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On a quiet Tuesday afternoon in the Horsebow Moon of Imperial Year 1189, a very curious thing happened in the office of the Archbishop: Seteth asked for a week off from his duties.
“You’re asking for how much time off?” an incredulous Byleth asked.
“A single week, so I may visit County Gloucester. I’m surprised you are objecting to my request; this is the first time I’ve ever asked for time away from my duties to the church.”
“I’m not, Seteth, I’m just surprised. You’ve never taken a day off for as long as I’ve been at the monastery. Hell, I’VE taken time off since becoming the Archbishop. Still can’t believe I’m the Archbishop, oh Goddess. It's been THREE YEARS. Why’d it take so long for you to take a break?”
Seteth sighed. “You must remember you did ask me to help you fill your role as the Archbishop of the Church of Sothis, and as promised I have made sure you do not stray from your duty to lift Fodlan up from the ashes of war. I've always taken my position here at the monastery very seriously; you of all people know this all too well.”
“Yes, I still remember your complaints about my appointment as professor. Even Mercie had her doubts about me.” Byleth smiled. Smiles were not as rare for the former mercenary as they used to be, and they come easily when he mentions his wife. “She’s going to be pleased you won't be here for our next sermon.”
“And why exactly would that be?”
“Oh, no particular reason.” A slight grin threatened to break out on Byleth's face. This could only mean Mercedes was planning another unconventional sermon, the sort that Seteth was always reluctant to allow if not for the couple's insistence that the Church of Sothis needed to cover subjects once considered taboo.
Seteth rubbed the bridge of his nose. It will, admittedly, be nice to take a break from this, Seteth thought.
Byleth cleared his throat, possibly to prevent a laugh from escaping his mouth. “Before I let you go, could I ask why you're traveling to Gloucester?”
Seteth was expecting the question, and was nearly done formulating how to answer it when someone knocked on the slightly ajar door to Byleth's office. Manuela peeked her head through, spotting the Archbishop first, and then her boyfriend. “There you are! I was wondering where you'd gone off to, darling.”
Seteth blushed intensely. Even after years of her teasing he still wasn't used to being called “darling”, and unintentionally tuned out the few sentences Byleth and Manuela shared before she turned to him and coyly asked “So tell me Seteth, why in the world would you ask to take time off from your work here? You've always been so dedicated to helping Byleth.”
Seteth was caught. This was supposed to be a surprise for Manuela, or at least one he would give her privately, he thought. Well, at least it is Byleth and not his daughter as the audience; Flayn would forever hold this over him.
“Manuela, I would like to ask you if you would accompany me on a visit to County Gloucester. I thought you would enjoy getting to see the vineyards and sample some of the wine being produced there.”
Manuela's eyes lit up as he mentioned the vineyards. “I've never done a wine tasting tour before! I'd be delighted to go with you.” She sat down next to Seteth in front of Byleth's desk, putting an arm around his neck. “So when are we leaving?”
“Thursday, if the weather allows. We will be back next Wednesday.” Seteth’s face continued to grow redder as Manuela tightened her arm around him. “That should give us more than enough time to enjoy our visit.”
“A whole week with you all to myself! I can't wait.” Manuela purred into Seteth's ear, and the Nabatean’s entire face turned crimson. Manuela giggled, and gave him a peck on the cheek.
“Okay then, I've got you both down on vacation for a week starting Thursday. Is that all?” Byleth asked. “I've got to finish my portion of the sermon so I can look over it with Mercedes.” The Archbishop was suddenly quite serious, probably seeking to end the impromptu meeting.
“Yes Byleth, that is all. Thank you for accepting my request.” Seteth and Manuela rose from their seats, giving a quick bow and exiting the room.
As they left the office, Seteth could have sworn he could hear Byleth muttering something about Fhirdiad under his breath, but he decided to push it out of his mind. He could already picture how his daughter would react to hearing he would be leaving the monastery to travel with Manuela.
~~
Flayn was overjoyed to hear about Seteth and Manuela’s vacation. Too overjoyed, Seteth thought as his daughter helped him pack. He knew she'd be happy for him, but this was over the top, even for her.
“Oh, this is very exciting! I am happy you two are finally spending time together away from the monastery.” Flayn exclaimed as she closed Seteth's knapsack and handed it to him. “Does this mean you will be proposing to her?”
“No, Flayn. I planned this trip only as a reprieve from our duties here at Garreg Mach. Did you really think that was the case?”
“I have heard it is common nowadays to propose marriage to your significant other when you travel together. I was hoping this would be the case.” Flayn seemed to deflate, losing some of the cheeriness in her voice.
“Flayn, this does not mean I do not wish to marry her-”
“You have known Manuela for 10 years, and have courted her for nearly three! Father, you married Mother after only one.” The last sentence was whispered, though mostly out of habit. The two felt safe inside the monastery, and had even confided about their true relationship with their most trusted friends, including Manuela. Perhaps this was why Flayn wished for the two to finally marry, Seteth thought.
“I promise you Flayn, if I propose-”
“When you propose, not if! Manuela loves you, and I know you love her too. I yearn to call her part of our family.”
“I know. I promise you will be the first to know.”
Seteth embraced his daughter, and he and Flayn left their living quarters. The two walked to the stables, where Manuela was already waiting for him with his wyvern Bran. After greeting Flayn with a hug, Manuela was helped onto Bram by Seteth (“Ever the gentleman”), and the two took flight, headed towards County Gloucester.
~~
The 5 hour flight to Gloucester on Thursday went smoothly, with Seteth even giving the reins to Manuela after Bram landed for lunch and a quick rest. Thankfully Manuela had refrained from leading the wyvern through her usual aerial aerobics whenever they shared a ride at the monastery. Seteth didn't think his full stomach would have handled it too well.
Manuela landed Bram on the outskirts of the town of Tewksbury, the capital of where they settled in at a modest inn-and-stable called the Longhorn. Manuela was upset at the lack of a tavern, and complained to Seteth about it. “I was hoping we'd be able to get a drink a bit sooner, dear.”
“Not to worry, we will have all of tomorrow and the rest of the weekend for it. That is what we're here for, is it not?”
“Yes, of course, but what's wrong with a little head start?”
Manuela scanned their room, which was simple, with a small couch, a fireplace, a table, an icebox, and a single bed. While Seteth initially offered to sleep on the couch, Manuela cajoled him into the bed. Comfortably settled in, the two began to doze off, but before she did, Manuela asked “So what inspired you to take me to Gloucester, dear?”
Seteth turned in bed to face her. “Life in the monastery, even now after the war, must get dull for you, does it not? I imagine you’d want a change of scenery every so often, to travel Fodlan in peacetime.”
“The idea has crossed my mind. Flayn has mentioned wanting to visit Fhirdiad again, and I’d love to spend more time with her, but we’d be leaving you alone at the monastery. You must admit I’m better company than Byleth, am I not?” She rubbed Seteth’s cheek with her hand, and his face reddened.
Seteth gave Manuela a kiss on her forehead. “I will try to spend more time away from my duties, if it makes you and Flayn happier.” This elicited a pleased hum from Manuela, who snuggled up next to him. “You’d better, darling” she mumbled out as she slowly fell asleep.
The next morning, Seteth and Manuela ate breakfast together in the inn’s kitchen and boarded a carriage, which carried them to their first stop on their tour: the Gloucester estate. The Count himself (their former student Lorenz) excused himself from discussing a deal with some Adrestrian wine merchants to warmly greet them when they arrived in his vineyards. Had Lorenz not singled them out, Seteth and Manuela would have blended in with the other tourists, customers and merchants. Both were dressed in simple clothing, with Manuela in a sundress and vest while Seteth wore a less formal tunic and pants, without his usual circlet. After all, this was supposed to be for them, not a trip on behalf of the Archbishop.
Lorenz’s vineyard produced a variety of red wines, which Manuela all thought were delightful, especially the merlot. Seteth seemed to share her opinion of the wine, as he savored its smell before drinking it, nearly as much as Manuela savored the sight of him enjoying himself. It was so rare to see Seteth this relaxed; all she needed was a trip to the tavern or a bottle of cheap rose in his company and she could unwind, but he had so much weighing on him. His duties as the Archbishop’s assistant and taking care of his daughter Flayn took much out of him, even if he failed to admit it. She suspected he needed the trip just as much as he thought she did.
Lorenz invited the couple for dinner, where more of his wine was shared, served along with a filet mignon that was nothing short of incredible. Manuela demanded she know the recipe, but Lorenz insisted it was his head chef’s family secret. An evening’s chat came and went, and by the time they got back to their inn, Seteth was so tired he didn’t put up a fight when Manuela dragged him into bed. It wasn’t like she had any energy for any mischief, as she fell asleep just as quickly as he did.
The next day, Manuela flew Bram to their next destination: a winery in Tewksbury called the West Hive, which was also holding a wine tasting event. The winery specialized in white wine, and their chardonnay was to die for. This time, however, Seteth did not agree with her, as he seemed to prefer sampling the local cheeses on offer at the tasting. “Are you gonna finish that?” she asked while pointing at his wine glass, and without missing a beat he traded his for her empty one, and resumed his cheese tasting. This did ruin his appetite however, something for which Manuela promptly punished him for by forcing him to withstand some aerial corkscrews on the way back to the inn later that evening. A simple dinner from the inn, and dozing off together near the fireplace ended their Saturday on a quiet but cozy note.
~~
Sunday started earlier than Manuela might have wanted, but Seteth insisted on getting up early and visiting the local chapel. Tewksbury’s chapel was surprisingly modest considering the size of the town and its proximity to the Gloucester estate, but inside there existed a sense of calm and security that reminded Manuela of the ancient chapel in Enbarr she visited often when she still lived in the former Adrestian capital. The same chapel, in fact, where Seteth and his wife had married. A question burgeoning from Manuela's mind was bolstered when the Bishop of Tewksbury mistook them for a married couple.
“Are you here to pray for the success of your union?”
“No, Bishop Howards, we are not married.”
“Yet, not yet dear,” Manuela interjected.
A couple of forced laughs hid her insecurity, which she could hide no longer at dinner later that day, now at a restaurant in the town center. Over a whitefish saute that rivaled what the chefs at the monastery could produce, Manuela finally asked Seteth “Would you want to marry me? I've wanted to ask you before, but I didn't want to put you on the spot.”
Seteth stiffened, then relaxed. “I have been thinking a great deal about this. Before we left, Flayn asked me if this trip’s purpose was to propose to you.”
“And what did you tell her?”
After a moment's hesitation, Seteth replied “I told her it was not, but I did not really tell her why. May I tell you a secret?”
“Well, I'm already keeping one of them. Another wouldn't hurt, would it dear?”
Seteth took a deep drink of the rosé they had ordered with their meal. This new secret must be embarrassing if he needed some liquid courage, Manuela thought.
“Adira proposed to me.”
“Your wife proposed?”
“Yes. It was at a family gathering. I had not yet made up my mind about marrying her, and yet she was completely certain. She would find my current predicament to be quite humorous.”
“So you were the same then as you are now?”
“I would not say exactly the same-”
“But not too different.”
“I suppose not, but only Adira could say for certain.”
Manuela chuckled. “I bet I fell in love with you for the same reasons she did. Or did she get you before you became so uptight?” She leaned in, getting closer to Seteth. “I want the best of you. You can give me that, right, darling?”
Seteth’s face reddened as it always did, but he recovered, and replied “Yes, love. I promise you my best.” He gently grasped Manuela's hand, and the two locked eyes for a moment, shutting out everything and everyone around them except for each other.
At least until the waiter came and gave them the bill.
~~
Monday's events weren't what Seteth had planned before he and Manuela left for Gloucester, as he had wanted their day to be occupied at another local vineyard. Unfortunately, Bath Vineyard was closed to visitors for “reasons outside their control” according to one of its employees. Ignatz, who was working at the vineyard painting a mural for the courtyard, gave Seteth a clearer answer: “Apparently King Dimitri put in an order for wine that just came in this morning. I think they said he's hosting a wedding or something.”
“For whom? Certainly not Sylvain I presume?”
“I don't think the order said who exactly for, I'm just assuming based on the order. It's all champagne.”
Manuela shook her head, grumbling loudly. “And that was exactly what we came here for. Next time Dimitri visits the monastery I'm gonna tell him off for interrupting our wine tasting! So now what are we going to do with the rest of our day?”
“We could go sightseeing here in Tewksbury. We haven't yet seen the entire town,” Seteth suggested.
“I guess we could do that. Oh! We haven't visited a pub while we've been here. That would be nice.”
“Manuela, we came here so you could visit the vineyards, not another tavern like the one at Garreg Mach.”
“Yes dear, but we could also drink wine at home too, and yet you planned an entire trip just to do so. Come on, we've got to enjoy ourselves while we're here.”
“If I could interrupt,” Ignatz said, “there’s a really great brewpub here in town called the Live Oak. Raphael’s been trying to copy their weissbier recipe, it's that good. I can show you where it is.”
“Show us the way,” Manuela asked. Ignatz gave them the directions to the brewery, and Seteth begrudgingly flew her Bram back to Tewksbury to visit the pub.
~~
“Y’all came here for wine tasting? Our beer’s much better than anything even the Count’s making.” A gruff but skinny man who was one of the brewers at the Live Oak brewery greeted Seteth and Manuela, and served them a beer flight to sample the 6 different kinds of beer that the brewpub produced. A few of the locals gathered around them, curious to see what they thought of their local beer.
The brewer pointed out a glass filled with a somewhat opaque yellow ale. “That one’s our hefeweizen, our pride and joy. You won't find a better beer in all of Fodlan.” The brewer beamed with pride.
“I'll be the judge of that.” Manuela grabbed the glass, gave it a quick shake, took a good whiff of the beer, and then took a sip. Her eyes widened as she tasted the beer. “My goodness, this is delicious!” She turned to give the glass to Seteth, who in turn also had a sip. The taste reminded him of both toasted bread and a banana, a fruit from Brigid he had eaten on an expedition there during the war. The combination was excellent, and while he thought it was still inferior to the best of Lorenz’ wine, it was certainly better than any of the white wines he had sampled on Saturday.
The other five beers on offer were also quite delicious, though the brewer had been right: their hefeweizen was clearly their best. The Grodziskie ale, a smoky style popular in the north of Fodlan, stood out to Manuela, her other favorite from the bunch. Seteth in turn quite liked the crisp grassy pilsner lager, and he was surprised to hear that it had been made using ice magic to aid in the fermentation process. He had no idea the brewing of beer could be this complex, or provide this variety of flavors. Manuela’s love of the ale from the tavern near the monastery was clear to him now.
But what was just as clear now to Seteth was why Manuela liked visiting their local tavern. Back in Garreg Mach, Manuela was always greeted warmly by the bartender and the locals, which he assumed was the result of years of familiarity. But here, hundreds of kilometers away from home, the brewers and patrons of Live Oak had been very friendly and eager to get to know both of them over some fried pheasant and a drink. Lorenz had been very hospitable, but he was their former student and friend, and they only had small talk with the other guests at the wine tastings. Seteth felt almost at home here, and Manuela? Like a fish in water. She entertained the crowd that formed around them with tales from her opera days, the war, and how she and Seteth fell in love. Alright, maybe she felt too comfortable here, but it was the happiest he'd seen her all week.
It was also the drunkest he’d seen her get all week. Flying her back to the inn was an ordeal, but all in all, as he tucked the two of them into bed, it was one that was worth it. Now if only he could plan out a proposal as well as he did a vacation…
~~
As Manuela and Seteth ate breakfast in the inn for what would be their last day in Gloucester, they heard the tower bells ring out louder than usual, and well before the hour mark. The innkeeper, returning from town, greeted them happily, and shared important news that had just arrived at Tewksbury: King Dimitri Alexander Bladdyid had suddenly traveled to Garreg Mach over the weekend and proposed to a nun living there. She was taken completely by surprise, and happily accepted.
“What timing indeed. It seems the world wants to remind me of what I am incapable of.” Seteth complained. “I am a bit surprised Dimitri would marry someone living outside of Fhirdiad. He hasn't had many chances to travel away from the capital.”
Manuela was curiously quiet, almost as if she knew something he didn't. “Maybe he met her during the war. Plenty of nuns did return to the monastery when Byleth came back to us.”
“I didn't know you two were from Garreg Mach! Would you happen to know who Dimitri married?” asked the innkeeper.
“Possibly.” Something started dawning on Seteth. “When the news was announced, did they mention her name?”
“No, but they did say she was a small woman with bright green hair.”
~~
And that sentence brought an early end to Seteth and Manuela's stay in Gloucester.