Hello! Another chapter so soon; one chapter I've been wanting to write since the start of this story.
This chapter is about one character in particular I've felt like we need to see the perspective of; this was such an interesting one for me to write, and so I hope that you all find it as intriguing as I do.
I hope you guys enjoy. ~
VII. A Mother's Love
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The sound of bells rang across the courtyard.
The woman looked up into the bell tower, the clock striking nine.
It was just about time for her to return to the festivities, anyhow.
Ava sighed as she moved towards the grandiose doors of the ballroom, the sounds of feet moving in unison echoing out. Her heels clacked as she walked through the garden, her dress carelessly dragging across the ground.
A servant dressed in a formal looking vest stood at the doors. As Ava approached, the man bowed before her.
"Good evening, Lady Bartels. Returning to the ball?"
"Yes, Cain. I suppose I should greet some of our visitors, shouldn't I?"
"That would be for the best, I believe. The Emperor and his family have already arrived, as have guests from House Aegir and House Arundel. I believe the Baron has kept busy greeting them, however he requests your presence posthaste."
She sighed again.
"Thank you, Cain. I truly appreciate you."
"You are very welcome, Lady Bartels."
He reached for the door handle, opening the way to the ballroom.
"And do behave in there, my lady."
Ava laughed softly as she entered the ballroom; she quickly found herself surrounded by the sounds of music, courtesy of the symphony and choir in the back of the room. Nobles stood around, talking amongst each other as they sipped champagne from their glasses. In the center of the room were even more nobles, feet tapping as they danced the night away.
A servant approached Ava, holding a platter carrying tall glasses of champagne. She looked as if she were putting up a gentle front, as she obviously struggled to hold the plate up high above her chest.
"H-Hello Lady Bartels... care for a drink?"
Ava took one of the glasses, before turning towards the servant.
"Thank you, Eyvel… do take a break after this, please?"
"You're very welcome, Lady Bartels… and may I? Please?"
"Of course, dear. Lady's orders."
"Thank you, Lady Bartels!"
The servant named Eyvel bowed, still holding the platter. She scurried off immediately after, grateful that she no longer had to tire her arms out.
Ava stood to the side of the room, scanning her eyes across the ballroom looking for her husband.
She stopped to stare as she watched a young couple glide across the floor. She recognized the two as a couple of House Nuvelle.
A young Nuvelle child strode along next to them, her bright blonde hair bouncing as she danced alongside her parents.
Ava stared wistfully at the young family, her heart filled with jealousy over something that was just out of reach.
She continued to scan the room, eventually finding her husband talking with a group of nobles. Reluctantly, she began to move in their direction.
"Ava! My darling! Come say hello to our guests!"
She nearly cringed at the sound of his voice, beckoning for her to join the conversation.
Baron Bartels grabbed her by the arm, before introducing her to his companions; a short, stout man whose hair was a bright orange, and an imposing man who appeared to glare into Ava's very soul.
"This is my lovely wife, Ava. Dear; Duke Aegir, and Duke Arundel.
Ava held her dress as she bowed before the two strangers.
"Good evening sirs."
The shorter man bowed in an auspicious manner.
"Ludwig von Aegir, my lady. I am pleased to make your acquaintance."
Every single word of his was drenched in a sense of falsehood. She found herself unsettled by his very presence.
"Volkhard von Arundel. Pleased to meet you. Now, I must be tending to the Emperor and his children. Please excuse me."
Arundel left as quickly as he appeared. She was thankful that his imposing presence was gone.
She watched as he returned to the Emperor; Ionius IX was surrounded by nearly a dozen children, bustling about the ballroom.
The Emperor himself stood by and watched the ballroom, his wife Anselma by his side. She rested her head on his shoulder, as he held her around his arm.
She felt the pangs of jealousy strike once more.
"Mother! Where have you been?"
Ava felt her mood brighten the instant she heard her daughter's voice. She turned around and met the gaze of Mercedes, dragging along a confused looking Emile. The two children were dressed in their formal attire, Mercedes in a short dress and Emile in a stuffy suit.
"Hello, my children. What have you been up to, hmm?"
"Emile and I danced! It was a lot of fun! Isn't that right, Emile?"
"M-Maybe to you it was, Mercie…"
"Don't be like that! You had fun, I could tell!"
Arundel returned to the group as quickly as he disappeared. This time, his hand was being held by a much smaller one. It belonged to a little girl.
The little girl was dressed similarly to Mercedes; her brown hair cascaded down her back, in contrast to Mercedes' light locks.
She was about a head shorter than both her and her brother; at the very least, she was a few years younger than the both of them.
Arundel patted the girl on her head.
"Well? Why don't you introduce yourself?"
"…I'm Edelgard."
"Oh… I'm Mercedes."
Emile shifted so as to move slightly behind his big sister.
"…My name's Emile."
Duke Aegir nearly leapt upon hearing the young girl's name. Ava stared in confusion at the man's reaction.
"Oh! You must be little Edelgard, the Emperor's daughter, am I correct?"
"…Yes?"
Duke Aegir scanned the room, finding a young boy with a head of orange hair merely a few feet away.
"Ferdinand! Come!"
The little boy approached the other children. He was dressed in a similar suit to Emile's.
"Introduce yourself, please."
"My name is Ferdinand von Aegir."
The little boy bowed before the strangers; he looked to be the same age as Edelgard.
Mercedes and Emile bowed at the same time. However, the boy's father turned him instead towards the crown heir.
"Ferdinand, this is Edelgard von Hresvelg. Do make her feel welcome, okay?"
"Y-Yes, father."
Mercedes and Emile stood idly by, feeling slightly chastened at the man's choice to ignore the other two children.
"Arundel, why don't we return to the Emperor? He and Anselma must be losing their minds, having to watch the other children."
"Indeed. Do behave, Edelgard."
"And you as well, Ferdinand."
Duke Aegir glared at his son. In comparison, Arundel patted the girl on the head before departing with the Duke.
"Ava, my dear, I will have to join them. Imperial business and the like.
He leaned forward, making sure only she heard him. His breath was felt on her skin.
"Make sure those two behave. You as well. Or there will be consequences."
She held her breath, arms shaking.
He leaned back, returning to his jovial demeanor from before. He patted his two children, both of them shuddering from his touch. He scurried off to catch up with the other two men.
Ava released her breath, holding her hand up to her mouth. Her breath quivered as she relaxed herself, free from that man's gaze.
She felt ashamed, believing the children next to her had seen her moment of weakness in front of the man.
When she turned, she found them not fearful, but instead conversing with the other two children.
"So, your name is Edelgard… right?"
"Yeah… yours is Emile?"
Emile nodded.
Mercedes let out a sigh of relief. She knew that Emile would freeze up in situations like that; she was happy that he had let himself relax afterwards.
"Hi… I'm Ferdinand."
"I'm Mercedes! I don't know if you heard it before but…"
Mercedes looked up and met her mother's gaze. She smiled before addressing the group.
"Well then… why don't you children go and dance? The dance floor is calling, you know."
The girl's expression brightened back up.
"…Yeah! Hey guys, let's go dance!"
Mercedes reached for the two smaller children's hands. She began to drag them towards the dance floor before turning back towards her brother.
"…You too, Emile! You can dance with the other girls too, you know."
She winked at her brother, a blush beginning to appear on his face.
"S-Shut up, Mercie!"
Emile ran ahead to catch up with the other children, before he and his sister turned to face their mother.
Ava smiled softly at the two. The children's faces followed suit, before they returned to the dance floor.
Her finger circled the rim of her glass, before she brought it up and took a sip of champagne. Soon, she found herself watching the group of children dance.
The young Nuvelle girl from earlier found herself drawn to the other children. She couldn't help but listen in. Luckily, she wouldn't have to.
"…Constance von Nuvelle!"
The bubbly girl proclaimed her name aloud, or as loud as a girl her age could, anyways. Ava watched as Mercedes introduced herself and the others, before folding her in to their group.
A tear pricked the side of her eye, as she attempted to hide it. She wiped it away quick, hoping nobody would notice.
In a crowded room such as this, no one would notice such a small movement, anyhow.
As she watched her children dance, her heart grew.
She wouldn't force her children into a life such as hers. It wouldn't be fair to them. They deserved the world. And more.
Ava finished her glass, before leaving it at an empty table. She knew the children would be occupied for the next little while.
She slowly made her way to the doors she came through. Back to the gardens.
It would be much easier to make a prayer out there, in such a peaceful place.
Besides, the goddess would likely hear it better outside, she thought.
Ava stroked her horse's mane before leaving him within the stable. She stepped out into the night, having arrived at her destination. On her map, the place was known as Remire Village.
She rode in secret, having left her home around midnight.
Ava clutched her cloak as she wandered through the sleeping village. She shivered as a gust of air blew through the town. A cat scurried across the street, before disappearing into a nearby alleyway.
Her eyes perked up as she came across a small tavern, a dim light shining through the windows. The letter she received told her that her contact would be waiting for her at the town's tavern. Being the only one in town, she knew that she had found the right place.
Opening the door, she found herself in a small yet cozy looking inn, faintly lit by several sconces. Ava pulled her hood down, before scanning the room. An older man with a beard stood behind the counter, wiping glasses off with a white rag.
"Hi there, miss. Lookin' for a place to stay, or somethin' to drink?"
"Good evening, sir. I'm just waiting for someone, is all."
"Alright then, miss. Just yell if you need anything then."
The man returned to his chores, a soft yawn coming from his lips.
A voice came from a table in the corner of the room.
"…Sister?"
Ava recognized the voice. As she heard it, she instantly felt a sense of relief. She turned towards the voice's directions.
"…Maria?"
She found the source of the voice; it was a similarly cloaked woman, her short blonde hair instantly recognizable to her. The woman stood upon seeing Ava.
"…Ava? Ava!"
The woman known as Maria ran towards her, wrapping her arms around her in a tight hug. Ava returned it in kind, before pulling away.
"Maria… it's been so long. You've grown so much."
"I told you that one day I would grow as tall as you, after all. It's so good to see you, Ava. Come, sit!"
The two women sat at the table in the corner, Maria having set aside a cup of tea for herself and for Ava.
"How are the children? It's been ages since I've seen Mercedes and Emile."
"They are… doing the best, considering their circumstances."
"That's good to hear. I can't imagine what it's like for them in there. I just hope that you're handling things well. For their sakes, especially."
Ava took a sip of her tea.
"I… I'm handling. For them, I'm staying strong. Don't worry about me."
"Good. It's just… I worry about you sometimes, sister."
She chuckled softly.
"I should say the same for you. How are things at the church, dear?"
"Going just fine. The children in the orphanage have begun their schooling. A few of the sisters and I have taken it upon ourselves to act as teachers for the time being, however; many of our other faculty members were called to work in Fhirdiad instead. Understandable, considering the rebuilding happening the capital but… we do need help."
"Maria… about our letters."
Maria leaned forward, lowering her voice as if she were hiding it.
"…Are you going to do it? We have more than enough room for the children and… truthfully, your presence will be of a great help to us."
Ava stared down at her clasped hands. She recalled the night of the ball.
The looks of joy she saw in her children's faces. How she swore she would do anything to keep them happy. To give them a better life.
She looked up at her sister.
"…Of course, we are. My mind has not changed one bit."
Maria smiled.
"…Good. Bartels is a cruel man. Get those children away from him."
"I will."
The two women leaned back into their seats. Their voices returned to normal.
"How will you be going about it though?"
"I've hired someone to help us. Have you heard of Jeralt Eisner, the Blade Breaker?"
"Of course, sister. He's famed around these parts, isn't he? How did you convince him to help you?"
"Frankly… I'm not sure. I… told him our story, and he offered to help. No qualms or anything. I snuck money from my husband's coffers; we will be fine."
Maria sighed out in relief.
"…That's good. Very good, in fact. You'll be having the most renowned mercenary company in Fodlan helping you."
"The goddess has blessed me with such a gift."
Ava's sister slid a folded envelope across the table.
"Our church will be visiting Fhirdiad within the next few weeks. If you can get to the capital, you can join us on our journey back to the church. In the envelope is the details of our trip and of Fhirdiad."
Ava took the envelope, slipping it into her cloak.
"Thank you, Maria. If it weren't for you… I don't know where we would go."
"Of course, Ava. We have to help each other out, after all."
As she stood, Ava held her sister's hand. She squeezed it in reassurance.
"Father would be so incredibly proud of you… you know that, right Maria?"
Maria stood up and hugged her sister again.
"I know, Ava… anything for my big sister."
Ava pat her on the head before pulling away.
"I must go, before my husband realizes I'm gone… I will see you in a few weeks, okay?"
"Yes! Please, Ava… take care."
"I will. You as well, Maria."
She waved towards her sister, who returned to her seat and continued drinking her tea in silence. Ava stepped out of the tavern, back into the night.
As she made her way back to the stables, she became filled with a newfound sense of hope.
Perhaps, after all, she could do something right by her children for once.
"Where is he… Emile, where are you?!"
Ava moved as quickly as she could through the quiet manor, her voice beginning to grow panicked.
While Mercedes was safe outside with the mercenaries, her heart dropped when she entered her son's room.
Empty. He was nowhere to be found.
She began running down the halls, no longer caring about how much noise she made.
Running across the hall, she found herself standing in front of the manor's gardens. The figure of a small boy stood outside, beneath the bell tower.
Ava caught a glimpse of blonde hair in the moonlight. Her eyes beginning to glisten, she ran out into garden.
She let her voice ring out across the yard.
"Emile! There you are! I've been worried sick-"
"Mother! I-I…"
He stepped back towards the bell tower. The rope hung behind him.
Seeing him move back, she slowed herself.
"…Emile? What's the matter?"
"Mother… I know what you and Mercedes are doing."
"…Yes, it's time to go. We don't have much time left… we have to go, now."
A soft cry began to escape his lips.
"N-No… you guys need to go. I… I'll stay here."
"I know fully well what you're thinking, my son. If you stay here, then your father will have no need to come after us."
His eyes widened, not realizing his mother knew his exact thought process.
"Please, mother… if I go with you, father will do anything to get us. If you let me stay… you and Mercie can be safe. Forever."
"I will not. I'm not leaving you, Emile. No matter wha-"
"Mom! Please!"
Emile raised his voice, startling Ava. She felt herself shrink. Her eyes grew when she saw him reach for the rope behind him.
He pulled on it. Hard. The bells rung out, sounding out across the manor and around the forest.
Ava's voice quaked as she spoke.
"No, no, no, no. Emile, this isn't right. I can't leave you. Please… don't make me do this."
She pulled Emile into an embrace; he cried into her, as she did the same.
"I'll come find you mom… I promise! I'll find you!"
The sounds of horses sounded out around the forest. The backup guards would be arriving at any second. The longer she stayed here, the more likely they would be caught, and her plan would fail.
Ava pulled away from her son, looking at him.
In her heart… she knew that it had to be done. No matter how much she wished to deny it.
She kissed her son on both cheeks before standing, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"No. I'll come back for you. I promise, Emile! Do you hear me?! I will come back for you!"
"M-Mom…!"
She pulled her son along through the halls, the sounds of stomping feet coming from the back.
Within seconds they found themselves at the front doors.
Ava looked at her son one last time. She smiled at him, wiping away her own tears, before turning back and joining the mercenaries.
Jeralt, seeing her exiting the manor, ran to join her.
"The hell's going on? Where's the boy-"
She steeled herself.
"He's staying. It'll be safer for us that way. It… was his choice."
Jeralt, confused, look back towards the manor. The boy stood in the doorway.
"Shit, if you say so… let's go then."
Ava wiped away any tears left on her face. She had to look strong for her daughter.
She refused to look back, however. She swore to only look forward from now on. No matter the cost.
Her heart ached in pain. She couldn't even protect both of her children, she thought. What kind of mother was she…?
Mercedes would be waiting around the corner. She buried her feelings within. It was a small price to pay.
The sound of footsteps.
A crying child. But not just any child.
It was hers.
With that, Ava tore her eyes open, her breathing heavy. Drops of sweat fell down her face, her hair a tangled mess. She scanned the room she found herself in, only for her eyes to rest on the sleeping form of her daughter.
"Another one…"
The woman held her chest, the beating of her heart slowly beginning to dull. Her breathing steadied, arm raised to wipe the sweat from her brow.
A nightmare. She had begun having them a few days ago, and they continued to haunt her sleep.
Only by this point, she had grown used to them. As if she were living one, she thought.
"No, no, no… I can't think like that."
She looked over to her sleeping daughter. The young girl rolled in her sheets, tossing and turning just like her mother must have been doing.
Her heart ached at the sight of Mercedes living like this.
Anything was better than staying at that home, with that man. But… was this worth it? To lose one of her children, likely to never see him again?
If they managed to make it to Fhirdiad and join her sister… what then? Would they live at the church for the rest of their days? What would come next?
She began to cry softly, hoping her daughter wouldn't hear her. Tears streamed down her face as she held her hands together.
"Goddess… please, listen to me. I… don't know what to do. I feel… so lost, and alone. I am… afraid. I want to do right by my children… and I'm afraid of losing my way. I can't…"
She stared at the light streaming in through the flap of the tent. Closing her eyes, she spoke out to no one in particular.
"Can you even hear me…? Please… give me an answer. Anything…!"
Ava sat in the darkness, silence surrounding her.
She awoke to find herself sitting in front of a fire. The crackling of the flames was a familiar sound to her as of late.
She realized she had fallen asleep surrounded by nature. It wasn't such a bad way to fall asleep, she thought.
A young girl's voice broke her from her thoughts.
The mother looked up, expecting to see both of her children sitting in front of her.
Mercedes sat with Byleth as she chatted away with him. However, as she expected, Emile was nowhere to be seen.
Her heart ached further, until it became a dulling sensation. She had grown used to it over the past week or so.
Upon seeing her mother awaken, Mercedes pulled her partner over to greet her.
"Hi, mother. You've been sleeping for a while, and we didn't want to wake you."
"…Good evening, Miss Martritz."
"Oh… Mercedes, Byleth, so good to see you two."
She let out a soft yawn, stretching her arms out. She pulled out her small book and leaned back in her seat, relaxing herself. Her breathing evened out.
"Well… don't mind me, children. I'll just be reading here."
"Okay, mother!"
Mercedes pulled Byleth back to their original seats. She wrapped her coat around her, while Byleth sat in his familiar looking dark armor.
The two children shared a pouch of trail mix, consisting of various nuts, seeds, and fruit.
Mercedes turned back towards the fire. As Byleth chewed, a familiar glint of light found itself attracting his attention.
She wore the eagle pin once more. Oblivious to her, Byleth found himself entranced by it again.
Like before, the eagle's wings were spread wide. With the reflection of the fire, it glowed as if it were on fire itself. Like the phoenixes of legend.
Noting his silence, Mercedes turned towards Byleth. Only to find him with a dumbstruck look on his face.
"Hello? Earth to Byleth?"
"O-Oh. Sorry, Mercie."
"No worries! It's just… what's up?"
"Your pin. It's still… really pretty."
Mercedes held the pin sitting on her chest.
"Thank you, Byleth. It's really special to me. It's one of the last things I have of my real father."
"Your real father?"
"Oh, I suppose I didn't tell you, did I? Emile is my half brother. When I was a really small baby, my dad… passed away. My mother met and married Baron Bartels a while later, and she had Emile with him."
She pointed to her chest.
"Do you know about House Martritz?"
"No. Never heard of them. Is that where you came from, then?"
"Yeah. When my dad died, the house went down with him. My mom says that it's nothing but history now. My dad gave my mom two of these pins; it's the symbol of House Martritz, you know? My mom has hers, while I have this one."
"That's really interesting. I'm sorry you never got to know your dad."
She shook her head.
"It's okay. My mom doesn't talk about him a lot but… she says that he was a really good man. She loved him a lot."
True love between nobles was an incredibly rare thing, Byleth thought. While his faith in the nobility was miniscule, his heart warmed at the idea that true love between them still existed.
"That's really incredible, Mercie."
"It is, isn't it? Who knew that true love really does exist, like it does in the storybooks?"
Mercedes sighed out in wonder. Byleth laughed softly at the idea of Mercedes daydreaming about love.
His gaze returned to the pin. But while he still found beauty within the pin itself, he had only taken notice of its owner.
Unbeknownst to the two children, Ava sat across from them, pretending to read. In truth, she had been listening in on the conversation.
Her aching heart had become full of warmth upon hearing her daughter talk of her mother.
Love. It was such a complex feeling, wasn't it?
She pictured herself giving both of her children a hug. While her heart still hurt, she found some sort of comfort within those memories.
Ava looked up and watched the two children. Byleth sat closely to her daughter, who stared off into the fire. In contrast, the boy stared wistfully at the girl, before turning back to the fire.
She laughed softly to herself.
Those two made a decent pair, she thought.
"Hey, mother…"
The caravan continued down the trails. The roads became more defined, and the group had run into many more guards than before.
Jeralt reasoned that it would only be a little bit until Fhirdiad would be in sight. The company had decided to travel on the calmer roads, lest they get stuck on the main roads in and out of the capital.
Ava sat within the carriage, performing her daily ritual of reading in silence. Mercedes, as usual, sat on the back of the carriage as she talked with Byleth who rode behind.
While the two children chattered amongst themselves, she wasn't exactly sure what they were talking about. She had truthfully been tuning most of it out.
Mercedes' voice woke her from her trance.
"Yes, dear?"
"Do you remember that ball we had a year ago? I was telling Byleth about it… do you remember Constance, mother?"
Ava recalled the Nuvelle girl joining her children during the ball. She laughed as she remembered her proclaiming her name out loud, as if she were the center of attention.
"Of course I remember Constance, dear. You'll have to send her a letter one of these days, Mercedes. She'll be wondering how you're doing."
"Oh right, mother. I don't want to lose contact with her. Edelgard too! I wonder what address I would put on the envelope… would I just write down 'The Imperial Palace' or something?"
Byleth sat on his horse, looking slightly confused.
"The Imperial Palace? You know a princess?"
"Yeah! I met her at the ball; her name was Edelgard. I exchange letters with her and Constance… haven't seen them in person since then, though."
She sighed out. Byleth felt bad for his friend; she and her brother must have been incredibly lonely at that home, he thought.
Mercedes turned towards her mother.
"Hey, mother… maybe when things calm down, we can visit them?"
"…I would love that, dear."
The caravan sped up suddenly, catching the mother and her daughter off guard. The faint yells of Jeralt could be heard off in the distance.
Mercedes sat back up on the carriage, wondering what the commotion was about. She held her mother as the carriage roared down the road.
"I wonder what's going on? Byleth, what's-"
The caravan slowed to a stop.
"Eyes up, people! Check it out!"
Jeralt's voice rumbled throughout the caravan. Byleth, curiously, peeked out beyond the carriage to see what his father had found. His eyes brightened at the sight.
"Mercie. You'll want to see this."
"Huh?"
"…We're here."
Mercedes climbed up around the carriage, peeking her head out above the driver's head. Ava leaned over to look as well. What they both saw filled them with hope.
Fhirdiad, the capital city of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, loomed ahead of them. Thousands of buildings, some of them reaching into the sky, were scattered everywhere. The city shined brightly in the gloom of the mountains of Faerghus.
It was easily the biggest city that Mercedes had seen in her life. The only other time she had been in a place such as this was Enbarr, the Imperial capital, when she was a small girl.
In the center of the city lay the Kingdom's palace, grandiose and shining amidst the other, smaller buildings.
It was somewhere new. Somewhere they could find a new start.
Byleth watched as the mother and daughter stared off at the city, utterly dumbstruck by its majesty.
Jeralt waved towards the back of the caravan.
"We're stopping here! Let's get camp set up just outside city limits; move it people!"
He signalled for his son to follow.
"Byleth, with me. We're going to ride on ahead."
"Got it."
He rode up alongside Mercedes, still staring ahead with a look of amazement on her face.
"I'm going to join my dad. I'll see you later, okay Mercie?"
"Mhm!"
She simply nodded her head without looking at him.
Byleth smiled. He didn't have the heart to tear her gaze away from the incredible looking city; her mother looked him in the eyes before smiling back, nodding her head. He returned the gesture and rode on ahead.
Ava looked on ahead as the boy rode on to join his father, her eyes slowly making their way back towards the glistening city.
"Mercedes…"
"Mother! Look how pretty it looks…"
Her daughter looked completely entranced by the sight of the capital. A smile began to grow on Ava's face as she watched her daughter stare in awe.
"Mother?"
"Yes, dear?"
"One day… let's bring Emile here, too."
A light gasp escaped Ava's lips. Slowly, yet gently, another smile appeared on her face.
"We'll bring him home. I promise, my child."
Mercedes hugged her mother and snuggled herself into her neck. Ava returned the hug and stroked her hair, before looking up into the sky.
She had grown used to the pain within her heart.
But for her daughter's sake, she would do anything.
What else was stronger than a mother's love, after all?
...I love Ava's character so far.
Out of all the characters in this story at the moment, I find her probably the most interesting one to think about. In the game, we get probably one or two lines about her, buried within random supports, one of which is exclusive to one of the routes and is dependent on recruiting Mercedes... so yeah, from the very start I decided to take it upon myself to expand upon her as much as I could.
Being Ava is suffering.
As much as I love writing about Byleth and Mercedes, Ava was one that I never expected to enjoy digging into as much. That'll probably change after the first half of this story... but suffice to say she'll continue to be a big influence throughout the rest of this fic.
I've come to realize how much longer this fic will be than I first anticipated. Don't worry, I'm pretty invested now; I'm in it for the long haul! With that, I left a few hints in this chapter about the direction this story will take in the future. I'm sure you already know what it is, so yeah!
Thank you guys so much for continuing to read my dumb little story. I'll see you guys at the next one.
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~Arujira