Chapter Text
The heat was unbearable.
Dimitri tugged at the collar of his shirt. Twenty-three years of living in Fhrirdiad and he still wasn’t used to the summers (if one could call them that). The past few summers had been above average temperatures and half, if not most, of his summer wardrobe was built for low fifties, maybe sixities if the sun was shining. It was 75 and Dimitri was convinced that they were all going to die inside the conference room they had just been in.
“Do you think I could convince them to move the meeting outside?” Dimitri asked as he continued to fiddle with his collar.
“Hear me out, and I know it’s a wild idea, but how about we get air conditioning?” Sylvain replied as he pulled out a cigar. He put it to his lips, lit it, and took a drag before offering it to Dimitri. The blonde stared at the cigar and shook his head.
“Air conditioning costs a lot of money and we rarely need it.” Dimitri sighed. It was a budget issue and nobody could justify getting air conditioning for the one month the heat was attempting to kill them all. The argument was brought up every summer.
“It’s hot as fuck an you’re telling me we don’t need air conditioning?” Sylvain had unbuttoned the top three buttons of his shirt. “Guess I’ll die from heatstroke then.”
A retort was on the tip of Dimitri’s tongue but he held it back. There was no point in arguing with Sylvain about the heat; they were all miserable. He had insisted on an early lunch to prevent half of them from going to hospital for heatstroke. It made him wonder why the redhead was smoking, considering how the cigar was warm.
With a sigh, he rested his shoulders on the edge and looked out at the city below. It was full of life; people moving, cars honking, and a lot of people holding fans and wearing minimal clothing. Although they would complain about the heat and insist a solution, his people seemed to be thriving and that was what mattered to Dimitri.
“I’m not sure how Ingrid puts up with you and actually wants to marry you. You’re rather dramatic.”
Sylvain smirked. “Do you really want the answer to that, Your Highness?”
“Please don’t.” Dimitri could protest all he wanted; Sylvain would still answer.
His smirk grew as the cigar dangled from his lips. A hint of red was appearing on Dimitri’s face, which only fueled Sylvain’s chaotic energy. He moved next to Dimitri, mimicking his position on the balcony.
“I have a huge dick and I know how to use it. The sex is amazing.”
“Sylvain!” Dimitri stuttered a he recoiled from his friend. He knew if he stopped reacting like a school boy, Sylvain would leave him alone. It was the price of being an easy target.
Laughter echoed the balcony and was quickly drowned out by the sound of singing. Dimitri titled his head and furrowed his brow. The voice was angelic and one he had never heard before. There were no words, only a tone that shifted octaves, and it captivated him.
Ignoring his desire to stay as far away from Sylvain as possible, he moved closer to the edge of the balcony. He was trying to determine where the sound was coming from. It was close but not close enough he could get a general sense of direction as to where to find it.
“Did you hear that?”
Sylvain looked at him with raised eyebrows. He took the cigar from his lip, flicked it to the ground and stamped it out. “Hear what?”
The voice was becoming faint. Dimitri frowned at Sylvain’s response as he looked around. The voice had faded into the distance.
“You didn’t hear it? It sounded like a woman singing.”
“A woman singing? Nope, didn’t hear that. Pretty sure that’s a figment of your imagination. I have got to get you a girlfriend, bud. Then you’ll really know the sound of a woman singing. I, for example, can make Ingrid sing like a canary.”
Dimitri blushed and bit his lip, which only caused Sylvain to laugh. “Will you stop that?”
“Is that what you’re going to tell your future queen? Stop?”
“Stop!”
Sylvain’s laughter only grew and Dimitri adverted his gaze. Despite his friends teasing, he knew what he heard. The melody was latched to his brain, although the chances of hearing it again were slim to none.
“Come on, lunch is almost over and we should head back to the meeting,” Sylvain said as he buttoned up his shirt. “Hey, do I smell like cigar smoke? Ingrid is going to kill me if she smells it.”
“She can get in line, I’m going to kill you first,” Dimitri replied as he sniffed the air. They both smelled like cigar smoke, despite his lack of smoking. Was he going to be honest with Sylvain? Absolutely not. It was payback for the earlier comments. Dimitri shook his head.
“Hot. Thanks bud, I owe you one.”
Dimitri rolled his eye and turned his head to look back out at the balcony as their made their exit. Maybe Sylvain was right, maybe the voice was nothing more than a figment of his imagination.
The voice was most definitely not a figment of his imagination.
Dimitri heard it later that night as he walked through the halls of the parliament building in an attempt to clear his mind before he went home. It was louder than it had been on the balcony, which meant he had to be closer to the source. He was fighting the urge to investigate. The parliament building had been around for almost five hundred years and was bound to have some creaks that mimicked voices.
Or it was a ghost. That seemed like a plausible option.
The thought made him chuckle as he swung his jacket over his shoulders. He would have to tell Ashe and Annette about it to see their reactions. It would be priceless.
He turned down the hall and was passing the photos of the Shepherds when the melody reached his ears again. Dimitri stopped dead in his tracks and looked up and down the hall. He was the only one in it, given that it was a hallway that lead to a shortcut to get to his house (mansion, though the thought made scowl) that people only used for tours.
Dimitri took a step forward, closer to the passageway, and the voice got louder.
Throwing caution to the wind, he knew he had to investigate. The song was enchanting, even if there were no words, and he found himself unable to tear away. His interest was piqued and there was no going out. He followed the song as it lead him to his normal passageway.
The voice got louder as he shut the door behind him and stared at the fork in the road. One would take him to his home and the other would take him to the castle. The song was coming from the castle, specifically the left entrance. That whole wing of the castle was closed off and under renovation to keep its historical integrity. Nothing was supposed to be there.
A chill ran through his body and he shivered. Dimitri wished he had his fur cloak but had left it at home due to the summer heat. The thought made him snort with laughter - typical Fhirdiad weather to be hot during the day but cold at night. He fished his phone out of his pocket and penned out a text to a group chat.
D: I heard a noise coming from the castle. I’m going to investigate.
I: Dimitri no.
S: Dimitri yes
F: Idiot, Call the guard. That’s their job.
D: If you don’t hear from me in an hour, come get me. (location shared)
I: Dimitri no
S: DIMITRI YES
Ignoring Ingrid’s smart advice, he moved ahead towards the castle. It was dark and only a handful of lights kept it from being eerie. Nobody took the tunnel at night (expect him, like an idiot). As he walked, the voice got louder.
His instincts lead him into the castle and to a door that was bolted shut. The sight made him frown as he studied it. It was locked with four different deadbolts and a chain. Dimitri considered himself lucky that there wasn’t any magic attached to the door.
The beautiful voice was on the other side of the door and he had to get it. Every hair on the back of his neck was standing up; something was very wrong. There should be no sound other than construction coming from the castle and why in the hell was it shut?
It took three seconds and the locks shattered under his grasp. It was one of the few times he was thankful for the Blaiddyd crest. With his stomach turning, he stepped into the room. Dimitri’s heart stopped when he discovered the sound of the voice.
It was a woman but there were horns and a tail and she was in a cage. Dimitri pursed his lips as he studied the figure. After a minute, it clicked – he was staring at a Nabaetan. The horns, wings, and tail gave it away. They were supposed to be extinct. He blinked a few times. No, this was real, and the poor thing was pushed far back against the cage as she could be. Her wings, white and stained with red, looked broken the more she pressed against the cage.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” Dimitri said softly as he stepped forward to get a better look.
The cage looked miserable. It was big enough to accommodate her half transformed body, with the exception of her tail dangling off the edge. She had mint hair that was clinging to her face and barely any clothing. There was something connected to her that he couldn’t make out with his eye in the darkness but it appeared to be keeping her locked in place. Dimitri’s stomach dropped; she was clearly being held captive.
“What do you want?” The woman spat, the terror in her eyes. Even with those four words, Dimitri could tell she was exhausted. “Please. I’m tired. Leave me alone today.”
The blonde couldn’t believe what he was staring at. Not only was she at a Nabaetan that was supposed to be seven hundred years extinct, she was being held prisoner in his own castle. Bile rose up in his throat and he pushed it down.
“I told you I’m not going to hurt you and I meant it.” Dimitri had reached the cage and his hands were wrapped around the metal. “I heard your voice…” he trailed off, realizing how foolish he sounded.
Her eyes widened and she loosened her rigid stance. Her tail twitched and she kept her lips shut. Most people didn’t hear her voice; it was interesting that he could.
“I’m going to get you out of here.”
Before she could protest, he bent the metal with his bare hands and pushed it to the side. Dimitri outstretched his hand to her, noticing that she had frozen in place when he moved the metal. If she told him to leave, he wouldn’t. His feet were planted firmly in the ground and he wasn’t leaving without her.
There was a strained silence between the two as she stared at his hand. Her tail twitched again and she moved closer to Dimitri. Against her better judgement, she gingerly reached out her claw and took his hand.
Dimitri gave her a small smile. “What’s your name?”
“Byleth,” she whispered as she stood up. Her legs were shaky from lack of use and she gripped his hand harder. She gave him an apologetic look, knowing her claw would draw blood. “There’s an IV connected that I can’t reach. It keeps me in stuck in this half form. If you unhook it, I’ll go back to human.”
He didn’t want to let her go, given how unsteady she appeared to be, but obliged. Once he released her claw, she grasped the metal and he moved towards the back. The i.v. was what he had noticed earlier but couldn’t make out (especially with it being dark, given his limited depth perception). The line was long, full of a milky substance that didn’t ring any bells, and attached to the small of her back where her flesh met her tail. She could reach it but wouldn’t be able to take the needle out.
The situation left Dimitri feeling uneasy and on edge. The goosebumps hadn’t left since he wandered into the room. The blonde kept looking over his shoulder and was schooling himself for not carrying a weapon. You just came from a meeting, you didn’t need a weapon at the meeting, that’s secret service is for was what he kept telling himself. But more importantly, what in Sothis’s name was going on? There were many questions that were starting to pile up.
Dimitri fiddled with the IV and winced at how big the needle was. Byleth’s skin was black and blue and he shuddered to think about how many times she had been poked and prodded with this needle. With a quick snap, Byleth yelped as the needle dislodged.
“Sorry,” he offered pathetically as he discarded the needle and i.v line to the side.
There was a flash of blue light. Before Dimitri could process what it was, it was gone. Byleth stood before him but instead of a white claw gripping the cage, it was a human hand. Her tail, horns and wings were gone. She was tiny compared to him. His eye narrowed as he assessed her, not missing how her skin was littered with fresh and healing bruises.
Byleth looked around. She was panicking. It was a look Dimitri recognized well. Dimitri wrapped his jacket around her shoulders and stepped out of the cage, holding out his hand again. He was resisting the urge to pick her up and cradle her in his arms. The woman, Byleth he had to remind himself, might have been fragile but he was convinced she could beat him down with her eyes closed if she wanted to. She was a Nabaetan, after all.
Nabaetan. That line of interrogation and the plethora of questions he had would be saved for another day. For now his focus revolved on getting her to safety.
Byleth took his hand and took a tentative step forward. It had been a long time since she had walked on her human feet. Dimitri was patient even though the anxiety was building in his chest the longer they sated. Whoever was doing this was going to be livid when they discovered she was gone. Byleth regained control of her footing and tightened her grasp around Dimitri's hand.
The pair walked in silence, Byleth blindly following Dimitri’s lead as he ushered her out of the castle. Even though the Blaiddyd castle was nothing more than a museum built to house the Kingdom’s hero's relics, he still knew the secret passageways and best way to get out undetected. The many hours he had spent playing hide and seek with Felix, Ingrid and Sylvain in the castle had come handy.
His neck was going to be sore as he was constantly straining it to look over his shoulder, expecting someone to be following them. Byleth was doing the same. Dimitri recognized her trauma, which made his blood boil. Who had done this to her, and in his own Kingdom, no less? The scowl stayed etched on his face until they made it into the foyer of the mansion.
Against his wishes, he let go of Byleth’s hands to secure the mansion. The alarms and locked doors were bells and whistles, especially with Ingrid and Dedue living with him, but the video footage would be helpful if anything happened and someone tried to break in.
With a click and a thank you from the alarm, Dimitri turned to Byleth, who was staring at the foyer with wonder. The image tugged at his heart and before he could dwell, he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. Dimitri ignored it; Dedue would have find his friends on and see that he was home.
Byleth blinked and winced. This place was bright. How long had she been in that cage? She was vaguely aware that it had been years, given how the clothing style of her captors had changed. She stopped keeping track of time after the first month.
“There’s a lot of rooms and security here. You’ll be safe.” Dimitri wasn’t sure how to address the fact that if anyone tried to break in, it would be considered an assignation attempt. The fact that Byleth didn’t know who he was (or pretended she didn’t know) was a breath of fresh air.
She reached for his hand and squeezed it once their fingers were interlaced. She felt like a child, staring at all the artwork and furniture in bewilderment. She had a running list of questions but kept her mouth shut. Now was not the time and she wasn’t sure if she could trust the man in front of her. Her goal had to been break free of her captivity and she would have taken whatever was tossed her way to do so.
Regardless, the man seemed genuine. It still left her cautious. They had seemed genuine until they slaughtered her people and kept the survivors as captors for nefarious purposes.
Dimitri lead her up the stairs and to the right, back to his wings. There were at least six spare bedrooms and his wing was quitter than the other ones. It also kept her away from Ingrid, Sylvain, Felix and Dedue before he could explain what had happened. He made a mental note to get more female clothing that would be her size. Edelgard had a room for when she visited from Adrestia; it would have to do. Her spare clothing would fit for the time beginning.
His phone was still buzzing in his pocket. He mouthed ‘sorry’ as he unlatched his hands from hers and looked at the messages. Dimitri’s stomach twisted with guilt as he skimmed them; most of them were his friends being concerned and Felix telling them they were being over dramatic. Responding wasn’t important; he would do that when Byleth was settled. The thought of telling his friends what had happened made him more nervous than the woman standing in front of him.
“Sorry,” was Dimitri’s default setting. He stood in front of a bedroom door. “My sister uses this room when she visits. It should have everything you need and her frame is similar to yours so I don’t think the clothing should be too far off.” He scratched the back of his head. When he had followed her angelic voice, breaking someone free of captivity hadn’t crossed his mind. Was he doing this right? “My room is across the hall. I wake up early but please take all the time you need; I won’t leave this wing without you.”
Byleth shifted on her feet. She was getting used to her legs as support, having been stuck in her half form for the better part of twenty years. The dragon legs were stronger but she had also spent most of her time sitting. Her muscles weren’t as atrophied as she expected them to be. She wrapped her hand around the doorknob for more support.
The blonde man made her uncomfortable but everything made her uncomfortable. The desire to run away was strong but her feet were cemented to the ground. Despite her hesitancy and all of her alarm bells going off, she believed the man’s words when he said he wasn’t going to hurt her. For the first time in a hundred years, she felt safe.
That thought scared her the most.
“Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?” Byleth blurted out, startled at her words. Her eyes widened as she stared at Dimitri.
“Of course,” Dimitri responded instantly. The tension in his shoulders relaxed. This was a promising sign. It worked out better, given his lack of sleep. He would have tossed and turned and checked on her in the middle of the night.
Byleth didn’t say anything as she opened the door and Dimitri followed her. The room was darker than the rest of the place. The walls and furniture were darker and she felt more comfortable. The white walls were starting to give her a headache. She moved towards the dresser, her fingers tracing the wood. Tears were threatening to spill over.
For the first time in years, she was free.
She turned her head back towards the taller man as she opened the dresser. “What’s your name?”
“Dimitri.”
She knew the name but she wasn’t sure how. It had been brought up in various conversations with her abductors but that was all she knew. Byleth had developed a habit of tuning them out when they walked into the room. Going numb and ignoring them was the only way she was able to cope and not take one of their scalpels and slit her wrists.
“Thank you, Dimitri.”