Edelgard knew what she wanted to do next; she didn't want to keep Fhirdiad under Cornelia's control for too long. She couldn't hope for the Kingdom to retake it, then march on them instead—the houses still loyal to the crown were more focused on protecting Dimitri, rather than fighting.
Edelgard did consider leaving Cornelia with Fhirdiad for now, and simply moving on to any Kingdom lords that still opposed her; it would be the easiest option, and would avoid immediate conflict with Thales. She trusted Claude enough that they could devote all of their soldiers to making more progress—but when she tried to reach an agreement with the Kingdom nobles still undecided or likely to change allegiances, she received no response.
Anyone Hubert sent to investigate didn't report back. She assumed that meant Cornelia was taking an active role in hindering them. It would be one thing to let her be, but stay informed; it was another to know the person holding Fhirdiad seemed interested in keeping them away. Edelgard didn't want to take any risks.
She found a good enough reason and sufficient evidence to support it—it could even be considered a half-truth, albeit one that's hard to believe without full context. Edelgard simply told the troops that Cornelia was opposing the Empire—killing 'messengers,' rallying Kingdom lords against them, keeping Kingdom soldiers within Fhirdiad. No one was brave enough—or they all trusted her enough—to protest; more musings went towards why Cornelia would change loyalties, fortunately.
The return to fighting—return to definite progress—was refreshing. It was a change from work, at least, and what she preferred to start the year off with. They were able to leave the monastery near the start of the Harpstring Moon; Edelgard received confirmation that a small army from the Alliance would reinforce them.
Edelgard led the Imperial army, clearing a path as they went. Small groups of Kingdom soldiers tried to delay their progress, giving credit to Edelgard's claim. They didn't lose any soldiers and barely any time to the interruptions, so it ultimately fell in her favor; it must have been noticed, because they marched undeterred after meeting with the Alliance's soldiers.
The Alliance army was the smaller of the two—Claude opted to lead it, somewhat surprisingly, although he agreed to only relay her order so long as it didn't harm Leicester's troops—but together they made up a decent-sized force. It felt a bit small to her, but everyone else seemed to think it was fine.
They arrived in Fhirdiad to find all townsfolk hiding, if any still lived there after Cornelia took the capital. Both armies paused outside the city itself.
"I don't see any mages," Claude noted, glancing at Edelgard. "Or…anyone, for that matter. Do you think they all left?"
"I know they wouldn't leave the place open for us to come in as we please," Edelgard replied simply. "Even if they did go somewhere else, they would've left something behind."
She turned towards Hubert. "Can you send someone in to scout?"
Hubert nodded, offered a short bow, then left. While she waited, Edelgard made some basic rounds—made sure everyone was prepared, that the mercenaries and Alliance soldiers knew where they would be positioned in relation to the Imperial army.
When she was sure everything was ready, whether they start fighting in a few hours or the next day, Edelgard wound up circling back to the mercenaries—she was directed to Byleth, who had gone to the edge of the small camp, without asking for anyone in particular. When Edelgard found her, Byleth was murmuring quietly enough that she couldn't hear.
"I don't see you on watch very often."
Byleth tensed for a second, then looked behind her and offered a nod of greeting. "I was being pestered to do something," she admitted. "I decided to keep an eye out for the scout you sent out, or if any enemy soldiers come."
"You're allowed—and deserve—to rest a bit before a battle."
The mercenary almost gave a little smile. "So says the woman still wandering around camp." She completely turned so she was facing Edelgard. "But it's fine; I'm more used to constant fighting than downtime."
"I'm just glad to be out of the office, to be honest. There's still work, but I can get through it a little better when I'm not staring at the same four walls."
They fell into silence for a moment. Byleth looked back towards Fhirdiad, and Edelgard took a few steps so she was a little behind and to the right of her.
"…I feel like I'm…anxious," Byleth noted. "It's hard for me to tell, but… I'm not looking forward to the fight."
"You're thinking about the Holy Tomb?"
Byleth glanced at her with a bit of surprise. "How could you guess?"
"Hubert and Monica have already promised to stay near me during the battle; you're not the only one who's worried," Edelgard replied. "The entire enemy force will be made up of mages—and unlike back then, they don't have to hide and pretend if they want to cause damage."
The mercenary gave a small murmur, looking away for a moment.
Edelgard responded to a request that was never actually said.
"I'll be careful," she promised firmly.
Byleth partially turned just to give a second look of mild surprise, albeit mixed with some assurance. Edelgard realized she said it, and lingered there for a moment with that knowledge. Neither one spoke to confirm nor deny the statement.
That silence lasted until Monica came next to Edelgard and offered a short bow.
"The scout returned, Your Majesty," Monica reported.
Edelgard nodded, briefly looking at the mage. "Thank you. I'll greet them in a moment." She glanced back at Byleth for a moment, only to find she already said everything she wanted to. She only offered a small parting wave, then, and left to speak with the scout.
