Thank you, everyone, for the feedback, follows, and favorites. The support really helps. Consider this update as an apology for not posting for a month. I promise that this story is not dead. With current events, I have the free time to write. Anyway, be sure to let me know if there is anything that caught your eye in this chapter or if there are any clarification questions. Golden Zero16 asked if Raphael is still alive, I can confirm that he is, but I cannot say when he will show up.
The realization hit her like a wild pegasus. She stared in awe at Felix, disbelieving of what she had just heard. It did not seem real to her. Though, she intended to convince him to put his faith in her, "I will not disappoint you, Felix. Nor..." Her mint eyes gleamed as her mind put together what was the catalyst of his acquiescence, "do I plan to die." She finished her statement. His fixation on death had caught the female's attention. With her time spent amongst the students of Garreg Mach, she developed the knack to recognize those sorts of details.
A small giggle left her as she thought back on how everyone mocked her for assisting with counseling over guiding or participating in prayer. Her zeal toward the students motivated her more than religion or affiliations. It was why she chose to side with Edelgard... The woman snapped back to reality and stared at the present company. "Felix," She called on him again, "I also give you the right to cut me down if I do anything that you deem suspicious."
Her words were enough to give the blue-haired man pause. His gaze softened on her before it turned back to his usual deadpan, "Don't make me regret my choice. It was Sylvain's choice to believe you in the first place."
"See, I told you she had to be telling the truth," Sylvain added with glee, his expression relaxed with Felix's acceptance. As much as he was mute during the conversation, the redhead still truly believed in her and Lysithea's story.
That left one last member of the trio unconvinced, "I am not about to take that risk." Ingrid huffed, her wary gaze on Byleth. "I admit I find interest in your plan and wish to learn more. I do not trust you," Her emerald gaze landed on the two men, "but executing you without a fair trial will do none of us any good."
Byleth was surprised by the addition. Admittedly, she expected to have to go through the same ordeal of convincing the first two, "Ingrid…"
"Glad to see you're on my side," The redhead moved to pat his friend on the shoulder, but his advance was rebuffed promptly.
Sylvain stiffened at the blonde's gaze, "Both of you, please try to remember that she was still with the Empire less than a week ago." It always amazed the former professor to see how the blonde woman could reign in the two men. Both were difficult cases to crack, but her authority, and stubbornness, always had her act like the eldest. "You need to remember your positions too. We stand at the brink of ruin." There was a somberness to her tone. The gravity of the situation weighed heavily on them.
Such thoughts of the trio before and after her slumber disappeared as the words finally sunk into Byleth. Ingrid was not ready to believe her, but that fact was not enough to kill her hopes. Byleth's gaze fell on Sylvain to see how he would react to her words, "I may have been a bit hasty with my conclusion in trusting her, but I can get behind that sentiment at least." The redhead admitted a bit sheepishly.
The blonde's words did not do Byleth much justice, but she was very willing to accept the terms. A delayed execution was all that she needed. It would give her more time to build a case or prove herself. The latter had her worried. What will come next? Byleth looked to Felix curiously. The man nodded to the redhead's response, "I never said I believed her fully, but her pitiful expression has me believe that we should at least let the boar make his judgment."
Ingrid was somewhere between weary of the conversation and relieved to have arrived at a suitable conclusion, "Then it is settled. Prof-... Byleth, we will appeal to Lord Rodrigue. As for you, Lysithea, you will henceforth be a guest at Fort Arianrhod." It was still music to Byleth's ears to know that her compatriot was completely in the clear.
"By guest," Felix interjected, "you will not be permitted to leave your quarters until we have determined your status. Knowing the state of the war, you'll likely be drafted." His words were not reassuring, but without a threat of execution or punishment, all of that sounded very ideal.
Lysithea nodded along with the terms, but she did not look too relieved as Byleth did. "I would prefer to stay with the professor and assist her grand plan. And as a guest, I should be given sweets too with each meal." An audible groan was heard from Felix on the last request. The trio were not exactly the ones giving orders, but their proximity to Dimitri and Rodrigue gave them a degree of influence. It was enough for Byleth to hold hope that she could escape her fate, and enough for Lysithea to already picture a fresh slice of cake.
Byleth mused over the change in tone. Even if the three were still tense, everyone present looked somewhat less grim than when their talk began. "When should I expect to hear back from you?" Her gaze directed on Felix, gathering that the duke of Fraldarius would be most willing to hear out his son.
"Knowing my father, he will be busy, but I will guess either around sundown or tomorrow morning." That time table worked well for the woman. She would at least live long enough to hear the decision.
Her faith in Rodrigue was not just based on the familial ties between him and his son. If anything, she thought highly of the honest man she met at the academy. There was nothing but kind words of the man. His greatest detractor was honestly his own son, "Do you think he will agree?"
All three paused, but Felix did find the right words. "He will not outright dismiss the idea. He was the one that initially insisted on the idea of waiting for correspondence with the king until Cornelia stepped in. Therein lies the problem. Her stance makes it difficult to predict what will happen." His bluntness was appreciated, but it did not inspire hope.
"Who is she?" Byleth admittedly knew little of the older woman outside of offhanded mentions.
"Cornelia was a court mage, receiving the title after her success against a plague that swept Faerghus years back. She's in high standing presently. Being favored by both the previous king, Lambert, and former regent, Rufus, her orders carry impressive weight." Sylvain took it upon himself to give the exposition. The background did not ease Byleth. Though, it at least gave her the impression that she truly needed to get through to the duke. Her authority at least superseded that of the young alumnus.
Convincing her did not sound like much of an option either. She was likely set on seeing her dead already. However, that fact had caught her attention. She might have been acting out of wariness, but to go over the king's head and demand her execution in two days... there was something left unsaid. "Sylvain, would you happen to remember what she said to sway Rodrigue?"
The redhead thought back on the day, "The possibility of an imperial attack to seize you? Hmmm... Wait… If it is possible that you did desert then, maybe..." Sylvain paled as he thought more about his words to Byleth in their first encounter. Cornelia's reasoning was not wrong and was worth putting forward, but the cavalier likely had his own misgiving in her logic. "Ingrid, Felix, do you think Cornelia sounded a bit too sure about a probable attack?"
Ingrid raised an eyebrow at the question, "You're not implying that she may have insight."
Felix looked to have reached a similar conclusion as Ingrid had, but he shook his head. "No, you're thinking that she is orchestrating an attack."
Sylvain hesitantly nodded to the assumption, "Well, what do you think?"
Felix at first shook his head, but he then paused the motion. His eyes glanced back to the fort, "I... cannot say I would be surprised."
"She wanted to ignore the crown. Surely that could imply..." Ingrid weighed in with an incomplete thought. She and the two men were trading questionable glances.
It was quite bewildering to be lost in a discussion she started. Byleth suggested the words under the premise that the woman was holding back on something, but she had not expected the trio to be caught up in their thoughts.
"Could you enlighten us on what you think already?" Lysithea grumbled, not too fond of being accidentally excluded from the conversation again. Despite her superior intellect, the white-haired woman's wisdom could not do much with a topic she was unfamiliar with.
"You know, maybe... I was right to trust the professor after all." The redhead breathed out, his mind still on the baffling conversation.
"I really would not go that far..." Ingrid sighed, but she was not arguing the sentiment. Her tone sounded almost defeated, "But... I cannot help but think that our professor's possible innocence may give credence to a different narrative."
"Do you truly believe it, Ingrid?" Felix was not exactly an ardent ally like Lysithea, but he was not acting dismissively. He took the possibility quite seriously, even if the prisoners were still confused about the theory. Byleth had an inkling, but her lack of information on Cornelia did not give her the confidence to back it.
The blonde did not confirm or deny her suspicions at first, "I cannot say. Yet, that thought invites far more concern than the alternative. Retrieving Byleth will amount to you cutting her down before she has the chance to escape. But... killing her before an attack or killing her before the truth is revealed, it would mean losing the opportunity of having her join our cause." Cornelia's character was still up in the air, but the argument was enlightening for the former professor. It was quite silly that she had not reached that same conclusion earlier, but there was a limit to her foresight... outside of divine pulses of course. That was something else entirely.
"So, you guys finally understand that the professor could be useful," Lysithea grumbles, a bit testy with how they only then reached that thought.
The other's grumpiness was not a surprise. The cells were not an easy place to rest. It was only through sheer fatigue that Byleth even had a semblance of sleep from the night prior. "I know little of if she will do anything, but I will assist however I can if I live long enough to the day." There was no doubt in her mind about siding against the Empire's forces. "Though, you could also stand to help my companion to her room."
The redhead was hit with the epiphany as he recalled the judgment about Lysithea. He fumbled with the keys on his person as he unlocked the woman's cell, "The magic suppressors will need to stay in place for the time being. You are a guest, but you still are not considered a citizen or refugee yet."
The Alliance noble had no gripes with the arrangement as she joined the other three on the other side of the bars, "Professor, I will do all I can to stay close by." The promise gave Byleth a small smile. Even if she was to be left behind, it brought her delight to see her companion be free.
"I will escort her, then approach my father on this matter. I will also be voicing my concerns." Felix stepped forward on the duty.
Sylvain and Ingrid both nodded to his words. The remaining three watched as the two departed the prison. The redhead turned forward to the exit, "I feel it necessary to compose a letter to Dimitri. Even if we don't succeed, I am starting to think it is important to still do so." The plot around Cornelia gave enough reason to act. In the case of a siege, Fhirdiad's aid was needed. With that said, he too departed.
Ingrid was the only one that remained to keep Byleth company. Her green eyes gazed over the prisoner once more, "I cannot say I am certain of your plan, but... if everything you said was true, it would be wrong to execute you. I don't hold malice for what you did, but your actions hurt so many without even shedding blood." Her words invited intrigue from the mint-haired woman, unsure of where her thoughts were leading.
The blonde continued her thought without any proper response, "I don't know why I will tell you this, but... it hurt Dimitri to hear of your betrayal. He had thought so highly of you. You were not our professor, but you were a friend to us all the same. To him, he admired your abilities and your warmth." Unlike before with Cornelia, Byleth knew Dimitri. She was thorough with all the students of the academy, but this was not what she expected. Her advanced intuition was rendered moot. She never did notice him look that fondly to her. Though... there was one occurrence, one special meeting between the two.
She did not have long to think about the memory as she left Ingrid without any verbal acknowledgment, "I don't want his forgiveness, but I do wish to live to apologize to him. To all of you." The musty cell and lackluster provisions did not hinder her feelings for the lions. She was deserving of this treatment. It was their acceptance that she did not deserve. Yet, she was willing to accept it for the sake of her atonement.
Ingrid took in the words and hummed, "As much as I may not like the outcome, it is possible he could forgive you." An uneasy smile adorned her face. The pegasus knight turned her attention away from the other, "I will do all that I can to keep my friends and country safe. If that means relying on you, then so be it." With that said, the blonde left. Though, the former professor forgot to ask about why all of them broke into conversation over Cornelia, aside from there being a chance she would compromise the fort.
Byleth had yet to truly get through to them. She knew that it was a long road ahead, but it was only fair that she devoted her everything to proving herself an ally over an enemy. Though, the future battle ahead did not make her feel at ease. It was an opportunity to prove herself, but she feared the possibility of waiting out the fight in her cell. The prospect of being unable to turn back time for her allies troubled the woman immensely.
Being alone once again, her mind went back to the specter. She could not admittedly see him then, but his presence felt real earlier. Whether it was a delusion or truly him, Byleth did not care. Her sanity was sufficient for the task ahead. The madness of her guilt was within her control.
Her breaths were steady, not at all bothered by her mental decay. She was set on burning herself out through the war, using her ashes to feed the soil of a peaceful Fódlan. So long as she lived to see the day, she would have no regrets.
Time passed at a slow pace. Byleth made her bed, but it was not exactly easy to sleep in it. She was mired by doubts. A part of her yearned to hear from the apparition again. However, she was at her lonesome. Her mind was on repeat, remembering back to the words of the former students.
The prison's door creaked open. Her eyes took in the soft glow of the moon, but she was not on a good angle to see her visitor. The weight of the steps ruled out it being Ingrid or Lysithea at least, "Professor, it has been a while." The mature voice was none other than Rodrigue's. "I admit I should have at least visited before a judgment was rendered on my end, but you have already heard how that meeting went."
It amazed Byleth to see him act quite pleasant. His gaze did not belittle her or cast doubts on her character. It was not as kind as it once was, but it was still hospitable. With her lack of expressiveness, the woman always took to reading and mimicking other faces. "Lord Rodrigue, I am thankful for your visit all the same."
"My, I almost caught myself saying to drop the formalities. Alas, you are still a prisoner. It would be unbecoming of me to treat you as an equal." He was a bit cold, but there was logic behind his words. In the chance that a soldier observed the interaction, the sight would tarnish the man's reputation.
"It is no problem. Though, I am no longer a professor. I really am not much of anything at the moment." It was a truth she often juggled. She longed to return to the position that brought her happiness, but she was instead a renegade.
The older man chuckled at the reminder, "Right, right, my bad. So, I'm sure you are already aware of why I have come."
It was not hard to guess the reason, especially after Felix announced his intentions. "Are you here to tell me if I was able to move my execution?"
The blue-haired man nodded to the assumption, not at all surprised. His gaze traveled back to where he came from, "I admit that executing you outright after you turned yourself over to us did not sit well, but you must understand that the bounty on your head by Rhea and Arianrhod's position made the original decision not a difficult one to reach." The mention of the archbishop was not a happy reminder. Their last confrontation was... not cordially in any sense of the word. Her hostility was to be expected. The grim thought of what lied in wait for her at Fhirdiad was overwritten by a single word. Original.
"Original decision?" She pressed him on his word choice. A small glimmer of hope seeped through. Her silent prayer uttered from her was quite amusing to herself when in context with her personal friendship with the goddess.
"Nothing gets past you, Byleth. And, there's little I can do when I see Felix so dead set on a decision. Not to say that he wore me down, but he has given me enough reason to rethink my approach." The duke all but admitted to the wish of the prisoner. She knew it only a matter of seconds before he confirmed her suspicions.
The woman stared at him intently, "What did he tell you?" She needed to know the extent of the man's willingness to entertain her request.
The duke hummed at the question. His expression told that Felix did not mince words or omit details, judging purely based on his tired expression. "Right after he escorted our guest, he stormed my office. I may have come sooner if he had not sought to explain himself fully. It was the most I have heard from him since his brother's passing, so you can forgive me for taking my time." The difficult familial situation was known by everyone, but hearing from the father's very lips did tug on her heart some.
"As for your question, he was thorough. He recounted recent events, spoke of how insufferable you are, a tirade or two about Sylvain being a fool for trusting you, your promise to him, and of a plot to off a possible ally." The prisoner's eyes widened as the nobleman neared the fateful sentence. The anticipation was killing her... figuratively of course, "I may not agree with most of his points, especially some of his choice of language, but I will concede that executing you tomorrow with their current suspicions leaves you better off alive than dead. So, your execution will be deferred. Your fate will be for the king to decide."
The sheer whimsy in her eyes was hard to miss, even if her expression was still a challenge to read. "Sothis, thank you." She could not help but feel grateful to her friend. Even if she was not present, the spirit guided her through so much. She was an apostate, but she still had her faith.
Rodrigue shook his head, "Don't get too excited. It is most likely only a delay. I can be straight with you in saying that pressures from the Church will affect his decision." Once again, Byleth was reminded of how Rhea's judgment was already cast. She needed to find a way to circumvent the church's sentence.
The woman did not let the thought put a damper on her mood. Her small smile persisted, "I don't mind that. That is a problem for the future. For now, my mind is set on what Felix, Sylvain, and Ingrid were stressing over." The point did look to bother the older man.
Rodrigue chuckled at the thought, "Well, I don't doubt it. Their words too had me uneasy. Cornelia, that woman hasn't been too pleasant to be around lately, or well not since... Hmmm, maybe."
"What are you thinking?" Byleth could recognize the same expression as the one that the former students had. It caused her to raise an eyebrow. Though, his expression was by far more serious. His usual demeanor did return, but the nobleman seemed a little more distracted.
"While she has had a long history with the Kingdom, there is... legitimate reason to suspect her of such a theory." His hand rested on his chin as he went about collecting his thoughts. "It was around twenty years ago... Cornelia had saved Faerghus from a terrible epidemic. In recognition of her good deeds, she was appointed a court mage. However, two years or so in she changed. We never thought much of it, but her personality change did not go away." The explanation explained why the man was so caught in his thoughts.
"Are you certain?" The words shout out of Byleth's mouth like an arrow. A worrying idea came to grasp her attention.
Her quick response took the man off guard, but he eventually gave a nod to clarify his words. "Yes, she suddenly turned a lot more... unsociable."
The explanation had invoked another thought outside of a simple plot to betray the Kingdom. A sudden personality shift. Her mind went back to the academy, honing in on a certain individual. Monica von Ochs. The enigmatic girl that was said to have changed personalities after her disappearance. Sure enough, the noble girl was already dead, replaced by Kronya.
A bitter taste hit Byleth's mouth. She lost her strength for a moment, nearly doubling over. She choked on air, unable to speak up on the observance. She had months, years to be technical, to come to terms with the event, but her loss weighed heavily on her still. Saying her name seemed like an impossibility, "... Lord Rodrigue, have you... ever heard of the librarian Tomas?"
The question earned a confused look from the duke, "He was the librarian during my time, and... he was implicated to be that dark mage." The realization was mere seconds away from the man.
"It was said that... he had a sudden change of heart on his retirement. In actuality, Solon had replaced him. Can you think of why?" Her history with these dark agents had her naturally unnerved by sudden personality shifts. The very phrase was ingrained in her memory.
Her question was a simple one, but it earned such an extreme reaction. Rodrigue visibly tensed up and stared intensely at Byleth, "Forty years of service to the monastery… Wait, that... can't be." His eyes widened, likely making the connection between the sorcerer and gremory. "Could we really have not noticed sooner?" His gaze was to the floor, likely dueling with unpleasant thoughts.
The accusation matched with this evidence had to mean something. Byleth was almost sure that there was bound to be some incident soon, but her intuition was mostly speculation. She never even met the person in question. Yet, those words, the idea that someone could suddenly change, compelled her to press. "Was there ever a moment that you thought that she was not who she said she was?"
The duke's eyes eventually returned to the former professor's, "I... Lambert and I had a conversation on the topic a few times. Neither of us ever truly learned why she began acting like a different person. Byleth, was that dark mage and assassin... how did they act around you before they showed their true colors?"
The mere mention of Kronya had Byleth wince. She hated to be reminded of that woman, "I... I do not know much of Tomas- err, Solon. As for her... She was... apathetic, cold, and difficult to read." A memory resurfaced of her house leader talking with the imposter. She trusted her prized student's sentiments in decrying Those Who Slither in the Dark, but the thought of her being aware of the assassin did not sit easily in her stomach. For a brief moment, Byleth felt anger grip her.
She snapped from her rage upon remembering her company, "That description does match similar thoughts I had of Cornelia in the past. Goddess, how crazy today has been. One of the greatest threats to the Kingdom may be my ally. An alleged savior to the very kingdom maybe my enemy. Though, I must admit that this does explain things." The duke could not bring himself to fight the thought. To Byleth, his willingness to believe her theory was telling of the personality change.
"I don't expect you to believe in me, but if this is true then you may need to be on alert." It was a fair warning seeing as how Cornelia was set on executing her soon and Edelgard had the time to rally her forces to strike Arianrhod.
Rodrigue nodded to her words, "For the sake of the Kingdom, I will be vigilant. I will not act rashly in the case of being wrong, but I will heed your advice. A little more scrutiny never hurt." It was a relief to hear him express that much. Though, she had to think further ahead. His reminder that her fate was not yet determined rang in her ears. The influence of the Church was eventually going to complicate matters.
An idea did dawn on her. It was likely not to be received easily, but she had to attempt it. "Lord Rodrigue, I... May I ask…" She fumbling over her words, "Did you send the letter yet to high highness?" She knew Sylvain was already writing ahead, but a direct correspondence from Duke Fraldarius himself had more weight for what she was planning.
"Not yet," He shook his head, "what brought this on?" There was no suspicion in his voice, just genuine curiosity.
Byleth twiddled her thumbs and thought over her next words carefully, "I have a small request. I... would be honored if you could include a message from me."
The nobleman blinked, but he did not seem offended by her words. "Depends. Considering this letter will be about you, I think I can allow it. Just keep it short and simple." His accommodating nature was very much a boon to the woman.
She flashed a small smile, "I would only like for you to tell him... that I wish to swear my fealty." Despite the simplicity of her statement, each word carried weight. She already suggested this much to the lions, but this was one step above stating her intent to be his tool.
"Pray tell, what is your intention, Byleth?" The question was expected. She knew that she was bound to receive some push back for her idea.
The mint-haired woman wanted to be completely honest, "I wish for atonement through service. I trust Dimitri with my mind and body, but... circumstances will not make that easy."
Rodrigue caught on quickly, providing a nod. "I will include it, but it is up to his majesty to determine if you are worthy of the privilege of serving him as a vassal."
Those terms were acceptable. It gave her one step closer to freedom. She would never be free of her guilt, but she dreamed of being free of her shackles. Byleth believed she deserved whatever fate she got. Contrary to that, she too longed for the chance to dedicate herself to a cause worth backing. A path to an armistice. She would go to any length to do so, even if it meant giving Dimitri her everything and being the weapon to cut down her most cherished student. "Thank you, Lord Rodrigue. I am grateful for everything."