Chapter 32: The Burning of Gloucester. Part 5.

"Father?" Lorenz whispered as Count Gloucester staggered before him. "Father! What have they done?"

Count Gloucester opened his mouth to speak, but only a choked gasp escaped Count Gloucester's lips.

"The witch attacked him," a soldier said. "She must have slipped by our cordon."

"Mortis?" Lorenz spat, his voice quivering with rage. "Do we know it was her? For certain?"

"She burned down the stables and Gloucester Manor," another soldier scoffed, his eyes turning to Lorenz. "Do you know of another fire based sorcerer with a hatred for Count Gloucester?"

Lorenz swallowed, "Where are the medics? We must heal him!"

"That's what we're here to do," the first soldier said as a pair of medics hurried forward, their faces tight as they pulled the count away, the brand around his throat a dark red in the morning light.

Lorenz swallowed as he turned away, his hands clenched into fists, "When I find her, I'm going to-"

"Lorenz?" Ignatz asked.

"What is it?" Leonie asked, her eyes on Ignatz.

"I don't- nevermind," Ignatz said, taking a step back as he raised his hands in surrender.

"Are we ready?" Byleth asked Edelgard as he placed her crown on her head, his hands wrapping loose strands of pale hair into braids.

"As much as I'll ever be," Edelgard said as she planted a kiss on Byleth's cheek, their hands held together for a moment before Edelgard tore herself away.

"Let's go," Byleth said as the royal couple stepped from their tent, Edelgard nodded as Byleth took a heavy Imperial standard from an accompanying soldier.

The crowd before them parted as they watched the Emperor and her retinue march through the camp toward the bridgehead.

"My emperor," the captain at the bridgehead greeted. "Royal Consort Byleth."

"We will be going ahead now," Edelgard said. "Be on your guard, but it is preferable that we settle this without further bloodshed."

The soldier nodded as he stepped aside, opening the way to the rebellious Great Bridge of Myrddin.

Byleth glanced behind them as Indech, Bernadetta, and Felix followed the royal pair, the swordsman exchanging a glance with the soldier as he passed.

"Let's go," Edelgard said as she took her first steps forward, the plate of Emperor Sophia unmistakable in the morning light.

Even as they crossed the bridge, they heard the sound of shouting and distant footsteps.

"So they're coming," Byleth murmured, his grip tightening on the standard in his hands.

"They are," Felix said, his face gaunt as he glanced at Edelgard. "Shieldwall. They're nervous."

Edelgard nodded as she stopped at the edge of the town, Aymr in one hand and Sophia's shield in the other.

"Looks like militia," Byleth observed as Edelgard slammed the point of Aymr into the stones below, the sound crashing though the town as the shield wall wavered, as if expecting a divine calamity.

"Someone is coming," Felix said as he turned to Edelgard.

Edelgard nodded as the shield wall parted, the lilac head of Lorenz Hellman Gloucester appearing from behind the line of infantry.

"So Yuri's report was accurate after all," Byleth observed, a frown on his lips.

"Lorenz Hellman Gloucester," Edelgard barked as she looked at him. "I come here to demand your father end this rebellion and return to imperial service."

"I understand that," Lorenz said as he stared back at Edelgard. "But I will not accept that you would rather assassinate him than negotiate with him."

Edelgard exchanged a glance with Byleth before she turned back to Lorenz, "I did not send an assassin after your father."

"But yet my father has still been maimed," Lorenz continued. "His stables and his manor burned to ash."

"Where is your father, Lorenz?" Edelgard asked, her tone even. "This is not your fight."

"Your assassin burned down the town hall here and the Gloucester family mausoleum," Lorenz replied. "And that's before she maimed my father."

Edelgard glanced at the destroyed building behind the shield wall without saying a word.

"Where is Count Gloucester?" Byleth asked, stepping forward.

"You should know," Lorenz shot back. "Mortis destroyed him. He can't even speak after what she did to him."

"No, we did not order Mortis to attack your father," Edelgard snapped. "You are mistaken. Hubert would never let her out of his sight."

Lorenz narrowed his eyes, "Hubert? Hubert von Vestra? So she does know Hubert then."

Edelgard exchanged a glance with Byleth before she continued, "Hubert has not had contact with Mortis in almost six years before we captured her. And he certainly does not know where your father is to send an assassin."

"But he knows where Gloucester Manor is," Lorenz snarled. "And he has both the motive and the opportunity, an opportunity you just admitted yourself. "

"I have my faith that Hubert did not order Mortis to assassinate your father," Edelgard snapped, her eyes hard. "And do you know why that is?"

Lorenz narrowed his eyes as Edelgard took a deep breath, "I have seen Mortis in action, and I know of Hubert's determination. Had Hubert ordered Mortis to kill your father, he would not survive the attempt."

Lorenz glared at Edelgard as she turned away.

"We will demand an answer from Hubert," Edelgard said. "And then we will return."

"Anything?" Tiana asked as Darius hurried back to the group.

"Nothing," Darius replied. "We've reached the edge of their fortifications, but there's no sign of them in these woods."

Tiana nodded, "Was there anything out of the ordinary that you noticed?"

"The entire region stinks like hell," Darius said. "Smells like a mass grave."

Tiana nodded as she waved her men to come close, "Have our prisoners said anything?"

"Nothing," a marine said as he unsheathed his sword. "Short of cutting them up, I don't see any way we can get them to talk."

Tiana nodded, "Two of you, march the prisoners back to the beachhead. The rest of you, come with me. We'll take a look at Conand Tower ourselves."

The warband nodded as they spread out, the group stalking through the forest as the prisoners were dragged away.

"Has the patrol returned yet?" Solon asked.

"No," Vito said. "Should I take another team and go?"

"Very well," Solon said. "Be quick. We leave this place today, and anyone not present for roll call will be left behind."

Vito nodded as he glanced at Talos, "Let's go then."

"You taking your whole squad?" Talos asked as he stood up, taking a final gulp of his tea as he gestured for a pack of his men to close with him.

"We don't need to, but I'm sure my boys want to get away from all the corpses," Vito said. "I'll leave the knife job behind, but that's all."

"Sounds like a plan," Talos said as the pair stepped away from Solon. "Why do you think old man Olympia hasn't returned yet?"

"With this stink, I don't think anyone can hold down food," Vito said. "Maybe he found a hog in the forest that he didn't want to share."

Talos snorted as he cracked his neck, "Alright then, let's hope he has leftovers."

"Do you think it's possible that Hubert stepped out of line?" Edelgard asked Byleth as she stepped back into their tent, her arms crossed against her midsection as she flipped through a series of papers, her eyes skimming each line before moving on.

"With him, it is possible," Byleth said. "Still, I don't believe the others would have let him get away with it even if he did."

"I think it's not like him," Edelgard said. "Hubert made it public that he murdered his father for betraying my father during the Insurrection. To simply have Count Gloucester maimed doesn't seem like a plan Hubert or Mortis would enact."

"I agree," Byleth said. "We'll need to wait until nightfall before we cross the Airmid River though, or otherwise we'll give away Hubert's cover."

Edelgard nodded as she glanced at the other side of the Airmid River, her arms against her midsection as she watched the distant woods for a sign of life.

"Lord Thales?" Chilon asked as he stepped into the office of the Agastya, dark circles around his eyes. "The… kinslayer requests an audience."

Thales nodded as he closed a file, rising to his feet as he pushed back his chair, "Was there a specific topic she wished to talk about?"

"No," Chilon said. "There was nothing on that front, but she demanded your presence in particular."

Thales nodded as he glanced at the stack of papers on his desk, "I've been reading through Periander's files."

"The current one or the previous one?"

"The deceased one, the previous Agastya," Thales corrected. "The only Agastya to die of natural causes in over a century."

Chilon nodded, "Were there things he hid from us?"

"A great amount," Thales said. "His writings contain a number of spells that even I was not aware of."

"Where did he find these things?" Chilon asked. "And if he invented them, why did he hide them from us?"

"He did not," Thales said. "He referenced a previous Periander in his works."

"Odd," Chilon said. "Do you believe that Spite- agh, the current Periander knows of these spells?"

"I do," Thales said. "Still, the work in question appears to be largely situational, and I believe the current Periander has never had an opportunity to use the magics within the previous Agastya's notes."

Chilon nodded as he opened the door to the woman's bedroom, "I will leave you be then."

"No," Thales said as he glared at the woman within the room. "You will wait here, in the event that our unwelcome guest becomes… hysterical."

"Right," Chilon said as he stood by the door. "I understand."

"These woods give me the creeps," a soldier said as he followed the narrow path through the dense forest. "Is it just me, or are we being watched?"

Talos glanced around the forest, "Just carry on, we'll be back in Zaharas by nightfall today. There's nothing to fear here."

Vito nodded as he stepped past a tree, his eyes narrowing as he raised a hand, the convoy behind him freezing in place as he stepped forward.

"Vito, is something wrong?"

"The body is gone," Vito said as he glanced around the forest. "Olympia! Have you buried the dead one?"

"He's not here," a woman's voice said, her tone frigid. "But we are."

Talos spun to the source of the voice as a band of infantry rose from the underbrush, bows aimed and swords drawn.

"Almyrans," Vito snarled. "Where is Olympia?"

"He's alive," the woman said. "Who are you?"

"That is none of your concern," Vito said.

"Hands where I can see them, or I'll put an arrow in you," a man said, a simple wooden bow in his hands warned. "We have questions."

"Hey!" a soldier shouted as his quiver was emptied, a soldier moving to hand over the arrows to the woman.

"Huh, Goneril wood," the woman observed. "Who are you, so deep in Kingdom territory, wielding arrows made from Goneril wood?"

"Eno-" a soldier cried toward the back of the convoy, his shout silenced as he fell into the dirt, an arrow embedded in his throat.

"Nine," the woman observed. "Npw, answer my question."

"Lady Tiana, should we just shoot them?"

"Last chance to talk," the woman warned Vito. "Who are you bastards?"

Vito fell silent.

"Enough!" Talos snarled. "We're Periander's warband!"

"And how did you get here?" the woman barked. "You certainly didn't make your way through the beach, and I'm sure you didn't fight your way past House Galatea to reach Conand Tower."

Vito tensed at the words, leading the young man before him to reply with a tensing of his bow.

"Attack!" Vito shouted as he ducked, charging the man before him.

Claude lowered his bow to meet the attacking man, the arrow plunging deep into the rampaging man's shoulder as the two groups sprung into action.

The man before him grunted in pain as he charged into Claude, the attack knocking his bow from his hands as Claude fell backward, his arms raised tall as the pale man brought his forearms down, smashing into his arms as the battle raged around them.

Claude winced at the heavy blow, his arms raised around his head as the man brought another heavy attack down, his arms primed to block the attack to his head..

But Claude felt surprise, then pain, then rage.

The man had punched past his defense, the blow knocking his head to the side as he felt the taste of blood in his mouth, his defensive stance faltering as the man towered over him, throwing blow after blow against his lips and nose.

Claude growled as he seized the man's arm, bringing his shoulder against the man's chin as he threw his upper body against his opponent, the heavy blow knocking his opponent back as he tore the arrow free from the man's damaged shoulder, enticing a roar of pain.

"Go to hell," the man below him managed before Claude brought the arrow down, slamming the arrow into his target's eye, the attack splattering him with blood as he staggered to his feet.

"Prince Khalid, are you alright?" a marine asked as Claude rose to his feet, wiping away blood from his nose.

"Fine," Claude said. "Mom, are you alright?"

Tiana waved him off, "Most of them didn't even put up a fight. Yours was the only one that did any damage."

Claude glanced down at the man sprawled in the dirt below him, "Is that frost on his hand?"

"Looks like it," the marine said, kicking the hand away. "Can confirm. It's frost alright. Looks like he was a mage."

"Looks like you got yourself bruised up," Tiana said as she tore a strip of cloth away from one of the men, turning to the marine next to Claude. "You, clean him up. I don't want him in a fight if his nose is still bleeding."

"Right," the marine said as he led Claude away. "Come along now, Prince Khalid, there should be a stream nearby."

Aranea sneezed as the wind picked up.

"Something wrong?" Spite asked as he turned to Aranea, his arms crossed as he took a bite of bread.

"Damn pollen," Aranea said. "It's hard to breathe with the stuff in the air."

"Noted," Spite said. "Are you going to be alright?"

"Might be difficult to- oh I see," Aranea said. "You're thinking this can be used as a weapon."

"You are correct," Spite replied. "A sustained wave of concentrated pollen could hold back a large group of infantry if cast correctly."

"Clever," Aranea acknowledged. "What do you think we do with the two brats?"

"You want revenge on them for killing you?" Spite asked. "They were there, weren't they?"

Aranea shrugged, "Killing them would be so boring. More fun to leave them at the mercy of these rebel scum."

Spite nodded, "We'll see when the time comes."

"You don't want to kill them, do you?" Aranea asked.

"They've been well behaved," Spite argued. "They've also helped us greatly."

"Right, with Kronya," Aranea muttered, receiving a glare from her brother. "Fine, forget I ever said anything."

"Like I said," Spite said, waving his sister off. "We'll see when the time comes."

"Has there been any change in my father's condition?" Lorenz asked as the town surgeon stepped from his room.

The man shook his head, "The fire that burned him destroyed his vocal cords. He'll never speak again."

Lorenz clenched his hands as he turned around, "Were there any witnesses to what happened?"

A wheezing gasp escaped Count Gloucester as the older man staggered through the door, his bare torso bandaged with a dozen lesser burns.

"Father!" Lorenz cried. "What is going on?"

Count Gloucester shook his head as he gestured to a quill on a nearby desk, a wheezing gasp escaping him as Lorenz brought him the quill and a piece of parchment.

"Father, if there is anything we can do to help-" Lorenz started, his protest silenced as his father glared at him, the man scribbling on the parchment as another rasp escaped Count Gloucester, the older man slamming the quill to the desk as Lorenz rushed forward.

"Bring me Yurius and Mortis," Lorenz read from the paper, his brow furrowed. "Right away father. Right away."

Count Gloucester coughed as his son fled through the door, his eyes widening as he grasped at the slammed door, his wounded body falling to the ground as Periander's demand made its way through his foggy mind.

"Count Gloucester?" the doctor spluttered, taking a moment to hoist the older man up. "Are you alright?"

Count Gloucester gritted his teeth as he pushed himself back up to his feet, taking slow, shaky steps toward the door.

"Count!" the doctor pleaded. "You must rest!"

Count Gloucester shoved the doctor away as he staggered to the door, his arms leaning against the heavy wood for support as he moved to leave the room.

"Let me get the door for you," the doctor said, pushing the door away, leaving Count Gloucester with no support as he fell forward, the cobblestones of the floor rising to greet him.

"My emperor?"

Edelgard and Byleth glanced up at the guard who had spoken, their eyes taking a moment to find the man in the midday sun.

"What is it?" Byleth asked. "Has Count Gloucester been spotted?"

The soldier shook his head, "Lorenz Hellman Gloucester has given us a demand."

"And that demand is?" Edelgard asked.

"He demanded that a certain Mortis." the soldier said. "This Mortis is to be taken to him."

"No," Edelgard said. "Mortis is important to our plans, and we need to leave for Conand Tower after this… episode."

"I- see," the soldier said. "I'll send the message then."

"Wait," Edelgard said. "We'll deliver the message personally. If Lorenz can promise us that Mortis will be returned to us in short order, then perhaps there is an option where this will end without bloodshed."

"Of course then," the young man said. "This way, if you will."

"Solon!"

Solon turned his gaze to glare at the man rushing into the tent, his hand firm against his staff, "Is something the matter?"

"Macuil, we found Macuil's forces moving against our northern outpost," the young man managed. "He's coming for us."

Solon narrowed his eyes as he moved from the inside of the tent, grimacing as he turned to the soldier. "Fall back to the south. Vito, Olympia, and Talos will all be rejoining our forces. When that happens, strike and ensure that Macuil dies."

"Understood!" the young man shouted as he turned to the eastern forest, his body sprinting as he disappeared into the ruins of Conand Tower.

Solon swore as a crack in his back forced him to stop, his teeth clenched as a shadow fell upon him.

Solon glared up at the ghostly pegasus knight looming over him, lance pointed at his heart.

"And what is it that you offer me today?" Thales asked as he sat in the room with Anselma von Hresvelg. "Why should I continue to offer you luxuries that could go to my warriors?"

"You need me, Thales," Anselma snarled. "And after all I have done for you, you intend to renege on your debts?"

"And what makes you say that?" Thales asked. "If I were to kill you, it would make at least two members of my Septet very, very happy."

Anselma glared at Thales, "And what of all the favours I have done for you?"

"What is it that you believe I owe you a debt over?" Thales sneered. "The previously agreed on payments for your brother's murder? The settled matter of sacrificing your daughter only after Lord Periander carved through all of your nieces and nephews? Just what is it that you have done for me that I must pay tribute to?"

"You wouldn't hurt me," Anselma said. "You still need me."

"And why is that, kinslayer?" Thales asked. "All I desire is that your daughter kneels before me, either alive or dead. Is your worthless scrap of a hide worth so much to you that you will sacrifice even that which you once sought to save?"

Anselma fell silent, glaring at Thales with cold rage.

"Still," Thales said, a frigid smirk lighting up his face. "I have yet to fulfil my final bargain. I have yet to show you your daughter, at least not face to face."

Anselma gritted her teeth, "What are you planning?"

"That is a good question," Thales said with a smile, "You will serve your purpose in due time. The only question is how I should treat you before that time."

Anselma snarled as she glared at Thales, "Without me-"

"Without you I would have found another way to destroy Ionius," Thales said, taking a moment to survey the room. "Chilon, I have made my decision."

"My Lord?" Chilon asked.

"Strip her of all these… luxuries," Thales said, waving around the spacious room. "Ensure she has three meals a day and the clothes on her back, but nothing more."

"You wouldn't dare treat me like this!" Anselma protested.

"My final debt to you is to allow you to see your daughter one last time," Thales said as he stood up, turning his back to the woman before him. "I will uphold my end of the bargain, but I assure you, I will not do one thing more."

Chilon paused, "Do we remove the bed as well?"

Thales frowned as he looked at the heavy bed, "Keep the frame here, but the mattress and the sheets are to go."

"Let go!" Yurius shouted as the man threw him forward, the action leaving him sprawled on the rough cobblestones. "What is it that you want from me?"

"Count Gloucester has demanded your presence," the man snarled. "Come on, get in."

Yurius glared at the men before he stepped forward, his eyes taking a moment to take in the small room where Count Gloucester lay.

A hacking cough from the man caught his attention as he turned his gaze to the man, the marks of a terrible burn around his throat evident despite the faint light of the room.

"The hell happened to you?" Yurius muttered, stepping close to the pained man.

The man on the bed took a look at Yurius before he opened his mouth, yet said nothing.

"What is it that you want with me?" Yurius asked.

The man hacked in turn, a winding, hacking noise, raising a pale, slender finger at a small piece of parchment on the desk.

Yurius frowned as he glanced at the scrap, his hands raising the message close to his eyes to read the two words written on the parchment.

"Lord Periander," Yurius said as he turned to the man below. "Spite."

Count Gloucester coughed in turn, his body wracked with agony as he raised a finger at him.

"He wants me?" Yurius guessed.

Count Gloucester moaned as he fell back down, his breathing becoming even as his eyes closed.

"Spite came here, for me?" Yurius asked.

"Yurius?" a voice asked from the doorway.

Yurius turned his gaze to Evi, the small girl grinning as she embraced him in a hug.

"Evi!" Yurius exclaimed, his voice tinged with discomfort. "What are you doing here?"

"The guards are gone!" Evi said. "And- and Acheron promised me a big reward."

"Acheron?" Yurius asked, his voice filled with disgust. "What did he do?"

"He promised us that we would never have to work if we helped him," Evi ranted, a light in her eyes. "Oh I'm so excited!"

"Evi, just what did you agree to?" Yurius stammered.

"All I have to do is kill him," Evi said, pointing to the broken form of Count Gloucester on the bed. "That's all, and then we'll be able to go home together."

"Evi, I don't think Acheron is trustworthy," Yurius pleaded with the girl. "And I need to be somewhere else, so could we continue this elsewhere?"

"Yurius, do you love me?" Evi asked, her eyes wide as she looked at Yurius.

Yurius closed his eyes as he thought of Monica's smiling face, "No, I don't. I have someone waiting for me."

"Then why did you help me?" Evi asked, pulling a dagger from her belt. "Why did you help me?"

"Because I believed at the time that you were a good person," Yurius said. "That you would be able to do something good with your life."

"Oh," Evi whispered, her voice tiny as she turned to the helpless form of Count Gloucester.

"No!" Yurius screamed. "Don't!"

Solon groaned as he threw another blast of magic behind him, the undead pegasus knight evaporating into air as another took his place, his lance aimed for Solon's heart.

"Stop," a voice barked as the pegasus knight darted away, a tall, green haired man stepping forward from behind the undead legion.

"Abomination," Solon spat. "You are an abomination."

"And you are a monster," Macuil said. "A monster who I will end personally."

Solon growled as he unleashed a powerful spell of darkness, a series of dark orbs surrounding the Nabatean warrior before slamming into him.

Macuil took the attack head on, the darkness fizzling as he pointed his sword at Solon, "I sentence you to death, Agarthan."

"You'll have to kill me first," Solon growled.

"With pleasure," Macuil snarled, leaping forward with a downward slash, the attack narrowly missing Solon's flesh, carving through the man's robes.

"I will kill you," Solon snarled. "I will slaughter all of your wretched kind. Cichol, Indech, Ceth-"

Macuil felt a spike of rage through his heart at the mention of his niece, throwing his blade into Solon, the blade tearing through his heart as Macuil stalked forward, tearing the blade free from the chest of his victim.

"Die," Macuil growled as he seized the old man's head, channelling his hatred into the unholy Agarthan as arcs of lightning flashed around his body.

Solon screamed as the lightning overloaded his body, his arms reduced to quivering spasms as Macuil executed the Dark Bishop, the man's reforged body shattering as Macuil finally threw the dead man to the ground, the electricity forcing Solon's corpse to continue its spastic dance.

"Who the hell are you?" a voice asked from behind Macuil.

Macuil turned around to find the speaker, a tall, regal woman, one hand over her mouth, the other pointing a trembling blade at him.

"Are you my enemy?" Macuil asked in turn.

The woman looked at the dead man behind him and lowered her blade, "I am Tiana Shah."

Macuil sniffed the air in turn, though he smelt nothing apart from death and ozone, "You bear a Crest."

Tiana narrowed her eyes, "I do."

"Mom, what's going- oh."

Macuil turned to the young man who had arrived, his face surprised at the presence of his pegasus knight bodyguards.

"Khalid, we were just having a nice little chat with this kind helper," the woman said. "Put down your weapon, you're being rude."

"Right," the man said. "Sorry, we're just on edge."

"You are Almyran," Macuil observed.

The man flinched, "I, well, yes."

"I came here to slaughter this… rabble," Macuil said after a moment, gesturing to the lifeless form of Solon.

"We were just passing through," the man said. "Right mom?"

"Yes, of course," the woman said, a false smile plastered on her lips. "We're… traders."

Macuil looked at the pair for a moment before he transformed, his new form towering over both stunned humans as he slipped away, feeling the wind on his wings as he returned to the Sreng Desert.

"Mom, what the hell was that?" Claude asked as he watched the dragon disappear over the horizon.

"The Lord of the Desert," Tiana whispered. "I had thought of him as a myth, but…"

"So what do we do now?" Claude asked. "Do we stay here? Because I don't think anyone can train in this place."

Tiana nodded as she turned back to the abandoned fortress, "I can see that, and smell it too."

Claude nodded, "So what do we do?"

"I- wait, why are my guards?" Tiana muttered. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Mom?" Claude asked, turning to the sight of a dozen of Tiana's guards marching through the forest, hands raised over their heads.

"Tiana!" a voice shouted from above. "Come quietly!"

"Bloody hell," Tiana hissed as she glanced up, her teeth clenched. "It's him."

"Who?" Claude asked.

"Him," Tiana snarled, pointing to a shifting figure above. "Piggy."

"Piggy?" Claude asked, turning to his mother in confusion.

"Tiana!" the voice shouted again. "Come quietly and I promise that you will be spared."

"Piggy!" Tiana shouted back at the man above. "Get down here right now!"

Claude choked, "Mom, just who is this Piggy?"

"Pygmalion Otto Galatea," Tiana explained. "The current Count Galatea and a good friend of mine when I went to the Officer's Academy."

"You know that's a lie," the man scoffed as he dismounted his pegasus, his eyes glaring at Tiana. "You and Reza made life hell for me."

"Wait, he knows dad?" Claude spluttered.

"Yes," Count Galatea said, a bitter chuckle on his lips. "I knew your father, and my daughter has informed me of you as well, Claude von Riegan."

"Khalid Shah," Tiana explained. "Not Claude von Riegan."

"Shah," Count Galatea said, watching Claude for a moment. "I see. He shares Reza's eyes."

"He does," Tiana said. "And so much more."

Count Galatea nodded as a man hurried forward, his jaw dropping as he stared at the woman before him.

"Holst, that's enough," Count Galatea chided the man. "You're making Lady Tiana uncomfortable."

Holst nodded as he stood still, "Lady Tiana von Riegan, I am arresting you under the authority of the Adrestian Empire for breaching our borders. You will be taken to the nearest territory and imprisoned."

"Tiana Shah," Tiana corrected. "I have renounced the title of my birth."

Holst glanced at Count Galatea before he turned back to Tiana, "Very well then, Lady Tiana Shah, I am placing you under arrest."

"For how long?" Tiana asked. "I don't want to be in Fodlan when winter comes. The cold is terrible for my brittle bones."

Holst frowned as he shifted his gaze away to the trail of Almyran prisoners "The emperor will decide that."

"Leonie," Edelgard greeted the young man. "I see you are in good health."

"Edelgard," Leonie greeted as she glared at Byleth, "You've come at a bad time."

"What's happened?" Edelgard asked.

"Your agents have finally done it," Leonie snarled. "Finally you killed Count Gloucester. How does it feel, killing a helpless man in his bed?"

Edelgard narrowed her eyes, "We came here to negotiate his surrender, not to kill him in his sleep. Gloucester County is important to the Adrestian Empire."

"Then why did you put a dagger in his chest?" Leonie asked, her voice filled with rage. "Why did you burn Gloucester Manor down?"

"Enough," Byleth snapped. "Leonie, none of you are making sense. We did not burn down Gloucester Manor, and we did not assassinate Count Gloucester."

Leonie glared at Byleth, her eyes filled with rage as she turned around.

"Felix, hold my sword," Byleth said as he tossed the blade aside.

"Where are you going?" Edelgard asked, her voice tense as Felix caught the sword in his hand.

"I'm going to investigate this crime scene of yours," Byleth said, glaring back at Leonie. "And I want to speak to Lorenz, in person."

"His father has just been murdered by one of your people, and you want to talk to him?" Leonie spat. "What kind of trick are you playing? Do you intend to kill him too?"

"Remember that I was his teacher at the Officer's Academy," Byleth said. "And the fact that he fought alongside the Black Eagles Strike Force for five long years. We would not dishonour him by taking his father's life through assassination."

Leonie wavered for a moment as Byleth stalked forward, her hands clenched around a spear as Edelgard tensed, Aymr wavering.

"I'll be back," Byleth said as he stepped next to Leonie. "And then we can settle this once and for all."

"You do that," Edelgard said as a vice tightened around her heart, Aymr lowered as she stood at the edge of the bridge.

"Let's go then," Byleth said as he turned to Leonie. "We have a murder we need to solve."

"Hubie, what's going on?" Dorothea asked as she glanced at the bridge. "Did something happen?"

Hubert grimaced as Yuri hurried through the brush, his breathing laboured as he stopped before the group.

"Yurikins, are you alright?" Dorothea asked.

"Fine," Yuri said. "A girl is screaming about how this guy killed Count Gloucester."

Hubert clenched his fists, "Count Gloucester?"

"I heard my name," Yuri said. "I ran. Didn't want to be caught with all those soldiers running around."

Mortis exchanged a glance with Hubert.

"Was the name Yurius?" Mortis asked.

"Sounds about right," Yuri said. "Why, is that-"

"Another Agarthan soldier," Hubert said. "He was the other Agarthan involved with the Kronya incident."

"Wait," Dorothea said. "That Yurius? The one with Monica?"

"Correct," Mortis said. "That's the one."

Hubert nodded, "Mortis, Dorothea, you two stay behind. The rest of you, be ready to move out if there is trouble."

"Why me?" Dorothea asked.

"We need a healer here in the event that we are injured in battle," Hubert said. "Stay in the shadows. Myrddin is still swarming with archers, and I don't want you injured in that fight."

"Right," Dorothea said. "I can do that."

"And you," Hubert said, turning his gaze to Mortis. "We're going to have a long talk when this is over, and you need to be alive for that."

"Addy, wake up dammit."

Spite opened an eye to glare at his sister, "Aranea, what's going on?"

"Those three bastards you cut loose are back," Aranea replied.

"Are we in danger?" Spite asked, his voice cold as he sat up, taking a moment to acknowledge both Ingrid and Ashe. "Is there something we need to do?"

"No," Aranea said, her voice quiet as Spite moved to glance at the riotous regiment along the grounds of the Gloucester estate.

"They're moving out," Spite observed. "It would appear that they're marching down to Myrddin."

Aranea nodded as she turned her gaze to Ashe and Ingrid, "So what do we do then?"

"Hard to say," Spite replied. "It would be cruel to leave them at the mercy of Gloucester's rebels, but we can't have them with us much longer."

Aranea nodded, "Alright, so we dump them."

Spite closed his eyes, "I believe there is an Imperial Army contingent stationed on the south side of the Airmid River. Should we retrieve Mortis safely, we should leave them in good hands."

"They'd need to run through an entire blockade of rebel scum," Aranea said.

"Which is certainly not our problem," Spite said as he turned to Ashe and Ingrid. "Come along now, we will be leaving soon."

"Where are we going?" Ingrid asked. "And just what is it that you are saying?"

"If you are fortunate, you will be able to return to the Imperial Army by nightfall," Spite replied, ignoring Ingrid's comment. "Now, come along and be quiet."

"Lindy?" Lysithea asked as she crouched next to the Crest scholar. "Lindy?"

"Huh?" Linhardt asked, his eyes still closed as he basked in the sun. "Hello Lysithea, come to sleep with me?"

"No," Lysithea said. "There's a package for you."

"Is there?" Linhardt asked, opening his eyes. "That shouldn't be… wait."

"Is something wrong?" Lysithea asked as Linhardt sat up, blinking the sleep from his eyes."I didn't think that a package would motivate you."

Linhardt blinked and yawned, "I sent my father a letter asking for books in our libraries, I'm surprised he responded so quickly."

"Your father?" Lysithea asked, her voice surprised. "I thought you didn't care for your title."

"I don't," Linhardt said. "The title means I have to waste time doing things I don't care for. What a pain that is."

"What is it that you care for anyway?" Lysithea asked.

"Sleep, Crest research, more sleep, cake with you," Linhardt said. "Maybe some fishing."

Lysithea nodded as she stepped through a side entrance of the Officer's Academy, "I left the package with Mercedes."

"You did," Mercedes said with a smile. "Still, pardon me if I was too curious."

"What is in the package?" Lysithea asked. "It felt like there were just a few books."

"There were," Mercedes said. "Although I'm not sure of the contents of the book themselves"

Linhardt frowned as he picked out a leatherbound book, his fingers flipping through the pages as he wandered away from Mercedes and Lysithea.

Lysithea giggled as she chased Linhardt into the main hall, "Oh! The messenger is still here!"

"Is that so?" Linhardt asked as he yawned, looking up from the book in his hands. "Who is- what are you doing here?"

The man turned to Linhardt with a nod, "Linhardt, I suspected that you would want these books, though your lack of interest in governance is appalling."

"Father," Linhardt said with a grimace, "What are you doing here?"

"Because I happen to know a great deal of the topic that you have asked about," Count Hevring said, a flash of emotion in his eyes. "And it would be in your benefit to allow me to help you."

"And how did you come about this knowledge?" Linhardt asked, taking a step back from his father. "What did you do?"

"I did not partake in the foul ritual you asked me about," Count Herving said, raising his hands in surrender. "But I was in the palace when the children of Emperor Ionius were stolen away into the dungeons beneath the palace."

"And you did nothing?" Lysithea asked.

Count Hevring looked at Lysithea for a moment, "And what could I do? I stood in a room where every other man would have torn my head from my shoulders had I spoken up. I stood in a room with sorcerers, murderers, and worse. And you ask why I did not speak up?"

Lysithea said nothing as Count Hevring looked at his son, "During the later months of 1174, a broken princess was entrusted to me, and I gave her comfort in those few weeks she lived."

"Father, why is it that you are telling us this?" Linhardt asked.

"Because the man who entrusted her to me was none other than the one you call Adrasteia," Count Herving replied.

Lysithea flinched, her jaw falling as she stared at Count Hevring.

"I see you recognize the name then," Count Hevring said, his voice becoming quiet as he looked upon the books he had brought. "I stole those books from Enbarr's libraries. Every book was one I had seen Adrasteia read. It is for this reason that I suspect I could be of help."

Linhardt trembled as he looked down at the book in his hands, his eyes speeding through page after page as the world around him blurred into the distance.

AN: Chapter 32 is done. Read, Review, yada yada.

The next chapter will end the Burning of Gloucester arc.

Question for readers: A poll has been added to my profile to answer a question about the upload pace. The poll will run for a week or until it hits 50 replies.

Next Chapter:

The sack of Myrddin. Edelgard

A final goodbye. Ignatz

Path of nightmares. Ashe

Reunion of friends. Mortis

Breaking point. Lorenz