(1159)
Day 11 of the Verdant Rain Moon. Cloudy.
I can feel the storm coming. I'll be glad when it breaks and we're finally done with this muggy heat.
Apparently there's still some Faerghus left in me after all this time.
Sitri's coping better than I am, even considering the pregnancy.
She just glows -and sings.
I hope the babe knows how well they're loved already.
1183
Verdant Rain Moon
There was nothing quite like wet feet in wet socks in wet boots to make you feel like you would never be dry again. Or so Leonie thought, grimacing as she took yet another sodden and miserable step towards the vague outline of Derdriu she could just make out through the sheets of rain blowing across her vision.
Byleth had told her, moons ago, to replace her boots, but she'd resisted. After all, she didn't do too much marching, as she rode much of the time; her boots would last a good while longer, so she'd insisted the money was better put aside for a rainy day.
And yes, she realised the irony.
Her horse had thrown a shoe a mile back, and Leonie had quickly discovered the holes in her own as she paced at his head, holding the bridle. If she'd been able to keep riding she'd have been at the Riegan estate already; warm and dry. As it was she estimated perhaps another twenty minutes before she even reached the city.
A torrent of water crossed the road at a slight dip in front of her and she eyed it with trepidation.
Well, it couldn't get any worse, could it? She certainly couldn't get wetter.
She realised her mistake almost immediately as she stepped into it. The water already in her boots had been warmed by her body heat. Now she was wet and miserable and cold.
~o~*~o~
She was greeted warmly enough when she did make it to the estate. Commander Eisner's messengers were treated better than most, and none moreso than Leonie (although Sanderson claimed he was the favourite), but it was still a surprise to her that she was led towards the family wing.
She wasn't going to complain about it, although she was sure she was just making work for someone else, trailing water into a space this fine. The fire in the main room of the suite was already set, and a towel had been left warming by it for her immediate use. A tea-tray sat in readiness upon a low table flanked by two sofas -cups inverted, but otherwise prepared for pouring. Leonie waived aside the maid who asked if she required anything else, was assured that her horse would be seen to by the stable master himself, and set about peeling her boots off to great relief. Her gloves followed, and she was flexing the warming prickles that followed out of her hands when the door burst open without ceremony.
"Mila—Leonie!" Claude corrected himself and suddenly the reason for being placed in the best room available became clear.
"Gee Claude, try not to sound too disappointed." She huffed at him.
"Leonie, my true companion, my fellow Deer, why would I ever be disappointed to see you?" He asked with something approaching his usual swagger. She raised her eyebrows at him and waited –it was a look she had learned from Byleth; unsurprisingly, it was absolutely effective "Alright, I confess, I was told the 'Lady Mercenary' had turned up unexpectedly and I assumed that meant your boss, so I am a little surprised to see you, but not disappointed."
"Uh-huh." Leonie added flatly, turning her attention back to propping her boots by the fire and towelling off her hair. "Tell me, does my boss usually get put up in the swanky room?"
"Oh, only when I haven't seen her in an age." He tried to play it off lightly, turning over the teacups on the tray and pouring for them both. "The Riegan hospitality is-"
"Three weeks Claude, it's only been three weeks since Byleth was last here." Leonie interrupted, eyes narrowing on him as he attempted to hide a blush behind his teacup "Less than that, even. And she spent the best part of the whole moon out here for your birthday. You could just put us all out of our misery and tell her you love her already."
"Now, Leonie, you don't make jokes about love with deadly mercenaries who can kill you twelve different ways from five paces. You really would be put out of your misery." He answered with the sort of absolute calm that had to be fake.
"So don't joke." She replied flatly, then continued with exasperation; "Goddess, Claude! I've known you four years and you've been in love with her for at least three of them. People notice."
"Not to give any credence to this, assertion, of yours, but just to satisfy my curiosity; when you say 'people'… you haven't mentioned this fanciful notion to Hilda, have you?"
"As if I'd gossip." Leonie scoffed and watched him ease up and relax before she added "She was the one who told me."
Claude choked into his teacup and Leonie would have walked the entire way from Garreg Mach, in the rain, just to see that expression of absolute doom on his face.
~o~*~o~
In Enbarr, the first blast of the rains had already swept their way through to the north, leaving behind a bright summer day. Byleth and Edelgard sat at a sumptuous table on a wide balcony, taking advantage of the sun's appearance. The Emperor was dressed as casually as Byleth had ever seen her; her hair pulled into a side-ponytail pinned with a simple pearl drop. Her crisp white shirt featured ruffles and flounces in place of a cravat and was tucked neatly into full-length, crimson culottes. A heavily embroidered robe was supposed to go over the whole, but Edelgard had draped that over the back of her chair before pouring for them both. Hresvelg Blend, of course.
"I would not have the Empire unrepresented." Edelgard was saying "I'll send you on our best ships. Half the fleet will go with you, and Caspar as well. Or, if you prefer; Ferdinand."
"Can he be spared from his territories?" Byleth asked lightly, using a set of silver tongs to lift a madeleine from the highest tier of the cake stand.
"No." Edelgard answered bluntly "But I consider Brigid as important. If we do not deal with these… corsairs, swiftly the problem will only worsen. Now would be a particularly bad time for any proper force from Dagda to decide to test us."
"And you are certain Dimitri will not come either?"
"Absolutely." Edelgard's eyes drifted to the side "The information we received… It concerns our joint family, and therefore Dimitri's Step-Mother. Nothing short of Nemesis himself rising from the grave would deter either of us from this course."
"Then I wish you every success. I just have to hope Claude can spare someone with enough clout to negotiate for the whole of Fódlan."
"The First Commander of the United Armies of Fódlan has clout enough of her own, I assure you, but" Edelgard's lips quirked into a sly smile "unless I am very mistaken, Claude will attend you himself. I would not have been of much use to you at any rate. I admit, I have a terrible fear of the ocean."
"I've never been." Byleth mused "Not out to sea. Though I've been to the coast at Rhodos and Derdriu often enough. There's an allure to it."
"A siren song that may swallow you whole, yes."
"Nothing so grim as that!" Byleth protested as Hubert stalked through the room adjoining the balcony towards them.
"Your Majesty, General Eisner." He bowed "The Dock Master reports the fleet will be prepared to sail in three weeks when the tide is highest."
"Well that gives me time to settle affairs in Garreg Mach before we depart." Byleth announced, draining her cup and standing "Expect my party in two and a half weeks. A pleasure to see you, as always, Edelgard."
The Emperor inclined her head regally and Byleth turned to face Hubert.
"Now?" she asked
An amused and secretive smile slid across his lips. "Not yet."
Byleth nodded her acknowledgement and strode out at her usual, confident, measured pace.
"One day, you will tell me what that little exchange you two do is all about." Edelgard commented, gesturing to the vacated chair and an unused cup.
"If you demand it of me, Majesty, I shall tell you at once."
Edelgard finished pouring for him and refreshed her own cup, observing him over the rim.
"No, you may keep your secrets, for the time being. Now, tell me more of this 'Sacred Gwenhwybar'."
~o~*~o~
"Do you mean to say that the Emperor will not be bringing her own guard?" Rodrigue asked, as incredulous as Dimitri had ever heard him.
"With Hrym stirring again, and Varley showing signs of contention, Edelgard can hardly be seen to leave the Empire. As long as Hubert is visible, the rest will assume the Emperor cannot be too far away."
"All that aside, and don't think for a moment that I agree, are you prepared to take sole responsibility for defending the life of the Emperor on your own soil? My King, you know the most recent sightings of Cornelia lead that way."
"I know," Dimitri agreed, looking to the courtyard below, where Hapi and Ashe were inventorying their supplies and drawing up a list of what they yet needed "that is half the reason we're going at all."
"Dimitri-" Rodrigue pleaded, but the young King only turned and placed his hand heavily on his advisor's shoulder.
"Edelgard assures me that she has left provision for the worst case. As have I." He added, with a significant look for the Duke of Fraldarius. "We are all wearied of shadow and rumour. Hapi's information is the most solid lead we've had in three years. I will not sit back when I could take action."
Rodrigue met his eye for a long moment before sighing, a resigned sort of acceptance "Of course not. You are your father's son after all. At least tell me you are taking a more substantial guard than the Emperor then?"
Dimitri smiled "I could hardly travel so close to Duscur without Dedue. Ashe and Ingrid are attending as well. And Hapi."
"Only three of those are sworn to your protection."
"Hapi has her own reasons for seeing this through." Dimitri answered, moving away from the battlements and along the walkway towards the door Dedue was guarding. Back towards the main keep where the conversation would have to be dropped "She has my trust. I will hear no more on that matter."
If Rodrigue had more to say, he swallowed it as Dedue fell in behind them.
~o~*~o~
If her timings were right (and they always were, ever since that day Sothis had first given her the power to move the hands of time), then Leonie would have arrived in Derdriu two days ahead of the next Roundtable. Claude would have time to make his decision, present it, and leave Leicester in capable hands.
If he chose to come, or send a representative, she could expect them next week.
Else…
Well, she'd manage alone. She agreed with Edelgard, however. Even if Claude's plans were focused towards the East, he would still recognise the opportunity in the West. He'd send someone.
Time enough to put her own stand-ins in place.
Since she'd accepted the position, become "First Commander, General Eisner" she'd felt a greater appreciation for her father as Captain of the Knights; stuck behind a desk with report after report and only the occasional mission to break the tedium. She travelled around a lot more than the other coalition leaders, but compared to her days as mercenary… it was confining.
And, sure enough, the reports had built up over her brief trip to Enbarr.
"Welcome back, Commander." Bernadetta greeted her, as she placed another neatly furled scroll atop an already perilously high stack.
"Thank you," she answered, eyeing the pile with trepidation "any word from Teutates?"
Bernie plucked a scroll from the top of the pile and stood back as Byleth opened it, not that it would have made a difference if she'd been hanging across Byleth to see it; the inside was covered in one of Shamir's more complex cyphers.
"Cyril delivered it himself personally yesterday, and one to Seteth. He didn't wait for a response so, I think that means everything is alright. Or, that's what I've observed before, unless I'm wrong? Of course I'm wrong, I'm sorry, I shouldn't-"
Byleth clamped a hand on her shoulder and smiled "You're doing well, Bernadetta, thank you. Is there anything I should know about?" Bernie shook her head "Then please let Alois know I'm back and take the rest of the evening to yourself."
"Of course! Uncle Alo-I mean, Captain Alois will be glad to see you."
Bernie scurried away and Byleth planted herself behind her desk. She nudged the woodwork as she did so and all of Bernie's careful organisation collapsed in a flurry of paper.
Yes, Byleth would very much prefer to be fighting pirates just now.