I originally wanted to get this chapter out last year, but hey, what are you going to do. Plus, I feel it's kind of fitting as the theme of this little story is settling the past to move forward towards the future. Let that tale continue.
I do not own anything.
Chapter 2-Build Me Back Up
The rain had come to a stop by morning. It helped bring out something…ethereal in the town as the morning sun rose, a partially eerie yet somewhat comforting fog descending over the town and the surrounding lands. Normally, that would have been cause for some to stay indoors, but for one reason or another, many were out and about already beginning the day's events.
Byleth remembered his father telling him how such attitudes was part of what made Raetia special. He claimed part of his fortitude had been inherited from growing up on its ancient and beaten streets. Unlike his father, he'd never gotten the chance to walk those streets himself, not until he was a grown up. Now it was impossible for him to walk those same streets his father had without drawing some sort of attention. He couldn't really blame his father for that as he knew that Jeralt had been wrestling with his own past demons. Oddly enough, the ones Byleth had to contend with were rooted in the present and the future. So alike yet so different, such was the nature of parents and children.
One thing that Byleth knew separated him and his father were their choice of women. He had heard that his mother had been a nun at the Monastery. Immediately, his mind thought to Mercedes and Marianne, both students of his and devoted women of the faith with kind and gentle personalities. In his downtime, Byleth could understand how his father, a gruff man apparently even in his youth, had been attracted to such gentleness. One could argue for him, the gender roles of the romance had been reversed; many could argue that he was the gentle one.
The life of a nun suited Catherine about as well as a vegetarian's diet suited a lion, just as she claimed the life of a princess did. The blonde-haired Crest-bearer was a fighter through and through, somewhat unclothe and quite blunt, but at heart incredibly kind and noble. In a way, she was n inversion of Byleth, or at least he thought so. She was social, even if she believed herself to be lacking in social graces; well, compared to him practically everyone had social graces. Not to mention she often likened herself to the thunder and lightning she wielded in the form of her Hero's Relic, something incapable of helping and healing unlike him.
Light green eyes stared out at the misty horizon that lay beyond the apartment space. Byleth felt like if he wanted to, he could blow away the morning mist, such was his greatly enhanced magical power. For that, he had Sothis to thank as her merging with his soul had greatly bolstered his magical power, albeit more in the way of healing and light manipulation. Still, there were times when he stared out at the surroundings, he wondered just how much of the goddess' power he could draw upon now that her soul and his had fused into one.
A light moan from behind him reminded him that ultimately, he didn't need such power. It wasn't power that gave people like him what they wanted, it merely offered them the means to protect that which they cherished. And what he cherished was awakening from her slumber. Smiling, he looked back to watch as the former Faerghus noblewoman rise, arms stretched, jaw open, and her hair loose and wild. Catherine, somewhat surprisingly, had messy bed hair even though her hair didn't reach past her shoulders. Usually, she kept it tied up in a short ponytail, something that Byleth had admittedly found cute.
"Morning," She said smiling at him, a light blush tugging at her cheeks. This was the side of Thunder Catherine that very few people were allotted to see. Well, Byleth was special even in that category as he was the man she'd given herself to. Catherine quietly joined him, her arms resting on the window still as she peered out at the landscape. The mist was clearing. "If you want, you can take the day off, I don't think anyone will complain too much."
"You know that I can't do that, or at least I don't want to." There was an air of sorrow in his voice, something that Catherine recognized. Without a word, she wrapped her arm around his waist and leaned on him. Byleth quickly returned her kindness by doing the same to her. Should anyone have walked by and been able to see through the mist they would have been treated to the sight of the Ashen Demon and Thunder Catherine arm-in-arm, staring out at the city like a couple. They were a couple, albeit one that very few people knew about. Once that news broke both were sure it'd be the talk of the land, for good and bad reasons. "He…at least left some notes written down for me, maybe to help himself just as much as me." Came the quiet whisper of the male swordsman.
Catherine's grip on him tighten if only by a slight margin. "Like I said, if you want to take some time off, do it. No one will hold it against you. Just like the rest of us you're still recovering. Hell, you've got a lot more to recover from." For a vast majority of Fódlan, it had been five years of war, for Byleth, it'd be five years of darkness. An empty sleep after which he'd woken up to a drastically changed world, a world that he felt like he'd failed. She knew that he still had so many questions and doubts regarding himself and everything around him; he'd been sent into that dark sleep before he could get any answers for any of those things. Even now, three-quarters of a year after his "re-awakening", he still had those moments of doubt and lingering regret. Before, when he was still amongst the living, Catherine had seen Jeralt alone in such moments, a look of deep thought on his face. Comparing the two, it further hammered home how alike father and son were.
Yet, Catherine also knew that alikeness was still coming as something of a shock to Byleth. In spite of having him around, always being around him, protecting him, Jeralt had told his only son very little about himself and his past. At the very least he'd revealed his birthplace, the very city they were now temporarily staying at.
Byleth had told her that Jeralt had told him the house he was born in likely wasn't around anymore, but the Ashen Demon felt a compulsion to at least go to where it might have once stood. If only just to see what occupied the birthplace of the Blade Breaker now. Catherine had a gut feeling that upon arrival in Raetia, Byleth had gone straight to work, and made sure she was alright, before doing anything personal.
"Let's just say for the sake of the argument, I did take the day off," he began drawing her out of the haze of her thoughts and musings. "I take it you'd be trailing me every step of the way?"
The knight giggled. "Like a shadow."
"Even if I decide to do something like say…take a dip in one of the lakes around town? Perhaps go for a swim?" He pressed keeping his eyes focused straight ahead. His neutral face belayed the near childish glee he felt as Catherine's cheeks turned bright pink. There was no need to turn around as he knew for a fact that his little "suggestion" had hit home. Already he could hear the first babbles of the usually well-put together knight.
It was times like this Catherine loved and hated. She loved it because, well, she'd taken quite an attraction to Byleth's physical appearance, not to mention these little jabs showed that he wasn't nearly as emotionless as others claimed he was. On the other hand…he was perhaps a bit too good at reading her, getting her all riled up. It also made her fear that someone, he'd caught wind of all her little spying. Stalking. Snickered a more nefarious voice in the back of her mind, it only made her blush deepen. "I-I-I mean y-y-you can d-d-d-do whatever you want! I-I'll just be standing guard! O-Over you!" By the goddess, she wanted to jump back into bed!
With him, right? Or maybe drag him back into bed, take your place above him and finally-
The female knight felt like another presence had taken up residence in her head, and it was giving voice to some of the long-held urges and desires she'd struggled to keep locked up and contained. Even after Byleth had proposed to her and she'd accepted. They weren't officially married yet, hell, no fewer than ten people knew they were engaged!
So lost in her thoughts she failed to notice that Byleth ahd spun her around so they were now eye-to-eye. For a second at least. Upon realizing the position they were in, Catherine quickly turned her head to the side, a flaming blush coloring her cheeks. "Catherine," Came the Ashen Demon's voice, as soft and soothing as the morning breezes sweeping across the land. "If I did choose to go for a swim in the lake…would you join me?" He repeated.
Would I join you? Don't you mean would I finally get the chance to jump that handsome body that you've been hiding from the rest of the world?! Roared a smitten voice she tried and failed to quell. It grew louder feeling his hand, his ungloved and ever so soft hand sliding up her cheek. Normally, this was the part where she either batted the hand away, broke the wrist, and then maybe threw the poor bastard out the window and listened to him scream in agony as he hit the ground. What happened instead was Catherine felt her legs all but begin to liquify. The fact that this sort of thing was happening to her only made the entire moment feel more surreal.
While she contemplated exactly what was happening to her, Byleth was quietly taking in her expression. He knew that Catherine wasn't nearly as much of a hardass as many liked to believe, well, at least not when Rhea wasn't mentioned. And him too, he was a recent addition to the few things that did press her buttons. Granted, those buttons didn't always result in anger, as he was seeing now. A woman approaching her forties, yet he'd easily brought her down to the level of a flustered school girl. Byleth liked to think it was a nice way to start off the day, and perhaps a good omen. He began to pull his hand away, only to get quite a surprise when hers clapped over his hand.
Oh, and his lips were occupied by hers.
Though he was caught off-guard by the kiss, Byleth quickly melted into it. He tasted hunger in his fiancé's lips. That wasn't at all surprising as he often found between the two of them…she was often the most wanting in physical affection. Particularly affection that involved the lips. As her right hand lightly squeezed his, her other arm looped around his waist. Gradually, she began to move them back towards the bed, away from the open window. The sounds of their muffled moans were lost to the morning wind. A slight pop could be heard when they separated for air; seconds later and Byleth felt his knees hit the edge of the bed. He went down, his knightly lover taking the opportunity to steal another kiss from him. Taking advantage of their new positions, she bore down on him, aggressively seizing his mouth and tongue. Byleth offered little in the way of resistance as a part of him enjoyed the dominant side of his blonde love.
Granted, it did stir something inside of him, something strange and new.
It arguably was that strange sensation that caused him to roll the two of them over when the chance presented itself. Catherine was caught off guard, but mesmerized as evident by the starstruck look in her blue eyes as she stared up at him. Byleth himself felt like he was in a trace as he stared down at his lady love. He could practically see the air entering and exiting her lungs; gradually, her legs rose and wrapped around his waist, practically locking him in place. Any moment he figured her arms would do the same to his neck. His fingers dug into the sheets as he leaned down, not a fiery kiss but a tender embrace. Catherine was fine with it, in spite of her mannerisms, she did find soft and tender appealing. Doubly so when it was given by a man whom she trusted with all of her heart and soul.
The concept of time seemingly disappeared in a sensual abyss in which the two sword-users were lost in. They wanted to remain there forever, even through the short gasps for breath they took in-between the kissing. Throughout that entire time, their positions never changed, he on top and her on the bottom. Secretly, they relished in how things were, intimately grinding their bodies together.
Until one pulled back.
For just a minute…I thought I heard her voice. Thought the former academy instructor, his face as crimson as a ripe cherry. Catherine was no better. If he had really heard Sothis' voice, he knew it was a near scathing demand for him to untangle himself from his lover and get to work. He came to Raetia for a certain purpose, one that called for him to be clear-minded and at his best. "W-We should…start getting ready for the day. I-In fact I should probably be on my way to oversee the construction…and to help out in it."
Catherine blinked, reason finally returning to her, and allowing her to fully grasp the stat they were in. "R-R-Right, y-yeah. A-A-And I'll be p-p-protecting you-I mean helping out. I-I mean, oh, you get the point! Lots of hammers and nails and all that, the last thing we need is one of them finding you!" He moved away, allowing her to rise. Quickly, Catherine turned away, partially so she can catch her breath and partially because looking at him would serve to further arouse her.
Even as she got dressed for the day, the thought lingered inside of her. It was biting at her like a starving dog. Indeed, she was starving, Catherine knew she was craving the sensual love that Byleth was all too willing to offer…and she was perfectly willing to recuperate.
Not here. She told herself daring to steal a glance at him. Maybe once we get back to the Monastery and we have some alone time then I can…we can…
The world had indeed changed. What seemed out of reach now suddenly seemed possible, no matter how absurd. Catherine believed that was a reason to be grateful, to hold one's head up high and smile. When she and Byleth opened the door to greet the world, that's exactly what she, what they did.
She remembered when Byleth had first explained the concept of what a hospital was to her. Actually, it had been a collection of knights, but Catherine specifically remembered how…impassioned he was when he spoke of it, a medical center, a clinic really, but far larger. Sure, there were healers and physicians, but many of them owned their own private practice and that was that. A hospital was different, it was open to the public and according to him, it was required by law that they treat all patients who came through their doors. Even more, it was separate from the Church, something that admittedly made her raise an eyebrow. In Fódlan, such institutions were few and far between with the few typically lying on the outskirts.
It took her some time, but Catherine understood why-helping people didn't involve faith or religion, it was merely something that you did because it was the right thing to do as a human being. Such a deep and compassionate sentiment from a man with a reputation for being what amounted to as a cold-blooded killer. That was one of her first clues as to who Byleth Eisner really was.
He was a warrior…but he could also be a healer, a builder.
After hearing his idea, Ferdinand had immediately taken to the concept and greenlighted it, as did Dimitri. The two young nobles had half-hearted squabbled over which nation should get the honor of hosting Fódlan's first official hospital. Byleth and Dimitri had practically double-teamed Ferdinand and gotten him to agree to letting it be Adrestia. While everyone acknowledged it was an act of goodwill, it was also a play at good public relations.
The Empire was not in the best of moods, which was quite funny as of the continent's three nations, it was the least decimated. The territories of the Kingdom and Alliance were still hard at work in rebuilding, some minor and a few major establishments being given up on as the damage done to them was too severe; not to mention some simply wanted to get away from the memories associated with them. Catherine didn't blame those people as she knew all too well about running from one's past.
Her fiancé on the other hand, wasn't running. He was facing it in a way that she couldn't help but find admirable.
Raetia, birthplace of the Blade Breaker, the strongest knight in all of Fódlan, and it was being turned into a place of medical learning and revelation. The irony was lost on very few, especially Catherine who was there when Byleth presented his personally-drawn up plans for a hospital. Lady Rhea had helped him, in fact, as he revealed to her, quite a few of his ideas he'd ran past her in order to get her input. Catherine was quite pleased by it.
She was also unexpectedly pleased to find herself working alongside her secret lover and countless others. Sleeves rolled up, hammer and nail in one hand or a measuring stick in the other. At the moment, Thunder Catherine was no knight, she was merely a worker, just like the half-dozen other who tooled about beside her. Most of them were her age and quite a few younger, teenagers and even pre-teens. She liked to think some of them had likely been pressed into working by their parents or guardians. It certainly beat laying about in their homes doing goddess knew what.
It was a beautiful day, a fair wind blowing thus allowing everyone to work in relative bless. But even then, Catherine remained watchful and alert.
Everyone who passed by Byleth, she watched like a hawk, silently discerning rather or not they carried ill intent towards her lover. The only person she'd ever watched so intensely had been Lady Rhea, and even then, Catherine couldn't quite bite down a strange twisting in her stomach when she saw some of the women interacting with him.
Some of them trying to flirt with him.
CRACK!
"U-U-Um, Ms. Catherine?"
"Huh?" It was a well-known fact that she was a physically strong woman, as in strong enough to potentially knock out a bear if she wanted to. Of course, beams of wood stood no chance against her strength. "O-Oh, sorry about that! Give me a second, I'll fix it!" Taking a step to the side, she looked at the wooden beam that she'd been about to carry over when she saw Byleth getting his face cleaned by some talkative brunette from nowhere. Byleth was smiling, even if only it was to be polite. Catherine wasn't quite sure she liked it coupled with the constant giggling her ears picked up.
Placing her hand over the crack, she quieted her mind and focused her magical energy, formulas and equations running through her hand. There was a slight glow from a magic sigil followed by a short burst of light. Pulling her hands back, she saw that the crack had been repaired and the wooden support beam as good as new.
The old her never would have dreamed of being able to do such a thing, hell, the old her wouldn't have broken the wooden beam in the first place.
So far, one of the pre-set three floors had been completed. By week's end they should be finished working on the second, maybe even a day or two before that. It was quite surprising as construction had begun almost a month ago, yet so much had been accomplished in that time. The rapid pace could likely be attributed to the willingness of the populace to work with the Church of Seiros; such a trait made them an outlier in the currently former land of Adrestia. And a target.
Given that Byleth himself was helping out and practically everyone knew he would be the next Archbishop, security had been one luxury the knights did not skip on. Around the city's four "guard towers" sat a garrison of knights, her closest friend amongst the one stationed to the south. The term "occupying army" was quite common, albeit there were some who were surprisingly receptive and even welcoming to the knights. After all, while a majority of Adrestians were still in the grip of shock, a slow growing minority had no wish to plunge the country into further conflict, especially since far from being oppressive, the Kingdom and Church were doing what they could to ease tensions and aid the less fortunate.
It was something that hadn't been seen in years, decades, arguably even a century.
Taking a step back, Catherine couldn't help but marvel at the almost half-finished wooden structure that would serve as a medical center for the entire town, and perhaps even the region. Raetia was still standing, but during the war a good portion of it had still been hit hard by fighting, namely when the United Kingdom-Church-Alliance army came marching through, or rather passed through. Luckily, the well-populated city hadn't directly been in the line of fire…but it had been the place of urban skirmishes that Byleth himself had led. She'd absent-minded followed after him, not realizing that his reasons were more personal than tactical.
He wanted to save his father's hometown while there was still something left of it.
"Catherine?"
Again, he drew her out of her tempest of thoughts and contemplation. He looked…good, great really, brow covered in sweat which also stained his undershirt and a rag tossed over his neck. "Getting into the work ethic?" Lightly joked the younger man holding out a drinking flask towards her.
"While I like fighting, I think I can do with work like this." She laughed taking hold of the flask then having herself a hearty drink. "So I guess you're on break?"
The fact that she asked that and failed to take in how all the other workers had begun to quietly patter off showed how deeply she'd gotten into the building. Byleth was somewhat happy for that, happy and relieved. He was even more relieved when she agreed to sit down and eat lunch with him. It wasn't like there was any difference from when they'd eaten together before.
Except they were surrounded by dozens of workers while secretly seeing one another. And one of them had a target the size of a mountain on their heads, oh, and the memory of the morning's little…event, was still fresh in both their minds.
"Thank you."
"Hm?"
He'd grown so much more expressive over the years. As Catherine had learned, it was a result of him interacting with people on more than just a battlefield, like what they were doing now for example. "I said, thank you…for…you know, this sort of thing isn't really my thing." She declared motioning to the half-finished hospital that lay over the hill top they'd crossed for a little bit of privacy. "Back at the Monastery, Lady's Rhea's recovering, and normally I'd be standing guard over here. Instead, I'm here, helping build a hospital and even lending an occasional healing hand even though I'm not too good at it."
"I wouldn't say that, you helped keep the rest of us alive when we were broken down and bleeding like stuck pigs." Responded the former wanderer with a light smile.
"Only because of you." Catherine laughed back. "Seriously, look at me, if you'd told me I'd be out here, what, maybe six years ago, I'd likely have called your bluff and laughed in your face. Granted," Catherine added with an air of disappointment. "I seriously never thought that a continent-wide war would bring out. If one did…well, a part of me always thought that I'd die fighting in it. Heh, there were times I did think I was going to die."
Byleth's face fell, a dark shadow passing over it hearing her words. "I'm…Catherine, I'm sorry. I-"
Though romance wasn't exactly her strong suit, when it came to physical affection, the knight tended to act naturally. She reached out and caressed his cheek, just as he liked to do to her. It caught him off-guard; she relished in the moment of surprise. "Stop that. If anything…I've always wanted to say this to you…I'm sorry. I'm sure you remember, just before the Imperial Army came crashing into the Monastery, I said I'd watch your back but I…I was far away, away from you when you needed someone beside you. You and Lady Rhea." Finished the blonde with a frown of her own darkening her face. That awful day was one she didn't like to look back on, but Catherine knew it would at times implant itself in her thoughts. It most certainly would as the Millennium Festival drew closer and everyone was reminded of the day of when Edelgard marched her army on Garreg Mach plunging the continent into war. An often-talked about subject of the time was where one was, what were they doing, when a new chapter of history began. "I thought about all the things you taught me, or tried to teach me." At times, she hadn't exactly been a receptive student when she joined in on some of his lessons.
"It's not like you were my worst student, that title goes to one, or maybe even six other people." Chirped back the minty-haired swordsman. "I'm just happy that what I taught was able to keep you alive."
"Not just me, but those under me and around me as well." Affirmed the blonde with a light smile. In spite of the dark emptiness that came with those times, there were also rays of light as well. The Knights of Seiros hadn't exactly had the best time during the five years Byleth was missing, Catherine certainly hadn't, but they'd made do. They'd been forced to if they expected to survive, rescue the Archbishop, and take back the land from the Empire's grip. "Those healing arts and procedures you taught me, I tried them out, sometimes not getting it quite right…but it helped me keep everyone alive. Heh, to be frank, that subtle priding you gave me about operating by myself may have helped."
"…And you're admitting that to my face?"
Grinning, she turned her soft caressing into a cheek pull. Byleth barely responded to it, at first. "Considering you're my future husband, I'm willing to let you get a few wins in."
Both wished the moment could have lasted longer, but the world moved on, even while they took the time to enjoy each other's company. His ears twitched as he looked up, spotting the familiar messenger bird coming his and Catherine's way. Holding his arm out, he allowed the brown-feathered creature to roost on his arm.
"Friend of yours?" Inquired the blonde knight noticing the small affection that grew on her future husband's face as he nuzzled the lightly-colored dove.
"More like the friend of a sort friend. Notice anything…peculiar about her?" Lightly jested the young adult warrior.
Catherine peered closely at the bird, recognizing it to be a collared dove, a rather common bird in in Empire territory. It turned to her and cocked its head, as if it too were examining her. To Catherine, a shimmering blue aura rose up, encircling the bird like some sort of ethereal coat.
Pulling back, she looked to her fiancé. "A familiar, can't say I'm surprised. I take it she belongs to the mayor? That's who's calling you?"
He nodded as he unfurled the message attached to the bird's neck. Catherine had gotten quite good at learning how to read the Ashen Demon's expressions, as brief or subtle as they were. First, there was hesitation, unease really. Then, it faded being replaced by a quiet acceptance that cemented Catherine's next decision.
Late Afternoon…
If there was any place that had without a doubt been rebuilt and even fortified, it was the residence of the mayor of Raetia. Such a thing was to be expected though as Reinhold Von Kerner had given the knights, more over the Church, permission to set up shop in his town. Not to mention he was on somewhat friendlier terms with Byleth, whose reputation had spread quite far.
Personally, Catherine didn't see much that set him apart from others. He was a man of average height, perhaps an inch or two shorter than Byleth who'd had a growth spurt propelling him to five-eleven. In contrast, Mayor Kerner stood closer to five-ten, perhaps just below it. Dressed in nicely pressed suit and tight and slacks, he looked every part the politician one would have expected him to. His well-clipped rust-colored hair and sharp moss green eyes only added to the look, they were the sort that told anyone who dared to gaze into them that he wasn't a man to be trifled with easily. Those eyes flickered to Catherine as she and Byleth entered his office.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd almost say you have the infamous Thunder Catherine as a bodyguard." There was an air of humor in his voice which wasn't missed by either of the sword- masters.
Byleth gave a rare chuckle while Catherine playfully crossed her arms. "Well, you're not too far off. Someone has to look after him."
"Being the son of the Blade Breaker and blessed by the goddess, you'd think he'd be the one doing the bodyguarding." Remarked the mayor.
The holder of both those titles continued to chuckle as the knight beside him rolled her eyes. That was another thing that differentiated him from his father, Byleth seemed to occasionally enjoy the praise and attention his reputation brought him. Or at least he did now that he'd learned how to emote. It made for quite an amusing thing to watch, that and seeing the reaction of his "bodyguard".
"Even with all of that, he still needs someone watching his back." Catherine defiantly stated.
Reinhold's grin grew. "And that someone is arguably the strongest warrior of the Knights of Seiros?"
"Is there a reason for you to call him here?" A knot was beginning to form on the blonde's forehead. Rather than fear, the two men felt amusement in seeing the building frustration on the tan-skinned woman's face. Catherine wished she could do something to change that, but try as she might she couldn't work anything up.
Gradually, Reinhold's face fell. With it came the dropping of an invisible blanket of drama and tension felt by the two Garreg Mach inhabitants. It seemed to weight more heavily on Byleth as he looked on with sorrowful eyes as Reinhold rummaged through his desk. When he came back up, there was a rolled-up set of documents that were quietly handed over to Byleth. Quietly, Catherine observed the way he looked at the documents after unsealing them. Something told Catherine that Mayor Kerner had been holding onto them for a while.
"Thank you for…thank you, sir." Byleth's voice was predictably quiet, practically sullen.
"It's the least I can do, especially since you went out of your way to ensure our fair town avoided the worst of the war. Not to mention you're now here helping out where you can. That said…I…well, there is something of a favor that I must ask." Requested the male brunette. He was measuring his words carefully, knowing that this was an emotional time. Catherine's eyes hardened, telling Reinhold to make his request quick least he find himself in hot water. "Little over two months ago, my oldest son just turned ten years old…I would like to know one day if he'd be able to enroll at the Officer's Academy, perhaps under your tutelage provided you still choose to teach."
The words seemed to jive Byleth awake from whatever personal bubble he'd fallen into. It also caught Catherine by surprise as well as the question was the last one she'd been expecting.
"I…" Began the male swordsman rapidly trying to think of a response. "Mayor Kerner-"
"You need not answer me now for I know you have a great many things to think about now." Softly cut off the green-eyed mayor while holding up his hand. "Besides, as I said, my son just turned ten, it'll be another five years at least before he is eligible to enroll at the Academy. By the time he comes of age I'm hoping the Monastery will be back to its former glory and the Officers Academy back up and running, or at least partially on the way there. Its original purpose was to foster goodwill amongst the three nations of Fódlan." A heavy-hearted sigh slipped from the politician's face. "I believe it's safe to say that goal failed by a large margin."
"I wouldn't say so." Catherine automatically shot off.
"Neither would I." Added the Enlightened One giving Reinhold a surprisingly upbeat smile. "After all, over a quarter of the Black Eagles House chose to stand with the rest of us at the Monastery rather than follow Edelgard when she declared war on the Church and Kingdom and Alliance. I believe there's something to be said, especially since some outright told me they couldn't bring themselves to turn their blades on their classmates and friends. In that way, I wouldn't say the Academy failed at fostering bonds between the three nations."
A moment of silence passed as the aged mayor looked between the two sword-users, both smiling. The female knight was practically beaming at the minty-haired divine warrior; there was no mistaking the affection and admiration that winkled in her eyes. Seeing such warmth from the famed Thunder Catherine was quite telling as far as Reinhold was concerned.
It solidified his believe that throwing his support behind this seemingly stoic young man was indeed the right decision. And that Fódlan's future may looking a bit brighter than he'd originally hoped.
Upon arriving at their destination, both Byleth and Catherine immediately wondered if Mayor Kerner had given some sort of decree regarding the library. It was quite big, occupying what amounted to two and a half city blocks with a stunning glass dome that reflected the evening sunlight perfectly. The building as well as those around it were cast in a flame-colored glow. Byleth found it strangely appropriate.
"How do you think he'd feel about his old home being refitted into a library? I mean, I didn't know your father all that well so…" Catherine was a blunt woman by nature, but she knew when and where to parse her words, especially when it came to people she cared about.
At first, the Ashen Demon was quiet, somewhat disturbingly so before finally speaking. "…I don't think he would have minded. I mean…he didn't let a lot of people know it, but he liked books and writing. In fact, he had the best hand writing you'd ever seen." Deep sorrow laced his voice causing Catherine to lace their hands together. That gave him the strength to keep on going. "He told me not to let it bother me too much, that I should focus on the present instead of the past. Heh…looking back, I'm pretty sure he was talking about himself just as much as me. I didn't have much of a past to struggle with, but…my father…"
"Byleth…"
Sucking in a quick breath, he lightly squeezed her hand. "Hold on tight…and…try not to get too mesmerized by what you see. Or…"
"Hey," She coolly interrupted. "I'm always at your side, come what may no matter how horrific or weird it is." In truth, she had little to no idea what her fiancé had planned, but she trusted him none the less. He came down to this portion of the city for answers, and Catherine knew he'd get them one way or another. A part of her was curious as to how that would be as he wasn't seeking any sort of legal or housing records, or that's not what it looked like. All Byleth had asked for was to know where the home of Jeralt Eisner once stood. They'd gotten that information.
And moments later, Catherine understood why her lover needed it.
Her eyes sensed the flare-up of magical energy before her eyes spotted the emerald-colored pulse radiate from the Ashen Demon. Immediately, she noticed something amiss as the energy felt…clearer, more pure. If she had to place a finger on it, it reminded her of Faith-based magic, except the feeling was much stronger.
It was only a prelude as what came next completely took her breath away, nearly literally.
The world around her became discolored, even the sunset falling behind the buildings lost its flaming gleam. Color returned to the world, blazing itself into a single shape behind the Ashen Demon. Blue eyes widened in realizing what shape it was-The Crest of Flames, the Crest of the Goddess, the Crest carried by her fiancé and no one else.
As she turned to question him, she stopped dead in her tracks. Mystical light blazed from the Ashen Demon's eyes as he held out his left hand. Before the two of them, the image of the library cracked like glass, then it shattered; were it not for his grip on her, Catherine felt like she would have plummeted into a pitch-black abyss. As she whipped her head from side to side, she saw new shapes form, gray and black-colored. They were buildings, shops, street corners.
Then they began to deconstruct themselves. Four-story structures were stripped down, man-made cranes and tarps to protect the building site from the rain. Her mind racing, Catherine looked back to the library, it too was being "deconstructed".
No, with a gasp, she realized what was happening was she was seeing the library and the surrounding area being built. Time was rolling backwards.
And her lover was the cause of it.
T-T-This is the power of his Crest, t-t-the Crest of Flames! Stammered the knight as the sizable library vanished from her eyes. They were now at a time before it was built and something else stood in its place.
Or something did, fire was eating away at the former structure and the rest of the block. Pale-colored flames swept around the two of them. At first, Catherine felt an instinctive urge to use magic to protect them, but then she stopped as she took in the monochrome color of the flames.
The flames died eventually died down giving a clearer look at what had stood before.
Having lived a warrior's life as well as been around, Catherine was able to recognize a blacksmith shop when she saw one. It stood somewhat apart from the other buildings in the area, a good amount of space allotted to the forgery, and perhaps a precaution in case a fire broke out, which evidently would in the future.
But what caught Catherine's attention was the logo carved into the wooden sign that stood above the door. She would have recognized it anywhere.
"Hey! Old man, I'm back from another delivery! And I got the payment!"
The voice made them snap their heads in one direction, and their eyes widened.
His dirty blonde hair a shade lighter than Byleth remembered, devoid of any gray streaks as their had been when the two sword fighters last saw him. His face was lacking in wrinkles as well, which was to be expected given instead of the gruff fifty-something that they'd known him to be, or thought they knew him to be, he was a teenager.
Jeralt Eisner, age fifteen or so.
A cocky grin stretched across his face as he held up a leather bag no doubt filled with coins. Smirking, he twirled about in a way that Byleth recognized as a tall and lank figure came rushing in behind him, blue eyes set on grabbing at the bag. The future Blade Breaker snickered as he moved aside and watched his friend stumble over his feet, eventually crashing onto his face while he laughed in triumph.
"You know, one day I'm going to get the drop on you." Grumbled the redheaded teen wiping the dirt off his face.
"Maybe one day when I'm old and wrinkled, until then, Gavin." Chuckled the dirt blond while offering the redhead a helping hand. Smiling, he took it as he rose up. Jeralt's attention fell on the double-doors, which swung open allowing the supposed owner of the establishment to step out into the mid-day light.
"Hopin' you didn't make a mess of things, did ya', Jeralt?" Grunted the approaching figure. The teenager merely chuckled as he tossed the money-filled bag to the out-stretched hand. In one look, it was readily obvious what the relationship was between the two was. Skin marred by forge fires sharply contrasted to the light complexion held by the future knight, as did his dirty blond hair to his father's deep black strands, most of which lay in a curled-up bundle behind his head. As opposed to the mischief-lined brown of the youngster, the blacksmith's teal-colored eyes shined with a type of seasoned wisdom that Byleth had seen twinkle in his father's eyes, his aged father's eyes.
A chuckle of amusement, that's what was heard before the image shattered like glass. Bright and brimming color returned to the world, as did the features of the present day. It caught Catherine off-guard, but not as much as the sudden absence of the hand that had held her through the surreal experience.
"B-Byleth?! By…" Her heart stopped as she watched the master swordsman and archer and brawler collapse onto his knees. "Oh, Byleth," Whispered the Knight of Seiros throwing her arms around him not a heartbeat later. As tenderly as she could manage, she rubbed the back of his head with her thumb, a soothing mechanism her own mother had used on her and her siblings. That memory caused her heart to throb in sadness, but it was minuscule compared to what her beloved was experiencing. "Just let it out, just let it all out." She softly encouraged as she felt the normally composed man shake and quiver in her arms.
He tried to apologize to her, she told him that he had no reason. She told him that he should never feel ashamed or apologized for crying in front of her.
When he returned to them, he'd become her pillar of strength, not that she ever said as much. There was never a need to as they spoke to one another through their actions. That's how Catherine spoke to Byleth this time around.
She didn't question him on what he'd just done, on exactly what sort of power his Crest contained, none of that mattered to her. All that did matter was being an anchor of stability for the man she loved.
None were around to witness the tear-stricken proof that the Ashen Demon had feelings. That in spite of the divine power coursing through him and hundreds dead by his blade, he was still very much a mortal man capable of feelings, capable of being overwhelmed by those feelings. There was no shame in that, and anyone who thought otherwise could answer to the blonde knight and her thunder-infused sword. On the subject of said knight, what was unfolding was a rear insight int the softer side of the knight, the person that she believed she could never be.
Thanks to the man in her arms, she could at least work at that, something more than a warrior, a sword to be swung at enemies. In turn, she vowed she'd remain at Byleth's side to further prove that he could be more than a sword as well.
They could be people, people who supported one another, at their highest and their lowest points.
It wasn't entirely my intention to start this chapter off on a bright note then end on some emotional consoling, but things turned out quite different once I started writing. One of the center points of this story is exploring Byleth and Catherine's pasts, that includes their families and I'm starting with Byleth's.
Over the course of the game, namely Part I, Byleth makes some odd and even reckless decisions that Sothis chastises him for. As I've seen some suggestion, the reason for that is because he's acting on his emotions for the first time in his life. The desire to protect, the desire to avenge, and the ability to feel regret and sadness all hit him with a little more force leading to some interesting reactions. In the case of his biological family, well, it's regret in never really giving them much thought, or as will be revealed latter on, appreciating his father's presence. Being able to turn back time but only view it kind of drives the wedge deeper in my opinion thus leading to his breakdown.
On the subject of time, given Sothis statement about "both sides of time", I took some liberties in giving Byleth some more time-based abilities. One of them is being able to view the past of people or areas such as what he did with the library, which is where his father and grandfather once lived. As I discovered, the surname Eisner, is Germanic in origin, and usually refers to one whose job is blacksmithing or ironworking. Jeralt's name is also likely derived from Gerald, a German name meaning "rule of the spear"; take it all together and I theorize that Jeralt might have originally been from Adrestia, which seems to be Three Houses' equivalent of Germany, more or less.
Next chapter will see Byleth and Catherine returning to the Monastery, and one person in particular who knows she and the former have a long overdue talk ahead of them. Until then!
