By foot, reaching the capital would take at least a week. We had to make do with camping in the forest and sharing bread, cheese, and dried meats. At night, we'd take turns standing guard. Usually, I'd curl up next to Rose and fall asleep. It'd been a while since I slept on the cold ground. Exhaustion knocked me out quickly and kept the nightmares away.

After three days, the first town we arrived at was in Charon territory. Catherine sent someone ahead to the Charon manor, and horses and carriages soon arrived for us. Ashe, Mercedes, and Annette were all discussing heading home for a bit before returning to Fhirdiad.

"A bed!" Annette said with a grin, when we were shown our rooms. Mercedes laughed. "I've never been this happy to see a bed before."

"And a bath," Ingrid said, yawning.

The next morning, Ashe took a horse and left for his home, with the promise of sending a letter to the capital within the month. The rest of us continued our journey to Fhirdiad. There weren't enough horses for all of us, so we took turns riding and walking. Most of the knights walked. I hadn't gotten a chance to look at Byleth's notebook or letter, and I didn't know what could be inside. From what he'd said, it sounded important and potentially dangerous, so I'd have to find some alone time to read everything.

We arrived at Fhirdiad within another day and a half. Ingrid, Sylvain, and Felix were also planning on heading home, after staying a night at the palace. As we were passing through the city to reach the palace, citizens swarmed the streets to see us.

"Lady Rhea!"

"Prince Dimitri!"

People were cheering and shouting. It was strange. I was walking beside the horse that Rose was riding. People were staring at us in glee, in admiration, wide-eyed and grinning. Rose looked at me and pursed her lips. She seemed uncomfortable with the attention too.

Well, it's not for me. It's for the Prince and the Church, I told myself. I kept my gaze forward. The palace gates opened for us, and the guards saluted Prince Dimitri. Over these past months, I'd started to forget just who Dimitri was. He was my classmate, but he was also the future leader of an entire kingdom.

At the palace, Dimitri dismounted, while a footman helped Lady Rhea and Flayn out of the carriage. I helped Rose dismount too. She groaned, placing a hand on her low back. "Oh, horseback riding is not for me," she said.

"Welcome, honored guests of Prince Dimitri," a butler said with a bow.

Annette was pleading Gilbert to go with her back home, but Gilbert was shaking his head and saying, "I must stay with His Highness."

Annette sighed. "Fine! I'm leaving then." She swung onto one of the nearby horses.

"Are you sure you shouldn't go with her?" Dimitri asked Gilbert, as Annette steered the horse back away from the palace. I joined my other classmates in waving goodbye at her. She smiled and waved back.

"Yes, my brother doesn't live too far from here," Gilbert said.

"I see." Dimitri nodded and turned to the several servants lined up before us. "Please, show them to their rooms. Let's rest up before dinner."

We split into two groups. Lady Rhea, Seteth, Flayn, Catherine, and the other church knights went with one group of servants, while the Blue Lions students, Rose, Jeralt, and I followed a second group of servants. Dimitri and Dedue left for their own rooms.

"It's been a while," Ingrid said, as we entered the palace. I couldn't help but gape at the high-domed ceiling, the great marble pillars, and the walls adorned with tapestries and paintings. So this was what a palace looked like.

"Yeah," Sylvain said.

The servants took us up red-carpeted stairs, turned right down a hallway, then stopped before another longer hallway with multiple doors. "Each person may select a room." One of the servants gestured at the doors.

"This brings back memories," Sylvain said and opened the third door down. "This one's mine! As usual."

Ingrid smiled and reached for the second door. "I'll see you all in an hour then." She disappeared inside. Felix sighed, shaking his head, and went to the first room.

Mercedes wandered down to the fourth door and opened it, peeking inside. Rose, Jeralt, and I followed her. I peered inside over Mercedes's shoulder. The room was huge, at least triple the size of the dorm rooms. There was a bathroom to the side, and a massive four poster bed in the center. There was a desk, a chair, and even a lounge area with two couches and a coffee table.

"Woah," I said. Rose gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.

Mercedes smiled at me. "I suppose I'll take this room then."

I looked at Rose. "Uh, you'll share a room with me, right?" I asked.

Rose patted my hand. "Of course, dear."

I wasn't used to this kind of grandeur. There was a fireplace and a bookshelf beside the couches. The couches looked soft, made of mahogany wood, with gold embroidery decorating the light green fabric.

Rose was looking at the painting of a flower field that hung on the wall behind the desk. "Wow," she said. "This is beautiful."

I looked at the books lining the bookshelf. There was a dictionary, several Fhaerghus history books, several religious texts, a few encyclopedias, and the rest looked like novels. If every guest room was like this - and there were clearly plenty of rooms, there were lots of books in the palace. I sat down on the bed, lying on my back and spreading my arms out. I felt like I was melting into the mattress, the blue, satin blankets pulling me in. I closed my eyes.

"Tired?" Rose said. The bed dipped as she sat down beside me.

"Yeah." I could feel the notebook tucked in my shirt digging into my ribcage. Maybe in the evening, when Rose was taking a bath, I could finally look at what was written inside.

"I can't believe I'm in the royal palace," Rose said. She laughed. "It reminds me of when I worked at a manor."

At a manor…? I opened my eyes and looked at Rose. She was gazing off into the distance. "When did that happen?"

"Did I never tell you?" She glanced at me. "It was before I, you know, worked a different job. I was a maid once." Oh… before Rose was forced into prostitution. She sighed and shook her head. "Well, there aren't many good memories from then either, so let's not talk about it."

I sat up. "Do you want to look around the palace?"

Rose smiled. "Can we do that?"

"Wouldn't hurt to ask." I stood up. When I opened the door, I found a maid standing outside.

She smiled at me. "Hello, how may I help you?"

"Can we get a tour?" I asked.

"Of course!" The maid bowed and then pointed down the hallway we'd came. "Right this way."

Rose and I followed the maid. She showed us the great ballroom and the throne room, where we saw the two golden thrones up close. There was another hallway full of portraits of previous royal families. We paused in front of a wedding portrait of King Lambert and Dimitri's mother. The portrait beside that was King Lambert, a child Prince Dimitri, and his step-mother Patricia. Footsteps approached us, and Dimitri and Dedue appeared from around a corner. The maid bowed at Dimitri, as they stopped beside us.

"How old was Your Highness when this was done?" I asked.

"Around nine," Dimitri said, gazing upon the portrait.

"You two changed your clothes," I said. Dimitri had changed out of his school uniform and into a navy blue suit with ornamental, gold embroidery along the front and shoulder. He was wearing a dark blue cloak. Dedue was wearing light armor, an axe hanging from his hip, looking ready to fight at any point.

"Yes," Dimitri said. Dedue nodded too. "I suppose we didn't get to officially graduate, though."

I smiled and glanced at my own outfit. I was still in the school uniform. Maybe it would be a good idea to wear something else. "Where are you headed, Your Highness?" I asked.

"I was going to see my uncle before dinner," Dimitri said. "We'll need his help with the war."

Ah, right. The war. I'd wanted to forget about it. "Sounds like a good idea," I said and smiled awkwardly.

"I'll see you all at dinner then." Dimitri nodded at me, and he and Dedue walked off.

"We may continue the tour when everyone is ready," the maid said with a courteous smile. Rose nodded, and we followed the maid to the library next, which was a large room, filled with plush couches, bookshelves, drawings, and desks. There were several paintings hanging on the walls here too.

"Wow," Rose said. "So many books." She'd grown up illiterate, only until Yuri learned how to read and write from the old man they'd nursed back to health.

Our final stop was outdoors. The maid took us through the gardens. There were lots of hedges, green sprouts waiting for warmer weather, and a few tall trees, as well as plenty of benches and alcoves. The sun was setting, so we only took a brisk walk near the perimeter.

"The garden is most beautiful in the spring and summer," the maid told us. "And in the morning and afternoon. Now, it's nearing dinner time. Shall we head back?"

"Yes, thank you," Rose said.

Dinner was in another grand room, with a long wooden table. Dimitri's uncle, Grand Duke Rufus, joined us, along with Lady Rhea, Jeralt, Seteth, and Flayn. The servants placed platter after platter of food before us. There was grilled fish so delightfully seasoned, a squash and mushroom stew, salad, bread, and pasta. It really made up for the few days of just bread and cheese. There was even pudding for dessert.

We were just finishing up the meal when someone burst into the room. The guards were surprised. The man who walked in looked like an older version of Felix, with curly black hair. I'd seen him before at the monastery.

"Your Highness!" Felix's dad bowed at Dimitri. "Apologies for interrupting your meal. I came at once when I heard you were returning."

Felix scowled.

"We're mostly done eating anyway," Dimitri said and stood up. "Why don't we discuss in another room?"

Lady Rhea stood up. "May I join this discussion, Prince Dimitri?"

Dimitri nodded. "I'd be honored. Everyone may join, if you're interested. I'd like to discuss our next steps." We followed Dimitri out into a separate sitting room, where a large, round table sat in the center. There was a map on the table. The servants hurried to bring more chairs in.

Rose patted my arm. "I think I'll stay out of this," she said with a smile.

I nodded. "All right." Rose asked a servant to show her back to our room and left. Flayn was right behind Rose, pouting, since Seteth was sending her out too.

We all took a seat. It was reassuring to see Mercedes and Jeralt on either side of me.

"There's the matter of your coronation," Lord Rufus was saying.

Dimitri nodded. "We can plan that later. First, there's the war. News will have reached Edelgard by now that Lady Rhea is with us. She'll be attacking the Kingdom then. I'd like to send troops to our borders."

A lengthy discussion ensued between Dimitri, Lord Rufus, and Lord Rodrigue over where the troops should come from. It would take too long if we sent Fhirdiad soldiers, but those at the border didn't have the strength to stand against the Empire.

"We should ask Lord Gideon to provide reinforcements first," Dimitri said. Rodrigue was nodding while stroking his chin.

"Yes, that sounds like a good idea," Rufus said.

"Prince Dimitri," Lady Rhea said. She had her hands clasped together on the table. Dimitri glanced up from the map. "Would you like to send some of the Knights of Seiros?"

"No, that won't be necessary," Dimitri said.

"How many knights do you have?" Lord Rufus asked.

Rhea turned towards Seteth. He pulled a small notebook out, clearing his throat before saying, "We have a hundred and forty-three knights."

"Probably best to keep them here since their main duty is to protect you, Lady Rhea," Rufus said.

"I see." Rhea smiled.

"Then, while everyone is here, let's discuss roles," Rodrigue said.

Felix frowned. He'd had his arms crossed this entire time. "What roles?"

"I mean for you students," Rodrigue said and looked at Dimitri. "Your Highness, were you not planning on keeping your classmates around?"

Dimitri nodded. "If they'd like to help as advisors or generals."

Generals? My mouth dropped. That'd mean actually leading a battalion into real war. I swallowed. I wasn't sure if I was ready for that. Dimitri was scanning the table, when Ingrid sat up straighter.

"I'd like to serve as your knight, Your Highness," Ingrid said.

Sylvain leaned back in his chair. "Ah, I'll have to go back and discuss with my father."

Dimitri looked at Felix next, who sighed and said, "I'll help you out, boar prince."

"I'd like to help too." Mercedes smiled.

It was my turn then. I'd told Dimitri that I would work for him as an advisor, and here was the opportunity. Even though Yuri was still at Abyss, even though I'd probably mostly be a war advisor, I looked Dimitri in the eye and nodded. "I want to help too."

"How was the meeting?" Rose asked me when I returned to our room. She'd already taken a bath and was wearing a set of lilac-colored pajamas. There was a similar set of pajamas on the bed.

I'd missed my chance to read the notebook. "It was good. I might not be able to return to Abyss right away after all." I dropped onto the couch, resting my head back.

"That's fine. Yuri will be fine," Rose said, sitting down across from me. It was getting late. "I had a chat with one of the maids. It took some convincing, but they'll look for a job for me. Most likely as a seamstress here."

I looked at her with a smile. "That's great! If you could stay at the palace, you'd definitely be safe."

Rose smiled back. "Yes, I thought you'd say that."

"I'm going to take a bath then." I stood up and grabbed the pajamas. A nice, hot bath. Nothing could beat that. Just let the warmth melt all the worries away.

After my bath, I stepped out of the bathroom with the notebook in my hand. I could trust Rose. "Hey Rose, there's something I need to read without anyone seeing," I said.

Rose was sitting on the couch looking at a book herself. "Oh, go on. Do you want me to watch the door?"

I shook my head and joined her on the couches again. "No, just letting you know." That was right. I could trust Rose. Only her and Yuri. I opened the notebook to where I'd left Byleth's letter. Then I unfolded the letter.

Dear Byleth,

You're probably reading this after the battle of Garreg Mach. I understand if you're angry at me, but I hope the information in this notebook will clear things up. You may not believe me, but I'm not originally from this world. I came from a different world. I've been trapped in this world for a long, long time. Everytime, I see the same events unfold over and over again. It doesn't matter which class I choose to teach. War breaks out. People die. I have to kill at least two of my students. We win the war, but I can never achieve a different ending.

But this time, you're here. And you're changing things. Jeralt should be dead. I should be grieving. You might not think it's a big difference, but it proves that you can change the storyline.

Please, read through the contents of this book. It contains notes of the information I remember and have gained over several reincarnations. Of course, what you choose to do with it is up to you. Regardless, I hope you might use the knowledge to find a way where we can end this war peacefully, without having to lose any of the house leaders or their loyal second-in-commands. My attempts have always failed, but maybe you could persuade the house leaders.

I've cast a special spell so that only you can see the text. The pages should appear blank to others. If you don't trust the magic, you may burn the notebook. Above all, please take care. I'd very much like to see you again in five years.

Yours sincerely,

Byleth

I wasn't sure what to make of the letter. Did I believe him? This hadn't explained at all why he'd chosen Edelgard's side. No, but maybe what was in the notebook would. I slid the letter back into the envelope. The letter I should burn. But for now I tucked it back in the notebook and went to the first page.

There were a lot of lists. There was a list of all the students. Then on the next page, it started with Edelgard. Another list:

- 2 crests, 2nd one is Flame Crest like mine

- Experimented on at young age by TWSITD, all siblings killed in experiment, blood experiment, how she has 2 crests, like Lysithea

- Father couped by Ferdinand's dad and other nobles

- Step sister of Dimitri, doesn't seem to remember Dimitri or the time spent in Fhirdiad, might still have the emotional connection to the knife gift though

- Wants to destroy Crest system, remove Church because they hold a lot of power, separation of church and state

After removing church will go after twistd

TWSITD? What was that? And hang on, two crests? Like Lysithea? Blood experiments and related to Dimitri?

I must have been gaping at the notebook because Rose said, "What's wrong?"

I shook my head. "Nothing. Well, everything, but…" I closed the notebook and my eyes for a second. Byleth had this information because… because he was reincarnated several times? And in those reincarnations, Edelgard told him this? No, maybe not all Edelgard. It says she doesn't remember meeting Dimitri being her step sister, so how could she have told him that?

"You don't have to answer, but what are you reading?" Rose asked.

I opened my eyes. "Something Byleth left for me."

"Your brother?"

I nodded.

"Ah."

Byleth wasn't dead either. He said he'd see me in five years. And if he was dead, the magic spell on this notebook would have broken. But I could sense faint magical energy from it. I opened the notebook again. The next page was about Dimitri. Survivor's guilt, believes he sees his dead parent's ghosts, had a crush on Edelgard when they were kids, believes that large societal change like Edelgard is suggesting should come from the people, stepmother might not actually be dead and possibly caused the Duscur Tragedy, Cornelia is a TWISTD person.

I had to know what this TWISTD was. I flipped through the pages. There was one or two for each of the students. Then there were pages on Lady Rhea, Seteth, and Flayn. Catherine, Shamir and Cyril too. What in the world?

Near the back, I found a page labelled TWISTD. There was another list, this time of names:

- Solon (Thomas the librarian)

- Kronya (Monica)

- Thales (Arundel/Edelgard & Dimitri's uncle)

- Myson

There was a snippet about how they lived underground, in a place called Shambala, how they were an ancient species and didn't get along with the dragons, or Sothis's people.

Hang on. Sothis's people are dragons? What?

I flipped back and found a page on dragons. And Crest stones. Because apparently the Hero's Relics were made of bones, and Crest stones were hearts, and Crests were blood.

I closed the notebook again and rested my forehead in my hand. This was a lot to take in. It'd take some time to digest it all. For now, I had to destroy the letter first. The fireplace was clean of ashes. That wouldn't do. I tucked the notebook in my clothes, lit the letter on fire with a dark magic spell, and walked to a window. I watched it burn slowly until it was near my fingertips, then I let the small flame fall out the window.

Thanks for reading! :)