Sorry this chapter took so long to come out. I haven't felt inspired to write much lately. Probably won't be able to get a chapter out next week either, so you'll have to wait a while.


Shamir burst into the room. "We have a problem."

Everyone looked at her. "What kind of problem?" Rhea asked.

"Lord Lonato is leading a militia to Garreg Mach," Shamir informed her.

"He must not have gotten my letter!" Ashe said, worried. "He must think I'm still missing."

"Gather the Knights of Seiros," Rhea told Shamir.

"Is that really necessary?" Dimitri asked.

"I hope not, but Lonato may not listen to reason, and we cannot afford to show weakness," Rhea said. "I fully intend to try to resolve this peacefully, but we will do so from a position of strength."

"Very well," Dimitri agreed.

"I'm sure as soon as Lord Lonato sees that I'm all right, he'll send the militia home," Ashe said optimistically.


When Lonato's militia reached the vicinity of Garreg Mach, the Church leaders held up a flag of truce. "Let's hope Lonato doesn't try anything stupid," Felix said.

"Attacking someone under a flag of truce is an unforgivable crime," Ashe assured him. "He'll meet with us before he tries to attack. If only because he wants to make sure we understand why he brought a militia here. See, here he comes now," he pointed out Lonato and his retinue, who had their own flag of truce.

Rhea and Lonato both led their retinues to the center of the field. "Where is Ashe?" Lonato demanded.

"Lord Lonato! I am here!" Ashe said. "I assure you, Lady Rhea and the Church have not tried to harm me."

Lonato looked at Ashe, and a furious look crossed his face. "You think you can fool me with an impostor? What have you done with Ashe?"

"But I am Ashe!" Ashe protested. "I can prove it! Ask me something only Ashe would know!"

"You be silent, impostor!" Lonato shouted.

"This is no impostor," Rhea said. "The reason Ashe looks older is long and complicated, but I would be willing to explain it to you."

"I have had enough of your lies, heretic!" Lonato spat. "Were we not under a flag of truce, I would kill you where you stand!"

"It is you and the Western Church who are the heretics," Rhea said. "And if you truly wish to kill me, then so be it. Let us put our respective stories to the test in the highest court of all."

"Trial by combat?" Lonato asked.

"I shall fight for myself; no champion shall represent me," Rhea promised Lonato. "If anyone wishes to fight for you—"

"No, I will be the one to kill you," Lonato told her.

"Lord Lonato, please! Don't do this!" Ashe begged.

"Name the time and place," Rhea said.

Lord Lonato seemed to want to say 'here and now,' but a better idea struck him. "The place shall be the Garreg Mach Monastery training grounds. The time shall be at dawn tomorrow."

"So be it," Rhea said.


Ashe went to beg his adoptive father not to go through with the duel once more, this time in private. "Please, Lord Lonato! You have to know that it's me! You took me and my siblings in after catching me trying to steal from you, you taught me how to be a proper knight."

"Even if you really are Ashe," Lonato forestalled him, "I will not call off the duel. That witch Rhea killed my son. I cannot forgive her."

"Christophe tried to assassinate her!" Ashe tried to reason with him. But it was clear Lonato wasn't listening. "Please," Ashe begged. "I don't want to watch you die."

"I will not die," Lonato said. "The Goddess will grant me victory."

"No, she won't!" Ashe said. "She favors Rhea! She'll let Rhea kill you!"

"If that is true, and Christophe's execution was just, then I will accept my judgment by the Goddess," Lonato said. "But I will not back down."


The next morning, the duel commenced. Lord Lonato was given one last chance to back out, which he refused. When the bell rang to signify the beginning of the duel, he charged at Rhea, intent on skewering her with his spear.

Rhea sidestepped his thrust easily and brought her sword down, cutting through the haft of his spear and severing his right hand.

She raised her sword to behead Lonato, but her eyes were drawn to Ashe's pained expression as he watched.

"What are you waiting for? Finish it!" Lonato demanded.

After a moment's hesitation, Rhea made a decision. She put her sword back in its scabbard and cast a healing spell to close Lonato's wound.

"The duel is over," she declared.

Lonato looked at her, then at the severed head of his lance. "Don't," Rhea warned him. "I have decided to show mercy. Don't be a fool."

"Mercy?" Lonato asked. "You killed my son, you executed him for crimes he did not commit, and now you want to show mercy?"

"Do you know why Christophe took responsibility for the Tragedy of Duscur?" Rhea asked angrily. "It was because he hoped it would bring an end to the murder of the people of Duscur! He hoped that with justice seen to be done, the Punishment of Duscur would end, and that his ties to the Western Church would see them discredited and their calls for the continued crusade against the Duscuri ignored! He was willing to sacrifice his life and his legacy for the people of Duscur! He begged me to let him do so!"

Lonato stared at her in shock. It wasn't possible, that was...exactly the sort of thing Christophe would do.

Still...

"I don't want your mercy," Lonato said. "If my son really did choose death, then so do I."

Rhea's eyes narrowed with anger. "You foolish, selfish cur!" she said hatefully. "You have three remaining children who need you! They may not be yours by blood, but they are the children you chose! And you would abandon them to feed your own self-pity? You don't have the right to choose death."

Not waiting for a response, she turned her back on him and walked off.

Lonato considered trying to stab her in the back, but he stopped. This was a test of character, he realized. If he tried stabbing her, he would be killed, either by her or by one of the archers watching the duel for any sort of cheating.

And Rhea was right. He didn't have the right to choose death. He did have children to care for.


When Rhea left the dueling grounds, she encountered Ashe. Ashe smiled at her. "Thank you."

"If he sets an army against the Church again, I will not show mercy a second time," Rhea warned Ashe.

"I understand," Ashe said. "I'll make sure he doesn't."

"Good," Rhea said.

Ashe then went to tend to Lord Lonato. "I don't get it," Lonato said. "Why did she get so angry?"

"Because she has an adopted son of her own," Ashe told him. "He was one of the ones who went missing and returned. I think she's regretting not having spent more time with him."

Lonato looked at Ashe. "It really is you, Ashe. No one else would have cried for me like you did when you thought I was going to die. How did you get older?"

Ashe helped Lonato up. "I think we have a lot to talk about."