The Lady and the Thief
by Cyberchao X
Chapter 4: The Eagle and the Lion
After the Blue Lions' overwhelming victory in the Battle of the Eagle and Lion, Dimitri expressed his desire for the name of the mock battle to be changed one day, to try to leave the historical Battle in the past. Back at the monastery, the students agreed that they couldn't have done it without Byleth's leadership, calling him indispensable. Byleth couldn't help but blush at the praise.
'Without you, we wouldn't be the Blue Lions at all! Well, except for the blue part. Because we'd be sad.' Annette couldn't believe she'd said that. So embarrassing! Almost as bad as when Felix caught her singing in the greenhouse. Mercie hadn't let the comment slide, either; she'd made sure to tease the younger girl about having a crush on the professor. Which totally wasn't the case! Sure, she admired him. Who wouldn't? He was good at just about everything. Though, maybe he'd spread himself too thin; aside from perhaps his leadership skills, there was nothing that he excelled at above all of the students. But still, there was so much that he could teach her! That was what thrilled her about being around the professor. It was just her natural love of learning, nothing more.
…Yeah, just keep telling yourself that, Annette.
It was near the beginning of the following month that Lord Arundel visited the monastery, and Byleth learned that Dimitri and Edelgard were stepsiblings. Sothis suggested that it had seemed as though he'd died, based on the records of his charity, yet this wasn't the case.
This took on a chilling new meaning at month's end. Sothis's suspicions of Tomas proved to be founded; he revealed himself to be Solon, the architect of the Remire Village calamity. Byleth remembered that Tomas had left the monastery, ostensibly to retire, and only returned a year before Byleth's arrival. If he was in fact Solon, that might mean that the real Tomas was dead all along. And if that was the case…Arundel might be one of Solon's allies. And worse still, so could Monica. She'd disappeared a year before and had been returned to them in the vault behind Jeritza's room. Or was that the Death Knight's? It seemed likely that the two were one and the same. And Byleth could tell he wasn't alone in his distrust for Monica; Hubert, Edelgard's closest retainer, seemed to be trying to keep Monica away from his liege. Though if her own uncle was also an impostor, she had bigger problems to deal with than Monica.
At the end of the battle, the Flame Emperor revealed himself. He claimed that had he known what Solon was planning, he'd have stopped it. Apparently theirs was an alliance of convenience, nothing more. Their goals were not the same, but they had a common…enemy. The Church of Seiros. But it almost sounded as though the Flame Emperor considered Solon's group an enemy as well, based on what he'd said when offering Byleth an alliance. Byleth declined of course, but nevertheless, it was quite mysterious. The Flame Emperor was no doubt planning to first bring down the church with the help of Solon and his cronies, then turn on them. Smart strategy, really; the Church was no doubt the stronger opponent. But while Rhea seemed a bit of a zealot, the Church was still most likely the least of three evils. Rhea was at least surrounded by more moderate voices. Seteth, of course; as distrustful as the man had been of Byleth at first, it was clear that he was a good person and that he'd merely acted out of concern. Catherine, too, and Cyril. So in spite of his misgivings about Rhea's leadership, Byleth would remain loyal to the church if it came to war. Besides, Dimitri was committed to stopping both Solon and the Flame Emperor. Byleth asked where his anger was coming from, and he said that what happened in Remire reminded him of the Tragedy of Duscur. And then he dropped a bombshell. The reason he came to the Officers' Academy…was for revenge.
Seteth confirmed many of Byleth's suspicions, and pointed out that Jeritza was recommended to the Monastery by Imperial nobility, while Tomas came from House Ordelia, in the Alliance. That was a disturbing trend, as it meant that their enemy had taken root in two territories. Furthermore, just as he was about to leave, Rhea said something interesting. "May the Goddess Sothis protect you." Sothis was the Goddess that the Church of Seiros followed? And Jeralt had just implied that Byleth had been born before he'd left the monastery. Was this why he distrusted Rhea? Had she somehow done something to Byleth as a baby? Well, he'd find out soon enough. Jeralt would be joining him on his mission again this month; guarding an unused chapel that seemed to have been broken into. A light mission, to be sure, as this was supposed to be a more relaxed month, with the grand ball coming up.
How old was he, anyway? Or Jeralt, for that matter? Alois had said that Jeralt was already a full-fledged knight some 30 years ago, and that he hadn't seemed to age a day since then. That probably meant that Byleth himself was in his twenties.
Ingrid knew that Mercedes meant well, but she had zero interest in prettying herself up for the sake of shallow men for this ball. She'd already had enough of men after the business with the ennobled merchant. And yet…it was just the monastery, right? There were plenty of people she already knew here. Old friends…and perhaps a few new ones. Like Ashe. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to humor Mercedes, after all.
There were more issues plaguing the land. Merchants along the route from Gloucester to Riegan were being attacked, and there were rumors that Count Gloucester himself was behind it, and the death of the previous Duke Riegan. The same incident where Raphael's parents died. Ignatz couldn't help but feel guilty about this, even though there was nothing that could have been done.
Byleth was growing ever more perturbed. After the White Heron Cup, he'd talked to Flayn, and she'd said something about feeling like they'd met long ago. Almost as if they were distant relatives. At first she'd dismissed her own notion, but then considered that with "all that Rhea has done, it is not entirely out of the realm of possibility." That was strange. And if it tied in with Sothis being the Goddess…then it was quite possible that Rhea, Seteth, and Flayn were what were referred to as the "children of the Goddess". Whatever that meant. Byleth wanted to investigate further, but their mission would soon be upon them. But before that, the ball. Dimitri proposed that the class all meet up again at the millennium festival, five years hence.
Byleth found it hard being the center of attention at the ball. Much to his surprise, he ran into Dimitri when he stepped away. He would've thought Dimitri would've been out on the floor all night. Dimitri related the story of Edelgard teaching him how to dance as a child. Apparently quite some time had passed between Dimitri gaining a stepmother and learning that he had a stepsister. Ah, she had been raised back in the Empire…when she had left, and wound up in the Kingdom, it was Arundel that had been caring for her. Dimitri and Edelgard had grown close. As a parting gift, he'd given her a dagger. A tradition in Faerghus, that blades are tools of destiny, used to cut a path to a better future. But he felt they'd grown too far apart to reconnect. Byleth headed towards the Goddess Tower. And yet again, he saw someone he didn't expect to have broken away from the festivities. Wasn't it just yesterday that Annette was excitedly planning to help Mercedes with getting Ingrid made up for the ball, and offering to teach Ashe how to dance? Byleth smiled, realizing that perhaps those two things were related. Mercedes seemed to have a sense of everyone else's needs, and Annette was her closest friend at the academy so if Mercedes was trying to play matchmaker, she'd be likely to be in on it. Those two clearly had feelings for each other, but they were both so awkward that they needed the help. Oh, Annette was specifically looking for him. To try to bring him back to the dance.
Byleth tried not to giggle at Annette spontaneously singing a song about food. She could be a bit awkward sometimes, too. She said it was about a yummy stew that one of the monks taught her how to make a while back, and offered to make it for him. And then she started blushing and asked if she should leave. There was a tradition that if people make a wish at the Goddess Tower, it'd come true, so it's a popular spot for couples to rendezvous. Yes, one of the students had mentioned that earlier in the month. Annette returned to the ball and asked Byleth to dance with her if he returned. He sighed. As a professor, it was probably inappropriate for him to get too close to any of his students. Even if he was…probably not too much older than them.
Sothis was being unusually chatty. She again chastised him for leaving the ball too quickly, then asked him to investigate where the Archbishop was headed. She was singing…and Sothis recognized the song. She thinks she wrote it? Well, that does seem to suggest a connection between Rhea and the Goddess that goes beyond merely being the Archbishop.
Demonic Beasts were seen at the chapel…and Jeralt thinks that they came from within. The students were being transformed… It didn't take long for his suspicions to be confirmed. These were students. It didn't take long to neutralize the threat…yes, that was the only way to describe it. They had become monsters. They needed to be stopped.
And then it happened. Monica was the one behind this, and for interfering…she killed Jeralt. Even with the Divine Pulse, Byleth couldn't stop her. An ally stepped in to stop him. Was it that important to them that Jeralt die? No, judging by what that strange man had said, it wasn't for the sake of making sure Jeralt died that he'd intervened. It was because "Monica" had not yet finished serving her purpose to them. Jeralt's diary stated that in Horsebow Moon, Year 1159…that's when his beloved had died. Rhea said she'd died in childbirth, and yet, the child doesn't make a sound. That was…him, right? But his birthday was clear on the other side of the year, wasn't it? Just before New Year's? Well, at any rate, he now knew his age. 21. Dimitri tried to comfort him…or was it to inspire him? Dimitri clearly had a lot of anger below the surface. But Sothis seemed to know why their fates have been intertwined. Rhea confirmed that Byleth's mother was a nun at the monastery, and started to say that she was Rhea's…something, but Alois interrupted.
A few days later, Dimitri witnessed Monica, the Flame Emperor, and the mage that had intervened to save Monica. Or rather, Kronya. The Flame Emperor seemed to be openly opposed to this new mage, Thales, and to Kronya, even though he was, in Thales's words, "their greatest creation". Dimitri rushed in, but the Flame Emperor parried his attack, and they left. Dimitri seemed perturbed by the dagger that the Flame Emperor used to block his attack. Wait, hadn't he just been talking about a dagger? But it couldn't be…no, it had to be a coincidence.
Seteth and Flayn set off early in the month to deal with a Western Church incursion on holy ground at Rhodos Coast. Byleth helped drive them off, and Seteth entrusted the relics enshrined there to him for safekeeping. And yet, something seemed strange. Seteth mentioned this coast having a certain sentimental significance to him and Flayn. The stone monument was not only commemorating Saint Cichol, but also the grave of his wife. His wife? And then Flayn started talking about her departed mother again, and Seteth revealed that he and Flayn are not brother and sister, but father and daughter. And that was interesting in its own right…because Saint Cichol, whose Crest Seteth bears, and Saint Cethleann, whose crest Flayn bears, were also father and daughter. And Saint Cichol's feast day, which had just passed, was Seteth's birthday…just as Flayn's had been on Saint Cethleann Day. And Flayn had implied that she was far older than she appeared. Could it be that they were, in fact, those saints? Back when Flayn's crest had been a topic of discussion, it had been mentioned that Cethleann allegedly had no children. And that would tie in with Sothis being the Goddess. But what did that make Rhea, and how had she seemingly been responsible for his connection to the Goddess?
After that, it was more bandit cleanup, this time in Fraldarius territory. It was rather unpleasant due to the animosity Felix had towards his father. On the subject of unpleasantries, Leonie seemed to still resent Byleth for not appearing to appreciate his father enough, or something. Then came Saint Seiros day…no. Of course. Saint Seiros…
Byleth was starting to get…annoyed, perhaps, at how much everyone seemed to be wishing him condolences. Touched, yes, but it was a bit ridiculous. Even Bernadetta had come out of her room to lay flowers on his grave. Impressive, to be sure. All Byleth really wanted was to train. Sadly, all of the knights were away on missions. Hanneman received a tip on the Death Knight's whereabouts, but it turned out to be bogus; just a group of bandits that called themselves the Death God Gang. After that, however, came a mission far more personal to the Blue Lions: executing the Bishop of the Western Church. Ashe immediately volunteered to join the mission, which Catherine objected to as this was an execution, not an investigation. Typical of Lady Rhea, Byleth thought. Her tendency to see executions as the answer to everything was going to get them in trouble someday. But while it was likely that Lonato, and perhaps the Western Church as a whole, had been used by the Church's real enemies, they were no less dangerous. The Knights of Seiros put down the rebellion, and Ashe received the answers he was looking for. Though this was hardly the only thing that had Ashe in an optimistic mood. Upon receiving his Sniper certification, the professor had switched his weekly study regimen to lances and riding. Ashe was truly to become a knight!
However, at the end of the month, the enemy was found. Seteth suspected that they had shown themselves to lure Byleth out. But while Byleth agreed with this, he still felt obligated to go. Dimitri agreed, saying that those who wielded Relics were best suited to the job. Many of the students were hesitant to fight an enemy that they knew personally, but Felix, in his typical cold fashion, said that if that's the case, then just kill the enemy from behind.
Kronya quickly made it easier on them by ditching Monica's appearance, including the fake voice she'd put on. She wasn't very good in a fair fight, though; Byleth had had no trouble dispatching her. But before he could capture her for interrogation, Solon showed up and used her as a sacrifice for something called the forbidden spell of Zahras. Dimitri, naturally, wished for Solon to die a slow and painful death. But first, there was the matter of overcoming Zahras. Something that only a goddess would be able to do…
And so it was that Sothis and Byleth became one and the same. Byleth couldn't say he'd miss her nagging, but it was useful to have a second viewpoint. Solon wasn't much of a challenge for Byleth, either, but he swore that his defeat would not be the end, as Thales would carry out their mission. Dimitri revealed that what Byleth had undergone was alleged to have happened to Saint Seiros as well.
Rhea seemed stranger than ever now that Byleth had merged with Sothis. It was honestly a bit creepy. So this was what Jeralt had feared…that Rhea had some grand scheme involving Byleth. A scheme to bring back Sothis? Even Seteth was worried that Rhea had done something questionable, and Flayn was concerned that they were growing apart. Rhea told Byleth that he must go to the Holy Tomb to receive a revelation from the goddess, just as Saint Seiros did. As Rhea did. They really were the same person, weren't they? Ha… Byleth was already starting to miss Sothis.
Dimitri seemed out of it all month. Perhaps still bothered by that dagger? He, too, seemed to believe that Rhea was not as she appeared. He believed her when she said she could protect herself; that she had a capable military background.
Rhea stated that the Holy Tomb was where the Goddess and her children were laid to rest. And there within sat the very throne that Byleth had seen Sothis perched atop. Byleth sat atop the throne…but he heard nothing. Rhea seemed concerned, feeling it should've been but a step away. Foolish woman. He'd been hearing her just fine before his transformation, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to hear Sothis anymore. And then, in came the Flame Emperor, along with the Imperial Army. The former ordered the latter to take all the Crest Stones within the Holy Tomb. Dimitri accused the Flame Emperor of being responsible for the Tragedy of Duscur, which…they denied. Yes, that was the right word to use. Byleth didn't believe it, and that latest accusation suggested that Dimitri didn't either, but the presence of the Imperial Army and Dimitri's reaction to the dagger the Flame Emperor had wielded were evidence to suggest that it could be Edelgard inside that armor, so it was best to avoid assigning a gender to the unknown foe.
The Blue Lions had no trouble defending the Crest Stones, and Byleth discovered that he had correctly read Dimitri's reaction to the dagger…but misread Dimitri's intent before the battle. Either that, or he'd already decided that the Flame Emperor was responsible no matter what their real identity turned out to be. Byleth believed Edelgard when she claimed to have no role in the Tragedy of Duscur, but Dimitri was too far consumed by rage to see things logically. Also, perhaps, he hadn't seen what Byleth had, that they were not fighting a single enemy, but two enemies temporarily allied towards a common goal. It was probably the other enemy, the strange pale-skinned group of shapeshifters, that was behind Duscur. But that didn't change the fact that the Adrestian Empire had declared war on the Church of Seiros and its allies.
CCX: I'd actually felt like I'd reached the end of this chapter about one in-game chapter earlier, but then I remembered that the moment I'd decided on a title for this chapter (unlike the last chapter, which had nearly gone untitled until I was actually uploading it), I'd decided that it would run through the reveal of the Flame Emperor's true identity. And with it, I've just about reached the point where more originality will appear. In fact, I'm probably going to go right into writing Chapter 5 as soon as I post this, because there's no need to play further to start the writing.
Also…yeah, the "trying to give all romantic options an equal representation" bit didn't exactly go so well. Obviously the scene at the Goddess Tower automatically tips who the leading candidate was, but even my original writings have it kind of tipped towards that candidate. So far one person has responded to me mentioning that I was undecided, and both of the names they mentioned were on the list of possibilities and were probably my top 2 choices-though as you can see here, not in the order that they mentioned them.
Finally, it wasn't until I took a closer look at the text in order to write this that I realized how Jeralt's diary messes with the idea of Byleth as an Avatar. While it doesn't directly say how long since Byleth's birth the diary is being written, the cemetery does indeed put Byleth's mother's year of death as being 1159. Since she allegedly died in childbirth, and was already dead by the end of Horsebow Moon, it really ruins the suspension of disbelief if your Byleth's birthday is in, say, Ethereal or Guardian Moon. (Mine's close enough that it's still barely plausible; if you concede the possibility that "died in childbirth" doesn't necessarily mean "died during the birth", but instead could cover complications of the childbirth resulting in the child losing its mother at only a few days old, well, it'd really only have to be one day because being based off of my own birthday, my Byleth's birthday is the final day of Lone Moon, presumed in story to have been 1158.) So, until next time, this is Cyberchao X, signing off.