AN: You know, whether we hate Edelgard and/or Dimitri for the terrible things they've done in the name of their versions of justice, or love either or both of them despite it, it brings a smile to my face knowing there is at least one thing we El Stans and Dima Stans have in common:

SCREW. LORD. ARUNDEL. Bastard ruined both their childhoods and scarred them for life, smh.

So yeah that's basically the premise of this "what-if" self-indulgent fanfiction: "Edelgard and Dimitri team up to save Fódlan and give Arundel/Thales the most painful and humiliating death possible because in the game he dies WAYYY to fast and painlessly"

Mind you, as said in the summary this is indeed a Dimigard story, meaning Edelgard and Dimitri will have a romantic relationship somewhere down the line. So if that's not your cup of tea this story is probably not for you.

Alright! Enough blabbering, hope you enjoy the first chapter!

-o0o-

Chapter I: The Prince

The Welcoming Feast was full of life, chatter and laughter. The chandeliers above colouring everything a warm comforting glow, the smell of delicious food wafting from the kitchens...

And Edelgard despised it all.

As she watched her fellow students joke and eat without a care in the world, all she felt were negative emotions—contempt, guilt, jealousy.

They were irrational thoughts, Edelgard knew but the childish part of her that had yet to be properly disposed of had a habit of rearing its head at times.

"Lady Edelgard," Hubert murmured, breaking through Edelgard's thoughts and giving her arm a squeeze. "Are you alright?"

Edelgard opened her mouth to respond before stopping herself, opting to instead nod silently. "Don't worry about me," she then added when his brow furrowed slightly in disbelief.

"Hey! What're you two whispern' about?" A loud voice called, forcing Edelgard and Hubert's attention back on the Black Eagle table.

Right. She forgot who else was here.

"It's literally none of your business, Caspar," Another boy by the name of Lindhart—unless Edelgard was mistaken—said. He watched his blue haired companion with sheer disinterest as he lay cheek first on the table. "Besides, why do you care?"

Caspar frowned looked away with his arms crossed. "I was just curious, sheesh!"

Edelgard was saved by the incoming argument thanks to a voice that stood apart from the crowd.

Edelgard could tell it was the voice of a boy very close to manhood; deep but still echoing with childlike delight. It was also familiar.

So very familiar.

Her eyes easily located the voice's source—a boy with trimmed golden hair and glacier blue eyes. He was talking with more students on his own table; The Blue Lions if the prominent azure colour on all their outfits was anything to go by.

Edelgard didn't recognize him at all...and yet that nagging familiarity stubbornly remained and she swiftly found herself analyzing his face and movements for some semblance of an answer.

A voice in the back of Edelgard's head hissed at her for wasting time and energy, but she felt she couldn't help it.

And then his eyes locked with hers.

Edelgard knew those eyes, she knew that gaze. But from where? where?

Her curiosity peaked when even from here, Edelgard could see him gasp in surprise before slowly, slowly, delight brightened his features. The boy held up a hand in greeting before a soft hesitant smile founds its way onto his lips.

And now she was very confused. He seemingly recognized her too, but how?

And why couldn't she remember?

Edelgard didn't realize that her confusion had caused her to frown back until she saw disappointment and hurt flash across his face.

-o0o-

She was here. The same prideful lilac eyes and small rose tinted lips that had only grown more lovely with age since when they were young. Yes her hair was no longer that soft golden brown—for reasons he didn't dare think to ask about but was curious about none of the less—but he could never forget her. Edelgard was here in this very room with him.

And staring right at him.

Dimitri felt as if his heart had seized for a few seconds. A multitude of emotions clashing within him like a colourful storm of sensations. She remembered him too surely? Or was it too long ago?

Nevertheless, he wasn't too keen on having a staring contest. He held up a hand in greeting and gave her a smile, more hesitant than he predicted it would but he supposed it couldn't be helped—he was excited to see El again...but also scared, scared of how different things would be.

She frowned and Dimitri flinched, feeling an invisible arrow puncture his heart. Either she didn't remember and was baffled as to why he was saying hello, or she did remember, and no longer wanted anything to do with him.

In all honesty, Dimitri couldn't figure out which was worse.

"Your Highness. Is everything alright?" The deep voice of Dedue brought Dimitri back to the here and now.

"Yeah, I was calling your name for almost a minute," Sylvain added, crossing his arms. "Who were you waving at?"

Dimitri sighed softly and poked the contents of his plate idly with his fork. "It's Edelgard—she's here."

"Edelgard? Ohhh! you mean the poor soul you gave a dagger to?"

"Sylvain!" Ingrid snapped, giving the red-head a withering glare that had him panically putting his hands up in surrender. She then turned to Dimitri, gaze softening. "Yes I remember her. She taught you how to dance, didn't she?"

A wistful smile formed on Dimitri's face. "Indeed."

"Well? Why don't you go over and talk to her? I'm sure she'll happy to see you," Ingrid suggested with a little shoulder nudge.

Dimitri thought back to the frown she had sent his way and flinched. "No, no I-I don't think she'd like to talk."

From beside Sylvain on the other side of the table, Felix scoffed. "Can't blame her. She probably smells your boar stench from all the way over there."

Dedue gave Felix a warning scowl and Ingrid snapped, "One day! We can't go one day without you being needlessly cruel to His Highness!"

"It's alright, Ingrid. Felix is right," Dimitri said glancing up at Edelgard who had returned to her dinner. "I've changed, she's changed; perhaps our friendship best remains in the past."

"Don't know unless you try, right?" Sylvain said, leaning forward slightly. "Go on, talk to her! And if she isn't interested with being friends again you can leave it at that."

Ingrid quirked and eyebrow and smirked. "Did you just give good advice?"

Sylvain gasped and pressed a hand to his chest. "Dearest Ingrid, your words wound me!" He made a dramatic gasping noise and face planted the table, eliciting a laugh from Dimitri and Ingrid. Even Felix's lips betrayed a tiny smile.

Dimitri glanced up at Edelgard once more and sucked in a sharp breath as he saw she was eyeing him again.

Her face betrayed no emotion and those eyes once filled with adoration and fondness were now as cold as ice in a Faeghus winter.

Dimitri waited—waited for the ice to melt and the warmth to come back.

Instead, sighing and shaking her head she turned to converse with a pretty brunette from her house.

"I mean...she's staring at you," Sylvain said with a shrug.

Dimitri didn't bother mentioning that it wasn't an overly welcome stare—although knowing Sylvain and his...hobbies, he probably didn't know the difference anyway.

Still, with a deep breath Dimitri nodded slowly. He got up from his seat and frowned when he could no longer see Edelgard at the Black Eagles table.

He scanned the room for her before his eyes zeroed in on a trail of alabaster hair disappearing through the large wooden doors of the Dining Hall.

Taking a second deep breath, Dimitri made his way towards them, stopping when he saw Dedue stand up to follow. "Actually, Dedue, I would like it if you stayed here."

Dedue furrowed his brow. "Your Highness—"

"Come now, my friend. I'm certain I'll be perfectly safe away from you for a few mere moments," Dimitri smiled.

Dedue hesitated before nodding obediently and returning to his seat now closer to Ingrid with Dimitri not there between them. Dimitri noticed the way she scooted away from him and sighed.

Something he'd need to talk to her about.

But for now, he was taking heavy step after heavy step towards the doors that lead outdoors. Where Edelgard would be.

Taking in a final, deeper breath, he exited the Dining Room and was tickled immediately with lukewarm night air.

And there, bathed in moonlight and staring out into the distance with her hands gripping the stone banister, was Edelgard.

-o0o-

Edelgard was acutely aware of the sound of the doors opening and closing behind her. She was about to turn around and scold Hubert for following her after she told him not to when she noticed the sound of the footfalls.

They were heavier, and far more hesitant than the quiet confident walk of Hubert.

Curious but also cautious, she looked over her shoulder.

"...you," Edelgard said, not knowing exactly what to say in this situation with this complete (not really, not quite. How do I know you?) stranger.

There it was again, that flicker of hurt striking like lightning across the boy's eyes. "Ah, yes it's...me."

The boy stepped closer until he was standing about a foot away from her. Now that he was closer, Edelgard could see him better; the sharp angles of his face, his slim pale lips and broad chest and shoulders—traits she recognized from paintings of the late King Lambert.

And then it clicked. "Oh, forgive me. You are Dimitri Alexandre Blayddyd, Crown Prince of Faerghus are you not?" Edelgard dipped into an elegant bow. "Apologies for not recognizing you. I am Edelgard von Hresvelg, the Imperial Princess of The Adrestian Empire."

Edelgard was in fact not sorry, and while she was still bowing she let an indignant scowl grace her features. Was this why he kept giving her that wounded puppy look? Because he was a prince and she hadn't recognize him? How childish and arrogant! She would not tell him so, of course; the last thing she needed was another enemy on her worryingly long list.

She smoothed her face and stood once more, expecting to see a self-satisfied cockily grinning prince before her.

Instead, his face looked even more despondent than before.

"I see..." Prince Dimitri said quietly, gaze falling to the stone floor. "You truly don't remember me."

Edelgard's confused frown returned. So it wasn't his prince status that she had recognized?

Just who was he?

"Do you at least remember the dagger I gave you?" Dimitri asked with a hint of desperation in his voice, taking a few steps closer.

"Dagger?" Edelgard repeated, hand drifting instinctively to the weapon at her hip. Dimitri's eyes followed it and his eyes lit up with unspeakable joy.

"Ah, You still have it! I gave that to you, when you left Faerghus years ago..." Dimitri's voice trailed off as he looked back into Edelgard's eyes, sadness pinching his brows together. "But your eyes...there is no spark of recognition in them."

Edelgard looked away from him momentarily, clawing trough the drawers of her brain to prove if his information was correct.

And...now that she thought about it, she did feel a special connection to this particular dagger, and she did—vaguely—remember that she had fallen in love with a nobleman from Faerghus.

Then again, she could be wrong—her mind was not what it once was and there were many things about her childhood she couldn't remember.

Was Dimitri one of them?

"Perhaps you don't believe me—honestly I wouldn't blame you," Dimitri chuckled lamely and looked up at the sky, shaking his head. "I don't know why you can't remember, but you do not and I've changed from the boy back then anyhow. Despite our history, we are but strangers now."

Edelgard didn't know why, but she felt a twinge of sadness at those words. Even so, her face remained passive as she watched Dimitri close his eyes as if mulling something over.

Finally he looked down from the sky, a face of determination in his face. "Princess Edelgard. This may seem like a...strange request but I wish to start over. We may be strangers now but that doesn't have to be the case," and then he smiled, a bright hopeful smile. "You may not remember the joyous time we had together, but I know in my heart that the friendship we shared is still there, lying dormant."

Dimitri took yet another step closer and held out his hand. "If you agree, I wish to rekindle that friendship."

Edelgard stared at his hand, thoughtful. This could be a beneficial alliance; with ties to Prince Dimitri she could perhaps ask for cooperation during the upcoming war—unlikely given the Kingdom's relationship with the church, but at the very least she could perhaps ensure its neutrality and make the casualties far less severe.

And so, with a polite smile, Edelgard took Dimitri's hand and shook.

"I would be delighted to give it a try."

In that one moment, the fates of Fódlan, Edelgard and Dimitri, changed forever.

AN: If any of you were wondering, there's a headcanon going around that Edelgard's PTSD prevented her from remembering Dimitri until he called her "El" in both AM and CF. That's why she was so aloof towards him up until the very end.

The hell does Claude get to live in every route but Dimitri and Edelgard die in any route not their own? Injustice I say!

Anyway, hope you enjoyed! Next chapter is already partially planned out and should be posted soon!

Apologies for any typos, I haven't a computer at the moment and am making due with my phone.

Fantasy Fan OUT!

JULY 25: THIS IS NOW A REVISED CHAPTER