It was barely midday, and she was drawing a lot more eyes than usual. She'd been stared at before and was no stranger to the attention. But other than the Sword of the Creator that now glowed brightly at her hip, she wasn't really sure what they were looking at.
"Whoa Professor! Haven't seen you in days! What happened?! Are you okay?"
Byleth recognized the voice. It was Dorothea. She was accompanied by Hilda from the Golden Deers house. Not so odd a pair, in Byleth's estimation.
"You've changed," Dorothea remarked.
"Your hair!" Hilda chimed in. "It's green!"
"Oh!" Dorothea gasped. "Her eyes too! What happened?"
Byleth blinked, suddenly wishing for a mirror. "I'm not sure," she answered. "What day is it?"
"It's the fourth day of the second month," Dorothea answered. "We're in Pegasus Moon right now."
Five days since the events of the forest.
"The battle…" Byleth started to ask.
"Everyone's fine," Dorothea supplied helpfully. "We've been sitting in with the Golden Deers for joint lectures. What about you, Professor? You must tell me what happened to you. You look… like a goddess floating in the clouds."
"Oooh, Dorothea, I didn't know you were so poetic," Hilda teased.
Byleth thought for a moment before responding. "I'm sure you have questions. I will answer them all. For now, I want all the Black Eagles gathered in the classroom by the second afternoon bell. Is that understood?"
"Yes Professor," Dorothea answered sweetly.
"Good." Byleth nodded in acknowledgment. "I'm glad you're safe, Dorothea."
Dorothea smiled, her face a practiced flush. "Thank you Professor. I will help notify the rest of the class."
Byleth yawned, stretching her arms out before placing her elbow on the podium and resting her face to a palm in a familiar, pensive position. The Eagles were gathered eagerly in their seats, waiting, and Byleth couldn't help but make special note of the fact that even Linhardt seemed to be paying attention.
"Hmmm. Whatever shall we do with you?" she queried, noting the two figures standing in the back.
There was a moment of silent shock as heads began to turn. It was the first time any of them had ever heard anyone speak to the Archbishop and her retainer in that way. The shift in power dynamic between their professor and the Church's highest command was palpable in that single question.
"I recall asking only for Black Eagles to gather in this classroom," Byleth commented.
"Professor Eisner!" Seteth started to say indignantly. "The Archbishop will not-!"
"Seteth, it is fine," Rhea said serenely with a restraining hand on her attendant's elbow. "If you don't mind my curiosity, Professor, I heard you were holding a question-answer session with your students on the events that occurred in the forest five days ago. I would also like to know of all that transpired at the forest. Hearing your answers here would save us much time and many repeated questions in our later session, would it not?"
Fear. Now that was familiar. In battle, the slightest misstep meant death. Here, a misstep meant the whole game she'd recently erected would come crashing down with consequences Byleth couldn't yet fathom.
"I do not mind," Byleth replied. "Your questions shall be answered. Privately. I would like to be alone with my children."
"I see," the Archbishop's smile did not falter. "My apologies for interrupting your class, then, Professor. I will be expecting you later tonight, as agreed."
"Thank you," Byleth said. Did Sothis ever thank her subjects? She wasn't sure. It just sounded like the right kind of thing to say. In any case, it was something Byleth would have said, and she did have the excuse of being part Byleth.
The Archbishop took her leave, Seteth following in silence and closing the classroom door behind them. The man's sharp tone could be heard muffled through the door as they walked away.
Byleth straightened, returning herself to her usual posture. The drowsy persona she'd played dissipating into the standard controlled demeanor she was known for. "Usually it is Ferdinand or Caspar who I have to scold for overstepping into enemy range without proper support and breaking formation," she started to say. "I expected better from you, Edelgard."
The princess flushed and briefly looked askance in shame.
The students, having expected a question answer session on the subject of their professor's new colors, found themselves in their professor's usual after-battle critique instead. Linhardt drooped, his face landing directly into the center of his desk.
"Professor."
"Yes, Caspar?"
"Edelgard's already done a review with us while you were gone so, uh, can we-?"
"No." Byleth stared blankly at the boy. Caspar stared back. "The only reason all of you are still alive is because we are thorough and leave absolutely nothing to fate. While I'm sure Edelgard here is more than competent, she isn't me. Now, Edelgard's battalion formation…" Byleth took a piece of chalk, made her way to the chalkboard and began to draw a diagram. "You know what I'm talking about, don't you? The casualties suffered by Jeralt's mercenaries - my mercenaries - are unacceptable. There's a reason I've had them drill with the Seiros archers under Bernadetta's command. If you had used them in tandem like you were supposed to, the enemy wouldn't have been able to snipe so many of my men. Your lives aren't the only ones at stake. How many times have I told you that?"
As someone who cherished human life, Crest or no Crest, noble or common, the Imperial Princess was clearly stung by Byleth's words.
"I want you to explain your thought process."
"I was only thinking of my classmates. I... I have no excuse," Edelgard answered with as much dignity as she could muster. "
"I didn't ask for one."
And so the lesson began in earnest.
Byleth decided to dedicate the last twenty minutes of her class to answering student questions.
"So why are your hair and your eyes green, Professor?" Ferdinand asked
"I do not know," Byleth answered.
"Surely you must have a guess," Ferdinand prodded
"I do not," Byleth answered.
"But if you had to guess, then what would your guess be?" Dorothea chimed in.
"It has something to do with the goddess." Byleth guessed.
"Why not red?" Caspar asked. "Or black?"
"I do not have the answer to that question,"
"The Goddess is green?" Petra volunteered.
"It would appear so," Byleth answered.
The next questions came in quick succession.
"What happened when Solon sent you away?"
"Where did you go?"
"How did you escape?"
"I was in a dark place," Byleth replied. "Don't know where. I escaped by cutting a tear into space time with my sword and using it as an exit."
There was an interval of silence that followed the answer.
"That doesn't tell us anything," Linhardt objected. "Where did you get the power to cut space time?"
"The goddess gave it to me."
"Why?"
"She wanted to."
The answer earned Byleth another brief respite.
"We would appreciate it if you'd simply tell us as much as you can and to the best of your abilities, Professor," Edelgard said impatiently. "At this point, you're just dodging our questions."
"Am I?"
"Will you or will you not tell us what we wish to know?" Hubert asked in an inadvertently threatening tone.
"I will. If you ask the right questions," Byleth answered to the vocal exasperation of his class. "Think of it as an exercise in speech formulation. Very important if you wish to do well in the world. Especially as future leaders."
"I've got one," Dorothea sang. "Who is your greatest romantic interest at the moment?"
Byleth blinked, her eyes performing a lightning flicker to the figure sitting at the very front of her classroom.
"I have no romantic interests at the moment."
"No way, I don't believe you." Dorothea pressed.
"It's the truth. If I receive any more questions not pertaining to the forest incident and its aftermath, I will cut this question-answer session short. Next question please."
"Pooh," Dorothea pouted under her breath. "You're no fun."
For the remainder of class, the Black Eagles found themselves once again contending with the fact that their usually taciturn professor could be just as adept with words as she was with weaponry and battlefield tactics.
The library was warm and quiet. The large oaken doors, the only entrance into and out of the room, were closed and barred. It was the one of few places where secrets could be discussed. It was also the place where Solon had chosen to reside in his guise as Tomas.
"She has ties with the goddess."
"Yes. It is now more pressing than ever to have her eliminated. The risk she poses against our cause is much too great."
"Hmm," Edelgard hummed, reluctant to agree.
"To face her in the upcoming war could mean the death of many of our imperial brethren. Citizens and soldiers, men and women, who give their lives to fight for our cause," Hubert continued. "Are you willing to bear the burden of that sacrifice?"
"Hubert please," Edelgard said, her head in her hands. "Do not try guilting me with information I already know."
"My apologies," Hubert bowed. "I am well aware of the potential boon that our dear professor could provide. However, the chances that she would be willing to side with us is growing slimmer by the day. The Archbishop's influence is strong."
"And our professor's will is equally strong. Her sense of right and wrong is not so easily swayed by convenient ideology."
"That fact could argue as easily in her favor as against it. You've revealed so much to her already, yet the signs that she could be sympathetic to our cause remain few and far between."
"Professor Eisner is notoriously difficult to read."
"You seem to believe you are able to read her all the same."
"What are you trying to say?" Edelgard asked.
"Well..." Hubert meandered on his word, much to his listener's annoyance.
"What? Say it."
"I will be blunt. You are infatuated with the Professor, are you not?"
"That is- Hubert!"
"She does have her charms. Her natural-born talents, her goddess-given powers, all very... inspiring."
"Hubert, if she chooses to side against me, I will not hesitate to kill her. Isn't that enough?"
"By the time she chooses the other side, our chances to kill her will have diminished exponentially. Give me the order, Lady Edelgard, and this threat to our future-"
"I will ask her to witness the moment I take the crown and ascend the throne," Edelgard interrupted. "I wish for her to meet my father. If she accepts the request, I want you to help pre-select our room arrangements and escort detail. The Professor is to be kept in the dark."
"Aah," Hubert sounded in understanding. "I see. And when she is in our dominion away from the safety of the church-"
"No," Edelgar interjected. "I wish to afford her the opportunity to make the choice of her own free will."
"You wish to reveal as much as you are able and leave nothing on the table." Hubert summarized accurately. "The lengths to which you would go for this woman..."
"Jealousy is unbecoming of you, Hubert."
"Jealousy. Is that what you think it is?" Hubert put a hand to his chin. "Perhaps. I will be taking my leave then. My detachment is waiting. I will make all the necessary preparations and will eagerly await your arrival at the Imperial palace. I beg you please consider my point of view while I am gone. Farewell."
"Farewell, my friend," Edelgard said with a nod. "Oh and Hubert?"
The dark mage paused in his departure. "Yes your highness?"
"Thank you for everything."
"Think nothing of it," Hubert deflected, the passion in his voice clear and honest. "To serve you, Lady Edelgard, is the single greatest pleasure I can conceive of."