She; The Goddess, Above
Lone Moon
Hubert had moved with frightening speed. By noon two days after the ceremony Arundel could no longer show his face in the Empire, under penalty of death, for treason against the Emperor. All of his lands were to be annexed under House Vestra and Lord Vestra had unexpectedly passed away overnight.
Natural causes, of course.
Edelgard was already anticipating an outcry. House Vestra maintained their power without land by virtue of their proximity to the Emperor and position as head of the Imperial Household. A Vestra with land, a Hubert von Vestra with land, with funds of his own, was an intimidating prospect. And even though she knew all of those funds would be going to the war against Agartha she was not yet in a position to announce it.
It did not help matters that she had already taken Prime Minister Aegir into custody for his role in… the events of Enbarr, as soon as she'd become Emperor. She would need to have his legitimate heir, Ferdinand, take his place quickly. It was possible, Edelgard considered, that Ferdinand could hold Hrym as well. It would be a gesture on her part, assurance that she was not ascending the Imperial Throne in blood and turmoil to unseat every noble house. That she was not punishing the whole Aegir house for the failure of their Lord. That she was standing by her principle of allowing individuals to prove themselves.
Though it would be something of a poisoned chalice for Ferdinand. The people of Hrym were not likely to take well to another Aegir overseeing them, unless Ferdinand rapidly softened his Father's policies.
But, he was the kind of person who would consider the needs of those in his charge. He would have to return to the Empire with her immediately to be established, and she would lend him what troops she could if his household knights weren't up to the task of cementing his leadership.
If she could.
Thales would retaliate. They needed to determine when and where the strike would fall. The ward over Garreg Mach was still in place –would he send ground forces to the monastery, or would he use his dark arts to obliterate Enbarr and reduce it to the like of Ailell?
Three quarters, she decided. Three quarters of the advance troops she'd disguised in the area around Garreg Mach would return to the Empire. A portion of those to Aegir if needed, but the majority to Arundel, in case Thales was still lurking there, and to give Hubert some additional troops to work with, as it was very likely that Arundel's forces were at least compromised, if not actually wholly Agarthan. The rest of what they needed to cleanse the lands she would march up from Enbarr herself. It was too early yet to rely on aid from the Kingdom or Alliance. Claude and Dimitri's words were assuring, but she would have to draft up some sort of accord to bind them.
Yes, the accords would bind Dimitri and Claude to defend the Empire, and in turn bind her to defend the Kingdom and Alliance. Yet Garreg Mach was it's own entity belonging to none but the Church. The wording had better be "and all the peoples of Fódlan" she decided.
But that was not her priority at the moment. She could begin drafting it on her way to the Empire. First; Ferdinand.
~o~*~o~
Hubert had moved with frightening speed. Dimitri was concerned his Uncle Rufus would not receive his carefully worded missive and move against Cornelia before she received her own warning. In fact, even if the missive arrived in enough time, it was likely he wouldn't move against her at all; his Uncle's… predilections had always tended towards women of similar figure to the court mage.
Still… his birthday had now passed. As soon as the year changed he would at last be eligible to take the throne. Rodrigue could be relied upon to initiate the proceedings… if they rushed he could perhaps be crowned within half a year.
If his Uncle took Cornelia into custody then so much the better. If he did not… unless she fled it would be a very tense game of cat-and-mouse until the crown was on his head.
And he was not sure whether he would be the cat or the mouse.
He could begin preparing for that but, in the meanwhile the Goddess had set him a task and, as he watched Dedue carefully navigating the dining hall to keep all of his great form out of Ingrid's view in a manner that suggested he was very used to the motion, Dimitri was at last able to recognise the necessity of it…
…may his fallen comrades, his father, step-mother, Glenn, his knights and the murdered people of Duscur forgive him, but he must start to prioritise the living over the dead.
Healing over revenge.
Somehow he had to bring himself to set the burden down and let them go into Sothis's care.
~o~*~o~
The Golden Deer had taken the news surprisingly well for such an odd collection of people. Then again, they'd faced that terrible magic in the Sealed Forest; they wouldn't be surprised by the idea of a secret group of people who wished them all wiped off the face of Fódlan.
"I trust everyone here to stand against this threat." Claude stated, very clearly "But you saw how Solon and Kronya hid amongst us. Next moon, after we graduate, you'll be returning to your territories; you know your households, your villages better than anyone else could. I need you to be on guard and report anything that seems suspicious. Frankly, we don't know what sort of a hold they have in the Alliance, we need more information, I need you to defend Leicester." Lorenz puffed up at that, and Raphael nodded firmly. Hilda was frowning; but at least she wasn't complaining. Marianne and Ignatz seemed concerned, likely he'd have to speak with them individually, but on the other hand there was a sort of zealous fire behind Leonie's eyes, and Lysithea…
Lysithea was too quiet.
"These Agarthans" she began softly, looking down. And it was so jarring, such a departure from her usual strident tone and forceful stare that the whole room seemed to suddenly shift to focus on her "They're the ones we fought in the forest… in the dark masks?"
"Yes…?" Claude agreed cautiously. Lysithea continued to look down, breathing deeply. Claude's eyes cut to Hilda and back, twitching his head slightly to indicate the girl and, blessedly, Hilda didn't even pretend to not understand him and slid into the seat next to her immediately, putting an arm around her shoulders.
Lysithea took another breath and lifted her head. She raised one palm and, without any incantation at all, summoned a spell to her hand to display the Crest of Gloucester. "Just after the Insurrection of the Seven, when the Empire was seeking reparations, they, the mages in dark masks, were in Ordelia. They… they performed experiments on all the children of my house." She said and lifted her other palm, summoning another spell, this one showing the Crest of Charon "I was the only survivor."
Well…
Well…
Damn.
~o~*~o~
In Enbarr the preparations had been made for Edelgard's announcement. Half the troops she intended had already been marched to Arundel, the rest would follow on the wings of her proclamation; the start of what would likely be a war of attrition with Agartha.
That, at least, was better than the alternative; Thales raining utter destruction upon them. Hubert was already at work devising some means of detecting their magic, and now that they could be open about it, maybe she could bring in the best minds from the other nations to the task as well? Lysithea von Ordelia for a start, Professor Hanneman and perhaps Annette Dominic? And Lindhart, if she could convince him it would be an interesting study.
She strode confidently forward to her mark at the top of the steps, the banner of the Empire emblazoned on the wall behind her as she made her address to the country. She began with the announcement of her Father's abdication, and then proceeded on to the main purpose of the speech; her declaration.
"The recent attacks in Remire and Garreg Mach have unveiled an enemy long kept hidden. They have slithered in the dark since ages past, twisting the Church of Seiros to their purpose by misusing the creed and falsifying the will of the Goddess. They have caused instability in order to drive a wedge between the people of Fódlan. They whispered lies into the ears of leaders to divide Kingdom from Empire, Alliance from Kingdom, Empire from Church so that we would bicker amongst ourselves and doubt those who should be our closest allies. The have used vile magics to torture our children and defile our bodies, twisting people into abominations. And so, I have decided… By order of the Adrestian Emperor, Edelgard von Hresvelg, the Empire hereby declares war on the shadowed nation of Agartha."
As easily as that, it was done. They were at war. Now she need only finish the Accords and all of Fódlan would stand united.
~o~*~o~
Seteth looked around askance as he stepped foot into the Bishop's Regret. The Bishop's Regret returned the favour, clearly recognising that this was not one of their own. He felt every eye in the room on him as he trod lightly into the hall -trying not to wince at the slight pull when he lifted each foot of the ground; did they not clean the floors? Were spills that prevalent?
Mercifully, he located Byleth Eisner quickly. Unmercifully she was tucked away in a corner at the back of the room, enjoying her respite after a long week of questioning on her connection to the Goddess -and here he came to end it. He could already feel his temple throbbing as he finally reached her, the weight of his duty and the environment closing in on him. She gave a nod to the mercenaries sitting opposite her and they slid out of the booth to a table nearby, apparently unconcerned by the flooring. He took up the abandoned seat and drew a breath to steel himself.
"Saint Byleth" he began, but Byleth cut him off immediately
"No. I told Rhea I was no Oracle. I will not be your Saint either."
"We need to give you some title, Miss Eisner." he placated "Word of the Revelation will spread; it is the spark of a war. If you do not choose a title, the people will make one of their own. Others may have heard Her, but to them you are the one who summoned the Goddess."
Byleth frowned, but tipped her head in acknowledgement "Later then. You've not come out here to debate what the people call me."
Seteth hesitated "In a way I have. Edelgard, the Emperor, has made her announcement, I have a copy of the speech if you wish to read it. The Empire is now at war, and the Kingdom and Alliance will soon follow. As will the Church. You, apparently, announced your intention to fight, yet you have no allegiance."
"Are you come to re-hire me? Have me work for the church again as a battalion leader?"
"No, as it's Warmaster."
Byleth stopped. For a moment she did not so much as blink, just regarding him neutrally. Seteth found it in himself to be mildly pleased that he had been able to surprise her.
"But not only for the Church. This… coalition between countries, between factions, will require a degree of negotiation, of diplomacy. I have my biases, so do the others. You are a notably neutral force. And, young as you are, you have proven experience. This war will need you to act as more than just a sharp blade."
Byleth pushed the mug she'd been nursing aside and leaned both arms on the table. "You want me mediate between the Empire, the Kingdom, the Alliance and the Church. To… to command armies?"
"That is the short of it. We, the coalition, must have someone in that position. Can you think of any better candidate for the role? Hero of the Revelation? Chosen of the Goddess? Whether you accept a Sainthood or not, you were in direct contact with the Goddess for many moons. The Church will heed you and the faithful throughout the land will support you. You have also worked alongside the most prominent families in the three nations, they will heed you. I daresay if you do not take up this role you will shortly have four factions chasing you for a decidedly less neutral position. You might benefit in the short term, but I expect you may find certain doors closed to you in the long run."
"And you… seek me for the coalition, not the Church?"
"Did I not make that clear? I despise repeating myself, but in this case I suppose clarity is warranted. I would have you take up a position within the leadership of this war effort, as a neutral party with no ties of fealty to any country, nor the Church." Seteth hesitated a moment but then continued "In any case, I do not foresee the Church of Seiros surviving much longer. Not in it's present form. But that is perhaps… as it should be. We must all learn to adapt to the times, difficult as that may be to some."
Quiet fell between them for a moment, the background noises of low voices and mugs sloshing and clanking providing a very humble backdrop for such a proposition as this, as Byleth turned it over in her head.
"If I agreed to this… there must be conditions."
"Of course." Seteth agreed, leaning back, posture lightening. "And the rest of the leaders must agree to the proposition as well, although I expect they will be amenable."
"What'd I tell you, Kid? Connections." Her Father's voice came back to her and she wondered idly if she had doomed herself to this fate the moment she had ticked that box assigning Jeralt's Mercenaries to the Academy.
"You certainly can't call me a Saint if I'm to be neutral." Seteth nodded, the very beginnings of a smile twitching about his lips
"I suppose that is true. Will it be General Eisner, then?" Byleth's eyes narrowed once more
"If we can agree on terms."
"Of course."
~o~*~o~
A war had just been declared. So, naturally, Garreg Mach was having a competition.
To be fair, this was the same competition that had been running the whole year; that between the three houses. As graduation approached classes gave way in favour of exhibition, students having the chance to show off their skills to the Knights and whatever Nobles were visiting the monastery -or indeed their own year-mates.
Generally the house leaders would have been expected to participate. This year, their time was spent in the Cardinal's Room, learning all they could from Seteth and Edelgard, once she'd returned from Enbarr in the middle of the second week. Then they had to argue about Edelgard's accords, what the exact wording was, who was required to provide what, who was even eligible to sign (The Crown Prince was, House Riegan's heir was not, and so a rider was swiftly dispatched to Derdriu with a draft of the agreements to ask Duke Oswald for any of roundtable's concerns and to formally grant Claude the privilege to sign the official version).
By the third day of these meetings, Byleth had firmed up her conditions and made her decision. She arrived to the room with Seteth to find the three lords clustered around one end of the long tables, arguing over one point or other and leaning over the documents to point at one phrase in particular.
"Miss Byleth" Dimitri greeted, less involved in this particular argument than his two companions. "Welcome. I confess we'd be glad for your input on this matter, perhaps you may help us resolve it."
Seteth shot her a knowing look and she acceded the point with a tip of her head. She approached their end of the table and Claude drew out a chair for her.
She paused and blinked at it; no-one else was sitting. Claude suddenly understood how a deer felt when it found itself in a hunter's sights as he very abruptly realised he had no excuse for what he'd just done.
With a laugh that he just barely disguised as clearing his throat, Dimitri drew back a chair for Edelgard and they all took their places.
"Before I offer any advice, Seteth has a proposition."
~o~*~o~
The three young Lords of Fódlan all agreed, for varying reasons, to Byleth's inclusion on the war council, and the mercenary very shortly found herself inundated with new information as they brought her up to speed on all they had put together so far. The replacement of Lady Cornelia and Lord Arundel, the search for Crest Stones to force the Demonic transformations, the blood magic, the attempt to break the ward on Garreg Mach using a Cardinal and the possibility of a magic so strong as to turn the earth into a burning hell-scape like Ailell, the Valley of Torment. Once she had a reasonable grasp on all that they moved swiftly on to their most recent actions; the march on Arundel, the attempt to capture Cornelia and discern any trace of the Agarthans in Leicester.
"They were in Ordelia" Claude informed them "Shortly after the insurrection of the Seven. Right when no-one could intervene. The result of which is that Lysithea has two Crests and white hair, rather like yours, your Majesticness."
"Two Crests?" Seteth questioned at the same moment Dimitri turned to Edelgard and said "Your hair was not always white."
Edelgard glowered at Claude who shot her a charming smile in response. The Emperor sighed; "If the timing is accurate then that was perhaps a couple of years before the Prime Minister allowed them in to Enbarr. I also bear a second Crest through their… experiments. The Hresvelg family have always borne the Crest of Seiros, the one they forced upon me was the Crest of Flames" She lifted her hand and with a murmured word summoned a spell to show it to them.
Immediately Byleth gasped and placed a hand over her heart "That is-" she began, wincing "That is a very strange sensation."
Edelgard dismissed the spell and Byleth relaxed. Seteth's eyes darted between them
"The Crest of Flames was the Goddess's own. Nobody else could posses it until Nemesis broke in to the Holy Tomb and took her blood. How were they able to get a sample of it?"
"Perhaps we should ask Rhea, or Saint Seiros, what she did with Nemesis's body when she finished him off" Claude suggested and it was Seteth's turn to sigh.
"Lady Rhea will answer all of your questions just as soon as she is able to, but she had been avoiding this history for… too long. You must allow her space to recover."
Claude rolled his eyes and Edelgard frowned, Dimitri stepped forwards once more as peacemaker "That being so, there is little more we can accomplish here at the present moment until our messengers return" he said, tilting his head to another table where a map had been spread out and weighted down, wooden figures painted in red marking positions in Arundel and Hrym. Yellow and blue counterparts positioned just off the edge along the borders of their respective countries and several white pieces clustered around Garreg Mach. "It might be best if Byleth, and Edelgard, allow Professor Hanneman to examine them. Any advance we can make towards understanding their magic may be a step towards undoing the worst of it."
Byleth and Edelgard exchanged a look. The mercenary lifted one shoulder and Edelgard nodded, making to stand "Very well. It is as you say, all knowledge is useful to us at present. I'll submit to Hanneman's examination. Let us reconvene again tomorrow."
They began to leave the room, but Dimitri held Claude back for a moment with a hand on his shoulder. Claude eyed it askance before turning an arch look on him, but the Prince paid it no heed, clearly fighting back a grin.
"You know, Claude, the trick is to make the lady court you."
~o~*~o~
"Fascinating!" Hanneman exclaimed as he eyed the results of Byleth's latest reading "It is as though your Crest has faded. I can see the shape of it, but it is no longer functional, and yet, when Miss Edelgard, ah, my apologies, when Her Majesty activates hers it becomes more defined. Not enough to operate, but more firmly present."
"Miss Edelgard is fine, Professor" Edelgard offered absently, leaning over the contraption to observe. "Does this mean it is possible to remove a Crest entirely?"
"Why I hardly know!" The Professor said, but he was clearly excited at the prospect "Miss Byleth's acquisition of her Crest is so unique in the first instance, but the mere possibility of gaining a Crest that was not inherited naturally does lend to the supposition that it may be possible to remove one. But, could one remove a naturally occurring Crest? What methods were needed to induce a second Crest? Why does Miss Byleth's Crest react to yours? Is it a product of the Crest of Flames or of Miss Byleth's individual situation? I really need further time and resources to study this phenomena before I can make any more definitive predictions; but presently it seems everything is possible beyond the bounds of Crestology as I know it! And I know it very well!"
"Well, fortunately for your study it seems I'll be based in Garreg Mach for the foreseeable future." Byleth added.
"Wonderful news! Now, if you would be so kind; a few drops of blood on that plate just there -yes that one- and I shall be able to delve more thoroughly into your unique situation. Really, a Crest Stone inside of you! It should not have been possible!"
"No it shouldn't…" Edelgard mused "Crest Stones and shards have been used by the Agarthans to reliably force a Demonic transformation in those without Crests, without the blood to bear them. How did you survive so long without transforming yourself?"
"Perhaps I didn't?" Byleth questioned "I was dead, stillborn, I'm told, when it was inserted and my heart did not beat thereafter. Or Rhea's method was different? You would have to ask her."
"Oh I shall!" Hanneman promised "You may be certain, whatever it takes I shall get to the bottom of all this!"
~o~*~o~
That night, in her room above the Bishop's Regret, surrounded by her men on all sides, Byleth slept. Her heart rate slowed and, in the long space between one breath and the next, she fell into a dream. A hazy, fog-like veil lingered before her superimposed with the Crest of Flames. As she swept it aside she saw the Goddess, speaking with vague figures she could not make out. Sothis noticed her and her radiant form was shortly replaced by the childlike appearance Byleth was more familiar with.
"Well, this will not do at all!" Sothis declared turning from the figures she had been addressing and drifting towards Byleth "How uncouth, to interrupt my arbitration! Even you should not disrupt the veil, my dear Exception. But, at least I am aware of it now, and may take action on this side." She tilted her head, regarding the mercenary closely. Byleth wished to speak but something held her voice and Sothis continued, eyes smiling "I do have one more favour to grant, though you shall not remember it... Now then, drift along the river, until the flow of time brings us together once more."
Sothis waved her hand and the foggy veil rushed between them, much thicker than before, obscuring her completely. Byleth heard a familiar voice call "Kid", felt a comforting, grizzled hand on her shoulder and allowed herself to be pulled into other dreams.
When she woke she remembered none of it. Not Sothis, nor any that came after.
Yet, lingering in her senses was the scent of soap, ale, mail polish, and… something floral.