Archive of Our Own ^beta

The moment that his eyes opened, Count Varley knew he had fucked up. There would be no pleading, no asking for second chances. He was going to take his punishment and whatever that was coming right after.

“It’s good to see you’re not resisting for once.” a voice called out, the silhouette of a short woman coming into view. The jingling of keys ring about, mocking his predicament. “I was kind of hoping you would, actually. Make punishing for what you did to her all the more satisfying.”

As this figure closed the distance, the count’s gaze shifted to his surroundings. As rooms for holding went, he had seen better. Sure, the lavender walls left blank would make for the perfect opportunities to decorate. The cobblestone floor, not so much.

“The temptation is very much there to make you a housewife.” the figure continued, glimpses of red now filling Count Varley's vision. He had a fairly good idea of who had gone through the trouble of kidnapping him.

"Really now, Ms Hvesvelg?" the scumbag countered, his captor rolling their eyes and coming to a stop. “Just because I wanted to shape my daughter a certain way doesn’t make me an awf-”

Electricity coursed through his veins, knocking him to the ground. Putting a hand to the area around his neck, he found a shock collar. Giving it a slight tug, it was definitely not coming off easily. If at all.

“She’s a vegetable.” Edelgard announced, taking the time to look over Count Varley. A slap followed. “A fucking vegetable! She’s brain dead. For what? I know? So you can fuck her pretty little brains out as some kind of shitty conversion therapy! That’s what.”

Another shock coursed through this scumbag’s body.

“But, I’m not one to look such a gift horse in the mouth.” Eldegard continued and put a hand under Count Varley’s neck. Lifting up his head, a smile formed on his face. “While I won’t ever get to marry my beloved, I think I’ll go for the next best thing.”

The prick of a syringe entered Count Varley’s body, the world beginning to start to spin around. His eyelids grew heavy and darkness took hold.

.

Bernadetta Von Varley II opens her eyes.

Staring out from her lilac bed, her gaze hangs to one of the four lilac walls meant to hold this room together. Plain and uninteresting, they served as a half-decent backdrop for the equally boring plush carpet floor. At least she had her plushies. They were always on her side, through thick and thin. She couldn’t really say the same about her parents.

Per usual, they were fighting. Why did they have to be so loud? People were trying to sleep for gosh sake. What part of that couldn't they get through their heads? Especially in regards to her father. Always something new that he had a problem with in regards to mother. She was already trying her hardest to make sure everything went right in the manor. But that wasn't enough for Count Varley. No, he would beat her for the smallest of things. Speck of dust out of place? That’s a beating, Not be at the door when he got home? You’re in for a beating.

Then there was the way that her mother was required to dress. Even when her father wasn’t home, she was decked out in some pinafore with her hair all done up in a beehive. Always smiling, she would usually announce how great it was to be a homemaker.

Yet, Bernadetta was afraid. Was this the fate that would eventually befall her? Bride to her father, forced to take up the place of her mother? Or would something else come up and change her fate?

Yet, the child let her eyes close. There wasn’t much use in thinking those thoughts. They would just drag her down.

.

Count Varley opened his eyes.

Still stuck in this stupid room, our scumbag took the time to take his surroundings in. While he was fairly certain that nothing had actually changed, it was a good thing to check each day. Especially as his focus shifted to himself for the moment. Sure, his skin looked smoother, but that could easily be a trick on the eyes as part of whatever Edelgard was planning currently. She was always trouble. Those ‘slither’ people had claimed they would deal with her and the rest of her accursed family. For a time, that actually seemed to be the case. They didn’t hear a peep from the Adrestian royal family. Heck, they had thrown a party to celebrate their victory over these idiots. But like the snakes they were, one still remained. Said snake had attempted to seduce her daughter and bring her fully to their side. That was quite a shock. Good thing she had taken the time to rectify that mistake. Even if a war did occur before she could actually act on this information. But act she did. So what if her one and only daughter was brain dead? Not her problem, currently.

“Good morning, Bernadetta.” a voice called out, the scumbag's gaze shifting to the area ahead of her. There, a woman stood patiently. Dressed in a dark green pinafore, Count Varley swore he caught sight of a garter belt. Said garter belt leading right into some stockings and vintage green pumps. Her makeup looked remarkably fresh with their hair done up in a bouffant of all things. "I trust you had a good night's sleep?"

Count Varley looked away. How the hell was she going to explain what she saw in that dream? Would a woman as dumb and brain-dead as this one actually believe a single word. If anything, she shouldn't even be in his cell in the first place. The kitchen was obviously the ideal place for a woman such as her.

“Good girl.” the woman announced, a smile now on her face. Yet, Count Varley slid back. Just in case, of course. “It’s perfectly fine to be skittish. After all, you’re the one who brought this down on yourself.” The world grew heavy for Count Varley, her body slumping to the floor.

.

Bernadetta von Varley II slowly opened her eyes.

Once more, she was back in her room. Everything was back in the same place that it was the last time she was in here. Yet, why didn’t she feel refreshed? Bernadetta was fairly certain she had gotten a full night of sleep. Sure, that strange dream she had about being her father was definitely something to worry about though. Better yet, how the heck would she even explain it in the first place. Imagine the way her mother and father would even react. They would probably put her in the looney bin. Or worse, she would be disowned and thrown out on the streets. Would make the lack of color more worrying for the moment. Where the heck could it have gone? Better yet, what sort of trick was being played on her mind to cause such an effect in the first place?

For the moment at least, she pushed those questions to the back of her mind.

“Mom…” she called out, her door getting flung open. In came her mother, decked to the nines in her finest pinafore. Makeup was freshly done up, a smile hanging blankly to her face. Heck, even her beehive hairdo had a bit of spring to it.

“Bernadetta, why aren’t you dressed! I told you to get dressed.” she screeched, hands grabbing hold of her daughter and flinging her onto the floor. Tears rolling down her face, she handed over what looked to be a uniform of all things. “I’m sorry that things have to be this way. Understand that mommy loves you lots and lots.”

Bernadetta shot her mother a look. What the heck was she even talking about? Why was everything all grayscale? Better yet, why was she even dressed like that in the first place? Father was out somewhere for a business trip. Which just meant him having an affair with some other woman and bragging about it to her to drive even further salt into the wound. What the heck made him think that he was above both the law and the Empire? The love of his wife should be more than enough.

“Is something happening, mom?” Bernadetta whispered, her mother already getting to work on fitting the uniform to her body. Which meant holding still for an extended period of time. “Did dad finally lose it?”

Mrs Varley doesn’t answer. Instead, she chooses to just straighten out her daughter’s blouse and make sure the skirt is all the way down. Then it’s just a matter of digging out a large bag. Said bag is thrown right over her and Berndetta is pulled in.

“I’m sorry about this, dear.” Mrs Varley explained and took the time to make sure that the provided air holes were enough for her precious daughter to breath. An absolute shame if after all the hard work on her and the maid’s part went down the drain by way of asphyxiation. That wouldn’t do. “Just understand that mommy really, really, really loves you. Even if things she might be doing make it seem that way.”

Bernadetta doesn’t answer. No, she closed her eyes and waited patiently. This nightmare had to end eventually. She would wake up back in her actual bed, the world would return to it’s colorful state and all would be normal. Normal enough, at least by Fodlan standards. That moment doesn’t come, sadly. The child is passed off to someone else and then loaded into a wagon. But within the darkness, things truly went black.

.

Berndetta von Varley opened her eyes.

Instead of finding herself in the middle of the blank room, our archer was instead treated to a bag. Four stretchy walls of burlap, all of which were refusing to budge. Seriously, why wasn’t anyone actually come and let her out of this stupid thing. Better yet, she could see the brown of the burlap.

“I can see color again…” Bernadetta whispered, her bag shaking about. Not because she was messing with it. More the result of someone messing with the strings of the sack. The sack gives way, the walls coming on down. Gaze swiveling about, her eyes eventually meet… her.

Locks of white and eyes just as pale, her hands reached out for Bernadetta. Pulling the damsel up off of the ground, a hug followed.

“Welcome to Gareg Mach, Bernadetta von Varley.” the girl greeted, Bernadetta’s gaze swiveling about the area. The open courtyard of this unknown place is a far cry from the cramped space that was her bedroom. A nice change. “I promise you whatever demons that wish to reclaim you will not be able to get here.”

The girl’s words ring out and Bernadetta’s heart began to race. This feeling, unlike anything that she had felt before was a sign. Good or bad, she was going to need to ride it out.

“Uh… thanks?” Bernadetta whispered and felt this mystery girl let go of her for the moment. “What’s your name?”

“Edelgard von Hresvelg.” the girl answered and got a nod from Bernadetta. That had been their first meeting, one of many to come. Later, she would find out that Edelgard was not just the leader of the Black Eagles (the house that she had been placed in for her time at Gareg Mach), but also the heir to the Adrestian Empire. Not that either of those things changed Bernadetta’s feelings for Edelgard. If anything, that deepened her affection. Even as threats of war and rebellion echoed across all of Fodlan, she would stand at her side. No matter what…

.

Countess Bernadetta von Varley II’s eyes shot open.

The large open courtyard had disappeared from her vision, what looked to be a hospital room taking over for the moment. The archer couldn’t exactly remember why she was in the hospital or what had put her in there in the first place. Not that she really needed to wait long to find out - the sound of wheels traversing across the floor approaching this room.

“Good to see you’re awake.” a voice announced, Edelgard entering the room. Pushing a wheelchair, Bernadetta’s gaze shifted to the person sitting in it. A woman around her age, their head slumped over to one side. A hospital gown covered most of their body, not that it was actually hard to just make out the beating that this unlucky soul had been treated too. What remained of their purple hair had been cut short. That way, the surgeons could properly bandage all the places a certain someone had decided were perfect for attempted murder. “Good. I don’t need to explain the elephant in the room for you.”

Bernadetta’s gaze turned to her hands. Dried patches of red hung to her palms, a reminder of what had happened - The crime she had attempted to commit against the empire. The memories pierced through - the announcement of her daughter’s sexuality… and her response. Fuck. She had actually gone through with that.

“This is her revenge, isn’t it?” Bernadetta whispered, attention turning to the girl in the wheelchair. If she didn’t know any better, what little left of her daughter looked happy. Joyous even. Had every right to feel that way for what she did. If anything, the only thing worse would be to just turn into a full-blown housewife. No, that would be too kind - an obvious out. That was definitely the last thing Edelgard wished to give her future wife. No, she was going to have to live with this hell of her own creation.

“It’s one way to look at it, sure.” Edelgard remarked and walked over to Bernadetta. Lips met lips, a kiss following. Absolutely divine, even if this whole situation was strange. Of course, everything slowly began to go dark. “I can’t wait to see you in white...”

.

Bernadetta’s eyes slowly opened up.

Standing before a mirror, she was decked out in a massive wedding dress. The white lace alone was absolutely elaborate, as fitting of someone about to marry the Emperor of all of Fodlan.

“Today’s the day.” she thought, doing a little twirl for good measure. Having wasted enough time in here, the archer made sure to grab the train of her dress and book it out of the room. On the other side, all of her friends were waiting patiently. This was her big day after all. With her father now thankfully disposed of, nothing was going to stop her from marrying Edelgard. “Here I am!”

Her fiance’s gaze shot down the hall, watching her wife-to-be make their way down the aisle. For a story that began as a tragedy, this was quite a happy ending.