Jeralt would often take a young Byleth to the forest when autumn came around, right as the leaves began to turn and fall to the ground. He would stand in the center of a grove of trees, his eyes shut, trying to detect Byleth as he would approach. If he so much as heard a leaf crunch, Byleth would earn himself a disapproving head slap. For years they would repeat this ritual, until one day the boy could touch his father's back at least a third of the time before Jeralt could sense him.

When Byleth didn't have a herd of students awaiting his every command, he could be quite silent when he needed to be. It wasn't his most proficient talent, but the church guards weren't half as attentive as his father was, nor were they nearly as dangerous as the Death Knight.

Byleth crept through the sleeping monastery's halls, the light falls of his feet barely making a sound. He stuck to the shadows of the walls and corners, his black armor providing adequate enough camouflage in the dark building. He avoided the torches that hung on the walls, and if he came upon a Knight of Seiros, he'd wait patiently until the man had passed.

"May I ask what it is you're doing?" Sothis's voice whispered in his ear. Even though no one but Byleth could hear her, she still spoke softly.

The mercenary frowned slightly, only shaking his head in response. Sothis should be intelligent enough to realize he couldn't actually open his mouth.

He rounded a corner, his back pushed to the wall. He had finally reached his destination.

In front of him were four different doors. Three of them led to Jeralt's, Seteth's, and Hanneman's offices respectively, while one led to the infirmary.

He inched to the door to Seteth's office, a hand turning the knob slowly. He fully expected it to be locked. Yet, for whatever reason, Seteth seemed to have forgotten to lock up on his way out this evening. It was curious, but Byleth didn't have the time to dwell on it. If anything, he should just be thankful for the error.

The creaking sound that echoed through the hallway was like glass breaking, but thankfully, none of the knights were close enough to hear it.

Byleth stepped inside, gently closing the door behind him. The room was pitch black. As it was near midnight at this point and Seteth had long since retired for the evening, none of the candles were lit.

A small flame flickered in Byleth's palm, illuminating the dark room. Seteth's office was similar to Hanneman's; hundreds of books lined the walls, and his desk sat beneath a painted glass window. However, the church's second in command was much more organized. His desk was tidy, not a single sheet of paper out of place. The books that filled his numerous bookcases were perfectly placed on their shelves. If Byleth didn't know any better, he'd wonder if they had ever been touched at all. But seeing as there wasn't even a speck of dust on their spines, he knew Seteth must have cared for them often.

Byleth glanced around. In the corner near the door was a wooden filing cabinet.

He walked towards it.

"Is that why you're snooping around?" Sothis mumbled. "The academy's files? You are aware you could simply come during the day and avoid this song and dance?"

Her long list of questions was starting to try his patience.

The door was closed, so a few hushed words shouldn't alert anyone.

"I need to look into something."

When Byleth had reconvened with Seteth and Rhea after Flayn's rescue, the three exchanged what information they had gathered over the course of that day. Byleth filled them in on the details of his search, while Rhea and Seteth had explained Monica's disappearance. He already knew that she had been missing for a year, but apparently, she had also been a former Black Eagle on track to graduate before vanishing. Along with Flayn, she would be joining his class once she had recovered, but that was neither here nor there.

The thing that really stuck out to Byleth was that Monica didn't have any clue as to why she was taken. Rhea had informed him of the information she was able to gently persuade out of the recovering girl, but it had been very little. She had no idea as to who her captors were, and when it was revealed that she had missing for an entire year, she was supposedly "shocked," as if that information was news to her.

It was very possible that could be the truth. Byleth had no way of denying that. Whoever was behind these kidnappings clearly had more tools at their disposal than he could ever comprehend, and it was possible that she simply repressed the memories of her time there, but still… It didn't make sense. It was too convenient that the Eagles would just happen upon her when they found Flayn.

And then there was her uniform… It was far too pristine for someone that had been locked away in some dungeon. That wasn't to say it wasn't dirtied or stained by the musty, underground chamber, but if she were truly gone for a year, there would have been more evidence of wear and tear. Yet, there wasn't. There was simply no way she had worn that same outfit the entire time she was missing. It wasn't out of the question that her captors had given her a new change of clothes, but why the academy uniform? If you were to kidnap a student, would you really be dressing them in an easily recognizable uniform? None of it made much sense.

That's not to mention her surprisingly good health. For someone that had been held captive for months on in, her body was in fine condition. Sure, Byleth could tell from one glance that she was slightly underweight, but no more so than any of his other students. Wouldn't someone who was held hostage be more malnourished? Did her captors really go through the trouble of keeping her decently fed? In Byleth's experience, people held against their will were usually given the bare minimum of amenities. Just enough to keep them alive while the captors tried to achieve whatever their reason was for taking them in the first place. That seemed like quite the opposite here, and the Death Knight didn't seem like the type of person to particularly care if his hostages were given proper meals.

Why? What was the significance of all of this?

Monica's sudden appearance raised all of his red flags. He truly didn't understand how Monica played into this, and that worried him.

"And I can't come during the day," Byleth whispered a reply as he knelt down beside the drawers. "No one must know I'm looking into this."

Byleth couldn't shake the feeling that someone or something was behind all of the disturbances around the monastery lately. That it was all connected somehow… How that might be, he had no idea. But his instincts told him otherwise.

If he were to continue investigating, he had to do so discreetly. Not even the church or his students could know.

Byleth scanned the drawers. There were three of them. He knew that Seteth had been safekeeping the academy's records, but as to which drawer carried the information he was looking for, he had no clue.

He started at the bottom of the three.

Pulling out a knife, he put its point against the lock.

But when he tugged on the handle, it opened…

"That wasn't locked either?" There was an air of suspicion in her tone. "It seems unlikely that Seteth would leave this information so unprotected."

"Because he wouldn't."

Byleth pulled open the drawer. Thousands of papers were stuffed into the small confines of the compartment, divided into subsections based on year of graduation. Flipping through the papers from the current year, he immediately recognized a handful of names. Bernadetta von Varley, Dorotha Arnault, Petra Macneary, Edelgard von Hresvelg… He was definitely in the right place.

The professor raised his head and looked around a single time before diving in.

His fingers tapped across the edges of the papers until they reached the year prior. Fisting the handful of papers, he pulled them out.

If he remembered correctly, Seteth had offhandedly mentioned her surname.

Monica von… Octs? No, that wasn't it. It was-

"Ochs. Monica von Ochs."

Byleth nodded. Moments like these reminded him why it was so nice having a second pair of ears for everything.

Flipping through the papers, he perused the names. None of them stood out to him, but at least they were in alphabetical order. He just had to continue going through them until-

Byleth frowned, a hum escaping his throat.

"What?" Sothis asked anxiously.

He went back to the start and began anew.

Then again.

And again.

"She's not here."

Byleth placed the papers down, his hand idly rubbing his chin as his thoughts began to race.

"There are no registration forms, no report cards, not even her medical information. Nothing."

Sothis was silent for a moment as she pondered his words.

"Someone must have taken it," she mused. "But who would take the forms of a missing child?"

"Perhaps whoever was investigating her disappearance," Byleth shrugged. "Or maybe Rhea or Seteth retrieved them after she was found."

"You don't really believe that, do you?"

Byleth looked to the stack of papers, then to the conveniently unlocked drawer they had come from, then to the door.

"No."

Taking the records, he stuffed them back in their place and closed the drawer.

"But it's pure speculation at this point."

Seeing as how he was working purely off of his gut, he couldn't say if all of this was the part of some grander, nefarious plot, or just a simple error. The academy taught hundreds of students a year. It wasn't unheard of for a few papers to go missing here and there. And Seteth wasn't infallible. It was equally possible that locking his door as well as the cabinet simply spaced his mind with everything that's happened.

As his father would often tell him, the more assumptions you make, the more unlikely an explanation became. The simplest explanation was usually the case. When you hear hoofbeats, look for horses not zebras. In this case, assuming it was all an error was the most likely explanation. People make mistakes. It happens.

But when Byleth looked at the lock on Seteth's cabinet, he couldn't assuage the nagging feeling that gripped his chest.

For curiosity's sake, he pulled on the other two handles on the other two drawers. Unsurprisingly, they were both locked.

Byleth exhaled slowly as he came to his feet.

"Where are you going?" Sothis questioned as Byleth headed towards the door. "Are we not going to search for clues? Perhaps the perpetrator left behind some evidence."

He had her most recent pulp fiction novel to thank for her sudden interest in crime solving.

"No." Byleth shook his head. "Even if we did find something, what could I possibly do with that information?"

Byleth had many skills, but being a detective was not one of them- despite what his most recent exploits might suggest. Even if he did find some damning evidence, it wasn't as if he could go back to busting down doors and rounding up suspects. He had to err on the side of caution.

"Besides, tomorrow is another busy day. I'll need my rest."

His father would return from his assignment tomorrow. And if he were to conduct his… special lecture tomorrow, he would need to wake up well before the crack of dawn. He would also need his father's assistance in that regard.

Of course, Sothis being Sothis, she already knew what he was referring to.

"Ah, yes. I had nearly forgotten." The exasperation in her tone was clear as day. "Must you really resort to using something so… foul?"

"Yes. It is necessary."

Byleth smirked as he placed his hand on the knob.

"Do try and endure, Sothis."

Opening the door, Byleth stepped back into the shadows of the hallway.


"I admit, when you said you had something to discuss with me, this wasn't what I had in mind."

Byleth glanced at his father standing beside him.

"I thought you enjoyed fishing."

"Don't get me wrong, it's a welcomed surprise," Jeralt chuckled, his hands pulling back on the fishing rod.

The two stood before the babbling river, fishing poles in hand. The waters were calm today, which should make their catches bountiful. The sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon, basking the father-son duo in its orange light. Birds chirping their morning song filled the air, making for quite the relaxing slice of nature.

The river they stood before was the one that weaved through Garegg Mach's domain. From the monastery's dock, it snaked its way down to the town below and onwards, away from the territory. Usually, Byleth would choose the dock to fish, but seeing as today the matters he would discuss with his father were of a more… personal nature, he wanted somewhere more secluded, away from any eavesdropping ears.

A single tree towered over them. Their wooden bucket used to house all the fish they caught was pressed up against its trunk. There was also a couple of wicker baskets, sitting atop a pile of picnic blankets.

The bucket was rather large. If Jeralt's skill hadn't diminished, Byleth had no doubt they'd fill it in no time.

"It's been awhile since we lasted fished, hasn't it?" Jeralt grinned as he looked to his son. "What's it been? A year now?"

Byleth yanked on the pole. A sizeable fish flew out of the water.

"Sounds right." Byleth nodded as he gently eased the hook out of its mouth and tossed the poor creature into the nearby bucket. "We haven't fished together since I became a professor."

"Time sure flies," Jeralt sighed as he reeled in a fish of his own. "Feels like it was only yesterday when we came here."

Another fish was tossed in the bucket.

"Indeed."

Byleth turned to his father before recasting his line.

"How did your mission go?"

"Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?" Jeralt raised an eyebrow.

"No. Just thought I'd ask."

"Ah." Jeralt nodded as he casted his line. "It went as expected. The abductors' trail was colder than ice."

"Hard to believe they were able to escape so easily," Byleth said, slinging his own lure into the water.

"They're good, I'll give 'em that."

Byleth hesitated, his eyes resting on the rippling water. He mulled over the thought of telling his father his own findings and doubts regarding the situation. Truthfully, that hadn't been the reason he called his father here today, but Byleth didn't feel as comfortable broaching his main topic now as he did last week.

Edelgard's face flashed in his mind. There was a warm, tingling sensation in his chest as he thought of her smile; something that she seemed to do less and less as the days went by.

She was nearly as confusing to him as the kidnappers were.

In the twenty years that Byleth had walked this earth, his heart never once moved. While there may have been a pulse in his veins, there was no rhythm in his chest. Given the curious scar on his sternum, it was a troubling thought, but one he had come to live with.

Yet, it seemed that in the past few months his heart jumped through more hoops than it ever had in the past. It would tighten, it would drop, it would tingle. It would flutter in his chest despite it not contracting. They were foreign, somewhat frightening sensations. For a while, Byleth didn't know what to think of it all. There was a brief moment where Byleth feared he had developed a heart condition, but Sothis had been quick to nip that thought in the bud.

Then just last week, it all began to click. The aching of his paralyzed heart, the pleasant emotions he had never been able to exhibit before- they only happened when he was with her. When Byleth recalled the explanation his father had given him in front of his mother's grave, these symptoms finally had a name.

"Come on, out with it boy."

Byleth looked to his father. He was already watching him, his fishing line long forgotten.

"You look like you're about to keel over," Jeralt noted, his eyes traversing up and down his son. "Whatever's eating at you must be serious."

Byleth frowned and lowered his head. Nothing in his personal life or his mercenary profession had prepared him for something like this. And all things considered, he hardly knew if he should even voice these irrational feelings. The doubts regarding Edelgard's intentions still weighed heavily on his subconscious. Again, he had no proof, but that didn't stop the nagging uncertainty.

Not to mention that he was her teacher and she his student…

"Father…"

Despite all of that, despite his own mind screaming at him to push it aside, his worthless heart took control.

"What was it like to fall in love with Mother?"

Jeralt's eyes widened. His jaw probably would have dropped were it not for the frown that stitched his lips together at the sound of the name.

As expected, he deflected with a question of his own.

"Why're you bringing her up again?"

There was nothing accusatory in his tone. If anything, he looked genuinely curious by his son bringing up the topic of emotion.

"Do you remember the conversation we had in front of her grave?" Byleth asked.

"Of course. I may be old, but I'm not senile."

"I've been thinking a lot about that lately," Byleth mumbled, a hand slowly grasping at his chest. "I was hoping you might explain your feelings towards Mother a little more so that I could better understand it."

"Huh." Jeralt scratched his beard. "I guess you are long overdue for a 'birds and the bees' talk."

Byleth tilted his head to the side. What did birds and bees have to do with feelings of love?

"Well, unfortunately I don't think I can put love into words," Jeralt sighed. "It's like trying to describe a color, son. You can't explain what it looks like, but you know it when you see it. When you fall for someone, you'll know."

"But how?" Byleth persisted. His father's words were hard to grasp.

Jeralt hoisted another fish out of the water, tossing it into the bucket.

"You're not gonna let up on this, are you?"

"No. I must know."

"Fine, fine. I'll give it a shot." Jeralt shrugged, his eyes distant as he formulated his words. "Gah, I've never been good with this sentimental crap…"

He was silent for a moment. Byleth feared that his father might shut down again on the topic of his mother, but after a few more seconds, Jeralt began to speak.

"You know that feeling you get when you're hungry, but you're only craving one thing?"

"…"

Byleth frowned. Maybe he was the wrong person to ask. Perhaps Dorothea would have been the better choice. Hell, even Sylvain. His success rate might not have been stellar, but the man had experience.

"What does hunger have to do with this?"

"If you wouldn't interrupt, maybe I could explain it. To think I'd have to scold you for speaking out of turn," Jeralt grumbled to himself.

"Sorry. Go on."

Jeralt grunted and shook his head before continuing.

"Our love was like that- for me, at least. That feeling where you only want one thing, and nothing else will do. You long for it. Crave it. You'd damn near doing anything to get it."

The captain paused, his eyes adorning a wistful look as he gazed out over the river.

"When I fell in love with Sitri your mother, I only wanted to be with her. During every assignment, every job, I could only think about returning to her side. For the longest time, it felt like my heart only beat for her…"

Jeralt turned to look at his son, his lips tugging upwards in a smile. Byleth knew he wasn't smiling at him, however.

"Falling in love is like a hunger for one thing, and when you finally get it… You feel whole. Before you know it, you're doing all sorts of things you'd never expect to chase that feeling."

Byleth swallowed the lump in his throat and looked to the ground. The fishing pole wiggling in his hands was nothing but an afterthought now.

He thought back to his relationship with Edelgard. How hard he had tried to set up the perfect tea party with her. How he watched her more closely than his other students. How despite his best intentions, his thoughts often drifted to her. How he felt stronger when she was around.

How he longed to hear his name from her lips. How she made his still heart jump at the drop of a hat.

"You really owe me a drink for making me get all soft and gooey," Jeralt groused, avoiding Byleth's eyes. "Leonie's head would explode if she heard me talk like that."

Byleth smirked. Yes, he would imagine seeing the object of her admiration speaking like a poet would come as quite the shock to her. For a second, Byleth considered sharing this exchange with her, but decided against it. The head slap he would receive would be far too great.

"Honestly kid, why're you asking about this again?" Jeralt tried once more to coax the answer out.

The professor mechanically pulled another fish out of the water, dropping it into the bucket.

Just the thought of releasing his feelings out into the open was nearly enough to paralyze him with fear. What a strange organ the heart was.

"Yes, why are you asking about this?" Sothis chirped in his ear. Of course she would choose now to butt in. Honestly, he kind of hoped the aroma of freshly caught fish would keep her at bay.

It made him feel slightly awkward performing in front of the audience of one, but he pushed through.

"I think I may have…" Byleth fumbled over the difficult words. "Developed romantic feelings towards someone."

Jeralt blinked rapidly. This time, his jaw did drop.

"Ohoho," Sothis cackled in his ears. "I certainly wonder who you could be referring to!"

He found her singsong voice to be incredibly grating in this particular moment.

Byleth ignored her teasing while he waited patiently for his father to reply. After a few more seconds of stunned silence, he did-

With a laugh. A hand gripped his stomach as he threw his head back and laughed. It was a bellowing laugh coming straight from the gut. It shook his entire frame.

"Was there something humorous about what I just said?" Byleth felt the unfamiliar sensation of heat rising to his cheeks.

"N-not at all," Jeralt wheezed, wiping a stray tear from his eye. "I just never thought I'd live long enough to hear those words come from your mouth."

His rationale didn't do much to ease his irritation.

Byleth scowled, muttering a few choice words under his breath as he turned his head. It was instances like these where he loathed his past inability to exhibit emotions. Was it really so surprising that someone such as himself could feel an emotion as strong as love? Just because his facial muscles might not show it, it didn't mean that he couldn't feel it.

"Ah, come on. Don't sulk, son. I didn't mean anything bad by it. In fact, I'm happy for you."

He inched his head back towards his father.

"…Really?"

"Really," Jeralt chuckled, throwing his line back out. "So, who's the lucky gal?"

Byleth clicked his tongue, a hand rubbing the back of his head. Just uttering the name felt like he was breaching some kind of code of conduct for teachers.

"Let me guess: one of your students?"

Exhaling slowly, Byleth finally said the name aloud.

"…Edelgard."

Jeralt nodded, not looking surprised in the least.

"I had a feeling."

Byleth raised an eyebrow, flinching when he felt the fishing pole nearly tug itself out of his hands.

Jerking back on the rod, he pulled his freshly caught fish off the line and threw it in the bucket.

"You knew?" Byleth asked, glancing at his dad.

"Call it fatherly intuition." Jeralt shrugged, throwing his own fish into the pail. "Besides, you weren't very subtle about it."

The teacher gulped. If his father was able to deduce his feelings before even he could, who else might have been able to do the same? The thought that one of his students, or even Edelgard herself, might have seen through him caused a pit of anxiety to form in his stomach. They must have thought he was a terrible professor for harboring romantic feelings for one of his students.

"You've got a good eye, son. The princess seems like a fine lass."

His father's words were nearly as puzzling as his unpredictable feelings.

"You approve?" Byleth asked incredulously. "Even though I'm her professor?"

"It's not like you'll be her mentor forever," Jeralt countered. "Titles are just titles, Byleth. Don't let that be your excuse for being complacent."

Jeralt hummed, nodding a few times to himself.

"She's also got a pair of brass ones. I can respect that."

Despite himself, Byleth felt a smirk grow on his lips. Edelgard would probably balk at his father's brunt manner of speaking, but he was right. The heir to the empire was tougher than steel. Were the shoe on the other foot, Byleth wasn't sure if he could withstand the weight that was always on her shoulders.

"I don't envy you, kid," Jeralt continued, bringing him back to reality. "You've got your work cut out for you."

"I know." Byleth nodded solemnly. "Given our positions as teacher and-

"No, not about that," Jeralt cut him off. "The princess is next in line for the throne."

Byleth opened his mouth to reply, only to close it just as quick. A lump formed in his throat as his mouth went dry.

Truthfully, he hadn't even considered that part. He was so focused on their relationship in the classroom that he had totally forgotten her standing in the Empire. He was so used to the student Edelgard that sometimes he spaced that she would one day be emperor.

Were she one day to marry, it would likely be to someone of nobility. Someone that could further her political standing. While Byleth was an accomplished mercenary and was held in high regards as an instructor, he was but a mere commoner. As far as he knew, there was no nobility in his bloodline. He would probably be on the bottom of the list for potential husbands to the ruler.

His knuckles turned white as his grip tightened around the fishing pole in his hands.

The thought of suitors propositioning her and arranged marriages being forced on her was enough to make his blood boil. Byleth didn't like that. He didn't like that one bit.

"I wouldn't worry too much about that, though" Jeralt commented, seemingly noticing his son's growing anger.

"But what you said is the truth." Byleth frowned. "Everyday my students tell me about how their parents try to arrange a marriage for them. I expect it is no different for Edelgard."

"Probably not," he agreed. "But of those students, how many of them accept those proposals?"

Byleth's brows knitted together as he thought.

"None of them."

"See?"

Jeralt clasped his son on the shoulder, his easy-going grin returning.

"Don't go counting your chickens before they hatch."

His father's words made him feel… surprisingly happy. Maybe there was a still a chance that-

Byleth stopped himself.

He was at a crossroads now.

Would he act on these feelings? Or stick to their comfortable status quo?

While the thought of being with Edelgard in that capacity was pleasing to think about, he knew that despite his father's rationale, it wasn't that simple. Edelgard may have been only a few years his junior, and soon she would no longer be his student, but there were just too many other obstacles in the way.

Regardless of the path he would choose, it was a moot point until she graduated. Byleth still had his own ethics to adhere to, despite what his heart might try and suggest otherwise.

For now, all he could do was wait.

Wait and fish.

"Father?"

"Hm?" Jeralt's brown eyes peered at him.

Byleth glanced to the wooden bucket that was nearly full, then to the set of picnic supplies beside it.

"Could you do me one last favor?"

Jeralt's eyebrows raised slightly, but he didn't say no.


Edelgard paced through the academy, her feet taking her in the general direction of the Eagles' homeroom. The class had no other assignment this month, but that didn't mean they were relieved from their academic duties. It felt like it had been an eternity, but they were finally back to being normal, everyday students. The only thing other than their studies on the horizon was the Battle of the Eagle and Lion, and that wasn't for another month.

The heir to the Empire was eager for the return to routine. Things were accelerating at a rapid pace now. She wouldn't have much time left before she must take the throne, and in turn, begin her war outright. As small as it might be, this little moment of reprieve was much appreciated. As ready as she was to usher in Fódlan's new dawn, she wasn't quite prepared to relinquish these peaceful days just yet.

Edelgard rounded the corner, her purple eyes drawn to the familiar black of an academy's uniform.

Dorothea stood at the door of their classroom, her back leaning against the wall as she stifled a yawn.

"Good morning, Dorothea," Edelgard greeted her classmate with a smile as she approached. "How are you faring today?"

"Oh, hello, Edie." Dorothea returned the gesture. "I'm just a little tired. How are you?"

"I am well," Edelgard replied, her brow creasing in concern as she watched her friend yawn once more. "Late night?"

"Unfortunately," the songstress sighed. "I was up half the night working on the professor's homework… I may have fallen a teensy, weensy bit behind."

Dorothea giggled, scratching her cheek timidly as she avoided Edelgard's gaze.

"There's nothing to be ashamed about. No one's perfect, Dorothea. Everyone falls behind sometimes."

Dorothea looked back to her, raising an eyebrow.

"Even you, Edie?"

"Of course," Edelgard answered honestly. "As heir to the throne, it can be quite difficult on occasion to juggle my responsibilities and my studies."

"That makes sense!" Dorothea nodded a little too enthusiastically. "Thanks, Edie! I don't feel so guilty now."

"Anytime." Edelgard smiled, only for it to falter a second later. "If you don't mind my asking, what caused you to get such a late start? I felt the professor was going lenient on us with the latest assignment."

It might have been insensitive to say, but it was true. The latest homework was relatively easy. Dorothea was quite intelligent, too. She couldn't imagine she would have had to stay up so late to complete it.

"You're right; it really wasn't all that difficult."

Dorothea blushed, a stray hand running through her long, brown hair.

"I would have started on it sooner, but I've… found someone whose company I have come to enjoy. We had dinner last night, you see. He can be… quite fun to talk to when he's not running his mouth about other women."

Edelgard could venture a guess as to who she might be referring to.

"Well, I wish you the best of luck." Edelgard tried to give her most encouraging smile, but when it came to the topic of romance, she was woefully inept. "I wish I had some advice to offer. Alas… I do not."

"Eh, don't worry about it, Edie. It's the thought that counts." Dorothea waved her off. "I'd guess romance isn't something you're really interested in anyway."

Edelgard frowned. This time it was her turn to look away bashfully.

"I'm not completely disinterested," she mumbled.

"Oh, yeah?" Dorothea beamed. Her answer must have come as a pleasant surprise. "Is there someone you've got your eye on?"

Her heart thumped in her chest. The image of a smiling Byleth flashed in her mind.

She felt the warmth of a blush rising to her cheeks.

"Oh, there is!" Dorothea exclaimed. Nothing got past her, did it? "Go on, tell me! Let's have some girl talk."

'Girl talk?' Well, that didn't sound completely disagreeable. It's not as if Edelgard ever had the chance to do such a thing before.

It could be… fun to gossip with a friend.

"A certain face comes to mind at the thought…" Edelgard relented. "Though I'm not sure you could call what we have a romance just yet."

She could hardly believe the words that escaped her lips. 'Just yet?' Was she truly expecting something could come from these unrequited feelings?

"That's not surprising." Dorothea nodded. "You're not just any old noble, after all. Anyone who has feelings for you… Well, they're in for a pretty complicated life."

She had only good intentions, but Dorothea just unwittingly pushed the dagger in Edelgard's chest a few inches deeper.

As much as she might allow herself to hope, the cruelness of reality always had a way of rearing its head. Nothing was ever easy or simple. Good things in life didn't just happen because you wished for it. Edelgard knew that better than anyone.

"True." Edelgard tried to prevent her frown from worsening. "And I can't ignore the possibility that… that I may have to marry for political purposes."

The words left a terribly bitter taste in her mouth. Just the thought of having to marry some stuck-up noble was enough to make her gag. But, if it were for the sake of her people, she would do anything. Even resign herself to a life of unhappiness. No sacrifice was too great for the sake of their future.

"I doubt I'll ever have the opportunity for a passionate romance as long as I live…"

Her final sentence was mumbled through gritted teeth.

"That's no way to talk," Dorothea chided her lightly. "You meet the right person and boom! You'll have passion to spare. It could be someone you've just met, or someone you've known your whole life. There's no telling how life will go, Edie."

Her words gave her hope, but Edelgard knew better than to expect anything.

"Who knows, maybe something will-" Dorothea stopped, her head tilting to the side to see past Edelgard. "Oh, here comes Professor Byleth."

Edelgard went rigid at the name, her head snapping to where the songstress was looking.

Sure enough, the professor was striding towards them, wearing the same black outfit he always wore, his familiar jacket resting loosely on his shoulders. The sleeves flapped in the wind as he walked, and the Sword of the Creator tapped against his leg as it moved.

Behind him were the four familiar faces of Lysithea, Felix, Flayn, and Monica. Felix betrayed no emotion, while Lysithea had a small smile on her face. Flayn, meanwhile, was positively sparkling in excitement.

Monica, on the other hand…

Edelgard felt her mood sour even more at seeing the overtly happy expression on her face.

"I appreciate you escorting me to class, Professor!" Monica bubbled, her hands clasped behind her back as she smiled at him. "But you didn't have to go out of your way like that. I may have been gone a year, but I can still remember where our class is."

"It was nothing. I had to fetch these three anyways," Byleth replied, aloof as always. He glanced at the red-haired girl beside him. "It's your first day back. I want to make that transition as easy as possible."

Monica's smile brightened at his words, but Edelgard knew better.

As Byleth got closer, his blue eyes landed on her. There was a flicker of a smile as his gaze lingered.

Then they moved to Dorothea, and whatever expression Edelgard thought she might have seen was gone.

"Good morning, you two," Byleth spoke as he drew close. "Ready for class today?"

"You bet!" Dorothea replied earnestly, but given the bags under her eyes, she wasn't fooling anyone.

"Of course, Professor." Edelgard nodded, her eyes following him as he walked past with Dorothea right behind him.

"Good day, Edelgard," Lysithea greeted the princess as she walked by. "I look forward to working with you."

"As do I, Lysithea." Edelgard smiled at her as she went.

Edelgard had always had a soft spot for Lysithea. She was a bright, young mind that worked harder than anyone. And given their… similar pasts, she felt something of a kinship to the former Deer.

She had no doubt that Byleth didn't have some ulterior motives when he recruited her here. Granted, Lysithea was a superb student, but it seemed too coincidental that two students with incredibly rare conditions would be in the very same house.

Felix grunted his hello as he passed, while Flayn waved cheerfully as she skipped through the doorway.

"Heeey, Edel!"

Edelgard turned to Monica, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Hello, Monica. It is good to see you up on your feet."

She detested having to act so friendly towards the girl, but there was nothing for it if she wanted to keep up her façade. Despite what Monica's disarming smile and friendly demeanor might suggest, she knew those traits only ran skin deep. Beneath the surface was nothing but a rotten core, much like the rest of her ilk.

"Thanks! I was starting to go a little stir crazy being stuck in that bed for so long," Monica giggled. "It'll be great to finally be able to return to class."

"Well, we're more than happy to have you." Edelgard forced herself to return the smile. "If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask."

"Will do!" She bobbed her head up and down eagerly. "In fact, I was thinking we might be able to meet up later? I was hoping I could go over some of your notes so I can catch up as soon as possible."

Were that truly the case, Edelgard would have been happy to oblige. However, she was more than certain it was all some pretense to get the two alone together to discuss whatever heinous plots her uncle had come up with. It was hard to believe that Monica gave a damn about her academic standing.

Dealing with Tomas was already trying enough. Having two of them amongst their midst would be a true test of her patience.

"I'd be happy to. Why don't we meet up tomorrow after class?"

"Sounds like a plan!"

Monica gave her another fake smile before she stepped through the doorway as well, leaving Edelgard standing there alone.

The princess sighed, a hand slowly massaging her brow.

Could she not even enjoy Byleth's class anymore without being reminded of her reality? His class had always been somewhat of a sanctuary for her, where she could simply turn off the emperor's mind and focus on being a student, if only for an hour out of the day.

Would she truly be stripped of that pleasure as well? What else would her crusade cost her?

Edelgard shook her head. Dwelling on her own personal desires would do her no good. As they say, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. As long as the many continued to suffer under this hypocritical regime, she could not afford to grow selfish.

Maybe one day, however.

Edelgard entered room, closing the door behind her.

She walked to her seat, now noticing the vacant desk beside it. Looking around the room, there were three new and empty desks that had been added to the seating arrangement.

Professor Byleth stood at the front of the class with Flayn and Monica to his right, and Lysithea and Felix to his left.

"Alright, everyone. Quiet down."

Byleth clapped his hands together a single time, silencing the light rumbling of conversations.

Edelgard hurried to her chair and sat down.

"Many of you are probably well aware by now that we have some new students joining our class today," her teacher announced, his hand motioning to the students beside him. "Please, make them feel welcome."

Byleth began to clap. There was an awkward silence before the rest of the Eagles joined in as well.

Three of them stood there uncomfortably as the chorus of applause rained down on them, while Flayn seemed to be positively glowing at the praise.

Edelgard felt a small smile form as she witnessed Byleth's blank expression change to one of amusement. The teacher was much more mischievous than his demeanor might suggest.

"That's enough."

All hands fell to their sides, except for Hubert's, who hadn't moved in the first place.

"Monica, why don't you take a seat next to-"

Byleth's eyes scanned the classroom, eventually landing on the empty desk beside Edelgard.

"Next to Hubert."

Monica nodded and walked over to the vacant seat. Her eyes locked on to Edelgard's as she walked by.

Edelgard let out a sigh of relief. Having to suffer through sitting next to Monica day in and day out would have been the nail in the coffin.

"Lysithea, you can take the desk next to Edelgard."

Edelgard gave the younger girl a polite smile and a nod as she sat down beside her. Now she was even more certain Byleth knew exactly what he was doing. Not that she was annoyed- quite the opposite in fact. Edelgard was looking forward to having Lysithea as a desk mate.

"Felix, you can sit next to Petra. Flayn, next to Bernie."

The last two students made their way to their seats.

"Now that we have our assigned seating out of the way, we can begin class."

Byleth looked around the classroom, a very subtle smirk growing across his features. He looked unusually chipper for class today. Their teacher was always rather enthusiastic when it came to the teaching aspect of his job, but he almost seemed more… animated this morning.

"And for today's lesson, we'll actually be going on a bit of a field trip."

Bernadetta and Linhardt let out a pair of very audible groans. Usually their 'class field trips' involved going out into the wilderness to practice setting up a campsite or learning how to find a clean source of water- or at least something to that affect. While Edelgard never particularly minded more hands-on lessons like that, she could understand some of her other classmates' trepidation. It wasn't exactly in a student's purview to be learning how to survive off the land.

"A field trip?" Flayn, on the other hand, looked excited with the idea. "That sounds marvelous! I have always wanted to partake in one of these 'field trips!'"

"Your enthusiasm is noted." Byleth's smirk morphed into a grin.

"What is it going to be this time, Professor?" Hubert sighed, a hand pinching the bridge of his nose. "Are you going to impart onto us how to catch a fish with our bare hands? Or perhaps you'll enlighten us on how to navigate without a compass?"

Her aide had never been the biggest fan of their professor's more practical lessons.

Flayn gasped at the revelation, a small hand covering her mouth.

"Are we truly going to learn such things?"

"Maybe another day," Byleth replied, scratching his chin. "I'm afraid the fish has already been caught."

Edelgard raised an eyebrow. Fish?

Given the curious glances shared among the class, they also looked confused.

"Come along, Eagles. We've got a bit of a walk ahead of us."


When Byleth mentioned a class field trip, the last thing Edelgard expected to see was… an actual outing fitting the title. The professor used the term so casually, she was beginning to wonder if the man truly knew what the definition was. It encompassed everything from going camping in the wilderness to a bathroom excursion.

So, when the class finally stopped in front of several picnic blankets spread out among the grass beneath a tree, she hardly knew what to expect. There were a handful of wicker baskets resting on the blankets, and the aroma of freshly grilled fish filled the air. It wasn't her most preferred food, but with such a tantalizing scent, even she felt her mouth begin to water slightly.

Possibly the greatest surprise, however, was Byleth's father sitting against the tree trunk, his arms crossed, head lowered, and eyes closed as he lazed away underneath its shade.

Jeralt perked his head up as the group approached. Pushing himself to his feet, he walked over to his son.

"I think you owe me a couple of drinks at this point," Jeralt grunted.

"Professor, what is this?" Edelgard was the first to ask, her eyes wide at the classic picnic setup.

"A picnic?" Byleth glanced at her, his brows raised. "I thought it rather obvious."

"I am well aware of that," Edelgard let out an exasperated sigh. "But why?"

Byleth took a step forward to stand beside his father, then turned to address the class.

"We have had a very busy couple of weeks," Byleth spoke, his eyes traversing the faces of his students. "And some of us have had it rougher than others."

His eyes softened as they fell on Flayn.

"So, I deemed it fair to give you all a reward for your efforts," he continued, motioning to the setup behind him. "Today's class won't be class at all. Instead, we'll share a picnic together and use this chance to strengthen our bonds. I have prepared various meals for your enjoyment."

"You?" Jeralt snorted

"We have prepared various meals for your enjoyment."

"Oi, Byleth."

Edelgard turned her head to see a frowning Felix beside her.

"I joined the Eagles because I thought it would make me stronger," Felix scoffed, his eyes narrowing at the baskets. "I didn't sign on to 'relax' and make friends."

"I'm afraid I have to agree," Lysithea piped up. "To the first part, at least. I'm here first and foremost to learn."

"And we will. After today, I'll work you to the bone if that is what you desire." Byleth nodded. "But don't underestimate opportunities like these."

The professor's blue eyes landed on Edelgard. She had expected them to dart away as they often did during class, but this time they held her gaze. She had always thought of his eyes as piercing, always seeing through her, but today… that didn't seem to be the case. It was a different kind of scrutiny. It was almost as if they were simply looking at her, instead of what might lie within. It nearly made her heart skip a beat.

She was quick to keep herself composed, a hand brushing the hair behind her ear as she turned her head.

"You'd be surprised by the unexpected things that give you strength." Byleth smiled and closed his eyes. "So, I implore you to just enjoy yourselves for today. Tomorrow we will return to the normal routine."

He opened his eyes, his deadpan expression returning.

"If you don't, I'll knock you a letter grade."

"Don't have to tell me twice!" Caspar laughed, rubbing his hands together as he made his way to the food. "I skipped breakfast today, so I am absolutely starving!"

"It is not often that napping could improve my grade, so I have to agree." Linhardt grinned and walked towards the blanket.

"A picnic does sound rather lovely," Dorothea giggled, winking at Byleth as she followed after the other two. "And I would never turn down the chance to enjoy one of the professor's homemade meals."

"I agree! It would be very unbecoming of us to look down on our professor's hard work!"

Ferdinand took off after her.

"W-well, if everyone else is doing it…"

Bernadetta skittered towards the picnic.

"I will be right behind you, Bernie!"

Petra jogged to catch up with her.

"Just this once, okay?" Felix pointed a finger at Byleth. "You better be serious about working me to the bone."

"I am always serious." Byleth nodded very seriously.

Felix sighed, his shoulders drooping in defeat. With heavy feet, he walked towards the blankets.

Lysithea crossed her arms, her lips pursed.

"Is… is it just fish?" She asked in a level tone. "Or are there other foods as well?"

"There are sweets, yes." Byleth smirked, tousling her hair. "Cookies, pies, cakes, you name it."

Lysithea grumbled under her breath as she swatted his hand away, but given her quickened steps, she seemed fairly excited at the prospect.

"Your highness?"

Edelgard glanced at Hubert, who was waiting patiently for her orders. Monica stood beside him, looking unimpressed by it all.

"Go on, Hubert. The professor is right; we could all use a little break."

She was fully expecting some type of rebuttal from her mouthy aide, but instead, Hubert simply bowed.

"Your wish is my command," Hubert said, motioning for Monica to follow. "Come, Monica. Let us seize a spot for ourselves before the rest of them lay claim to it. Knowing our classmates, there's no reality in which those blankets stay clean."

Monica shrugged and followed along after him.

With the two gone, Edelgard turned to face Byleth and his father.

Jeralt glanced back and forth between the two.

"I'm going to get some of that fish before it's all gone," Jeralt announced, clasping his son on the shoulder. "Sit with me when you're done. You too, princess."

Edelgard smiled slightly. The thought of eating a meal with Byleth and Jeralt sounded very agreeable to her. Perhaps this would be the chance to get to know his father better. She would never admit it in the Eagles' presence, but a small part of her always wanted to learn more about Byleth and his family, and in turn, Jeralt himself.

"I would be honored, Sir Jeralt." Edelgard stopped into a bow. "Thank you for the offer."

Jeralt grinned, a hand on his hip. He spared the two a final look, giving Byleth a pat on the back before turning to join the rest of the Eagles.

"Your father is a kind man," Edelgard remarked, watching him as he walked towards a frightened Bernadetta.

There was a tinge of guilt in her heart as she spoke the words.

"Kind?" Byleth blinked. "Well, that's a first."

"Would he be offended by that?" Edelgard asked, worried she might have overstepped her bounds.

"Quite the opposite. He'd probably lord it over me." Byleth frowned, his expression growing serious. "Don't tell him you said that."

Edelgard stifled her laugh with her hand. It was always a wonderful relief how Byleth could set her mind at ease just by being near her.

"Well, shall we go join them, then?" Edelgard nodded towards the group. "I wouldn't want your efforts to go to waste. It is a rather splendid looking picnic."

Honestly, she didn't expect that the Eisner's could set up such an affair. The image of Byleth and Jeralt putting a picnic together didn't quite mix, so she was eager to partake in the festivity as well. Plus, she also wanted to try some more of Byleth's cooking…

"Sure…" Byleth paused, his brow creasing as he looked at her.

Edelgard stiffened under his scrutiny.

"Is something the matter, my teacher?"

Byleth didn't respond, his eyes narrowing as he examined her.

Her own eyes traversed down her top, wondering if perhaps there was some mark or other unsightly stain on her uniform. Maybe there was something in her hair? No… that couldn't be. The emperor didn't bother with makeup and the like, but she always kept excellent care for her hair. Perhaps there was something on her face? That wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility… There had been a lot on her mind lately. It was very possible that she missed something during her usual visual inspections in the morning.

"Can you… say my name?"

Edelgard jerked her head up. Not only had his question been softly spoken, but the uncertain and almost fragile look on his face caught her off guard.

Byleth took a step closer, his voice dropping further.

"I just need to confirm something."

'Confirm something?' What could that possibly mean? What would saying his name prove?

Yet, still… Edelgard found herself willing to humor his strange request. It must have some hidden importance if it could shake the professor's confidence. She trusted him. If this was important to him, then it was important to her… Although, she still had no clue as to why.

She sighed and closed her eyes, fighting back the heat in her cheeks.

"…Byleth."

Edelgard opened her eyes, her lips tugging downwards into an annoyed frown.

Byleth was smiling.

"Do you mind informing me why you asked such a ridiculous thing?" Edelgard huffed, but in the face of his smile, it was hard to stay upset.

Her teacher lightly prodded his cheeks with his hands. The confused expression on his face paired with his fingertips curiously feeling around was almost enough to elicit another laugh from her. It truly was impossible to stay angry with him.

"No."

Byleth's hands fell back down to his sides.

"You…" Edelgard hesitated. She was at a loss for words. "You truly are a strange man…"

"I am aware." Byleth nodded matter-of-factly. "Come. Let's go eat something."

Byleth turned his back to her and walked towards the laughing group enjoying the picnic.

Even though she had no words to describe what just transpired, Edelgard willingly followed after him.

The Eagles smiled as the two approached, scooting apart to give them a place to sit.


Monica hurried through the monastery's second floor. Her pace was quick, but not quick enough to draw any attention to herself. She was already an hour late thanks to her new professor's little stunt.

"I thought I'd never get out of there," she hissed under her breath, forcefully brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes. She hated this haircut. "Those idiots sure do love to hear themselves speak."

How terribly annoying the whole ordeal was. Monica honestly didn't know if she would be able to make it through another month, let alone a week with those incessant flies buzzing in her ears. It was enough to make one go insane.

She shook the thoughts from her head, stopping outside the entrance to the library. It was an hour past their appointed meeting time, but hopefully Tomas hadn't left yet.

Monica poked her head in and glanced around. A few nameless students were studying at one of the numerous tables in the library, and a few more were perusing the selections. Behind the counter stood Tomas, an inviting smile resting on his face as he flipped through some book.

The old man was one hell of an actor, she'd give him that.

Entering the dusty library, Monica made her way to the counter.

Tomas raised his head as she got close. His smile didn't vanish, but his brown eyes darkened as they latched onto hers.

"Ah, if it isn't young Monica," the librarian greeted, closing his book. "How are you faring this evening? You've been through quite the ordeal."

"I'm still recovering. It'll just be nice to get back on track, you know?" Monica smiled, leaning up against the counter. "That's actually why I'm here. Did Professor Byleth tell you what textbooks I'd be needing for the semester?"

"Ah, yes!"

Tomas reached underneath the counter, coming back up with half a dozen thick books. It must be rather comical to see such a frail man lifting such a weight without teetering over, but Monica knew better.

"He came by just the other evening," Tomas said, wiping a few flecks of dust off from them. "I went ahead and prepared them for you. They should all be in order."

Monica accepted the stack of books, her eyes glossing over the first cover.

"Geez, this new professor must be quite the slave driver," she mumbled, tilting the cover back and forth as she looked it over.

"I hear he's a diligent instructor, but the students seem to be taken with him," Tomas remarked with a smile. "He's… quite the interesting specimen indeed."

"Tell me about it," Monica grumbled under her breath.

Her eyes narrowed slightly as her hands felt a smaller book at the bottom of the pile.

Pulling it out, she looked at the cover.

"Crimson Flower?" She read the title aloud. Monica lifted the book to show Tomas. "What's this?"

"Just some light reading I thought you might enjoy. It's important we set aside some time in the day to unwind and relax with a good book, wouldn't you say?"

Tomas's smile reached his ears. His mask was better than most, but its sinister qualities weren't lost on her.

"I guess…" Monica muttered, giving the title a once over. "What's it about?"

"I won't spoil it for you, but it's a wonderful little story about a young queen who endeavors to change the unjust society she was born in."

Tomas placed his hands on his cane, frowning for the first time.

"Although, I find the romance shoehorned in to be a bit… much. A young lass like yourself might appreciate it, however."

All expression on the librarian's face disappeared. His brown eyes now looked more like sunken, black holes than they did windows to the soul.

"You should give it a read."

Monica felt herself wilt underneath his inhumane stare.

"If you say so." She shrugged, tucking it along with the books under her arm. "Thanks, Tomas!"

Whatever look she saw faded. It was as if it wasn't even there to begin with.

"Anytime, my dear."

Monica gave the old librarian a wave before she turned and left.


Returning to her room, Monica closed and locked the door behind her. She took a cursory look around to double check that she was in fact alone before tossing the pile of books onto her bed, save for the single title that Tomas had recommended.

"Crimson Flower…" She whispered the name aloud.

Monica opened the front cover, only to be greeted with a single, loose piece of paper. It wasn't very large, and more like a notecard. If it was any larger, its edges would have poked out from within the numerous pages.

She read the three lines to herself.

Watch her closely.

Do not concern yourself with the professor.

We will deal with him.

Monica crumpled the paper into a ball. A flame came to life in her hand, igniting the paper and quickly turning it to ash.


Well, there you have it!

This chapter ended up blooming into a much larger one than I anticipated, but it felt fairly necessary to set up some of the things I have planned later down the road.

I know many of you will probably key in on the ever important realization Byleth made this chapter, but the one thing I really want to touch on in these Author Notes is Those Who Slither in the Dark. These guys, true to their name, have rather mysterious motives in these early chapters. There are many theories as to what they hoped to accomplish with some of their seemingly random decisions, but no clear cut evidence. If any of you frequent the Fire Emblem subreddit, then you might already have an inkling as to what I plan to do with them in Part 1! Making their motives more clear is one thing I really want to accomplish with this story, so look forward to that. Personally, there is one particular theory that I believe holds a lot of weight to it and is what I'm going to be running with this story. I'd go into further detail, but well, I don't wanna be a spoiler.

Before I go, I've had quite a few people ask if I plan on recruiting more students, so I thought I'd just go ahead and answer that now to give you all some more clarity on my approach!

To put it simply, not really. While I'm not saying that Byleth won't TRY to recruit more students later on, or that some particular Blue Lions or Golden Deer won't find their way into his ranks, don't expect anyone else to join the Eagles before the timeskip. My biggest reason for this is that I personally really enjoy how impactful the later chapters of the game are. I don't want to take away from that, nor pull any punches for how brutal things get later on. I'll leave it at that for now! You'll be able to get a better grasp of my rationale as we reach those chapters.

Thanks for reading everyone! As always, I truly appreciate each and every review, follow, and favorite you all have given me so far!

Expect another Moments Lost in Time chapter later in the week! A reviewer left a good suggestion a while ago that I'm really looking forward to writing!