Byleth stood in the war council room staring out the window as she thought on all that had happened since she returned. Ever since she woke up, so much had transpired at such an alarming rate she truly hadn't had a moment to process any of it. The last thing she remembered was being sent over the edge of a cliff by Thales' spell. And then all of a sudden she was waking up in a river downstream of the monastery five years later.
She didn't doubt the time had passed— she could see as much in her students. But where she could see the years in her students' appearances and demeanours, she herself felt unchanged. Her hair hadn't even grown an increment in all those years.
In the Sealed Forest, Sothis had given the Professor her power to help them escape the darkness Solon had trapped them in. She realised now that she had never truly grasped the scope of those powers.
"Ah, Professor, I'm glad I caught you."
Byleth turned around to see Lord Rodrigue entering the room, striding over to join her by the window.
"Lord Rodrigue." She dipped her head in greeting.
"I wanted to speak to you about the letter we found on Ladislava at the Great Bridge of Myrddin." He said casually, hands clasped behind his back as he looked out the window.
"What about it?" She asked, curious about his intentions, though not guarded.
"What do you make of these rumours?" He tilted his head to look at her out of the corner of his eye.
"We've heard nothing of such a ghost story at the Monastery." Byleth frowned in thought. "Thought the letter implies all of the individual's activities have been within the Adrestian border, so it's not unfounded that we would not have any reports on it."
"Do you believe in ghosts?" Rodrigue asked with a coy smile.
"No." She shook her head. "But I do believe that two rational people such as Ladislava and Edelgard would not put stock in rumours unless there was some aspect of truth involved."
"I myself came to the same conclusion." Rodrigue nodded in agreement.
"Do you believe it could be the work of an individual like the letter says?" Byleth turned to look at the Fraldarius Lord curiously.
"It's improbable." Rodrigue shrugged. "But not impossible. I have seen how His Highness fights in his…changed state of mind. It would not be outside the realm of possibility that someone with as much rage and as little to lose as he could take on a battalion alone with the element of surprise."
"If that is true, let's hope their rage is only directed at the Empire." Byleth murmured, wondering who else in all of Fodlan could have a rage and a loss to match Dimitri's.
"Well, we perhaps owe our victory at the Great Bridge of Myrddin to them for keeping aid away from Ladislava." Rodrigue surmised. "So for the time being if they are an enemy of the Empire I will consider them an ally of ours."
Before the two of them could continue their conversation any further, the rest of the war council began to pour in. Byleth mulled over the prospect as everyone found their seats. It was true that they most likely owed their ability to take the Great Bridge of Myrddin in part to this mysterious thorn in the Empire's side. But she wasn't so sure they should let their guard down in considering this person an ally. For now, their rage was aimed at Adrestia, but there was no guarantee that that would remain the truth forever.
"We have received a report from our spy. It would seem the Empire is gathering troops at Fort Merceus. This is undoubtedly in response to us taking the Great Bridge of Myrddin. Their numbers are more than double ours. We believe that the emperor herself may be leading them..." Gilbert began their meeting, casting a wary eye at Dimitri at the mention of Edelgard.
The prince, for this part, remained silent, yet everyone could feel a shift in his demeanour. His one good eye darkened with malice at Gilbert's words.
"If House Riegan can reconcile with House Gloucester sooner than later... Then Claude can proceed with his plan to rally the Alliance lords, gather troops, and invade Empire territory." Gilbert continued.
"At this rate, three military forces will be clashing at Gronder Field." Rodrigue mused.
"Just like the Battle of the Eagle and Lion..." Byleth murmured to herself.
"If you wish to indulge in nostalgia, do it elsewhere." Dimitri, who had heard from his place beside her, snapped.
" I'm afraid the difference in military strength is far from negligible. While we are elite soldiers, I am still uneasy about this..." Rodrigue trailed off in thought, looking uncertainly around at the youths gathered around the table with him.
"If possible, I'd like to request reinforcements right away. If we can rely on any of the major Kingdom houses for military support, it would be...House Charon, I'd wager." Gilbert offered with a pointed look towards Catherine.
"Why them?" Byleth asked.
She also turned her gaze towards Catherine, following Gilbert's glance. Rhea's devoted knight had returned to the monastery along with the rest of the Church forces once news of the Professor's return had spread. To Byleth's knowledge, she had stayed with Seteth and Flayn and the remaining Knights of Seiros throughout the war as they ceaselessly searched for the Archbishop.
"House Charon has yet to declare fealty to the Empire." Gilbert elaborated.
"It is also...my home." Catherine sighed. " I will make the request to my father. With things as they are, I don't think he can refuse. The Church has long protected me. I am certain that any request from the church will be answered to the utmost of their ability."
"Very well. We're counting on you, Catherine." Rodrigue nodded to her.
"I suppose that is all we can do for now." Gilbert frowned.
"So it would seem." Rodrigue agreed before continuing in thought. "Though, if there are any other avenues worth exploring, I would suggest..."
"Allying with the Alliance?" Byleth supplied.
Her mind had gone in much the same direction after Gilbert's mention of House Riegan. She remembered Claude's interest in her, how he often vocalised his wishes that she had chosen to lead the Golden Deer over the Blue Lions. And she also had memory of him being quite close with Eve. And by extension he had at least been cordial with Dimitri if not a friend of his as well. She had wondered if those school days ties would be compelling enough to make him an ally.
"Ah, good point. We have no reason to engage the Alliance directly." Gilbert nodded.
"Even if we do receive Count Charon's aid, we still won't have the troops we need to face the Empire." Rodrigue said.
"But if we join forces with the Alliance, then our numbers will rival the Empire's." Gilbert finished the Fraldarius Lord's thought.
"Let's join forces." Byleth said firmly.
"Agreed. It's about the only thing we can do." Gilbert echoed her sentiment. "For now, let's send a messenger, and try to figure out what the Alliance hopes to achieve."
" It's hard to believe this decisive battle will take place at Gronder Field... I image that place is full of memories for all of you." Rodrigue looked around at the Blue Lions with a hint of remorse in his tone.
"We won the Battle of the Eagle and Lion back in the day. It seems like a lifetime ago..." Mercedes trailed off, nostalgia misting over her eyes.
"I can't help but remember, even though I wish I didn't." Ashe bowed his head down.
"Our feast after the battle... I remember it well. We all had so much fun together." Ingrid chimed in, wincing at the juxtaposition of such a happy memory to their current situation.
"No! Please, stop it." Annette shook her head as she cried out. "I had finally put all of that out of my mind... This isn't right. They're our friends! We used to study together. We shouldn't be fighting them."
"Why not march up to Her Majesty and remind her of that?" Sylvain asked sarcastically. "Oh, that's right...because you want to live to see tomorrow."
"No matter who the enemy is, I will fight for His Highness." Dedue said, thought his usual stoic demeanour was tinged by the memory of their friends.
"Tell me, boar prince." Felix turned to cast an accusatory glare at Dimitri. "Do we stand a chance?"
"Who knows..." Dimitri muttered.
"If we lose, we'll have died for you. I hope you know that." Felix narrowed his eyes at him.
"That's enough, Felix." Rodrigue intervened when Dimitri did not reply. "We must focus on the battle ahead."
"Make your peace before we depart. It's kill or be killed out there. We will cross blades with the Empire, but it's possible we will also have to strike down the Alliance." Dimitri finally spoke.
"Your Highness..." Gilbert looked at him with concern. "Do you feel no hesitation about killing your former friends?"
"If they must die, I will kill them. Nothing could be simpler." Dimitri said with a sense of finality before standing to leave the room.
An air of gloom was left in the war council room as silence settled over all of them. Each person present had known that the road ahead would not be an easy one. However only now, faced with the possibility of having to strike down people they had considered friends, did they realise just how difficult this war would be. But there was nothing that could be done. This was war. All there was to do now was wait for responses from House Charon and the Alliance and hope that they could scrap together enough forces to take on the Adrestian Empire.
Felix knew he would find his father in Abyss drinking the piss they passed off as ale. The fool was predictable and Felix knew that he would have taken his men out for a drink to lift their morale in the face of the daunting battle that was to happen on Gronder Field. Even before he entered the grimy hole that the residents of Abyss tried to call a tavern, Felix could hear his idiot father's voice laughing jovially as if they weren't all in the midst of a war.
"And that's when he said—!" Rodrigue stopped himself mid-story when he spotted his son. "Felix?"
"I need to speak with you." He said, shifting awkwardly under the watchful eyes of his father's men.
"Join us, Felix." Rodrigue motioned with a grin, though his eyes were suddenly more serious. "Have a drink with me and my men."
"Lord Rodrigue, I think we'll retire for the night." One of his soldiers, picking up on the tension, stood as he spoke.
A chorus of similar sentiments rippled through the rest of his men as they all stood as well.
"Please, you needn't leave on my behalf." Felix said only out of courtesy.
"It's getting late, we'll let you have some time with your father." The same soldier said with a curt nod to both his lord and his lord's son.
"Care for a drink?" Rodrigue asked after his men had cleared out and Felix took up a seat next to him.
"I don't know how you can stand to drink that stuff." Felix grimaced in distaste.
"After the first one you're drunk enough to not mind the taste." Rodrigue joked with a hearty laugh.
"I didn't come here to drink and make merry." Felix said.
"Yes, my son, I know." Rodrigue sobered up, setting his drink down. "What is it you wish to discuss?"
"I've been thinking." Felix paused as he second guessed himself. "…About Eve."
He swallowed thickly, already overcome by emotions he wished he didn't have. Just a few moments ago he had been sitting in the greenhouse again, thinking about Eve and their time together. As he had been sifting through his memories of her, a particular instance had piqued his interest.
When he had called upon his classmates to help him and his father subdue some bandits in Fraldarius territory, hoping to give Eve a chance to go home, he had overheard a conversation between her and his father. They had been familiar, far more than he had expected even knowing her ties to his family. And she had said that she didn't intend on telling Felix the whole truth.
He had thought that the only mysteries to Eve were her service to House Fraldarius and the nature of her Crest. And for the life of him, Felix could not conjure up any ideas of what else she could be hiding that would be more absurd than her powers of resurrection.
"Ah, yes." Rodrigue looked down and Felix was taken off guard by the remorse in his father's voice.
Of course Eve had been familiar with him as the person she had sworn fealty to in exchange for protection. But had they truly been so close that his father would look as though he were mourning a close family member at the mention of her?
"I know she served our house and I must have had contact with her before coming to the Officers Academy, but I have no memory of this." Felix said. "We became very close during her time here, and now that she's gone I wish I knew more about her."
"Felix, I'm not sure what you'd like me to say." Rodrigue frowned.
"What was she like at the house?" He asked. "She seemed close with you, is that true?"
"Eve was my attendant." Rodrigue digressed. "The nature of her service to House Fraldarius meant that she needed to be by my side. She was very adept at blending in, though, which is likely why you never noticed her."
"How did she come to serve House Fraldarius?" Felix pressed. "Out of all the houses in Faerghus— in Fodlan— why us?"
"How did she?" Rodrigue hummed, looking up at the ceiling as if trying to remember. "So long ago now that in my old age I have somehow forgotten..."
Felix squinted at his father, wondering why all of a sudden he would clam up like this. Was there something about the way that Eve came to serve his family that revealed a secret about her? And even if that was the case, why would his father be so keen on keeping her secrets.
"Was she already living in Faerghus at the time?" Felix tried again, determined to get an answer of some sort. "Did she arrive with anyone else? Alone?"
"Felix, why are you asking all of these questions all of a sudden?" Rodrigue frowned, clearly feeling cornered by Felix's barrage.
"I need to know more about her." Felix huffed in frustration.
"But why, my son?" Rodrigue shook his head. "Is it not enough to remember her as you knew her?"
"No, it's not!" Felix raised his voice in frustration. "When we were in Fraldarius she told you she didn't intend on telling me the truth. I need to know what she was hiding from me."
"If Eve herself did not wish to tell you the truth, why then would I be at liberty to share her secrets?" Rodrigue asked with a shake of his head.
"Because she's gone." Felix could feel his tone bordering on pleading and he felt pathetic for it. "She's gone and you're the only living person who could tell me."
"I do not believe that she shared the truth with even her husband, my boy." Rodrigue sighed.
"Because she didn't love him." Felix hissed. "You forced her to marry the boar, but she didn't love him. She loved me."
He blinked in shock at his own confession, seeing his bewilderment mirrored in his father's expression. But what he hadn't expected was to see something mysterious cloud over Rodrigue's demeanour at his outburst. He looked almost upset at the prospect that Eve could have loved Felix.
"What are you talking about, Felix?" Rodrigue asked soberly.
"Eve and I were in love." He said, faltering under the unknown expression his father wore.
"She told you this?" Rodrigue pressed. "She told you, in no uncertain terms, that she was in love with you?"
"Well… she told Glenn." Felix murmured.
"Your brother?" Rodrigue's eyes grew darker as Felix spoke.
"When the Blue Lions came to Fraldarius." Felix elaborated. "I found her in the cemetery talking to Glenn's headstone. She told him she thought she was in love with me."
"She thought." An increment of relief lightened Rodrigue's tone slightly. "But she did not say to you plainly that she loved you?"
"It doesn't matter if she didn't say it." Felix grew frustrated as his father tried to demean his relationship with Eve. "I love her, and I know what was in her heart."
"You don't know what you're talking about, Felix." Rodrigue shook his head. "Though, I suppose it is of no import now that she is gone."
"What do you mean I don't know what I'm talking about?" Felix asked angrily. "You're the one who doesn't understand!"
"I understand too much, my boy." Rodrigue ran a hand through his hair. "You and I both wish she were here to answer our questions, but alas she is not. You may cling to your memory of her as you knew her to be, but I will not tarnish your view of her with secrets she did not wish you to know."
"Tell me her real name." Felix blurted, remembering when Eve had offered the knowledge that her name was not her own to appease him.
"I will do no such thing." Rodrigue stood to leave. "If you loved her as you say, why would you fight so adamantly to oppose her wishes?"
And with that, Rodrigue left the tavern with Felix sitting there feeling like a fool. Felix had never known his father to be this harsh about anything in all his years. Sure, they didn't have the best relationship, but Felix was willing to admit that the animosity came mostly from his end. So why was it that mention of his relationship with Eve had caused such a reaction in his father?
Either way, this avenue of getting answers had been a dead end. Now, Felix had the battle that was to happen at Gronder Field to look forward to. The boar may have a vendetta against Edelgard, but Felix would be damned if he let that beast kill her before he got answers about Eve from her captor.
A/N: apologies for yet another late update. I have been very busy with work, but I'm going to try to keep to updating on Fridays only now I will switch to every other Friday. Thanks for your patience! Also, during this chapter in game, Yuri mentions Felix and Rodrigue having a conversation and that they have a lot to work out when byleth speaks to him in Abyss. I always wondered what it would have been that they talked about which was inspo for this chapter.