Let's go to the Imperial Capital, shall we? And along the way, we can see a few girls who are references to other games.
Chapter 104 – A Trip to the Capital (Pegasus Moon)
Edelgard stood pensively in the entrance hall of Garreg Mach, waiting for Byleth to come passing by. She knew the teacher was out in town and would soon return.
As if on cue, Byleth and Dorothea passed the front doors and ascended the steps to find the princess waiting for them.
"Professor, Dorothea, there you two are," said Edelgard.
"Edie, were you waiting for us?" asked Dorothea. "I haven't seen you or Hubie much this month."
"I've been busy. Listen, will you two join me? There's something I must do. It will take a few days, but I promise we'll be back in time for the ceremony at the Holy Tomb."
"Where are we going?" asked Byleth.
"It's meant to be a secret, but… I'm going to Enbarr, the Imperial Capital. There is something I must do there."
"Enbarr? Well, I can't say I haven't missed the capital," said Dorothea. "Of course I'll go with you, Edie. And you will too, right Professor?"
Byleth hesitated to answer. Something about this request felt… ominous, as though it would have great significance.
But seeing the expressions on both Dorothea and Edelgard's faces, she knew she could only give one answer.
"I'll go with you."
"Thank you, my teacher."
…
The next two days were spent traveling by carriage across the Empire. They passed farms and villages covered in blankets of snow, and vast expanses of beautiful countryside. On the third day, they reached the jewel of the Adrestian Empire: Enbarr.
Byleth had never been to the Imperial Capital, but she had heard a great deal about its splendor. The stories she'd heard had clearly undersold it. Enbarr was like nothing she had ever seen. The city was vast, bigger than any other city in Fódlan, and teemed with people. Merchants were shouting at the market as they peddled their wares, all while keeping their eyes open for thieves and beggars.
From within the royal carriage, Byleth said, "Incredible…"
"Is this your first time in Enbarr, Professor?" asked Edelgard.
"Yes. I've never seen such a huge city before."
"Well, you won't find one any bigger than Enbarr, Professor," said Dorothea. "If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere."
As the carriage moved along, Byleth continued to look out at the buildings of the city. She then looked eastward and saw the enormous canal that ran through the capital.
Seeing her look at the canal, Edelgard said, "It's said that canal was constructed under the guidance of Saint Seiros before the Empire was even formed. Ever since, that canal has been a major lifeline for the capital's development."
"That's a nice way of putting it, Edie…" Dorothea said in a tone that showed she disagreed.
"What do you mean?" asked Byleth.
"That canal also serves as a kind of border between the noble and commoner sections of the city. The poor live on the east side of the river in the slums, while those in rich families and the nobility live on the west side. And if you're coming from the slums, you usually aren't going to be very welcome in the rich part of town."
"Oh…"
The sound of commotion caught the attention of the three women, with the carriage stopping to their surprise. Edelgard moved to the front of the carriage to address the driver.
"What is going on?" asked Edelgard.
"An accident, milady," said the driver. "The road is blocked."
Edelgard, Byleth and Dorothea all looked out at the source of the commotion to see three different horse carts had collided with one another, leaving a mangled mess of wood that blocked the road. A nobleman stepped furiously out of one of the carts and began shouting at a merchant who had been driving one of the others. Despite the merchant's attempts to placate the noble, his efforts were to no avail.
"This looks like it could take a while, Edie," said Dorothea.
Nodding in agreement, Edelgard said, "Driver, can we go around it?"
"We could take the side road toward the opera house," said the driver.
"Do it."
"As you wish, Lady Edelgard."
As the carriage began to roll again, Dorothea asked, "Hey, Edie, where exactly are we going?"
"We're heading for the palace."
"The palace? Wait, is it okay for us to be there?"
"What's wrong, Dorothea?" asked Byleth.
"Well, the palace is completely off-limits to commoners. I've never been there before and, well…"
"Dorothea, you have nothing to worry about," said Edelgard. "You two are my guests. If anyone has a problem with that, they'll answer to me."
"We appreciate that, Edelgard," said Byleth.
The carriage continued on its way for a few more minutes. Then, as they reached a clearing between one of the city blocks, they saw a large fancy structure that in some ways looked like a church house. However, several extravagant banners were draped from the windows and roof. A sign above the main door said "Mittelfrank Opera House" in large letters.
"Oh, look, the Opera House!" Dorothea said happily. "Wow, it feels like it's been forever since I've been here."
"It's only been about a year, Dorothea," said Edelgard.
"I know that, Edie."
"It looks… pretty showy," said Byleth.
Dorothea couldn't help but chuckle at Byleth's choice of words.
Then, the singer asked, "Hey, Edie, we're not in any hurry, are we? Do you think we could stop here for a bit?"
"I suppose we could for a little while," said Edelgard. "But why?"
"I haven't seen the other divas in a long while, that's all. I wanted to see how everyone is doing."
Edelgard smiled and nodded at Dorothea, then turned to the driver and said, "Driver, stop in front of the opera house."
"Yes, Lady Edelgard."
The carriage pulled in front of the Mittelfrank Opera House. Once it stopped, Dorothea exuberantly opened the door of the carriage as she grabbed Byleth by the arm and pulled her along.
"H-Hey, Dorothea! What are you–"
"Come on, Professor!" Dorothea said happily. "How else am I going to introduce you to everyone? You come too, Edie!"
"Wait, what? H-Hey!" Edelgard said in surprise as Dorothea dragged her by the arm as well into the opera house.
Inside, the three were met by a dazzling sight. The opera house was well-maintained, with numerous paintings and fancy banners lining the walls. A long red carpet stretched out toward the main hall, with several flights of stairs leading to the various wings of the opera house. Inside, several divas and actors were practicing their lines and movements for upcoming plays and performances.
One of the divas, a buxom girl with long turquoise hair in a ponytail, spotted the three women and said, "Omigosh! Dorothea, is that you?"
"Hey there, Lana!" Dorothea said to the diva.
"Oh my – Everyone! Everyone! It's Dorothea! She's come back!"
Byleth watched as several other divas came running to see the brunette. Many were dressed in fancy bodices and alluring dresses, not the sort of finery one would see from the nobility.
"Well, well, came crawling back, did you?" said a curvy tan-skinned woman with short silver hair.
"Cia, don't be so mean!" said Lana. "We all missed you so much, Dorothea!"
"I was so sad when I heard you were leaving us," said a girl with brown hair tied in two pigtails.
"That's putting it lightly," said one of the senior divas, a tall and slender woman who wore her reddish-brown hair in two large bunches. "Alicia kept us all up at night with her crying for nearly a week after you left."
"B-Brigitte!" said the brown-haired girl. "Don't tell her that!"
Brigitte laughed for a moment at Alicia and then said, "It's good to see you again, Dorothea." Then, realizing Edelgard's presence, Brigitte said, "Oh, it's you. What was your name again? Edenbard? Ebeldard?"
"Brigitte! How can you forget Princess Edelgard's name?" Lana said in shock.
"Oh, right, Edelgard. Sorry, all your high-and-mighty noble names sound the same to me."
"Briggie!" Dorothea scolded.
"And what about her? A new recruit? I think we might have one or two outfits in her size. Maybe."
Byleth was about to give a flustered expression when she saw Brigitte give her a joking wink.
Brigitte then raised her hand to Byleth for a handshake as she said, "Name's Brigitte. I'm the head diva here."
Taking Brigitte's hand, Byleth said, "Byleth Eisner. I'm a Professor at the Officer's Academy at Garreg Mach."
"Oh, you're a teacher? Hey, do you happen to know Manuela?"
"Yes, we both teach there."
"Well, any friend of Manuela's is a friend of mine. How's she doing? Still can't find herself a man who'll go out with her more than once?" Brigitte laughed at this.
Byleth could only reply with a nervous laugh of her own.
"It's so good to see you again, Dorothea!" said Lana. "Come on, you have to tell us all about how things have been going at Garreg Mach Monastery!"
As Dorothea, Byleth and Edelgard were ushered into the opera house by the divas, they were completely unaware of a certain lavender rogue watching them go inside.
…
The visit to the opera house lasted two hours in total, during which Byleth was asked no less than four times to try on some outfits that would've been scandalous on anyone. Byleth had politely declined each time.
The divas were amazed by the stories Dorothea told them of her life at the Officer's Academy. Dorothea omitted several parts of it, including her many near-death experiences, but she had plenty to share with the girls.
But as the sun began to set on the horizon, the three realized just how much time they had spent at the opera house, and knew they had to move on. Though the divas were disappointed that they had to go, they wished Dorothea nothing but the best.
As the three women made their way back toward the carriage, Brigitte said, "Hey Dorothea, good to see you again. Listen, if you've got the time, how's about sending us some letters every now and then, okay? And tell Manuela I said hi!"
"I will!" Dorothea replied.
"Thank you for your hospitality," said Byleth.
"No problem, Professor," said Brigitte. "You just make sure to look after her, okay? Take care."
Brigitte went back into the opera house as Dorothea, Edelgard and Byleth re-entered the carriage.
"Where to, Lady Edelgard?" asked the driver.
"The palace," Edelgard answered.
"Well, that really takes me back," said Dorothea. "Good to see the others are doing so well. Thanks for this, Edie. I appreciate it."
"It's no trouble at all."
"Sorry I had us take so long. I hope the others weren't too much for you, Professor."
"You have good friends here, Dorothea," said Byleth. "Especially Brigitte."
"Briggie's always looked out for the rest of us, especially after Manuela left the company… and what happened to Rosa. She's like a big sister to everyone there."
"I see."
Dorothea continued to gush about the other divas as the carriage made its way toward the palace. The sun continued to set as the streets were illuminated by torchlight.
Soon, the carriage made its way towards an old chapel that stood before a graveyard. Dorothea stopped talking about the opera company as she saw this chapel.
"Dorothea? Is something wrong?" asked Byleth.
Edelgard watched as Dorothea stared at the graveyard. She knew she would have to make another stop.
"Dorothea, do you need a moment?" asked Edelgard.
"Edie?"
"I'm sure she would appreciate you paying her a visit."
"Thanks, Edie."
As Edelgard ordered the driver to stop, Byleth asked, "Who is she talking about?"
Dorothea said nothing as the carriage stopped, allowing her to disembark. Byleth decided to follow her, though Edelgard remained with the carriage and watched them from afar.
The two passed through the old cemetery wordlessly. Moss and grime had covered many of the gravestones, leaving any writing on them virtually illegible. A few ravens cawed as they sat atop some old trees.
Soon, Dorothea stopped in front of a solitary grave. Kneeling, she peeled aside some of the moss that had grown on it, revealing a name upon it.
Millia Arnault
1136–1163
The rest of the writing upon it had been worn out by erosion.
"Mother…" Dorothea said sullenly. "I'm sorry I haven't paid you a visit in a while, but… well, I've been kinda busy at the Officer's Academy. But you'll be happy to know I've made a lot of friends there. Bernie, Petra, Ingrid, Linhardt, Claude… even Felix. And of course, my dear Professor Byleth." Dorothea turned to Byleth and asked, "Professor, won't you say hello to my mother?"
Byleth stepped forward and, after a moment of hesitation, said, "Your daughter is a fine student, Miss Arnault. I know you would be proud of her."
Dorothea smiled at this gesture, then turned back to the grave and said, "You see? I'm doing just fine. It hasn't been… perfect at Garreg Mach. I've gotten into more than a few close calls, but Professor Byleth's always been there for me. And hey, if it's any consolation, father got what was coming to him. Not so sure about Clovis, though."
Byleth had to frown at this. Clovis von Eadwald was still at large, but it seemed as though no one had seen him since the incident surrounding the Chalice of Beginnings.
"Anyhow, I'd better not keep Edie waiting. She's invited me to the palace, after all. Would you believe it? Me, your little girl, going to the Imperial Palace."
Dorothea stopped for a moment as her eyes began to fill with tears.
Sobbing, she then said, "I miss you. I wish you were here. I just…"
Dorothea couldn't continue, burying her face in her hands as she cried. Byleth stepped over to her and placed a hand on Dorothea's shoulder. After a few more seconds of crying, Dorothea sniffled as she wiped her eyes.
Then, giving the grave one last look, she said, "I'll come see you again sometime, Mother. I promise. So, don't worry about me. Okay?"
With that, Dorothea and Byleth left the cemetery and returned to the carriage.
As they entered, Edelgard asked, "Dorothea? Are you alright?"
"I'll… I'll be okay. Thank you, Edie."
The carriage continued its way to the Imperial Palace.
…
Cleobulus scoffed as she stood outside the walls of Enbarr. She wouldn't be out here if it weren't for her current mission.
The Arcus's communicator chirped, prompting the archer to reach for it and bring it before her face. She activated it, revealing the image of Cornelia.
"I assume you've arrived," said Cornelia.
"Remind me again why I'm doing this," Cleobulus said apathetically.
"One of the Archbishop's birds has become a problem for Entei's upcoming raid."
"So? That's Thales' game. Why not let this 'bird' spoil it?"
"We need the war to start in earnest before I can eliminate that fool, Rufus, and take control of Fhirdiad. If this Mockingbird learns too much and relays it to the Archbishop, the plan could fall apart. We need to make sure that does not happen."
"Why not send Kronya to do this, then?"
"Thales is in Enbarr right now. I can't risk him learning that Kronya's alive. Besides, she's helping me clean up a few… undesirables in Faerghus."
"Whatever."
The communicator's image shifted, revealing the face of a lavender-haired rogue with an almost feminine face.
As Cleobulus looked at the image of Yuri, Cornelia said, "This is your target. Ensure this bird's wings are plucked clean. Cornelia out."
Cleobulus ended the transmission as she put away the communicator. She then walked right toward the wall to the city as her body began to fizzle, becoming translucent.
The Arcus moved through the stone wall as she entered Enbarr.
Yuri's in the shit now…
I gotta ask, should I have those opera divas return at some point in the story? Maybe as people who join Byleth's army post-timeskip? Or would that detract from the cast? I do plan on Brigitte showing up at least one more time, but should I go beyond that? And by the way, try figuring out the references behind each one.
Cornelia's game is something that's going to be developing for a long while, but one thing I want to get across is that she is FAR more competent than Thales, at least in my story. It's going to be tricky working on her scheme.