Meanwhile, the other members of the Company went to do various things around the Monastery. Edelgard went to check with the message birds.

"You know it's not going to be there yet," Lysithea told her.

"I know," Edelgard said. "I'm just nervous. If it doesn't arrive before the Imperial delegation..."

"How could it not arrive before the Imperial delegation?" Lysithea asked. "It's a piece of paper being delivered by a bird. The delegation is a group of men on slow horses who aren't going to sacrifice comfort for speed."

"If something happens to the message bird..." Edelgard said.

"You sent two," Lysithea reminded her. "The odds of both of them going missing on the way aren't high."

"I know," Edelgard said.

"Edelgard, after everything we've been through, after every time we beat the odds, you're nervous now?" Lysithea asked.

"You're right," Edelgard admitted.

"Let's go get some pie," Lysithea insisted. Edelgard nodded and followed after her.

Elsewhere, Gilbert Pronislav rushed to the Academy grounds. He knew Annette had been found, thank the Goddess, but he needed to see for himself that she was all right.

He knew he was being a hypocrite. He had no right to his old life as Gustave Dominic. Annette couldn't be his daughter anymore. But all the same, he needed to know. He didn't have to actually talk to her; according to Alois, she was at the Dining Hall, so he would likely just blend into the crowd of people eating there. He entered the Dining Hall, hoping to catch sight of Annette without her noticing him.

Instead, he came face to face with Annette, who had decided to leave through the same door he had chosen to enter through at the same time he had reached it. She looked at him, he looked at her, and neither of them said anything for several seconds as Gilbert silently prayed she wouldn't recognize him.

His prayers went unanswered. "Father?"

Gilbert didn't meet her gaze. "Annette, I..."

Annette slapped him.

Gilbert knew Annette was strong, even for a Crest-bearer. But that slap sent him reeling. He had taken punches from people who wanted to kill him more gracefully than he had taken that slap.

Eventually, he was able to regain his composure. "I deserved that."

"I'll say," said someone from behind Annette. Gilbert recognized him as Linhardt von Hevring. There were two others with them, a young man and a young woman, both blond and with pointed ears. Gilbert guessed they were Princess Zelda and Sir Link, the foreigners who had found the students and brought them back to Garreg Mach.

"Linhardt, Zelda, maybe we can continue our discussion on the E-66 Power Armor later," Annette said.

"The discussion is incomplete without Granté anyway," Linhardt said. With that, the other three walked away.

Annette grabbed Gilbert's arm and dragged him bodily into the courtyard. When she was satisfied that they had privacy, she stared at him. "Father, why?"

Gilbert couldn't meet her gaze. "Annette...I have lost the right to face you or your mother."

Annette glared at him. "When you failed to prevent the Tragedy of Duscur, or when you abandoned us?"

Gilbert didn't answer.

"We read the letter you left us when you left, Father. If you didn't think you deserved to remain Baron of the Dominic lands, we would have accepted that," Annette said.

"If I had stayed, you would have lost your reputation, your place in the line of succession..."

"We didn't need those things! We needed you!" Annette shouted. "I needed my father! Mother needed her husband! If you couldn't stay in Faerghus, we would have gladly went with you to Garreg Mach and never looked back."

"I couldn't ask you to do that," Gilbert said. "This is my penance, not yours."

"Did you hate us?" Annette asked. "Were you trying to forget all about us?"

"No!" Gilbert denied. "Annette, I swear, being away from you and your mother is and has always been the hardest part of my penance."

"Then why didn't you at least write to us?" Annette asked. "Why didn't you at least let us know you hadn't forgotten us?"

"I am sorry," Gilbert said.

"Save your apologies," Annette said. "They change nothing. If you really are sorry, write to Mother."

With that, she walked away. Gilbert could only hang his head in shame.

Next chapter, back to Hyrule.