Chapter 2: New Lives I
Caspar and Bernadetta
In a Brigid's cabin...
"Bernie, you are a genius!" exclaimed Bernadetta very happily after finishing writing the last page of her last book. "Now you just need those two to review it."
The door to her room was flung open and a stocky but small warrior entered with great enthusiasm.
"Bernadetta, look what I found!" Caspar yelled excitedly "... Bernadetta?"
Caspar looked around confused as he didn't see his fiancée anywhere. After staying thoughtful for several seconds, he smiled and looked under the bed. There she was, crouched and shaking with fear. She had her hands covering her head and her eyes completely closed. There were also several papers on the floor.
"What are you doing?"
"Don't kill me please! I'll give you everything you want!"
"Bernadetta, it's me." Caspar laughed when he saw her reaction.
"Caspar?!" Bernadetta exclaimed in surprise. Unfortunately she got up so fast that she hit her head having forgotten that she was under the bed.
ooOoo
"You scared me! How many times have I told you to enter carefully!"
"Sorry, sorry! What happens is that I have found a very nice place that I want you to see before it gets dark. Brigid is full of wonderful places!"
Bernadetta's anger almost disappeared upon hearing that.
"Okay, I forgive you, but don't do it again." she said in a firm tone.
"I promise!" laughed Caspar stroking her head.
"Oh! Don't touch my bump." complained Bernadetta, removing his hand.
"Sorry... By the way, what about those papers on the floor?"
"Help me pick them up. They are from my last book."
Caspar immediately complied and collected all the papers he could.
"I still don't understand why you use a pseudonym. Everyone deserves to know how good you are!"
"No, what a shame! Surely they would want to kill me to keep the ideas that swim in my head!
"But if they kill you, they won't be able to steal your ideas" commented Caspar, confused. "Besides, they'd have to get past me first."
"You're not very tall, so that wouldn't be difficult."
"I don't need height, I'm a wall of muscles!" said Caspar indignantly.
"I was kidding" Bernadetta laughed. "I know that with you by my side no one will hurt me. In any case, I still prefer that only Seteth, Sylvain, Yuri and Anna know that I am a writer."
"As long as you're happy I won't insist." Caspar said giving her a hug.
"Thank you." she replied hugging him back.
Balthus and Anna
Garreg mach market
"The new novel by the popular author Teddy Bernie is now on sale! The impenetrable room, buy it before it's gone!" Announced Anna very happily, because she was earning a lot of money thanks to the mysterious author who was having so much fame lately in all of Fódlan.
New inventions like the printing press and the construction of numerous public schools across the continent also helped. That and being able to take forty percent of the proceeds with each sale. What a business!
"It's the least I deserve after participating in such a continental war." she commented very cheerfully. "Byleth is really good with words, I still don't know how he managed to convince me to participate in the fight."
Suddenly Anna's joy and thoughts were interrupted by screams of terror. A muscular giant was destroying the surrounding shops while running as if his life depended on it.
"Balthus!" Anna exclaimed furiously when she saw him arrive totally suffocated. "Now, what have you done?"
"Nothing, I swear!" he laughed as he raised his hands in a sign of peace. Although his laughter disappeared instantly when he noticed Anna's fierce and incredulous gaze. "Nothing bad…"
"Who do you owe money to this time?" Anna asked after taking a long breath.
"Could you give me my pay?" Balthus asked, ignoring Anna's question.
"Your pay? You still haven't returned anything you owe me. You're supposed to be my bodyguard but you only cause me losses!"
"If you wish I can help you with other things besides giving you protection."
A chill ran through Balthus as soon as he finished speaking. Perhaps Anna's sinister smile had something to do with it.
"You can be sure that you are going to help me with many things and also for free."
"F-free? B-but…"
"But nothing!" Anna yelled furiously. "Unless you want me to leave you alone. Or maybe you want to ask your friends for help."
"I can't, I would never do something so cruel" Balthus said immediately. "You can't do this to me, I need money to escape, I mean for Yuri and Constance's wedding gift."
"But the wedding was months ago! And you didn't even go because you were afraid of attracting assassins or something!" Anna reminded him.
"T-That's why I have to give them the best gift in the world!"
"Well, you can start working hard with the new jobs I have for you." Anna laughed. Although her laughter disappeared when she saw several men armed to the teeth walking around the area.
"Damn, they found me!" Balthus said, laughing somewhat nervously. "A little help?"
"Are they assassins sent by your stepmother?" Anna asked with feigned curiosity.
"No, just people I owe a lot more money to than you."
"Then my answer is no."
Balthus would have started arguing if he hadn't felt death near, so he hid behind several boxes in Anna's shop. Just in time as the armed men got there right away.
"Fair lady, have you seen a very tall and muscular man pass by?" the men asked Anna. There was no threat in their tone and they even smiled kindly at her.
"He's hiding behind those boxes." Anna said very calmly.
Balthus, hearing that, came out of his hiding place and began to run as if he were being chased by the death knight himself.
"Traitor!" the giant yelled as he dodged the arrows and stones being thrown at him.
"Come back here you thief, you scoundrel!" his persecutors shouted furiously.
"Come on Balthus, a little exercise won't hurt you!" Anna laughed.
Raphael and Marianne
Restaurant Joyful Bird
The fact that the future Marquess of Edmund was working in a restaurant already gave a lot to talk about, especially among the nobility. However times were changing and very fast.
And said restaurant was proof of this, since squirrels, cats, dogs, rabbits and birds roamed inside and outside of it, as if they were attracted by something or someone. Still, they didn't bother customers or make a fuss. They even let themselves be caressed by them.
All this, added to the fact that the restaurant was run by two legendary war heroes, could be the key to its rapid success, since the Joyful Bird was the most popular restaurant on the continent.
"Since you work in my restaurant, a lot of people come here," Raphael commented very happily. "You really bring me a lot of luck!"
A small blush formed on the face of his assistant, Marianne.
"I-I don't think I have much to do with it. It must be the delicious food you make."
"Don't say silly things! It's obvious that it's both. Who wouldn't want to eat a good delicacy served by a pretty lady like you?!"
Marianne's face couldn't get any redder.
"...T-thank you."
"I'm only telling the truth! As for my food… I admit that Ashe's culinary training has really paid off." laughed Raphael.
Marianne also ended up laughing, although not as hard as her partner. Raphael's joy was really contagious, as the young lady no longer remembered when was the last time she was sad.
"Speaking of culinary training…That reminds me that I promised Petra to visit Brigid to train with her people," Raphael said thoughtfully. "Would you like to come with me? You don't have to-"
"I'd love to!" Marianne responded immediately with such enthusiasm that she surprised Raphael. "We only got to see it a little during the war but I thought it was a very nice place. I would like us to visit it more calmly."
"Well, that's what we'll do! You'll see how strong we get with training!" Raphael laughed, failing to understand that Marianne had no interest in such training.
It was at that moment that Marianne remembered something very important.
"Raphael, would you like to come to the opera with me?" Marianne asked somewhat nervously as she took a couple of small papers out of her apron. "I-I received tickets for the opera, apparently Dorothea and Professor Manuela are going to do a new performance with the band of the central Church."
"The opera? I don't know if that's my thing" Raphael commented unconvinced, however, seeing Marianne's sad look, he decided to swallow his doubts instantly. "Of course I'll go with you! It can't be that bad if so many people like it either!"
"Thank you, I'm sure Maya, your grandfather and the others will take very good care of our restaurant while we're gone." Marianne assured him.
Unfortunately Raphael's willpower would be put to the test at the opera and this time he was not sure he would emerge victorious. Well, if he faltered he just needed a smile from Marianne to get him up again. Although he was lucky since the young woman not only smiled at him but also held his hand throughout the performance.
Byleth and Rhea
Archbishop's room
A lullaby played in the room, fully lit by the morning sun pouring in through its many windows.
Rhea was sitting on a large double bed, singing happily as she leaned on the shoulder of her husband, who caressed her belly lovingly. Being in the third month of pregnancy, her bulge was already quite visible.
When she finished singing, Byleth's eyes widened and he stared at her. A smile graced the couple's face.
"Rhea…" Byleth began to say, until he was interrupted by a kiss from his wife. Kiss that corresponded immediately. Slow and gentle, putting all his love into that kiss and being careful not to hurt her.
When the kiss ended they both stared at each other, in a very intimate silence. The new Archbishop was looking at the old Archbishop, who was looking at him with such love, passion and a certain lust that he couldn't help but blush.
Byleth still couldn't believe that he had succeeded, that he had managed to save them all after so much suffering, lies and deceit. The darkness that haunted Fódlan was gone. His students and friends could live without being puppets of people who were unable to let the grudges of the past die.
Shezia, Edelgard, Mercedes, Shamir and Rhea…those had been his partners in his previous lives. This was the last one, and being the incarnation of Sothis, it would be very long. Many would say that that last detail was what made him choose Rhea as his life partner. But it wasn't true, he really loved her and the relationship they had in her penultimate life marked him too much.
He was sure that if he had a choice again, he would choose Rhea again. That long-lived, mysterious, beautiful woman who sometimes reminded him of an angel who protected him from all evil and other times of a witch who seduced and manipulated him at her whim... Byleth was not really against the latter.
Byleth came back from his thoughts when he felt Rhea's lips again, kissing him this time with much more passion than before. Before she got pregnant Rhea was very… passionate when they were alone, but currently she had a bit of a hard time controlling herself even outside of their room.
"I love you so much…" Rhea murmured after pulling away from him slightly.
Byleth stroked her long hair as he held her close. Those words filled him with immense joy, love and desire to protect her. He never thought that he would be able to experience so many positive emotions at the same time.
He still couldn't believe he was going to be a father. He had enough work to do with all the reforms he had made to the church and the numerous councils he held every month to keep the different ecclesiastical branches together. And to that we had to add the great effort they had made to make the Abyss a decent place watched over by his father Jeralt... So he could be close to Sitri.
Still, every time he was with Rhea and her soon-to-be child, all those problems seemed to instantly disappear.
Rhea's thoughts weren't much different. She for much of her life had been forced to create a tough, strong exterior, almost cold at various times. A way to avoid going through the suffering of seeing all her people exterminated and used as objects of war.
Rhea had resigned herself to being alone despite having Seteth and Flayn by her side, for she knew that one day they would have to part. She had to pay for her numerous sins in solitude... Until she met Byleth.
The first time she saw it from that balcony, it reminded her too much of Sitri, with that expressionless face that concealed a wide range of emotions ready to come out under the right circumstances. She never imagined that this young man would change Fódlan and its inhabitants forever, nor that she would fall in love with him...
And now she was going to be a mother, something she thought was unthinkable. They were going to be parents and they could give her son a better world, without dark sects or big territorial fights, without hatred and full of hope. Rhea let her kisses transmit all the love she felt towards Byleth, who kissed her with the same love as they both lay on the bed, willing to let themselves be carried away by desire and lust.
ooOoo
"Seteth still doesn't know that Flayn is going to celebrate her wedding at the monastery." Rhea commented with a laugh.
"He'll probably faint when he finds out who she's marrying." Byleth said with a small smile.
The two were in Rhea's personal office. Although lately Byleth was the only one who used it, this time his wife wanted to accompany him. They had even ordered to put a sofa so that the former archbishop could be more comfortable.
Meanwhile the new archbishop had to sit in an elegant chair and read and sign numerous and very boring documents. Nobody said that politics was fun, just that it was empowering and addictive. Luckily Byleth wasn't that easy to corrupt, all thanks to his past experiences.
"Aren't you going to tell him anything?" Byleth asked. "After all, he's his father."
"No, Flayn sent me a letter telling me that they themselves would notify him a little earlier."
"Then we'd better not mess around." Byleth teased, to which Rhea laughed again. Byleth loved to hear her laugh and he was beginning to realize that having her around him was too distracting. Although he would never complain about it.
Right now Rhea was reading a book written by Bernadetta, or Teddy Bernie as she used to be called.
"Do you like the book?" Byleth asked. Rhea looked up and smiled at him.
"A lot, I never thought that the story of a daughter planning the murder of her father would fascinate me so much. It is very well written."
"I'm glad, I didn't know if it would be to your taste or someone else's but it seems that it's having a lot of fame." Byleth commented with relief.
"No wonder, I know many people who don't get along with their parents, although luckily they would never go to such extremes... At least not in this time of peace in which we live thanks to you." said his wife lovingly, making the former demon blush slightly.
"No, it's all thanks to you" Byleth said also very fondly. "If you hadn't made me and my sister teachers, we would never have met so many wonderful people or realized how big the world is. So many thoughts and so many different ways of looking at life… I still think it's a miracle that we all managed to come together during the war."
"You and Beles have the power of the Goddess, miracles are not something out of your reach." Rhea teased.
"Right…" Byleth said thoughtfully. He wondered what Sothis would say about all this, but at that moment she was asleep.
Seteth and Catherine
Seteth's office
"Seteth" said Catherine while she entered a large room, "it has been difficult but I have managed to make a reserve at the Joyful Bird ... What are you doing?"
Seteth was on his knees on the ground, his spear in his left hand and a crumpled piece of paper in the other.
"The letter…"
"Letter? What letter?" Catherine asked even more confused.
"The letter! That wretch is going to pay!" Seteth exploded, driving the spear into the ground and leaving a rather large crack. "I will kill him!"
Catherine deduced that the crumpled paper must be the letter that had put him in such a bad mood. Without even asking she took it from his hands and began to read it.
Hello future father-in-law, I, the amazing King of Almyra invite you to a royal wedding. Wedding that you will have already deduced is between your beautiful daughter Flayn and me. It will of course be in the monastery where we met and spent many moments together before, during and after the war. We'll see each other in a few days, future father-in-law.
Catherine had to force herself not to laugh. She failed. At any other time the warrior's laughter would have made Seteth's heart leap with joy, but now he only feel a deep despair.
"So, I cancel the appointment? You don't seem very lively." Catherine commented after finishing laughing. Seteth's head said "yes", but his heart said "no" and luckily for Catherine the latter ended up prevailing.
"No, forgive me. Our appointment is much more important than my more than justified anger towards that ... young sovereign." Seteth said after getting up from the ground.
"Don't worry, when they come, I will put him in his place so he can learn how to treat Flayn well." Catherine joked, or at least tried to sound like a joke. She loved Flayn very much and if everything was going well they would be family very soon. Sincerely, Catherine was still a bit weird to be the future stepmother of someone who doubled her age.
"What do you mean by that?" Seteth asked indignantly. "Do you already accept their marriage?"
Catherine shrugged.
"Why not? Flayn always seemed so happy when they were together."
"W-when what?! Since when are they together?
"During the war they got quite close and then they saw each other a lot when you were far away" Catherine smiled remembering the old days. "You should have seen how they looked at each other when you weren't looking."
Seteth almost fell to the ground but Catherine caught him in time.
"How do you know all that?" asked the downcast father.
"Everybody knew."
The poor man was beginning to understand why Flayn had wanted to travel so badly when the war ended. Seteth would have kept asking but he noticed that Catherine's right shoulder was bandaged. His worries changed instantly.
"Have you hurt yourself?"
"This?" Catherine asked, looking at her shoulder. "This is nothing, a traitor who had some luck, nothing more. I wish him the best of luck in the next life."
"Sit down," Seteth said in an authoritative tone he used when he gave orders. "I'm sure you haven't treated it well. I'll do it."
"Oh really? But it's nothing!" Catherine complained, although deep down she adored that kind side of her fiancée. "You worry too much."
"I will always worry about you, especially if we are going to share our lives." Seteth said very serious, causing Catherine to blush a little.
"Don't think you're going to soften me with sweet words." Catherine said with a nervous laugh.
"I would never dare to do such a thing." Seteth joked.
After checking the wound, he helped her up and gave her a soft hug. "Thank you for putting up with me" Seteth said fondly, "I know how annoying I can get when I think of Flayn."
"Don't worry," Catherine laughed, hugging him back quite forcefully. So much so that Seteth felt that if he were human his back would have broken. "It's part of your charm. Although I hope you have another topic of conversation over dinner."
"…Yeah, we need to talk about how little you take care of yourself."
Catherine didn't know if she should laugh or slap her forehead. So she opted for a third option. She kissed Seteth, making the man forget what they were talking about.
Alois and Jeralt
Sitting on a bench, two men talked while drinking alcohol. It was still early but Jeralt never cared when if not how much he got to drink. Of course it was Alois who had paid for the drinks, again.
"I still can't believe I'm going to be a grandfather" Jeralt commented between drinks. "And quite a bit of work for me to be the new guardian of the Abyss...Lady Rhea and my son are losing their minds with so many new ideas and reforms."
"I never imagined seeing you as a grandfather, captain. And much less as a guardian of such a dangerous place... Although the strangest thing must be... seeing your son with lady Rhea." Alois said with a nervous laugh. His bottle was almost full while Jeralt was already on his third.
The ex-mercenary simply shrugged.
"As long as my son is happy. Although, to be honest, I prefer not to think too much about those things… I mean, even I don't fully understand what the hell happens most of the time, especially in our family…"
"What are you talking about, Captain?"
"Nothing, old man nonsense."
The two stood in silence watching the people go by and talking quietly, as if there had never been a war. Jeralt still remembered how he was nearly murdered several times. Luckily his son was always there to save him... A gift from the Goddess without a doubt.
"Catherine told me the other day that Claude sent a letter to Seteth talking about his wedding with Flayn" Alois laughed suddenly, a laugh that infected Jeralt. "That Claude was always a big joker, he surely learned from me, right Captain?"
"…Surely" said Jeralt, not at all convinced. Trying to prevent his friend from discovering the truth, he decided to change the subject. "Luckily Seteth has Catherine. They are very different but I think that is why they are going to have a great marriage."
"Gossip says that Catherine is only with Seteth because she couldn't be with Lady Rhea."
"Are you implying that Seteth is a consolation prize?" Jeralt asked.
"Only an idiot would suggest such a thing. Catherine loves Seteth too much and anyone with eyes can see it…Although to be honest with you captain, I always thought she and Shamir…"
"…You too?"
Alois just shrugged. Jeralt couldn't help but let out a loud laugh, to be joined by Alois who laughed even harder. After this Jeralt put down the bottle and got up from the bench.
"Where are you going captain?"
"To visit my wife's grave."
"Oh really? But the cemetery isn't in that direction." Alois said confused when he saw where he was going.
"I know." was all Jeralt said.
Manuela and Hannemam
Teacher's room
"What's the problem?" Manuela asked with feigned concern. "Your students say you look very tired, honey."
Hannemam gave a little snort as he wearily rubbed his eyes.
"You know perfectly well what is happening to me. Every night Manuela, every night! Don't you get tired?"
"What would I have to get tired of?" Manuela asked with some indignation.
"...Y-you know..." Hannemam said somewhat embarrassed.
"I know what? It's not my fault that age is taking its toll on you and you can't keep up with me."
"Age? Not that you were much younger than me!" the emblem scholar exclaimed indignantly. "And unlike you, I have a lot of work not only with the academy but also with-"
"Prolong the life of the Empress and Lyshitea thanks to my new discoveries about emblems" Manuela finished saying while imitating his voice. "I already know it, everyone knows it! You don't talk about anything else!"
"If you already know then let me rest for at least one night!"
"I also have a lot of work" replied Manuela proudly. "Soon I am going to give a new concert with Dorothea. Or have you already forgotten?
"It's impossible for me to forget anything you do" said Hannemam, causing Manuela to blush slightly. "I still don't see you training."
Manuela's blush turned into one provoked by anger.
"I've trained enough already!"
The discussion lasted for almost an hour and of course the whole academy ignored them, since they were used to it. They also knew that neither of them would get much sleep that night.
Lorenz and Leonie
Near the town of Sauin
Two riders were riding on horseback while observing the beautiful village landscape. A landscape that had almost disappeared during the war.
"I don't feel like going home right now…" Lorenz commented suddenly.
"Well, stay with me, my house is big enough for both of us."
Lorenz quickly shook his head as he looked away to hide his blush.
"I can't, nor should I. They gossip a lot about us just because I spend so much time with your company of mercenaries. My father would kill me if he also found out that I spent the nights at my fiancée's house."
"You don't seem very scared." Leonie noted.
"In the past I would have trembled just thinking about going against my father," Lorenz admitted, looking at her intently, "but now I know that there are much more important things.
"As which?"
"You for example." he replied with a smile that was trying to be seductive. Leonie looked at him for a few seconds before laughing. She laughed so much that she had little tears in her eyes and she almost fell off the horse.
"Are you trying to be romantic?"
"Wh-what's wrong? Can't one be romantic with the person he's courting?" asked a confused and somewhat offended Lorenz.
"There's nothing wrong with that" Leonie said when her laughter subsided, "but it doesn't work out very well for you."
"Your flushed cheeks say otherwise." Lorenz pointed out with a triumphant smile.
"N-not true!" Leonie denied very quickly. "I'm blushing because I laughed a lot."
Lorenz's incredulous look indicated that he wasn't at all convinced. Still, he decided to change the subject.
"I have noticed that you have become very popular in all of Fodlan."
"That's because I'm the strongest mercenary on the continent!" she said proudly. "After Beles and Shez, of course."
"And the most beautiful." Lorenz said.
Leonie looked at him with mock sadness.
"Do you think Beles and Shez are more handsome than me?"
"N-no! I meant that you are the most beautiful of…!" Lorenz stopped when he saw how his fiancée was holding back her laughter. "Why do you enjoy teasing me so much?"
"Because you make it very easy for me." Leonie replied no before approaching him and giving him a soft kiss on the cheek, leaving Lorenz stunned for the rest of the walk.
Ashe and Hapi
In a distant forest
It was supposed to be a normal date in Hapi's village. Gaspard's castle was cozy but not as cozy as a small mountain town. Besides, Ashe's brothers rarely left them alone.
First they would go fishing and then tend to the flowers in the new garden Ashe had built during the war. They would pick up a couple of carnivorous plants and together with the fish it would be the perfect dinner.
However, Hapi's life had never been normal so they weren't surprised when they were attacked by several monsters, which were currently lying on the ground, bathed in puddles formed by their own blood.
Nearby Ashe tended to Hapi.
"You should be more careful" Ashe said as he looked down at her body, looking for any injuries. "I know you are very strong but…"
Hapi stared at him until she gave a small smile.
"You care too much about me, Freckles."
"You are my fiancée, caring for you is the greatest honor I could have." was the cheerful response of the young gentleman, who didn't see how Hapi's face flushed slightly.
"Always so chivalrous, it's amazing that the war hasn't changed you."
"The war has only reinforced my ideals of a knight."
After several minutes of checking, Hapi began to tire.
"Aren't you taking the opportunity to enjoy the body of your defenseless fiancée?" Hapi joked. Ashe reacted exactly as she expected.
"N-no, I was just…! I'm sorry!" the knight exclaimed rather embarrassed as he withdrew his hands and his face turned the same shade of red as Hapi's hair.
Hapi laughed happily, and that laugh was the most wonderful sound Ashe's ears could hear.
"…We should go back to the village." Ashe said still embarrassed as he helped Hapi up.
The woman nodded, keeping that cheerful smile on her face at all times.
Gatekeeper and Shezia
Letter of the Gatekeeper
Greetings, Archbishop Eisner!
I hope you are as happy as the last time I saw you. I sent you this letter to inform you that I will be returning to my role as gatekeeper of Garreg Mach soon. I hope all goes well there, including the pregnancy of your wife Lady Rhea.
I still haven't thanked you both for coming to my wedding. Apparently Shezia and my best friend, the gatekeeper of the Abyss, knew about it but they didn't say anything to surprise me, and what a surprise it was! Not only the new archbishop and the old archbishop, but also the empress of Adrestia, the king of Faerghus, and the king of Almyra… All at the wedding of an insignificant servant like me! Although the biggest surprise was that my imperialist brother also came...
However, marrying a mercenary as beautiful, brave and intelligent as Shezia was undoubtedly the best part of the wedding. I am surely the happiest man in the world right now.
The war left me very scarred and I almost didn't survive, but I don't regret not having moved from that door. And it seems that the Goddess has repaid my loyalty and stubbornness.
By the way, the spy you sent to the Abyss has married the imperial spy Hubert sent. I know this because the gatekeeper of the Abyss keeps sending me letters about it, apparently he is very angry and feels betrayed. Not everyone can have my same luck I guess. Although I've heard rumors that he stopped being angry when he met the spy's sister.
Anyway right now I'm concentrating on being part of the church music band. Soon I will give a concert together with the great divas Manuela von Essar and Dorothea von Aegir. I hope you have time to see it with your wife.
Nothing more to report!
