Edelgard's grip loosened. Her fingers trembled, slowly breaking apart. In a moment, her tight grip had changed to a desperate clinging. In another second, they slipped off the needle. Byleth's body slumped forward, unmoving.
Edelgard's breath alternated between deep and shallow. Her eyes darted about the chamber. The architecture stood as still as Byleth's body. Fingers clutched pale white hair. She inhaled deeply, and exhaled at length, and then repeated. Eventually, her lungs regained control of her breath, and Edelgard looked across at her deed.
"Listen closely." Nemesis rumbled. "That w-" He coughed. "That woman. Byleth. She must be removed. If she stands, that witch's church will never fall." He paused to lock eye contact. "But. She doesn't need to die."
Edelgard could feel her confusion. "What? What do you mean?"
Nemesis coughed again. "There is a place deep in the forest next to your academy." He waved his hand and Arundel produced a paper with what appeared to be a list of directions. Arundel inserted it between Edelgard's fingers before folding back into the shadows. "An altar bearing the Crest of Flames which can imprison people like her, for a very long time." His hands gripped the armrests. "Or a very short time, from the prisoner's point of view." Nemesis shook his head. "All this is to say that this syringe will only incapacitate this Byleth woman. You can bring her there, and she will be safe as we wage war against the rotten church." His eyes hardened. "Or after you inject the drug into her veins, you can kill her. The choice is yours."
Edelgard's eyes lingered on Nemesis' hands, still gripped to his chair. "If that is your offer, why should I even bother with the injection? And how-" She bit her lip. "How do you know any of this?"
"The Crest of Flames gives you and I a certain amount of precognition." Nemesis paused to exhale. "A certain instinct. A way to see into what might be." His head tilted ever so slightly. "You have experienced it, no?"
Edelgard bit back a flash of memories, dreams, and nightmares. "And?"
"Hers is infinitely stronger. The last time I came across the woman who bore that Crest, she could sense anything that would ever happen to or around her. Many tried to slay her in battle or through assassination, for centuries. None succeeded. Her despotic reign was unending." Nemesis eyed the needle and huffed a bitter laugh. "Until I found the bane of tyrants. A poison that rendered her powers of prevention useless, and left her comatose for a time. And while I may have had to make unwelcome allies…" Nemesis eyed Arundel, who remained still. "-I still managed to break their grip on our world and build something better, despite having to push back against his forefathers." His eyes turned back to Edelgard. "As for your other question…" He hacked out a chough. "I will tell you that it is a very long story, and that we have little time left before Serios strikes. But…"
Nemesis pushed himself straighter. "To put it simply, there was a time when her kind ruled over humans, treating us however they pleased. The people cried out for liberation." His eyes gleamed dimly in the quiet gloom. "And now you will choose how to answer that thousand-year-old plea."
Even as he sat in his iron chair, the ancient king loomed tall. "For all coming time."
Byleth's jugular gave no pulse. Edelgard grit her teeth and pressed her fingers on the vein again. Still no response.
Had Nemesis lied to her? Tried to make the act more palatable? He had still dangled death as a possible course of action. But then why would he bother with the lie? And why would he come up with such a specific and strange series of lies about a place to seal Byleth away while the war was waged? To make Edelgard more willing to take the lesser evil? Did Nemesis think that she would simply roll over and continue when the treachery was discovered? Even if Edelgard's still-gloved hands had more difficulty feeling sensations, she still could-
Edelgard stared down. The pale white glove stretched against her palm. Edelgard ripped off one of the gloves and pressed her fingers onto Byleth's veins. No response. Edelgard held her breath, and then exhaled. She pressed her hand over her own heart. It was beating too quickly. Too loudly. She took another breath, and another. Her heart slowed, and then stopped at an acceptable level. Edelgard sighed, before refocusing on Byleth's pulse.
There was a gentle throb. A thrumming under Byleth's skin. So faint that Edelgard could barely believe she felt it-but it pulsed again. And again.
Edelgard moved her finger under Byleth's nose. She felt a small push and pull of air. Byleth was alive. Nemesis had spoken truthfully.
The statue of Seiros had proven that Arundel was correct about the church. Rhea, or Seiros had been in control of Fódlan for millennia. And just as she had sworn so many cruel moons ago, Edelgard would free the world from her tyranny.
Edelgard put her glove back on as her attention turned to the syringe, still sticking out of Byleth.
What should she do now?
Edelgard bit her lip. She could take Byleth to the forest, to the place Nemesis said Byleth could be sealed away for the war- but that would be difficult. She would have to slip past even more guards and risk discovery at this crucial moment. It would be simpler to just kill Byleth- a cruel and necessary casualty of war. An unpleasant reality that had to be faced.
Byleth's head drooped lower.
Edelgard's lips pressed thin, and her hand found its way to her dagger. She unsheathed the blade, took a step closer, and-
Edelgard stopped in her tracks. The remains of Byleth's last smile still hung on the woman's lips. The dagger snapped back into its sheath.
She didn't want to kill Byleth. She wouldn't just kill someone because it was easier. She was not like the nobles who deposed her father. If there was a way to save a life, Edelgard would take it.
And no matter how nonsensical Nemesis' explanation of a place in the forest where they could imprison Byleth, it was so strange that Edelgard could not help but believe that there was at least some truth to it- Why would Nemesis go to such elaborate lengths otherwise? If he was lying, all they had was a corpse. And what use would that be to anyone?
Nemesis hid many things from her, that much was clear. But his antagonism towards Arundel had seemed genuine enough. And if even half of what was said of his kingdom was true…
Edelgard swallowed. One step at a time. First, she had to escape. She picked Byleth up off the green stone throne, pausing as her hands bumped against the Sword of the Creator tied to Byleth's hip. Should the sword be thrown away?
Edelgard 's hand brushed against the sword, before retreating. No. Rhea could find it in the chamber. It could give her clues to Byleth's fate. It would be easiest to take it with the body. Edelgard could decide what to do with the sword later.
Her fingers tightened around the hilt. Edelgard closed her eyes. "Take us back to the surface." She whispered.
The world whirled around her, and when next she opened her eyes, Edelgard was standing back in the garden.
Hubert laid on his bed, blinking up at the ceiling. The day had started out promising- convincing Hapi to reveal Rhea's secret had been tantalizing, but the damned archbishop had removed the evidence. If only he had pushed Hapi sooner or if he had the courage to follow Rhea on that fateful night, they would have had an answer to Arundel's decleration. But as it stood now, they were still grasping in the dark. And all the while, Edelgard was being pressured by the uncle who tortured her to do his bidding, and promised fleeting intangibles by the professor, Byleth.
Byleth's affiliation with the archbishop was clear. Just as obvious was the fact that Rhea was hiding whatever Hapi had discovered. The archbishop undoubtedly moved the statue from its place in Abyss. And though the suspicion was clear, so long as they could not find proof of Arundel's claims, doubt would continue to plague Edelgard's actions. Arundel's information network vastly outstretched his own, and with his own father still in the role of Count Vestra for at least a few more months, Hubert's options for expansion were few and far between.
And so, Hubert laid in bed, just as powerless as his liege, unable to clear a path to her future. Unable to find the proof needed to ease her doubts. There had to be some angle he had not explored, some leverage somewhere to disentangle the webs wrapping around Edelgard. Something more he could do to aid his liege.
Hubert was dragged out of his musing by a shallow knock on his door. Was this some drunken idiot trying to cajole him into their debauchery? There had been a party earlier in the night, and this wouldn't be the first time some spoiled brat thought he had any interest in letting them use his station for posturing.
The knocking continued, one after another. Hubert crushed a pillow over his ear. Try as he might, the knock was insidious enough to filter through and rattle around his brain like a half-remembered code. One long knock, then two short, followed by a pause and two long-
And that was because it was. Hubert shot up, threw on a shirt and rushed to the door, pulling it open. "Lady Edelgard, a thousand pardons. I-"
Hubert stared down at Edelgard and an unconscious Byleth clutched in her arms. Edelgard stared back. His heart skipped a beat, and then Hubert remembered himself, stepping aside and ushering his liege in. Edelgard walked to his bed and laid the body on top of the sheets.
Hubert's pulse raced. He opened his mouth and closed it again. Edelgard stared at him, and the silence shifted from tense to unnerving.
Edelgard reached into her pocket and pulled out a parchment, handing it to Hubert. "Can you teleport us to this location?"
Hubert squinted, before lighting a candle at his desk. The handwriting was unnaturally perfect- uniform in pen stroke and without a single flourish to identify handwriting. The machine 'printing' of those who slither in the dark. "…No. I can only teleport to places I have already been." Hubert folded the instructions neatly and then lit the page aflame. His eyes caught on to the needle sticking out of Byleth's neck. "Lady Edelgard, I must ask, what…" Hubert bit down his stutter. "What is this? What has Arundel commanded of you? How…" It invited itself all the same. "H-how did…What?"
Edelgard glanced back down at Byleth. The needle in the professor's neck glistened in the dim candlelight. Edelgard swallowed and began to explain. Hubert stared back, unblinking.
"…And then I came to you." Edelgard looked down at her hands. "I needed someone…" She was clutching the dagger held at her belt. "…Someone I could trust to help me."
Hubert studied Edelgard's hand. There was a subtle tremor. "As always, I am at your disposal."
Edelgard's lips were pressed thin. "…You don't have any objections?"
Hubert tugged on his collar. "I have dozens. However…" He paused, biting his lip. "…However, we had always planned to use your uncle for our own aims just as he planned to use you. The inclusion of this…Nemesis does not change things. He is trying to use you, and we will use him back. If your read of his character and motivations is correct, then it may be a mutually beneficial partnership. If he is some puppet or trickery of Arundel, the situation is the same. You found the truth Rhea was hiding from us. And in doing so…" Byleth remained still, just where Edelgard had left her. "…You took a step that had to be taken."
"Yes." Edelgard murmured. "But now what?"
Hubert raised his eyebrow. "You mean to choose between the convoluted 'sealing' or the professor's death?" He glanced at the body. "If you require, I can dispose of the body with none the wiser."
Edelgard did not respond. Hubert's brow furrowed. She usually objected to such ruthlessness. Her eyes were still trained on her hands. "We could just let them destroy each other."
Hubert blinked. "What?"
"Arundel and the church. We can let them fight each other." Edelgard's voice was heavy. "We could keep this charade going. Feed information to both sides. The church is preparing to wipe out those who slither as we speak. We could let both rotten foundations rip each other apart, and swoop in to destroy both once they are exhausted!" Edelgard shot up, bristling. "We just need…Byleth…"
There was a long pause as Edelgard turned back to the body.
"…Lady Edelgard?"
Her head swiveled back to Hubert with blinding speed. Edelgard's eyes were wide and full of desperation Hubert had not seen since she had first been removed from her uncle's care.
In that moment, Hubert felt more powerless then Byleth ever could.
"…I can't take this back, Hubert." Edelgard exhaled. "Ever since coming to Garreg Mach, I've known that I would have to do terrible things to make my dream a reality." Her fists were shaking. "I've schemed with you, with my uncle, with all the other dukes and barons, all for the sake of overthrowing the church. But this is the first time…" Edelgard took several shallow breaths and her eyes fell back to the floor. "There were so many decisions I could make before this. She saw me stick the needle into her, Hubert." Her voice shriveled. "There is no return."
Hubert reached out, placing his hand on Edelgard's shoulder. She made no indication that she felt the gesture.
"Lady Edelgard." No response. "Is this…about your…'dreams'?"
"Everyone is trying to use me." Edelgard bit out. "Byleth, Rhea. This…Nemesis. And Arundel..." Her fist quivered. "Arundel...!" It slammed into the wall with force.
Hubert took a deep breath. "Lady Edelgard." No response. He shook her lightly. "Lady Edelgard!" Her eyes shot up to his. They were still full of doubt. Hubert steadied himself. "You have always walked a narrow path, full of deceit and treachery. A lesser woman would have fallen victim long before you." Hubert paused to let his thought pool into words. "And you have taken all manner of insult and disgrace with strength few could ever dream of having. And despite everyone's best efforts, you still march your own path." He squeezed her shoulder. "And I shall continue to follow, whichever way you choose to ford."
Edelgard stared back. Her breathing was shallow but even. She glanced back to Byleth. "Nemesis is trying to use me." Her eyes hardened with resolve once more. "So we will use him back." She turned back to Hubert. "But first, we must do our own research. We must scout the location he gave me and try to discern its purpose."
Hubert slowly nodded. "Shall we summon Arundel and have him teleport us?"
"No. He does not know what I have done yet, and I plan to keep it that way until I decide. We can leave Byleth here and scout it ourselves." Edelgard stepped forward. "I will choose my own path."
"Yes…" Hubert grabbed his jacket from his drawer. "At your command, Lady Edelgard."
The two marched to the room's exit. Edelgard turned the knob, pulled open the door-
Hubert immediately shoved Edelgard behind the wooden frame, stretching his arm in an entirely unnatural posture. Dorothea's hand hung centimeters from where door had just been. Ferdinand stood by her side, a stupefied look on his face.
Hubert pushed his voice into an annoyed flat tone. "What."
"Uh…" Dorothea slowly lowered her hand. "We heard a bang from your room and came to check up on you." Her head tilted. "Is everything okay?"
"Yes, fine. It was just…" Hubert kept his eyes fixed on the pair. "…A spell that I was practicing. It won't happen again." He began to push the door shut.
Ferdinand caught the frame before it shut. "Wait, Hubert. You shoved something behind the door. What-"
"Laundry that I planned to take out tomorrow. I plan to go to sleep now." Hubert pushed again. Ferdinand didn't budge.
"…Is that someone on your bed?"
Dorothea's eyebrow rose. "That isn't a body, is it?" Her tone was joking, but with the kind of humor that only worked if all parties knew it was possible.
Hubert turned back. Byleth's shoes were visible from the doorframe. He bit his lip. "If you must know," he ground out. "I am entertaining guests."
The two at the door paused. Then Ferdinand's mouth fell.
"G-guests?"
Hubert rolled his eyes. "Yes. They prefer to keep their identities hidden. Empire business."
"…A-as in more than one?" Ferdinand looked down to Hubert's chest. Several buttons on his coat remained unclasped.
Hubert turned his attention to Dorothea, whose face was caught between two expressions that were alien to her features. He cocked his head, and something shifted in her eyes.
As the dim hallway candlelight glow disguised her flushed cheeks, Dorothea reached for the doorknob Ferdinand was still holding and slammed it shut. One pair of footsteps quickly departed and was shortly followed by another.
Edelgard peeled herself off the door. She ran a hand down her clothes to pat off dust. "That was…"
"The fastest way to get rid of them in the spur of the moment." Hubert quickly buttoned his jacket. "A thousand pardons for the implication."
Edelgard glanced back at Byleth. "…I don't think we can leave her here. And I'm not certain we can sneak her past the guards at the gate. It was a small miracle that I got her this far."
"Hmm." Hubert scuffed his collar. "I may not be able to teleport us directly into the forest, but I can put us in a small alcove outside the wall. There shouldn't be any guards to spot us, and it's a short hike to our destination."
"Yes…" Edelgard picked Byleth up again. Her expression was stiff. "Let us find our path."
Jeralt took another swig of whiskey. The stars were dim tonight, with only a few lanterns down on the road below and the one at his side to provide illumination. Dark clouds promising to bring the early winter rains. Just as it always did this time of year. The academy sat where it always had, overlooking a few villages and markets. There was perhaps one new house built in the past twenty years-or perhaps it had always been there. Jeralt had difficulty remembering when the faces attached to the buildings always changed. The hill he sat atop hadn't grown or shrunk since he'd left Garreg Mach that score of years ago, with the same old stones surrounding the same old elm tree.
Jeralt eyed the branches. He couldn't remember a difference between now and when he first bothered to hike the hill and lay under the tree. More than a century ago.
Jeralt sniffed and sipped the whiskey. The clouds rolled closer. Rain would come in a few days. The last of the fall harvest would have to be picked clean before then.
"Jeralt! Are you here?" Jeralt raised the lantern. Rhea was climbing the hill as quickly as her robe allowed, knightly entourage nowhere in sight.
"Lady Rhea." Jeralt pulled himself up to a half slouch. "What are you doing out here? I figured your nannies would throw a fit if you went anywhere without them, especially only a month after an assassination attempt."
"Yes, well." Rhea stood at the edge of the tree, looking down at the hamlet. "You know as well as I that these sorts of things don't often happen so soon after a first attempt."
Jeralt scratched his beard. "How many plots against you were foiled in my time here? Three? No, there was also that one in 1109…"
"Four in total."
"Hmm." Jeralt took another drink. Rhea remained as she was. "So what are you doing tracking me down in the middle of the night? Surely whatever you wanted could have waited until morning?"
Rhea laughed softly. "Because you're impossible to talk to after you spend a night drinking." She glanced at the tree. Empty wine glasses glowed orange under the lantern light.
Jeralt eyed the bottle in his hand. Halfway to go. He raised the glass to his lips. "And what do you need to talk to me about?"
Rhea shifted. "Has Byleth…" She was considering her words carefully. Jeralt decided to race her to a third full. "…Are you prepared for our march on Shamballa?"
"I keep up with the drills. Drink alone so I don't blab anything." Jeralt shrugged. "My men are as ready as they can be."
"I see." Rhea stared off into the night. Jeralt took another sip. "How has Garreg Mach been treating you since your return?"
"You know Garreg Mach. The faces change. What they do doesn't."
"Yes…" Rhea murmured. A tense silence fell. Rhea was staring out into the night sky, looking across the clouds. Her hands were clasped together. She didn't turn her head to face Jeralt, but he could feel her anxiety roll off in waves.
Had he ever seen Rhea this uncomfortable in his century of service to her?
Jeralt drank his liquid courage and pushed himself up. "Rhea," She didn't turn. "What did you want to ask me?"
Rhea sighed. "Goddess give me strength." Her hands fell to her sides. "I wanted to ask about Byleth. Is she well?"
Jeralt chewed his lip. "She seems fine enough to me…" The next words were bitter on his tongue. "But I can't say I'd know much about the kid after…whatever happened to her." Rhea flinched. Perhaps the taste carried through the air.
"It's just…" Rhea finally turned to face him. A disquiet expression swept across her face. "After our talk with Byleth before you escorted the prisoners to Arundel's estate, did she share anything with you?"
"That is where I bury my children."
"Nope." Jeralt downed the bottle.
"It's just that I'm worried about her. Even if she has so much experience and foresight, I can't help but think of her as a child." The booze soured between gulps. "And even if she is confident, the Agarthans are vicious foes. Even with a force of knights protecting her, safety cannot be presumed."
Jeralt began scanning the darkness for a distraction. "I've talked to her. She knows what she's doing. And even if she doesn't, I'll make sure she's safe. No matter what."
"Jeralt…" Rhea intoned. "I know your daughter is strong, but this isn't something to take lightly. You can't believe such lax preparations are enough. This is your daughter's life we are talking about."
Jeralt spotted his change of topic in the gloom. Now to steer the conversation towards them. "I take it very seriously. I took it seriously when Byleth first took up a sword, first joined me in a fight, first joined me on a mission. Every time, the kid has blown my expectations away." He acted swiftly, hand darting to the sword at his belt. "What is that?"
Rhea made a sound but followed his gaze. "What?"
"There, next to the lamppost on the road. They're moving just outside the light." Jeralt could barely make out two, perhaps three figures-no, one was carrying something, only two- moving in the darkness, away from Garreg Mach. It was too far away to hear anything, and the figures made no movements to suggest that they had noticed his lamp up on the hill. But no farmer or merchant would ever move this deliberately this late at night. Someone was trying to hide from any notice, but were not confident enough to move in complete darkness-unfamiliar with the land, perhaps? The figures kept just close enough to benefit from the faint illumination. Were they more assassins, out to disrupt Rhea's prediction? Simple thieves, burglarizing the villages? Or…
"They're students." Rhea's posture relaxed. "You can see the faintest bits of their gold sleeves."
Sure enough, if Jeralt focused, he could barely make out the trim of that gaudy uniform. "So, should we go return them to their dorms? Isn't there a curfew?"
"There is no rush." Rhea huffed. "They will be going to that field-'' She pointed to what Jeralt remembered to be a clearing with an excellent view of the monastery. It had been a popular lover's lane in Jeralt's time. "-And drink until the break of dawn. I've seen countless students and knights before them do it. Nothing to worry about."
Jeralt raised an eyebrow. "Weren't you just lecturing me about safety? Shouldn't you be worried they might be up to something nefarious?"
Rhea's lips pressed together. "…They will light their own lantern soon enough and tracking their movements from the hilltop will be simple." She paused, turning back to Jeralt. "But while we are on the subject of safety, you are shockingly blasé about your daughter's."
Damnit. "Look, I worried a lot about the kid when she was starting out, but I mean it when I say that there has never been anything Byleth couldn't fight her way out of."
"She may not be given the option to fight. Poison is more than acceptable to the Agarthans."
"Yeah, I figured. It's just…" Jeralt sighed. The figures were moving along just as Rhea had predicted. "Byleth has my confidence. That's all."
"Your…confidence." It had been a long while since Jeralt was on the receiving end of Rhea's temper.
"No, it's-ugh." Jeralt reached for the bottle. Empty. Of course. He could feel Rhea's anger simmering. "It's something more than just that. Confidence isn't the right word."
"Then explain it."
"It's-" Jeralt rubbed his temples. "You know how Byleth can kill demonic beasts whenever she feels like it now, right?"
"Goddess save us." Rhea hissed. "Jeralt, I just said that swords and magic are not the Agarthan's only defenses. It doesn't matter how strong Byleth is if they can strike when she least expects it!"
Jeralt looked up at Rhea. Her glare always made it seem like she was towering above him. "It's not that either. It's just…"
"Just what?" Rhea snapped.
"How about this…" Jeralt sighed. "How many of those assassination attempts against you ended with the assassin's face on your fist?"
Rhea's brow furrowed. "…Three times."
"Right, except that one in 1109." Jeralt scratched his scalp. "You didn't need us knights to save you then. You probably didn't need knights to save you all of the other times."
"…And the times I couldn't save myself?"
"Your knights save the day." Jeralt nodded. "But that's just it. It was the exception to the rule. You didn't need me hounding you every waking hour to make certain you got through the day alive. Constantly worrying over every little detail is stupid, and just makes things harder for everyone." He paused. "Plus, you hate having a guard around you at all times. Isn't that why you snuck out here without Alois or whoever else follows you around?"
Rhea exhaled. "It's a different story with your own children."
Jeralt looked back at the students. Still barely visible along the path. "Yeah. I get that. And there is nothing I wouldn't do to keep Byleth safe. But…" He rubbed his eyes. "Every time I've ever thought she needed saving, Byleth would escape danger. Even before coming back to Garreg Mach."
Jeralt sat down on the dry, windswept grass. It felt old. Soon to die and be replaced by the new growth after the coming rains and snow. "It made me realize something. As a parent. People who aren't…" Jeralt paused to look back at Rhea. "…Like us, I guess, have to grow old. Lose their strength. Accept that they can't do everything anymore. They have to let their kids take their place." Rhea's eyes flicked away. "Even if that means the kids start putting themselves in danger. It's part of growing up. You're still there to help them when they fall, but you've got to let them go."
A chill wind blew, and Jeralt watched the students walk along the path. It was getting more difficult. A few of the elm's leaves fell down the hill from the branches, tumbling into the darkness.
"It's strange to me." Rhea said. "I have always led, in one way or another. I look after all the children that war and misfortune sends my way, but now I find myself being directed by my…granddaughter. She seems to have the answers for everything, and no secret I thought was long forgotten is unknown to Byleth." A small laugh escaped her. "It's…disconcerting."
Rhea moved her focus back to Jeralt. "We still must do all that we can to make certain Byleth is safe, now more than ever."
Jeralt nodded. "She's already told us all about the nasty surprises waiting for us in their little hiding place. Guards are patrolling the academy every hour of the day. Byleth says they only have that Ochs girl as a disguise. I know it doesn't feel like enough, but we'll go mad if we keep trying to find more ways to protect ourselves."
"Yes…" Rhea stared down at the students. As she had predicted, they had brought out a lantern of their own.
Rhea's face hardened and the grass crunched under her feet. "Jeralt, get your horse. Let us confront these students."
Jeralt blinked, but began trudging along after Rhea. "Why? You barely cared when you first saw them."
"I was not about to let your irresponsibility go unchallenged, and the students were in no hurry." Rhea sniffed. "Those two slipped past the academy's defenses. Either by slipping through some unseen crack or by bribing several guards. Both must be rectified immediately."
Jeralt grunted. "This would have been a lot easier if you stopped them earlier. It'll be hard to catch up to them now."
"I made a mistake." Rhea bit out, brooking no argument. "And now I must rectify it."
Jeralt sighed. Riding the archbishop around to twist the ears of some dumb kids. What had his life come to?
He looked up to the sky. What little moonlight that was in the sky was fading. They would have to ride quickly if they hoped to catch up to the children.
As always, thanks to Dox for beta reading!
Perhaps a bit of a fake out from last chapter's cliffhanger, but there's no turning back now for Edelgard. Destiny awaits.
The next chapter will be scheduled for completion no later then December 8th, so I'll hope to see you all then. In the meantime, please feel free to share your thoughts with me, I'm always happy to answer any questions I can.
