Lilia's Journal Entry: 26th Guardian Moon, 1171

We are on our way to Enbarr! Jeralt says we can have a few days to relax. I intend to take Arthur and Byleth to the Opera House (and Jeralt as well if I can pry him away from the pub), it will be different to anything they have experienced before, and hopefully they will love it.

I think it will be especially good for Byleth. He has been tired and more reserved of late. It is subtle, and perhaps I am overthinking things as I always do, but I believe getting him away from the others will do him some good.

BACKSTORY

29th Guardian Moon, 1171

'Tell me, what is that fills the sky and the whole earth and tears up new shoots, and shakes all foundations, but cannot be seen by eyes or touched by hands?'

Lilia looked at Byleth, but the boy shook his head.

'Jeralt's flatulence?' Arthur asked.

Lilia frowned at him. 'No, the wind.'

'Same thing.'

The three of them waded through the evening crowds of Enbarr. Grand lanterns hung and illuminated the cobbled road ahead of them. On one side an old man with a long grey beard swayed from side to side playing a wooden instrument that gave off a low hum. Arthur liked it, but only thing keeping the old man company were a few pennies at his feet. On the other side a girl (Byleth's age, Arthur reckoned) sang to a small crowd that'd gathered around her. He grinned and nudged Byleth.

'There's your girlfriend.'

Byleth turned and gazed at the singing girl. She finished and the crowd cheered. Her face reddened. She bowed and tears rolled down her face.

Byeth watched and then looked away. 'No,' he mumbled.

Lilia put an arm around the boy. 'Is everything alright?' she asked.

Byleth rubbed his eyes and nodded. 'Tired.'

Lilia gazed at him. 'You are tense. Drop your shoulders.'

'Poor boy,' Arthur said, failing to hide the grin on his face. 'Maybe we should just go back to the camp and'-

'Shush Arthur,' Lilia said, slapping his arm. 'We are going now stop trying to get out of it. I shall not spend our break around the other mercenaries. (She looked to Byleth and rubbed his shoulder.) You have never been to an opera before, have you?'

The boy shook his head.

'Well, your first opera will be performed by someone I used to work with. The best opera singer in all Fódlan, the Divine Songstress of the Mittelfrank Opera Company.'

'C'mon,' Arthur said, winking. 'We all know no one's as good at opera singing as you.'

Lilia smiled and raised an eyebrow. 'I do not recall you ever taking the time to listen to me sing.'

'You kidding? You wake me up every morning with it.'

Lilia jabbed Arthur and he broke out into his giggling seagull-like screeches.

They waded through the crowds. More people moved in the same direction as them as they neared their destination. Soon, they turned out of a busy street and into a vast courtyard. Lilia smiled and Arthur's jaw dropped. The courtyard brimmed with people. Lights and colourful decorations hung around the area. In the distance they saw perhaps fifty lights shining through the feint mist, looking as if they hung in mid-air. Arthur's eyes widened.

'That's the Imperial palace over there, right?'

Lilia nodded. 'Home of the Emperor Ionius IX.'

Arthur whistled. 'I bet the old man doesn't run out of places to play hide and seek in there, no?'

'Shut up.'

They turned right and followed the crowd towards a grand building. Red banners with gold, two-headed eagles were adorned on them.

'Glory to the Adrestian Empire!' Arthur said, raising his hands in a ridiculous fashion. Lilia shook her head and giggled. The two walked hand in hand.

Byleth trudged beside them, his breath rising and falling in feint, jagged breaths. Alain's words rung in his head.

"…have you ever wondered why Byleth is different? I think it's because of that, no heartbeat, and I think that's why he'll never be normal."

He dug his fingernails deeper into his palms.

'Welcome to my old home,' Lilia said.

'Some place…,' Arthur breathed.

The room consisted of a grand hall covered in lush red seats and carpets. Four balconies draped in Adrestian red stacked on top of one another, circling either side of the room. Lilia led them to seats in the first one in the middle. Angels and different patterns were carved into the ceiling and a grand, shimmering chandelier hung from it. At the front draped over the wooden stage was a large red curtain. Voices echoed around them. The seats (which went into the hundreds) were filled with people, but not ordinary ones; not ones they usually saw, the ones with ripped and tattered tunics and splats of dirt on their faces. No, the women here, who smelt of citrus and lavender, wore long dresses and peculiar hats with feathers sticking out of them. The men wore suits and thick jackets crammed with dazzling patterns and flamboyant colours.

'We must be the only commoners here,' Arthur, murmured.

'We?' Lilia said, grinning in her blue dress. 'Me and Byleth are nobles tonight, darling. The only commoner here is you.'

Arthur looked down at his baggy shirt and trousers and pulled a face. 'Yeah yeah, if you're so special why aren't we getting the good seats? You know the workers here, right? Heck, you were a leading performer once, (he pointed) I coulda' had someone feeding me grapes like that woman up top.'

Lilia paused. 'I did not wish for anyone to know who I am or that I'm here. I dislike the fuss and attention.'

Arthur blinked. 'You were a songstress but you hated the attention?'

'Not from the crowd, that energised me,' Lilia murmured. 'It was the... (her nose crinkled) the men.'

'Men?'

'The men who would come to the after parties,' she continued, her voice low. 'The men who would fund the operas... they were disgusting. They made me want to escape.'

'Creeps, huh?' Arthur replied.

Lilia nodded. 'The worst part was you were expected to butter them up. One rodent of a man once laid a hand on me and I slapped him. I was later told by the other songstresses that I could not do such a thing, that I relied on these men to make ends meet. I felt stuck, trapped. I was scared… after each performance the men became… worse…. I was scared what might happen to me if I stayed.'

'What did you do?' Arthur asked.

Lilia sighed. 'I tried to ignore it. I would tell myself that I was overreacting and that I should be grateful to be in such a position in the first place, that most songstresses didn't get anywhere near as much gold as I did, and that the attention of the men was just something I had to… accept.'

She lowered her head.

'But it wasn't long before I could not stop trembling. My heart would race, and I would have regular panic attacks. It got to the point where singing became very difficult for me. And if I could not sing… then what then? I'-

She closed her eyes.

'I tried to bottle up my feelings but it did not work. (She nodded to the stage.) The woman singing tonight was a close friend of mine, and she helped me to release everything. She helped me realise that I needed to confront my fear head on, and for me, that meant making the decision to leave. (She smiled) Luckily, that was when I met Jeralt, and when I received the offer from him to join his group, I did not think twice.'

Arthur kissed the side of her head. 'And then you met the man of your dreams!'

Lilia smiled and rolled her eyes. 'But operas are amazing. That's why I've wanted to take you both so long. They're breath-taking. They grab us and add colour to our lives. They can create a beautiful melody that becomes etched in our souls forever'-

Lilia's voice faded and Byleth froze.

Alain's voice rung in his head again.

"My point is you worry about feelings and emotions, but I don't think he has much of either. He's not normal, he'll never make friends or fall in love. He's an empty shell for the most part, lifeless."

"For all we know, his lack of a heartbeat might mean he dies sooner than the rest of us."

'Byleth?'

The boy looked up. Lilia stared at him. 'You are pale, is everything alright?'

Byleth ignored the squirming sensation in his stomach and nodded. 'Tired.'

'Well don't fall asleep on me, okay?' Arthur said, grinning. 'If I have to watch this, you do t'-

'Excuse me.'

Arthur and Lilia looked up. A tall man with parted black hair and a moustache limped towards them. He wore a suit and leaned on a walking cane.

'I do not believe we have met before,' he said. 'I am Reginold. I work here at the Opera House.'

'Nice to meet ya,' Arthur said. Reginold shook his hand and then Lilia's. She smiled thinly and her skin prickled. The man's skin was smooth and it reminded her of raw meat. She watched him turn his gaze down to Byleth. He frowned.

'My dear boy, are you not feeling well?' he asked.

'Ah he's fine, Arthur said. 'Just tired.'

'I see, hopefully he is still able to enjoy the show,' Reginold replied, chuckling. He moved a hand to the boy's head and ruffled his hair. Lilia tensed, fighting the urge to slap his hand away. After a moment the man removed his hand and smiled at her.

'Is this your first time watching a show here? It is not often we see new faces in the crowd.'

Lilia felt her blood go cold. She opened her mouth but Arthur spoke first.

'First time here for the three of us! We're mercenaries. Got a good payoff recently so we thought we'd celebrate it with some opera fun!'

'Marvellous idea,' Reginold said. He looked down towards the stage. 'Well, I believe the show is about to start, I will not keep you any longer. It is a pleasure to meet you both, and hopefully I shall see you again soon.'

The man bowed and carefully limped away on his cane.

'You know him?' Arthur murmured.

Lilia shook her head. 'Never seen him before. He was strange.'

Arthur nodded and then smiled. 'You like how I saved you at the end there?'

Lilia smiled and kissed his cheek.

It was then the room's lights dimmed and the grand, red curtains parted. A light shone on the stage. Arthur and Lilia looked down at it. After a moment Byleth did as well.

And for the first time in his life, he saw the woman known as the divine songstress.

The divine songstress managed a feat many thought impossible in those few hours. She kept Arthur silent.

The man couldn't take his eyes from her. He watched her dance back and forth across the stage in a purple dress he thought fit her perfectly. He watched her sandy-brown hair wave back and forth and he stared into her deep hazelnut-eyes. Goosebumps rippled up his skin every time she smiled.

But those looks ain't why she's called the divine songstress, he thought. That voice….

When she started singing, he forgot to breathe. Her voice made the hairs on his neck stand on end. The softness in her voice made him think of warm milk and honey, and yet the strength in it vibrated around the room and made him think of eagles flying… no… soaring in the sky. The divine songstress sang, gripping everyone in the hall.

Apart from one boy.

The opera told the story of a woman madly in love with a childhood friend. At first, the woman had believed that her noble friend would never be with her as she was a commoner. But he did want to be with her, and when he proposed to her, they sang. It was at that moment Lilia wiped her eyes.

Byleth saw this and then looked around. Others did the same. He couldn't, of course.

"He's never cried or shown anger or any other form of emotion that would support your argument. His smile is forced. He does it because he thinks it's expected of him. It's not real."

His head pulsed and the squirming sensation in his stomach intensified. He grated his teeth.

The story continued and a young girl joined the man and divine songstress on the stage, playing the part of their daughter. She sang as well and was perhaps just a few years younger than Byleth. She wore a white dress and had long rose-coloured hair. Her green eyes were as bright as her voice.

Soon, war came in the story and the man agreed to take up arms "for the glory of the Adrestian Empire", much to the dismay of his wife. She begged him not to go, as did his daughter, but he insisted. The divine songstress begged him to promise that he would return. When he didn't, she began to cry, as did Lilia.

Byleth looked up at her.

"… He's an empty shell for the most part, lifeless."

The war came and some thirty-men in armour swung weapons at one another on the stage. Most fell to the ground, including the noble husband. Soon, the mother and daughter learned of his fate and sang together in a tearful duo that made one woman dash out of the hall sobbing with her hands plastered to her face.

The story continued and the war was eventually won. A torn Adrestian flag was raised at the centre of the stage. The crowd roared. The story ended with the mother and daughter standing alone at the front of the house the husband and father had built. The curtains began to close, but then they stopped. The husband reappeared and the crowd sprung to their feat, cheering and sobbing. The story revealed that his armour had stopped the enemy's sword from doing fatal damage, and that he'd then been rescued by allied forces. The family embraced and sang together. The curtains finally pulled close and the roars and cries of the crowd became ear-splitting.

'Now that… was something,' Arthur said, blinking.

A tearful Lilia squeezed his hand and kissed him. Many other couples in the room did the same. Many clapped and cheered and wiped their eyes.

"… He's not normal, he'll never make friends or fall in love."

"Is he cursed?"

Byleth sat hunched over, his stomach churning. The sobbing around the room rose into a horrible chorus in his head. He dug his fingernails into his palms.

"How about you fuck off and join that tramp on the stage over there. The crowd would love it. You're a freak-"

"I think it's because of that, no heartbeat, and I think that's why he'll never be normal."

"For all we know, his lack of a heartbeat might mean he dies sooner than the rest of us."

"… you're grasping for things in him that aren't there, you want him to be normal but he never will be."

Byleth bent forward and retched.

'Goddess, Byleth!' Lilia shouted, jumping off her chair. She kneeled beside him. People on all sides jumped back, gasping, and giving indignant looks.

'Nothing to see here,' Arthur said, waving them off. 'To be fair, I probably would have thrown up too if I saw my folks kissing.'

The crowd glared at him (and his clothes) and then shuffled towards the exits, shaking their heads and muttering "commoners" under their breath. Lilia held Byleth. His face was pale and it sent a shiver down her spine. She knew why.

His face is as pale as it was when I first met him….

'Are you okay?' she whispered.

For a moment, she didn't think he would response. It reminded her of when they'd sat on the bench outside of Argo's Tavern back in Fhirdiad all those years before, when she'd waited for his response then.

'Tired,' Byleth eventually whispered.

Lilia shivered.

His voice sounds just like it did… back then….

'C'mon big guy, I'll help you up,' Arthur said, moving to the other side of the boy and helping him up. When he and Lilia saw that the boy's legs were trembling, he took the boy on his back.

'Hang tight, kid,' Arthur said.

'How were the nobles?' Solon asked.

'As oblivious and as foolish as always,' Azazel muttered.

'No updates then?'

'There is. I saw a new face in the crowd tonight, a woman with a crest. I believe she would be suitable for abduction.'

'Are you certain?' Solon asked.

Azazel nodded. 'I do not know her history, but she's a mercenary.'

Solon scratched his chin. 'So no one of relevance would notice if she were to disappear?'

'I don't think so. A free resource for our experiments.'

Solon nodded. 'Was she there with anyone else?'

'I don't know how big her mercenary group is, but tonight she was accompanied by a man and a boy. The man was crestless. The boy... (Azazel frowned and scratched his moustache) the reader came up with an inconclusive answer. He may or may not have one.'

'But the woman definitely does?'

Azazel nodded, 'Crest of Ernest.'

'Make her the priority then, the boy a bonus. Have you placed a tracker them?'

Azazel nodded.

'Good. Follow her, and when you deem the time to be right, take her quietly.'

END OF BACKSTORY