8 Great Tree Moon (April/4)
Dearest Bluebird,
How's Fhirdiad? The Empire has completely taken over Garreg Mach. They have soldiers at the main Abyss entrances. We haven't tried approaching them, but they also haven't invaded Abyss either. I'm hoping the Empire will stay out.
Love,
Your Mockingbird
16 Great Tree Moon
Hey Mockingbird,
Fhirdiad is beautiful. I don't think I'll be returning anytime soon. I need to help the prince. I hope you're staying safe. Are C and H still with you? Are they doing all right? Your mother found a job here as a seamstress, so don't worry. We miss you.
Love,
Bluebird
21 Great Tree Moon
Dear Bluebird,
C and H are with me and are doing fine. C has tried leaving through a guarded tunnel. The soldiers question who you are, where you're trying to go, and why. It seems merchants are usually allowed through, but some of our regular merchants haven't returned. The Empire found the tunnel we last went through. I believe they're guarding the exit, so it'd be best if you don't return for now.
That's good. I hope Mother is doing well. From what I've heard, the Imperial princess has left Garreg Mach for Enbarr. My guess is she's going back to regroup and strategize. I miss you both too.
Love,
M
28 Great Tree Moon
Mockingbird,
Thanks for the information. Remember what I ran back to get from my room? It has a lot of information in it. I wish I could share some of it with you somehow. It's just a lot of information. And I don't know what to do with it. But you would know what to do with it. Because you're smart and clever. If I can find the right words to say to all of the house leaders, do you think I could convince them to stop this war? Do you think they'd be able to get along again? I don't want this war. I don't want to have to lose people.
Sorry. I'm rambling. Are there enough merchants to provide enough food at least? If you need any assistance, I'm sure the prince would gladly provide some. Take care.
Love,
B
5 Harpstring Moon (May/5)
B,
Don't underestimate yourself. You're smart and clever. Take your time and think things over. You'll figure it out. I believe in you, so you should too. You'll have to fill me in on all this exciting information sometime later.
Yes, we're having some food shortages. There are fewer soldiers now, so I sent people to buy food from a nearby town. The Garreg Mach town is still deserted. We've had a few people leave Abyss, the ones who can afford to leave. Most people are going on as usual, but there's also a small group who are scared of what the war might bring. How are your living quarters? How's the food?
Take care.
Y.
13 Harpstring Moon
Y,
Thank you. You're so sweet. Thanks for believing in me.
R and I were sharing a room. It's so luxurious… it's a little strange. The servants keep everything so clean! R moved to her own room, at the start of this month. She said it was to give me my own space. Personally, I think she got tired of all of the papers I have everywhere. Her new room is smaller and simpler but still nicer than the Abyss house. Are you still in the dorms or are you staying at R's house now?
I'm getting paid now for my job, really well too. I don't think I'm doing as much work as I'm getting paid for, so let me know if you need any. I requested to go to the frontlines, but the king hasn't let anyone leave. Oh, I wish you could have been here during the coronation. It was incredible. All the subjects gathered in front of the palace. Lord Rufus crowned His Majesty, and then His Majesty gave a lovely speech. There was lots of food and music late into the night. People danced and laughed, and it was kind of fun. It made me forget, just for a bit, that there's a war going on. I also got to watch a few knighting ceremonies!
Anyway, you might not need this, but R and I have plenty of money. Even if you don't want the money, I'm sure you'll find people who need it more than we do.
Love,
B.
21 Harpstring Moon
B,
The coronation sounds like a wonderful time. I'm glad you had fun.
I'm staying at R's house. C and H have taken over the other room. I'm usually the one who does the cooking. B came back a few days ago. The house is getting a little crowded for the four of us, but I must admit it's nice to have him back. He told me that the Alliance is set on staying neutral in the war, and Holst has his hands full guarding Fodlan's throat. And B prefers being in Abyss.
Thanks for the money, but I really don't need any. There's probably lots of charities in the capital or orphanages that you could donate to. I think I know what you mean about everything being too clean. Rowe's place was like that too. It almost felt like no one lived there, with how clean it all was.
We're seeing more soldier movements lately. The princess might be returning soon. I'd also prefer you avoid the frontlines. I'd like to see you again, alive, after all. Oh, and if it's not too much trouble, would you mind telling my mother that we're properly engaged? I couldn't find a good time to tell her. If you're not comfortable telling her yet, though, we don't have to.
Love,
Y.
28 Harpstring Moon
Y,
If Edelgard is returning to the monastery soon, do you think you could pass along a letter to her? I was going to address it to the capital, but if she'll be closer, it'd reach her faster. If B's back, that means there's an open path into Abyss, right? What's he doing now that he's back? C and H are lucky if they get to eat your cooking.
You better be staying on top of your training! We should spar the next time we see each other. My father… that still sounds weird to me. But anyway, he's been training me a lot recently. I think I'm getting stronger.
So, I told your mother. She'll probably tell you more in her letter. But she said I could call her mother too. It's a little strange. She's happy for us, of course. I told her about the five year wait. I didn't really explain that we're not exactly a conventional couple. It'd be a little difficult, but if you want to explain that to her, by all means, go for it.
I haven't been getting a lot of sleep, lately. I wish you were here. No need to worry about me, though! I have my classmates and R. Actually, I'm a little worried for you. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help. Again, thanks for the info. It's very helpful.
Love,
By
4 Garland Moon (June/6)
By,
You're lucky. The princess just returned at the start of this month. Also, in case you don't know or remember, the princess's birthday is this month, too. Maybe she'll be in a good mood when she receives your letter? Jokes aside, yes, of course I can pass the letter along. C has gone up to the surface at least twice now to chat with the princess. I'll ask her to pass it along.
C's trying to convince the princess to keep soldiers out of and away from Abyss. We'll be staying neutral in the war anyway, and we're still seeing fewer merchants due to the Empire's presence.
Yes, my mother's letter was quite… ecstatic. I could almost imagine her saying everything really quickly. I'm not sure if she'd understand what our relationship is like, so let's not worry about that for now. And don't worry about me. I've got my Ashen Wolves backing me up and our crew too. I'm the underground lord. Don't underestimate me. Hope you're not being overworked. Remember, breaks are important too.
Can't wait to spar with you again.
Love,
Y.
12 Garland Moon
Dear Lady Edelgard,
Hello! How have you been doing? If you're reading this on your birthday, happy birthday! I hope you and the other Black Eagles students are doing well. You might be a little surprised to be receiving a letter from me. I'm writing because I'd like to discuss peace options with you in person. I understand you want to dismantle the Crest system, and I support that. I'm not as supportive of your method, though. Regardless, I'd very much like to have a peaceful discussion about potential compromises and treaties.
Please, Edelgard, I know you have good reasons and a good heart. I know people have suffered and died due to the Crest system and under the Church's governance. And I absolutely agree that religion and government should be kept separate. One shouldn't influence the other. This may sound naive, but I also believe that there's another way for us to achieve your dreams, without destroying other people's lives, especially your former classmates'.
If our initial discussions go well, would you be willing to meet with His Majesty Dimitri and Alliance Lord Claude as well? I know I might be getting a little ahead of myself, but I'd really like for all of us to meet and discuss alternatives to this war.
I'll await your reply and gladly meet you at the monastery.
Sincerely,
Byleth (the sister)
13 Garland Moon
Y,
Took a while, but I finally got a letter together. Please get it to Edelgard. Thank you. Also, I don't know, but maybe you could tell her that I'm a neutral party? Or would that be lying, since I'm working for His Majesty right now? Okay, forget I wrote that. You can tell her I'm a diplomat. Or nothing at all.
It's just a letter asking if we could meet up for a peaceful discussion. It'd be nice if I get invited to the monastery for diplomatic reasons. Maybe I could swing by and say hello to you too. Things have been hectic. The war… isn't looking so great, actually. His Majesty has been considering going to the front lines himself, and if he does, we'll go with him. It'd boost morale and help turn the tide in the battles.
Are there no Empire merchants visiting Abyss instead? I thought merchants love war, because it means business is booming.
Yeah, R was very, very happy when I told her the news. Even these days, she still sometimes grins at me unexpectedly. I have a little surprise for you. It's a gift. I hope you'll like it. But I'm going to wait until I can see you to give it to you.
Your mother and my father get along well, surprisingly. I suppose they are close in age, but then there's other people around their age too. They've been having tea and sandwiches together in the afternoon! And I just found out today.
Any events from your end?
Love,
By
14 Garland Moon
Dear Lord Claude,
How's the Alliance faring? Are you enjoying your new leadership position? I hope you and the other Golden Deer students are doing well. I'm writing because I'd like to propose a meeting of all three leaders to discuss a peaceful resolution for this war. I know the Alliance is neutral in this war, but I don't think you'll be able to stay neutral. Edelgard won't stop at the Church or the Kingdom. She'll definitely attack the Alliance, too.
If you don't believe that and don't want to be a part of these discussions, then I believe it'd put the Alliance in a detrimental position. While the Empire and Kingdom leaders are building the future together, the Alliance will be pushed to the side with no voice. I know you have your own dreams and goals that you want to achieve. So, I hope you'll join us and share your dreams with us.
The date and time for this meeting is still undecided. If you're interested, I'll keep you posted. We'll likely be meeting at the monastery, though.
All the best,
Byleth
20 Garland Moon
Byleth,
I've received Lady Edelgard's response. C delivered your letter for me and told me that Edelgard said that you should just address the letter to the monastery and send through normal mail. Of course, normal mail isn't quite as secure as our own set up, so I'd recommend you send it my way first.
We've started to see more Empire merchants. It helps that the emperor is here. Merchants flock to the monastery to sell the soldiers food, weapons, and supplies. Edelgard promised to leave Abyss alone so long as we stay neutral to the war.
I hope your diplomatic discussion works out. If the king were to appear on the frontlines, it'd certainly turn the tide of the battles and boost morale. But it'd also be a sign of how serious the war has become.
Nothing new happening here. My cooking skills have improved. I'll make you dinner when you visit.
Love,
Y.
20 Garland Moon
Dear Byleth,
Thank you for the well wishes. I hope you are doing well, too. I was indeed surprised to receive a letter from you. Your proposal for a peaceful discussion is intriguing, but I'd like to hear your alternative ideas first. How do you plan to destroy the Crest system if not through war? How would you decrease or limit the Church's power and influence? If you actually have potential solutions, then I'd be happy to discuss with you in person.
I'd also like to know if you're representing the Kingdom of Faerghus or the Church of Seiros. That will help me understand what compromises may be possible. I'll be at the monastery, so you may address your letters here.
Sincerely,
Edelgard von Hresvelg
27 Garland Moon
Dear Lady Edelgard,
I'm glad you're open to the idea. As for potential solutions, here are some:
To decrease the Church's power, all three countries sign a new law that prohibits the Church from capturing, convicting, and punishing criminals, in cases where the crime either takes place in the country or the criminal is a subject of the country. This would mean that if a crime were to occur at the monastery, the Church is still able to punish that criminal. However, the Church can't enter Empire, Kingdom, or Alliance territory to capture subjects on the basis of some crime against the Church. If the Church does wish to punish a subject for some crime, they would have to go through the respective nation and provide evidence.
To demolish the Crest system, all countries agree to assign government positions to people based on merit and not on noble status. As you know, most nobles hold their seat of power due to their Crest and not because they're actually good at governing. Taking the Empire for an example, the Prime Minister should be selected based on skills and knowledge, not on surname and Crest.
I believe we'd also need to even the wealth distribution by heavily taxing the nobles and using that money to aid the poor. Some ideas for that would be creating free schools to educate the poor, providing more funding to orphanages, and helping connect people to job opportunities.
Of course, if we removed most nobles from their positions, they're likely to revolt against this idea. If we could get the people on our side for this decision, then it'd be more difficult for the nobles to rebel. One way to do that is to let the people elect government officials by popular vote, but that is a much larger change that would take more time to implement.
These are some of my ideas. I'm open to any suggestions or ideas that you may have. And, though I am currently working for His Majesty Dimitri, my initial letter and my proposal to meet peacefully are actions that I've taken on my own accord. The ideas presented here do not represent ideas that the Kingdom or the Church have nor do they necessarily support them. That's why His Majesty will also need to be present, so that we may all come to an agreement.
I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Byleth
27 Garland Moon
Y,
Thanks for the successful delivery! It sounds like we'll be able to meet with Edelgard. I reached out to Claude too but haven't received his response back yet. The Alliance capital is a bit further, and I had to send through normal mail means.
I agree. His Majesty appearing on the front lines isn't necessarily a good thing for us. We haven't decided yet. I still need to ask for permission to go to the monastery… and meet with Edelgard. That's if Edelgard even agrees.
I'm looking forward to dinner! What have you been cooking lately?
Love,
By
24 Garland Moon
Dear Byleth,
Wow, someone's been working hard for the Kingdom.
That aside, thanks for the letter. I'd like to be included in these discussions you're mentioning. Will you be a part of them? And how did you convince Edelgard and Dimitri to go along with this?
To be honest, the Alliance lords are having trouble working together. They like to squabble about everything. I really wish you could be here with me. I have a strong suspicion that you'd be able to convince the lords to cooperate. With the current state of affairs, if the Empire attacked, we wouldn't stand a very good chance.
I hope you're doing well, too. I haven't seen most of my classmates recently. There's Raphael and Ignatz who are working as knights now, and Lorenz likes to show up whenever he wants to give me "advice." I'm not too sure where Leonie is. Hilda, Lysithea, and Marianne are all back home.
Let me know when these discussions are happening. Can't wait to see you again.
Claude
4 Blue Sea Moon (July/7)
Dear Claude,
Thanks for the response. I'm glad you're interested! Yes, I'll likely be facilitating the discussions. I'd prefer to be a part of them, if the three leaders wouldn't mind. I'm in the middle of convincing Edelgard to meet up with me, so we can start the conversation. His Majesty should be easier to convince. He doesn't want this war to happen either.
Thank you. I'm doing well. Fhirdiad is a nice city and home. I'm sure I would have enjoyed working with you in the Alliance too, but the Kingdom has been my home for many years. Furthermore, I'd like to think I'm making a bigger difference here than I could at the Alliance. You've probably tried this already, but you could use the Empire as a threat to unite the lords. If they're looking down on you because you're young or inexperienced, you'll just have to work hard and show them results for them to start trusting you. I'm sure you'll get the lords to cooperate soon!
Sincerely,
Byleth
4 Blue Sea Moon
Dear Byleth,
You have solid ideas and they intrigue me. It's clear that you've thought things through. Let's discuss in person. I'll be waiting at Garreg Mach. Please send a letter ahead of your arrival, so we know when to expect you. If you bring any soldiers with you, I'll have to ask that they remain outside of the monastery. I promise you will leave unharmed, even if our discussions don't lead to any results. I look forward to seeing you again.
Also, if you wish to visit your friends at Abyss, you are welcome to.
Sincerely,
Edelgard von Hresvelg
4 Blue Sea Moon
By,
I've mostly been making stews. It's easy to throw all sorts of things in them. Abyss is settling down now that the Empire soldiers have withdrawn. I have more free time now, luckily, so I've been reading a lot. There are a lot of books here.
C delivered your letter again today. She returned with Edelgard's response and told me that Edelgard was smiling while writing. I suppose that means you'll be on your way here soon. It's a little hard to believe that it's been three months. It feels like time passed by quickly and slowly. I'd really like to see you soon.
Love,
Y.
12 Blue Moon
Claude,
I received Edelgard's response this afternoon. I'll be meeting with her first, but this is a good sign. I'll send you another letter if we decide to hold a discussion with all the leaders.
All the best,
Byleth
12 Blue Moon
Dear Edelgard,
Thank you! I'm excited to see you and talk with you in person. I have more ideas. I don't know how feasible or practical they might be, but I'd love to share them with you. I think you'd have a better understanding of what could be done and what side effects certain laws may have.
I'll leave for Garreg Mach one week from now. By the time you receive this letter, I should have departed and should arrive within two days. I won't be bringing any soldiers, so no worries there.
Looking forward to our meeting.
Byleth
12 Blue Moon
Yuri,
Yes! I'm on my way! See you in two days! By the time you're reading this anyway. I can't wait to see you either. I can't believe I thought seeing you once a month was terrible when you were living at Count Rowe's, because this is much longer than a month and much more terrible. It does feel like time passed a lot faster, though. Maybe it's because we've both been busy? I find that helps make time fly.
Anyway, see you soon.
Love,
Byleth
Happy 20th chapter! Thanks for reading :)