(A/N: This chapter is very long, but I swear it contains character development!)
The ball came soon enough, knights loathing it and students looking forward to it. Byleth often heard complaints that the knights were the ones who kept the students in check—with fewer knights there, despite Rhea's promise, more of them had to work that night than usual. The typical volunteers had all been assigned to investigation—as late as that morning for some—leaving those who typically avoided or didn't care for the cheerful atmosphere to be forced to watch over the students.
Maybe they would complain less if the younger knights didn't choose to pass the time playing drinking games based on the students' actions during the ball. The 'watching' knights shouted out numbers, prompting those waiting inside the knights' hall to drink the corresponding amount of alcoholic beverages.
Byleth watched as a majority of them participated, anyone who opposed drinking actually doing what they were asked to. Every knight she had made an acquaintance of—Alois, mostly, although Catherine liked to spar with her and often brought Shamir as well—had all been assigned outside the monastery. Considering the remaining mercenaries had left a few days prior, Byleth had no one to talk to.
"Why don't you attempt conversation?" Sothis asked, audibly bored and letting out a sigh. "These people will remain strangers unless you speak with them."
"Half of them are drunk by now," Byleth pointed out, quietly so no one noticed. The knights were nothing if not loud, however, so in a way it wasn't needed. "The ones who aren't go about pretending they are so they don't have to work. Anyone else is actually watching the students like they should be."
"Well…why don't you watch the students then? Speak to them?"
"They have less reason to talk to me than the knights. A good portion of them avoid me."
"Yes, but bear in mind that you ignore them as well. A night like this isn't one you spend idling around in the corner of a room—go outside, at least."
She tried to continue a protest when one of the knights shouted an as-of-yet unknown number.
"Six! First one of the night." Then, a few seconds later, "Wait, no, seven—she's alone."
A collection of knights laughed. "Who's the kid?" One knight called out.
"One of the white-haired girls. Not the short and snappy one, but the other—the slightly taller one with the brooding retainer."
"Isn't that descriptive!" Another knight said, earning some laughter from the other drunken knights.
Sothis's sudden exclamation caught her off guard.
"Aha! Perhaps they're talking about the Black Eagles' leader? Edelgard?"
"I'm not going to leave just to—" Byleth tried to protest.
"But there's nothing to do here!" Sothis complained, cutting her off. "For my sake, please, talk to someone. Who knows, perhaps that girl wants the company as well."
Byleth knew from experience that Sothis wouldn't stop until she was satisfied. She might be the only person who cared about Byleth talking to others—Jeralt gave up trying when it was clear Byleth's relative silence unnerved most people—whether or not the desire came solely out of boredom on the girl's part.
She sighed, and she knew Sothis was happy. Quietly—although none of the knights were likely to notice her—she left the hall and wandered outside. Sothis urged her closer to the cathedral, and Byleth listened just so the girl might get tired and sleep for the rest of the night.
She made it to the bridge between the cathedral and the rest of the monastery, pausing when she saw a familiar face. Edelgard noticed her before she could leave, going from the middle of the bridge to the edge farthest away from the cathedral.
"I didn't think you would come out here," Edelgard noted. She remained on the bridge itself, wearing a sheepish look. "Out of everyone to see me… I expected Hubert or Monica to drag me back inside, not you to meet me halfway there."
"Would you rather speak with one of them?" Byleth asked. It both relieved and annoyed her that Sothis had fallen silent as soon as the conversation began, although she could feel the girl's joy about doing something other than idling.
Edelgard turned back towards the side of the bridge and sighed. "…I'm not sure, to be honest. I wouldn't want to meet them here." Byleth didn't understand, but Sothis seemed to. Edelgard continued after a moment, quieter, "Yet being like this…with you, of all people… It's a little frightening."
Byleth frowned. "How so?"
"It's…a bit hard to explain." She carried on in something like a ramble, albeit still clear and without much hesitation. "You can do things I cannot. You are stronger than I, and that concerns me because my path may cross with yours. Fódlan will face many battles in the years to come, and there is no guarantee that we will be on the same side—no guarantee that we will or will not fight, at which point either one of us can win."
She grimaced after she said it. "…I let my guard down when I'm around you, and that scares me as well," she admitted quietly.
Byleth considered what she said for a moment. She felt something and that bothered her, and Sothis offered no guidance on how to help; she was on her own, knowing the girl was observing the conversation like one would an opera.
"So you're afraid to fight me?" Byleth asked.
Edelgard looked at her again, nodding slightly. "To…some extent, I suppose. Although being honest, I'm not sure if that's the full reason. No one—not even my enemies—worries me this much. And I know I should be more hesitant, given the uncertainty of us fighting, but I want to trust you. I…want you to hear about my past, my ambitions, my plans for the future, all of it—that makes you more dangerous than anyone else I might cross blades with."
After another second, Edelgard's expression changed again, a mix of determination and hope that she seemed aware may be misplaced.
"If I hired you as a mercenary to fight for the Empire, would you leave the Knights of Seiros?"
She gave a similar answer to when Rhea asked her to become a knight. "If I agree with the Empire more than the church—or if Jeralt's Mercenaries fight with the Empire against the church—then yes, I would."
"If you stayed with the church, how could I convince you to change sides? Rewards, titles, anything at all?"
"I couldn't name a price unless I knew the reason I declined."
Edelgard fell silent for a moment, then firmly decided, "I'll have to start building a positive case, then. Suffice to say, I would rather see you on my side than against it."
Byleth murmured some kind of agreement, not fully noticing until she realized Sothis gained some amusement from it. After a minute, Edelgard let out a small breath and almost smiled.
"I'll head back inside, now. I don't know what the knights are doing, but…enjoy the rest of the night."
"Right. You too, Edelgard."
The house leader nodded, and left after lingering for another second. Byleth returned to the knights' hall as well, finding that Seteth had came; any knights that had been drinking were dismissed for the night. He didn't question Byleth, however, so she went back to where she was prior.
Sothis didn't say anything else about Byleth needing to talk with someone, apparently satisfied with the single conversation.
—
"It's not fair!" Monica whined, frowning as everyone around her carried on with dancing. Hubert stood to her left, watching the other students as well; she imagined they were both observing the same person. "By now, nearly every male student has danced with Her Highness. The only time I would be able to respectfully be so close to her, and I can't even talk to her without half the others glaring at me!"
"No one else is complaining," Hubert replied dully.
"No one else understands!" Monica protested. She looked at Hubert, still dissatisfied. "You got to dance with Her Highness—the only person you even spoke to aside from me, in fact."
Hubert sighed. "That may be the case, but I enjoyed the night until you came to complain."
She only cast him another frown, but let out her own sigh after a moment. Monica looked towards the students again, noticing Edelgard leave the reception hall.
"She decided to go, then," Monica mused. "She's trying to give a sad story a happy ending."
The comment caught Hubert's attention, and he followed her gaze. Monica expected him to interrupt Edelgard, but he didn't move.
"…I did have more to say," Monica noted, glancing at him for a moment. "I'm a little worried that Lady Edelgard might be…misplacing her trust."
"That's amusing, coming from someone who came to us and begged to assist."
"Don't mock me, Hubert. You've long decided I was harmless; you would have removed me otherwise."
"You're correct on that, at least." He paused for a moment, still watching the exit—now waiting for Edelgard to return, most likely. "…Who's giving you concern?"
"That mercenary-knight. Her Highness talks fairly easily with her—I'm just concerned. I could tell she hesitated to tell me anything, but with her…that hesitance isn't there."
Hubert seemed to think about it for a moment, then gave a small nod. "It's possible she could intend to make that mercenary an ally, but the mercenary herself is…dubious at best in my eyes. I'll look into it."
Monica nodded as her quiet gratitude, then opted to leave him to his silent brooding.
