Edelgard's Hidden Grove

Spoiler Note: This takes place after the events of the Crimson Flower route in Fire Emblem: Three Houses. I avoided as many spoilers as possible, but if you’re at all worried about that kinda thing, consider skipping this short for now.

“Where are we going? You’ve dragged me halfway across the city!” Byleth demanded, laughter dancing in her tone.

Edelgard tightened her grip on Byleth’s hand and simply cast a knowing smile over her shoulder. “I've already told you; somewhere very special for us to enjoy privately.”

“That doesn’t tell me anything other than that you want to spend some time alone with me. What’s so special about this place, El?”

“If I told you, it would spoil the surprise.”

Byleth laughed as she persisted in trying to weasel their destination from her partner in crime, but the pale woman kept her lips clean of her secret. Where was she dragging Byleth this time? Last time had been a strangely endearing bar on the edge of the former refugee camp, and the time before that had been a conservatory filled with beautiful foreign flowers that an immigrant family had started. The teal-haired woman wasn’t sure when her closest friend managed to find the time to stumble across these wonderful places in the depths of her city and she doubted she would get a proper answer if she asked. All Byleth could do was let herself be pulled along while wondering what oddity she was in for that day.

Today, as it so happened, was less odd than usual. El gave Byleth one last good yank out of an alley and Byleth blinked from the sudden sunlight in her eyes. When she could see again, she just smiled. El had brought her to a beautiful park that Byleth had been to before while patrolling the city with the empress’ guard. It had been a hotspot for criminal activity before since the thick growth of trees and well-maintained bushes and flowers made for an easy time hiding illicit activities, but as crime in the city overall went down, so too did the crime here. Now it was just a lovely park.

“Did you drag me all the way here just to see the park, El?” Byleth chuckled, “I love it, but I’ve seen it before-”

El started to drag Byleth again. “It’s not for the park, dummy. It’s for what’s in the park.”

What’s in the park, huh? Looks like Byleth might still get her surprise after all.

Getting led through the cool shade of the park by her lovely empress wasn’t a bad day to spend an afternoon in the slightest. Byleth could feel the stiffness in her shoulders lessening just from the relaxing atmosphere. While not nearly as bad as it used to be, being a spearhead in the reformation of the empire was still a stressful and taxing position. The fact that the empress and her closest confidant were able to sneak away like this from time to time was a sign that things were getting calmer, but there was still much to do.

Byleth shook her head. Enjoy the now, don’t ruminate on what comes later. Walk through the park, hold hands with a pretty lady, and appreciate the time spent with your best friend.

Edelgard suddenly took a turn off the park’s path and started pushing through a gap in the bushes. Byleth, of course, was pulled along behind her. The branches and leaves kept trying to snag on her cloak and yank off her hood. What was the silver-haired woman doing? Where was she-

They broke into a clearing. Byleth sucked in some breath as she took everything in. It was a gorgeous little clearing sequestered away in between the trees and blooming bushes. A small but exceptionally clear stream ran through the edge of the clearing, enveloping the whole area in the sound of bubbling water. Sunlight filtered in through the sparse leaf coverage above, dappling the ground in an entrancing pattern of dancing shapes. And there was a bench. A natural-looking and well-crafted bench that sat right in the middle of the clearing, facing the stream. Byleth blinked. Sure, the bench looked nice and fit the scene well, but why was it here…?

El released Byleth’s hand and walked further into the clearing, pulling her hood off her head and letting her long, seemingly glowing hair pour down around her shoulders. She ran her hand along the back of the bench slowly while saying, “I found this clearing some time ago and instantly knew that I wanted to bring you here. I also knew of other things that I would wish to do here, so had an agreeable group of tight-lipped soldiers bring what I would need in.”

“What you would need?” Byleth inquired. She approached the bench and looked around its back. She smiled. “Ah, I see. I’ll admit, the flowers here do compliment me well. I can see why you’d want to go to all this effort just so I can be your nature goddess~.”

A hint of blush colored El’s pale cheeks. “I’d prefer the term ‘natural model’ if you would. I need no goddesses in my life.” Then she cleared her throat as she started to move the things that were resting on and near the bench. An easel with a few spare canvasses, an unused palette, many sealed paints, a cup, a towel, a scraper, and a pitcher. Byleth had to question the pitcher since there had never been one before while she’d been modeling for El, but she figured that it might just be for staying hydrated. They were going to be out here for a long time, assumedly, so it made sense.

Byleth strolled further in the clearing, linking her fingers together and stretching her arms far above her head. “What should I do today then?” Byleth asked. She spun on her heel next to the stream and crossed her arms under her chest. “What would you like this time? A heroic pose? Oblivious beauty? Or maybe…” Byleth pulled her cloak off and tossed it to the side, giving El a small smile. “...you brought me out to such a natural area for a natural painting?”

The blush on El’s face brightened, but she didn’t say anything. She just avoided Byleth’s eyes as she continued setting up. Byleth started to sweat. Oh boy. She’d just been joking with that, and it wouldn’t be the first time she’d be seen au natural by El, but… to be like that outside like this… and to pose nude for El for so long… to be recorded like that… to have El stare at every part of her body… painting it… uh…

Byleth felt her face start to heat up. She quickly glanced down at the stream. She felt thirsty all of a sudden. It was usually taboo to drink from shallow water, but this stream was deeper than it appeared at first glance, and it was also crystal clear and flowing swiftly, so it should be alright to have a drink to cool her head. Byleth knelt and dipped her hands into the water. It was blissfully cold. She brought it to her mouth and slowly drank. Just as she’d thought; it tasted as crisp and clear as most river water did. She was about to go for more when El’s voice called over, “If you need to drink, please drink from this.”

Byleth turned around. El was holding up the pitcher that Byleth had noticed before. El continued, “It’s been enchanted to bless any water put inside, purifying it. I trust the water in the land to be clean, but I shouldn’t leave the health of one as important as you to my trust alone.”

Byleth stood up and retrieved the pitcher. She gave it a once over, noting a strange clear gem embedded in the neck of the pitcher. “I’ve never heard of something like this. Is it new?”

“I received it as a gift from an emissary,” El responded. “Two of them, in fact. One is being studied so that we might recreate its effects for use across the empire. I took the other for… personal use.”

Byleth returned to the stream and dipped the pitcher in. The gem glowed momentarily, then the glow transferred to the water. Then it stopped. Byleth stood back up and took a small sip from the pitcher. “It… tastes no different. I can’t tell if it worked or not.”

“As I said, I trust the water to be free of disease,” El responded. She’d sat down on the bench and was watching Byleth. She seemed to be contemplating something.

“What are you thinking about?” Byleth asked. She took another drink from the pitcher.

El sighed. “Oh, it’s nothing. I was just… considering how I’d like to paint you today…”

Oh. Right. With the… uh… right. Byleth glanced away. “S-So… Well, I’m fine with it so long as you want it…”

“Hm? But I haven't even asked you yet?”

Byleth looked back at El, an eyebrow raised. “You wanted to paint me ‘naturally’, didn’t you?”

El blinked. “Well, yes, I do, but I’d also like to paint you looking…”

“...looking…?”

“Looking…” El bit her lip. She hid her mouth and nose using her palette, though she failed to completely hide the rising blush on her face. “Oh, how to phrase this…”

Byleth could feel herself getting embarrassed just from El’s hesitation. “You can just say it. I swear, no matter what it is, I won’t think it’s strange or… whatever else you might be fearing.”

El glanced away. “You will, though. I know you will. That’s the issue…” After a few moments of silence, El took a deep breath. “Fine. You had better hold to your word.”

“Of course, I will. If I’m willing to let you paint me nude in the middle of the park, then I can’t think of much else I wouldn’t be willing to let you paint.”

“Then… if you could… I’d like to… paint you… swollen.”

Byleth stared at El for a few seconds, as if waiting for the woman to elaborate, but no explanation came. She just hid her face behind her palette. Finally, Byleth broke the pregnant pause. “Sorry, could you… repeat that?”

El peaked over the top of her palette. “Swollen. That’s the reason I brought the pitcher… and why I considered this such a perfect spot. I’d like you to help yourself to as much of the stream’s bounty as you feel comfortable with… then I’d like to paint you as you are then.”

Ok, so Byleth hadn’t misheard. “I, uh… w-well, I must admit, I hadn’t been expecting that. Can I ask why…?”

“Because…” El’s fingers were clutching hard at her palette, slowly scraping in a small path from her nails. “This ashamed me to admit, but… I’ve found myself often looking at you, especially as you model for me, and wishing that you were… fuller.”

Byleth couldn’t help but feel a little insulted. She covered her chest with her arms and faintly scowled. “Is what I already have not enough for you, you greedy woman?”

“No, no, that’s not how I meant it!” El panicked, dropping her palette and shaking her hands ‘no’ at Byleth. Her face was entirely red, from the tip of her nose to the top of her ears. If Byleth wasn’t mildly irritated, she’d consider it adorable. “I meant specifically your middle! I think little of the excessive weight of piggish nobles and your chest is already far plusher than even the softest pillow I could hope to rest my head upon! I simply find myself dreaming from time to time about you with a heftier midriff!”

A pressing quiet filled the space between the two women as El’s words sank into the greenery around them. El’s eyes seemed to quiver as she realized what she’d just said. She pulled her easel in front of her while Byleth covered her mouth with one hand. The irritation was gone. Byleth’s brain was racing, trying to decode what exactly El was saying. She’d also fully noticed that El had just professed her love for Byleth’s chest, but she could tease the empress thoroughly about that later. For now…

“You’re… You’re serious about this…?” Byleth asked.

A third of El’s face slid around her easel. “Y-Yes… fully…” El replied with her voice just barely audible over the creak’s bubbling.

Byleth looked at El. Then at the pitcher. The pitcher. El was absolutely serious. Studying this pitcher’s magic would help the entire empire, yet she’d kept one specifically for ‘personal use’. She wouldn’t need it at all at the palace, and it would be difficult to carry along on field missions, which meant… she’d planned to use this. On a day exactly like today. She was serious.

The stream drew Blyeth’s attention once more. She bit her lip and lowered a hand to her flat stomach. She didn’t understand what the appeal of a larger stomach was, but… as far as things that her partner could have found endearing, that was FAR from the worst it could have been. Plus, for El to be so embarrassed about it? As far as Byleth was concerned, this was more than just fine.

“So… how much?”

El froze. She blinked. “How… much?”

“Yes, how much? One pitcher of water? Two?” Byleth asked. She picked up the pitcher and peered inside. There was quite a bit of water in there… “I’m not exactly familiar with… this.”

The empress didn't respond for a few moments. Then, in the smallest voice Byleth had ever heard come from the vocal woman, she heard El say, “So… you truly… I… ahem…” El cleared her throat and spoke louder. “A-As I said earlier, as much as you feel comfortable with. I’m not fully familiar with this as well, but I certainly won’t complain no matter how much you drink.”

“Well… alright then. I suppose I just…” Byleth glanced over at El one last time, then brought the pitcher to her lips. She took a deep breath, then began to drink.

There was no noise in the clearing aside from the running creak and Byleth gulping down water, which made her feel self-conscious - especially since she knew that El’s eyes were likely staring a hole straight through her. Her nervousness made her drink faster, a trickle of water leaking past her lips as she tilted the pitcher higher and higher. She started to feel full at one point but persisted, pushing past the feeling as best she could. Finally…

*uuuurp* Byleth burped into the crook of her arm. She took a few heavy breaths and felt the weight on her stomach shift. She felt so heavy and bloated - something that the fierce warrior was not at all used to feeling. She looked down at herself. Her chest fully covered her middle, as it usually did, but now she didn’t need to lean far to see the beginnings of a third lump beneath her top. It also felt draftier than usual around her middle. Her bloated stomach must be pushing out of the belly slit in her clothes, though she couldn’t see any skin just from looking down.

So… what did El think of this? Byleth turned to look at her royal partner, and… huh. She truly was enjoying this. She was clutching her palette to her chest with her eyes glued to Byleth’s middle, a deep flush present across her face. Upon realizing that Byleth was watching her, El coughed and looked away. Byleth chuckled. “Is this good enough, or should I…?”

El quickly glanced over, then responded, “Once again, as I said, please indulge in as much as you feel comfortable. You will hear no complaints from me about you having gone too far.”

Byleth bit her lip. She looked down at the empty pitcher in her hand. She already felt so bloated. She could probably drink another of these, but she was liable to feel sick afterward… still, if it was for El, then maybe being ill was worth it.

She knelt back down to refill the pitcher. It took slightly more effort to stand up this time and Byleth could physically feel the water sloshing in her stomach. She grimaced. Just one more for El… it wasn’t that much. It would be easy.

Byleth began to drink, just as fast as before. She wanted this over and done with so that they could get back to familiar territory for herself. She began to regret this decision as her stomach started to cramp and ache from being so full. She pushed the pain aside and kept drinking, though she couldn’t fully ignore the pressing feeling of her belly being constricted by her clothes. It was ever-present - and only growing with each hasty swallow she took.

Then, just as quickly as the first, Byleth finished the second pitcher’s worth of clear water. She panted and held her stomach with one hand, groaning faintly. *HuuuuuUUUrrp!* Byleth felt her face turn a little pink as this new belch caught her off-guard and escaped her body unmuffled. She glanced over at El, but the pale woman had either not noticed the burp, hadn’t cared, or had… enjoyed it. Her face was as flushed as Byleth’s felt and she had taken to painting, though her eyes never rested on the canvas for long. Byleth considered asking again if this was enough, but… she figured that she already knew the answer.

Byleth sighed. Her stomach hurt and her sense of modesty was ruined. The latter mattered little since she’d been prepared to strip nude right here and now anyways, but the former was an issue. She knew that El wouldn’t want her to hurt herself for her own pleasure, but at the same time… El was seemingly enjoying this to a large degree. It had been a rough week for El, honestly, and Byleth had been busier than she had in a while. The result had been this small slice of free time. El had been so stressed but had still set up this beautiful nature rendezvous for them. She… She could stomach just a little bit more for her precious partner… right?

Grimacing, Byleth knelt back down and refilled the pitcher. She started to struggle to her feet but decided that it’d be better for her to just remain low in case she managed to somehow make room for a fourth helping. She settled on her bottom, letting her legs rest on the stream’s bank, and leaned back on one arm. She braced herself, then…

Bottom’s up.

The third pitcher felt a dozen times worse than the second flowing down her throat. She could feel her body actively fighting against her as she drank, but drink she did. Sitting down was helping a great deal, though. Both her top and her stomach felt looser resting like this. However, feeling a ‘little looser’ wasn’t going to save Byleth. Her stomach still cramped up with every swallow, making the navy-haired woman squeeze her eyes tightly shut in an attempt to hide her discomfort from El.

During her painful ordeal, Byleth noted that her stomach kept getting chills over progressively more of itself. The midriff gap in her top was getting pushed to its limits. The skin around the edges of the gap was starting to feel tense against the gaps. Lord above, Byleth felt as if her belly was getting squeezed through the front of her dress! She could bear with this, though. It hurt, but… she could keep going for now. Just a little more for El…!

*UuuuUUUooOOOOOORP!* Byleth set the empty pitcher down on the grass next to her and used her now free hand to massage the side of her gut. She was so big! She looked down at herself and her eyes widened as she realized that she could see the swell of her belly clearly over the peak of her chest. She straightened out her back, sure that it was just due to poor posture, but nope. The peak of her belly was still visible. The bare peak, she might add - her pale stomach was clearly in sight, muffining out of her top’s belly slit. She relaxed again, moaning plaintively. Her stomach hurt so badly… She was used to wounds and injuries, but this? This was something entirely different. She couldn’t keep going. She was full. She was done-

The crunching of grass made Byleth look away from her distended belly. El had left her bench and had come over to Byleth’s side. She quickly knelt next to the bloated warrior and Byleth could see clearly the attraction glittering in her eyes as she stared down at Byleht’s belly. She glanced at the belly’s owner and swallowed nervously. “M-My, I didn’t expect you to get so… big. May I… May I touch it?”

Touch it? Byleth’s stomach hurt awfully, so she was clearly going to refuse, but… For whatever reason, the idea of El touching her gigantic gut was… thrilling…

“Uh… G-Go ahead.”

El didn’t need to be told twice. Her hands eagerly fell upon Byleth’s stomach, one hand resting on her exposed navel while the other happily massaged her side. Byleth’s eyelids flickered as she let her head loll back. She groaned gratefully while El’s fingers kneaded and worked her poor, tense gut, easing her strained ab muscles’ plight. The pains in her belly died down over several minutes of this kneading, though they did not completely disappear. The tightness of her skin and the pressure from within, however, stayed present. She was still filled to the brim. She knew this to be true, yet…

“E-El…”

The empress quickly glanced up at Byleth’s face, her cheeks and cheekbones painted a vivid red. “Oh, sorry! Am I rubbing too hard? I’ll stop-”

“N-No, no! Keep rubbing, please! It feels nice!” Byleth hastily insisted. Then she bit her lip and turned her head. “I was actually going to ask… You want me to be even bigger, don’t you?”

El’s eyes widened. “I… cannot deny that.”

“Then… help me, please? I think if you’re doing it… I might be able to do some more…”

While El’s face grew yet another shade redder, Byleth picked up the empty pitcher and placed it next to El. She was giving El complete control. She didn’t care for the feeling of being so full and heavy, but the intimacy of El’s tender massaging and the sheer pleasure she seemed to be giving El… it was FAR more than worth it to push herself past her comfort zone. For her queen- no, for her lover… she would give herself over entirely, even as it went against her own body.

El hesitated for a moment, but after gazing into Byleth’s eyes and seeing the determination and trust in her eyes, she seemingly made up her mind. She picked up the pitcher, then shakily reached over Byleth to fill the pitcher in the stream. Then she got more comfortable, resting her legs beneath her. She put the pitcher towards Byleth’s lips, saying quietly, “Then… Please, if you would, I’d love to see you even bigger.

Byleth smiled weakly. “With pleasure…” She said. She gladly opened her mouth, letting El put the pitcher’s lip to her lips. The pale woman tipped the pitcher up and the water began to flow.

While her belly had settled down some, Byleth was still far from empty. The pains and cramps quickly returned, making Byleth grunt and squirm in place. She felt herself starting to sweat from the gauntlet of pain and tension raging through her. Her top was starting to feel like it was cutting into her gut. At this point, though, there was no chance that Byleth would be able to get these clothes off… on her own, at least. She was sure El would love to help her, though…

Byleth kept on drinking. She rubbed the side of her stomach in small, quick circles, which vaguely relieved some pressure but did little to diffuse the tension on her skin. She was so tight! She was shoe-horned into her own clothes now and she felt as heavy as a horse! Yet as El continued to offer her more and more water, she forced her throat to continue swallowing every last drop. For El, she could be bigger… heavier… fuller… rounder…!

The pitcher was done. No more water was coming. Byleth gasped for breath, then let out a wet *HIC-URK!* as much of the water tried to force its way back out. Byleth swallowed hard and groaned. Not only did her belly hurt worse than any pain she’d ever felt, but she felt sick as a dog as well. El had returned to her pleasant babying of Byleth’s gut as well, but apart from feeling incredible, it did little to help Byleth’s pain. She winced and belched, past the point of even pretending to care about modesty. “Th-Th-That’s - *HRK* enough… T-Too… F-F-Full…”

El’s formerly ghostly face was now full of color. “You did a beautiful job. I was right - you look so perfect like this!” She leaned forward and gave Byleth’s belly a loving kiss. Her soft lips on Byleth’s over-taut flesh made the bloated woman’s heart skip several beats. Worth it. SO worth it. El kissed her belly again, then scooted into a better position and wrapped her arms around Byleth’s belly. She rested her head on her bare navel and made a very un-Edelyth-like giggle. “My, your insides are so noisy! I take it that all this water isn’t playing well with your body?”

“I-I can h-handle it- *HRRRK-!*” Byleth quickly covered her mouth as a mouthful of water shot up her throat to say hi. She swallowed the mouthful again regretfully and panted as her stomach trembled. Crud. That had been less than attractive.

Despite Byleth’s moment of weakness, El just laughed and teased the edge of Byleth’s bare gut, sending ripples of tension and pleasure coursing through Byleth. “Do you think you can hold it in? For me? As much as I’d love to tear everything off of you right now, I also want to preserve this moment for years to come.”

Byleth fought her nausea down again before responding, “O-Only if… you get my t-top off… it’s t-too t-tight- *HURP-!*”

“Of course, Byleth. I would love nothing more right now.”

With that, El carefully peeled Byleth’s top off of her, being careful to squeeze Byleth’s belly as little as possible. Then… El couldn’t seem to resist. With a sultry smile and gentle hands, she found her way to Byleth’s chest (which she had also decided to fully uncover, bra and all). Along with her chest, she gave plenty of attention to her neck, her lips, and of course, her belly. Byleth simply laid on her back and enjoyed every second of it, though her hands did reciprocate El’s enthusiasm whenever she could focus enough to do so.

Maybe El would get to painting later, but as far as Byleth was concerned at the moment… She could just be El’s model another time if needed. Even without the pleasure Byleth was receiving, she would bloat up again whenever El wished for it despite all the pain and sickness. She genuinely loved this, after all. For her lover… for El… it was all worth it.

“They (Byleth and Edelgard) achieved much in their time together, and it is said that they were sometimes spotted leaving the palace to privately enjoy the world they created. How they spent those precious moments, none but the two of them will ever know.”

-Fired Emblem: Three Houses, Crimson Flower route with
    Edelgard romanced

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As promised, freshly back from my short vacay, here's the Edelyth fic! Also as promised, this fic is a loose exclusive that Book Ghouls can access but also won't be publically released at any point.

As a small little update thing, there's maybe a 50/50 chance of the Kobayashi loose exclusive coming out this month. My trip ran a little longer than I'd expected, so I've got less time to work on stuff now and the end-of-month exclusive is my first priority. 

If the Kobayashi fic does come out this month, then it's likely to be on the same day as the exclusive. Also, the exclusive might come out on the 30th after all due to time constraints, but I'll try my best to do the 29th so that no one misses out. 

See y'all soon!