Chapter 14: The Tower


"How long before our scouts return?" Ashe asked one of his archers as he glanced back at the form of Sylvain sleeping in a tent.

"They should be back soon." The archer replied. "I suspect they are following the horse tracks we identified earlier.

"Very good." Ashe said.

"Are we looking at a night ride again?"

"Most likely." Ashe replied. "We are fortunate they don't know we are chasing them."

"Where do you think they'll be going?"

"There's very little territory they can run to." Ashe replied. "Isolated hamlets will not have the supplies to carry them forward, and defensive positions are few and far between."

"So what do our battle plans look like if we find them?"

"Sylvain has made it difficult for us to mount an effective attack." Ashe replied. "We will more likely have to resort to an ambush to gain an upper hand."

"If we spot general Galatea-"

"I'll make that choice when we get there. We see Ingrid, I'll lead a diversion. Instigate enough of a ruckus to allow for her to be extracted safely."

The man nodded as two soldiers came running back, their faces flushed.

"We found her."


"Hello there Seteth." Alois said as he entered the stable, his face expressionless as he nodded in greeting to the stable manager.

"Alois."

"You know him?" The stable manager asked.

"Former erm, a coworker of mine." Alois offered quickly. "It is good to see you again."

Seteth nodded. "Likewise."

"So much to catch up on." Alois said to the stable manager. "Pardon us if we need to head back to the monastery."

"Whatever the case, the horse is in good condition. Marianne came by earlier to see him."

Alois nodded. "We should receive some grain from Brigid in the coming days. Be on the lookout for that."

Seteth shifted uncomfortably before Alois finished his conversation with a smile.

"It's good to see you too Flayn." Alois said with a smile. "Please, return to the officer's academy with us."

Seteth made eye contact with Flayn as well.

"Mercedes has baked a cake. If we come back soon enough, there might still be some left."

Flayn swallowed hard before she nodded.

"Come. Join us for dinner." Alois said as he gestured the way for Seteth.

Seteth glanced at the stable master and opened his mouth to protest.

"Oh, of course. Please ensure his horse is well fed." Alois said quickly.

The stable master nodded in approval.

"Well then. Shall we be off?"

Seteth nodded his approval nervously, walking slowly as he followed Alois.

"Have you heard of what happened to Fhirdiad?" Alois asked.

"I was told that Rhea had set the city ablaze." Seteth replied grimly.

Alois nodded. "And what do you have to say about that?"

Seteth didn't reply, his face set in a tight line.

"Did you know?" Alois asked.

"No. I did not." Seteth replied finally. "I'm disgusted with what she did."

Alois nodded grimly in reply. "That sounds like you."

"The kingdom kept us safe for years on end, supported us in battle, nourished our soldiers. And Rhea thanks them by burning their capital to the ground?" Seteth asked quietly. "Yes, I'm disgusted."

"Is Arianrhod alright?" Flayn asked.

Alois turned to Flayn and watched her for a moment.

"No. Something happened to Arianrhod."

Seteth turned his head to Alois and frowned. "What happened?"

"We took Arianrhod first." Alois replied. "I was told after the battle that something had destroyed the city."

Seteth frowned. "It doesn't sound like Cornelia to destroy a city."

"We killed Cornelia in battle." Alois corrected quickly. "Yet something happened after the fighting was over."

Seteth frowned. "That was uncalled for. Cornelia was a holy woman who cared only for the well being of the people."

Alois gave Seteth a long look. "During the battle, Cornelia turned her Titanus golems against kingdom forces. The first victim was Rodrigue Fraldarius himself."

Seteth flinched. "Titanus golems?"

Alois frowned as he held the door open to the central hall of the Officer's Academy. "I was told after the battle that the golems we defeated were known as Titanus golems. Is there something wrong?"

Seteth exchanged a glance with Flayn. "Why would Cornelia have access to Titanus golems?"

Flayn shivered. "Could she be- Agartha?"

Seteth grimaced. "Alois, I must know more."

Alois shook his head in reply. "I can't tell you more because I don't know more. Everything I learned came from Byleth or someone else telling me."

Seteth turned his head in confusion.

"My daughter became ill in the weeks before the battle. Byleth and Edelgard urged me to visit her."

"Is she alright now?"

"She recovered quickly, but I still missed the entire battle." Alois replied. "By the time I returned to service, the city was taken."

Seteth looked at Flayn again as Alois ducked into a side room.

"Well Flayn, you are in luck. There's still cake here." Alois called.

Flayn swallowed hard. "Agartha."

Seteth glanced at the open entrance to the courtyard and street even further beyond.

"Ahh. Here we are." Alois said quickly, a plate with a slice of cake in his hands.

Flayn jumped at the man's words, her hands seeking those of Seteth as her breathing was reduced to panicked gasps.

Seteth replied by holding Flayn close, his eyes focused on the distant sky.


"Uneventful ride?" Yurius asked Mortis as she dismounted from her horse, the woman wincing as she tested her legs.

"Indeed. How was yours?"

"Maya wants to spend more money."

Mortis scoffed in turn. "Are you serious?"

Yurius nodded grimly.

"The answer is no." Mortis replied. "We don't even have that much to begin with."

"She kept promising that her brother would pay us back."

"Who is this brother?"

"Some guy named Raphael."

"Denied."

"I'm worried she might try to break into the trunk."

Mortis swore. "Define worried."

"She keeps looking at it. She knows there's money and lots of it."

Mortis frowned as she glanced around the deserted village. "Fine then. I have an idea."

"I'm listening."

"We take out anything that can link us to Shambhala and make a big show of emptying the chest."

"I don't get it."

"What I meant is that we first take out anything that links us to Shambhala. My athame, the radio machine, the bits and pieces that can be traced to House Ordelia."

Yurius nodded. "And we hide it somewhere out of sight."

"That's right. Then we go into the tavern and empty the chest before their eyes."

A flash of light reflected in the eyes of Yurius. "I get it."

"Give the money over to someone sane like Ignatz or Lorenz."

"And have Maya pest them for funds." Yurius said with a grin.

Mortis nodded. "I'll try to slip out overnight to get a message to Spite."

"You think he's worried about us?"

Mortis grimaced. "He's been in the field long enough to know that some detours may occur."

"His field operations are even common knowledge now." Yurius said with a shrug. "If nothing else, he's scary good at his job. He's got a way of running circles around his enemies."

"Which operation was your favourite?" Mortis asked.

"The most famous one was Operation Noose." Yurius replied.

"Operation Noose wasn't a masterclass." Mortis scoffed. "Spite was furious with how it ended."

"Why was he unhappy?" Yurius asked. "Everyone with served with him saw it as a textbook case of how to conduct war."

"Thales intervened in the plan at the last moment. Said something about a counterbalance."

"How did you know that? Were you involved with the operation?"

"Yes and no." Mortis replied.

"What does that mean?" Yurius asked.

"Spite let me in on some important details on the operation, but by his standards, it was a failure."

"Why was it a failure?" Yurius asked. "We finished the entire attack with all objectives successfully completed."

"Spite hates loose ends." Mortis replied. "He wanted someone in particular to be killed."

"Thales said no?" Yurius asked.

"Indeed." Spite had planned an assassination on the target, but Thales ordered him to stand down."

"Why would Thales do that?"

"I have no idea." Mortis replied. "Spite wasn't the kind of person to get me involved in his personal affairs."

"Kronya?" Yurius asked.

"By personal, I mean Spite didn't want to drag me into anything involving him alone."

"Why was that?"

"He had his enemies." Mortis replied with a shrug. "He didn't want me to get involved with them."

"Last I remember, he dispatched William within two minutes." Yurius offered.

"Well, William had fallen down a flight of stairs first." Mortis said with a shrug.

"Why is it that you seem to be involved with everything?" Yurius asked. "Kronya, William's accident, Operation Noose, you've done it all."

Mortis shrugged. "I suppose it's just a question of good luck then."

"Do you think it's a question of good luck?" Yurius asked.

"I'm not sure what you mean by that."

Yurius grimaced as he took a step back to look at the deserted village around them. "There were always rumours about you."

Mortis raised an eyebrow at that. "Is that so?"

"The fact that you got all the exciting jobs for seemingly nothing at all." Yurius stammered.

"The rest of Shambhala thinks I slept with Spite then." Mortis finished with a trace of amusement in her voice.

Yurius opened his mouth to deny the accusation, but finally nodded. "Yeah. A lot of people think that was the case."

Mortis sighed as she stepped back, her exhale slow and steady as she looked up at the night sky. "Spite is asexual."

Yurius paused. "I didn't know that."

"It's a long story of why and how I got involved with him." Mortis said finally. "None of it involves sleeping with him."

Yurius nodded before he paused. "How do you know he's asexual?"

Mortis sighed as she looked around, as if toying with the question of what to say.

"What do you remember the years before the war?" Mortis asked.

"The year with Kronya?"

Mortis shook her head. "Much before that. When we first came to Shambhala."

"I was a grunt, you were a petty mage, there's not that much that I remember."

"And what do you remember of the politics of the era?" Mortis asked, now leaned against the carriage, watching Yurius carefully.

"I remember that Solon didn't like Spite." Yurius said.

"Did you like him?" Mortis asked.

"I thought of him as creepy." Yurius said. "He just seemed to see right through me in a lot of aspects. Even now, he still does that."

"As a mage, I thought he was a hack job." Mortis said finally. "I just saw him as this big contrast to Aranea."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Aranea was my role model for a long time. She was powerful,untouchable, answered to nobody." Mortis replied. "Spite was just this ghost that happened to stand close to her."

"You wanted to be like her." Yurius concluded.

"I did. Almost got me killed."

"That's not something I expect you to say." Yurius offered.

"And yet it's the truth. She offered me and some of the other mages a job at one point."

"A job? Aranea?" Yurius asked, his tone speaking openly of his disbelief.

"Someone had pissed her off. She wanted him dead."

Yurius blinked. "Wait. Other mages?"

"I was the only mage from Shangri-la. The others were all raised and born in Shambhala."

"Hold on. Who was this guy who pissed off Aranea?" Yurius asked as he looked his partner in the eye.

For the first time, Yurius saw Mortis nervous, with something he had never seen reflected in her eyes.

"Mori Mori, come on, tell me." Yurius urged.

The use of the embarrassing nickname saw a spark of anger in her eyes before Mortis recovered, though she shied away from meeting his gaze.

"What do you remember about the Janus conspiracy?" Mortis asked finally, her eyes finally meeting his midway.

"What the hell does the Janus conspiracy have to do with anything? Besides, you watched Spite personally dispatch every last one of them."

Mortis sighed as she slowly sank into a crouch, her hands sinking into her cheeks as her gaze fell onto the dirt road.

"Because Aranea ordered the assassination." Mortis finished.

"Why would she order the death of her own brother?" Yurius asked in disbelief.


"We are here." Hubert said with a wince as he dismounted his horse, his face a mask of great pain as he stretched his legs.

Shamir and Bernadetta also climbed down their mounts, both of them very much aware of the pain that came with long rides and thus better prepared.

Dorothea stretched her arms long and slow before she looked around the convoy.

"Alright then. Room for the professor and Edie, room for Hubie and Bernie-"

"I beg your pardon?" Hubert asked.

"A room for you and Bernie?" Dorothea asked.

"No. Before that."

"A room for the professor and Edie."

Hubert sighed. "She is the emperor. How many times have I told you to not refer to her as Edie?"

Dorothea rolled her eyes. "Shamir, do you mind sharing a room with me and Monica?"

"Alright." Shamir replied.

"Jeritza and Hanneman." Dorothea said, nodding to the pale armoured knight.

"And what about me?" Manuela asked.

"I'll share a room with her. If nothing else to ensure it's not a war zone by daybreak." Hannemann said quickly, glaring at Manuela with his arms crossed.

"Very funny." Manuela snarled. "I'll try to laugh next time."

"Erm. Has anyone seen the professor?" Bernadetta asked.

"He's right there." Hubert scoffed, pointing next to the royal carriage.

"Erm, professor?" Bernadetta called as she nervously approached the carriage.

Hubert sighed as he stormed over to the carriage, single handedly tearing the door open.

Edelgard lay curled on the well cushioned seats, her face serene as she lay peacefully on top of Byleth, her right arm curled against her chest, her left hand held firm by Byleth.

Hubert turned up and found the murderous face of Byleth staring back at him, and wisely took a few hasty steps back.

"What's wrong?" Dorothea asked as she glanced around the frame of the frozen Hubert.

Byleth glared at her too, and Dorothea spun around, her face flushed a deep crimson as Hubert quickly and quietly shut the door to the carriage.


Edelgard moaned weakly as her eyes opened, her lips turning into a weak smile as she looked up at Byleth.

"We've arrived." Byleth said softly.

Edelgard took a glance around the carriage before she looked out the window and closed her eyes again.

Byleth gently brushed a strand of hair away from Edelgard, his eyes focused on her sleeping face.

A slight growl filled the space as Byleth observed Edelgard flush a slight pink.

"Are you hungry?" Byleth asked.

Though Edelgard was faking her sleep, her entire body flinched at the surprise question, and Byleth noted that she had flushed an even deeper red.

"I suppose if you want to keep sleeping, I'll have to tuck you into bed then."

Edelgard's eyes flashed open.

"Just hold on a second!" She protested.

"Alright." Byleth replied warmly.

Edelgard winced as she turned awkwardly against the cramped insides of the carriage.

"Professor?" Edelgard asked weakly.

"Yes?" Byleth asked. "Shall we join the others?"

Edelgard had flushed to an immensely deep red, her eyes unwilling to meet those of Byleth.

"Is something wrong?" Byleth asked.

Edelgard tried to look at the sky outside the carriage, an awkward low whistle escaping her lips.

Byleth paused for a moment before he leaned down, his teeth nibbling at Edelgard's earlobe.

The surprise gambit worked wonders as Edelgard shot up in surprise, a yelp escaping her lips as she spun around, her arms wrapped around Byleth's shoulders.

"Shall we get going?" Byleth whispered into Edelgard's ear.

A whimper of protest escaped Edelgard.

"Is that a no?" Byleth asked, a false disappointment in his voice.

"My legs are asleep." Edelgard admitted awkwardly.

"That's fine." Byleth replied. "I'll just carry you then."

"Please don't let them see me." Edelgard blubbered hastily. "I can't let them see me like this."

"Alright then. I'll see what I can do." Byleth said gently as he brought his arm under Edelgard's thighs.


"I'm hungry." Dorothea said as she exchanged a glance with Monica.

Monica raised an eyebrow. "Alright then."

"You two go ahead." Shamir said with a shrug from her position at the small table by the window. "I'm fine."

"Shall we?" Dorothea asked.

Monica nodded as she rose from her bed. "Shamir, would you like for us to bring something back?"

"No." Shamir replied.

"Alright then." Dorothea said cheerfully as she opened the door of their room. "Let's head down Monica."

"I'll catch up." Monica said as she fumbled with her boots. "There's something wrong with my laces."

"Alright then." Dorothea said in parting before she shut the door behind her.

"Dorothea?" Bernadetta asked.

Dorothea turned around and found the purple haired girl standing behind her.

"Hi Bernie. Is Hubie coming too?"

"He's changing into something for dinner."

The door behind Bernadetta opened and Hubert von Vestra stepped out.

"Lady Dorothea." Hubert greeted calmly.

"I like your flower." Dorothea said with a smile.

"I made it!" Bernadetta said proudly.

Hubert nodded. "It's very well done."

"That's rare praise from you, Hubie." Dorothea said. "Still, it looks lovely on you. It would match nicely with your skirt."

Hubert clenched his teeth in response, a flash of anger in his visible eye.

"Now then. Shall we head out?" Dorothea asked.

Hubert and Bernadetta failed to respond, their faces frozen as they nervously bowed.

Dorothea frowned as she turned around.

Byleth stared back at her.

Dorothea looked down and found Edelgard in Byleth's arms, desperately trying to pretend to be asleep.

"Ah." Dorothea said quickly.

"Good evening." Byleth said quickly. "Is there a room for the two of us?"

"Down the hall." Dorothea said quickly as she inched away from Byleth and Edelgard.

"I'm done!" Monica said cheerfully as she opened the door behind Dorothea. "I-ah."

Hubert spun around and slipped back into his room, his spare arm dragging the stunned Bernadetta behind him.

Dorothea hurriedly pushed her way back into her room, shoving back Monica in the process.

"What's wrong?" Shamir asked.

"The professor is carrying Edie up the stairs!" Dorothea whispered excitedly.

"Your point being?" Shamir asked.

"It's touching!" Dorothea snapped, glancing nervously back at the door. "The two of them are just so lovey dovey!"

Monica flushed deeply. "Was she asleep?"

"Of course not. She was trying to fake it, but I saw right through her."

Monica glanced at the door again. "Do you think they'll have gotten to their room yet?"

"Does it matter?" Dorothea asked. "What if Yurius carried you like that?"

Monica flushed bright crimson in a shade that was even redder than her hair. "Shush!"

"Yurius, the Shambhalan?" Shamir asked. "What does he have to do with anything?"

Monica replied by flinging the door open, fleeing into the hallway.

Shamir frowned as she got to her feet. "Why did she mention that Shambhalan?"

Dorothea glanced out the hallway before she turned to Shamir, whispering softly in her ear.

"Oh." Shamir said simply. "Alright then."

Dorothea glanced at the open door. "I'll try to calm her down. Don't tell anyone though."

""Whatever." Shamir said. "It doesn't matter to me."

Dorothea replied by scrambling away from the imperial spymaster, pausing only to shut the door before she chased the fleeing form of Monica von Ochs.


"Boss." The only female archer said as Spite turned away from the dangerous path he had been observing.

"From your tone, I presume you have good news?" Spite asked as he turned toward the woman.

"Correct. We found the remnants of a campfire."

Spite nodded. "That's odd. There are few trees in this mountain. It will be difficult to maintain a fire in this region."

"Do you believe it might be them?"

"Show me the way. I will be the judge of that."

"Of course." The archer said quickly, gesturing up a nearby hill.

"How did you find the fire site?" Spite asked.

"One of our men came across it."

"That's a case of good fortune then." Spite replied as he nodded in the direction of two more archers.

"I'm glad you came so quickly." The lead archer said quickly. "We might have found a lead."

"I've been told as much." Spite replied. "Regardless, lead the way."

"We are close." The other archer said.

"What did you find anyhow? It's not like this mountain of ours has many trees. It'll be hard to find tinder to burn."

The three archers froze at that.

"We found a few burnt sticks." One of the archers said as he looked to his friends for support.

"Clearly there's someone on the mountain." The female archer protested weakly.

Spite nodded quietly. "Very well then. Let us hope we have not wasted our time on a false alarm."

A shout over a nearby hill caught the attention of Spite before any of the others could plead their case.

"Is that where the fire is?" Spite asked.

The lead archer frowned and shook his head.

Spite frowned. "Then we investigate. The fire can wait."

The three archers nodded grimly.

"On my command." Spite said as he pressed himself against the steep mountain path, his head leaning over the ridge.

"What do you see?" The female archer asked, her bow taut as she crouched down close to the others.

"Poachers." Spite snarled. "I recognize them too."

"Where?" One of the men asked.

"Village in Goneril territory. Last time I was down there, she asked me to join on a hunting expedition. They think that we are a border patrol force."

"Really?" The female archer asked.

"The last two decades have not been kind to this region." Spite explained with a shrug. "It's not implausible to assume that the empire has units stationed in the mountains to deter raids and smugglers."

"What do we do then?" The second male archer asked.

"I'll intervene. There's no need to shed blood until we can confirm their intentions."

"How do you intend to do- bah!"

"Careful I don't burn you." Spite muttered as he forced the orb of fire up, the tongues of fire licking at the air even as they faded, cut off from the magic of their progenitor.

Already there was a reaction from the poachers.

"Seems like they know we are here." One of the men laughed weakly as he picked himself off of the ground.

"That was scary though." The other men laughed as he dusted his comrade off.

"It was not my intention to frighten you." Spite said calmly as he lit another orb of fire in his hand, calmly stepping over the ridge that hid the poachers from sight.


Dinner was a slow, awkward affair as Edelgard and Byleth finally made their appearance, the emperor awkwardly hiding behind her consort as she made her way to the table. Hanneman and Manuela glancing at the couple in a confused manner.

"Are we missing something?" Manuela whispered to Dorothea.

Dorothea sat up rigid in her seat, shifting uncomfortably as she tried to make eye contact with anyone that wasn't Manuela, Edelgard, or Byleth.

Hubert met her eyes, smiled, and then turned to ask Bernadetta about her flowers.

Monica met her eyes weakly, but didn't say a word.

"Did we miss something?" Manuela asked again.

"Shush, Manuela." Hanneman said quickly. "Dinner is about to be served."

"Sorry for being late." Byleth said quickly. "I hope everyone here has been settled."

Hanneman nodded. "I hope your journey went well."

Byleth nodded. "What was on the menu, if I may ask?"

"Roast duck and mashed potatoes." Dorothea said quickly.

"Only the best for the emperor." A gravelly voice offered as the door to the kitchens opened.

Edelgard blushed deeply. "Think of me as just any other traveller."

"Edie, we all know that's not true and you know it!" Dorothea said as she gestured for the cook to come forward. "Come, let's all eat together."

"Oh. I forgot. There's still a stew being made in the back." The cook said quickly.

"Bring it forward." Dorothea said quickly. "We have a lot of people to feed."

The man nodded. "But of course. Just letting you know."

"Much appreciated." Byleth replied as he gestured for the man to come forward.

"Yes sir?" The cook asked.

"Get us something to drink."

The cook grinned. "We might have some vodka in the cellar."

Byleth blinked for a second as Dorothea jumped to his aid. "We are on the move, so something that doesn't have a hangover attached please."

The man nodded as he turned away from the table. "Oh course. I have just the prefect idea."

"What is it that you think he's going to get us?" Monica asked as she glanced at the steaming duck before her eyes.

"The mashed potatoes first, most likely." Hanneman replied. "After that, I'm not so sure."

Jeritza frowned. "Do they have cake?"

"I'll ask when he returns." Byleth replied. "It's certainly possible."

"Thank you." Jeritza said.

"Edie, why don't you cut into the duck?" Dorothea asked.

Hubert sighed. "I will cut the duck for her highness Edelgard."

Byleth and Edelgard exchanged an amused glance before Byleth struck, his movement far faster than anything Hubert could manage.

"A wing for you." Byleth said with a smile.

Hubert shook his head as he backed down, a small smirk on his face as the cook returned.

"Mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce." The man announced over the din of the laughing diners.

"Do you happen to have cake?" Byleth asked as the man turned away.

"We have a lot of fruitcakes available." The man replied. "Is that an option you are happy with?"

"Emile?" Byleth asked.

Jeritza nodded in response. "Of course."

"One large slice coming up then." The man said as he slipped away.

"I wonder if they have any more duck." Hanneman said as Byleth generously cut away portions of the duck, handing each to a hungry diner.

"Let's try to make do with the potatoes." Dorothea said as she dropped a large spoonful onto her plate.

"Surely they have some form of bread left?" Hanneman asked Dorothea as the cook returned.

"Ah. Here you go sir. Fruitcake."

Jeritza inspected the loaf carefully. "Thank you."

The man nodded as he turned away, off to let the party enjoy their meal.

"Do you have any bread left?" Hanneman asked.

The man frowned as he turned back toward Hanneman. "We do, but it's gone stale."

"Bah." Hanneman scoffed. "You have enough food to let bread go stale? When was it baked?"

"Two days ago." The unfortunate cook offered weakly.

Hanneman snorted. "It'll be fine then."

The cook swallowed before he stepped away from Hanneman. "Are you certain?"

Hanneman sighed and looked at the man with a face that spoke of his annoyance.

The cook sighed as he turned away.

Hanneman sat back down and accepted the bowl of mashed potatoes with a slight nod.

"They make good potatoes." Dorothea said cheerfully.

"They do." Hubert confirmed. "Excellent use of herbs and butter."

"The cake is somewhat strange." Jeritza said.

"How so?" Byleth asked.

Jeritza replied by slamming his fork through his cake.

"It's the death knight!" Manuela exclaimed.

Jeritza gave the woman a dirty look.

"No. The ratio of fruit to cake is very strange." Jeritza replied with annoyance in his voice.

Byleth glanced over at the cake. "Well, I suppose you are correct. There's much more fruit in the cake than what you would expect."

"There's hardly any flour." Hubert observed.

"Perhaps he used it all on the bread?" Monica asked weakly.

"Here we are." The cook said quickly as he reemerged from the kitchen, a large pitcher of tea in his hands.

"The bread?" Hanneman asked.

The cook laughed weakly. "Sorry. We must have eaten it earlier."

"What was the bread made of?" Byleth asked.

"Rye flour mainly. A little tree flour. It's alright."

Dorothea coughed weakly and Hubert froze mid bite.

The cook glanced at Dorothea and Hubert and took a slight step back. "Ah."

Hubert put his fork down. "Cancel the bread then."

"Why seems to be the problem?" Hanneman asked. "And what is this about tree flour?"

The cook took another step back and seemed to have a strong urge to flee.

Dorothea coughed weakly. "Tree flour is sawdust."

Hanneman swallowed and slowly sat down. "Ah."

"I assure you. The cake is all regular flour." The cook stammered quickly.

"Not much of it. There's a great deal of dried fruit within." Jeritza observed.

"We only had a limited shipment of flour." The man explained. "There are however, plenty of fruit trees in this region."

"Why is flour being limited?" Byleth asked.

"The war." Hubert answered. "Much of the grain that would have gone to the peasants in the empire are now going into former alliance and kingdom territory."

"Leaving you with scraps to feed yourself." Byleth finished, looking at the cook.

The man nodded. "There's going to be fresh bread when the next shipment of flour comes in, but until then, I'm forced to make do with what I have."

Hanneman sat down slowly as Byleth paused.

"There's a space in between Shamir and Manuela. Why not join us for dinner?"

The man flinched. "I couldn't possibly."

"No." Byleth replied, firmly this time. "It is not right that you will make do with sawdust when we are feasting."

The cook looked stunned as he took a staggered step back.

"Alright then, I suppose I'll pull up a chair then." The cook stammered as he turned to a nearby table, his face that of bewilderment as Jeritza spoke up.

"Good sir?"

The cook turned around. "Yes?"

"More cake would be appreciated."

The man nodded weakly as he slipped away. "Of course. More cake. All the cake."


Sylvain had a splitting headache when he finally woke up.

"Oh. He's up." A distant voice said with mild amusement.

Sylvain groaned and feebly clawed at the air around him.

"Get him water you stupid lout!" The voice snapped in anger.

Sylvain tried to protest and ask about Ashe and Ingrid, but only a choked gasp escaped him.

"Do you think we can catch up with the others?" Another voice, accompanied by the sound of sloshing water, asked.

"Of course not, you idiot." A cold, gruff voice snapped. "He's obviously not fit to ride. He'll only slow the others down.

"I can ride." Sylvain protested weakly.

"Are all men masochists?" The first voice asked with a dismissive tone.

"We have two special cases here." The gruff voice snickered. "Still, I expect our good general to be a bottom."

The first voice laughed at that. "I don't think he and his lady have even held hands yet."

"I agree. He's been rarely bold enough to even consider it."

Sylvain made a weary attempt to lift his head, but only managed to find two vague shadows in his vision.

"Ingrid?" Sylvain asked weakly.

"The warband moved out already." A third voice said. "They found her."

"Where?" Sylvain managed before he fell into a fit of coughing.

"Two guys found her somewhere. Ashe and the others bolted when they heard the news."

"Is she safe?" Sylvain asked as he felt a strong set of arms lean him upright.

"Easy there boss man." The gruff man said. "You aren't in good shape."

"Hold him still." An annoyed voice snapped. "Don't want him choking on the water we spent an hour prepping."

Sylvain grimaced as he felt something hard pressed against his lips.

He hissed as the hard edge against his lips refused to budge.

"Sheesh. It's just water. Calm yourself."

Sylvain paused for a moment before he slowly opened his lips.

Warm tea slipped through his lips as the canteen was pushed lightly into his mouth.

"That's enough." The gruff voice snapped. "Any more and he'll choke."

Mercifully, the canteen disappeared a moment later.

Sylvain let out a sigh of relief as he was laid back into the dark of the tent.

"Let him sleep then." The gruff voice said.

"My lance?" Sylvain asked.

"He wants his lance for some reason." One of the voices muttered.

"Weird thing to have as a safety blanket." Another voice scoffed.

"Oh fine." The gruff voice muttered as Sylvain heard the man stalk away.

"Wow. That's a damn nice lance." The second voice muttered as Sylvain began to fade away.

"It's called the Lance of Ruin for a reason. You haven't seen what it can do. Not like what I've seen." The gruff voice snapped.

"Alright man, whatever you say." The other voice laughed.

"Goodnight sweet prince." The gruff man sneered as Sylvain felt the ancestral lance land by his side.


"So why are you here?" Spite asked as he stormed toward the group of poachers.

The lead poacher raised his bow in response, but the others hastily pulled him down.

"It was you after all." The woman said.

"So it is." Spite replied. "Have you seen our friends? Two of them have gone missing."

"They didn't sound all that friendly when we met them." The woman said. "They said that you were out to kill them."

"Yes. They deserted our unit. There is only one punishment for that."

The girl blinked. "Well, they also said another member of their unit was still in the mountains."

"Already dealt with." Spite replied cheerfully, gesturing for the other group of archers to join him.

"Dealt with?" The woman asked.

"I confirmed his death personally." Spite replied. "He died after falling from a great height. Potentially died of dehydration."

The woman grimaced. "So the other two are deserters."

Spite nodded. "Correct. They were wanted on charges of gross negligence when they chose to flee our unit."

The woman nodded. "Is there no way to try them somewhere?"

Spite raised an eyebrow. "Our unit deals with such matters internally."

The woman nodded. "Are all imperial units like you?"

Spite shrugged. "It is very difficult being a border patrol unit."

The woman nodded. "Not exactly a glamorous posting is it?"

Spite laughed as he gestured his men forward. "It's a volatile region. House Ordelia and the rebellion, the poor management of Duke Aegir, the fact that it's a border region to begin with."

The woman shook her head. "Still, I'm glad that the war is over, though I'll probably miss you and your hunting skills when you get new orders."

"Perhaps we can trade for more meat in the near future." Spite offered. "We discovered recently that our supplies have largely gone dry as the war has heated up."

The woman nodded. "Let's head down to the village, perhaps we can help you there."

Spite nodded as he waved his men forward. "Alright then. You heard the lady."


"You've been polishing Crusher all day now." Madeline Dominic observed as her brother in law paused in his work.

Gregory Dominic paused before he set the rag down to the table. "I'm sorry. I was doing a lot of thinking today."

Madeline Dominic nodded. "Thomas told me."

Gregory nodded. "I see. I'm sorry for not telling you in person."

Madeline slowly choked back a breath. "Gregory, I want to go to Garreg Mach with you."

Gregory nodded. "I can't be sure if Annette will be there."

Madeline shook her head. "Even when that horrible kingdom man called her a traitor, you still supported her."

Gregory scoffed. "She is still my niece, no matter what emblem she chooses to wear."

"Do you think he'll ever forgive her?" Madeline asked her brother in law.

Gregory paused as he turned away from the weapon, his steps echoing against the cold stone of the armoury.

"I don't know." Gregory admitted at last. "Even over the war, I only saw glimpses of him."

"The war council in the capital?" Madeline asked.

"I saw Cornelia's representative there more than I saw him."

"The regent of Arianrhod?" Madeline asked.

"Correct." Gregory replied. "She fell with Arianrhod."

Madeline made a pained face. "Some days I count myself as fortunate, because I still have a daughter who can come home."

Gregory nodded. "If the goddess smiles upon us, perhaps we will see her soon."

Madeline nodded as she turned away from her stepbrother. "Thank you Gregory."

The baron Dominic closed his eyes for a moment before he spoke.

"Madeline?"

"Yes Gregory?"

"Be prepared to leave early tomorrow. With Arianrhod destroyed, we'll need to spend the next few days on the road to Garreg Mach."

"We are avoiding Arianrhod?" Madeline Dominic asked.

"The city has been destroyed. There's no place to rest or gather supplies there."

The other woman nodded weakly before she turned around. "Alright then. Goodnight Gregory."

"Goodnight Madeline." Gregory Dominic half whispered as his gaze drifted back to Crusher.


AN: The mini-rewrite is complete, as is the next chapter. (Hurrah!).

To those readers who have me followed/favourited. I'm really sorry about the giant flood of emails you might get.

As Always, Review, Follow, etc. Still looking for a beta.

Preview for the next chapter:

Byleth and Edelgard go to a field.

Mortis reveals her edgy phase.

Ashe has a less than climatic rescue of Ingrid.

Sylvain questions his sexuality.

Spite totally does not murder two people.

Felix scares children. Caspar hits children.

Catfight.

Flayn eats fish. Lysithea eats cake. Everybody else looks at Seteth funny.