The Last Scion of House Ordelia

by kenji1104

Lysithea was said to be bound for greatness when she was born. Join her in her life story as it began in Garreg Mach, forge bonds with various people and eventually find love and a reason to fight on for her life and happiness. A detailed story of Lysithea's journey in the Black Eagles/Crimson Flower route with its own unique take on the route's story.

25. Crimson Flower: Consequences

Crimson Flower

Consequences

7th day of the Lone Moon of the Imperial Year 1185

"And that concludes my report about Arianrhod, Your Majesty."

Edelgard gave the scout a nod of acknowledgement, sitting behind the desk that once belonged to Rhea in the second floor of Garreg Mach's main building. Something that used to irk the Emperor when she first used it for her own.

"Good work, soldier. Go and take a break until further notice." Edelgard formally dismissed the scout. The scout gave her an appreciative bow before taking her leave from the office leaving Edelgard to look at her scouting reports with Ferdinand and Hubert behind the Emperor.

"It seems Rodrigue has beaten us to the punch by taking command of Arianrhod." Edelgard grumbled.

"A waste indeed but not entirely unexpected, it seems Duke Fraldarius has the unfortunate foresight to take command of the city." Ferdinand mused, putting his hand under his chin.

"It doesn't appear that he had caught on with our plan to assault Arianrhod instead while deceiving the Kingdom to think we are marching on to Fhirdiad." Hubert said. "At least that is something to be relieved of."

Ferdinand then turned to Edelgard. "Would House Rowe have turned against Faerghus if we had attempted to negotiate with them?"

The raven haired right hand of the Emperor scoffed at his counterpart.

"Negotiate? With House Rowe? Did you think they would have agreed? Have you forgotten how Arianrhod even came to be a part of the Kingdom of Faerghus? They betrayed the Empire at the last minute and gave the city over to Faerghus like a stuffed gift horse to curry favor to the king. What makes you believe that treacherous house wouldn't sell out our intentions just to gain more favor to King Dimitri?" Hubert snapped at Ferdinand's naive thought.

"We should just proceed with our plan to march to Arianrhod and take it by force." Hubert continued.

"Enough." Edelgard gestured for her advisors to stop arguing, stressed out from what had happened in the past few days.

While they had gained a major victory over the now defunct Leicester Alliance after the successful siege of Derdriu, they had also suffered a major setback just when things were beginning to look in their direction. The combined forces of the Church of Seiros and Faerghus had done something while the Adrestian Empire was trying to reorganize themselves following the costly victory against the Alliance.

In the wake of such a major victory came a series of losses that led to the Empire being on the defensive after they had lost several key points that they had held in the lands of Faerghus.

The last straw that ruined the momentum the Imperial army had in Faerghus was when the combined Kingdom and Church forces assaulted Garreg Mach in the wake of the simultaneous and unexpected attacks that happened. A battle that made Edelgard reconsider for a moment if she should hold back on her plans to march forward to Fhirdiad or not.

Being on the defensive, it made Edelgard feel like those days when Byleth was gone, the constant back and forth of the war and how it never seemed to cease.

To add insult to injury, she had lost two capable generals in her army following the Church of Seiros' attempt to take back Garreg Mach: Ladislava and Randolph, the latter being right about a possible attack by the Church and Kingdom.

"I need to clear my head." Edelgard said, standing up from her chair.

Ferdinand and Hubert worriedly look at their liege with concern, she had been stressed out these past few days and it contributed to her still being indecisive if she should push through in Arianrhod or march straight to Fhirdiad.

Especially since two of the other people whose opinions she valued most are specifically having a row between themselves at the moment.

And that was another major source of headache for Edelgard.

---

"Well, would you look at you! That's another one to add in the bucket!" Alois cheered after witnessing Byleth fished out another fish from the stream flowing across Garreg Mach.

Byleth found himself smiling slightly, reeling in his catch and throwing it on a bucket of other fishes he had caught previously.

"You are right, this place is more abundant with fishes than the pond at this time of the year." Byleth responded, casting the hook of his fishing rod back at the flowing stream.

Alois chuckled proudly. "Captain Jeralt showed me this spot many years ago when he was still mentoring me."

The two men suddenly went somber at the mention of the renowned captain and father.

"He always did tell me this place has more fishes coming in this time of the year considering how some species of fishes swims upstream for their mating season." Alois continued his explanation to remove the somber atmosphere brought up by the mention of Jeralt.

"Captain Jeralt has always been such an angler despite how his appearance suggests." Alois said with a nostalgic look upon his face. "He always brought me here to fish to unwind from our duties but knowing me, I mostly ended up carrying the fish-filled buckets on the way back to the monastery."

Byleth somehow managed to stifle a smile, remembering his own memories of fishing with his father in his youth.

"Father always loved the taste of grilled fish." Byleth continued the conversation about his father, something he tries hard to move on from until now. "Make him choose between a grilled fish or a grilled steak, he'd choose the former."

Alois laughed. "He always had a simple taste. Funny how this all started because he used to be paranoid of being poisoned by his meal."

"Paranoid of being poisoned? Why?" Byleth asked, eyebrows raised at something he doesn't know about his father's life.

The veteran knight nodded at this. "The high ranking clerics used to dislike your father quite a lot back in the day due to how he had Lady–" Alois cut himself and shook his head. "Rhea favored him ever since he sacrificed his life for her protection."

"And he feared the clerics would poison him?" Byleth asked with increasing curiosity by the minute.

"Very much so. Boy, that's how his fishing days began. He would rather fish his own food most of the time and just grill them, sneaking out some salt, pepper and other spices from the kitchens to flavor his catch if he could."

The commander of the Black Eagle Strike Force merely smiled after knowing something about his father, no matter how small, he was always glad to hear more about his father's life.

Until his fishing line starts tugging, indicating that his fishing hook has caught something.

"Well, would you look at that? People often said my loud voice scares away the fish yet you hooked something there!" Alois chimed in cheerfully, watching Byleth reel in his latest catch.

"Just a few more and we can go back." Byleth said, throwing the freshly caught fish in the bucket alongside his other catches.

Alois observed his mentor's son, noticing the small cracks of a smile forming on the corners of his lips, a rare thing to see from Byleth since he had the infamous reputation of being stoic to the point that others call him a cold and emotionless killing machine known as the Ashen Demon.

A moniker that he stated many times that he hated.

Alois knew the sight of Byleth enjoying a small hobby was Jeralt's privilege to see but alas…

"Do you mind if I ask you something?" Alois asked.

"Go ahead." Byleth responded, casting his hook back into the flowing waters.

"What do you intend to do once this war is over?"

Byleth froze, looking as if this was a question that hadn't been asked to him nor was it expected from the senior knight.

"What do you mean?" Byleth asked, looking for specifics in what Alois was asking of him.

"If the Empire wins, Emperor Edelgard assumes complete control over all of Fodlan, that we know but how about you? What do you intend to do when we make Her Majesty's goal possible?"

This gave Byleth reason to let his fishing pole down as he pondered.

What is it he's going to do once all of this is over? He'll be honest, he doesn't know nor think about that scenario. All these past few months since he 'returned from the dead', he didn't think much of anything else other than this war and making up lost time with the people he cared about.

That and the revelations revealed to him by Hanneman, Edelgard and Lysithea about his origins, answers that he demands to come out straight from Rhea's lips hence why he desired to confront her once and for all.

But to think that deep into the future of what he'll do once all of this is over? He was sure his former students all had something to aspire for after this. He knew Dorothea intends to return to the opera, Ferdinand is to serve and guide Edelgard, Leonie expressed at one point she wants to continue wandering with her own mercenary band and the last one he knows that was set to do what they want for the future is Petra, who intends to return to Brigid and formally create a lasting relationship with the Adrestian Empire to make up for past transgressions.

Alois noticed how his mentor's son was deeply in thought at his question, he had never seen Byleth so puzzled over a question, as if he never had an inkling of what he wants for his life.

"I never really gave it a thought."

Alois weakly smiled, giving Byleth a pat on the back.

"You should. I think, I don't mean to overstep my bounds here, I think this is what Captain Jeralt wants for you… I want this for you, what is it you truly want for your own future?" Alois reinforced.

Byleth could only look at the running waters blankly, not noticing that his fishing hook had caught something to the point that Alois grabbed the fishing pole immediately to prevent it from being pulled into the water.

All while Byleth just looked and was lost in his own thoughts.

"Professor, I need some REEL help here!" Alois said in a panicked tone as the fish that got hooked was being too much of a challenge for the senior knight.

How did he even find the time and effort to make a pun in this situation anyway?

---

"Lysie, I think we need to talk about you and the professor."

The initial reply Dorothea received as two pink eyes glaring daggers directly at hers. Lysithea huffed, hanging out a dress to the clothesline to dry.

"There is nothing to talk about and stop calling me that!" Lysithea snapped at Dorothea as the two hung out the laundry to dry, a chore yes but something they found relaxing besides thinking or doing anything that correlates to the war.

It has been a month since Lysithea had seen the last of some of her former classmates in the Golden Deer. She personally oversaw Ignatz and Raphael's release, making sure they were never mistreated during their imprisonment. She remembered telling Lorenz that she won't return the Thyrsus until the war is over, promising she plans to return it after Faerghus and the Church have been defeated.

Lastly, when she saw Claude and Hilda last…

"Don't you think you're dragging this out?"

This snapped Lysithea out of her trance, her eyebrows furrowing to help form a scowl.

"I'm dragging it out?" Lysithea repeated with a raised voice. "I wouldn't be dragging this out if the professor kept to his word and wasn't so damn reckless with his own tactics!"

Dorothea sighed at the stubbornness of Lysithea but at the same time cannot blame her for feeling this way. After all, she bore witness to Byleth reassuring Lysithea before they countered back the attempted siege of the Church of Seiros and the Kingdom.

Something he immediately broke upon noticing who led the invading force.

"I mean how would you feel if Edelgard told and promised you that she wouldn't needlessly and foolishly endanger her life in battle but then does it anyway?"

"Lysie, quiet down! You know me and Edie's thing is a secret for now!" Dorothea scolded the snow haired woman, the latter realizing her mistake.

Lysithea growled at both her mistake and remembering what Byleth had done days ago. She glanced around her to check if someone heard what she and Dorothea had just said, much to her relief there was no one. She had let slip what is perhaps Edelgard's biggest secret, besides her twin crests, and she's going to regret it if someone discovered it due to her outburst.

---

It happened sometime in the month when the Church of Seiros tried to reclaim Garreg Mach. Lysithea had been looking forward to the later part of the day to unwind herself from her duties following the aftermath of the Alliance's fall. But first, she has to consult Edelgard regarding the matter on Arianrhod.

She had met with her parents again to discuss matters regarding House Ordelia and its lands and people. Her father, Count Ordelia had expressed concern that their people may be hostile against them following the ruse they enacted and their complicity with the Empire's invasion of the now defunct Leicester Alliance.

Lysithea reassured her father that things will eventually cool down following the transition of power and insisted for them to remain in hiding until the land is stable once again.

She had readied herself for this kind of situation, she was confident that things will eventually settle down in Ordelia lands especially with Edelgard's express support on the matter.

But enough of that, at the very least, she was happy to see her parents once again after so many months had passed. She was also glad that her parents had also met Byleth once and for all after the many things they had told them about her former teacher.

The meeting was cordial with the Count and Countess Ordelia expressing their thanks to Byleth for what he has done for their daughter. Byleth told them that it was nothing and that he was glad to have Lysithea under his tutelage as well as her friendship with him as equals now.

Something that stung Lysithea.

"Friends… huh?" Lysithea murmured to herself, recalling the last part of such memory when Byleth had to leave for some urgent matters pertaining to his role as commander of the Black Eagle Strike Force.

She shook her head, why is she feeling so bitter about this? It's not like she had expressly told Byleth what she feels for him. Not that it's a priority right now but still! She knew Byleth was lacking knowledge in certain matters regarding society but surely he wasn't this dense!

But then again, Byleth did invite her outside towards the town nearby Garreg Mach later for a change of scenery than just going out for tea in the gardens as they usually do. It almost seemed like a date but Lysithea knowing Byleth, it's not.

"You know…"

"What is it now?"

Lysithea overheard two unfamiliar voices speaking to one another just as she was about to turn to the corner within Garreg Mach. She took a step to see what awaited her in the corner and sure enough, she saw two Imperial soldiers casually conversing without their helmets on, they seemed to be taking a break by how casual they are and without weapons they use in their patrols.

"I'm just wondering, is our Emperor really just as unattached as the rumors says or is she not into the idea of being with someone?"

"What brought this on? And be careful speaking about the rumors about Her Majesty. You know what Hubert did to the last person who tried to spread those rumors about her!"

The other soldier just shrugged it off. "Please, what harm does days of stable duties can do to me–"

"Shoveling horse shit is not something you want to be doing everyday, trust me."

"Whatever." The rumor-spreading soldier disregarded his friend's warning. "Answer the question. Do you think we'll even see Her Majesty get hitched?"

"You won't shut up if I won't answer your question anyway." The other and more sensible soldier sighed in exasperation. "Of course, Her Majesty will. At the end of the day, Her Majesty is still just a human being who still feels something contrary to what the rumors say about her outside the Empire!"

"Man, you really idolize Her Majesty."

"And you don't?"

"Well, I respect her but anyway, I don't think Her Majesty isn't interested in a conventional relationship."

"Meaning?"

"Come on, don't tell you haven't heard from the other guards about Her Majesty and Lady Lysithea?"

"No and I don't believe it. I'm more inclined to believe about Her Majesty and Commander Byleth."

"Look, they've been together since the Academy and they almost didn't leave each other's side during the five years that had passed. Shit, I won't be surprised if she's with Her Majesty right now and–"

"And what?"

The two Imperial soldiers froze, recognizing that distinct voice anywhere. The two individuals turned their heads behind them to see one of the topics of their discussion, eyeing daggers at them and specifically to the rumor-mongering one.

"U-Uhhh…"

"L-Lady Lysithea…"

"Go on, don't stop now. I'm curious what it is you were about to say about the Emperor and me. I'm all ears." Lysithea said with dripping sarcasm mixed with annoyance.

"N-Nothing! Come on, isn't it high time our break's over?"

"Y-You're right!"

"If that is the case then get yourselves back to work." Lysithea told them with as much restraint as she could muster. "The next time I hear both of you talking about this, I'll have you two do much worse than shoveling horse manure everyday!"

With that, the two gossiping soldiers scurried off in fear, leaving Lysithea to huff in annoyance. Going on her way towards Edelgard's office. She and Edelgard already had a lot of things on their plates, rumors should be the least of their worries, especially rumors coming from their own forces.

Lysithea is well aware of how little Edelgard cares about what others say about her for she has been called the worst of things by their enemies be it in front of her or by passing rumors. But it does bother Lysithea for how many do view the Emperor from different angles.

Now, thanks to those two idiots from earlier, Lysithea has another rumor to be concerned about and this directly involves her.

This actually made her pause to think, not at the implication of a rumored relationship between her and Edelgard but more about the latter's view of romance and relationship in general.

Edelgard had once told her that she fell for Dimitri back then during her time in Faerghus, that the Faerghus King was her first love. Even Edelgard too has feelings for the impossible, something she can never have due to the events that had transpired.

At one point, Lysithea had suspected Edelgard of also harboring feelings for Byleth, something she had the courage to ask of her somewhere within the five years that passed. Edelgard had assured her that what she strongly felt for Byleth was merely platonic. Something that had been reinforced with how the Emperor has been encouraging Lysithea to be more forward with her feelings rather than holding it back.

Discarding those thoughts now that she is moments away from meeting her best friend and 'sister', Lysithea softly knocked on the door that led to Edelgard's office and called out for the Emperor by her affectionate nickname.

"El? I'm coming in." Lysithea called out and simultaneously opened the door leading to the Emperor's office, in doing so, she heard a yelp.

"L-Lys?! W-Wait, d-don't!"

It was too late as upon Lysithea opening the door, she expected to see Edelgard seated behind the table looking at missives or battle plans like she usually does.

Instead, she was met by a sight she never expected to see.

Before her was Edelgard, her face as red as her outfit, behind her was Dorothea, her arms around the Emperor's waist and her face, dangerously close to Edelgard's neck.

Their reactions contrasted with Edelgard trying to look for the proper words to explain the situation she was caught in, trying to squirm herself out while Dorothea merely had her eyes wide but made no attempts to remove herself from Edelgard.

It didn't take long for Lysithea to piece together what she was witnessing and in no time, she immediately closed the door and uttered an apology.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to interrupt!"

"Wait, no! Lysithea!" Edelgard called out as she chased after Lysithea to drag her back inside her office.

After a short chase which ended with the Emperor pulling Lysithea with her back to the office.

"So, you and Dorothea… how long has this been going?" Lysithea asked, still feeling in shock after catching the two red-handed in their relationship.

Dorothea offered Lysithea a cup of tea before taking her seat with Edelgard at the opposite sofa facing the one Lysithea is sitting on. All three of them took a sip of their tea with Edelgard looking surprisingly nervous.

"Edie and I have been hitting it off even before we came back here in Garreg Mach… I think it's been over a year now–"

"Two years." Edelgard corrected Dorothea who smiled mischievously.

"Oh my, you're really keeping track of how long we've been together." Dorothea said with a teasing smile.

Edelgard frowned, her face still blushing crimson.

"H-How?" Lysithea inquired, how indeed… She never suspected the two of having this spark between them, maybe it was just her inexperience in the field of romance or it's just the fact that the pair were good at keeping it under wraps.

"It just happened one day." Edelgard dismissively said much to Lysithea and Dorothea's chagrin.

"Oh come now, Edie. No need to hide this to Lysie now that she found out about us!"

The Emperor merely kept quiet, still trying to compose herself and calm her nerves, taking more sips of tea.

"Why? Why were you hiding this even from me, El?" Lysithea asked, feeling rather offended that despite their closeness to each other, Edelgard kept secret of her relationship with Dorothea.

But wait, maybe that was it. Maybe Edelgard was keeping this private even from her because she was afraid of how Lysithea and the others would react if they found out about her bisexuality.

"Were you hiding this from me because you think I'd be disgusted?!" Lysithea accused Edelgard who nearly choked on her tea.

"Of course not! It's just that…" Edelgard sighed.

It was at this moment that Dorothea stepped in to explain.

"It's not like we're hiding this relationship because it's shameful for an Emperor to be with the same sex as she is but mostly it's because…"

This time, it was Edelgard's turn to disrupt Dorothea so she can better explain it herself.

"Lys, you know I have too many enemies even within our ranks, some of the nobles and especially my uncle and his cohorts are always looking for a weakness to exploit on me." Edelgard explained, her free hand clasping Dorothea's.

"I'm not ashamed to be with Dorothea. I don't care how others will view both of us, whether it be our difference of status or how we enjoy the company of one another, I just don't want our enemies to use my feelings for Dorothea when the day comes."

Lysithea's eyes softened at Edelgard's explanation, fully understanding the feelings of her sister by oath.

"But you shouldn't have hidden it from me… wait, who else knows?" Lysithea asked as the realization dawned on her.

"Hubie knows, of course." Dorothea said which Lysithea gave an 'of course' roll of her eyes.

"I didn't intend to keep this hidden from you, Lys or the professor." Edelgard continued. "I just didn't know how to break it to both of you without arousing suspicion from anyone else."

"So, no one else must know?" Lysithea asked to make sure.

"No one for now." Edelgard nodded.

Lysithea left Edelgard's office afterwards, leaving the two women to continue flirting with each other… if they still can.

---

Byleth threw more branches into the fire he had started under the cooking spit just near the dormitory area of Garreg Mach. Under the past management, Seteth would have banned such a thing as there was a designated area for cooking meals back in the day. But seeing as how the kitchen staff were busy cooking the meals for the staff and garrison of Garreg Mach for lunch, Byleth had to make do with such a set-up outside.

"Petra told me I'd find you here."

Byleth looked up at the voice while he mounted the skewers full of the fish he had caught earlier.

"I asked her if I could borrow this for today." Byleth said, it was well known within them that Petra prefers to cook her own meals if she could, usually with the food she hunted for herself outside in the forests if she had the spare time.

Deemed it as training to keep her focus honed and her stealth unnoticeable by using the animals she hunted as subjects of her training.

"Knowing Petra at this time of the day, she would be hunting by now with Bernadetta." Edelgard said, imagining Petra mentoring Bernadetta to keep her cool while hunting which may be beneficial for the former recluse.

"So, is there something you wish to talk about?" Byleth asked, getting the salt shaker to season his catch as they roasted over the fire which is now burning brightly.

"Nothing in particular, I just needed to walk around for some fresh air."

"You wouldn't have asked Petra where I am if you were just walking around." Byleth pointed out, still remembering that small detail that Edelgard let slip earlier.

Caught, Edelgard sighed as she took a seat to the open one opposite of Byleth across the cooking spit.

"I'm… uncertain, professor."

"Is this about Arianrhod?" Byleth asked, turning the skewers around to roast the fish on the other side.

"Yes."

There was a moment of silence between the former teacher and student, Edelgard patiently waited for Byleth to say something while the latter was watching his lunch be cooked. Seconds turned to minutes as Edelgard started to grow impatient as Byleth hadn't said anything while blankly staring at the fish he was roasting.

"Professor."

There was no answer, Byleth merely stared at the fire, unmoving.

"Professor!"

Byleth blinked and glanced at Edelgard, the Emperor was frowning now at being ignored by her former teacher.

"Sorry." Byleth apologized, realizing his offense to Edelgard. "Lots of things in my mind lately besides Arianrhod."

Edelgard cocked an eyebrow up. "Such as? It's not like you to be so lost in your thoughts."

She has an idea what was inside Byleth's mind right now but it seems there's more.

The former mercenary gave her an uncertain smile. "It's about something Alois asked me earlier."

"Alois?" Edelgard repeated the former knight's name, now what would Alois say that would give Byleth something to ponder deeply about. Since she thought what most that comes out of Alois are his insufferable puns and stories of his glory days as Jeralt's squire.

"He asked me what do I want for myself in the future once this war is over?"

"And?" Edelgard asked, not knowing why something as trivial as this was bothering him.

"I don't know what I want for myself."

Edelgard gave him a look of confusion and astonishment. "That's what's bothering you? Here I thought it was about Lysithea."

The former professor sighed in exasperation both at Edelgard's confusion and the mentioning of his current issue with Lysithea.

"You don't get it."

He turned the skewers one last time before continuing.

"My whole life I have been constantly following after my father. When I came to Garreg Mach, I followed order after order from Rhea. When you raise your banners for war, I followed your call and what you fight for yet all those times, I never considered what I wanted for myself. Without following anyone, that's what is bothering me. What do I want after all of this is over? What am I supposed to do?"

Edelgard was taken by surprise at this, she had not foreseen Byleth having such a thing they would call a mid-life crisis over what he wants for himself. All this time, Edelgard had always thought of Byleth to be ahead of what he chooses to do.

"Have you never dreamt of what you desire? What do you want to accomplish?" Edelgard asked, her concerns over Arianrhod were gone as her concern for Byleth superseded it.

Byleth shook his head. "Growing up in my circumstance back then, it was all just training and fighting. Those warriors who were with us in my father's mercenaries all set their sights on fame, fortune and women they could bed but none of those never appealed to me."

Edelgard was then offered a skewer of fish by Byleth, accepting the meal with thanks, the two took a bite of the fish that the former professor had caught. Both savored in the simpleness of the dish and for the Emperor, it was somehow a refreshing change from the meals being served to her.

"And this seemed to bother you so much to the point of staring blankly at nothing." Edelgard pointed out, continuing their briefly paused conversation.

"It is because all this time, I felt like the life I lead, it wasn't all about me. I never considered my own desires if I had any. Dreams, aspirations… These are so foreign to me. It's as if I have no sense of individuality and it's bothering me." Byleth took another bite of his fish.

Edelgard could only feel sorry for her former teacher, in a way, she felt some measure of guilt that she might have contributed to this newly discovered dilemma Byleth has. She did implore him to accompany her in this path she had created for herself, and never did it cross her mind of what Byleth wanted for himself.

Would she reward him with a position of power after this war? Riches and estate? No, those were trivial and nothing of worth for Byleth, he said so himself.

"My teacher." Edelgard called out, readying herself for a question she hasn't asked of him yet. "What would you have done if I didn't start this war? Would you have still followed me to Enbarr to continue guiding me as we initially agreed? Or would you have chosen something else to do had I not asked?"

It was at this moment that Byleth's eyes widened as he remembered something that had been buried within his memories.

"What will you do if I did ask you to come with me to House Ordelia?"

"I would have come with you."

"Really?"

"Without a doubt."

"But what if Edelgard asked you afterwards, surely you must believe that being a teacher or adviser to the Adrestian Emperor would be a more pressing matter-"

"It's because I enjoy being with you more than anyone."

"It seems you realized something." Edelgard commented after noticing the look of realization within Byleth's face.

Byleth can't be hasty with this, he needs to think this through if what he had just remembered is a vital key to the answer he's trying to reach.

Won't he fall for the same trap that he felt like he has been in all his life if he went with that conclusion?

"Lysithea."

"Yes, what about her?" Byleth asked, inwardly surprised that Edelgard seemed to have read his thoughts just now.

Noticing where Edelgard was looking, Byleth looked in the same direction she had her eyes on and sure enough, Lysithea was conversing with Dorothea and Annette as they were walking unknowingly towards their direction, discussing matters with them giggling over something that Dorothea said.

Edelgard watched Byleth's actions following this after waving to the trio.

"Oh it's rare to see you and the professor lounging outside of a tea table, Edie!" Dorothea purposely called them out to make Lysithea turn towards the direction of Byleth and Edelgard.

Annette waved them hi with her usual cheerfulness.

"Lysithea." Byleth called out, his attention solely on the Ordelia lady who immediately frowned at the sight of him.

The other three girls present kept silent, all of them watching how this interaction between their former professor and their friend would pan out. Will it be different than the previous ones or perhaps Lysithea had mellowed down with her disposition towards Byleth?

"I wish to talk to you if you will–"

Just as Byleth was to finish his request, Lysithea simply scoffed at his attempt, she formed a pout with closed lips and made a sound.

"HMPH!"

And with that Lysithea walked away just as Byleth attempted to talk to her, only to fail once again.

Edelgard, Dorothea and Annette collectively sighed in unison. The latter two bid the Emperor and Byleth goodbye to follow after Lysithea, who by now is fuming in annoyance.

Byleth looked dejected at the rejection, he had lost count how many times Lysithea denied his request to speak to her following what Lysithea perceived as an offense to her by Byleth. He just couldn't see why Lysithea would hold such a grudge towards him.

Sitting back down at the chair, Byleth sighed as he looked down on the ground with a rejected look.

Edelgard had seen this disposition from Byleth once and this was when Lysithea purposely avoided him during the height of the scandal and rumors that were falsely spread about them back in their days as students.

Placing a comforting hand on Byleth's shoulder, Edelgard decided to give him some encouragement.

"Don't worry, my teacher. She won't feel that long towards you."

"I know but I can't bear it for some reason." Byleth admitted, looking at his half-eaten roasted fish, losing his appetite following his failed attempt to speak with Lysithea.

"You just have to keep on trying, I don't think Lys can resist you for that long." Edelgard reassured. "You two really need to talk."

"How could I when she spurns me everytime I try?"

"Keep trying." Edelgard insisted.

"Talking to her is one part, what should I do next?" Byleth looked at Edelgard, green eyes looking for some sort of answer from Edelgard.

Edelgard could feel some degree of irritation welling up inside her, she isn't really the right person to ask such things considering she too is a novice in matters like this. Besides, this isn't something she feels like she has the right to meddle with directly.

"Why are you asking me for advice on this? This is between you and her."

Byleth groaned. "That's just it, what should I be doing?"

'Is he seriously asking this from me?' Edelgard thought, feeling a rare moment of irritation to her respected professor.

"Figure that out yourself." Edelgard said, a headache was beginning to resurface once again within the confines of her skull.

Edelgard merely received a pitiful stare from Byleth, something she wasn't accustomed to from him.

Giving in, Edelgard sighed in exasperation. Deciding to give Byleth one last piece of advice before she takes her leave.

"Fine, try asking her out. Not for tea but for something else like going out for a stroll? I don't know." Edelgard shrugged, taking her leave to avoid such a conversation from continuing.

"But what if she–"

Byleth was again, not given an opportunity to finish as Edelgard left him, the Emperor having more important things to worry about at the moment than a pseudo love quarrel between two of the closest people to her.

The professor was left alone by himself once again. Thinking of what he did wrong.

He was aware of his sin towards Lysithea, a matter that he thought wouldn't tick Lysithea off yet it did.

All of which started with her asking Byleth to promise her, something he assured her only to break shortly after when the Church of Seiros launched their siege, taking the Imperial Army by surprise just as they were still recovering and reorganizing from the losses they suffered in the Leicester campaign.

---

"Report." Byleth ordered one of the messengers who bowed to him, recognizing Byleth's authority as the commander of the Black Eagle Strike Force.

"The Church of Seiros, commander! They have been spotted approaching Garreg Mach!"

It all came as a surprise for Byleth and Lysithea, both of whom were in the middle of a good tea time telling stories and discussing matters outside of the war, a rare time for the two since they have been swamped with their duties for the war effort.

Then the alarm bells rang all over Garreg Mach, alerting everyone within or outside.

Byleth was swift in having his Black Eagle Strike Force gathered as Edelgard arrived with her own entourage, all of them dressed and ready for battle but not the entirety of the Imperial Army garrisoned and reorganizing within Garreg Mach.

"How did this all happen without us noticing?" Ferdinand wondered as soldiers scrambled around to get to their stations.

"We've also received reports of our various holdings and outposts in Kingdom territory being attacked at the same time, Galatea has been overrun and Gaspard is in a dire state." Hubert reported while reading another message given to him.

"They took advantage of the fact that we're still licking our wounds following the Alliance campaign. I anticipated this but not on this scale." Byleth commented.

"Rhea knew exactly when to attack, the army that would bolster us is still being gathered from both the Adrestian and Leicester regions." Ferdinand chimed in.

"They're breaking through the outer gates!"

They heard someone shout.

Edelgard was quick in making a decision to mount an impromptu defense.

"Garrison of Garreg Mach, hear me!" Edelgard called out as she approached the top of the stone stairs that lead into the gates of the inner monastery, the very same place where Byleth fell and has since been mended.

"Form ranks and hold a shield wall to prevent the Church of Seiros and Kingdom soldiers from ever stepping foot into the inner monastery!"

Hearing the voice of their Emperor who had led them into victory after victory, the Imperial soldiers promptly obeyed Edelgard's orders.

Understanding what Edelgard intends to do, Byleth took his own steps as he ordered his own force to assist and defend key locations of Garreg Mach as he himself drew his sword as the outer gate they could see from their current location, was forcefully busted open.

Soon enough, the Knights of Seiros flooded in.

"For Lady Rhea!"

"The Goddess is with us! Drive away the heretics!"

Before Byleth could join the frontlines, he felt a tug on his coat from behind.

Looking back, he saw Lysithea wearing a worried expression meant for him.

"Professor, remember what you promised me."

Earlier, Lysithea had confided to Byleth her feelings about Byleth's heroic but highly dangerous efforts in winning the major battles they had been in. Twice has he charged alone, confident and assured of his power as well as the fear that he exudes with his reputation as a one-man army of the Adrestian Empire.

While these may have won them battles, Lysithea didn't like it nor did the others who saw Byleth as their friend. It was only Lysithea who had begged him not to do the same things he did in Myrrdin and in Derdriu, a soft request that came from her just moments before they were interrupted by the alarm bells.

Byleth gave her a small smile of reassurance before taking his leave, making Lysithea let go of his coat as she watched him join the frontlines alongside the other members of the Black Eagle Strike Force.

Lysithea then turned to Edelgard who still issued her orders to properly defend Garreg Mach.

"Bernadetta, send your sniper squadron near me so they can have an elevated position to launch volley after volley of arrows to the Knights of Seiros pouring out from the gate!"

"R-Roger!" Bernadetta nodded and began gesturing to her specialized battalion to get in position to the stone steps near Edelgard.

In no time, Bernadetta and her snipers had begun raining down volleys upon volleys of arrows to the Knights of Seiros entering through the outer gates, lessening the burden of the melee defenders who by now have engaged in combat against the Knights of Seiros.

As this happened, Byleth had personally engaged with the Knights of Seiros, fighting and killing anyone who targeted him.

Most of them called him out as a traitor, blasphemer and the Emperor's hound.

He didn't care with such labels as he slew the knights almost immediately. He did notice how the knights were particularly in a state of fervor in taking back Garreg Mach.

Was it faith? Or was it confidence at seeing the Imperial Army still battered from the Alliance campaign that gave them such fervor?

It didn't matter.

What did matter though was the appearance of one wyvern rider, flying over the gates of Garreg Mach and landing on a group of Imperial soldiers with a unique looking spear on hand.

Seteth.

Byleth saw Rhea's advisor and second-in-command of the Church of Seiros fight and easily mow down the soldiers with either that unique spear or his faithful mount's might.

The sight of Seteth ignited something within Byleth. He knew that Rhea would be privy to his closest advisor in many matters and for Byleth, he surmised Seteth would have known by now.

Know about some of his origins. Answers to questions that popped within his mind after Edelgard, Hanneman and Lysithea revealed to him their findings about him and his mother, Sitri.

His mother that Jeralt spoke fondly of.

Byleth knew he had to confront Seteth here and now, get answers but that would mean charging alone to confront him while he was being backed by the incoming waves of knights.

His promise to Lysithea replayed within his mind just as he was thinking of such a reckless plan.

Twice had he done so, engaging in such dangerous and reckless tactics that could mean the death of one should they slip up just once. Lysithea had pointed those incidents out in Myrddin and recently, Derdriu where he willingly endangered himself to contribute in defeating their opponents.

He promised her he will never do it again, that he will never give her cause for great worry.

And he is about to break that promise not even an hour since it left his lips.

"I'm sorry Lysithea." Byleth spoke out with great guilt and with that, the shattering of his promise happened as if his rushing footsteps had crushed it on the way towards Seteth.

"Imperial soldiers! Despite your continuous offenses against the Church and the people of Fodlan, I will allow all of you to live if you will just stand down and surrender your Emperor! The land has been ravaged with war and suffering for far too long! Cease and–"

Seteth was interrupted just as the Imperial soldiers were losing hope, hope that was reinvigorated when they saw who just stepped in to confront Seteth despite the amount of Knights backing him up.

"You."

"Seteth."

"Commander Byleth has arrived!" The Imperial soldiers cheered before continuing in fighting off the Knights.

"Offering them false hopes of mercy, Seteth?"

"I offer them my word of honor, something that you and Edelgard lacked." Seteth bit back, his green eyes glaring at Byleth's own.

"I won't bother arguing what's right and wrong with you so I'll cut to the chase." Byleth began before pointing the Sword of the Creator towards Seteth, as he did the blade resonated and glowed crimson red.

"What do you know about me?" He asked with every intention of extracting it forcefully from Seteth if he needed to. Byleth was certain he knew, he must know.

But it all came down as a surprise when Seteth frowned at his question.

"Know about you? I only know you are Jeralt's son, nothing more."

Byleth, however, didn't buy this.

"Stop covering for Rhea, Seteth. You must know about me even before I stepped foot in Garreg Mach. Tell me!"

"And I do not know what answer you seek from me!" Seteth shouted back, looking even confused to what Byleth was pertaining to.

"My mother. Why I have the Crest of Flames and why Rhea took such an interest in me the moment she found out about me and my father. You were close to her! You knew!"

"I have no time for questions I have no answers for. Even if I know, you don't have the right to tell me what to do! Not after what you have done against the Church of Seiros." Seteth responded back in frustration.

The time for talk was over and in no time, Byleth and Seteth found themselves passing by each other, their sword and spear clashing but neither harmed their respective users.

And for the Knights of Seiros and Imperial soldiers, the duel that happened near them was something for the bards to write home about.

---

"Lysithea, I think you need to just let the professor talk to you." Annette urged as she and Lysithea sat down to eat their meals on a long table in the dining hall.

The dining hall was vibrant with noise and members of the Imperial army eating and conversing with one another as they did so. It was louder than the usual noise they were accustomed to when they were eating in here as students.

"Hmph." Lysithea huffed with her pout still present while chewing on her meal of chicken with potatoes and carrots, the carrots having been set aside for non-consumption.

"Don't tell me you're going to drag this out until we march to battle?" Dorothea asked, having just arrived after getting her meal. "Mind if I join you two again?"

"Oh please, we don't mind." Annette said with a polite smile.

Lysithea merely grumbled, her mood soured by seeing Byleth earlier just as she was enjoying the company of her friends, he just had to appear and remind her why she's angry at him.

"Back on the topic." Annette continued after Dorothea sat down. "Are you really going to make the professor's life miserable by rejecting his requests to talk to you?"

"Make his life miserable? How about me?! With the many times he made me worry because of his foolishness and reckless strategies, why should I even give him any leniency?"

Dorothea and Annette glanced at each other before turning to Lysithea again.

"Okay, what started all of this? You never really told anyone besides Edelgard why you're so stubborn and angry towards him." Annette asked, wanting to know and at least understand where her friend is coming from. Dorothea on the other hand, was already aware due to Edelgard telling her in their secret times together.

Lysithea took a bite of her chicken, swallowing it after downing her glass of water.

"You want to know? Fine!" Lysithea said with her voice getting aggravated. "I asked him, KINDLY, if I may add, not to engage in such foolish and dangerous tactics. You know what I'm talking about, him trying to be a hero and going on ahead either without backup or with minimal people against many!"

Annette nodded, Byleth had indeed been doing those particular heroics recently in their battles, she even disapproved of one instance when he took Felix and Petra with him to blitz through the ships docked in Derdriu just so he could undermine what scheme Claude had in place for them.

While such a reckless and peculiar strategy worked in their favor against Claude, Annette and the others within the Black Eagle Strike Force were never really on board with that plan to begin with. The fact that it worked was still a matter of speculation between all of them.

"Lysie, you know how the professor has always been like that ever since we were students. What changed?" Dorothea asked, although it was a question, Lysithea could detect the hint of teasing within Dorothea's face.

"What changed is the very fact that we are at war!" Lysithea responded with gritted teeth.

"Our lives had always been at risk ever since our days as students. I do agree that the professor has been far too reckless lately but that doesn't mean you have to–"

"Annette, if you're going to lecture and tell me about making him feel bad, stop. Else, I'll tell Felix where you hide to practice your singing."

At the mention of that from Lysithea, Annette's face reddened and immediately shut her mouth, only reopening it to eat her meal. Dorothea worriedly looked on but knew things will eventually be fine for Lysithea and Byleth.

She knew that Lysithea is feeling so strongly about this because she loves Byleth, if she didn't care about him that much, Lysithea wouldn't have minded Byleth's lack of care for himself in the battlefield.

Even Dorothea knew how Edelgard felt about Byleth's heroics, having confided with her about it in their private moments. The most recent one felt like Byleth was cutting it way too close.

---

Byleth now knew how foolish he was for confronting Seteth alone without proper backup.

Not only was Seteth more of a match than he initially thought, he didn't account for Shamir to be backing him up in this battle after he had suffered two arrows from her already and slashes and light punctures from Seteth's spear.

He overestimated himself, thinking he could handle Seteth like he did back during their first fight. Clearly Seteth had adapted to his previous defeat as well as bringing Shamir with him this time. Honorable duels be damned, this was war after all.

But what Byleth blames most here is his desperation for answers regarding himself. His curiosity about his past started ever since he set foot in Garreg Mach with Jeralt becoming more and more talkative regarding his past and opening up about Byleth's mother. What Jeralt intended to tell him, he took with him to the grave after he was killed by Kronya. Now, there were only few if not one person who truly knew about his origins.

And that person would probably want to see him dead rather than tell him what she knows.

Just as Seteth descended down to impale Byleth with his spear, Byleth did what he had to do.

He hated abusing this power, he never really used it to this extent during his time as a professor but now, he found himself constantly using the power to rewind time should he find himself in a dangerous pinch.

Upon turning back the hands of time, he was quick to go to where Shamir is, shocking her enough before he slew her without restraint, knowing how she didn't even hesitate to riddle him with arrows.

This caused Seteth to lose his composure after seeing the sniper dead by the blade of the Goddess. Having adapted from the previous time, Byleth was quick to overwhelm him, guided by rage borne from frustration and hunger for answers.

"How many lives will you have to take with the power of the Goddess?" Seteth asked with gritted teeth, being forced to dismount after Byleth had severed his wyvern mount's head.

"Shut up." Byleth said and swung his sword upward to stagger Seteth back, continuing his assault, repeatedly slamming the Sword of the Creator towards Seteth who by now is forced to defend himself using the pole of his spear.

Seteth didn't know how and why Byleth knew exactly how he planned on fighting, how Byleth found out about Shamir before turning his blade against him. It all seemed like the former professor had foreseen everything. Seteth couldn't count on the Knights of Seiros as the Imperial army had managed to rally themselves by Edelgard's leadership, fighting back against them despite the initial advantage they once held.

With one final swing, Byleth swung his sword upwards again but only this time, upon the Sword of the Creator making contact with the spear, it switched into its whip form, wrapping around the pole which Byleth forcefully pulled, disarming Seteth of the spear.

Before his eyes, Byleth pointed the blade of the Sword of the Creator on to his throat. For him, to have the sword of the Goddess pointed at his throat felt like the ultimate irony. The one who gave him life will be the one to end it, or at least a part of her.

"Now, tell me what you know. Seteth." Byleth coldly demanded.

Seteth fearlessly looked at the blade being pointed at his throat, giving Byleth a defiant glare. The blade was still slicked with blood, whose blood is it, Seteth does not know whether it was Shamir's or his wyvern's.

"And yet you still think I know the answers you seek."

"I am aware of how long you have lived, Seteth… or should I say, Cichol?"

This made Seteth's eyes widened, only confirming what Byleth had called him based upon his reaction.

"How did you–"

"That does not matter." Byleth responded, dismissing Seteth's shocked question, in truth he knew this from Edelgard. "You knew Rhea over the centuries, tell me what you knew about the things she had done! My mother, the people before her that Rhea created!"

Seteth could only give him a confused look. "Why do you keep insisting that?!"

"Because you've been with her for so long! Tell me what Rhea had done to me and my mother!"

It was after uttering this that Byleth truly saw within Seteth's eyes that he had no idea what he was referring to. There was merely utter confusion within his eyes, no intention to play ignorant or to deceive him.

And this infuriated Byleth, he was adamant in his thoughts that Seteth knew about the mystery shrouding him and his mother but it seemed like he reached a dead end with Seteth.

"Professor!" Byleth and Seteth turned to see Lysithea and Edelgard, in the latter's hands was something that sent shockwaves of desperation in Seteth.

"F-Father…"

"FLAYN!" Seteth called out, dread filled him as he saw Edelgard dragging a weakened and defeated Flayn by her hair before throwing her near Seteth.

It was at this moment that despair had all but conquered Seteth's will especially when Edelgard pointed the Aymr to Flayn's head as if ready to execute her at any moment.

"Please, spare Flayn. Kill me if you have to but let her go." Seteth begged, his eyes looking at Byleth who was pointing the Sword of the Creator on his throat and Edelgard who had the edge of the Aymr dangerously close to the back of Flayn's head.

Byleth looked uneasy at this, the once stern and composed adviser of the Archbishop having all been reduced to a shell of himself, filled with desperation to keep Flayn alive. It was disheartening to see him become like this.

"It seems our deduction that they truly are father and child is true." The cold voice of Hubert spoke, having arrived with most of the Black Eagles behind him as the Knights of Seiros were nearly routed from the monastery.

"Orders to execute them, Your Majesty?"

Edelgard didn't respond and merely glanced at Byleth, her eyes telling him to do what he has to do. Fully knowing the hunger for answers that had been eating Byleth from within. If under any circumstances Seteth refuses to divulge any form of answer, then they will squeeze it out of him by threatening the life of his daughter.

"Professor, I am telling you the truth! Believe me when I say that I know nothing of what you speak of!" Seteth beseeched the man who is inches close to ending his life.

"And you expect us to believe that?" Hubert asked in a cold condescending manner. "You who have lived all these years with the venerable Archbishop?"

Seteth shook his head. "I only maintained minimal contact with Seiros in the years that passed, it is only recently that I took on the role of adviser when she personally requested me! I don't know any activity that she may or may not have done in the years preceding my time as her adviser!"

"Then, you are of no use to the Professor's queries then." Edelgard said. "Seeing as if you are the Church of Seiros' second-in-command, it's only logical that I end your life–"

Flayn's eyes shot open at the prospect of seeing Seteth executed before her eyes, with this she turned to Edelgard with pleading eyes.

"Please, Edelgard! Don't! My father had suffered enough already! Please do not–"

"Do not what? Kill him? You want me to spare him, a key figure in the Church of Seiros just like that?" Edelgard coldly interrupted Flayn, looking down at her with doubt within her eyes. "Remind me again, Cichol and Cethleann."

Edelgard called them by their true names. "How long did you allow the lies of Seiros to propagate and take root within the minds of the people of Fodlan over the years? Why did you allow such tyrannical practices to continue despite seeing the suffering the 'teachings' of Seiros had spread?"

Flayn was shut down to silence while Seteth looked down in defeat at the ground.

"It was the only way back then, we had no alternative." Seteth replied with hopelessness beginning to take him, Edelgard frowned at this.

"We always have a choice." Edelgard said, making Lysithea look at her with surprise at quoting what she had said to the Emperor a few years ago when they argued.

"Just like how the professor here has a choice to either spare your lives or set you all free despite my reservations for the latter, he personally asked me to keep both of you alive for questioning but seeing as you two don't offer much…"

All eyes turned to Byleth with only Seteth and Flayn looking grimly on the ground, the battle was won yet the air around them was tense. Some members of the Black Eagle Strike Force even hesitated to stay and watch what was to unfold, having known Flayn and Seteth in the academy.

"You truly know nothing about me, my mother and what Rhea had done all these years?" Byleth asked one last time to Seteth.

"If I did then I would have given the answers to you just so you can spare my daughter. I regret I don't have much to offer you." Seteth replied, unable to look at Byleth in his eyes as he seemed resigned to his fate.

The father looked forlornly at Flayn who bore a terrified look, not knowing what it is that awaits them. The disappointed and frustrated growl from Byleth certainly didn't help to raise any hope for them as well.

"Edelgard! Lysithea!" Flayn turned to the two white haired women behind her, one was looking down at her with cold eyes while the other looked uncertain on what to do with them.

"I beg you, please let my father go! Take me prisoner instead, just do not harm him!" Flayn said as her eyes began to tear up.

"Flayn!" Seteth screamed out for his daughter to stop whatever she was trying to appeal to the Emperor. As he was the one who was ready to offer himself up in exchange for her life and freedom.

Looking at how willing the father and daughter were willing to go for one another seemed to have struck a nerve within Byleth, even Lysithea noticed how Edelgard's hold on the Aymr shook upon seeing the rather sad sight of the two.

For Byleth, it reminded him of Jeralt and the revelation of how far he went in order to hide and protect him from Rhea's eyes and the clutches of the Church following what Jeralt suspected of the Archbishop. Even during his days as the mercenary known as the Ashen Demon, he worried about his father and always watched his back as Jeralt was the only person he ever cared for during that time.

Seeing Flayn and Seteth now, it softened his grip with the Sword of the Creator. Even feeling like a monster for even considering killing Seteth if he didn't yield or refused to answer him.

With a long sigh, Byleth waved his sword away to get rid of the blood before sheathing it back on his side. His eyes looked down at Seteth with pity.

"P-Professor?" Flayn asked, startled at Byleth's actions towards her father. Byleth glanced at her and gave her a small nod.

"Are you sure, my teacher?" Edelgard asked, her grip on Aymr softened.

Byleth gave her a tired nod before looking down at Seteth.

"If the next time we meet, I will find you by Rhea's side once again. I will kill you, not even Flayn's pleas will stay my hand in that moment."

Seteth bit his lip and nodded. "Allow me to make a promise to you. For the mercy you have shown today, we will withdraw from the world and leave you to do as you please. You have my word that I will not interfere with your fight with Rhea."

Edelgard sighed, withdrawing the Aymr from Flayn's head.

"Go before I change my mind." Edelgard ordered the green haired girl.

"T-Thank yo–"

"Don't thank me." Edelgard coldly told her.

Nonetheless, Flayn gave her a subtle bow before running towards her father and helping him stand up. While she watched this, Hubert came to Edelgard's side.

"Are you sure this is wise, Your Majesty? Letting them free despite their key position in the war of centuries past?"

"Not now, Hubert." Lysithea told him. "Edelgard gave the power to decide their fates to the professor. At least respect that."

"I am merely stating the possible repercussions of such a naive decision." Hubert defended with disapproval at the mercy Byleth had given.

"Sometimes mercy can pave the way for a better future, Hubert." Ferdinand said but Hubert merely gave him a scowl.

Then, they just watched as Byleth seemed to talk to Seteth and Flayn for one final time.

"Farewell, Professor. I do not imagine we shall ever meet again." Flayn said with a thankful but sorrowful bow to Byleth.

She couldn't afford to hate him, she did owe him her life after all. It actually hurt her to fight him and the rest of the Black Eagles especially when she came face to face with Lysithea earlier, it was her hesitance that led to her defeat and capture.

The same could be said for Seteth's view towards Byleth.

"Rhea will never surrender to you." Seteth told him, clutching on the wound he has on the side of his torso. "She has… changed for the worse following your allegiance to the Empire."

"I am aware of that." Byleth said. "I don't intend to show her the same mercy I gave to both of you in our next meeting."

"Even if she gives you the answers you seek?"

Byleth was silent at first. "I don't think she ever will if she had lied to the world over the years."

Seteth was about to speak in response to it but chose to never contest it anymore, he should be thinking more about Flayn's well being than trying to shield Rhea and the Church of Seiros' actions anymore. He gave his word of oath to Byleth already.

"Go." Byleth gestured them towards the gate, still littered with the corpses of the dead knights and Imperial soldiers.

And with that, Flayn and Seteth, Cethleann and Cichol as they once were, left and were never heard of once again.

Edelgard took a deep breath as she analyzed the casualties of her army, lamenting the loss of lives of her soldiers following a hard earned victory against the Alliance. Just as their hopes for a smoother campaign were on the rise, it quickly fell apart with this attack.

"Any news on the forces of Ladislava and Randolph who had engaged with the Knights of Seiros outside the walls?" Edelgard asked, concerned about the conditions of her two capable generals and their men who had planned to take the invading Knights of Seiros by surprise with a two-pronged attack on the side.

Just before anyone else could speak, Byleth saw a limping and heavily wounded Randolph dragging himself back to the monastery before collapsing on his knees.

---

The more Edelgard remembered the losses of Ladislava and Randolph by Catherine and Rhea's hands, the more it frustrated her. The Empire might have won and continued to hold Garreg Mach that day but there was nothing for her army to celebrate.

Just mourn their losses. No fanfare. No feasts. Just them tending to their dead.

The Emperor was all alone in her office, having dismissed Ferdinand and Hubert to leave her to think alone for some attempt to gain a measure of clarity.

"Still unsure?" Byleth asked, surprising Edelgard with his sudden appearance inside her office despite them having their time to talk earlier.

"Professor." Edelgard murmured before frowning at the possible reason why Byleth was visiting her.

"Don't tell me you're going to ask me how to address your problem with Lysithea?"

"No." Byleth shook his head. "But what I'm here for also relates to her."

This made Edelgard curious, offering Byleth one of the seats in front of her office table for them to discuss what this matter is that concerns Lysithea.

The two sat on opposite sides of the table with Edelgard waiting for Byleth to speak what's on his mind now. She was still having doubts if this was another matter or a ploy by Byleth to ask further advice from her in how to talk to Lysithea.

"What is this about Lysithea then?" The Emperor asked.

"It's not just her but this also pertains to you." Byleth replied, his green eyes staring straight into Edelgard's lavender ones.

The Emperor merely gestured for him to continue.

"I'm not going to drag this along but you," Byleth began, his eyes looking straight at Edelgard. "You have a solution to you and Lysithea's problems, don't you?"

This didn't even surprise Edelgard as she sat there before Byleth, unmoved at his accusation.

"Since when did you know?"

"I know you." Byleth responded. "You're not the type to just be fine with the cards that you are dealt with by chance. You want to control and steer your own fate hence why I believe you're looking for a way to circumvent you and Lysithea's conditions."

Edelgard smiled at this, Byleth was right about her. Control freak is even something she would gladly accept as a label if it meant that she was the master of her own fate.

"Nothing really gets past you. But what made you realize this? Weren't you having a problem earlier about what you wanted to do for yourself?"

Byleth looked up at the ceiling for a bit, recalling the moment in which he remembered his own conversation with Lysithea years ago.

"I remember how I told Lysithea years ago that if she had only asked, I would have gone with her instead of you back into Ordelia territory to continue teaching her." Byleth said. "It was at that moment that she told me about her own two Crests that she had been hiding. Pretty much like you once confided with me about it."

Edelgard nodded but still doesn't see how Byleth came upon this realization of her actively seeking a solution.

"Then, I remember Professor Hanneman letting it slip when I stumbled upon him and Linhardt conducting some sort of test. Professor Hanneman mentioned that he had been tasked by you for something concerning you and Lysithea. At first, I did not think much about it but the more I thought about Lysithea and her worsening episodes of vomiting blood and having seizures."

Edelgard sighed at Hanneman's apparent lack of ability to keep his mouth shut when he gets too enthusiastic with his research but now that the cat's out of the bag and since Byleth seems to be all invested in it, she couldn't hide any more details on this.

"It's true, you should know by now that Lysithea only has less than a decade to live, professor, if her own projections are to be believed." Edelgard looked down the map on her table with a sorrowful look.

"And I hate the fact that she's so resigned with what is to come to her." Byleth said with a tone of restrained frustration of being powerless about it. "I promised her I will help her find a way to get her life back, I wish I could have found a solution but I've missed five years of that and with this war going, I didn't know if I could find a way."

Edelgard felt a tinge of guilt over Byleth's lamentations. She knew she was partially at fault why Byleth felt so powerless about this as her actions caused the domino effect of Byleth having to save her from falling in that chasm which led to his disappearance for five years only to return to a continent embroiled in a fragile stalemate. All of which hindered Byleth's resolve and goal to help find a solution to Lysithea's dilemma.

Compared to Lysithea, the experiments done to Edelgard were far more refined but still enacted a heavy toll on her. It disgusted her that Lysithea was treated as nothing more than a prototype for the methods of experimentation for Edelgard to be 'perfected' to add in the most prized Crest of all time, the Crest of Flames within her veins.

While her own lifespan has been cut down to a fraction of what she has, Edelgard was told she could still reach her middle years with the 'refined' experimentations done unto her, they even made it sound like it was a great thing and knowing Lysithea's results, infuriated her.

"I want to be a part of it, Edelgard."

Edelgard blinked and looked at Byleth, now bearing a firm and resolved look upon his eyes.

"Professor, while I admire your dedication and feelings for Lysithea, how can you help if even you lack the knowledge of Crestology?"

"And you suggest I just sit by and do nothing?"

"It's not that." Edelgard shook her head. "It's… Why are you so adamant about being a part of this?"

Byleth stood up from his seat and looked down straight at Edelgard.

"It's because I realized that the first thing I remember when I made a choice of my own was to help her and save her life." Byleth admitted. "I remember making that resolve all on my own, Lysithea never begged me to save her life nor did she want to, but I found it in myself to try and find a way no matter how futile it is."

Edelgard's eyes softened before solemnly looking down again as she stood up from her seat.

"Do you love her, professor?"

Byleth was taken aback by Edelgard's question, not expecting such a query from her.

Now he is asking himself, is this love he's feeling for Lysithea? He's not sure if this feeling he has for Lysithea is the same feeling that Jeralt tried to teach unto him prior to his death when Jeralt showed him the ring that he gave to his mother.

"One day, I hope you'll give this ring to someone you love as well as I love her."

If it really is love then what kind of love is it? Is it love for her as a friend? A love for a student? Or perhaps, a love as the woman he wants to be with?

Seeing how Byleth was still pondering her question, Edelgard couldn't blame him. Byleth was unaware of how such things works, having been devoid of the concept of courtship and romance almost his entire life.

"Regardless, if that is what you desire… then, I shall tell you why I wanted to march to Arianrhod instead of meeting the armies of the Kingdom and Church of Seiros into Tailtean Plains as we planned to deceive them to."

Edelgard gestured Byleth approach her table as she pointed to the map of Fodlan layered on top of it with her current battle plans.

"I was targeting Arianrhod because within its walls lay Cornelia, the court mage of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, in service with them ever since she cured the epidemic that once plagued the entire Kingdom."

Byleth nodded, having known about Cornelia based on what Manuela has said and from the book of the recent history of Faerghus when he read about it once in the library.

"What makes her so special to warrant your attention?" Byleth questioned

Edelgard nodded. "Cornelia is not who she is supposed to be, professor." She then saw the realization dawn in Byleth's eyes by her insinuation.

"You meant to say…?"

"Cornelia is part of Those Who Slither in the Dark. The real Cornelia either died or was imprisoned and has since then, had her identity taken by someone called Cleobulus, much like how Monica and Tomas' identities were taken over by Kronya and Solon respectively."

The mention of Kronya made Byleth wince in anger at the memory of the pale skinned woman stabbing his father at the back which led to his death.

"I want to take Arianrhod in order to capture or kill Cornelia and get any research date she had within its walls, because she knew and took part with the research that led to my and Lysithea's ill-fated experimentations along with someone named Myson who I know from Hubert's spies, is the one responsible for much of the experimentations done to the children of House Ordelia.""

Byleth took all this information with a nod, finally understanding why Edelgard just wouldn't march straight to Fhirdiad to meet Dimitri and Rhea's armies in battle.

"So that's why you are hesitant in calling off our initial plan to besiege Arianrhod."

"Yes, my teacher. The attack in Arianrhod is what I'd call a three birds with one stone. We capture a key fortress of the Kingdom, we get rid of the threat Cornelia poses and lastly, the huge possibility of finding something that may aid in Professor Hanneman's research lies within its walls."

"That and we deprive Those Who Slither in the Dark a key agent." Byleth assessed.

"But the problem that could hinder our march there is that the key points we held within the Kingdom are mostly gone. We may risk getting ambushed on all sides should we attempt to march." Edelgard lamented that, as much as she didn't want to ruin Byleth's hopes for his promise and goal to save Lysithea, they had to consider the practicality of their situation. It's not just their lives that are at risk here but also of her soldiers that have laid their lives by the thousands for the world she seeks to build.

"Then, I have an idea: Let's use the same tactic Rhea employed but with our own twist." Byleth suggested and this made Edelgard's ears perk up, her interest in her former teacher's plans rising.

"If we march the army, Dimitri and Rhea will try to anticipate us with forces from key locations we once held flanking us. We have the might of two of Fodlan's regions at our disposal, why not lure those that would seek to flank us and then have separate armies of our own to flank them. That way, a contingent of our forces would assault Arianrhod now that it is deprived of most of its defenders to Dimitri and Rhea's that are meant to meet us in battle."

"All while the main body of the army will divide and fight against those that would seek to flank us from behind, leading to a two-pronged assault in different key points?"

Byleth nodded and this made Edelgard ponder heavily at the suggested plan, it was a risky maneuver but it may just work in their favor should its execution be done well. Then, maybe Edelgard can keep her uncle, Lord Arundel's armies busy and take the brunt of the beating…

It may just work.

Just as Edelgard and Byleth discussed what will become their approach to the next phase of their war against the Kingdom, the two were unaware that a certain snow haired woman was eavesdropping. Having heard their entire conversation unintentionally as Lysithea was about to present her own proposal in approaching the next battle.

She was in shock at what she had just heard and left without making her presence known to mull her thoughts about it.

---

Lysithea wandered the monastery all on her own, drifting mindlessly from one place to another as she thought of what she had just learned from Edelgard and Byleth.

She had wished Edelgard would have at least told her about it as her entire condition lies on such matters. One part of her is angry at Edelgard for still keeping such secrets despite telling her to lay off of the secrets yet one part of her is kind of thankful that Edelgard was doing something for both of them in their predicaments surrounding their Crests.

There was also the fact about Byleth, having his conscience being eaten by his powerlessness to prevent what Lysithea has deemed to be an inevitability in her life.

She mindlessly wandered inside the training area, not minding Felix who was training his practice sword against the training buddy, looking extremely winded down from nonstop training much to Ingrid's chagrin just nearby.

"Felix, you have to take a break! Ashe told me you've been here since morning!"

"Shut up." Felix coldly told her, slashing at the training dummy, his eyes glaring at it as if it was someone he detested.

"I know for a fact that we might be fighting the boar, Rhea and my father soon. I have to get stronger and faster." Felix growled in frustration.

"I must have the strength and resolve to fight my father. To catch up against the boar and lastly, I will not be defeated so easily by a lady of the cloth just like last time."

Felix and Ingrid remembered that fight where they along with the others were easily beaten by Rhea five years ago, showing the massive gap in power and experience between them.

Both of them noticed Lysithea walking around, not even acknowledging them as she was occupied in her own thoughts.

"Lysithea?"

There was no response with Lysithea proceeding to leave the training grounds, deep in her own thoughts.

Both Felix and Ingrid looked at each other in confusion, both of them thinking what the hell was that all about.

She went to the dormitories, specifically just outside of where Byleth's room was, sitting down on the stone steps, Lysithea's mind continued to ponder deeply.

She had thought of how she may have taken Byleth for granted these past few days despite Edelgard urging her to make a move. Something Lysithea refuses to do out of fear that she will leave Byleth in sorrow when she eventually passes away.

"Time is not a luxury we can afford to waste."

Those were Edelgard's words to her about the matter. It made Lysithea realize that she may have taken a few things for granted with the time she had, time that she herself had said many times that she cannot afford to waste. Despite her words to both Dorothea and Annette earlier, Lysithea knew deep inside her that she wants to spend time with Byleth especially with the war seemingly reaching its climax against the Kingdom and the Church of Seiros.

But she wanted him to learn the errors of his way, even despite telling him the easy way of softly requesting him to lay off on the dangerous tactics, Byleth immediately went against his promise to her that he would actually stop doing so.

In her mind, she had to do things the hard way for Byleth to learn that she wasn't taking such a breach of their promise lightly and that she is taking this personally.

But then again, conflict within her rose up when Dorothea earlier mentioned that what Lysithea is doing now is no different when she tried to distance herself away from Byleth in the wake of the scandal they had to go through back in their days in the Academy.

Lysithea sighed, unaware she is fiddling her fingers now, still nervous and finding the resolve to talk to Byleth after almost an hour of self reflection.

"Lysithea?"

Now, she is hearing his voice in her head now, was she that deep in her own thoughts?

Her pink eyes blinked. Wait, his voice?

Realizing it, Lysithea looked up to see Byleth looking down at her with slightly widened eyes after seeing her waiting for him outside his room.

"Professor?"

This was awkward, both stared at each other, both not knowing how to talk to one another after days of ignoring each other. Lysithea felt like a fool coming here without even planning what to tell Byleth. All while Byleth is unsure how to approach Lysithea because of the many times she had rejected his intentions to speak to her.

"H-Hello." Lysithea shyly said, standing up and dusting her dress off of any dirt accumulated by Goddess knows how long she had been idling there.

"Hey…" Byleth awkwardly responded, both averting their eyes from one another.

Lysithea averted her eyes, feeling like a fool for how she treated Byleth recently while Byleth still had Edelgard's question lingering in his mind.

"Do you love her, professor?"

A question that he doesn't know the true answer yet as he himself does not know what love truly is, romantic love between two individuals to be specific.

"Are you done for the day?" Lysithea meekly asked, this was so not her and even Byleth picked up on that.

"No." Byleth replied, only looking down on Lysithea's shoes.

"I see."

Another round of awkward silence loomed between them.

This was beginning to get harder with every passing second and it frustrated Lysithea as she felt like an idiot with Byleth just standing there and trying their best to look away from each other like a bunch of shy and love sick teenagers.

Since when was the last time it was THIS hard to talk to each other anyway?

"Professor, I…"

"Lysithea…"

Both of them spoke simultaneously, catching each other in the process.

"You go first." Both of them spoke at the same time once again.

This was beginning to get more and more aggravating, more so for Lysithea since she truly wanted to talk to Byleth, starting by addressing their issue before moving on to the topic about what she had overheard.

True to her nature, Lysithea lost her patience, deciding to just go off somewhere to collect her wits. Without a word, she walked past Byleth but suddenly felt the tug of his hand on hers, making her gasp as she quickly snapped her head to his direction.

"Don't go." Byleth said, taking one more deep breath and looked at Lysithea with a look of resolve to talk to her, as if he had just finished collecting himself to properly communicate with her.

Walking closer to her but never letting go of her left hand and instead, loosening his grip to make her comfortable.

"Professor…"

"I want to apologize for quickly breaking my vow to you." Byleth started as his face shifted to that of a sad one. "I was too blinded by my own quest to find more about myself and my mother following what you, Edelgard and Professor Hanneman had told me that I discarded any notion of self-preservation and that of your concerns for my life."

Lysithea simply stared at him, waiting for him to continue as she could clearly see the look of regret in Byleth's green eyes. Regret of what his choices had nearly cost him his life and caused the people who cared for him grief.

"It was a fool's errand to just charge in and demand answers from Seteth and what did it yield? No answers." Lysithea could detect another layer of frustration within Byleth's voice as he spoke of his interrogation on Seteth and that tense moment when Flayn's life depended on how much the former adviser's answers would satisfy Byleth's hunger for answers.

"I… I'm not sure if I can control myself once more when I finally face Rhea in battle but I will try not just for my sake but for yours as well." Byleth said. "I don't want to give you any further cause for concern for my well-being."

"Y-You better!" Lysithea said, finding her confidence to speak after noticing that she had the high ground to take control of this conversation. Seeing Byleth so emotionally vulnerable and humbled, Lysithea wasn't used to this sight of him but didn't despise it.

Strange as it was, it actually felt good to see Byleth show more emotions as time passes by, she remembered how the man before him was near emotionless and cold, gradually seeing his change from his hated moniker of Ashen Demon into the Byleth Eisner she now knows.

Seeing and hearing his sincere apology, Lysithea just couldn't help but accept it. Maybe a part of her knew that if she had heard him apologize for his actions, her hard stance towards his recent foolishness would soften her before she could send a message to Byleth that she was mad at him for his bouts of foolish heroics.

Smiling warmly, Lysithea let her other free hand clasp Byleth's own free hand.

"Now that you put it that way then, I have no choice but to accept your apology." Lysithea said with mirth. The result was seeing Byleth's apologetic face brighten up with restrained joy, the sight evoked something within Lysithea as she could feel heat rush up to her cheeks.

Everything felt normal for them again, the warm and comfortable feeling they feel in each other's presence returning.

Before silence can overtake their conversation again, Byleth decided to heed Edelgard's half-hearted advice earlier. Maybe that could further make up for his transgressions towards Lysithea.

"Do you want to go out?"

"For tea? If you're the one preparing it and the sweets sure–" Lysithea jokingly told her conditions only to be surprised by what Byleth would propose next.

"No, not tea. I want us to go somewhere else besides the tea table and do something else than just have tea." Byleth interrupted, his face having this unusual amount of determination which puzzled Lysithea.

"Professor, if this is us training or you learning Faith magic then I don't think–"

"I just want us to go for a stroll, look at shops, eat somewhere and just enjoy whatever we could see."

Lysithea blinked, processing what Byleth was talking about until it hit her.

Her face immediately reddened as it dawned in her.

"A-Are you asking me on a-a date?"

Was that what it's called? A date? Byleth didn't know the exact term but it felt right and appropriate that was his proposition as Edelgard had told him.

"Yes."

How can he say it with such a straight face without even stammering?!

"I-I… That's… Uhhh…"

"Is that a no? Then–"

"No!"

"No?"

"I mean no–" Lysithea growled as her brain scrambled at the sudden invitation by Byleth. "I mean yes, I will go out on a date with you!"

This made Byleth smile warmly at the positive response. "Then… Can we go now?"

Lysithea gave him a look. "I-I need to make myself look proper first, since this is our first d-d-date–"

"You look beautiful already."

Again, how can he even say that with a straight face?!

Lysithea's face by now is now as red as the red of the banners of the Adrestian Empire, this was simply too unexpected for her. She was used to being invited for tea by Byleth, not a big deal as it was Byleth's preferred way of spending time with her and their friends as it allows them to relax, eat and at the same time, give way for conversations in and out of the war.

But an invitation to go on a date? She wasn't sure if the things Byleth mentioned is part of the customs of courtship in Fodlan. Hell, her parents proposed that she learn about it but Lysithea adamantly refused that time as she was insistent she will never marry much less, allow herself to be courted by anyone due to her shortened life.

The irony of it all is that despite being praised for being knowledgeable in a great deal of things, this was a field of expertise that she had no knowledge of and it was something she rejected to learn about.

"T-Then, if you'll have me…" Lysithea bashfully said, she still couldn't believe what was happening now. She didn't even notice that she didn't second guess the invitation.

Byleth nodded with a smile, still unaware of the gravity of what he did for Lysithea but nonetheless was happy she accepted.

Byleth wondered what Jeralt would think if he knew about this. He still didn't know the answer to what Edelgard had asked him about his feelings for Lysithea earlier. But right now, he didn't care to let it bother him.

For now, he just wants to make this woman beside him happy and to make up for upsetting her with the best of his abilities.

Maybe along the way, he can find the answer to such a question.

And so, Byleth and Lysithea took their first step forward on their first date following their first proper conversation ever since the attempted siege of Garreg Mach.

Both didn't care at the attention they had garnered from both soldiers, staff and their friends alike as they passed by on their date..

Their hands still holding on to the other's.