Ethereal Moon, Day 27, Imperial Year 1185
Byleth couldn't sleep.
Which was strange, given she had just spent the last five years doing exactly that. She thought...
Her return to Garreg Mach had been jarring for her, and shocking for everyone else. It seemed everyone had assumed Byleth was dead in the intervening years. Everyone, that is, except for Edelgard. According to Dorothea, Edelgard has always held out hope, no matter how many times Hubert and Ferdinand insisted she must accept her teacher's death and move on. Boy, did those two have egg on their faces now.
The return, while joyous, had also been... heartbreaking. Bernadetta had taken it especially hard - unsurprising, given how Byleth was one of the few people the young woman truly, genuinely trusted in her life. So seeing her break down in tears upon being reunited, conjuring the image of her doing exactly the same upon Byleth's supposed death, made Byleth feel wretched. Her only solace was Bernadetta's insistence that she didn't blame her, and Petra's observations that Bernadetta was much more outgoing these days, thanks to Byleth's influence.
Byleth decided she should try and resolve this situation as soon as possible. And since she doubted she was getting to sleep any time soon, she thought she might as well go and see if Bernadetta was still awake. If not, she'd at least get some fresh air on her way there and back.
With her cloak and boots on, Byleth headed out the door and made the short trek across the grounds to Bernadetta's room. Unbeknownst to the young woman herself, and perhaps to anyone else besides Byleth, Bernadetta's snoring could get quite loud, to the point that one could often hear her from the door. Luckily for her, everyone else had always been too unconscious to care, or had felt sympathy enough towards her to spare her the humiliation. Byleth was fairly certain Bernadetta would leave the academy forever if she was found out, even if only by herself.
Byleth crept up to and pressed her ear against the cold wooden rectangle keeping her out of the recluse's room. The snoring was on the quiet end this time, surely only to be heard by those who knew to listen out for it. She was asleep then. Byleth opted to quietly step away from the door and return to her own room. A chill wind was starting to pick up and she didn't much like the thought of having to explain how she'd managed to come down with a cold overnight. She was sure Hubert would force her to down some wicked concoction that was both an effective medicine and a vile sludge that would ensure the professor would 'never jeopardise Lady Edelgard's ambitions again'."
Byleth spared one last look at the beautiful moon hanging low over the fishing pond and made her way back to her room. The moon inspired numerous memories of past nightly activities, from exploring the grounds, to meditative fishing, to following a sleepwalking Edelgard, to looking for the missing Flayn during her abduction. So many memories in so short a time. Byleth couldn't help but feel a sensation of longing for the near five full years' worth of nights she would never get back. She wondered how those nights might have been filled, had she been here the whole time. Her late father had always taught her not to dwell on what-ifs, but even so, it was difficult not to let her mind wander in that direction for a while.
These ponderings ground to a halt as Byleth reached the top of the steps from the southern dorm area back to the northern, spotting her room back at the far end with its doors wide open. She knew for a fact she had closed them to keep the cold out and keep the Sword of the Creator safe while she was away. But someone had gotten access somehow and the legendary weapon could now be in jeopardy.
As far as Byleth was aware, the only other person with a key to her room was Hubert, who had keys to every room for his own, enigmatic, likely paranoia-driven reasons. But she doubted he would leave the doors open if he broke in. He was definitely smart enough to close the doors behind him as he slipped inside. Was it possible an enemy agent had gained access then?
Byleth was at the doors before she even realised she's started running. She almost tripped as she skidded to a halt. Soon after moving into this room over five years ago, Byleth had hidden a small dagger in the dirt beneath the bushes near her doors for just such an occasion. She unearthed and withdrew the weapon from the spot in which she had left it and slowly approached the doors.
From inside, she could hear a rather distinct sound. She had to stop moving to hear it properly over the hyperbolically loud sound of her own cautious footsteps. But once she did, there no mistaking it: someone inside was crying - sobbing, in fact. She might have assumed it was Bernadetta had she not just listened in at the young woman's door. Unless she had exited her room silently and moved around Byleth's back while the teacher was distracted by her moonborne memories, all without either one spotting the other, she doubted the young archer had left her room at all. But even so, the sound seemed familiar. Not the kind of sound she heard often, but one that had struck such a chord that it had been engraved deep into her heart for years.
Slowly peering around the door and into the room, Byleth's suspicions were confirmed. Standing in the middle of her room, clad in a thick maroon nightgown, stood Edelgard. Had Edelgard come to visit her during another bout of insomnia and concluded that Byleth had disappeared from her life for a second time? That seemed possible, briefly, until she noticed that the gown was about the only thing Edelgard was wearing. More memories from five years ago came back into Byleth's mind as she realised that this thicker gown, likely selected after her last night-time venture around the monastery, was accompanied by neither cloak nor boots.
Edelgard was sleepwalking again.
Closing the door gently and discarding the knife, Byleth softly approached Edelgard from behind.
"Professor..." the Emperor mumbled in a distraught tone between sobs. For moment, Byleth thought Edelgard might have noticed her, but her continued vacant staring at the back wall suggested she remained oblivious to her presence, lost in her own little world once again. Byleth had to wonder if this was Edelgard's condition resurfacing, or if this had become a regular thing since she had disappeared.
She stepped around Edelgard and waved a hand in front of her unresponsive, drenched, heartbreaking violet eyes. "Edelgard?" Byleth asked softly, receiving no response. "What's wrong?" she asked, a little more firmly.
"Professor..." Edelgard responded, but Byleth sensed she was speaking about Byleth, not to her. "She's gone..."
"No, I'm not, Edelgard. I'm right here."
"She's gone," Edelgard repeated obliviously. Her hands were rubbing at her eyes now as her sobs threatened to turn into wails. Despite being twenty-three years old now, even older than Byleth had been when she'd first started teaching, this young woman in her care breaking down like this, so vulnerable and distraught, meant Byleth could no longer see the proud princess she had once known, nor the driven Emperor who had taken her place. All she saw was a little girl who had lost one of the most important people in her world. Imagining that Edelgard likely felt similarly to how Byleth herself had when her father was killed made the Blade-Breaker's daughter act on instinct.
Byleth wrapped her arms around Edelgard tightly and pulled her head in towards her chest, causing a sharp gasp to escape her student's lips and disperse hotly against Byleth's breast. The hand that pulled Edelgard's head close began to stroke her hair gently, using the very technique Edelgard herself had taught her when she was having trouble petting one of the many cats that had once made the monastery their home.
"I'm here, Edelgard. And I'm never going to leave you again. I promise."
This seemed to placate the sleeping Emperor, who positively melted into Byleth's embrace. She uttered Byleth's title once more, but now in a softer, more content tone, leaning against Byleth more and more until the older woman was forced to gently stagger deeper into the room and lower herself onto her bed, bringing Edelgard down with her. She laid Edelgard down on the unmade bed, where she could get a better view of her face as she continued to soothe her by stroking her hair. Although her cheeks were still stained with tear streaks, her expression was now much softer and more peaceful. Byleth felt herself smile as she observed this transformation.
Of course, while Edelgard was calm, it was unlikely Byleth was going to be getting her back up to her new room at the opposite end of the monastery, up multiple flights of stairs. She'd have to let her settle in here for the night and try to get word to Hubert first thing, lest he worry for her safety. She gently moved Edelgard into a more comfortable position and draped the blanket over her sleeping student. After testing Edelgard's reactions to her pulling away, Byleth silently crossed the room to her dresser to make preparations for the morning.
It would be quite a scandal if Edelgard was seen crossing the monastery grounds, barefoot and clad only in a nightgown. Especially if Dorothea found out. Byleth dreaded what such rumours might do to Edelgard's self-image. She fished out some boots that fit Edelgard's style. She knew from past experience that their feet were roughly the same size. Edelgard's were the slightest bit bigger, affording Byleth more room than she was used to when Edelgard lent her a pair after one of hers was damaged, but she was sure the difference would be bearable long enough for Edelgard to walk back to her room, at least.
Next came a long black cloak with a long-forgotten symbol emblazoned across the back. This would definitely cover Edelgard's body and obscure fully what she wore underneath. The cloak was originally Jeralt's, worn during the winter, hence its great size compared to the two smaller women. As Byleth held the cloak in her hands, she caught the tiniest whiff of her father's scent on it. She held it closer and took a deeper whiff, a calming feeling of nostalgia washing over her as she did so. It was a reassuring feeling, like he was right there by her side, telling her to be confident in her plan of action: she could do this.
Byleth felt conflicted as she realised that lending the cloak to Edelgard might lead to the dispersal of Jeralt's scent, replaced by Edelgard's own. It felt as if Jeralt himself would fully depart this world were that to happen. With one last sniff, she could almost see her father standing beside her, telling her she was strong. She could do this.
Lost in thought, Byleth didn't notice as Edelgard crossed the room and wrapped her arms around her professor from behind. She let out a deeply relaxed "mmmm" as she clung to Byleth and lightly sniffed at her hair. The goosebumps on Edelgard's arms brushed up against Byleth's chin and made the younger woman's coldness more than apparent, even before her body shivered a little against Byleth's spine. Trying to ignore what she felt poking her back, Byleth let out a short sigh and turned around in Edelgard's embrace. She wrapped the cloak around Edelgard's shoulders and let it fully cover both of them from the shoulders down.
Facing Edelgard, Byleth saw that her tired eyes were just slightly open, suggesting she was running low on energy. Of course, she was still likely going to keep following her teacher if Byleth tried to leave now. So, she instead guided Edelgard back to the bed and wrapped her up tight, keeping the cloak for herself as she pulled over a chair, as she once had back in Edelgard's room. Even after settling down, Edelgard's brow would furrow occasionally, her hand reaching out to find Byleth, who would, each time, take that wandering hand in hers and Edelgard would settle right back down again.
Right around the time Byleth began to wonder how she herself was going to get any sleep without climbing under the covers to let Edelgard hold onto her all night, a light rapping sound came from the doors to her side. She heard the deep, unmistakeable voice of Hubert come in front the other side as he said her title in a low voice. Not wanting to risk disturbing Edelgard's rest any further, Byleth opted to simply trust that Hubert would invite himself inside, regardless, if the matter was urgent enough. And looking back at her bed, she was fairly certain she knew the reason for his visit.
By the time Hubert unlocked the doors with his own key, Byleth had one finger to her lips as she faced away from the bed. Meeting her gaze and nodding his understanding, Hubert quietly closed the doors behind him and approached. He looked over Edelgard's sleeping form and gave a curt bow of thanks to Byleth. Just after this, Edelgard rolled over on the bed to face the wall, her hand slipping free of Byleth's grasp. Theorising that Edelgard had finally slipped into a proper, peaceful sleep, Byleth stood from her seat and led Hubert back outside, Jeralt's cloak wrapped firmly around herself to stay warm.
"I thought she might come here again," Hubert stated quietly in a tone of uncharacteristic resignation. "My apologies, Professor. Regular dusting aside, your room's only use in the five years you've been gone is a refuge for Lady Edelgard during these nightly adventures. Your presence always calmed her, gave her strength. I imagine your lingering scent here gave her a sense of security."
"That would explain it, yes. When about did she start sleepwalking again?"
There was a brief pause as Hubert contemplated her question. "I take it you became aware of this condition back during our academy days?"
Byleth nodded. "I found her sleepwalking one night in... the summer, I think. I followed her around until she woke up and we talked a little about..."
"The experiments." The typically discreet Hubert must have been confident in the subject the two had discussed for him to state it outright, given how sensitive a subject it was for his mistress. Again, she nodded. "I see. Then, I can trust you to keep tonight's little jaunt a secret as well?"
"She'd be mortified if anyone else knew, I think."
Hubert chuckled. "That she would. Additionally, I would like to apologise in both her behalf and my own. Ever since this affliction resurfaced soon after your disappearance, it has been my duty to see to Lady Edelgard's safety. Tonight, I not only allowed her to escape my sight, but also disrupted your own rest through my inaction. We both know how... challenging it can be to keep Her Majesty out of trouble when she is in this state."
"Tell me about it," Byleth mused. "I fell into the fishing pond trying to wake her up last time."
The tiniest glimmer of a smirk crossed Hubert's pale lips for a mere moment. "Such are the risks we trusted few must take for the sake of Lady Edelgard and the Empire. But I would not push those risks onto you so soon after your return. You should get some rest. I will return her to her room."
"I slept for five years, Hubert," Byleth responded dismissively. "I can deal with a few sleepless nights. Especially since you already have so much on your plate."
"...While I appreciate the sentiment, Professor, it is unnecessary. Working tirelessly to bring Lady Edelgard's vision to fruition-"
"-is what brought your grades down as a student. You were easily one of the top students in my class, but you rarely lived up to your potential because of how you prioritised Edelgard over everything else. Your dutiful service is laudable, but you need to take the time to relax every now and then so your service to Edelgard doesn't suffer. Let me help you with this at least, while you focus on getting enough rest to properly assist Edelgard elsewhere."
Hubert seemed... actually taken aback for once. The Emperor's right hand was a difficult man to surprise, but it seemed that Byleth's words had genuinely done so. "I... will take your offer into consideration, Professor. For now, I ask only that you keep this affair a secret and return Lady Edelgard to her room should she find her way here again in future."
"I can do more-"
"I am well aware of your talents and your desire to assist Lady Edelgard. Truth be told, I respect both of those traits in you. But going out of my way to take on any bother Lady Edelgard causes for others is one of my primary duties. It is expected of me. You know as well as I how she would feel were she to cause problems for you as well. Especially so soon after you returned to her."
"I still think we should share the responsibility," Byleth grumbled.
"Why, Professor. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were jealous. Hoping to steal Lady Edelgard away from me, were you?"
Byleth simply tilted her head, unsure of the implication.
Realising his remark had flown over her head, Hubert simply shook his head. Before the conversation could go any further, the doors opened behind them and Edelgard once again wrapped her arms around Byleth from behind. Byleth undid her cloak and Hubert wrapped it around Edelgard before leading her back inside against her childish whining. She was soon back under the covers with Byleth sat by her side.
"This reaction seems quite severe," Hubert noted enigmatically. "But I think this is actually a good sign." In response to Byleth's quizzical look, Hubert elaborated. "Her Majesty's sleeping self's little quest to find you has been a long, fruitless one, and it has finally reached its conclusion. I ask that you allow her to... revel in her victory, as it were, until she gets it all out of her system. I suspect this will finally put a stop to these excursions."
"That makes sense, I suppose."
"Indeed. While I would rather not leave this task up to you, I do trust you to see it through for tonight. Rest assured, I will fulfil any task you are unable to from lack of sleep tomorrow."
"Even Bernadetta's private courage training?"
"...In all honesty, I wonder if I might produce greater results than you in that task."
"Actually, I think I can handle that one, at least."
Hubert chuckled performatively. "Very well. But I do sincerely mean that you can feel free to delegate any other tasks to make up for tonight's burden."
"Looking after Edelgard isn't a burden."
Again, Hubert's lips formed the tiniest of smiles. "I'm happy to have you back with us, Professor. Now, if you will excuse me, I will begin making preparations for Lady Edelgard's return to her room in the morning. Please, keep watch over her until then."
"I will. Good night, Hubert."
Hubert nodded as he closed the doors between him and the two ladies, leaving them in a silence only disturbed by Edelgard's occasional rolling over and mumbling. Byleth held onto Edelgard's hand for the rest of the night, even as she herself drifted off into a deep slumber. So deep was her sleep, in fact, that she managed to sleep through Edelgard pulling her hand closer and yanking Byleth out of her chair to land with her face and chest on the edge of the bed beside her student, who obliviously clung to her teacher's arm and slept happily for the first time in five long years.
A week had passed since then.
Edelgard stood halfway along the pier of the fishing pond, staring up at the moon. This sight, combined with recent events, led Edelgard's mind to that night five years ago, when Professor Eisner had found Edelgard stood in roughly this spot, doing much the same. But Edelgard was herself this night. She had not been guided here by her unconscious mind against the protests of her freezing body and sore feet. She had a thick black cloak wrapped around her, lent to her by the professor in the hope that her sleeping self might bring it with her on her excursions. And, of course, she wore some comfortable shoes to give her feet, sore from all the bare walking across stone walkways, some relief.
She had awoken the morning after that incident a few nights ago in utter bewilderment. It was not that she had found herself in the professor's room that stunned her. She had awoken there after nights where she refused to heed Hubert's requests to return her to her room many a time. Rather, it was the professor herself, sleeping by Edelgard's side at the edge of the bed, holding onto Edelgard's hand as she slept, that startled her.
She had been about to try to awaken the professor to demand answers when Hubert entered, having long since boiled down her sleep schedule during her nighttime ventures to an exact science. He explained that Byleth had agreed to look after her whenever she arrived in her room at night, Edelgard's image of the event a far cry from the full reality only Byleth was privy to: in her mind, she had arrived while Byleth was still in the room, like some secret midnight rendezvous Manuela or Dorothea might partake in, standing in the doorway in lustful anticipation until she was ushered quickly inside. It was only when Byleth was awoken by Edelgard's panicked shaking of the bed that the matter was put to rest.
Edelgard had not seen Byleth once since leaving her room that morning with Hubert. Well, she hadn't seen her while awake. During the day, she spoke to her teacher only through Hubert, while her nighttime self continued to seek her out every couple of nights. Hubert was able to keep tabs on her now that he knew her condition had returned, and would simply escort her there himself when he caught her, leaving her in their professor's care until morning.
But now, Edelgard felt a sense of relief in the return of her insomnia, as strange as that was to admit. Not strange enough for Hubert, though, who needed only Edelgard's assurance that she was fully aware of herself as she left her room earlier that night to return to his own duties.
And now, she was left alone with her thoughts and her burning cheeks. As she turned around and began making her way past the dorms, she supposed she should start speaking to Byleth again in the morning. Or perhaps right now, if she was having as much trouble sleeping as the Emperor was. She was worried that she might be worrying or upsetting the professor by keeping her distance, and she, herself, certainly didn't enjoy staying away from her so soon after getting her back into her life. And the last thing she wanted to do was cause undue trouble or stress for her teacher. After all, stress could lead to health issues, trouble sleeping, or-
The second she spotted Byleth crossing the path ahead of her, clad only in a black nightgown with no jacket or shoes, Edelgard knew exactly what was happening. She wondered if her second Crest might have actually made her condition contagious. Or was this some divine magic attack from Rhea to make the denizens of Garreg Mach active in their sleep to tire them out in their waking hours? Such thoughts were likely farcical, so she cast them aside and focused on what she knew for sure: Byleth was suffering the same affliction she often did, and it was now her turn to look out for her professor. She knew enough about how to deal with this situation from Hubert's numerous reports on her own nighttime expeditions that she was confident she could keep Byleth out of trouble for a few hours.
Edelgard quickly closed the gap between the two as Byleth began her journey around the monastery. "Professor?" she asked once she was close enough to speak to her without risking waking anyone else. "Where are you going so late at night?"
Despite the sleepy and somewhat inebriated look to Byleth's typically blank gaze, Byleth's lips curved into a smile. "Gdmornin," she slurred out as she wrapped her arms around Edelgard tightly, causing the Emperor's face to turn as red as her nightgown. She remained frozen in place for some time after Byleth had released her and moved on in the direction of the training grounds. Once she'd collected herself, Edelgard quickly gave chase.
She found Byleth inside the enclosed courtyard area, holding a wooden sword in a perfectly-practiced stance. Edelgard felt in awe as she observed the former mercenary's prefect posture, realising that, even with her missing five years of wartime, Byleth still likely had more combat experience than Edelgard, and may well have begun learning before Edelgard could even walk. The sheer gap between the two may have closed somewhat in recent years, but Edelgard still felt a stifling sense that she simply was not good enough to stand by the side of this incredible woman before her.
Edelgard had to force these thoughts to wait their turn to torment her, as Byleth came suddenly charging towards her, sword raised above her head. Reacting quickly, even before she realised she was in danger, Edelgard dodged to the side, narrowly evading the vertical strike that came to a stop an inch or so above the ground. Edelgard would have expected a sleepwalker to move with the effectiveness of a drunken Manuela swinging some object or other at a potential suitor that had scorned her. But this swing and those that followed were as focused and precise as if Byleth were actually awake.
In fact, Edelgard wondered briefly if this was all some elaborate practical joke to get back at Edelgard for disrupting Byleth's sleep so often. It would certainly require the kind of dedication Byleth put into most things she did, but she doubted even she would risk walking around the monastery, cold are barefoot, and to then incur further risk by attacking someone she knew could defend herself against such attacks, all in the name of some petty revenge.
Given the power placed into these swings, Edelgard had little doubt that Byleth really was still asleep, and seemed intent on having her student join her in slumberland as well. But Edelgard refused, grabbing a training sword of her own and putting what this very woman had taught her to use in blocking, deflecting and dodging the incoming swings. But she was only keeping herself from being struck. If she planned to put a stop to this, she needed to go on the offensive.
And the perfect opportunity arose when she noticed a nearby pail of water someone had not thrown out (probably Caspar, who was known to occasionally forget clean-up when he trained). There was just enough water in the pail to wake Byleth without soaking her completely. It was probably less than Byleth had fit into her boot five years ago (Edelgard had tested the volume out of curiosity while fixing its heel back then). She grabbed the pail and threw the water directly into Byleth's face, bringing her assault to an abrupt end.
Byleth seemed, for a moment, to have awoken, but her eyes remained distant and oblivious. If anything, the aquatic assault seemed only to have released Byleth from her distraction at the training ground and she immediately tried to leave. Edelgard chased after her with a towel, drying the older woman's hair as best she could as they walked through the moonlit monastery together. That thought made Edelgard realise that the two had taken such otherwise romantic walks together numerous times already, but they had rarely ever been fully lucid at the same time.
Once she thought Byleth was dry enough, Edelgard removed the cloak from around her shoulders and put it back around its original owner. This made Byleth stop walking. She pulled the cloak tightly around herself and began to softy cry. Edelgard had seen Byleth cry only once: the day her father died. She had claimed it was only the rain, likely to keep her students from worrying about her, but Edelgard knew better.
And it was a truly sobering thing to witness such a raw emotional display from someone who typically showed very little of it. And taking a better look at the emblem on the back of the cloak confirmed Edelgard's suspicions: this cloak had once belonged to Jeralt. Edelgard's heart swelled as she realised how important this article of clothing must be to her teacher, despite the seeming frivolity with which it had been lent to her. Edelgard pulled Byleth in close and hugged her. As inappropriate as such an act might still be, or how hard her heart was hammering in her chest, Edelgard knew that Byleth needed more than a friend right now. She needed family. And it fell to Edelgard to fill that role for the night.
Edelgard stroked Byleth's pretty green hair like she would a cat. "He's always with you, Professor," Edelgard cooed into Byleth's ear. "Take a quick whiff of his cloak and try to remember the good times you had with him." She felt Byleth inhale before she let out a relaxed "mmmm" and snuggled up against Edelgard. "Do you get a nice memory from the smell?" she asked, as if speaking to a child. And in terms of emotional development, she supposed Byleth was essentially that.
"Mm-hm..." Byleth hummed into Edelgard's chest. "Edie," she mumbled so quietly that Edelgard almost didn't hear her. But she did. And her face went bright red. Her cheeks were probably hot enough to warm Byleth up by themselves.
Byleth suddenly wrapped the cloak around Edelgard too, so that the two were locked in an embrace inside the snug warmth of the cloak. Edelgard could feel her pulse rising to dangerous levels from the proximity. She closed her eyes and attempted to rationalise everything going on right now to keep herself calm.
She had told Byleth to try and catch a scent from the cloak to remember good times with Jeralt. Edelgard had been wearing this across multiple nights, including this one. Therefore, Byleth simply smelled Edelgard on it, along with Edelgard's own musk from being in such close proximity, so Byleth instead thought of good times with Edelgard, achieving the desired effect, but in a somewhat different way.
And these feelings of happiness and security made her a little excitable, or she was subconsciously concerned for Edelgard's safety in the cold, or she was thankful for her advice. Whatever the case, her intentions when she wrapped the two of them up together were entirely pure. Probably.
While reaching these conclusions, Edelgard felt a sudden chill as Byleth released her from her grip and padded away, as if she had completely forgotten Edelgard was even there. Edelgard gathered herself and quickly set off after her wayward professor. As the sound of bare flesh slapping against cold stone filled the interior hallway they entered, Edelgard became acutely aware of Byleth's lack of footwear and contemplated trying to get her own shoes onto Byleth, but her own feet were worn out from her own nightly routine and so she prayed Byleth would forgive her selfishness, just this once.
Byleth entered the old Black Eagles classroom, Edelgard following close behind. The Emperor had opted to leave the classrooms as they were, rather than convert them into something more immediately useful. Part of it was the nostalgia for those old times creeping its way into her mind. Part of it was a show of good faith towards those students and soldiers from Alliance and Kingdom territory that had joined the Imperial forces. And part of it was Edelgard's intention to reopen the academy once the war was over, each of the three houses remaining as a symbol of the three regions that had united in peace under Edelgard.
She suddenly realised she had not explained any of this to Byleth and now wondered if the professor had considered the oddity of keeping the rooms as they were, or if she might have intuited Edelgard's motives all on her own. But neither option explained why Byleth had come here in her sleep. Perhaps, it was feeling of security, akin of Edelgard's visits to Byleth's room - this was Byleth's domain, where she was in total control, after all.
"Take your seats," Byleth commanded in an unfittingly sleepy tone as she reached the blackboard, covered in some unintelligible text that was definitely in Linhardt's handwriting, and turned to face her "class". Edelgard stared a while before realising Byleth was genuinely waiting for the real Edelgard to sit down, not simply one who existed in her dream. Once she did so, Byleth smiled a little, causing Edelgard to avert her eyes. "Eyes up front, Princess. We're about to begin." Ironically, it was the professor herself whose eyes seemed unfocused on the matter at hand, even as she noticed a pair of red-framed glasses nearby and put them on. These glasses were about he only thing about Byleth right now that gave off any impression of an educator. And they were also very cute on her...
What followed was a lengthy lecture about all kinds of topics, the discussion shifting from one to another with only an occasional segue to connect the two. Edelgard understood little of it, much of it seeming to be utter gibberish, although one particular subject actually allowed Edelgard to understand what Linhardt had written on the board. But despite how much of it was nonsense, Edelgard was enraptured, eyes never leaving her teacher once and taking in every single word.
She wasn't sure how much of this information was useful, but it was certainly interesting. One segment revealed a few tidbits about Byleth, such as the way she was raised by Jeralt, what little she knew of her late mother, and some of her regrets. It seemed the professor was saddened by the war that had broken out, dividing her students into rival armies that she was now forced to battle and potentially kill. Edelgard, of course, felt crushingly guilty for this, being the one to instigate this war.
"But... that is the life of a sellsword," Byleth said with a sigh that seemed not to be related to the discussion, but more her sleepy stretching. "Some of Father's men left... joined other groups that we fought. I can... fight them. But my students..." Byleth never finished the thought, simply standing with her head dropped into her chest, snoring lightly on her feet.
Edelgard was left to conclude the rest of the thought herself. Most likely, Byleth worried for the effect that fighting friends would have on her students. And of course, Edelgard was the one who had put her friends into this position. She stood and approached the sleeping professor, who seemed likely to be easier to lead back now. As her hands gently grasped Byleth's shoulders, the instructor spoke again.
"Not your fault... 's war... For peace..." After this attempt at reassurance, Byleth said nothing else, save for a tiny "okay" as Edelgard asked her to come back to her room. She was like a lost child in this state and Edelgard could only blush at the thought that this was how she always came across to Byleth and Hubert when she was sleepwalking. Edelgard stood before Byleth, who had clearly run through her reserve of sleepwalker energy and was ready for bed.
Despite the truly bizarre circumstances that had led to them, Byleth's words remained on Edelgard's mind as she turned them over in her head, contemplating what exactly the sleeping woman had meant by them. Edelgard could only read them as Byleth viewing this as a war for peace, one in which Edelgard was not responsible for the positions her former classmates had been forced into. This was untrue, of course, and Edelgard was sure a seasoned mercenary like Byleth was not naïve enough to think she was pure. She must know the truth of the matter, yes? So then, what was it that really motivated her to fight for the Empire?
"Pro-Professor?" Edelgard asked, fidgeting uncontrollably as she dreaded what answer might come from her question. "Why... do you fight for the Empire?"
"mnot..." Byleth mumbled at a volume only discernible thanks to the dead silence surrounding them.
"I don't understand," Edelgard admitted, truly baffled. "Do you mean to say you fight for money, or for peace, and the empire is the easiest way to get it?" She began to wonder if her long sentences were even getting through that sleepy haze that filled the green-haired woman's head.
Byleth lifted her heavy head, which wobbled uneasily, as if it contained enough weight to topple her entire body. Her eyes, for the first time that night, seemed to actually focus on Edelgard herself, not simply gazing blankly in her general direction. A strange sense of calmness overcame Edelgard as a true vestige of the woman she so respected and adored returned to answer more clearly than her sleeping self could: "iss you... fryu..."
"For... me? What does that mean?"
Rather than answer, Byleth began padding her way back out of the room and towards her bedroom, leaving the confused and frustrated Edelgard to follow quickly behind.
Edelgard remained vigilant, eyes darting this way and that as she guided her teacher by the hand, like some comedic role reversal, back to her room across the monastery grounds. Within minutes, they were back where they'd started. Byleth came to a halt at the double doors and made no move to open them. Once she had done it, Edelgard pulled Byleth gently inside and closed the doors behind them. Once Byleth was resting peacefully on her bed once again, Edelgard considered trying to hide all evidence of the excursion - reclaiming the cloak, cleaning the dirt and grime that had accrued on Byleth's legs, and leave quietly thereafter.
But seeing Byleth's sleeping face, so peaceful and calm, devoid of the unearthly emptiness of the last hour or so, she felt compelled to stay, to sit by her teacher's side as she had hers so many times before, to protect this truly incredible woman until her faculties returned to her. She wanted to do so much more for this person, but there was precious little she could do for her right now, save for watching over her as her body got the rest it had been deprived of thus far.
Edelgard couldn't help but smile as she watched Byleth's chest rise and fall, giving her an odd sense of déjà vu. Putting this oddity aside, Edelgard took her place in the chair beside the bed. She leaned forward to remove her boots and make herself comfortable for the night. She was sure Hubert would disapprove of, but understand, her decision to stay. As she was slipping off the second boot with a satisfying pop, she thought she heard Byleth mumble something. On instinct, she raised her head, finding Byleth's sleeping face waiting an inch away from hers before the professor closed in, kissed Edelgard on the cheek, mumbled out a sleepy "gnight", and fell face first into the carpet with a thud.
Edelgard sat in frozen silence for some indeterminant amount of time before quietly panicking over her teacher's reddened forehead. But despite what was sure to be a painful injury to wake up to in the morning, Byleth remained obliviously asleep, bringing to mind one of Edelgard's own sleepwalking mishaps from her youth, when she had tripped at the bottom of a flight of stairs, catching the attention of a patrolling guard and being swiftly returned to her father's side. The lump had taken a full week to go down...
Once Byleth was back in her bed, mummified with the blanket to keep her from moving again, Edelgard could finally relax. With a deep sigh, she sank back into her seat and put her feet up on the edge of Byleth's bed. As she pulled up Jeralt's cloak as a blanket for herself, she finally felt like this bizarre affair was finally over. As consciousness finally left her, she hoped that the next time the two went for a walk around the monastery grounds, they would both be doing so by choice and could fully appreciate their time together...
Edelgard's consciousness returned to her as a strange, unsettling sensation slowly took hold. It was a sort of quick, repeated scurrying feeling tormenting the sole of her left foot. It felt like a spider, or a rat-
Edelgard bolted up straight so quickly that Jeralt's cloak flew completely loose from her upper body. The sheer terror gripping her heart slowly receded as she saw that it was neither an arachnid nor a rodent tormenting her exposed flesh so, but rather her teacher's rapidly wriggling fingers. Despite the teacher's surprise at Edelgard's sudden reaction, there was still a glint of mischief in her eyes as her fingers didn't miss a beat.
"Th-That's quite some nerve, to tickle the Emperor without permission, Professor." Her stern tone was most likely difficult for the recipient to take seriously as she struggled to suppress her laughter.
"I couldn't help myself," Byleth said as she finally relented. "I'm not used to seeing them so clean."
Edelgard's ensuing blush threatened to burn Byleth's retinas. She quickly pulled her knees up to her chest and made sure her lower body was completely covered by the cloak.
Byleth smiled. "You did it, Edelgard."
All of a sudden, Edelgard felt like she was back at the academy, being praised for her performance by her favourite teacher. It was nice. She couldn't keep the grin off her face as Byleth's beautiful, proud smile bore into her. She looked desperately anywhere else and found her gaze locked on something specific. Byleth was lying on her front, her head and arms around where Edelgard's legs had been, while her own legs were pointed upwards, kicking back and forth like a child, Byleth followed Edelgard's gaze up to Byleth's not-so-clean feet.
"Oh," the until-now oblivious educator said simply, understanding everything all at once. "It was me." She seemed concerned as her eyes darted around the room to gather more information, lingering momentarily upon Edelgard's discarded boots and the emblem adorning the cloak she wore as a protective blanket. "You brought me back here?"
Edelgard nodded, unable to bring herself to speak as images of the previous night flooded her mind, taking advantage of the hole left in her defences by the sudden morning attack.
"I see." Byleth shifted her body so that she was sitting on her heels, cringing slightly as she remembered how dirty they were against her backside, but then shrugging it off so she could focus on Edelgard. "Thank you, Your Majesty."
"O-Only now are you using my title? W-What a troublesome teacher I have..." Edelgard was fairly certain her cheeks were now producing enough heat to keep Byleth's room warm through the winter.
"If you find my conduct wanting-"
"I-I don't. Please, don't mind me. I was just... surprised, you see. I-In reality, I think I would rather you continue to refer to me by my name. Such distance so suddenly is..."
Byleth smiled warmly and stood up from her bed. She met Edelgard's concerned gaze and said, "I'm sorry to cause you so much trouble. But now you know how I felt."
Initially unsure of the intent behind the words, Edelgard took Byleth's persistent grin to indicate she was just teasing. Despite her blush, Edelgard had to bring a hand up to her mouth as she started laughing. "Yes, I supposed I do. It was truly surreal to see this other side of you as you went about your strange business."
Byleth's face turned uncharacteristically pale. Did she actually hold a degree of shame? "W-What did I do?"
"Weeell... I think I will hold onto that information myself for now. Come and see me after your daily duties today and we can discuss it. In my room. With the door locked. So that neither of us can get out tonight if our other selves decide they have not yet had their fill of fun."
The two ladies grinned at each other and they agreed on the plan. Then the door burst open and Hubert entered with a scowl. Edelgard instinctively brought the cloak up over her chest and Byleth's body went entirely rigid.
"That is quite enough of the frivolities," Hubert remarked as he crossed the room to collect his mistress' boots. "I appreciate your efforts to repay the professor for her hard work keeping you safe, Your Majesty, but tired or otherwise, there is an important meeting that an Emperor simply must not be late to. He was practically lifting Edelgard up under his arm before she managed to convince him she would attend if he let her put her own boots on.
Turning at the door, risking earning yet more ire from Hubert as she did so, Edelgard gave a curtsey to Byleth. "I will see you later, Prof- Oh." To her utter amazement, Byleth's head was already slumped into her chest as some light snoring emanated from her lips. Edelgard left Hubert to get their teacher back into bed while she scurried off to prepare for the meeting.
"What a troublesome pair you two make," Hubert complained under his breath as he tucked Byleth into bed. He eyed a nearby bucket and scrubbing brush and plotted a scheme to pay Byleth back for keeping Edelgard awake all night at such a critical time. It may have simply been some unconscious payback for all the trouble Edelgard had caused her, but the trouble the two had caused Hubert had yet to be paid back...
And this debt would only grow as Hubert went to check on the two in their locked room later that night. Somehow, to his utter amazement, the sleeping duo had manged to slip out beneath his notice and take one last journey around the monastery before both finally managed to get it all out of their systems.
The odd nightmare or insomnia aside, the two's nights would be peaceful from then on, as their sleeping selves retired from their lives of adventuring and left the fun galivanting to their waking selves.
And galivant they would once the war was over, spending so much time off in private, accruing such a legend for doing so, that the Opera Company's performances based on the life of the Emperor would require the inclusion of such moments to feel at all authentic.
The inclusion of a sleepwalking scene after a tipsy Byleth let slip that information to Dorothea led to the Emperor threatening to shut the company down herself, resulting in the scene being scrapped. The mildly eccentric Byleth was secretly disappointed by its removal.
But sleepwalking was no longer a concern for the two in real life after these strange nights towards the end of the war. Edelgard would still make her way to Byleth's room on some nights, using the spare key Byleth had commissioned for her, so she could enter the room and find comfort in Byleth's kind words or her sleeping face. And once the war was over, there was no need for such treks at all as the two would be sharing a bed instead, Byleth ever prepared - awake or asleep - to hold Edelgard close until her bad dreams or insomnia finally left her to sleep in peace beside the woman she loved.
Although there was that one incident the night before their wedding...
After the last chapter, a commenter requested more sleepwalking adventures for the duo. I wasn't against the idea, but had no ideas for it, and as I was contemplating the fact that I had no ideas for such a follow-up, I came up with one, around the same time as the next, completely unrelated chapter. Using the condition to highlight how Byleth's disappearance affected Edelgard was the natural way to go here, I think. And I think Hubert's discussion with Byleth was the first thing I wrote for this.
Initially, the second half was just going to be a punchline to end the story on, but it ended up making more sense to do a full role-reversal, akin to a manga having the "lead character gets sick from looking after someone who was sick last chapter" chapter as a way of exploring both versions of the setup, along with giving the waking Edelgard more screentime after she'd literally slept through most of two full chapters. It may also have been partly inspired by another story I read on AO3, Sleepwalk by Verastophilis, which was a nice read.
No, there are no plans for that wedding eve story or any further sleepwalking adventures. THAT was the "best left as a punchline" bit and I've done all I can with the concept. Also, don't expect an FEH custom sprite based on this one like I did for the last one. It'd be too repetitive. The next chapter should be one that sees the duo outside of Fódlan, focused on Edelgard AFTER the wedding, assuming fresh inspiration doesn't postpone that.
As for my personal journey through Three Houses that began with the completion of Crimson Flower right before the first chapter, I've completed the DLC and think it was awful and boring, and have now started the Blue Lions run. I wonder if any more ships will inspire me after this...