I wrote seven fics for Cross House Ship week, @/fe3hcrosshouse on Bluesky.
Day 1: Balthus/Manuela, post-Verdant Wind. The two of them head to Almyra to meet up with Khalid, who has been crowned King of Almyra.
Day 2: Raphael/Bernadetta, post-Crimson Flower. The two lovebirds are celebrating their 10th anniversary, with friends and loved ones.
Day 3: Monica/Lysithea, post-Scarlet Blaze. Lysithea has just gotten surgery to reverse the effects of her Crest, and is now resting in Ochs territory with Monica. Overall lighthearted but discusses their shared trauma.
Day 4: Dimitri/Ferdinand, a fic set post-Azure Moon where Dimitri and Ferdinand have tea together, followed by a homoerotic spear fight.
Day 5: f!Shez/Lysithea, a fic set during the events of Scarlet Blaze. A mix of sexy duelling, friendly competition, and a sapphic tea party.
Day 6: Petra/Ashe, set after an unspecified route. Petra brings Ashe to her homeland to share the beauty of the ocean with him.
Day 7: Dorothea/Lysithea, set during the events of early Azure Moon. Both have abandoned their homelands, but stick together as they both face hardship.
I had a lot of fun exploring ships that I had never written before, and writing fics across different routes. I had a Dedue/Hubert and an Erwin/Balthus in the works, but they didn't get completed in time for the event.
My Analysis of the Best Paired Endings in 3H (Part 12: Raphael/Bernadetta)
Raphael: Mercenaries have no responsibilities, and no one else to worry about. But someone's gotta take care of my little sis, so that's out of the question. Serving as a knight in a noble house is more secure, and you don't have to worry about dying…unless there's a war. My sis has been through so much. I don't want her to have to worry about me.
Raphael chose a more difficult path in life for the sake of his little sister. After their parents died, he enrolled in the academy to become a knight to a noble house to earn money for her.
Raphael: Fighting alongside you and everyone else is a dream come true, Professor! And don't worry about my little sis. Right now she's back home helping out with the family business. I kinda figured I was gonna be stuck going back and taking over for her. But thanks to you and Claude, I get to work on my dream of becoming a proper knight!
Claude told him that a knight's main function was to fight and defend, but to Raphael, a proper knight was someone who was virtuous and always helped those in need. And his wish at the Goddess Tower was to become a proper knight. Taking over the inn was something he was always reluctant to do unless he had no choice.
Raphael: Sure, it's not my favorite thing in the world, but that was to keep my little sis fed. I had good reason for it.
Byleth: It's the same for me.
Raphael: The same, huh? I think I get what you mean. You do things you don't wanna do for the sake of everyone else. That's real noble of you, Professor. I guess I can't get in your way if you're doing it for the right reasons.
Nobody is nicer guy than Raphael. A big part of his character was that he did things he didn't want to do for the sake of others.
Raphael: And y'know? I'm totally OK not being a knight. Once this war is finally over and we're at peace again, I'm gonna take over the inn. So don't worry about me, OK? Follow your own dreams, Ignatz.
In Hopes, his Houses solo ending, and most of his paired endings, he doesn't achieve his dream of becoming a proper knight, because he gives up knighthood to manage his family's inn. In the paired endings where he does manage the inn, it helps his partner, but it wasn't what he wanted to do.
Raphael & Ignatz
After returning to his hometown, Raphael served as a knight to the local lord while assisting his grandfather and sister in managing the inn they had opened as a side job. However, Maya, his sister, suddenly disappeared, leaving behind a note saying she wanted to become a painter. Raphael, resigning from his knighthood, managed the inn while waiting for his sister's return. Several years later, Maya returned, not as a painter, but as the wife of a painter. Introduced as her husband was Ignatz. At that time, he was nothing more than an unknown artist, but supported by Raphael, Maya, and his father and brother who recognized his talent, Ignatz continued to pursue his dream and eventually became a renowned painter representing Fódlan.
In his paired ending with Ignatz, he gives up his own dream so that Ignatz can live his dream with Maya. It's sweet of him to do so, but the ideal ending would be for both of them to achieve their dreams.
Ferdinand: Do you not realize that life is passing you by? Have you no desire to venture beyond this reclusive lifestyle? There is a whole world waiting for you out there.
It is important to note that Bernadetta is a Sagittarius. Fire signs are considered the most masculine signs. Sagittarius is bold, unapologetic and forward-thinking, and is known for its carefree nature. They are natural intellectuals and explorers. Bernie's hyper-anxious personality is completely unnatural for her. It is the result of sexist abuse to make her submissive, like a "good wife" should be. It's not who she really is.
Bernadetta: But wouldn't it be nice to spend some time alone with a nice guy in this lonely tower, cut off from all the rest of the world?
Bernie's wish at the Goddess Tower was to spend her life in solitude, something Byleth won't promise with her. But just before that, she said she wanted to be alone with a nice guy. So, she didn't really want to be alone. She shut herself away and let life pass her by, which all of her friends were concerned about. Her character arc was about overcoming her anxiety and her fear of befriending commoners, and also becoming more independent. Something which is extremely hard for her to do, based on her endings.
Bernadetta: I'm afraid to go home…afraid to see my parents…
In her solo ending, she becomes a hermit known as the "Bear of Varley". In her S-Support with Byleth, she is hiding away in her room again because she's afraid to go back home. In her ending with Byleth, she never overcomes her shyness (except in CF where she has to fight TWSITD). If she marries Ferdinand, she lives in his territory and stays home while he travels.
She does the same with Felix and becomes even more reclusive with him. If she marries Linhardt, she won't leave her room unless she has to give a lecture. In her ending with Caspar, he frequently counts her as one of his children. If she marries Seteth, she commits to life as a recluse. And she has to stay glued to Yuri's side.
Raphael: Really?! That would be great! We gotta get this war over with so you can have more time to cook!
Bernadetta: You know, I'd actually like that.
Bernadetta bears the Crest of Indech, which is associated with Temperance. The Temperance card in Tarot is about the blending of opposites and the achieving of synthesis. It's about harmony, peace, and patience. As her complete opposite, Raphael was the one person who helped her the most. Bernadetta was the only female character who seemed to fall for Raphael at the end of their Support chain. The one "wifely" skill she enjoyed was cooking and Raphael's true passion was food. She was even excited for the war to end so she could cook for him whenever he wanted.
Bernadetta & Raphael
Bernadetta succeeded the title of Countess Varley in place of her father but chose to seclude herself within her domain, never involving herself in national affairs. Raphael appeared on the scene, aiming to help Bernadetta engage with others. According to Bernadetta's memoirs, it was described as "a kind of public humiliation," yet whether this tough love worked or not, she began to interact with her subjects as their ruler, eventually becoming involved in central policies. Their grand wedding reportedly featured a bride uncharacteristically outgoing and a groom flexing his muscles as he circulated among guests.
This is the only ending (besides the one with Byleth in CF) where Bernie totally overcomes her shyness and actually becomes outgoing and assertive, like she would have been all along if not for her father's abuse. She's the exact opposite of a submissive wife and competently manages her territory.
And it's the only ending where Raphael achieves his dream and becomes a knight to a noble house (much safer than being a mercenary), while also helping someone in need. It's also one of the only endings where he finds love and gets married. He's certainly not the rich nobleman her father would have chosen, so we know that Bernie has developed the confidence to stand up to him.
Both volumes of The Reigning Power and the Rising Sun are available for download!
This fic is the sister to Of Conduct, Of Manners, my Pride and Prejudice Leorenz AU, and shares a lot of the plot and events. It’s based on Jane Austen’s last work, Persuasion, known for its mature heroine and the iconic, romantic letter.
These downloads include extensive author’s notes, headcanons and even an album of character designs and costumes.
If you like the fic, please consider giving it some kudos or a comment on the AO3! ❤︎
For the last day of Bernadetta weekend, I decided to draw a comic of Bernadetta reflecting on all the places she's lived at. She finally gets to realise what a real home feels like after the war.
@raphadettaweekend is an event by @aurora-boring-alis
