Even in Crimson
It was born in flames. The gentle wind that rolled through the open window and lifted the pedals and danced with the blades of grass came from arches of fire tall as the sky is wide. Forged in steel and ancient weapons carved of beasts and bones wielded by soldiers engraved with a dark, unforgivable power. All of this was born in sacrifice, born in slaughter, born in fire.
Edelgard’s dreams remained dark. They troubled her and made her toss and turn in her sleep. There was but only one thing that kept her quelled.
The emperor leaned against something warm, something strong, something kind. Her eyes slowly began to open when she felt something was off about how she was feeling it. Gentle morning light illuminated the figure of a woman laid over top of her. The moment Edelgard’s eyes were awake, lips drifted close to her own. Familiar lips that made her body anticipate a kiss before her mind could, that her body knew instantly to trust fully. All the tension from her dreams vanished as Byleth whispered, “Good morning, birthday girl.”
Lips met. Edelgard felt her heart flutter and shudder so happily. Her arms lunged out and wrapped around the tall woman in front of her. Byleth’s body was always firmer, stronger, dotted with little scars that Edelgard had mapped like a sailor would the constellations in the night sky. She traced her favorite line across Byleth’s back as she lifted herself closer into the other’s embrace. The kiss gently broke, warm already from the morning sun.
Edelgard gave a bashful smile, one that only Byleth saw. “Good morning, my love. That is certainly a way to begin one’s birthday. Isn’t it a bit early to be giving gifts?” Edelgard twisted her head playfully. Byleth ran her hands possessively up the sides of her head, running her fingers through flowing ashen hair. Edelgard bashfully stared to either side, watching as the taller woman took her time examining and worshipping her.
Byleth slowly lowered her hands across Edelgard’s naked shoulders. Byleth gently peeled down the sheets. Edelgard at first just smiled as she watched the soft silk vanished away from her chest, down her stomach… But then she bashfully grabbed the sheets just as it was about to pass over the crotch. She gave Byleth a look… and Byleth gave one back. One with a spark that was unusual for Byleth, but it was one Edelgard had been trained just as well to find. They knew each other like a favorite book.
“You know that I am… still growing used to sharing it with others.” Edelgard smiled slowly.
“I don’t mind it,” Byleth said, plain and unemotive but not uncaringly so. She simply was not hurt either way; She was simply accepting. “If it pleases you, I want it. If it makes my El happy~” And her words rose to a true teasing tone.
Edelgard squeezed the blankets with her right hand whilst the left firmly squeezed into that mop of dark hair on Byleth’s head. Edelgard gave a relaxed sigh. She lowered her hand from head to Byleth’s hand and coaxed her with a nod. Byleth returned the nod and slowly peeled the blanket away.
Revealing the pulsing, draconic member, still awakening in the morning dawn. Edelgard was still cautious, still guarded just that tiny bit, but as Byleth lowered her face to gently give it a kiss, all those feelings of concern vanished. Her body was marked with what she feared would forever be seen as a corruption only to find one who would never see it that way no matter how she might be coerced to think otherwise. And that lit her heart ablaze.
Byleth took it the rest of the way into her mouth. Slow, noisy even. She wanted it to be sensual. Huffs of hot breath, wet tongue lashing and molding shaping laps of her lips. It was paired with the twinkling song of the birds whistling away, with the wind gently swaying at the trees just outside their vacation home. Edelgard felt the first heated pitch hit her face, making her wince and grow more excited.
That was all it took. She was into it now. She was letting herself go. She trusted Byleth every step of the way, trusted her to make it all work and all feel good and all just – Oh she was so happy she met her. Without Byleth she would be… She didn’t want to think about it because this was the only life that she wanted now. One where this was happening. Where they were always together. Edelgard would squeeze every year of life that she could from this world for the both of them, and she would level whatever must be razed if it meant a better world, and a better life for her beloved.
“I love you! I love you so much!” Edelgard sung it. She never said it enough. Too many nights spent with a face as dry as a diplomat. Her meetings with Huebert in their silent war had frozen her face into indetectable subtlety. As a ritual to undo it all, she let her eyes roll back, she let her mouth hang open, and she let her moans ring loud.
Byleth swallowed every drop like it didn’t have any taste, or like it was actually sweet. She even licked Edelgard clean. She rose up and smiled. “We had best get you cleaned. I’ll get the bath started.” Byleth stood, her scars on her back on display as she stood to the doorway. “Oh, and you had better have a big stomach for today.”
“Hmmm?” Edelgard was still swimming in her afterglow. “Why is that?”
“With some funds left over from the war,” Which was Byleth code for a literal bullion of gold, “I purchased as many sweets as possible.” Byleth smiled playfully. Edelgard laughed. When Byleth’s face didn’t change Edelgard stopped laughing. She wasn’t joking. “Up to the ceiling~” Byleth vanished behind the doorway.
Edelgard laughed herself silly as she fell back into the bed and just felt so…
Behind her eyelids she saw a flash of her axe dug into his neck, peers, friends, allies— Edelgard shook her head and sighed.
She would never heal. She burned the world and would have scars forever. But she was lucky. She found someone who would stay with her, even in crimson, even in flames.