Author's note:
Welcome to my next fanfiction. This time the fanfiction will be in the universe of Fire Emblem: Three Houses. This idea came to me then I played Crimson Flower again. I thought about what might happen then Jeralt and Byleth didn't follow Edelgard, Dimitri, Claude and Alois back to Garreg Mach. Well, I should say that they didn't meet Alois because he is late. Problem solved! ^^
All right belongs to their owners. I only own my OCs which… to be honest will be not so many this time (hopefully).
Also, at the beginning of each chapter, I declare the date. Sometimes the dates correspond with the game, sometimes they do not. Certain events might occur earlier or later than in the game.
Chapter 1 – Coming to Enbarr
2nd Ethereal Moon; Imperial Year 1185
War had broken out five years ago. Everyone in their mercenary group knew this. After all, they participated in some battles between the Alliance, the Empire and the Kingdom. The side they took would depend only on their loan. Sometimes they fought alongside the Alliance, sometimes against them. But at least they didn't suffer from hunger because they were one of the strongest mercenary groups in Fodlán. Something Byleth was actually proud of.
However, the 26-year old woman didn't feel much. She was very cold-hearted and ruthless, never showing mercy to her enemies. While her father, Jeralt Eisner, tried to explain on several occasions what emotions were, she simply couldn't understand him. In the end, these conversations ended with a quote from her that she didn't understand what he was talking about resulting Jeralt to sigh in expiration.
Byleth narrowed her eyes while sitting on her horse, a brown stallion and the son of Jeralt's mare. She simply called her horse, well, horse while any other member of their mercenary group gave their horses names. She simply didn't understand the concept of names.
"So, kiddo…" Jeralt said glancing to her. "Do you have any questions?"
"Regarding to what?" she asked in her emotionless voice.
"Regarding to Enbarr. You haven't been there before."
"Why should I have any questions?"
Seriously, this was getting ridiculous. He asked her countless of questions of what she thought about certain things. And every time she would answer him with the question as to why should she have any questions. It was infuriating for her father.
"Well, I thought you might be interested in the Capital of the Adrestian Empire." he replied smiling.
"Why should I be interested? It's just another location in Fodlán."
Jeralt sighed and palmed his face before looking into the distance. He could already see the gates to Enbarr. He hadn't been there for a long time considering it was actually his birth place. But he had no connection to it… not anymore at least. Because his family died. He was actually a noble at one point but similar to his older sister he didn't inherit a Crest meaning he was chased out of his family then he was ten. In the end his family, the Reus family, died and there was no survivor, except for him. They could have saved themselves if they had let their children without Crests stay alive instead of chasing them out and killing them or let them be killed. Jeralt was just lucky that a mercenary found him and adopted him. The mercenary shook his head and halted his mare.
"Alright, everyone. We are near Enbarr. I will negotiate with Her Majesty to get a good loan. Kiddo, you come with me." Jeralt decided.
"Understood, father." Byleth replied.
"But what about us, Jeralt sir?" a mercenary from their group, his name was Larson, questioned.
"You wait here until our return."
"Understood, sir." Larson agreed and mounted from his steed.
Jeralt waved at his mercenaries and mounted from his mare. His daughter did the same before they headed to the gate. Byleth looked to their companions, her brows furrowed slightly. She wasn't entirely sure if offering their service to the current Empress* of the Adrestian Empire was a good idea. But further thoughts were interrupted by a gate keeper.
"Greetings, strangers!" the gate keeper said in a cheerful voice. "Oh my! If that isn't Jeralt! I haven't seen you in 26 years! How have you been?"
"Ah, it's you…" he replied sounding annoyed. At least he is not Alois…
"And who is the lady next to you?"
"I'm Byleth." she answered.
"My name is Marth*. I was a former gate keeper of the Garreg Mach Monastery. I've met Jeralt several years ago… Are you his new wife?"
"No. He is a complete stranger to me." she tried to joke with a blank expression on her face because Larson once said that she could make some jokes.
Byleth, however, did not really understand the concept of jokes and thus such sentences could cause a lot of trouble for her father. And truth to be told, Jeralt was shocked. If he drank something he would have choked. In his thoughts he was wondering what his daughter was thinking by telling that thing. Didn't she know he could get into trouble if she said something like that? Marth could assume that he had kidnapped her.
"By-Byleth!" he sputtered dumbfounded. "She isn't a stranger! She is… my daughter…"
"Oh! I see. So, you have remarried after Sitri's and your child's death." Marth replied.
"Y-yes…" he lied having no strength to tell him the truth that Byleth was the supposed dead child.
Byleth found that her father was pushing her through the gates. She shot a look to the gate keeper who now was talking to a blue-haired man. She focused her eyes on the street again. She wasn't going to waste any thoughts on those two men. She should focus on the job the Empress of the Adrestian Empire would gave them. If her father agreed to her terms. Her eyes travelled to him. She wanted to ask him something but a loud neighing interrupted her.
Both father and daughter watched how several people tried to calm a black horse who had broken free. It rose to its back legs and broke free from the hold two men had. The horse neighed again and came to its front legs before galloping away into one of the streets.
"Get that horse! If we don't catch her we will end up dead! Lord Jeritza doesn't make empty threats" someone shouted.
"We can't! She is a beast!" another man shouted back.
He was holding his arm. Blood seeped through his hand meaning that he had broken his arm. He hissed in pain.
"Alright, kiddo. We are going to capture this horse." Jeralt decided and rushed after the horse.
Byleth's eyes narrowed slightly. That horse was a beast… She couldn't deny it. But she also knew that you shouldn't rushed to a horse which was clearly in panic. This was one of the first things her father had taught her once she got her stallion. She shook her head and rushed after the mare as well. Once she reached her, she was already cornered by several people each holding a whip or a rope in their hands. Jeralt himself stood in front of the horse trying to calm it down. However, the mare didn't want to be calmed. It reared up again and wanted to attack her father. He barely managed to dodge by rolling to his side. The horse came down again and put her ears back. She flared her teeth and bit him ins arm causing him to cry out in pain.
Byleth rushed towards her father and raise her hands while not looking the mare into her black eyes. The horse was panting heavy glaring into the young woman's eyes. She took some deep breaths and carefully took some steps towards the horse. It put her ears back yet again and wanted to bit her.
A high whistle let the mare calm down. Byleth narrowed her eyes curiously. The horse trotted towards a tall man with blond hair tied back into a pony tail. He was wearing a white tunic and black pants. The horse nuzzled her snout to the man's head and gave a low grumble. The man petted her on her long neck. Then the man began walking away. The horse followed him without hesitation as if nothing had happened or more like she hadn't been rampaging not two minutes ago.
"This man…" Jeralt said.
Byleth casted a glance to her father not really getting what he was implying.
"He is actually a warrior. You saw how he moved. He is really strong, trust me on that one, kiddo. If you end up ever fighting him, be very careful and consider your movements." he warned her.
"Understood, father." she replied.
"Promise me to be careful around him. There is an eerie aura around him like he is set out to kill anyone who dared to threaten him, his loved ones or his friends. If he had one." Jeralt added. "Besides… that horse… It is a special breed known as Ventus Nigri, Black Horses of Wind. They are highly intelligent creatures but wild like the wind. They were bred by none other than the Bartels, a family which died eighteen years ago. Why did this man have a Ventus Nigri? Could it be he…" he trailed off. "Never mind. Let's go, kiddo."
He walked again. Byleth followed him silently until they reached a huge building. She knew that this building was rather important due to its size and because of two guards standing in front of it. The two guards crossed their lances as Jeralt and Byleth neared the gate.
"Halt! What is your business here?" the one guard asked.
"I received a letter that Her Majesty wants to hire our mercenary group." Jeralt answered and pulled out the letter from a pocket of his jacket before unfolding it.
"Are you… Jeralt the Blade Breaker?" the other guard questioned and upon his nod he continued. "And that woman must be the Ashen Demon. Open the gate! They are the ones Her Majesty requested!"
The heavy gates were opened with a loud screech. Jeralt actually winced at the volume but Byleth kept a straight face. Once the gates were completely open, the mercenaries entered the giant main hall. Byleth had never seen something like that before and she was a little bit amazed. So amazed that she missed a black-haired man in dark garbs. She walked straight into his chest.
"Ah… You must be the mercenaries I've heard so much about… Jeralt, the Blade Breaker, and his daughter, Byleth, the Ashen Demon. It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Hubert von Vestra, Minister of the Imperial Household and Our Majesty's most loyal and most trusted advisor." the man spoke and bowed in a mocking fashion.
His eyes glinted with evil and Jeralt had to swallow. Cold sweat began covering his back. This man was truly fearsome in his own way. It would be no wonder if several people out of fear jumped off a cliff. Jeralt shook his head at those thoughts. Instead he followed Hubert to the throne room. On their way Vestra told them about the war and how he hoped that the Blade Breaker and Ashen Demon would change it if they joined the Black Eagle Strike Forces.
Byleth didn't really listen to him. Instead she focused on not to collide with any people. She tended to get lost in her own thoughts revolving around battles she fought. She would always analyze every little bit of such a battle and wondered if she acted different what the outcome would be. However, such thoughts were wasted thoughts. She could not change the past. The woman closed her eyes and in the next moment she collided with someone. She wanted to apologize but the one let out a high-pitched shriek. Byleth narrowed looked at the woman whom she had collided with. She was young and had purple hair.
"I-I a-am s-s-sor-ry!" the woman in front of Byleth stuttered.
She did not answer nor acknowledged the apology.
"Oh Bernie, what did you do again?" she asked herself quietly. "You should return to your room, Bernie. That would be a good idea."
"Bernadetta." Hubert said in a threatening voice causing her to shriek while he grinned wickedly. "Just a warning."
"Y-y-ye-e-s?" she mumbled.
"Next time pay attention to where you walk. You could stab someone with your needle."
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I am so sorry!" she apologized and rushed away.
Hubert laughed and shock his head grinning.
"So gullible. Yet I find it endearing…" he trailed off.
"She must have a difficult past if she acts like this…" Jeralt cut in.
"What I've heard her father abused her in order to raise her as a perfect wife." Hubert explained. "I would kill her father if I hadn't orders not to do so. But little accidents can happen like he stumbles and falls into a sword."
The Blade Breaker noticed how Hubert changed his demeanor. He didn't question it though. And maybe it was his imagination. In the end, he was in no place to question Vestra. Without further wasting any thoughts he and his daughter were finally led to the throne room.
Soon they saw a woman dressed in a red dress. Her unusual white hair was tied in such a way it looked both elegant and weird. The woman in question wore a brilliant crown on top of her head. She was not that old, in fact she looked like she was in her early twenties. However, her eyes held wisdom beyond her age.
"Welcome to Enbarr. My name is Edelgard von Hresvelg, I am the Empress of the Adrestian Empire**. First and foremost, let me express my gratitude for rescuing me and my fellow class mates five years ago, Jeralt. Without you and some of your mercenaries we wouldn't have been able to survive. However, we are not here to remember that distant memory… We are here because I want to hire you as soldiers of the Adrestian Empire." the Empress said and stood up from her throne.
She walked elegantly towards the two mercenaries much to Hubert's dismay. She was literally throwing caution to the wind. But Edelgard had never been a bad judge of people. Instead she could look at people and knew what they were thinking. The only person she couldn't do that was one of her generals but she knew why.
"The honor is on our behalf, Your Majesty." Jeralt replied and bowed.
Because his daughter didn't do the same thing, he grabbed her hair and forced her down in a bow as well. Byleth didn't know what to think of this and quite frankly, she didn't care. She only heard how Hubert muttered something which sounded like mercenary scums.
"So, tell me… How strong is your mercenary group?" the Empress questioned them.
"We currently have 20 men and one woman in our mercenary group. 15 men wield axes, 3 lances, and two faith magic. The mentioned three lance users are mounted units." Byleth started to explain coldly while Jeralt buried his face into his palms.
Then he smacked his daughter on her head. Pain shot through her skull but she didn't even flinch or grimaced. She just stared straight ahead like nothing happened.
"Why did you hit me, father?" she questioned him.
"It's just-" Jeralt began.
"It's okay. I am used to such behavior." Edelgard soothed. "Your daughter gave me useful information. Let's talk about your loan. 20,000 Gald should be enough."
"I'm humbly sorry that I talk back to you, Your Majesty… But 20,000 Gold is not enough for my men. We need shelter and food. Also, we have horses. They needed to be taken care of as well."
"Do not worry about that. As part of my army you will receive shelter and three times a day meal. Your horses will be taken care off as well. The Gold is your loan. You can buy weapons or do whatever other services you and your men like. So… Do we have a deal?"
Jeralt looked to his daughter who simply stared ahead of her then back to the Empress. He smiled and said:
"Deal."
Author's note:
* he is not the Marth from Shadow Dragon; it is just a nice Easter Egg
** I will stick with the title Empress instead of Emperor because it feels weird for Edelgard being addressed as the Emperor of the Adrestian Empire considering that she is female
People joining the Black Eagle Strike Force:
· Jeralt
· Byleth
· Larson
· Jeralt's mercenary group
