White Clouds

The Golden Eagle

Part 2

As promised, this is part two of the Golden Eagle.

If you haven't caught on yet... its called Golden Eagle because Lysithea is a member of the Golden Deer that temporarily becomes a member of the Black Eagles while assisting them for their month's mission. If that made... sense XD

Lysithea has no particular love for the Church of Seiros nor their Knights. But she didn't think that disobeying their orders to aid in the security of the Rite of Rebirth would ironically be more beneficial in aiding them.

But, let's backtrack a bit weeks before…

"I see, so you agreed to assist the Black Eagles for their own mission this month." Claude nodded, arms crossed over his chest as he and Lysithea spoke in the hallways of the main building.

Claude had heard of the news from Edelgard after she passed by him earlier but the Riegan heir wanted to know it from Lysithea herself, she hasn't explained to anyone in the Golden Deer of such an arrangement.

Lysithea nodded in confirmation. "I owe it to the professor. I wanted to inform everyone during the next class..." She responded, not meeting Claude's gaze.

'No… that's just not it… there's something more at play here.' Claude thought, his thoughts drifting to Edelgard. He knows nothing gets by her, he had learned in his time with Edelgard that her every move is calculated and planned ahead. That's Edelgard's nature, he wouldn't be wrong in his thoughts if…

No, this can't be Edelgard's doing. She and Lysithea barely interacted as far as he knows… its…

"There's something more than just owing Teach, isn't there?" Claude asked, this made Lysithea tilt her head up, a blush on her cheeks at Claude's indication.

Lysithea was about to protest but Claude blocked any opportunity in doing so.

"If I didn't know any better, it seems Teach took a liking to you… I wouldn't be surprised if he wanted you to join his house."

Lysithea's eyes widened. "J-Join? The B-Black Eagles?" She stuttered.

Claude shrugged. "You do know that is allowed right? As long as the house has space, they can take in as many students possible if the student would like to of course. So far, during these past months no one ever did do so."

Lysithea pondered on it a bit, she highly thought that maybe it's loyalty and contentment that prevented them from doing so. Loyalty to the house aligned to their nation. Contentment with the company of peers and how things are generally going.

It would take a person of great influence in their lives and admiration of the same scale to change houses.

"Considering how Teach has been very considerate of you during class with him… he must be thinking so highly of you. If he only knows how to smile, he'll probably be smiling a lot around you." Claude chuckled.

Lysithea remained silent, not because of what Claude later said but the moment when he mentioned if the professor could only smile… it triggered something.

"Is there anything else you can't do professor?"

"I can't smile."

It has been a day since Byleth invited her to tea. She could still vividly remember the tea he brewed, the simple but delicious sweets she tasted that came from Edelgard and finally… that conversation.

She initially thought of his answer as a joke, a sorry excuse of a joke but still a joke. She thought briefly that she cracked open the professor's stoic visage but the look he gave her proved otherwise.

She asked herself, could there be a reason why he can't smile? Why his expression is always set in stone? Has he ever lived his life without joy? How about Captain Jeralt? What could he have felt raising him?

Lysithea even thought that the professor's disposition is fitting for a man of his previous profession, he shows no emotion in fighting and killing. He doesn't let emotion overcome him, maintaining calm composure as he fights yet outside of a life of constant fighting... it all seemed like such a sad existence to live by.

Not like she could talk of course, her own existence is a tragic one yet despite all that, she could still find joy in some manner of form.

She couldn't stop thinking of him, the professor was really an enigma she couldn't understand. He was stoic, strict in teaching but despite that, he was fair, considerate and compassionate. His small gestures can be noticed if someone cared enough to do so.

From what she heard of the opinions from Dorothea of the Black Eagles, he really does look out for them. She heard he was patient with Bernadetta, the infamous recluse of the Black Eagles during the first month. He was also considerate of Petra's difficulty in understanding certain wordings in textbooks. Though, he was strict on Caspar's recklessness, Ferdinand's overcompetitiveness with Edelgard and Linhardt's laziness in general.

His bond with Edelgard is what still keeps on bugging her constantly. It's not a secret that as the house professor and the house leader, both are bound to always communicate and interact with each other for the sake of the betterment of their house. When she learned from Cyril that Byleth would frequently have tea with Edelgard, she didn't know what to feel about it.

Both persons are an enigma to her but at least with the professor, she could surely feel comfortable around him.

"Or perhaps, he's so considerate of you because he views you as a little princess besides the actual princess in his house." Claude teased, placing a hand on his chin.

Lysithea looked up at him. "Sorry, did you say something, Claude?" she asked Claude.

For a moment, Claude didn't know if she was being sarcastic or not but the questioning frown that formed on Lysithea's face indicated the former.

"Nothing…" Claude didn't dare repeat what he just said, he knew that this time if Lysithea knew what he just said, he'll be in the infirmary for days.

"I was just saying you should tell our classmates soon."

"The Goddess' Rite of Rebirth is about to begin." Hubert said as the Black Eagles house plus Lysithea gathered behind their professor, opposite them was Edelgard and Hubert.

They were ordered to guard the upper sanctums near the cathedral where the ritual was to take place, an order that played well into their plan.

"Are we going to move forward with the plan?" Hubert asked, looking at Byleth but his question seems to be more directed at Edelgard.

The ashen-haired princess nodded in affirmation.

"I believe so. How confident are you in our theory, professor?" Edelgard asked Byleth, while she herself was confident with it, she wanted to seek validation from Byleth.

All eyes went on Byleth. Even Lysithea wanted to hear words of confidence from the professor.

"It can still go either way." Byleth responded, while his words may instill doubt, his delivery was firm. Lysithea knew he was confident on the plan but still considered the realistic scenario that there's a chance of them being wrong.

Lysithea could see that Edelgard anticipated his answer by how she didn't react to it and maintained her composure unlike some members of the Black Eagles.

"Oh, I don't like those odds at all…" Lysithea could hear Bernadetta moan out in extreme worry at what the professor said.

"Do not be worrying Bernie, be trusting to our professor." Petra assured her with confidence.

Trust… can blind trust to someone really wash a person's worries away? Lysithea thought to herself before looking at Byleth's back facing her.

"All that matters is how the enemy makes their move, not how our teacher feels about the plan." Hubert shook his head and dismissed Bernadetta's concern as a minor nuisance.

The Black Eagles stood around, awaiting their chance for their plan to be enacted. Their signal was for the ceremony to begin.

While they were pretending to 'guard' the sanctum, a familiar face arrived that Lysithea hasn't seen for a while now.

"You seem a mite too relaxed for my liking. The Goddess' Rite of Rebirth is about to begin." Seteth said his slight disapproval on the apparent laxness of the Black Eagles.

All eyes went on to Seteth, Lysithea's eyes widened when she saw Flayn was with him, flashing that ever so serene smile and her hands clasped together in a semblance of praying.

"Seteth." Byleth dryly responded with a nod.

"While we are on the Goddess Tower, we are relying on you to secure the locations I provided to you that are lacking in defense." Seteth told the professor with his usual sternness in his voice, a match to Byleth's stoic nature.

Flayn suddenly spoke after shaking her head with a smile directed at the professor.

"May I let you in on something, professor? My brother can be a bit… callous." Flayn said as Seteth glanced at her, his eyes widening with the next set of words his sister was about to say.

"He told me he was concerned about you and hinted that perhaps you would be better off patrolling a coffin!" Flayn giggled at the memory.

Seteth looked surprised for once in the eyes of the students of the Black Eagles and Lysithea, they have never seen the stern advisor looked completely off-guard. It was quite a sight to see that Dorothea tried to discreetly hide her giggle.

"That was… said in jest, Flayn…" Seteth trailed off. "And in confidence." He added, putting emphasis on the latter as the atmosphere around them became lighter.

"Please just remain by my side and do not cause anymore trouble." He further added before composing himself once again and looking back at Byleth, who seemed to be the only one who didn't react to Flayn's statement.

Seteth further lectured Byleth on his obvious role as a teacher, beseeching him to continue protecting and guiding them to a path of righteousness before Flayn bid them farewell to attend the ritual.

Lysithea couldn't help but flinch when Flayn caught a glimpse of her within the Black Eagles and gave her a smile, acting like Lysithea didn't do anything wrong when she snapped at her a long time ago. She just smiled, masking no ill-will behind it before she left them with her brother.

Lysithea almost couldn't believe it when Edelgard and Byleth's prediction was true. Upon hiding rather than guarding the places that Seteth intended them to protect, a group of people. Clerics, mages, warriors and the like arrived in numbers.

Descending down to the Holy Mausoleum, unaware of the group of students that managed to conceal their presence from them.

The Ordelia heiress couldn't help but feel intimidated at the appearance of the Holy Mausoleum. The word "holy" in it isn't really living up to its name as the place looked like the stuff of horrors for her considering the many presence of different coffins around the area with a decorated and sole coffin at the foremost front of the Mausoleum.

The stone floor beneath them was laden with cracks, the torches illuminated the tombs but that did little to calm Lysithea when she first stepped into its hallowed halls.

She even considered the possibility of sighting ghosts but such thoughts were banished when she saw the gravity of the situation.

The members of the Western Church that were sent to purportedly assassinate Rhea were instead desecrating the sarcophagus within, trying to pry open the stone lids of the various stone coffins.

They took them by surprise with their ambush but nonetheless were still a threat despite cutting down their numbers. They are merely students after all and their enemies were experienced soldiers and mercenaries.

While they held their ground, it didn't take long for the scales to turn against them at the arrival of a dark and intimidating man.

He was mounted above a heavily dark armored horse, he wore blackened steel armor with a torn red cape and his helmet sent fear across all of them, especially Lysithea.

He looked like the physical manifestation of death itself… The Death Knight.

Armed with a long scythe, its blade burning with purple flames fueled with dark magic enchantments as he swung it. The Death Knight proved to be the most challenging enemy and it was unwise to recklessly fight him, something Caspar tried but was effortlessly swatted away by the Death Knight's scythe.

If it weren't for Byleth's intervention, Caspar and Ferdinand would have probably met their doom after they tried to fight him together. Byleth managed to anticipate the armored warrior of death's scythe with his sword but even the seasoned mercenary had a hard time maintaining his ground.

"Professor!" Lysithea called out in concern after she witnessed Byleth being thrown off from blocking a powerful swing from the Death Knight.

Her eyes widened in horror when the Death Knight charged forward with his horse, ramming his armored steed on to the professor. Byleth fell to the ground, feeling pain on his body when the hard steel of the horse's armor made contact with his ribs.

"I expected more from you."

The Death Knight scoffed, his terrifying voice echoed within the deathly visage of his helmet, the red eyes within glaring down at Byleth as he used his sword to prop himself up.

Byleth breathed heavily, glaring towards the Death Knight as he raised up his sword again, ready for another round.

Lysithea couldn't just stand by and let the Death Knight run through the professor again, she felt like she could do something to aid and save his life. Despite being told to hold formation by Edelgard, Lysithea rushed to Byleth's aid, unaware that an archer hiding from one of the stone pillars, had aimed towards her.

Bernadetta quickly spotted the archer and aimed straight at him, firing the arrow but it was too late as the archer fired his first, targeting Lysithea directly to the chest.

"LYSITHEA!" Edelgard screamed out, Lysithea gasped and looked at the incoming arrow with a horrified look as if her fate was to meet its end until Edelgard pushed her out of the way. Lysithea fell hard to the ground but what was harder than her fall was the sight of Edelgard with an arrow to her shoulder after she moved her arm to shield her own chest from a fatal shot.

Edelgard took an arrow that was meant for her, Lysithea could only watch in shock as Edelgard fell to her knees, grasping her newly acquired wound as the archer who was responsible was shot to the head by Bernadetta.

"Lady Edelgard!"

"Edie!"

Hubert and Dorothea frantically came to the wounded princess' side with Hubert kneeling down on one knee beside Edelgard while Dorothea supported Edelgard from behind.

Lysithea could only stand and watch in shock on how Edelgard rescued her from death at her own expense. The ashe-haired girl's black uniform was beginning to get dyed with crimson red from her blood.

"F-Forget about me…" Edelgard breathed out as Dorothea held her still as the princess was sat down. Hubert was preparing to get rid of the arrow as Lysithea continued to look down at her in shock and guilt.

Despite her pain, Edelgard managed to smile albeit with difficulty, towards Lysithea.

"Help him." The Imperial Princess beseeched her "I'll be fine." She reassured Lysithea.

Lysithea looked back at the professor who was still unable to do anything against the Death Knight from a distance, Lysithea looked back at Edelgard before she ran towards the professor, intending on aiding Byleth after he was knocked back once again by the Death Knight's vicious attacks..

"Hold still Edie." Dorothea told her, Edelgard glanced at Hubert who gave her a look of extreme worry before the Imperial Princess gave him a nod.

Hubert wordlessly grasped the arrow that was lodged deeply on Edelgard' shoulder, pulling the embedded steel arrowhead out of her flesh earning muffled screams of pain.

Byleth blocked another swing from the macabre knight's scythe, struggling to hold his ground as he did so. The Death Knight merely scoffed and swung again which Byleth parried away with his steel sword.

"Interesting." The Death Knight's voice echoed in amusement, entertained on how Byleth is keeping up with him despite his earlier performance against him.

The Death Knight swung his scythe down towards the professor's shoulder, a move that Byleth barred from connecting with his sword, the blade locking on the pole of the scythe above his left shoulder.

"Hmph." The Death Knight scoffed before pulling the scythe towards him, Byleth's eyes widened as the scythe's blade and the dark magic in it cut through the metallic pauldrons and into the flesh of Byleth, eliciting sharp sensations of pain in the professor as blood gushed out.

The Death Knight was motioning in for another attack while the professor was flinching from the attack until Lysithea fired spheres of dark magic towards the ghastly armored knight. The Death Knight was forced to swing his scythe to destroy the Miasma spheres that the Ordelia heiress sent on his way.

"Like moths to a flame."

"Professor!" Lysithea called out in concern, arriving at the side of the wounded professor of the Black Eagles, she glanced around her to see Ferdinand and Caspar unconscious on the ground. Wounded but still alive no thanks to the Death Knight.

Byleth glanced at Lysithea, having labored breathing from the injuries he had sustained fighting the scythe wielding knight.

"Why did you come?! I told all of you to stay back!" Byleth scolded her but Lysithea was having none of it.

"And let you die? Are you an idiot, professor?!" Lysithea argued back, her voice firm. Nonetheless, she helped Byleth up, taking great care not to apply pain on his shoulder wound and broken ribs.

The former mercenary didn't bother to argue anymore and instead resumed his stance with his sword, an act that Lysithea mirrored with arcane energy shrouding her hands.

"Now, you will die together... How joyous…" The Death Knight announced, waving his scythe in the air before him, leaving a trail of purple flames created by dark magic.

Lysithea growled but Byleth gave her a look before he rushed ahead, the Death Knight did the same and charged towards Byleth while still being mindful of Lysithea. Unlike before, Byleth managed to avoid the armored horse' charge by strafing to his side, clashing his sword with the scythe.

Lysithea fired another set of miasma spheres towards him, only for the Death Knight to counter back by unleashing a ball of fire by momentarily letting go of his scythe with one hand to offset Lysithea's spell, creating a small magical explosion between them before he focused back on Byleth.

'What else can this guy do?!' Lysithea thought angrily, it was ironic that she was curiously thinking of the same thing weeks ago on the professor's capability to do almost anything whenever he tries but this time, she was mad at how she and Byleth couldn't find any holes to exploit in the Death Knight's movements.

"Nuisance." The Death Knight called Lysthea before blocking another sword blow from Byleth's sword, each contact it makes with the macabre knight's scythe was beginning to damage the steel sword.

Lysithea tried to hit him again with her magic only for the knight to dodge it. Even within his helmet, the Death Knight was beginning to get annoyed at the Ordelia heiress disturbing his duel with the former mercenary.

The Death Knight made his way towards Lysithea, ignoring Byleth for the time being. Intent on quickly killing the young mage, Lysithea's legs trembled but she kept her ground as the Death Knight approached her only for Byleth to leap towards him with his sword ready to slash his neck from behind.

The macabre knight was forced to defend himself from the attack with his scythe before he grabbed Byleth's non-sword arm and threw him on the ground with such inhuman strength, slamming the professor down face first on the cracked stone floor.

"Die." The Death Knight declared, raising his scythe to impale Byleth with its crescent blade.

At that moment, Lysithea recalled a spell that she has been practicing since the month started. A form of dark magic that is normally too advanced for a student like her to learn but given how she has progressed so fast by her diligent learning and training, she managed to pull it off successfully… once and that was yesterday.

Lysithea knew the properties of such a spell, she knew she had to pull it off for a second time without fail.

She had to do it. Their lives were at stake. Edelgard. Her. The professor… And so she did, mustering everything within her and drawing out the arcane energy within her veins, dark energy began to manifest around her and quickly formed into the shape of spikes that floated around her.

Her pinkish-red eyes glowed as the Crest of Gloucester manifested above her.

With one final scream, Lysithea thrusts her hands hands forward towards the Death Knight's direction.

"DARK SPIKES!" She screamed out in both desperation and anger as the Crest-empowered dark magic spell lunged towards the macabre knight.

The Death Knight barely got to glance at the incoming attack before the Dark Spikes hit him and his armored steed which caused a small magical explosion of dark magic that sent Byleth's body rolling away from the shockwaves that was generated.

Within the explosion of dark magic, Lysithea heard the Death Knight scream in agony before the energy dissipated to and revealed the Death Knight on one knee, using his scythe as a crutch, the spikes on his armor shattered and his helmet was cracked, threatening to break at any moment.

Byleth managed to stand up on one knee to see the Death Knight defeated… by Lysithea. The professor and the student from the Golden Deer looked on in shock as the Death Knight was struggling to even stand up as more of the spikes of his armor and helmet began to fall apart.

Breathing heavily within the helmet, the Death Knight could only give Lysithea look before speaking one last time.

"I didn't expect to encounter someone like you... How fortunate."

He spoke like he got his wish, a wish of a worthy opponent, an opponent that could best him in a battle. He CRAVED it.

Lysithea could only watch as the Death Knight teleported away, leaving a trail of dark magic energy that disappeared with the wind. The struggle being over, Lysithea fell to her knees in exhaustion for unleashing such an advanced spell while triggering one of her Crests.

She still couldn't believe she defeated the Death Knight so quickly with her new spell. She didn't expect it to be THAT effective though despite treating it as a curse, she had one of her Crests to thank for in saving Byleth's life. It was a gift at that singular moment.

Not giving in to exhaustion, Lysithea made her way towards Byleth, nearly collapsing as she did so and helped him stand despite her own struggle in staying on her feet.

"Professor…" Lysithea worriedly said, Byleth managed to stand up despite being injured with his face smeared with the dirt and dust from the floor and blood from a cut on on his forehead.

For the first time, Lysithea saw a small faint smile curling up on the professor's lips.

"You… did well." Byleth said, groaning in pain at his injuries as he did so. He gave the Ordelia heiress a pat to her head as he regained his balance.

"Thank you." He said with a faint but proud smile.

Lysithea found herself smiling at him. She couldn't help but reciprocate the rare smile from the stoic professor. She also felt proud of herself for being the reason why she and Byleth are still alive at this moment, she just couldn't believe it at first that she defeated the mighty knight of death.

"Damn it!" Lysithea and Byleth looked at the direction of the curse to see the sole remaining member of the Western Church (who was still conscious anyway) desperately opening the decorated stone coffin of Saint Seiros just beyond by removing the magical enchantments on it.

Byleth despite his injuries, managed to find the strength to pick up his damaged sword and made a run towards the one who dared defile the holy saint's resting place. Lysithea couldn't find the energy to assist the professor, collapsing on her knees and forcing her to only bear witness on what is to happen...

What happened afterwards shocked Lysithea even more, putting more questions in her mind on what can't the professor do? The question of, who he truly is? Just what is he?

Despite the number of setbacks and injuries they sustained, the Black Eagles have indeed managed to win the day.

Before accolades were given though, they were all promptly scolded by Seteth not for disobeying orders but failing to relay word to him on the confirmation of their suspicion that the assassination attempt was just a ruse to steal the remains of Saint Seiros in her underground tomb below Garreg Mach.

But Seteth set aside any possible punishment and further scoldings when he saw how seriously wounded Byleth and his students were namely Edelgard, Ferdinand and Caspar, the four were immediately given major medical attention while the rest were checked on and only got away with diagnoses of minor injuries.

Any survivors of the Western Church members were locked up in the dungeons by Alois and Catherine, their judgment awaiting them.

Rhea had ordered that the injured Black Eagles along with their professor is to receive the utmost medical care, she left shortly to reassure the people attending the Rite of Rebirth that no harm will fall to them and that the people who dared to commit heresy by disrupting the holy ritual have now been apprehended.

A day passed…

Edelgard sat on her bed in Manuela's infirmary, her back being cushioned by the pillow against the bed's wooden headboard. Some time has passed after Manuela has last checked on her, Ferdinand and Caspar, both of which are sound asleep on their own beds while Edelgard kept herself occupied with study books that she requested from Hubert to bring to at least make use of her time idling in the infirmary.

While her injuries aren't as severe, Manuela advised her against any form of strenuous physical activity due to the bone on her right shoulder being fractured when the arrow penetrated it through her flesh.

The Imperial Princess closed the book she was reading, placing it down on her lap and wondered how everyone was doing and how everyone reacted to the news of-

Her thoughts were interrupted when the door leading out of the infirmary opened, she was expecting to see Hubert or any of the students of the Black Eagle house to visit her but was surprised when she saw…

"Lysithea…?" She asked with a surprised and questioning look, her lavender eyes widening as Lysithea allowed herself in the infirmary carrying a wooden tray consisting of two teacups and a plate of simple looking baked treats, all of which exuded an aroma that Edelgard quickly caught on.

Lysithea wordlessly placed the tray on top of the small counter beside Edelgard's bed before adding cubes of sugar on both of their tea, a tea that has the aroma of what seemed to be… bergamot?

Lysithea sat on the chair beside her bed and took the sole teaspoon on the tray.

'My preferred tea…?' Edelgard thought as she watched Lysithea stirring the teaspoon in both of their cups, dissolving the cubes of sugar into the hot beverage with each stir.

"Here." Lysithea spoke for the first time as she handed the teacup on top of a small porcelain saucer.

"T-Thank you." Edelgard stuttered, still baffled on the sudden gesture of Lysithea towards her.

The ashen-haired girl watched the snow-haired girl take a sip in silence, noticing the subtle change of expression in her face when she tasted the tea.

"Needs more sugar." Lysithea murmured with a frown, displeased at the taste.

Edelgard raised an eyebrow before taking her first sip, her nose being invaded by the familiar calming smell of bergamot and appreciating the taste of the beverage within the confines of her mouth.

"Did you go out of your way to select my favorite tea?" Edelgard asked the Ordelia heiress who was still adding unreasonable amounts of sugar cubes in her tea.

After stirring her tea once more, Lysithea responded to her.

"I… yes…"

"How did you know?" Edelgard curiously asked.

Lysithea looked down on her tea that was resting on the saucer on top of her lap.

"I didn't want to ask that… guy…"

Edelgard raised an eyebrow and immediately guessed who Lysithea meant.

"You mean Hubert?" She asked Lysithea who nodded in affirmation. Edelgard wasn't surprised on the possibility of Lysithea being uncomfortable around Hubert, the latter seemed to always intimidate anyone else who doesn't really know him.

"You and Dorothea seemed closer to each other than anyone in the Black Eagles so I thought it was best to ask her…" Lysithea replied before taking another sip, this time appreciating the sweetened taste.

Edelgard chuckled, it was true that besides the professor and Hubert, she was closest to Dorothea than anyone else within her house. Edelgard wouldn't be surprised if Lysithea noticed such things in the past whenever they see each other.

"Thank you for the thought." She expressed her gratitude followed by a warm smile to Lysithea who looked taken aback by Edelgard's smile. The ashen-haired girl knew something was up.

"What's wrong?"

There was silence from Lysithea's end, her eyes looking down at her faint reflection on her tea.

"I should be thanking you." Lysithea weakly said, briefly closing her eyes before looking up at Edelgard's eyes with her own, it was filled with guilt.

"And…." Lysithea trailed off, biting her lip for a bit.

"I'm sorry, Edelgard!" She bowed her head apologetically. Edelgard regarded her with a surprised look at her sudden apology.

The Imperial Princess immediately assumed Lysithea was apologizing to why she was injured, that she thought she was responsible for the arrow she took and if only she was more mindful of her surroundings.

"Lysithea… you shouldn't apologize for that. You are my comrade and I consider you a friend, I couldn't let anything happen to you…" Edelgard tried to reassure her that she didn't hold Lysithea responsible but Lysithea shook her head, still unable to face her.

"I don't mean just that! I'm also sorry for being so doubtful of you when you gave me no reason to be!" Lysithea exclaimed, silencing Edelgard as she continued.

"I thought so badly of you even on things that you probably had no idea of in the past... It's just…It's just…"

Edelgard's eyes softened even more as the girl before her was beginning to tremble from pouring out her emotions and regret, she didn't expect to see such display of emotions from Lysithea considering she is one of the students in Garreg Mach that has such a strong personality.

"Lysithea, I don't know what you're talking about but rest assured. I mean you no harm-"

Lysithea cut her off. "I know that! It's just that... I feel bad and-"

Edelgard was having none of it anymore.

"Lysithea." She called out to her, addressing her name with a strong and firm tone like that of an emperor's. It had the intended effect as Lysithea stopped her ramblings and looked at her.

She was frowning at her, not out of annoyance but of concern, concern that Lysithea is beating herself too much on something that she shouldn't be.

"Hush now. I'm willing to put this all behind me if you'll allow me to just have a good conversation with you while drinking this tea and eating those sweets you brought me." Edelgard's expression softened once more.

Lysithea looked down on her tea once more.

"I'm just… sorry…" Lysithea trailed off.

"And you're forgiven. That's the end of that." Edelgard responded. "You have nothing to apologize for, Lysithea. Please, don't beat yourself too much about it."

The moment that Lysithea looked up at her, her eyes lighting up… Edelgard was thankful that this wasn't becoming a repeat of a similar scenario she had with Bernadetta weeks ago when the recluse tried to apologize to her about her entire being even though she didn't do anything wrong.

"Edelgard… I… Thank you…" Lysithea said, her lips beginning to curl up in gratitude. "I never did thank you for saving my life."

The Imperial Princess nodded, giving Lysithea a faint smile.

"Think nothing of it. I owe you too as well for saving the professor and the others. He, Caspar and Ferdinand probably wouldn't be alive right now if it weren't for you." Edelgard said, her eyes glancing at the sleeping forms of Caspar and Ferdinand from the distant beds, even Lysithea looked behind her to see them.

There was silence between the two white haired girls until Lysithea broke it before it turned awkward by grabbing pieces of the baked treats she brought with her.

"I made these… as an apology gift as well." Lysithea said, handing the small pieces of treats towards Edelgard who graciously took them and immediately ate one.

Edelgard's eyes lit up for a moment.

"These are actually good. Simple but tasty." Edelgard complimented while looking at the other pieces in her hand.

Lysithea blushed at the compliment.

"It's my own recipe… They help me concentrate when I study in my room." Lysithea said before taking a piece and eating it with one bite.

The two girls then took a sip of their tea almost at the same time.

"Speaking of which… where's the professor?" Lysithea asked, she wanted to know where Byleth was when she noticed he wasn't in the infirmary upon entering the room.

Edelgard's warm smile faded at the question, being replaced by a frown of annoyance.

"He stubbornly left the infirmary despite Professor Manuela's advice for him to stay." The Imperial Princess sighed. "He was the most injured one among us but he insisted he still had work to do."

"That's so reckless of him! What if his wounds might reopen or worsen if he didn't rest his body?" Lysithea exclaimed, sharing the same frown that Edelgard has.

Edelgard sighed again.

"Judging by the look on his face… he was feeling angry."

Lysithea gave her a questioning look. The professor? Angry? That was the question written on her face that translated in Edelgard's mind.

"I think he was feeling inadequate after that encounter with that… Death Knight. I know that look on his face better than anyone, he was feeling regret that he wasn't strong enough. Guilty that we were injured under his watch."

"He feels like he failed his students?" Lysithea asked to which Edelgard nodded.

"The professor is being unreasonably guilty. He won't say it but he's beating himself up for what happened. He knew the risks we are facing in every mission yet he still feels that way."

Lysithea's thoughts trailed towards the enigmatic professor, despite his cold and emotionless exterior… he…

"You know sometimes it's good…"

Edelgard gave her a questioning look.

"Good?"

"It's good to know that despite what his appearance conveys… It's good that he cares." Lysithea smiled. "He really is a kind man despite looking like he doesn't care a thing about the world" She said, thinking fondly of Byleth, she didn't realize her cheeks heating up that Edelgard noticed.

Edelgard giggled, both at the bright smile present in Lysithea's face and the reminder that her dear teacher is a good man despite his indifference on most things.

"Yes… he is." Edelgard said fondly of the Byleth.

There was a brief moment of silence but unlike earlier, it felt warm and comforting. Both girls thinking of Byleth until Lysithea realized she had something more to discuss with Edelgard.

"Edelgard, what do you think of what happened after the Death Knight retreated?"

The Imperial Princess blinked for a bit.

"Are you talking about the fact that Saint Seiros' bones wasn't in her supposed resting place or-"

"The fact that Professor Byleth wielded the Sword of the Creator and resonated with it." Lysithea said, her face looks like she was still making sense of the events that transpired. "I never put much stock on legends and all but…"

Edelgard simply stared at her, a silent gesture to continue.

"I thought of the existence of that sword as merely a myth but to see it first hand and being properly wielded by the professor… it changes a lot on what I believe… The professor… he couldn't be in possession of..."

"You're talking about his mysterious Crest… aren't you?" Edelgard correctly deduced when Lysithea nodded. "The writings of the Church of Seiros says that the Sword of the Creator can only be properly wielded by the one chosen specifically by the Goddess herself. A specific Crest was said to be given to such an individual. The Crest of Flames."

"And nobody possessed that Crest throughout time after the mythical King of Liberation, Nemesis." Lysithea continued. "Edelgard, could it be that the professor was chosen by the Goddess?"

Lysithea didn't want to fully bet her chips on her theory, after all those years, she stubbornly refuses the teachings of the Church of Seiros.

But to see such a thing happen in front of her. It changes a lot of her perspective.

"Or perhaps, the professor has a lineage dating back to Nemesis?" Edelgard proposed her own theory, Lysithea looked up at her, surprised that she didn't think of that earlier.

"Think about it, it would make sense if Nemesis fathered a child. A child that wasn't recorded in history, survived the war against Seiros and the child's descendants eventually led to the existence of the professor."

Lysithea's eyes widened at Edelgard's theory, it did make much more sense than what she initially believed.

"Are you saying the professor and Captain Jeralt are descendants of Nemesis?"

Edelgard nodded. "If the fundamentals of Crestology is to be used as a basis then yes, it might have passed on to them."

"Ah."

Edelgard and Lysithea looked at the doorway to see Cyril.

"There ya are, Lysithea… Professor Hanneman was looking for you."

Lysithea frowned, sighing as she did so.

"What does he want?"

"He just said to come to his office, he needs some assistance that you are only capable of." Cyril responded. "Anyway, I have to look for the professor too. Professor Hanneman was looking for him too." With that, the Almyran boy left the two white-haired girls.

Edelgard noticed how deeply Lysithea sighed in exasperation the summons of Hanneman.

"You seem displeased at Professor Hanneman…" Edelgard commented.

Lysithea sighed once again.

"He's making me his assistant in his study of Crestology."

"Did he force you to?" Edelgard frowned.

Lysithea realized how close she was on revealing something to Edelgard that she didn't want to readily share with anyone else.

"N-No." She lied despite the contrary that Hanneman basically blackmailed her to aiding him in his research, buying his silence at the existence of her two Crests by agreeing to assist him in reaching a breakthrough in the field of Crestology.

"I wanted the extra credit… I just didn't expect it to be just filled with the same old drivel regarding Crestology." Lysithea said with such disdain.

Edelgard briefly looked at her with an unreadable expression, one that Lysithea failed to notice as she was too busy looking down at her cup, frowning.

She quickly changed her expression into a joking smile.

"If that's how you feel, then why not change house and join the Black Eagles?" Edelgard jokingly asked all of a sudden.

Lysithea snapped out of her frown and gave Edelgard a look.

"Well, perhaps I will." Lysithea giggled, riding on with Edelgard's small quip. She then finished her tea with one gulp before placing it back on the tray she brought with her.

"I have to go now." She said before looking at the tray she brought.

"Just leave it there, I want to enjoy the treats you made." Edelgard smiled at her. "I'll have it cleaned up by Hubert when he comes back."

Lysithea bowed in thanks and farewell to Edelgard one last time for the day.

"Thank you Edelgard."

Edelgard gave her a nod. "Next time, let's have tea in a better setting." She suggested. "I'd like to talk to you more in the future."

Lysithea smiled at her. "Maybe next time, bring those sweets you said you'll bring when you proposed having tea."

It took Edelgard a moment to register what Lysithea was talking about before saying "Oh!".

With a small laugh, Lysithea left the infirmary, despite the abrupt end of their talk, she felt great at what they achieved in breaking down the wall that prevented Lysithea from ever being comfortable around Edelgard.

It was a perfect tea time despite the setting it took place…

Edelgard kept smiling even after Lysithea left, she glanced at the plate of baked treats on the tray that Lysithea left on her bed side's counter.

Taking another piece and eating it, Edelgard looked up at the ceiling with a sigh after swallowing the tasty treat.

"I wasn't kidding when I asked you to join us in the Black Eagles." She murmured to herself before remembering the smile Lysithea had when she was thinking of the professor and her comment on his kindness.

Edelgard found herself smiling at how cute Lysithea was during that time.

"Interesting." She said, covering her lips with her right pointing finger to mask the giddy grin that formed on her mouth.

Deleted 'Scene':

"It seems the professor is gaining affection points to recruiting Lysithea to our house." Edelgard said as she and Hubert spied on Byleth and Lysithea having tea while hiding within the bushes near the pair.

"I don't want to admit it but the professor is smooth in how he compared her to a lily. I suspect that she might join the Black Eagles soon if this keeps up."

Edelgard nodded. "Good, I must also do my part of appearing to protect her while being injured to garner more points for her to jo- what is he doing there?!"

Cyril arrives to disturb the moment that Lysithea and Byleth were sharing.

Hubert pulled out his magical device called a walkie talkie.

"Ordelian, we have a code red. Proceed with contingency plan B."

Edelgard and Hubert awaited a response only to receive several meows on the other end.

Ordelian proceeds to spurn, hiss and scratch Cyril to show his displeasure to him in breaking the plan after Byleth left.

Hubert then took out his black shades from his pocket and wore it.

"Still according to keikaku."

PS: Don't take this scene seriously XD

And that's a wrap! This chapter is supposed to be more lengthy but I cut some parts out including supports and other events after because it didn't fit the tone of the chapter, they'll be incorporated next chapter instead.

Anyway, I have announcements to make:

There won't be any progress on any of my stories within this week as I will be having a vacation in Japan from February 10-14. The release of the Cindered Shadows DLC might also prevent me from writing anything solid upon its release.

Also, Last Scion won't be updated... probably for the rest of the month of February because I want to write on the next chapter of The Bubbly and the Surly and also on my one-shot birthday fic for Lysithea's birthday on February 28 which is titled "Broken Hourglass" that is set in the Verdant Wind route.

Lastly reviews are appreciated as always! Thank you!