BACKSTORY

10th Great Tree Moon, 1166

The towering man's fist sunk into the side of young Byleth's face. The boy crashed to the ground.

Lilia screamed again. She heard the dull thud. Her stomach churned and her legs trembled. She stumbled forward, weeping. The towering man (who we know as Ronald the construction worker), closed in on the boy's body.

Shouts came from inside the tavern and another towering man, one in armour and a bright orange tunic, sprung out and crashed into the bald man, toppling him over. Lilia scrambled forward.

'Byleth!' she cried. At the first the boy remained limp on the ground and her throat tightened. She moved nearer. He twitched, making her heart jolt. He rose to a seated position and moved his hands to his face. She raced and knelt down beside him, putting a hand on his back.

'You're okay. I'll heal you, I-I'll heal you, you're okay' she said, tears rolling down her face.

He's not okay, he can't be. Not after that. The sound that strike made…

Her stomach churned again.

'Kid.'

Lilia flashed her head upward. Jeralt approached. Behind him the other mercenaries surrounded the attacker. Alain, a towering man covered in tattoos, approached the attacker and drove his leg forward. The sickening thud made her stomach twist again.

Jeralt knelt down on the other side of Byleth, his eyes wide. His breath stank of rotten fruit. 'Talk to us, kid.'

Byleth said nothing, keeping his hands plastered to his face. Gently, Jeralt took hold of the boy's hands.

Visions of blotched, swelling eyes, shards of broken teeth, dripping crimson mixed with tears entered Lilia's mind and she mashed her eyes closed.

'Shit,' she breathed. 'Shit, shit, shi'-

'Are you okay?' she heard Jeralt ask.

There was a pause. Lilia peaked through one eye, and then both sprung wide.

Byleth's right eye was already swelling and a large dark patch lay on his lower eyelid.

But it was his expression, or lack of, that caught her attention.

Even after that blow…, she thought. he still looks….

The boy flickered his dull purple eyes in her direction. Through the swelling eye, she saw a bloodied and slitted pupil gaze at her. She flinched and jumped to her feet, her body trembling.

'Lilia, could you heal hi'- Jeralt looked up at her and his eyes widened. 'What's wrong?'

Lilia shook her head and scrambled away. She moved around the corner of the hill, bent over and vomited.

'That's a blackeye if I ever saw one kid. It's like a giant blueberry!'

'Shut up Arthur,' Jeralt said. 'Keep the cloth on, Byleth.'

'It's just so huge!' Arthur continued, raising his arms in an over-the-top manner. 'I've never seen one like it. That guy got you really good, huh?'

It'd been a few hours since Ronald, the construction worker, had struck Byleth outside the tavern in Fhirdiad, the capital of the Kingdom of Faerghus. Arthur, Pieter (one of the other mercenaries), a pale-faced Lilia and a guilt-ridden Jeralt had guided Byleth back along the cobbled roads to the dark and damp Inn they were staying in that night.

Young Byleth, who was hardly taller than his father's waist, sat on a wooden bench with a damp cloth over his swollen eye. Jeralt, Pieter and Arthur surrounded him him. Lilia sat in the corner staring out the window.

'And to think you said you'd only be in the pub for ten minutes,' Arthur said, grinning at Jeralt.

Jeralt rubbed the back of his neck. His face was red. 'Yeah but… Alain ordered another drink and then Marta did… and then Richter did and…'-

'And then you did.'

'Shut up,' Jeralt replied. He sighed. 'You're right, I screwed up a bit.' He put a hand on his son's shoulder. 'Are you sure you're okay? That was one hell of a smack you got.'

From the corner of her eye, Lilia saw Byleth's pale, expressionless face nod. She felt his eyes flicker in her direction and she spun her eyes away.

'You are a boy and yet you are more of a man than most,' Pieter said, clapping the boy on the shoulder.

'We should probably round up the others, no?' Arthur said. 'Big day tomorrow.'

'Agreed,' Jeralt said.

'You go, Jeralt,' Pieter said. 'They don't listen to anyone else after drinking. I'll stay and watch the boy.'

Jeralt nodded. 'Arthur?'

'I'll come too,' Arthur said, grinning. 'Someone needs to make sure you don't go in for another "ten minute" booze session.'

Jeralt snorted. 'As generous as always Arthur. Okay, you and I will go. Pieter and Lilia can'-

'No!'

Jeralt spun his head. Lilia stood, her eyes wide.

'I shall come as well,' she said, grabbing her shoes.

'You feeling alright?' Arthur asked. 'Your face is a white as a ghost!'

Lilia nodded. 'Fresh air will do me good.'

Jeralt gazed at her and then nodded. He turned back to his son and put a hand on his shoulder.

'You sure you're okay? Lilia will use some magic on you when she feels better and that'll lessen the pain.'

Byleth nodded again. Lilia was the first to leave the room a short time later.

Arthur and Jeralt walked side by side along the cobbled roads of Fhirdiad. Lilia trailed behind them.

'What's the odds we're gonna have a hard time getting everyone out the tavern?' Arthur asked.

'We'll make them,' Jeralt said. 'Tomorrow's assignment is too important. Besides, I think they'll come of their own accord. They know the pay's too good to ignore on this one.'

Arthur nodded. 'We gonna have a problem with that brute again?'

Jeralt shook his head. 'I doubt it, not after Alain spoke to the guy. Whatever he said put a real fear in his eyes. We'll stay away from the place after this just to be on the safe side.'

'He was some guy though. Nearly as tall as you,' Arthur continued. 'Your kid's a chip off the old block, as hard as iron. (He clenched his fist and extended his arm forward). I saw the punch; struck him directly in the face… hardly bothered him.'

'He's some kid,' Jeralt muttered.

They walked in silence for a long while, turning corners, moving through alleyways and shuffling past people in ragged tunics. They strode onto "Lycaon I Street", and that's when Lilia sighed.

'Jeralt'-

Jeralt turned. Lilia stopped. She lowered her head and shook it.

'Why are we acting like that was normal?'

'Whatcha mean?' Arthur asked.

Lilia shuddered. 'Byleth. He was struck by a giant and did not even cry. That isn't right, something is not right with him.'

There was a long pause. 'Not every kid cries,' Arthur said. 'He would have been shocked.'

Lilia shook her head. 'We both know there is more to it than that, and I want to know.' She eyed Jeralt. The man stared at her and then sighed.

'We've spoken about this.'

Lilia shook her head. 'Saying "it's just the way he is" is not enough for me anymore, not after that. Jeralt, he has never cried before. He has never shown any kind of emotion either. Today he was struck by a fully-grown man and not even that brought out anything in him.'

'I know but'-

'Listen to me,' Lilia said, her lips trembling. 'H-He frightens me. It's… it's as if he's dead on his feet. Why is he like that? What happened to him?'

Light rain started drizzling down. Passers-by ducked into sheltered parts of the street but the three mercenaries remained still. Jeralt opened his mouth and then closed it. He took a deep breath in. 'I don't know, Lilia, that's the truth. He was born that way.'

'You said his mother was the same,' Lilia continued. 'You do not know what was wrong with her either?'

'Ah c'mon,' Arthur said, his usual grin gone. 'Is this really a good time?'

'I need to know,' Lilia said. 'I don't think I can stay otherwise. (Her lips trembled again). I-I thought I could cope without understanding Byleth but… I can't.'

The drizzle grew heavier around them and yet none of them moved.

'It's okay,' Jeralt said, raising his hand. 'His mother was reserved as well. She struggled with an illness that made moving around difficult for her. I don't know what caused it or what it was.'

'Maybe Byleth has the same issue to an extent?' Arthur asked. 'The illness wasn't from a crest was it? Something that could've affected her and the boy?'

Jeralt shook his head. 'I had Byleth checked, he doesn't have one. Besides, even if his mother had had a crest, it doesn't mean he'd have inherited it. Crests often disappear for generations at a time. (He turned to Lilia) I'm sorry, but there's nothing more I can tell you about him.'

Lilia wiped her eyes and shook her head. 'I-I don't think I can stay then.'

Arthur's shoulders sank. 'You can't leave. Please don't.'

Lilia kept her eyes fixed on Jeralt. For the first time, she noticed grand lines carved into his face and saw large bags under his eyes.

The man sighed and lowered his head. After a moment, he looked up at her.

'Lilia, you joined us voluntarily, and you can leave us at any time for any reason with no questions asked, you know that.'

Lilia nodded. 'I-I want to stay but'-

'But Byleth,' he continued. 'He's the issue here. He scares you.'

Lilia nodded. Jeralt lowered his head and closed his eyes.

He's going to tell me to leave, Lilia thought. He won't'-

Jeralt met her gaze again and this time Lilia didn't see wrinkles or bags. She saw bright, blazing eyes.

'Byleth isn't normal,' he said. 'I get that, and I don't know what's wrong with him, but I can tell you that who he is now isn't who he'll be when he's older. He'll change, for the better. You've seen that this year, he's talking more now, he's answering questions. You have noticed that, right?'

Lilia nodded. 'I-I have.'

Jeralt nodded. 'He will change and become more… normal. I know that because… the thing is…'-

He lowered his head and the famous, mercenary leader, the blade breaker, rubbed his eyes.

'Big guy…,' Arthur said, putting his hand on Jeralt's shoulder. The man shook his head and looked at Lilia again.

'The thing with my wife… (he exhaled) was that she was more like Byleth at first as well. N-Not as… reserved, but q-quiet, not expressing much emotion or talking a lot. But over time… she started to talk more and… smile and… t-take an interest in things. She opened up, she'-

He rubbed his face.

'If we take care of Byleth, I believe the same will happen to him. Overtime he'll become more… human as well. So I don't know why he is the way he is, but I can promise you he'll change if you give him the time to, I can feel it.'

He went down onto one knee in front of Lilia.

'I beg you, don't give up on him.'

Lilia stared at the man for what felt like forever. Byleth's cold face and bloodied slit eye flashed in her mind. A chill rushed through her chest.

He's crazy… the boy won't change, a voice in her mind said. He never-

She paused and remembered what she'd seen on the bench.

But he already has, even today he is speaking more, a second voice murmured.

The boy's pale face flashed in her mind again and she screwed her eyes closed.

No… not what he is now… what he could be, the second voice pleaded.

She exhaled. She tried to envision something she'd never thought of before, something that seemed almost impossible, unthinkable.

She thought of Byleth smiling.

Creativity and imagination had been her life's work as a songstress, and yet generating a thought of the boy smiling was one of the hardest things she'd ever done.

How could that thing possibly smile? The first voice in her mind spat.

But after a moment, she could see it, Byleth smiling. Her heart tingled. He looked beautiful. She could see colour in his face. He looked like a normal boy…-

A beautiful one, the second voiced breathed.

Next, she saw him laughing and her breath escaped her. She saw him running and chasing a butterfly. She saw him tumble over and scrape his knee. She saw his once expressionless face scrunch up and she saw tears well in his eyes. In her mind she rushed over and kissed his knee better. She looked up and saw Byleth wipe his eyes and smile. He opened his mouth and thanked her. The sound of his voice made her think of milk and honey. His purple eyes, instead of being dull, shone.

Give him a chance, the second voice pleaded.

Lilia took in one final wavering breath and nodded. 'Okay, I will not give up on him.'

END OF BACKSTORY