Crimson Flower
The Black Wayward Eagle
"I'm beginning to worry about her state, Catherine."
"She's only doing what is right."
This was a conversation that made Cyril pause in his tracks, being on the way to serve tea into the chambers of the Archbishop Rhea in Fhirdiad… chambers that were a far cry to the comforts of Rhea's personal chambers back in Garreg Mach.
"You need to stop doubting her, Shamir. I know you haven't been a firm believer of the teachings of the Church of Seiros-"
"And I don't revere her the same way you and the others do." Shamir countered.
Catherine frowned at her as Cyril watched the two argue within the cold halls of Fhirdiad's Castle, unnoticed by either of them.
"If the wrong person ever hears that from you and the doubt you have regarding Lady Rhea, you will get in trouble regardless if you are part of the Knights!" Catherine said with concern.
"What, I'm not even allowed to speak out my concern over the one I'm serving?" Shamir grumbled, her frown even more intimidating than that of the Captain of the Knights of Seiros. "Will you personally hang me for perceived blasphemy?"
"That's not what I'm trying to say here!" Catherine exclaimed in frustration. Deep in her heart, Catherine could see the point of Shamir's concern regarding Rhea. She wanted to keep thinking that her actions and recent behavior were merely things she has done due to the state of the war, that she was stressed out as the head of the Church being disgracefully kicked out of her own home and seeing their holy site being desecrated by the presence of the Imperial army inhabiting it now.
Even Catherine, the stalwart knight of Rhea has had her concerns over the Archbishop ever since Garreg Mach was taken away from them.
The very mention of Edelgard, that blasphemous and impertinent woman who dared raise a blade towards Rhea, would garner such hateful reaction from the Archbishop. The total opposite of the tranquil expression she often wore when interacting with others.
In these near five years, she had rarely seen such a look from her. It was always often a scowl, frown and at best, a cold solemn expression is what she typically wore each passing day.
"She's beginning to execute people for having opinions, Catherine."
"Opinions of treason and heresy, Shamir." Catherine corrected Shamir to no avail.
"Then let me ask you something, Catherine." Shamir continued, her arms crossed below her chest. "Why hasn't Lady Rhea branded me a heretic, apostate or whatever, when it's well known I do not believe in the Goddess yet serve in the Knights of Seiros?"
Catherine blinked before she slowly realized what Shamir was aiming at.
"That's because you said you had a debt of gratitude to-"
"It's because I haven't shown any sign of spreading dissent against the Archbishop, Catherine." Shamir pointed out. "In her eyes, I'm still loyal and indebted to her which is true for the most part, I'm technically an apostate for not adhering to the religion of this land but Lady Rhea knows I still have a use for her as well as a sense of loyalty in her."
Catherine looked down on the cold stone floors of Fhirdiad Castle's halls.
"I still am indebted to her but I must speak my mind regarding her state of mind, Catherine. I'm concerned for the Archbishop and how this war is taking its toll on her and the image she had carefully maintained is steadily deteriorating. If she keeps on acting like this, she will ironically turn the very same masses who believe in her, against her for her 'judgements'."
The swordmaster sighed in deep frustration, scratching the back of her head as she did so. Shamir was right, if more people turned against Rhea in her attempts to stem dissenting opinions from the masses, Edelgard would begin to look more and more vindicated with her claims against the Church of Seiros.
The cruelest of ironies would happen when the faithful themselves would instead turn to the emperor for help against what they would see as a tyrannical head of the Church.
Catherine still wants to believe Rhea is still justified in what she is doing but she cannot deny that her actions are beginning to develop negative opinions of the people against her.
"You can speak to Seteth about this, Catherine. He is one of the very few who she would listen to, otherwise his job as her second-in-command would just be a useless title he holds."
Without another word, Shamir wordlessly left Catherine, walking past her to rest in her own quarters leaving Captain of the Knights groaning at the conversation she just had with her friend. She tilted her head up to Cyril approaching her while carrying the tray of tea and cups, his eyes looking unreadable.
"How long have you been eavesdropping, Cyril?" Catherine sighed at the Almyran.
"Is Shamir doubting Lady Rhea?"
Catherine scratched the back of her head. "She isn't, she's just concerned about her." wanting to keep it simple for Cyril so he wouldn't think that his mentor was beginning to have thoughts of turning against the Archbishop.
"It sounded as if she was."
"Cyril…" Catherine sighed, contrary to what he was five years ago, Cyril wasn't as simple minded as he used to, she couldn't dismissively wave off her conversation with Shamir earlier as nothing towards him.
Though she did feel that Cyril is still unaware of the complexity of the situation and of Shamir's feelings towards the way Rhea runs things.
"It's not that simple. Shamir was just speaking her mind about Lady Rhea's condition, she's worried about her and what she's doing." Catherine explained to Cyril. "Look, everyone's tense right now considering the war has dragged on for five years. So many of us want to reclaim Garreg Mach from the Empire ever since they took it from us yet this prolonged war is only causing suffering to everyone, be it a soldier or the innocent, people's homes are being rebuilt only to be burned alongside their lives and livelihoods and it's beginning to increase tension among the populace."
Catherine placed a hand on the Almyran's shoulder as she went about her way.
"We will win this war, we will see Lady Rhea return to what she used to be, I'm asking you to never speak to anyone about what you heard earlier." Catherine said as she walked past him, to train and blow off some steam by venting her frustration on Fhirdiad's training dummies.
Cyril watched Catherine leave before he wordlessly went towards Rhea's quarters further into the cold halls of Fhirdiad's castle.
It didn't take long for him to hear the muffled arguments coming from the door to Rhea's room as Cyril paused in front of it and listened.
"Your concern is noted, Seteth."
"You keep saying that, Rhea yet you end up depriving yourself of any proper rest ever since our planned siege on Garreg Mach failed!"
"I told you I will not rest until I rid Garreg Mach of that filthy woman's presence alongside her army of heretics! Each passing day, their very presence soils the grounds of that place!"
"Be that as it may, you're not in any condition right now to plan on another attack! If we're to attack Garreg Mach right after they repelled the initial one, they will be much more prepared to defend it than ever and we will be wasting the lives of many in trying to take it back."
"Their lives will be necessary sacrifices, the Goddess will grant them their rewards in the afterlife."
"What good are their rewards in the afterlife if they died for nothing?!"
"Father, Auntie Rhea… please, you have to cease arguing-"
"What more is that you should stop going after anyone who expresses their opinions in Faerghus! The way you're rooting them out is beginning to cause so much unrest and division among people! Even Duke Fraldarius and some nobles are beginning to voice out their opposition towards you for what you're doing!"
"Heresy must not be tolerated, Seteth! Even if they came from our side in this war!"
"The Empire is our enemy, Rhea. Not the people of Faerghus or any innocent lives on all sides! When will all this end, Rhea? Aren't we fighting to end this bloodshed and put a stop to the Empire? Instead, you're sending the citizens to the gallows! At this rate you will turn everyone in the Kingdom against us!"
"Then, will you also turn against me, Seteth? Flayn?"
"I joined you in this mission of yours because you needed me and I believed what you are doing is right but to turn to such radical means isn't what I agreed with."
Just as the conversation behind the door was reaching its boiling point, Cyril bravely took the initiative to knock on the door. Silence ensued from the other side until it was broken by Flayn's gentle question.
"Yes? Who is it?"
"It's me, I brought tea for you Lady Rhea." Cyril spoke after he readied himself.
"Come in." Rhea's solemn voice beckoned, permitting Cyril to enter her room.
The door was opened by Flayn, wearing her ever so present sweet smile only this time… Cyril could notice it was a forced one. Most likely trying to keep up appearance while Seteth was standing before Rhea's table, his hand clasped behind him. Lastly, the Archbishop was sitting down on her chair in her rather spacious room in the castle, the fireplace burning brightly to provide light and warmth in the chilly room.
Cyril carefully poured the Chamomile Tea he had brewed for the Archbishop, knowing by now it is one of her favorite blends to drink.
Normally, the Archbishop would open a series of small talks to Cyril after thanking him for his service… Only this time, she was blankly staring at her filled teacup, the steam from the hot tea overlaying with the burning wood within the room's fireplace.
Fire reflected over Rhea's green eyes, the others in the room with her were unsure what she was thinking now though it seems Seteth was looking for an excuse to leave the Archbishop's chambers to get away from her presence and cool down from their spat, the latest in their strings of argument.
"I must retire to my chambers as well, if you'll excuse me." Seteth said, not even giving Rhea another look as he left the room, very nearly slamming the door shut if it weren't for his great amount of self-control.
Flayn was confused at first what to do until she bowed in farewell to Rhea and followed Seteth, gently closing the door as she departed, leaving only Rhea and Cyril inside the room.
Cyril stood on the side of the room, standing firmly, awaiting any further requests from Rhea in her private teatime, eager to serve.
In all these years, Rhea would usually dismiss him right after she had been served her tea or meal as she dined alone yet this time, Rhea merely stared at the burning firewood as she took more sips of her favored tea.
"Cyril."
The Almyran turned to the Archbishop. "Yes, Lady Rhea?"
He was already expecting to be dismissed, expecting Rhea to want to be left alone especially after such a tension filled argument between her and her second in command.
"Take a seat and join me. I cannot finish all of this alone."
Cyril blinked, he looked perplexed, wondering if he had heard wrong.
"Lady Rhea?"
"Sit." Rhea ordered him, immediately prompting the Almyran to take a seat on one of the chairs in front of the table Rhea sat on with a chair.
"Pour yourself some."
Cyril nodded, he was too surprised to act as fast as he used to, almost letting go of the ceramic teapot and scalding himself from it's contents.
He poured himself a cup, intended for Seteth earlier before taking a sip.
The Almyran was never one to drink this hot liquid that majority of the students and staff of Garreg Mach seemed to enjoy drinking, he found it mostly tasteless with it's only benefit in making one feel warmth within oneself.
He had come and gone in serving tea to almost everyone in Garreg Mach especially when ordered, though he would have preferred to only serve Rhea and her inner circle of it, he was duty bound to serve the others as well. Often he would be hurled words of insults and prejudice over his heritage and homeland, something Cyril had learned to ignore.
There was only one man within the Church's staff that he was to serve that hadn't enlisted his aid in preparing tea.
And the thought of him made his blood boil, especially when he remembers who was always the person he was with when he prepared tea.
"I can see the rage in your eyes, Cyril." Rhea mentioned, nearly making Cyril jump as he realized the look he has been showing in front of the Archbishop.
"I-I…" Cyril stammered, feeling stupid for ever showing such a disgraceful front to his Lady.
"I'm sorry, I was just-"
"What is troubling you?" Rhea asked, despite the coldness in her voice, Cyril's heart lit up at the apparent concern the Archbishop was showing for him.
Cyril hesitated to speak, not wanting to bother the Archbishop of what was bothering him.
"Speak freely. You have nothing to fear from me."
Cyril's eyes widened as he looked up at Rhea, her expression was still cold but there was a hint of assurance within her eyes, giving him confidence to speak.
"Lady Rhea… what I reported about my findings in Enbarr…"
Rhea gave him a nod, remembering Cyril and Shamir's failed espionage of the Empire's capital, they mostly came back empty handed except for one crucial detail from Cyril regarding someone who was perceived outside of the Empire, as a hostage.
"About that Ordelia girl?"
Cyril nodded, his face contorting from the painful memories he had invoked, recalling the tearful look of Lysithea as she pushed him away, his offers of freeing her from her perceived abduction, even his declaration of his feelings for her was rejected and left his heart, shattered at the revelation she had revealed.
When Shamir discussed with him of what he had found, Cyril hesitated for a moment to tell her of the true nature of Lysithea's situation… for a moment, he hesitated to allow harm to befall upon her and her parents (both of which were quick to flee away from their territory) right after the ruse was exposed.
Yet, he remembered his duty and everlasting gratitude towards Rhea and promptly reported what he had gathered.
Rhea listened to him, silent as Cyril revealed details he didn't say when he reported to her, even revealing of the depths of his affections to a girl who taught him so much, made him feel warm yet was the cause of the pain in his heart.
"If only I was strong enough to defeat him the day Garreg Mach fell to the Empire, I would have prevented her getting swayed by that bastard's words alongside that Emperor's lies!" Cyril vented out but before realizing his anger had gotten the best of him, showing such untowards expressions towards Rhea.
The Archbishop wasn't bothered as she stood up from her chair and walked in front of the fireplace, her back facing Cyril as she kept staring at the flames.
"Do you wish to become stronger, Cyril?" Rhea asked, not bothering to look at the Almyran who still sat on his chair, watching Rhea's every move.
Cyril nodded. "I wish for it."
"For what reason do you wish for such strength?"
"To better serve you and destroy your enemies." Cyril affirmed with resolve.
"And you will not hesitate to destroy even those you once considered important to you, those who instead allowed themselves to be irreversibly poisoned by that foul woman's words?" Rhea questioned, pertaining to Lysithea's place in Cyril's heart.
Whatever form of warm and loving attachment he had for Lysithea seemed to have been replaced by bitterness and anger as the events of her rejection of him played over and over in his mind as well as his own thoughts on Byleth, a man he wanted to kill yet he is unable to due to his fate when Garreg Mach fell.
"I will not hesitate if it means serving you and for what you believe in, Lady Rhea."
Rhea was silent for a brief moment, continuously staring at the burning firewood.
"Very well. If the power to destroy our enemies is what you desire, I shall give it to you."
Cyril's eyes widened as wide as they could be when Rhea turned around to look at him once again.
There was no cold expression in her eyes anymore… Instead, what he saw was something and the others haven't seen in years from the Archbishop.
A smile… though it wasn't the same warm and serene smile she had… it almost seemed like she was smirking, her eyes seemed resolute… obsessed even.
Yet, that didn't bother Cyril even the slightest.
"Give me your dagger."
"And we are gathered today to celebrate the end of Annie's detention!" Dorothea chimed in as the majority of the Black Eagle Strike Force clapped their hands when Annette entered the mess hall, a place she hasn't seen for years now, the wayward lady from Faerghus looked surprised as she was gently pushed by Mercedes into the mess hall from behind.
Annette couldn't believe what she was seeing right after she was allowed free rein in Garreg Mach for the first time since she returned following her defection from Faerghus.
Almost everyone in the Black Eagles class she was formerly part of was present with the exception of three.
It was only a day after Lysithea had talked to her in the room she was detained in, a precaution from Hubert, it seemed the snow haired woman had a hand in influencing Edelgard to release her to join her friends in the Black Eagles yet there was no official word from the Emperor if she would truly be reinstated in the Black Eagle Strike Force.
But that didn't hamper her friends and former classmates from quickly organizing a small welcome back party for one of their lost members, a wayward eagle returning back to it's nest, they figured it was the best way to make Annette feel welcomed by her friends after days of detention which might have given her the impression that she wasn't really welcome.
"Welcome back Annette!" The Black Eagles all said unison, behind them was a small feast of various foods for all of them to eat.
Any worry Annette has in receiving a chilly reception from her former classmates had all dissipated, she had feared that only her fellow natives from Faerghus would welcome her back alongside Lysithea when she made the decision to return back to them after she left the Black Eagles on the eve of the Siege of Garreg Mach.
It seems her fears were misplaced as she walked with Mercedes by her side, approaching her former friends who all stood before her. She felt overwhelmed by the welcome.
"E-Everyone, t-this is quite-"
"Nice?" Caspar interrupted with a grin. "We're glad to see you back here, Annette!"
Dorothea nodded, her hands on Bernadetta's shoulders who was gently pushed forward.
"Bern here is so glad to see you back that she actually did most of the cooking!"
"Wait, Bernadetta can cook?" Annette asked in shock, looking wide-eyed at the former recluse who looked offended.
"You didn't know?!" Bernadetta exclaimed, puffing her cheeks in annoyance.
"H-How could I-I know? You were always hiding inside your room back then!" Annette retorted back, startled by Bernadetta's reaction.
"And I recall you almost killed me with your spell back then!"
"It was an accident!"
Sylvain chuckled. "Considering how Annette was too busy running around and working herself hard to the bone back then, I can't really blame her if she didn't know someone like Bernadetta has talents outside of keeping herself hidden."
"As if you were any better back then, Sylvain. You were too busy chasing various skirts back then to even know Bernadetta can cook." Ingrid told him, having been standing with the red head at his side.
A sweat dropped from Sylvain's scalp. "I… well that's-"
"You just found out earlier that she could cook, Sylvain." Ashe added, remembering the former playboy's reaction when he saw Bernadetta cooking alongside Ashe, Petra and Mercedes in the kitchens earlier.
"I was hoping you had my back there, Ashe."
"Sorry, can't lie." Ashe responded with his smile.
"Yeesh, so much for our camaraderie back in the Blue Lions." Sylvain scratched the back of his head at his fellow former Blue Lions classmates, double teaming him.
Ferdinand looked like he was wondering about something he had heard earlier.
"Wait, what did Bernadetta mean by almost killing her with your spell, Annette?" Ferdinand asked, wondering what this unknown incident is.
Annette was taken aback. "I-It was only an accident! Lysithea was teaching me about magic back then but I lost focus and nearly hit Bernadetta with it."
Then, Annette noticed something.
"Speaking of which, where is Lysithea?" The Dominic woman asked as she looked around her surroundings to spot her friend and tutor, only to find her absent.
"Edelgard and Hubert too…"
Dorothea sighed at the mention of the two women. "Well, Edie and Lysie are checking on something Professor Hanneman found while Hubie…"
"What are you people doing?" Any form of chatter and noise between the group ceased when they heard that all so familiar cold and calculating voice tower everyone's voices.
All of them turned to the door leading into the courtyards to see Hubert, his single exposed eye staring at them as if looking through their souls.
"Oh we're just formally welcoming Annette back after you had her detained for days in her room that is." Sylvain sneered at Hubert's questioning stare at him and his former classmates from the Strike Force.
The Emperor's right hand man caught sight of the various amounts of food served on the tables, his eyes narrowed as he returned his gaze back to the Strike Force.
"I hope for your sake the food you used for this… merrymaking is of your own and not from the rations for the military campaign."
Dorothea walked right up to Hubert, arms crossed below her chest. The other members who couldn't see her expression looked tense as Dorothea was one of the people who were very vocal in Hubert's orders to put Annette in detention, a measure she found extreme.
Contrary to what they were worrying, Dorothea seemed to be in high spirits rather than looking to confront Hubert about his decision.
"Oh relax, Hubie. We bought these in the market. Now stop being nitpicky and come join us." Dorothea replied and nonchalantly invited Hubert to join her and some members of the Strike Force to eat with them to welcome Annette back.
"No—" Hubert tried to refuse but was powerless when Dorothea pulled his arm to make him follow her to join their other former classmates.
"Hush, it's not like Edie has orders for you at the moment."
"Dorothea, do not call Her Majesty as such—"
"Speaking of which, do you know when Edie and Lysie are coming back? There might not be any food left for them if they even come back." Dorothea asked as Annette eavesdropped while getting a plate from the stacks of plates besides the feast she was served with.
Hubert merely sighed, unable to find a way to further tell off Dorothea, he knew he couldn't win against the former songstress.
"No. I can surmise Her Majesty and Lady Lysithea wouldn't be able to join today… they have far more important business."
"What kind of business?"
"I'm afraid even I am in the dark about such matters." Hubert said with slight apprehension at the idea of not knowing what exactly his liege is doing.
Annette added more and more food she found appetizing though half her mind wandered elsewhere about the whereabouts of her snow haired friend and of the ashen haired Emperor.
"This is where one of the staff found the entrance, Your Majesty." Hanneman said as he led into a seemingly neglected area of the monastery, littered with dust and cobwebs, there was no form of illumination within the dark abandoned halls with only three torches being the sources of light.
Lysithea looked tense, her right hand lightly gripping on to Edelgard's cloak, she had always been afraid of the dark, something she never learned to outgrow despite her current age.
The nightmares associated with the darkest depths of her dreams were causes of this, often dreaming about the other children of House Ordelia, all of which suffered gruesome fates, blaming her and demanding why her of all people survived.
Even though she doesn't dream of them as often, the fear of the dark and supernatural apparitions that she developed from such nightmares continued to linger.
"Are you feeling alright, Lysithea?" Edelgard asked as her eyes were glued forward into the dark halls.
"I-I think so."
"How much further, Professor Hanneman?" Edelgard asked the aged professor before her, wanting to at least allay Lysithea's fears by letting her know of how close they are at their destination.
"Not much further, we'll soon arrive at the dead end." Hanneman responded, his eyes focused on what is beyond.
Lysithea's grip tightened as if feeling a presence lingering near her feet, then without warning… she yelped out loud, alarming Edelgard and Hanneman who both turned around to check on the frightened woman.
"S-Something brushed my feet." Lysithea shakily said, unable to look down out of fear.
Edelgard looked down while moving her torch to illuminate the floor she and Lysithea stood upon only for Edelgard to freeze in her spot, her skin paled, lavender eyes widened in place which Lysithea saw as a bad sign.
"W-What is i-it?"
"Oh, it's merely a rat. This place is crawling with them." Hanneman said as if it was nothing after he spotted the rat lurking between Edelgard and Lysithea's feet. "Now come now, not any further-"
Without warning, Edelgard swiftly turned around, not daring to look down anymore as she rigidly moved forward once more without a word, not caring if Lysithea lost her hold of her cloak.
Walking closer with Hanneman, Edelgard gestured to him to hasten his pace as they almost left Lysithea behind. The aged professor raised an eyebrow in suspicion to the sudden change of the Emperor's usual composed demeanor but shrugged it off to focus on the very reason they are even in this place.
"H-Hey!" Lysithea called out as she scrambled to match Edelgard's quickened pace. She felt relief knowing the entity that brushed past her was merely a rat but felt renewed fear when she realized she was being left behind in the darkness.
The trio managed to reach the end of the hall, Edelgard furrowed her eyebrows as she looked at the wall that was the dead end.
"Don't let this deceive you, Your Majesty." Hanneman said as if reading Edelgard's mind (or more like her facial expression), he walked ahead of Edelgard to be closer to the wall and used his free right hand to touch the dust covered bricks.
Lysithea and Edelgard patiently waited for what Hanneman was doing until he managed to locate something on the brick wall, he pushed it with his hand until a clicking sound echoed across the halls.
Shortly, the brick wall that was supposed to be the dead end of their trip in these forsaken halls split open like a twin door, leading further into darkness.
"This is it." Hanneman said, taking the lead once again as he went forward. "Be careful here, there's a few steps leading down."
Hanneman went on forward to each side of the dark chamber they found themselves in, Edelgard and Lysithea watched from the base of the stairs, waiting as Hanneman lit up the torches on each side of the chamber to illuminate the place.
The two white haired women's eyes widened in shock at what they saw before them, memories in the darkest recesses of their minds resurfacing all of a sudden as they were treated to an all-so familiar and unwelcome sight before them.
On the center of the dimly lit room is an altar made of marble, it was encircled by a set of runes they could and couldn't recognize, on the middle of the altar itself was the insignia of the Crest of Flames.
Surrounding the altar were tables and apparatuses of various kinds, dusty mortars and pestles, withered herbs that were often used for medicinal purposes and incense were scattered.
Below the base of the altar were rusted shackles meant to bind something or someone on the altar.
"W-What is this?" Lysithea asked, having an idea what the answer was but needed to make sure if this is what she and Edelgard think it is.
"How did you find this place?" Edelgard asked Hanneman who stared down at the altar, eyes looking solemn.
"When I was looking into Rhea's chambers and from the Shadow Library of Abyss for any tomes of knowledge the Church deemed forbidden." Hanneman admitted as he stood before the altar. "I found clues pertaining to this place from what seems to be torn pages from a journal."
Lysithea raised an eyebrow. "The Shadow Library of Abyss?" she questioned, hearing of the place for the first time, it almost sounded like a place children would make up in their imaginations rather than an actual place. Even so, the name itself was ominous.
"It's an underground place hidden deep within Garreg Mach." Edelgard answered. "By their own definition, it is an underground town for those spurned by society or those seeking asylum from the affairs of the surface."
Lysithea by now isn't surprised Edelgard knew of such things, considering her status as well as her expanded network of information thanks to Hubert's efforts.
"I had Hubert investigate rumors about it ever since we started in the Academy, he managed to establish communication with them shortly after we took Garreg Mach." Edelgard explained to Lysithea. "We made a pact of non-hostility which includes access to the Shadow Library for us and in return, we provide them aid in food and other essential supplies."
"What I found in the Shadow Library were… books banned by the Church of Seiros from being circulated to the populace, they labeled such texts as heretical-"
"What kind of books?" Lysithea asked curiously.
"Any book commentating on the fallacy of the tradition of the Crests in Fodlan as well as commentaries against some select Tenets of Seiros." Edelgard responded. "It seems Rhea didn't want the Church of Seiros to be challenged in anyway, even through such peaceful ways hence why she had those books disposed of."
Hanneman decided to get back on their purpose of being in this abandoned chamber in order to explain his findings to the Emperor and her lead strategist.
"What I found while searching around Rhea's chambers was a journal she had kept hidden. It was old and hadn't been written in for many years but what intrigued me was the fact that she had torn pages of it away." Hanneman took out the aforementioned journal from within his coat, a brown leather bound journal weathered from time, laying it on top of the marble altar for Edelgard and Lysithea to see.
"I had thought she would have burned the missing pages until I came across them in the Shadow Library recently." Hanneman continued. "At first, I didn't expect to see them there, there was too much parchment of nonsensical or otherwise useless information within the contents of the Shadow Library but I immediately recognized Rhea's handwriting and matched it with the journal I have found."
"And those missing pages told you of this place." Edelgard deduced.
"She didn't directly mention the location but I put the pieces together and started looking for many of Garreg Mach's hidden chambers until I stumbled upon this place." Hanneman said as his eyes glanced at his surroundings.
Lysithea bit her lip for a bit, Edelgard noticed her hesitancy over something she wanted to ask, the Emperor could understand the levels of discomfort Lysithea was feeling while in this room as she too feels it as well.
"I'm even afraid to ask what this place is, it's purpose and why you brought us here." Edelgard said, her tone sounding as if demanding answers.
"Your Majesty, if you will give me liberty to speak about the mission you gave me." Hanneman said, which made Lysithea turn towards Edelgard.
Lysithea had known from overhearing Manuela and Hanneman about the latter's mission that the Emperor herself gave to him. She had initially thought it was about advancement of magic or a weapon to be used in the war, hence the secrecy.
Now that Hanneman had made a mention of it while they were in the forsaken halls… her curiosity suddenly spiked, what does this place have to do with Hanneman's mission?
Edelgard was silent for a moment before she sighed. "Not now."
Lysithea frowned at her in disapproval for keeping this matter a secret. She had thought that she and Edelgard had gone past keeping secrets from one another.
Hanneman nodded in understanding.
"Very well, I will state the other main reason why we are here." Hanneman said as he opened Rhea's journal on top of the altar.
"This is the very place Rhea created her artificial human beings or… should I say Vessels as per written in her journal. This is like her laboratory or ritual chamber if I may add" Hanneman stated.
This caused Lysithea's eyes to widen to their utmost extent, being caught by surprise by this sudden drop of information on her.
Edelgard sighed once again. "I feared what I thought all these years were true. So it is true then, Rhea was involved in dabbling through experiments-"
"Experiments in creating life via magic and blood it seems." Hanneman said.
'Blood?' Lysithea thought as this is really beginning to eerily remind her of what she went through.
"All for one purpose it seems." Edelgard surmised.
"I hypothesized two purposes but the other one is rather minor compared to what the other is."
"In what way?"
Hanneman flipped through the journal until he came across the part where pages were torn from it, Hanneman took out the torn pages from within his coat and placed them from where they used to be.
"The Archbishop didn't call these artificial human beings as Vessels without a proper reason." Hanneman replied while tracing his finger on the passages of the withered and damaged texts of the torn pages.
"In what way can I form a hypothesis from these damaged texts… Rhea kept expressing her thoughts of creating life strong enough to carry a powerful soul for the purpose of resurrecting someone from beyond the grave."
Lysithea looked baffled. "Resurrection? Is such a thing even possible?"
Hanneman nodded. "Rhea strongly believed it was otherwise she wouldn't have attempted it thirteen times despite many setbacks."
"She created thirteen Vessels from nothing?"
"More like twelve… the thirteenth one was… different." Hanneman trailed off, reluctant on what to reveal next as he eyed Edelgard who gave him a nod to continue.
Unknown to the other two, Edelgard seemed to have a huge idea what Hanneman was speaking of and it only made her angry rather than vindicated to know she was right about something she had long suspected of.
"I don't have much details on the first eleven of these Vessels are unfortunately not expounded on by the Archbishop in her notes, she merely called them failures to inhabit a powerful soul and that throughout the centuries, all of them died young-"
Lysithea and Edelgard simultaneously twitched at the mention of the rather tragic fates of those eleven people, despite them being made artificially, they were still people whose lives were merely created and used for someone's experiments, something they can very well sympathize with.
It made their blood boil and further added to their negative opinion of Rhea and her duplicitous nature throughout the years.
"But then, I came upon her notes regarding the twelfth one." Hanneman said, snapping the two white haired women out of their trance.
"This one was quite detailed compared to her predecessors." The aged man said as he looked on to the torn pages.
"A woman?" Lysithea asked.
Hanneman nodded in confirmation. "It seems this particular woman… Rhea had formed an attachment to her even despite her failure for Rhea's plans, it mentioned a stone inside the heart of this woman, that never resonated with this Sitri-"
"SITRI?!" Lysithea suddenly shouted, repeating the name Hanneman just spoke, alarming both him and Edelgard.
The latter looked into Lysithea with a very curious frown. "You know her?"
"I've read about her, Edelgard! Sitri… If this Sitri is indeed the same person who had lived and as Professor Hanneman said, had an attachment with Rhea then… then…" Lysithea was beginning to finally piece everything together, the recent revelations as well as what she had read from Jeralt's diary.
It all made sense now.
"Sitri is Captain Jeralt's wife and the professor's mother!"
Hanneman placed a gloved hand on his chin. "Now I remember why that name is familiar!" he spoke out as if remembering something just now.
"I saw that name once during Captain Jeralt's burial! They carved his name on the same tombstone as Sitri!"
"How did you know all about this?" Edelgard asked Lysithea, perplexed as to how the snow haired girl came about with such information.
Lysithea turned to the Emperor. "I found Captain Jeralt's journal hidden away in his office just the other day. I read through some of it and…"
"What else did you find out? Perhaps some information about-"
"There's nothing else except Captain Jeralt's thoughts about Sitri while he was courting her…"
"Is there something that happened during the 20th day of the Horsebow Moon of the year 1159?" Hanneman asked, his tone serious as he adjusted his monocle, his blue eyes looking straight at his former assistant's eyes.
Lysithea blinked at the sudden question regarding the specific year, even Edelgard was curious as she looked at Hanneman who by now is holding some of the torn pages in his hands.
"I haven't gotten that far yet, I've only read it until the Year 1158 when Captain Jeralt and Sitri were wedded."
Hanneman's eyes suddenly looked like he finally solved something he had long been searching for answers for, there was a look of vindication in his eyes as he looked into the torn pages.
"By the Goddess… my initial hypothesis was true all along." Hanneman suddenly started rambling as he brought the pages back into the journal at the altar before taking out a folded piece of paper, unfolding it to reveal a heavily (rather messy) written piece of paper that was mostly unreadable for Edelgard and Lysithea as they came near.
"What are you talking about?" Edelgard asked as she placed her hands on the altar. "What hypothesis?"
"Can't you see, Your Majesty?" Hanneman suddenly looked up at Edelgard with eyes of excitement. "Rhea extensively wrote about Sitri and her life in these pages, with all the dates presented alongside what Lysithea read in Captain Jeralt's diary… I was right about it!"
"I'm honestly confused right now, what is it?" Lysithea asked irritably at the rather over-excited mood of Hanneman that seemed to inhibit how cohesive he speaks his sentences.
"She never mentioned Captain Jeralt in her notes about Sitri but she mentioned Sitri being pregnant by the Year 1158!" Hanneman began to explain as he traced his fingers through his paper containing his notes while looking back and forth at Rhea's journal.
"In her notes, Rhea wrote about how Sitri died on the day she gave birth… how the child was stillborn… how the baby's corpse resonated with the stone Rhea took from Sitri's heart to save it's life. How that baby became the thirteenth Vessel" Hanneman continued further as Edelgard and Lysithea's eyes widened in realization of what he was getting at.
"It was said that Captain Jeralt left the Knights after a fire broke out and claimed his child prior to his return to Garreg Mach years ago, then when he was found… he claimed he married another woman who died of childbirth and had a child that he refuses or claims not to know what his age is… how can a father forget the age of his child?"
"You can't mean that the child Sitri gave birth to and this child, that Captain Jeralt's supposed second wife gave birth to are one and the same?" Lysithea asked.
"There's no denying it, Byleth is the thirteenth Vessel! Think about it! He himself once told me he had no heartbeat and when he took a hold of the Sword of the Creator in the Tomb of Seiros… it resonated with him despite the sword having it's Crest Stone missing!"
Lysithea could only nod, Edelgard looked down on the altar as her mind processed what was going on.
"All this talk from Rhea about the Goddess blessing the professor with Crest… it's only half-true! The stone that Rhea vaguely describes in this journal has to be the Crest Stone of the Crest of Flames! The Sword of the Creator resonated with the professor because his heart is the Crest of Stone itself!"
Lysithea could only stare in shock, her mouth agape at what she just learned, if only she brought along Jeralt's diary from her room, they could easily cross referenced and confirm this.
"Something doesn't add up." Edelgard suddenly spoke, making Hanneman and Lysithea look at her with raised eyebrows.
"If what you're saying is indeed true then how is it that the professor was successful in harnessing the power of the Crest Stone of the Crest of Flames when his mother and her predecessors couldn't?" Edelgard questioned which proved to be a good question for Hanneman.
"An astute observation, mainly because of what was written here… Sitri was the only one among the Vessels to bear a child with an actual human being while the other artificial humans Rhea created didn't choose to… perhaps the physiology of a child made from a Vessel and an actual human made the host that Rhea was looking for, a child unburdened from a life that was made unnaturally…"
"I have a question though." Lysithea interjected as something came up that she needed answers with. "If the professor was a successful Vessel… then what was or… who was Rhea planning to resurrect and what does it have to do with the Crest Stone?"
Edelgard looked like she knew the answer or more like, she had a hunch about it.
"I know this may sound farfetched but, I know who Rhea was intending to bring back-"
Before Edelgard could continue, they heard running footsteps from where they came from, all of a sudden, Hanneman and Lysithea prepared their spells in their hands while Edelgard drew a dagger strapped on the back of her waist and pointed it at the open (brick) doorway.
"Y-Your Majesty!" A soldier breathed out, looking exhausted from all the running he did. He was panting heavily as he slowly approached the Emperor, fumbling as he tried to kneel in front of her. Lysithea and Hanneman immediately cancelled what spell they were preparing with their hands when they saw it was merely one of the soldiers.
"Breathe and relax, soldier." Edelgard said as she looked down on the panting man, she gestured to the man to take as much time as he needed to catch his breath.
"I-I'm fine now, Your Majesty."
Edelgard nodded. "Good, now what is it? I asked not to be disturbed didn't I?"
The soldier nodded many times. "F-Forgive me, Y-Your Majesty but this was… said to be… urgent f-from Lady D-Dorothea."
"Dorothea?" Lysithea repeated, wondering what it is that Dorothea wants from the Emperor to the point of disturbing her despite Edelgard's orders not to be bothered until her return.
"Y-Your e-ears only… s-she received reports about an individual roaming and she wanted you t-to hear it-"
Edelgard's eyes narrowed, her patience was at its limit as they disturbed right as they reached a breakthrough in what they just discovered.
But then again, this summons from Dorothea seemed rather urgent as the former songstress never did send a message like this in all these years.
"I'm afraid we'll have to conclude this sometime, Professor Hanneman and Lysithea, do continue with what you can find and tell me later on. I have to hear what the urgency is about." Edelgard said, giving the two an apologetic look before turning back to look down on the soldier.
"You, lead me to where Dorothea is now."
"Y-Yes." The soldier stood up while nodding before proceeding to walk towards the dark halls he came from, a torch in hand as Edelgard left with him, leaving Lysithea and Hanneman alone.
It didn't take long for Hanneman and Lysithea to leave shortly after Edelgard departed, even after all these years, there was some lingering awkwardness between the two due to how their last major conversation back in the Academy ended.
It was short and amicable with Lysithea agreeing to meet up with Hanneman shortly after she retrieved Captain Jeralt's journal from her room while Hanneman returns to his office to check and corroborate their findings with more evidence that he may have found that were stacked among the many papers in his office.
The revelations earlier still shook her, the conspiracies and all...
No wonder Rhea was so lenient and heavily favored the professor especially during the moment where he was falsely accused of sleeping with Lysithea in his office years ago.
By Seteth's own words back then, regardless if he was guilty or not, he would have been removed from his post to lessen the damage caused by the scandal yet Rhea herself insisted that such measures are unnecessary in lieu of Byleth's recent actions and service to the Church.
She remembered the look Jeralt had behind Rhea's back as he left with Byleth, those were mistrusting eyes, she knew for she often had such a look upon her own.
Everything was beginning to make sense… almost, why the sudden trust? The favoritism?
She had the key to complete it and it was just beyond the door before her now. Opening the door to her room, Lysithea went straight towards her table where she left the journal. Turning on the lamp, she began skimming through the journal.
Her eyes read through every entry, looking for keywords and the dates the entries were written in as a method of fast tracking her search.
Her eyes slightly widened in anticipation when she saw the year 1159.
"Day 10 of the Great Tree Moon, Year 1159. Sitri expressed her worries about her pregnancy, she told me she had been having bad dreams about it but I told her not to put much stock into it. I told her to instead, be more positive and to look forward to our future as a family and that as soon as our child is born, all such worries will be expunged from her thoughts."
Lysithea shook her head as she realized this wasn't the entry she was specifically looking for but felt like she was closing in the gap.
She had come upon the entries regarding the Horsebow Moon, seeing through entries that the birth was almost upon them and had words of excitement from Jeralt's penmanship, things she never thought she would hear from the late captain.
It seemed like the man who wrote these entries and the man she met were two completely different people. The latter was a far cry of the former, a shadow, a broken reflection of what was once.
"Day 20 of the Horsebow Moon." Lysithea read through the words beneath the aforementioned date, her eyes widening as she caught sight of the first few sentences.
"All is cloudy. I can't believe she's dead. Lady Rhea said she died during childbirth. But is that the truth? And still, the child she traded her life for doesn't make a sound. Didn't even cry at birth."
"Is there anything else you can't do, professor? Besides baking that is."
"I can't smile."
That particular exchange between her and Byleth five years ago played itself in her mind as if being caused by the entry she just read.
Her hands began to slightly tremble, she was beginning to dread what she will discover in the next pages of the entry but she knew she must keep reading on otherwise the insatiable thirst to know the truth will never give her a peace of mind.
"Day 25 of the Horsebow Moon. It's raining. The baby doesn't laugh or cry. Not ever. Lady Rhea says not to worry, but a baby that doesn't cry...isn't natural. Had a doctor examine the child in secret. He said the pulse is normal, but there's no heartbe-"
"There you are!"
Lysithea nearly jumped up and screamed when Caspar suddenly called out for her.
Growling in irritation at having her reading interrupted at such a crucial moment, Lysithea glared at Caspar with all the displeasure she could show to the man.
"What?!" Lysithea said, nearly shouting. "Can't you see I'm busy? Also, learn to knock-"
"Well, the door was open-" Caspar shook his head, thinking that such transgression of his towards Lysithea isn't of any importance right now.
Lysithea frowned, taking a good look at Caspar, long enough to notice that he was sweaty and panting for air much like the soldier was earlier when he delivered a message to Edelgard.
Although, knowing Caspar, he was probably training before deciding to bother her for some reason. She did consider him a friend but she must admit that he was obnoxiously loud most of the time, it's even a miracle someone like Linhardt could even tolerate his loud mouth.
"Whatever it is, tell me later. I'm in the middle of something important right now-"
"This one's far more important!" Caspar interrupted with a hoarse voice. The Ordelia woman merely rolled her eyes, keen to ignore Caspar as her eyes went back into the journal to continue where was rudely interrupted.
"What? Bernadetta had enough of your-"
Before Lysithea could finish, her eyes widened at what had escaped from Caspar's lips, words she was eager to ignore until she heard them.
Lysithea ran as fast as she could all over Garreg Mach, she was losing her breath as she sprinted but she didn't care.
The moment she had heard the news from Caspar… the reason why Dorothea called for Edelgard earlier despite the Emperor's explicit orders not to be disturbed.
It turned out that after Hanneman and Lysithea parted ways from Rhea's secret underground lab or ritual site (they still couldn't determine what it should be labeled), a messenger was sent only to find the place empty.
Caspar, in all his excitement, was the one who went looking for her, running around the monastery, armor and all.
Lysithea had checked the most obvious place, the dorms but there's no such luck.
She tried the training grounds, nothing.
She tried the offices, thinking that she may find her query there but alas there was none.
She even went to where Edelgard is who told her, smiles and all, to search the place where they "all bonded as a whole."
Seeing Edelgard's bright smile, her lavender eyes still had traces of glistening tears she sought to hide… it evoked something Lysithea had once thought was forlorn.
As she ran, passing by her friends, soldiers and staff of Garreg Mach, ignoring them even if she bumped into them, she didn't care.
She needed to see it with her own eyes, hear with her own ears and feel it in her entirety.
The large twin doors were all that stood before her, breathing raspily from all the running she did with almost no pause. She didn't care if her body was sweaty from all the running she had done, the stairs she climbed and the doors she opened.
Her hands felt heavy as they grasped on the handles of the twin doors. She didn't know if it was her body feeling the effects of strenuous physical activity or if it was this heavy feeling in her heart that made it so.
For so many years she had given up on hope, while she and the others chose not to cling on to such things… Others like Edelgard kept faith despite it being ill-advised, Lysithea only thought that such desperate and insisting clinging would merely result in a long drawn out suffering.
Something she didn't want to feel again after all what she went through all her life.
Swallowing hard, Lysithea mustered the strength of will and her arms to pry open the closed doors, revealing the familiar sight of the Black Eagles classroom.
Despite it being untouched by the war, the classroom wasn't thoroughly cleaned as it used to back then, tables and chairs she and others have taken their lessons in were dirty with dust and cobwebs underneath.
But that didn't matter, for another familiar sight graced Lysithea's eyes.
Pink eyes that were devoid of much of the light of hope were relit as she caught sight of the man standing by the side of the table that he once used almost every day five years ago.
His left hand was tenderly brushing away the dust on the surface of the table.
Thoughts, many thoughts came into Lysithea's mind… was this a ghost? Or was it just a cruel prank meant to mock her?
Tomorrow was the day they all promised to reunite after all, a promise she thought will forever be unfulfilled.
She had to make sure, she bit her trembling lips and tightly clenched her hands to ease her nerves.
She had to ask. Call out.
"P-Professor?"
The man with mint green hair clad in all familiar black cloth and armor slightly jerked up in reaction to the sound of a familiar voice, it may have slightly changed in tone but it was still the same voice he grew accustomed to.
Slowly, he turned around. Eyes that were once sporting blue colors, widened at the sight of her, his normally closed lips due to his stoicism, was agaped.
It was almost as if he saw something that astonished him.
"Lysithea?"
That voice. That all so familiar voice calling out her name, how long has she last heard it and those eyes… she found herself lost in them again.
For so long, has she convinced herself that this was an impossible event. A bitter truth she had accepted after she spent so much time grieving and getting over it after she witnessed him falling into the chasm years ago.
Now, all those years of building up a whole to prevent her heart from shattering once more had all crumbled.
And it was all his fault.
She was so lost in his eyes that she didn't notice that they were merely a few feet apart from each other, she didn't and she didn't care who moved closer, all she knew was that they were staring at each other, lost in the other's eyes.
She wanted to speak once again but no words came out as her lips trembled as it struggled to utter something.
Instead, Lysithea lifted her arms up, her trembling hands to touch his face and feel his warmth in a last attempt to confirm if this wasn't just an elaborate hoax or worse, a ghost.
Yet for some reason, her shaky hands stopped short of touching him, she didn't know why.
Was it because she feared this was all in her head? That this wasn't real if moved her hands for a few inches more?
All of a sudden, she felt a pair of hands hold the back of her hands and gently pressed them to the side of his head.
Warmth.
She knew this warmth as if it was yesterday, she felt this as close as she could get when she planted a tender kiss on one side.
Lysithea gasped as she felt the warmth of his skin and saw his green eyes tenderly looking down at her with a warm smile.
The smile was the final straw as her pink eyes started to leak continuous streams of fresh hot tears.
"I'm back." Byleth's smile only grew wider as he brought his own hands onto Lysithea's face, wiping away the ever so flowing tears from her eyes.
With a loud cry, she buried herself on to his chest, sobbing loudly as she wrapped her arms around Byleth's body, wanting to say something but merely ending in sobs.
Byleth was surprised at first but this not being the first embrace he received today, it didn't take long for him to return the warm gesture as he too wrapped his arms around her, comforting Lysithea as cried her heart out.
Hiding outside the classroom near the doorway, Edelgard was smiling as she looked up at the skies, the tumultuous clouds having begun to clear to make way for the bright blue skies as a black eagle flew above Garreg Mach.
Apologies for the delay of this chapter, I know a lot of you were waiting for this! I was busy writing the last sequel of my Verdant Wind fics, Eternity's End as well as work and other personal factors getting in the way.
I do hope this is worth the wait and let me tell you, we're now getting into the good part! But first, I have to conclude Eternity's End before returning my focus on this fic!