"I've watched you die, you know."

It was with those words than the minute long silence between the King and the Archbishop was broken. They sat at a small table in the gardens of Garreg Mach, a pot of tea between them and porcelain cups in hand. Dimitri seldom paid visits to his old school these days, but as Holy Kingdom of Faerghus Founding Day approached, he thought it only appropriate to grace the monastery with his presence.

Garreg Mach was still undergoing reconstruction, though the newly appointed Archbishop had decreed that the gardens be the first location to be restored. During her days as a professor, they were always her favorite place to go and clear her mind. She had made many cherished memories there with friend and foe alike.

Dimitri paused. He stared at his old teacher for a moment before setting his cup down on his saucer. "I…do not know what you mean. In your dreams, I presume."

"No," Byleth breathed. "Four times. The first was when you and the rest of the class followed me to Zanado—it was one of the Demonic Beasts. Next it was…Jeritza. Then, the Battle at Gronder, before Rodrigue passed. Petra managed to put an arrow right through your head. Finally, at Enbarr. One of Edelgard's ranged attacks completely obliterated you."

"Professor, please. What are you talking about? I must admit, you've left me rather confused."

The Archbishop took a sip of her scalding tea as her eyes fell to the embroidered floral pattern on the tablecloth. "You know that I possess the spirit of the Goddess within me. With that comes a handful of special abilities. Turning back the hands of time is one such ability. I've been doing so in battle practically since I first arrived at the monastery."

Byleth had only ever told one person about her limited control over time before this. Of course, it was Edelgard. When Byleth caught a stray arrow during a stroll through the training grounds that would have lodged itself in Edelgard's back, she figured that then was as good a time as any to confess. The princess had taken it rather well and seemed to be more interested than disturbed, though that was typical for her when it came to matters regarding Sothis. Byleth was not entirely sure how Dimitri would react, but complete acceptance was not very high on her list of expectations.

The king nodded solemnly in understanding. "I see. It's no wonder you always seemed to know which direction reinforcements were coming from and when. I apologize for my recklessness in battle forcing you to witness such sights, then. I presume I'm not the only one you've seen die?"

Byleth shook her head. "No. The only people in the Blue Lions that haven't died even once are Ashe and Annette. It's no surprise; they have always preferred keeping their distance in battle."

Dimitri smiled. "As expected. The most careful of us are the ones to have never suffered casualties. I must ask, though. Mercedes? Most of the time she's stuck to Annette like a mother bear."

Byleth's eyes flashed dark and she grimaced. Mercedes…she had met her end a single time, at Fort Merceus. She couldn't bring herself to cast that final spell and had fallen at the hands of the Death Knight's scythe. Gods, the blood. It made Byleth feel sick. She had reversed time before Mercedes' body even hit the ground and forced herself to fell Jeritza herself, though she took no joy in it. She was sure that it's what he longed for.

"You wish to not talk about it. I understand." Suddenly, Dimitri's expression soured. "Forgive me, I didn't mean to pry. Seeing all of us meet our ends so many times could not have been easy. You…you truly do bear the weight of much on your shoulders."

"I tried to go back," Byleth whispered, her voice wavering. Dimitri raised a brow before she continued. "After Edelgard. It had been a week, and I…I couldn't take it anymore. That's when I discovered that I could only go back a full day. That was the limit. I was too late."

Byleth's lip began to quiver and she found herself biting down on it as her eyes began to grow damp. Dimitri remained completely silent, allowing her to speak at her own pace. "Sothis never told me. I never had a reason to go back that far, but I…Dimitri, I missed her so, so much. I still do. I know that you hated her, but I—"

"I don't hate her." Dimitri leaned over the table to put his hands over Byleth's. "I did, at a time, but that version of myself no longer exists. Edelgard and I…we had our differences, that enough is clear to see, but I hold no contempt for her."

"Then why did you have to kill her?" Byleth asked, her voice finally breaking as tears spilled from her eyes with every blink.

Dimitri frowned. "I wish I didn't have to. You saw how I offered my hand before she tossed that dagger at me—I had hoped that neither of us would have to die. But…you knew Edelgard better than anyone. She was stubborn. She was the type who would stop at nothing to achieve her goals. Emperor and King…are not titles that could coexist."

Byleth drew her hands out from under Dimitri's to wipe away her tears with the heel of her palms, though that did not stop the flow. "I c-could have done something. I should have said something. I just stood there idle while the woman I loved walked right into her death; what kind of a person am I? D-Dimitri, the way she looked at me before reaching for her dagger—" She could not continue. Recalling the knowing gaze that Edelgard gave her moments before Areadbhar was driven into her chest brought forth a torrent of emotions that burst out in the form of even more tears as Byleth doubled over, subconsciously brushing her saucer and tea aside before putting her head in her arms and sobbing.

It was all Dimitri could do to stare. It dawned on him that they hadn't spoken about the fallen Emperor at all since her death. They had both been so busy with duties regarding their positions in the Holy Kingdom that they had barely even seen each other during the past three months. Had…had Byleth spoken to anyone about Edelgard?

The Blue Lions and Golden Deer each had their own matters to attend to after the war. Rhea had gone off to Zanado, Seteth and Flayn had vanished, and it was not as if Byleth had ever been particularly close with any of the Knights of Seiros such as Catherine or Alois. Dimitri's eyes widened in horror as his revelation settled in.

He had left his beloved teacher completely alone.

"Professor…I am so sorry." He rose to his feet and made his way over to Byleth's side, gently placing his hands on her shoulders. "You don't have anyone to confide in here, do you? You've kept all this inside for months. I can only imagine how much you're hurting." Byleth continued to cry, staining the tablecloth with her tears as Dimitri continued. "Well, I'm here now. You can tell me absolutely anything. You're very special to me, and so I want for you to know that even though I may not be physically close, I'll always be here for you just as you were to me in my time of need. I'm sure no one would question the King receiving a summons from the Archbishop every now and again."

Dimitri stayed standing over her until he felt her breath steady and the sniveling cease. Only then did he take her hands from her shoulders and return to his seat, sitting with a tender smile. Byleth remained absolutely still for what seemed like an eternity before slowly sitting up straight, her face red and damp with tears.

"I'm sorry," she said as she began to dry her face with her sleeve. "I've been crying so much recently. I should be over it by now, shouldn't I?"

"Don't apologize. You'll move on when you're ready." Dimitri took hold of the teapot and offered it to Byleth, who held her cup out for him to refill it before doing the same to his own. "Talk to me about her."

The Archbishop blinked. "W-what?"

"Tell me about Edelgard. I may have known her in our youth, but as I said, you knew her better than anyone." Dimitri watched the floating lavender floating in his cup and let out a despondent breath. "When it comes to remembering the loved ones that we've lost, it's always preferable to remember the good rather than the bad. You were in love, so surely there are mostly good memories. Tell me."

Byleth felt a twinge of pain in her chest as she thought back to the letter Mercedes had discovered a few weeks prior. Remember the good rather than the bad…it's exactly what Edelgard had wanted.

"Okay," Byleth began, a smile twitching to life. "Um…she liked nature, just like me. She was more affectionate than one would think, albeit not in front of other people. Things like cuddling and kisses on the forehead were her favorite."

Dimitri had to stifle a laugh, making Byleth smirk in response. "My apologies, the thought of Edelgard of all people cuddling anyone is just…well, it's rather unexpected."

"I agree," Byleth responded with a snicker. "One time, Hubert found her resting her head on my lap in her bedroom and his entire perception of her must have been shattered. He was always so doting…I liked that about him, though. It was comforting knowing that someone was watching over her when I wasn't able to." Her expression softened, though she carried on to prevent a flood of memories from overtaking her mind. "Ah, where was I? She loved to read. I don't think it was the act of reading that she liked, though, but learning in general. She was sort of like Lysithea in that respect."

The king gave an agreeing nod. "She had an interest in history, yes. Often had a nose in her book during her free time."

Byleth's smile returned as she harkened back to the time she had caught Edelgard in the midst of copying down battle tactics from an old strategy book, becoming incredibly flustered upon her discovery. She was not certain what she would have done if she'd known what the purpose of such an act was at the time, but back then, all she could do was smile down at the girl adoringly. That was her Edelgard—almost everything she did warmed Byleth's idle heart.

From her bedroom window in Garreg Mach's tallest spire, Byleth watched as the king of Faerghus' carriage drove down the path from the monastery and gave a blissful sigh. She was alone once more, but…she felt as if she had just stepped out from a much needed bath in a hot spring. It was as if she had been revitalized simply by speaking to an old friend.

She drew the window curtains shut before turning around and making her way over to the lavish dresser against the western wall. The surface was mostly empty, though between two small pots of unlit sticks of incense sat a small portrait of the final Emperor of Adrestria in all her beauty, her platinum locks falling over her shoulders and her lavender eyes shining in radiance. A gift from Ignatz soon after the war came to an end. Behind the portrait was a black porcelain urn with crimson rose petals painted across the surface.

Byleth stood before the portrait and the urn and closed her eyes. Staring at the picture, she felt like it was staring right back at her. Her smile faded as she slowly pressed her palms together almost as if she were praying. After a deep breath, she spoke.

"I love you. I will always love you."

And with that, the Archbishop shut the lights off and cast the room into darkness before closing the door behind her as she left. She had duties to attend to.

A/N: It's always interesting to see how different writers incorporate Divine Pulse into their world, isn't it? Also, I've got to write more Dimitri. This is an Azure Moon story, after all. Lastly, I really like the song I chose for this chapter! I know not everyone checks them out afterwards, but I'm asking you nicely to do so just this once ^^ as always, have a good one.

Today's featured song is Tender by Yvette Young.