Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem Three Houses, all rights to the owners.

Hmm… what to do… let's take Bernadetta again, because she's adorable and easy to use, and… and… no, you know what? Let's just have Bernadetta as the focal point this time.

This is my usual highlight-reel style of story: a series of interactions, sometimes related, sometimes not, intended to showcase a character and their personality. It's a style I'm very familiar with. Peculiar Professor, Intimidating Instructor, and almost every chapter of The Robin Variable is this style. I dunno why this style works so well for me, but it does.

Anyways, here we go.

"Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods…" Bernadetta whimpers. The world around her is dark and she's kept in what she can only assume is a sack. She doesn't know how it happened, she just woke up like this. Is she being kidnapped for a ransom? Political leverage? Or maybe one of her enemies has finally decided they've had enough of her? M-Maybe it's that servant she accidentally spooked when she was going to get more thread two months ago, or her father has finally decided she's useless and is getting rid of her, or House Hevring is making a move against them and, and, and…!

Someone fiddles with the sack she's in, and Bernadetta falls quiet. She doesn't want to die, not now, not like this!

"Milady, we're almost there, you need to get into your outfit." A familiar voice says. Ethan. He's one of the many servants of House Varley, and technically works for Bernadetta's mother… though in practice, he usually takes care of making sure Bernadetta doesn't starve because she locks herself in her room all day, so you might say he's Bernadetta's caretaker. "Sleepwear will not do."

"Wh-What's going on!?" Bernadetta squeaks as the sack is pulled open, and the boy helps her out.

"You're going to school."

"W-Why?! Why couldn't I just get another tutor?!"

"I am not the one to ask. This is your mother's… erm… plan."

"To stuff me in a sack and send me to school!?"

"Yes." It's remarkable just how calm the brown-haired boy seems about this whole thing. From his tone, you'd think he was discussing buying new drapes and not the fact that he basically just assisted her kidnapping by her own mother.

To be fair, if he was freaking out, Bernadetta would be panicking as well, so that's probably for the best.

"Now, put this on. Orientation is in an hour, and you're barely going to be on time." Ethan says, and thrusts a black and gold outfit into her hands.

"Bu-But I don't have-"

"I packed everything you will need." He motions to a small chest stuffed in the corner of the carriage. "Now change, quickly."

"W-Wait, this school is going to have other people there, right?!"

"Yes."

"I-I can't go there! They'll hate me! Then they'll try to kill me."

"With all due respect Lady Varley… no, they won't." Ethan says bluntly. "Now please, change."

He respectfully turns his back as the girl hastily changes into the school clothes. Everything is just a bit too large making it look baggy and awkward on her. "Th-This doesn't fit…"

"We got the smallest size, hmm… you'll have to get a custom make in your spare time." Ethan murmurs. "Well, at least you're dressed."

The cart starts to slow down, and eventually rolls to a stop. Bernadetta can hear the driver step down from his perch and start moving around to open up the back covering on the cart.

"Well, that's our cue to separate." Ethan says with a small bow. "Just follow the crowd Milady, I'll see your things to your room. Also, as much as I know you won't like this situation at first… please do try to enjoy yourself. If not for your own sake, then for your… well..."

He was clearly going to say "for your mother's", but they both know full well her mother shipped her off her to get her out of the way rather than out of any real desire to help her daughter.

"For your own sake then. Or… mine, if you care. I'd love to hear that you found some joy here Milady." Ethan says softly. "Now you must be off. I wish you the best of luck."

Beradetta lets out an obviously terrified laugh as she fights to keep her legs from collapsing under her. The cover of the cart is pulled aside, and (steeling herself) she accepts the coachman's hand and steps out into this unknown school.

###

This can't be right, this can't be real. This can't be the Officer's Academy. That cannot be Edelgard von Hresvelg, and that man next to her is totally glaring at her, oh gods he already hates her, she's going to die!

Bernadetta hides away from the man's glare, taking cover behind the nearest object… which happens to be another person.

"Hi?" The boy with sky-blue hair glances at the girl hiding behind him. "You look freaked out. Is something wrong?"

"N-No! Everything's good! I'm fine, sorry!" Bernadetta squawks while back-pedalling. She flees as soon as she can spot a gap in the crowd all around her. She wasn't expected to be stopped by someone grabbing her arm.

"Hey." The boy says, now with a frown on his face. "What's going on? What's wrong?"

"Nothing!" Bernadetta's voice is a strangled gasp.

"That's not true." The boy says firmly. "It's clearly not! You're in a panic. Please, tell me how I can help. I wish only to assist you."

"P-Please don't hurt me!" Bernadetta cries. She's hyperventilating now, and her eyes are snapping all around her.

"What? No, I'm trying to do the opp-"

"Caspar! Cease accosting this young lady at once!" An orange-haired boy says firmly as he pushes his way through the crowd towards them. The commotion is starting to draw attention to them, which is the last thing Bernadetta wants.

"I'm not doing anything of the sort! She's scared about something, and I am merely trying to help!"

The two boys start arguing, and more people start staring. The orientation ceremony hasn't even started, and Bernadetta has already caused an argument! The school will surely be outraged at her, she'll be thrown out into a ditch to die! Or maybe one of these people will decide they don't want a trouble-maker in the same school as her, and get her expelled before the year even starts, or will assassinate her!

Every pair of eyes in the area are now on her and the two boys. Bernadetta's brain decides it's had quite enough of this whole "being the center of attention" thing, and she promptly passes out.

###

If Bernadetta hoped to wake up to something less traumatizing than to that she passed out, she's largely disappointed. Having the heiress of the Adrestian Empire stare down at you as you wake up is plenty traumatizing.

"Ah, Miss von Varley. You're awake, good." The white-haired lady says. She seems slightly oblivious to Bernadetta's panic at seeing her. "My apologies for the actions of Caspar and Ferdinand, they mean well."

"Wh-Wha-?!"

"You fainted and missed the orientation ceremony. As house leader, I've taken it upon myself to summarize what was said, and show you the locations of import around the monastery, as you also missed the tours."

"O-Oh." Great, now Bernadetta has to worry about possibly making an enemy of one of the most powerful up-and-coming women in the world. She'd much prefer to just hide in a corner somewhere… or her dorm. She has a door room, right? Ethan said he was putting her stuff in there. Can't she just go there?

"So, if you're feeling a bit better…" Edelgard extends a hand to the girl. Not wanting to offend a princess, Bernadetta accepts, regardless of the fact that she feels like she could pass out again at any given second.

Just as they leave the room, Bernadetta notices someone else. The glaring man from earlier is standing just outside the door, and while Edelgard leads Bernadetta on the glaring man follows a few steps behind them.

"This is it, this is my end! Killed on my first day of school! Stabbed in the back by one of the princess' goons for being a disgrace to her empire!"

Yet the blow never comes. There's no cold steel sliding in her back. Bernadetta realizes that they must be in too public a place. She'll be lead somewhere hidden, not travelled, and where her body can easily be disposed of.

Of course, it all makes sense. Horrible, terrible sense! They're not even being subtle about it, the glaring man wasn't hiding very well. They want her to know it's coming, they want her to writhe in fear!

Bernadetta only half pays attention to the entire tour. She's too busy noticing all the different spots that would be perfect for a murder. The unoccupied classroom, any wall where she can just be pushed off the edge, a small corner of the chapel, the garden with its vision-blocking tall hedges, the lake where her body could be dumped or she could be shoved in to drown…

Death is around every corner, in every nook and cranny, every drop, every body of water… there's even an on-campus graveyard. Maybe they'll just bury her right there, and no one will ever find her body!

The tour drags on as Edelgard shows her to absolutely every part of the campus. Just how long is she going to put off killing her? There's been at least a few dozen perfect opportunities. They're drawing it out just to make her suffer!

"And this, if I remember correctly, is your door room… am I right, Hubert?"

The glaring man speaks for the first time since the tour started. "You are indeed my lady."

"Your things should have been delivered here already. Dinner is in an hour, so take that time to get settled in. If anything is missing, talk to one of the monastery guards or a professor, and they'll sort it out." Edelgard says.

"R-Right. Thank you." Is she saved? Has the princess spared her pitiful life? Did she pass some test? Maybe they decided she'd scream too loud if they killed her now…

"I know you've been a bit… distant since this whole tour started, likely a result of your earlier fainting. I do hope, as fellow members of the Black Eagle house, we can get to know each other better in the future." Edelgard says. She extends her hand for a shake, but seeing Bernadetta's frazzled appearance, she instead pats the girl awkwardly on the shoulder. "Erm… right. See you in class tomorrow."

As soon as Edelgard and the glaring man are a sufficient distance away, Bernadetta slips into her room and closes the door as quickly as she can. She locks it behind her, presses her back to it, and collapses on the floor.

"I'm… alive…"

###

Bernadetta is not enthused to find out the boy with the light blue hair and the other with the orange hair (Caspar and Ferdinand she thinks) are in the same class as her. At least, while holding a book up in front of her face, the two don't seem to notice her, so they can't brutally murder her for ruining the orientation, or mock her in front of the class, or draw attention to her in any way shape or form which may as well be death… because then people will see her, and if people see her, they'll see her doing something wrong, and then they'll kill her!

Dealing with people ends always ends them getting angry or trying to kill her, she just needs to stay out of sight and out of mind and she might just survive the day…

She stiffens when someone pulls out the chair next to her and drops into the seat. It's a tall, green-haired boy. He doesn't pay any mind to her though. He sets his head down on the table and promptly closes his eyes, and Bernadetta breathes a quiet sigh of relief.

"Well, quite the fancy bunch here." A brown-haired girl with a nice hat muses as she enters the room. "Nobles as far as the eye can see…" Her eyes land on Bernadetta despite the girl's attempts to hide. "And you, hello. I'm Dorothea, of the Mittlefrank Opera Company, and you?"

"B-Bernadetta von Varley."

"Oh, so you are a noble." The girl says, sounding slightly surprised. "My apologies my lady, I didn't realize."

"Hold up! Varley? Like, the reclusive daughter of Duke Varley?" Caspar asks, leaning over the desk behind him to join this conversation.

"Y-Yes?" Oh gods, everyone's looking at her again. Any minute they're going to start throwing things at her. Paper, pens, stones, knives!

"I told you that already." Edelgard huffs. "Yesterday, when you made her faint."

"I told you I was just trying to help!" Caspar protests.

"A fellow noble! I never expec-" Ferdinand coughs, cutting himself off. "Erm… I mean to say I am glad to meet you Miss Varley! I have heard much about you."

"Y-You have? Oh gods…"

"Nothing bad… well, that's not true." The man admits. "There have been many rumors about you Miss Varley, though I'm glad to report it would seem many of them hold no weight."

"Oh joy…" The girl mumbles. She'd prefer there were no rumors at all!

"Yes, we are all aware of the rumor mill. I expect you two will be polite and be mindful of Bernadetta's boundaries this time around." Edelgard interrupts sharply.

"Of course!" Ferdinand nods. "I was a bit rash last time, please, forgive me Miss Varley."

"Uh, me too!" Caspar jumps in. "Sorry about that!"

"It's fine, it's fine! Please stop looking at me…!"

###

This is it, she's done for, her hour of doom has arrived! Not at the hands of Edelgard and her creepy assistant-

"Let us be fighting justly! I will be doing my best!"

-but a hot foreign girl! It's not fair! The universe it mocking her, it has to be! She's going to get pounded into paste by this lady because of how horrible she is at hand-to-hand. Who's idea was this anyways to have all the kids punch each other on the first day of class!?

She didn't sign up for this! She didn't sign up for school in the first place, but especially not this! Why couldn't she fight Linhardt? He looks weak! At least she might stand a chance against him!

"Are you prepared?"

"No!"

"Is something wrong?"

"I don't want to die!"

"Well, I am not wanting death either, but I fail to see how that is relating to our current situation."

"You!"

"Me? I am… death?"

"Yes! My death! Don't kill me!"

Petra looks very lost. "I… see? No, I lie, I am not seeing. I would like clarifying please. I am not going to be killing you, we are to be sparring. Unless I am misunderstanding orders."

"Miss von Varley! Miss Macneary! Is there something wrong?" Professor Gilbert calls to the two.

"N-No!" As much as Bernadetta is afraid of Petra, she's even more afraid of incurring the wrath of a teacher. "Oh goddess, protect me! I don't want my face punched in!"

Unsurprisingly, Bernadetta does terribly in her sparring matches. She does, however, live through them, much to her surprise (although not to the surprise of anyone else).

###

She must have missed it in the chaos of that first day. A letter, buried at the back of the chest all her things were packed in. The writing is elegant and formal, clearly her mother's. Bernadetta considers throwing out the letter right then, but quickly reconsiders. There might be something important there.

Opening it… the message is less than Bernadetta hoped for. A generic, obviously insincere letter telling her that this is for her benefit and expressing a "hope that she will find growth and purpose with the help and oversight of the brilliant professors and your fellow students at the officer's academy."

Formal, generic, bullshit. Even Bernadetta knows that. She's been shoved out of the way of her parents on the vague, unrealistic hope that this place will change her enough to be "useful" to them.

Despite that, Bernadetta would still rather be home. She'd rather be where her personal library is, where food, thread, books, anything she could need would be brought to her door by a face she recognized and (hopefully) didn't have to fear, and she never had to leave her room for weeks on end if she didn't have to.

So, with no condition in the letter telling her when she can return, Bernadetta realizes she's stuck here. Stuck in a place full of powerful people who care a lot about how you act, and she sucks at acting like how you're supposed to act.

In short…

"Oh gods, I'm just know I'm going to get someone mad at me, and then they're going to kill me, even though I don't want to be here!"

Bernadetta is still absolutely convinced, beyond a shadow of a doubt, she's a dead woman walking.

This was fun. I mean, it's a shameless excuse to write more Bernadetta, but still fun. What do I call this? A character study? A character spotlight? Eh, whatever. It's a weird highlight-reel story with vaguely related scenes. I'll go with that. I hope you all enjoyed reading this, whatever it is, as much as I enjoyed writing it.