100 chapters. Good gravy, we've come far since last year.
Chapter 100 – Mystery of Song (Guardian Moon)
Byleth mumbled as she began to regain consciousness. As she tried to open her eyes, a familiar voice sang to her.
Toki no yosuga ni tomoru honō
Kamawo ni tayuta kioku no kake-ra
Byleth slowly felt herself regain her senses. She felt she was no longer in her combat gear, with the sensation of fine silk covering her skin. Wherever she was, it was warm. Her head, still swimming on the edge of consciousness, was resting on something.
No, on someone…
Toki no yosuga ni tomoru honō
Kamawo ni tayuta kioku no kake-ra
Recognizing the voice, Byleth slowly opened her eyes slightly.
Rhea was smiling down at her, resting Byleth's head on her lap.
"Byleth. You must remain still," Rhea said soothingly.
"W-What… Where… Where am I…?" Byleth mumbled.
"Everything is all right. There is no need to worry. Those who are trying to harm you are far away."
Byleth's memory of what had transpired returned to her. She instinctively tried to get up, but her body felt as weak as a newborn.
"T-The students…"
"They are well, Byleth. All of them have returned safe and sound to the monastery. In fact, it was they who brought you back to me."
"D-D-Dorothea…"
"The girl is all right. She exhausted herself in fighting the enemy, but she is in Manuela's care now. Please, just rest for now."
Byleth didn't have the strength to argue with Rhea. She tried looking about the room, unable to tilt her head. She recognized the room as Rhea's chamber. She had only been there a couple of times before, but the finery was unmistakable. Feeling a soft mattress beneath her, Byleth realized she had to be on Rhea's bed.
Rhea began to hum the same song she had been singing. As she did, the sound of Rhea's voice soothed Byleth's mind, easing her worries and calming her thoughts.
That is, all her worries but one.
Smiling, Rhea said, "How lovely… it would be for this moment to last forever… I wish I could hold on to this time we have stolen… that you and I could create a world without end… I have heard whispers of what happened to you. Your appearance… You have received power from the goddess. From the moment you took hold of the Sword of the Creator… I prayed that one day the radiant power of Sothis, which bathes Fódlan in its celestial light, might reside within you. But you are so much more than the light. You are my…"
A creaking sound broke up the moment, startling Rhea. Byleth was now asleep again, leaving Rhea unable to move herself out from underneath the teacher's head without disturbing her.
"Who is there?" Rhea demanded.
Outside the room, Dorothea froze in place, knowing she was caught. She couldn't see what was going on in the room, but hearing Rhea talking to Byleth had caused her to slip up.
Her first instinct was to run away. She wasn't supposed to be anywhere near the Archbishop's room and should've still been in the infirmary. Manuela was probably fretting over where she had gone by now.
But the singer couldn't move her feet. She was scared, afraid of what Rhea might do to her once she found her. But Dorothea stayed in place.
A few seconds passed before a young voice behind her said, "What're you doing here, Dorothea?"
Dorothea let out a short "EEP!" as she turned toward Cyril. The servant boy was not pleased to see her eavesdropping on Rhea.
"C-Cyril!" Dorothea whispered, despite knowing Rhea must've heard him say her name.
"Miss Arnault, is it?" came Rhea's voice. "Cyril, please allow her inside."
"A-Are you sure, Lady Rhea?" asked Cyril. "I thought you said you wanted to be alone with the Professor."
"It is quite alright, Cyril. I need to have a word with Miss Arnault in any event."
"Well, okay." Turning to Dorothea, Cyril said, "I'll let you in, but you'd better not be rude or anything like that to Lady Rhea, understand?"
"O-Of course…" Dorothea said sheepishly.
Cyril took out a key and unlocked the door to Rhea's chamber, allowing the diva to enter. Dorothea was amazed upon seeing the inside of the Archbishop's room, lined with curtains of silk, several exquisite jewelry boxes, and an extravagant tea set with biscuits on a small table next to the bed. The bed itself was large enough for three to comfortably sleep in it. It seemed the Archbishop was no stranger to opulence, despite her claims to the contrary.
Sitting with Byleth's head still on her lap, Rhea said to Dorothea, "Please, have a seat, Miss Arnault."
Knowing it would be unwise to refuse a request from the Archbishop, Dorothea gingerly sat herself down on the side of Rhea's bed. The diva was dressed in a black undershirt and her academy skirt, but her jacket was absent after being ripped apart during her fight with Solon.
"How are you feeling?" Rhea asked Dorothea.
"I've… been better, honestly," Dorothea said nervously.
"There is no need for you to be so nervous, Dorothea. You are welcome here. Help yourself to some tea if you wish."
"Th-Thank you."
Dorothea slowly slid herself over to the tea table and poured herself a cup. The aroma told her it was Chamomile. She sipped on it slowly, being very careful not to fumble the cup as the tea calmed her nerves.
"I understand you endured a rather… harrowing experience in the Sealed Forest," said Rhea.
"Y-Yes… It's not every day you have to fight a necromancer on your own."
"Indeed, it is not. But he now lies among the same dead he used for his perversions. We may all rest easier knowing Solon is gone."
Dorothea nodded as she sipped some more chamomile, her gaze flitting toward Byleth as the greenette sighed weakly.
"Is she alright?" Dorothea asked.
"She merely requires time to rest. Her body is still adjusting to receiving power from the goddess."
"Is… is that what happened to her?"
"Yes. It is something I had hoped for ever since she drew the Sword of the Creator. That she would be blessed by the goddess' celestial light. Only one other figure in the Church's history has ever received such a blessing."
"You mean Saint Seiros?"
"Yes. The founder of our order."
Dorothea said nothing to this, but inside she felt like something wasn't adding up. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, though.
The singer set down her teacup as Rhea began to hum her song again. This prompted the diva to turn to the Archbishop, watching as the elder woman serenely stroked Byleth's hair.
Curiosity got the better of the diva, and she asked, "Lady Rhea, what were you singing earlier?"
"Hmm?"
"I've heard a lot of different songs, both on the streets and during my time as an opera diva. But that song of yours… I'd never heard it until the night of the ball. I've never even heard a language like that one."
"Oh… you overheard me then?"
"Yes, Professor Byleth and I both did. What is it?"
"It is… a song whose true meaning has been forgotten over the ages. I learned it from my mother, but I couldn't tell you what the words mean. I don't suppose anyone could. Whoever created the song likely passed from this world ages ago."
"Oh. That's unfortunate. I was hoping to, maybe, learn the words."
"I would appreciate it if you did not pry into it, Dorothea."
"Huh? Why?"
"It is… precious to me. Those words… They are a reminder to me of my mother. And though you may mean well, they are not words to be spoken lightly."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Those words contain an ancient power. Of that, I am certain. Any time I sing them, I can feel something stirring. Stirring, but not awakening." Rhea smiled as she said, "Perhaps the words are meant for another, maybe someone with a different Crest. I doubt I will ever know."
Hearing Rhea speak of Crests put a damper on Dorothea's spirits.
"You're so lucky, Lady Rhea," said Dorothea. As Rhea looked at her in confusion, she added, "You were born with a Major Crest of Seiros, you've got the seat of the most powerful woman in Fódlan, and you know so much that many of us will never know. But me? I was just some Crestless baby that my father didn't want…"
"I see… And your mother?"
"…She died when I was barely two years old."
Rhea nodded to this.
"Hey, didn't you say something about your own mother? That she was…"
Dorothea stopped upon realizing she was metaphorically putting her foot in her mouth.
"I'm sorry, Lady Rhea. That was thoughtless of me."
"It is alright, Dorothea. You are right. I lost my mother years ago to the cruelty of man. They were bandits, men who slew my mother in a bid for power." Rhea clasped her hand and then said, "But their crimes did not go unpunished."
Dorothea decided to drop the subject. She looked at Byleth as the teacher continued to slumber on Rhea's lap. Byleth looked so peaceful and pristine to the singer.
It was enough of a sight that Dorothea started singing.
Tue lei ze croa riou tue ze
Croa riou ze tue riou lei neu riou ze
Va lei ze tue neu tue riou tue croa
Riou lei croa riou ze lei va ze lei
Va neu va lei va neu va ze lei
Croa riou croa neu tue lei croa riou ze lei va
Lei va neu croa tue lei lei
Rhea did not speak until Dorothea finished.
"You know Yulia's Hymn," said Rhea.
Dorothea, realizing what she had just been doing, said, "O-Oh, is that what it's called?" Flustered, she added, "Oh my, all this time and I didn't even know that one had a name."
"It is an old song, one that has almost been forgotten in these times. Where did you learn it?"
"It… it was something a friend of mine taught me. Her name was Rosa. She was a diva like me, but she… she's gone now."
"Your friend gave you quite the treasure. Yulia's Hymn is more than just a song. It is an ancient form of magic meant to soothe wounded hearts."
"R-Really?"
"Yes. But merely knowing the words is not enough to tap into such magic. One must sing it with all their heart, embracing the meaning behind every word, to unleash its true power. Few are able to do so, I'm afraid. Few know of such old magic. Perhaps it is for the best."
"Why?"
"There are many ancient hymns out there that can unleash great power. Some of them, however, are songs of disaster and destruction. When sung by one who embraced their meaning, they were capable of annihilating entire armies."
Dorothea let out a small gasp of awe. It was a little hard to believe Rhea's words.
"It is fortunate, then, that such destructive songs have long been lost to history. Yet that does not mean they are all gone. Perhaps, someday, there may be need of them again. I suppose it would be the work of fate if they were to be called upon once more."
Dorothea said nothing more to the Archbishop as Rhea began humming her song again to Byleth.
…
Anna knew she was going to have to pay back Hanneman big time for what he had agreed to do for her. The Crest scholar was following her to a quiet section of the monastery, carrying a set of medical tools with him. Normally, Anna would've gone to Manuela for medical expertise, but this was a subject that required a logical, scientific mind.
"There you are, Anna," said Seteth as he marched down the hall toward her and Hanneman.
"Seteth, is there something I can help you with?" asked Anna. "You're not gonna keep grilling me for what happened in the Sealed Forest, are you? I feel bad enough about that mess already."
"That is not what I am here for. I am here because someone notified me that you two were planning to do something very… undesirable with the body you brought back from that battle."
Anna scowled at this. She figured Seteth would find out about her bringing back Kronya's corpse sooner or later. She hadn't expected it this soon, though.
"Seteth, you weren't there. If you were–"
"I would still disapprove of what you intend to do, Miss Anna," Seteth interrupted. "Human autopsies are strictly forbidden by Church doctrine. I am sure you are aware of that taboo. Perhaps they are permitted in other parts of the world, but I will not have you desecrating a body in such a way, even one as vile as hers."
"Seteth, listen to me, that girl was no human or demi-human. I've seen a lot of different races in my travels, but nothing like her. We have to know how the hell she was able to do all those things when we fought her."
"Anna–"
"To beat your enemy, you've gotta know them. And I'll guess you don't know jack about these creeps."
"Anna is correct, Seteth," said Hanneman. "If her testimony is to be believed, this 'Kronya's' capabilities far exceeded that of any normal human, and even exceeded those bearing Major Crests. If we are up against an entire faction of such powerful beings, we must know the secrets of their bodies in order to combat them."
"That is enough!" Seteth snapped. "I will not allow you to desecrate the dead in such a way. I already gave you enough leeway when you had the Knights burn the corpses of the fallen in Remire!"
"Hey, you'd do the same if you knew they could rise up again and kill you!" said Anna.
The three of them stepped up to a room at the end of the hall. Seteth tried to get in Anna's way, but the redhead prevented him from doing so with a sweep of her hand.
As she opened the door, Anna said, "You don't have to like this, Seteth. Just don't get in our way, and we'll–"
Anna stopped as she looked at a table in the middle of the room, the spot where she had placed Kronya's corpse.
Nothing was there.
The redhead was stunned for a moment before she turned angrily to Seteth and said, "What did you do?!"
"I beg your pardon?" Seteth asked sternly.
"What'd you do with the body?! It was here ten minutes ago!"
"I was not aware the corpse was even in this part of the monastery."
"You're lying!" Anna poked her index finger at Seteth accusingly.
"I do not make a habit of creating falsehoods, Anna. But whether or not you believe me is moot at this point. The body is gone. There is no use in pursuing this issue further."
Anna opened her mouth to speak but could not find anything to say, seeing Seteth's point. Furiously, she let out a loud "UGH!" as she stormed away from Seteth.
Hanneman and Seteth watched Anna throw up her hands in frustration as she shouted, "You stubborn old s'wit!"
A bit shorter than the more recent chapters, but I think I'll end Chapter 100 on that note.
Getting the Dorothea and Rhea part was tricky due to how Rhea likes to distance herself from just about everyone except Byleth. But Byleth's all sleepy in this scene, so getting her to converse with Dorothea wasn't easy. I'm sure I've either been heavy-handed or messed something up.
Anyhow, thank you all for sticking with Songstress: White Clouds for all these months. We're now getting into the home stretch for the pre-timeskip portion. It's gonna be dramatic.