"Alright, listen punks, you've got five seconds to explain yourselves, before things get rough." The man with the long coat and bare chest said as he cracked his neck.

"Please, we- " Ferdinand started.

"Times up!" The man shouted.

"Hey, wait-!" Dorothea shouted, but the man was already charging at Ferdinand, fists raised. Ferdinand raised his broomstick to try and defend, but the man's fists slipped through. Ferdinand staggered back, barely keeping steady. The man pushed forward for a second strike, but Dorothea shot a bolt of lightning, forcing him to retreat.

"Look, we don't want to fight, but if you people keep forcing the issue, I'll have no choice!" Dorothea summoned magic glyphs in a show of force. Ferdinand regaining his footing, and did his best to appear threatening with a broomstick. The man just smirked.

"Come on, girl. We both know that magic you've got won't hurt anyone, least of all me." He placed his hands on his hips and puffed out his chest. "Come on, ladies first. I'll let you get a good shot in Come on, do- "

The barrage of light sped through the air, striking the man's bare chest. The Sagittae spell struck true, littering the man's bare chest with cuts. "YOWCH!"

"There's more where that came from, jerk. Back off." Dorothea said as she prepared another spell.

"I agree, this farce has gone on long enough." A new voice drifted into Dorothea's ear, from where Ferdinand had been standing. Dorothea turned to see Ferdinand frozen in place, a blade pressed to his neck. A boy with purple hair and cold eyes, held a short sword almost casually, unconcerned with Ferdinand as he studied Dorothea. "Drop it, or your boy toy is going to stay underground forever."

Dorothea swallowed, eyes darting back to Ferdinand. He looked at her with a still panic, frozen with fear or some magic spell. The boy adjusted his blade, pressing the tip against skin, ready to pierce at a moment's notice. "I'm waiting."

The magic in Dorothea's hand faded into nothing and her dropped her chair leg, and raised her hands over her head. "Alright, alright! Just let Ferdi go!"

The boy lowered his sword, before shoving Ferdinand down onto the floor, who gasped for air.

"Geez Yuri, you didn't have to be that harsh." The man Dorothea had shot said as he cast his own magic, healing over his wounds.

"Balthus, my temper has been cut short with every nobleman from here to Almyra bothering us. These two are lucky I didn't feel like following through." The newly dubbed Yuri rolled his eyes.

"Were not hear for that girl! We're looking for Constance!" Ferdinand gasped out. Yuri eyebrow rose.

"Really? Who's she to you?" Balthus asked.

"S-she's my friend! I just learned that she might be living in Abyss, and came looking for her!" Ferdinand stammered.

"I see." Yuri turned to Dorothea. "And you are…?"

"Here to keep the idiot out of trouble."

Yuri looked over the room. "And this…?"

"The idiot took offense to something the bartender said to me."

Yuri looked across the bar counter. Its tender was still knocked out unconscious. "Ah. I wondered how much longer he would last. I'll be sure to pass it along to the owner. Balthus, bring the two students along. They have a friend to meet."

Balthus picked up Ferdinand, hooking their arms together. He grinned, and offered his other to Dorothea. She rolled her eyes and fell in line behind Yuri, who led the group through a twist of corridors and hallways before finally arriving in a small meeting room, lit with a few candles and full of chairs and tables. Yuri sat down in one, and Balthus placed Ferdinand in another. Yuri looked at Dorothea, and gestured to another chair.

She swallowed. "I'll stand."

Yuri gave a small shrug. "Balthus, go get Constance." Balthus gave a quick salute, and left even quicker. Yuri's eyes turned to Ferdinand and Dorothea, silently blinking between the two.

"So…" Dorothea started. "You're in charge down here?"

"More or less." Yuri sniffed. "I wasn't aware an Aegir would allow himself to be seen down here."

Ferdinand sniffed. "I would never allow a young lady to venture down into the unknown by herself, and it is a noble's duty to see if a friend is in need."

"How noble." Yuri let the word roll around his tongue. "In any case, here you go."

"-And I must say, Balthus this is most- Oh!" A young woman entered into the room, moving with the forced grace Dorothea saw many noble women practice. She wore clothes unusually clean from what Dorothea had seen of Abyss, with barely a speck of dirt to be seen on her long grey dress, and corset. The girl's hair was a short cut of blond hair, and it did indeed have a blue- no, now that Dorothea saw it, the girl had a purple coloring on the exterior of her hair, which was combed neatly.

"Is that…It is! Constance von Nuvelle!" Ferdinand jumped out of his seat, before bowing. "It is I, Ferdinand von Aegir!"

"Ferdinand! Oh dear me, it has been so long!" Constance curtsied back, giving a loud grating laugh Dorothea had often heard from noblewomen trying too hard. "Forgive my ungainly appearance, I have had no time to prepare myself."

"Think nothing of it, Constance. You will always look radiant." The two shared a truly obnoxious laugh together. It was almost like they were in synch. Ferdinand hardly needed the encouragement, and so Dorothea moved to stand and introduce herself, lest the two get any ideas.

"Hi. I'm Dorothea." She said with a smile. "I hear you're an old friend of Ferdinand's?"

"Yes, exactly so!" Constance exclaimed. "I assume you are his…"

"Friend. She is my friend. Without her aid and support, I could have never learned you were at Garreg Mach." Ferdinand said earnestly. "I owe her a great debt."

Dorothea thought the introduction was almost charming, in a hopelessly sappy way. Constance fell for it all the same.

"Oh, how delightful! Then you to have my thanks, miss Dorothea! May I ask, how did you come to learn of me?"

"They're chasing after Hapi's trail." Yuri said casually. Constance's expression froze, before burning over.

"I- why I never! Ferdinand, you cad!"

"Constance, please-"

"-I've chased off a dozen pigs for my poor friend already-"

"No, you've got it all wrong-"

"-And I will not tolerate you, no matter our history-"

"ENOUGH!" Dorothea shouted. "We aren't after the worm girl! She isn't why we're here!"

"Really! Then why are you?" Constance sneered. "That's the only reason students come down to Abyss these days, so why-"

"Were trying to find out what Hubert is up to!" Dorothea shouted back. "For some reason he knows you, and we need to know why!"

Constance's expression became inscrutable. "Hubert? As in Hubert von Vestra?"

Ferdinand nodded. "Yes, the very same."

Constance scowled. "Then he is undoubtedly plotting something with Hapi- his family has always been schemers. I-"

"It isn't like that!" Ferdinand said quickly. "Well- while I admit something may be afoot, it started long before this Hapi girl made herself known."

"Really?" Constance quirked her brow. "Whatever for? And why are you so concerned? The Vestra family is always up to no good."

"Look, Hubert is our friend." Dorothea said. Ferdinand nodded. "And right now, he's been suspiciously absent from class and the academy. And…" Dorothea huffed. "He's really close to Edelgard, and right now she's acting really lost."

Constance's eyes widened. "The princess?"

"Our friend." Ferdinand said quietly.

"Right. And then I overheard Hubert mention your name when he was muttering to himself, and Ferdinand told me your story, we had to wonder…"

"….If there was something more going on in the empire." Yuri finished. Dorothea nearly jumped when the boy spoke- he had all but faded into the shadows.

"I see." Constance's brow furrowed. "I can't say I know much more then you. But you say that you're trying to help Princess Edelgard?"

Ferdinand nodded. "Exactly so. Perhaps we can go over some details? Anything you could offer would help."

"Of course! By the honor of house Nuvelle, it is my duty to aid the princess!" Constance beamed. "And when we succeed in curing the princess' woe, she will be so grateful that she shall restore my noble house to its proper glory!"

"That's the spirit!" Ferdinand shouted happily. As the two nobles began to chat, Dorothea turned to Yuri, who was watching the scene intently. "Why did you say we were after Hapi?"

He turned to look at Dorothea. "It's all anyone's been after in Abyss recently."

"Oh, that's right- Yuri!" Constance shouted. "Didn't you say Hubert was skulking about Abyss recently? It's why I warned Hapi off him, you know."

"He was wandering about every few weeks, along with a smattering of a few other students. Haven't seen him since, and he never stopped to chat." Yuri said casually. Almost too casually for Dorothea's ear. His eyes seemed distant, as if they were poring over some great equation that only he could see. It was the same expression Edelgard wore far too often.

"You're hiding something." Dorothea accused. Yuri turned and smirked.

"Lady, everyone's hiding something." He turned and walked out of. the room, but stopped next to Dorothea. "Just be grateful you're not on the wrong end of it."

Dorothea bit her lip. "What do you know about Hubert? What was he doing here?"

Yuri shrugged. "Why do you care? Worried about your other boytoy?" Dorothea flinched. Yuri's eyes gleamed like a cat in the night. "Besides, I try to avoid his type. To well connected for their own good."

4th of the Verdant Rain Moon

Claude tried to hide his nerves, even as Judith sat next to him and his grandfather. Count Ordelia quietly muttered in Duke Riegan's ear, while Count Gloucester and Margrave Edmund made idle chatter. The most important meeting of his life was about to take place, and it had all the buildup of any other day. All should go well. His grandfather had drilled what to say and when into him well enough, and Judith had plenty of experience in this field. All he needed to do was-

"Good morning, young Riegan."

Claude looked up at Count Gloucester with a practiced smile. "Count. How was your day off?"

The Count preened. "Quite fine. My Lorenz penned me a letter discussing your life at Garreg Mach. He has been doing exceptionally, as is befitting a boy of his talent."

Claude gave a noncommittal hum. "Nice to hear he has your approval."

"Indeed. My Lorenz was also keen to tell me about the progress he had made in courtship." Count Gloucester's voice stopped trying to hide its smug affectation. "He has already made contact with the girl who can control monsters, and countless others. One way or another, my Lorenz will be making a very powerful woman very happy."

"Good on Lorenz." And pity on the women. "Though I always see him tutoring Leonie…" Claude shrugged.

Count Gloucester's eyes brightened. "Leonie? As in Leonie Rowe of the kingdom? An excellent choice. Though I had thought she was a year away from being accepted to Garreg Mach. Remind me, what Crest does she have?"

"Not a Rowe. No Crest."

The Count's smile fell. "No? Then who is this Leonie my boy has taken an interest in?"

"Leonie Pinelli." No reaction. "She's part of the Golden Deer." Still nothing. "From Sauin village?"

Count Gloucester blinked, and then was back to smirking. "Ah yes, that girl! An exceptional talent, home grown in Gloucester territory! My Lorenz does well to tutor our commonfolk- I must apologize for assuming my Lorenz had purely romantic pursuits. I'm certain she will make an exceptional captain of the town guard under his tutelage."

Claude didn't let his eyebrow twitch, just like his grandfather had instructed him. "I'm sure-"

"I could only wish Marianne had any luck." Margrave Edmund mused. "In all her letters, she rarely mentions her own romances. You wouldn't happen to know anything about my daughter's courtships, would you lad? The poor girl is so horribly shy about everything…"

Claude kept his expression politely neutral. "Well Margrave, whose name might you be listening for, and which young lad has Marianne happened to hint at?"

"Well, there is no need to be coy, lad. Marianne has-" Margrave Edmund's lips pursed. "Ah. Yes, I see." He gave a polite chuckle. "No luck for you today lad. My Marianne barely mentions you."

Claude gave a small show of his heart being broken. "You don't have to put it so brutally, good sir."

Margrave Edmund smirked. "Quite. Alas, the only romance Marianne does make mention of is the young lady Goneril's. I hear Harold's young minx has her claws in Bergliez's second son, Gautier's boy, and even a certain unnamed young man in the Alliance." Margrave Edmund's eyebrows did the best approximation of a playful wiggle a middle-aged merchant could manage.

"I'll pass my congratulations onto the young Victor." Hilda as a wife sounded…exhausting. Being her friend was taxing enough already.

"Ah, to be young again." Margrave Edmund sighed wistfully. "But that girl…If only Marianne could be more like Harold's child. I can't understand- Marianne praises the young lady Goneril often and fondly enough, in adoring prose. She even calls Hilda her dearest, closest companion in life." His brow furrowed. "Why can't Marianne find someone she wishes to wed- what's wrong?"

Judith's foot had landed on Claude's just in time to morph is muffled guffawing into a pained yelp. "Nothing, nothing." Claude had no difficulty smiling through the pain. "My hand just ran over a splinter, I think."

"While we're on the subject, who is the apple of your eye, young Riegan?" Count Gloucester asked. "My Lorenz only ever sees you around Hilda and a few of your professors."

"Eh, can't say I've thought about that too much." Claude said with practiced ease. "I'm thinking about enjoying my youth a bit more before settling down."

"Your uncle was much the same, bless his soul." Count Gloucester said with a courtly show of remorse. "But I would caution you about starting too late- all of your first picks may be snatched up by then."

"If he's like Tiana, he'll go for rugged mercenary types." Judith said with a smirk. Claude did not quite scowl. He had gotten enough of that from his mother back in Almyra, one of the positives about Fódlan was that she couldn't butt into his lack of a love life-

"Clock's ticking, young Riegan." Count Gloucester. "My Lorenz has reported that he has managed to be summoned by the Ashen Demon for a private conversation. And if half the stories about the young lady are true-"

Claude felt a nausea burst up out of his gut. He wondered where the feeling had come from, before coming to the realization that combining Lorenz's snobbery and Byleth's almost obnoxious precognition and subtle teasing wrapped with a toddler's energy would be far too much for even him to endure.

What if the kid called him uncle?

Claude suppressed a shiver running through his heart and kept on smiling. "I think it's best to drop the schoolyard gossip about whose son will marry who for now- I hardly need to remind you lords how quickly young love can shift."

"Yes, quite." Margrave Edmund's stiff voice interrupted. "But as your grandfather is busy-" Duke Riegan and Count Ordelia were still engrossed in their conversation, "-Perhaps you could tell us what exactly Lady Judith is doing here."

She snorted. "What can I say? I missed Count Gloucester's charming personality."

The count huffed. "I can hardly be blamed for critiquing your many faults. I even have the nerve to do it to your face."

Judith snorted. "A toad can sit on the road or hide in the swamp, but the croaking is just as grating."

"Well I still don't see why you are still here-" All noise was interrupted as the doors to the conference room were thrown open with great haste. A man in a soldier's robes rushed into the room, not paying any mind to the assembled lords peppering him with questions. When the man reached Judith, he whispered into her ear for a few seconds, before Judith stood up and very nearly ran out of the room, the man chasing after her. Harold Goneril, who had finally arrived, was pushed aside by Judith without a word. Goneril stared after her wake, before turning and taking his seat.

Count Gloucester and Margrave Edmund wore similar expressions of confusion, though Count Gloucester's lips curled as though the wind had turned just long enough for the harbor air to waft through the windows.

"Well!" Goneril gave a chuckle designed to set things at ease. "Not sure what that was all about, but we're all here!"

"Harold, old friend, where is Duke Holst?" Duke Riegan polished his spectacles. "I sent a missive. He has had more than enough time to recover from whatever…injury he sustained."

Goneril laughed. "Oh, my lad has gone and done it again. Says he got kicked by a Pegasus, mid-flight! The boy will just never learn-"

"Goneril." Duke Riegan's voice echoed across the room with a quiet weight. "Inform Duke Holst of my displeasure."

The assembled lords grew still, and all studied Duke Riegan, who sat confidently in his wheelchair, staring back at them. Count Gloucester's eyes turned back to the door Judith had exited. Goneril began to say something, but one look from Duke Riegan cut it short. Goneril swallowed and bowed his head.

"I-I-" He swallowed again. "My deepest apologies. I'll- next time, I will…" Goneril coughed. "My boy will learn."

Duke Riegan nodded. "I should hope so." His eyes turned to Claude. "Begin."

"Oh." Claude tugged at his collar. "T-thank you, assembled lords of the roundtable, for coming." Everyone took their seats. Margrave Edmund stared at Claude. Count Gloucester and Goneril stared at his grandfather. Count Ordelia looked down at the floor. "I would now inform you that…" The room felt hot. "That House Riegan has received information that…that we…" Claude bit his lip, gripped his chair, and breathed. Silence reigned. And then the words came tumbling out.

"The empire is preparing for war. Against the church, we think."

Claude braced for the storm of shouting to erupt out of the assembled lords, but none came. They all just stared- Margrave Edmund at his grandfather, Goneril and Count Ordelia studied the table with the same intensity, and Count Gloucester's eyes darted between the two Riegans. After a minute of dreadful, oppressive silence, Claude coughed and continued. "It began when I overheard Edelgard- that is, Princess Hresvelg- argue with Hubert von Vestra. They said that they had plans to fight the church. They implied that they had a hand in the bandit attack against me and Prince Dimitri near the beginning of the school year, which you might recall." And only wept at the bandit's failure, Claude was tempted to say. But there was still no reaction from the roundtable.

"Some surviving bandits testified that they were hired by a man in expensive dark armor, who could teleport at will." Claude paused for breath. "I don't need to tell you that such magic is very powerful and rare. Something only someone with vast magical education and skill could wield, be they the man in the armor or the person casting for them. Such magic is guarded jealously, from Fhirdiad's school of sorcery to the court of Enbarr."

Claude looked to his grandfather, but the old man simply nodded. Claude turned back to the lords. "You've probably heard about the 'Death Knight', who attacked the Blue Lions with monsters a few months back. You might have heard that he appeared again during the Rite of Rebirth, working with the western church to try and steal artifacts from the central church. And you might have just heard that he bore the Rafail Gem. An artifact that has remained in imperial possession for over a thousand years."

None of the lords reacted. Claude hid a swallowed breath and concluded. "These two pieces of evidence seem quite circumstantial, but house Riegan believes that given the circumstances, they signal a prelude to a total war." Claude stole a glance with his grandfather, who quirked his eyebrow. "I would also remind the roundtable of the empire's recent conquest of Brigid, their rebuttal to House Hrym- " Ordelia was not the only man to flinch. "-And the kingdom's weakened state in the wake of the tragedy of Duscur. So long as the empire stands united, it is right to think it is the strongest nation. If they strike now, they will win."

It was as if each of the lords were carved out of stone. They looked at Claude. They looked at his grandfather. They looked at each other. But none dared to make a sound.

Duke Riegan cleared his throat, coughing slightly as he did. "Arundel's forces have been slowly marshaling strength. Our spies have managed to uncover an information ring that has been expanding into the Alliance with connections to house Vestra. Archbishop Rhea has informed me that she has reason to believe that the Death Knight is connected to the unknown who hired the bandits to attack my grandson. She says he has dubbed himself the 'Flame Emperor.'" Duke Riegan coughed again as he leaned back into his chair. "Finally, we have a merchant source claiming that house Hevring, the empire's treasurers, are preparing to invest much of the empire's purse into steel manufacturing and roadways. The stuff war is built on."

Count Gloucester finally found his voice. "Merchant gossip? Really, Duke Riegan? Have you lost-"

"Has my information network been wrong before?" Duke Riegan quirked his eyebrow. Count Gloucester's lips thinned.

"…This is…" Margrave Edmund's fingers brushed against his Seiros pendant. "…It seems very circumstantial."

"I agree." Duke Riegan nodded. "But the tells are mounting. In a game as high stakes as international politics, we cannot afford to blink."

The room fell silent again. Count Gloucester seemed uncharacteristically thoughtful, while Goneril's face had become unreadable. Margrave Edmund's fingers gripped his pendant tighter, and Count Ordelia nearly trembled. Duke Riegan sat like a regal owl, surveying them all. Claude tried to smile, to at least attempt to lighten the mood, but nothing changed.

The doors flew open, and Judith stalked through, clutching a piece of parchment. "Spies caught something big. Arundel sent a missive to Bergliez telling him that he, Prime Minister Aegir, and the emperor want to step up recruitment, and quickly." Judith landed in her seat with a thud, hands clasped together. "Arundel apparently sent another letter and pretty face to convince Aegir that they made the decision together."

There was another stretch of silence, before Goneril spoke up. "What of Duke Gerth and Count Varley? Any movement from their powerbase? Or is the insurrection of seven going to become five?"

"There have been no definitive movements from either house." Duke Riegan said. Claude coughed.

"Edelgard and Hubert went to the Varley estate two months ago. They said it was to transport some old artifacts back to the church, and they did, but…" Claude drummed his fingers on the table. "House Varley controls religious affairs, so their most valuable contribution to a fight with the church is their own their religious authority."

Margrave Edmund took a deep breath. "Anything else?"

Claude gripped his seat. "You've probably all heard from your children by now, but in the past month, Edel- Princess Hresvelg has grown very…detached. Distant. Actively antisocial. The only time she acts like her old self is when she's fighting."

"And what does…House Riegan…think her state of mind means?" Count Gloucester asked.

"Given the lack of concrete information, we are unable to draw conclusions from the princess' behavior." Duke Riegan replied.

Claude bit his lip. It would be very easy to let this bit of information slide into the general pile of evidence. Just another symptom of mounting pressure. But Byleth had been determined to negotiate Edelgard down to a simple civil war, and the lady had a way of getting results.

But of course, Byleth herself admitted that her efforts would not always succeed, and Claude didn't feel that her testimony would do much to endear the roundtable, even if she was apparently chosen to wield the most important sword in the Seiros religion. A time-traveling superwoman was a bit much to sell, after all. For now Claude would hedge his bets, and see if Byleth somehow managed to deter Edelgard.

"In my personal opinion," Claude began, drawing his grandfather's eyebrow. "Her highness might not be as united with the seven as a warfront might suggest. They were, after all, the ones who forced her to flee her country and robbed her line of its political power."

Goneril snorted. "What are you suggesting, boy? That she doesn't want the war? You accused her of attempting assassination. Against you!"

"I'm saying," Claude smiled politely. "That I think her current emotional state is connected to the empire's new military ambitions, that it doesn't quite fit someone who is one hundred percent on board, and that there is still quite a bit we don't know."

Margrave Edmund snorted. "Well, after the insurrection of the seven, anything is possible."

"If we are quite done." Duke Riegan coughed into his fist. "To conclude, House Riegan in partnership with house Daphnel has reason to believe the empire is preparing for open war, against the church, an institution they have been splitting from for the past five centuries. We have reason to believe they attempted to assassinate my grandson, as well as the prince of Faerghus. With all that said, is our evidence against the empire enough, or do you need more convincing?"

Goneril scoffed. Margrave Edmund rubbed the face of his Seiros pendant nervously. Count Gloucester coughed, and then spoke slowly.

"War is…expensive. If we are to meet the empire on the battlefield, both my and Count Ordelia's lands will be in great peril. We can't risk provoking a fight with the empire, and if what your grandson overheard is true, their main target is the church. Why should we involve ourselves in such a conflict? We-"

"NO!" Count Ordelia's fist slammed down on the table. "We cannot allow the empire to simply have its way with the continent!" He reared up out of his seat, and looked down on Count Gloucester. "Count Gloucester, you fear imperial occupation, but I have lived it! I have seen the empire at its most callous and cruel. If we allow the empire to attack the church and its ally the kingdom, we will only prolong our own defeat!" Count Ordelia breathed in a deep, shaky breath. "I have seen what their so-called scientists will do to children. To my children." The other lords shifted uncomfortably. "If we do not act now, if we do not prepare for war, they will march into my lands once more. And the Gloucester's. And then..." His fist trembled against the table. "My fellow lords, I beseech you. We must not waste the opportunity we have been given. We must act, as one, or be conquered, one by one."

Count Ordelia breathed quickly. The three other lords looked amongst each other, and then nodded. "Something must be done." Goneril said.

"We must prepare ourselves for a coming conflict." Margrave Edmund agreed.

Count Gloucester nodded. "For the alliance and our people."

Duke Riegan's hand rapped against the table. "Then it is decided. Our war council is assembled. Let us discuss the broad strokes now. Firstly, what shall we tell the church and kingdom, and when." Duke Riegan leaned forward. "The kingdom first. Grandson."

Claude straightened. "Yes?"

"Tell us your measure of Prince Blaiddyd. What is the boy like?"

Claude blinked. "Dimitri? Isn't his uncle ruling now?"

Everyone rolled their eyes at that. "We will no longer have to endure the drunkard after Prince Blaiddyd graduates." Duke Riegan said.

"Thank the goddess." Margrave Edmund muttered snidely.

"Amen." Count Gloucester added.

"…Right." Claude rubbed the back of his neck. "Dimitri is…straightforward, I would say. Sometimes he gets his head stuck in the clouds, but he's an easy read. However…" Claude pressed his lips together. After Claude had told the prince about Byleth's future knowledge, the prince had gone off to confront her, only to return to his usual routine, as if he had learned nothing. It had really been quite frustrating. "I'd say he will stick to his loyalties, above all else."

"Much like his father, then." Duke Riegan muttered. "Margrave Edmund, Lady Daphnel, any changes amongst the lords of the kingdom?"

"Fraldarius and Gautier continue to form the backbone of the kingdom. Most of the eastern houses stay in line, and Rowe remains the power player in the west, though it's a bit more chaotic." Judith said.

"There was a small noble rebellion recently- a minor lord under the Western Church's thumb, but nothing important." Margrave Edmund added nonchalantly. Claude hid a grimace. "The kingdom only lacks a leader of even moderate competence to follow and a few years of political reformation before it returns to its former strength."

"Hmm." Duke Riegan's fingers drummed against the table. "And the church is the church…"

"I have to ask, why don't we go on the offensive? We have a compelling case, and the empire has not mobilized yet. Surely it's better to strike quickly, with both the kingdom and the church's forces to draw fire away from our own?" Goneril asked.

Count Gloucester rolled his eyes. "Of course you would think that, with territory so far away from the front lines."

"Why listen here, runt-"

"Our own forces are not properly mobilized, and the kingdom is too fractured and disorganized to provide a distraction of any worth." Duke Riegan said between a cough. "The church lacks the martial power and the moral authority in the empire after the southern church's dissolution- No, we will have to play this slowly."

"Can't we just tell the kingdom's nobles or Archbishop Rhea that the empire plans to march on the church, and let them make the first move?" Goneril wondered aloud.

"Foolish boy. The empire would inevitably learn such a poorly kept secret, and it would lead back to us." Gloucester scoffed. "Their armies would descend upon our lands as punishment."

"Not if we mobilize quickly! Plus, they would be distracted by the church and kingdom's forces- "

Count Ordelia snorted. "The imperial army? Distracted by a cadre of kingdom lords who are busy jockeying for each other's place in Rufus' court and half a dozen knights scattered across the kingdom to keep the peace? Bah-"

Duke Riegan knocked wood, and everybody turned. "Lady Judith. What is the current timetable for the empire's full mobilization?"

Judith leaned forward. "It's a bit shoddy. Our spies' earliest projections say five months."

The room grew a bit more still, and Duke Riegan sighed. "For now, we will focus on consolidating our own strength. I will share enough concerns with the church to keep their guard up…" His tongue clicked. "How many moles does Rufus' court have?"

"Well, we have two separate ears in his inner circle." Judith said.

"Hm. Yes." Duke Riegan grit his teeth. "I will forward the relevant concerns to Lord Fraldarius, unless there are any objections- "

"I have a parallel concern." Count Gloucester interrupted. "If what you say is true, and there was an assassination attempt on Riegan's heir, I will have to remove Lorenz from Garreg Mach. We all should."

The other lords looked around at each other with uneasy faces. Duke Riegan's brow furrowed. "Count Gloucester, that will tip our hand. If such drastic action is taken, the empire will invariably suspect our foreknowledge. We must keep our heirs in Garreg Mach-"

"Easy for you to say." Count Gloucester sneered. "Not all of us have the fortune to find new heirs off the streets. Some of us lack the Riegan's promiscuity."

Claude thought he would never see it, but his grandfather's face twisted into a rage. "My apologies, count. I had forgotten you have experience in placing heirs into death traps."

Count Gloucester's temper flared. "How dare you, old man! Godfrey was a friend of mine, I would never-"

"And I will not allow Lysithea into harm's way again I insist we-"

"-Listen here, brats-"

"-Don't you tell me who's children are worth risking for a few- "

The room was tumbling into chaos. Claude ears rang as everyone shouted over each other, intent on being the only one heard. Whatever semblance of decorum and unity had been instilled in the roundtable at the head of a common threat had faded away in an instant, leaving all the men to act as children, and Claude the only one left sitting.

Claude looked about the room. The argument continued to spiral, and the voices only grew louder as the empire grew stronger. Something had to be done.

Claude slammed his fists down on the table, once, twice, and then three more times. Slowly the room quieted, and the accusing stares of the lords turned to him. He smiled as politely as he could.

"My lords, please, this gets us nowhere. We can't tip our hand, and we must work together towards a solution-"

"And you have one, boy?" Count Gloucester's sneer threatened to split his face in two. "You can keep all of our children safe? They are all gathered together- the imperial army could slaughter or capture them all in a siege attack, and then force us to bow. What could you possibly propose to keep our children safe, boy?"

That was a good question. And Claude needed an answer fast, or the room would break into chaos all over again. Claude forced his grin, and stalled for time. "Well, you must understand, my lords, that-"

"Stalling as usual." Count Ordelia sneered. The other roundtable members raised their hackles, and prepared to strike. Claude decided now was the time to blurt out any answer, lest he never speak up again.

"Edelgard is at Garreg Mach!" All eyes turned back to him.

"What?" Margrave Edmund said. "So what?"

Another good question. "Because…" Claude licked his lips. "That means…the empire wont attack. Yet."

"What are you on about? They would just extract her." Count Gloucester said. "You have implied the empire has skilled teleportation magic. It wouldn't take very long."

Another good point. Claude wasn't quite sure what he was doing at this point, but sensed he couldn't back down now. "That's true for her, but not for the hundreds of other empire children present as students at the academy." Claude said, trying to mask his panic. "Any war would have to take their parent's support- much the same as yours. Putting them all in danger would end that quite quickly. A mass exodus of imperial students would give us more than enough time to escape ourselves. And no one can teleport that many people that quickly to stage a surprise attack on Garreg Mach."

The room was quiet, before Count Gloucester started up again. "What about assassinations? We- "

"-Already had to consider that at the academy's founding." Duke Riegan cut in, once more composed. "There are long standing contingencies against such acts."

"Plus, they are doubling down on guarding the place after the western church broke in." Claude added. "Not to mention the letters you all sent demanding greater security in the church after the most recent attack, right?"

Count Gloucester's lips thinned. "…Correct."

"Now, if that is all settled." Duke Riegan rapped his fingers on the table. "We will take a vote. All in favor of preparing for the empire's military buildup?" All hands rose. "All in favor of only hinting to the church and Lord Fraldarius instead of directly informing them so the situation does not escalate out of our control?" Count Gloucester's hand shot up. Count Ordelia grit his teeth, but his hand went up. Goneril did so without any objection, but Margrave Edmund looked down at his Seiros pendant.

"Not informing the church could leave them badly unprepared." He whispered.

Duke Riegan nodded. "Believe me, Margrave. I abhor keeping secrets from the church as much as anyone- " he paused to wheeze out a cough. "But we cannot allow this to spread any further than it already has until we have some control over the situation."

Margrave Edmund continued staring down at his pendant. Count Gloucester picked up the slack. "The church is bloodthirsty, and could very easily overcommit. You know this. I know this."

Count Ordelia nodded. "We all know it. If we can't save ourselves, what use are we to the church?"

Goneril sighed. "I've been around for a time, Edmund. What the church doesn't know won't hurt it."

Margrave Edmund bit his lip, took one last look at his pendant, and muttered something under his breath. "Abstain."

There was a shift in the air, but no one commented on the margrave's declaration. "Then it is agreed." Duke Riegan coughed into his hand before continuing. "Count Gloucester, you will make a show about Claude's unpreparedness or some such nonsense. I will respond in kind. Count Ordelia, offer gossip of infighting between our houses to the empire's merchants. Margrave Edmund, ply your trade to both sides of the conflict, selling arms and directing mercenaries to where they soon may be needed. Goneril. Inform your son to build up his own armies in order to keep the throat free from Almyra without any of our aid. Lady Judith, continue marshalling strength in your lands and gathering information. This should allow us to build our armies without much suspicion. Are there any other comments?"

The roundtable spent the rest of their time debating who would do exactly what with almost unimaginable efficiency. When Claude emerged from the meeting room, he was shocked to learn that night had yet to fall over the city. He found himself sitting with his grandfather and Judith in the Riegan terrace as the two went over the finer details of the military campaign.

"Did that…just happen?" Claude stammered out. "There was barely any infighting once we had all agreed to the terms. That was the same roundtable we met with two days ago? Really?"

"Quite so." Duke Riegan said calmly. "You performed admirably, by the way. Good work getting us back on track."

"But…how?"

"It's simple, kid." Judith said between swigs from a bottle of whiskey. "Last time, you were fighting over money. Fighting over who was to blame, and who would be responsible for cleaning the mess up." She took another drink. "Today, we presented a single enemy, outside any one lord's influence and responsibility, preparing to strike. No one could be blamed, and no one needed to take a fall."

"Is…that really it?" Claude leaned back in his chair. "In the last meeting, each and every member of that table behaved like a spoiled, unruly brat that refused to budge or give even an inch of ground. But now that we dangle a threat in front of them, they play the part of patriots instead of a bunch of self-serving, cowardly nobles just because they can't blame each other?"

"I resent the implication." Duke Riegan deadpanned. "And you will find that faith in the Leicester Alliance and love for its people played a significant part."

"This can't be how it works." Claude groaned into the palm of his hands. "They don't even fight for their people- like that first argument we had last time- about who is going to pay for a missing shipment instead of just replacing it and solving the banditry problem. Who cares about that? It doesn't even have anything to do with Crests, the one thing everything on this continent seems to revolve around!"

"The people who don't get to eat because the shipment went missing and the people who don't get to eat because it has to be replaced, for a start." Judith noted. "You've never seen much of poverty, have you boy?"

"Crests are only as useful as the money they bring to your name." Duke Riegan added.

Claude frowned. "I know poverty is bad for people's health. I've seen common people suffer because of the same stupid arguments here and in Almyra. What's more to know?"

"A small mountain of nuance, and a host of unintended consequences, so nothing of import." Duke Riegan said flatly. "You have much to learn about politics, Claude."

Claude's eyes narrowed. "As opposed to you, who's lived in the lap of luxury all your life? What would you know about the people suffering, gramps? Who but the greedy nobles and merchants who don't want to pay up could care?"

Duke Riegan scoffed as he adjusted his spectacles. "The people who work for the greedy nobles and merchants, of course."

Judith took a sip of wine. "Those are the same people who would go without food in the earlier example, by the way."

"That's all the more reason for them to want to oppose this stupid bickering!" Claude groaned.

"Yet they do not. And so for any to succeed, all must win." Duke Riegan did not sigh his words as much as he did resign himself to speaking them. "It is the hand we are dealt, and so we must play."

"Then we should change the rules of the game." Claude said. "It doesn't have to be this way. We have political capital."

"Don't be so hasty. Things could change for the worse." Duke Riegan said with rolled eyes. "We are not guaranteed victory in anything. For instance, Count Ordelia could end up in charge of things." He bit out a shudder. "A truly loathsome man. If my cold doesn't kill me, his trade policies will."

"…Didn't you spend an entire evening, and all of this morning buttering him up?" Claude asked.

"And in return, we got what we needed from him. If you cannot learn to shut up and deal with people you don't agree with, you will be nothing but dust in the wind." Duke Riegan sipped his wine. "I swallowed my pride and ego and told him what he needed to hear to do what we needed to be done. You will learn to do the same if you hope to go anywhere in life."

"Hey, he could be like me." Judith smirked. "Free from your stupid roundtable. Able to help anyone I want."

"Locked out of any discussions about where our nation is going. Politicly isolated." Duke Riegan spun his wine in its glass, and poured himself another cup.

"Popular with the people." Judith smirked.

"Crestless people."

"I'm beginning to grow cynical with our government, gramps." Claude picked at his food.

"Greater men then you have tried to change it, boy." Duke Riegan muttered back. Claude's eye narrowed.

"That sounds like a challenge, old man." Claude picked up a glass, and drank. "I just might have to take you up on that."

Duke Riegan rolled his eyes. Judith smiled. "You sound like your mother." They both said in entirely different tones.

But still, Claude couldn't help but hear both holding the same small note of hope.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: democracy simply doesn't work.

Except for when it does.

Thanks to Dox for beta reading.

I apparently promised to get this chapter out a week ago- I don't know why I write things that stupid, but I did.

Looking back on the franchise as whole, Fire Emblem mostly focuses on aristocracy in its political themes. It's kind of stunning how much Ike sticks out as the only 'commoner', despite arguably not actually being one. I bring it up because looking back on Claude's quotes with Kostas and a few bits of his supports, it's clear he probably doesn't have too much of a grasp on what life is like for common folk.