FIRE- Chapter 1. Mala Fide, Part 1. (Dorothea).


Dorothea yawned as she stretched her arms up. To her surprise, her knuckles bumped lightly against the hard, wooden ceiling.

Wait, Dorothea realized as she dropped her arms back down. This isn't my bed.

The room she was in was dark. Worse yet, she could hear something else making loud, foul noises in the darkness.

Willing her heart to beat still, Dorothea squeezed her eyes shut, taking slow, deep breaths as she placed a hand over her chest. It took a moment, but her heart slowed to a more collected pulse.

When she opened her eyes again, Dorothea strained her ears for the noise. Then she heard it. A low, deep snore, right above her.

Dorothea swallowed as she shifted her legs over the edge of the small bed, sighing in relief when her feet touched solid ground.

The room around her was still dark, and the smell reminded her of the tents of the Imperial Army while on campaign: humid, smelly, and generally unpleasant. Except instead of the bedrolls soldiers carried on baggage carts, she was in a dark room with a bunk bed

She took a step forward into the darkness, clinging to the frame of the bed for support, and swore as her foot landed awkwardly onto something hard. Above her, the voice in the bunk bed groaned a half-hearted protest, but otherwise the room remained still.

Slowly, Dorothea reached down and grabbed at the hard object she had tripped on, only to feel embarrassment rise through her as she realized she had almost tripped over her own shoes in the dark.

With her shoes in one hand and the other still clinging to the bed frame, Dorothea took a bold step into the darkness, her hands before her bumping into something cold and metallic- the doorknob.

Slowly, Dorothea pulled at the doorknob, wincing at how the hinges squealed as she pushed the door open. Still, the door opened easily, and Dorothea blinked at the sudden brightness of the cramped, dimly lit room.

"Oh, you're awake," a voice said to her right, even and amused.

Dorothea flinched at the sudden and unexpected voice, her eyes darting over to a small table tucked into the crowded room to her right.

The voice gave out a chuckle as one of the two figures at the table stood up, revealing himself to be a tall, lean man.

"Who are you?" Dorothea asked as the man stepped forward.

He was slim and lightly dressed, with a head of blonde hair and friendly green eyes on a long, slender face that could have belonged to a diva or prima donna. If not for his warm voice and a light layer of stubble on his face, she could have mistaken him for a woman.

"We're guards for the Mittelfrank Opera," the man said with a disarming grin and a slight bow, although Dorothea still felt tense, especially seeing the sword on his belt. "We found you asleep backstage after one of our shows last night. Oli recognized you and offered you her bunk."

Dorothea blinked as she felt her face flush. She remembered the oversized chair she had liked reading her scripts in during her days at the Opera and how she had hidden there after her encounter with the-

The scene of Edelgard and the Professor flashed to her mind, the stunned, surprised face of the Professor, the huddled, tiny form of Edelgard, as if she was trying to melt into the Professor to escape her, the loving couple standing in the night sky, frozen like a pair of deer.

"Are you alright?" the man asked, his smile friendly as he stepped closer to her.

"Oh, yes," Dorothea stammered, internally cursing herself for acting like an idiot. "I'm fine, thank you."

The man nodded as he glanced behind her, his strides long and cheerful, as if he had been awake for some time.

"What time is it?" Dorothea asked.

"It shouldn't be long before dawn," the man replied as concern lit up his eyes. "Do you need to get somewhere?"

"I volunteer with the orphanage here," Dorothea explained as she caught a flash of light within the young man's eyes. "Usually I help them with making breakfast."

The man nodded. "I can help you there, once I get Oli back to bed."

"Oli?" Dorothea blinked.

The man turned to the side, gesturing to the other figure at the table he had sat at, taking a moment to hoist the woman over his shoulder."This is Olivia. You've been sleeping in her bed all night."

"Oh," Dorothea managed, feeling a slight sense of embarrassment as she looked down at her shoes. "I'm sorry-"

"No need." The man chuckled with a shake of his head. "We were on night patrol regardless, so the bed was empty."

"Aren't you tired?" Dorothea asked.

"I sleep during the day," the man replied as he folded the woman in his arms. "Do you want to get your shoes on? I've noticed that you've been carrying them while we talked."

Dorothea didn't say anything as the man carried the woman up, but she nonetheless liked the fact that the wooden chair the woman left behind was still warm as she got her shoes on. When she was finishing with the straps on her left shoe, Dorothea winced as the sound of vicious, guttural swearing escaped from the open door of the bedroom.

"Fuck!" The man's voice rang out from the room, high-pitched, and in obvious pain. "Oli, come on! I'm not hostile!"

Dorothea glanced over at the open door before she stood up. "Hello? Do you need help?"

The low swearing stopped for a moment as the blonde guard shuffled out of the dark bedroom, the light betraying a new bruise on his face, followed by the other guard: a slender, pale woman that Dorothea disliked immediately.

"We aren't allowed to miss our shift," the woman growled before she turned to Dorothea, her lips curling into a grimace. "I'll go to sleep when the big guy wakes up."

The man winced as he rubbed his face, gesturing with one hand toward Dorothea. "Sorry for waking you I guess. Hey Oli, have you met Miss Arnault?"

Dorothea looked up into the woman's eyes and felt her teeth grind together. There was something about the woman that she didn't like at all. Even if the woman was pretty, with clear, smooth skin and elegant cheekbones, there was a cold air about her, with dark, piercing eyes that reminded her of Hubert.

Evidently, the woman had the same reaction to her, though her lips thinned from a grimace to a neutral line as she struck out a small hand. "Olivia. My partner is Ajax."

Dorothea nodded as she shook the woman's hand, finding the skin tender and smooth. "Dorothea, Dorothea Arnault."

Her dark eyes watched Dorothea for a second before she nodded, pulling back into a guarded stance.

"You said you volunteered with the orphanage here?" the man asked, breaking Dorothea's attention. "We could walk you over, at the very least."

Dorothea glanced at the man again and his friendly, innocent face. It would be safer to walk with two guards than walking alone. "Alright, thank you."


The walk over to the orphanage was quiet. It was early enough to spot the drunken nobles sprawled across the various paths and gardens, given the light of the lantern.

"So, what do you do for the company?" Dorothea asked as she turned a corner, careful to step over another sleeping form. "I'm not sure I recognized your uniform."

"We told you," the woman's voice was hard. "We're guards for the company."

"Oli, come on, I know we don't look the part," Ajax's voice sounded desperate, as if he was nervous about his partner. "Can't we just tell her the truth?"

"We could," the woman- Olivia sighed. "Not something that she needs to know though."

Dorothea glanced back at the two guards behind her. "If Mittlefrank has changed the guard uniform since I left the company, I understand."

Olivia shook her head, her lips pressed into a grimace as she paused. "I doubt you'll ever have dealt with us or our predecessors-"

"We're troubleshooters," Ajax popped in helpfully. "Mittlefrank has a problem, they come to us."

Dorothea raised an eyebrow. "What kind of problem? Props?"

"Drunken guests," Olivia replied, producing a small, wicked knife from a pocket, tossing the blade up into the crisp morning air before catching the edge of the blade with two slender fingers. "Troublemakers from Enbarr's criminal community."

"Oh," Dorothea felt a sick feeling rise from her stomach as the gruesome implication became clear. "I understand."

"Then let's keep it-'' Olivia started, though her eyes darted to the side, into somewhere in the darkness. "Miss Arnault, I'd suggest you step aside."

Dorothea opened her mouth to protest, but Olivia was already in motion, the guard bringing her shoulder against a running, charging figure. The newcomer, a tall, burly man, gagged as the smaller woman slammed into him, his legs kicked out from underneath him before he crashed into the ground, curling into a ball as Olivia took a step back.

"Are you alright?" Dorothea asked the woman as she took another step back.

"Fine," Olivia muttered as a sudden gust of wind plunged them into darkness. "The flame's gone out."

Dorothea glanced down at the lantern, the flame snuffed out. "The sun should be up soon," she managed.

"No need," Olivia replied, her voice openly irritated. "Ajax, extract the candle please."

"Yeah, alright," the man said as he shuffled up. "You see it?"

"We'll all see it in a second," Olivia muttered as a flame roared to life.

Dorothea took a step back from the roaring ball of flame in the woman's hand. "You're a mage?"

"I'd rather that information not be public knowledge, but yes." Olivia scowled, her eyes having swung back to being unfriendly as she waved her hand over the snuffed candle, the fire in her hand going out as a new flame flickered to life on top of the faded candle. "Shall we?"

"Wait," Ajax interjected as he crouched down. "What's this?"

Dorothea frowned as the blonde man stood up again, his face concerned as he squinted at a letter in his hands. "Oli, you recognize this insignia?"

"Imperial Army," Olivia replied as she glanced down at the sigil, turning to Dorothea as she flipped the envelope. "I think you should take it. It's none of our business."

"What about him?" Dorothea asked as she glanced down at the fallen man, still whimpering and hunched over on the grass. "If he was delivering a message to Edie and the Professor-"

"Ajax will get him some water. I didn't hit him that hard." Olivia rolled her eyes as she handed the letter over to Dorothea. "We'll send him to the Officer's Academy once he recovers."

Dorothea looked down at the small envelope before she took it. It was small, thin, and very light, perhaps containing only a single sheet of paper. What was so important that the man was stumbling around in the night trying to deliver?


The Officer's Academy was still dark as Dorothea arrived, the guards at the door tired as they gave weak salutes.

"Lord von Vestra is currently in the office of Emperor von Hresvelg," the guard on the left explained, his face tired. "She's missing, as is the Professor."

Dorothea swallowed as she nodded, taking a step into the dim, torch-lit hall.

"Hubie?" Dorothea called down the hallway, taking a step forward toward the back office. "Yurikins?"

The door cracked open, and the annoyed, sleep deprived head of Yuri popped out, his lips pressed into a frown as he sighed. "Morning Dorothea. Have you seen Teach recently?"

"What's going on?" Dorothea asked as she stepped closer to Yuri. "There's this letter with an Imperial Army seal."

"Is that so?" Yuri asked as he took the letter. "Did the messenger say anything?"

Dorothea pressed her lips together at the memory of Olivia charging into the man. "He had an accident on the way over."

Yuri raised an eyebrow but said nothing as Hubert stepped up behind him.

"Good morning Dorothea," Hubert said, dark circles surrounding his eyes. "I regret to inform you that Lady Edelgard and the Professor have not been in their beds since last night."

"Shame," Yuri teased, his tone weak as he yawned. "This fancy letter just came in."

Hubert narrowed his eyes as he tore the letter open, cracking the red wax with a flick of the wrist, his eyes darting from line to line as muscles within his jaw tensed. Then a slow, hellish hiss escaped his lips as his hand tightened, crumpling the paper.

"Hubie?" Dorothea asked.

"We need to find Lady Edelgard and the Professor," Hubert declared, his voice low as he handed the letter over to Yuri. "Now."

"What's wrong?" Yuri sounded concerned. He looked down at the letter, his teeth becoming visible as he scowled. "Fucking Gloucester. I knew we should have killed him when we had the chance."

"Gloucester?" Dorothea asked. "What about Lorenz?"

"His father," Hubert explained, his tone low. "Has denied our forces access to the Bridge of Myrddin, and is demanding negotiations with Lady Edelgard."

"He's obviously… displeased at her plan to cut down the corrupt nobility." Yuri pointed out. "But who told him about that? Those plans are secret."

Hubert clenched his teeth as he stormed over to the desk, grabbing at something on top of the stack of papers. "Letter came in from our forces to the east yesterday."

Yuri swallowed as he marched forward. "Is that?"

Hubert said nothing as he tore the envelope in half, avoiding the wax seal entirely before he looked down at the letter. A moment later, he slapped the letter back onto the desk, his teeth clenched as a slow hiss escaped him.

"What's wrong?" Dorothea asked as Yuri moved to the desk. A sigh of irritation escaped him as he too read the letter.

"It's a request to have Hilda returned to Holst." Yuri shook his head as he turned back to Dorothea. "He's made repeated requests to see her, and General Bergliez is getting tired of it."

"A waste of our time," Hubert growled as he drummed a finger against the desk. "And with terrible timing."

"Hilda isn't going to travel anytime soon," Dorothea said aloud as she read the irritated and hasty letter. "Especially not with the situation with Count Gloucester."

"How well has Hilda recovered?" Hubert asked as he turned to look Dorothea in the eye. "If she is in decent condition to travel, we could return her via Hrym territory and bypass the need to cross Gloucester County to begin with."

"I have a man watching her," Yuri shrugged. "She's walking, but she still needs Marianne with her."

"So she's still weak," Hubert grimaced. "What a pity. We could have shipped her off to her brother and been done with it."

"Hubert!" Dorothea protested. "Hilda almost died in Derdriu! You can't expect her to recover from that so quickly!"

"I'm afraid I'll have to agree with Dorothea there," Yuri interjected as Hubert opened his mouth to argue. "Hilda had been cut open trying to rescue Claude. Had Marianne not been there, she would have bled out within minutes."

"I am aware of the extent of her injuries," Hubert growled as he turned to the door. "I'm simply stating that returning her to Holst would save ink and paper, not to mention valuable time."

"If we could find Manuela-" Dorothea started, though she felt her voice catch in her throat at the look in Hubert's eyes.

"Manuela is in Enbarr," Hubert said, his tone cold. "It would take many days before she could arrive here, even if she was willing to come. The situation with Gloucester does not allow us that time."

"So what then?" Shamir asked from the door, dark circles around her eyes as she glared down at the meeting. Had Dorothea not been used to Shamir slipping into meetings without so much as a sound, she would have jumped.

"We find the Professor and Lady Edelgard," Hubert said as he turned to Shamir. "Have you seen either of them?"

Shamir shook her head as Yuri raised an eyebrow. "You know the answer to that. We left this room at the same time."

"And yet the guards did not see anyone leave this room," Hubert murmured. "How very strange."

"I saw them," Dorothea spoke up. "They were standing out in the grass outside."

Hubert narrowed his eyes as he stormed to the window, his hands gripping the edges of the frame. It did not take long for the window to fall open, leaving a large space where someone could climb through.

"Out there?" Hubert snapped as he stepped back, gesturing to the opening.

Dorothea nodded as she glanced out of the window, feeling a light breeze on her skin. "Yep."

"Then we should search Garreg Mach," Hubert declared as he turned back to the door. "They can't have gone far, not barefoot."

"Barefoot?" Dorothea whispered as a memory of the last night flashed into her mind. Edelgard- and the Professor too were in their socks. What had she interrupted?

Hubert pulled a chair back, the legs dragging against the floor as he gestured to the ground. "The Professor left her boots in the bedroom."

Dorothea blinked as she looked down, recognizing the neat pair of boots under the desk. For a second she imagined Edelgard climbing out of the window. Did she go first? Was she waiting to jump into the Professor's waiting arms?

"Dorothea, did they mention any information about where they were going?" Hubert's eyes were cold, and despite his obvious exhaustion, Dorothea could feel the anger radiating from him.

"No," Dorothea swallowed. "I ran when I saw them. I didn't look back."

Hubert sighed and shook his head. "Then we're stuck. Yuri, Shamir, you will organize a search around the Officer's Academy. We'll need to find them, and quickly."

Shamir blinked as the door behind her opened, and Edelgard, followed by the Professor, walked in, their faces lined and tired as they entered the office.

Dorothea swallowed as she averted her gaze. She had seen them in an intimate moment the previous night. Maybe they wouldn't-

"Dorothea?" Edelgard's voice was quiet and low- and far too close for Dorothea's comfort. "Could you get my boots from under the desk?"

Dorothea trembled as she ducked down, her hands grasping the soft leather before she backed out, away from the desk.

"Dorothea," Edelgard's voice was powerful, commanding even, and Dorothea couldn't help but look at the violet eyes of Edelgard. "I still need my shoes back."

Dorothea felt her throat dry as she jerked forward, forking over the boots awkwardly, her arms stiff as she averted her gaze- right into the Professor's blue eyes. "I didn't say anything!" Dorothea felt the words blurt from her mouth and her face flush.

"Dorothea," Byleth's voice saw firm. "Are you alright? Do you need to lie down?"

"We received the message already," Hubert's voice, somewhere in the distance, cut in. "She can rest if she's feeling unwell."

"What message?" Edelgard's voice was somewhere to her right, though it sounded further than Hubert's voice. "Did something important come up?"

"We have received news of a possible rebellion to the east," Hubert explained. "Count Gloucester is demanding talks with us… and likely concessions."

A hiss escaped Edelgard. "No. There will be no concessions."

The frigid, brutal hiss made Dorothea wince. Edelgard sounded furious, as if she was going to kill someone on the spot.

"Dorothea." Hubert's voice was dominating, and almost against her own will, Dorothea turned up to look at him. "Where was the messenger you received the message from?"

The memory of the man downed by a blow from Olivia flashed into her mind, the man moaning and whimpering on the ground to the east of the Officer's Academy.

"Olivia- ran into him," Dorothea admitted.

"Olivia?" Hubert's voice was unrelenting.

"Hubert," Byleth's voice had cut in, and from the corner of her eye, Dorothea watched Byleth gently push Hubert a step backward, her blue eyes a shade gentler as she looked down. "Tell us the whole story- from the beginning."

Dorothea swallowed. "I went wandering last night after… running into you. I ended up with the troupe from Mittlefrank, and I bunked with three of the company guards."

"This Olivia was one of those guards?" Hubert asked from behind Byleth.

Dorothea nodded. "When the messenger ran up to us, she thought he was a drunk noble and-"

"We get the picture, thank you," Hubert interrupted. "Where is this messenger now?"

"I'm not sure-" Dorothea admitted as a loud, heavy rap on the door silenced the conversation.

"What is it?" Hubert called toward the hallway.

"Messenger!" one of the guards shouted back. "Claims to have a dire need to- you! Back away from the door!"

"Is it-" Edelgard started as the sounds of a brawl came through the door.

"Who else would it be?" Yuri asked with a shrug. "Two separate urgent messages in the same morning? Not likely."

Hubert nodded as he turned back to the door. "Let him in!"

The door cracked open as a lumbering man staggered through, his face hidden under a mop of hair and his uniform torn and dirty as another man held him up, ultimately depositing the titan onto the ground with a heavy thud.

"Your name?" Hubert barked.

"Ajax sir," the voice of the helpful Mittlefrank guard piped up. "I work for the Opera."

"Is this your friend from earlier?" Hubert's voice was low and lacking in amusement. "The one who took down the messenger?"

"No sir," Ajax said, his tone nervous. "Oli-Olivia knocked him down. I just carried him here."

Hubert narrowed his eyes as he walked toward the soldier on the ground, kicking the fallen man twice in the side. "We have questions."

A whimper was the only reply Hubert received, and even in the weak morning light his scowl was obvious.

"We'll start with you then," Hubert turned toward Ajax, who backed away a step before glancing over to Dorothea.

"He didn't see anything," Dorothea explained from her spot at the window. "Olivia knocked the messenger over before we could ask any questions."

Hubert's scowl deepened as he turned to the man. "And where exactly is this Olivia you've mentioned?"

"Olivia went to report to our boss," Ajax explained. "About the uhh, incident."

"Hubert," Edelgard's voice, too close to Dorothea for her to be comfortable, was cold and left no room for dissent. "That's enough. We will deal with this messenger later. Now we must deal with the contents of his report."

"Yes, Lady Edelgard," Hubert replied with a small bow, his tone neutral again, although Dorothea could feel the tense undercurrent in his voice. "You two, get out."

Dorothea glanced up as Ajax grabbed the bigger man, his face strained as he hauled the man to his feet. "We'll be at the Opera tent if you need us."

"Dorothea?" the Professor's voice was clear but still somewhat soft. "Will you stay with us?"

Dorothea blinked at the unexpected question. "Pardon?"

"We'll be discussing Gloucester's… recent actions," the Professor explained, her blue eyes boring into Dorothea's own. "It is likely that we cannot end the rebellion without bloodshed."

"We'll likely have to discuss some of the more… unpleasant aspects of ending this rebellion," Yuri chimed in. "I would think that's not something you want to listen to?"

Dorothea shook her head as she glanced out of the window. "I'd rather not, if that's alright with you."

The Professor nodded. "Where will you be? We'll need to send out a message once we reach a conclusion."

Dorothea sighed as she looked out of the window. "I'll be at the orphanage, looking after the children then."


The only sign of life in the orphanage was a faint flicker of light behind the windows as Dorothea gently rapped her knuckles against the back door. She was late, but perhaps the sisters could still have something for her to do.

The door opened a crack after a moment of silence and Dorothea could make out a single eye in the room beyond before the door swung open, revealing the tired face of one of the younger sisters: a meek woman who welcomed her with a shy smile.

"Sorry I'm late," Dorothea whispered as she hurried into the kitchen. "There was some… business that I needed to take care of."

The sister nodded. They all knew that her help was conditional and that anyone, including Hubert von Vestra himself, could come in and take her away for official business.

"Is there anything you need me to do today?" Dorothea asked. "Maybe help with the children?"

The sister shook her head as she stepped deeper into the kitchen. "We've had some extra help, extra support from Enbarr."

"The nobles?" Dorothea asked. "They brought help?"

The sister bit her lip as she lit a small fire under a stove, nursing the flames with a scrap of tinder. "There were a few nobles associated with Count Varley."

Dorothea clenched her teeth at the name of Bernadetta's father. "They better not be here for Berine."

"He never mentioned Lady Bernadetta," the sister offered. "His concern was for the children."

"Is he here?" Dorothea asked. "I want him to send a message to Varley."

The sister shook her head as two other sisters walked in, each giving Dorothea a smile and a nod in greeting.

"Are the children up yet?" The sister asked the two older sisters as she turned around, turning her eyes back up to the crackling fire. "The food isn't ready yet."

"The sweets should hold them over for a little while," the oldest sister, a kindly, middle aged woman that reminded Dorothea of Mercedes. "They're very good."

"Sweets?" Dorothea asked, curiosity rising in her heart. "What sweets?"

"Candied fruits," the middle sister said, a slight grin on her face. "They're delicious."

Dorothea nodded as she stepped into the main hall of the chapel, with long, dark curtains blocking out the stained glass windows, hiding the early morning from the rows of sleeping orphans.

With the sun up soon, maybe it would be the last place in Garreg Mach she could find quiet. Except for the fact that the door at the front of the hall cracked open, the old hinges protesting as a single figure slipped in, shutting the door slowly behind them.

Then the figure turned around, and Dorothea felt surprised. The cold, paranoid guard she had met didn't seem to be a particularly religious person. Dark brown eyes met hers for a moment before Olivia raised a finger to her lips, taking small, quiet steps into the hallway.

"Here to pray?" Dorothea whispered as the woman drew closer, Olivia's face neutral as she shook her head.

"The troupe has offered the children the chance to enjoy a play this afternoon," Olivia replied. "I'm just the messenger."

"Which play?" Dorothea felt intrigued at the mention of plays. It had been so many years since she had seen one.

"Baron of courage," Olivia sneered, her teeth clenched in disgust as she rolled her eyes. "Not the real one, mind you."

"Oh," Dorothea muttered. "The real one is a bit violent, isn't it? Especially for children."

"The real one is a true story," Olivia shot back, nodding to one of the sisters as she handed over a scrap of paper. "In the afternoon, when the sun isn't so strong."

The sister glanced down at the paper and smiled. "Thank you."

Olivia shook her head as she glanced back to the door. "Don't mention it."

"Are you headed back to your shift?" Dorothea asked.

Olivia shook her head. "I'm not needed, not until noon. Might as well stay in a place without the risk of tripping over drunks."

Dorothea giggled at the words as the door opened again, the hinges creaking as a ray of weak sunshine leaked into the hall.

"A lot of visitors today," the sister murmured as the door shut quietly, and Dorothea was able to see the face of the man who entered.

"Is he a monk?" Dorothea whispered as a slight hint of disgust rose in her heart. For some reason she wasn't sure of, she didn't like the monk,

"That's Count Varley's man," the sister whispered back as the man stepped forward.

The mention of the vile man that was Count Varley made Dorothea see red, and she barely realized it as she stormed forward, grabbing a fistful of robe before a hand seized her shoulder. To her surprise, Olivia held her raised arm back, her face serious as she shook her head.

"Right," Dorothea growled as she turned back to the man. "You're coming with us."


The alleyway was clear of drunk nobles, and Dorothea felt a burning hatred rise through her. This was a man of the vile Count Varley, who sat his only child in a chair for hours on end to attract a perfect husband. It wasn't the face of the man she wanted to beat senseless, but it would do.

To her surprise, the man simply shrunk down, his spindly arms moving to protect his head as she rained blows down on his back, her anger fading with each breath and gasp as exhaustion took over.

"Dorothea, I don't think he's really hurt," Olivia observed from beside her, her dark eyes hiding a sadistic malice. "Perhaps you want me to… send a message?"

"Tell him to send a message to Varley," Dorothea growled. "Tell him that I'm coming for him for what he did to Bernie."

Olivia raised an eyebrow. "Bernie?"

"Bernadetta," Dorothea said. "Varley would do things to her…"

"You hear her?" Olivia growled, her sword pressed against the man's skin, the tip of the blade cutting into the man's flesh, drawing a small drop of blood.

The man whimpered as Olivia brought her heel against his side, pushing the man against the wall. "Repeat what she said."

"She's coming for Count Varley," the man managed, his voice low, and far too even for Dorothea's liking. "For what he did to his daughter Bernadetta."

Dorothea felt the urge to kick the man again. He sounded too calm. Like the dozen or so kicks she had rained down on him hadn't done any damage.

"Dorothea, I think you need to step back," Olivia said as she pulled a dagger from her belt, the sword slipping back into its sheath. "Better you don't see what I do to him."

Dorothea nodded as she took a step back from the fallen man, curled into the dirt.

"There's a basket back there," Olivia said as she pointed to the main street. "Give it to some kids or something."

"You'll be back in the church, right?" Dorothea asked as she stepped back.

"I will," Olivia promised as she crouched down. "I'll make sure that Varley gets the message. No question about that."


AN: Sorry for the slow upload. School has started again. Senior year university is hard.

Anyhow, welcome to the Mala Fide (Bad Faith) arc. In short, there's a lot of bad faith running around Fodlan and Garreg Mach. Yay. Expect darkness.

To the guest commenter: Thanks for the first review of the story. In all honestly for the change, I blame pixiv. There's so little artwork of M! Byleth that I honestly can't picture Edeleth without imagining F! Byleth.

There's also a minor plot point related to Byleth's gender, but that's not for a significant amount of time (Outline says that's coming up in the fourth arc).

TLDR: Blame fanart and Sylvain (who needs horny jail) for me changing Byleth's gender this time around.