I appear at the center of Gronder Field with the sun smiling down at me and a gentle breeze passing by. When the wind gets into my shirt and pants I look down and realize how scuffed up my outfit is. Must not have noticed all the tears while I was in the middle of a life or death situation. I focus my attention back at the field in front of me. It's deathly silent, but I don't see any corpses.

On Earth, Edelgard is preparing to fight Rhea, and Dimitri is looking to intervene. I have to assume that the same events are brewing in Fódlan. But where could Rhea be? If she's in an area that's not controlled by Edelgard, she must be in the Kingdom. But aren't Cornelia and Those Who Slither in the Dark in charge of Faerghus now? It will be a long hike to figure out.

"Hey you!" comes a voice I don't recognize from behind. "I thought they were pulling my leg, but you did show up."

I turn around to see a what looks like a farmer, given that he's carrying a farming hoe. Now that I think about it, I remember reading that this area is known for its wheat production in the Empire.

"Sorry," I say. "Who are you?"

"Man, you do look like the fancy sort. Minus the beat-up clothes, anyway."

"Have we met before?" I say.

"Oh, no. I was told to look out for someone wearing clothes like yours. Some folks down that-a-way wanted to see you."

He points in a direction away from the westward setting sun. So following his direction will take me further away from Garreg Mach in the Kingdom. Not like it matters much in the long run. The better question is who from the Empire wants to see me? I'm sure Byleth and the other Black Eagles are busy pillaging the Kingdom, and even if they weren't I don't think this is the best place for them to hole up. So I can rule out all of them.

"How did they know I was coming?" I say.

"Didn't ask. They were fancy types like you. I'm not in the business of asking them questions."

Well, that doesn't narrow it down much. Basically everyone I know here is fancy by common farmer standards.

"You'll want to head in that direction," the man points again, "And find a path into the woods with a little sign saying 'private residence—keep out.' Follow the trail until you reach a log cabin. That's what the man told me, anyway."

So there was a man giving orders, but there were multiple of them? I wonder if Dimitri's in the area, but that doesn't sound right. He wasn't going to communicate with farmers about me, and there's no way that Edelgard let him hide out in a wooden cabin. I thank the man for directions and head in the direction he sent me. I wonder if it could be a trap, but I also don't think I'm important enough for anyone to care enough about ensnaring me. That's one of the hidden beauties to losing a war, I suppose. I'm safer now than I ever was during the five years after Byleth disappeared. It's in Edelgard's best interests to keep me alive, since if she kills me then the Kingdom lords will fight to the bitter end with knowledge that surrendering will send them to an early grave.

It doesn't take long to reach the woods, and I do see the sign the farmer was talking about. Not the most motivating message to push me forward, but I'm glad it's not inviting. Again, you don't lead someone into a trap by trying to repel them.

And sure enough, after walking along the forest path for less than an hour I come across a house. "Log cabin" doesn't capture its size, charm, and quality. It's not quite a lord's manor, but it's close. Whoever lives here must have a lot of resources and a desire to remain hidden. Who do I know that could fit such a description…?

No point in dallying further. I walk up to the door and knock. Footsteps approach me, and I decide at the last second to leap out of the way and hide behind one of the side walls of the house. I see the door crack open, and it remains in that state for several seconds. Then a man steps out and looks around.

Seteth. What is a priest of Seiros doing here in the Empire?

I walk out behind my cover with my hands in the air to let him know I'm not planning anything. When he sees me, a smile pops onto his face. His expression is fatherly in a way that I saw from Robin talking to Morgan and never from my own dad. It makes me miss home with Lucina's family already.

"I'm not here to hurt you, Claude," Seteth says. "You clothes look like they've seen better days. Why don't I get you a replacement set and you can change out in the woods?"

Before I can answer, he closes the door. He's out a few minutes later with a uniform from the Officers Academy. Guess they had extras that weren't in high demand after the school fell to ruin. He tosses them to me and gestures out towards the trees. I heard him fine the first time, but I don't comment. I go out into the sea of wood and leaves to change. This makes me feel like a dryad or something, being naked out here for a few seconds.

The uniform fits me well, even though it's a little more snug than the ones I wore five years ago. Maybe I've grown an inch or two since then? I never had the energy to keep track of my height and weight while I was bouncing between schools or prepping for war in Fódlan.

I knock on the door again, and this time I don't bolt away. Seteth opens the door and lets me into the house. As soon as I step in, I see his sister Flayn with a closed book in hand, staring at me. She looks excited, though I can't fathom why.

"Oh, it is so wonderful to have a visitor," Flayn says. "Please, Claude, make yourself at home."

"I'm sure you have lots of questions," Seteth says. "Let us congregate in the reading room so we can discuss matters."

Reading room, huh? Guess there's not much else to do when you live out in the middle of nowhere. I follow Seteth into a room containing shelves stuffed with books. He and Flayn sit next to each other on a velvet sofa, and he gestures for me to take the chair across from them.

"I am astonished to find that the professor's words are true," Flayn says. "You are here in flesh and blood after nobody has heard from you in over a month."

"Byleth mentioned me?" I say. "And, uh, aren't you with the Church of Seiros? I thought you were at war with the Empire."

"The Church of Serios is indeed still fighting Edelgard," Seteth says. "But I'm starting to think that Flayn and I should never have gotten involved in it. Excuse me for a moment."

Seteth leaves the room. My gaze follows him out before going back to Flayn. She's smiling at me like a child with a big lollipop. Then again, how old is Flayn? She has the stature of a child, but doesn't hold herself like one and certainly doesn't talk like one. She could be anywhere from ten to her mid-twenties and I wouldn't be surprised.

"Oh, I must thank you for your assistance all those years ago," Flayn says. "You were part of the group that rescued me, were you not?"

I think back to when Byleth's class and I fought agains the Flame Emperor's forces to rescue Flayn and Monica. I wonder if Byleth had any idea that Edelgard was the Flame Emperor back then.

"I'm glad to see that you're safe," I say. "What have you been up to for the past five years?"

"Well…" she clasps her hands together. "Brother wanted us to live in safety. Most of the Church staff joined the Knights of Seiros in searching for Rhea, and we did assist when needed, but we sheltered in the Kingdom for most of the time."

"Speaking of which," I say. "Did the Knights find Rhea, by any chance?"

Her eyes light up in surprise. I see that I've hit the jackpot.

At that moment, Seteth returns with a steaming teapot and three teacups. He pours each of us tea that's colored a deep red, the sort that I imagine going with little cakes in Victorian England. He takes a sip immediately, even though it looks scorching hot.

"Rhea appeared right after the Battle at Gronder," Seteth says. "Or rather, the Knights of Seiros rescued her. It was Catherine and Shamir who broke her out of Enbarr. They had been planning the mission for years, and the Empire's main armies being away gave them time to make their move."

So it's because I stalled them out, in a way. Though I didn't buy nearly as much time as I could have, since I was trying to end the conflict without needless bloodshed.

"Rhea was changed by her captivity," Flayn says, looking at her feet. "It was a sorrowful sight to behold."

"Changed?" I say.

Seteth sighs. "The only thing on her remind was revenge. She considers Byleth to be a traitor beyond all proportions, and will stop at nothing to kill them."

Not so different from how I see them, then.

"She wasn't exactly the forgiving type when we knew her as well," I say.

"Ah, I'm afraid you saw the worst sides of her at the monastery," Seteth says. "Still, that seems to be who she is now. She was always a warrior first and foremost. She might have it in her to defeat Byleth, even with…"

"Even with what?" I say.

"Perhaps I should not have said that."

"Okay, let's stop beating around the bush here," I say. "Are you aware that Byleth absorbed the Goddess Sothis into their body or something crazy like that?"

Seteth's eyes widened. "How did you know?"

"Byelth told me," I say. "The goddess' power gives them control over time. I don't think anyone on this world is capable of stopping them."

"Oh dear," Flayn says. "That explains how they foresaw all of our strategies and military maneuvers."

"Do you know… what Byleth is?" Seteth says. "The person, I mean."

"As opposed to…?"

"I figured out soon before Byleth defected that Rhea was up to some questionable experiments. I believe Byleth was a result of her creating vessels that she hoped the goddess would fill."

A sickening feeling takes my stomach. Does Byleth know about this? That they were supposed to be a puppet for the goddess? I'm sure they did, now that I think about it.

"The Throne of Knowledge," I say. "That was when Rhea wanted Sothis to quash Byleth and take over their body."

Seteth averts his gaze. "You catch on quickly."

"Five years too late for it to be any good," I say. "Now I see why Byleth sided with the Empire. Wouldn't you, if you were created to provide a bodily house for a spirit parasite and your choice was between the parasite's origin and a student you care about?"

I force myself to exhale, and then I take a sip of the tea Seteth prepared. I can't believe I'm feeling bad for Byleth of all people.

"That is not the way I would describe the goddess," Seteth says, "But I see your point. I still believe that Byleth is a traitor and is walking the wrong path, but I can't deny that some of the blame lies with Rhea."

In a way, it's almost poetic justice. Rhea tries to create a puppet vessel for Sothis to control, and instead Byleth absorbs Sothis' powers and unleashes them to tear down the church. If only they didn't have to conquer the Kingdom and Alliance as well.

"My brother tells me that you distanced yourself and the Alliance from the church," Flayn says. "We both think that may have been a wise decision on your part."

"Rhea will sacrifice anything to destroy Byleth," Seteth says. "She compares them to Nemesis."

So I guess that's the Fódlan equivalent of the Hitler comparisons we get on Earth. But honestly, I don't know how different Byleth is from a crazed, bloodthirsty conqueror like Nemesis. Edelgard, Byleth, Rhea, Dimitri… Everyone on all sides seems like they're full of shit.

"I want to go back a bit in the conversation," I say. "Flayn, you implied that you fought against Byleth?"

"That's right," she says. "After Rhea returned to us, the Church of Seiros took control of Fhirdiad as its base of operations. We sent out legions of dedicated soldiers to reclaim Garreg Mach, but we lost the fight."

"Rhea waltzed in and seized Fhirdiad?" I say. "What happened to Cornelia?

"The people and Kingdom army alike were rioting against her," Seteth says. "When the Archbishop showed up at the gates of Fhirdiad, they were ready to overthrow her in a heartbeat."

So Those Who Slither in the Dark fall that easily? Or maybe they got everything they needed out of the Kingdom and decided to abandon ship.

"So the Knights took control of the Kingdom and attacked the Empire head on and lost," I say. "And you were involved in that?"

"We both fought Byleth," Seteth says, "And they spared us both. I was already hesitant to back Rhea and her quest to destroy the Empire, and that sealed our decision."

"I was so scared, fighting on the battlefield," Flayn says, "If Byleth had been a different person, then…"

Then she'd have ended up like Marianne. Raphael. Judith. Mercedes. Leonie. I hope I don't have to add any more names to that list.

"After the battle," Seteth says, "Byleth told us that you were going to reappear in Gronder Field where you were defeated before. They weren't sure if it was going to be weeks, months, or years. They described it as if you were in the darkness of Zaharas, but different."

"Yeah, that's a good way of thinking about it," I say. "I went through a portal that didn't take me to anywhere you can find on a world map, and now I'm back."

Maybe this whole dimension hopping thing is more comprehensible to the people in Fódlan who already know that teleportation and magic bullshit exist.

"They told us to talk with you and explain the situation," Flayn says.

"Byleth is going to attack Fhirdiad soon, and they had a feeling you'd show up before then," Seteth adds. "They wanted you to be around to protect civilains from crossfire."

So they trust me not to turn my bow against them. Though it's not like I have a weapon with me at all. Failnaught snapped in the last fight, and I wasn't carrying any spares with me. I should probably take a page out of Byleth's book and always have multiple extra weapons on me.

"All right," I say. "I think that's something I can do."

Am I going to stay on the sidelines and escort civilians out instead of standing against Byleth? If I do raise a weapon against them, then our deal is off and they're free to kill the people I call friends. That must be why they're so confident in assigning me to protect the vulnerable. Maybe I will stick around after the war is over to see how they manage Fódlan. With their godlike powers, they could overthrow Edelgard if they wanted to and claim the entire continent for themselves. Or maybe Hubert will decide that they're too dangerous, and Byleth will fall to mysterious causes a couple months after Fódlan achieves peace. Honestly, I could live with either one of those outcomes.

"You looked deep in thought," Flayn says. "Do you wish to share your findings with us?"

"Ah, nothing. This whole situation is… complicated. But I do want to protect people if I can."

Seteth nods. "After we finish our tea, I can show you something that will help your mission."

He's the one who finishes his cup first, and he exits the room again without saying where he's going.

"It is quite noble," Flayn says. "You devoting yourself to protecting civilians, I mean. I too wish to be more involved in ensuring peace in this world, but my brother insists that we remain safe and cloistered."

"Are you under some sort of threat?" I say. "At first I thought Seteth was paranoid, but you did get kidnapped. Uh, sorry if that brings up bad memories."

"There is no need for apologies. My brother… has good reason for wanting to ensure our safety. That doesn't make it any less isolating."

Ah. Poor kid. I can see now why she was so friendly and social at the monastery, since it sounds like that was her first time around lots of people.

"After the war's over, do you think that you'll be safe?" I say.

"There are… vicious people out there," Flayn says. "So long as they remain, we must hide from them."

From her tone, her words seem directed at a specific group.

"You mean the people like Solon and Kronya?"

"I believe so. Honestly, my brother does not enlighten me with many of the details."

Why would Those Who Slither in the Dark want Flayn and Seteth?

"Does it have anything to do with your connection to Rhea? Seteth seems quite close to her, and I know they hate her."

Flayn bows her head. "I… am not supposed to say."

Sounds like a yes to me, then. What could it be, then? What makes the three of them so special? My mind tugs at rumors I heard from the battle at Garreg Mach five years ago. After Byleth sent me back to Earth, they suffered the only defeat of their military career. And it was at the hands of Rhea, because she turned into…

"Are you and Seteth dragons as well?" I say.

Flayn's wide eyes betray the truth.

"We cannot… we lost the ability to change our form a long time ago."

"How long?"

Seteth enters the room, carrying Failnaught and two other bows. Failnaught has a new bowstring and looks as good as new, while the others look sturdier and more high-quality than bows I'm used to.

"Byleth repaired these and told me to give them to you," Seteth says, "Along with instructions to use the non-relic bows when you want to preserve Failnaught. The non-relics are essentially refined versions of standard weapons."

Huh. I'm surprised Byleth didn't pass along some bullhead fish to supposedly boost my speed.

"There's something else I need to show you," Seteth says. "Follow me."

I walk behind as he leads me out of the house and into the forest. I resist the urge to ask what he could possibly want to show me out here. Whatever it is, I'm sure I'll know soon enough. As we approach, I hear a familiar growling noise. Could it be…?

Seteth steps out into a clearing to reveal a stable with two wyverns. One of them is his, and the other is Omar.

Before I fully comprehend it, I'm running towards Omar. I press my cheek on his scaly snout and feel his warm breath wash over me. I give him a scratch under the chin and then look over at his wing. Where there was a hole from a ballista bolt before, I now don't even see signs of scarring. I look back at Seteth, who's smiling at me.

"It's always fortunate to run into someone who cares about wyverns in the same way that I do," he says. "Byleth found him and healed him up, and tasked me with looking after him after our battle."

Byleth again, huh? They could have got me another wyvern to fly, but they knew how much Omar meant to me and made sure that he was found and taken care of. It's enough to make me wonder if they weren't entirely pretending to care about me. Which, if I'm thinking like a cold-hearted businessperson, could be my ticket to a stable life. On Earth I'm wanted for mass murder, but here I'm reasonably important and might have an in with the legendary general who unified Fódlan and could get me a cushy administration position. Sure, Edelgard is planning to get rid of the nobility system, but we don't have that on Earth and people mostly get good jobs with the connections they have rather than their skills. I can't see Fódlan being any different.

"If you need some more time to think," Seteth says, "You're welcome to stay with us for a few days."

"Thanks for the offer, but I made up my mind before coming here," I say. "I need to head off as soon as possible if I want to be ready for what's about to happen in Fhirdiad."

Seteh nods. "I'll load you up with some rations and then you can head off. I hope all goes well for you. Kids your age shouldn't be getting dragged into these messes."

Should have considered that before participating in a school that trains child soldiers. Though I guess I can't blame him for a school that Rhea headed. I smile in thanks and Seteth is back off. He and Flayn return a few minutes later with packs of hard bread and salted pork that can fit into wyvern saddle pouches. Seteth also made sure to include plenty of meat for Omar as well as me.

"Thanks for everything," I say. "I'll try to create a world where you can live safely."

"I appreciate it," Seteth says, "Though I hope you'll forgive me for not planning on it happening anytime soon."

"It was so nice to see you," Flayn says. "Please visit anytime. Brother and I would love to have you again."

"After the war's over, I should have the time. See you later."

I take Omar out of the stable, saddle up, and have him fly up into the sky. The motions are natural to me, even after a month and a half away on Earth. Flayn jumps and waves goodbye while I ascend, and I wave back.

I think that this is the first time something's gone right for me in Fódlan, and it's because I wasn't pitted against Byleth. Maybe I'll be happier if I accept that I'll never be better than them.

#

I'm amazed at how quickly I make it to the Kingdom. The fastest route is through the Alliance and across the mountain range, but I'm not sure Omar can handle that kind of flight. He seems in shape so I assume that Seteth has been taking him on flights to keep him from going stir-crazy, but trying to crest those mountaintops seems like a bad idea. So instead, I pass by Garreg Mach and go to the Kingdom directly.

And sure enough, Omar starts to slow down once we get to Faerghus and the snow hits. Which makes sense, since wyverns are ectotherms like other reptiles and rely on the ambient temperature being warm enough for their cell biology to function appropriately. The good news is that Omar doesn't immediately shut down like a small lizard because he's big enough that his body conserves a lot of heat, but I see why the Kingdom relies on pegasus knights instead of wyvern riders for aerial combat.

His wings must be getting the worst of it since they're exposed to so much air with basically no insulation. After Omar starts to struggle, I have him land and we continue on foot. Omar's not the fastest or most graceful walker, but he seems happier than he was when flying through the frigid air. We rest a night at an inn on the way (thank goodness I have some gold on me), and we continue the next morning. With bouts of flying mixed with walking, we reach Fhirdiad by noon.

The Knights of Seiros are standing guard in front of the entrance gate, which makes me reconsider my options. I doubt they're friendly to me given that I abandoned the church after they sent Marianne to her death. If Rhea's back in charge, she might imprison me on sight.

I decide to have Omar fly me over the walls and drop me off. I can't exactly walk through the streets with a wyvern and not attract attention, so I'll have to gather information on my own. It's oddly easy to find a part of the wall where nobody is watching and have Omar land on an empty street. I hop off, take some of the rations, and tell him to stay close by. I feed him some extra meat and send him off. He's well-trained enough that he won't abandon me or get lost on his own.

As I walk through the streets, I come to the realization that most of them are quiet. The only people present are the ones huddling with dirty blankets for warmth. They look up at me with eyes too dead to hope. Yeesh, this is worse than the homeless problem in Seattle. I've never been to Fhirdiad before, but this can't be normal. Even in wartime, Derdriu was never like this.

And it's my fault, isn't it? If I hadn't stood in Byleth's and Edelgard's way, they could have dealt with this problem sooner. But then again, nobody was forcing them to attack the Alliance first. They put their goals of conquest ahead of the humanitarianism they espouse, and I had a duty to defend my lands and people. Still, it's amazing how much has changed in the last few months. The Alliance dissolved, Cornelia overthrown, and the Empire marching to the gates of Fhirdiad.

I'm not paying close attention to where I'm going, so I end up stumbling into a garden in front of a large building. I'm so entranced by the red and purple flowers living through the cold and the snow that I don't notice the person approaching me until they clear their throat.

"Are you a student here?"

I look up to see a woman with long, auburn hair in professor's robes. I know this person.

"Anette," I say.

She blinks, and then her eyes widen in recognition. "Claude? What are you doing here in Fhirdiad? I heard that you…"

"That I what?"

"You died at Gronder Field. That's what the other professors said, anyway."

Hearing the word professor makes me think of Byleth, but then I put two and two together. This must be the Royal School of Sorcery that trains the Kingdom's mages. I bet Annette went through here herself before going to Garreg Mach.

"So you got a cushy job here at the university?" I say. "Good for you."

"It's…" she lets out a sigh. "Thanks. But more importantly, why are you here?"

"Byleth and the Empire are about to attack. We need to evacuate the city."

Her face pales. "That's… ahem. We definitely need to get people to safety. But I'm just a magic professor." She looks at the ground. "Think, Anette. What are you going to do about this?"

"You might have a better in with Rhea than I do," I say. "Seeing as you went to her school recently and didn't cut ties with the church like another unnamed person in this conversation."

"I've got it," Annette says. "I know a knight. Not a Knight of Seiros… well, I do know one, but he hasn't talked to me in the past however many years so that's not going to work out. You remember Ashe, right?"

I nod. Now that I think about it, Ashe and Annette were the only two Blue Lions I didn't see at Gronder Field last month.

"He might be able to get us an audience with Rhea. Since he's like an important military person, or something."

"Sounds like a good of a shot as any."

"I don't have to teach for the rest of the day, and I can grade assignments after I'm sure that my students are safe. You ready to head there right now?"

"Sure."

Annette speedwalks through the streets of Fhirdiad. My legs are a good deal longer than hers, and I still have trouble keeping up. I'm not sure how she manages to fit so much energy inside a body that small. Eventually, we arrive at a military garrison with Faerghus knights stationed at the door.

"Professor Dominic," Annette says. "I'd like to speak with Ashe Ubert. It's urgent."

"A magic professor, eh?" one of the soldiers says. "We'll see if Ashe is in."

We're left waiting for a few minutes. I've only heard of "twiddling your thumbs" as a saying and never seen someone do it before, but Annette's are going wild while we're standing outside with nothing to do. She then begins playing with her hair, fidgeting in place, rubbing her arms… I want to say something about it being okay to relax, but honestly I'm not sure if that's true. We're dealing with a messy situation here.

The guard emerges and looks both of us over.

"If it's truly a serious matter, you may enter and interrupt Ashe's conversation. If not, he can meet with you at another time."

"Uh, well, that's okay," Annette says. "We wouldn't want to be a bother."

"You're this afraid of putting your foot down and you teach teenagers?" I say. "This could mean life or death. I think we should go in."

"I don't know how time-sensitive it is… Maybe we should wait for him to be done."

"Why don't you just go in?" the guard says. "I don't think he wants you to stand out here in the cold."

Annette breathes in and steps inside, looking even tenser. The guard gives us basic instructions on where to find the room where Ashe is. I decide to lead the way, which I hope helps with Annette's anxiety due to her not having to go first.

"Claude," Annette says. "I just realized something. You were in the Battle at Gronder, right?"

"Not my proudest moment, but yeah."

"What… happened to the Kingdom army there?"

Oh, shit. She doesn't know about Mercedes.

"They retreated, but I'm not sure if Byleth was able to capture most of them."

She nods, but from the way she looks at the ground I can tell that her brain is working overtime. I'm not sure if now is the best time to break the news about her friend, so I keep on walking. Before long, I reach the room where Ashe is talking with what sounds like an older man. The door is open, so I decide to walk in. The man spots me first and frowns at me. He has a pair of large scars on his face, one of which looks like it took his right eye out of commission. Ashe looks the same as when I saw him on Earth but in a warmer military outfit. Both of them are standing in front of a miniature model of the city.

"Now who are these children?" the man says. "Are you the ones who wanted to see us?"

Ashe turns around, flinching when he sees me.

"Claude? I thought you were…"

"Dead? Yeah, seems to be a recurring theme here."

"Hi, Ashe," Annette steps into the room. "And, uh…"

"The name's Gwendal," the older man says. "Right hand to Count Rowe. Nice to meet ya."

"We're discussing how to fortify the city," Ashe says. "Are you here to help us, Claude? I thought the Alliance fell to the Empire."

"Byleth is going to be here soon," I say. "We need to evacuate the city."

"That's what we came here for," Annette says. "We thought you might be able to talk with Lady Rhea, since you're all military and official."

Ashe exchanges a glance with Gwendal, then looks back at me. "We take orders from the Knights of Seiros, but there's not much authority going the other direction. I'd stay away from Rhea if I were you, Claude. She blames you and the Alliance for not unifying with the church-affiliated resistance forces before she took power."

And how exactly was I going to do that with a mountain range in between us and them? Sure, I could pass through Ailell, the Valley of Torment, but that's not a good means of travel when the environment is basically volcanic. Though I shouldn't be surprised Rhea's sense of logic is failing her now. I wonder if she ever had it to begin with.

"Right, but the city needs to be evacuated," I say. "Civilians could get hurt here."

"I agree," Ashe says, "And I'm happy to help you talk with the Knights of Seiros if that's what you need. Though if you have Annette with you, it might be easier to go to-"

"Stop," Annette says. "I… tried before, Ashe. He pretends I don't exist."

The room falls silent. I can tell that Gwendal is also confused as to who Annette and Ashe are talking about, but neither of us have the courage to bring it up.

"Gwendal, can this wait?" Ashe says. "It might be nice to at least get Annette an audience with Rhea. She's a leading scholar in Fhirdiad, so her word carries more weight than a soldier like you or me."

"Sure," Gwendal says. "But you know how it goes. The Church of Seiros don't like to listen to anyone other than the Church of Seiros."

Even Rhea and the Knights of Seiros won't ignore us when so many civilians are in danger… right? I try to reassure myself that I'm correct in my assessment as Ashe leads me and Annette out of the military garrison and back out onto the streets of Fhirdiad. Back to the empty marketplaces and people curled up into balls on the streets.

"I didn't know how dead this city was," I say.

Ashe lets out a sigh. He tosses silver pieces at a group of orphans who stare wide-eyed at us.

"Cornelia took everything from us," he says. "She claimed it was for the war effort, but I'm a soldier and I can tell you nothing she took made it to the military. In fact, we're still undermanned and don't have all the weapons we need."

So she must have spent those resources elsewhere. And on what?

"Ashe," Annette says. "Do you know what happened to the people who followed Prince Dimitri? I heard they clashed at Gronder Field, but…"

"No sign of them since. I'm not sure what Fhirdiad will do if His Highness returns." Ashe turns to me. "Most of us still believe that His Highness has the right to rule, but we are also devout believers. If it comes down to him and Rhea…"

Sounds gnarly. If it came down to that, it likely wouldn't matter who won out since Byleth could march over their corpses and claim Fhirdiad for the Empire. Defending Derdriu felt almost impossible, but the atmosphere in the air was never this hopeless. Ashe continues to lead us on until we arrive at an area where I see several Knights of Seiros standing guard. There, I recognize Catherine as one of the knights, as well as an older man with red hair like Annette's. I think his name is Gilbert?

"I don't like it either, Gustave," Catherine tells Gilbert, "But orders are orders."

"I understand duty, Cassandra," Gilbert says. "And I know you do as well."

"This feels different. Even when I hated turning in Cristophe, it felt like justice. This doesn't."

Ashe tenses in front of me. I glance over at Annette, who is staring daggers at Gilbert. Christophe… that's Ashe's older brother, right? I remember that Catherine turned him in because he was part of a plot to assassinate the king of Faerghus. Cristophe's death ended up making Ashe's father Lord Lonato angry enough to raise an army against the church.

"I think we have to talk to them," Ashe says. "Are you okay with this, Annette?"

"My father won't acknowledge me, but he should listen to you and Claude," Annette says. "Let's do this."

She steps forward towards the Knights of Seiros. Two of the other knights raise their weapons at her as she approaches, and I can tell they recognize her mage's robes. Catherine waves for them to stand down.

"Ah, Annette," Catherine says. "Greetings, Ashe. And… Claude."

Funny how her hesitant voice is reserved for me, not the guy whose brother she effectively killed.

"Claude's been scouting the area," Annette says. "Byleth and Edelgard are going to arrive soon. We need to evacuate the city. Can you get us a meeting with Lady Rhea?"

Catherine and Gilbert exchange a glance that's far too long for my liking. Catherine shakes her head and turns back to Annette.

"Seeing Lady Rhea is likely not wise at this time. She is… not in the best mood. Besides, we are aware of the situation."

"So are you evacuating the civilians?" I say. "Because it doesn't look like you are."

"Your words mean nothing, apostate," Gilbert says. "We are prepared to do as the goddess and Lady Rhea command."

"And what are you commanded to do right now?" Ashe says.

Good thing he said that when he did, because I was about to let loose with a quip that was going to get all of us in trouble. Before either of the knights can respond, I hear screaming in the distance. I look over to see smoke rising from a few blocks over.

"Shit," I say. "We need to put that out. We'll give you a hand and we can delay this conversation until later."

As I finish, I hear more shouts from a different direction and see a second fire in a different location. And then a third. One fire is a coincidence. But three has to be a plan, right? If Byleth is planning to torch Fhirdiad, I'm going to-

"Father," Annette says. "What's going on here?"

I look back to see that neither Gilbert nor Catherine have made a move to rally the knighst and deal with any of the fires. In fact, both of their gazes are pointed at the ground.

"I demand you to answer me," Annette says. "What are you doing?"

"I think you know the answer, Annette," Gilbert says. His voice is so soft I can barely make it out.

"I don't understand," Ashe says, looking around. "We need to help the city. Catherine, Gilbert, let's get moving so we can put out the fires."

"Sorry, Ashe," Catherine says, "But we're not planning on doing any such thing."

"And why is that?" I say.

After the words leave my mouth, I figure out the answer. I don't want to believe it. It's so heinous and cruel that I can't imagine it being true. But there really is no other explanation, is there?

"Because." Catherine looks up at me. "Lady Rhea was the one who commanded we set fire to the town so that it would halt the Empire. They are already at our gates."

And there it is. Despite Byleth's and Edelgard's brutal conquest, they look like the heroes compared to the war crimes Rhea is unleashing in front of my eyes.

"And you agreed?" Annette says. "Father, this is our home. Mother and I are still living here. What are you doing?"

She steps towards Gilbert, and a pair of knights step in front of him with blades drawn. I take Failnaught off my back, but don't nock an arrow from my quiver yet.

"Wait," Ashe says. "We don't have to do this. We're all on the same side here."

"Are we?" I say. "I'm against any side that burns down cities with civilians still inside."

"Don't deny your true motivations," Gilbert says. "You despise the Church of Seiros."

"I do now. I'll send you both to the eternal flames to stop this city from burning to ashes if I must."

See, I can swear like a real Fódlan person. Catherine draws her blade Thunderbrand and Gilbert raises his axe.

"I don't want to fight any of you," Catherine says. "Stand down and walk away, all of you. This isn't the hill to die on."

"Ashe," I say. "Annette. Are you prepared to protect the people of Fhirdiad?"

"Whatever keeps my mother safe," Annette says.

"Ashe?" I turn to him.

"We endured so much," Ashe says. "All of us in the Kingdom did. And here the two of you are, back after running away, trying to tear us apart again. I see now why you sealed Cristophe's fate, Catherine. You've always wanted death and destruction."

"Be rational, Ashe," Catherine says. "If you wanted to take your anger out on me, you should have done so when we were at Garreg Mach and we could have called it practice. Raise your bow against me and you join Cristophe and Lonato."

"Claude," Annette says. "What should we do?"

Ashe is also looking at me, waiting for me to say something. A legion of knights are standing at the ready. We're outnumbered and pitted against two of the most legendary warriors in the realm. I think the play here is obvious. I begin to back off, keeping my eyes on Catherine and Gilbert. Ashe and Annette fall back with me. After a few dozen steps, I'm far enough away that Catherine can't lunge at me and slice my head off before I can react.

"Good," Catherine says. "Remember that our true enemy is the Empire. Let's seal their defeat together."

I nock an arrow and point it at her. Catherine's eye twitches, and I can tell she realizes I was only trying to put space between us and her.

"About that," I say. "My enemies are the creatures hurting innocent people. You either go put out those fires right this second or I take out as many of your soldiers as I can. Understood?"

"You can't get me to abandon Lady Rhea that easily," Catherine says. "There's only one thing I won't do for her, and I'm not exactly afraid of that situation coming up. Ashe, Annette. Attack Claude at once."

I exhale. If I've misjudged either of them, it's game over for me. No Byleth on the other side to spare me this time.

"I won't let you hurt my mother," Annette says, "And this city will not burn down so long as I stand."

"And I'm not about to let this whole city meet Cristophe's fate for the same mistake of trusting you," Ashe says.

A gust of wind next to me alerts my attention to a disc of condensed wind floating above Annette's hand, sending her robes flapping. Ashe draws his bow and nocks an arrow. Catherine narrows her eyes and tenses her legs, looking like a leopard about to pounce.

"Then you've chosen death," she says.

We're waiting on stuff I need to do my lab work, so I have more time to write. :) Can't complain about that.

In the Golden Deer route, Annette and Ashe are the only Blue Lions students that don't appear at Gronder field. Ashe is working with Gwendal for House Rowe, and Annette is nowhere to be seen. In Crimson Flower, both students defend Fhirdiad from the Black Eagles, but I thought it would make sense here if both of them were pissed at the people burning down their city.

Also for some reason the chapter scripts aren't on the wiki anymore so I can't check with canon as easily. *shrugs*

Notes:

-Flayn and Seteth lived in the Empire for most of their life, and they can be spared by Byleth during the mission where the Church of Seiros attacks Garreg Mach (I didn't know this and killed both of them in CF... rip), so I thought having them be nearby to guide Claude made sense.

-In many of Annette's endings, she becomes a professor at the Fhirdiad School of Sorcery, so I gave her that occupation here

-Gustave and Cassandra are Gilbert and Catherine's birth names, and they refer to each other as such at times in their support conversations (I think)