Chapter 10) Mutiny in the Mist

As the Garland Moon slowly crawls to its end, I found myself unnerved. Assassins came to attack my students, and yet, no one seems to be able to identify a pattern. There were no other known targets besides the ones identified in the initial investigations. It makes it seem like we're dealing with multiple employers, ones with very different goals. If that's the case, then things are far more complicated and dangerous than we can ever guess.

I have to keep my students safe. How, though? How can I…?

I was slowly beginning to accept that while my students were awake, I needed to expect some sort of interruption. They were slowly growing more and more frequent, particularly in the wake of the assassins.

"Professor!" Still, I couldn't be too upset. Not when a chipper Ashe crashed through my door, dragging a bewildered Ingrid with him. "Hello!" he chirped, beaming brightly. I seriously wondered if we should test if his smile could blind someone. "Are we interrupting?"

"No, you're fine," I reassured, because what else could I say? Yes, I had been working on lesson plans, but… "I'll make some tea. What brings you here?"

"Well, Ingrid and I were in the library chatting about our favorite stories again, and I remembered how you quoted that scene from Loog and the Maiden of Wind!" Ashe practically vibrated from excitement; Ingrid smiled awkwardly and waved a little. She certainly hadn't expected something like this today. "So, I thought… well…" Now he became shy. "I thought you might want to join in? At least, I wanted to hear your favorites?"

"Well, I suppose I am due for a break," I murmured, standing to fetch my teapot. If I recalled correctly, both of them liked mint teas, and I had a few new ones to try, courtesy of Manuela. "Go ahead and sit down." And I pointedly ignored the gremlin in my heart that was radiating smugness. She'd been trying to get me to take a break for an hour now. At least.

"Thank you, Professor!" Ashe cheerily plopped down in one of the chairs. Ingrid, after a moment of standing awkwardly in the doorway, took another. "So, what is your favorite story, Professor?"

"Well, as you can guess, I have a particular fondness for Loog and the Maiden of Wind. But, truthfully, I've liked all the ones I've read." I slowly finished getting the tea ready and set out the cups. "Though, sometimes I'd bother Dad about the tactics used in them, asking how they were remotely feasible." One in particular came to mind. "There was this one scene in the Flight of the Silver Wings that-"

"Oh, I love that one" Ingrid suddenly piped up, eyes sparkling. I suppose not even the awkwardness of discussing books with your strange teacher could hold up against the sheer excitement of something you loved. "I bet I know the scene too! The one where Lady Viola, the Radiant Knight, dove through a flight of arrows?"

"I did ask about that one too, but I was more thinking where she yanked Lord Lugh from the middle of an enemy ambush and pulled him up behind her."

"Ah, that scene!" Ingrid grinned, though she also blushed. "I… ah… actually tried that once. Not with enemies, of course. Or 'real' enemies, that is. His Highness, Felix, Sylvain, Glenn, and I were playing make-believe, but I'd gotten it in my head to recreate that scene and 'borrowed' one of the baby pegasi for it."

"I have a feeling this ends with dislocated joints or broken bones."

"Both." Her blush darkened, but she remained perfectly cheerful, even accepting her tea with a bright smile. "I dislocated my shoulder; Felix ended up with a broken leg. Father and Lord Rodrigue gave me such a scolding; I wouldn't even go near a pegasus for a full month."

"How did Felix end up being the one you picked up?" Ashe asked, accepting his own tea with a smile. I set out a few candies to go with the tea and then sat down with them. "Just curious."

"Felix was the smallest," Ingrid answered easily, laughing at the memory. "He's the youngest of us, and until the last couple of years, he was always the tiniest. Alas, his last growth spurt led to him surpassing me, so now, he is the second shortest." She made a face at that, playfully annoyed by it. "What did Sir Jeralt say about the scene?"

"Oh, yes, is it viable?"

"Dad says that while he's seen it a few times, he's never seen a pegasus rider pull it off without severe injuries," I replied, sipping my tea. Mostly to hide how I'd already gobbled up quite a few of the candies. I was hungry! "A wyvern rider has a better chance, due to the extra bulk of the wyvern and the wyvern being more likely to fight off nearby enemies." Pegasi were more suited to evasion, and didn't utilize their hooves in 'fighting' as horses did. Wyverns, however, had a viscous bite.

"I can definitely see that, though I suppose part of the grandeur of the stories is them doing things larger than life," Ingrid sighed, nursing her tea. She… had less candies than me, but significantly more than Ashe. I discreetly nudged a few to his plate to make sure he actually got some. "Sir Jeralt told you stories though, Professor?"

"Of course, since he taught us history, and what is history but a collection of stories?" The stories that were past down and more often than not were written by the 'victors'. "Though, like most things, they were decidedly different than what you normally hear."

"Really?" Ingrid frowned a little, but she leaned forward eagerly. "Such as…?"

"Well…" The first thing I thought of would no doubt scandalize her. But, then again, I suppose it would really emphasize what I meant. "Apparently, Loog was very free with his affections before courting and marrying the Maiden of Wind."

"...Free with his affections?"

"He bedded more people in a week than Sylvain could ever dream of?"

"Eh?!" Ingrid's face went a deep, purple-red from her blush; Ashe's was only slightly less purple. "There's no way! Loog was the model of chivalry!"

"Well, according to Dad's stories, those were attributed to him by other people. Loog himself never thought himself as knightly. In fact, he laughed at the thought of anyone considering him a 'proper' anything." I smiled slightly, thinking of those stories. Dad had always seemed happy, sharing them. "Loog did many good things, but it was because it was what he wished to do, not because it was the 'right' thing to do. He considered himself a very selfish and reckless person, who always did exactly as he wanted, no matter the consequences."

"That's…"

"Of course, Dad said that no matter what Loog thought of himself, the people around him adored him. That was why his reputation became one as the model of chivalry." I leaned back in my chair, looking up to the books I had from Faerghus. "He was a person. He was a person with flaws and virtues just like any other. He made mistakes just as any of us can. Yet he still continued down the path he chose, and he fought with all of his heart and soul when the consequences of his choices turned to war." I returned my attention to them both. Ingrid was still blushing; Ashe looked more and more intrigued. "He considered kingship his atonement for all those who died, and devoted his entire being to constructing the Kingdom into a place his people wanted to live." Based on the stories Dad told, I felt like Loog would weep at what the Kingdom did to Duscur, but now was not the time to bring that up. "So, I do not think it is a mistake to consider him a 'hero'."

"But it would be a mistake to consider him someone with no flaws at all, yes?" Ashe asked, looking very thoughtful. Ingrid still looked mortified at the idea that the famed King of Lions had anything in common with Sylvain. "That's really fascinating, actually. Until you mentioned it, I never thought about how you rarely hear anything about Loog's flaws." Well, there was also propaganda to deal with. Legends and heroes became larger than life, especially as time made them distant. You didn't hear about the flaws of Seiros or Emperor Wilhelm, and I was sure they had plenty. That's just how humans were. "You know; it would be interesting to learn the history that you did, Professor."

"I'll consider it." I was just fairly certain I'd have quite a few people protesting. Namely, the nobility and church. "Ah, but we got very off track. You wanted to talk more about your favorite scenes in these stories, yes?"

That certainly sparked a round of conversation. Multiple rounds, that ended up requiring at least three more pots of tea. And I had a feeling that if both didn't need to head off to chores (Sky Watch for Ingrid and stables for Ashe), it would've continuing for even longer. As it was, they left and I thought about getting back to work. Sothis, however, nagged me into taking a longer break, so with a little sigh, I left my room to head for the greenhouse. After all, it was a soothing place for me, and stepping inside brought a peace to me that was hard to find anywhere else. At least until I noticed something very unusual, so unusual that I had to think about it in pieces. Dedue was here tending to the plants (not unusual). Dad was here looking at the flowers (not unusual). Dedue had apparently initiated conversation, and was talking with Dad (very unusual).

"How do I know about the lunar ostrella?" Dad 'asked', no doubt repeating what Dedue had asked him to better process it. I mean; hadn't expected that either. Had it really bothered him? "I hope you're not looking for a fancy tale or anything." Dad slipped his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels to pretend to get some distance. Dedue, meanwhile, remained where he was, kneeling by the plants and caring to them diligently. While keeping one eye on Dad. "I simply learned from a Duscurian healer many, many years ago."

"How would you meet someone like that?" Dedue asked, a proper question. It amazed me that he was able to do… whatever it was that he was doing… actually, what was he doing? It almost looked like he was scattering something on the soil, careful to actually mix it in. "Not many Knights venture into foreign lands."

"Well, for one thing, it was before I was actually a Knight of Seiros. Just a child mercenary wandering about." Dad shrugged, like it was no big deal. Dedue frowned, though. "Came across an area hit hard by an avalanche. Even with as isolationist and xenophobic as Fodlan tends to be, no one is exactly saying 'no' to a healer showing up to help. Especially when you're up to your eyeballs in dead, and there's even more wounded."

"I haven't heard of such a terrible avalanche occurring. Not in a couple of centuries."

"Boy, I know I look younger than I am, but I think we can both agree that I'm far older than you. You're a good few years younger than my twins." Dad raised a brow, and Dedue looked away almost sheepishly. "Anyway, she tended to the wounded and used some lunar ostrella for their pain. Since I'd never seen it used before, I badgered her with questions when she wasn't saving lives, and helped her while she was."

"Most people would not learn from a foreigner."

"You've spent a good two months around my twins and you think I'm like 'most people'? I raised them, after all." Dad grinned, perfectly comfortably in how weird he was and how abnormal we were. Dedue tentatively smiled in return; it looked uncomfortable. Like a cat crouching low, ready to bolt. "Fodlan is a large tapestry of cultures, and the world is even larger. You never know what will be useful. So, I try to learn what I can, because I know what it's like to stand in the middle of a tragedy and unable to do a damn thing."

"Ah." Dedue fell silent, turning his attention back to the plants. "I disturbed you, didn't I? My apologies."

"All I was doing was looking at the flowers to relax a little. They remind me of Fiona and Byleth, so it's easy to calm down. Makes it easier to get back to work and not burn a hole in my brain." Dad rolled his shoulders, probably to loosen them up, and I ducked behind one of the shrubs because… because. I was awkward like that. "But if you've no other questions, I do need to get back to work."

"No. Thank you." He nodded to both confirm and 'say' farewell before returning his full attention to the plants. Most would probably call it rude, but Dad just chuckled and left, since there was no more to be said. As soon as he left, I attempted to crawl out from the bushes, but someone else decided to walk in, so I hid until they passed. Though, I lingered in the entrance when I saw Lysithea was the newest visitor, since she didn't strike me as the type to visit greenhouses on whims, and I decided to firmly stay when she walked right on up to Dedue. I couldn't help but remember Felix's 'conversation' with him.

"Dedue, hey," Lysithea greeted, crouching down next to him. She waited for him to nod, to show that he had heard her. "So, I have a weird question."

"Do you?" Dedue asked, glancing at her. His expression was carefully neutral. "What is it?"

"Well…" Lysithea squirmed a little, hesitating, and I immediately worried this would be a rude or uncomfortable question. "Has your hair always been that color?" ...I had no idea who was more surprised by the question: Dedue or me. But Dedue's expression certainly showed visible surprise. "I mean… mine became white after an… illness. Yours isn't quite white now that I look closely, more like a pale grey, but…"

"My looks are fairly typical for one of Duscur, yes." Dedue continued to look surprised. "Rather, they are typical for one who lived in my region. Though there were similarities, what was typical in one province could be rare in another."

"I see." Though I thought Lysithea looked only curious, Sothis thought she saw a bit of relief. Why? "That makes sense. It's a shame we don't learn that."

"Duscur is a dead land." Dedue turned his attention to the plants again. "There is no point to it now."

"If only there was an entire subject devoted to learning about dead things. We could call it 'history'." Lysithea now looked put out. "Besides, if people learn about it, does it actually die?"

"You sound like Mercedes." Dedue sighed, and looked at her again. "Was there something else you wanted?"

"Well, I was curious about how magic was viewed and used in Duscur. Our professor's lessons made me realize that other lands must have their own systems."

"I'm afraid I cannot help you with that. Magic was not common in my home. Magic and magical items were the specialty of a neighboring one. We simply bought what was needed."

"Well, that right there sounds interesting!" Lysithea leaned forward slightly, eyes sparkling. Dedue sighed again. "You could buy magic?"

"Magical items. They are not the same." Dedue sounded tired, and I worried Lysithea was unintentionally digging into old injuries. "You are aware of how Duscur is viewed, yes? You will face difficulties being seen with me."

"I don't have time to worry about other people's opinions." She waved off Dedue's worries with a scowl. "Besides, given our professor? I'd probably get a lecture if I avoided you for that reason." Ahaha… ha… I had no defense for that. I mean; I was eavesdropping just out of worry. "Our professor is also big on us expanding our horizons, and teaching us things we wouldn't learn normally." That was kind of unintentional, though? "I bet if she knew about the items, she'd ask for more information."

"She would only ask if she thought I was comfortable with it." It was certainly a rebuke, and Lysithea flinched back. "...Another day, perhaps, Lysithea."

"Right, of course." Lysithea shrank back, looking almost mortified. "Um… I'm sorry."

"It is fine, Lysithea. Ah, but Professor?" Dedue looked right up at me, like he'd known I was there the entire time. Lysithea actually fell over from surprise, though, showing she hadn't known at all. "Did you need something?"

"I was just coming to look at the flowers," I explained, wondering how long he knew I was there. I hoped not long. This was awkward enough. I at least hoped he hadn't seen me hide behind the bush. "I can come back later, though."

"No, you should see the lunar ostrella," Dedue insisted. That was a surprise, since I was sure he'd seize the easy excuse to be alone right now. "They have grown much healthier since you were last here."

"In that case, you're right. I simply must see." Gently, I helped Lysithea up. "Here, you can come with me. Do you know about them? They have a different name in Fodlan, apparently, but they're a medicinal herb.."

Leading Lysithea away, I pointed out the flowers to her and I had to admit that they were breathtakingly beautiful now. I could see just why Dedue had been able to tell they were unhealthy before. I almost rushed back to him just to babble about their beauty, but I decided to hold off and, instead, teach Lysithea about them. Later, I would tell him what I thought. And, much later, I'd sneak into the libraries to look into these magical items. Intrigued as I was, doing my own research was a much better idea than risking Dedue's mental health.

"You need to be more careful picking the oranges," Eliza scolded one of my students. Based on how much her neck was tilted, it had to be one of the higher-up ones. I guessed Leonie, since she was the highest. "You're going to rip the peel off if you keep doing it like that. And you!" She whirled, pointing right at Raphael, who was up in the tree next to the one Leonie were in. "Stop dropping the oranges like they're rocks! You're damaging the oranges and, worse, knocking stuff into them. We can't do a thing with molded oranges, and all you're doing is… hey!" Another whirl, and this time, she was glaring at Linhardt, who… who was napping in the tree. "Wake up, lazybones! You have to earn your naptime!"

Worriedly, I watched Eliza scold and lecture my students as she supervised the last of the orange harvesting. Just as she always did, of course. And she certainly didn't go easy on anyone, no matter what their societal rank was. Not even on those who were just picking the flowers and not the fruits.

"Bowl-haired boy, stop pinching the petals!" Lorenz of all people ended up here, I wasn't sure. But he definitely looked ready to strangle a few things as he picked the flowers with the same air as one who picking up after a pets' mess, and I didn't think it was just because of Eliza's 'nickname' for him. I was just glad I'd thought to get Constance, Bernadetta and Marianne far away from the groves before Eliza drafted them. I wasn't sure they'd be able to handle it. Well, Constance might've depending on how the sun fell through the leaves. "Purple-hair boy, get more of the stem when you pick!"

"Did she used to be military?" Yuri grumbled down to me. After all, I was standing near the tree he had climbed. "Seriously, I think I've seen less yelling from a drill instructor."

"Well, she's the reason why Remire's orange harvests are always so good," I tentatively answered, shifting Elijah a little so that I could get a better grip. Eliza forbade me from helping this year, claiming that I 'work too hard at the monastery and need to relax', and before I could protest, Chloe tasked me with watching Elijah for the day. They'd conspired, clearly. I could never say 'no' to spending more time with the children. "Besides, orange blossoms are very useful."

"I've seen it a few times on the market, but is it really all that great?"

"Well, it's a popular component in perfumes, for one thing." I knew that before I went home, I'd have a good ten vials thrust at me. "They are also used in the preparation of some food dishes. Particularly orange blossom honey. That's what Azrael went to collect, since the hives are kept deeper in the groves." Along with Flayn, Ferdinand, Annette, Claude, Marianne, and Balthus. Ferdinand had been particularly insistent, and I had to wonder if it had something to due with Dorothea's 'clue'. "You can also candy the petals, or dry them to use for teas." Some of my students were helping to set up the latter, like Ashe and Hapi. "So, you really want to save as many as you can. That's why you're picking them instead of letting them further ripen into more oranges." At least… I thought they ripened into oranges. I could be misremembering.

"In that case, how does Remire manage to remain so hidden?"

"Oh, they use most of it for themselves. Remire is a very self-sufficient place." I might've said more, but Elijah started squirming, making faces at the strong scent of oranges wafting about us. He didn't seem to like strong smells of anything for now. "Oh, time to head back. Keep an eye on everyone for me? You're the only 'house leader' in the grove currently."

"I wish I'd had the foresight to get out of it like the others. I could've helped with the cooking. I'm good at that." Yuri groaned, and swung over to a different branch to gather more of the flowers. Nearby, Eliza was yelling at more of my students, this time Caspar. "One last question. Is she like this with her own kids?"

"Of course. Why do you think Nicole was so quick to volunteer you all?"

"Ugh…"

I left Yuri to watch the pickers, and focused on keeping Elijah in a good mood while heading back to the town proper. Along the way, I saw that Sylvain and Dorothea had filled up their baskets and were going to drop them off. Normally, that would be the end of the matter for me, but...

"Hey, Dorothea?" Sylvain began, taking her basket along with his. Dorothea simply raised a brow, waiting for the reason behind the unexpected help. "Any tips on approaching Bernadetta?"

"Bern?" Dorothea repeated, blinking a couple of times. Then, all at once, she glared. "Now listen here, mister. You can play your games with whoever you want, and I'll even play along since we both know it's for show. But if you try anything with Bern, Sylvain, I will castrate you with a spoon."

"Yikes, that's a creative threat. I don't think I've actually heard that one before. Well, with a spoon being the utensil of choice." Sylvain, however, shook his head. "But actually, this isn't for flirting." There was a long bit of silence. "No, I'm not lying and, since I know it's going to be the next question, no, I'm not sick."

"Uh-huh…" Dorothea kept on glaring, adding a skeptical frown to it all. "And I'm supposed to believe that?"

"I'd be insulted, but I know my reputation." Sylvain sighed and shrugged. "I can't force you to believe me, no. But I think you can believe that everyone in this cohort would murder me if I did what you fear I'm plotting."

"That's… a good point, actually." Dorothea relaxed a little, and reached up to fix her ponytail. "I can't say I have high expectations for your sense of self-preservation, mind, but even if you seem to enjoy exasperating your childhood friends, you seem to do your best to avoid 'true disappointment' from them. I'll trust that, for now. So long as you explain why you're looking for Bern."

"Fair, fair." Sylvain smiled. "Well, truthfully, I need to return her manuscript to her."

"Her… manuscript?"

"Yeah, she accidentally left it in the library, and while I was there-"

"Please tell me you weren't having sex. I do need to go there to study every once in a while."

"Not my idea of a romantic spot, particularly with Tomas's ability to just pop out of nowhere." With everyone being quiet, you'd probably be heard before long anyway. "No, I was returning some books for Hilda and had to walk around to get the ringing out of my ears. She's kept a few of those books a while and… well, never mind." Sylvain shrugged it off, and I just closed my eyes briefly. Hilda, sometimes… "So, I found the papers and went to see if there was a name or something. What I found was an amazing story that captured my attention from the first sentence, and I just couldn't stop reading it." He grinned brightly. "You have no idea how disappointed I was to realize it wasn't finished yet."

"And at some point, you realized it was Bern's and now you want to return it?"

"Yeah. I tried before, and tried to compliment her on it, as well as apologize for reading without asking. You can probably guess how well that went." Sylvain made a face then. "So, tips?"

"Huh." Dorothea blinked a couple of times again, this time trying to process it all. "Unfortunately, I'm not sure if I'm the best to ask. I thought I was doing fine, but recently…" She winced. "Recently, she mentioned wanting to be friends. I thought we already were, so I agreed, but then she panicked. Yelled something about her father?"

"Yeah, she's been abused. I'd say 'plain and simple', but there's nothing plain or simple about that." Sylvain's eyes darkened briefly before sighing. "Drat, though. I know I can't just return it. Felix already tried that with a satchel she accidentally left after class."

"Knowing how Felix normally is, she probably freaked out on sight."

"Apparently, she managed to disarm him. Why he had his sword on his person, much less out, I have no idea." ...I had to say I was a tad worried about that. "Who do you think is a good person to ask then? Petra?"

"No good. Bern ran from Petra just the other day, screaming something about shooting her." ...Why? How? Did the language barrier cause trouble? "She admires Edie, but Edie also terrifies her to the point that she can't speak properly. Had that confirmed the other day when she started talking to Edie in third person."

"Doesn't Bernadetta use third-person anyway?"

"Oh, I meant for Edie. Something like 'so, your highness will not condemn me'. Maybe 'dramatically formal' is a better way to describe it?' " Dorothea frowned and tapped her cheek. "I guess our professor? She seems to be one of the only people Bern isn't afraid of? Well, and Sir Alois as well."

"The loud as hell Alois? Huh. Wonder why." Sylvain was intrigued for a second, before Eliza's yelling at someone caught his ear. Hard to tell who it was this time. Based on direction, I'd say it was . "We'd better drop these off before we're next on the yell list. I think she could give Ingrid some lessons."

"Would Ingrid even need those lessons if certain someone's behaved?"

The two headed off, dissolving into a bickering that was somewhere between 'friendly' and 'not friendly'. I wondered if I needed to intervene, but Elijah kept on squirming in my arms, so I decided against it. I needed to keep him from fussing too much, and I knew a good way to do that. Namely, since he'd been overwhelmed by the strong smells, he'd want something more pleasant to smell to get rid of the memory. Or so Chloe claimed. I definitely would defer to her wisdom, and thus headed for Annabelle's house. Just lingering near her kitchen window was enough to catch whiffs of the delicious sweets she was concocting inside, and it let me also check on the students she'd conscripted into helping her. ...And also see how Edelgard almost set her hair on fire at the stove due to not tying it back, but Annabelle solved that potential problem quickly enough.

"There we go…" Annabelle murmured, deftly braiding the last of Edelgard's hair. Edelgard herself looked almost hesitant, particularly with the oversized apron she wore. "That'll make it easier for you." She patted Edelgard on the shoulders before reaching around to hug her. Edelgard definitely froze at that. "Oh, you're just so adorable! I could eat you up! But that's what we have sweets for. Mercedes, how's the dough coming along?"

"Looks good enough to eat already!" Mercedes laughed, beaming at Annabelle from her place at the counter. She had her hair pulled up in a bun, and flour sticking everywhere, from her hands to her face. I'd never seen her look so lively. "I've never made so many treats with fresh oranges before."

"Well, I'm going to teach you two all my secrets~!" Annabelle gently led Edelgard over to another spot along the kitchen counter, where it looked like she had things set up for jam and marmalade. "Here, Edelgard… oh, do you mind if I call you that?"

"N-no, it's fine!" Edelgard immediately stammered. She blushed lightly, fidgeting. "I just… in Enbarr, I never cooked or baked, so my skills are a little… underdeveloped…"

"Everyone starts somewhere, sweetheart," Annabelle reassured, smiling warmly. Just as warmly as she would smile at Crystal, and I had a feeling Annabelle had already mentally adopted Edelgard (and Mercedes). "But if you don't start, you'll never get better. That's true about everything, from cooking to making friends to trusting people."

"I'd really rather not mess you up, though…"

"Well, that's part of the fun!" Annabelle grinned and suddenly dabbed a little bit of dough right on Edelgard's nose. Edelgard yelped and scrunched up her face. "Don't worry so much. If you make a mistake, then I'm right here to help fix it. That's why you don't do things alone. Besides, there's no mistake you can make that I didn't when I first learned. Trust me; I nearly blew up my house!"

"That's…" Edelgard tentatively smiled. "I… okay. I'm ready to learn."

"Excellent! Mercedes, keep mixing up the dough for me, will you? I need to show Edelgard the trick to doing this quickly. We've got a lot to make today, after all!" Annabelle turned towards the window, and I quickly ducked out of sight. "Strange, I thought I saw…? Oh, no matter. Edelgard, the first thing you need to do is figure out a flow that works best for you. I'll show you what I do first, okay?"

Deciding it would be a good idea to leave before I got caught, I snuck away, careful to keep Elijah tucked against my shoulder. He looked about curiously, perhaps wondering if this was some new game. Or maybe he was just fascinated by all the energy and noise in the village now that the 'good smells' had chased away the 'strong smell'. Either way, he was smiling, and that was all I could want, really. So, I let him pick the next direction I walked, via heading wherever he turned his head. This led me on a zig-zagged path through the village, until I reached Sofia's house near the woods. I was surprised to see Claude there too, chatting with Sofia, since I hadn't known the honey-gatherers had returned yet. A quick sense to Azrael proved they had only just returned, and he was more focused on getting Balthus treatment for his bee stings, which Marianne watching so that she could learn. So, curious, I edged a little closer… and nearly groaned when I heard just what Claude had asked Sofia.

"Hmm? You want to know about Chloe nearly dying in childbirth?" Sofia repeated, tilting her head curiously. She spun some thread as she talked, careful to wet the flax as she spun it on her wheel, and took the question with the same calm she took almost everything. And I meant everything, from her daughter declaring that she would become a Knight of Seiros to the monster girl and her twin accidentally tripping over her in the woods to a dying man being dropped on her doorstep by hunters who had no idea what to do. "How did you hear about that?"

"It came up when talking about Miss Fiona," Claude explained, technically not lying. After all, it had. I'd used it as an example of why Aelfric was grasping at straws about Mom's death. "So, I was a little curious how that could happen?" Claude shrugged, leaning forward slightly to convey eagerness. Despite sitting on the ground by the spinning wheel. "My knowledge of medical things is tragically small."

"Hmm… well, I don't see the harm in it." Sofia kept on spinning, keeping the pace even with the treadle. She was the best spinner in Remire, after all. "Death from childbirth can be caused by a variety of factors. In Chloe's case, she just kept bleeding. She wouldn't stop bleeding. There was blood everywhere." I shuddered, remembering all the blood. I'd honestly seen less blood from fatal injuries on the battlefield. "We were losing her fast. Thank the Goddess for Byleth, though."

"For Teach?" Claude tilted his head. "Did she help or something?"

"She did. Said she didn't know much, but she had the ability to heal. Azrael stayed nearby in case more was needed. I thought it would be. But, no, somehow… somehow, Byleth managed to save Chloe before she breathed life into Elijah. She's why we had no deaths that day, instead of two."

"...So many questions, but breathed life?"

"That's the only way we can think to describe it." Sofia laughed softly, checking the flax she was spinning. She then scooped up a little more water from her bowl and wet the flax to keep on spinning. "When Elijah was born, he didn't make a sound. He didn't move. He just laid there in my arms, limp and lifeless. Like a doll, streaked with blood, growing colder by the second." She added more flax to the spinning wheel, watching it closely. "His skin was a pasty gray through the blood. His lips were blue, and his eyes almost looked bruised. And, like I said, there was no sound. Only silence. So, we assumed he was dead. A still-birth."

"He… ah… looked rather alive earlier when Chloe gave him to Teah, though?"

"Yes." Sofia smiled softly, closing her eyes briefly to recall the memory. Then she opened them again to watch the thread. "I'm not sure what all Byleth did. She says she 'simply' cleared his airway and kept him warm. But none of us saw it. Chloe was dying, after all, and we had thought the baby dead. So, of course, we focused on the one we could still save. Or hoped we could save. As I said, we were losing her fast. Not like how some other deaths are like."

"Not all of them are quick, then?"

"Some are slow. Some are in utter agony. Some scream from the pain, scream from it all. Some have sickness travel through their blood to infect their organs. Some have seizures. The list goes on and on." Sofia shook her head. "Chloe, though, just bled. Bled and bled and bled. Byleth kept her alive, while we massaged her abdomen, until the medicines took and the bleeding finally slowed." Claude tilted his head, probably wondering just what she meant by massage. I didn't really understand it, but somehow, by pressing and squeezing the lower abdomen, it reduced the blood. I should ask Manuela about that, actually. "Then, once we confirmed Chloe would be fine, Byleth ducked away. At the time, we thought she was going to Madeline, to comfort her after the trying time. But when we looked, we didn't see her with Madeline at all."

"She was with Elijah."

"Yes." Sofia smiled warmly. "I'll never forget that image. Hands and arms still bloody, sitting in the window with Elijah wrapped up in a soft blanket and cradled against her chest… whispering and humming to him as he weakly mewled and fussed in her arms. His gray skin slowly turning pink as warmth and life filled him, and her pressing her cheek against his head as if to check how warm he was…" A little bit of movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention, and I turned slightly to see Ignatz near. Which was strange, because I swore he was helping Lysithea with sorting the oranges, but no, there he was, hiding amongst some odds and ends with paper and charcoal in hand, sketching something. "Ah, but that's adding too many details. That's the story of Chloe's near-death experience, though, and Elijah's birth. We all make sure she takes it easy because of that."

"I see." Claude nodded slowly, pressing his fist to his cheek while he thought. "Thank you for sharing."

"As I said, I don't see the harm in it. Do you have any other questions?"

"Many, but for now, what are you doing?"

"Hmm?" Sofia glanced at him curiously. "Have you never seen someone spin thread before?"

"Well, I have, but the wheel was a lot bigger. And was spun by hand?"

"Different wheels and techniques suit different threads. I own a larger wheel for spinning wool threads, or threads to use for knitting, but flax needs to be wetted to keep the thread smooth and even, so this smaller one is better." She smiled softly. "Would you like to try?"

"Er… would you mind?"

"Not at all. Here, come a little closer so you can see what I'm doing first."

"Okay." Claude scrambled to his feet, surprisingly eager. As he did, though, he happened to look at Ignatz's hiding spot and… "Ignatz, what are you doing?" Ignatz immediately yelped and threw everything into the air. Then desperately tried to catch it all. "Well, that wasn't suspicious. What? Are you imagining what the Goddess looks like again or something?"

"You needn't hide if you're trying to take a break!" Though she laughed, her hands remained steady at the wheel. "Particularly if you were in the grove. I love Eliza, but even her husband finds excuses to not be around during the harvest."

"Is it that bad? I was helping Azrael with the hives." Claude waved Ignatz to come sit with them and, tentatively, Ignatz crept over, careful to keep his papers hidden. "Never knew that was how honey was harvested. Is it not bad for the bees?"

"It is actually good for the bees, truthfully, or so I have always been taught. Come a little closer, Ignatz. There's more shade over here."

I lingered a little while longer, mostly to make sure Ignatz would be okay. But he soon settled into a corner, back to his sketching, and Claude was too busy being fascinated by Sofia's spinning to tease him. So, I left and decided to check on Chloe. The story greatly exaggerated my part in it, but the memory of just how close to death Chloe had been… it made me nauseous. I wanted to reassure myself that she was okay, even if I was holding Elijah, and make sure she wasn't overdoing it. Not that I really needed to worry, mind. For one thing, I knew Madeline was in the house too, and she was quick at scolding her mom for overexertion. For another, Chloe did try to listen. That was why she had recruited Constance to help her when I insisted on her staying far away from the grove, and a quick peek through the open front door showed Chloe sitting and mending in her rocking chair while Constance finished dusting the shelves.

"And that is that!" Constance declared dramatically. She stood tall and proud, with her hands on her hips. And somehow didn't get the dust from her dust rag on her skirt. "Miss Chloe! I've finished!"

"Have you?" Chloe asked with a little laugh, walking over to inspect the shelf Constance must've been dusting. She was still dreadfully pale from when she accidentally pushed herself yesterday. I'd make sure to boost her life with my magic when I gave her back Elijah. "Yes, this looks very good." Chloe reached up to stroke Constance's hair, and Constance preened at the praise. "Thank you so much for this. I really do try to do this on my own, but…"

"It's no trouble at all! I've done this in Abyss as well. Though, your dust rags are much cleaner." Constance smiled, and it was a little shy. "So, what is my next task?"

"How are you with sweeping? We need to get the dust off the floor now."

"I shall sweep with the best of them!"

"Ha! You are a delight!" Chloe smiled warmly, and Constance beamed in return. "Then that's next. You mentioned going to some sort of party soon, didn't you? Before you found that particularly troublesome spot."

"Hmm? Ah, yes!" Constance fetched the broom from the corner and began sweeping. Chloe fixed her grip almost immediately, but Constance took the quiet criticism with a smile. "I hope to restore my family name, which requires allies among the nobility. A friend of mine, Ferdinand-"

"Is he the puppy-like one? Orangish hair and freckles you can just barely see?"

"Yes, him." Constance smiled softly. "We argued when we first reunited, so to apologize, he wants to help me. He was invited to a small gathering, and offered to bring me as his guest."

"That's kind of him."

"It is. He's always been that way. Never quite thinking his words through, feels like he has to somehow make up for all his father has done, and is endlessly kind." All of a sudden, though, from down the hall, there was a loud yell, the sound of something falling, and then the sound of water splashing everywhere. "Uh… what was…?"

"Madeline? Are you okay?" Chloe frowned when all that was heard was a low groan, followed by a little baby's laughter. "Madeline?"

I, being the worrywart busybody that I was, didn't wait for a 'proper' response. Instead, I immediately ran around the outside of the house until I got to the window of one of the back rooms and could peer inside. First time lucky, for once, as I spotted Madeline immediately, sprawled out on the floor next to a somewhat clean Louisa happily splashing in the muddy water that had spilled everywhere from the upside-down basin.

"Well, at least she got her cleaner?" I murmured, tucking Elijah firmly against me. He was squirming, far too curious about what the noise had been. I was just grateful he wasn't crying, scared. "Madeline?" I knocked on the window, and she groaned before slowly pushing herself up. She accidentally kicked the basin, but ignored the loud noise to slip-slide over and open the window. "I told you that I could help, you know."

"And I told you that I can handle one muddy baby," Madeline grumbled, pushing some of her wet hair out of her face. Other strands clung stubbornly to her cheeks and forehead, though. "I stand by it."

"You sure?" I looked pointedly at the mess on the floor. "We can switch."

"No way. I said I was going to do it, so I am." Madeline scowled. "Wouldn't even be in this mess if Malcolm had been watching his niece like he was supposed to."

"He got distracted?" He had really wanted to greet us, so he'd left Louisa on her own for only a few seconds. Just long enough to rush down the path with Crystal to Unfortunately, in those seconds, Louisa had decided the muddy ground looked like an excellent toy and had crawled around in it. "What even happened?"

"You know how ticklish she can be." That was true. Bathing Louisa could sometimes be a trial because of that. "She wriggled and splashed, and managed to knock the basin over. And then I fell while catching her." Madeline frowned at Louisa, who was still splashing happily. "She thought it was a game." At that moment, Louisa turned her big, bright smile our way and Madeline sighed. "Ugh… I can't even stay mad! She's too cute!"

"So, should I help?"

"No, no. For one thing, I don't need her teaching Elijah." That was a good point. I quickly checked to make sure he wasn't looking, and saw that he'd surprisingly fallen asleep. "Can you let Rebecca know that it'll be a bit longer, though?"

"Okay. Yell if you need me."

"Will do."

It wasn't hard to reach Rebecca's home. For one thing, I had Remire's layout memorized. For another, I just had to follow the delicious smells. While Annabelle handled the sweets, Rebecca took over making the feast that would be served as dinner tonight. And, just like the others, she had some of my students helping. At Adam's insistence (begging, truly), Dedue was one of them. In my effort to keep Bernadetta away from Eliza's well-intentioned yelling, I ended up shoving her into the kitchen as well. Somehow or another, Ingrid ended up the last person recruited, though I didn't learn this until I actually reached the house to relay the message. Not… exactly a grouping I would've recommended. For a lot of reasons. But no one appeared to be killing each other, so that was… good. I was particularly worried since Rebecca had Dedue and Ingrid working side-by-side while she handled something with Bernadetta, but both seemed… okay. Ish.

"Ha… I was just thinking…" Ingrid mumbled right about then, very focused on not looking anywhere near Dedue. Bit awkward, especially when she had to reach between them to grab more vegetables to slice. "The last time I watched you cook was when we first met."

"Yes, you had arrived at the castle where His Highness was recuperating," Dedue murmured, carefully seasoning different meat dishes. Fish, wild turkey, deer, bear… the smells were already enough to make my stomach keen in hunger. "You and Sylvain arrived together."

"I was in shock over the news. Over the violence and Glenn's death and… well, I couldn't even leave my room. Not for anything or anyone. Until Sylvain brought up His Highness. Then I was desperate to see him, just a reassurance that not everything was lost, so I went with Sylvain and his father."

"You two arrived a couple weeks after Lord Rodrigue and Felix, three weeks after I… met His Highness." Had to admit to still being curious. He'd told Felix that Dimitri had saved his life, but why serve with such devotion? Was the kindness Dimitri showed enough? It wasn't my business, of course, but… "I imagine you heard from the sneering servants that I was there."

"Truthfully, Lord Rodrigue told us. He probably was trying to lessen the shock. But I… saw red as soon as I heard." Ingrid focused on the vegetables, taking much longer than she should with each cut. "After what happened, I couldn't believe anyone would let someone from Duscur so close to His Highness. So, I ran through the castle, demanding to know where you were."

"And I was in the kitchen, making His Highness some food." Dedue pulled out another set of spices and herbs, but he frowned at it for some reason. Then, after a moment, he put it back on the counter and grabbed some others to use instead. "His Highness was unable to keep food down, if one could convince him to eat at all. I was making him some soup with the stems of the lunar ostrella." Oh, that was a fun little coincidence, since we'd talked about it so much.

"Yes, I heard from Felix just before I burst in that you were the only one who could get His Highness to eat. It calmed me enough to just glare at you, instead of attacking like…" Surprisingly, Ingrid flushed crimson. Like she was ashamed. "Well, like I'd planned."

"It wouldn't have been the first time, nor the last." Dedue seemed unphased by it. I couldn't help but frown. Surprisingly, Ingrid did too. "You did make quite the impression, slamming the door open as you did."

"Well, I was trying to intimidate you." Ingrid briefly looked up from the vegetables to smile awkwardly. "Then I just yelled at you without even a greeting. 'If you hurt his Highness, I will tear out your bones and beat you to death with them.' I think that's what I said?"

"I… do not know." Now it was Dedue's turn to be awkward. "I did not know Fodlan's language very well, back then. Many words and nuances escaped me. I caught the intent behind the words, though, especially after I saw you hug His Highness. You were scared, and you wanted to protect your friend."

"I could've been nicer about it." Ingrid looked away again, hyper-focused on the vegetables. "I think I snapped at you for not using His Highness's title too."

"In truth, back then, I did not know the significance of His Highness's position. In Duscur, we had the leaders of the respective towns, but they were not chosen by blood. They underwent trials and only the one who passed could lead."

"Trials?"

"Yes, where the gods tested the will and heart of the person to determine if they were suited for leadership. I do not know much about them as I never had interest in it." I was surprised Dedue was talking so much, considering how he usually was, but perhaps the distraction of cooking made him more talkative. "But I know they can be harrowing. The leader of my town, Demak, refused to ever speak of it, and always had a haunted look when one asked anyway."

"So, there were no 'princes' in Duscur."

"No. We understood a 'king' was like our leaders, but 'crown prince' meant little, back then." Dedue grabbed a couple more spices and herbs. "Of course, such things are meaningless now. Duscur is gone."

"...Well, for now. Knowing His Highness, though…" Ingrid finally finished with those particular vegetables and scooped them into a bowl before moving on to the next batch. "He's always been soft-hearted. I adore that about him. Ever since I was little, I knew I wanted to become a knight to fight for his ideals."

"...Yes, His Highness is, in many ways, far too kind.." Still, Dedue smiled faintly. "But that is exactly why I admire him." He glanced over at Ingrid's hands and, slowly and carefully, adjusted her grip. "There. That will make it easier on your wrist."

"It will?" Ingrid frowned skeptically. "Really?"

"Yes, you were holding it as one might hold a dagger, but the motion for stabbing a person is different that the motion for stabbing a vegetable."

"I… huh. Never thought of that before. It makes sense, but..." She trailed off as Bernadetta hesitantly came over, holding a small tin. "Oh, what is it, Bernadetta?"

"Um… well, this was sitting over there," Bernadetta began, or tried to. The words tripped over themselves on their way out of her mouth, so they sounded a little smushed. "And I was thinking… well, this is probably stupid… actually, it is stupid. I mean… it's me and…" Ingrid frowned, visibly annoyed, but Dedue looked more at the tin Bernadetta was holding. "I should just-"

"What spice is that?" Dedue asked. He wiped his hands on a cloth and took the tin from her to read the label, since Rebecca always labeled everything. "Red svira… this provides a sweet yet spicy flavor, yes?"

"Y-yes! It does!" Bernadetta looked away, curling into herself to make herself seem less like a target. "I was thinking… on the bear meat there…"

"Hmm… yes, we used a similar spice in Duscur." Dedue studied the tin for a moment and then set it down on the counter. "Unlike that one, though, svira scorches quickly. We will want to add it later, after the meat has cooked some, to avoid that."

"Oh, that makes sense. My… a fr... someone I knew said you had to be careful with it, or you'll get charcoal instead." Tentatively, Bernadetta smiled. Though Dedue didn't smile back, his expression did soften; Ingrid handled the smiling for him. "Um… there was…
"You got another idea?" Ingrid prompted, still smiling. Bernadetta squeaked in surprise, and I worried she might run. But to my surprised delight, she held her ground and nodded. "What is it?"

"W-well, in Varley…" Bernadetta whispered. I noticed her shaking and automatically took a step towards her in worry, but Rebecca suddenly joined the group and wrapped an arm around Bernadetta before I could. "I mean, I've only really heard about this, but during festivals, they'd have what they call 'surprise' foods? They were foods that all looked the same on the outside, but the insides were all different? Some could be sweet, spicy, savory… all sorts of things, really."

"Now that sounds like fun." Ingrid tapped her cheek in thought. "But do we have anyone with allergies?"

"We do not," Dedue answered. Both Ingrid and Bernadetta looked at him weirdly. "I checked with Professor Manuela at the beginning of the year."

"Hee… well, aren't you responsible?" Rebecca gently teased, muffling a laugh with her free hand. Dedue simply shrugged. "I know that no one in Remire has allergies, though we must be careful with what Adam eats. Just in case." Thanks to his health issues. "So, we have to leave him out, but…"

"Not necessarily. What foods can he eat? We can make a special plate for him, so that he still gets the surprise part."

"Of course, we need to figure out what the food is to start with," Ingrid pointed out. Despite the logic, she was already bouncing. "Oh, maybe dumplings? Bernadetta, would dumplings work?"

"I… think so, yes," Bernadetta mumbled, now blushing. Embarrassment, pride, or flushing from the terror of being the sole attention of people. "Yeah, that should…" She looked around, probably for a hiding spot, and saw me standing in the doorway, awkwardly. "Professor!"

"I, for one, would greatly enjoy these surprise dumplings," I said, pretending I'd just arrived for that conversation. I really didn't need them to know how long I'd been eavesdropping. I was just grateful Elijah kept dozing. "Do you have the time, though?"

"If we hurry," Rebecca reassured, stepping away from Bernadetta. She glanced behind me, probably expecting Madeline and Louisa, and then returned her attention to me with a frown when she saw their absence. "So…?"

"Madeline accidentally tickled Louisa too much and there's now water all over their back room." I smiled slightly; Rebecca sighed and shook her head. "So, they'll be a little longer. But she is cleaner."

"Considering how muddy she was, I'd hope so. I'm not sure I'll be able to wash the mud out of that diaper." The less we said about how stained Louisa's clothes were, the better. "Thanks for telling me."

"Of course." Deciding I needed to lift her mood some, I glanced at the counter, looking over the array of food. "So, anything I can steal?"

"You get your dinner the same time as everyone else, Byleth."

"You have the perfect 'Mom' tone."

"Malcolm gives me a lot of practice!"

I playfully teased Rebecca a little more, just because I good, and she just as playfully pushed me out of her house. Since Elijah was dozing, I probably should've just sat down to rest and let him sleep. But, of course, I didn't. By now, I worried too much about my students, so I kept wandering around to check on whoever I could find. My next destination? One of the storage sheds on the outskirts of town. Not the grain storage with the notoriously tricky door that liked trapping people inside. One that was used for various things depending on the season. During the Garland Moon, that means the harvest.

"All right, now if you can move those boxes up into the corner there?" Zain asked Dimitri, while moving his own set of boxes. Dimitri, of course, handled the moving easily. Because what was a few boxes stuffed with whatever compared to kicking and ripping a steel door? "That's perfect. Thanks." He set down his load and headed over to Dimitri to ruffle his hair. Dimitri smiled slightly at the gesture, even though he also looked embarrassed. "You've got a lot of strength, huh? Maybe during your next visit, I'll put you to work in the forge."

"The forge?!" Dimitri yelped, nearly jumping out of his skin in surprise. And getting some dust on him because cleaning hadn't been done yet. Just moving things around. "I… surely, I'll break something if I try!"

"You'd be surprised how heavy a blow you need to shape metals. But even if you did break something, it would be fine. We'd just fix or replace it. That's how the world works." Zain smiled kindly, softening the blunt words. "That's what my old master used to say, when he dragged me into the smithy."

"Dragged?"

"Given the weights you were just lugging about, I can say that I'm not as strong as you, little prince. But I do know something about being stronger than everyone around you, and being terrified of hurting and breaking anything if you so much as breathed on it."

"You… you do?"

"Yep. I've always been strong. Seemed like no matter what I did to hold back, I ended up breaking something. Master Ian decided the best way to help me push through was to simply teach me how to fix things."

"...Did it help?"

"Some days are easier than others. It's a fear that lingers, even though I'm an adult and I know I can control my strength." He patted Dimitri on the back, and looked about the area, no doubt checking for anything they missed. "When Nicole was first born, I wouldn't hold her. I was so terrified I'd hurt her." Zain laughed softly at the memory, and I smiled slightly. He'd told Dad about this, once. "Took me a full month to even consider it." And now, Nicole always ran to him for hugs, because she liked his best. "There's no magic trick to anything involving fear. Be nice if there was, but then again, fear is a natural reaction. To hold oneself back because of that fear, though…" He focused back on Dimitri, looking serious. Dimitri stood ramrod straight, listening intently. "Well, that's nothing more than a living death. A very lonely, living death. That's what I think, at least." He smiled again, softening the serious mood, and ruffled Dimitri's hair one more time. "Besides, the strength can be a boon. Take right now. Normally, clearing this shed out takes hours, but we're already done." That they were. It was amazing how clear the area was now. But it would be filled with oranges and orange blossoms by the end of the night. "That's more time I get to spend with my little girl, so thank you."

"Oh, no, I didn't…" Dimitri flushed and ducked his head. "Really, I…"

"Hello, hello!" Flayn's chipper greeting nearly made me jump, and certainly woke Elijah up. I had to duck away to calm him before his fussing gave away that I was here. "I have brought cleaning supplies!" she announced, holding out her basket of cleaning mixes and cloths as if it were a holy treasure. "Felix, Caspar, and Hilda shall be here shortly with the other baskets to assist." A shame I had to walk away then. I kind of wanted to see if Hilda would do her normal thing of trying to avoid doing the work, because I knew just what Zain would say to that. "Where might I set this down?"

"Ugh… why am I stuck cleaning?" Oh, lovely, Hilda arrived before I left. "Man, it's just work, work, and more work here," she complained, idly swinging her basket. Zain frowned slightly, already on alert for potential laziness. "All of the work, really."

"But is it not wonderful to assist people?" Flayn smiled sweetly; Hilda just sighed. "I have been told we are most helpful!"

"Yeah, yeah, and it's nice to make sure our professor gets a break for once. You have to practically trick her into it." Hilda set her basket on one of the baskets and, surprisingly, jumped onto Dimitri's back. "Hey, Dimitri, carry me when we're done? I'm going to be soooo tired."

"I… suppose I can?" Dimitri 'agreed', mostly because of how flustered and surprised he was. He defaulted to politeness. "If you want?"

"Yay~!" Hilda cheered, hugging him. Dimitri just looked more and more confused. "Okay then! I'm guessing we'll split the area? Flayn, you pair with Dimitri and me!" She kept on laughing, but all of a sudden, her eyes caught mine. And they caught mine quick, like she'd known I was there. The wink she gave me not only confirmed it, but… it gave me a little hint as to why she was being surprisingly affectionate with Dimitri. She remembered how I wanted everyone to bond, and was doing what she could to help: befriending them herself.

"She really is a sweet girl," I whispered, leaving finally. Dimitri's confused sputters and Hilda and Flayn's laughter followed me down the path back to the village proper. "I'm still not sure if she should push so much of her chores on others, but she's a sweet girl." But now Elijah was awake and grumpy, so I should take a shortcut back towards Chloe's house and...

"Petra." Or I could get distracted by Hubert as soon as I passed by the 'hunter's area', as we dubbed it here in Remire, because it was where the hunters skinned the animals they'd hunted and whatever else hunters did. Like Petra, who was cleaning the fur of a deer she'd hunted earlier for the feast tonight. "You're as industrious as ever," Hubert complimented, continuing to attempt to help her. It looked like he was holding the fur still while she brushed it out. "You have also been studying in what free time we have."

"Yes, I have been trying to be… industrious," Petra agreed, more focused on the fur. There was an ease to her movements that suggested she used to do this all the time, but the frown of concentration hinted it had been a while. "I have promised to show Edelgard my power, and I must be working hard to improve my position. Right now, it is not a good one."

"Even accounting for that, your efforts are impressive." Never had I heard Hubert compliment someone before, and I had to confirm with Sothis that I had. "I wish a little of you would rub off on some people. One troublesome crest-obsessed slouch in particular." Crest-obsessed? That could only be… well, out of the people I knew, it could only be Hanneman or Linhardt. And I wasn't sure Hanneman could be considered a 'slouch'.

"Pardon?" Petra looked over at him with wide eyes, almost dropping her brush. "I am not rubbing on anyone!"

"Apologies, it's a turn of phrase. It means that I wish others would have the same characteristics. In this case, I wish others would share your work ethic." Yep, definitely the gentlest and kindest I had ever seen Hubert. "Confusion with idioms aside, I never would've imagined you would adapt so well to Fodlan. When I first saw you, you couldn't speak a word of the language and you reminded me so much of a cornered animal that I wondered if you had fur and a tail."

"I had more youth then, and the experience was… terrifying." Petra went back to brushing the pelt. "My father had passed, and then my grandfather ordered me to go to Fodlan with suddenness. I was stolen away to a strange land with too dull of colors and too many dagger-smiles. The strange people laughed and looked upon me like I was a strange beast, an exotic thing to be displayed."

"...Well, I imagine the Empire didn't give your grandfather much time to comply. They needed leverage, and what better way than to hold their dearest princess hostage." Hubert actually looked down, like he felt guilty. "I…"

"Do not be ashamed, Hubert. It was not your decision to be making." Petra smiled warmly at him. "It was scary and strange. I do not like the Empire. I miss my home. But, I am not unhappy. I would not have chosen to leave as I did, but I have gained much understanding of the world outside of Brigid. I have discovered many things I wish to introduce to Brigid, to lead it to greater heights and to give my people better lives." Her smile warmed. "I have also been meeting many very nice people, who give my life the color Fodlan is lacking."

"...Your strength in the face of such adversity is admirable." It certainly was something. That was all I could think, eavesdropping as I was. "You set a strong example to follow."

"A huntress must adapt in order to not starve." She shrugged and sat back on her heels to reach for a different brush. As she did though, she looked up and saw me there. "Oh, Professor! Do you be needing something?"

"I'm just checking in on people," I explained, walking over. Elijah squirmed in my arms, bored, but a couple of bounces had him gurgling happily again. "Are you two doing okay?"

"Yes, we are being okay," Petra confirmed, smiling brightly at me. She gestured to the pelt, pride evident in her expression and demeanor. "Shawn had been asking me to prepare the fur for him." She frowned suddenly. "That is his name, yes? The one who does not have a leg?"

"Yes, that's Shawn." He was easily the best when it came to furs and leathers in Remire. I wondered what he'd make with this? Perhaps a little lined blanket for the new babies? He'd hinted to such before. "Thanks for helping him. He was having phantom pains earlier, so he's resting."

"Phantom pains?" Petra frowned a little and glanced at Hubert in confusion. "Is he haunted by ghosts? I know talismans to ward them away, if so."

"No, that's not it. Besides, ghosts aren't dangerous." I smiled slightly at her, and was amused that she leaned forward to listen eagerly. "It means he's experiencing pain in the 'lost limb'. For whatever reason, his mind insists his lower leg is still there and it hurts. But, of course, the limb isn't there at all."

"So, the ghost of his leg is bothering him?" That… actually, that was close enough. "Fascinating. In Brigid, those who lose limbs rarely survive long, so I did not know people experienced such things. It's like glasses." ...Glasses? "Poor eyesight means death for a hunter, so there are no glasses like those Ignatz be wearing." She got a determined look on her face. "Now I have even more to learn. I will make Brigid a place where the people can have such things and survive."

"I look forward to seeing that." Elijah started squirming again, this time reaching for Petra. "Hmm? Are you interested in Petra?" I knelt down and Elijah immediately reached out to 'tap' the marking on Petra's face. It was more like a slap, actually, but there was no strength to it thankfully. "I guess he likes the pretty colors?"

"He is so very tiny." This time when Elijah tried to hit her face, she caught his hand. He immediately wrapped his pudgy fingers around hers. "Very strong. That is a good omen for him."

"Careful, he'll hold onto it until he falls asleep." Laughter in the distance caught my ear, and I sensed Azrael's happy amusement just before I turned to see him playing tag with Malcolm, Richard, Sera, and Crystal. Nicole sat nearby, next to Adam, making charms while Adam cheered everyone on. "It seems like they're done with their chores."

"We must be finishing ours, so that we might enjoy the feast." Petra managed to wiggle her finger our of Elijah's grip and picked up the brush she wanted for the fur. "You have a wonderful home, Professor. Very warm, and very accepting."

"Yes, I love Remire." I smiled slightly, knowing Petra was more right than she could ever imagine. "What of you, Hubert?" I turned to him, deciding to put him on the spot. Just a little. "Will you complain if I try to have us visit again?"

"...Surprisingly, no, Professor," Hubert answered after a moment. He wouldn't look me in the eye when he said that, just focused on holding the fur for Petra. "Lady Edelgard has not smiled so much since… in a very long while. I will admit to not feeling quite comfortable, but perhaps the discomfort is because this place is so different from the Fodlan I know."

"Fodlan is a very vast place, and you will only ever see a small part of the world," I murmured, pleased. I was happy to hear praises of my home, and I was glad for confirmation that Edelgard was enjoying herself here. "I won't say there's not gossip and arguments or anything. In many ways, it's just like any other village." Save for what Petra had already said: the warmth and, more importantly, the acceptance. "Ah, but I should leave you to your job and see if Elijah is hungry. I think it's about time for him to be fed."

I hoped I could convince Rhea to let us visit again. I loved the excuse to see everyone and… well, my students were smiling. I loved that just as much.

A day or so later, I nearly panicked when I saw Leonie carrying a limp Lysithea through the courtyard and down to the lower part of the first floor dorms, where her room was. I only didn't because I rushed down to join them as soon as I could, and after accidentally interrupting their talk of the best way to train, learned that Lysithea would be fine. She just pushed herself a little too much, and was now paying for it.

"I would scold about knowing your limits, but how you're feeling is a better lesson than I could give," I gently teased, more focused on making tea. I'd insisted on it, an herbal mix I had just for this sort of thing, and Lysithea gave in pretty quickly. "What were you working on?"

"I was assigned to clean the library with another student, but they were ill," Lysithea explained. She made a face when I came over and adjusted her blanket, but held still when I pushed her hair out of her face and touched her cheek to send a pulse of power through. Thankfully, it reassured me that all truly was well. A little bit of magic to ease the worst of the symptoms… and that was mostly for my own worry. She'd be fine. "They nearly threw up while helping. So, I told them to go to the infirmary and I'd finish up."

"Then you pushed yourself too much."

"Right…" She scowled. "I would've worked more slowly, but Claude just had to tell me that the library was haunted."

"Did he, now?" Claude, seriously? He mentioned purposely pulling her tail, but… "Well, that's a little strange. As I told you, ghosts aren't harmful." I did my best to recall any sort of story to help 'substitute' the idea of ghosts for her, and remembered an Adrestian folktale. "Perhaps he saw a little book spirit and got confused?"

"Book spirit?"

"Yes, there's a couple of Adrestian stories about them." I returned to the tea pot to finish making the tea. "They're creatures who are shy, but adore stories. Have you ever walked through a library and was suddenly hit with a feeling of 'I must read this book'?" I glanced back at her, and she nodded slowly. "According to the stories, that's how they recommend stories. They can't speak the human language well, so they convey their thoughts with impressions."

"Oh. Huh." Lysithea smiled at that. "And they have physical forms?"

"They take them very rarely. As I said, they're very shy." I finished making the tea and brought some over to her in a very pretty cup. Her tea set was gorgeous, actually, painted with beautiful dark purple flowers. "Here you are."

"Thank you, Professor." Lysithea blew on the tea to cool it down faster and sipped it slowly. "You know… it's strange." She smiled faintly up at me. "I don't seem to mind your fussing, Professor. Maybe because you don't feel patronizing about it?" I… had no idea how to respond to that, truthfully. "Not like Raphael. Ugh, he's so annoying! Talking about how I needed to go out and play tag and such!" She rolled her eyes. "He even called himself my 'big brother', if you can believe it!" I could, given that was one of the first things Edelgard warned me about when I was first meeting everyone. I could also see why it grated her nerves. Given what you heard about Ordelia, I had no doubts that it scraped old scars. "I'm not helpless or anything."

"No, you're not. But you are a valued friend, and people worry." I sat on the bed next to her, and gently touched her cheek. "As a compromise, why not study outside? You can sit in the gazebo, for instance. Though, I suppose you need to be careful of sneaky birds and playful cats."

"...I would?"

"Well, perhaps not here." Despite the large number of animals, they all seemed remarkably well-behaved. "But, you never know. I certainly never expected to chase down a bird who thought my math sheet would be perfect for a nest."

"It what?"

I decided to go ahead and share the story in full, about the bird and how I had to chase it for long enough that Dad had to come after me. And then rescue my work from the nest while getting pecked by the angry mama-bird. Lysithea was laughing before I was even halfway done, and I had to take the teacup from her to keep her from spilling it! But when the story ended and the laughter faded, I got her set up, complete with the teapot in easy reach and a few books to read, and left her to go rest. At first, I headed for my room to work, but then I decided that no matter how much in a good mood she was in now, Lysithea was probably annoyed that she couldn't study. So, I decided to 'study' in her place, via researching something I knew she was interested in: the magical items Dedue spoke of.

"Magical items?" Tomas repeated, after I made my way to the library and found him. I was uneasy about interacting with him, given our last meeting, but I really wouldn't know the first place to look for the topic. Sothis just reassured me that she would be watching, and at the slightest hint of something wrong, she'd react. "What an interesting subject. Few would know to ask about it." He chuckled and led me towards the back of the library, where few people went. Not exactly helping my nerves. "I suppose Jeralt told you about them. He always was eager to learn from anyone and everyone."

"Well, Dad did teach me almost everything I knew," I replied, deciding to go with the not-lie. It was better than admitting I'd eavesdropped. "So, there are books here about it?"

"Mostly theoretical, and very basic. There were a couple more, years and years ago, but they were removed on Seteth's orders. It's his job to check if our library contains anything inaccurate or unbefitting." Oh, well, that was lovely to learn. I couldn't be surprised, but it was annoying to hear the books in the library were regulated. I wondered if I'd have more luck in the Abyssian library. "Ah, but here they are." Tomas pulled a couple of books from the shelf, but I noticed something peculiar. The shelf… it was dustier than the others. The books themselves weren't arranged as neatly. It was much farther from the candles than the rest. It was almost as if this one had been set up more hastily, and was meant to be hidden. "This should be enough to help you get started."

"Thank you, Tomas." I took the books carefully, and noted another peculiarity. Unlike the rest of the books I'd seen in the library, these ones didn't have titles embossed on the covers. "I appreciate it. I'm sure it's an odd request."

"That's part of the fun with being a librarian, helping with odd requests." Tomas chuckled, smiling warmly. I tentatively smiled back. "Speaking of which, I should see if anyone else needs assistance."

"Yes, of course." And I needed to get out of here.

So, as politely as I could, I bade him farewell and made my way towards the door. Or, rather, I tried to. I actually ended up getting turned around due to how far out of the way this shelf had been, and by the time I made it to an area I recognized, I… well, I found a distraction. Mostly because I was a nosy worrywart.

"Why won't this work?" Edelgard muttered, glaring balefully at the piece of paper in front of her. She was sitting at one of the 'study tables' set up throughout the library and had a small pile of books next to her. She had another one open on her other side. "This is aggravating." Based on what I could see of the open book, I guessed she was studying magic. "Am I failing to focus properly? Why am I doing so poorly?"

"Perhaps it's because the magic is scared of your glare," I gently teased, deciding to come over and see what was wrong. Edelgard jumped, nearly falling out of her chair in the process. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." I set my borrowed books down, and looked over her shoulder to see what she was working on. The spell pattern there… it was a bit of a mess, truthfully. "You should take a short break. There's no need to force yourself. You'll be able to figure it out."

"I… thank you, Professor." She smiled sheepishly. "Ah, and I had just scolded Lysithea about pushing herself."

"Did you?"

"Yes, she tried to clean the library by herself. I took over for her so that she could rest, and then decided to do some studying." She gestured vaguely at her books. "It is so frustrating to hit a wall."

"Well, you could try to break through it, but I think finding another path is a better option. In this case, taking a break to rest your eyes."

"As always, I feel like you're giving ten lessons at once." She sighed, and I tried to figure out what she meant by that. "I suppose I should put these books up."

"I'll handle that." I took the books before she could protest. "You lean back and close your eyes."

"Very well."

Luckily, all of these were magic texts and, thus, I only had to walk to one section to file them away. It was easy, since these ones had titles and authors on them. When I was done, I decided to look around and I saw Edelgard wasn't the only one of the cohort researching and studying in the library today. At one table, I could see Annette and Ashe happily solving some sort of tactical problem. At another table, I could see Claude, talking to Marianne. Given how uncomfortable Marianne looked, though… well, I probably shouldn't intervene, but I couldn't help but walk over anyway. Claude's curiosity sometimes… often… out-paced his tact and sense.

"Thank you so much for returning this pendant to me," Claude was saying when I crept closer. I immediately felt guilty about assuming he was pestering her with questions. "It's a keepsake from my uncle, so if I lost it, I think my grandfather would've killed me. You saved my tail!"

"It was nothing, really," Marianne mumbled, ducking her head. Now that I thought about it, the discomfort could've simply been from having to talk to someone. "I should get-"

"Nah, I've done enough researching for now!" Claude leaned forward, resting his arms on his thighs, and an all-too-familiar glint sparked in his eyes. Calculating curiosity. "How about a nice little chat? It's so rare that we get to talk!"

"I just came here to deliver the pendant."

"Sounds awfully lonely to only talk to those you have business with." Claude's expression softened a little bit, but there was still that glint. "Do you truly dislike socializing with people that much?"

"It's just… I never know what to say." Marianne shied away, and her eyes darted about the room, looking for an exit. "I'm sorry."

"Hey, no need to apologize. We'll figure it out as we go." Claude made a show of thinking before continuing. "Are you like this with your father too? Margrave Edmund is prone to debate, and is an excellent orator. With a father like that, I would've thought…"

"Margrave Edmund is my adoptive father. He adopted me four years ago."

"Oh. Huh." Claude blinked a few times, clearly taken aback. "Okay, didn't know that. So, where were you born?"

"That is none of your concern." Marianne's voice was slowly getting harder, and she became more blatant in her attempts to find an escape. Thankfully, for her sake, she found one quickly. "I must be going." She ran as fast as she could, ducking behind shelves to get out of sight.

Claude watched her go with a little smile. "Well, it's clear she's hiding something." He chuckled, amused. "But that just makes me all the more desperate to know her secrets." And that's where I couldn't stay quiet.

"Claude." It was all I said, but Claude immediately stiffened before twisting to see me standing nearby. "Let her be," I told him, frowning slightly. Surprisingly, he meekly nodded. "Why not come join Edelgard and me? You can bring whatever books you want, of course." Even more surprisingly, he quietly just… did as I asked. This was almost creepy. "This way, then."

Claude remained quiet the whole way back to Edelgard's table, which sounded longer than it was, but I had never seen him so quiet before. Certainly for so long. It was almost a relief that he put on his cherry mask again when we sat down with Edelgard. Almost.

"Hello, dear princess~!" Claude greeted with a smile, tossing his books onto the table. Edelgard simply sighed, frowning at him. "Hmm? No words of love for me? I'm so hurt!"

"Sometimes, I truly wonder if you were dropped on your head when you were younger," Edelgard immediately deadpanned. Claude just grinned. "Well, perhaps you can help me. I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong, and it's aggravating."

"You? Do something wrong? Perish the thought! What are you working on anyway?" Claude leaned on the table to look over the paper, but as soon as he saw what it was, he sat back down hard. "Ah. Reason magic."

"Do you have a problem with that?"

"No, it's just…" Claude physically groped for words. "Well, I wouldn't say I'm bad at it. Not as bad as Dimitri. Probably because I like math. But that…" He pointed at the paper. "I'm not convinced that's math, so much as another language entirely."

"I take it you're going to pursue a different interest as soon as our teacher lets you?" Edelgard smiled very slightly, teasingly. "Perhaps someone to help you do dishes?"

"You…!" Claude groaned and let his head fall to the desk. I wondered what the hell they were talking about. "How did you know about that? Did Leonie tell you?"

"No, Caspar did. He was checking in on the kitchens after hearing of the mess Annette accidentally made, and saw you making even more of a mess."

"Dishes are hard, okay! I'd like to see you do better!"

The two continued bantering, but I decided to simply ignore them to study the spell pattern. However, it was difficult to keep track of on paper, so I decided to do what I usually did when a pattern confused me. I brought my hand up, sparked a little bit of flame, and began drawing it in the air. A little bit of smoke wafted from it, but not enough to alarm anyone. I made sure of that. So, I just focused on the pattern and keeping the 'drawing' intact, and didn't notice that both Claude and Edelgard had fallen silent until one of them spoke up again.

"Uh… Teach, what the hell?" Claude bluntly asked, gaping at the pattern burning in the air. Edelgard open and closed her mouth a couple of times, trying and failing to make words. "I… what? You can make pictures? You ever think about using them for stories or something?"

"You're thinking more of it than it is," I chided, a little amused. I supposed it was another peculiarity, but it really wasn't all that special. "Besides, this takes a lot of focus and concentration. I have to constantly spark the flame in this specific pattern, or risk it dissipating into smoke." It was an excellent exercise in control, which was why I'd first started it. Flames were dangerous; I never wanted them to escape me and hurt others. I kept at it because I could find it useful for things like this. "By observing something in a different way, you can sometimes see things you miss. That's why it's important to speak to others when you're facing a difficulty. They will look at the problem with different eyes, and together, you can come up with a different solution." Going at things alone just runs the risk of you making the same mistake over and over gain, until you're left with nothing but grief.

"Teach, for a mercenary, you sure are big on cooperation."

"Just as most everything, I learned from Dad." I tilted my head when I noticed something in my tracing, something I definitely didn't notice when it was on the paper. "Edelgard? What is this rune supposed to be?" I pointed at one of the runes in the lower part of the spell pattern with my other hand, to make sure she could see what it was. "See? It looks like you only half-wrote one."

"Hmm? What are you…? That's it!" Edelgard gasped, excitedly slamming her hands on the table. A few of the students at the neighboring tables gave us odd looks, but Edelgard didn't care. She just grabbed a fresh sheet of paper to re-draw the pattern, this time with the proper rune. "Ugh, I knew it had to be something simple!"

"That's simple?" Claude asked, blinking a couple of times. I let go of my magic, letting it turn to smoke. "How is that simple?"

"Well, you see, Claude…!"

Then Edelgard was off, talking quickly and animatedly as she did her best to explain. Claude did his best to follow along, stopping her every once in a while to get clarification. I found it absolutely adorable, especially with how brightly Edelgard smiled and how genuinely interested Claude was, and almost sat around just to watch. But I had too much to do for that, so instead, I picked up my borrowed books and slipped away, heading for the exit. As I did, my thoughts turned to why I had originally come into the library, and what Tomas had said about Seteth regulating the contents of the books here. It seemed my best course to discovering more about magical items would be Abyss, though I'd have to be careful as they could be woefully inaccurate. Still, it would be interesting and-

"Oh, Professor!" Ferdinand's cheery greeting startled me out of my thoughts and I turned to see him and Petra sitting at a far table with numerous books spread open between them. "This is good timing, actually," he continued, smiling. I was already heading over. "Petra and I were talking about some books we were reading…"

"Ferdinand has been reading books on regional weaponry development, and I have been studying the history of Fodlan," Petra explained, grinning. I wondered how they came across the topics at all. "There are many… mmm…" She struggled for a word. "Intersections?"

"That would work, though I believe most would use 'overlap' in this context."

"Yes, that!" She turned to me again, all eagerness. "We came across a battle that shaped horsing tactics, and were debating why it had such a large effect."

"So, you wanted to hear my opinion?" I asked, surprised they'd consider it. I was even more surprised when both eagerly nodded. "Well, what battle are we talking about?" I set my borrowed books down and skimmed the passage Ferdinand pointed out. "Oh, it's this battle." One of the many at Fodlan's Throat, before the construction of the Locket. "Well, firstly, do you two know the typical geography of this area? That plays a large role in why…"

It ended up being after dinner before I actually was able to sit down and begin reading those books I borrowed. Ferdinand and Petra were just too enthusiastic to refuse.

"There you go," I murmured, smiling slightly as I healed up some bruises on the children. I hadn't yet learned the names of those Dimitri taught, since they were still becoming comfortable with me, but they at least let me tend to them whenever they got a little too enthusiastic with their sparring. "Any other pains?"

"Not that I've noticed, miss," the child mumbled. They were one of the ones who couldn't look anyone in the eye, and who flinched at every sharp movement. Still, they had been determined to learn, and so, Dimitri taught them. "...Thank you…"

"Always." I kept up the smile, even as they bolted away, and turned to the next child waiting patiently for their healing. "Come here. Let me see…"

This was how the lessons always ended, after Dimitri had brought me to that first one. It had started after one particularly aggressive child hit their sparring partner had enough to break the skin, and I had immediately healed it up without thinking about it. Now, I checked on each one who came to me, and then the children would say their goodbyes to Dimitri. Or, well, their 'sort of' goodbyes. In truth, they jumped on him for praise and Dimitri obliged with a smile and a laugh. He might claim he wasn't good with children, but the smiles they had spoke otherwise.

"Thanks again for the help, Professor," Dimitri told me, once the last child had been healed and gotten their praise. He walked around the training area, picking up the practice weapons to inspect them for any needed repairs. "They're progressing much faster than I would've expected."

"They're quick to learn, but that means we have to be careful of bad habits forming," I pointed out, ignoring the thanks. I'd tried to outright dismiss it the last couple of times he'd thanked me, but that led to circular arguments. Better to just let it go. "Anyway, let me-"

"No, Professor, you just rest." Dimitri smiled and I bit back a little sigh. Because this was also common. He insisted on doing the cleaning on his own. "You used up some power healing them."

"It really wasn't that much." Still, I went ahead and gave up, mostly because he was almost done already. The children did always do their best to clean up after themselves before leaving. "Don't you have to meet someone?"

"Raphael wanted to talk to me about something." Mean as it sounded, that 'something' was probably related to training. While I'd convinced him to take breaks, Raphael still focused on that, probably out of a feeling of guilt with everything he and his family put on this dream of his. "I hope I can help."

"I'm sure you can." Of course, now I had no idea what else to say. Small talk after lessons… it wasn't 'small' for me. I always felt awkward. Dimitri himself didn't seem to mind, for some reason. "Oh, Claude was looking for you earlier. Wanted to eat lunch with you."

"Did he? I'll have to apologize later." Dimitri smiled a little awkwardly, and finished with the last of the cleaning. "But for now, I'd better get going."

"See you later." I waved him goodbye, and sighed a little when he was out of sight. Because this hadn't actually been the first time Claude had tried to interact with Dimitri, only to either not find him or be refused. I didn't see Dimitri and Edelgard interact much either, which stood out to me because of how easily I'd been able to arrange Claude and Edelgard to spend time together (and hopefully bonding).

I knew I shouldn't force things. If I forced interactions, then things would be awkward. But sometimes, it felt like Dimitri… he was polite certainly, and courteous. He didn't have the trust issues that Edelgard and Claude showed, and he readily interacted with people. Yet, at the same time, it felt like he kept his distance. The wall he used to hide his pain… it seemed like a shield to keep others from getting close. Not unlike Felix's 'thorns', but more subtle because of Dimitri's kindness.

["I would say arrange meetings to go over plans for the week, but that won't actually address the issue."] Sothis appeared next to me, floating just above the bench. ["You want him to interact with them as 'Dimitri', not 'House Leader' or 'Prince of Faerghus'."] Yes, I did. I felt that was the best way for them to bond. ["I suppose you'll just have to look for opportunities. It has only been a couple of months, at most."] True. It felt like a hell of a lot longer, but… ["Go for a walk or something. Your thoughts are getting so tangled that I fear I'll trip over them."]

Knowing that Sothis would badger me until I agreed, I decided to simply listen and meander around the monastery. It was strangely peaceful, though perhaps that was because it was almost, but not quite, dinner. People were still in their rooms, finishing up whatever they were doing before going to eat. I liked it. It was nice and quiet. At least, it was at first, but a song broke the silence when I reached the edge of the monastery gardens. A lovely song, one without words, wafted through the flowers and I followed like a little child chasing after a piper. It took a couple of twists and turns to find the source, but eventually, I discovered a beautiful vine-filled grove teeming with freshly blooming flowers and carefully 'walled off' from the world by strategically placed trees. And in the center of the grove was Rhea, sitting in the fresh grass despite her white dress and singing that wordless song as she fed the animals that had flocked to her. She had the happiest smile I'd seen on her face, and laughed delightedly when one of the dogs, a large one that clearly did not realize its size, jumped on her to lick her face. She laughed even more when a beautiful white-furred cat crawled up her front to nuzzle her neck.

I suppose that explained why there were a lot of animals wandering the monastery. I'd just thought the cats were mousers, and the dogs helped with hunting.

"Hmm? Oh, Byleth, hello!" Rhea greeted me cheerfully, barely able to get the words out before another dog jumped on her to demand attention. I waved in return, even though she couldn't see it, and carefully crept closer. "Were you looking for me?"

"No?" I replied, because… well, I hadn't been. Of course, I probably should've lied or something.

"Good." Still, Rhea remained in a good mood. "I'm hiding from Seteth."

"You… huh?"

"There's a meeting I have to attend, and I still have time, but he's pestering me about the documents I'll need for it. So, I'm hiding." Had to admit that I didn't expect that of her. "Jeralt helped me escape, of course. I could've never managed otherwise."

"Dad did, huh?"

"He's always been like that. Quick to remind me to take breaks, that sort of thing." She laughed softly and smiled warmly. It was clear she found that endearing about Dad… and she was happy he still did it, given how weird and strained their friendship was now. "So, what brought you to this little grove then?"

"I heard a song." I crept a little closer, and sat down when she gestured that I should. Immediately, I had three cats climb into my lap, purring away. Particularly when I scratched one fluffy black cat under the chin. "I was walking to cool down after helping Dimitri teach some of the orphans here, and followed the song."

"Goodness, I didn't realize I was so loud. I'm glad Seteth didn't pass by." Rhea attempted to sit up straight, probably a habit whenever she talked to people, but the dogs weren't having that. They nudged and pushed their full weight on her to demand pets, and delighted in messing up her hair. It was honestly the first time I'd seen her so disheveled. "I'm pleased to hear Dimitri is still giving them lessons, though." Didn't realize she knew. I would've thought she'd be too busy to focus on things like that. "I'm not able to see them as often as I'd like, but I have noticed them thriving more."

"I'm sure the individual attention helps with that." I smiled slightly, thinking of the lesson I'd just left. He'd made sure to spend time with each one, reassuring the ones who were upset and critiquing those who hated feeling patronized. "I only started helping recently."

"I see." Rhea managed to wrestle one of the dogs off of her, and immediately gave in when said dog rolled onto its back for belly rubs. "How are they doing? As I said, I am not able to see them as often as I'd like, but I want them to be comfortable."

"Mmm… there's been no complaints. Most seem grateful for the food and shelter." Another cat decided to climb up to my shoulder; I gave them a brief scratch. "There are some who will quickly devour the treats we bring along, like they don't know when their next meal is or they expect someone to take it away. A few flinch when someone reaches for them, shying away from contact. I noticed one or two appear to outright dissociate when there's an unexpectedly loud noise." I almost shrugged, but the cat on my shoulder stopped that. "So, physically, they seem to be doing fine. Their spirits still need time to heal and adjust to the scars on their hearts, though."

"Yes, that can only be expected. It is… trying to suddenly lose family." A dark shadow passed through her eyes, as brief as a blink but as dark as a deep hole in the ground. "It's a wound that never fully heals."

"...I believe all things can heal. All things can be mended. You may have to adapt to the new scars and whatever was lost, but you can keep moving forward."

"Ha… that's Jeralt's influence to be sure. That man has seen more people die than just about anyone alive, yet he never falters. He's always been that way. Even before we met."

"Well, he raised me." But that did lead to a couple of questions. "Why did you have Dad fight for you? As a Knight, I mean. When he was still young?"

"Jeralt's suggestion, actually. He had been blessed with a talent for fighting, so he might as well continue the fight. That was his reasoning." I could see that, but was she actually lying or not? It was difficult to say. I wouldn't think so, but I knew she hid a lot. I knew she lied a lot. And I knew there was something weird about her and Dad's meeting, because of the two different stories. "It also gave him a good excuse to travel. He liked seeing new people and new places. Always had a bunch of stories to tell me when he returned."

"I see." I didn't think Dad particularly liked new people, but maybe… maybe it was because of how they treated me. Even if I was a monster, ghost, demon, fey… even if I was me, he still loved me. Then again, that was probably arrogant. He was also much older than he used to be, so maybe it just changed with time. "What about Cyril? Seems he works about…" To my surprise, Rhea actually winced then. "Um…"

"I would love nothing more than for Cyril to rush about with minimal responsibilities as a normal child would. But…" She sighed and pushed some of her hair out of her face. The animals had finally settled down enough for her to pretend to have some sort of dignity. "A couple of years ago, I paid a visit to House Goneril. It's something I try to do every few years, to thank them for their service and sacrifice in defending our border." Did she? Dad must've planned our few jobs there around them, then, because I never even heard of that. "While I was there, I noticed a young boy being beaten by the other servants. Beaten because he was an Almyran child, captured during one of the many battles." ...Children were captured in those battles? I hadn't noticed children among the captured soldiers while at the Locket… I might have to write a letter to Holst, or have Hilda do so. "Impulsively, I demanded they let me take the boy back to the monastery with me, incensed that they would treat a child in such a way."

"And this child was Cyril. He mentioned he was from Almyra."

"Yes." Rhea nodded, absently petting one of the dogs near her. "I have tried to explain that he was safe here. He could have meals whenever he wanted, do whatever he wanted. He would not be turned out for any simple mistake. He had the freedom to be a child, to live as he wished. It's something every child deserves."

"And he asked to work here."

"Work to 'repay' me, but unlike Shamir, who joined the Knights to repay a debt she felt she owed me… he takes it too far. He takes it to such unhealthy levels. He even refuses lessons to read and write so that he has more time to work." She grimaced. "I did not bring him here so that he would be indebted to me. I simply couldn't stand to see someone chained."

"Well, I'm not sure what I can do, but maybe set Dad and Seteth on him?" I went with the suggestion because it let me bite back my barb of how she seemed pretty content to 'chain' Dad with Azrael and me. "Dad has always been very keen on Azrael and me choosing our own paths, so I'm sure he'd be willing."

"Hmm… yes, perhaps I should." Rhea nodded a couple times to herself. "I dislike giving them more work, but it is clear I cannot fix this problem alone." Well, of course not. Ultimately, this was Cyril's decision. The trick was making sure his gratitude didn't blind and bind him. "Ah, but while we are on this sort of topic, how is Abyss?"

"It's improving, slowly." I bit back my questions of just why no one told Manuela about what was going on down there, or why she didn't overrule Aelfric to send healers herself. I was quickly learning that Rhea and 'truth' didn't have a good relationship with one another. "I'm working with Yuri on how to improve it further. Abyss has its own ways and culture, and I wouldn't want to squander that." While some things were obvious, like medicine, I didn't want to simply assume I knew what they needed or wanted.

"I'll do what I can to secure things. Let me know, okay?" Before I could really answer, we heard Seteth calling for Rhea in the distance. "Drat. He's caught up. He always was good at finding me." Rhea made a face and slowly stood up. The animals all protested. "I know, dears. I'll find time to brush you later." She brushed them? All of them? "Oh, I almost forgot. Byleth?" I made some sort of noise to let her know I was listening. "When there's time, let me show you and Azrael some brawling tricks." ...Excuse me, but did she just say brawling? Brawling? "In light of everything, I would feel better if I did. I was always better at it than Jeralt."

"Sure, that's fine." I agreed automatically, because there were many things one could associate Rhea with, but none of them were brawling!

"Splendid!" With a bright smile, Rhea left the grove entirely. Most of the animals left with her, perhaps to see if they could sneak some more pets. The cats that had climbed onto me, though, stayed where they were. Mostly.

The one that had been on my shoulder jumped off, but it didn't follow Rhea. Instead, it went to the nearby tree, and meowed loudly at something in the branches. 'Someone', rather, as Yuri quickly dropped down to dramatically announce his arrival. I noted the leaves barely rustled, and was amused the cat had found him so easily. I was even more amused with said cat kept on meowing until Yuri picked it up to rest on his shoulder.

"Lady Rhea and I would meet in this grove for my reports on Aelfric," he 'explained'. I simply nodded, waiting for him to explain why he was here. It wasn't for Rhea. Surely he would've followed her if he had. "You never seem to enjoy small talk, milady." Ignoring how I never knew what to say, strangers never approached me unless they needed something. "Fine, fine. We'll just jump right on in to the serious business."

"Did something happen in Abyss?" I asked, frowning slightly. I hadn't visited since the assassins showed up. "No one was hurt, right? From the assassins?"

"No, no one was hurt. As far as I am aware, everything is running smoothly. No disasters have reached my ears yet." What a relief… "I did, however, finally hear from my people about where those surviving assassins ran."

"Ah." Well, that certainly explained why he hid until Rhea left. After all, I hadn't told Rhea we purposely let some of them go, and I doubted Yuri had either. "What did you learn?"

"Interestingly enough, they didn't run to the Alliance, like I was half-expecting." Since Claude had been one of the targets. "Instead, they ran to Faerghus. Specifically, Western Faerghus."

"Western Faerghus?" That was… odd. Western Faerghus was filled with many minor lords, with the most prominent being House Dominic and House Rowe. Around two years ago, some rose up in rebellion against House Blaiddyd, but because their territories and armies were much smaller than the 'major houses' of Fraldarius and Gautier (which always supported House Blaiddyd even before the Kingdom's founding), it was put down quickly. I had no doubts there were still festering resentment there, so… "Why would assassins from Western Faerghus target Claude and not Dimitri?" Or, truthfully, all three. But if only one was to be targeted, then you'd expect it to be Dimitri, not Claude. And Claude was most likely a priority target. There were too many risks involved with assassinating someone so high-ranked. Any assassin would do their research and investigation to minimize mistakes.

"While I can't guess just why Claude was targeted, my best guess is that their employer is from one of the houses that likes House Blaiddyd and looks forward to our lion prince becoming a lion king. Which narrows things down significantly." Yuri leaned back against the tree, absently petting the cat. The ones in my lap were fast asleep. "Out of those, there is one that reeks of war. Has for a while, of course, but the stench has gotten worse recently, according to my people."

"That so?" I looked at him curiously, and noticed him hesitating to answer. "Where, then?"

"Gaspard."

"Gaspard?" ...I knew that name. I knew it more than in a historical or geographical sense, but I couldn't remember why. Sothis began 'looking' through my memories to try and find the answer for me. "What are the chances of them making another move?"

"Honestly? I'd say pretty high, and I'd say it'll be sooner rather than later. But that's just a guess." Still, as if to push away the dark conversation, Yuri winked and bowed to me. While keeping the cat perfectly nestled against his shoulder. "That's all I wanted to say, so I'll return to Abyss. Think of how tragic it would be if the sun scorched my fair complexion":

"Sunlight is good for you." Still, I waved him goodbye, and watched him leave, with the cat still perfectly happy in his arms. As soon as he was out of sight, though, I closed my eyes to think things through. To carefully analyze what was going on and stitch the pieces together…

Sothis 'returned' from looking through my memories, with just why 'Gaspard' was so familiar. But the information left me cold. After all, Gaspard was Ashe's home. Ashe's home may or may not have sent assassins and may or may not be preparing for war.

Things were about to become far, far worse. I didn't need to know the future to see that.

I had a bad feeling when Cyril told me early one morning Rhea wanted to see me, before classes began. It was a bad feeling that only increased when I entered the audience hall and found her standing in the back with Seteth. Perfect posture, full regalia of the Archbishop, 'serene' smile that was by no means comforting… yeah, my bad feeling grew into a horrible one fast.

"Byleth, hello," Rhea greeted me, dignified and calm. Seteth, meanwhile, was looking over a stack of papers. "I have a mission for you and your students." Oh, well, that was just lovely.

"Following up on the assassins, we have traced them to Lord Lonato of Castle Gaspard," Seteth explained, flipping through his papers. They must've been the reports, and I should be more interested in those, but I froze at the names. I might have been half-expecting it, but to have it confirmed was... "Thanks to that, we've learned he has rallied troops against the Church of Seiros."

"He's shown hostility to the church for quite some time, but now he's brought his blade towards us. So, we will answer in kind." Okay, sure, except...

"A vanguard unit has already been dispatched, and I have little doubts this rebellion will be quelled quickly." Seteth and Rhea just kept rattling off information, while I was reeling because…

"Why is he doing this?" I finally managed to ask. The words stung my throat and burned my tongue. All I could think of was that this was Ashe's dad, and…

"As I said, he has shown hostility to the church for a while now," Rhea repeated. I frowned, though, because that wasn't an answer. People didn't just randomly show hostility, especially so blatantly to something powerful. And the Church's power might have waned in recent years, yes, but there were no doubts of its continued strength. "As such-"

"Why has he shown hostility?" I wouldn't just let this go. I couldn't. Without knowing why, there was no chance of resolving this peacefully. If she was forcing my students into battle, without there being a way to…

"It doesn't matter. Sinners are to be punished." Rhea's words were hard and cold. She would hear no argument. I knew, right then, that she didn't care about the reason. She didn't care that Lonato might even have good reasons. Lonato had turned her blade against her, and so, he was an enemy that would be cut down. Shamir's words ('Rhea doesn't do mercy.') echoed through my skull yet again. "I wish for your class to travel with the rearguard to assist with the aftermath."

"...Might I ask why?" I couldn't stop the words in time. I couldn't bite my tongue in time. But I could think of only one reason why we would be tasked with 'assisting with the aftermath'. This wasn't like the bandits, where they were stretched thin. I knew from experience that you didn't need a lot of fighters for the 'aftermath'. So, there was only one reason why.

"It should be useful to prove in demonstrating to the students how foolish it is to turn their blades against the heavens." And she wasn't even hiding it. There was no reason for this. It was just to prove a point. It was sending my students into a damn nightmare for a point. No, not even a point. It was a power move. A way to assert her authority. I had the three heirs in my cohort, after all.

"War zones are, of course, unpredictable," Seteth 'reminded', still looking through the reports. It was like he didn't care that Rhea was doing this. "Ideally, you will have no cause for-"

"I know war," I interrupted cooly, the frost blistering my tongue. Both he and Rhea stilled, like they just noticed that I might have a problem with all of this. Did they think I wouldn't care? Did they think I wouldn't be furious? "I've known war all my life, Seteth." And I was livid at both of them for this.

"Lady Rhea? You sent for me?" Even better, another person joined us now. Catherine, to be precise. "Hmm? Ah, hey, Byleth," she greeted, looking between me, Rhea, and Seteth. She could tell she just walked into something, but not exactly what it was. "Are you accompanying me or something?"

"Catherine, I wasn't aware that you already knew Byleth," Rhea commented, turning her attention to her. Catherine immediately perked up. "I called you here to introduce you. She and her students will be accompanying you with the rearguard."

"I see." Catherine nodded, unbothered. My temper spiked. "Should be interesting! I've heard a lot of rumors, and I've seen Azrael in action. If you need anything, just-"

"Yes, there is one more thing I need," I interrupted, despite how impolite it was. But I cared as much about that as these people cared about anything but their own damn pride. "You are aware that Ashe is in my cohort, yes? Lonato's adoptive son?" Catherine, at least, had the grace to look surprised, and it made sense she didn't know all the students in my cohort. Certainly, it softened my temper towards her. But only her, as neither Rhea nor Seteth showed any signs of surprise or shame.

"Pointing a sword at the church is akin to pointing a sword at the goddess herself," Rhea said slowly, as if talking to a particularly dim child. I had enough of this conversation. "Meting out appropriate punishment to the sinful is a sacred duty we have been entrusted with, and none are exempt." Rhea shook her head slightly, as if disappointed. "As a member of the church-"

"I am not a member of the church." I spat out the words, unable to keep silent. Cold fury threaded through my veins, and what tact I had was frozen solid. "I will never be a member of the church. You would do well to remember that."

I turned on my heel and strode out, silence echoing in my wake. My every step sounded far too loud to my ears, like the cracking of an ice-covered lake. 'Clack, clack, clack'. All the way down the stairs and all the way out of the building. Not even the sunshine could warm me up.

["I wonder if Jeralt or Azrael will mention to Rhea that the last time you were this angry, you destroyed a sacred treasure of the church?"] Sothis, however, was kind and reassuring, and her presence slowly thawed my temper as I tried to relax. She appeared to stroke my hair, and I closed my eyes, so that I could focus on my breathing. [What a mess… she must be insecure about her position if she's spending so much effort trying to exert authority."]

"Insecurity is no excuse to drop people into hell," I growled. Thinking quickly, I stepped into the shadows of a building to hide, not wanting to be seen. A good thing too, as I saw Catherine leave not long afterwards, head turning from side to side like she was looking for something. Or, more likely, someone: me. "It's the same damn selfishness that Aelfric had, just dressed up differently." And why was Lonato rebelling anyway? No matter what the church preached, it was more or less the fourth major power of Fodlan. You'd need an entire country's army to fight it. Even ignoring that, armies took time to raise. Assassins took time to hire. You didn't put this much effort on a whim, and based on what Ashe told me about him, I couldn't see this as arrogance or a need for power. Shouldn't they investigate before…? "Did they really think I wouldn't care?" Yes, I was a monster, but still…

["I can't answer any of those questions."] No, she couldn't. And I doubted the one that could would give me a straight answer. ["I feel as if Ashe should have some sort of choice about going or not."] He would. I didn't care what Rhea said. I wouldn't force him. ["Good. Of course, now we get to find out if he already knows or…"] Or if I had to tell Ashe that on the orders of the Archbishop, the Knights of Seiros were marching to kill his adoptive father and we had been assigned to assist. ["Sometimes, to protect innocents, you must do things you find terrible. But I do have to wonder if there was any attempt at preventing this conflict."] I highly doubted that, especially given the reason why we were being sent. ["Tch… I might favor swift justice, but this just seems absurd."]

After a few more moments of forcing myself to relax, I made my slow way to the courtyard. After standing there awkwardly for a moment, I decided to head to the classroom, since my students would've thought this was a normal day. Would've headed to the classroom, like they did every morning. So, that would be the first place I checked and, for once, I was correct.

"Lorenz, don't you dare say one more word!" Had to say, though, that I did not expect to walk in on Annette yelling at Lorenz. "Don't you dare!" she snapped, glaring at him with tears in her eyes. She wasn't the only one glaring. Mercedes, of all people, was too. Both were so surprising that I couldn't really process anything else.

"I am simply saying it is a noble's duty to protect the common folk, not endanger them by rallying armies in such a feckless and improper manner," Lorenz scoffed, as if insulted he even had to explain. He drew himself up proudly and scowled. "Abuse of that kind is nothing better than slavery."

"That's it!" Annette made to jump on Lorenz, and only didn't because Balthus caught her before she could. "Let me go! Let me at him!" Annette flailed and kicked, but Balthus held firm and carried her away. "Let me go!"

"What a mess…" Edelgard sighed, rubbing her temple. She was nearby, a little spot of calm amidst the chaos that erupted. I tried to figure out who was where, or at least where the other two heirs were, but… "Mercedes, can't you calm her?"

"Whyever would I do that?" Mercedes asked, eyes widened in false shock. She settled back to glaring at Lorenz. "I bite my tongue to maintain the respect our professor requests, but looking at him already makes me irritated, due to how he acts. His complete lack of empathy isn't unexpected, but it certainly doesn't make me inclined to help him." She smiled serenely. "Oh, but don't worry. I doubt he's heard a single thing I've said. He never acknowledges the commoners of our cohort unless he is forced to do so."

"...Er…" Edelgard's expression blanked, no doubt because no one expected such harsh words from Mercedes. "Perhaps because if our professor walked in right now, she might be disappointed?" More like shocked and stunned and trying to piece together what happened before I walked in.

"Mmm… actually, yes, that is a good point. She's always so good and gentle with us. I would hate to give her more work." Mercedes sighed, and moved over to where Balthus was trying to keep Annette still. Given how much she was flailing, he was actually having a bit of a rough time. "There, there, Annie. I understand completely, but Edelgard is right. We shouldn't give more work to our-"

"Professor!" No idea how Ashe saw me before I saw him. Probably because I was still reeling from everything, but still, given that he had to push past some students, he'd clearly been somewhere in the back of the room. But now he was in front of me, with Dimitri worriedly trailing behind. "Professor, it's not true, right?" Ashe begged. Everyone fell silent as all eyes turned to me, realizing that I was actually here. "There must be some sort of mistake! Lonato… Lonato wouldn't…" Ah, so that was what was going on. They'd heard. They'd heard, and now I...

"...I'm sorry, Ashe," I whispered. His expression immediately crumpled, and without thinking about it, I drew him into a hug, letting him hide his face in my shoulder. "The Knights of Seiros have marched for Gaspard. We will accompany the rearguard, under orders of the Archbishop."

"We are…?" He sounded so small. "So, what's going to happen? What's going to happen to Lonato? If he's killed… if he dies… I…" Ashe broke down, sobbing, and I held him the whole time, stroking his hair. There was nothing else I could do. I wished there was, but there simply wasn't. Just hold him, and let the noise of the other students just fade into the background.

I… wouldn't forgive Rhea for this. Yes, blame lied with Lonato, of course. Lonato sparked this. But giving me those orders, even after I reminded her that Ashe was with us? For the sake of exerting her authority? I wouldn't forgive her. It was selfish, of course. But I wouldn't.

"So, for this, you can… Byleth?" It took me a full second to realize Hanneman was talking to me. I'd completely spaced out. "It seems we lost you again," he gently… teased? Chided? I wasn't sure of the tone. His smile was kind enough, though. "Perhaps that is a sign we should take a break."

"For once, you have the right idea," Manuela commented, coming over with some sort of drink. I had no idea what it was. It was sweet, though. Sweet and citrusy. "You've been working on this for most of the morning, dear."

"Indeed, and we've made quite a bit of progress." Hanneman's eyes narrowed when Manuela poured a little bit of whisky into her drink, but surprisingly, he didn't comment. Instead, he focused back on me. "There's the schedule, of course, and the first few weeks of lessons planned."

"Yes, but I doubt it would be taking so long if my focus didn't drift away," I mumbled, sipping a little more of the drink. I felt horrible. I'd come to them for help adding things like 'history' and 'geography' and 'medicines' to my lessons, and both had agreed with smiles. It was why we were sitting in Manuela's sunlit infirmary, at the table with papers strewn all about. And here I was, wasting their morning. "I'm sorry."

"No, there's no need to apologize," Manuela reassured. She even came over to hug me, though I had to fight my instinctive reaction to stiffen. Strangers grabbing me rarely led to good things. "You are such a sweet girl, and you are protective of your students. Of course you're going to be rattled given…" By now, word had spread about Lonato and his rebellion. "Ugh… why do these nobles insist on shedding blood all the time? For the horror of it all?"

"Oh, no, they always have some sort of reason. Money, power, ideals…" All were considered to be worth more than lives. "Very few raise an army for no reason at all. Most of the ones who would do so prefer diving into battle themselves."

"...I always forget you've seen more battles than I can dream of." Oh, if we're talking dreams, then I'd 'seen' more than people twice my age. Actually, I might've seen more without considering my nightmares. "You need to be spoiled some. I wonder if I can pull some strings and take you on a trip to Enbarr. Shopping, opera… it would be fun." Okay, what now?

"If you do so, then I do request you pick up a couple of things for my research," Hanneman replied, taking off his monocle to clean it. He didn't seem to think anything weird about Manuela's comment at all. "But truly, Byleth, you're always thinking of your students. That's why you're working so hard to come up with lessons, even when you struggle to think of how to best support young Ashe." He put his monocle back on and smiled again. "Trust me. It's taken me a full day to get even this much done."

"Because he gets stuck in his research," Manuela 'helpfully' explained. Hanneman immediately made a face. "He's missed a few of his own classes because of that, actually."

"And you've missed some because you were too hungover. You really should cut back on your drinking."

"Oh, stuff it, Hanneman. We're helping Byleth, not listening to your nagging."

"Nagging? I am simply…!"

The two began bickering, as was their norm. Truthfully, it was a testament to how worried they were about me that they took so long to start in on each other. Another one was how quickly they stopped, to focus more on helping me finalize a few things. Both invited me to have lunch with them when the midday bells rang, but I gently refused. I'd already stolen so much of their time, and I didn't want to waste more. Instead, I left with my papers, intending on snatching something to eat directly from the kitchens and then going somewhere quiet to eat. Not sure where. I couldn't even hide with Dad; he was busy organizing some bandit hunts with Alois. They wouldn't be done until evening, at the earliest.

"Hey, Seteth." I heard Azrael before I sensed him, but I frowned slightly when I did. After all, he was in Seteth's office, and what I sensed was a confusing mix of anger and apathy. "I'm going to Gaspard with Byleth," he declared, his tone far too even for the emotions. I peered into the office worriedly, and saw Azrael's expression was completely locked up. Not good…

"Denied," Seteth immediately replied, not even looking up from the papers he was flipping through at his desk. I had no idea what he was working on, save that it involved some sort of math. There was some scratch work on a paper next to him. "You have your own mission, Azrael." He frowned over something on the paper and dipped his quill in some ink to quickly calculate something. "We cannot and will not reassign you because-

"I'm not asking. I'm telling." Azrael spoke firmly and slowly, letting some of his anger bleed through. Seteth actually looked up at that, expression completely impassive. "I figured I'd be responsible and let you know, so that you can account for it."

"A Knight of Seiros-"

"I am only a Knight because Rhea conscripted me. It wasn't my choice." Azrael spat out the words now, each one so pointed that I feared his mouth might start bleeding. "But even if it had, somehow, been my choice, I wouldn't be more loyal to the church than I am to my twin sister. Particularly a church that drops her and her students into a warzone for no other reason than to prove a point. That point, of course, being 'obey or die.'"

"That is not…" A conflicted look flitted over Seteth's face. "We are not-"

"Believe whatever lies you're willing to swallow, Seteth. I'm not even mad about it. It's human nature to be selfish." Might've been imagining it, but I thought Seteth actually froze at that. "But they are not lies I'm willing to choke down. I'm not loyal to the church or Rhea, and I doubt I ever will be."

"...Bold words, considering where you are."

"What? You think I should be loyal because the church pays me? What sort of reality do you live in for that to make any sort of sense?" Azrael scoffed and took a step back, intent on leaving. I ducked a little away, knowing he couldn't sense me. He was too distracted. "You're just like every other employer I've had. You're paying me for my blade and my skill in battle. You couldn't care less if I was loyal, so long as I kill the people you want dead. Same old, same old. I'm no more part of the church than I was part of the armies of the nobles who threw me sacks of petty coin for murdering people." Azrael headed for the door, but stopped after a step to look back at Seteth. "So, once again, since I need to penetrate that separate reality you seem to live in. I'm leaving with Byleth and her students for Gaspard. Plan around it." With that, Azrael stormed out, leaving a stunned Seteth behind. I was more surprised that he hadn't noticed me. He was really angry, huh… angry on my behalf, and on my students…

While some part of me was touched, the rest felt guilty. Annoyed. Angry. Exasperated. All at myself. I quickly left the building, worried the churning emotions would turn to nausea, but when it didn't, I decided I should simply try to find a place alone. Which meant… not my room, because my students always went there to find me. And I was too shaky to attempt climbing. So, I decided to check the area behind the training grounds, since they were usually devoid of people, especially at this hour. But no such luck this time. Three others had decided this was a good place for a private discussion: the three heirs.

"This all seems so…" Dimitri was saying, perhaps in response to one of the other's questions. Hard to guess who, since both Claude and Edelgard were listening tentatively. "Doubtless, there are times one must take up their blade, even when there is no hope for winning, but this…" Dimitri ground his teeth in frustration. "It's downright senseless! Surely Lord Lonato knows that! Does he have allies that make him think he can even the odds, or…?"

"It's hard to say, especially when we don't know why," Claude pointed out. That reminded me of another sticking point to all of this; no one seemed to know. Most I was able to get from gossip was that Lonato was once 'very pious' and now… wasn't. I wished I could ask Anna for more information, but sadly, she didn't seem to be in the market at the moment. Damn it all. "We could come up with a thousand theories and not guess correctly without potential motives."

"That's far too true…" Dimitri took a deep breath and let it out slowly, forcing himself to relax. "Ever since my father died, there have been numerous rebellions in the western part of Faerghus. I can't help but wonder if the provocations are related to that or…" All of a sudden, Dimitri bowed to both of them. Both Claude and Edelgard looked surprised, and even weirded out, by the gesture. "I must give you all my deepest apologies. This really should be something the Kingdom had already dealt with, even if Lonato's target is the Church."

"Dimitri, relax. It's not your fault." Claude nudged Dimitri's leg until Dimitri hesitantly looked up at them. "Though, curious as to why the Kingdom hasn't intervened?"

"...Knowing my uncle, it is because he believes that regents do not need to rule and because it would take too much time from his flirtations to…!" Dimitri bowed his head again, to cut off his own tirade. "I am sorry…"

"At this rate, you're going to give Ignatz, Bernadetta, and Marianne even more competition for the 'apologizes the most' contest." Claude nudged Dimitri again until Dimitri looked up. Edelgard even looked sympathetically at him. "But no need to apologize for your uncle. That's as pointless as Teach apologizing for Azrael." The little dig at my twin made Dimitri smile slightly. "Besides, you'll take the throne soon, right?"

"I will finally come of age during the Ethereal Moon, so after graduation, I will be coronated."

"See? Just hold on a little…" Claude suddenly trailed off, to everyone's confusion. "Wait, Ethereal Moon? That's… what? Six months from now?"

"Yes?"

"Okay, our princess here just had hers, mine is next month…" Claude suddenly grinned. "Oh, this is fantastic! You're the baby!"

"I… what?" Dimitri gaped, no doubt at the sudden subject change. "Claude, that is not…"

"Aw, I feel like I have to be responsible now!" Claude snickered, before suddenly frowning about something. "You're tallest. You're the youngest and the tallest. That's just not fair."

"...You're right, it's not," Edelgard muttered, actually sulking. Then again, perhaps she just noticed she was significantly shorter than either Claude or Dimitri. "Still, I suppose as the eldest I simply must be mature and ignore it."

"Did you two hit your heads?" Dimitri asked, entirely sincere. He even brought up his hand to conjure up a small Heal spell. "I'm not that strong, of course, but I think I can at least analyze…"

"Dimitri, we're trying to help you lighten up."

"And if Edelgard is saying that, then you know it's bad," Claude teased, clasping his hands behind his head. He was back to grinning and, eventually, Dimitri did smile a little. "But seriously, I'm not sure you should be apologizing, Dimitri. Let's just hope this doesn't end in too many tears."

"I think it would be better to prepare for tears, and whatever else may come," Edelgard pointed out, becoming serious again. Of course, it had been hard to tell before that she'd been joking around. "Though, is it just me or has our professor seemed…"

"She has been giving off the same frosty demeanor she did when lecturing Aelfric." Claude leaned back against the wall and moved his arms to cross them instead. "At least, I think so? It's so hard to tell, damn it. But I do get the sense that she's not entirely happy with recent events."

"Is anyone?" Dimitri asked rhetorically. Edelgard and Claude both grimaced. "Ah, how is Lorenz, by the way? I heard Annette tried to attack him for what he said?"

"Let's just say that I'm worried about her and Mercedes spending long periods of time with him," Edelgard sighed, resting a hand on her cheek. I flinched when I remembered that bit of arguing. "I can admit that Lorenz needs a better sense of timing. Even if the sentiment is noble and sound…"

"It did not do Ashe any good to hear that."

"Okay, now that one is something I need to apologize for, in the sense that I should've stopped him," Claude mumbled, actually looking away. Both Edelgard and Dimitri exchanged a slightly amused look. "By the time I comprehended that he'd said that aloud, though, Annette was already screaming at him." There was a long pause. "How is Ashe?"

"In the Cathedral, praying," Dimitri answered softly. I thought I saw Edelgard frown a little. "I imagine it's the only comfort he has until we march. He hasn't slept; Dedue told me that this morning."

"Put your faith in the higher powers because there's no mortal way this ends happily, huh?" Claude sighed, but shrugged. "Well, if it helps him, it helps him. Who knows? Maybe the Goddess will listen and give us a miracle?"

"I somehow doubt that." Dimitri's tone was surprisingly bitter, and I wasn't the only one who noticed. Edelgard and Claude did too. "But that is how he is."

"I suppose that's…" Claude looked around, probably for some sort of distraction. And since I wasn't hiding, I was the perfect distraction. "Hmm? Oh! Teach! Hey!" Claude waved me over, so I had no real choice but to join. "First the bandits and now a noble rebellion, huh? They going to send us to do something other than subdue people?" Claude sighed, but smiled slightly. "Well, at the least, the worst we should have to deal with should be Ashe's mental state. Given that we're tying up loose ends. And besides…!" He grinned suddenly. "We're traveling with Catherine. Maybe we'll get to see her legendary Thunderbrand in action." Her what now?

"That is true, and if nothing else, she's supposed to be the strongest of the Knights of Seiros by a large margin," Edelgard noted. She turned to smile at me, but I noticed Dimitri's own smile became a little stiff. "Perhaps you should seek her out as a training partner, Professor? I'm sure it would be interesting."

"I'd pay to see that!" Claude snapped his fingers. "Wait, aren't there supposed to be monthly House versus House combat things starting this month?" I had heard nothing about this. "Or was that next month?"

"At this point, I would hope it's next month. We're at the end of the Garland Moon!" Edelgard shook her head, and Claude laughed and nodded to concede the point. "Ah, but how about we go get something to eat? I've heard its one of the specials for lunch today."

On that note, Edelgard left, clearly expecting us to follow. After a second to share a look and a shrug with Dimitri, Claude did, easily catching up. But when Dimitri tried to follow, I… "Dimitri?" I called softly, gently touching his arm to catch and hold his attention. "Do you have a problem traveling with Catherine?"

"No, not at all," he immediately reassured. I studied his face and determined there was no lie. "Why?"

"You seemed a little…" How to explain…

"Ah." Thankfully, he seemed to have understood anyway. "It's… not my place to explain fully, Professor. But I knew her before she joined the Knights." Really? Didn't I hear she had a mysterious… oh, I understood. 'Catherine' was probably a name she had taken up upon becoming a knight, to escape an old identity. And Dimitri knew her in that old life. "My apologies, but…"

"Dimitri, I would be cross if you told her story for her. That's her business." In truth, he probably told me more than Catherine would be comfortable with. But… "I just wanted to be sure."

"Of course." He smiled in relief, but then took my hands and cradled them between his own. "When you comforted Ashe, I saw your hands were shaking." Had they? I wasn't surprised, even if I'd been too focused on Ashe. "How are you doing?"

"...I don't know how to answer that." What was I supposed to say? That Rhea was using this as an excuse to showcase the Church's authority? That they were being dropped into a nightmare to prove a point? "It would be nice if this ended peacefully somehow, but as it stands, we will simply be marching to view Lonato's corpse." I couldn't even imagine the pain Ashe would endure. The thought alone made me queasy. "I also fear this will not be simple. I know war."

"Yes, you know it better than most of us." After all, Dimitri was the only stranger in the monastery who knew just how long I'd been fighting. "I fear all I can promise is that we will look out for one another."

"That will be enough." I had to lighten the mood somehow. "Provided we keep Annette from burning Lorenz. That was a shock to walk into."

"Balthus has bruises from that, actually." He turned his hand over to hold mine and gently led me down the path. "Not that Balthus is complaining, mind. If anything, he's impressed."

"Of course he is."

We did our best to keep the talk light after that, especially once we actually caught up with Edelgard and Claude. But the mission loomed over us, a spectral beast ready to devour all of us whole…

Ah… what was I supposed to do?

Growing up, I could almost always find Dad, so long as he wasn't out on a job alone. Didn't matter where he was or what he was doing. I could almost always find him whenever I needed or wanted. But ever since we came to the monastery, I always had trouble actually finding him. Like now, for instance. I knew he wasn't out on a job yet, so he was somewhere in this monastery, but it seemed like no matter where I went or who I asked… I couldn't find him. I hated that. Maybe it was silly and childish, but I wanted a hug, damn it. And Dad's hugs were the best.

"Maybe he's tending to his horse?" I mumbled, stepping into the stables. It was almost immediately apparent that he wasn't, though. Dad chatted with the stablehands as he worked, and the interior was… well, not silent, but there was clearly no amicable conversations. The only sounds were the horses themselves, as well as a student or two who were helping here as part of their chores. "Oh, Ferdinand." Ferdinand was one of them, though he hadn't been assigned the chore. I knew because I'd assigned him to Sky Watch. So, he was just here to help out because he could.

"Hmm? Ah, Professor!" Ferdinand greeted, smiling up at me. He had his sleeves rolled up and carried a large bucket of water, no doubt to fill up the horse's water buckets. He also had dirt smeared across his cheek, probably from wiping sweat off his face while his hands were dirty. "Is everything well?"

"Yes, everything…" I couldn't finish the sentence, thinking of the general mood of the cohort ever since… "I have not heard of anything new."

"I see." Ferdinand carried the bucket to a nearby stall, the metal banging hard against his knees. I worried he had bruises or, worse, scrapes. "Professor, may I speak freely?"

"Hmm? Yes, of course." Why would he…?

"Okay." Carefully, he poured the fresh water into the bucket set up for the horse, and then moved to do the same for the next one. "I believe… I believe the central duty of a nobleman is to protect the common folk." Despite the care, Ferdinand's eyes were hard. I wondered who, or what, he was thinking of. "To deliberately shatter the peace… it is utterly disgraceful." Ah. This was why he had asked.

"I see." A heavy weight sank into my slow-beating heart. "I can only hope no one is hurt." The words slipped out before I could stop them, and Ferdinand paused in his work to look at me. I felt… I wasn't sure what I felt. Uneasy? Guilty? Defensive? Not even Sothis could parse it out for me. "Given the amount of effort that has been put into this, it is clearly not done on a whim. Based on Ashe… Lonato raised Ashe, and while he could simply be someone who is a good father and a poor person, I find it hard to believe someone who raised a person like Ashe would do something simply for power or wealth." Ashe was so kind, a genuinely nice boy, with a gentle and warm smile. And he thought the world of Lonato. So… "Therefore, the most likely scenario I can come up with is that… in his eyes, Lonato does not believe he has 'shattered the peace'. In his eyes, it is the Church who shattered it first, and did something so intolerable that he cannot simply close his eyes and ignore it. He has to bring attention to it, and he has determined the best and only way to do so is through violence." Already, though, I could feel the weight of the lives that would be lost pressing into my shoulders, clawing into my neck. Hear the screams of the dead and dying crawl into my ears… I couldn't… I couldn't agree with Lonato on this. Knowing the deaths to come, I...

"You… have a kind soul, Professor." Ferdinand smiled bitterly, looking down. "I did not even consider any of that. I looked at what was apparent and reacted only with anger. Anger, and no empathy. I must apologize for my impetuousness."

"It's really not as grand as you make it out to be." Kind? I wasn't kind at all. Someone as bloodstained as me… I was just a monster. "I am glad you didn't speak your mind when Ashe could hear you, though."

"In Lorenz's defense, he actually was not aware Ashe was still in the room. He thought Prince Dimitri had led Ashe away." Well, there was that, at least? "He… probably should have checked when Annette starting yelling, but I can promise he didn't not intend to… ah, however, that doesn't matter. He should apologize despite the intentions."

"Yes, I think so." I smiled slightly at him, a little proud. "I'm glad someone thought to ask. I am afraid I was..."

"Lorenz and I have tea together daily, so I took the opportunity then." He shrugged off the praise, but he had a little pleased blush on his face. "I do not know how well I can ease the tensions, but I figured I could at least try. I plan on telling Mercedes and Annette later today."

"That will be good."

I stayed a little longer, to see if he or anyone needed help, and then I was back to my hunt. The next place I checked for Dad was the pond. He liked fishing, after all. But he wasn't there. No one was fishing right now. In fact, the only people by the pond were Dorothea and Hapi, who had some spell books open between them as they sat along the edge of the pond. Studying together, then? I wasn't sure and, terrible as it was, I had planned on simply walking past them. However...

"Professor?" However, Dorothea tentatively snagged my sleeve when I passed by. "Sorry, but this is all just… crazy to me," she whispered. Immediately, I reached down to stroke her hair. "Raising an army? Against the Church? What sort of madness makes you think that's a good idea? Not to mention all the civilians and children caught in the middle…" She grimaced and folded into herself. "It's just so unsettling."

"Normally, I'd be all for someone trying to pick a fight with the church, but I hate how broken Ashe is over this," Hapi growled. She even grit her teeth, visibly frustrated. "Wish we knew more. I'm sure there's a good reason for this. Rhea and her lackeys might like to act like she's right all the time, but she's not. No one is."

"Oh, yes, I agree, but it's still madness."

"Wait, you do?" Hapi blinked a couple of times in surprise. "You seem good with Faith magic, though?"

"You weren't here for that lesson, but our professor taught us Faith magic involves the belief in anything." Dorothea glanced at me for some reason before looking away almost shyly. "I just have something even I can believe in."

"Oh. Huh." Hapi smiled slowly. "I like that explanation. Especially when the Church pulls shit like this."

"Indeed…" Dorothea smiled apologetically at me. "Ah, but you were on your way somewhere, weren't you, Professor? I'm sorry. You're comforting to be around, and…"

"You don't need to apologize," I automatically reassured. Mostly to keep from being surprised, because how in creation was I comforting? "Seems the two of you have been studying, though." I sat down next to Dorothea, wondering just… what to do. I was so lost… what a wonderful professor I was… "Do you have any questions?"

They did have some questions, and so, the three of us had a quick mini-lesson on a couple of spells, mostly in how they could be utilized in atypical ways. Then the two left and I was free to continue looking for Dad. My next destination was obvious. After all, the greenhouse was close by, always calming to be in. I wondered if he'd stopped in for a brief break before doing more work. Just as before, though, I found no sign of him. Instead, I found Petra and Mercedes sitting on the edge of one of the flower beds, admiring the flowers that bloomed around them.

"Not long ago, Ashe was telling me about the plants here," Petra explained to Mercedes, letting her fingers trace over some petals. "The plants of Brigid are much different from the plants in Fodlan. He told me much, and that Lonato taught him. He was so very happy, explaining it all to me." Petra's eyes were sad and she clasped her hands in prayer. "The people of Fodlan are unknowing of the spirits who watch over the earth and bless it with the many plants. Only the goddess is known. I do not know if that is factual or not, but I hope that the spirits will hear my prayers still."

"I like to think that the Goddess and the spirits you mentioned aren't so different. Dedue told me that in Duscar, the Goddess is one of many gods." Mercedes replied with a kind smile. She then brought her hands up in prayer as well. "Even before meeting Ashe, I've long heard whispers of Lord Lonato. They say he is a kind and gentle man, perhaps even too kind. I wonder why someone like that would raise an army?"

"It is hard to say. People be fighting… no, that is not it. People fight for many reasons." Petra made a face. "Perhaps I should say these prayers in the language of Brigid, to ensure they are not misinterpreted."

"Hee… I think if you say them with your heart, the message comes across even if your words stumble." Mercedes smiled sweetly at Petra, and Petra smiled back. "Here, let's pray together. With two wishing for the same thing…"

"The spirits shall be more likely to notice."

The two fell silent for prayer, and I left the greenhouse, my nerves raw at the constant reminders of what was going on. I really just wanted to find Papa. I just wanted a hug, and get some reassurance that things would be okay. Listen to his heartbeat and know that things would make sense again. But I had no idea where else to look. My only option now was just to wander aimlessly, and I actually did start doing that, heading for the courtyards by the dining hall. It was pathetic, but…

In the middle of my self-pity, I noticed an unusual sight. Due to the hour, there was next to no one around, so that sight stood out all the more. It was a person wearing a hooded cloak, careful to keep their face hidden by the shadows of their hood, and they walked with a purpose. That purpose? The gazebo with the unusual 'floor'. I had no idea why, since it didn't even have benches to sit on. So, I just watched the person. Watched them stride to the gazebo. Watched them tap one of the pillars. Watched the air around the gazebo blur…

At that point, I stopped watching to rub my eyes. I thought exhaustion might be making things look weird. But when I opened my eyes again, I saw that wasn't the case. There was a strange haze surrounding the gazebo, just the gazebo, and… and the hooded person was now making their way down the staircase that had somehow replaced the strange floor.

I stared for a long moment, wondering if I'd fainted or something and was having one of the 'weird dreams' Dimitri once talked about. But I knew from gossip that you never hurt in such dreams, and a quick pinch to my cheek was enough to prove things hurt right now. I then wondered if this was some sort of hallucination sparked from a head injury, but I quicky dismissed the thought. I always healed up too quickly for lasting damage like that. So, I had to come to the conclusion that despite how weird this all was, it was very real. So, I did what any other idiot like me would do; I followed the person down the staircase.

Down and down I went. Down far enough for the sun's light to no longer reach, and then further down still. Definitely to the level of Abyss's main street. Perhaps even lower than that. But, like all staircases, there was an end eventually, and when I stepped out, I found a room awash in a pale green light. That was the first thing I noticed. The second was that this place just felt… old. It wasn't like Abyss, where you felt like you were simply underground. This place… it felt like an old ruin. No, more than that. It felt like it was 'adjacent' to time, not quite part of it. It was a curious feeling, but I had no time to dwell on it. After all, the third thing I noticed was Sothis's fear, pain, guilt, and dread that suddenly overwhelmed me. Worriedly, I tried to 'fight through' the feelings to 'reach' her, to see what sparked these feelings, but it was aimless. Formless. There was no specific spark… no, that wasn't quite right. There was one, but it wasn't something we could hear or see. It was something etched into her very being, something that lingered even though she had no memories to ground the feeling.

"Who the hell are you?" And, of course, getting overwhelmed by a gremlin's emotions meant I couldn't even attempt to find a hiding spot, so the stranger noticed me almost immediately. "How did you get here?" they asked, resting a hand on their hip. The other held a dagger in a reverse grip. "Well?"

"There's stairs," I deadpanned, forcing myself to relax. It was hard. Ignoring how much I sensed from Sothis, my heart ached that she was in so much pain and I could do nothing about it. Nothing but wait out the flood with her. "I walked down. After all, there was a suspicious stranger sneaking about so soon after assassins appeared and targeted some highly ranked folk."

"Assassins?" They tilted their head curiously, like they were trying to discern if I was telling the truth or not. After a second, they must've decided I was. After all, they twisted their arm in a certain way and made the dagger in their hand disappear up their sleeve. Arm-sheathe, then. I never found those practical, personally. "That explains the heightened security up front. Though, like always, if you walk about like you belong, people don't question." Was that so? I might need to have a word with some guards then. "Still, the entrance should be warded, so how…" They hesitated for a moment before pushing back their hood, revealing someone who looked a little older than me. Their hair was green, a shade similar to Seteth's actually, but it was much longer, the same length as Rhea's. The other noticeable thing about their appearance was their eyes; they were a striking purple, and seemed strangely old for their apparent youth. "My name is Luca, miss. You're new here, aren't you?"

"I am, yes." Was this some knight that had been on a job for a while? "Why?"

"I wouldn't say that I visit often, but it's often enough for me to have a general idea of whose around. But I haven't seen you. I don't think so, at least." They frowned, studying me. "I do remember a lady who bore a striking similarity to you. But she always wore a dress of greens and her hair was longer. And she's kind of dead. You don't look dead."

"No, I'm very much alive." What a… strange stranger. "But the person you mentioned… it could be Mom. I look a lot like her." I supposed I'd better be polite, since they gave me their name. "I'm Byleth. Byleth Mikayla Eisner."

"Eisner?" Luca tilted their head again. "You're related to Captain Jeralt?" I simply nodded. "I thought he escaped this place. Why is he back?" He waved away my potential reply. "Don't actually answer that. I know how Rhea can be, and I'm sure the truth is complicated. Everything dealing with her is complicated, especially in recent years." Well, certainly didn't expect any of that? Who was this person? They didn't use a title for Rhea. "To go back to your original worry, I can claim to not be suspicious, but that'll only make things worse, yes?"

"You did admit to sneaking into the monastery."

"So I did. Iris would be rolling her eyes right now." They muffled a laugh, though I saw the sadness in their eyes. "Well, if you would like, we can find someone to vouch for me back on the surface, but I'd like to pay my respects first."

"Respects?"

"Yes, for this is a tomb." They said the words casually, but Sothis 'froze' in my head. The flood of emotions froze with her, blanketed by shock so potent that I thought I'd been stabbed by it. "Though, perhaps 'crypt' would be more accurate? Catacomb? Mausoleum? Graveyard? It's hard to say. But there are… quite a few dead here." They pointed behind me, and I turned slightly, so that I could keep one eye on them while still checking. I noticed an incredibly steep staircase just a few steps behind me, greenish stone tiles that were strangely familiar, and then the things Luca had actually been talking about: monuments. Numerous small monuments. "Ah, but I suppose even that is inaccurate. The words implies bodies were buried here, and they weren't. Simply parts, resting in memorials."

"Parts?" What did they mean…? Actually, never mind. I didn't want to know. "So, you're paying your respects?"

"Yes. I never met any of them, of course, but someone should give them tribute. It's an arrogant way to think of it, but I'd like to think it helps their ghosts settle." Luca stepped away, to an area behind a throne. A stone throne that I… that I definitely knew. "I'll be done in a moment."

"Very well." That was all I could say, startled as I was by that throne. After all, it was the same throne Sothis had slept in during my dreams. In fact, with that piece in place, I realized this entire area looked almost exactly like the 'room' Sothis resided in. The main difference was, in fact, those memorials.

["Yes, this shouldn't be a place for the dead."] Sothis sounded almost tiny as she whispered the words. ["I cannot remember what purpose this room held, but it was not to house anything related to the dead. This place… what happened to it? Why are there so many…?"] Sadly, I had no answers. But we could thread some possibilities together. For instance, we had already guessed she had lived in Zanado long ago, possibly when the Goddess 'walked' among mortals. We also guessed she might've been a priestess of said goddess, since she wore something similar to the Archbishop. So, if we continued along that path, then we could come up with an answer. ["Yes, indeed. I am thinking of the room's original purpose, before the flow of time gave it a new one."] And panicking, because who wouldn't panic at the sight of a bunch of dead bodies in their home? ["Ha… that is quite true. I cannot help but think there is more to it than that, but there is enough sense to settle me."] Wait, so I actually helped? ["Of course you did, silly. You always help."]

I shook my head, a little amused that she thought that. Grateful, of course, but amused. But the little bit of cheer died when I looked down at the lower floor again, and all the little memorials. How many were there? Tens? Hundreds? What had happened to them? Why were there memorials and not graves? Or were there graves in another place, and these were set up by loved ones who could not make the trip?

["It is hard to say. Still…"] Sothis trailed off, thinking of something. ["I will not make you promise this, but I do have a request."] I nodded, waiting for it. ["I… I do not want you to walk here again. I cannot say why as I do not have an explanation. I only know that I would… very much prefer you to never be near here again. Not for my sake, but yours."] Well, that should be a fairly easy thing to follow. I could always set some flowers above for the dead. ["I… yes, that is true."] Her relief was nearly as overwhelming as the earlier flood of emotion. ["Thank you."]

"Byleth?" Luca called then. I turned and they pointed to the staircase before walking towards them. "I'm done." I simply nodded and headed for the stairs, falling in step with them.

Once we were above ground, Luca tapped the pillar again. Then, with a very quiet 'scraping' sound, the odd floor I associated with this particular gazebo just… slid over the stairs. A muted 'click' hinted it had sealed itself shut, with no sign of trace at all of the staircase hidden underneath, and the same sound signalled the end of… whatever had caused the air to blur, because the haze disappeared. And the few people around didn't seem to notice anything at all had been different. Well, most of them. One, in particular, noticed. Or, at least, noticed Luca.

"Oh! Luca!" Flayn's happy gasp announced her arrival just before she happily tackle-hugged Luca. "I am so very glad to see you!" she gushed, beaming up at them. Luca grinned in return, and pulled their hood back on. "Hmm? Already with the hood? You shall not stay longer? I know very much that…"

"I'm not seeing her," Luca interrupted firmly. It was a tone that brooked no argument and Flayn immediately wilted at it. Made me curious who the 'her' was. "I'm not in a mood to yell, and I know I'm going to. We haven't seen eye to eye for years."

"You know that she…"

"Even if two people share the same goal or ideal, there is no guarantee that they will walk the same path to that goal."

"Yes, I know that." Flayn still looked saddened, though. "I also remember Iris always reminding you that there are ways to have the paths be side-by-side."

"That requires compromise, and I was a child when she last did that." Luca scoffed, but he sighed when Flayn just kept looking forlorn. "I know she wants a peaceful Fodlan, just like me. I know she's also irritated and upset at the current state of things. But I simply cannot abide by her choices. She never remembers that when you choose violence, you doom yourself to meet something far stronger."

"Luca…" Flayn looked down for a moment before looking up at him entreatingly. "Will you at least visit Seteth? He has missed you ever so much." So, he was close to both Flayn and Seteth? Well, that made me wonder if the 'her' was Rhea. It matched what he said below.

"...Oh, all right. I'll go see him." Luca brought his hands up in defeat, and Flayn smiled triumphantly. "Ah, but we're being rude." Luca turned to bow at me. "I hope Flayn's reaction assuages your suspicions?"

"I feel like Flayn would be nice to anyone," I pointed out, partly to tease. Still, I knew there was some truth to it. She liked me, after all. "But, yes, I suppose you are not as suspicious given how happy she is. I'm sure if I'm wrong, Seteth will take care of it."

"Yikes, someone must've been on the wrong end of his lectures at some point," Luca teased, grinning. Flayn hid a giggle behind her hand. "I'm sure I'll see you again, Byleth. Hopefully, we can talk a little more then."

"Have a nice visit. Flayn, I'll see you for our midnight tea?" I smiled slightly at Flayn's enthusiastic nod, a strange bubbling feeling appearing in my throat. Not a cough or anything, just… bubbly. "Later, then."

I left the courtyard and decided to simply head to my room to get to work. With each step, though, I remembered just why I had been out and about in the first place, and by the time I made it to my door, I felt like all my limbs had been replaced with stone and that my heart was being crushed…

"Byleth?" But maybe miracles did happen, because that's when I finally found Dad. "Hey, I heard you were looking for me," he said, frowning slightly when I turned to face him. He studied me for all of a second before holding out his arms. "Come here, kiddo." After all, he knew me best, and no matter how emotionless I appeared, he always knew what I was thinking and feeling.

Immediately, I seized the offered hug, tucking my head under his chin to listen to his heartbeat. 'Thump, thump, thump'... the most soothing sound in the world. So long as I could hear it, then all would be okay. I'd known that since before I could talk, and I knew it would always be true. Just as I knew I could always find rest and reassurance in Dad's hugs. And I always would.

No matter how much I wished otherwise, the dreaded day finally arrived and we marched off with Catherine and the rest of the rearguard to Castle Gaspard. I didn't bother trying to keep track of how long the trip was. A day or a month, it all felt the same to me. I just focused on putting one foot in front of the other, and leaning on Azrael when I had to. As he had declared, he left with us and though a few tried to stop him, he evaded them easily to stay by my side through all of this weirdness.

"Professor? May I have a word?" Though, I did have to say that the strangest thing about the trip was Hubert willingly coming to talk to me, and not attempt to make vague threats. "It's about Caspar," he explained, falling in step next to me. "Specifically, his constant shouting during battle."

"That so?" I asked, only half-paying attention. It was bad and impolite, but I was already so tired. And we hadn't even reached Gaspard territory yet… "I take it you have a complaint?"

"Many." His eyes narrowed, like he was aware I wasn't giving this nearly as much attention as I should. "I attempt to advise him to correct the behavior, but he brushed me off. Perhaps you might have more luck."

"Mmm… I might, perhaps, but I think the behavior would be very difficult to change, particularly once battle starts and you're mindlessly moving through the slaughter." Caspar was a naturally loud person, who leapt before he thought. "So, instead, it is best to simply minimize the detriments and maximize the benefits."

"And what, pray tell, would those benefits be?"

"Noise catches attention. Loud noises catch a lot of attention. If you direct your enemy's attention towards a specific location, you can disguise your true goal." Distraction ploys were very useful strategies specifically for that reason. "The loudness also means his instructions can be heard over the din of battle and, again, can be used to misdirect the enemies. If the enemy thinks they know what we're doing, then they'll let down their guard and become careless." I smiled slightly, thinking of yet another. "Besides, there's also something quite charming about a 'hero of justice' crashing into enemy lines with a war bellow, no? It's like something from adventure stories. Things like that can be very good for morale." All of which meant that if I simply worked around Caspar's loudness instead of trying to force him into a neat little box he didn't fit in… I could in theory control the flow of the battle while keeping allied spirits up. Such things ideally meant that battles ended more quickly, with less lives lost.

"...You're far craftier than I thought, and I already knew you were tactically skilled." He frowned, and I wondered what he was thinking. "But what if he needs to go on a covert operation?"

"I believe if I needed someone on a covert operation, it would be Petra or Ashe. If I sent Caspar on one, that would be a failing on my part." I closed my eyes briefly, just… tired. Azrael 'sent' me reassurances and joined us on my other side to be a beacon of support for me. "As a commander, you must be careful about giving ill-advised orders. Your soldiers will know."

"Would they?" Hubert raised a brow, almost amused. "Is not one of the defining features of a soldier or knight their willingness to not think?"

"Considering the horrors of battle and war, 'not thinking' could be a defensive mechanism to keep themselves from going mad." I did bristle, however, at the implication that… well, the implication I heard. Perhaps it wasn't truly what he meant, but all I 'heard' in his words were 'pawns to be sacrificed'. I hated those sorts of people. They were even worse than those who sent people to their blood-flooded graves for ideals. "But a soldier is not some doll you prop up for others to attack. Soldiers come closer to death than anyone else in the army. They know better than anyone exactly what they're facing. Even those conscripted from the fields know more about the battle than their commanders. As such, it is near impossible to prevent them from noticing when they've been given ill-advised orders."

"...So, what you're saying is that you have to give smart orders to… what?" Hubert frowned now. "I already know that one has to give effective and efficient orders to win a battle, you know."

"You are also the person who even considered Caspar on a covert operation, Hubert." I couldn't help the little barb and felt bad for it. Azrael thought it was amusing, so yay? "If you want your soldiers to surrender their inclination to question orders, you must give the 'correct' ones for the situation. They must trust in your judgement, relax when you are in command. Only then can you truly lead. That's what I believe, at least, after many years on the battlefield." Of course, it was a lot of pure theoretical nonsense from me. It wasn't as if I ever commanded anyone. I just made opinions based on observation. "So, I suppose you can ignore all that I said, if you believe I'm being an idiot."

"And it's not like you don't have soldiers and knights who keep on going even when they know the orders are stupid," Azrael added absently. He glanced up at the sky, watching the clouds. "Dad says that the Kingdom and its knights can follow the whole 'obey chosen lord through paradise and flames' a bit too much." There were many stories, actually, of a lord leading their knights to their deaths just from sheer idiocy. "So, that's why Dad says armies have to run on trust. Those lower on the chain of command have to trust their superiors for the army to run smoothly. Stupid orders, like sending a loud person on a covert operation, undermine that trust. That's all my sister is saying." Leave it to Azrael and his bluntness to summarize my rambling.

"I see," Hubert murmured, narrowing his eyes. But then he simply shrugged. "Well, it shouldn't matter. We should be fine." That was… startling optimistic. I wouldn't have thought him the type, truthfully. "After all, we're with Catherine, wielder of the mighty Thunderbrand." Then again, maybe he was being sarcastic.

"And intimidating enough to silence the howling winds, or so I've heard!" Claude added with a teasing grin, literally jumping into the conversation. His eyes were sharp and studying, though. "Bit of a shame we probably won't get to see Thunderbrand in action, though. Since we're the rearguard and all."

"Unexpected things occur on the battlefield all the time. Perhaps you'll get your wish."

"What in creation is this Thunderbrand?" I asked, not even wanting to try and remember. I was too tired for all of this. "Is it truly so impressive?"

"They're talking about the creepy sword that Catherine has on her hip, sis," Azrael answered, pointing over to where she was walking with Dimitri. I did my best to not grimace; I'd been avoiding looking at the thing because I found it unnerving. Azrael disliked it more on principle; Sothis and I both hated it, so he did too. "Supposedly, it's one of the sacred Hero Relics, and so it's got all the pageantry and bardic exaggeration that accompanies it."

"I see." I forced myself to look at it, feeling slightly uneasy. Sothis, however, was more than 'uneasy' over it. She had no idea why, of course, but something about it and the stone that pulsed at the pommel made her sick. Sick enough, in fact, that I almost vomited just from the nausea I sensed. "I suppose that is impressive." How did Catherine have it, though? Did the Church just go around and hand out Relics to their knights or something?

"I guess."

"Hold up, are you two seriously not in awe?" Claude asked, his expression the perfect facsimile of surprise. Save for the calculating light in his gaze, of course. "I mean… Relics are supposed to be gifts from the Goddess, yes?"

"Why bother with such a fancy weapon when a simple blade kills just as well?" Azrael 'asked' rhetorically. Considering Azrael's fighting style often involved using and discarding weapons, I wasn't surprised he didn't think much about it. Weapons were just weapons to him. "Yay, you kill a person a little faster. Yippee, whoo." I wasn't impressed because it was just another tool of battle and war. I could never find anything inspiring or beautiful about such things. I found it far too easy to imagine the blood dripping down… "Dead is dead, though. Kill someone with a quick strike or leave them bleeding out on the field… it doesn't matter once the battle is over and you're standing among the corpses." I 'pressed' my own nausea on Azrael, because his description brought back far too many memories. He sent reassurances and apologies in return. "But hey, if it's impressive to you, then it's impressive to you. No need to curb your enthusiasm because I don't share it."

I decided it was best to fall back then, to check on the rest of the students and to conveniently get away from such conversations. Of course, there wasn't really anything to worry about. Everyone simply walked and talked, and those closest to Ashe were careful to always keep him engaged in conversation to keep him distracted. I did notice one peculiarity, though. Despite being one of the more sociable and talkative people in the cohort, Annette wasn't chatting with anyone. Instead, she kept herself a little apart, frowning as she studied the knights that traveled with us.

"Annette? Is everything okay?" I asked her softly, sliding to her side. She squeaked and jumped at the words anyway. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. I just noticed you paying close attention to the knights."

"Oh, no, It's fine, Professor," she immediately reassured. Still, she laughed a little to hide her sheepishness. "It's just… there's someone I'm looking for. I figured that if he came to the monastery like I suspect, he'd be here as a knight. I mean; he could've become a monk, but I don't think he would."

"I see." Who would she…? Ah, that wasn't my business. "I hope you find who you're looking for, Annette."

"Oh, I definitely will. It's all just a matter of how long my search is." She smiled, determination radiating from her, and I couldn't help but smile. "But thank you, Professor."

"Of course." I thought of Alois, and a couple of the other knights I knew in passing. "Do you have a description? When we're back, I can ask for you."

"Hmm? Ah, well, he's got hair like mine, probably going gray by now, and a bit of a sour, stoic demeanor?" So, Anette's opposite or something? "Could seem gloomy at first glance. If he is a knight, he'll probably be using an axe or lance. Specializes in defensive maneuvers?"

"I see." I had to admit I was even more curious who this person was supposed to be. But it really was none of my business. Even asking the description was probably treading the line, but… "I'll see what I can find out."

"Thank you~!" Annette got a thoughtful look on her face. "Hey, should I ask Catherine?"

"Go ahead."

"...Yeah!" She grinned and sprinted forward… for three steps before she slipped and almost fell on her face. She only didn't because Felix caught her. "Ugh… thank you, Felix." Then she was right back to running.

I decided to head back towards the front again, mostly to confirm Annette made it safely to Catherine. Once I saw that she had, I thought about heading to Azrael or coming up with some excuse to break off from the group for a short while. But even as I had that selfish though, I noticed something interesting. Dimitri had stepped away from Catherine when Annette came to talk to her, and now, Edelgard was at his side, intent on some sort of conversation. And since I'd been worrying just recently about how he seemed to avoid both her and Claude… well, I couldn't help but move to eavesdrop. It was terrible and selfish, but I couldn't check the urge.

"Dimitri, might I have a word?" Edelgard asked, doing her best to keep pace with Dimitri. Dimitri noticed and slowed his steps to make it easier on her. "There is something you said that has been lingering on my mind."

"Did I cause offense?" Dimitri asked in return. He became thoughtful, trying to remember whatever slight he'd done. "I do remember you being annoyed when I reminded you of-"

"The chaos of the battlefield. Yes, yes, I remember that well." She frowned. "I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself during a battle, you know."

"You are a skilled warrior, and quite possibly one of the strongest women I have ever met, but I do seem to recall two incidents where something unexpected occurred and you had to be rescued." He smiled teasingly, and she immediately made a face. After all, she couldn't refute either. "To be more serious, and less joking, my father was strong. Glenn was strong. The knights we traveled with were strong. Before that day, I would have said no one could match them. Yet, in Duscur, I watched them all die." His smile faded for a serious look. "I do apologize if I came across as patronizing. It is simply my selfish wish to not see those around me perish in such a way again."

"...I see." She sighed gustily, shaking her head. "Well, so long as you promise to nag the rest of the cohort, I'll let such things slide."

"Thank you for your graciousness." Dimitri was back to gently teasing, and Edelgard rolled her eyes but smiled slightly. Though, Sothis thought she saw some confusion in her expression as well. "Ah, but it seems we got distracted. What was it you wanted to actually discuss?"

"Ah, yes." Edelgard quickly became serious again, tossing some of her hair over her shoulder. "It's your response to what Claude said about higher powers and miracles." She twisted slightly to look him right in the eye, her gaze both searching and calculating. "I would think as the Crown Prince of the Holy Kingdom, you would be a staunch believer."

"The pact Loog swore only confirmed that the Church of Seiros would be the official religion of the new country, and a promise of mutual aid. There is nothing that states one must be a believer."

"I see." She was still searching for something. I could tell that much. "You spend your evenings in the Church, though? I've heard that, at least."

"I pray out of habit, and to remember my stepmother. She would pray every night." He shrugged, looking away almost like he was embarrassed. "It is surprisingly useful for organizing one's thoughts."

"Huh." Edelgard rested a hand on her cheek, thinking. "So, what do you think of the Goddess? Or is that too bold a question to ask while we're traveling with Knights of Seiros?"

"They have to deal with Azrael on a daily basis. I doubt they'll even notice." Dimitri did glance around before actually answering softly. "I believe she watches over us, and that's it. No matter how much we cry out, she will never reach out her hand to help."

"So, any miracle must be forged by our own hands. Humanity's hands."

"Well, yes, if we wish to improve the lives of our people. It will be a long and difficult road, but if we do not shoulder that burden, then things will continue to stagnate."

"Indeed." Edelgard slowly smiled. I thought there was something strangely sad to it. Sothis thought it more 'conflicted'. "I have to say that I'm impressed. I gained quite a bit of respect for you just now."

"I fear how lowly you thought of me before." Dimitri held up a hand to stop her from replying. "Please don't actually tell me. That was supposed to be a joke."

"And here I was about to declare my undying love."

"If that were true, I'd drag you to Mercedes to get your head checked."

"Not our professor?"

"With the amount of work she does already?"

"Point." Edelgard glanced over to the side, and tapped Dimitri's arm. "You know… I've been trying to keep an eye out, but I haven't seen anything that looks like a shrine. Didn't your stories of the fey mention shrines?"

"Oh, those are never alongside the road. You have to step off the beaten path for them. We'll leave an offering when we camp." Dimitri smiled. "Would you like to come along?"

"Yes." Despite the blunt answer, Edelgard smiled back. "What sort of offerings are given?"

"Hmm? Well, it depends based on the type of fey most commonly seen in the area, but…"

To my quiet delight, Edelgard and Dimitri chatted until we all had to stop for camp. Setting up said camp was… controlled chaos, as usual. There were a lot of us, after all, and there was always a lot of confusion over who should do what chore. Then there was confusion because some of my students didn't know how to do a specific chore, or how to do it while camping. But we made it work. Somehow. I wasn't sure how, actually. My students insisted that I not do any of the chores. Not sure why, since I had more experience with camping and the only other one who got 'forcibly excused' was Ashe. I supposed they thought my incompetence extended to things like this? It was the only thing I could think of.

["Stop thinking and turn the page! I want to know what happens next!"] So, while they set up camp, I did my usual thing: climb a tree and read. I wasn't sure who was more into the story: myself or Sothis. ["Does it matter? You want to know too."] That was true, so I turned the page to keep on reading.

"Oh, so that's where you hid yourself." But, sadly, I wasn't able to continue. Catherine appeared at the base of the tree I was in, looking right up at me. "You sure you and Azrael aren't part cat or something?" she asked rhetorically. I hoped it was rhetorical, at least. "Can you even read with all the leaves?"

"Of course," I replied, wondering why she'd ask. Wasn't it obvious I was reading? "Did you need something?"

"Yeah, I've been trying to corner you all trip." Oh, this was clearly going to be a great conversation. "What was with you and Lady Rhea that day?" I supposed she would be curious. She only knew me as the blank-faced professor Manuela sometimes managed to drag out for drinks. "You just… walked out on her."

"Catherine, let's not pretend you and yours actually need my inexperienced students to serve as a 'rearguard'," I replied bluntly, pretending to go back to my book. But I didn't see the words. I was still angry over this. I wasn't sure I'd ever held onto anger for so long in my life. "Some of them can count the number of battles they've been in on one hand. You also simply do not need many for a rearguard, particularly in a situation where one force is overwhelmingly more powerful." I glanced at her, knowing I looked even more stoic than usual. "Based on what I've heard, you're an army in your own right. Granted, I'm sure those rumors are just as exaggerated as the rumors about Dad, but the fact remains that you are a very skilled warrior." Who… actually, someone like her would usually be part of the vanguard. Especially since she wielded a Hero's Relic. Why was she in the rear?

"I… well, it never hurts to be prepared. Surely, you've been in enough battles to know that." She frowned at me. I ignored it. I could bring up that Rhea had outright admitted that this was all about proving a point, but somehow, I doubted it would matter at all. Of course, that could just be me being uncharitable. "And we can't just let them do whatever they want. The people would panic."

"Whatever Rhea wants to do with her military isn't my business." I disliked the fact that soldiers were mobilized so quickly, and I disliked how she didn't seem interested in why Lonato was rebelling. But those were personal issues. "But my students are not part of that military. I am not part of it. So, I dislike they have been dragged into this mess of a nightmare."

"You're part of the church, you-"

"I am not." Ugh… what was with these people and thinking that payment meant that we belonged to them? The nobles never thought that way, surprisingly enough. Mercenaries were just mercenaries, extra bodies to throw into the battlefield to bleed instead of their actual soldiers. "I reminded Rhea of that fact, and my opinion on the matter certainly hasn't changed."

"That's…" Catherine was silent for a very long moment before growling under her breath. "Ugh… I really don't get it. Why do you and Azrael get such special treatment from Lady Rhea?" Catherine frowned and crossed her arms, frustration radiating off her. Me? I just felt tired and exasperated. I wanted to get back to my book. "Shamir comes from a similar background, but she doesn't get nearly as much of Lady Rhea's attention. Not to mention that I'd never seen anyone get away with just walking out on her…"

"I think you're putting too much thought into it." I was a hostage, after all, but I obviously couldn't say that. "She was close to my parents. That's really it."

"Mm… it is true that Jeralt is famous. Between being the former Captain and a mercenary…" She was seriously putting too much thought in this. Also, why mention the 'famous' part? I said she was close, not… "Still, though, it's all so odd. Plus there is you becoming a professor instead of a knight like Azrael."

"Catherine, again, I think you're reading too much into this." What could I say to convince her enough to drop it? How did we switch the topic to this anyway? "She's outright said that Mom was like family to her, and she and Dad had a close friendship. They saved each other's lives when they met. Any special treatment you believe I get is because I'm the daughter of two she holds dear to her heart. It's no different than how you treat family different from strangers."

"Mmm…" She didn't look fully convinced. What else could I say? "Ah, no matter. I'll just watch you and see if you're right or if there's something I can emulate get her to take a shine to me too." ...Freaking hell.

"Very well. However, If you want to, but I bear no blame in any burns or lacerations you obtain because you were mistaken for an enemy." I definitely wasn't protecting her from Dad when I told him about this. And I was definitely telling him about this. This conversation was too confusing. Ah, but that reminded me. "Speaking of enemies, you made a suggestion to Dad about some marriage proposals I supposedly received?"

"Enemies, huh? That's one hell of a lead-in" Still, Catherine did grin. "I suggested that he set them on each other and gather copious amounts of blackmail."

"Use me as bait for a trap?"

"No, no, just make a mention of their rivals for your hand and then let them gobble each other up." That was… certainly a thing. "Well, I'd better get back to the camp proper. I'm the one they complain to if something isn't going right, after all." I waved her goodbye, and tried to get back to reading. But when she turned and walked away, her Thunderbrand was all too easy to see. That sword that just...

["I hate that blade."] Sothis's voice was quiet, and she appeared next to me in the branches. ["I do not know why it makes me feel so uneasy, but I simply cannot relax when I see it. That stone… that red glow… it means something, and it is something my heart hates."]

"We'll just have to ignore it as much as we can," I whispered. A cool breeze blew by, messing up my hair. Not that it was neat to begin with, of course. "There are plenty of distractions."

["That is true."] Sothis stroked my hair, as if trying to neaten it. But though I felt the warmth and comfort, the lack of physical form meant my hair stayed exactly where it was. ["Why does it make you uneasy?"]

"Hmm?"

["Catherine's sword. Why does it make you uneasy? I know it is not my own bleeding through. Yours is distinct."] That was true. It was two different sets of 'unease' pooling together in my heart.

"Well..." I glanced back at the camp, where everyone was milling about. Even from here, though, I could see Catherine and her Thunderbrand still, the stone's light becoming more eerie as the sun sank lower. "It's simple, Sothis. It reminds me of the sword Nemesis used in that dream." It might be a dream I've had since before I could remember, but I still hated it. I hated having a reminder in my waking world. "That's all." Though, Sothis's own unease did not help matters at all.

Something just seemed plain wrong about the thing. But I was probably being too negative. My nerves were already raw, after all. Nothing would seem 'right' in this situation. No, not a thing.

Though I would've preferred otherwise, we did eventually reach Magdred Way, the road that led right to Castle Gaspard. It was a scenic route popular for travel, but I couldn't enjoy the view today and not just because of the fog. I knew all too well just why we were walking it. Worse, of course, was that since we were close, everyone was speculating. Why? Why would Lonato do this? Everyone wondered, and I wished they'd do so quietly. Even if Ashe was so out of it by this point of the trip that Dimitri had to carry him, it still would've been polite. But nerves could make anyone rude.

"Something about this just doesn't seem right," Hubert muttered, frowning heavily. He and Claude walked together near the front with Catherine and me. "The more I think on it, the less I can understand why Lord Lonato would incite such a reckless rebellion." He paused and glanced at Ashe, who was as limp as a rag doll on Dimitri's back. Dimitri had brought him closer to the front to minimize the amount of speculating he potentially heard; I'd sent Azrael back to pointedly remind everyone to be tactful. "I simply cannot fathom it."

"You'd think he'd try to even the odds with more than just assassins," Claude agreed, resting his hands behind his head. He sure did like that gesture. Maybe because it made him seem more relaxed than he was? "Poisons? Hostages? Sparking rumors for in-fighting? Scapegoating?"

"My, my, such terrible tactics."

"Like you haven't thought about it. Besides, survival is the name of the game. Why care so much about how you make it happen?" Claude grinned blithely, ignoring Dimitri's frown. He didn't, however, ignore my look. "I'm just saying… we know he's a master of herbs, so I'm seriously surprised there's no poisons. Wouldn't have to kill. That's messy. But it could incapacitate us and..." I kept up the stare; Claude winced. "I thought you didn't care about such tactics?" In response, I simply pointed at Ashe. And the Dimitri who looked like he was contemplating throwing both him and Hubert into the woods for the fey to sort out. "Ah, so less the tactics and more of the timing. Though, is Ashe even listening to-?"

"Lonato hates poisons, because of how easily they can hurt innocent people," Ashe mumbled, providing he was, in fact, listening. Claude immediately winced and looked contrite; Hubert didn't react at all. "A knight is supposed to protect the people, not hurt them. That's why poisons and assassins are looked down upon, and why Lonato hates both."

"And here I thought it was because of how dishonorable they were," Hubert snarked. He ignored my slight frown. "Well, since you are in the waking world, what do you think? Why would Lord Lonato do this?"

"...I think it's because of Christophe."

"Who?"

"My older brother." Ashe attempted to lift his head to look at us, but he couldn't really manage it. He was too tired. So, he just let it rest on Dimitri's shoulder. "To be technical, my adoptive older brother. I thought the world of him. He was always so kind, and so patient. Playful and warm, with a bright smile." Despite the happy memories, Ashe's voice was soft and dull. My heart keened at his pain, and I almost missed Sothis commenting on how Catherine refused to look anywhere near Ashe. I hadn't noticed. I did, however, sense Azrael returning to the front, no doubt worried by what he sensed from me. "But after the Tragedy of Duscur, he was accused of being an accomplice and was executed by the Church."

"The Church, you say?" Hubert crossed his arms and tapped his fingers against his elbows. "That's interesting. I wouldn't have thought the close bond between the Kingdom and Church meant the Church could pass judicial judgement in Kingdom matters."

"Normally, the Church wouldn't intervene, but the Kingdom was in utter chaos," Catherine explained calmly. She almost seemed too calm, actually. Like she was actively maintaining it, instead of something she felt naturally. "At the time, no one was even certain if Prince Dimitri would survive his injuries." Catherine looked awkwardly at Dimitri, but his focus was more on Ashe. "Since Christophe's guilt was first discovered by the Church, it opted to pass judgement in accordance to its doctrine in the Kingdom's place."

"Except the Church never held a trial or showed us their proof of his crimes," Ashe revealed. I thought he was trying to be bitter, but the old shock and pain that made the words numb instead. "He left one day to visit an old friend and then the Church brought his body back. They almost forgot his head, though. It was in a separate box for some reason."

"That's…" Hard to name the expression on Catherine's face. Pain, disgust… then something that may or may not be guilt. It was certainly a grimace, though. "I'm sorry, Ashe. That shouldn't have-"

"Don't. It won't bring him back, or erase the image of my brother's corpse." Ashe sighed heavily, sagging even more on Dimitri's back. Dimitri just shifted him a little higher to make sure he didn't fall off. "I've tried to remember the good memories. Tried to move forward. But, there never was closure for it. It's been an open wound for a while. For Lonato, for me, for my younger siblings, and for all of Gaspard."

"So, basically, the Church executed Christophe, forgot to at least forge evidence to justify the supposedly-righteous killing, and then did nothing to ease the tension, so now it's exploded everywhere and others are paying the price," Azrael 'summarized', announcing his return. Though most of the group jumped at his arrival, I simply nudged his leg in silent rebuke. He didn't need to say it so bluntly, if he had to say it at all. "Or, in other words, we're cleaning up a mess that should've been dealt with already. I really don't see how being a fancy Knight of Seiros is any different from being a mercenary. I'm being paid to do the same things." He easily ignored Catherine's sudden glare. "I also don't see why we're making such a grand show of it all. There's assassins among the Knights. Just off him and let the rest run around like headless chickens."

"Azrael," I scolded, pressing every bit of my annoyance on him. He winced and looked away. "If you must speculate, do so later." I mean; I certainly agreed with what he said, but that was wasn't the point. "Ashe?" I stepped to Dimitri's side, so that I could rest my hand on Ashe's back. "So, do you believe his resentment boiled over?" It would certainly fit.

"It's the only thing I can think of," Ashe mumbled. He just seemed so tired… "I mean; it's all…"

"Ashe, if you want to stay back…"

"No." Ashe pushed himself up enough to shake his head. "No, please, I have to see. That's the only way I'll accept this is real. I know I'll be a burden, but…"

"You are never a burden." What else could I say? If this is what he chose, then… "You can change your mind at any moment. Don't forget that." I glanced at Dimitri and quietly gestured for him to take Ashe back. Dimitri nodded in agreement and slipped away. To my surprise, Claude followed closely, helping to support Ashe. Hubert also left, but I figured it was because he wanted to check on Edelgard. And I assumed Catherine left to check on the other knights, since she tried to get Azrael to go with her first. Azrael, of course, refused.

"Milady…" Right about then, Yuri snuck to my side, bending down slightly to whisper in my ear. "There's something wrong," he informed me. "There's never fog at this time of the year. Certainly not a fog this thick and dense."

"...I see," I murmured, frowning slightly. It was true this wasn't the typical season for fog here, but weather patterns weren't necessarily a specialty of mine, outside of how they could effect battles. Fog during a battle… that was always rough. But this would be even rougher because of how inexperienced my students were, and because we didn't know the area well. Only Ashe would, but… "Can you quietly relay to the others to be on their-"

Azrael's split second of panic was all the warning I had. Then there was a scream from behind and I whirled to try and figure out the source. It… quickly became obvious; Hilda had 'sprouted' an arrow from her eye. The scream had been from Marianne, who desperately tried to heal Hilda while Raphael tried to keep her up. But there was nothing anyone could do. Hilda's uninjured eye stared into nothing, and her whole body was limper than Ashe's.

So, I stopped time. Heard the familiar sound of shattered 'glass'. Saw the world's color shift. I took note of where Hilda had been standing and the angle of the arrow before I turned time back. I hadn't been looking, so I had to take a guess on how far. I decided to wind it until I could feel the air at the back of my throat for 'can'. It was an odd sensation, feeling the air trapped there, but I had to take a moment to steady my nerves. If I was wrong… no, not even that. Could I even prevent it? I knew now why Azrael had panicked; he hadn't sensed the enemy's presence until the arrow came. So, could I…?

["There is no use dwelling on it. Either you can or you can't."] Sothis's no-nonsense voice cut through my doubts. ["Whatever the outcome, you have to try."] Yes, she was right. I had to try. So, I took one more moment to ease my heart, and then let time flow again.

This time, though, I let the words die on my tongue. Instead, I whirled, accidentally hitting Yuri with my hair, and hunted for Hilda in the group. She was chatting happily with Raphael while holding onto Marianne's hand… and the arrow was already flying for her. I could just barely see it, and only because I had an idea of where to look in the first place. So, I gestured sharply and set it aflame before it killed Hilda. The sudden burst of flames startled everyone, but I was already scanning the immediate area, wondering where the next ambush would come from...

"I can't sense anyone," Azrael growled, moving to cover my back. I simply nodded, already knowing that, and drew my blade. "It's this fog. There's something wrong with it. Like the fog back with that stupid fancy cup."

"If that's your way of saying we're fighting phantoms and creepy dolls again, I'm hightailing it right back to the monastery," Yuri grumbled, surprisingly shifting to take a third 'point' in watching while keeping his sword in front of him. Everyone else was quickly drawing their weapons and attempting to keep their guard up. "I don't care if we're here on the Archbishop's orders. I'm not fighting those things again."

"Not for something like this, at least." Azrael growled some curses under his breath. "I'd say that Lonato is evening the odds with guerrilla tactics, except I don't know where the fog came from."

"Didn't milady mention something about weather and blood magic?"

"One, I don't attend classes with you all and two, if Lonato is using blood magic, we've got more issues besides a rebellion." Azrael growled more curses. I absently noticed Constance nearby, frowning about something while everyone else tried to group up for better protection. "Ah, there are the three heirs!" Thanks to the fog, it actually took me a second to see Dimitri, Edelgard, and Claude really were with us.

"My apologies for taking so long," Dimitri 'replied', taking Azrael's tone to be annoyed. Well, to be fair, Azrael was annoyed, but it was at the general situation. "I didn't want to leave Ashe alone. Caspar and Ingrid volunteered to guard him." To my surprise, the three heirs joined the little 'triangle', making it more of a hexagon. Or, well, circle. Circle was more accurate. "Shouting from within the fog…" Dimitri tilted his head towards where he heard it. If I strained, I thought I might have heard Catherine shouting. It was hard to tell. It felt like the fog was getting even thicker. "The knights are already battling."

"Yeah, and here we are sitting on disadvantages," Claude muttered, glaring into the fog. "Our enemy knows the terrain, but few of us do. Everyone is either blind or blinder than bats. What is with this damn fog?"

"Yes, this fog is most unnatural and, worse, we are cut off from the knights." Dimitri glanced at Edelgard, noticing her frown. I visually confirmed that there were no knights within sight. ...Unless you counted Azrael. "What do you think?"

"Based on the smell of fresh blood, I would definitely say battle has begun and claimed a few," Edelgard whispered. She held her axe in front of her, her eyes darted in every direction. "This is not going to be a-"

"Is this where someone is supposed to make a 'bitch' joke?" Azrael noted dryly, what little impulse control he had gone in light of everything. Edelgard glared at him; Dimitri looked aghast. Claude politely ducked his head to hide his smile. Yuri snorted while trying to bite back even more laughter. I ignored them to try and place who was where among my students. Make sure everyone was accounted for and alive. "Good sense of smell and all?"

"I genuinely cannot decide if you purposely try to rile or not."

"That's way too much effort." Azrael 'nudged' me, sensing where my attention was. "Is the menagerie in need of wrangling?"

"I think everyone is grouping up well enough," I whispered, keeping a mental count. But it did seem like everyone was at least making sure none of the 'backline fighters', such as the mages and archers, were alone and that everyone was close to a healer. In fact, it looked like they were trying to merge the groups to guard each other better. "I just need to confirm that everyone is-"

"Constance, what the hell?!" Balthus's yelp was the only warning I had before I saw Constance race off in a random direction and disappear into the fog. "Constance!" Balthus yelled again, as if that would bring her back. It didn't, of course. "Damn it!" Then Balthus was off too, chasing after her.

"...She was nearby when the possibility of blood magic was mentioned…" Did she run off to find the source? Would she be so reckless? I almost asked Yuri, since he knew her better.

But I couldn't. I couldn't, because more enemies struck. Again and again, in and out of the fog. We might as well have been fighting off phantoms with how quickly they appeared and disappeared. Every time I heard a scream, I thought my heart might stop. But when I had time to check and count, I saw everyone was still alive. Lots of near misses, but they were still here. Everyone was accounted for, save Balthus and Constance.

Dorothea, Lysithea, Annette, and Hubert had set themselves up in a square around the three healers, each of them focused on striking in a very specific direction. To cover their blind spots, the archers of the cohort, even Ashe, were set up in a looser square, though Hapi assisted Ashe since his hands shook on the bowstring. Dedue and Raphael handled part of the guarding, since they were perhaps the best at defensive fighting. Ferdinand and Petra handled the other part, because while they were not the best in holding their ground, the two were very good at parrying and dodging. The rest of the cohort did their best to strike where they could, though the fog impaired them significantly. They were mostly able to drive back those who got close to the four guards, and the bodies slowly piled up. There were even more around my group of the house leaders and my twin, because the six of us were the most skilled.

The smell of death and blood was nauseating. I hated how the blood slid into the crevices of my armor. I hated the 'squelch' I heard when someone stepped on a corpse while fighting. I hated the muffled whimpers and groans of the ones still futilely clinging to life.

Eventually, there was a break in the fighting. The fog thinned a little, and the air felt lighter. Almost immediately, Yuri took off in the direction Constance and Balthus ran. I followed close behind, wanting to visually confirm the two pups were okay. But I… I didn't get my wish. I knew that as soon as I saw Yuri suddenly stop, so suddenly that I almost crashed into him. But I still walked around him to see for myself.

There was a dead person near, wearing a peculiar mask. Since the fog was thinning, I thought they might've been the source. But it didn't matter that much, right then. It didn't matter, because Balthus sat in the mud, bleeding profusely while cradling a far too still Constance against him. It was easy to see why she was so still; the left side of her chest had been ripped open, revealing her ribs. But I still walked over and knelt to touch her cheek to confirm what we already knew. Constance… she was dead.

"I couldn't move fast enough," Balthus whispered dully. His side had been gashed open, and I couldn't tell if he'd just taken an injury above his right eye or if he had lost the eye entirely. Either way, the right side of his face was caked in blood-soaked mud. "We got a good hit in, and I went to finish him, but I missed. I missed and he…" Launched the spell that killed Constance. "I tried to shield her. Tried to kill him before he… but I wasn't fast enough."

I stopped time then. I stopped time and tried… and tried to think of what to do. Because I knew there hadn't been a chance to chase after them until now. There had been too many attackers. Too many to fight. The only chance… the only 'chance' was to stop them from leaving all together. Which would mean turning back time to before the battle started in earnest. Turn it back to then, and have a completely different battle take place. One that may result in more than one death…

["Yes, that could be the case."] Sothis's voice was soft in my head and my heart. ["But will you really just accept this outcome? Can you?"] If not for her, I would have to. ["I suppose that is true. Still, I am here. Perhaps it is not 'fair', but what is the saying? 'Life is not fair'? Why not take advantage of that? If life is not fair, then should you not use everything you have to make it give you the outcome you desire?"] Well, that was… I… ["Should you not force fate to give you a future where all your students live happily?"]

...It was selfish. It was terribly selfish. Yet, I couldn't deny what she said, because I did want that. I wanted to protect my students. I wanted them to thrive. No one could save everyone, but that didn't mean I shouldn't save all that I could. It didn't mean I shouldn't fight for a future where my students lived and brought Fodlan to a new age.

["Then stop flailing about and do it!"] Yeah, yeah…

I quieted my nerves and focused on the image frozen in front of me. Of Balthus and Constance. Of Yuri somewhere behind me. I focused on how devastated my students would be if they learned. Then, I turned back time.

It was strange, going backwards in time while fighting. I felt my body move back into the formation we'd set up to guard each other. I felt each swing again, each blow again. I saw bodies rise from the ground and blood slide back into skin. I felt the blood wriggle out from the crevices of my armor to return to their source. I saw our attackers sink back into the fog. All the way back to when my students were still in separate groups, working to merge. To when Constance and Balthus were still with us. To when Azrael 'nudged' me to ask how my students were.

One breath. Two. Then I let time flow again.

"That's way too much effort," Azrael said 'again', in response to Edelgard's grumbling. I was already moving. "Ah, so one of the menagerie is in need of wrangling?" I didn't even answer. I just lunged for Constance, and snagged her just before she could run off 'again'.

"Professor?!" Constance yelped, startled. From here, I could see Balthus heading for us, apparently having guessed what she would do. "What… there's an unusual source of magic in that direction! If we disable it…!"

I opened my mouth to say something. I knew I did. But, as had happened before, there was no time to do so. Our ambushers were here, ready to strike. This time, however, they had a different 'first target' for this second round of attacks: me. And I found this out via the blade that skewered me.

"Professor!" Horrified screams barraged my ears. Faces filled with wide-eyed terror caught my eye. My twin's worry crept into my head. But me? I was calm. It wasn't the first time I'd been stabbed, after all. I'd been run through many times in the past. My main concern… well, I had two main concerns. The first was whether or not my abnormal healing had already 'healed' the blade in me. The second was where the attacker was.

I reached up and grasped the blade sticking out of my chest. Too long to be a dagger, obviously. Too long and wide to be a spear. So, a sword. That meant my attacker had to still be close, right behind me even. So, I immediately surrounded myself in flames to burn them. Their scream of pain told me I was right; the way the sword tore out told me they'd jerked back on instinct. Knowing they wouldn't have their guard up, I whirled and brought my blade up over my head before bringing it down hard on them. It was a bit much; they hadn't been wearing much armor. So, they crumpled to the ground with a veritable explosion of blood. Quite a bit splattered me, making the ash from whatever my flames had burned stick and itch. Still, I was used to this sort of thing in battles, so I just pushed my hair out of my face and awaited the next attacker. I knew there were more, after all.

And they fell on us quickly, either not noticing or not caring what I'd done to their comrade. I immediately darted back into the originally formation I had with the four heirs and my twin, while Balthus yanked Constance over to where the rest of the students were. In between the various hit and run tactics from our attackers, Azrael briefly checked to make sure I was healed and I checked that my students were okay. Thankfully, they were. The main differences were that Constance assisted with the long-range barraging, and Balthus helped with the striking. And, of course, different people were targeted, in different orders. Different wounds appeared; different people screamed. But, overall, my students were still fine. They were still alive. Though, there was the worry of just how long that would last. Unlike 'before', there was no thinning of the fog. If anything, it grew even thicker, and we were in serious danger of not being able to see our own hands in front of our faces, much less our attackers...

"Tch… this damn fog…" Azrael growled. He sheathed his sword and nudged Edelgard's leg with his foot. She was right next to him, after all. "Hey, guard me for a second, please?"

"What?" Edelgard 'asked'. Based on her surprise, I guessed she was thinking she misheard for some reason. Maybe it was the 'please' part. "Of course, but what are you doing?"

"Same thing Claude suggested I do with the mist-fog-whatever around the stupid cup, but I didn't because I like being un-stabbed and we were running from the creepy doll." Azrael stepped out of the 'formation', closed his eyes, and focused to bring the wind's might against the fog. If this had been a 'normal' fog, it would've moved easily. But it didn't. It just loomed around us, as unmoving as a mountain. That alone confirmed to me this was magically induced. But where would Lonato…? "Okay, bastard…" The wind suddenly hummed, vibrating in excitement. Most of the cohort looked about in confusion. Annette even frowned as she cast a wind spell, like it, too, was suddenly 'eager'. But those who had confronted Aelfric… their eyes widened slightly, because they remembered… "Hallowed winds, harken to my call."

With Azrael invoking the full force of his might, the full force of the wind's power, the fog finally moved. It creeped back, little by little, slowly expanding our fields of vision. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Constance try to dart off again, to confront the mage who conjured the fog, but Balthus held her back, because it was still too dangerous. However, I already knew where the mage was, so I raced for them instead. Diving into the slowly thining fog, I ran and ran as fast as I could until I saw the mage, barely visible. They might've screamed when they realized I was there; they certainly screamed when I cut them down.

The effect was almost immediate. Azrael's winds slammed the fog back now, so quickly that it kicked up some mud and the wind rushing past nearly knocked me over. I worried that some of the lighter students did get knocked over. I almost went to go check, but…

"You…!" It was startling how loud the growl seemed, considering everything. Maybe it just seemed that way because when I turned to look at the white-haired, elderly man wearing good armor, I saw the 'enemy' deferring to him and realized just who he was: Lonato. "Thunderstrike Cassandra…" he growled, the words venomous with hatred. It took me a couple of blinks to realize he was snarling at Catherine. The fog had finally revealed where she and the other knights were. "It was your wretched zealotry that killed my son!"

"Ha! The only name I answer to is Catherine," Catherine declared, slinging the blood off her Thunderbrand. Unlike before, it crackled with a red light and the gem in the pommel shined. "Prepare to face the blade of one who serves the Goddess. Now you face a Knight of Seiros!"

"If someone like you has become a Knight, then the term has lost all meaning." Lonato stepped back and gestured to the soldiers around him. "Come, the fog has cleared. Now, there is nothing left to him them or the filthy Central Church from the judgement of the Goddess." ...That was strange. His wording implied…

No time to dwell. Arrows didn't stop because you were woolgathering in the middle of a battle. Or, well, they did, but they stopped in you. So, instead, I fell back to where my students were, to make sure they were okay.

"What do you think you're doing, standing up?" However, I came across Edelgard snapping at my twin as he slowly pushed himself up. He doubled over to hack up some blood, having overextended to fight against that damn fog. "Sit down, and let me get a healer," she ordered, trying to shove him back down. It worked a little, enough for Azrael's footing to slip, but he regained his balance easily and drew his sword. "Azrael!"

"There's no need to shout," Azrael sighed. He spat out a little more blood. "You're not so short that I can't hear you."

"Clearly, something isn't processing because you should be sitting down!" Edelgard glared up at him. Azrael just looked back, expression impassive. I could sense his confusion, though. "You all but spewed blood just a second ago!"

"And?" It was a simple question, but it stopped Edelgard cold. "There's more to this, right?" Still Edelgard didn't say anything. Only stared in blank shock. "No? Huh. Weird thing to make a fuss about." Azrael shrugged and waved when he noticed me. "So, I heard Catherine boasting or whatever. Did Lonato show up?"

"He did," I confirmed, walking over. I subtly touched his hand to send a quick pulse of healing through him, and he gently bumped his head against mine in quiet thanks. "How is everyone here?" Azrael just nodded to my students, some bleeding but all still alive. "All right. Regroup with the knights. Now."

My students obeyed without hesitation, and as soon as we made it to where the knights were, they pushed our 'front line' forward into proper battle. Of course, we went with them. Most of us, at least. Ashe lingered back, staring at the remains of some of the people the knights had killed. I stayed with him, not wanting him to be alone. Alone with the dead who were cut down and left to die and rot while the battle raged without a care.

"His name was Keith," Ashe whispered dully. He pointed to the corpse closest to us, a man wearing decent leather armor and who once wielded a sword. Now the sword was beside him, with his lopped off hand still lingering on the hilt. "He owned a bakery in the center of town, and always insisted on making the bread himself, even when arthritis started to make his fingers swell. His oldest daughter just had her first child. He planned on teaching him the 'proper way' to bake bread when he was old enough."

I… didn't know what to say to that. So, I kept silent. I kept silent even as he moved to another nearby corpse and turned them over. He had to wipe the face clean of the mud and blood to recognize them, but he had to do it carefully. Their head had been nearly served off and only a thin layer of skin kept it from being a clean decapitation.

"Her name was Molly. She worked as a waitress at the Blossom, a popular tavern in town. She was an orphan who worked all sorts of jobs to make ends meet until she was hired on. The owner really liked her, though, and was training her to take over for him." Ashe moved to the corpse next to Molly's, somehow able to recognize them despite the split skull. "Adam was the same age as me. Bit of a prankster when off-duty, but when he was on the job, he was so serious you wondered if he was the same person. He joked he had a twin for the longest time, and a lot of people believed him."

Ashe slowly moved to a couple of other corpses. He didn't name them. Maybe he didn't recognize them with their injuries. Maybe it just hurt to talk. I didn't know. All I could do was stand here like an idiot. Stand and watch him look each of the dead in the face, and recall all sorts of memories. Until he had checked each one around us, and could only stand among them in total shock.

"Why, Lonato…?" His voice wavered and cracked, but no tears came. "Why did you drag so many into this?"

"Ashe?" I finally whispered. He nodded, the only sign he'd heard me. "Would you like to stay back?" He shook his head. "Okay. Then let's rejoin the others."

I waited for him to take the first step. Only then did I move. But I didn't leave his side. Not until we reached the others, and I assigned him to guard the healers. They could keep an eye on him, and it was an important job. He'd still feel like he was contributing, which… I hoped was what he wanted. I didn't know. I wasn't sure even he knew anymore.

But I couldn't dwell on it. There was a battle and battles waited for no one. So, I jumped into fray and fought. I fought and fought, and it was a rough battle. Not because these people were particularly skilled or anything. But they were desperate and they were hurting, and both things gave strength. Both meant they refused to surrender. Both meant they fought until they bled their last. And they did. Each one that fell struggled until their bodies gave out. At least until there was a terrible scream… no, it was more than that. It was a wail, the wail of someone… of multiple someones… who had lost all of their hope. I knew before I even turned to look that I'd find Lonato dead in the mud. It still broke my heart to confirm it though.

Ashe's agonizing scream shattered it fully. Damn all of this.

Author's Notes: And that's the main mission of Game-Chapter 3 done. I wouldn't say we're quite done with the game-chapter itself, but felt it was better to let the aftermath have its own chapter.

More supports! Supports that are directly shown or mentioned include: Sylvain-Bernadetta, Dorothea-Bernadetta, Felix-Bernadetta, Edelgard-Bernadetta, Petra-Bernadetta, Sylvain-Hilda, Claude-Ignatz, Hubert-Petra, Petra-Edelgard, Petra-Ignatz, Leonie-Lysithea, Lysithea-Edelgard, Lysithea-Raphael, Lysithea-Claude, Annette-Ashe, Claude-Marianne, Ferdinand-Petra, Mercedes-Lorenz (sort of?), Ferdinand-Lorenz, Caspar-Hubert, and Byleth-Catherine. There's further nods to Bernadetta's supporting Alois, Dorothea's supports with Sylvain, and Cyril's supports with Seteth

There's tragically little about Duscur besides what bits Dedue mentions in his support conversations, but given that he mentions the various towns with their own specialties but no ruler, I figured they might not have had a 'king'. The 'trial by gods' thing was just something I threw in. And magical devices are just a… well, a thing to help the countries outside of Fodlan feel more unique. (We're not talking to the level of the dubstep mole people, of course.)

Bit of a nod to the 'failing' a lesson and the console/critique feature (Edelgard does best with consoling). The scene with Rhea and the animals is due to an interview mentioning she adores animals. How she saved Cyril… I think it shows up in supports? Or maybe Hilda's paralogue? Both? Either way, the specific details are made up, but the basics are from the game itself. Byleth's shock at Rhea knowing how to brawl is because it's not something you'd expect at first glance from her xD

There's various bits of exploration dialogue peppered throughout the scenes after Rhea assigns the mission. These include: Lorenz, Ashe (both his recruited and non-recruited), Manuela, Dimitri (both recruited and not recruited), Claude (just recruited, I believe), Edelgard (just recruited), Ferdinand, Dorothea (just her recruited), Hapi, Petra, and Mercedes. Annette's also shows up too, but much later during the travel section.

The scene with Luca is actually a nod to the Amiibo Gazebo, as well as the access to the Holy Tomb you get in a New Game plus. As for Luca himself… he's a sort-of canon char, as is Iris. In the final chapter of the Crimson Flowers route, there are various golems and each of them are named. 'Luca' and 'Iris' are two such names. Who exactly they are though… well, with the exception of one (Wilhelm), we never actually learn. So, I'm filling things in. As for just who Luca is… that's for later.

Dimitri's thoughts on the Goddess actually comes from his Goddess Tower conversation, but I figured he'd be willing to tell Edelgard as well due to their shared history (even if trauma has made Edelgard forget all that). The reasons for why he does pray (something brought up fairly frequently) are just my own explanations since I don't think Dimitri himself ever says.

In-game, Ashe never names any of the dead or anything, but I thought it would be a better lead-in to Ashe's in-battle dialogue than what the game actually had.