Greta crawled quite quickly, even without the soft carpet as padding under the small knees. She had nearly rounded the corner out of the room before Edelgard noticed her. The child had a head start and would have been out of the room before Edelgard could get to her feet and move for the door.

Instead a pair of muscular, tanned hands dropped into view as Jeralt scooped the little Grand Princess nestled her against his chest carefully. Though the child would have none of it and leaned away from him to get a better look at his full beard. She seemed to study his face in an effort to determine if it was that of anyone she knew in the few seconds before Edelgard jogged up with her hands out.

"Oh I apologize, Captain, she can be a bit of a handful and without Hubert or Bernadetta she has a tendency to strike off looking for something to get into," Edelgard said.

Jeralt chuckled, holding his smile in a way that should have shown creases and lines in his face that had come with time. It was odd to think this man was the father of Professor Byleth. He looked to be only a few years older than them, though the weight of his gaze betrayed his true age.

"S'not a problem," Jeralt said as he patted Greta's back, causing her to coo. "It's been some time since I held a young rapscallion like this." He held her away from her person and stared into the small child's face, Edelgard knew what would be staring back at him: the same pale blue eyes and nearly white, blonde hair with skin the color of the white sand beaches at Rhodos.

"Reminds me of Byleth. She's strong like her mother," he glanced over at Edelgard and gently placed the wiggling baby into her grasp. "Yeah, she's gonna be a little ass-kicker."

Edelgard pulled the baby close, the child's head rested in the space under her chin and against her neck. "That's high praise coming from Captain Jeralt Reus Eisner," Edelgard said with a laugh.

"Look, Empress," Jeralt said, bowing suddenly as if he remembered his place. "I know it's not my place to ask, but you were one of my daughter's favorite students and in my eyes that…well that makes you family. You've got your hands full here with the little Princess there and running the Empire. While you're here if you need anything…"

"That's…probably the kindest thing I've seen happen in a while. I would hate to burden you and your wife; Lady Eisner I'm sure has a lot going on. Plus she has to keep you and the Professor in check," Edelgard smirked before she kissed Greta on the head.

In all of her time at the Officers Academy she had never found a good way to properly address Byleth's mother. She had a middle name that she tended to go by, Rhiannon, but it didn't feel right to call her by it. Her given name was simply Seiros and that was a far too awkward can of worms for her to bother to open. Edelgard had taken to calling her the last name and the honorific 'lady'.

"It would be no trouble at all, I assure you. I'm sure she would love to have Greta around, she's always talking about how she misses having a small kid," Jeralt said.

Edelgard motioned with her hips for Jeralt to follow her. "How would you feel if I were to pick your brain about some stuff, just about the Professor?" She asked. "I've got a bottle of Adrestian Brandy, aged in charred oak barrels since 1092; yours if you want it…"

Jeralt laughed. "1092? That was a good year. Now you're speaking my language, Empress," he followed her back into the upper Cardinals Room. "Why are you squirreled away into this dusty old place?"

Edelgard shrugged. "It felt somehow appropriate. It's so large and loud down in the dinning hall and more people seem to be arriving by the second."

Jeralt used his foot to pull a chair out from the table and patted the spot on the table in front of it. "For you."

"You're quite the gentleman," Edelgard said. "That's not the kind of thing that always makes it into those songs and stories."

He left an empty seat between them and sat down with his chair facing part of the way toward her. "I don't pay attention to those things. Every time I'm somewhere and some minstrel starts up a verse of that damned 'The Bravest Blade Breaker' song my face turns all red and all I can think about is how fast I can get the Hell out of there!"

Edelgard laughed. "Seems like you don't like the attention, well it suits you."

"I try not to let it get to me," he said. He watched intently as Edelgard placed a glass on the table and poured it nearly to the top. Greta swiped at it, but Edelgard blocked her hand from making contact and then pushed the glass toward Jeralt. He lifted the glass and took a sip from it.

"What was it that you wanted to ask me about?" Asked Jeralt.

"It was about Professor Byleth. When she was little how…what kind of child was she?" Edelgard asked.

Jeralt laughed. "She was inquisitive and kind of snarky—she gets that from her mother mostly."

"You've got a bit of snark in you too. You forget that I've worked with you on a few occasions," she said.

"Remire village and the attack on the chapel," Jeralt said.

"I'm shocked you remember those missions from all those years ago. When you fight alongside the Jeralt it's a big deal, but you working with students shouldn't even be that memorable."

"I remember most of my missions, especially those where I work with my baby girl. And those were particularly—memorable. I don't think in all of the time I've worked here that I've seen demonic beasts inside the walls and then those students…after we killed those monsters those kids bodies were left behind. I still think about it," said Jeralt.

Edelgard sighed. "Our school year was eventful, but it ended on a high note, at least. And there hasn't been any sign of trouble like that again—at least not that I've heard."

"The Western Church still pulls their stupid shit from time to time," Jeralt finished his drink in one long pull and she slid the bottle toward him. "You're not going to have any?"

"Can't. It'll taint the milk," she said.

"Ah, sorry. I wasn't thinking. Most royalty wet nurses their little ones," he said.

"Women of the Imperial Household don't believe in that practice. My mother fed me from her own breast and I see no reason to stop now. I think—I know that's one of the problems with this world," Edelgard said. "The royalty wants to be so high above everyone, above humanity because there's a crest in their blood. That way of thinking has led to your issues with the Western Church, it led to the troubles from five years ago…"

Jeralt cut her off. "It led to the Flame Emperor?"

Edelgard had to fight to keep a straight face. No one had said that name in her presence in nearly four years. She hadn't thought about that part of herself since the dance with Dimitri or what she told that woman Kronya later that night.

"That's a name I haven't heard in a while," Edelgard said.

"Rhea seems like she'd rather forget it too, but that guy was a thorn in our sides for most of a year and then he just poof vanished. He was in league with the Death Knight and I know he's still around. Byleth treats him like a practice dummy, she's kicking his ass all over the countryside. Every time she's on a mission he seems to show up to cause trouble." Jeralt poured more brandy.

Edelgard moved so abruptly that it caused Greta to stir for a moment. "Professor Byleth is still fighting that…thing?"

"Yeah," Jeralt chuckled offhandedly. "She knocked a piece out of his mask a while back, blood was running down his chin."

"Have any of those other people showed up? The ones like Solon?" Asked Edelgard.

"I haven't heard anything about it if they are."

"I just—I wish that she would have written to the Empire for help," Edelgard said.

Jeralt shook his head. "She's got the knights and her students to back her up, plus you were looking after this little tike." Jeralt reached over and jiggled the baby's shoulder.

A sound like thunder erupted from somewhere outside, shaking the walls. Then another sound, identical to the first was followed by trumpets that blared out from somewhere nearby.

"Sounds like some more guests are arriving. It's probably the Kingdom Army arriving," Jeralt said.

Her heart leapt so forcefully that her hands trembled for a moment. The arrival of the Kingdom of Faerghus meant the arrival of Dimitri. It had been some time since they had last spoken in person, kissed, touched, or done other things. She had tried to push the thoughts of this reunion to the back of her mind because it was a constant distraction that plagued her.

Thoughts of how she wanted him, of the things they did alone in the bed chambers of Enbarr upon their last meeting. Especially the things of his skilled way with his fingers and tongue. She squirmed in her seat at the thought, but stood fully to her feet to avoid being too obvious.

"We could go out there together to meet them?" Jeralt said.

"I'd be glad to accompany you," Edelgard said in her most measured tone.


Hubert's hand was clamped down over Bernadetta's mouth to keep it closed and prevent her from crying out. Bernadetta had no qualms about admitting that she was a screamer. This was one of the games they played to avoid getting caught and because she genuinely liked the thrill of him holding her as still against her little bucking fits as he searched inside of her as if he had lost something.

They were sitting in the bench seat of the person carriage of House Varley, with her sitting on his lap. Huberts cloak partially covered them both, but it didn't matter as they had the entire carriage to themselves. It had come with them all the way form the Empire and even when heading out to the battle it was to take a carriage and give some of the flying mounts and foot soldiers a rest.

Their reason for making sure that they were alone was obvious. Bernadetta did love her games. She tilted her head away, letting out a small exasperated sound as Hubert pressed his lips to her neck, tracing the path created by the vein running beneath her skin.

Bernadetta whimpered.

"Is this to your liking, my love?" Hubert asked her.

Bernadetta nodded. "I'm almost…almos—"

Something hitting the side of the carriage rocked the whole thing, through the cracked the metal blinds a pair of eyes peered in. Faded green hair trapped against the forehead the was pressed against the window trying to see in.

Bernadetta yelped. "Stay away!" She shouted.

"Guys! You're finally here. I know you've got some of those little licorice sticks in there. You always have them in this carriage!" Caspar von Bergliez said just before he tried the door. "Hey, this thing is locked."

"Ahh," Bernadetta shouted. "We'll be out in a minute!"


Caspar continued to press his face against the glass of the carriage, though he couldn't figure out why anyone would stay inside of the thing. It looked to be dark and all of the festivities were going on out here in the real world—not that Hubert or Bernadetta were very known for a being sociable.

A hand grasped at his ear from behind, tugging him until he stumbled down from the carriage step and out into the thoroughfare where all of the horses and vehicles passed.

"Ow, ow, ow," Caspar was doubled over and at the mercy of his captor. "What are you doing?" He asked as he stumbled along.

Caspar twisted, breaking away and spinning around to face the culprit, Fleche he von Bergliez. He had known just by how she was pinching his ear tight. Their trip to the Monastery from their homeland had been a long one filled with instances of her making sure that he didn't get too out of hand.

"What are you doing crawling into people's carriage windows like some kind of peeping creeper!" Fleche said, her hands falling to rest against her hips. Fleche was slightly younger than Caspar, despite being his half-Aunt. She had light brown colored hair that dangled down the sides of her face in braids.

"It's not like they were in their bedroom," Caspar shrugged, his eyes closed as if to show how little he regarded the privacy of personal carriages. "Besides, they're both pretty reserved people. I'm sure they're just in there to avoid having to deal with all of the pilgrims from the Kingdom and the Church soldiers who went out to help guide them in.

"Forget about your licorice candy. There's plenty to do around here," Fleche said, her powder blue eyes going wide for just a moment. She dragged him away from the carriages and toward the main gates where the marketplace had always been when he was part of the Black Eagles here. The market was bigger now with small vendors spilling up the castle steps and even being allowed into the area near the stables.

Bells from one of the Monastery's many chapels rang out over the campus playing a jaunty melody that was used to signify that travelers had arrived. In his time at the Officers Academy it had only really been used a few times, but this was by far the most intense celebration the whole of Fódlan had ever seen. For most of the trip Fleche had rambled on about the estimated number of visitors that would be going.

Events commemorating the thousand year anniversary of the Monastery had really started at the beginning of the year. All worshipers had been encouraged to make the trek even if this was the only time that they ever would in their life. There wouldn't be another moment like it for a thousand years.

"Look, there's the Empress with some weird…guy…" said Fleche.

Caspar gazed up toward the spot where Fleche was pointing to see Edelgard making her way along the second floor walkway of one of the buildings, following in her wake was a huge man with sandy brown hair and a determined gait. The two of them were surrounded by Imperial Guards.

"That's no weird guy, that's Jeralt!" Caspar yelled nearly bowling over Fleche. "Edelgard! Jeralt! Down here! Hey!"

Wit the ringing of the bells and all of the sound from the arriving people there was no chance they were going to hear him. He glanced around. "We gotta find some way up there."

"Maybe we can just see her later? I'd really like to meet Empress Edelgard though…" Fleche said.

"Ha, yeah I could totally introduce you. Me and Edelgard are like that," Caspar said holding up two fingers together to indicate closeness.

"Y-you're that Caspar kid, right?" A woman yelled from behind him. Caspar turned to see a woman with her dark red hair pulled up into an ornate braid on either side of her head. Her light brown eyes searched his face for any sign of recognition. "Remember, you rescued me?" She asked.

"You're Monica, right?" Caspar snapped. "You kind of disappeared near the end of the year there," he said. His memory was foggy, but he could swear he heard that she was being allowed to finish out her graduation year with the Black Eagle House and then she vanished again right around the time that the White Heron Cup.

"There was a bit of a family emergency," Monica said, brushing a loose tendril of hair away from her face. "Have you seen the imperial child yet?"

Caspar shook his head. "No, but I was hoping to. Did you?"

"I doubt the Empress will let you near her baby, you don't wash your hands," Fleche said.

Monica snickered, but loud enough that it was clear over the crowds. "Is this your wife?"

"No. I'm his aunt," Fleche said.

Monica made a little sound. "Hmm," she said. "Then maybe I'll have to catch you around—later when things are less hectic." Monica touched the side of his face, sweeping her fingers back along his cheek. With that she moved off through the crowd.

"What was that?" Asked Fleche.

"You know how it is with us Bergliez men, ladies can't keep their hands off us," Caspar said as he curled his arm up next to his head so his bicep bulged out.

"Ew."

"Come on, we need to try and catch Edelgard," Caspar said as he stooped down and hoisted Fleche onto his shoulder. She cried out. "We can move faster this way, calm down."

"I'm wearing a skirt, people are going to…"

Caspar was already moving through the crowds too quickly to hear her as he pushed his way toward the area where he had last seen his country's ruler.


It was nightfall before Dimitri had his first chance to get a look at Edelgard up close. There was a reception in the newly constructed Grand Ball Room. He was already at the long table meant for the leaders of nations when she took her seat next to Claude. It had been some time since they were this close together, just one person between them. That one person happened to be one of the few who might reason out any sort of coded message they tried to make conversation with.

Dimitri held his tongue, glancing up to admire the domed ceiling above their table that depicted the Goddess Sothis encircled by the symbols of the known crests. All of this area had been the ruins of the old chapel when he was in the Officer's Academy. There had been a lot of construction and remodeling in preparation for the celebration of the Church's first thousand years and it had made getting around the campus a little difficult.

Their table stretched along one side wall near the center where the dome was overhead. A line of guards made up of their most trusted troops formed a barrier between them and the common folk. The presence of guards was hardly noticeable and people were still allowed to approach the table, though few did.

Claude reached over and stole a shrimp off of Edelgard's plate, staring her in the eye as he spoke. "So is this the first time you've had an Almyran Prince at one of these things?"

Edelgard narrowed her eyes, glaring at him. "Yes. It might be the last, you're not making much of a case for your manners."

"I'm oozing charm and manners, Princess," Claude said.

Holst Goneril snorted, almost spraying wine from his nose. He was a huge man with arms that seemed to be as large as a regular man's waist and a bushy, pink beard.

"Glad you're here friend, at least someone appreciates my brand of humor, huh?" Claude asked.

"It maybe that or it may just be that my dear baby sister has been dumping Dagdan Wine into me since we got into the Oghma Mountains," Holst said and even as he spoke he was holding a glass that sloshed with deep red wine.

The leaders of the four countries that had made it so far were in seated together at this table: from the Leicester Alliance there was Holst Goneril, Claude von headed up Almyra which was to the East of Fódlan through The Locket, Edelgard lead the Adrestian Empire, and finally there was himself.

Baby Greta was nearby, sleeping in bassinet that was draped with red and gold linens. Though she was resting, her tiny face would scrunch up from time to time or she would open her mouth to yawn. It was like every time he glanced at her he couldn't tear his eyes away. What if people started to suspect something? What if someone was out there waiting for a way to finish what they started at Duscur? The only people he had left that mattered in that way to him were all under this roof, unguarded and eating and laughing.

Light music was being played by a string quartet on the opposite side of the room, wafting through the air to embed itself in the white noise of conversation taking place between the various guests in attendance.

Edelgard's personal guard captain, Ladislava, stepped up to the table. Her armor jangled together as she came to a stop and dropped to one knee. "Your Grace, if you would like Hubert has offered to tend to Lady Greta while you eat…perhaps to give you some alone time."

"If I had wanted alone time I wouldn't have had a child," Edelgard said looking up from her soup. "I cherish my time with her, she's fine as she is, but thank you Ladislava."

Ladislava bowed and moved back to her table, a little ways to the side.

"If she can sleep through this then she'll be a great leader," Claude said. "Being able to cut out all the background chatter and noise is a big part of it."

"Hopefully her skills won't be as tested as they would have in the past and she'll grow up in a world where the leaders of Fódlan sit down with an Almyran King and just talk," Edelgard said.

"I'll drink to that," said Holst lifting his glass for a toast.

Dimitri, Claude and Edelgard joined him.

"That really isn't saying much," Claude said offhandedly as their glasses clinked together.

The drinking and mirth making went on for several minutes uninterrupted with Claude and Holst joking back and forth like old buddies. Dimitri decided to take this chance to talk to her. The moment that he looked at her though he couldn't help but feel like he wanted to say damn everyone here, push Edelgard back onto this table and have her way with her.

These thoughts slipped into his head and he felt like a wild beast. What would think these kinds of things? Surely not a man.

Dimitri placed his palms flat on the table. "The aid you sent to Duscur has been received well. We're just starting to try and bring them back to a position where they can govern themselves."

"Noble, considering the events of all those years ago," Edelgard said. "We have to work together to keep the peace, it's the least I can do." She smiled.

"Gr-the Imperial Princess looks lovely," Dimitri said catching himself. If he were too casual, if he spoke in the wrong tone or anything it could give away their secret. Instead, he tried to remain as level as possible and keep all of his questions neutral.

"Thank you," Edelgard said before glancing around to see if anyone nearby might pick up on her next few words. "Her father would be proud to hear you say that," she said.

Dimitri's heart swelled with pride he heard Edelgard say those words. It was a bittersweet sort of pride because he couldn't be as her father. He couldn't cuddle up against her or be there for every little glorious piece of progress that she made. He glanced and Greta opening her mouth to yawn.

"Do you want to hold her?" Asked Edelgard.

"I'd lo—sure," Dimitri said taken aback.

He had held Greta before, of course. He had held her when he visited the Empire soon after Edelgard had the baby, but that had been in private. Most of the little moments between he and Edelgard had.

Edelgard rose from the table and walked over to the bassinet. She reached into the bed to heft Greta into the air, the small girl was dressed in a red bodysuit with ornate black buttons running down the front. Her head was covered by a small hat. She kicked and wiggled side to side as Edelgard brought her close to her chest.

"My special baby girl, where is she? There she is!" Edelgard said.

"You look pretty comfortable doing that," Claude said.

Edelgard rubbed her face against the baby's cheek. "I've had some practice. When I was younger there were—young family members."

Dimitri had never heard that story from her, but the thought passed from his memory quickly as he realized that there was something alluring about the way that she held Greta. There was a softness to her stance, but with this protective posture and movements.

He had kept himself from fixating on it earlier, but the red dress that she had worn was open part of the way down the leg and he could see her, more of her than he usually saw in public like this. The cut of the cloth and the way that she rested Greta on her hip, bouncing the baby girl along with the elated expression on her face caused a heat to rise up in Dimitri.

That's the mother of my child. That's my daughter.

Five years was coming to a close and he could say without a doubt that she had chosen him, they just had to make the announcement. They had to find a way to bring this subject into the light. Oddly enough they hadn't planned for this eventuality despite the fact that this had been the end game all along.

Edelgard walked over to him and carefully handed the baby down to him so that the child was resting in the crook of his arm. Greta was so warm and light, she moved jerky, disjointed excitement that mellowed as he held her.

"Greta…" Dimitri said.

The small girl took several unintentional swipes with her arms and made a wet mouth sound before saying the only thing she could reliably say.

"Kitty."

Claude leaned over closer to Dimitri and the baby. "That's right, you little sweetheart, this here is the Kitty King," he said patting Dimitri on the back.

"She said kitty," Dimitri muttered, stunned.

Edelgard folded her arms, her eyes rolling off to one side. "No, Princess, that's not a kitty. That's Dimitri," she said. "Sorry, it's the only word she knows."

"It's quite alright," Dimitri said staring down into his daughter's eyes.

There was a sort of hushed commotion that fell over the room as Rhea walked into the room flanked on either side by the Knights of Seiros. Her daughter, Sister Seiros Rhiannon Eisner followed close behind with her arm laced through that of Jeralt. The school's main teaching staff was behind them.

Dimitri got to his feet, the baby still pressed close as they made their way into the room. There had been some changes to the arrangements since his time there. Byleth was the fight and battle instructor, it gave her no class of her own, but the school had needed to replace Jeritza von Hrym after he vanished and it afforded her much time to do things outside of the school if needed.

Dorathea Arnault was close behind Byleth. She oversaw the Black Eagles House, which had been her homeroom five years ago and had been Byleth's old class. Shamir, who had taken over the Golden Deer House, was next in line followed by Dimitri's old classmate Ashe who had somehow found his way into a position teaching the Blue Lions as of this year.

Hanneman von Essar had retained his position as Crest Scholar at the school and was one of the foremost experts on the subject in the world though he now worked in the library. Dimitri had spoken to him some time ago in Faerghus after the Mittlefrank Opera performed. He made trips whenever he could to see Manuela Casagranda. The two of them had married sometime after Dimitri graduated and she had left the school, though they were both here now.

Mercedes had taken up duties in the infirmary, she and Seteth were the last of the staff to filter into the room, though they were the only ones actively chatting. It was hard not to talk to Mercedes and she often only talked about one of two things: sweets or ghosts. She still wrote to him monthly about how life was at the Monastery.

The long line of staff members fanned out to take their seats at tables, some of them mixing around into positions that made more sense. Mercedes pressed in close to her wife, Byleth and the two of them embraced with their chairs touching. Shamir leaned against the table, her back nearly touching where Ashe chose to sit, though he didn't seem to mind. Seiros-Rhiannon sat in Jeralt's lap and he held her in his arms as he kissed her bare shoulder.

Rhea continued to the center of the room, stopping just in front of the line of guards produced by the three kingdoms. She nodded to their table and then to the staff.

"It seems that we have quite the crowd this year," she said in her usual stoic register of speech.

"I see spread out through this room the glory of Fódlan and the world beyond. We have old students, friends, loved ones, children of the goddess—all made family through the power of community and our belief in the true mother of this world, the Goddess Sothis," Rhea said.

She spread her arms wide out to her sides. "I welcome you all to the Millennium Celebration of the Church of Seiros. Though there are many obstacles that plague the world and that the Church has yet to overcome we are still here basking in the light of the Goddess and working together to secure the future of Fódlan," Rhea let out a small giggle, something that she didn't often do when addressing groups, but something about her demeanor in that moment just seemed exhausted.

"I won't keep you for long. Some of you traveled very far and your bodies probably need rest," Rhea said clasping her hands together. "I'm just so glad that you could all be here with me…"

Dimitri couldn't have been the only one to notice she seemed gone, something inside of her had changed and though he couldn't definitively say she looked older she just looked older.

The room had been taken over by the normal sounds of conversation again. Seteth crossed the room in a flutter of steps that Dimitri was sure that he hadn't even seen him use on the battlefield all in an attempt to get to Flayn and Dedue and the baby.

"Eh," Claude said raising his hand and waving across Edelgard's line of sight. "Either the Little Princess took a shit over here…or King Kitty did."

Dimitri glanced down to see his daughter was sound asleep in his arms. He didn't think he had done anything to warrant this kind of trust from her, but perhaps she knew more than anyone could have guessed about who he was to her.


With talk of changing babies and the food being a little heavier than he had expected Claude saw an opportunity to finally get something out of the way when he spotted Hilda stealing a bottle of liquor from one of the tables. She glanced around like she didn't expect anyone to see her and then made her way out onto the chapel grounds.

There was something carefree and fluid about her movements, she was still just as he had remembered her. She exuded this laziness, this kind of do-nothing-energy that made people not suspect her. He knew better, Hilda had been an incredible fighter and had even been able to go toe to toe with many of the Knights. Though you would never know if you heard her tell it.

He followed her through the tall grass, wondering all along if she heard his footsteps. They walked for some time until they were under the shade of the trees at the edge of the forest with the grand ball room where everyone else was stood in the background surrounded by guards and torches.

"You sure that it's safe for you to be out here with one of us vicious Fódlanians?" Hilda asked as she pried the cap off the bottle.

"Come on, Hilda. You're not still mad about that, are you?" Claude asked. He stopped a ways out from her and scratched the back of his head as he looked up the slightly incline toward her.

"Still mad about that…you say that like you burned my toast or something. You lied to all of us about who you were. You lied something huge. How can I trust anything else you say?" Hilda asked.

"I lied all the time, you saw me do it. And why are we having the argument years after the fact?" Claude asked.

"Because you were leaving before and what was I supposed to do? Be the bitch who got mad at the guy who ensured that her brother wouldn't die in some silly spat with the Almyrans?"

This close to the woods there was a thick musky smell that wafted in under the trees. It had always been out here in the past and somehow it seemed to be the kind of thing that you wouldn't want your huge spectacle of a ball being so near. The very air with the smell in it seemed to cause Claude's throat to itch.

"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you what was going on or where I was from. There were people who were adamant that I didn't do that and you know the kind of attitude that there is toward my people. I wanted to change that, but I also wanted you to see me as who I am, not who I am despite where I'm from."

Hilda's legs buckled and collapsed onto her knees in the grass, her pink dress fanning out around her body. "Shit," she said rubbing the back of her hand across her eyes while keeping the bottle upright. "When my dad passed a few months ago I started to just go into the Almyra and find you. I really needed my friend."

"I wrote you a letter, but I never could send it. I just heard what happened and it felt like the kind of thing that I needed to say something about. I was sorry to hear about you lost, I think we all lost out. The one thing I knew about your father was how level headed he was—you always told me that. We needed more of that in the world."

She took a long swig from the bottle and reached up to hand it to him. "Thanks," she said trying to catch her breath. "You want some?"

Claude took the bottle and turned it over in his hands a few times, looking down at it. He couldn't read it in the darkness, but he could feel the cold weight of it in his hands, smell the astringent alcohol. He turned and chucked it toward the woods. Before Hilda could protest or really say anything he flopped into the grass next to her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and squeezing her tight.

"If I could go back…if I could lie to everyone else all over again you're the only person I'd tell." He spoke directly into the side of her head just above her ear. "You're my best friend Hilda and I've had a long time to think about it."

"I guess I have to face my thoughts clear headed now that you threw all that alcohol away," Hilda said straining in his grasp.

Claude let her go. "Maybe it was a bit drastic. It was meant to be a grand gesture."

"The grand gesture would be you going out there and finding that bottle," Hilda said.

Claude shook his head. "Not happening, but I will walk with you around the grounds," he said offering out his elbow. She linked hers through.

"There's a lot we can catch up on, I guess," Hilda said.


Near midnight, when the monastery slowed to its most dormant and students had been emptied out of the library and the courtyard and ballroom, Edelgard and Dimitri to slip off together. It wasn't even truly 'together'. They left through separate doors at different times and took a roundabout routes. The agreement was that they sync up in Dimitri's quarters. Since the dormitories had students in them and they were hardly fit for a King, Empress or High Born Noble of the kind of stature had shown up for the festival there had been housing renovated and worked on behind the dormitories that existed and off to the side of the sauna.

Edelgard, who had placed Greta Hubert's care for the night, was the last to make her way to the room. It was the intended way things had to be. She stopped by her own quarters to change into something different: a lace garment that resembled the kind of mages that a robe wore on its outer most level, but when opened it offered far less covering only bothering to really conceal the most essentially scandalous parts.

Over this she threw on a heavy red coat that clasped in the front. If she were spotted walking down the halls by anyone the plan was to tell them that she was going for a walk. She would pass by and head outside until such a time that she could see it was safe and then double back to Dimitri's room.

She opened the door, breath caught in her throat as the excitement and fear she fought so hard to keep in check mingled together. Edelgard checked both ways down the hall and spotted no one. Everything in this new part of the school still held that rich lacquered smell.

Quickly Edelgard took quiet bounding steps down the hall toward Dimitri's door. She checked behind her before trying the knob. They decided that knocking might be too much. Like he had promised the door was unlocked.

"Lady Edelgard," Dimitri said upon meeting her eyes with his. He was standing in the center of the room with the bed just off to his side. He wore less than he had at dinner, but he was clearly still dressed to a greater degree than her. His tunic was a deep navy blue with a golden embroidered coat of arms across the chest, two spears were crossed behind it.

"Dimitri," she closed the door behind herself and began to remove the heavy brown coat.

He bounded to her side, catching hold of the first arm out of the coat with one hand and shoulder of the garment with the other. "Let me help you, milady."

She laughed. "Dimitri, I'm a grown woman completely capable of removing my coat…"

"I haven't seen this…dress before," he said pausing and craning his neck to look her over. "It's gorgeous."

"That's sweet. I own several things that you haven't seen, I'm going to make it a habit of showing you each of them in turn, my love," she said as she hung the coat on one of the many hooks that protruded from the wall behind the door.

The rooms that had been constructed specifically for this were a rustic kind of beautiful. Nothing really to match the extravagance of the noble houses scattered through out Fódlan, but Edelgard could appreciate the honey brown walls with their strained pattern. The floors were plush, carpet inside of the rooms with a color matching to the primary color of the home country of the person who it was meant for: blue in Dimitri's and red for hers. She assumed Claude's was a golden yellow.

The furniture was all new with wood still showing the spots where the shaver had peeled away the outer rough layers and bark. Candles had been burning in this place for what smelled like days to cover the smell of fresh sawdust and glues and paints, but those were the smells she would have rather had to contend with.

Dimitri drew her to him, taking her leading her toward the middle of the room by the arm. When he stopped he turned and grasped her by both wrists, massaging the tender skin above her veins with his thumb.

Heat gathered behind the bridge of her nose as he ran his fingers through her hair. She had let it down and brushed the most egregious of the tangles out. But the act of even brushing it left her hair with a fuller voluminous look. Dimitri loved playing in her hair to a degree that she found it odd, but she did like how it felt. He would lay with his arm swathed in it. He had even, much to her confusion, wrote in a letter that he feared washing his hands after leaving her because the smell of her hair would leave him.

Dimitri was a bit of an over-sharer at times.

He planted a kiss on the side of her forehead. "Are you as excited as I am about the prospect of us not having to hide ourselves anymore?"

"I'm frankly scared. Five years seems to have passed too fast and I worry that we haven't gotten to spend as much time together as I would like. It feels like that'll be our future, passing like merchants traveling between distant settlements. There will be two countries we still have to rule, millions of people we can't just let down…"

"One man used to rule all of Fódlan and his blood courses through your veins," Dimitri said. Before she could answer or protest he scooped her up into his arms, cradling her at the upper back and under the knees, and buried his face in her neck.

Edelgard laughed hysterically. "What are you doing?" She asked.

He kissed her again on the lips.

"Did you lock the door?" Edelgard asked, her voice low and raspy now. "I didn't," she added.

Dimitri glances to the door and then back down at her. "I haven't been near the door," he said.

"Carry me over to it. To the door," she said breathlessly.

Dimitri sured up his grip around her, and with Edelgard bundled up in his arms, he made his way to the door. Before she could turn the deadbolt knob he was upon her again, sucking at the side of her neck just below the ear until he coaxed a purr out of her.

He placed his lips right next to her ear and whispered. "Is there anything else on your mind, my Empress?" His steps felt shallow below her, it was as if she barely had weight. There was something sensual about the strength, though it made her feel small and caged in, it also felt safe showing this side around.

There was no way he would question her leadership skills or feel threatened by her own prowess.

"On my mind? Have you tired of me already? I didn't think it would happen so soon." She teased.

Dimitri dropped her back into the bed, though he did so being mindful of her head. That much was obvious from how he moved.

"You think I could grow tired of this?" He crawled up onto the bed on his knees and knuckles. One hand fell between her thighs into the plush feathery top of the bed; the pace of her heart quicken more. She could feel that little thing stirring inside of her. How had they managed this secret so long? How had they hidden these feelings from every?

The thought of Dimitri was enough to drive her into a frenzy of daydreamed encounters. Hearing his name spoken was too much for her at times. And if that was the case seeing him was…

"El," Dimitri said in a breathy whisper as he held his crawling position above her.

"Hmm," she answered, though her tone suggested that she was hardly still there her eyes were fixed on his face and she took note of the way his golden blonde hair framed his chiseled jaw and how the little half smile on his lips pulled his cheekbones just right to make him look impossibly handsome. It had been months since they last had this opportunity and part of her had been salivating for it for days, but she knew better than to squander this anticipation.

Edelgard unfastened his pants, leaving them hanging open. Dimitri went up onto his knees, now straddling her to get out of his shirt the rest of the way. He tossed the thick garment to the side and she wasted no time reaching up to touch his chest.

Dimitri attacked her inner thighs, kissing his way all along them and taking time to let his breath wash over the skin there.

"When was the last time you had release, my King?" Asked Edelgard .

Dimitri looked up at her, his eyes barely cresting above the white linen small clothes that covered her crotch. "You mean…"

"For a man who is staring straight at the cusp of my womanhood you seem to still be shy about it," Edelgard said. "I can tell you that near a week ago I was worked into such a state that it was all I could do. I thought of you, the feel of you, the way you call my name and look at me and, well, I definitely got the thing done."

He sank his head back in between her legs, tugging at the clothing in the way to get at what was inside.

"I waited for you as long as I could. About four days since the last time I loosed my seed," Dimitri said.

Edelgard caught his hair, drawing him up. "Then we need to get that taken care of first," she said as she moved away from him and got back up onto her knees. Her hand went into his open pants and it took no time for her to find what she wanted. "I've missed your cock." Edelgard gripped him with one hand and pushed his chest with the other causing him to lay down in the bed.

"El…" she felt his manhood tense in her hand as he spoke, she felt it twitch with each slow elongated stroke. Dimitri let out a tortured gasp as she moved climb over the top of him, keeping him in her grip.

"I know what you want to do to me, what you really want to do," she said kissing her way across his chest.

Dimitri was always so giving and engrossed in her pleasure, but it wasn't as if she needed to be treated like some soft thing and have someone constantly do for her without accepting anything in return. Edelgard had spent the better part of her life relying on herself and even now when she had people she could truly call friends she didn't want to be this passive creature who flowed on the current of the world around her.

She valued the vulnerability she was allowed around Dimitri, but loved the level of control she could exert over him at times. Clearly, by the way he spurned her on with softly spoken pleas and tapered moans he loved it too.

So when Edelgard forced as much of Dimitri as she could take into her mouth, when she grabbed his ass to guide his thrusts into the back of her throat it was in part about her being in control, but it was a loss of control that they balanced between them, letting it ebb to and fro as they desired.


Their time apart always led to rather ambitious love making, the kind of sex where they did things that they couldn't put to words in the daylight. It felt that in the privacy of a room where they weren't just expected to be the leaders of large nations they were different people.

People who were somehow still Edelgard von Hresvelg and Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, but a different version of them. Ones tailored made for each other. These first encounters after a long drought were always somewhat difficult in the end. They could rarely spend the night in the bed together, once when they were still at the Monastery and these things were much, much tricker, they had fallen asleep in Edelgard's room after a night together. All of the subterfuge and quick thinking they had to employ to get out of there would have made even the most renowned tactician proud.

Tonight's rendezvous took meticulous planning, five years of doing this had taught them well. Edelgard's departure went fine, technically, but the issue was that she didn't want to go and he didn't want her to leave.

Part of her thought that this close to them revealing their relationship that getting caught might not be the worst thing that could happen, but the part of her that thrived on making sure that the outcome that she desired was as assured as possible didn't want to allow for an element of the unknown.

Though Dimitri employed all manner of tactics to get her to stay, she slipped out of the room back into the hallway. Instead of heading straight to her own room she made her way to Hubert's.

He opened the door almost as soon as he knocked, pulling it back to peek around it. His smile deepened.

"Lady Edelgard, did you find everything okay?" He asked. "I didn't expect to see you…Bernadetta and Lady Greta are sleeping."

Edelgard stepped into the room to see Bernadetta rocking in a chair by the window, one that they had moved from Edelgard's own room. She hadn't thought about it, but it had been provided just because she had the baby. There wasn't one in here before they dragged it over and Dimitri didn't have one either.

Bernadetta held Greta to her chest, both of their eyes closed. Their breathing was slow, rhythmic and in sync. For a moment Edelgard was frozen in the near the door.

"I can't stand the thought of waking them," said Edelgard. "Greta can sleep here for the night," she was whispering now.

Hubert closed to gap between them, he glanced back to his wife and Greta. "Did your time with Dimitri turn out well?" He spoke in a low tone.

"Things went very well." Though Hubert had been there for most of her life and seen her in various states, it was still very odd to have him ask her about what he had to know was her sex life. At the same time it would be odd not to answer—they tried their best to be completely honest and upfront with each other.

And he always had a way of knowing if she was keeping something from him. Before she even knew that there was something wrong in her expression, before she could fish the thought that something was wrong out of all the others swimming around.

"What's that?" Hubert asked leaning close to her. "If there's something the matter, Lady Edelgard—even if it's something between you and Dimitri you can tell me."

A soft smile overtook Edelgard's face. "He's very…vulnerable with me," she said. "And he's open and raw and honest, but there's something else there—something hidden."

"Everyone has something hidden in their past. Are you not doing the same with aspects of what you sought to do to Fódlan? What you still desire to do?" said Hubert.

Edelgard sighed, her attention turning to Greta where the small girl was laying on Bernadetta. "I never thought of it like that, but can I ask you something Hubert. It's probably the most serious thing I've ever asked you and I need you drop the pretense of being duty bound to me if you're to answer."

"Of course, Lady Edelgard."

"How can I plunge this world into the flames of war when I have a daughter who will have to deal with those consequences, who might have to live in a world without anyone who truly loves her?"

"I thought that you were out to free everyone, including Greta, from this yolk of lies that they have been saddled with?" Hubert said.

For a moment she thought she sensed movement in the hallway, Edelgard turned, but didn't make for the door. Her hand slowly rose up on the side of her face and Hubert, having had far too many conversations art hushed tones like this with her in the past, knew exactly what this meant.

"Perhaps we spoke too freely," Edelgard said.

"Is someone there?" Asked Hubert.

"It must be my imagination," she said. It was only after that she realized she had been tensed up, every muscle in her body tightened to an almost breaking point. As she relaxed a wave of fatigue washed over her. "I should be heading to my quarters."

"Would you do me the honor of letting me accompany you?" Hubert asked bowing.

"Nonsense," she said. "There's hardly a thing in these halls as fierce as me, I'll do fine on my own." A slow smile crept over her lips and she wrapped an arm around him and pulled him close for a quick, one armed hug.

Hubert was stiff, his arms pinned to his sides. He got very strange when it came to these kinds of things, which was odd because he doted on Bernadetta to such a degree that she honestly couldn't recognize him when it first started.

"Rest well, Empress," he said.

"Take care, Hubert," Edelgard said. "I'll pick up my Princess in the morning."

Part of her fretted over what Hubert had said, the idea that she had abandoned her drive and her everything to just be another emperor. He didn't want to say it out loud, perhaps he didn't even want to actively think it, but Hubert was sure that she had resigned herself to letting the world exist as it had for the past millennium.

If things were left unchecked then the burden of dealing with all of the poisonous things the Church had become would fall to her daughter. The same burden that she had reluctantly carried because it seemed no one else was prepared to do what needed to be done.

How could Hubert think she had given up after everything they had done?

She opened her door with the key and as she stepped into the quiet, cool air of the room she noticed that there a breeze, the curtains fluttered lightly at the window. She hadn't meant to leave it open, though she supposed it felt nice.

She reached up and gathered her white hair into a tight bunch so that she could fix it up out of the way. Her hands smelled like Dimitri. Surely there would be a slight ache in the morning to remind her of their night together. She wished he would be rougher, but he was far too reserved for all of that just now. Maybe in time.

Edelgard lit a candle and placed it on the side of the bed. Something white caught the light and gleamed, so she turned to see it perched atop her pillow: a shock of white curling through a red design with two holes sat perfectly apart where eyes could see through them. It had been five years since she last saw the mask and, in all honesty, she had destroyed the thing upon her graduation.

There was too much risk in leaving it out there. People still connected the Flame Emperor with Flayn's disappearance or with Duscur or with Remire village. Somehow the Flame Emperor Mask had been reproduced, placed on her bed. She snatched it up, flipping it over in her hands to examine it for any clues.

The open window? She hadn't left the window open, that wasn't something she would have done and she thought nothing of it at first, but it was closed when she left only a short while ago. Someone at the school had known about her or someone who had known about her was at the school. The latter was more likely.

She hadn't expected them to act so blatantly again, but it seemed that Hubert wasn't the only one who doubted her resolve to see her mission through.

Somewhere across the campus a distant bell rang.