"And now, it begins."

"I'll take that as permission?"

"Granted, general."

Sylvain watched the first ball of fire emerge from his mages. Dozens more followed, each the power of a siege engine. Their magic sailed across the sky towards the city of Galatea.

Ingrid was at the front of the vanguard, leading the winged division of their ramshackle army. Felix should have been there as well.

I hope you're safe, Sylvain thought. Come back to me, my love.

"Sylvain," the man next to him began, "we should move forward."

He glanced at Lord Ashe Lonato, more grown up than any of them. Wearing the regalia of House Lonato, he looked every bit his father in his youth, adopted though he may have been. His long hair was half up and he sported a healthy crop of stubble, but he was still Ashe underneath it all.

"Yes," Sylvain agreed.

"And Sylvain, are you sure about him fighting?" Ashe asked.

"If we kept him back, he'd turn into even more of what he's becoming," Sylvain said, sad. "At least this gives him an outlet."

Ashe shook his head. "I disagree, but I trust you."

It broke his heart to admit, but Sylvain knew Dimitri was a lost cause. What he'd become, Sylvain didn't see a king in it.

Forgive me, my friend.

"Let's go," he said instead of voicing such thoughts.

"Hey, you seen Queen?"

Marianne frowned. "I beg your pardon?"

The red-haired woman looked confused for a moment before realizing her mistake. "Oh, right. Byleth, you see her anywhere?"

"No," Marianne said. "I haven't left here in a while." Here being one of the medical tents. Now that the most pressing injuries from the battle had been addressed, Marianne and the rest of the healers went to work making sure as many as possible got back onto their feet. Though, admittedly, most of what Marianne did these days was administrative. She may not be a leader in the field like Lorenz, but nearly every healer in the army ultimately reported to her.

The woman sat down next to her. "Sorry, we haven't been introduced. I'm Hapi."

"Marianne," she answered. "You're a friend of Byleth's? From the past year?"

"Yup," she said, smiling. "Heard you were a friend of hers." That namesake expression turned to ice. "Heard you made her cry, too."

"Oh," Marianne sighed, rubbing her brow wearily. "Right. I just gave her some news about someone she was close to."

"Mercedes?" Hapi guessed. "She dead?"

"No," Marianne said, closing her eyes. "She moved on."

"Ah," Hapi said, backing down from the attack. "That…makes a lot of sense."

"Five years is a long time," Marianne explained. Her voice was soft as fresh snow, melancholic in its cold. "Someone needed to tell her. Ignatz didn't, for some reason." She frowned at those words. Had he just not wanted to be the bearer of bad news? Honestly, she couldn't blame him.

Byleth had been destroyed. And the worst part was that Marianne thought Dorothea and Mercedes much more suited for each other. It felt like a betrayal to the woman she called sister.

"Well, makes sense that she's being a hermit." Hapi bit her lip. "I don't want to leave her alone. Think I should go bother her?"

"You're asking me?" Marianne blinked.

"Sure. You've known her longer than me." Hapi shrugged, unperturbed by that fact. "Never seen her like this. Dunno if being my annoying self is what she needs right now."

"I'm sure any distraction will help her."

"Hmm, probably. Thanks, Annie."

She stopped. "Excuse me?" Marianne asked.

"I do nicknames. Everyone gets one. You're Annie." Hapi's eyes knit together in a hint of confusion at her expression.

That wasn't her name, though. That belonged to someone else, someone lost.

"Hapi." Marianne sighed through the reawakened pain. "Please don't call me that. We…that was someone else."

"Huh?" Hapi cocked her head. Then her eyes widened in understanding. "Oh, shit. Sorry. Thanks for telling me, I'll pick another."

"Thank you," Marianne said. "I appreciate it."

Hapi stood, then said, "Hey, you think she'll be okay?"

Smiling, she nodded. "I don't think there exists anything in this world that could bring her low."

After the constant onslaught of her former students vying for her time, she had time alone in her tent.

Not that she didn't want to spend time with them. On the contrary, their company was something she'd missed dearly. Seeing them all grown up, it made her eyes misty. Especially the little things, like how Marianne stood up straight, how Hilda didn't shy away from work (usually), how Lorenz commanded the respect of his peers, and how Raphael smiled.

Well, he'd always done that. But the consistency of his happiness was just another thing for her to be proud of. The world went to hell and he still found reasons to smile.

But now, as she finally had time to herself, Marianne's words came back to her.

"Mercedes is betrothed to Dorothea."

Those words hurt.

Could she blame her? Byleth had been gone for four years, five if you counted the past year she hid from this exact reality. Of course she'd moved on. They'd all thought she'd been dead.

But not all of them, a small voice whispered. Raphael hadn't. Apparently Claude hadn't either, according to a mischievous whisper from Hilda.

Those two warmed her heart, making her miss Claude all over again. They loved her, without a doubt. Loved her so much they believed in her no matter what odds were up against them.

Mercedes didn't.

Byleth hated herself for thinking that. She despised that her mind had the capacity for thinking like that, for seeing Mercedes in that light. But, what else was she supposed to think?

At that point, Byleth realized she was on her knees. Tears anew on her cheeks.

Byleth loved Mercedes. Had loved? No, it was still present tense. Fuck her for clinging to what was an empty dream.

Her heart had sundered. Marianne had held her oh-so-tight after she'd begun to break down. Byleth had held it together in front of her, as much as she could, enough to lie and pretend she'd be okay.

Now it all poured out.

She wept, wanting to scream like a banshee. Could nothing work out for her? First her father, being stuck in that black void, then defeat at Garreg Mach, losing four years of her life, and now? The woman she loved turned her back on her.

Maybe it wouldn't have hurt as much if Marianne hadn't let it slip that Mercedes became involved with Dorothea only a year after she was gone.

Logically, a year was a lengthy amount of time. But logic was the furthest thing from her mind. Hadn't they had something special? Hadn't whispered words in the cover of night meant something—anything?

No.

Damn her for being a fool. Damn her for thinking she could have something nice for once. Damn Dorothea for being better than her in every way.

She was supposed to hate the woman, wasn't she? Isn't that was most people thought? But Goddess, she could see the appeal. Byleth would never be as beautiful or talented or kind as Dorothea. She'd always be a killer, some run-of-the-mill ruffian turned teacher. Dorothea was hailed by all her former students as a prodigy in magic. Ignatz had told her plenty of stories about what the woman could do. Apparently she'd made Lorenz' lance.

Maybe Mercedes realized that. Byleth was a bundle of problems and best discarded, while Dorothea was far more what she deserved. Maybe her death was a blessing for Mercedes, something to easily get her out of being involved with Byleth.

She'd fallen, further, sinking to the ground on her side.

"Fuck you, Sothis," she spat through tears. Fuck you for giving me these feelings. Take it back. Take them back, you bitch. If this is what feeling is like, I don't fucking want it.

There was no response, of course. There never was. At least with Sothis she'd had someone who had to tolerate her. Someone who made her feel less alone.

Alone.

Yes, that was a word for it. Everyone was finding companionship while she lay on the ground in her tent, crying like a child. Pathetic. Worthless. Refuse.

Goddess, she just wanted her father back, someone to just hug her and tell her it'd be alright. She wanted someone to lie to her face and claim that things would work out.

Arms wrapped around her. "Daddy?" she croaked as she felt them.

"Just me, Queen."

"Oh," Byleth said, closing her eyes. "Stay?" she whispered, pleading.

"Of course."

Eventually, she fell asleep. For once, Byleth wasn't plagued by nightmares.

"Thank you for all joining me," Seteth said.

Hilda, along with a few others, were in the Coalition's camp, in Seteth's tent. Seteth had requested them all by name to figure out the next move.

She, Lorenz, and Ignatz represented the Alliance while Seteth, Yuri, and Flayn the Coalition.

"I think we should be thanking you for bailing out our asses," Hilda admitted. "I don't think anyone will deny we would have had a much harder time without the Coalition."

Seteth smiled. Hilda hadn't known until seeing him, but his right arm was missing. A cape covered where the injury was, but there was only so much covering could do. No one acknowledged it, so she didn't either. "We're on the same side, Lady Hilda. No thanks are necessary. The Seiros Coalition and the Alliance fight for the same thing, here."

"But we do need to determine our next direction," Yuri said. "Does the Alliance have a plan for what happens next?"

Lorenz cleared his throat. He stood a bit taller today, Hilda noticed. Perhaps he was past the worst of the grief.

Judith…

"Holst is on his way to Hrym. While he does that, we planned to march on Varley. Assuming everything goes to plan, next is Bergliez," Lorenz said.

"And Aegir?" Seteth asked. "Or is Lord Holst moving there next?"

"No, he will rejoin for attacking Bergliez. Claude has a plan for Aegir, something Ferdinand and he cooked up."

"And knowing our leader," Ignatz sighed, "he's keeping it close to the chest. Right?"

Lorenz chuckled. "Got it in one."

Yuri nodded. "Seems like a sensible plan forward. We were thinking similarly."

"What about the Kingdom?" Flayn asked, drawing all eyes.

The girl looked no different, Hilda supposed. But maybe that was misleading if she was at the table for this meeting. "We heard word they've launched an offensive," Hilda said. "With taking Myrddin, the armies in the Kingdom are rerouting to deal with us. Latest intel suggests both Arundel and Bergliez' armies are coming, leaving the Death Knight to take care of the north."

"And Sylvain is taking full advantage of that," Lorenz said. "We don't know the specifics, but this was part of the agreement he and Claude had. Once we took some of the heat off them, they'd strike back."

"I see," Seteth said. "Then I will pray for their success. But dealing with both Arundel and Bergliez will be difficult."

"In all fairness, we didn't expect you," Lorenz continued. "The Coalition is a surprise to everyone. We now have a bigger army than we expected. We had plans to deal with the northern armies, but this will make things easier."

"Plans?" Yuri prodded.

Hilda gave Lorenz a warning glance. He heeded it. "That's one for Claude to share himself, sometime. It pertains to sensitive information that is his alone to divulge."

Ignatz looked between the Deer. "Is this about…" When Hilda nodded, he smiled. "Excellent, then he was able to do it. Seteth, I'll vouch for this plan."

Yuri didn't look pleased at the secrecy, but Seteth nodded. "I trust you all. But I would like to ask one question."

"Who leads the Alliance army now?" he asked. "Lady Judith, Goddess rest her soul, was your leader before, no? And Lord Holst would be an obvious choice, but he isn't here. If we're attacking Varley, someone will need to be in command."

Yuri looked at Ignatz. Flayn glanced at Lorenz. Seteth had the gall to look at Hilda.

"It should be Lorenz," Hilda said.

Ignatz looked relieved and Lorenz looked taken aback.

"People don't know Ig. And it sure as hell isn't going to be me. I hit stuff, that's it. Raph, Marianne, neither of them are general material. Lorenz is the only, and best, choice."

"I don't think I'm anything what Judith was," Lorenz said, nervous.

"Then don't be," Ignatz said. "Be you. It's temporary, too, until Holst meets up with us. I think we can all agree on that."

Six heads nodded at that.

"I—very well," Lorenz said. "I accept." General Lorenz stood a bit straighter.

"Do you need me for anything else?" Hilda asked. "Raphael wanted my help patching the bridge today. They've got a lot of rubble to clear for us to make it across."

Seteth's lips curled. "Why, Lady Goneril, it's always refreshing to see how students change in the years after."

She blushed, and brushed the comment off. "Yeah, yeah." Hilda left the tent.

Just as she walked away, Flayn poked her head out. "Hilda!"

Hilda turned to look at her, cocking her head to the side.

"How did you know I'd catch you when you leapt off the bridge?" Flayn asked. Her eyes were wide with, what was it? Awe?

She chuckled. "Just had a bit of faith, I guess."

It took Lysithea only a second to realize she wasn't alone in her tent.

She took a seat in one of the folding chairs the soldiers procured for her. There was no illusion of getting any work done tonight, not with her visitor.

Hubert slinked out of the shadows of her tent, folding his arms. "You're making good time," he observed.

Beaten as they were, the Gloucester remnants had moved quickly. In their eyes, it was a victory to escape after the battle. In hers, she knew it to be a failure in her lover's; they hadn't done nearly enough damage to the Alliance army as they'd hoped. And the arrival of the Coalition had been all that was needed to order retreat.

Lysithea didn't answer Hubert. Instead she sat, waiting for him to get to his point.

"Lady Edelgard desires you to sack Derdriu," he said.

As she expected. There was no other reason for fleeing north after the battle. Hubert's words were all that were needed to confirm her entire purpose here.

Lysithea was a distraction, an irritating fly buzzing around the Alliance's head. She didn't need to see Edelgard to know the woman was displeased with how the Kingdom still held out. Their original plans had the Kingdom falling a year ago, allowing them to hammer the Alliance from the north and south.

But Margrave Gautier had turned the old warhorse that was the Kingdom into a damn effective war machine. Gone were the Kingdom tactics of yesteryear. Where formal cavalry charges were absent, guerilla warfare had taken hold. A typical war had turned into a protracted conflict of body count more than gaining land.

She hadn't seen Sylvain in five years, but she wondered if he was still the flirt as he had been. Lysithea had taken him as an idiot. They all had.

They'd grossly underestimated him. And that mistake was costing them.

Enter Lysithea in this hairbrained maneuver. Everything had gone wrong after she'd secured her place as the Gloucester heir. Petra had been supposed to intimidate Gloucester, not kill him. She hadn't had time to sway Edmund like planned as their plans accelerated. And with no Leander, Lysithea had been forced to march in the main host to Myrddin instead of diverting to bail out Ordelia and launch their offensive with her home as the staging ground. Now, she marched towards certain death at Derdriu. Be it death at the battle, or after when the Alliance retook Derdriu. All to keep the Alliance busy while Arundel and Bergliez covered more ground.

Goddess damn Sylvain. Damn him to the Eternal Flames and deeper.

"As the Emperor wishes," Lysithea said, finally. As her wife wished, she supposed. They'd been married in secret. Only Hubert knew. Petra had probably figured it out, too.

It'd stayed secret not for Edelgard's preference in women, but more to keep rumors of foreign influence at bay. The Adrestian Court did not like Lysithea, and they made that clear. Hanneman treated her well, as did Caspar when he was in the capital, but there ended the list.

If she could turn back the hands of time, would she have stayed with the Deer?

No, Lysithea decided. Because she'd done what she had for love. Love for her wife that she hadn't seen in months. Nearly a year.

"The only army at Derdriu is a refugee army, freshly assembled and untested in combat," Hubert said. "It will be led by Claude and Leonie. Perhaps Shamir, we expect that she fled there. You have orders to kill them, personally if possible."

"Claude will be no problem," Lysithea said, closing her eyes. "The rest…" Her breath caught, just as it had before ordering Acheron to launch his attack.

Hubert sneered. "It's a bit late to grow a conscience."

Her eyes lit with fire. "Claude, I understand. But the rest? Must we kill them? We knew them."

He laughed. It was not pleasant. "I am not sure what Lady Edelgard sees in you, but this is her command. We are not meant to question her."

"This is beneath her," Lysithea spat.

"This is war," he shot back. "You were kept out of it until now, but times have changed. Get with it, or betray us." His lips curled. "Give me a reason to prove to Edelgard I was right about you."

She scowled. "Careful. Killing you would be satisfying. Don't give me a reason."

He blinked. "Oh? Is that so? Think she'd pick you over the one who stood by her side for over a decade? The one who still does not waver?"

Lysithea stood. "You think she'd favor you if she knew what you did to Petra?"

Hubert stilled. She knew him well enough to know rage pulsed beneath the veneer and, if she was exceptionally lucky, a touch of fear. "And how did you puzzle that one out?" he demanded.

Folding her arms, she smirked triumphantly and didn't answer the question. "I know she didn't order you to carve her up. That was entirely your purview, Hubert."

For a moment, Hubert's rage nearly broke control. Then, he turned back to the quiet cold she was used to. "Careful, Ordelia. Married to her or not, I will not hesitate to wipe this world free of you."

"Why, so you can wed her? Is this your form of jealousy?"

The rage was back and a hand wrapped around her neck, stronger than she expected. Lysithea struggled, even though there was a small part of her that wonder if she deserved this. "So dedicated, but never rewarded how he wants," Lysithea taunted with the breath she had. "Go on, kill me. See if you can hide that from her. See if you're still in her good graces."

He roared and tensed his hand. A second later, he dropped her and disappeared in a flash of magic.

Lysithea coughed, laying on the ground. She'd known for a long time that Agarthans weren't the only poison at the Emperor's ear. The dutiful Hubert was equally destructive, always saying yes, always getting results no matter the method.

Speaking against her wife's plans had gotten her this duty. And she would fulfill it, yes. But Edelgard needed good counsel, not the kind that enabled whatever impulses she had. That had started this awful war in the first place.

It hadn't happened today, but soon it would. She or Hubert would kill the other in the name of the Emperor.

After his breakdown, she'd kept a closer eye on him.

Catherine had tried to stay close to Ignatz before, but never so determinedly. Now that she'd seen him struggling, she couldn't stay away.

It had confused her so much, she'd turned to Seteth of all people and asked about her feelings.

His smile had been wry, like a man who had lived for a very, very long time. "What you're feeling is just parental protectiveness, Catherine. The way you two act reminds me of mother and son, sometimes."

She'd known that Petra looked up to her and Shamir like that. The girl had no parents, just a grandfather. She saw them for stand-ins. Replacements. Ignatz, he had a family. One he was happy with, even if he didn't visit often.

Did she have any right to feel this way? Any right to see him as something akin to a son? What she felt for him, it was stronger that friendship but different than romance.

It was family.

The word left a sour taste in her mouth and she had a feeling that was what she'd been running from. She and the rest of the Charons hadn't been the closest of families. They hadn't gotten along well before she became a knight and they hadn't spoken since. They were all dead now, killed in the war for resisting Empire occupation.

Did she want a new family?

Goddess, was that why she'd always been so enamored with Rhea, she finally realized. Not out of romantic love, but out of a need for a family to replace hers?

Catherine sighed before deciding to go see Ignatz. Byleth was busy with her former students and they all busy with her. That left Ignatz, unless she wanted to go talk to Yuri and figure out why a Rowe kid was here.

That was a problem she didn't feel keen to bother with now, if ever.

"Ig?" she called when arriving at his tent. "You in there?"

"Shit!" he gasped and cried out in pain.

Catherine burst in, alarmed, and saw him splayed on the floor. He looked unhurt, physically, though his face was scrunched in pain.

"You okay?" she asked, crouching beside him.

He nodded. "Just practicing." Ignatz gestured to his leg. His brace was laying on his bed. Gritting his teeth, he stood.

"You're not using it?" she asked, confused.

"Dorothea told me after I got it that the magic of it would wear out eventually. There are powerful enchantments on it, but nothing lasts forever," he explained, leaning on the small table he used as a desk. "She suggested I have a backup plan."

Catherine nodded. "How long have you been trying?"

"Few weeks. Oddly, this is the most time I've had to myself yet." He laughed. "Before, we were too busy galivanting across the world."

She shared his smile, reminded of their time on their ship. "Maybe we can do that again someday."

"Sooner than you think," Ignatz said. "I've been thinking about going back to Brigid and helping fight the occupation there."

"You won't leave me behind, will you?" Catherine said without hesitation.

He grinned. "Somehow I don't think I could. I hoped to appeal to Seteth and take you and some knights to help. Not much, just whatever we could fit on our ship."

Their ship being the Alliance fleet's flagship, a grandiose vessel she and Ignatz had crossed the known world on. "When are you thinking of leaving?"

"Should see Claude first," Ignatz said. "Then see our invasion of the Empire through the initial stages. Us fighting the Empire in Brigid might pull some of the attention off our invasion."

"Makes sense," Catherine said. She hesitated before saying, "Are you hoping you find her there?"

"Petra?" Ignatz mused, his voice turning soft. "I suppose there's a part of me that wants to. Hopes to. Seeing Byleth come back, it makes me think maybe she's still out there. It gives me hope."

Catherine reached out a squeezed his shoulder. "I'll help."

"I'm glad."

Glancing at his leg, she said, "And I'll help with this."

He frowned. "Not that I want to push you away, but there's not exactly much you can do."

"I can catch you when you fall," she offered. "Be at least some support."

Ignatz rested a hand on hers. "Thank you, Catherine. That means a lot."

"I've got your back, Ig. However I can help, I'm here."

Leonie was joined at the war room's table by a brooding Felix and a still mostly bandaged Shamir. Ferdinand had yet to wake up. But the healers were of the opinion he'd make a full recovery.

For once, Felix had a reason to brood. As they tried to run a country, just the three of them, they received intel that didn't bode well.

The first of which was Sylvain's attack on Galatea.

"He should have waited for me," Felix grumbled. "Who is supposed to keep him safe now? Dimitri?"

News of the king surviving had been happy news, but ultimately nothing that impacted them. Shamir chuckled. "Didn't ever take you as so overprotective."

Felix bristled. "It's just smarter to have waited for me. We called Ashe back from the front to prepare for this, but I didn't know he would attack this soon."

"Victory at Myrddin changed a lot of things," Leonie said. "I'm sure he saw an opening and took it."

Felix grumbled, but didn't say anymore. She assumed that was as close to agreement as she would get.

"If Sylvain is making his move, then the Empire is only going to get more desperate. Reports are talking about the remnants of the Gloucester army marching north." Leonie winced. "I don't think it takes much creativity to assume what they'll do."

"Is your refugee army ready?" Shamir asked.

"No," she admitted. "But they'll have to be."

Shamir cursed. "Well, all we've got is the two of you and that army. I'm not in any condition to fight." That admission surprised Leonie. Shamir was in more pain than she thought. "So we need something else to bolster us."

"Do we have any options?" Felix asked. "Did anyone not march south?"

Leonie bit her lip. "Alister von Edmund didn't, but he sent his entire army south. Plus," she leafed through a few pieced of paper, "something seems to have happened to his home?" Shamir and Felix leaned forward, interested.

"People in the area heard some sort of loud noise and investigated. When they got to Edmund Manor, the place was in ruins, as if attacked," Leonie said. "No one has seen him since."

"Fuck, more for us to worry about," Shamir grunted. "Should have kept Claude here."

"Too late now," Felix said. He looked at Leonie. "Anyone else here?"

"Um," she murmured, thinking. "I guess Trevor von Albrecht is? He kept part of his army home while sending the rest south. But he voted against war." Her eyes widened. "Because Gloucester made him. But if the Gloucester soldiers are attacking us…"

"Shit." Felix arrived at the same conclusion. "You think he might side with them?"

She stood up. "I need to speak with him, immediately. Damn, Ferdinand should be doing this, not me."

Shamir shook her head. "Can't waste time with maybes. You're what we've got, we'll make it work. You just tell Felix and I what you need, and we'll do it."

"She's right," Felix said. "When you're in a corner, that just means you need to fight harder."

"Then you better pray for me," Leonie said. "Pray I can succeed where Claude and Lorenz failed."

There was a knock on the door.

All three heads turned to the door. "Enter," Leonie said.

A messenger peeked his head in. "Pardon for interrupting, milords." Never mind that the only one of them who had a title was Felix. "But a messenger has arrived from the front. He says he has urgent information for whomever is in command here."

"Who is it?" Shamir asked, curious.

"I believe he said his name was Balthus, milady."

She'd been taking a walk when she heard it.

Wings. Wyvern wings.

In the distance, an alabaster wyvern flew towards their camp. The beast was massive, far larger than any wyvern she'd ever seen in her life. As it drew closer, Byleth squinted.

That rider, he looked familiar.

Her body reacted faster than her mind, understanding before she connected the dots. That rider, it didn't just look like Claude.

That was Claude.

She ran through the camp, ducking between people who were in the process of tearing things down for the road ahead. The order to move forward had come, but it was the furthest thing from her mind.

The wyvern—Tishtar, she realized—touched down in the middle of camp to cheers. Byleth was close, but still too far. She turned a corner around a cluster of tents, giving her line of sight.

He stood, speaking with someone. Hilda.

"—doing here? You're supposed to be back at Derdriu."

He smiled, but was looking everywhere but her. "I heard she was back. Where is she? Is Teach here? Is—" He finally saw her.

Claude ran to her, as she did to him.

They collided into a hug that was filled with emotion. Disbelief, happiness, grief, all of it bundled together as she felt his strong arms around her and hers around him. It didn't feel real, like another of her nightmares that tormented her with his death.

For a full minute, they said nothing, just holding each other. In the distance, she heard Hilda start to kill the crowd around them, getting people back to work.

Byleth broke the silence, realizing that Claude's clothes were covered in dried blood. "Are you hurt?"

He looked down at himself. "Ah, forgot about that. No, I ran afoul of a Gloucester patrol."

"You fought them yourself?" Her tone was almost scolding.

Claude looked her right in the eyes and said, "Nothing was going to keep me from you. I came as soon as I heard you were alive." His hands brushed against her back. "This isn't some trick, is it?"

"I could say the same to you," she murmured. "I've missed you."

He smiled, full and brilliant like a star in the sky. "I can't believe you're back—that you're actually alive."

Byleth smiled, raising a hand to cup his cheek. "On the Goddess Tower, I swore you a vow, Claude. That I would always stand by your side. I'm sorry I didn't keep that promise. But I will now. I'll stand by your side for as long as you'll have me."

"Byleth," he choked out, tears beginning to cloud his eyes. "My teacher, my friend, my family. You have nothing to apologize for." He hugged her again. "You're back," he whispered, as if trying out the words, testing the weight they had in his heart. "You're back."

"I'm back," she whispered. "I won't leave you again. Not you, not the Deer." Never again, she promised herself. She knew she'd keep it.

"Goddess," he said, still holding her tight. "There's so much to tell you. So much to show you."

"I can't wait to see it all," she said. Raphael had been right. Byleth wanted to know everything she'd missed out on.

"Where were you the past five years?" he asked gently, pulling back to look at her. Still he held her, like a lover might.

She did the same, taking in the taller, more confident man. Gone was the braid, gone was the childlike mischief in his eyes. The man he was always meant to be stood in front of her. Claude had turned out better than she'd ever dared to hope.

"It's a long story," she said, chuckling. Were those her tears on her cheeks?

He pressed his forehead to hers. "We'll save it, then. Call me selfish, but I want to enjoy this moment." For the third time, Claude hugged her as if she was liable to slip away.

As Byleth returned it, she didn't feel alone. She smiled, content to stand there with him for any amount of time.

Author Notes: I'd like to remind everyone that just because my characters think something doesn't mean I endorse it. I'm looking at the Byleth scene where she deals with the reality of Mercedes. She's talking out of grief and it's what she would think in that moment. Doesn't mean I do. I wrote an unhealthy relationship on purpose, and this is just a very visible part of it.

Editing Notes:
7/26/2021: Minor grammar adjustments.
2/12/2022: Minor grammar adjustments.