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The night went by with no incidents. No specters. No deep conversation. Not even a nightmare. Granted, sleep evaded Byleth for the most part. It was not like she could even dream when she was conscious for much of the night. The little sleep she got was interrupted. Her wake-up call came in the form of the door to a cell door slamming open. She was not yet awake until she heard her own cell door pull open and the shackles linking her to the wall be undone.
She groggily stared on at her visitor. Her mind took in the Kingdom's regular uniforms. Her visitors were no one that she recognized. One of the men pulled her arms behind her back while the other dragged her forward. Her hand to hand abilities were hampered by her fatigue and cautioned by the swords trained on her. Upon a second glance, the two soldiers had the backup of a small company. Amongst the sea of faces, none were familiar.
Byleth's brain finally put two and two together as her rough treatment did not cease at being extracted from her cell. Instead, one of the unnamed individuals placed a gag over her mouth, effectively silencing her. The full picture came into view once they reached the site. Her mint-eyes glanced at the breach in the wall. Arianrhod's perfect defense was blemished by a hole.
Her eyes widened at the dead bodies that lined to her "exit." It was apparent that she was not to be free as the soldiers took to binding her wrists. They continued to roughly thrust her towards the outside world.
While she was not all there, the gravity of the situation had Byleth trying to resist all she could. Her physical strength was not one to be trifled, but it was her sword skills that she was known for. Her Sword of the Creator was capable of combating an entire battalion if need be. Without even a dagger, she could at best deal with three opponents before being cut down.
Though, the former professor caught onto the idea that they were not about to kill her. Her gaze fell on the path ahead. The full weight of her predicament came to crush her. The plan was never to execute her, merely to bring her back to the Empire. The collaborators did confirm that Cornelia was without a doubt implicated with Edelgard or Those Who Slither in the Dark. It was not much a surprise, but the plan to return her from which she fled was not within her calculations.
She had expected to be silenced and killed before the Kingdom had her as an ally, but they sought to get her to fess up her strategy. Worse yet, the dead bodies and her absence from the cell would likely bore a misunderstanding. The lions may think her a spy after all, ruining any future chances of defection again.
Byleth needed to resist, but the binding held her back from the first strike. Her obvious efforts to stir trouble were met with a punch made impact against her stomach. She winced in pain at the strike, unable to put up a guard.
The pain was not enough to deter her behavior. In a situation like this, she was better dead than alive. Her apology to her allies was muffled by the gag. The woman was able to slip from the hold of a soldier and made a charge toward a lancer. All she needed to do was get the man to try to incapacitate her. A swift movement before he landed a crippling blow could turn a nonlethal attack to murder.
Sure enough, the panicked soldier turned his lance on her and aimed to make contact with her side. Her side-stepped changed the angle to have the lance directly across her heart. The price of her life paled in comparison to her capture. Even if she was beloved amongst the ranks, desertion and betrayal would earn her extensive torture and a drawn-out execution. The dark mages aligned with the Imperial army were likely to discover her plans with their twisted methods.
Just before the lance could make contact, her eyes widened at a startling realization. Her disoriented state had her acting reckless. She still had her time pulses. While sleep played a role into how much she could use the ability, there were still the charges from the days prior. The former professor mentally cursed her air-headed behavior as time came to a halt by her command. Her eyes honed in on the steel mere inches from her chest.
Byleth cut it way too close for her liking. In that frozen state, she had time to put together a plan. There was a chance it may not work, but she had more than just a time pulse to spare on this step. They were a finite number so she could not be too willing to restart.
Selecting a time, all space around her blackened as an array of colors sparkled. Thus, the march of time-reversed. She was once again back in her cell. Her tired eyes lingered on the two men that came for her. She gave them no time to grasp her wrists. Her foot planted on one of their chests, kicking him straight into the iron bars. The other looked aghast at the sudden attack on his comrade. His gauntlet hurtled toward her, ready to punish her for her resistance. However, the cramped prison was the perfect place to be outnumbered. Their superior strength was limited by the physical space they could take up.
The weapons were a problem, but she was able to swipe a dagger after dodging the attack and pummeling him in retaliation. The smaller arm could parry. Her prowess as the Ashen Demon was shown through effectively beating down each challenger that came her way, but her fatigue was catching up quickly. She was only able to beat down the two men that tried to seize her and two others that rushed the opening. The inhibitors were still in place so she had no access to magic. Though, her faith magic was not too impressive.
Her eyes soon locked onto the goon with the gag. She then proceeded to throw her only weapon at him. The blade planted into his neck. The silencer faded from minds as he fell dead. Byleth knew they intended to bring her alive to the Empire. No matter the cost, the defector was better alive than dead to Edelgard. And if the scuffle got noticed and the plot was exposed, Cornelia would only need to flee at the first chance of trouble.
To that end, the woman gave Byleth the perfect opportunity to prove herself. A small smirk grew on her face. She allowed the soldiers to form a semi-circle. Her arms slowly raised to show her surrender. If need be, she could call on her time pulse if they opted to off her then and there or remembered the gag.
Thankfully, the men were too busy relishing in their victory and hastily completed their mission to notice the tiniest of smiles on the woman's face. Her naturally reserved personality and physical subservience tricked them into going along to her plan. She was no schemer, but she did seem to have Claude's ghost as a confidant. Underhanded maneuvers were something she could adopt more of.
As they did in the previous motions, they dragged her along the same path. Unlike before nothing was forcing her to keep quiet, their victory too blinded them from simply knocking her out. She was willing to chalk that up to them not wishing to risk her life. In a rare moment for Byleth, a shriek left her lips. It was not an easy feat. Despite her deception, her acting skills tended to depend on her quietness.
She made sure to be not far from the escape path and where the knights may hear her. The sound was enough to rouse movement in the immediate vicinity. Her scream already attracted a few soldiers, enough to bear witness to her being escorted out toward the breech. Her escorts paled, likely realizing just how screwed they were. Byleth was not exactly a valuable hostage. So, their only option was to cut their losses. Ditching the injured and running off toward the hole in the wall was all they could do. The fleeing men were almost able to escape. That was until the Gray Lion made his appearance. To those that dared to break from their ranks and run, they were met with a prompt end by the man's axe. His elites ensnared the remaining conspirators.
Amongst the almost two dozen that dared to hand over Byleth to the Empire, two were able to escape. Four were injured. The rest were either routed by the Kingdom's forces or took their lives. The plot was more than a failure. It was a colossal loss.
Without fear of being spirited off to the Empire, the green-haired woman enjoyed the opportunity to absorb the sun. Her muscles ached, likely from overexerting herself after being confined for two days. She could not exactly move from her spot. Gwendal's hard gaze fell on her, but there was no urgency to guide her back to the cell. Instead, he shifted his stare to the reinforcements.
"What the hell is going on?" A familiar blue-haired swordsman grumbled as he came upon the bloody scene.
Byleth did not know just what to say, but she did acknowledge his question. Mint eyes looked on as more men poured in, "You mind filling us in?" The redhead soon joined his former classmate.
As the Gray Lion took to informing his soldiers, the nobles were given the agency to approach Byleth. The woman was unarmed and not exactly in peak fighting form either, "Felix, Sylvain, it appears that the intent was never to execute me." She started, unsure of how else to approach the truth. Cornelia's absence from the vicinity meant that the prisoner could not point her finger at the woman just yet.
It did not take long for the pieces to fall in place for the men. Sylvain's expression changed once he took in each detail, "Wait... they were trying to smuggle you out, right?" The combination of the dead bodies and hole told that much. If she were truly a spy, then she would have taken the chance to flee.
"Correct, they were planning to return me to the Empire, likely wanting to frame it as a prison break. As stealthy and thought out as they were, I had the foresight to predict them." By foresight, she meant her time pulse. Truth be told, she did not use the skill too often. She already had claim to veteran intuition from her countless years fighting at her father's side.
Both men took in her words, but Felix had more to say than just asking what transpired. "Why did our soldiers start working with the Empire?" He likely already had a theory in mind, but his intent was probably around seeing if the woman echoed the idea.
"They were never Kingdom soldiers. Or rather, they were soldiers of someone associated with the Kingdom." The mere mention of the woman's name would likely earn prying ears and eyes from the squadrons in the nearby area.
"So, you think that they are... Well, hers?" Sylvain prodded, wishing to hear more of her inferences from the plot. Unlike her, they had only just arrived moments prior.
Byleth only really had speculation to go off of, but she had both the circumstantial evidence from the attempt to give her back to the Empire and the account by Rodrigue last night to point a finger at Cornelia. It might be enough to sway the duke, but it was hardly enough to lock her under good excuse. "I have no doubts. However, I have no testimonies either. There are a few men unconscious in my cell." The men she defeated may have something to say, but the chances were not likely. If someone like Cornelia has been a dutiful puppet for almost twenty years, then these men could prove equally as quiet in their background.
"Speaking of cells, I think this whole incident gives enough evidence to support that you were telling the truth." Sylvain tried to chime in, but Felix was not having it. The swordsman rolled his eyes at the concept.
Felix did not look to be in agreement, "Please don't be too quick to assume. Though, I will say that leaving her out of sight will do us no good, especially if everything you've said is true." His eyes glanced at the corpses. They did not look any different from the other soldiers, but their orders did not match what Rodrigue or Gwendal seemed to want.
The redhead looked to be in complete agreement on the matter, "Right, right. I couldn't agree more. She may very well be our ally. Leaving her in the prison will make her a sitting duck."
Byleth was starting to feel grateful for the botched attempt to kidnap her. It meant that their initial wariness would be streamlined, "I will not object to any of your ideas, but I would prefer if you have me ready for the battle ahead."
The mention of the fight put a damper on matters, "We have no reason to think it will happen, but I will not pass up the opportunity to fight by your side." Felix flashed his old mannerisms. He could never pass up the opportunity to spar or observe her swordsmanship.
It brought a chuckle from Sylvain to see the other in such spirits, "I can speak for us both in saying that fighting with you is better than against you." The mere idea of combatting the Sword of the Creator was a nightmare to most people. He had access to the Lance of Ruin, but it could not compete with the sheer destructive might of the woman's blade.
Their discussion was cut short as the old knight finished his orders to the knights present, "You. Prisoner. Tell me what happened." It would have been easier if the older man was included in the previous discussion seeing as how he was not nearly as up to date as with the duke or the young nobles.
There was some hesitation on the extent that she could reveal, especially with how her credibility as a prisoner compared to a shifty, long-standing advisor to the Kingdom. So, Byleth opted to omit the fact, "Sir, I was almost abducted by Empire spies. I am a wanted fugitive." The scuffle and her cry for aid at least gave credence to her response. The dead bodies from the attempted kidnapping made it hard to believe this a ploy too.
"Is that so?" The Gray Lion's gaze weighed heavily on Byleth. The veteran had a piercing gaze, one that could easily work out the truth. "Why did they not just kill you?"
The question was justified, but thankfully the former professor had an answer ready. "I know important information about the Empire. My knowledge could be used to save the Empire from its demise." It was a bit hyperbolic, but she would sooner take her life than try her fate with Edelgard.
Her wording did not yield her intended reaction. A brave axe rested just shy of her throat, "What stops me from killing you outright to ensure the Empire falls?" It was a valid point. It was a question of if she was better off alive or dead. Not having to watch the horror ahead for her class and the rest of the alumnus was a boon.
However, she already knew her answer, "I can assure that the Empire will fall swiftly and soundly. I am going to end this war." The determined look in her eyes said enough for the Gray Lion to give some space between the edge of his weapon and her soft flesh.
The old man scoffed at her cockiness, but he did not take issue with it. He appeared rather uninterested at the display, "You sound ridiculous, but I have no orders to take your head. So, you will live for now."
Relief swept over Byleth, a part of her thinking that the man would have swung his ax if he had the slightest excuse. As he rode off toward the soldiers that arrived late, the woman returned her attention to the nobles, "I think it is important that one of you keep an eye on Cornelia." It was less so an order than a suggestion, yet her commanding aura came naturally to her. Guiding the Black Eagle Strike Force changed her way of thinking even if she had defected before doing battle with Edelgard's greatest threat.
"Understood," Felix promptly responded, "she would be the most likely suspect for this attempt to get you back to the Empire." It was a relief to see the man steadfast in the belief, especially since she had yet the chance to inform him of her suspicions about the woman's identity. Though, she suspected that he may have talked to his father. Before she could give the man a warning, he was off in the gremory's direction.
Sylvain remained at her side, "You truly think it is her, right?" The redhead spoke up, wanting to know why the other was so quick to point her finger to the mage.
Byleth knew that she was oblivious to the Kingdom and its politics, but her talk with Rodrigue gave her a firm position on what may have transpired. "Did you ever hear of the rumor going around Cornelia's personality change?"
Her question was met with a hesitant nod, "Kinda. I mean, my father would curse her name whenever she started acting difficulty." He scratched his chin as he thought more on those words, "He mentioned how much more shrewd she became. I mean, that was part of why I thought things were fishy. It just seemed likely for her to betray the kingdom." The man's brown eyes lingered on Byleth's pair, trying to see if his thoughts matched her own.
He was met with a shake of the head, "It's not just that which worries me. A sudden change in personality, Sylvain. Does that sound familiar to someone?" Even if the man was not in her class, the death of Jeralt by the hands of Monica created great shockwaves throughout the campus. Everyone knew of her loss, but more importantly, they knew better of the types like Monica and Tomas. An evil lurked within the shadows. Only two of the shapeshifters were dead. Who knows how many more skulked around?
Sure enough, the revelation hit him nearly as hard as it hit her. The monsters that haunted their school days were not done. If anything, they thrived in this chaos, "You... don't mean... Goddess, are you certain? Don't get me wrong, I trust you, but this... this is crazy." Rubbing shoulders with one of those snakes was not going to help him sleep at night. The imposter was able to infiltrate command.
"I already informed Lord Rodrigue of this thought. I don't know if there is any true evidence, but her collaboration with the Empire and her history seems to fit the narrative." It made complete sense why they would kill off someone important to royalty and how the king... Byleth thought back to a conversation she once had with the blonde prince. He was hesitant to speak on the matter, but he made mention of Tragedy of Duscur. She shook her head. She did not have the time to think of conspiracies.
"On what authority can we have her detained?" Sylvain responded, a bit troubled by the fact that the woman could easily get off scot-free.
The sound of a horse caught both their ears. They stared on as Duke Fraldarius trotted up on his stead to the two of them, "Byleth, it is good to see you. And rest assured, Sylvain, I ran into Felix on my way here and gave him a detachment of my guard. She will have to answer to my name if she protests." His reassurance did both of them good. The attempt to kidnap her to Edelgard was looking to both serve the purpose of freeing her from suspicion and implicating Cornelia. This stroke of luck was much appreciated.
However, it was after almost an hour went by that her luck started to run out. The soldiers were pacified and the dead bodies were escorted out. In the time spent waiting for Felix, Ingrid had joined them too. The entire base was on high alert, but alas it was not enough. The looming threat emerged in the form of a guard returning with the news that their captive conspirators took their lives not long ago.
That much was only a minor setback. There was likely to be more amongst the ranks. The real kicker came in the form of Felix returning empty-handed. A scowl was prominent on his face. The words he uttered next gave a definitive answer to the unspoken questions from all present, "Cornelia is gone."
It was Rodrigue that was most surprised by this turn of events, "Did she... really just leave? Did she think that we were bound to apprehend her?" Byleth had similar thoughts as he. The mere fact that she disappeared played right into their theories. There was little doubt about the fact that she was the party responsible for the prison break. No one questioned her allegiance.
Ingrid too mirrored such confusion, "Couldn't she have stayed and made a case for her innocence? She must have known that leaving would cost her her position in the Kingdom. It just begs the question of what did she have to gain." The complexities did not make it easy to deduce what she was thinking.
While she never had met Cornelia or learned her truest nature, a thought occurred to Byleth. It was not one that came easily. In fact, Byleth felt it necessary to employ the use of her divine ability. With a snap of her fingers, the glass shattered and time came to a halt. It gave Byleth the ample time she needed to piece together the fledgling theory lingering in her mind. Sifting through her memories, she tried to think through if what she was thinking was possible. At the edge of her memories of that day, she remembered a fact.
Another cell door opened and had her almost stir awake completely. What was there to gain from opening up another jail cell? Then again, Byleth also had another thought. The prison was fairly quiet. She chalked that up to the fact that there were no other prisoners. That much made sense and was likely the case. However, her memories also reminded her of another fact. The natural cover of the prison walls. They were perfect places to hide. With how she had no easy means of looking to Lysithea once in the cell adjacent to her, it was easy for her to miss anyone in the other cells.
The glass reformed. Time resumed thereafter, "What if she already knew that people were catching onto her?"
All eyes fell on Byleth, all looked on at her in complete confusion. Unlike her, they did not have the time to piece together the evidence. There was the prospect of turning back time to the morning and catching the person escaping the cell in the act. However, too much had already happened for Byleth to do anything meaningful about it, "Consider the possibility that she was listening in our conversations." Those words were what caused everyone to look wide-eyed to pale, "Making use of the cells to hide a prying ear."
Ingrid looked a bit confused by the suggestion, "We did not have enough information on her to implicate her. Why would she panic at the idea of us thinking ill of her? Felix, Sylvain, and I don't exactly have any influence outside of our domains." It appeared that the blonde had not been caught up yet.
It pained Byleth to know that her conversation with Rodrigue was likely already on the way to the Empire's command. It implied that their enemy was bound to be far warier of the threat within and more desperate for answers from her than ever before. Though, that explained why Cornelia was willing to act rash this morning.
She knew of the importance of Byleth's message from her conversation with the lions. So, there was an urgency to extract the woman before she fell into the hands of Fhirdiad, that morning was likely her only chance. "Ingrid, I... Well, I had a talk with Lord Rodrigue last night on a rather... distressing matter. I believe that Cornelia may have been like Tomas and... Monica."
Despite the weight of the allegation, Ingrid did not exactly ask much, but that was to be expected. All the signs pointed to the fact that Byleth was speaking the truth or had some kernel of truth to her statement. That much was clear with how all the events played out.
Nobody present was truly doubting where the woman's loyalty lied. They may still have some reason to think this all some elaborate trap, but Cornelia's flight proved to break the camel's back on that theory. Byleth was an innocent woman... She was at least innocent of being an imperial spy.
Though, this fact was not one that she could celebrate over. Byleth's mind was already going a new direction. The Empire still needed her head desperately, "Everyone... If Cornelia was that bold to capture me and run, how else do you think they may try to catch me?" The question brought out dangerous implications.
It was Rodrigue that realized it first, "Where else would be closer to the Empire than at Arianrhod? Goddess... We need to act now." The duke was alerting his horse right away and riding off toward Gwendal's position.
The other three soon came to put the pieces together. Felix's expression darkened when everything came into place. It appeared that he understood it well, "So, there really will be a battle. Judging by how they intended to run you across the border... we have little time to wait." Gaspard territory and their line of defense would do little to halt imperial forces. They did not have a battle ahead.
There was an invasion set on catching the apostate and would be upon the fort in a matter of hours.