"Prince Dimitri."

At the sound of his voice, he snapped back into reality. This was Garreg Mach, where all of his friends and the professor were. He looked towards you and smiled. "Ah, forgive me. I will wash the dishes if you don't mind."

You shook your head, carefully drying the dishes. "No, that's not it. You were gazing at the plate too hard and I thought you were going to break it."

"Oh, my apologies."

Dimitri and You were on cleaning duty in the kitchen. Needless to say, it was awkward. Dimitri was kind and a gentleman to the core, but you didn't know what to say to him. You were both in the Blue Lions, so that had to account for at least a little bonding. 

Another full set of seconds passed between you both until Felix came into the dining hall. His sword clanked with his steps as he rested his left hand on his sword hilt. "You, Boar, finish your cleaning duty already."

An irk mark appeared on your forehead as you turned around to face him. "It's not polite to call the prince of our kingdom a boar Felix."

"Shut it," Felix spoke without hesitation. He turned to face Dimitri, locking eye contact with him, "you better finish before the professor is done fishing. I'm facing both of you. Don't be late."

You watched as Felix and Dimitri talked. You couldn't understand why Dimitri let him speak like that towards him. Sure, they were childhood friends, but even your friends didn't speak to you like you were a disease.

Once you were both finished you returned to your dorms. It was on the first floor next to Petra. You were finished getting ready for bed when a knock on your door made you stop in your tracks. At the door was the gatekeeper with a letter in hand.

"You're (l/n), correct?"

"Yes I'm (l/n)"

"I have a letter for you." He handed it to you and walked away. 

It was the first letter since a month you've received. Your parents were too busy on the road to send anything back, but your relationship wasn't the greatest so it didn't bother you in the first place. It was usually your best friend who responded back to you. Upon opening the letter, you read the contents inside. The shock was the first emotion that came across your thoughts. You read it over and over again until you burst into tears. 

~~~~

 It's been a week since you received the letter. The professor came to visit to make sure you were doing okay. You were attending classes and eating, but you just had this negative energy around you. Everyone from the Blue Lions didn't notice a thing was off about you, not a single thing, besides the professor. Which was surprising to you, since they always seemed emotionless. 

After the last bell, you retired to the pond. It was the only place you knew that most of the Blue Lions didn't come by to hang out. You hung your feet over the dock, reading a book on your lap. It was peaceful until you heard footsteps approaching you. You looked up, surprised to see Dimitri.

"Do you have a moment?" He asked, gesturing to join you. 

An awkward feeling settled in your stomach. You didn't know what to think of Dimitri in the first place, he was your prince and classmate, nothing more. But still, how do you speak with your prince without fearing that you could be in danger of being reprimanded. 

You closed your book and nodded. He took your offer and sat down, giving distance. "Forgive me for being blunt, but I heard your parents sold you off to a lord to settle off their debt."

Anger flooded your brain quickly, "Pardon me, your highness, but that is supposed to be private."

"Why are you accepting the offer? I can break it off as the prince of the kingdom."

You stood up, dodging past Dimitri. Dimitri barked our your name while you fast-walked to your room. He was high on your tail as you barely managed to slam the door on his face. "Please, just leave me alone! This marriage is something that I can't back out of!"

"(y/n), please listen to me! I just want too-"

His strength tore the entire door off its frame. You screamed at the mess and the strength of his crest to do that to your room. 

An entire crowd was staring at the whole ordeal. The scene caused such a commotion that the professor had to step in and break off the crowd gathering around Dimitri and you. You watched as Dimitri apologized to the professor over and over. The professor just sighed and told him off. The Ashen Demon was surprisingly stern for someone who didn't speak as much. 

The monastery arranged for you to sleep in Annette's room until your door was fixed. You sighed and just hung out in the dining hall. Dinner was almost over so most people were going back to their rooms. You sat there and just picked at your dinner, not much of an appetite after this afternoon.

"Do you not care for food either?"

You spun around to find Dimitri standing behind you. He bowed slightly forward, his right arm to his chest. "I apologize for, um, recking your door this afternoon. I simply wanted to know why you are going through with this marriage offer."

You sighed, "In the past... I actually had a secret affair with him."

Dimitri's eyebrows shot up in shock. "What?"

You waited for Dimitri to sit down as you explained the entire backstory between you and the lord. It was around the time your parents explored the land to stay in one place because your baby brother was just born. The lord's son took an interest in you, noticing your parents coming to the manor more often as you were staying for a while. The relationship lasted roughly six months. 

Everything was going well until your parents wanted to leave the area since your baby brother was old enough to travel. The lord you were dating didn't take the news well and tried to force you to stay, saying you were the only woman that was genuine to him and wouldn't marry him just for the money. You left without a word, only because you knew you couldn't stay for long because you weren't ready. But the guilt of leaving without saying anything killed you. 

Dimitri listened to the full story. "You are only approving the marriage out of guilt that you left?"

"He's not a bad guy, but I just... I don't want to marry him. I don't want to be tied down at an early age. I want to explore Fodlan before I settle down. If I marry him, I know I won't be able to do much since a lady of status must stay with their husbands..."

"(y/n)," Dimitri said, "It is not your duty to marry him. I understand guilt... a little too well. But, just know that you don't have to be tied down to something you don't want." There was a deep sadness in his eyes that you didn't notice before. "Please, don't let the regret of the past force you down."

You were seeing Dimitri in a new light. You knew what happened to the royal family, but you didn't pay much attention to how it affected Dimitri. In the wake of the moment, you smile at Dimitri. "You know, you're actually an easy person to talk to. I will break off the arrangement and send word to my parents it was approved by you."

Dimitri gave you a genuine smile. "Thank you. Why don't you join with the rest of the Blue Lions during lunch? I see you alone and I want everyone in the Blue Lions to become a better team."

"I will take you up on your offer. But, no more tearing off my door."

Dimitri blushed, embarrassment clear on his face. "I-I'm sincerely sorry about that."

You feel the connection between you two grow. It was only the beginning, but you knew there would be more bonding between you during the rest of the year.