"You have…been living your life, starting with you awakening in Remire village, again and again for…millennia, for lack of a better term. Is that what you claim?" Seteth asked for himself, Rhea, and Jeralt.
"All I know is that for some reason, no matter what I do, I always come back to Remire with my father, just before Dimitri, Claude, and Edelgard arrive." Byleth voice droned, her eyes looking so very far away. "I have studied my condition for lifetimes with every expert and amateur on the planet. I have never found an explanation for why I am doomed to relive my life again and again."
Rhea could feel herself failing to school her features as she listened to the child's explanation. Had her experiment caused this? Was her mother's Crest Stone to blame? Did the other twelve-
"It's not what you think it is, Rhea." Byleth's words shook the archbishop out of her morbid reverie.
"Its not-It isn't…" Rhea stopped to breathe, suddenly feeling very faint. "You know…how do you know it isn't…" Rhea tried to finish, but her voice began to tear at the back at her throat.
"I've removed it from my body at least a hundred times, and destroyed it almost as often." Rhea froze as Byleth casually admitted to killing what remained of her mother, instantly paralyzed between gaping in horror at Byleth, and screaming the child's sacrilege out for all the world to hear. Byleth remained impassive. "It doesn't matter. I still end back here."
Rhea felt numb. As she stared at Byleth, she began to feel truly unnerved for the first time in centuries. This child, whether they had truly lived through lifetimes or not, seemed to understand exactly what Rhea had tried to say, or at very least seemed to know what exactly her body contained. Byleth had admit to destroying Sothis' Crest Stone in front of Rhea, the most powerful woman on the continent without so much as an inflection in her voice. A small part of Rhea wanted to know what could steel Byleth's nerve enough to admit such an atrocity. Another much larger part of her wanted to take the demon that admitted to killing Sothis a hundred times over by the neck and squeeze until Rhea's hands tore through flesh to wrap around Byleth's breaking bones.
A sharp cry that sounded like Seteth broke Rhea out of her trance. Taking in her surroundings, Rhea noticed that her nails were digging into her palms, and that her scales were brushing against her sleeves. She could feel her power crackling in the air around her, threatening to spill forth into the world like burning ash. Seteth had been grabbing at her arm, and was almost shouting. Jeralt placed himself in front of Byleth, preparing to shield her even as terror rushed onto his face.
"-Are you doing, you'll destroy the entire building!" Seteth pleaded. Rhea looked back at Byleth, who didn't so much as twitch as Jeralt fingers dug into Byleth's shoulder.
Rhea closed her eyes, and took several deep breaths. After a few moments wrestling her power back under her control, Rhea opened her eyes again.
"I apologize, Jeralt, Seteth." Rhea looked into both their eyes as she spoke. "As for you, child, what you just admitted…if what you say is true, you must know what you just confessed to is…" Rhea took another breath, and stared down at Byleth, who remained impassive. "There are no words to describe your crime."
"Alright, enough." Jeralt spoke up again, his hand gripping Byleth's shoulder. "I don't know what the hell to make of this…time loop, or whatever seems to be wrong with Byleth. But if I heard right, you just admitted to putting something in my daughter, and just threatened to kill her if she took it..." Jeralt's eye's widened, before franticly turning between Rhea and Byleth. "…I…Something inside her?" Jeralt's eyes almost leapt out of their sockets. "It can't be…that's what you did to her at her birth!" Anger burnt out of Jeralt as he stepped forward. "Rhea, I don't care what-"
"Dad." Byleth's voice cut through Jeralt's as she placed a hand on her father's shoulder. "Calm down. You won't get anywhere worked up like this." Her eyes met Rhea's, and the archbishop felt herself flinch. "It's fine. I haven't done anything to it in lifetimes." Byleth placed her hand over her heart, and gestured to Jeralt and Seteth."You can explain, or I will."
Rhea was taken aback. Did this child just threaten her?
"Yes, I agree." Seteth said evenly. "I for one would like an explanation for what, exactly, has everyone at each other's throats."
"I…" caught between Seteth's uncompromising stare, Jeralt's accusing glare, and worst of all, Byleth's quiet ultimatum, Rhea suddenly felt very small. "Yes. I will explain. Just…" Rhea rubbed her temples, failing to find the words. There was much pain buried in those memories, but the child had forced her hand. Seteth would not stop questioning her, and better her to tell the story then the child. "…I…give me a moment, please."
"Of course." Byleth cut in before anyone else could say something. "As much as you need."
At first Rhea was grateful for Byleth granting her a reprieve, but was afraid of what she might find in Seteth and Jeralt's stares, so her eyes wandered, before settling on the eastern wall.
Rhea tried to remember when she had the eastern office of her audience chamber blocked off. Garreg Mach's architecture was usually symmetrical. She could recall receiving briefings from Jeralt in the room not twenty-five years ago.
Ah. That was right. After the fire that had taken Byleth away from her, she had it sealed away. The graveyard had been too visible from the room's windows.
Sensing Jeralt and Seteth's impatience, Rhea exhaled, trying and failing to clear her mind. Byleth motioned to her father. Rhea's eyes almost narrowed at the presumption, but decided that she did owe Jeralt eye contact, no matter how uncomfortable the idea seemed to make her. "Inside Byleth's chest lies…a Crest Stone."
Jeralt's eyes narrowed, but he remained silent. Seteth voiced his confusion. "A Crest Stone? Why would you ever put a Crest Stone in a baby?"
Rhea's lips thinned. She bit down her revulsion, and forced herself to look Jeralt in the eye. "Byleth came out of the womb stillborn." Jeralt's head snapped towards Byleth, who met his terrified look without emotion. Jeralt opened his mouth, but no words followed. Slowly, Jeralt turned back to Rhea, his eyes growing desperate and his face a mask of horror. Byleth gave a small nod. Rhea found herself struggling to speak. The emotion was so much rawer then she expected. But she forced herself to continue.
"Sitri was dying from complications, and begged me to place the Crest Stone in Byleth's body in an attempt to save the baby's life." Jeralt squirmed at Rhea's declaration, and his face fell apart. Rhea felt something wet and hot on her fingertips as her nails dug into her hands. "…To save the child's life, I did as Sitri asked…and then I…"
Jeralt looked just like the man who had first held his child twenty years ago, pale all over and broken inside. Rhea could remember being happier then she had a right to be. She couldn't remember if the joy had stemmed from being able to save Byleth, or the elation that Sothis' Crest Stone had accepted the child's body. Now, could feel nothing but a bottomless pit in her stomach.
Out of some cruel sense of loyalty, Rhea stumbled on. "I used…the Crest Stone, I used…I…" Her throat suddenly felt like a desert, so vast and dry that no ocean could ever hope to flood. Jeralt stood, though it looked as if that simple act took all of his strength. Rhea heard the drops of her blood on her knuckles slowly fall to the floor. Through it all, Byleth stood, her face stone. Rhea could not bear to look at it anymore. She had thought that this explanation would be difficult, not the insurmountable task it had become. But as her thoughts rediscovered old memories, Rhea felt like she was drowning. She could not find the strength to meet Jeralt's haunted eyes, and would not allow herself the weakness of hiding in Seteth's. Instead, her eyes drooped to the floor, watching her blood drip.
"I took…I…" To say the words aloud was too much for her to bear. Rhea discovered that she lacked the will to continue down a path she had never tread. Slowly, her face rose to meet Jeralt's. "…You know what I'm going to say, don't you? Sitri must have told you…"
Jeralt's voice came out cracked and hollow. "She told me she was the twelfth. She told me that she always failed to meet your expectations. She told me you'd always looked down at her whenever she failed something she didn't even know how to do. I know where you got your damn stone, you bitch."
His words were not unexpected, but struck Rhea as if no harsh feelings and cold words had passed between the archbishop and her knight twenty years past. She couldn't remember ever treating Sitri cruelly. Had her twelfth truly felt so her guidance to be so cold?
Jeralt slowly ripped his attention away from Rhea, his face awash with emotion. Inevitably, sorrow consumed it as he looked at his daughter. Byleth's face had finally shifted, showing a small, precious drop of empathy to her father.
"Go." Byleth said, soft and gently, but brooked no argument. "I know where to find you."
Jeralt turned to face Rhea once more, but stopped halfway. Sharing one last look with Byleth, he walked out of the chamber, the doors slamming behind him.
The room was quiet for a few minutes more. Rhea watched as the last drops of blood fell from her hands. Byleth stood in front of her, but Rhea still couldn't look at her.
Seteth stepped forward, and Rhea's eyes darted up. The man's face was unreadable as he studied Rhea. Then Seteth let out an old, tired sigh that only someone who had lived for a thousand years could. He turned to Byleth, his question slipping through his lips like sand in an hourglass.
"I have a terrible feeling that I already know the answer, but…could you show me your Crest?"
Byleth raised her hand, and out of it formed the sigil of the Crest of Flames.
Seteth stared at it for a moment, before turning to Rhea. "I would hope you have already told yourself everything about letting the dead rest soundly I will be telling you once my shock and revulsion passes." He turned to the door, before stopping to look back at Byleth. "And I implore you to not do something so horrible to yourself or to Sothis' last remains, less I join Rhea in her anger."
"I'm long past trying something that stupid." Byleth said. Seteth watched her for a moment more, before exiting the room.
Rhea looked at Byleth, and Byleth looked back. There was a small hint of something in the child's eye. If Rhea wanted to delude herself, she might call it sympathy. A charitable interpretation might call it pity.
"I will leave you to yourself for now." Byleth said, and turned to leave. "I suggest trying to talk with my father." With that, she left, and Rhea was alone in her throne room.
Rhea raised her hands to inspect the wounds she had caused herself. They were shallow cuts, and had already healed over. The blood on her hands had dried over. It would take Rhea much care to properly wash away.
The sun was setting when Rhea finally moved to look out the window of her office. She dared to try to spot the graveyard, but couldn't. The building's architecture would not allow it. Rhea fell back onto her chair, and closed her eyes. For the rest of the evening, Rhea thought back through the years she spent raising Sitri. She remembered teaching the girl all the rituals and sermons of the faith. She remembered guiding the child through lessons on to heal the sick, how to mend wounds and lift spirits. She remembered bringing the young woman before Sothis' throne in the hopes that her mother would spring forth from the twelfth child she had made to house her Crest Stone.
Throughout the night, Rhea tried to remember if she had ever called Sitri daughter.
There's a funny thing that happens after chapter 9 in the game. Byleth asks about their mother, and Rhea stumbles over the words "your mother…she was my…" it almost sounds like she's having to admit something to herself that hasn't had to think about in twenty years. That was my takeaway at least. And that's where a good bit of this chapter comes from.
As always, reviews are appreciated.
