Any spare time Edelgard had was spent doing work, to the mixed confusion or annoyance of any Black Eagles that were still in Enbarr. She felt that, to some extent, she needed to get as far as she could.
News came that Count Bergliez made it into Alliance territory safely, without much or any resistance from the nearby nobles. If Count Bergliez's troops kept moving at the same pace, they could reach Derdriu and be back in two months.
She was in the war room again with Jeralt and Byleth, trying to sort out any specifics and preferences. Edelgard would rather rely on them as opposed to Thales's mages, and in a way that did show; Jeralt's Mercenaries would travel alongside Edelgard, whereas they mages were more likely to be assigned to less important areas.
Within the signed contract, Jeralt specifically asked not to engage directly with Rhea; Byleth requested that they try to capture some knights instead of killing them outright. Both were doable, they just needed to go over possible scenarios and try to plan for them. If Count Bergliez kept making good progress, they could be in the Kingdom by the Horsebow Moon.
There was some noise outside the room, and all three of them paused. Edelgard looked towards the door and waited for Hubert to enter.
"Do we have Count Bergliez's report?" Edelgard asked.
"Yes, but it seems the circumstances are less then ideal," Hubert replied. He stepped aside so she could see a soldier standing behind him.
The soldier bowed, and carried on without needing to be prompted.
"We moved across the bridge as planned," the soldier explained. He seemed a bit anxious; whether it was reporting directly to the emperor or the events he had to report, she couldn't tell. "Moving into Gloucester territory, we were eventually stopped by our guides; Gloucester soldiers attacked and cut the others off from the Great Bridge. Count Bergliez's army is now in a small uninhabited town, withstanding a siege."
Whether or not they all realized, everyone looked at her. She considered what she could do, quickly, then looked at Hubert.
"Can you send out a notice to the Black Eagles that live on the way to Myrddin?" Edelgard asked. "We won't need a large force—just enough to retake Myrddin and help Count Bergliez's troops—and they're the most likely to be able to help in such short notice."
"I'll send word now," Hubert responded, bowing and leaving. The soldier followed after him, and Edelgard turned back towards Byleth and Jeralt.
"Would you two be willing to come along with the other mercenaries? Your strength should be enough to match whoever they might have put in charge of the Great Bridge."
"Hey, you're the one paying," Jeralt said, nonchalant. "We'll go wherever you need us."
Byleth nodded in quiet agreement, and Edelgard almost smiled for a second.
Jeralt glanced at Byleth. "I'm going to check up on everyone and get them ready," he said. "Keep talking with the emperor, and I'll come back when everything's good to go."
He gave her a small pat on the shoulder, then left before either could say anything—Edelgard to point out she should check on her own soldiers, and Byleth looked ready to protest as well. Jeralt partially closed the door on his way out.
Byleth took a step towards the door, then paused. Edelgard simply looked back to the war table and considered their routes; Caspar went with his father, but the other Black Eagles on their way there would be able to help.
She slowly began working through the implications; after a little bit of silence Byleth glanced at her and spoke up.
"Gloucester initially sided with the Empire, right?"
"Yes," Edelgard said, nodding and looking up at her. "Although they must not have been genuine." She paused for a second, frowning at the war table again. "I don't doubt that they can hold out until we get there—Count Bergliez could keep them together through sheer force of will if he had to—but… This shouldn't have happened. For all my caution, it wasn't enough."
Another pause, and she sighed. "This is why I don't trust people. Close to three months into the war, and I've already made a mistake. It's…"
"Frustrating?" Byleth guessed.
At first, Edelgard didn't realize she was still rambling; after a second, when she recognized the echo, she laughed. Quietly, perhaps, and without much actual humor—but it was a laugh.
Neither of them spoke for a moment, but it did manage to change the path of her thoughts. As long as they were able to get Count Bergliez and his troops back into the Empire, it was possible some people won't even see it as an oversight on her part. If they wanted to fight against the Empire, she wouldn't stop them.
"…You know," Edelgard mused, glancing back up at Byleth for a moment. "You're the only person I've trusted with so little reason to—when, logically, I should be skeptical of you. Your father was a former captain of the Knights of Seiros, after all, and Rhea always seemed to be fond of you; you can wield the Sword of the Creator, and because of that you must have something no ordinary person would possess. This is, admittedly, a very naïve question, but… You won't make me regret trusting you, will you?"
Yes, Edelgard wanted and did already trust her; yet still, even among those early mornings training or what happened in the Holy Tomb, she was left with room to doubt.
Byleth offered her a smile—small and kind, even if the emotion in it was subtle.
"I hope not," she said, "But…whether or not it helps, I plan to stay for as long as you'll have me."