A/n: Just an FYI—Presea is 16 years old. Also, I'm open to suggestions on what Presea could do during the month between missions. Just message me or comment. I'll even tag you in the chapter I use your idea in if you wish to be tagged. Hope you all enjoy this next chapter! Love you all!!!
~✨Celestial✨~
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A few days after their mission and learning about the assassination plot against Lady Rhea, the Golden Deer were gathered in the reception hall. After learning what their next mission was from Byleth for this month, Claude recapped to make sure he and the others understood. "Okay... So our task this moon is to patrol and guard the monastery in support of the knights, who are busy trying to stop an assassination plot." Then, he expressed his doubts. "Here's the thing. I don't think the bad guys are really trying to assassinate the archbishop."

"What do you mean?" Byleth inquired.

"Come on, Teach. Don't you think that "secret" note Lord Lonato was carrying around was just a little too obvious?" Claude replied with his own question. "People don't just carry around secret notes. Someone wanted us to find it."

"Whoever planted the note on Lord Lonato's body knew we would defeat him. Either that, or Lonato himself knew he stood no chance against us," Presea stated.

Claude nodded. "Exactly."

"Do you really think the assassination plot is just a distraction?" Ignatz questioned.

"Oh, yeah. That makes complete sense. But then...what are they really after?" Hilda asked.

"If I knew that, I wouldn't be so worried," Claude responded. "Let's see... It probably involves somewhere that will be empty during the Rite of Rebirth, yeah?"

"Since the ceremony is at the Goddess Tower, it follows that everywhere else at the academy will be severely understaffed," Lysithea exclaimed.

"Do you think they're after the church's donation money?" Leonie pondered. "I hear noble families tend to donate quite generously."

"My bet's on the dining hall. It's a treasure trove of delicious food. Makes me angry just thinking about them getting their grubby hands on it!" Raphael declared.

"Let's split up and look around!" Hilda suggested. "I'll keep an eye on the reception hall."

"You should get in some training if you have the time, Hilda," Claude said. "There's a good chance we'll have to fight."

"Uh! Well, I'm not the only one who needs to train here! It's not right to single me out like that." The warrior looked over at Presea with an innocent smile. "I think Pressy should train alongside me."

"Why's that?" The cerulean-eyed girl asked.

"You never know when you'll need to use an axe or lance. I could teach you!"

"Why would Presea need to learn how to use a weapon?" Lysithea wondered. "Her magic is powerful. There's no need for her to learn how to wield and axe or lance."

"Oh, boo! I was just trying to convince her so I wouldn't have to train alone."

All of a sudden, Shamir and Cyril approach the Golden Deer. "A secret meeting, Professor?" The older woman asked. "Oh, we haven't been introduced. I am Shamir."

"Shamir is one of the Knights of Seiros," Claude explains to Byleth. "And that little go-getter there is–"

"I work for Lady Rhea!" Cyril shouted over the house leader. "And I'm Shamir's apprentice! Oh, the name's Cyril."

Byleth tilts his head slightly. "Shamir's apprentice?"

"Yep. She's teaching me about the bow and the sword and all kinds of stuff. I've gotta protect Lady Rhea, so that's why I've gotta learn all I can from Shamir. And one day, I also want to protect Lady Presea."

"Ooh, someone's got a secret admirer," Hilda snickered under her breath, looking toward Presea. "Looks like Claude's got some competition."

"Cyril adores Rhea and Presea. That aside, if you need anything, ask," Shamir said before taking Cyril and leaving the reception hall.

Everyone except for Hilda and Claude soon left the reception hall to occupy the rest of their free time. Once they were out of sight, the rosy-eyed girl smirked at the brunette. "Think you stand a chance?"

"What're you talking about, Hilda?" Claude asked.

"Your competitor, Cyril!" She hollered. "How're you gonna win Presea over? If you don't do it soon, he'll beat you to it!"

Placing a hand on his head, Claude sighed in disbelief. "You're unbelievable..."

<—————<<<<

On the 13th of the Blue Sea Moon, Byleth decided to allow himself and his students to rest. Presea wandered to the market, bought a small strip of leather, and headed to the stables. She discovered a knight on duty and a student in one of horse's stalls as she searched for a place to sit. She found a barrel and hopped up, sitting on the top of it. Placing the leather strip beside her thigh, she pulled out a small piece of gold that was the size of a coin.

The mineral was discovered last weekend when she and the other Golden Deer were training in the outskirts of the monastery. They were ambushed by a group of bandits, who stood no chance against them, and she discovered the golden nugget was dropped by one of the enemies. Claiming it as her own, Presea knew exactly what she wanted to do with the gold.

Now, she was going to use her magic to mold it into a deer's head and create a bracelet for Claude. His birthday was less than two weeks away and she wanted to give him something special like she did for his ninth birthday. That was the first and last time she created something by hand, but now she wanted to do it again after seeing how much Claude cared about the earring she made.

"I just hope it turns out well," Presea sighed, doubting her molding skills. Her fingers turned red as she weakened her fire magic tremendously and heated up the gold only to the point where she could mold it with a small amount of pressure. Using her fingers, she began creating the antlers of the deer. She messed up a few times and had to restart, but she was finally able to shape the antlers properly. Her mind was solely focused on the mineral that she didn't notice Lysithea walk up to her.

"Oh, Presea. What're you doing?" She inquired out of curiosity.

Said girl lifted her head and smiled at her. "Working on Claude's birthday present. I hope he'll like it."

"I never knew you could create things by hand," Lysithea said, admiring the work Presea had done so far.

"Well, this is only my second time creating something by hand," she confesses.

"What did you make your first time?"

"The earring Claude wears. I made it for him eight years ago."

"I don't think I could ever make something. I'm not very good with my hands," Lysithea confesses.

"Could you keep this a secret from everyone, especially Raphael? I want it to remain a surprise," Presea begged.

The younger girl nodded. "Absolutely. If Raphael did learn about this, I doubt he could keep quiet about it."

"Keep quiet about what?" A voice asked.

Lysithea turned around while Presea promptly hid the half-completed deer head and leather strap. The cerulean-eyed girl smiled nervously at him in hopes he didn't see the soon-to-be charm or leather strap. "H-Hey, Claude."

The second his lips twitched upward into a smirk, she knew he saw. "What're you hiding, Pres?"

"N-Nothing!" She denied hastily, placing her hands behind her back and hopping off the barrel.

"You can tell me what it is, right?" Claude pondered, taking a few steps toward her.

With every step he took toward Presea, she took a few back. She tried to think of an excuse, but her mind was blank. Instead, she decided to run. Rushing past Claude and Lysithea, she left the stables.

Claude, puzzled at Presea's hasty departure, stared in the direction she disappeared in. "She's acting stranger than usual. Did something happen?"

Lysithea smiled, keeping the truth a secret. "Don't worry about it."

<——————<<<<<

A few days later, Presea finished her gift for Claude after attending this week's lecture. It was the 17th, meaning his birthday was only a week away. She hid the bracelet in the drawer of her desk underneath one of her many books.

She began organizing her room after hiding the gift. As she reorganized her books, someone knocked on her door. She walked over and opened it, shocked to see who it was. "Professor?"

"I was hoping you'd join me for tea," Byleth offered.

Presea was surprised by his invitation, but she accepted without needing to think. She followed the professor to the courtyard, where they sat down at one of the tables. When she received a whiff of her favorite tea, which is a peach and mint blend, she took a sip and smiled. "How did you know this is my favorite tea?"

"I asked Claude," Byleth replies honestly. "He also suggested I bring these." He nudged a plate of peach tarts toward her.

She grinned at seeing the sweet treats. "Claude truly does know of my obsession with all things peach. It's his fault, to be honest."

"How so?" Byleth asked.

"As I was recovering from my wounds, he was always the one to bring me whatever I needed. That also included meals. The priest that was placed in charge of my recovery told Claude to be careful of what he chooses as my meals. I was terribly weak and eating proved to be a daunting task. Therefore, he opted to choose dishes where the main ingredient was peaches. He even brought fresh peaches every couple of days as a snack because of how easy it was for me to eat them. And that's how my addiction to peaches began."

Byleth took a sip of his tea with a faint smirk. "Peaches, huh? Out of all the soft fruits to choose from, he chose peaches."

"At the time, I thought nothing of it. Now that I'm looking back, there were so many other fruits he could've brought. But, I'm grateful for all that he's done for me. He saved my life, gave me a home, and a friend," she said in a gentle tone.

Their cheerful conversation continued until the subject changed after Byleth asked Presea about the men in red robes and horned black masks. The professor saw her smile falter and quickly apologized, but she shook her head. "There's no need for apologies. I've been trying to figure out who sent them for years. Sadly, my search has only led to dead ends."

"The masks..." Byleth muttered before lifting his gaze and staring into Presea's eyes. "Were there four horns?"

The girl nodded with wide eyes. "Yes. Did you...come across them during your travels with Captain Jeralt?"

"Once," the professor answered. "The red robes they wore also bore a strange symbol."

"Could it possibly be a Crest?"

"I'm not sure, but I want to help you with your search," Byleth proclaimed.

Presea's smile returned. "Thank you, Professor."

<——————<<<<<

Finally, it was the 24th. Once the lecture ended, Presea grabbed Claude's hand and yanked him out of the classroom. In her other hand, she held the bracelet. She dragged the house leader to an area of the monastery where there were no students. She looked around before releasing his hand. "Sorry for dragging you out here without warning, Claude."

"Don't worry about it," Claude replied with a chuckle. "I've gotten used to you dragging me around everywhere."

She decided to ignore his last comment and smiled warmly at him. Lifting up the hand that held the bracelet, her smile grew wider. "Happy birthday, Claude."

With an astonished expression, Claude took the bracelet and traced the golden deer with his fingers. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the intricately designed charm. "Did you make this?"

Presea nodded with a faint blush on her cheeks. "Y-Yes. It was more difficult than I'd imagined, but I'm glad I was able to finish it before your birthday. I hope you'll wear it sometime."

"Sometime?" Claude parroted. "I'm wearing it right now and never taking it off!" He slid the bracelet onto his wrist, admiring how the sun bounced off the golden deer.

"You'll at least take it off before you go to bed, right?" She asked.

"Nope. It's staying on my wrist forever. Just like the earring you made me will stay forever."

"You don't wear the earring to bed, do you?"

Claude shrugged his shoulders with a wink. "Maybe I do, maybe I don't."

"Dear goddess, you better not..."

Without warning, Claude stepped forward and snaked his arms around Presea. He pulled her into a tight hug, pressing his cheek against her snowy locks. "Thank you, Presea. Your gift is amazing, but the best gift is you. After all these years, you haven't grown sick of me and have remained by my side. I...never mind."

Presea stepped back but remained in his embrace. "What is it, Claude? You're not holding back on me, are you?"

He snorted with laughter and pinched her cheek. "It's nothing."

The younger girl was wondering what he wanted to say, but she decided to respect his response and avoid prying. "All right. If you say so. But...you know you can tell me anything, right?"

He nodded with a smile. "I know."

With that, the duo headed to the dining hall and ate lunch together before spending the rest of the day with each other.

<—————<<<<<

Two days later, it was time for the Golden Deer's next mission. The students and their professor were gathered in the cathedral, discussing their mission further. "The Rite of Rebirth is finally underway. Time to see if our hunch was right," Claude stated.

"Ugh, I hope it's not," Hilda groans. "Then we wouldn't have to fight anyone."

"Our hunch is right," Byleth reassures his students.

Ignatz nodded in agreement. "We've all come to this conclusion together. I'm sure we got it right."

"Right or wrong, the clock is ticking. All we can do now is stick to the plan," Claude said.

"Yes, our best—" Presea suddenly felt a chill down her spine as the hairs on the back of her neck stood on-end, causing her voice to fail her. She reached up, caressing her hand against the back of her neck with wide, horrified eyes.

Claude was the first to notice her strange behavior. "Everything all right, Pres?"

"I-I don't know," she confesses truthfully. "Something or someone triggered my senses."

"Can you smell them?" Byleth asked.

She nodded. "There's a faint odor, but I'm not sure if it's human or animal."

"Yikes," Hilda shivers. "There better not be a giant monster waiting for us."

"Doubt it," Claude rebuttals. "But we'll remain on high alert."

Soon, Seteth and Flayn joined them. "You seem a mite too relaxed for my liking. The Goddess's Rite of Rebirth is about to begin. While we are in the Goddess Tower, we are relying on you to secure the locations that are lacking in defense," the older man explained.

Flayn glanced over at Byleth. "May I let you in on something, Professor?" He nodded and allowed the girl to continue. "My brother can be a bit...callous. He told me that he was concerned about you, and hinted that perhaps you would be better off patrolling a coffin!"

Seteth, hearing his younger sister, shook his head. "That was said in jest, Flayn. And in confidence. Please just remain by my side and do not cause any more trouble." He then looked back at the professor. "As a professor, you would do well to remember that it is your duty to guide your students down the path of righteousness."

The emerald-haired girl offered the Golden Deer her best smile. "Please excuse us, everyone. We shall see you again after the ceremony has concluded!"

Hilda waited until they left before speaking up. "Seteth is way too overprotective. He reminds me of my brother and Claude."

"What?" The house leader gaped at hearing her compare him to Seteth. "Why me?"

"You know exactly why!" Hilda proclaimed, gesturing toward Presea with her eyes discreetly.

Claude looked over at Presea, who was discussing matters with Byleth. Once realizing the truth, he sighed. "Hey, I'm not that overprotective. I had no idea protecting your best friend was a crime."

"Best friend, huh?" The female warrior sighed. "You told me you were going to tell her!"

Before Claude could formulate an excuse, Presea walked over. "Tell who what?"

Hilda promptly forged a lie that she hoped the younger girl would buy. "Oh, Claude was just telling me the flowers he got from the professor a couple days ago were lovely! Right, Claude?"

"U-Uh, yeah," he agrees with a small stutter.

Presea gobbled up the lie and smiled. "I really do hope you enjoyed your birthday, Claude."

Claude smiled back at her. "Most definitely. You always know how to make it special. Anyway..." He quickly changed the topic before he could become embarrassed and called out to Byleth. "Come on, Teach. I know a hidden spot where we can monitor the stairs that lead to the Holy Mausoleum. If there's anyone down there, they'll be trapped like the rats they are. We'll just have to take them down without getting bitten."

The professor nods and the Golden Deer follow their house leader to the vantage point he discovered. They stood and waited until they followed a group of mysterious adversaries into the Holy Tomb. Presea couldn't help but grin as they entered the Holy Tomb and saw the enemies within. "We were right."

Claude nodded. "Our guess was spot on. Looks like we have company."

The mage located near the casket clicked his tongue in annoyance after seeing their cover was blown. "Those Central Church dastards have spotted us... Buy me some time while I open the seal on the casket!"

"I'm on it," a soldier reassures the mage.

"Looks like the enemy is going after the casket in the back," Claude observes. "Maybe they're going after the saint's bones? Weird. I'd like to defeat them before they can finish the job."

"I could fly ahead and take him down," Presea suggested.

The house leader shook his head. "No. I'd feel better knowing you were by my side. We'll let Teach handle that guy."

Presea smiled. "As you wish." She transformed and howled, which echoed throughout the Holy Tomb.

"Follow my lead," Byleth stated, gripping his sword tightly as he charged forward and gave orders to his students. Lysithea and Marianne used their magic from a distance, killing a handful of soldiers. Raphael and Ignatz teamed up, taking down a few mages and soldiers. Hilda, who was accompanying the professor and Leonie, used her axe to slice through a single enemy.

Before Claude, Lorenz, or Presea could join the fray, the enemy was already suffering heavy loses. The mage near the casket noticed and called out to the man cladded in sable armor atop a horse located in the middle of the room. "Death Knight! Prove your strength and scatter these fools!"

"I don't take commands. Or waste my time on weaklings," the Death Knight responds with a deep, gravely voice.

Claude heard their exchange and frowned. "I'm getting a really disturbing vibe from that guy... No one go near the evil-looking knight, okay?"

Presea nodded her head in agreement and accompanied Lorenz and Claude into battle. Wiping out a few soldiers with her magic, she landed on all fours and targeted the mage trying to attack her from a distance. As Claude desired, she avoided the Death Knight, but she soon got entangled with him once he spotted her amongst her comrades. "You are here..." The horse neighed as it reared before taking off in the Pterolykos' direction.

Ignatz was the first to see who the Death Knight was targeting and shouted as he fired an arrow at him. "Presea!"

The wolf didn't hear her name being called due to being distracted by a soldier. Fortunately, Claude and Byleth heard Ignatz desperately call out to her and turned their attention to the girl. They saw the Death Knight closing in on her with her back toward him as she fought against a soldier.

Claude was the closest to her and fired arrows at the heavily-armored assailant, but they proved to be ineffective. His eyes widen in fear at seeing his arrows were useless and abandoned his bow. Dashing forward, he beelined toward Presea in hopes he would reach her before the Death Knight could. Even though he was closer to her, the enemy's steed was faster and gaining speed. The brunette shouted Presea's name, finally gaining her attention.

Presea turned her head and spotted the Death Knight only a few feet away from her. She casted a quick but sloppy spell due to being unable to concentrate from how close the man was. He dodged the spell and what he did next confused her. He twirled his lance in his hand until grabbing and holding it at the base of the sharp tip. She couldn't understand why he'd try to use the blunt end of the lance instead of using the point to stab her.

Before the Death Knight could swing the blunt end of the lance at Presea, something collided with her body and sent her rolling across the floor. Her world was spinning as she and the person latched onto her rolled away from the man. When they stopped rolling and her vision steadied, she saw the person who tackled her was Claude. He kept a tight grip on her fur as he caught his breath. His arms were wrapped around her mid-section as she laid on her belly. "Made it..." He sighed in relief, completely out of breath.

Lifting her head, Presea witnessed Byleth defeat the Death Knight. Before he could finish the job, he vanished. The professor went to check on the duo, but Claude stopped him. "I've got this, Teach." Byleth nodded and targeted the mage located by the casket while the other students dealt with the remaining soldiers and mages.

Presea pushes her body off the ground and stood on all fours, dragging Claude along as his arms were still wrapped securely around her mid-section. She peered over her shoulder, wondering why he was still clinging to her. Using her tail, she tickled his side and forced him to release her.

"Fine, I'll let you go." Claude got to his feet and brushed off the dirt from his clothes. When he felt a warm sensation engulf his body, he looked down at Presea. He saw the familiar green glow, knowing she had just healed him, and smiled. "Thanks for the assist."

The two heard a loud scream and their eyes darted toward the casket located in the back of the Holy Mausoleum. Byleth had defeated the mage. With desperation, the mage stumbles back and slid the lid off the casket. Reaching downward, he pulled out a sword. The professor charges at the adversary and attacks. The sword is thrown out of the mage's hand from Byleth's quick attack and flies through the air. He catches the strange blade, examining it closely.

Seeing Byleth was distracted, the mage prepares a magical attack. On a whim, the professor uses the sword to block the spell. The fire ball vanishes and the weapon began to radiate with a strange light. The mage gasped at the sight. "Huh... What?"

Byleth throws aside his other sword and faces the mage, who stumbles back in an attempt to retreat. He tripped over his own feet as his back slammed into the stone casket. Cornered, the mage prepares to cast another spell in a desperate attempt to protect himself. The professor overpowers and defeats the mage with a single blow from the foreign weapon.

As he stood by the tomb over the mage's corpse, he examines the sword once again. He notices an empty space in the pommel where something appears to be missing.

Claude and Presea were in awe at seeing Byleth wield the blade. The young girl transformed when she recognized the weapon, knowing it was the one Claude had been searching for. She looked up at him with a frown. "Claude, it's..."

"I know," he replies stoically.

All of a sudden, Catherine rushed down the stairs and into the Holy Tomb with a couple of her fellow knights. "Is the intruder here?!" When she scanned the room and saw the majority of the enemies were dead, she lowered her sword. "Oh... Looks like you have this under control." Then, she pointed to one of the knights by her side. "You! Round up any stragglers."

"Will do!" He bellowed in response.

<——————<<<<<

After listening to Lady Rhea sentence those behind the attack on the Holy Mausoleum to death, Claude, Presea, and Byleth headed to the Golden Deer classroom to rendezvous with the remaining students.

"I suppose that's that," Claude sighed as he stood before his companions. "The assassination attempt, the attack on the Holy Mausoleum... Looks like it was all a plot by the Western Church. It's just too bad that that masked knight who was leading the attack got away. Vanished without a trace."

"What was most frightening was how he targeted Presea," Ignatz said.

"Yeah," Hilda nodded. "Why would he be after Presea and why would the Western Church want to attack Lady Rhea?"

"I want to know why he targeted Presea, too, but the Western Church had many reasons to target Rhea. Just take a pick. Relations with the Western Church aren't exactly friendly," the house leader answered.

"What reasons?" Byleth puzzled.

Claude glances at the professor. "Oh, that's right. Jeralt mentioned that you grew up completely isolated from the church. The Church of Seiros is split into a few different branches across Fódlan. The Central Church is headquartered right here at Garreg Mach."

Presea searched the classroom for a map to help with the explanation. She found one and opened it, showing Byleth the location of the Western Church. "The Western Church is located near the Fortress City of Arianrhod."

"It's the strongest fortress in the Kingdom. On the other side of it is the headquarters of the Western Church," Claude added.

"Not too smart to bicker with people who worship the same goddess as you," Hilda commented.

"It is possible this "Death Knight" targeted Presea because the Western Church desires to get their hands on her," Lorenz guessed. "The way he wielded his lance suggested he simply wished to incapacitate her, not kill."

"At this point after learning they intended to kill Lady Rhea, I wouldn't put kidnapping past them. If they do believe Pterolykoses were the messengers of the goddess, they definitely would target her for her powers," Claude said. "The bishop of the Western Church must be pretty ambitious. Probably hopes to split off completely. In which case, he'd need to weaken the Central Church's influence. Killing Rhea and capturing Presea to use her abilities for their own personal gain are certainly ways to do that. To the shock of no one, I hear the knights have been sent to subdue the leaders of the Western Church. We'll probably get a chance to assist."

Hilda glances at Byleth. "You're an odd one, aren't you, Professor? How'd you make it this far in life without ever interacting with the church? I can't believe someone like you exists in Fódlan. It's too strange!"

"If you think that's weird, consider the fact that Rhea hired Teach despite all that."

"So, those guys they caught..." Raphael muttered. "They all got the axe, right? That's brutal."

"Lady Rhea can be rather intimidating at times," Lysithea confesses, looking down at the floor. "In fact...she can be downright terrifying."

"Professor," Marianne chimed in. "Those who cannot be saved must be delivered to the goddess for judgement. Is that not so?"

Before Byleth could answer her question, Seteth appeared. "There you are, Professor. It seems Lady Rhea would like a word with you. Come with me."

Byleth and Seteth left. Everyone, minus Claude and Presea, also departed. They remained in the classroom, basking in the silence. Eventually, Claude broke the silence with a heavy sigh. "The Sword of the Creator... Pulled right from the legends. We finally found it and yet, it ended up in Teach's hands. Could we even use it, anyway?"

Presea stepped forward in order to stand beside him. She took his hand in hers, squeezing it gently. "I'm not sure, Claude. Maybe it's best that the professor wields it."

Claude squeezed her hand in return. "Damn it. There's no telling what's to come..."