transitional state.  

Which Edelgard allowed any willing houses with good conduct to rule their lands until the reforms she fought hard for are fully set in stone, ensuring the lands don’t fall into anarchy for being leaderless and ungoverned. 

“Mercedes said she’ll come visit and try a healing method to expedite the healing of your vocal chords, thinks it might be worth a shot to lessen the time it would take.”

Annette looked overjoyed at the thought of her best friend visiting as well as reading about Lysithea’s second pregnancy. 

Felix smiled at the cheerful sight of his wife. Right after the war with Arundel, the two were wed and having renounced their noble titles, Annette’s suggestion to teach in Garreg Mach with Felix lead them to where they are now. 

“What do you want to eat?”

Annette asked by writing a note on the small notebook she was carrying.

“What’s the meal today?”  

“Rabbit skewers.” Felix replied and as expected, Annette frowned at the mention of the meal.

“That’s why I want to take you out to eat outside.” Felix chuckled as Annette began to ponder what she was in the mood for.

Annette managed to decide what she wanted and began roughly humming a tune Felix was very much familiar with despite the drastic decrease in quality owing to Annette’s condition. 

“Steaks and cakes huh…? Fine, but you’ll eat the cakes.” Felix said with a smile as Annette grinned and mouthed: 

“More for me then!”  

She earned a small laughter from Felix as the latter offered his arm at his side to which she clung to and rested her head on his shoulder. 

They started their trek towards the town outside Garreg Mach to find an establishment serving Annette’s preferred food to eat. 

Earlier in the war, Felix expressed his wish to hear Annette’s voice and songs in every waking moment he has but now… it doesn’t matter to him anymore, what matters is they are together, happy, alive and deeply in love and that is enough for both of them. 

He may not hear her songs at present but in his mind, the voice that kept him captive, the voice and the song that accompanied it gave him a reason,  the memories of the songs lived on. A song he could still hear by the precious memory he held close to his heart.

The Silent Song.