There was already quite a crowd in Sylvain's room when Mercedes knocked, and his door was opened by the ever-helpful Dedue.
"Oh!" The healer glanced around at the sea of faces, who were all staring at her. She remained hovering at the threshold, not really sure what to do next. "I'm sorry… I thought you might need a little company Sylvain – but I see that others have had pretty much the same idea."
"Come and join the party, why don't you," Sylvain muttered tiredly, beckoning Mercedes in. "The more, the merrier after all." He was slouched down on his bed, with a bland and uninterested look on his face. Bernadetta was sitting bolt upright on one side of him, and Felix, in a far more reposed stance, was perched on his other. Dimitri lounged by the rear window, looking rather awkward, and when Dedue closed the door after Mercedes had entered – he went over to stand with the Prince dutifully. Oddly, Hubert was also in the room and sat in the only chair situated by Sylvain's writing desk. Of everyone there, he was the only one that looked totally relaxed.
"We were just getting caught up, Mercedes." It was Dimitri who spoke, although he was looking a little lost. "Not that there has been much we have been able to share about what happened at the Monastery while the others were away…" He added. "Well, obviously, since there was such a shroud of secrecy over proceedings and still nothing has been properly confirmed as yet."
"It certainly sounds as though things have resolved themselves, however," Hubert said smoothly. "Flayn has been returned to us, after all."
"Well, I don't believe it! Not one bit." Felix was scowling thunderously. "I've spent most mornings training alongside the Professor and Jeritza, and I refuse to entertain even the remotest idea that he would abduct anyone, least of all a young girl like Flayn."
"Ah… well, regardless of his culpability in the kidnapping – there does seem to be no doubt at all that he is the Death Knight, Felix," Dimitri said patiently, and from his particularly measured and placating tone, it didn't appear as if this was a new argument.
Felix shot the Prince a condescending sneer but didn't say any more, instead allowing his hand to drift to toy absently with the pommel of the sword at his side as if it were a comfort blanket – or perhaps he was simply contemplating taking off Dimitri's head with it.
Mercedes felt a sob of anguish welling up in her chest, but she managed to hastily swallow it down as she realised that Hubert was observing her keenly with his darkly flashing eyes. She pulled her own gaze away from the man and forced herself to send a warm, if slightly watery smile, directed at Sylvain instead.
"I-I heard that there were some injuries sustained in your own mission." She said softly, unsurprised when Sylvain failed to meet her eyes. "Certainly, the Professor managed to get herself in a bit of a state – although she also took a few hurts in Flayn's rescue as well. Is there anyone who is still requiring any attention?" At Sylvain's apparent lack of interest at her enquiry, she aimed her query towards Hubert, whom she assumed had been leading the Eagles in Edelgard's absence. "I did look in on Linhardt before coming here – hoping to get an update on everyone's well-being – but he was sleeping solidly, and Caspar refused to allow me entrance."
"Hmm," Hubert replied slowly. "Linhardt actually acquitted himself rather well, against all my expectations," After a moment's consideration, he shook his head solemnly. "I don't believe there is anything major outstanding. The Professor certainly took the bulk of the damage – which possibly surprises no-one."
"H-how is she?" Bernadetta suddenly queried loudly. "P-Prince Dimitri says that no-one has seen her since Flayn was recovered… is she unwell?" The girl quailed when all eyes swung her way at her unexpected outburst, and she all but buried herself behind Sylvain, her face reddening under the weight of so much observation.
"She is as well as can be expected," Mercedes replied gently to the skittish girl. "Exhausted, mainly, and rather anxiously awaiting confirmation of Flayn's health, just like the rest of us. Rhea has been rather reticent with the details, and she has brought in her own healers to deal with her niece."
"You have been seeing to the Professor?" Dimitri stepped towards Mercedes eagerly. "There were some rumours that she was being held in the dungeons or some such nonsense – but you know how the cleric's like to gossip. Claude insisted that isn't the case but pinning that particular man down can be like grasping at shadows sometimes, so goodness only knows where he received his information from." He frowned. "I did also hear that Claude was there when Flayn was found – although how he could have possibly managed that…."
"I've been administering the Professor's care, yes," Mercedes cut in quickly. "I'm afraid that she hasn't really said very much." She lied, offering up a silent prayer in exchange for her transgression. "She has been mightily concerned for Myles – who was first implicated in Flayn's disappearance and for… Jeritza – whom she was forced to fight." Mercedes words dried up again, unwilling to follow that line of thought any further. "How did your own mission go, Sylvain?" She attempted to change the subject. "The Professor hasn't mentioned all that much beyond that the Gautier relic was successfully recovered."
There was an awkward silence, and Mercedes mentally kicked herself for so clumsily bringing up what must be a very difficult subject for her friend. Then, after a moment, he began to chuckle harshly.
"Oh yes, the mission was a resounding success," Sylvain said bitterly. "My brother turned into some kind of cursed hell beast – mind you, I can't say that it didn't improve his looks rather substantially. He was always an ugly fucker, after all. That's probably why he and his merry band of miscreants were stealing women from the villages they raided. It isn't like any would go with him voluntarily…."
Mercedes paled and clutched her shawl tighter around her shoulders against the sudden chill that swept over her. Dimitri had jerked forward a step and looked about to say something, but a quiet hand on his shoulder from Dedue made him rethink whatever he had been about to do, and he froze. It was Felix's loud snort that broke the sudden and unbearable tension.
"Bastard probably didn't deserve all of what happened to him in that bloody tower, but, damn it, Syl, he's always been one hell of a messed up, bullying fucker." Oddly, Felix's rather less than compassionate statement seemed to soothe Sylvain somehow. He chuckled far more genuinely than he had initially and slapped a hand to the swordsman's shoulder.
"You got that right, old buddy." He agreed, then finally managed a proper glance at Mercedes.
"Sorry, Mercie. That was rude of me. Stuff's been fairly shocking recently, but that's no excuse to be sour and belligerent. I'm glad to hear that the Professor is okay - or at least as okay as is possible under the circumstances. She was pretty amazing throughout the whole of our mission. Dunno that I expected anything less from her, though honestly."
"Finally, there is something I believe we can all agree on." Hubert intoned seriously, sliding himself back into the conversation. "That she took off at a moments notice and rushed here whilst still injured and managed to locate and liberate Flayn on top of everything else is nothing short of miraculous."
There was a general murmur of agreement, although Dimitri was looking rather puzzled toward Hubert as if wondering – as Mercedes herself was – why exactly he was here.
"Do you know when Edelgard and Ingrid will be returning, Hubert?" He asked quietly. "I know that Ingrid will be sorry that she wasn't here for Sylvain's return."
"Probably saved me a scolding…." Sylvain murmured, but he nodded at the Prince regardless.
"Very shortly, I believe." Hubert widened his hands. "Lady Edelgard sent me a message this morning that they were leaving Enbarr, so their arrival is dependent on the smoothness of the journey itself."
"Good." Dimitri looked relieved. "After all that has happened, it will be a relief to have everyone safely back and accounted for."
"Indeed." Hubert agreed. "Which reminds me, I should go and finish preparing my report for her Ladyship's return." He stood and inclined his head slightly at Dimitri and then made his way to the door. "I wish you all a good night."
At his departure, Mercedes felt a huge weight fall from her shoulders. She looked around at her fellow Lions and Bernadetta, who was still half-hidden behind Sylvain.
"I didn't expect to find Hubert here." She admitted lightly.
"He's alright." Sylvain reclined himself back again… forgetting that Bernie was behind him, who rewarded with a squeal and a punch to the shoulder.
"The Professor likes Hubert well enough," Bernie stated rather grumpily as she pushed Sylvain off and sat up straight. "We discovered them in a grave together, didn't we, Sylvain!"
"You what?" Dimitri looked scandalised.
"Well, we were surprised too," Bernie agreed. "Given the assumption that she and Jeritza…" she trailed off for a moment. "He is a very handsome man under that mask." She offered thoughtfully. "Poor Professor." She added sorrowfully.
The tears that Mercedes had managed to hold off suddenly started to pour.
"You are right, Felix. There is no way that Jeritza had anything to do with Flayn's disappearance." She said fiercely through her sobs, taking the handkerchief that Dedue had rushed forward to offer and then throwing herself at the large man, burying her face into his broad chest. Dedue looked a little wild-eyed around at the others - but they were all appeared to be just as stunned as he was at the healer's unexpected breakdown. He patted Mercedes kindly on the arm in an awkward attempt to console her.
"I'm so sorry!" Mercedes managed after a few minutes of uninterrupted weeping. Dedue stalwartly guided her over to the chair that Hubert had vacated and gently helped her to sit down. She gave him a small, grateful smile and then lifted her head to gaze around at the others, looking a little lost. "Jeritza is my half-brother." She stated softly. "Before coming here, I had not seen him since we were children. I-I knew that he'd had some challenges in the time since we'd last been together – but I had no idea that he was the Death Knight." Her tears began to fall again. Silently this time.
"Oh, no! I'm so sorry." was all that Dimitri managed to respond.
~0~
Despite the late hour, Tomas was pottering around in the deserted library, his vastly improved stolen body allowing him a sprightly pep to his step, along with his general sense of satisfaction as to how events were currently settling themselves out.
Obviously, it would have been preferable to have managed to extract Cethleann from the Monastery altogether and continue to have her providing her potent blood to their cause – but she was still here – and although Seteth had secured her in her suite and had prevented anyone from seeing her, that security could not go on indefinitely. The fact that the overprotective man hadn't just up and left yet was a boon.
Along with the apparent acceptance that the Death Knight held culpability for the saintess's kidnapping, there was nothing in the slightest that could implicate poor old Tomas – which left him entirely free to be able to accost the accursed Nerubian again whenever he wished. Next time, he would transport her straight to Shambhala rather than be required to rush her harvesting. That prospect was rather exciting, particularly given just how potent Cethleann's blood was proving to be in the maintenance of Tomas's decrepit body.
The door to the library clicked open quietly, and Tomas immediately took on a more shambling, weighted gait. It would not do for his remarkable physical improvements to become remarked upon. He blew out a breath and straightened himself up again when it turned out to be Kronya, or rather Monica, whoskidded around the corner of a bookcase with a broad grin on her face.
"You are still here?" Tomas queried her harshly in lieu of a greeting. "It would surely be better for you to get back home as soon as possible. You played your part admirably… I suppose, but there is no need for you to risk staying here any longer."
"I was bloody amazing, old man!" Monica affirmed merrily – her grin turning feral. "And I have been to Shambhala already… I spoke with Thales." She perched herself on the edge of a nearby table – swinging her legs as she smirked at the old librarian. She fully intended to enjoy what she had to tell him. "Thales had requested that I stay in place here while Edelgard remains." She laughed at the consternation that Solon was completely unable to hide. "Poor little Monica…" She continued, honeying her words theatrically. "It seems that her esteemed family have no interest in her returning to them whatsoever, and I've managed to achieve an invitation to stay here and graduate the Academy along with the other Black Eagles…."
"I'm not sure that is entirely wise…."
"You are not the leader of Agartha, Solon." Monica's voice was a sing-song taunt. "Following Edlegard's trip to Enbarr and the treatment she received this time around, Thales wants someone reliable to stay close to her and keep an eye on her properly. Seems like simply the perfect role for me, don't you think? Of course, I shall be letting her High-and Mightiness know what I really am. Thales wants her to know she is being monitored and she is not entirely trusted. On top of that, I get a bit of time to play which has been something I have sorely lacked for a while now. Everybody wins."
"You are assuming that your story about being abducted by the Death Knight last year will hold up to scrutiny by the powers that be in the church." Tomas was frowning, his mind whirling around with this unexpected and potentially problematic development. "The Death Knight's location is currently unknown, although I did see him shortly after his fight with the Eisner bitch. He has been reminded that his dear sister is presently residing at the Monastery, and her safety is fully dependant on his good behaviour, which should guarantee his begrudging loyalty – but he is a hard man to anticipate. There are some who will likely fail to believe that his involvement is true – the damned Professor, for one - and that means they will be suspicious of you and your assertation that he was the one who kept you prisoner."
Monica shrugged. "Let them question it. Let her be suspicious. It hardly matters to me. If I end up being directly challenged, I can leave at any time or simply deal with the threat a little more directly." She shot him a direct look. "There is nothing that could possibly tie me back to you, Solon, so I can't see what your issue is. You will remain a free agent with no risk to your identity regardless."
Solon bristled in the skin of his host, having to bite down hard on the impulse to shift to his true form and rain pain down on this insolent and irreverent woman. He sincerely hoped that one day he would be in a position to be required to end her. That day could not come soon enough."
"If we are working to keep any association between us unremarked, then perhaps you should leave the library, Monica. Lucky for you, the late, lamented girl that you now occupy was not known for her academic ability. It would probably have been a rather hard stretch for you to manage if she had been even remotely intelligent."
"Oh, ouch!" Monica jumped down from the table and smirked at the erstwhile librarian. "It would be good to have a way of contacting you covertly in case Thales sends me specific instructions." She shrugged. "He is rather pleased with my contribution so far…" She added with a barely disguised level of amused threat.
Solon ground his remaining teeth and grimaced at the effort it took him not to retaliate. He was rather cleverer than to allow himself to cut off his nose to smite his face, though.
"I suppose it would be useful to have you report on your interactions with the Princess and her shadow as well." He managed to say.
"I will be reporting to Thales…."
"We need to support each other – our aims are the same after all."
"Perhaps." Monica laughed, a deep throaty chuckle at Solon's sudden capitulation. It felt good. "That will go both ways then? You will also be providing information on your own endeavours?"
"Naturally." Solon's mind was relaxing. He knew he was far more intelligent and devious than the idiot in front of him. If he had to massage her over-inflated ego to get his hands on more information, he would. Maybe not willingly – but he would do it nonetheless.
Monica was positively beaming now. "You worry too much, Solon." She told him condescendingly. "With me topside to help you out, there will be little that can manage to escape our notice. It's going to be fun – you'll see!"
"I simply can't wait." Solon managed to reply, although he could barely hide the irony of his response.