The trek to Shambhala was long and arduous, but at least they were finally here. The inside of their fortress was bizarre, the architecture was beyond that of any they have ever seen. It was cold and uninviting, more so than the iron manor that Sylvain's family resided in. While they made their way here, Rhea struggled to do so. She was still very weak and despite the fact that Byleth was encouraging her to stay at the monastery to rest, Rhea was adamant to go alongside Byleth.
Sylvain eyed the Archbishop suspiciously. Ever since Byleth admitted that there was some strange behavior from Rhea to her, Sylvain became rather over protective. Archbishop or no, he wouldn't allow this woman to somehow take her away from him. He had already thought they had finished the war and in his mind he was preparing himself to propose to Byleth the moment that everything was settled at Garreg Mach. Instead the war had been prolonged by the people that were more despicable than an Emperor high on her own power.
As they were heading in deeper, Sylvain and Byleth were walking behind the rest of the former students when Byleth noticed Rhea lingering back. Byleth stopped looking back at the Archbishop with a questioning glare. Sylvain stood with her, afraid to let Byleth out of his sight when dealing with Rhea.
"Are you not feeling well?" Byleth asked in concern.
Rhea shook her head, "No. It is simply… We must defeat those who slither in the dark, no matter what happens. But if my conjecture is corect, the one who they will wish to kill the most…" She looked directly at Byleth with a worried face, "Is you, dear child."
Sylvain and Byleth's eyes widened, "Why me?" She could feel Sylvain's hand wrap around her wrist tightly.
"They are aware that you can use the Sword of the Creator. Your body houses the same power they once bestowed upon Nemesis. That is why…I fear for you." Rhea spoke softly.
"That's not much to go on." Byleth narrowed her eyes on Rhea, tired of her dancing around the issue.
Rhea sighed, "Perhaps. Please forgive my errant thoughts."
Sylvain scoffed, "'Forgive my errant thoughts', is that a joke?"
Byleth's head whipped around to stare at her lover with a glare, "Sylvain…"
Sylvain shook his head at Byleth, "No, I think she needs to hear this." He faced Rhea, terrified of her but also done with her games, "You really think you should be choosing now to withhold information about Byleth's life? While at any point she could die, or even you, considering you can barely stand let alone walk. Don't you think she's done enough for you?! For this world?! For everyone?!"
Byleth pulled him back, "Sylvain, stop! Now's not the time, even if I wanted to know, we have more pressing issues at hand."
Sylvain huffed a breath, relenting from his verbal attack to Rhea, "I...I'm sorry, Byleth."
Rhea looked unfettered, but her approach softened, "Once this battle is over… I will explain everything. I will tell you all I know about who you really are."
Byleth gave a small grin, "Thank you, but do stay close to me, I'm going to ensure that you survive this." She looked to Sylvain as if to wordlessly say that she wanted him to apologize.
Sylvain sighed, turning to Rhea, "I'm sorry, Lady Rhea, I was...being rude and accusatory."
Rhea smiled, "It is quite alright, Sylvain. Your devotedness to your former professor is endearing and reassuring."
Shambhala was now in ruins, and Rhea was completely indisposed. After her surprising transformation into the Immaculate One, a large white beast that protected the rest of the students from the Javelins of Light that the leader of the Agarthans, Thales, had summoned. In a sense, it was as if they took their own lives in order to destroy those they hated so much.
It was dicey bringing Rhea back to the monastery. Her wounds were deep, even the most blessed person would not be able to come back from this. It worried Byleth; she needed to know more about her birth and Rhea's influence on her. So she spent the rest of the night pacing outside the door of Rhea's bedroom. Sylvain tried desperately for Byleth to come back to bed but was unable to. He met her halfway, sleeping beside her in the hall sitting on the floor, waiting to hear anything. Finally after a couple of days of worrying and fretting, Byleth, Claude, and Sylvain were invited into her bedroom by Seteth who stated that while she was stable now to talk, Rhea likely didn't have much time left. So the trio rushed in, ready to hear anything and everything she had to say.
Rhea was laid under a large canopy bed, her body propped up and a new nightgown was given to her and her headdress and flowers were taken from her head. Her eyes looked tired and her skin pale. She really did not look well at all, but as she promised, she would tell them everything.
"I am happy to see you all…" She mustered out a smile as the three surrounded her bed.
"Sorry to interrupt your rest. But there are some things that we absolutely must ask you." Claude apologized as he stepped closer to the head of the bed.
"It seems I do not have much time left. I do not intend to hide anything any longer." Rhea replied, her eyes looking at Sylvain in particular.
"You're certain?" Sylvain asked, as his eyes softened.
"I'm afraid so, Sylvain." Rhea spoke towards him.
Claude inquired first, "Rhea… I have to ask. You're the Immaculate One, aren't you? If what I'm thinking is correct, that's what the children of the goddess is referring to. In other words, you—"
Rhea interrupted, "I am the last child of the progenitor god." The three figures in the room froze in place, "A long time ago, the progenitor god came from somewhere far away and descended upon this continent. She changed her form to resemble that of a human, and gave her own blood to birth her children. The progenitor god and her children shared knowledge and skills with the people of the land. Together, they built a prosperous civilization. But the humans turned their backs on the teachings of the progenitor god and engaged in senseless wars. Eventually people began to think of themselves as gods and challenged the progenitor god herself to battle. The land was scorched in the war that ensured and the majority of humans were annihilated. I believe that those who slither in the dark are the descendants of those who retreated beneath the ground during that time."
Sylvain and Byleth were so entranced by her story, how could Rhea even be alive now? She should be dead. Her knowledge of a world so far gone...was she immortal?
"So they had been waiting all that time for their chance at revenge…" Byleth said, her tone a bit wistful.
"It took the progenitor god an astonishing amount of time to revive the ravaged world. But eventually, the continent found peace again, and the progenitor god, having fulfilled her duty, fell into a long slumber in the Holy Tomb. The children who stayed behind built a settlement in Zanado to protect the Holy Tomb as they quietly lived out their lives. But then…Nemesis appeared, bringing tragedy along with him. Even now I cannot forget the sight…of that massive canyon, painted red with blood… I was never able to forgive those who proudly wielded weapons crafted from the corpses of my brethren. I was the only survivor of Zanado, and all I could do was wander across Fódlan clinging to my desperate desire for revenge. I called myself Seiros, fostered the founding of the Empire, and prepared to oppose Nemesis and his followers." Rhea spun her tale, her anger rising slightly. Seiros...THE Seiros...was lying in this bed.
"Unbelievable…" Sylvain muttered, all of these years he had known of Rhea, seen her, and at one point wanted to flirt with her, and she was the Saint Seiros. He felt faint. He knew he shouldn't take her at face value but he couldn't help it. There was no way that she could tell this story without it being true.
"I put Zanado behind me to gather the remaining children who were scattered across Fódlan… Finally, we killed Nemesis on the Tailtean Plains, and I took back the Sword of the Creator." Rhea said as she started to lose her breath. Byleth was at her side in an instant, grasping her hand tightly and allowing her Faith magic to subdue any pain that Rhea was feeling.
"Let me get this straight… Saint Seiros…is you?! You're kidding me, right?" Claude asked incredulously.
"I mean, as hard as it is to believe, I think it's true, Claude." Sylvain said as he approached his friend.
Just then, a soldier came through the doors. His stance looked tense, and he seemed hesitant to interrupt this meeting of the most powerful people in all of Fodlan, "Professor, Claude, General Gautier. There's something you need to hear right away…"
Rhea reassured the man, "If you have something to report, do so at once. There is no need to let my presence worry you."
The man nodded, "As you wish… We're receiving a constant stream of express messengers from cities to the east. They claim that an unidentified military force is attacking and that there have already been a large number of casualties."
"What?!" All three of them exclaimed at once.
The soldier continued, "The reports indicate that the cities and towns along the East Gronder Thoroughfare in the old Hrym territory have already been destroyed. Some villages were razed completely, leaving no survivors…"
Claude's face turned into a large frown, "Damn it! Did they come from Shambhala? Could it be that there were some remnants of that wicked group hiding there?"
Byleth looked back at Rhea, she was laying still with a furrowed brow. Byleth clutched her hands, hoping that in this moment of panic she would be fine. As fate would have it, more visitors entered, a woman soldier and Hilda, whose face was very scared and tearstained.
" I have a report! The unidentified military force has crossed the Great Bridge of Myrddin! Alliance forces met them in battle, but it seems they have already broken through!" The soldier spoke.
"They've already made it so far. Is Count Gloucester unharmed?" Sylvain asked as he went into an almost military commander mode.
"The count is fine, but apparently my brother joined with reinforcements and was gravely injured…" Hilda said with a sad tone.
"You mean to tell me they easily got past a general as skilled as Holst?" Claude asked as his voice raised.
"They say the enemy general has a weapon that resembles the Sword of the Creator. Even my brother was powerless to stop him…" Hilda stated firmly, trying her best not to lose her composure.
Byleth looked to her scabbard, it was still there, "The Sword of the Creator?"
"That's not possible…" Sylvain muttered.
"The enemy forces are flying a banner bearing the Crest of Flames as they continue their march west along the Airmid River." The soldier continued, "We believe they're marching toward Garreg Mach. We are preparing to meet them in battle."
As the pair left, leaving the trio with more questions than answers, there was an uncomfortable silence that no one could fill. At least until Rhea spoke up, her voice weak, "A weapon that resembles the Sword of the Creator… and banner bearing the Crest of Flames… There is only one explanation. The one leading the enemy force…is Nemesis himself."
Claude spun his head to look at her, "Nemesis? That Nemesis? Do you really think the ancient King of Liberation has been brought back to life?"
Rhea continued, "Perhaps the seal was broken when Shambhala fell… An incredible power that we children cannot hope to match dwells within the blood of the progenitor god. Nemesis obtained that blood, so it would not surprise me if that were the case."
Claude snapped his fingers, "The blood of the progenitor god… That's right, he did take the remains from the Holy Tomb, didn't he…"
"From the blood of the progenitor god, Sothis, he acquired the Crest of Flames. From her bones and heart, he crafted the Sword of the Creator." Rhea spit out, her contempt spilling out.
"The Sword of the Creator is made from her bones and heart? That's…" Sylvain shook his head, obviously disgusted by this revelation.
"The heart of Sothis is the Crest Stone that was placed in the Sword of the Creator. The same is true of the Crests of the 10 Elites and the other Crest Stones… They were born of the blood and hearts of the progenitor god's children. Those who slither in the dark created them. Stole them. Sothis never gifted that power to the humans." Rhea gritted out, her anger rising with each word.
"The Crests of the 10 Elites, the Crest Stones, and the Heroes' Relics… I can't believe those who slither in the dark made them all. And after that, Nemesis used the Sword of the Creator to massacre all of the progenitor god's children in Zanado… In other words, the citizens of Zanado were killed by weapons made from the remains of their brethren… How atrocious." Sylvain couldn't believe this, it was appalling. To think the Lance of Ruin was once a part of the body of an innocent soul.
"But I don't get it… The Sword of the Creator that Teach wields doesn't have a Crest Stone. So how is Teach able to wield its full power?" Claude asked. Byleth was curious too, she always found it strange that her weapon could be wielded at full power with no Crest Stone.
"The Crest Stone of the progenitor god…dwells within your professor." Rhea said as she peered into Byleth's eyes. Byleth could feel all her breath leave her body, as she was visibly shaken by the revelation. Sylvain and Claude were equally as shocked. How? How could that be possible?
"fter I battled with Nemesis as Saint Seiros, I reclaimed the heart of Sothis. I wanted to use that heart to…resurrect her. Even though I had to do some…questionable things to achieve that goal, I wished to see Sothis…my mother…once more." Rhea spoke solemnly.
Byleth shakily raised her hand to her chest, where her nonexistent heartbeat was, "You placed her heart in me?"
Rhea nodded, "Yes. I believed that if I could resurrect my mother, I could regain all that had been lost…"
"What the hell..?" Sylvain mumbled under his breath as he grabbed the bedpost to steady himself.
"So…that's the truth of it." Claude muttered, in utter disbelief.
"I suspected that your body housed the consciousness of Sothis. Those suspicions were correct. And yet, she merely gave you her power and vanished… My dearest wish did not come true… But you did inherit the power of the progenitor god. Now, you must use that power to defeat Nemesis once and for all. Fódlan's blood-stained history…must end." Rhea said finally.
It all became clear for Byleth; she was the catalyst of which Rhea, or rather Seiros, wanted to bring back her dead mother. A mother that she had known and spoken to, and later gained her power from. She was as much a tool as was any noble with a Crest. That part sickened Sylvain. Although Byleth could forgive the grieving woman, Sylvain would not. He couldn't even look back at the Archbishop, his hatred grew tenfold.
"Well, I should probably look at these reports in more detail, Teach. If you have any personal questions to ask her...now's the time." Claude raced out the door, calling out to someone to talk to him about the encroaching of Nemesis towards Garreg Mach.
Byleth turned to face Rhea, she could tell Sylvain was fuming, but she wanted to hear one last thing. One final thing before she knew Rhea wouldn't talk anymore. "I believe there's more that I want to hear about my existence, I know you know more. Seteth knows. Even my father, to an extent, knew. So tell me."
Rhea's eyes brightened up, "I shall fulfill the promise I made to you. You will know the truth about your identity... I will hold nothing back."
"Then you better speak quickly," Sylvain said, as he tried to steady himself, gripping tightly onto Byleth's shoulders for support.
Rhea sighed grasping Byleth's hands, "I thought that I could regain all I had lost, if only I could revive my mother... And so I tried to bring her back by creating a body, and then burying a crest stone within it. A young woman I created...Sitri...my twelfth try after much heartache... was a failure. She grew up lacking the conscience of the progenitor God and fell in love with the captain of the Knights of Seiros."
"My father, Jeralt." Byleth stated, to which Rhea affirmed.
"In time, she became pregnant... but she and the child were not able to survive the birth. The child she bore was not breathing, and she herself was in grave danger. The new mother pleaded with me to take the crest stone of the progenitor god from her own body and place it within the baby. If I had done nothing, both mother and child would have died. And so I granted her final wish. As she had hoped, the baby started breathing again... The new life was saved. Your life, sweet child." Rhea said, as her grip on Byleth grew weaker.
"What else?" Byleth asked.
"Well before that, I had saved Jeralt's life using the power of my blood. That means you are the child of a mother born of the progenitor God's crest stone and a father who carried my own blood." Rhea spoke with a smile on her face, "You alone wield the power of the progenitor God. And now, I must ask you to use that power to save this world."
Byleth released her hand from Rhea, and leaned down to kiss her head, "Thank you, Rhea. For everything." Byleth whispered as her eyes teared up. She immediately got up from Rhea's bedside and walked out of the room, with Sylvain following closely behind. He could tell Byleth was about to break down so he quickly grabbed her hand and led her into an empty corridor and pulled her into his embrace. He could hear her quiet sobs. He understood. He just pet her hair down and placed a kiss on her temples.
"After all this time...I finally know…" Byleth managed out.
"Are you going to be okay, By?" He asked tenderly.
She sniffled, "I have to be...Somehow I knew...I knew all of this...I knew of Sothis...She spoke to me long before my powers manifested...and yet, part of me wanted to believe…that I was just like the rest of you."
Sylvain sighed, "I remembered saying how much I was jealous of you. Living a life without the world trying to take something from you because you had a Crest...I was such an idiot...I never knew...that you were the same."
"We both didn't...It's not your fault." Byleth said, clinging onto Sylvain tightly.
"I shouldn't have been so cruel...had I not done so…we...we could have" Sylvain squeezed her close.
Byleth gave a short laugh, "I wouldn't change our journey for the world, Sylvain. Don't start to regret it."
Sylvain smiled, "I'm not. I'm just regretting that we could've become closer sooner."
Byleth rubbed her eyes and looked up at Sylvain, "We have each other now."
Sylvain kissed her tears away, "That we do, By."
Byleth looked down at the ground, "...I wish I could have known her. My mother."
Sylvain pulled her face up with a gentle hand, "I'm sure that she would have loved you no matter what. It sure did sound like she did."
Byleth hugged him, "I miss them, I miss them both. Even if I never knew her."
Sylvain knew who she meant, "I know, but Jeralt and...Sitri would want you to be strong. And I know you can be. You're the strongest woman I know."
Byleth nuzzled him, "Just one more battle, for real this time."
Sylvain chuckled, "Yes, just one more. Then we can start our future...together."
Just like with any battle at this point, there were tons of traps and enemies. What the army didn't expect was the resurrection of the 10 Elites that were fabled into legend. Byleth knew that in order to attack Nemesis, they needed to destroy the others. And so one by one, each of the former students attacked the Elites, striking them down. However, it was not as easy as that. Many of them were exceedingly difficult to kill. Even Sylvain had the misfortune of going up against his ancestor, in which he exchanged no words and battled the man that was the start of his family line. A lie, this man was a murderer...the apple didn't fall far from this tree then, Sylvain thought to himself.
In the end, Claude and Byleth had managed to wear down the defenses of Nemesis, a man who was just as intimidating as the tales had been told. He was towering and his muscles were large and menacing. However, this was no time for fear, as Byleth and Claude were now ready to tackle this man one on two. They were no fools, Nemesis was going to be a tough opponent, and he certainly was.
Byleth attacked first, she swung her blade and the Creator swords clashed like flashes of lightning on the battlefield. He managed to shove her away and go for a kick to the face, but Byleth expertly dodged his attack and backed away looking to Claude for assistance, who had already shot an arrow in his direction.
"You are a foolish child." Nemesis growled, his voice distorted by the dark magic keeping him alive.
"Tough talk from a guy who's lived too long. Allow me to fix that!" Claude yelled.
Nemesis retracted his Sword of the Creator whipping it around to attack the two, but they evaded it with effectiveness. Byleth lunged forward, grunting and yelling as each swing of her blade met his. Another arrow was shot from Claude's bow, Failnaught, but Nemesis again moved aside. Byleth evaded the next swing of Nemesis' blade looking back to feel the presence of another soldier near her. She was surprised to see Sylvain join the fight, but he was smart enough to know this was Byleth's battle to win.
"You are all pathetic weaklings! You lack the courage to challenge me in lone combat." Nemesis yelled.
Claude readied another arrow on Failnaught, allowing the magic to charge up the power of it, "Yet we have the strength to scale the walls between us, to reach our hands in friendship, so we can open our true hearts to one another!"
Sylvain looked ready to strike as Claude released his arrow, "That's how we win!" Sylvain shouted as Claude and Sylvain acted as decoys and allowed Nemesis to strike them both down at the same time. Byleth charged forward, her Sword glowing under her power. Nemesis was there too, ready to counter her. However, Claude's arrow stopped Nemesis' approach and it pierced through his sword arm, as Byleth struck her own sword through Nemesis' chest, shattering the Dark Sword of the Creator on the way. She watched as his army dissipated, and hers cheered. However, she was more concerned about Sylvain as he had yet to get up from the ground. Fearing the worst she sheathed her blade and ran over to his body, turning him over and placing him on her lap.
Luckily, he was still alive. She smiled brightly as his eyes opened and he gave a crooked grin, "Well now, isn't this nice? I'm being saved by such a beauty." he winked as he sat up to kneel next to her.
Byleth's eyes teared up as she gave a small laugh, "Oh Sylvain, you really are an idiot!"
Sylvain brushed a tear from her face, "I'm your idiot. And this time, it'll be for forever. We did it, By. It's over."
Byleth placed her head on Sylvain's and then gave him a large kiss, not caring about the Gautier Knights behind her, hooting and hollering for their liege. Sylvain pulled her into his arms, and lifted them both up spinning her around. He released her with the brightest smile on his face. He was alive. She was alive. They were alive. Nothing could be better.
Looking for their friend, they saw that he was just watching and admiring them at a distance before approaching the couple, "Future historians will refer to this day as the new dawn of Fódlan. Of that, I have no doubt." Byleth extended her hand as did Sylvain to Claude, as the Leader of the Alliance grabbed both of their hands and placed them together, "As for my path, it will lead outside of here, but know that I believe you two will do well in my stead."
Byleth's eyes softened, "You aren't going to leave quite yet, right?"
Claude laughed, "I wouldn't leave without seeing the Queen of Fodlan's coronation. That's a celebration that's bound to have a feast."
Sylvain chuckled, "As long as no Faerghus chef is cooking it, we will be okay."
The trio laughed and embraced one another. At last the war had completely ended and they could now focus on the future…
Sylvain couldn't sleep, he was overthinking things. Ever since the announcement of Byleth's coronation and the death of Rhea, Garreg Mach was in all sorts of commotion. They barely had time to themselves. And yet, all Sylvain could think of was her...and how he was going to do this. Too much of a spectacle and he'd risk embarrassing her. Too little and she'd think he was joking. So, he thought of any way he could propose all through the night as Byleth slept next to him. Then it came to him, spontaneously, as if it was a blessing from the Goddess. He quietly got out of bed and silently placed on his teal tunic and burgundy trousers and a pair of boots. He quickly penned out a short letter and grabbed an older one that he kept hidden in the drawer of his desk, one that he had not read in a long time. One that had changed him forever. He placed the new one above the other on the pillow he was resting on, and he swiped the ring box from his nightstand. He closed the door to his dorm softly and he raced off to the Goddess Tower, to wait for her.
It was about an hour and a half later when Byleth woke up as she turned in bed to wrap her arm around Sylvain's midsection, only to be shocked to see that he wasn't there. She sat upright and called his name but there was no answer. She did find, however, a letter on his pillow, followed by an older piece of parchment under it. She undid the newer one first, seeing Sylvain's familiar script on the envelope.
To My Love, Byleth Eisner,
You must be shocked not to see me in bed this morning. Don't worry, I didn't leave you, but I am waiting for you, By, at the Goddess Tower. Please meet me there this morning, I really need you to be there. But before you do, do me a favor and read the other letter attached to this one. It was from your father, right before he died. I'm sure you will find it interesting. Once you do, hurry to me, my dearest. I will be here, patiently expecting your arrival.
~Margrave Sylvain Jose Gautier
She did as she was told and read the words of her father in the letter left for her. It made her heart weep, it was definitely her father's handwriting, and it was his words. She laughed and cried, seeing that even early on, her father approved of Sylvain. She smiled at the implication that Jeralt also assumed that Sylvain might even be called his son-in-law one day. And it was in that moment that Byleth's breathing stopped. She gasped, and she realized why Sylvain may be gone.
Byleth rushed to find some clothes to wear as she settled on a lightweight gown made of a white fabric and an off the shoulder look, very similar to what Rhea would wear. She dashed off in the morning light to the Goddess Tower, running up the stairs not caring if she would fall. As she made it to the final step, she saw him. She saw Sylvain peering at the morning sky as the sunlight grew brighter and brighter. She walked closer to him, her pulse racing.
Sylvain noticed her approach and spoke to her without turning around, as if to still himself, "Byleth, I've been waiting for you awhile. I've just been out here watching the sky grow lighter."
Byleth hummed, she picked up the skirt of her dress and placed a hand on his back, "You got here too early."
Sylvain turned around, sighing at how beautiful she looked, as if she was appearing from a dream, "I woke up, and I couldn't get back to sleep. And it's nice to spend a morning like this sometimes."
Byleth smiled, her green hair shimmering in the light of the morn, "It certainly is."
Sylvain inhaled and exhaled, this was all so nerve wracking, but he knew he could do this, " It's really just hitting me. For the past five years we've been fighting and fighting... But now the war's over. It's time for a new way of life. So I've decided I want to take responsibility for my own fate." He grabbed a hold of her hands, even as his own were shaking and sweaty.
"Responsibility? What do you mean?" Byleth asked, although she felt like she knew the answer.
Sylvain looked her in the eyes, "That's right. My Crest doesn't decide my fate. I do. It's time for the first step in the right direction. I don't want to marry a girl who wants to use me for my Crest or a girl who someone else chose for me." He let go of her right hand and dug out the ring box from his pocket and knelt to the ground, opening it up to show the rings that he had been hiding for far too long, "I want to marry someone I really care about. And who I care about is you."
Byleth's eyes were watering, her happiness was having a hard time coming out, she was utterly speechless.
Sylvain took her silence as disbelief, "You don't believe me? I probably should have seen that coming... In that case, I'll just have to propose to you over and over again...until you know I'm serious. Marry me. I'd do anything for you." His warm eyes were fiery with resolve, he wanted to hear her answer.
Byleth's tears overflowed as she finally said the words that he longed to hear, "Of course I will, you foolish man."
"You mean it?" Sylvain asked as his eyes started to water as well.
"Why would I ever lie to you, my love?" Byleth smiled.
Sylvain laughed heartily, taking the emerald ring out of the box and fighting desperately to not let his shaky hands ruin the moment. He finally slipped the dainty thing on her left ring finger, kissing it with all of the love he had, as he rose to his feet and picked her up with her legs cradled by his arms and her own arms embracing his neck. They both laughed and cried, feeling the happiness that they weren't sure they were going to have. He placed her down as he picked up the ring box and showed her the other ring within.
She gasped, noticing it immediately, "This...this is my mother's ring."
Sylvain smiled, "I remembered one time you said that you wanted to give it to someone someday, the one who had captured your heart. You gave it to me the day of the attack on Garreg Mach, and I've kept it ever since. So, Byleth? Have I? Captured your heart?"
Byleth giggled, taking the ring and slipping it onto Sylvain's left ring finger, "You did. A long time ago."
Sylvain admired his ring, looking happier than ever, "With you by my side, I'm excited to find out what this new way of life is all about. We fought hard for today, and I'm beyond happy just to be alive. And now, I'm engaged to the perfect woman." Sylvain shook his head, leading Byleth out into the balcony and wrapping his arms around her shoulders from behind, "Strike that. You know what? My happiness isn't what I care about today. "I'm going to spend the rest of our lives together trying to make you happy. I promise."
Byleth rubbed his left hand with her own, their rings glittering in the sunlight, "We will make each other happy, Sylvain. Forever. I can promise you that."
Sylvain and Byleth spent all morning in the Goddess Tower, watching as the morning light glowed a heavenly gold over the monastery. In this moment, the world felt at peace more than ever. And with a bright future ahead of them, Byleth and Sylvain knew that if they had each other, they could face it together as husband and wife.