Five years and she is still lost in her inability to see past this obstruction. He sneaks a glance at his liege from the corner of his eyes and sees that she is completely engaged in her writing. Her earlier words taunt him.
She chose me.
Hubert allows himself an audible sigh to express his discontent. Edelgard hears him. Ignores him. Continues writing with a focus that contrasts greatly with her distracted demeanor the entire week before.
He finally understands, and, for some reason, it annoys him almost as much as the sight of one of the Slithers' disgusting faces.
He resigns himself to his fate. He writes a single line. Then, sitting back on his bench, he waits.
"No questions or comments until the presenter has finished speaking," Byleth says. "Hubert. Since you finished first, why don't you start us off?"
"My pleasure." Hubert stands to his feet and cracks his best smile of condescension. He clears his throat theatrically. "Motive: to serve her Majesty. Choice of faction: the Adrestian Empire."
He lapses into silence, and Byleth gives him a quizzical look.
"Is that all?" she asks.
"Yes," Hubert says.
"Alright," Byleth replies. "Does anyone have questions or comments for Hubert?"
"Yes," Caspar says immediately. "Why did you kill Marianne? She wasn't fighting at all. Why did you kill her?"
"I did not personally do any such thing," Hubert answers calmly, and Caspar explodes.
"You lying-!"
"You will only ask questions pertaining to the contents of his speech," Byleth interrupts forcefully before Caspar could continue, and Caspar sits back down with a smoldering look. "That goes for all of you. There is a question-prompt discussion on the schedule for a reason. You will not deviate from my schedule. Do you understand?"
Only half the students answer, and Byleth crosses her arms sternly.
"I want to hear that from every single one of you," Byleth prods. "Do you understand?"
"Yes, Professor," the students say as one, and, for a moment, the Black Eagles are as they had been five years ago. The echo from the past is so palpable that even Hubert loses his observable flippancy.
"Good," Byleth says. "Now-"
"I miss being here," Dorothea cuts in. "I wish we could go back to being students again, to a time before we understood what pain really was."
"As do I, Dorothea," Edelgard responds, "But time turns back for no one."
Byleth quietly allows the exchange before interrupting. "Focus on the schedule," she implores. "Please."
The students become silent, and Byleth takes the chance to continue from where she left off.
"Hubert, why do you choose to serve Edelgard?"
Hubert is silent for several seconds, and just before Byleth could repeat her question, he answers. "I believe in her vision. I believe in her, and the path that she has carved for me has given more purpose to my life than anything else I can fathom. There is nothing I will not do for her. Is that satisfactory?"
"Yes," Byleth answers.
"Dog," Caspar comments just loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Caspar," Byleth warns. "I will send you outside if I have to."
"I'll behave," Caspar says quickly. "I'm sorry, Professor."
"I know it's hard, sitting in the same room like this, but it's more productive than spending another year trying to kill each other on the battlefield. Try to keep it civil, please," Byleth says and relaxes as her students seem to comply. "If we have no more questions for Hubert-"
Byleth waits, but the students are silent.
"Sit down, Hubert. Caspar. Since you've been so eager to speak, I want you to go next."
Caspar stands up, slapping his paper down onto his desk without looking at it.
"I fight for justice," he says. "For those who suffer. I fight anyone who dares to challenge me. I know that I've turned against my own family, and I'm actually afraid of the day I have to fight my own father. But they are wrong. And Edelgard is wrong. I've followed your last command, Professor, and I've been fighting as hard as I can to stop the Imperial army. So I-" Caspar swallows visibly. "I don't understand why you're letting her-"
"Caspar," Byleth interrupts gently. "We will discuss that subject later. Stick to the prompt."
"Right," Caspar replies. "Well, I'm with the Church, and I'm with Faerghus because they're with the Church too. That's all I've got."
"Stay on your feet, Caspar," Byleth commands just as Caspar moves to sit down. He stands back to his feet. "Any questions or comments for Caspar?"
"I have a question," Edelgard says.
"Go ahead," Byleth confirms.
"What about my position is wrong to you?"
"What do you mean?" Caspar asks with exaggerated confusion. "I've watched entire villages burn. People starving, people dying. All kinds of evil over and over and over again."
"Caspar-" Edelgard started to say, but Caspar doesn't let her finish..
"I've watched young men and women, even children, forced to become bandits because they thought there to be no other way. I've had to kill them with my own hands. All because of this war. There was a boy-"
Caspar pauses heavily as he becomes emotional. His eyes flicker to the front where Byleth is standing. Byleth stares back and finds that she can't bring herself to stop him.
"There was a boy lying on the side of the road in Rowe. He was so skinny. There was a tiny body lying next to him. It was his sister. His dead sister who had maggots coming out of her face, who he had been carrying for Goddess knows how long. He begged us to save her, and I picked up his sister's rotten body and I lied to him. I promised to save her. He was so happy… he kept thanking me and I couldn't-"
Caspar becomes too upset to speak, and Edelgard looks like she wants to say something.
"The boy dies," Bernadetta says, picking up the story. "And Caspar carried that girl's body the whole time we were marching. We buried them next to each other."
"I'm sorry for what you went through," Edelgard says. "But-"
"But what?!" Caspar shouts.
"But when I win this war, I swear to do everything I can to make sure that the world I create will have no room for that kind of tragedy."
"You can make whatever promises you like," Caspar manages through clenched teeth. "I know exactly why you can cause all these horrible things to happen and not bat an eye. You live in a fantasy future world that only exists in your head. Well it's time to wake up, princess. This is the world you've created right here, right now. Look at it. Just look and tell me that it's not wrong. I dare you!"
"It hurts me too, to see everyone suffering." Edelgard replies earnestly. "If all of you would've just stopped fighting and surrendered to me, none of it would've happened!"
"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" Caspar roars.
Ferdinand stands up. "I think what Edelgard means to say is-"
"Enough!" Byleth interrupts.
The students stop their bickering. They resume their seats as Byleth allows a moment of silence to give the tension time to dissipate a little.
"Any more questions or comments for Caspar?"
No one makes a move.
And then Edelgard raises her hand again.
"Yes, Edelgard?"
"I just want you to know, Caspar, that I understand your pain better than you might think. I had to make this happen. The old system was corrupt and getting worse every day. If you only knew what I've seen, what I've experienced, you would understand."
"Hmph." Caspar huffs in response, flaring a cynical smile. "I don't think I would. I don't think there's anything you can tell me that will change my mind."
"Any other questions or comments?" Byleth asks again, cutting the exchange short. "Yes Dorothea?"
"Caspar. For what it's worth," Dorothea begins. "I know where you're coming from. It's the reason Linhardt and I ran away. Everything was just... too horrible. I think-" Dorothea hesitates. "I think I wanted to die rather than live one more day drowning in all that tragedy. And Linhardt... Linhardt saved me, and we left you and Bernadetta to fight all alone. Even though it was hard. Even though it meant you had to betray your own families. I'm so sorry that I was so selfish. I wish that I could've helped you. I wish-"
"You have nothing to apologize for, Dorothea. Please stop," Caspar says, cutting Dorothea off. Dorothea strokes her lustrous hair nervously and becomes suddenly unable to look in Caspar's direction.
"If you say so," Dorothea says with her eyes downcast.
"Uhm," Bernadetta says shakily. "I never cared for my family anyway, so it wasn't that bad for me. I-if it makes you feel any better."
"Thank you, Bernadetta," Dorothea says.
Byleth takes the opportunity to rein in her class. "I'll take one more question for Caspar. Anyone?"
Seeing no hands, Byleth asks Caspar to sit down, and he does.
"Bernadetta," Byleth starts to say.
"Aah!" Bernadetta jumps in her seat. "Is it my turn?"
"Yes," Byleth nods sternly.
Bernadetta tucks some of her long, purple hair behind her ears, grabs her paper so tightly it crinkles, and shoots to her feet.
"My motive is to bring peace back to the Fodlan," she recites, reading directly from her page. "Uh. I meant Fodlan. Not 'the' Fodlan. Heh. Oops."
She glances quickly at Byleth who waves her on.
"W-well anyway. My motive is to bring peace back to Fodlan so that I can help people live their lives normally again. Once life is back to normal, I will finally be able to go back to doing what I like to do. Until then, I will fight because- because that's just what I have to do. Um, the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus is my choice of faction. It is aligned with the Central Church. I chose the Church because Garreg Mach was the first place I could really call home. I am fighting for my home and for the people who make it what it is. That's all I have written. I'm sorry. May I sit down? I.. don't really like everyone looking at me."
"No," Byleth denies the request.
"Oh," Bernadetta's lips tremble anxiously. "Ok."
"Questions or comments for Bernadetta? Ferdinand, go ahead."
Ferdinand stands, makes sure he is fully facing his nervous classmate, and begins to speak. "Bernadetta, I know your father isn't the greatest of men. In fact, I've worked with him. He can be cruel, self-serving, and rash. His vision starts and ends almost entirely in tyranny. But he isn't the Empire. There is me. There is Edelgard. Even Hubert. Are we not also people who made your home what it was back when we were students?"
"But..." Bernadetta looks down quietly. "The war," she almost whispers.
"I know, but even taking the war into account - I know you. As an ally, as an enemy, as a classmate who I've risked my life with countless times before, you belong with us. There is a home for you in Enbarr, away from the County of Varley. Edelgard is not your father. She wants what's best for you, just as she does for everyone in this room. She is a noble through and through. I would not be fighting with her otherwise."
"If she wants what's best for us," Linhardt raises his hands loudly, catching Ferdinand's attention. "Then what's with this five year war? Maybe she shouldn't have started it in the first place, and we would've all just lived our lives peacefully as vaunted graduates of Garreg Mach. As capable military commanders and leaders."
Edelgard becomes the focus of the room, and an answer is expected from her.
"We don't always get to have what we want," Edelgard replies wistfully.
"Then what is it that's worth sacrificing our lives and the lives of millions of people across Fodlan?" Linhardt pushes.
"The freedom of humanity," Edelgard answers. "The Church is a lie and as long as established institutions of religion exist, the minds of countless millions will continue to be enslaved. As long as Crests remain the criteria for higher success in our society, the commonfolk will continue to be unjustly restrained from achieving what they deserve on merit."
"The Crest system, yes. That is bad," Linhardt replies. "But I don't really see anything wrong with religion. What do you think, Professor?"
Byleth is caught off guard, and she collects her wits quickly. "It's not that simple," she answers. "But we'll discuss this topic later. Bernadetta, is there anything you want to say to Ferdinand?"
Bernadetta shakes her head. The paper on which her prompt was written is balled up in her hands, destroyed by sweat and mistreatment some time during the lengthy exchange.
"You may sit," Byleth says.
Bernadetta drops with visible relief. Noticing what she's done to her prompt, she unfurls it furtively onto her desk. She sees that Byleth is watching, and she freezes, a look of fear and shame creeping into her expression.
"I will only be collecting your autobiographies, your sitreps and the questions you will write for the discussion," Byleth says to the class. "I won't be taking this first prompt. Do with it what you wish."
Half the room makes a glance at Bernadetta who is completely mortified by the obvious accommodation spoken specifically for her.
"How nice," Hubert comments sarcastically.
"Linhardt," Byleth calls, "Let's hear from you."
Linhardt stands slowly to his feet. His paper looks almost exactly like Hubert's from a distance: a single line is scrawled at the top. He leaves the piece on his desk as he starts to speak. "I seek a peaceful life where I can take many naps and pursue whatever catches my interest. I am aligned with myself, Dorothea, and whoever she feels like helping. I guess you can call us the Arnault-Hevrings. Questions? Comments?"
"Arnault-Hevrings sounds kind of dumb," Dorothea mutters.
"What about A.H.?" Linhardt offers. "Or AH's? One syllable. Clean."
Dorothea shakes her head, but she does not hide her smile.
Caspar bursts into laughter. "AHs!" he guffaws loudly, repeating the name for all to hear. "Classic Linhardt!"
"AH's it is," Linhardt says. "I'm going to sit down now, since there are no questions-"
"I have a question," Edelgard says and then rolls headlong into speaking. "The Empire could use someone like you. Not on the front lines if you don't want to be there, but maybe behind the scenes doing research and development at your leisure on subjects that-"
"No thank you," Linhardt says, shutting down the offer. "It sounds attractive, but I'd rather not be on one side or another when the war eventually ends. Why risk fifty-fifty(1) when I could be on the outside and not risk anything at all?"
"Huh," Ferdinand emits with simultaneous understanding and wonder. "Does Dorothea think the same?"
"More or less," Linhardt says with a shrug.
"Not exactly," Dorothea says at the same time.
Ferdinand looks at her curiously.
"I just wanted to get away," Dorothea explains. "From the war. Caspar isn't the only one who's got a bad story."
"I understand. I have some too. I think we all do," Ferdinand says sadly. "Say no more if you do not wish to."
Dorothea nods.
"I vote we have Edelgard present next," Linhardt suggests. He pauses for last-second questions before sitting.
"Very well," Edelgard agrees and stands to her feet. She glances briefly at Byleth who gives her a silent go-ahead.
The Adrestian Emperor clears her throat and begins her speech.
(1) Yes I know it's technically thirty-three, thirty-three, thirty-three. He says fifty-fifty because reasons. He's also not being completely honest. Reasons. Embedded motives, while not serving any plot point or character development, help me write the characters better. There are a few of those hanging around, in case you're interested in knowing these sorts of things.
I'm not sure if I cut this chapter off too soon. It's getting to be longer than my usual, and I'm wondering whether or not I should just skim through the rest of this lecture asap (easier on lazy ol' me) or actually flesh it out. This is going to take some planning.
Please review!
