Time for some set-up for the month's battle, and a look at the main royal from Azure Moon's route.
Chapter 10 – A King Without a Kingdom (Guardian Moon)
Having heard the news of the arrival of the four Mittelfrank divas, the former students had gathered in the main hall of Garreg Mach to find them already in a discussion with Byleth, Dorothea, Anna, Seteth, Alois, and Shamir. While the students hadn't known them for very long, it was still uplifting to see them return after five years.
Brigitte Stark, the now-33-year-old leader of the troupe, stood dressed in a leather traveler's garb in front of the other three divas, her crimson hair still arranged in her trademark large bunches. Alicia Melchiott, the youngest of the troupe, had her brown twintails coupled with a cloth over her hair and wore a relatively plain blue dress. Lana Lacrimosa and Cia Lacrimosa, the fraternal twins of the opera, both wore far fancier dresses, with Lana wearing a white bustier, tights, and a showgirl skirt to match her blue ponytail, while Cia wore a seductive black ensemble with a neckline that reached her navel, her white hair cut far shorter than her sister.
"Hey, look who's here!" Caspar said as he entered the main hall with Annette, the orange-haired mage overjoyed to see them.
"Miss Stark, I am grateful to see you and your companions are well," said Ferdinand.
"As am I," said Lysithea. "Your help was most welcome in the battle five years ago."
"Why, thank you, Lysithea," Lana said cheerfully.
"It really has been a while since we've seen you guys," said Alicia. "Even though we barely knew each other."
"What are you all doing here?" asked Dorothea.
"What, no 'nice to see you', Dorothea?" Cia asked in a snarky tone. "We got ourselves all spruced up to visit you and this is the kind of greeting we get?" Dorothea was about to object to this when Cia smiled and said, "Don't worry about it, Dorry. It's good to see you."
"Yeah, it's been way too long!" Lana said with verve.
Alicia nodded in agreement.
"Sorry that I had to give your guards a hassle," said Brigitte. "And I wish I could say we were just paying you all a visit… but that's not why we're here." Turning to Byleth, Brigitte then said, "Your boss has something she needs to know."
"Lady Rhea hasn't returned since the battle five years ago," said Byleth. Then, somewhat bashfully, she added, "I'm… presently the one in charge."
"Really? No shit! You, from a teacher to head of the damn Church? Not bad, Professor." As Byleth stammered nervously, Brigitte suddenly dropped her congenial tone and said, "Well, I wish what I had to tell you was good news, but…"
"What is it, Miss Stark?" asked Alois.
"You've got a whole load of trouble heading this way."
"What do you mean?" asked Felix.
"There's an Imperial army heading toward the monastery," said Alicia. "They left from Enbarr about a week ago. We had to cut through the mountains to get here in time to warn you."
"Are you certain they are headed to the monastery?" asked Seteth.
"We overheard some drunk soldiers talking about it at a bar before they left," said Cia. "One of them was an officer, and he was completely sober."
"We also saw soldiers leaving the city. There were so many of them!" said Lana.
"How many soldiers are we talking about?" asked Shamir.
"Umm, a lot of them?" Alicia said with uncertainty.
"Can you be more specific?" said Seteth. "A brigade? A division?"
"What do those even mean?" Lana asked in confusion.
"Hey, it's not like we could just count how many of them there were," said Brigitte. "But it didn't look like there were as many as they had when they came here five years ago."
Still annoyed at the inaccuracy, Seteth said, "That is still not an accurate–"
"Seteth!" Byleth snapped, silencing the advisor. "Remember, they weren't cadets."
Realizing his error, Seteth said, "My apologies. How foolish of me to forget such a detail. But we will need to ascertain the exact strength of their forces. Do you know which way they were heading?"
"They were definitely heading east," said Cia.
"I think they were heading to that giant bridge between the Empire and Alliance," said Alicia. "The… umm… what's it called? I don't know."
"The Great Bridge of Myrddin," Seteth answered. "If they are taking that route instead of moving through the Oghma Mountains, it would have to be at least a thousand men. Shamir?"
"I'll send scouts right away," Shamir said before turning on her heel and leaving the hall.
"I wish we knew more about them," said Alicia. "Sorry, but–"
"Don't worry about it," said Leonie. "At least we know the Empire's heading this way."
"They certainly didn't take their sweet time," said Anna. "We're only just getting started with the outer wall."
"We noticed," said Cia.
"Given the time of your own departure from Enbarr," said Seteth, "it is likely that an army of that size would need at most another week to reach the monastery. We will be hard-pressed to ready a defense by then."
"Should we even be trying to defend this place?" said Dorothea, prompting everyone to turn toward her.
"What are you saying, Dorothea?" asked Annette.
"We couldn't defend this place from them five years ago. What makes you think we could do it now?"
"Dorothea…" said Byleth.
"While I understand your concerns, Miss Arnault," said Seteth. "I have no intention of letting Garreg Mach Monastery fall to the Empire a second time. If we allow the Empire to take the monastery again, they will fortify it. Should that happen, we will never be able to take it back from them! I will not allow that."
"Neither will I!" said Alois. "I'm getting too old to be running away from Imperials, anyway!"
"I'm not about to let them ruin Lady Rhea's home again!" said Cyril.
Other members of the Knights of Seiros shouted in agreement.
But unlike the Knights, Dorothea's expression was one of dread at what they intended.
…
"Hey, are you gonna be okay, Dorothea?" Brigitte asked after the group had left the main hall, letting Seteth and his officers plan for their defense of the monastery.
"I… I don't know…" said Dorothea.
"Look, everything's gonna be fine, you hear me? All we gotta do is kick the Empire's ass and everyone here will be safe."
"You say that like it'll be so easy, Brig," said Cia. "Don't forget how we're the ones who got our asses kicked last time."
"Yeah, well, that was then!" said Annette. "And we've all gotten stronger since that battle! We won't lose again!"
"Realistically speaking," said Linhardt, "this is going to depend largely on how many soldiers the Empire is sending our way. You four said the army heading for us wasn't as large as the one Edelgard attacked with five years ago, correct?"
"Yeah, it was kinda hard to miss," said Alicia. "Sorry we couldn't really count them all."
"Don't worry about it," said Caspar.
Ferdinand then said, "Did you perhaps see if they had a flag we might recognize? That could tell us something about the enemy we will be facing."
"I think I remember seeing a flag," said Lana. "Oh, but I can't remember what the symbol was…"
"Can you draw it out?" asked Byleth.
"I can try," said Alicia as she was given a piece of charcoal and parchment.
She then sketched out the symbol on the paper. The others were quick to recognize it as she finished it.
"That is the symbol of House Bergliez," said Constance.
"Does that mean the army heading our way is your father's, Caspar?" asked Lysithea.
Slightly nervous at seeing the symbol, Caspar realized something and said, "No, I don't think it's him. Last I heard, my father was busy fighting in western Fódlan against a new invasion from Dagda. Seems they rebuilt their army faster than everyone thought, and they're taking advantage of the chaos of the war."
"Then who would be leading this force?" asked Ferdinand.
"It's probably my uncle, Randolph. He rose through the ranks of the Imperial Army with several victories on the eastern front."
"Are you gonna be able to fight him, Caspar?" asked Leonie. "I mean, he's family, right?"
"We aren't really close. He married into the family, and I never really interacted with him much."
"At least we don't have to worry about facing anyone from the Opera," said Alicia.
"After the battle five years ago, we went back to Enbarr so we could get everyone else to safety," said Cia. "Funny thing, I don't think the Imperials cared we were back in the capital. Or at least Hubert didn't…"
The mention of Hubert soured the mood of the others, though hearing that the rest of the Mittelfrank Opera was safe was a relief to Dorothea.
But after a moment, Dorothea asked, "Brigitte, have you seen Manuela at all?"
Brigitte was silent for a moment before asking, "I thought she was with you guys, or at least with the Knights…"
After another moment of silence, Byleth said, "No one has seen Manuela since the battle five years ago."
While Lana, Cia and Alicia were all dismayed to hear this, Brigitte replied with a brief and silent "Shit…" as she shook her head.
…
Meanwhile, in Fraldarius territory…
"This concludes my report on Commander Hargraves's mission, my liege," said a Loyalist soldier as he knelt before his king. The soldier was covered in blood-soaked bandages from recent injuries.
Sitting on his makeshift throne, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd looked almost nothing like he had five years ago. His right eye, which had been gouged out during the Battle of Garreg Mach, was covered by an eyepatch, and his blonde hair had grown long and messy like a lion's mane. He wore a set of battle-scarred ebony and blue armor of a special design, one intended to inspire as much dread in his foes as possible while still being entirely functional protection.
"I told that fool his plan was useless," Dimitri said crossly. "Edelgard and Cornelia would never fall for such a meagre attempt on their lives." He briefly looked at the soldier and said, "Leave us."
Giving a nervous salute, the soldier left the King of Lions' presence. As they watched the soldier leave, Ingrid and Sylvain could not help but be disappointed, though it was not directed at the soldier. Ingrid had cut her blonde hair short and wore light silver armor that allowed as much mobility as possible while still protecting her torso. Sylvain, on the other hand, wore the black armor of a Dark Knight. Opposite the two knights were Dedue and Mercedes. The Duscuri man wore heavy plate armor over his imposing frame, while Mercedes wore a conservative cleric's garb with a veil, her hair also cut shorter since her academy days.
"That fool Hargraves just cost us two hundred soldiers," said Dimitri. "Soldiers I required for our invasion of the Empire in the coming months. I will not accept any more fool's errands such as this. Understood?"
The other generals in the room, including Gilbert and Rodrigue, nodded in agreement to their king. Ingrid and Sylvain did not nod, but Dimitri knew he didn't have to worry about their loyalty, even if Ingrid looked as though she objected.
But then Ingrid spoke up. "Your Highness, could we not have retaken Fhirdiad if we had given Commander Hargraves additional support?"
"To what end, Ingrid?" said Dimitri.
"To what end? To liberate our people, that's what! Your Highness, they have long awaited your return. If we were to march on Fhirdiad, we–"
"The same people who could not accomplish the simple task of overthrowing Cornelia?" Dimitri interrupted. "What use would they be in my revenge?"
"Dimitri…!" Mercedes whispered in surprise.
Ingrid was about to object again when Sylvain raise a hand to stop her and said, "Ingrid, forget about it."
"Sylvain!" Ingrid hissed.
"If we were to march now on Fhirdiad," said Dimitri, "it would only serve to reduce our strength for little gain. And if we were to commit to Fhirdiad, we would have to pass through the entire Dukedom to reach Enbarr. Cornelia is no fool. She would ensure every step we took would be paid in blood."
"But aren't you eager to take revenge upon her too?!" Ingrid blurted out. "After she framed you for what happened to Lord Rufus?!"
Dimitri glared at Ingrid at this moment, which silenced the female knight immediately.
"F-Forgive me, Your Highness," Ingrid said apologetically.
"You are not wrong, Ingrid," said Dimitri. "I desire vengeance upon that witch as well, but all else is secondary to my revenge against the emperor. I will have Edelgard's head, no matter the cost. We will continue to ready our forces, and then march south through the Alliance. We will then cross into the Empire, make our way to Enbarr, and then I will make Edelgard watch as I burn her city and its people to ash before I take her life. Only then will we turn our attention back to Fhirdiad and the Dukedom. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Your Highness…" Ingrid answered.
Dimitri slumped back in his throne for a moment and then said, "I tire of this discussion. We will resume in the morning. Tend to your divisions, and make sure no one else has any stupid plans to throw away more of our soldiers' lives in vain."
The generals acknowledged the order and turned to leave. Dedue made his way to Dimitri as the king rose from his throne and made his way toward his chamber.
As the others made their way out, Dimitri asked, "Have you something to say as well, Dedue?"
"No, Your Highness," Dedue answered. "I will follow you as always."
"Good. I'm glad I can count on you, Dedue." Dimitri paused for a moment, and then said, "I would like some time alone with my wife for now."
"As you wish, Your Highness."
Dedue took his leave as Dimitri headed to his chamber. Opening the door, the grim countenance of the King of Lions softened as he laid his one good eye upon his beloved wife.
Marianne von Edmund was far less pale than she had been five years ago. She still wore her light blue hair in a crown braid, an arrangement that matched the regal dress she wore. Her brown eyes were filled more with life too, a result of their courtship over the past five years. A silver ring with a large emerald adorned her left hand, given to her by Dimitri when the two had wed over a year ago.
"How did your meeting go?" asked Marianne.
"Ingrid was quite vocal about Hargraves's defeat," Dimitri answered.
"I heard her shouting, but I couldn't quite make out what she said."
"She wanted us to retake Fhirdiad."
"And what did you say?"
"I said no. It would drain too much strength from our army, strength I require against the Empire."
"I see…"
Dimitri paused to look at his queen's expression and then said, "Do you think I should have marched on the city?"
Marianne did not answer this.
"They must think it deplorable of me to leave my people in the clutches of that witch. But you and I know I am not fit to rule over them. Not after what I did to Rufus…"
Marianne was silent, remembering that horrible day. It had been so sudden. She had been there, watching as Dimitri had argued with his uncle, when the prince just snapped. Everything after that happened so quickly, and before they knew it, Rufus was dead, his blood on Dimitri's hands. She had screamed, her cries drawing the guards to the scene. Within moments, Cornelia had the guards lead Dimitri away, intending to put him on trial for regicide.
He should have been executed for the crime. But Marianne could not just let them kill the man she had come to love, even if she had witnessed him killing Rufus. At great risk to herself and her family, she entered the dungeons with Dedue's help and freed Dimitri, and by sunrise the three had already left the city.
Their decision to marry had come as a surprise to many who served the King of Lions, but those who knew the pair felt they were a perfect match. And despite his position, Dimitri needed a queen. Of course, their reasons for marrying hadn't been entirely for romance, but to garner more support for Dimitri. For the sake of his position, they had also agreed not to speak of the truth regarding Rufus's murder to anyone, not wanting to give credence to Cornelia and the Dukedom.
But was it really that? Had it really been murder? Marianne wasn't sure. She knew Dimitri, despite having his disagreements with Rufus, had loved his uncle. And the way he had suddenly attacked Rufus was… unnatural. It had been completely unlike him.
It was something Marianne could relate to all too well…
Yes, you read that right. Dimitri and Marianne got hitched mid-timeskip.
Marianne is my favorite pairing for Dimitri, and it felt right to just have them already married by the time Byleth returns. This is going to play into a side-story bit of the plot, which I won't spoil here. Though I have to ask, what do you think of my current depiction of Dimitri? My intention is that being married to Marianne mellows him out a bit compared to how he is in the other routes. He still wants Edelgard dead, but he's not as insane or callous thanks to her. But what do you think? Is he still too callous toward others, including his people?
Also, you now know why Ingrid, Sylvain and Mercedes didn't show up for the reunion. Too busy being part of Dimitri's army. We'll touch on the Golden Deer side in a later chapter.
Finally, before you say "why would it take so long for the Empire to reach Garreg Mach from Enbarr?", it's more realistic that you can't go from the monastery to anywhere else in Fódlan in a single day, and vice versa. Marching an army, for instance, takes a while to go anywhere, even today with tanks, mechanized infantry, and helicopters. Takes a lot of fuel to keep a modern war machine going. Of course, the Imperials aren't using vehicles, so they have to walk instead, carrying all that armor, their weapons, supplies, etc., which would slow down anyone. Meanwhile, Brigitte and her friends could travel a lot faster, and could go through areas too cramped for an army to march through (i.e. through the mountains). It should be no surprise that they get to Garreg Mach first. And of course, the Imperials would have to organize their army first, causing more delays.
I hope I'm doing alright with military realism here. I'm not a military or history buff, so I'm bound to make mistakes with this sort of thing. The big thing I'm constantly struggling to get right is the size of the armies, since medieval armies were not nearly as big as modern armies, yet Edelgard in SS and VW claims millions were dying because of the war.