On the day Hubert's letter designated, I arrive at the wyvern landing pad on top of the capitol building to see the other lords already there around a round table that was brought for this special meeting, leaving space for Edelgard. Nobody speaks a word, except for Holst to ask for the time after we wait around in silence. Noon passes, and then quarter after. No Edelgard.

This is a common move in the political fantasy dramas I read throughout middle school. Edelgard is showing up late to signal that we wait on her and that there's nothing we can do about it.

At about half past noon, I see a pair of wyverns approaching the landing pad. We have numerous soldiers waiting in reserve in case they try something, and I have Failnaught strapped to my back. Still, if Byleth decides to wipe out the Alliance lords here then I'm not sure there's much we can do about staying alive. I must believe that they don't want to throw the Alliance into chaos like that if they plant to use these territories for their own benefit after conquest.

Edelgard and Byleth land on the wyvern pad on the end of the round table across from me. Edelgard is wearing what looks like an impractical mixture of armor and a dress that goes down to her knees, which looks awkward when she's straddling a wyvern. She also wears a large, red cape that's longer than her body. A part of me wonders if the outfit is also a statement. She doesn't even take us seriously enough to wear real armor.

Neither of them dismount, and Edelgard has her wyvern walk up to the table and has one of the servants take aside the chair set out for her. Since she's such a shortie, I bet she's relishing in this opportunity to have the height advantage over everyone for once.

"Greetings to the Leicester Alliance," Edelgard says, "And thank you for your hospitality. I am Edelgard von Hresvelg, Emperor of the Adrestian Empire, and I hope we can come to a mutually beneficial agreement at the end of this meeting."

"I am hopeful as well, your majesty," Count Gloucester says. "There is no need for this bloodshed to continue."

The others go around and mutter affirmations, except for Lady Ordelia. She studies Edelgard with the focus that reminds me of an AP testing room.

"And of course," Edelgard says, "While I hope that all of us can see eye to eye, my primary wish is to respect the autonomy of the Alliance Lords. If some of you come to agreements with us and others do not, so be it."

"You won't tear us apart that easily," I say. "We know that we're stronger together. For the good of the Alliance, we must act as one."

"Quite convenient for the one in charge to be saying that," Count Gloucester says.

"Let's listen to the Emperor's terms before squabbling amongst ourselves, shall we?" Lady Ordelia says. To Edelgard, "If you would be so kind."

"Thank you, Lady Ordelia." A smirk comes to her face. "My request is simple. I wish for each of you to swear absolute fealty to the Adrestian Empire."

Leading with the kicker first and then allowing one's self to be negotiated back so that the opponent feels like they're gaining a lot of ground is another common strategy. It doesn't stop the other Alliance lords from stiffening.

"Absolutely not," Holst says. "We are not some mewling lambs to lie down for you to tread all over us. Soon you will see how strong the Alliance is."

"I agree that you are quite strong," Edelgard says. "In fact, I respect your practices far more than the traditions of my own empire. That is why I do not wish to fight you."

"If you feared us as much as you say," I reply, "You couldn't hold war over our heads like this."

"I said nothing about fear. But Holst is correct that all the Alliance Lords are exceptional. And do you know why that is?"

"I have a feeling you're about to tell us," Margrave Edmund says.

"It is because your positions are not written into stone. You are all members of the Alliance round table, sure, but your influence is based on how effective you are, not how effective your parents were."

"Political maneuvering for power isn't unique to us," I say.

"But your system of government is more fluid than ours or the Kingdom's. Out of everyone, Margrave Edmund should see what I mean."

"Because my ancestors took House Daphnel's spot."

"Exactly. Instead of ending up with incompetent lords and rulers, you are able to let the exceptional lead based on their own skill. Isn't that meritocracy something everyone should want?"

"I don't get it," Lady Ordelia says. "If you win and tell the commoners that birthright means nothing, there's nothing to stop them from revolting against you and putting whoever they want on the throne."

"Do you think I am so incompetent to allow mob rule to take place?"

"Lady Ordelia's right," I say. "Establishing a meritocracy has no benefit for you, since it weakens your claim to rule."

"On the contrary," Edelgard says, "I will have proven my worth not through my birth status, but through my actions."

That's when it clicks in my mind. She doesn't only want to conquer Fódlan so that she can have dominion over the Alliance and the Kingdom. She needs to bring Fódlan to its knees to show that she is strong enough to fit within her own meritocracy.

This war exists to make a point that she is a strong ruler. And for that, she's willing to sacrifice thousands of lives. I glance over at Byleth, whose expression is unreadable. They went along with this?

"So is there any hope at peace between us?" I say. "You need your little show of strength, right?"

"If I can bring the Kingdom and Alliance under my control, it doesn't matter how. That's something no Emperor has been able to do since your territories split off. It is not about military might, Claude, but competency."

"You say as you loot and slaughter."

"These verbal attacks will get you nowhere. So what do you say, Alliance Lords? Life underneath an Adrestian banner is not so bad."

"If you're expecting a full surrender, the answer is no," Lady Ordelia says. "I hope you have a specific offer in mind for us, Emperor."

"Of course. I propose the following. You will all get to retain control of your lands and pass down inheritances to your children. Life as normal will not change for you barring payment in the form of taxes, which are less than what you paid to the church. In return, the Adrestian Empire will provide military protection against all hostile forces, including the Kingdom and Almyra."

"If we get to keep our own lands…" Count Gloucester rubs his chin.

"We're capable of dealing with Almyra ourselves," Holst says. "We don't need you to waltz in and act like you know how to protect us from them."

"Ah, Lord Goneril. I was hoping that you would be the most excited about this proposal. Under my plan, the Alliance round table will be abolished, so you will have more time to garrison Fódlan's Locket and train soldiers instead of playing these silly political games. And in addition, you will have Imperial weapons and funds at the ready."

"We should not even consider accepting a proposal that relinquishes our ability to govern the Alliance as a whole," I say. "If the Empire can divide us, we have no bargaining power once their soldiers march into our territory. They can go back on their world with the snap of their fingers and there's nothing we can do unless we band together to resist it."

And therein lies the fundamental problem of the Leicester Alliance. This sort of loose confederacy doesn't work in wartime. I think back to how the US started with an almost nonexistent federal government under the Articles of Confederation and how ineffective it was at managing even basic matters.

"Maintaining some semblance of regional government is negotiable," Edelgard says, "But it must have Imperial oversight."

"And you mentioned enjoying how the round table seats are not permanent," I say. "So all of our jobs are at risk if you decide you want to support some up-and-coming lords. But then again, weren't you trying to abolish the nobility system entirely?"

"So long as you are confident in your own abilities," Edelgard says, "There is nothing to fear. You will be the representatives of your provinces if you can win the support of your people."

"So your plan comes down to mob rule," Lady Ordelia says, "Again."

"You are all so determined to look on the negative side, but can't you see that the current system is just as dangerous and painful? Let's say you have a brilliant child who is prepared to take the reins to become a politician capable of expanding your family's influence across the whole Alliance. If they don't have a crest, all of their skills are useless. My system allows you to have better heirs."

"So we'll get to choose our heirs?" I say. "Because going from the oldest child with a crest inheriting to the oldest child inheriting regardless of a crest doesn't assure any more quality."

Edelgard nods. "Birth order is a silly means of determining who has the right to command. Think about it. Under my rule, you'll have more control over heirs, be paying fewer taxes than when the church controlled Fódlan, and have better military support."

"That sounds great until the commoners start raising pitchforks at us because our crests are no longer seen as the divine right to rule," Lady Ordelia says. "How are you going to prevent that bloodshed, Emperor?"

"Violence and destruction of property will still be illegal, even if the crest system is abolished. Those who break those laws will be punished accordingly."

"Honestly, I'm not sure how much of a difference there will be between now and if we bend the knee," Count Gloucester says. "The strong among us will be able to control our lands, even if we are no longer separated from the commoner class. And I can tell that you are worried because you can barely govern your own lands, Lady Ordelia, but that problem will not go away under our current system."

Lady Ordelia doesn't acknowledge that she so much as heard Count Gloucester.

"Exactly," Edelgard says. "You all fear the future, but the present is equally painful. That's why I fight. Not because I find the death toll acceptable, but because I find the atrocities I've seen under the current system even more unacceptable."

"So what about a provisional regional government?" Margrave Edmund says. "Are you offering that or not?"

"Oh, I suppose you could keep your Alliance round table if you care so much about it. I'm feeling generous today. But if you don't agree to this offer, don't expect me to offer the same terms next time."

"None of you should trust this," I say. "Don't you all remember what happened to Duke Aegir and Lord Vestra when Edelgard took power? The same will happen to us. There's nothing stopping Edelgard from marching in here, lobbing our heads off, and putting in puppet rulers who are dedicated to her instead of schemers like us with our own agendas. Your lives are forfeit if you agree to her terms."

"You know me from the academy days, Claude," Edelgard says. "Am I the type of person to do that?"

"Absolutely. You see your own classmates as pawns, so you didn't tell them that you were the Flame Emperor. You love imprisoning and killing nobles who are powerful enough to oppose you. Does everyone here know that the first thing Edelgard did after taking the throne was imprisoning Duke Aegir? He didn't have a single opportunity to act against her. We're all guilty until proven innocent with her."

"You have no idea what you're talking about." Edelgard's eyes narrow. "Aegir was a traitor to the Empire."

"Such a broad banner. Every false crime under the sun is treason. Give it up, Edelgard. You eliminated anyone who posed a threat to you. If we are as strong and competent as you say we are, that means we have targets on our back."

"Killing you all would destabilize the Alliance territory," Edelgard says. "I'm not the type of person to make your people suffer like that."

"Oh, you're not?" I say. "Then explain what happened to the Kingdom. Wait, don't tell me. I already know. You had Cornelia kill Dimitri, who was our friend, and then had her rule Fearghus and funnel all of its resources into you while its people starved."

Edelgard flinches. "We are enemies with Cornelia."

"You say you are, but you haven't made any moves against her. Cornelia led her little coup right after you took control, and I have numerous sources saying that you were the one who gave that order. If we submit to Edelgard's rule, we'll end up exactly like the Kingdom did."

The best lies are laced with truth. Cornelia was affiliated with Edelgard, but I have no reason to think that Edelgard plotted out the coup by herself. Likely it was something that Cornelia took the initiative on by herself. And I do believe that the Empire and Kingdom are enemies now, because I'm the one stopping Edelgard from invading the Kingdom. But if she says any of that now, it will sound like a hollow excuse.

"You have no idea what you're talking about," Edelgard says. "I'm trying to wipe Those Who Slither in the Dark from this land."

"Then do it. Invade the Kingdom. I won't stop you. In fact, we could do it together."

Edelgard blinks. "Together?"

I look around at the Alliance lords. "Lady Ordelia at a minimum knows how dangerous Cornelia and her kind are. It is in our best interests to ensure that their darkness does not seep into our lands."

"I have little to offer in terms of money or troops," Lady Ordelia says, "But if we are taking on Cornelia, I'd provide everything I have."

"I can provide Riegan troops as well, and once I explain the situation to Judith I bet she'd be willing to help out. So what about it, Edelgard? We could fight side by side to eliminate our true enemy, but only if you give your word not to invade us afterwards."

"You know I can't do that, Claude. If the crest system is held up anywhere, suffering will continue. This has to end. You can't weasel your way out of this decision any longer. You will either submit to me, or your people will die."

"Look right now at who the Adrestian Emperor is," I say. "She disposed of the Imperial nobles who spoke against her. No, who didn't even have the opportunity to speak against her. Then she led a coup against the Kingdom, condemned it in name, but refuses to take action and instead drained its resources away to fund her conquest. Then she comes to us promising good treatment but ends on a note where she threatens to slaughter our civilians if we don't obey her every command."

"I didn't-"

"Seeing who the Adrestian Emperor is," I say, "Do you want to submit to her now?"

Around the table, a series of head shakes. Even Count Gloucester follows, which is a blessing for the moment.

"You've all made a terrible mistake," Edelgard says. Turning her gaze to me, "And know that I don't appreciate your lies about me, Claude. I was hoping for a fair, honorable solution to this conflict, but with you I see that isn't possible."

If fair and honorable means our people starving and dying like the Kingdom's, I'll keep scheming until the day I die. Edelgard snaps her wyvern's reins and flies off. It takes me a few seconds to realize Byleth is there. I'm fairly certain they haven't spoken at all during this exchange.

"I'll give you all one last chance," Byleth says. "You agree to our terms, or you have to face me on the battlefield. Simple as that."

Holst snorts. "I'm not scared of an academy professor. How many real battles have you actually seen?"

"I'm guessing plenty, being a mercenary," Lady Ordelia says, "But that doesn't mean you know how to command large-scale armies."

"I don't need an army," Byleth says. "I suppose it's easier to show you. How tragic this is, that the common folk have to die in order to drill a point into your thick skulls."

"Don't act like you're above this," I say. "If you build your life off of slaughtering and pillaging, you can't be surprised when some of us grow a backbone and protect our lives."

Byleth flies off on their wyvern without another word. I let out a sigh as they soar off into the skies. I'm guessing Edelgard knew that we were going to refuse her offer, and only talked to us now so that she could justify offering us worse deals when we're more desperate down the line.

The only option is to stop her at the Great Bridge of Myrddin. Good thing I have an arrow with her name written on it.

#

Every day when I wake up in Derdriu, a part of me expects to receive a message saying that the Empire is invading our territory. It helps to go through each day busy making preparations and negotiating with minor lords for support so that I don't have time to dwell on it. But each day that passes only makes me more nervous. Because I know that Byleth and Edelgard are planning on ravaging the lands and people I've sworn to protect. But I don't know when.

And then one morning, it happens.

It's almost noon when a soldier bursts through a door into a conference room where I'm discussing optimal supply line routes. I can tell from his sleek, light armor that he's a pegasus knight, even though he doesn't have his mount with him.

"Lord Riegan." He pants without pausing his speech. "The Empire's forces have been spotted marching towards the Great Bridge of Myrddin."

"I'll leave right now," I say, standing up.

"Lady Judith said to stay here and let her handle the situation."

"Like hell I'm going to. She knew I was going to show up. I hope the battle's not lost by the time I get there."

Fancy walking be damned, I need to get out as soon as possible. I run through the hallways and up stairwells until I reach Omar's stable. He lets out a puff of hot breath through his nostrils when I approach, which I know is a sign of affection. Still, he doesn't waste time greeting me like he normally does, and I wonder if he can tell that I'm in serious mode.

Omar and I take off into the skies. It takes a conscious reminder every minute not to wear out Omar's stamina during the beginning of the flight. It will take longer to arrive if I push him to his max speed now, and I'll need to make sure he saves some energy to perform the necessary flight maneuvers.

"This is going to be a gnarly one," I tell him. "Try to hang in there, okay?"

He doesn't reply, but his next wing flaps seem more confident. I swear that wyverns are better listeners than people.

Eventually, I make out the Great Bridge of Myrddin in the distance. I bite my tongue so that the pain reminds me not to push Omar into a sprint even now. It's hard when I see my people down below clashing with the Imperials. How many of those people will die because they believed in me and my vision?

"Let's get down into the action, Omar," I say. "Steel yourself."

I have Omar dive down towards the scene of the battle. The Imperial strike force itself is small, and Byleth is leading the charge. I make out all eight of the Black Eagles students following behind, clashing with Judith's soldiers. Unlike in the battle at Garreg Mach, there are no demonic beasts or other large targets. However, a large force of Imperial soldiers advances forward behind Byleth's strike force in the background.

I grit my teeth and fly over to Judith, who garrisons the middle of the bridge.

"What are you doing?" I say. "Pull your forces back to our side so that retreat is easier."

"I'm doing things my way, boy. I hope you didn't show up and think that you get to run the show today."

I look up and see Byleth and the others cutting a line through our forces. I have Omar fly up and I take shots at Byleth. The barrage of arrows does make them halt their advance, which gives our forces a chance to get back into formation. Byleth makes eye contact with me, and while I'm too far away to hear anything they might say I do see them stiffen.

They don't know the terror that we do. We knew that someday, an emperor who only cares about killing and conquering was going to step on our lands and slash at anything that moves. And now backing them is a person with the powers of a god.

I'm going to bring them down from heaven and back to earth. I'm going to keep inflicting pain until Byleth knows the terror they subjected us to.

As I take my aim at Byleth, a figure flies up past me.

I fire at my new attacker, but I miss by a mile. I let out a growl and have Omar fly up. I can't focus on the enemy below and someone above me in the skies at the same time. As Omar ascends, I can tell that this new combatant is riding a wyvern, but nothing else. After a few seconds, they dive at me with an axe outstretched. I maneuver Omar to the side in time for the axe to graze past my throat. And while the enemy wyvern flies past, I see Edelgard's purple eyes narrowed at me. Time seems to slow, and her axe Aymr blinds me with its glowing light.

A jerk in my saddle tells me that Omar is maneuvering me to safety. I blink the light out of my eyes to see Edelgard flying at me again. This time I draw a blade and our weapons ring out as we pass by each other.

Flying jousting. This would be exhilarating if it weren't so terrifying.

"Quit avoiding me and fight," Edelgard says. "Nobody else needs to get involved."

"Should have made that offer before slaughtering my people. I'm not going to let you subjugate Fódlan for the sake of your own bloodlust."

"You don't know anything, Claude. Why are you so afraid? We both know that the church is-"

"This isn't about the fucking church. This is for Marianne. This is for Dimitri. This is for all the people behind this bridge who are about to be slaughtered by your murder gang if I fail here."

Time to unleash the power of this relic bow. I nock an arrow and channel the power of my crest into the weapon. I haven't practiced this combat art as much due to how much it wears on Failnaught, but it comes to me naturally.

Fallen Star.

I aim for Edelgard's chest and let loose. A dark trail follows the arrow as it soars through the air. She jerks her wyvern to the side, but not fast enough. The arrow slams into her right arm, and Aymr nearly slips out of her grip.

Her mouth twists in pain and her eye twitches, but I get nothing else from her. If nothing else, I do have to admire her resovle.

Edelgard descends on her wyvern without another word for me, and disappears into the thick of battle after I miss a couple more shots I take at her. I resist the urge to chase. As badly as I want her head, I should count myself lucky that I'm still alive.

Instead, I fly around to survey the battlefield. We're losing on all fronts and the Empire pushes us further and further back. On one of the flanks, I see a battalion of Alliance soldiers being surrounded.

No time to waste.

I fire off more arrows while having Omar dive towards the action. For each Imperial soldier I take down, two more replace them. What am I supposed to do when they beat us with skill and numbers? I glance back at the group of our surrounded soldiers and see that about half of them have already fallen.

Leading the remaining Alliance warriors is Raphael, who charges into a group of Imperial troops and takes out a dozen in a matter of seconds. One gauntleted punch, one kill. I provide cover fire to protect him from incoming attackers, but he's in bad shape. I need to get him to a healer fast, which means we need to cut our way out of this mess.

I shout an order to target the Empire soldiers behind them. If they can break through the thin line cutting them off, I can get them to rejoin with the rest of the army. Thankfully, Judith's soldiers are well-trained enough to put my commands into action. The cavaliers go first, trampling the Imperial foot soldiers while spearing anyone who isn't in their direct path. The poor horses must be terrified, but they do their job and the cavaliers make it out safe.

The rest of the Alliance soldiers start funneling out the break in Imperial lines. I fire more shots at the ones who try to seal the exit. Raphael is one of the last ones out. From the size of the gap, he should be able to make it.

And then I see a blast of dark magic cutting off the exit route. Through the lingering black flames I spot Hubert, wisps of darkness floating off his fingertips. A ball of darkness appears floating above his palm. He looks at Raphael, who's cut off and surrounded. Then he looks at me. Chuckles.

He fires the ball at Raphael.

When the magic connects, Raphael falls to the ground. Hubert points at his body and orders to the soldiers to move in for the kill. Before I have time to knock an arrow, a half-dozen soldiers are on him.

Dead. He must be.

Blood rush drowns out all other sounds. I fire a series of shots at Hubert. One, two, three. One of them nails his leg, but he doesn't react. He fades back into the crowd of Imperial soldiers, and I follow.

He's not getting away with this.

A blast of dark magic covers my field of vision. I must be close. I only need to-

Omar lets out a screech of pain. I snap back to my senses and jerk the reins up to have him ascend. As I rise, I look down to see Hubert smirking at me. I think he killed Raphael on purpose to try and lure me in. Take out the Alliance leader and end the war the next day. I can't even be angry at him for trying that strategy. It's my fault for not being strong enough to protect Raphael.

Omar's flying is more like an uneven flutter, and that's when I realize he took an arrow to the wing. The shaft is still stuck in his wing, and it's a miracle he can fly at all. I have him glide over to the rest of the Alliance forces and have him land next to Judith.

"Looks like you were right, boy," Judith says. "That professor really is something else. A few of my soldiers and I are going to charge them and buy time for the rest of you to escape."

"Don't you dare."

"I didn't ask for your permission, boy."

"Raphael's dead. I have to-"

"His death will mean nothing if you fall here. Retreat to Deridru and fortify the city. Kill the Emperor and her little mercenary pet there."

I close my eyes and suck in a breath. I don't want to admit it, but I know that Judith's right. When Marianne died and I charged Byleth, I should have died for it. It's cold to run and leave my friends' corpses to rot, but I can't let my rage drag the people close to me into more issues.

"This is what it's like to be a war leader, boy," Judith says. "Get used to it."

She doesn't wait for my response before charging towards Byleth's army with a battalion at her back. The rest of the soldiers look at me for guidance.

"Fall back," I say. "The day is lost, but we can live to fight again."

Raphael's sister, Ignatz's parents, and Leonie's village are now in danger. I want to blame myself because if it is my fault then I can improve and win the next time around, but I'm not sure if we had any chance at the start. I've never seen Byleth lose. I've never even seen them falter.

As I pull the rest of Judith's forces back, I look over my shoulder to see Edelgard walking up to a kneeling Judith and executing her with Aymr. White-hot anger leaves me stiff, and even gripping the reins tighter doesn't stop my fingers from trembling in rage. Edelgard didn't need to kill her. In fact, she had more to gain by taking Judith hostage and using her as a bargaining chip to make deals with the Alliance and maintain control over Daphnel territory.

Marianne, Dimitri, Raphael, Judith. The list of people I need to avenge gets longer and longer.

*I fixed an error from previous chapters saying Nader is Claude's father. Turns out Claude's dad is the king of Almyra, and Nader is most likely an uncle-type figure who knew Claude from a young age.

Crimson flower is pretty brutal. One thing I didn't realize for this chapter until I looked on the wiki is that Judith tries to retreat if the battle goes on long enough and the game forces you to kill her to win. She's really easy to kill turn 1 or 2 so I never got there lol.

One of the fun things about Three Houses is how much each side lies to make their enemies look bad. Edelgard and Seteth/Rhea are all guilty of it, so I thought Claude could join in on the fun. Most of what he says about the Empire is partially true but probably harsher than is fully accurate. Then again, he's not about to give them the benefit of the doubt when they're invading his homeland.

Oh, and it did feel bad to kill Raphael in this chapter despite him not appearing on this level in three houses, but that was what ended up making the most sense to me given the versions of characters I'm running.

Hope you all have a great day! :)