Crimson Flower

Respite

Acheron sputtered out water as he was abruptly awoken by a splash of cold water, soaking him from head to toe. Still dazed, Acheron looked around him only to see a dimly lit room, two Imperial soldiers holding spears looking at him and two shadowy figures lurking in the dark, a single torch was the only means of illumination they had within.

"Finally, just in time for you to be awake."

Acheron looked at one of the shadowy figures who addressed and right before he could move his arms, he realized they were bounded shackles around his wrists and chains pinned on the walls of each side rendering him unable to move.

"W-Where am I? Who are you?"

"You are within the dungeons of Garreg Mach." The cold voice spoke as he emerged from the shadows. "And I am Hubert von Vestra."

Suddenly, Acheron's eyes widened and his entire body trembled upon realizing who the man was before him and where he was.

He remembered the last memory he had before he fell asleep and as soon as he did, he felt the sharp pain on his back. A pain caused by getting struck by an arrow as he was nearing escape from Myrrdin.

"Bernadetta did a great job keeping you alive after she shot you as you fled in cowardice." Hubert remarked as he praised the former shut-in, still finding himself surprised on how strong Bernadetta is despite her meek appearance.

"While the orders were to kill you, we figured out you were much better alive–"

"Y-You guessed right! I-I am much better alive! I can give out i-information about D-Derdriu's defenses!"

"Aren't you suddenly cooperative?" Hubert rhetorically asked with some semblance of mockery.

"Y-Yes! I can c-cooperate a-as long as you s-spare me! Please! I-I'm much more useful to you and the E-Emperor alive!"

"Please." Acheron went quiet upon hearing the voice of a woman, the remaining shadowy figure hidden within the darkness. "Everything you know at the moment means nothing to me."

Stepping out of the shadows, Edelgard revealed herself to an increasingly horrified Acheron as he was chained and face to face with the infamous Adrestian Emperor, someone he had foolishly attempted to kill when he assaulted the Imperial army, only for him to retreat in fear of his life when Edelgard herself arrived.

"I don't think you can offer much in the grand scheme of things, Lord Acheron." Edelgard icily said, her lavender eyes glaring directly at him. "You're not here to be interrogated and have every drop of information you have to tell us. You're here for a different reason."

"W-What m-may that b-be, Y-Your Majesty?"

Edelgard crossed her arms under her chest as Hubert raised his hand slightly to gesture to one of the guards within the room.

Before Acheron could speak, the guard bashed the pole of his spear across his face, causing a bruise and stinging pain to Acheron who winced at the assault.

"P-Please! Don't hurt me! I-I can be of use to you! I can pledge my undying f-fealty!"

"Pledge your fealty to me?" Edelgard repeated, scoffing at Acheron's offer. "Your fealty changes the moment things aren't in favor of the side you joined in. I know your type, Lord Acheron, you switch sides at the drop of the hat with little regard to your allies. You perfectly represent what I despise in the corrupt system I'm trying to end."

The Emperor approached Acheron much closer, her eyes seething with cold fury and hatred towards him.

"Dead as she is now, at least people like Judith have a sense of loyalty for what they believe in. Something I can at least respect… but for you? There's nothing in you but selfishness and treachery of the lowest order." Edelgard venomously said as she let loose a side of her that she rarely exhibits to her peers.

"You think I haven't forgotten about that stunt you did against my soldiers?" Edelgard continued as she saw the fear in Acheron's eyes, his entire body began to tremble more and more in fear of what would happen to him.

"Please… P-Please… d-don't hurt me…" He pleaded like a child that made even Hubert wince at how pathetic the man is.

"Hurt you? I won't do that." Edelgard assured him as she withdrew from Acheron and began to take steps towards the door leading out of the room.

"These two guards in this room had friends and family members who were killed by your escapade back then and I have given them permission to do what they want with you the very moment I leave this room—"

By now, Acheron was screaming at the top of his lungs as he realized what was to come to him the moment Edelgard steps out of the door she had just opened, showing a bit of what is outside the room he was shackled in.

"You will die here, with the thought that you had caused the doom of your nation and subsequently the death of your own son." Edelgard coldly said, giving Acheron one last look before she fully stepped out of the room, leaving Acheron at the mercy of the two Imperial guards and Hubert who will watch the upcoming spectacle.

As Acheron screamed in vain for mercy, Edelgard walked the halls of Garreg Mach's dungeons, heading for the exit leading to the bright sun that shines upon the former monastery, contrasting the dark dungeons she was getting out from.

"You reap what you sow." Edelgard darkly murmured as she went out as Acheron's screams echoed across the dungeons.

But the words she told to Acheron, could easily be applied to her as well. Just how many deaths has she caused in this rebellion or revolution she had instigated into a war? How many friends and family members had been killed intentionally or unintentionally?

Waving those thoughts away, Edelgard believed that history and the generations succeeding her will judge her actions.

"As of now, Myrrdin is now fully fortified by the Empire and it's garrison is full."

"So even if we lay a unified siege, we won't quickly reclaim it?"

"Her Majesty, Edelgard will surely go straight to Myrrdin once word reaches Garreg Mach about our attempts to reclaim it and use its defenses against us." Claude mentioned as he gave Duke Holst and Margrave Edmund a glance.

"We would have just breached the gates and her army will be upon us." Count Gloucester grumbled as he looked in disgust at the banner of the Empire atop to where Myrrdin is, something that once bore the banner of the Alliance since it's conception.

"Damn it, how did they successfully kill Judith without suffering as much loss as we did? They wiped out House Albany–"

"To be fair, Duke Holst… House Albany's loss is of little consequence for us." Count Gloucester scoffed with Lorenz nodding in agreement from behind his father's seat.

None disputed Count Gloucester's words but some of them did feel some loss not because of Acheron's line going extinct, but of the people he brought with them to fight…

As Duke Holst continued to speak, Hilda (who stood behind her brother's seat) looked on worriedly at Claude who wasn't even paying attention to the conversation. She knew exactly what was inside Claude's mind as it had been with her, Marianne and Lorenz as well after hearing of the possible factor on why the Empire had managed to take Myrrdin from them with less loss than they anticipated.

Professor Byleth.

Or if they can still call him as such after they have heard from defeated Alliance soldiers who managed to retreat from Myrrdin on who landed the fatal blow that ended Judith's life.

Claude had already considered the possible fall of Myrrdin especially with Edelgard at the helm of the invading Imperial army but he was also equally positive that Judith and the heavy fortifications of Myrrdin will hold them off or at least make a strategic retreat.

She was with Claude on the day the demoralized soldiers of the now extinct House Daphnel reported to him. He had been struck with grief and shock at the news of Judith's passing, surmising that Edelgard got to her despite his express wishes for Judith to retreat if the battle goes south.

He had contingencies in place in the event Myrrdin fell, Hilda could tell Claude was already planning ahead to fend off the Imperial invasion on the now vulnerable Alliance but just as his brain was about to churn out a possible scheme to push back Edelgard's invasion…

"The Ashen Demon has returned and is the one who killed our lady."

Time seems to have frozen over for Claude at that moment. Hilda, for the first time saw genuine fear in Claude's eyes at the news of Byleth's return.

Claude began asking questions if the soldiers' words were true, and asked them to describe the Ashen Demon.

The mention of a glowing sword that can transform into a terrible bladed whip that could kill dozens of men with one lash was enough for Claude to be convinced.

That and the lime green hair as well as the cold green eyes that the soldiers described.

"A man in black clothes and some armor as black as his heart when he killed numerous people without batting an eye as blood stained and dripped off from his glowing sword that can create a maelstrom of death, all while the glares from his glowing green eyes showed no remorse and instead inspired fear in our hearts."

"We will proceed as planned with some adjustments in light of Judith's passing." Claude said, snapping Hilda out of her thoughts.

"A lot is riding on this plan of yours, Duke Riegan, the fate of the Alliance as a whole rests upon it." Margrave Edmund said, having agreed to Claude's rather drastic plan and prediction that Edelgard will come straight for him to dismantle the Alliance as quickly as possible.

Count Gloucester even sighed in resignation to his political rival's plan, he had no choice but to accept the plan Claude had cooked up, knowing that even if he allied with the Empire, he knew the future of his house will be in jeopardy once Edelgard had enacted the radical changes she had promised should she succeed in conquering all of Fodlan.

"House Gloucester stands with you even if we must ally with former enemies."

Duke Holst gave Claude a nod of approval, having been the first to be informed about this plan.

"The Emperor and her cronies will never know what hit them the moment they lay siege here." Holst said with utmost confidence.

Claude gave them a rather stiff smile.

"Thank you my lords." The Duke of Riegan gave them a bow of gratitude for their unanimous cooperation, a very rare thing for those gathered in this round table conference to occur.

"The meeting is adjourned. Prepare for what is to come, I shall send word the moment our spies pick up movement from the Empire."

As the room cleared, Claude remained within, looking seriously at the map of Fodlan in the middle of the round table.

There was no sign of his easy going expression, he was focused, determined yet… something was clearly bothering him as Hilda observed as she hesitated to follow Holst out of the conference room after Marianne had bidden her farewell.

"Hilda?"

The pink haired lady looked at Holst with hesitation upon her eyes. Holst briefly glanced at Claude before looking at his younger sister.

Sighing with a smile, Holst gave her a nod.

"Alright. I'll see you in Goneril." The Duke of House Goneril said, understanding his sister's desire to stay behind.

Hilda gave him a sweet smile of thanks as she watched Holst leave as the doors leading in and out of the room were closed to only leave her and Claude inside.

There was a terrible silence between the two, neither of them speaking with Claude either too focused on what he is looking at or what he's thinking, and Hilda being unsure how to start up a conversation and what to tell him.

She figured inviting him out to relax would do some good but even Hilda knew that wasn't appropriate with what is going on in Claude's mind right now. There was just too much going on that doing activities of leisure would be frowned upon.

"Claude."

"I know what you want to talk about." Claude coldly told her. It was obvious by Hilda that Claude didn't want to talk to anyone, including her.

He has always been good at hiding his emotions to most people but when it comes to Hilda? It feels like she could read him like a book. She could easily tell if something was bothering him within those misleading easygoing smiles and witty remarks.

This time, he wasn't trying to hide it. He was outwardly showing it and for Hilda, this meant something from Claude.

He couldn't hold it in.

Without a second thought, Hilda walked up towards Claude and brought her hands up to hold his face, making him look at her to have a clear view of Claude's face.

Hilda's eyes widened as she saw the look of devastation in Claude, he looked crushed and was on the verge of breaking down… something Hilda hasn't seen from him. It felt so alien of Claude to look like this and now…

"Claude…" Hilda worriedly called him as she cupped his face with her hands.

"I told her to retreat…" Claude muttered slowly, his green eyes kept looking down despite Hilda's attempts to make him look at her own eyes.

"It wasn't your fault, Claude." Hilda assured him.

"I know but I still put her in command in Myrrdin–"

"We couldn't have known about what could happen, especially with the professor's return…"

"I sent her there to die…"

"Claude, don't go there…" Hilda told him with an increasingly worried tone. "Stop torturing yourself over this."

There were no traces of the Claude she knew before her, only a shell that grieved over someone who looked after him since his arrival in Fodlan. Judith, who protected him, guided him and walked him through everything about Fodlan.

For Claude, Judith was akin to a mother for him in the absence of his real one. In fact, Judith's strength of character reminded him of his mother, her independent and strong spirit… her tough love approach… It is all what endeared her to Claude despite his initial distrust of the noblewoman when his grandfather and uncle introduced him to her.

Yet, he sent her to her death…

He should be ready for this, he has seen war in Fodlan for over five years now… he had heard of the deaths of many throughout those years. This was the first time he felt this sense of loss.

As for him and Hilda, they also dreaded what happened to Raphael and Ignatz, having heard nothing about them since Myrrdin fell. They have resigned to the fact that they were summarily killed in Myrrdin's fall since eyewitness accounts stated that Raphael was knocked unconscious while Ignatz suffered a serious injury against Leonie, other than that, there was no guarantee that Edelgard kept them alive considering that Edelgard had every soldiers of commanding position executed in Myrrdin.

Before Hilda knew it, Claude buried his face over one of her shoulders, showing vulnerability that he couldn't show to anyone else except her. Hilda merely let him as she wrapped her arms around his frame, allowing themselves this moment behind closed doors.

Claude needed this, he didn't shed tears but Hilda knew he's on the verge of it and for some stubborn sense of pride, is holding it down. Claude merely stared at the seat Judith used to occupy as a proxy for Count Ordelia's absence.

Besides, what would Judith say to him if she found Claude like this?

"How are you?"

"I'm fine, Professor Manuela told me I'm cleared to get out by later… she's just running some tests with Professor Hanneman."

Edelgard nodded as she sat on the chair beside Lysithea's bed in the infirmary, taking a sip of the tea she had served by Dorothea for her and Lysithea, the songstress leaving after she told Lysithea to get well.

"Thank you for this, I was beginning to think I wouldn't go without sweets today." Lysithea said as she bit on a chocolate chip cookie that Mercedes had made for her as part of the tea Dorothea had brewed.

The Emperor giggled at her sister's addiction to anything sweet, making it sound like she couldn't survive anything without sugar for a day.

"The others chipped in–"

Edelgard was interrupted by the loud snoring from the opposite row of beds in the infirmary. The two white haired girls frowned as Caspar slept soundly on his bed, having been told by Manuela to rest as his bruises healed from his slugfest with Raphael.

"It's been a nightmare trying to get some sleep at night when Caspar sleeps in the same room as I." Lysithea sighed in annoyance before resuming her consumption, taking another bite of cookie before washing it down with a sip of tea.

"Has the professor been here?" Edelgard asked, having never seen Byleth after breakfast, the two never had a chance to talk as Edelgard had to see through matters that needed her attention.

"As a matter of fact, yes." Lysithea nodded. "Professor Manuela told me he was here while I slept, so he just chatted with Caspar before leaving… only to return shortly after I woke up."

Edelgard set her tea down the saucer she was holding on top of her lap, she knew where Byleth went earlier after having heard from the others that he visited Felix in his room to talk to him, probably to catch up with the former Faerghus nobleman.

Like Annette, she was cautioned to put Felix into room arrest for the time being to corroborate with their spies and Felix' statement to where he has been the past few years he was gone. Hubert said they couldn't take any chances despite the open knowledge that the swordsman hated his own homeland for what he calls "a foolish culture that puts more emphasis on glory and adherence to the Church than the welfare of its people."

"He's been worried about you, Lysithea. Besides the injuries you took from Myrrdin… he was much more concerned about…" Edelgard hesitated as she too had felt that just recently before the siege.

"My worsening… 'affliction'? Scratch that, ours I mean." Lysithea corrected herself, alluding to both herself and Edelgard's looming and worsening conditions in the recent years.

Edelgard looked down at the floor in sorrow. "Yes. Have you told him?"

The look on Lysithea's face says it.

"He wasn't glad to hear it." Lysithea replied as she recalled the crushed look that Byleth had when Lysithea told him earlier.

Lysithea had been cranky since she woke up to find herself in the infirmary. Besides Caspar's loud snoring that woke her up at dead of night, before she managed to get some sleep, the fact that Lysithea realized she was in bedrest once again frustrated her.

Remembering how she got here after some brief memory recollection, Lysithea grumbled at having the professor witness that unpleasant experience she's had… not to mention, she could have worried him even more as it is besides the wounds she sustained.

There were things she wanted to know following Myrrdin's fall to their hands, what happened to the casualties on their side? Did someone die? Get severely hurt? What about Ignatz and Raphael? Was there anyone else they knew that was under Judith's command?

She groaned, there's just no way she can get back to sleep even if Caspar has quieted down his snoring for the second time. She may have gotten some semblance of sleep after Caspar had stopped snoring earlier but this wasn't enough… she can't sleep even if she willed it as hard as she could.

It seems she and Caspar were the only ones in the infirmary within Garreg Mach's walls, a privilege that was reserved for those with commanding positions or part of Edelgard's Black Eagle Strike Force, the others that were wounded are housed in the many infirmary tents outside of Garreg Mach's inner walls. Here, Manuela personally tends to any of the important personnel of the army.

Her stomach growled, as she realized her body hasn't eaten anything since yesterday's battle. She could definitely feel the hunger now as she placed her left hand on her stomach, the act caused her to wince at the sharp pain on her forearm, instantly remembering in that moment the wound she received from being slashed by a lance.

Even if the skin had partly healed, there was still pain within her damaged flesh. Manuela must have treated it during the time she was unconscious as she doesn't feel that much degree of pain as she did yesterday.

The door to the infirmary opened, Lysithea surmised Manuela had come to check up on her and Caspar, she was mistaken as Byleth emerged from the door, pushing a wooden cart with two trays of meals and glasses of water as he went inside.

"Professor…"

"Good morning, good to see you are awake." Byleth flashed her a small smile as he went ahead to push the cart near the foot of Lysithea's bed.

"How long have I been out?" Lysithea asked, trying hard to hide her hungry and eager side from taking over when she caught sight of the loaf of bread, small jar of jam and slices of bacon on the plate that Byleth was about to serve to her in one of the trays.

"Half a day since yesterday." Byleth responded before passing the tray to Lysithea after placing the glass of water on it. "You must be hungry and parched."

"Not reall–" Her stomach growled just as she was about to deny what Byleth said, much to her embarrassment.

Byleth chuckled and shook his head. "I thought Caspar would be awake so I brought him his own meal, Bernadetta was worried about him that she couldn't sleep well." Byleth noted as he remembered seeing the Varley heiress cooking in the kitchen while no one was around.

"Those two still baffle me how they got together." Lysithea said.

"I thought you and Edelgard would know… considering I was gone for five years." Byleth lightly shrugged, watching Lysithea take a bite of bacon, smiling when he saw the sense of satisfaction in her eyes as she tasted food while starving.

"They… just happened while El and I were busy with other matters." Lysithea reasoned, not having much contact with her comrades during the earlier years of the war, having been mostly confined in Enbarr.

Byleth nodded, taking a glance at Caspar who was still sleeping and lightly snoring.

"You and Edelgard seemed to have gotten close."

"How could you tell?" Lysithea asked as she busied herself with her food, shedding off any reservations on looking improper as she ate in front of the professor.

"You're the only one who calls her by that nickname."

Lysithea paused as she realized the truth in Byleth's words, she had been rather alienated at first when she called Edelgard by her nickname after they cemented their bond as sisters months ago… the succeeding days… it felt so natural for her to call the Emperor as such even to the point of uttering it with others around.

"She gave me permission to dispense with the title and just call her as such…"

"Not that you needed permission to call her by her title, you two have been good friends even before her ascension."

Lysithea nodded, smiling after briefly remembering how far she and Edelgard have gotten together as friends.

"You can say that… Edelgard was never one for titles when it was just her and our friends."

Byleth smiled at this. "Seeing as how you are in your current position in her inner council. It seems she values your input more so than anyone else's. Looks like you made good on your promise to be by her side if I wasn't around."

Lysithea's smile slightly faltered at that. The professor wasn't really wrong about his assessment but she didn't get into her position in Edelgard's inner circle just because she made a vow to the professor, she did it as her friend and her duty as Edelgard's friend, compels her to make the Emperor see the error of her own judgements should she make a bad one.

"We had many disagreements while you were gone, professor. So much shouting was involved… I even slapped her once–"

"I can guess Hubert wasn't pleased with that." Byleth chuckled at the thought but for Lysithea, it wasn't anything to take joy with it considering how severe that argument was between her and Edelgard that for a brief moment, it made Lysithea question why she was with Edelgard.

"You know…" Byleth continued, looking through the now sunny skies outside the windows of the infirmary. "Edelgard talks a lot about you when we're alone."

Lysithea's eyes widened at this.

"She cares about you, Lysithea. Much more than anyone else, she considers you a sister she never had and that's why…" Byleth's tone darkened as he was beginning to get into the crux of why he opened this topic to Lysithea.

"She's afraid of what will happen to you after I told her about my own concerns after we won in Myrrdin."

Lysithea dropped the piece of bread she was holding, landing on her lap as she looked at Byleth, the latter looking extremely worried.

"It's getting worse… isn't it?" Byleth asked, recalling the moment Lysithea bared everything about her condition before the battle that took him away for five years.

Lysithea hung her head low. "Yes."

"Are those episodes of yours becoming more frequent?"

"Not just me… Also Edelgard as well. It's just that, Myrrdin was the first time that happened to me while in the middle of the battlefield." Lysithea admitted, there was no point in hiding all of this from Byleth.

Byleth sighed. "You should be staying out of the battlefield then. You and Edelgard both." He told her much to Lysithea's indignation.

"You think I'm becoming a liability just because of my condition?" Lysithea asked, her temper flaring up at the insinuation that she's a burden in the battlefield.

But instead of what she thought… Byleth was more worried of her succumbing to her condition and falling prey to the enemy's sword while vulnerable.

"It's not that. I'm worried that if that happens while you're fighting someone… you'll be an easy target. I have no doubts about your capability to protect yourself but what if no ally was there with you if that happens?"

Lysithea couldn't argue with what Byleth said, that could possibly happen if whatever she's feeling… this curse… this disease would act up at the wrong time. She hated the chances of that happening and she hated how the professor was right about it.

She still wanted to continue fighting and she knows Edelgard will as well.

"I don't care. I still want to fight and you can't stop me from doing so."

She didn't look at Byleth as she said it, not wanting to see his reaction the moment the words left her lips.

There was awkward silence for a moment until Byleth sighed.

"I know. You're just that stubborn. Somehow, it's refreshing to see that trait of yours never left you." Byleth found himself chuckling much to Lysithea's confusion. "And it's as Edelgard told me, you'll never let that hold you back."

Lysithea slowly looked up at Byleth. "Edelgard told you the same thing, didn't she?"

"She didn't even let me finish when I suggested it. Told me that suggesting it is like the equivalent of asking Rhea to expose all the lies she fed to everyone in Fodlan for centuries, peacefully."

"... That sounds like her." Lysithea murmured. "See? Even you can't talk Edelgard out with just that. We're going to continue fighting and that's that."

Byleth looked rather displeased at Lysithea's response despite telling her of the practicality of not joining the battle, something Lysithea didn't miss.

"Look, professor… I know how unreasonable it is but I can't just sit around and twiddle my thumbs if everyone else is doing all that to the extent of their capability. I want to continue fighting like everyone else."

The former professor merely nodded, accepting that he could never change Lysithea's mind about her stance on this as well as Edelgard.

"Having such a short life… I need to do something to make the most out of it." Lysithea murmured sadly.

This only further saddened Byleth.

"I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?"

"I spoke high and mighty years ago about trying to find a solution to your condition, then afterwards, I disappeared from you for five years. By the time I returned, you were already suffering the worst of it. As much as I worry about you, I can't stop you because despite the disadvantage you have… you still keep on trying to make this world a better place."

Lysithea looked back at her half-eaten meal.

"Professor, what would you do if you were in my situation?"

Byleth looked back at Lysithea, taking a moment to consider his answer.

"I'm probably going to make the most out of it if I have something to look forward to achieving." Byleth admitted. "I can't just waste it away feeling depressed on why the world seemed so unfair to give me such a handicap."

"Then… you know what I feel, why I want to continue fighting with you and everyone else despite the handicap I was given." Lysithea said with a sad smile as she made her point.

"I appreciate the concern, professor but I need to tell you to also give up in trying to find a solution to rid me of this… curse." The white haired woman said the last word with utter disdain. "We can't waste our time on a wild goose change while we fight an ongoing war."

"I can't do that." Byleth responded with no hesitation, earning him a sigh from Lysithea. "I promised that I won't stop looking for a way as long as you live. What kind of person would I be if I gave up on someone important to me? If I abandoned her?"

Lysithea could feel her chest feel hot at what Byleth declared defiantly. It irked her that Byleth's stubbornness wouldn't just let her life run it's short course yet can't help but feel warm to his defiance against the impossible odds stacked against him in this foolish quest of finding a cure for her.

"D-Do whatever you want." Lysithea grumbled as she hastily took the piece of bread she dropped and ate it to hide her flustered look.

As Lysithea ate her bread with one hand, she felt Byleth's own hand lay on top of her free one resting on her lap.

She looked to her side to see Byleth giving her this look that mesmerized her to his eyes. She couldn't fully decipher what was behind the look in Byleth's eyes as she felt compelled to turn her hand around to entwine it with Byleth's hand.

"I never really noticed until now… you've really grown into a fine woman, Lysithea." Byleth said as he stared at her intensely.

A swathe of red enveloped Lysithea's cheeks as her mouth remained frozen, unable to say something.

Just before anyone between them could speak, Caspar yawned loudly as he sat up on his bed, having woken up from his sleep.

"Ugh… where the heck am I? O-Oww… the part where Raphael punched me on the face still hurt– Oh hey professor! Didn't think I'll see you here!" Caspar's mood suddenly brightened when he caught sight of Byleth sitting beside Lysithea's bed, unaware of their entwined hands.

Almost immediately, Lysithea pulled her hand away from Byleth as she continued to hastily eat, preferring to use her mouth to just eat rather than say anything.

Unknown to her, Byleth had a slight shade of red on his cheeks after they had separated their hands from each other.

"I've brought you food and water, Caspar." Byleth said, standing up from his seat beside Lysithea and took one of the trays of food with him. It only took one more glance from Lysithea to notice that Byleth's left hand was swollen.

"Professor, what happened to your hand?"

Byleth blinked and looked down on his left hand, not looking alarmed at it.

"Felix and I sparred earlier… suffice to say, he beat me." Byleth said, recalling how upon his release, Felix immediately challenged Byleth in order to measure the culmination of his own growth during these five years.

"Wow! That makes him the second person to beat you, professor! Now, I can't wait to train again and be the third guy then!" Caspar grinned before he felt pain all over his face as Byleth went to his side to give him his breakfast.

"I see." Edelgard said after she had listened to Lysithea's recounting of what happened earlier.

The Emperor found herself sneaking a glare towards the sleeping Caspar, fully getting the context of what had just occurred in this room and what was ruined by the loudmouthed man.

"I want to ask you something, Edelgard."

The Emperor blinked and looked back at her friend, seeing a look of nervous anticipation to an answer of a question she hasn't asked yet.

"You look worried." Edelgard pointed out. "Go ahead, ask."

"What happened to Ignatz? Raphael?" Lysithea asked after she had spent hours thinking of what fate had fallen to her former classmates and friends.

"Imprisoned after we took Myrrdin." Edelgard responded without delay. "They were treated for their injuries but detained in their own cells here."

Lysithea breathed a sigh of relief.

"You expected I would have had them executed?" Edelgard questioned.

"I would be lying if I said that didn't cross my mind." Lysithea admitted. "They were pretty much key figures in Myrrdin… I had hoped—"

"I can't make that decision without your input, Lysithea." Edelgard said as she looked up at the ceiling. "I know you were friends with them before and after you joined us in the Black Eagles back then but I have to admit, it did cross my mind especially with how Leonie recounted that Ignatz didn't even hesitate to shoot you."

"He didn't… but I appreciate you for sparing them–"

"I wouldn't really spare them if it weren't for you." Edelgard admitted. "But I realized Ignatz was more valuable alive if we could squeeze out some information from him before we launched a full scale assault on Derdriu."

Lysithea immediately caught on to what Edelgard was implying.

"No, we can't torture him!"

"Who said anything about torturing him?" Edelgard's brows were furrowed. "There's other ways to make someone talk, you know."

The Ordelia woman was still unsure considering her knowledge of how willing Edelgard would dirty her hands despite her noble intentions. It was within reasonable doubt that Edelgard isn't above the use of torture.

"The use of torture is for those who deserved it the most." Edelgard darkly muttered as Lysithea looked at her with a confused look, unknown to her that the Emperor had basically allowed Hubert and some others to torture Acheron to death.

"I know you viewed Judith as a major threat more than anyone else in the Alliance besides Claude and Holst but why didn't you consider capturing her alive?" Lysithea asked.

"Judith's conviction will prevent her from ever speaking anything that would result in us getting an advantage against the Alliance. There are very few like her who wouldn't sell their country out or surrender it to anyone else, hence why she needed to die." Edelgard responded, despite them being enemies, she genuinely did respect Judith's unwillingness to turn her back against what she fights for. As Ferdinand would constantly yap about… Judith embodied what nobility should strive to be.

"So… Are you going to kill Claude as well when we attack Derdriu?"

Edelgard glanced at Lysithea, seeing her conflicted emotions present on her face.

"If I have to. But, I just need him to surrender and along with it, the sovereignty of the Alliance. If he proved to be stubborn or difficult to put into heel then I will not hesitate to kill him." Edelgard said in all honesty.

The two women took sips of their tea in relative silence for a moment. Edelgard didn't know what else to say towards Lysithea, aware of the emotional conflict within her sworn sister.

"Do you ever feel guilty?" Lysithea suddenly asked just before Edelgard could take another sip of tea.

"Guilty of starting this war and being the cause of the loss of lives of so many?" Edelgard continued Lysithea's question for her, having expected the additional line Lysithea was to utter.

"I try not to think about it. I try to focus on my goal for everyone when we achieve what we want for this land and its people. History and future generations will judge us." Edelgard said until her eyes dropped down to her lap.

"But, on a personal level? I do." Edelgard admitted. "I regret why all of this has to be necessary. I feel bad seeing the battlefield littered with corpses of those I've slain or were slain in my name."

"I've often wondered where our lives would be if what happened to us… didn't happen." Lysithea lamented.

"I try not to think much of what ifs for it only makes the losses we suffered worse. What if our family weren't butchered like lambs to a slaughter? What if we weren't born of nobility? What if…" Edelgard stopped herself,

"At the end of the day, they're meaningless and painful to muse about." Edelgard said and yet, Lysithea could see the pain in her lavender eyes. Lysithea knew the Emperor had once thought of such things.

Edelgard stood up from her seat, placed her teacup on the tray situated above the bedside table near Lysithea.

"Professor Manuela will come here soon. It's best I go, I still need to assess and see the full reports of our battle from yesterday. I'll see you later." Edelgard said as she placed a warm hand over Lysithea's, giving her a smile.

"Edelgard… About the professor and what we found out–"

"Within this month, we will talk about it with him. I had already informed him there is something we must discuss with him alongside Professor Hanneman."

With that, Edelgard left Lysithea to rest in the infirmary. Leaving the Ordelia woman alone with a sleeping Caspar in the infirmary.

Byleth stood before his parent's grave, this having been his first visit after many years. He was sure his father's body was all bones by now even though it felt like days had merely passed for Byleth since he disappeared.

He wondered what Jeralt would think when he found out Byleth sided against the very Church that he had served all those years, that allowed Jeralt to meet his mother and have him.

But then again, Jeralt would probably feel vindicated for being right about Rhea but the truth still eludes him as to what Rhea was scheming regarding him. He feels like he could only get the answer if it comes from Rhea's lips herself but knowing her, she'll just spat out bitter words of hatred against him for his 'betrayal'.

Everything about his mother is still a mystery for him, he barely knew her except for how she looked like and what she likes to do, straight from Jeralt's fond words about her.

Sighing, Byleth took out Sitri's ring from his pockets, staring at it as he recalled how his father wanted to give it to him personally should the time come when he needs it.

"To give it to someone I love much like how you loved her…" Byleth murmured to himself as he looked down on his parents' shared gravestone, on it were withered flowers that Byleth thought were left by either Alois or Leonie… perhaps even one of the mercenaries that used to work for Jeralt and now works for Leonie.

It made him smile to know that even after all these years, someone outside of himself still thinks of Jeralt so fondly that they will leave such offerings.

Yet, no one else besides him can do the same for his mother. Maybe there was Alois but both of them never had a long conversation about Sitri, they never had the time to do so.

With the war ongoing and his own vow to see it finished, Byleth doubted he will find someone to love and give this ring to in the near future.

There were still so many things he must do, things to learn about himself and the world. He doubts he will ever find the time to do so much less find… someone.

Until all of a sudden, Lysithea came into his mind.

He felt his chest heat up, his unbeating heart felt strange especially when he recalled how he stared at her, remarking how much she had grown.

She looks so… beautiful as opposed to when he thought her out loud as cute during those days five years ago.

Five years did wonders for her much more than it did for the others he knew that had grown up. She was like a flower that had fully blossomed and stood out the most among the flowerbeds.

"Lysithea." Byleth murmured her name, his other hand clutching his chest as he tried to decipher what is this he feels whenever he recalled what happened earlier and what compelled him to hold her hand like that.

Shaking his head, Byleth placed the ring back in his pockets. He still needed to continue training, being beaten by both Edelgard and Felix kind of dented his confidence in being the mentor figure for them. His loss to them are both a testament to their growth over the years as well as him needing to make up for the lost time he had.

Fhirdiad, Faerghus

Rhea looked down on the fireplace that is the sole provider of warmth within the cold war room of Fhirdiad's castle.

She had been silent all this time as the lords and her own commanders discussed the recent development in the war that had plagued Fodlan for half a decade now.

Especially the Empire's latest victory over the Alliance in Myrrdin, a major one that could potentially have long term ramifications in tipping the scales of war in favor of the Empire.

"We should have tried harder to form an alliance with the Leicester Alliance when we had the chance."

Dimitri shook his head as he massaged the temples of his forehead. "The Alliance wouldn't want to have anything to do with us even if we did. Remember that they were to be neutral until one of their own decided to break that neutrality… giving Edelgard a reason to attack them."

"That may be true but speculations persisted that the Alliance lords merely wanted to wait out the war until we and the Empire had both exhausted each other. That would have been their ideal time to act–"

"I find that hard to believe." Rodrigue shook his head in disagreement with Margrave Gautier's statement. "Whatever the case, that matters little now as the Empire has gained a major foothold in their lands. It will be only a matter of time until the Emperor will launch an invasion and should she succeed…"

"I know what Edelgard is planning by focusing her own forces against the Alliance." Dimitri grumbled, obviously stressed out from frustration of being unable to do something about the situation and to what Edelgard was trying to do.

"She plans on assimilating the defeated Alliance to bolster her own army before taking the fight against us." Rhea spoke for the first time since the meeting began, all eyes went to the Archbishop who still stared obsessively at the burning piles of wood.

"We're locked into place, unable to provide aid to the Alliance even if we want to. The Imperial army garrisoned on the borders between Faerghus and Leicester will cause a chokehold long enough to drive us back into retreat." Rhea's eyes narrowed. "With the Alliance currently focusing on the defense of their lands… we can do little except to continue in our attempts to push back the Imperial army led by Arundel and those blasphemers who dared to use such inhuman beasts to their advantage."

Everyone groaned at the mention of the Demonic Beasts that were deployed to use as living weapons by the Empire, to use such savage monsters to their advantage…

"I have a solution since we know how such beasts are made."

Dimitri and his retainers turned to the man standing firmly beside Dimitri on his seat.

"We can simply use the Empire's own strategy against them by making our own beasts to fight them." An armored Dedue spoke stoically.

It didn't take long for the vast majority of the lords to rebuke Dedue's suggestion.

"How can you even suggest that in the presence of Lady Rhea?!"

"Do you even know how low that would be if we were to use the Empire's own dirty tricks against them?"

"All is fair in war." Dedue firmly responded, undeterred by the backlash he was receiving. "As of now, the Empire is steadily gaining momentum in this war and their victory over in Myrrdin is just the beginning considering–"

"Professor Byleth has returned and with him, the power he wields and the Sword of the Creator." Dimitri growled, recalling the man that he used to respect as his teacher back then, now for some reason has been serving under Edelgard's banner for reasons he cannot understand.

The mention of Byleth caused a reaction from Rhea as she shook in anger.

Anger was mixed with anticipation as she felt vindicated in her own prediction that Byleth will return someday. She had longed to hear such news so that she could finish what she started.

But as of now, she cannot reach him… yet.

And she cannot just allow him and Edelgard to march within the Kingdom's territory once they have successfully put the Alliance to heel, should they succeed in that endeavor.

No, she needs to concoct a plan to take advantage of the possible casualties the Empire will have should they fail or succeed in their fight against the Alliance.

They will simply use what Margrave Gautier tried to incriminate the Alliance with earlier but first, they need to engage Arundel's forces just as Edelgard will be kept busy in her campaign against the Alliance.

They need to secure Garreg Mach first, retake it from their dirty hands and use it as their own foothold to fight against the Empire in their own territory.

Turning around, Rhea returned to her seat at the war table.

The day of reckoning will come for Edelgard, Byleth and all those who sided with them.

And she will be the one to usher it's arrival.

I have to put this necessary 'filler' in before proceeding with the next major battle that I have to cover. I wanted to highlight Claude and the Alliance lords' reaction over what befell Myrrdin and Judith. I always did think Judith acted like a surrogate mother for Claude in the absence of his own and that her death should have warranted a much bigger reaction from him in the game. Also, I have always wanted to sneak in more side ships in the fic like Hilda and Claude, I feel like I have to expand on them as a personal preference as well for the sake of the succeeding chapters.

Also, I like to continue portraying Edelgard's grey side rather go full on hero for her. This includes her continued willingness to use darker acts such as using torture to punish those she deems who deserves it like Acheron. She had always been the more pragmatic leader among the three lords of the game which is one of the reasons why I like her in the first place.