Seteth sighed as he placed a letter from Faerghus back to his desk, a desk with stacks of paper from all the administrative work across the Church and Monastery. He massaged his forehead with both hands as a headache began to form.
The contents themselves were not the problem. Approximately seven days ago, there was an assassination attempt on the Royal Family during an expedition. They survived and learned that their own Court Mage was behind it. They later laid siege and handily won.
In all honesty, it was all good news. Lambert was a good man, from what Seteth remembered during one of his visits to the Monastery. However, the Monastery and Church were neutral grounds. They were usually not told that assassination attempts actually occurred through a direct letter like this. Goddess, the Church did not act when the Insurrection of the Seven occurred in Adrestia. That was their problem, and the Church was neutral ground.
No, what gave Seteth a headache were the assassins. From what the letter said, they wore dark hoods and used the Death spell at some point. During the siege, Lambert was also able to retrieve an unknown metal from a construct powered by an artificial Crest Stone. It was impossible, and yet, the letter said otherwise. Lambert was personally holding on to the Crest Stone until he received word from the Church on what to do.
In addition to that, two children were rescued. Well, one of them was more of an escapee. A boy escaped from the enemy, showed unknown magic, and a body that was stronger than normal. A girl that was experimented on by their Court Mage and was currently resting in Fhirdiad. The letter didn't go into detail about the unknown magic, in the possibility that the letter was intercepted.
And finally, the metaphorical last nail in the coffin was the last word of their Court Mage. She was captured after the siege upon her castle. She woke up in the custody of Lambert. She began spouting nonsense and then erupted in dark fire. It seemed that Lambert felt that her last words were important, or, rather, her last word. He felt that it was important, though he didn't understand what it meant.
He picked up the letter to make sure his eyes didn't play tricks on him. He read the letter again and the written last word still sent chills down his spine.
Thales.
Suddenly, he wasn't in his office in the Monastery anymore. He began having trouble breathing as burnt flesh filled his lungs. Sweat clung to his skin as he felt the fire all around him. He heard the dying screams of the dead, both family and foe.
Their past was coming back to haunt them.
Goddess, how was he going to explain this all to Sei- Rhea? If this was his reaction to just reading that name, how was she going to react? He knew that she took everything even worse than he did. He was sure that she wasn't over what happened yet, even after all the years that passed. She put on her mask of serenity quite well, and none have seen through it. Only he and his daughter saw through it. Rhea was more childish back then, happier, more talkative. Now, she was quiet and far too serene. Something was underneath that mask, and he was afraid that this letter would bring that something to the surface.
He took a deep breath and exhaled. He did it again and stood up. No use delaying the inevitable. As the Archbishop, she would have heard of this sooner or later.
He held the letter and hid it in a pocket. He left his room and locked the doors. He can't have anyone come in without him.
Seteth turned and began his walk towards the Audience Chamber. He passed some of the staff walking about, though no students. It was nearing the end of the Lone Moon and the students were either slowly arriving from their visits of their families for a few weeks or were using the various facilities throughout the grounds.
As he reached the doors of the Audience Chamber, he nodded at the guards before they announced his arrival and opened the doors. At the end of the chamber were stairs that led to a singular chair. Rhea sat atop that chair, calm and serene. Some nuns were walking about the chambers as Rhea supervised them.
"Seteth? What brings you here?" Rhea asked. With the year ending and no missions to coordinate, Rhea had most likely assumed Seteth would spend his time with Flayn, not with her.
"I received a letter from Fhirdiad, and I would like to discuss its contents." Seteth stood stiff, knowing that he had to tread carefully. He didn't want her to explode in anger.
Rhea didn't notice his nervousness, too focused on the nuns in the room. "Well then, please begin. Is it a letter to begin Prince Dimitri's education here? I believe he is too young to begin."
"No, it isn't. However, can we discuss this alone?" He stressed the need for privacy.
Rhea narrowed her eyes and took a closer look at Seteth. She noticed a few things that she missed before: Seteth's slightly glossy forehead, his clenched jaw and fists, his slight trembling, and even his somewhat uneven breathing. They were so minute that none of the nuns have noticed. Luckily, her draconic senses and her knowledge about her brother picked up his nervous state. She rose from her chair.
"Leave us," she commanded the nuns. "Knights, take a break as well. You've earned it." She smiled at them, to show that there was no problem. The knights hesitated for a moment and bowed. They left with the nuns.
The chamber doors closed and Seteth visibly relaxed, only to tense up again. While the room always had the Silence spell cast on it, having only the two of them helped relieve some of the tension. However, it was only him that may face the Archbishop's wrath.
"What's wrong, Seteth? Is it so important that we must talk alone? I also thought that I gave you leave for the day to spend it with Flayn," Rhea began.
Seteth sighed. "Yes, I know. That was the original plan, but the gatekeeper gave me this letter in haste, said something about how the messenger was out of breath and seemed ready to drop to his feet. The gatekeeper was slightly disturbed, had the messenger sent to the infirmary, and gave me the letter." He held out the letter. "The contents are disturbing. I…"
Rhea looked at Seteth quizzically. "Well? What news was so important that we must be alone to speak? The Monastery is neutral ground; we cannot just help countries whenever we want anymore. The contents must be either about a threat to all of Fodlan if we must take action or the Monastery is in danger."
Seteth took a deep breath and looked at her eyes. "I believe that it is a threat to all of Fodlan. The Agarthans are back."
Suddenly, the air became oppressive. It felt heavy and would have sent normal people to their knees. However, Seteth also had his draconic blood. His breath hitched for a moment as the air became thick with danger. His eyes continued to focus on the Archbishop as he stood his ground.
'There it is,' Seteth thought.
Rhea looked down at her lap as her bangs hid her eyes. Her grip clenched on her armrests as it threatened to crush it. Already, cracks were forming.
"How?" She asked while she kept her head down. She began to tremble.
"There was an assassination attempt on the Faerghus royal family. They survived and discovered that their Court Mage collaborated with the assassins. They attacked her castle and captured her. However, before they could interrogate her, she was set on fire as she screamed her last words." He stopped, hoping that he wouldn't have to utter that name.
"What were those last words?" Rhea's trembling grew stronger.
"Rhea, I do not think that I- "
"Say it!" She shrieked as her hands destroyed the armrest. She began to heave.
Seteth exhaled a deep breath.
"Thales," he murmured.
If anyone were in the same chambers, they would have missed him saying that name. However, he was with Rhea. No, he was with Lady Seiros, daughter of their Goddess. Her draconic ears heard him.
Her face jerked up to face him. Seteth almost took a step back, but he stood his ground. Rhea's eyes were slitted right now. In her rage, she unknowingly channeled her draconic powers, and it began to manifest.
This certainly was Lady Seiros, the one who led the charge against the Agarthans all those centuries ago. The one who killed the King of Liberation, and in revenge of massacring her brethren, led the Agarthan massacre.
Of course, he was afraid. While they were siblings, Lady Seiros led armies to battle and took part in it herself. Seteth could fight, no doubt, but nothing like Lady Seiros. She'd wipe the floor with him, especially when he no longer had his draconic powers.
Rhea noticed Seteth's discomfort and looked down in guilt. She began to took deep breaths and took control of herself. She stood up and looked up to Seteth again. This time, her eyes were normal and Seteth relaxed.
"How? I thought I killed them all." She took slow steps as she hesitantly asked.
Seteth shook his head. "I don't know. The letter didn't talk about that. Lambert probably didn't even know who attacked him; I inferred it from the details and the fact that his name was written on this." Seteth gave her the letter when she reached him.
Rhea read the letter to herself, her eyes quickly scanning it. When she reached the bottom, her jaws clenched again, and her eyes scrunched into a frown. She looked back to Seteth.
"Invite them here. I would like to hear about it in detail. Make sure they know to arrive in haste." Seteth nodded at her words.
Three knocks sounded from the door. Seteth and Rhea's heads whipped to the door and a young and sweet voice rang out.
"Lady Rhea? Is everything okay there? Is my brother with you?"
Seteth sharply inhaled. Flayn. Goddess, how could he even begin to explain what happened?
However, before Seteth could begin to think of an explanation, Rhea commanded her to enter.
The door slightly opened, and a small head of green hair peeked inside. Flayn's big, round eyes looked inside. She stepped inside, closed the door, and approached them.
"Is something the matter? I felt you…" Flayn looked at Rhea, and Rhea flinched, remembering her slight loss of control.
Seteth's shoulders sagged and quickly wrapped Flayn with a hug.
"Huh? Brother? What's wrong?" Flayn was confused and automatically returned the hug.
Seteth trembled, but he held strong. "I'll explain, don't worry."
Emiya sunk into his chair as he silently sighed. If anyone asked, he could swear that he saw the same trees outside the carriage hours ago. He'd even swear that he saw them yesterday.
'At least Fuyuki's skyline varied itself, not that the city had really tall buildings.' He reminisced, then cringed at the fact that he was missing it. 'No, I'm just bored as all hell. Walking outside with the soldiers would help with keeping his body active.'
He glanced at the others in the carriage. King Lambert on his right, Queen Consort Patricia sat in front of Lambert, and Hapi sat in front of Emiya. It has been seven days since they laid siege on Cornelia's castle. Seven days since they rescued Hapi. Seven days since Cornelia was consumed by black fire, cursing Thales in her dying breath. Perhaps Thales wanted to make sure nothing connected her to him? It was too late though, as Lambert heard it and sent a message to the Archbishop, who they were meeting soon.
From what he learned about the Archbishop and the Church, they united the entire continent of Fodlan to protect themselves against foreign invaders. Otherwise, they were neutral ground; they didn't even lift a finger when the Insurrection of the Seven happened in Adrestia. The Insurrection was a coup and Adrestia was one of three countries on the continent. It also the biggest one, essentially taking the southern half of the continent.
Honestly, Emiya was surprised the country didn't divide even more after the Kingdom and the Leicester Alliance split off. Their secessions occurred at least three-hundred years ago. After the success of Faerghus and the Leicester Alliance, someone must have had the bright idea of breaking off as well. As it turned out, no one did, and the continent stabilized.
'No, perhaps they were covered up and hidden? What for? Did the Church intervene because the continent refused to stabilize? Maybe, it certainly wouldn't be the first time a religious sect acted to contain something in the world.' Emiya smirked slightly at the idea. No matter where he went, some things just don't change.
"What are you laughing at?" Hapi's voice broke him out of his thoughts.
Emiya glanced at Hapi and looked outside again. "Nothing, really. Just thought I saw those same trees when we left the capital."
Emiya wasn't sure how to act with Hapi. Ever since she woke up four days ago, the girl constantly stole glances at him back in the capital, though she stuck with Patricia for the most part. He could understand why she stuck with Patricia; apparently, they've met before and bonded. However, when it came to him, she always set some sort of distance from him, though that distance was getting smaller. Glenn constantly nudged and teased him about it.
Of course, he knew it was puppy love after being rescued. He was sure she'd outgrow it, so he didn't pay much attention. He recognized it after all. Whenever he stole glances at Hapi, he'd-
Senpai.
He'd remember her again, though that memory was slowly fading away again. Why was he remembering it now, of all times? He was sure he didn't have any memories left as Emiya Shirou. The only memories he remembered clearly were-
I'll become a Hero of Justice for you. Just leave it to me!
-And-
I ask of you, are you my Master?
Yes, those two moments were his only memories left when he became a Servant. So why was he remembering Sakura after all this time? And, on top of that, he never knew Sakura's problems in his original timeline, and neither did Emiya Shirou in the last war.
A finger poked his cheek and broke him away from his thoughts. "Hey, are you okay? You look pale," Hapi leaned towards him and asked.
Emiya looked at Hapi. She couldn't look any more different from Sakura if they tried. Hapi was dark-skinned with reddish-pink hair and somewhat dark amber eyes. Sakura was slightly pale, with violet hair and eyes. Hapi kept her hair short and was somewhat unruly while Sakura's was long and smooth.
On top of their physical differences, compared to Sakura's meekness, Hapi was not quiet because she was shy; she was quiet because she was apathetic to most things and that she was trained to contain her emotions. Now that Hapi was 17 years old, three years his elder, that kind of training would be hard to lose. Hapi will most likely live with stunted emotions, though Emiya couldn't say much about that.
Emiya Shirou was just like that before, though his reasons were different.
"Hello?" Hapi's voice rang out again as she kept poking his cheek.
Emiya gently took the finger that kept poking him and lowered it. "I'm fine, Hapi. Thank you though."
After lowering her finger, he reached out to a tuft of his hair, a part that became white after the Siege of Cornelia's Castle. Tracing Gae Bolg pushed his body too far and his body showed its reactions. When everyone noticed, he said he pushed himself too far and this was just the body paying its toll. After that, everyone just moved on. Since his magic was all brand-new, it was so easy to get away with anything. Truly, his 'background' gave him so much freedom here.
Hapi noticed him playing with his own hair. "Bothered by it?"
"No, not really. Just not used to it." It has been a while since he had hair like this, when his hair began to turn white. A mix of white and red hair wasn't normal, even here in Fodlan. While people certainly had weird hair color, most of it were solid colors, and not a mix like his currently was.
Hapi merely nodded and looked outside. Emiya sighed. They were starting to warm up to each other, but he still didn't know how to act towards her. She reminded him of Sakura, and yet they were so different from each other. This was somewhat new to him. He was used to just being summoned, blow someone up from miles away, and then return that hill of swords as he waited to be used again.
Human interaction was hard. Though, his interactions were Glenn and Dimitri were fine. Glenn certainly didn't like him for his cynical and not-so-nice mouth. Glenn was the ideal knight, through and through. He was loyal and dedicated to his core, and ever since Glenn swore to be young Dimitri's Shield, he stuck to the prince's side almost all day long. Honestly, it was slightly irritatingly similar to Shirou. Just replace being Dimitri's Shield with being a Hero of Justice.
If there was a silver lining to it all, Glenn never went through the horrors like Emiya once did. On top of that, Glenn understood the implications of being a knight, that he would have to bloody his own hands at times, and that not everyone couldn't be saved. And, above all that, Emiya knew that Glenn would never be alone, not like how he was. Glenn's father, Rodrigue, is Lambert's Shield. There were so many like-minded people around Glenn that there was no way he would be abandoned. And once Rodrigue passed on, Glenn had at least his fiancé, who wanted to be a knight just like him.
Emiya remembered her and massaged his head at the huge incoming headache. Ingrid Galatea, full name Ingrid Brandl Galatea. He met her when Dimitri's playmates arrived at the castle to spend his time while Lambert and his retinue went to Garreg Mach Monastery. She was Glenn's fiancé ever since she was born. However, from how close they were and the happy faces that they showed each other, both in public and privately, they were truly in love with each other. Emiya slightly frowned at the age gap, but apparently, it was normal in Fodlan. He had once asked Lambert about it, only to receive a confused look. Lambert immediately made a face, as if remembering that Emiya didn't exactly have a normal past, and told him it was normal. Emiya had to let it go in the end. It was a new world, and he wasn't the native in this situation. But no, it wasn't the age gap that gave him this headache.
It was the fact that Ingrid looked and acted so similarly to Saber, to Arturia. From their blonde hair, their green eyes, their knightly demeanor… Hell, Ingrid's appetite was larger than someone their age. If she continued to grow, which she definitely would, her appetite would follow, and she'd devour the entire castle's food pantry in a night. And it wasn't like she'd grow fat either; if she followed her dreams to be a knight, the constant training would burn those calories right out.
It surprised him so much the first time he met her that when he froze, Glenn aggressively nudged him with a glare. From then on, Glenn looked at him suspiciously if Ingrid and Emiya were in the same room. Of course, he did his best to never let that happen, so those instances were very rare.
Dimitri's other playmates included: Felix Fraldarius, Sylvain Gautier, and Annette Dominic.
Felix was Glenn's brother. Wide-eyed and innocent, he followed Glenn like a puppy.
Sylvain Gautier was the next heir of House Gautier. He showed hints of being a skirt-chaser. It honestly annoyed Emiya, seeing the similarities to a certain Matou slimeball. It didn't help that Sylvain and Emiya shared red hair. His only solace was that while Sylvain was shallow, nothing similar happened to Sakura. Though frankly, Emiya felt that would never happen. Something was off about Sylvain, that he did flirt with women, but kept them at a certain distance. It was as if he hated women. He'd ask Glenn more about that when they met again.
Annette Dominic was a new addition, only coming because she was Gustave's daughter. Emiya once talked to him when Gustave came to him to thank him for saving Lambert, Emiya waved it away, saying it was nothing. Gustave pushed more, saying that he wouldn't have known what to do if Lambert died and Gustave wasn't there to die with him, most likely had a self-imposed exile. Of course, Emiya froze at that. He had known Gustave was married, but to abandon the people close to him because he failed his duty? At the very least, Emiya was happy he contained himself from yelling at him. Gustave's thanks went from one ear and exited through the other. When Gustave left, Emiya immediately talked to Lambert about it. Lambert saw the problem too. In a move that surprised everyone but Emiya and Patricia, he had Gustave's wife and daughter board in the castle.
His reasoning? Gustave's duty now included spending time with his family. Of course, Gustave tried to argue, that his duty was to the king, but Lambert ordered it. As his king's words were law, all Gustave could do was to bow and accept. At the very least, Gustave seemed to be a bit less tense with his family in the castle. It wasn't like they owned land either, so there were no administrative problems with the transfer.
Annette was the sunshine in the castle. While she was clumsy and almost constantly tripped, everyone loved her earnestness. The fact that she would sometimes sing, and hum, randomly only added to her charm. She got along great with Felix, who would immediately feel better at her voice. Sylvain tried to tease the two of them, but Annette began chucking books at him. Gustave merely glared at him from a distance. Rodrigue merely laughed, saying that the castle has gotten rowdier.
Dimitri, on the other hand, was traumatized. He stayed clear of fire and sharp sounds. Considering that was the month of Lone Moon in Fhirdiad, it was decently cold. He had to be bundled up, more so than anyone else since fire couldn't be started near him. Glenn stuck to him and made sure to wear leather rather than the standard steel armor, just to stop the sounds of armor from hitting itself. Healers were on stand-by should Dimitri suffer a breakdown, or when he woke up screaming at night. They would cast Silence to help dampen the sounds around him.
Emiya grimaced. He knew exactly what he was going through. He had blurry memories of Kiritsugu giving him medicine that was created through Magecraft to help him through the nightmares. Honestly, Emiya wanted to help, but he knew this was a process that takes time and dedication.
On the other hand, something was troubling right next to him. Emiya glanced at Lambert and Patricia, who were quiet throughout the ride. Their relationship strained after Patricia revealed her betrayal. To Emiya, it felt like both wanted to do something about it but couldn't act on it. It baffled him how no one else figured out something was wrong, but then again, Lambert and Patricia faked it so perfectly when someone was nearby.
Emiya had no experience with love, and so, he couldn't say anything about it.
As for the medallion, Lambert had his men destroy every single one that was in Cornelia's castle. As of now, there were no more active medallions from Cornelia's castle. Emiya made sure, as he memorized the feeling he got when he smelled the medallion: his head felt like it was swimming in mud, but he knew he wasn't. As he sniffed the entirety of Cornelia's castle, he made sure to destroy each one until none was left.
As for that robot in the bottom dungeon…
It was currently being protected in the middle of the army, behind the carriage Emiya was currently in. They brought every single piece with them. The Artificial Crest Stone that Gae Bolg broke was currently with Lambert, as apparently humans without a Crest were in danger of becoming a Demonic Beast, which was the monster of Fodlan. When Emiya met Rodrigue, he did a quick Structural Analysis on his sword, and it showed Rodrigue's most recent battles with them. With that, it gave him an idea of what he'll be facing in the future, should it happen. He saw how the sword was used, when it was used, and where it struck the beast.
If anyone asked him what kind of monsters he used to hunt down, he'd be able to describe these Demonic Beasts and Lambert would back him up.
A knock on the carriage came from Lambert's side and it brought Emiya out of his thoughts. Lambert opened the window on his side,
"Hello, Your Majesty! We're very close to the Monastery now. Once we turn the curve, we should be able to see it and then arrive within the hour." Alois spoke.
"Thank you, Alois." Lambert smiled at Alois and began small talk with him.
Alois was the messenger the Archbishop sent with the letter. To Emiya, Alois was an easy-going fellow and was someone that anyone could be friendly to. It amazed Emiya that even he was being friendly to Alois in the beginning. The only one who wasn't was Hapi, who hid behind Patricia when he was nearby. As of right now, she was making a point of looking outside, the opposite side of where Alois was talking to Lambert.
'Probably since Alois feels way too nice to her. I'm guessing that was how Cornelia got her in the beginning, befriending her then to experiment on her.'
"Hey, you can see the Monastery now!" Alois's voice rang out
Emiya and Hapi both opened the window on their side, if to just break the monotony of trees they've been watching since they left Fhirdiad.
The Castle of Fhirdiad was big, that much Emiya could say. However, it felt like the Monastery dwarfed that. It didn't even feel like a monastery. Weren't they supposed to be filled with monks and nuns? Though, since this was a new world, common sense would be different.
Garreg Mach Monastery looked more like a fortified castle than a monastery. Fog slightly covered the spires, though Emiya could still see it. The walls reached high peaks, almost impossible for normal ladders to reach. Watchtowers watched every corner of the Monastery grounds.
However, when Emiya Reinforced his sights, he saw a woman standing over a veranda high above everything else. Emiya felt it.
This woman was unquestionably Lady Rhea, the Archbishop of the Church of Seiros.
Author's Notes:
I really screwed up Glenn's canon personality. Felix's canon personality was more like Glenn's than my current 'nice guy.' However, I will live with what I've done and move on. And to be honest, I'm not sure how an ideal knight could have Felix's personality. This felt better.
As of right now, Emiya has not seen any Heroes' Relics. Areadbhar has been hidden, only to be used in times of war. Right now, there is no war, so no use in using it. That's my head canon anyway. So, if a Heroes' Relics appear in the Church, that's when Shirou will react.
Note that with the Tragedy of Duscur averted, Catherine is still Cassandra. This is because she ran away when she was implicated to be part of those who assassinated Lambert in canon. She ran away, only to be saved by Rhea. She abandoned her name Cassandra, adopted Catherine, and become devout to Rhea. However, it is noted in the Thunderbrand wiki page that Catherine has had the Thunderbrand since she was Cassandra.
Since Cassandra isn't Catherine, then Alois was chosen to be the guide back to the Monastery. One thing I noted was that Alois has served the Monastery for a long time. Officially knighted at age 24, Imperial Year 1159. Since the current year is 1176, that means he's been serving the Monastery for 18 years. During this time, he found a wife and had children.
Jeralt also left that same year, when Byleth was born, specifically the 20th of Horsebow Moon (September), Imperial Year 1159, based on the wiki. I'll use it in the future as well.
Since the Fodlan calendar is weird, April is the beginning of the year, and March is the end.
Yes, someone noted that Tracing spears is technically hard for Emiya. He can still do it, but it's harder than just swords. My way of showing it is through Emiya beginning his transformation a la Oath Under Snow or HF Shirou. However, this is only in appearance.
I'm also trying to find a way to insert a puberty joke in the chapter, but the chance kind of disappeared, so I'm saving it for later. Maybe in a more light-hearted chapter? That was my plan for making Emiya notice girls more, but if it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. I understand that the mental age gap is huge; Emiya is an adult in a child's body. It'd be weird to have him go for a girl already. I want to wait for a few more years until everyone is older. There's also the fact that he's in a fourteen-year-old body.
I've also noted this weirdness in the section about Ingrid and Glenn.
One last note, how do you guys feel about my characterization of the added characters? I've broken canon with the prevention of the Tragedy of Duscur. It felt only right to start the butterfly effects. Felix is still his cry-baby self, Annette is bonding with her father, Gustave is forced to be a better father, and Felix doesn't hate his father either.
2021/02/07 Edit:
EMIYA - Emiya
Various grammar and spelling changes.
Added some words to make things flow better.
Some formatting changes.
Changed some stuff for Seteth, making it clear that his 'flashback' was not during Zanado, but the first war against Agartha, which caused Sothis to rest.
Added a little blurb about how Emiya and Shirou never realized Sakura's problems, both in the former's original timeline and the latter's UBW route.
Took out a chunk of the part about Lambert and Patricia. Someone commented that it was an omniscient 3rd-person POV, when it should only be Emiya's POV. I've edited it, removing the parts that made it omniscient, thus making it shorter.
2021/02/19 Edit:
As someone pointed out, it's supposed to be Majesty for both kings and emperors. I made this error because I thought Dimitri was called "Highness" in canon, even past the timeskip. However, this is wrong because Dimitri became king after the final map and Dedue calls him "Majesty".