Hello, Goodbye

The Goddess Tower

I woke the next morning with a firm arm around my waist. I opened my eyes and was met with blonde hair. I recalled last night. After my cake with Claude, Dimitri had come over and asked if he could stay with me. I nuzzled myself close into his chest, this causing him to stir and open his eyes. He laid a sloppy kiss on my head and I giggled. "Good morning Dimitri." I could feel him smile in my hair. "Good morning to you Thalia. I suppose I should get up now." I pulled back from him and threw my feet over the bed and onto the floor. It was still early in the morning outside. He hugged me from behind and kissed my neck. "I'll talk to you later, okay?" I nodded and he slowly walked out of my room. I couldn't help but smile behind him. 

I sat on the bed and knocked on the wall softly. A second later there was a knock on my door. I opened it to reveal a very sleepy Claude. I couldn't help but laugh at him. "Really Thal? Really?" I laughed once more and he walked into my room. A yawn fell from his lips as he laid down on my bed. "Oh no you don't mister! Get up. Tonight is the ball and you are not going to lounge around. Get up!" I tried to pull him off the bed but he wouldn't budge. "I don't wanna." One final pull and he landed in the floor. "Okay, I'm up." He got up out of the floor and sat at my desk. I made my bed and grabbed my uniform out of my dresser. "Okay. Out!" He stood up with a sigh and walked out of my room. I put on my uniform quickly and met him out in the hall. We walked down to the dining hall where we met Hilda and Leonie. "Thalia! So glad to see you!" Hilda gave me a hug an Leonie followed. We sat and started to eat our breakfast. "So are you feeling okay?" I nodded to them happily as we ate. 

Out of nowhere I felt a pair of lips on my cheek. Dimitri leaned down to whisper in my ear. "Good morning beautiful." Heat flooded to my face as he walked away. Leonie and Hilda gasped in surprise and Claude just laughed. "Cat got your tongue, Thal?" I began to stutter and couldn't even form words. This was the first time that Dimitri has ever publicly shown me affection.  My word blunders only caused Claude to laugh more. "He got you good Thal." I felt like my face could explode at any given moment. I buried my head in my hands and the whole table erupted in laughter. "I'll catch up with you all later." Claude then got up and walked outside. Hilda slammed her hands down on the table. "Alright girl! Spill! Are you two dating? What?" I sheepishly nodded my head and she instantly got hearts in her eyes. "Oh. My. Goddess!! So cute!" 

We talked for a while longer. I never got them to veer from the topic of Dimitri and I. It was especially hard considering I was getting glares from multiple females in the room. I announced my leave and walked to the entrance hall. Just outside I saw Claude and Dimitri talking. I snuck around one of the pillars so I could hear what they were saying. "Just be good to her Dimitri. That's all I'm asking. I don't want to see her hurt." I heard Dimitri hum in approval. "I will not hurt her Claude. I swear it. Her happiness means as much to me as it does to you I'm sure. I will cherish her." Claude laughed softly. "You better. I'll catch up with you later. Your princeliness."   Once I knew Claude was gone I emerged from behind the pillar. "You sure do know how to make a girl flustered Dimitri." He walked to me and pulled me into his arms. "I'm determined to do this right Thalia. I'm not letting you go this time." 

He pulled back from me and laid a kiss on my forehead. "Make sure I'm the first one you dance with tonight, okay?" I blushed and nodded happily. "Sorry to interrupt but, can I borrow her for a bit?" We both turned to Hilda. "Of course you can Hilda. I'll see you later Thalia." He walked away and then Hilda drug me to her room. "What's the big deal?" She only smiled. "The big deal is your hair and your face. Sit." I sat down in her chair and she pulled out a bag full of rollers, and a spray bottle. First she parted my hair and sprayed it down. She then rolled it up on top of my head and pinned it there. Next she rubbed some tinted powder on my face and then applied a light shade of pink to my eyelids. She applied a thin coat of mascara to my lashes followed by blush and a rose colored lipstick. "There. Now just to take your hair down." She unraveled the curls one by one and took two strands of my hair, braided them, and pinned them back. "Perfect. There is no way Prince Dimitri will be able to resist you." She turned me to look in the mirror and I gasped. I looked like a princess. It had been years since I had ever done anything like this with my hair or even applied makeup. 

I turned around and gave her a hug. "Thank you Hilda. For all of this." She lightly arranged my curls around my face. "No problem sweetie. Let's go." I nodded and we made our way to the reception hall where the ball was being held. The elegant music could be heard from inside. The knights opened the door for us and we walked inside. I looked everywhere for Dimitri. I finally spotted him across the room. Sylvain noticed me first and elbowed the prince. He then nodded towards me and Dimitri looked. When he saw me his eyes widened and he dropped his glass. Sylvain grabbed it before it hit the floor though. I smiled at him and he made his way towards me.

I walked towards him and met him halfway on the dance floor. "You look absolutely stunning Thalia." A blush made it's way to my cheeks as he laid a kiss on my hand. "Thank you, Dimitri." He pushed a stray hair behind my ear. "May I have this dance my lady?" I chuckled and nodded. He took one hand in his and placed the other on my waist. I matched his movements as he swayed me across the dancefloor. "I'm not very good at this Dimitri. I'm sorry." He looked at me fondly and shook his head. "No need to be sorry Thalia. I've got you." In that moment I noticed all eyes were on us. Out of the corner of my eyes I saw Claude pulling Professor Byleth onto the dance floor. Dimitri and I laughed at this. I looked into his blue eyes and I felt myself slowly get lost in them. So lost that I barely even heard the song end. We parted and bowed to each other before he pulled me close to whisper in my ear. "Let's get out of here. There is somewhere I want to take you." I nodded and we snuck out of the reception hall. He tugged me gently into the cathedral and up some stairs. We stopped in front of a set of double doors. We opened those and went up more stairs.

Once we were to the top I could see why he wanted to show me this place. It was absolutely beautiful. You could see the entire night sky from up here. "Dimitri this is amazing." He walked to me and wrapped one arm around my waist. "Do you know what this place is Thalia?" I looked at him before shaking my head. "This is the Goddess Tower. They say if a man and woman make a wish at this tower on this night the Goddess will make it come true." I nodded in understanding and nuzzled into his side. "What would you wish for Dimitri?" He pulled me flush to his chest and laid his chin on top of my head. "I would wish for a world where everyone could live in peace and harmony." I smiled into his chest and wrapped my arms tighter around him. "Then I'll wish for the same. A world filled with peace and more understanding and accepting people. A world where I could live freely without prejudice." He pulled back from me and smiled softly. "Thalia?" I looked at him questioningly. "Yes?"

He cupped my face in his hands and his eyes in that moment I'm sure could see directly into my soul. "I love you." My heart began to race, nearly beating out of my chest. "I wasn't sure at first because I've never felt so strongly about someone before but holding you like this and seeing the way you look at me, I know. I love you." I placed a hand on the back of his neck and kissed him fiercely. He returned the kiss with as much, if not more, passion than I displayed. Under the starry sky, his lips on mine, it felt as if my whole body come alive. He pushed me into the wall and I jumped. He caught me and I wrapped my legs around his waist. He parted from me breathless. "Thalia... can we... take this... somewhere else?" His question caught me off guard but I nodded without hesitation. He let me down and we walked back to his room. Hand in hand.