To Fódlan's Throat and back (FE3H fanfiction)

Chapter 1

When the war had come to a close, Fódlan fell under the rule of Byleth Eisner and his wife, Marianne von Edmund. His old students all went in separate directions, each of them following their own dreams. Raphael Kirsten became a fierce knight, known as the knight that no horse could carry. It was said that his mussel weight was too heavy for any horse to bear, so he always went into battle on foot. It was said that he could pile through enemy lines, a force no one could stop. He was known and feared throughout Fódlan, but only those who were close to him knew he was as sweet as a teddy bear, and that he always looked out for his friends. During his time as a knight, his grandfather and his younger sister, Maya Kirsten, established an Inn in their hometown.

Lysithea von Ordelia returned home to her parents, determined to use the little time she had to release her parents of all stress and troubles. Thanks to her efforts, the house of Ordelia healed from the wounds the war had left , and it wasn't long until Count Ordelia announced that house Ordelia would renounce the title of nobility, and the family moved into a small village in the Leicester regions.

One day, Raphael returned home to his village, and met a guest he had not seen in a long time...

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Raphael slammed the door open and squeezed his way through the doorway. "Maya!" he shouted into the house. "I'm here!"

Footsteps came from upstairs and Maya's head peaked downstairs. "Ralph!" she exclaimed, rushed down the stairs and flew into his arms. "It's so good to see you!"

Raphael laughed and hugged her back. "How ya doing, sis? Where's grandpa?"

Maya broke away from his tight hug. "He's downtown somewhere, he'll be back soon. He's been so excited to see you!"

Raphael laughed. "You can't believe how much I've been looking forward to this day!" he said and put down his enormous backpack. Maya backed away and examined his gigantic arms. "You've grown since the last I saw you," she said. "Been keeping up with your training?"

A broad smile formed on Raphael's face. "Every day!" he said and flexed his muscles. "Gotta keep these bad boys in check!"

Maya shook her head and sighed. "You never change, do you? I'll probably have to triple the amount of food I cook now that you're here."

Raphael frowned. "I mean, if it's too much of a hassle, then I can cook for myse—"

"Oh, shut up silly, I enjoy cooking," Maya interrupted. "It'll be great to have you here!"

She then turned around. "You must be really hungry after that trip," she said but then turned back around. "How did you get here anyway? I can't imagine you taking a horse all the way out here."

Raphael smiled. "Nah, I just hitched a ride with some merchants."

Maya chuckled. "Well that explains a lot of things," she murmured to herself. Raphael kept going. "It's really lucky I was with them, one of their wagons got stuck and I helped them loose it!"

Maya raised an eyebrow. "And you didn't...?"

Raphael's face turned to the color of a tomato. "I mean, I was so exhausted afterwards that I couldn't help it," he said with excuse in his voice. "So I uhhhhh..."

Maya's mouth twitched. "And?" she asked. "Keep going."

"I uhhh..." Raphael continued. "I might have eaten some of the wares the merchants had."

Maya laughed. "Now that's the Raphael I know!"

Raphael's face got even redder. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help it! I did pay them... afterwards."