3/22 Lone moon
"His Highness has returned!" announced one of the soldiers at the gates of the kingdom capital. Troops were preparing all around, plenty of spears, horses and axes ready for battle.
"War will certainly come to this place as well" he thought as he passed through the doors. After the fall of the monastery the situation had been rough for most of them. The morale of the troops was at its lowest and reports of their casualties didn´t make it any better.
"And then that giant monster attacked from the heights" he thought. Despite all his years at the service of the Church battling against countless enemies he wasn´t prepared to witness such deployment of forces. He wasn´t the most pious man, but he could understand now the ancient texts of old talking about the massive battles of times surrounded by myths and legends.
"Jeralt, what would you do if you were me? I don´t know what to do anymore" he muttered to himself. All these months he had seen nothing but good things coming from the kid. Even though he was so different to his father, he could now understand why his father loved him so much. It was impossible to think that he was pretending the whole time, making him feel confused about the next step to take. "I promised you to protect the kid, but I also swore alliance to the Church, what the hell am I supposed to do? Am I forced to break one oath to keep the other one?" According to Rhea, Byleth had been plotting against the Church, aiming to proclaim himself a new ruler of the world, but the Byleth he knew wasn´t like that. "If I could know what happened down there" he lamented, but his intents had proved to be useless. Rhea wasn´t willing to say anything else apart from what she had already said, and Flayn was too busy taking care of his brother Seteth. He lacked information, yet he could only walk forward.
"How are you feeling, Alois?" asked a voice next to him. It was Catherine. She had somehow survived the cataclysm that had happened next to the main grounds of the monastery, yet she had been changed by the battle. She still had many heavy wounds and he could see deep scars across the visible part of her body.
"Better than before, and you Catherine?"
"I will feel better when we take the monastery back from our enemies, until then the only thing that I can do is to prepare myself to avoid disappointing Lady Rhea" she said while looking at the distance. They had discovered an unconscious Rhea a couple of miles away from the monastery. How it had happened was unknown to them, but it could have been an attempt of taking her hostage. They were also able to find Cyril unconscious, but they hadn´t been able to find Shamir. "At least she wasn´t among the dead I could see in the battle" he thought, although that could mean anything.
"The Holy Kingdom has been kind enough to provide us with reinforcements. War has been declared between the two countries"
"How about the Leicester Alliance?"
"A council has been summoned; they are still discussing about it right now. Unfortunately, they have some pro-empire forces among them, but the Alliance is fragile and their members a bunch of cowards. They won´t be risking their lives unless they clearly know who is going to be the winner of this war. You went to the capital once before, right? To repel a group of pirates. If the Alliance can´t even protect its own capital from a group of bandits it is a clear example of their fragility"
"War" he thought. As a kid he had always dreamed about battles and glorious victories, but age had changed his vision about it. War and battles were nothing but suffering, a time when a father must bury his own son, when countless lives are lost for the sake of the powerful. He had a daughter and a wife he loved and he knew that they were in a safe place, but he could be counted as one of the fortunate to say so. Among his troops there were young soldiers that were just starting to bloom, yet they could die at any moment. How could they be so clueless about such risks?
"Catherine, can I ask you something?"
"Sure, go ahead"
"Why do you think that something like this has happened?"
"This is just the history of a treason to our benefactor. The nobles of the Empire are corrupted and they have crowned this new Emperor to unify the whole of Fódlan under their tyranny. We are the only ones that can possibly stop this madness. We might have suffered heavy losses, but they have suffered as well. We cannot surrender, if we do all those who have died by now would have died for nothing"
"And those that they can still live?" he was tempted to say but he remained silent as the continued approaching the royal castle, the banners of the Holy Kingdom proudly watching them.
….
"Nephew, it´s been a while since the last time I´ve seen you" A middle aged man with pale blue eyes said as they approached. "Lady Rhea, forgive my insolence, I should have realized you were among the committee" he said as he knelt down before her.
"The Holy Kingdom and the Church had been allies since the foundation of this great country and now in times of need I come to you. You must already know what has happened to Garreg Mach"
"I do, the imperial eagle is extending its claws across the whole Fódlan. This will mark the beginning of a new era"
"And a new era demands new blood, uncle. That´s why I´m here; to assume my responsibility as the next heir of House Blaiddyd. The Holy Kingdom will face times of great danger and I´m willing to assume such burdens. The Emperor is fighting for her distorted vision of the future. It is our responsibility to protect the people against the imperial threat"
"In that case, please approach the throne" Dimitri´s uncle said as they entered the throne room. The throne was made out of silver and wood, the colors of the north, silver lion heads on its armrests.
"Who comes to claim the throne of the lion?"
"Me, Dimitri Blaiddyd son of Lambert and heir of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus"
"Are you willing to sacrifice everything you have, everything you had and everything you will ever have for the greater good of the people of this great land?"
"I do, even if it costs my own sanity, I will assume the burdens of the throne as my own, I will protect the weak, embrace knighthood and serve the Goddess as her paladin"
"Archbishop, confidant of the Goddess in this forsaken land, are you against this man?"
"I am not, the Goddess speaks through me and agrees wholeheartedly with his coronation. His heart is pure and will bring us a brighter future to this land in times of need. The Goddess favors those that fight for her cause and there is no doubt that will aid him in the battle against the vile empire" Rhea said as she stepped forward and took the crown from Dimitri´s uncle´s hands. "The people of this land trust you with their lives, protect them against the evil and those who sin against the Goddess"
"I promise that I will fight for them as long as my heart beats and I promise that I will bring to justice those who had done so much harm" Dimitri said as the crown was placed upon his head, his eyes filled with resolution.
"It is settled then, raise not like a man, but as the ruler of this nation. You will face many obstacles, but with the favor of the Goddess and the people you will bring true prosperity to this land. Nihil prius fide" Rhea said as she helped Dimitri to stand up again, the moment he did so everyone in the room knelt down out of respect.
"Nihil prius fide" Dimitri replied back before looking at his soldiers.
"Long live the king of Lions!"
"Thank you, everyone, I promise all of you that I will protect this land and its inhabitants. For now, we have to prepare our next strategy against the advance of the Empire forces"
"The Empire has been improving its supply lines after the fall of the monasteries" Rhea said as she started to cast a spell, creating a map of Fódlan in front of them. "For their attack against the monastery they have passed through the lands of the Leicester Alliance, but it seems that they are preparing to create a new front to the west of Fódlan"
"They will certainly try to invade those lands to have an alternative supply line in case that the Leicester Alliance finally decides to close its borders" Dimitri said as he observed the map. "I can´t really tell for sure right now, but I wouldn´t trust the Alliance´s stance on this war. Furthermore, the Alliance forces are weaker than our own"
"Even in that case we should pressure the Alliance leaders so they avoid any possible deals with the Empire forces" Catherine commented. "The Alliance is a land of forests and plains. They can produce enough nourishment to keep military campaigns for years. If those goods end up in imperial hands the situation will be wire"
"It is true that this land is poor regarding resources, but the Empire shouldn´t belittle us for it. Our people are truly resilient, they are used to face times of great peril and we will give the Empire a bad time if they think they can crush us. The weather of this land is harsh, the imperial troops won´t be used to the harsh winters here. For now, we need to prepare a defensive line to slow down any possible advance of the enemy troops. Tell the villagers of the areas next to the Empire to evacuate immediately, tell them to set fire to their homes and crops, we will make sure that they have another place to take shelter"
"Understood, your majesty" said a soldier while bowing before leaving the place.
"The new Emperor is young and will certainly try to end this war quickly. I will make sure to reorganize the remaining knights of Seiros"
"That´s a great idea. We´ll send small squads to harass their convoys the moment they enter our territory. We´ll make sure that they understand that invaders aren´t welcomed in this land. Our counteroffensives will take place from Arianhood. That fortress must be protected at all costs, it is the key to the heart of Faerghus. If we maintain it until winter comes, we will be able to lead a counteroffensive from there"
"The loss of the monastery had been a tremendous moral defeat to our side. However, if we can counterattack the upcoming invasion, we will boost the morale of our troops. This war hasn´t been decided yet, they might have won one battle, but we will win the war and make sure that they suffer for their defiance. There will be no redemption for their souls" Rhea said as she joined her hands in a praying gesture.
"What do we have here? Dimitri, I didn´t expect to see you here" a woman with a generous bust said, when her eyes froze upon Rhea. "Lady Rhea, I didn´t expect to see you here. When I heard news from the monastery, I expected the worst of outcomes"
"You should have more faith since the Goddess is on our side. The monastery might have fallen, but my resolution has never been stronger. The end of this war will only see us as the victors"
"Cornelia, I have turned into the new king of this land so you should show more respect"
"My apologies…your majesty"
"Uncle, you are leaving this place, in case that something happens to me you would inherit the throne unless I have an heir of my own. Lady Cornelia will accompany you"
"Your majesty, I beg you to have me by your side, I will give you council for the upcoming war"
"Your presence might be required soon, until now obey my command" Dimitri said looking directly at the woman in front of him into the eye.
"Understood…your majesty" the lady said before leaving the place accompanied by Rufus. He couldn´t explain why, but there was something he didn´t like about that woman.
"The regency of the Kingdom had brought too much corruption to this land, but today that changes. We will prevail in this war and for that to happen we need to bring new blood to the government of the kingdom" Dimitri said before looking at one of the soldiers. "Search for Rodrigue, I will name him general of the main kingdom armies. Tell him to come to the capital at once"
"Understood!"
The moment the soldier left another one took its place.
"Your majesty, here is the list you were asking for!"
"A list, what is it, Dimitri?" the archbishop asked.
"A list of those with dubious alliances. In war certainty is key to win battles and we cannot allow to have traitors among our lines. This is a list of those. Bring them to me and I will serve them the King´s justice"
"Spoken like a true king" Rhea said with a wide smile. "You are the only one legitimated enough to rule over this land. Even though the Church might have lost the monastery there are still many loyal to the word of the Goddess" she then looked at some of her soldiers "Send priests to every corner of this land of Fódlan to spread the news of the savior king. Tell everyone that he is the only one recognized by the Goddess to rule over this land. Tell them that the Empire has forsaken the Goddess and the cause of the new Emperor is doomed to fail"
"As you wish"
"If the emperor is so confident about her manifest, we will make our own. Those who support her will be denied the access to heaven. Faith is stronger than feeble words, most will remain loyal to us"
…
"Well, it seems that war has already exploded" he said as he took a look at the council around him. His grandfather was already too ill and he had inherited his position while he was staying at bed. "We´ve witnessed it ourselves. Both forces have suffered heavy losses and strange devises had been deployed on the battlefield"
"Even a giant dragon, isn´t that scary?" Hilda muttered a few meters away from him.
"We haven´t received any new reports from the frontline, but it seems that this war is between the Empire and the alliance between the Holy Kingdom and The Church. However, I think that the balance of power is in favor of the Empire right now. It would be surely advantageous to us that we ally with them before they decided that we are too much of a nuance" Count Gloucester said, next to him Lorenz was sitting, his face emotionless.
"I knew that you were ambitious, but I´ve never thought of you as a coward" Judith, the hero of the Alliance, said with an irritated look. "Tell me, how much money have you received from the Empire these days?"
"I will not tolerate such insolent words in my presence!"
"I don´t care about your lack of tolerance, I´m just speaking the truth. War has just begun and you just want us to join one of the factions. It is easy to you, since you won´t be on the battlefield, but what would happen if it were your own son the one that had to been sent to die?"
"I would assume the risks of my position with great honor"
"Young boy, I appreciate your words, but your father wouldn't move an inch unless he had all odds on his favor. Joining a war is something really easy to do, but finding an end to one is a completely different matter. You really have the manners of a politician, you are spineless without the spirit of a warrior, Sir Gloucester"
"You are not even addressing me correctly!"
"Enough both of you, don´t you see that fighting among each other is the least desirable thing we could do right now? This Alliance was born because its founders shared a common vision of the world. If we keep fighting against each other we´ll achieve nothing"
"Sorry about it"
"Even if we keep our neutrality for now, it would be unwise to allow the Imperial troops to roam freely through our lands, Judith, make sure that the borders of our land have enough garrisons"
"Understood"
"We are walking through thin ice. We need to work with each other if we want to see another day"
"You will only buy time like that, but you are the leader of this Alliance" Lord Gloucester muttered, although there was more resentment than anything in his words.
"Time is gold if you know how to spend it wisely. I assure all of you that I won´t waste the time that has been granted to me. There are many things that they still need to get done, but first I need to attend some private meetings" he said as he stood up.
…..
"Claude, what are you up to?"
"What do you mean, Lysithea?"
"I know that look in your eyes, you haven´t given up on whatever you are planning right?"
"As sharp as ever, you are truly brilliant. You are right, I can just give up on my dreams for a better Fódlan, a Fódlan that doesn´t create walls to isolate itself from the rest of the world. A Fódlan where we can truly be free"
"Some things that you say sound similar to what Edelgard says. In that case why not joining them? The Professor is on her side too"
"It´s just a matter of trust. No one of us trust the other enough to give up on our own dreams. Furthermore, I can´t just surrender the Alliance to the Empire, that would mark the start of a civil war here and that´s the least desirable outcome I can wait for"
"Who do you think is going to win the war?"
"To be honest, I don´t know yet. The most powerful countries of this land are going to fight against the other like the times of old. The Empire might have bigger armies, but we can´t forget about the Church. The Knights of Seiros are strong in the Holy Kingdom, and they have many elite units among them. The Professor is strong, but my informants had told me that he hasn´t reappear after their fight against Rhea"
"Really?" she asked shocked. "Do you think he…"
"That he died? Not so sure about it, anything could be true or a petty lie. For now, there is nothing else I can say about this. By the way, what are you going to do, Lysithea?"
"I need to return to Ordelia, to make sure that everyone is safe. My parents must be worried about me and it is my responsibility as their daughter"
"You are really a good girl" Claude said while patting her head.
"I´m not…"
"Claude, we need to talk for a moment" Hilda´s brother said as he approached him. "The west might be in a difficult situation, but the east needs some attention as well"
"You don´t really like wasting time, uh. Sorry Lysithea, I´m busy now, but I hope that everything goes well for you" Claude said before following the alliance´s greatest war hero.
"The Alliance hasn´t decided yet which side to take, and Claude isn´t willing to sacrifice his own objectives. In that case what should I do?" she wondered as she walked through the crowded halls. Her time was limited and she had the feeling she wouldn´t live to see the changes everyone was talking about, yet she needed to do something. Staying at home while doing nothing would be a waste of time and she didn´t want to waste her already limited life.
The sky outside was already starting to turn red. "Red, the color of blood" she muttered while she casted a flying spell as she flew forwards the lands of her parents.
….
5/23
"Has someone found him already?" A week had already passed since the fall of the monastery, yet she couldn´t avoid feeling depressed with what had happened. Of every possible outcome, she didn´t expect something like that to happen.
"Lady Edelgard, our most capable explorers had been sent to the deeps of this land, but they have discovered nothing"
"Perhaps they should search for him better"
"Lady Edelgard, I can understand your worries, but no matter how much we search it has no use to postpone our advance. Right now, the forces of the Church and the Holy Kingdom will be plotting our demise, we need to strike them swiftly before they can fight back. In the memory of our Professor"
"Don´t talk about him like he is dead! I know, I know somehow that he is still alive, I can feel it"
"Lady Edelgard…forgive my intromission, my words had no ill intention. I just wish for the best of outcomes" Hubert apologized with a deep bow.
"I´m the one that should be sorry about my behavior. You are right, war won´t just stop because we are searching for him. The only thing that we can do is to keep forward"
"That´s the words I wanted to hear from you, Edie" Dorothea said as she approached them, with her came the rest of her companions, her friends.
"You are always bossy and that´s annoying, but seeing you so gloomy is something even more annoying. Don´t worry, Edelgard, the Professor will be fine, he must be taking a nap somewhere. I would do the same if I were having part in this war"
"I truly believe that the Professor is alive, he taught us how to fight and carry on even without him. If we give up now it would mean nothing, we just need to keep going, to prove the Professor that we can continue by your own, to prove to him that we have truly learned" Ferdinand said as he knelt down before her. "I, Ferdinand von Aegir, will keep fighting in the name of the Professor until he returns here and I will do my best to correct the mistakes that my father did while in power"
"And I accept your oath"
"The Professor hasn´t reunited with the spirits yet, I can feel it in the air. This is the chance we have to prove ourselves in the battlefield. We need to protect his warrior´s pride"
"Hell yeah, we´ll do it. He had prepared us all this time for something like this. We can´t just stay here doing nothing, we need to act!"
"Being outside is dangerous, but even I need to do something about it. The Professor was always nice to me, walking forward is the only thing I can do"
"I can´t thank all of you enough for your words. You give me the strength that I need to keep going forward"
"Lady Edelgard, what is our next course of action?"
"We need to take care of the western area of Faerghus to connect the monastery to the territories of the Empire. Invading the Alliance would mean that we would have to battle in two fronts and that is something I want to avoid at all costs. The western area of the Holy Kingdom has many resources that could possibly be useful for our campaign and the more we go to the north the harsher the conditions will be"
"The capital of the Holy Kingdom won´t fall easily; but before taking a chance at the capital Arianrhod stands in our way"
"It´s true, but we will have to leave some of our armies here and at the border of the Alliance to avoid an attack from behind. The situation in the Alliance is unstable, but they will attack at any sign of weakness"
"If they attack, they will regret doing so, but I don´t think they would do such risky maneuver, at least for now" Ferdinand said while looking at a map of Fódlan.
"We need to take care of the monastery as well. The walls are strong, but we need to repair them if we want to use it as a base of operations"
"In that case, how about you command the rebuilding of the monastery, Linhardt?"
"That sounds too annoying. I think I will pass on it, thank you"
"You could use the time of rebuilding as an opportunity to investigate about the mysteries lingering in the depths of the monastery"
"That doesn´t sound that annoying. We barely know anything about the Immaculate One, perhaps there is some information about it. It is really fascinating that Rhea has the ability to transform into a dragon"
"More than interesting I would say it is scary, though" Bernadetta said with a nervous look.
"We don´t have time to waste, we need to keep marching forward. The future of a better Fódlan is in our hands!" she said as she looked at them. "Byleth, I promise I will take care of all of them, I will make sure that no one of them dies so you can meet all of us again. Until the day our paths cross again" she said to herself as she observed how dawn started to come to the land.
Nihil prius fide means literally "nothing before the faith" just in case anyone is wondering